Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

CHRISTIAN , sil SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST. VOL. 48-NO. 28. A RELIGIOUS AND FAMILY PAPER. PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN ATLANTA. OA. TERMS.-Clubs of Four, ($3.00 each! per annum...sl2 00 Clubs of Three. ($3.33 each) per annum... 10.00 Clubs of Two. (3.f>o each) per annum 7.00 Single Subscriber 4.00 J. J. TOON, Proprietor. Spent and Mis-Spent. Stay yet a little longer in the sky, O golden color of the evening sun ! Let not the sweet day in its sweetness die, While my day’s work is only just begun. Counting the happy chances strewn about, Thick as the leaves, and saying which was best, Tbe rosy lights of morning all went out, And it was burning noon, and time to rest. Then leaning low upon apiece of shade, Fringed round with violets and pansies sweet, My heart and I, I said, will be delayed, And plan our work while cools the sultry heat. Deep iu the hills, and out of silence vast, A waterfall played up his silver tune; Mr plans lost purpose, fell to dreams at last, And held me late into the afternoon. But when the idle pleasure ceased to please. And I awoke, and not a plan was planned, Just as a drowning man, at what he sees Catches for life, I caught the thing at hand. And so life’s little work day hour has all Been spent, and mis-spent, doing what I could, And in regrets and efforts to recall The chance of having, being, what I would. And so sometimes I cannot choose but cry. Seeing my lotc-sown flowers are hardly set; O darkening color of the evening sky, Sparc me the day a little longer yet! — Harper'* Magazine. Expenses of tlie Board of Domestic Missions. That “ the purpose sought to be accom plished” by hrotherCampbell’s “resolution,” at the late meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, may be answered “ wholly,” I furnish the information called for in his com munication in the Index of July Ist. Du ring the year ending April 1, 1868, the Board had in its employment eight agents, some for the entire year, others for only a part of the year, the term of their service varying from one to nine months. Their travelling expenses amounted to $1,360 15 Travelling expenses of Cor. Sec. for same time.. 571 30 $1,931 45 In the following year, ending April 1,1869, but few agents were employed, and they for a brief period. But little agency work was done, aA a small cost, and with corresponding receipts. The Cor. Sec. was tor three months prostrated by sickness, in the harvest time of the Board, at the season 1 in which our Asso ciations meet. This, of course, reduced his travelling expenses, and likewise his receipts. The other item about which inquiry is made, is as easily explained. It is a rule of the Alabama Baptist State Convention, that from all moneys paid into its treasury, the expense of printing and distributing the min utes, and paying the Clerk, shall be deducted, pro rata. At my request, the Treasurer of the Domestic Board, brother J. B. Lovelace, furnishes the following statement taken from his books: In settlement with Treasurer Alabama Bap tist Convention. The Treasurer Domestic Mission Board charged himself with total amount contributed through said Convention, for Domestic Missions, and had to credit himself with the amount apportioned to Do mestic Board Funds to defray the expense of printing minutes of the State Convention, say eighty-four dollars and fifty cents. Itemized Statement of Credit in acct. of Treasurer Domestic Mission Boards 1867 and 1868, “ Print ing Minutesetc. Amt- paid out of receipts from Alabama Baptist State Couvention for minutes as above stated...s 84 50 Amt. paid J. F. Weishampel for printing min utes S- B. Convention for 1867 184 71 Amt. paid for printing Report of Board of Do mestic and Indian Missions to Convention at Memphis 60 00 Amt. paid J cost printing cards Certificate of Membership at Convention at Memphis. 130 Amt. paid Cowardm & Ellyson J balance due them on printing minutes for year 1866. 15 00 $345 51 I believe I have now answered fully and unequivocally, every inquiry that has been made touching the expenses of the Domestic Board. And here, with the expose which has been made, I rest (for the present, at least,) the defence of the Board. Wm. H. Mclntosh, President. Marion , Ala., July 9, 1569. Apprenticeship. Elder E. B. Teague: My Dear Brother — In the Index and Baptist of the Ist instant, an article from your pen appears in recommen dation of the contract of apprenticeship. In your communication you refer to a report on the subject of education, adopted by the Georgia Baptist Convention, at Atlanta, du ring the war, in which we met in council, and in which a favorable allusion to apprentice, ships is made. In a late letter you indicate a desire to have me join you in a review of the measure thus advocated. Your desire being to do good, and especially to the poor children of our dead, it seems to me nojess than a duty to repeat thus publicly, my con tinued concurrence in judgment with you. In very many of the numerous cases of needy children in this section of country, with you I fully agree, that the relation of employer and apprentice is the best to which we can resort. You have very properly called attention to the enervating nature of mere asylums for the poor, (however they appeal to our compassion,) and set in con trast the tendency of apprenticeships to give strength and efficiency to character. There is much stress, too, as it seems to me, in the fact brought to view by you, that the asylum more thoroughly sunders family ties than does the contract of apprenticeship. This