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CHRISTIAN INDEX AND SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST.
VOL 49-NO. 9.
A RELIGIOUS AND FAMILY PAPER,
PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN ATLANTA. OA
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Light of the World.
Light of the world! to thee I come,
All dark with sin am I;
Yet is th'- light, my childhood's home,
Long lo»t: lu.w through the earth I roam
A sti auger, wearily.
Though I am dark, thou seest me,
And knoweat all my sit) ;
I cannot hide one thought trom thee—
Nor would 1, Lord ! 0 search, and see
All that lies hid within.
Unless I know my Father knows
The worst that 1 have done,
How can I bear the love He showst
How take the gift that love bestows
Ou such a guilty one?
My Father, 10, all doubting dies I
I know that thou canst see.
Outspread before thy glorious eyes
My present, past and future lies;
And yet ita.ni Invest met
—Sunday Magazine.
Worldly Conformity—lV.
Let us again, in the light of our premises,
consider, in its character of an amusement fur
Christians,
THE THEATRE.
It might be supposed that it was a consid
eration, sufficient of itself, to decide, with a
pious person, the question respecting the pro
priety of attending the theatre, that it has
long been regarded by the friends, not of re
ligion only, but also of morality, as the very
hut bed of vice and corruption.
Omitting what may be regarded as the in
cidental evils, (which are many and great,)
almost, if not altogether inseparable from the
theatre, a rudimental principle of corruption
exists in the character of its dramatic exhibi
tions. Plays, such as are unfit to be read by
a modest woman, even in the privacy of her
chamber, are performed on the public stage,
not by men only, or women only, but by
men and women promiscuously, and before
an assembly equally promiscuous! And the
question we are required to answer is this:
Whether an attendance on such exhibitions is
a consistent and innocent amusement for
Christian men and Christian women? Such
a question, did not facts unhappily forbid the
conclusion, might be regarded, not only as an
insult to the understanding of females espe
cially, but an unpardonable outrage upon
their modesty. To ask whether such is an
innocent amusement tor a Christian woman,
is the same as to ask whether a Christian wo
man should find a pleasure in witnessing and
sanctioning the degradation .of her sex. Strip
this practice of the authority of custom, and
of the sanction of conventional rule, of the
countenance and support which a>sociates in
evil affud one another, and it may be saft-ly
and confidently affirmed, that
NO MODEST WOMAN WILL ATTEND THE THEATRE.
The modesty of woman is a peerless gem.
No pleasures sullied with a taint of impurity
—no tawdry, factitious honors—no exotic
praise, of a forced, artificial, hot-bed growth
—no clamorous retinue of meretricious fame,
can ever atone for the loss, in woman, of this
priceless jewel. They all, indeed, when she
disrobes herself of the garment in
whtiSh heaven lias adorned her, form only a
hateful glare, in wh ch is moire distinctly seen
her shame. Os all the beautiful objects with
which the beneficent Creator has adorned our
world, the most beautiful is a modest woman.
Female modesty is equally the crown and
glory of woman, and the pride and safeguard
of man. Whether in the character of mother,
wife, or sister, woman, in her native beauty
and excellence, as God created her, is, in the
hour of trouble, a sanctuary of solace and
repose, and in the time of danger, a tower of
protection and defence. Unsoiled —unvitiated
—undimmed —she is, in her character as
woman , the plastic power of the world. In
her smile viriue finds her sweetest reward,
and vice cowers and is appalled before the
majesty of her rebuke. But the secret of
woman’s matchless might is in her modesty.
With that vanishes all her charms, her light.,
and power; and the most beautiful, the most
beneficent, the most loved and honored of
objects, becomes the weakest, the most con
temptible and vile.
This virtue—the charm and crown of fe
male excellence this beautiful “shame
facedness,” more conspicuous as it retires—
hiding itself, more visible—like the lovely
violet, by its fragrance betraying its conceal
ment —attracting the admiration it vainly
seeks to escape— this is the priceless “ or
nament” exceeding India’s richest rubies,
with which an apostle teaches women to adorn
themselves. But this gem must be sullied
amid the foul exhalations of the theatre, and
in its licentious atmosphere this pure and
heaven-scented flower must droop, and wither,
and die.
What may we suppose must be the char
acter ot' persons who consent to become the
agents ot' such exhibitions, and the actors in
such scenes? The history of the theatre tells
the unseemly tale. Let this question find a
significant answer in another: What honora
ble man—and much more woman —would be
willing their daughter should tread the stage ?
or that their son should choose a wife from
those who do? We will not say that no
play-actress can be a good woman ; or, rather,
that every play actress is a bad woman ; but
we believe and affirm, without hesitation, that
in committing herself to such an atmosphere
of infection, she does what no prudent woman
Would do; and.that whatever she may be in
the beg nnmg, she is in danger of becoming
in the end, what a woman should dread more
than she would the axe of the guillotine.
Yet such are the persons with whom Chris
tians are willing to associate in their enjoy
ments; whom they choose to amuse them;
to whose ministry they look for their accus
tomed supply of pleasure, and pander, by
their presence and their purse, (much needed
for better purposes,) to the immorality and
licentiousness of their profession. Whether
the stage might be so reformed as to serve
the purpose of virtuous instruction, or inno
cent enjoyment, is a question 1 have neither
the time nor disposition, now, to consider.
When exerting myself to drag a man out of
a burning house, 1 am but little disposed to
sit and discuss with him whether the flame,
threatening to wrap him in ruin, might not,
under the circumstances, be turned to some
good account. Let him escape from impend
ing destruction, and assist in extinguishing
the devouring element, and he may subse
quently consider, to better advantage, what
he may safely or profitably, do.
Yet such is the delusion to which many
commit themselves, in relation to this subject.
