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About Christian index and South-western Baptist. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1866-1871 | View Entire Issue (May 12, 1870)
CHRISTTAIAND WESTERN BAPTIST. VOL 49-NO. 19. A RELIGIOUS AND FAMILY PAPER, PUBLISHED WEEKLY IXST ATLANTA, OA rSKMS.—CIubs of Pour, (43.00 each) per annum...sl2.oo Clubs of Three, (*3.33 each) per annum... 10.00 Clubs of Two, (3.50 eaoh) per annum 7.00 j . J. TOON", Proprietor. The Christian’s Faith. I walk as one who knows that he is treading A stranger soil; As one round whom the world is spreading Its subtle coil. I walk as one but yesterday delivered From a sharp chain ; Who trembles lest the bonds so newly severed Be bound again. I walk as one who feels that he is breathing Uugenial air; For whom, as wiles, the tempter still is wreathing The bright aud fair. My steps, I know, are on the plains of danger, For siu is near; But looking up, I pass along, a stranger, In baste and fear. This earth has lost its pawer to drag me downward, Its spell is gone; My coarw to now right upward and right ownward, To yonder throne. Hour after hour of Time’s dark night is stealing In gloom away ; Speed thy fair dawn of light, and joy, and healing, Thou Star of Day 1 For thee its God, its King, the long-rejected, Earth groans and cries ; For thee, the long beloved, the long-expeeted, Thy bride still sighs, r* ' if, • — Bonar. The Autobiography of an Old Pilgrim. ( Continued L) I revoke the promise made in the conclu sion of my last article, to introduce in this number a report of my past experience, bear ing on the subject of the conflicts between the flesh and the Spirit. This 1 do that 1 may prepare the way for that report by some gen eral remarks on the relation of our personal experience to others. , Baptists, when I first became acquainted with them, some half a century ago, were a simple, God-fearing people, who did not much care what men thought or said of them, pro vided they could realize the presence of God with them in their public assemblies, and feel that lie did not disdain todwellin their hearts at their homes. Like good king David, and other Old Testament saints, they were simple enough to believe that, both gratitude to God and a due regard for the spiritual welfare of their fellow-men, required them to declare to others w',at God had done for their souls. If the Lord shed light into their souls, their sense of duty and their generous natures alike prompted them to hold it forth, that others mi'fht enjoy the benefits of it with them. The miser locks up his gold, and, when he sits down to his daily repast, shuts his doors and doubly bars them, lest some frail son of hu manity might enter in and seek to share it with him. They preferred, to the example of the miser, that of their Lord and Saviour, who, though He was rich, for our sakes be came poor, that we, through Ilis poverty, might be made rich, and who truly said of His disciples, in His memorable prayer re corded in John xvii, “ the glory which Thou gavest me 1 have given them.” Hence, they might frequently be heard saying to those around them, “ Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and l will declare what He hath done for' my soul.” Their old men would'i pray with David : “O God, Thou hast taught iqe from my youth ; and hitherto have I de clared Thy wondrous works. Now also, when I am old and gray headed, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed Thy strength unto this generation, and Thy power to every one that is to come.” 1 have seen in the sanctuary, in the days of my early ministry, a whole congregation melted to tears by the artless rehearsal in simple terms —some times in mutilated Eng lish— of what the Lord had done for their souls, by plain and pious, but unlettered preachers, such as were the late John B. Smith, of Mecklenburg county, Va., and Frank Callaway*, of Chambers co., Ala. When they would follow their rehearsals with cogent appeals to the heads and hearts of their hear ers, and with earnest entreaties that they would give credit to the testimony they had borne relative to the loving kindness and faithfulness of God, His all-sufficient and all abounding grace, the eternai and unchange able love of Jesus, etc., and affectionately urge them to receive the Lord Jesus as their Prince and Saviour, the eountenances of very many would seem to respond, “We credit the testimony thou hast given, and receive thy words as the words of God. Henceforth, thy God shall be our God, thy Saviour and Saviour —our guide through life, our stay our our staff’through theremaindorof our earthly pilgrimage, our refuge and fortress in the hour of temptation, our support and comfort in the hour of death, the perfection of our joy, and crown of our glory forever in heaven.” I have witnessed similar scenes in the family circle, as some devoted servant of God tells of his travels, his struggles and his triumphs, his hopes and his fears, his falls into sin, and his flights, on the wings of faith, to the bliss ful region where there is no sinning, and,con sequently, no weeping, or sorrowing, or sigh ing. On one occasion, a good sister who had sunk down by the wayside in a state of des pondency, is greatly revived and encouraged to arise and press forward with