evil is wide-spread. If it be conceded that these ties are weakened in the contract of ap prenticeship, the truth remains that they are much more so in the asylum, as you justly insist. These engagements may be voluntary— that is, entered into with the employer by the parents of the children subjected to them, or those standing in their place; or they may, in some instances, be compulsory; that is, executed by officers appointed and directed by law. However formed, so far as my knowledge extends, they are administered by the courts; not without regard to the rights of the employer, it is true, but with marked tenderness to parents, or those occu pying their place, and the children involved. A short extract from a late English law wri ter, of much repute, Addison on Contracts, may be interesting just here. FRANKLIN PRINTING HOUSE, ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY, JULY 22, 1869. “An infant above the age of fourteen, and unmarried, is, by the custom of London, re sponsible upon covenants contained in inden tures of apprenticeship executed by him, just the same as if he was of full age. But he is by the common law, where the apprenticeship is not within the city of London, exempt from all liability ex contractu (by the contract) by reason of his minority. Therefore it is that his friends ordinarily become bound for his faithful service and good conduct during the period of the apprenticeship. The parties who covenant for the continued service and good conduct of an infant apprentice, are not responsible upon their covenants for trifling and pardonable instances of misconduct, such as staying out on Sunday evenings half an hour beyond the time allowed, or for tempo rary absence and disobedience of orders, un attended by substantial injury to the. master; but for all gross misconduct, and repeated or lengthened absence, producing substantial injury to the master, they will be held re sponsible, and if an infant apprentice who has executed indentures of apprenticeship avoids the contract on his coming of age, and refuses to continue in the service of his mas ter, they are bound to make good whatever damage is sustained by the latter by' reason of such repudiation of the contract. The master usually covenants to take the appren tice into his service, and teach him the art or trade he himself exercises or carries on; to find him in meat, drink and lodging, and sometimes with wearing apparel, washing, and all other necessaries during the term. The sickness of the apprentice, or his inca pacity to serve and to learn, by reason o e ill health, or an accident, does not discharge the master from his covenant to provide for him, and to maintain him, inasmuch as the latter takes him for better or for worse, and must minister to his necessities in sickness as well as in health. The same amount of miscon duct which, in the case of a contract of hiring and service would authorize the master to dissolve the contract, and discharge the ser vant, will not release him from liability upon his covenant in an indenture of apprentice ship. But if the apprentice is guilty of such an amount of misconduct as renders it im practicable for the master to maintain, em ploy and teach him according to the terms of the indentures, the master cannot be sued for neglecting to perform his covenants in that behalf, inasmuch as the capability of the ap prentice to be instructed, maintained and provided for by the master, is naturally a condition precedent to the liability of the latter upon such covenants.” The considerate and benignant temper ap parent in these comments, thus copied from Addison, will be found, generally, in the functionaries charged with the enforcement of these contracts as springing naturally out of them. That the relation of employef'jipd apprentice is a somewhat delicate one, ejiily abused, should not be overlooked. It is to be justified by its equivalents of good. A sound discretion being exercised in the selec tion of the parties to it and in the adjustment of its terms, it may be made subservient to many and urgent wants among us. We have need of education, not only in the school ele ments of it, beyond our cash means of pay ment, but also in forms of bodily labor, directed by skill, which look especially to the contract of apprenticeship for help. Respectfully, M. J. Wellborn. July 8, 1869. A Reminiscence of John E. Dawson. I observed, some months ago, in the Inbex and Southwestern Baptist, a request for any reminiscences of brother John E. Daw son. 1 remembered at the time an interview I had with him at Tuskegee, during the meet ing of the Alabama Baptist Convention there, in Nov., 1860. I have been regretting that I could not recall the circumstances so as to send you a statement of them. To-day, in turning over some papers, I have come across a brief pencil memorandum which en ables me to furnish what follows. I only re gret that it is so incomplete; for the impres sion left on me by that visit to his dying bed was as if I had caught a glimpse of the shin ing wings of an angel on his flight to the up per home. He was confined, I remember, to his bed, (perhaps at Dr. C. Battle’s house,) and unable to participate in the consultations and delib erations of his brethren at that anxious and momentous period. I referred, I think, to the fact that he must feel lonesome, some what, knowing that so many of his dear friends were there, and feeling unable to see or talk with them. He said, “I have not felt by myself at all. I have experienced none of the loneliness of the sick chamber. It is a thought of great sweetness and comfort to me, that I