L’ke a man eating poison with his food, and,
indeed, eating the food only for the sake of
the noxious stimulant it contains, his pale
face and trembling limbs warning him of ap
proaching dissolution, who solaces himself
with the delusion that the food is good, if it
were only free from the poison, repeating his
suicidal folly until it terminates in death.
So the Christian attendant of the theatre,
while suffering from the malign effects of his
conduct, lulls his easy conscience into a death
like torpor, with the deceitful opiate, that the
theatre would be a good institution, reformed
of its abuses. Os what importance is the
question, What, under conceivable circum
stances, the theatre would be, when, in the
character in which he is patronizing it, and
devoting himself to its pleasure-*, it is the
hot-bed of corruption and the whirlpool of
ruin? So dream the victims of delusion, un
til they awake, too late, to profit by the aw
ful dLcovery which meets their opening eyes.
It were useless, and, indeed in connection
with the foregoing, preposterous, to ask
whether the Christian, mingling with the
crowds who resort to this temple of vice,
reeking, as they are, with worldHness and
sensuality, can ask the Lord to accompany
him, a id the Spirit of grace to impart His
sanctifying blessing to such scenes and en
gagements; or, w'ljeri he has retired from the
exciting scene, heaied, inflamed and intoxica
ted with the poisoned atmosphere he has been
nhaling, w hether he finds his soul in a frame
for communion w'ith God. Is his spiritual
taste purified and elevated ? oris it corrupted
and debauched? Is he prepared for a more
active consecration of himself to the service
of God, and the ministrations of holiness and
love? or is his piety dissipated, his spiri ual
strength prostrated, and his whole s->ui infla
ted with worldliness and vanity? Does he
retire from the theatre to mount on the wings
of devotion into communion with God ? or
mentally to protract the scenes iof sensual
revelry in which he has been engaged ? la
the Bible as precious, its prornis-s as sweet,
and prayer the same sacred and blessed priv
ilege as when, in an hour of consecration,
dismissing the world with its deceits and flat
teries, he opened his heart to the full influence
of these agencies of grace and salvation ?
These questions admit of but one answer;
and that answer pronounces the condemna
tion of professing Christians who attend tne
theitre. They stand convicted of yielding
themselves, in disregard of Apostolic prohi
bition, to the tide of worldly conformity, and
of acting in violation of the claims and obli
gations of their sacred profession.
If, then, any practice is a species of worldly
conformity, and as such, sinful, on which we
cannot, with a good conscience, ask the bless
ing of God, and for the enjoyment of which
we cannot return Hun our sincere thanks:
Which disqualifies us fur religious duty,
for prayer, reading the Bible, and those spir
itual services which are the means of com
munion with God :
Which debauches our spiritual taste, de
presses the wing of devotion and impairs the
vigor of our piety : Then, for each one of these
reasons separately, and still more for them
all conjointly, the practices of Dancing,
Card-Playing and Attending the Theatre,
are severally, a species of worldly conformi
ty, and, as such, sins against Ood. The
Christian professor, therefore, can continue
such pleasures only at the peril of his soul.
W. H. J.
Lilesville. N. C.. Feb. 15, 1870.
Christ Coming in His Kingdom.
REPLY TO DR. IIILLYER —NO 11.
In the close of our first number, we were
speaking of the sign of the coming of the
Son of man; and while regular order would
seem to require the subject continued, we
prefer to take up the consideration of another
point, and resume that subject where itjs no-j
, tiead by,the Saviour* in its place. i J
In his third article, brother H. says: “ We
are now to contemplate the ruinous effects of
that blow” —the tall of Jerusalem—“ upon
the civil polity-of the nation. These are set
forth in the following verses;” the first of
which is: ‘lmmediately after the tribulation
of those days shall ihe sun be darkened, and
the moon shall not give her light, the stars
shall fall from heaven, and jthe powers of
heaven ehal! be shaken.’” Jg|
He says: “ Now, it is wellfknown that the
sun, moon and stars, in oriental imagery, de
note the powers of the State, the Bible
itself furnishes maDy examples. Hence, by
these figures, we are to understand the powers
of civil polity which were still possessed by
the Jewish people. Up to the time of the
siege, they had their high Council, their mu
nicipal laws, their high priesthood and Weir
gorgeous temple services. These, like the
sun, and moon, and stars, shed over Jerusa
lem the light in which she gloried. But as
she passed under the- yoke of Titus, all this
light became extinguished forever.” We
will not dispute th#plausibility andeloquence
of the that our brother has on
his side a long and respectable list of mod
ern commentaries; but deny tfie interpreta
tion. It is not denied that the Bible furnishes
examples of the kiud, both figurative and
literal, but that the case under consideration
is figurative, and means the “powers of civil, j
polity which were still possessed by the Jew-,
ish people,” we do not believe.
A prime difficulty in the interpretation of
this verse, has arisen from the confused and
erroneous views as to the meaning of the
term “ Those who limit it to
the siege and destruction of Jerusalem, are,
of driven to a figurati
tion, not only of this verse, baJU,!of the re
mainder of the chapter.
But is it true that the “tribulation” of
this verse means only the calamities which
befell the people during thej siege and de
struetion of their city? Was lie
ginning of that tribulation that had Jfong
years before been predicted, and
said should come upon them fromfrne blood
of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah,
and which they imprecated upon themselves
and their chddren? If the reader will turn
to Luke xxi: 24, it will be seen that He im
mediately precedes His notice of the signs in
the sun, moon and stars, with this language:
“And they shall fall by the edge of the sword,
and shall be led away captive into all natiohs ;
and Jerusalem stall be trodden down by the
Gentiles, until the time* of the Gentiles shall
be fulfilled.” The importance of this verse,
it is hoped, the reader will keep in mind;
commentators have scarcely given it a pass
ing notice. It is a material part of the Sa*|
viour’s discourse, and we beg the reader to
observe particularly the position which inspi
ration has given it, the wonderful events
which it links together, and the stretch of the
centuries which it covers. And observe. tarel
the consecutiveness which is marked out by
the particle “and,” thus unmistakably dtHfe]
necting it with the 25th verse. The Saviour
manifestly includes, in this 24th verse, the
entire period from the tall of Jerusalem, to
the fulfillment of the “ times of the Gentijtes.”