have a place in the hearts and affections of my brethren ; and that though I am compelled to abstain from meeting with them, they re' member me so cordially.” He added, after a pause, “God has been fulfilling to me all the gracious promises to which I have looked for years. I feel in this hour, more than ever, that though 1 am con scious of being a great sinner, and though i see more clearly than ever that a thousand human merits would be of no avail, I am resting on a rock. There is an unshaken confidence which sustains me. None but Christ! None but Christ /” Some allusion was made to the conten tions and strifes of the outside world, to recent dissensions in the denomination, and to the apprehended conflict in our political affairs. But it seemed that these waves scarcely created a ripple in the great harbor of peace into which his blessed spirit was even already gliding. He said, with a smile of heavenly, loving serenity, “I have now more business with the other world than with this. I have balanced all accounts. There are some things to remember and pity. There is nothing, I trust, that I have not cor dially forgiven.” These are the brief and imperfect memo randa which I happen to have retained, of my last interview with one of the noblest men I ever knew. The first time I saw him, he made a power ful impression on me. It was at Marietta, Ga., when the Georgia Baptist Convention met there. I think it was in 1849 or 1850- He preached a sermon in which the folly, the absurdity, the guilt of claiming to be justi fied by our fulfilling the law, was exhibited in a more striking light than I % ever remera ber to have seeirit displayed before or since. He forced us to bring our characters into comparison with one standard after another, with public opinion, with our own conscience, dsc., and having showed that we failed, even when judged by these, he rose with irresisti ble power to enforce the certainty of failure when brought into comparison with the holy law of the infinite God. It was a sermon of singular beauty and grandeur. His coun tenance fairly glowed and looked radiant with the ardor of his emotions; and when he turned from his argumentative discussion, to urge his personal appeal to lost sinners to come to the only Saviour, it seemed as if seraphic zeal was mingled with human affection, to produce an impres sion, the memory of which lingers bright with me to-day, after a lapse of a score of busy years. I trust his sister, Mrs. Hill, may be able to execute successfully her labor of love, in preparing some suitable memorial of this man of God. With fraternal regards, I am, Yours Truly, B. Manlt, Jr. Greenville. S, C., June 21, 1869. The Duty of Christians at the Present Time. Never, in all the history of Christianity, was there a time when its professors were more imperatively called upon to be firm and unyielding in the maintainance of their prin ciples, than now. Never, not even when the cruel hand of persecution was binding them to the stake or burying them in dungeons, did they have to deal with hostile influences of a more trying character. Never was infi delity more prevalent, or more insidious in its attacks upon the very foundations of reli gious faith. Never was impiety more bold and unblushing. Never did vice so enrobe itself in the livery of virtue, and seek by cunning sophistry to deceive even the elect. Never did injustice, red of hand and cruel of heart, so present itself in the guise of patri otism. Everywhere, in all quarters of Christ endom, the alarming falling off from the sim ple faith and unyielding integrity of the early Christians, would melt the pious heart with grief. In the great demoralization which the country has undergone, the line of demarca tion between the church and the world has almost wholly disappeared. Church mem bers are found engaged in practices which, a decade ago, were condemned, not by the church alone, but by the moral sentiment of the country at large, and they are so far from suffering any compunctions of conscience therefor, that they defend themselves in their course. The distinction between right and wrong has become sadly blurred. Passion and prejudice govern more than a sense of justice, or a desire to maintain what is right aq,d true. *There is much need of firmness and cour age on the part of professed Christians, lest they be swept along with this strong current. They should consider themselves as the dykes which must, if possible, protect the world from the great moral deluge with which it is threatened. They should stand up with an unyielding fortitude against the encroach ments of wickedness. They should despise and utterly discard the flimsy sophisms by which the weak and vascillating persuade themselves that it is best to go with the mul titude, even to do evil. They should stand up for law and order, and let all men know their position. Nor threats, nor blandish ments should induce them to give their coun tenance and encouragement to insubordina tion, violence and wrong. It is no more true now than it has been, but quite as much so, that the sole hope of the country is in the professors of Christian ity. We need not expect bad men to have much regard for the well-being of society. They are either in the pursuit of some un worthy object, or in the mere recklessness of wanton wickedness, have no care as to what mischief they may cause. The right-minded, sober, Christian people must save the coun try from the horrors of anarchy, if saved it be. If they be recreant to this high trust — if they take the hues of the prevailing im morality, we are morally, socially and finan cially ruined. They should mould public opinion, and frown in unsparing condemna tion upon the disorderly spirits who seek to destroy the peace and prosperity of the land. If they wish men to be better, they must not let them believe that their conduct is unde serving of censure. * Christians Outside of the Churches. I am now over seventy-three years of age, and have been a member of the Baptist church some forty years. I never wrote a line for the public, that I now remember, but an article in your editorial columns, headed “How a Sinner found Salvation,” attracted my attention in a peculiar manner, so that I am impelled by a sense of duty to speak of a subject about which I have had, for a consid erable time, a desire to say something. It is this.: There are thousands of persons attending our meetings who are Christians, and do not know it. If we will read the experience of the sinner who found salvation, carefully, we will find, in my opinion, that he made a Christian the first time he knelt in prayer, but he did not know it for a long time after wards—he does not say how long. There are very many similar cases. Such are the teaching of God’s blessed word : ‘The wind bloweth ; but we cannot tell whence it cometh or whither it goeth.” And our blessed Saviour says, it is so with every one that is born of the Spirit. Some Christians seem to know all about the change—the time and place—but when I think of my own case, I am satisfied I was a Christian a year or more before I was aware of it; and Ido not know when I would have found it out had I not been encouraged by some Christians. Do not tell me Christians ought to know their duty, and then they would be assured of it. They are told to take the yoke of Christ and learn their duty ; but some of our best men see some Christians wearing the yoke so poorly, they fear they may do so too, and they, being conscientious, not want to make a mock of religion, consequently They live and die out of the church. And for the reason, shall I say it, thatAba,'? ministry and members of the churches are not nursing fathers and nursing mothers in Israel. An article in a back number of your valuable paper, speaking ot the low state of religion, attributes it to loose discipline; especially after revivals, when a great many unconvert ed persons are taken into the churches. Many of them soon do' something unchris tian, and are excommunieavd. I attribute it to the want of nursing ana telling them what their duties are. A large .class of our peo ple see all these things and stand aloof. The standard of Christianity is' set too high for infant Christians. Arid Iwi of the opinion that the Apostle Paul thought it not expedi ent to tell all he saw whik*-up in the third heavens, fearing lest it vould do young Christians harm, and perhy» old ones too. I am no preacher, but I ‘ r.e preached as the Lord has given me abi!» y, and noticed in others how Christianity is practiced and have come to this conclusion, —that when a Chris tian experience is preached, the preacher should begin at the infant "Christian and fol low on to manhood and womanhood, so as to embrace all. By so doing we would strike a fruitful string in reviving our churches and bringing the dear lambs into the fold. I would like to write nflfore in controver sion of the popular idea that discipline is the great bulwark of the church, and that mem bers do not increase its efficiency, but I fear I will be troublesome to you. A Reader of Your Paper. Newford Church, WUies co.. Ga. Excuses for Absence from Church. It is not your business that keeps you away from your church meetings. You could at tend, in the great majority of instances, if you wished to do so. Y T oii find no difficulty in attending to secular matters that call you off from your principal business. We cannot think that there are many men who cannot spare two hours a month from their business to attend tbeir church conferences. And should it involve some loss, did they promise no sacrifice of interest or convenience when they connected themselves with the church ? How can men flatter themselves that they love God and His cause, when they can ex cuse themselves on such flimsy pleas for ab sence from His worship ? Review of Index, No. 2445. Editors review other men’s productions: why, then, should not other men review an editor’s production ? Having settled the question by this Socratic argument, 1 proceed with my undertaking. y . The first article is a capital appeal in favor of paying the “arrearages due our missiona ries.” The only strange thing about the subject is, that there should be any need for such an appeal. Our good brother T’s sense of justice and spirit of liberality find equal occasion for exercise. A most excellent letter of the late Dr. Manly follows, on “The Administrator of Baptism.” In some -parts of the country, (I am glad to except Georgia,) too great loose ness prevails in receiving members into our churches upon baptisms performed by im proper administrators. I should be glad to see Dr. M’s. argument republished in every Baptist paper between the oceans. Sweet, comforting and precious is“Where unto l may continually resort.” Brother Stillwell’s sketch of Rev. James McDonald is well calculated to keep in sweet perfume the memory of a good man. “What is worship?” is well calculated to dispel a delusion so prevalent, viz.: That the sermon is the principal part of worship. How often, in fact, is it not only no worship, but actually a hindrance. “Deferred Items” is a mass of valuable as well as interesting information. We turn the leaf, and the first article is the “Leader,” on “Political Assassination” characterized