Already eighteen centuries jdf that time has
elapsed; and though the dominiou of tha|.
unfortunate land—.the true ownership of
which now rests in the lew, by the covenant
of circumcision—has changed hands not less
than six times; the heel of Gfflrlile suprema
cy has never ceased to tread dowu Jerusalem,
and unequalled sufferings and woes have fut
lowed and clung to the Jew in all his wan
derings. In the 22J verse of the 21st chap
ter, Luke records: “ Because these are the
days of vengeance, that all the things which
are written may be fulfilled.” Who will say
“all the things” of suffering, all the “tribu
lation ” written in the Old Testament, were
, fulfilled—ended, in the destruction of Jerusa
lem ? If so, then the untold horrors and tor
FRANKLIN PRINTING HOUSE, ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 1870.
The Autobiography of an Old Pilgrim.
( Continued.)
I had been instructed from my early child
hood, by a pious mother, in the doctrines of
the gospel, as expounded by Henry, Scott,
and the so-called divines* of the kirk of Scot
land, (m their Assembly’s Shorter Cate
chism,) and yielded a mental assent to them
all, even to the most inexplicable of them,
such as the doctrine of the incarnation of the
Son of God, election, predestination, die. At
one period of my life, this mental assent was
withheld for a short season. Os this I shall
speak hereafter. 1 iaunched out into the un
fathomable sea of speculation in search of a
resting place for the soles of my unblessed
feet, but, “like Noah’s weary dove,” found
none, and was content to return and settle
down again upon the faith of my fathers.
At the meeting of which l have spoken,
while I sat there at the head of the stairway,
a stranger among strangers, brooding over
my sins, dreading the wrath of God, seeking
comfort but finding none, 1 truly believed
that l was a lost sinner—that I lay under the
condemnation of God’s righteous law—that I
had been justly condemned—r-that God only
had the right and the power to forgive “in
iquity, transgression and sin”—and that par
don would be obtained only through the me
diation of the Lord Jesus Christ. That l
truly believed all this, the unfeigned anguish
of my heart, my use of means to obtain par
don, and my inward cries for mercy, all at
tested. Why, then, was tit" hurt of my so a I
not healed ? An important ~nd interesting in
qtnry ! Hear tne answer, ye who may be in
a situation similar to that in which I then was.
It was simply because I doubted, not the
ability, but the willingness ot Christ to inter
pose in behalf of such a v.le sinner as 1 felt
myself to be, until 1 had done something t><
merit His gracious interposition. Being ig
norant of the righteousness which is by faith,
1 sought to work out a righteousness of my
B own. I was like an insolvent debtor who has
contracted a debt in bank to the amount of
untold millions. Judgment has been given
against him, an execution has been issued
and placed in the hands of the bailiff, with in
struciions to collect every farthing of .the
debt, or seize tne body of the debtor and cast
him into prison, there to remain till he has
paid the last penny due,.; He has exhausted
all his resources, nothing wherewith to
pay, and is filled at the thought
of being torn awaaßltijte>-loved ones and in
carcerated in a gfipiy prison for life. At
this juncture a messenger comes and an
nounces the astonishing fact, that a friend of
his, hitherto unknown to him as such.
whose riches are inexhaustible, moved with
compassion for him, has satisfied the demand
of the bank, taken up the judgment stayed
the execution in the hands of ihe officer of the
law, and, of his own free will, now ofrags to
enter upon the judgment “satisfied,'’ grant
him an acquittance in full, and, moreover, in
sure to him at.yple supplies for all his future
exigences, provided, only, he (the debtor) will
receive the same as a free gift, and not as a
matter of right, or merit, consent to become
a member of bis benefactor’s household, sub
mit, henceforth, to his control in alt things,
and rely solely upon him to and pro
mote his interests and supply all his wants..
Wonderful favor! From one, too', on whom
the debtor had no claims!—from one, indeed,
whomjhe had ever considered and treated as
"|n enemy ! Surely there must be some mis
apprehension of the terms and conditions of
the offer—so thinks the debtor. I doubt not
the ability of him who makes it—l doubt not
he feels compassion for me, and, it 1 could
lessen my liabilities-—reduce them, say one
half, or one fourth, eleven one tenth—l could
believe he might grant a full acquittance for
the balance, but my debt amounts to millions
upon millions ! T«* assume such a debt, and
then grant a free discharge from it, would
indeed evince compassion unbounded, infinite,
unknown and unconceived of on earth!
Such is an imperfect portraiture of my con
dition, and of the t houghts and feelings of my
heart, on the eventful night of which I am
speaking. The meeting' was one of great in
terest. Never, before or since, have 1 seen
so much feeling manifested at a meeting of
mediately around the preachers, a circle of
weeping Marys and penitent Peters, from
which, ever and anon, there came sounds that
indicated sorrow lor sin—a sob, a sigh, a low
groan, a halPsuppi essed cry for mercy. Mr.
N. first addressed the audience. 1 listened
with all the I could command, but
< -bis Worils efftered at one ear and passed out
at the other, without leaving on the tablet of
iny memory the slightest trace of one word
spoken by him. Rev. Dr. T. followed with
his usual full and commanding voice, but his
words produced no permanent infpression on
my mind until he uttered one short, plain,
simple sentence, that expressed a, truth 1 had
heard, probably, thousands of tiines"oefore.