by the accustomed fairness and ability of the Editor. Concerning a former editor I, (who am unused to flatter, and but “a plain blunt man that love my friend,) once wrote in such a manner as to make him blush through his type, (at least he said so,) and suppress the sentence. Lest a similar catastrophe occur, I say no more. “Our Zion,” full, as usual, of news from the churches. The 2d church in Atlanta must not let her house of worship become an inferior building. Five thousand dollars con tributed by four members is a right good start. The First African church in Rich mond claims a membership of over forty five hundred. How many of them are hon orary members? Dr. T. G. Jones leaves Richmond College for the pastorship of a Norfolk church. Bad for the College : good for the church. “Misapprehensions” are well corrected, and of the “Eufaula Fair” it may be said, “Many daughters have done virtuously but thou exeellest them all.” “Notes of Travel Northward” are both pleasant and profitable, breathing the spirit which appears ever characteristic of W. L, M. If the man is to be pited “who travels from Dan to Beersheba, and says it i3 all barren,” he is to be imitated, certainly, if not envied, who, whatever he may'see, bears away pfeasing memories and useful reflections. “Tidings from Hephzibah” are pleasant tidings. How fragrant the good news of the venerable Huff; how delightful the homage paid to his venerable years and character ; how sad to the writer memories recalled by the article. The first Association I ever attended, there were present with our brother Huff, Sanders and Thornton, and Enoch Cal laway, and West and Polhill, and Collins, and Jesse Jackson, and Nevil Lumpkin, among the ministers, and James and William Lumpkin among the deacons. Some venera ble then for years and piety, some in the vigor of manhood, some in the bloojp of youth. They are all gone to their reward— may it not be said also, “taken frpm the evil [that was] to come ?” May we who remain be faithful to the end. It is pleasing to hear the good report of the brothers, Davis and Kilpatrick, who will think it no impeachment of their youth to call them “old son 9 of Mercer,” worthy sons, too, of an Alma Mater, The three following communications group well together : The first from brother Bent, of Ky., a young brother and new friend; the second from brother Willis, an old brother and friend ; the third from brother Stout, an old-pupil and friend. One item only can be noticed from the mass of interesting matter on the third and fourth pages. Dr. Basil Manly, Jr., (why Junior ? the Senior is now called away, and we all regret that we have but one Dr. Man ly,) is married, and we all give him joy. But why don’t somebody explain what use there is for two ministers to perform one marriage ceremony 1 The number of the Index reviwed furnishes reading both entertaining and edifying. May the people who read be largely increased, and may every reading be for the good of the reader. * N. M. C. July 3d, 1869. I Am Never Weary. Jesus, 1 am never weary, When upon tflia bed of pain; If thy presence only cheer me, All my loss I count bat gain : Ever near me — Ever near me, Lord remain! Dear ones come with fruits and flowers Thus to cheer my heart the while — In these deeply anxious hours; Oh! if Jesus only smile! Only Jesus Can these trembling fears beguile. All my sins were laid upon Thee, All "my griefs were on Thee laid; Iu the blood of tbice atonement AH my ntmost debt* waa paid: Dearest Saviour, I believe for thou hast said. Dearest Saviour. 1 go not from me, Let thy presence still abide; Look in tendcrest love upon me I am sheltering at thy side : Dearest Saviour! Who for suffering sinners died. Both mine arms are clasped around Thee, And my head is on thy breast; For my weary soul has found Thee, Such a perfect, perfect rest. Dearest Saviour, Now I have that, I am blest. — Mrs. Wells, daughter of the Archbishop of Dublin, {composed upon her deathbed.) Spurgeon’s Beehive. In the “ Zionsbole ," a German journal printed at Hamburg, we find an interesting account of the Christian activities which cen tre in Mr. Spurgeon’s chapel in London. We have not seen so full and interesting an ac count in any other periodical. 1. The Tract Society, organized Feb. 8, 1864, has charge of sixty-eight districts, in which more than 2,300 tracts are exchanged weekly. These loan-tracts give on one side of the covers a notice of the services in the chapel, and on the other, brief extracts from Spurgeon’s sermons. Besides these, more than 18,000 tracts were given away from the commencement of the Society to 1866. Four cases of conversion have been known to re sult from this branch of Christian effort. One of them, a young man, is now the super intendent of a Sabbath school. Parents have been persuaded to send their children to the school. The tract distributors also furnish cards of admission to the Tabernacle. 2. The Bible Society. A depot has been opened for the sale of the Bibles of the Bri tish and Foreign Bible Society, where, in about two years, 2,500 copies have been sold, besides 4,500 copies of “Pilgrim’s Pro gress.” 