That sentence, as it fell from the lips of the
speaker, seems to have been daguerreotyped
upon the tablet of my memory by a sudden
flood of light emitted from the throne of God.
It is as legible to day as ever. 1 read it, as I
write, as though it were written with a flame
of fire. It burnt its way into the very sub
*ot like the application of the term “divine” to
erring mortal men.
ture which the Jew has endured for the past
eighteen centuries, are unaccounted for, and
if fulfilled in that brief period of time, the
subsequent sufferings must be unjust. Among
the “ things of vengeance which were writ
ten,” we here quote from the 28th chapter of
Deut.: “Among these nations shalt thou find
no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot
have rest; but the Lord shall give thee there
a trembling, and failing of eyes, and sorrow
of mind, and thy life shall hang in doubt be
fore thee, and thou shalt fear day and Dight,
and shalt have none assurance of thy life.
In the morning thou shalt sav : would God
that it were even; at even thou shalt say :
would God it were morning, for the fear of
thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for
the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.’ -
Therefore we conclude—beeau-e there is n<»
other view to take—that the “tribulation”
only began to be fulfilled at the destruction
of Jerusalem, that “those days” and the
“down treading” of Jerusalem are conter
minous, and that they are not yet ended;
but it is to be hoped that dim foreshadowings
are gleaming through the thick darkness of
those long and weary centuries, during which
the “tribulation” was never to cease, and
the “ blindness which has happened to Israel
in part,” not taken away, “ until the fullness
of the Gentiles come in.” “And soall Israe*
shall be saved; as it is written: “ There
shall come out of Z:on the Deliverer; He
will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; and
this is the covenant from me to them, when 1
shall take away their sins ”
We are now better prepared to consider
what the darkening of the sun, etc., means;
but this would make our present article too
long. Let the reader keep up the connection,
and be prepared to resume, with us, the dis
cussion of this subject in our next number.
Geo. F. Cooper.
Amertcus, Ga., Feb. 15, 1370.
truth, and j *in in one loud anthein of praise
for the truth of what is affirmed in that sen
tence. Tne sentence was this :
“As Jesus never because his
SINS WERE SMALL, SO HE NEVER REFUSES TO
SAVE ONE BECAUSE HIS SIVA ARK GREAT.”
The truth flashed like iig.tning into mv
mind, that the magnitude of mg sins is no har
rier in the wag of mi/ saltation, if I am will
ing to submit to Christ f/H relg on Him alone
for salvation,alike from srk and its threatened
curse. I believ. and the truth and instantly sur
rendered myself unreservedly and uncondi
tionally to the Saviour. The moment i did
so, all was peace-; the tempest of the soul
was stilled, and there was a delightful cairn.
My doubts and my fears vanished as sud
denly as vanish the visions of the nigh*, when
<>ne is ar< used from sleep?*’'
“While fearful, tremblin'? at the thought ol death,
I felt within the Spint’a qitjtkeriing breath:
Sin's dungeon walls were levelled, and the light.
With noontide splendor, burst upon my sight.”
I was as conscious of thCVnental or spiritual
act of surrender to Jesus as ever I have been
of any bodily act performed, and, therefore,
can never endorse the declaration of those
who represent that we can have no satisfac
tory evidence of our faith*in Christ, nor right
to believe th *t our sins jvi.ye been forgiven
until we submit to the ordinance of baptism.
No one believes m* than I d**,
that it is the duty of all vvfm believe in Jesus
to keep the ordinances rjpftr* gospel as they
were originally instituted7* nor can I see ho a
it is possible for one to be saved who wilfully
persists in refusing to submit to immersion,
after having been fully convinced that the
Saviour enjoins this act &a~ at I who believe in
Him. To refuse, under iich circumstances,
would be a wilful act of rebellion against Him
who was exalted to be a m •nee as well as a
Saviour. It would be Virtually declaring
that he would not submit to llis reign. Tujj
Saviour teaches expressly that ail such will
be treated in the last as friends, but
as enemies. “Bring hither those mine ene
mies that would not that I should reign over
them,” dec.
While I believe all this, I believe with
equal confidence that the condition of those
who build their hope of pardon and accept
ance with God upon theirsubmission to bap
tism, or th<-ir performance of any other out
ward act, is more to be pitied than that of
the heathen who confid h s future web
fare on the offeri* gs p e sen ted to his idol
gods. Men can only judg£.of us hy our out
ward bodily acts, but God, the searcher of
hearts, jud.es of us by uifr inward spiritual
acts. Simon, the sorcerer', subnwtted to bap
tisrn, but was declared to-be still in the “gall
of bitterness and in the'bond of iniquity.’
It is a fartul thing, indeed, to deceive our
selves in this matter — for the remis
sion of our sins, on our outward acts, w hile
*»ur hearts are uncleansecl by the blood of
Jesus, and unrenewed by-ihe Holy Spirit, or
to rely on <>ur spiritual exercises, while we
neglect to perform the duties enjoined up >n
us by our Lord and Saviour. We should,
therefore, daily search our own hearts, and
ask of God to search us, to try our ways,
make us acquainted withsuifcc true state, and
lead us in the piths of righteousness for His
own name’s sake. Awful beyond conception
will it be to awake in<thc eternal world and
discover, when it is too late to rectify the
mistake, that while, we thidght we were build
ing our hopes of heaved..*! eternal happiness
upon a rock of a lamant*we were building
... 1 v u.i a fjiui^a(ybiaflflH&Dd ! I shudder
at the thought of lying upon the bed of
death, dreaming of heaven, and waking in
hell to writhe forever in torment!
Aroosl Nekoda.