3. The Subbath school numbered, at the close of 1867, 78 teachers and 733 scholars. The class for the youngest children was so full that there was not room for them. Con nected with the school is a Library for chil dren, of 800 volumes, and for teachers, of 150 volumes. The Children s Mission, con tributes about 8330 annually for the support of a mission school in Ceylon, designed for the education of native girls. The Children's Tract Society has distributed about 70,000 tracts. The Sunday School Working Society is designed to furnish clothing to poor chil dren and their parents, and to teach young girls to make their own clothes. The dona tions for a single year amounted to about 8125. The Band of Hope, or Children’s Temperance Society, has 500 members, and holds a meeting monthly. The Children's Singing Society meets weekly. At the be ginning of every year the parents of the Sabbath school children are invited to a cup of tea, to meet the teachers and converse with them. Prayer is the moving spring of the school. The teachers have prayer meeting early every Sabbath morning, also another the fourth Sabbath of every month in the afternoon. There are also children’s prayer meetings every week. The boys of the higher classes have a Bible class every Tues day evening. The middle classes have a tea meeting with their teachers at the beginning and close of the year, at which the time is occupied with animated conversation. A peculiar blessing has rested on these meetings, and not a few children have here received their first religious impressions. From forty to fifty of the children of the Sabbath school were baptized in a single year. 4. The Men's Bible Class was begun in 1859, in the old chapel, with three members. It numbers at present about 200, of whom about 130 are present every afternoon. Some from this class are received into the church every month. This class has contributed S6OO for Spurgeon’s College, and established three mission stations which are in a flour ishing state. 5. Mrs. Bartlett's Bible Class for Women began in the old chapel, with three persons, and now requires for its accommodation the largest room in the Tabernacle. At every session from 600 to 700 are present. God has made Mrs. Bartlett the spiritual mother of about 700 souls. A young girl once of a most wicked disposition and awfully profane is now a Bible woman in Northamptonshire. Another was on the point of committing suicide, but before consummating her purpose she came for a farewell visit to Mrs. B.’s class and was converted. Up to the close of 1866 the class contributed for the College upwards of $3,000, and made for the fair articles valued at S6OO. The members are chiefly seamstresses, servant girls, or sales women. 6. The church sustains two Mission Halls, where sermons are preached for laboring men, and children are instructed. Occasionally lectures are given, illustrated by dissolving views. 7. Elders' Bible Class, for the sons of mem bers of the church and their friends. Here the Word of God is studied systematically. At every session two members prepare writ ten exercises on Biblical topics, on which all present are invited to speak. In one year ninety exercises were prepared by thirty members, on subjects designated by the com mittee. Os thirty-four members, about twen ty-five are generally present. Up to the close of 1866, eighteen members of this class were received into the church. 8 The Mothers' Society , of which Mrs. Spurgeon is President. The object of this Society is to furnish poor married women in delicate circumstances, and their children, with money, washing and food; and with food for the body is always joined food for the soul. From its commencement till 1866, this Society had aided 2,108 poor women. 9. The Ladies' Working Society, to prepare garments for the poor; also to aid them with small sums of money. Mrs. Spurgeon is the President. 10. One of the latest organizations is the Col-portage Society, to send coiporters abroad in London and vicinity. Thus far it has sent out seven coiporters, who had distributed, up to the close of August, 1868, 22,621 Bibles, 2,133 Testaments, 744 portions of Scripture, 10,280 of Spurgeon’s sermons, 1,585 copies •£of Pilgrim’s Progress, 12,680 children’s mag azines, and 8,856 temperance tracts, total 68,164 works, and in connection with this work, 170,867 visits were made. At every visit a tract was given and often a few words of religious counsel. This field of Christian activity! is specially useful for the lowest classes, who otherwise would receive but lit tle spiritual attention. 11. Spurgeon's College has rooms in the Tabernacle. The number of preachers sent out from the beginning is*ls9, of whom 148 are still in active service. At the time of the last report, the number of students was 78. From the commencement, 260 have re ceived more or iess instruction. Evening Classes are held, particularly for the benefit of such as are occupied in mechanical labors all the day, but desire to obtain a little knowl edge to make them useful in the kingdom of God. These evening classes are a kind of preparatory school .for the College. From the beginning, 460 have been connected with them. The preseut number is 174. Preach ers have gone out from Spurgeon’s Coliege •not only to various parts of England, but also to Southern India, Australia, St. Helena, South Africa, she United States of Amer.ca and New Brunswick. A Bible Ctass is held in the College every Monday evening at the Library. Connected with the College is the Evangelists' Society, the object of which is to hold meetings in small rooms or in the open air. In 1866 this Society numbered 65 mem bers, with 21 stations in the open air and 13 in small rooms The donations to the Col lege amounted in the year 1867 to 827,115, of which Spurgeon contributed 8500, beside 8500 more to the Chapel Loan Fund, found ed by Spurgeon to defray the expense of chapels built by his students, or to be built. By the preachers whom he has sent out, 39 churches have been organized and 22 new chapels erected. As the result of the labors of 73 of Spurgeon’s students, 1,235 persons have been baptized. 12. Spurgeon's Orphan House. This is a wholly new department of Christian activity to the church in the Tabernacle. The motto of the church is, like that which is expressed in the Constitution of one of the societies, “We not only desire to receive good, but we feel that we must also do good.” We would not only enjoy blessings, but dif fuse them. Spurgeon himself is the moving spring and superintendent of all these activi ties, in addition to his principal work as a minister of the Word of God.— S. F. Smith, D.D., in Watch. & Reflec. The Invisible Plauet. It is several years since an astronomer ob served a disturbance in the movements of a planet. His genius, taught by science, saw the cause. He wrote to the seat of a uni versity, and requested the astronomers there to turn their telescope to that part of the heavens. This they did, and 10, an orb un known to them before, was there! The at traction of that planet, which they called Neptune, had created the irregularity in the motions of a greater sphere. When a Christian, whose uniform consist ency had been recognized by all who knew him, startles them by unaccountable devia tions from that orbit around the “sun of righteousness,” there is a hidden force draw ing him away from Christ. God sees it; and unless he does soon, unlike the self-ad justing planatary motion under God’s sover eign sway, the end of the irregularity must be a widening circle of departure, until he becomes a wandering orb in the blackness of darkness forever! A single secret sin un known to all but God, perhaps not acknowl edged by his own deluded heart, may be the dark mystery of many a hopeless fall, whose history to its beginning was never written. It is not strange that David cried to God : “Search me and try me, and see if there be any evil way in me ? Administration of Baptism. —We have seen ministers baptize when the whole time of going into and coming out of the water was taken up with remarks, perhaps relating to the candidate’s experience in conversion, perhaps to the solemnity of the step before him, perhaps to some more remote topic, the whole tendency being, in each instance, to direct the mind from the rite itself, to some temporary circumstance or accompaniment of it.. To us this has seemed not only incon gruous but painfully offensive. Do we grudge Christ’s blessed rite the few moments allotted to it in which to tell its own solemn story of death and resurrection 1 Must we encroach upon it by words for which there are other times and opportunities without trenching on this ? Fashionable Church Music. —With admi rable irony, a late speaker said : We go into the church Sunday morning, and it seems rather sober there ; our thoughts are turned towards something else; but immediately the organ strikes up with a little air of the opera we heard last week at the theatre, and away goes all that old feeling, and we are at home. Then after the services are over, and we are ready to leave the house, impressed, perhaps, with the sermon, we have the liber ty of marching out to some lively operatic air, and away it all goes again. You see that prevents us from making the church too sa cred and solemn a place. So we take care that the musicians are well paid, and we are determined, if we are able, to have the best singers that can be found. The Doctorate. —ln a Southern State lives a minister of the gospel whom I shall call, for'convenience, Mr. Smith, and who, having despaired of ever receiving the title of Doctor of Divinity, is unable to repress his dislike for it. On one occasion brother Smith was thrown into company with another divine, whom 1 shall, in the same way, call Mr. Brown, and who rejoiced in the possession of a D.D., and who had a fair share of mother wit. “Brother Brown,” said Mr. Smith to the Doctor, “I see they have given you a D.D. Well, it is* all well enough. But it is given so frequently now, and promiscuously, that it does not amount to much. It would hardly do to infer that a man was a great theologian, just because he had a D.D. these days?” “Why, brother Smith,” ;aid Dr. Brown musingly,and in the best imaginable humor, “that—is —so. I was very sorry—very sorry, indeed, that they gave it to me. As you say, it is—it is so common. Yes, sir, the fact is, it has be come so common that a man— a mm who has'nt got it isn't anybody at all.'' — Ex. <k Chron. Slander. —Dr. Witherspoon says, “If slander were a plant or an animal, I would say it was of a very strange nature, for that it would very easily die, but could not easily be killed.” Death. Hengstenberg, the celebrated leader of the Orthodox Protestant Reaction ists of Prussia, has recently died. His last words were—“l was right.” The Halo. —One of our animated preach ers lately said, “The painters put a halo round Christ’s head ; but it’s a mistake; it’s all wrong: it wasn’t round His head, but His heart!” WHOLE NO. 2448. Across the Hirer. When for me the silent oar Puna the Silent Hirer, And I stand upon the shore Os the strange Forever, Shall I miss the loved and known ? Shall I vainly seek mine own} ’Mid the crowd that come to meet Spirits sin-forgiven— Listening to their echoing feet Down the streets Os heaven— Shall I know the footstep near That 1 listen, wait for, here I Then will one approach the brink With a band extended, One whose thoughts I loved to think Ere the veil was rended, Saying, “Welcome 1 we have died. And again are side by side.” Can the bonds that make us here Know ourselves immortal, Drop away, like foliage sear, • At life’s inner portal ? What is holiest here below Must forever live and glow. I