“He that Loveth Fathar or Mither more
than Me, is not Worthy of Me, etc.”—
Matt, xi t 37,
During my connection with the Baptist
church in Perry, Houston county, it was my
privilege to baptize a very worthy man,
whose wife was a member of the Methodist
church. He was one of the best men 1 ever
knew, and she an excellent Christian lady,
but of a family remarkable for their attach
ihent to the Methodist church, their rigid
adherence to its peculiar views, and their
strong prejudice against the Baptists. She
was a woman of strong mind and determined
will, and was, perhaps, b.-hind none of her
family in her denominational partialities.
They lived happily together for years after
his baptism, discharging their respective du
des to the family and the churches tis Xvfiich
they belonged, but m>irf«<-no allusiohs to the
difference in opinion which existed between
them. vThey were esteemed, respected and
beloved in the community as pious and ex
emplary membersof their respective churches.
Some years after bis baptism, at a regular
conference of our church, many were sur
prised to see Mrs. 8., the lady alluded t<>,
when the invitation to unite with the church
was given, take her seaton the bench usually
occupied hart hose seeking membership. 1
noticed thfrcshe was w’eeping, but her coup
tenance denoted a peaceful, if riot a joyful
heart. She had the appearauce of one who
had passed, triumphantly, through a severe
struggle, and while she shed a tear to the
memory of the M*t, the smile upon her
countenance indicated a mind at rest, from
the ct*sciousness that a duty had been per
formed, though at a painful sacrifice. After
she became somewhat cg(Pposed, I addressed
her as kindly as I could, and inquired if she
was seeking 'connection with ahe Baptist
church. Her reply waUf i substance, as fol
lows: “l am here soy because 1
cannot keep awdy aniwPfcer. 1 would not
be here if I could stay a l |ay. I was raised a
Methodist—all my kindjfed are Methodists —
all my attachments and partialities are with
them, and could l remain with them and be
at peace, I would never leave them. But 1
cannot. 1 indulge the hope that God, for
Jesus’sake, Has pardoned tny sins. I feel
that 1 love niy Saviour, and I wish to obey
Him in all things. I cannot do this and re
main where I am. I must follow Him into
the water, and be buried with Him in bap
tism. I have lived among you, and love you
as brethren,land would not have you suppose
that l have any objection to coine among you,
further Yhan 1 have stated. And now task
to be received into the fellowship of the
church.” But one question was asked, and
that by my self, and w hen I inquired if the
brethren were willing to bid sister B. wel
come, the respouse was prompt and hearty,
as, with tears in their eyes, they ex*ended to
her the right-hand of fellowship. If ve love
me, said our L*Wd, keep-my commandments.
Can a disobedient spirit tove ? A. T. H.
. ■ 1 —— ~ ■ "
Poverty of Calvin. —When, in Strasburg,
Calvin was compelled to, take boarders to
P* make both ends meet.” He had written a
number of works, and among others his In
stitutes, but his publishers wrote him that
tnere was no demand for his books. When
he made a journey, or was dunned T*r his
house-ient, he was compelled to borrow from
his friends. He declared that he was even
necessitated to recall the loan of a dollar to
the Waldenses! He wrote to Farel: “My
condition is such that I eau’t pay a farthing.”
Such was his extremity, that he was even
compelled to part with his library. But
amid all these disparagements, he was happy
in his vork, and preparing inure heavy blows
for the “ Man of iSin.”
Not Far Off
I’d follow Thee, but not far off,
I’d keep I’hy footsteps near;
For if mine were the bitter scoff,
Mine, too, the heavenly t-.beer.
Thy wav may seem a tearful way,
Aad lead to shame and woe;
But. still my yearning heart would say,
That way. Lord, let me go!
I know a cross is at the end.
But what is that to me?
Uplifted there, Thou 'rt more me Friend,
And 1 am more with Thee.
Beyond the cross there is a crown,
Laid up for me to wear;
I tike that way, through scorn and frown,
If Thou wilt owd me theie.
— Rev. J. E. Rankin,, D.D.
Kindness.
Kind hearts are the gardens.
Kind thoughts are the roots,
Kind words are the blossoms,
Kind deeds are the fruits;
Love is the sweet sunshine.
That warms into lile,
For only in itarknes!*.
Grow hatred and strife.
Protracted Meetings.
The great instrumentality, in protracted
meetings is the “mourner’s bench,”
ious seat,” as the practice of inviting iqvaiid
sealing persons for prayer and instruction, is
variously called ' And to this l am opposed,
because it is unsfriplural, without apostolic
prerept or example.
One of the last utterances of the riser) Mes
siah to the apostles, before he ascended, was
tlie great commission, “Go ye into all the
world and preach the gospel to every crea
ture. He that believeth, and is baptized,
shall be saved; and he that belreveth not shall
be damned.” No one will accuse the apos
ties of not preaching and acting in accord inee
with that commission ; and lo fill'd how they
preached, and how they acted, the enquirer
after truth must go to the “Acts of the Apos
ties,” written by Luke, an inspired witness.
One of the first sermons rigid
Command of the glorified deliv
ered by Peter on the daV.uii Pentecost, and
the people, being cut to JPre heart, enquired,
“Men and Ijjfcbren. what shall we do?”
Then said Peteljjnto jthem, “Repent, and be
baptized,.every one i>f you, in the name of
Jesus Christ, for thfT remission of sins; and
ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
l'he people believed, obeyed, and were “ad
ded to the church,” without the slow, tortur
ing process of mourning and pray ing f>r days
and weeks, and at hut doing what they should
have done 'at first., whichthe mau made
modern- plan. .
Philip went SamariiiV'and preach
ed Christ unto (tfen," .and Luke makes the
unostentatious record, “When they believed
Philip, preaching the things concerning the
kingdom of God, and the MiNnePof Jesus
Const, they were baptized, both men and
wotiirn.” Not a “mourner” invited, nor a
prayer offered, so far as the record goes, but
instantaneous work, as the people w-re di
rected to the great remedy, faith in Christ.
And it is added, “And there was great j >y in
that city”—not great mourning.
Turn we to the introduction of the gospel
among the Gentiles atCesarea, by Peter, and
the brief historic facts tell the same story.
Cornelius had gathered his friends at his
house, and Peter preached Christ to them,
without inviting any of them to the “anxious
seat,” and “the Holy Ghost fell on all them
which heard the word ;” they believed im
mediately, and were baptized,
Paul and Birnabas were ordained as evan
gehsts at Antioch, in Syria, to go and preach
to the heathen ; and in the brief history of
their labors, there is not. the least intimation
that they used such an instrumentality as the
“anxious seat.” Tnere is a brief record made
of tne results of their preaching at Antioch,
in Pisidia, which accords w'ith results every
where else : “and as many as were ordained
to eternal life, believed.”
Paul held a long protracted meeting in
Corinth—“a year and six months”—working
at his trade with Priscilla and Aquilla every
day, and preaching every Sabbaih, and it is
summarily recorded: “Many of the Corinth
ians hearing, believed, and were baptized.”
No modern machinery intimated.
From Miletus Paul sent for the elders of
the chuieh at Ephesus, and assured them in
|the most solemn manner that his preaching
to both Jew and Greek had uniformly been,
“repentance toward God, and faith toward
our Lord Jesus Christ;” and this he denomi
nated “tin* counsel of God.” No allusion is
made to any other instrumentality. If the
apostle used the present plan, he either neg
lecied to name it, or Luke neglected to record
the fact. Whieh ?
The specimens given of the preaching and
acting of the apostles and evangelists, and the
results, should satisfy every mind that these
is quite a difference between their simple, yfet
powerful instrumentality, and the cumbrous
and complicated one now in use in revivals
and protracted meetings. And the manner
in which Luke arid modern revivalists de
scribe the way of conducting meetings, and
the results, must strike every thoughtful per
son as strikingly dissimilar. Nor do I feel
that I am bound to discuss a question lengthily
which has no authority m the word of God.
But I must urge another serious objection
to the practice in question, “the anxiou*
seat;” It is in direct antagonism to the great
Pauline doct'ine of justification before God
without works. 1 call the attention of its ad
vocates to this position. Justification before
God is either by faith alone in Christ, or by
works alone, or '« part by faith and in part
by works; If it it is alone by faith in Christ,
the other two systems are excluded by the
law of faith, and l presume my opponents, be
ing Baptists, hold that it is by faith alone that
the soul is justified before God. If so, let
their faith and practice harmonize. Paul held
that justification was by faith in Christ, and
was consistent in practice. Take the case of
the Philippian jailor in proof. He tails
down before Paul and Silas, and says, “Sirs,
what must Idoto be saved ?” Paul, preach
ing under the great commission, and clearly
understanding the doctrine x>f justification by
laith without works, said, “Believe on the
L**rd Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved !”
Had he been a “ mourner’s bench”-inan, and
knowing the jailor to be a very bad man, and
should be prayed over awhile, and should
pray awhile himself, that he might be pre
pared to come to, and believe in Christ, he
would have shouted out, “Brother Silas, let
us pray !” But not so. Pray er is not re
commended as the remedy, nor is it men
tioued in the ease. “Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ.” The jailor believed on the
remedy instantaneously, “ and rejoiced in
Gud.” Was that tne way then? it should
be so now.
Works, or to do something by way of
merit, is deeply seated in the heart, and snould
not be encouraged by teaching or by acting.
And 1 subm't, that whoever invites “mourn
ers” up fir pray er, and prays for them, ad
mits by these acts that something should be
done by the “mourners,” and the preachers,
to prepare them to come to, and to believe
in Christ. The preacher’s acts confirm the
convicted persons in their views of works.
The apostles never admitted the convicted
sinner’s views of works, by precept or ex
ample. They knew, and taught, that justifi
cation was by faith, and not by works, and
that the convicted sinner c*>uld do nothing
meritorious and never encouraged him to try.
Their uniform testimony was, “Therefore, be
ing justified by ftith, we have peace with
G*>d, through our L >rd Jesus Christ.”
“And as M.-ses fifed up the serpent in the
wilderness, even so must the Sou of man be
lifted up, that whosoever lielieveth in him
should not perish, but have eternal life.”
Analyst this passage, and see how it sustains
the doctrine of justification hy faith without
works. The Israelites were bitten ; th-y
were dying. Moses, at God’s command,
erects a braz n serpent as an instantaneous
remedy. The people were commanded t*>
look and live. They w«ype not commanded t<>
pray over, and bewail ttlieif condition, till
they were worthy or prepared to look. Nor
Were any of the pr'n-sts to “prav
with and for them.” Smqly look and live!
The analogy is close. *
Facts and passages of Scripture, without
number, c uld De adduced in proof of my p*>
sition, but l will leave the reader who is dis
posed to examine this subject without pre
judice to supply them. Those who plead fin
the instrumeiita'ity in question have never
been fully saiisfied with their own Scripture
proof. But they found the schedule iu run
ning order when they entered the ministry,
and they have shewn a per-isteut energy in
running it us they found it. The) have urged
such passages as these : “Confess your faults
one to an* it her. Pr*y with and for one an
other.” It surely has occurred to them that
such admooitioiis and exhortations were ad
dressed to churches —professing Christians.
There is not a pas-age in the epistolary
w ritings that can be logically applied in proot
of the practice lam opposing. It is a per
version—a giving uw r ay of the children’s bread
to another cla-s of persons.