shall love the angels well, After I have found them In the mansions where they dwell, With the glory round them. But at first, without surprise, Let me look in human eyes. Step by step our feet must go Up the holy mountain: Drop by drop within ns flow Life’s unfailing fountain. Angels sing with crown* that bui» ; We shall have a song to learn. He who on onr earthly path . Bids us help each other— Who his Well Beloved hath Made our Elder Brother— Will but clasp the chain of love Closer when we meet above. Therefore dread I not to go O’er the Silent River, Death, thy hastening oar I know; Bear tue, thou Life-giver, Through the waters, to the shore, Where mine own have gone before! —Lucy Larcom. An Honorable Tribute to a Wife. Dr. Bushnell dedicates his new book on Woman Suffrage to his wife. He does this in terms so flattering to one of the sex, whose claim to the ballot he denies, that we copy it entire: “For once I will dare to break open one of the customary seals of silence, by inscrib ing this little book to the woman I know best and most thoroughly; having been overlapped, as it were, and curtained in the same cqnsciousuess for the last thirty-six years. If she is offended that Ido it without her consent, I hope she may get over the of fence shortly, as she has a great many others that were worse. She has been with me in many weaknesses and some storms, giving strength alike in both; sharp enough to see my faults, faithful enough to expose them, and considerate enough to do it wisely; shrinking never from loss, or blame, or shame, to be encountered in anything right to be done; adding great and high instigations — instigations always to good, and never to evil mistaken for good; forecasting always the things bravest and best to be done, and sup plying inspirations enough to have made a hero, if they had not lacked the timber. If 1 have done anything well, she has been the more really in it that she did feet know it, and the more willingly also, that having her part in it known has not even occurred to her, compelling me thus to honor not less, but more, the covert glory of the womanly na ture, even as I obtained a distincter and more wondering apprehension of the divine meanings and moistenings, and countless un bought ministries it contributes to this other wise very dry world.” Chinese Politeness (?) —A proclamation has been islued in Shanghai, forbidding the Chinese there to salute visitors whenever they meet them, with the cry of “foreign devils!” This has been their practice ever since the Celestial empire has been open to strangers. Outspokenness. Ruskin lately asked Spurgeon: “Spurgeon, where do you think I would go if I should die now ?” “To hell and be damned.” “Well, that’s frank. I’ve asked several preachers that question, and they evaded it.” How to Silence Him. —Rev. A. L. Hogs head, at the recent Southern Presbyterian General Assembly, said: At the late meet ing of our Presbytery, when the subject of Scriptural Benevolence was under discussion, brother W. said, early in his ministry he and a certain brother were conducting a meeting in which there was much religious interest. An old man gave expression to his joy by shouting, and continued it till it began to in terrupt the services. Brother H. said to brother W. “ Go stop that old man’s noise.” He went to him, and spoke a few words, and the shouting man at once became quiet. Brother H. asked brother W., “ What did you say to the old man that quieted him so promptly?” Brother W. replied, “I asked him for a dollar for Foreign Missions." A Not Bad Law. —ln the XII Tables of the ancient Romans was this law: “ Let not a son, whose father has so far neglected his education as not to teach him a trade, be obliged to maintain his father pi want.” That parent who fails to teach his child how to make an honest living, has certainly neglected his duty to that child; and who can tell to what the vicissitudes of fortune may reduce him? Many, many a man, because he had not a trade to fall back on, in some adverse turn of fortune, has fallen a prey to melan choly or become a burden to his friends or society. Now if a father exposes his son to such contingencies, what right has he to claim a support from that son, when he comes to want? To be sure, there is in this more of law than gospel, but we are speaking of sim ple justice. “The Paper is Oot.” —A good woman in the church of a Scotch minister would not believe that he read his sermons. So she stationed herself in the gallery one day, and found, to her horror, that he had a little book in the Bible before him. And when, at the close, he said, “1 will pursue the subject no further,” she cried out, “Ye canna, the pa per is oot!” jfj Anti-Slaveryism. —The Executive Com mittee of the National Anti-Slavery Society in 1840 said: “ Anti-slavery is a word of mighty power. O, it strikes at the very corner-stones and key-stones of society, .... but above all, and more than all, it would put an end forever to the unrighteous dominion of the church, it would unseat popular theol ogy from its throne, break down the barriers of sect, and, in short, resolve society into its natural elements.” The Haps and Mishaps op Life.— -The following advertisement appears in a London paper: “A young lady who has received a good education, can read and write, and is versed in geography, history, music, dancing, and elementary mathematics, wishes a situa tion in a respectable family as washer and iroDer.” Ditty. —Among the most striking remarks of Dr. Peters on his death bed was: I never regret anything that I had deliberately de termined upon as my duty in the circum stances.