And heie I am earnestly asked : “Should
not the sinner,convicted by the Spirit **f God,
pray? Does he not pray?” Suppose 1 ad
mit that he does pray, and should pray, what
is gained ? Praying is not the remedy ; faith
in Christ brings salvatjgi. “lie that believ
eth on the Son hath life.” Wneii
Paul was stricken “Lord,
what wilt thou hast do ?” The Lord
Jesus did not tell hi in to pray ; “Arise, anti
go into the city, and it shill De told thee wha*
thou mu-t do.” And when Ananias was told,
“Behold he prayeth,” it was to let him know
that Saqf was now a harmless man. When
Ananias found Siul, prayer, so far as the re
erd goes, formed no part of the interview-,
but faith and obedience was the order of the
service. “Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus,
that appeared unto thee in the way as thou
earnest, hath sent me, that thou mightest re
ceive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy
Ghost. And immediately there fell from his
eyes as it had been scales; and he rec ived
his sight forthwith, and arose, and was bap
tized.” Tne apostolic plan was, to influence
the convicted sinner to embrace the great
remedy immediately, and “pray without ceas
ing” all his life. Shall we follow their plan,
or grow' wiser than they, and make one of
our own ?
“But look how much g**od the system you
are condemning has done.” I trust I shall
ever rejoice at the doing of good, a though
irregularly done. The holy Messiah was in
formed that there were some casting out
devils who did not follow them. “L:t them
alone.” was the prompt reply ; “they that
are not against us are f»r us.” Paul rejoiced
“that Christ was preached,” though he did
not- approve th.- covrse ptißaueffby ilvne wlvr,
preached Him. Can it be affirmed that Pe
dobaptist.s have not done great good ? and
yet ttiey hold to auJ practice some palpable
errors. ~f
“Can so many great ar.d good men who
have practiced what you condemn be wrong? ’
Drive a Pedobaptist to tne wall on the sub
ject of infant baptism, and he will a-k you the
same question Tnere is no logic in such
questions. What saith the Word? is the
question.
“But is it not vain arid presumptuous in
you to say a word against such a cloud of
witnesses?” Not at all. Is it vain and pre
sumptuous to believe God s word, proclaim
it and be governed by it. If so, 1 need in
struetion.
1 am not disposed to array the evils which
have followed in the wake <>f the practice 1
am opposing. If it has been proven unsci ip
tural, such results are natural. Sow to the
wind, you reap a crop of whirlwind. Nor
am 1 disposed to pursue this subject any fur
ther. 1 have vanity, but it has never prompt
ed me to differ, purposely, with my brethren.
A word to “M. H.” and “W. D. A.,” and
I have done. You have the advantage of me.
You have written things of me which 1 can
not, I dare not, write of you. Tne insinua
tions, to say the least of them, “That I do riot
pray for the salvation of sinners, and for the
spread of the Redeemer’s k ngdomand
“that you will not be surprised t*> see ‘H. E.
T.’ the leader of another revolt,” are speci
mens of Soph >moric rhetoric which I dui not
expect from elders in Israel. I have seen the
day that l could us., that sort of mud, Cut be
ing now, as “M. H.” truly says, “in the au
tumn of life,” I decline in favor of those wh*>
can. Why not write, and allude to a bro
ther, like good David Lee?
And further, brethren, as you both have
informed your readers, truthfully, that we
have held protracted meetings together, 1
am willing to try it again. As Peter and
John “taught daily in the temple” at Jerusa
lem ; and as Paul labored with his own hands
at his trade during the week, and pr, ached
every Sabbath at Corinth, holding a protract
ed meeting for “a year and six months” and
as none of them ever “called up mourners,” 1
am ready to join you on their schedule.
11. E. T.
A Lost Word.
From John viii: l, a word has been dropped.
It wa3 lost, probably, from its awkward ap
pearanoe in the first verse of a chapter. But
reading it with the last verse of John vii, the
word is very important. The Genevan trans
lation, rendering it and, has c*»me nearer the
original. Tne word is but. Ic is in the Ger
man,»6er; in the Latin, au’ern; in the French,
mais ; in the Greek, rfe. It should be, in the
English, but. Reading the verse with John
vii : 53, “ And every man went unto his own
house; but Jesus went unto the Mount of
Olives.” The word implies that this moun
tain was to Him what others’ homes were to
them. “Ho oft-times resorted thither.”
While His enemies refreshed themselves at
their homes, lie gave Himself to prayer ;
while they forgot iheir disputes, He prayed
for them; while* Uiey had beds. He had
Gelhsemane; while they had houses, lie had
not where to I*y His head. That “ but” ex
presses a great contrast. It is too significant
to be omitted. Will not the Bible Society
have it restored ?—/Yes6.
Catholicity. —The N. Y. Evening Post,
speaking of the meeting ot the Evangelical
Alliai ce, in that city, this year, makes a sug
gestion which ought not to be grievous to any
of our Pedobaptist brethren: Perhaps it
would be a good occasion tor the American
Bible Society, which was avowedly formed
upon au equally catholic ba.-is, to rescind the
resolution which has virtually separated the
Baptists from its ranks.
WHOLE NO. 2479.
The Most. Alarming Sin.
If l were called to point out the moat alarm*
ing sins to-day— those which are most deceit
ful in their influence, ami most soul-destrojr
ir>jjt in their ulti uate effects—l would not
mention drunkenn-ss with til its fearful h ivoc,
nor gtmblmg with its craze 1 victims, nor
harlotry with its hellish orgt-s; but the love
of money on the part of men, and the love of
display on the ptrt of women. While open
vice sends its thousands, fashionable
and favond indulgences send their ten thou
sands to perdition. They sear the conscience,
incrust the s ml with an impenetrable shdl of
worldliness, debauch the aff-> tious from every
high and heavenly object, and make man or
woman the worshipper of self. While doing
all this, the poor victim is flowed by public
• pinion to think hunself or herself a Chris
tian ; while the drunkard, the gambler, or the
prostitute is not deceived by such a thought
for a moment. — Dr. Croxky.
The Lord’s Sapper.
Dr. Hanna, in his “ Life of Cnrist,” speaks
is follows of the institution of the Lord’s
supper: “But who wouid ever have risked
his reputation, his prospect of being remem
bered by the ages that were to come, by ex
hibiting such an eager ans prern vture desire to
preserve-and perpetuate the remembrance of
his name, his character, his deeds \ They
nave left it to others after them to devise the
means of doing so; neither vain enough, nor
bold enough, nor*foolish enough to be them
selves the framers of these means. But who
is this, who, ere he dies, by his own act and
deed, sets up the memorial institution by
which his death is to be shown forth ? Sure
ly he must be one who knows and feels that
he has claims to be remembered, such as
none other have had ? Does not Jesus Christ,
in the very act of instituting in his own life
time this memorial rite, step at once ahove
the level of ordinary humanity, and assert
f’.r himself a position toward mankind utterly
and absolutely unique?”
Mission Population.
The population connected with the Pro
testant missions in Africa, was estimated, in
1868, at 685,000. It has for many ye*.rs
back increased at a much more rapid rate
than the Roman Catholic mission population,
and as the whole of Madagascar is likely to
be soon gained over, it will shortly number
as many millions as it has now hundreds of
thousands; and as Roman Catholicism has
ni> similar prospect in any African country,
it will soon outnumber the Roman Catholic
populations. In Asia, the Protestant popu
lation is now about 713,000; but there also
an addition of millions may be confidently
expected. AH signs of the times indicate
that a great harvest is in store for the labors
of the Protestant missionaries.
“ Nothing Sectarian."
This has now become quite a popular hob
by, both in high and low places, in our pulpits,
colleges, and social circles. What may be
the true import of the term, in its application
to our time and circumstances, it is perhaps
bard to tell. But, be this as it may, one thing
is evident, it has gone into popular use as
equivalent to “ no controversy," eso *ciallv in
our pulpits ; or, in other words, “ D »n’t say
anything contrary to the views or teachings
of others.” Tnis 1 regard as both uureas n
able and unsoripiural. 1. It is unreasonable
to consent that the most erroneous d octria*>s
should be thus honored and lif^this
day of superior iight and liberty. 2 It is
unscriptural. This must at once appear evi
dent to every Bible reader; hence we find
patriarchs, prophets, Christ, and all the apos
tles, warning ag tirist surrounding errors. And
there is no intimation in the Bible that we
-.hould c*ase to proclaim and defend any por
tion of Divine truth, because its utterance
would come in confl ct with surrounding er
rors. Instead of this, the Bible tells us, if
any man speak, and especially public teachers,
let him speak as becometh the oracles of
God." This not only implies agreement with
these oracles, but comprehends the whole
counsel of God.”—Cor. W r ext Chrs. Adv.
Personalities in Pkayer.— When Rev.
Ed vard Harpur, an Irish Wesleyan, was
stationed in Drornore, there was a certain
i urate of the Established Cnurch in that town,
who was strongly opposed to Methodism, and
did what he could to prevent nominal Episco
palians from attending the Wesleyan Cnapel.
His name was Richard Agar. One Sunday
evening Mr. Agar attended the Wesleyau
service, to see if any of his professed flock
were in the chapel. Mr. Harpur saw him
and knew his object. During prayer Mr. H.
offered up the following petition : “O Lord,
save thy Church from the devil, the Pope,
and Richard Agar!” It is not necessary to
say that Mr. Agar did not remain for the
sermon.
Ministerial Study. — Let Christian minis
ters study ; give them time to read widely
and deeply, and we shall have an educated
ministry, able to cope with the evils of the
age. On the other hand, keep your minister
always on his feet—bid him give to social
visiting the time which belongs to his study
set a price on him by saying, Fill the pews
or leave your post; and you take the surest
way of training a class of men narrow, in
their range of thought, weak in their grasp of
truth, uncertain and dreamy in their doctrinal
utterances, frothy and sensational in their
pulpit performances. W T e need strong men,
studious men, scholarly men, as well as pious
men.— Presbyterian.
Drunkenne>s and ChiME.—Mr. Haynes,
warden of the Massachusetts State Prison, in
his valuable book, recently published, says
t! at during the eleven yearstnat he has been
connected with the institution, tweuty-one
persons have been imprisoned for killing
their wives, two for killing their fathers, one
for killing his mother. Os these twenty-four,
all but one were not only habitual drunkards,
but actually drunk when they committed the
crime; and he also remarks that “ these were
not bad men, except when under the influ
ence of liquor; and yet justice can make no
distinction, but holds him equally guilty who
commits crime under such circumstances, as
the one who soberly and with intellect un
clouded violates the law.''
“Beyond his Understanding.” —Sainte-
Beuve once dropped the remark, at a restau
rant, that heoouldnot believe in God because
it went beyond his understanding. The great
Friar Lacordaire happened to be seated near
and quickly exclaimed: “M. Saiute Beuve,
you say you do not believe in God because
you eannot understand Him. But can you
understand why the same fire will melt but
ter and harden eggs? And nevertheless you
are eating your omelette!” Sainte-Beuve
dropped his head.
Repeating Sermons. — ln a certain Ladies’
Sewing Circle the topic of discussion was,
ministers and old sermons. “Pour minister
preaches old sermons,” said one lady to an
other. “No he don’t,” was the emphatic
reply. “ Yes, he does, the fact is notorious.”
“ Nn, he don’t preach old sermons. Ilia ser
mons don’t get old before he preaches them
over.”