renewed vigor toward the pearly gate of the New Jerusa lem. She had heard a Methodist preacher quote the learned commentator, Adam Clarke, and one of the bishops of his church, to prove that the struggles described by the apostle Paul, in Rom. vii, were characteristic of the natural man, and not of a converted person. She was conscious of experiencing similar con flicts almost daily, and concluded, if what the preacher had said was true, she must, not withstanding her past hopes and seasons of spiritual enjoyment, be still in an unconverted state —a very natural conclusion. But the visitor had detailed similar conflicts in his own breast; and, when interrogated on the subject, expressed his confidence that Paul meant just what he said. He would be guilty of a most manifest contradiction, if he affirmed of one in a carnal state that he delighted “ in the law of the Lord,” and also that the “ car nal mind is enmity against God; not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” How both of these affirmations could be true he could not see. Neither could the lady; so she started anew in the race for eternal life. On another occasion the visitor reports his wanderings from the fold of Christ. The great Shepherd of Israel sought and found him in the bltak wilderness into which he had wandered —found him smitten, and cleansed him ; torn by beasts of prey, and bound up his wounds ; stripped of his fleecy covering by the brambles of the forest, and cast around him his own spotless robe of righteousness ; crippled and unable to walk, and took him in his arms and carried him in his bosom back to the green pastures whence he had wander ed, made him to feed again by thoside of still waters, and to drink in health, and life, and peace at the pure fountain of unceasiug love divine. The good man of the house was a backs slider. He had first erred by hurrying over his devotions in a formal manner ; he next •neglected them occasionally, when business pressed upon him, when wearied by his labors, or when convivial parties were protracted be yond his regular hours for devotional purpo ses ; and, finally, he omitted them altogether. His Bible remained unread, his closet was deserted, and even the sanctuary was visited but rarely. The consequence was, he lost all the scriptural evidences of his acceptance with God. As the visitor details the exercises of his mind, during his wanderings, his host becomes interested; tears glisten in his eyes, and he says to his visitor, when he concluded his re hearsal : “My dear sir, in describing your wanderings you have described mine; in de scribing your state and feelings, while in the wilderness, you have described what mine now are. I often think of the spiritual enjoy ments I have lost; deplore their loss ; desire their restoration ; but have felt, up to the present hour, as though it would be in vain to hope or expect to have the consolations of the gospel restored to me; but one feeble ray of hope now springs up in rny heart. I thank God fur sending you here, and I thank you for the narrative you have given of your past experience. It has aroused me to a sense ot my own hapless situation, and encouraged me to resolve that I will make one moreyygorous effort to get back to the fold of l turn my face to it, resolved, God helping me, if I perish, I will perish with my face toward the fold of Christ, making an effort to get back ter it. My dear brother, pray God that the mercy He has shown to you He would show to me! I might extend reports of this kind to an indefinite length, and relate instances in which careless sinners have beemawakened by the narratives given by Christians of their per sonal religious experience, but forbear for the present. A change has been wrought in the minds of men, in the morals of men, in the fashions even of godly men. Relations of one’s religious experience, in the pulpit or out of it, have become obsolete. They have been laid away with the old psalm tunes of our fathers jas rubbish, among the things that were. The churches are becoming more Chesterfieldian than Christian; more con formed to worldly models, in their practices, than to heavenly. It is considered, now, low and vulgar, indicative of an uneducated mind, for one to tell of the heavenly visions with which he has been favored, or the graoious manifestations which Jesus has made of Him self in His own soul. Colleges and theologi cal schools have been established in every State, and they only are to be recognized as reputable schools of Christ. Doctors of di vinity, like the frogs in Egypt, are found all over the country. They infest our marshy seaboard and our rocky mountains, and re gions beyond, even to the farther sea on our west.* I never knew but one of these doctors of divinity who ever divulged any of the evils of his own heart, and that was the late vener able C. D. Mallary, whose reputation for sanctity exceeded that of any man of my ac quaintance. 1 knew another D.D., however, who was not ashamed to indulge in one prac tice, occasionally at least, that seems now to be generally deemed a vulgar one. I will add a report of a conversation I once heard in reference to him. Thirty years ago, last November, 1 was travelling in Alabama in a stage coach well filled with worldly men. During the day, the topic of pulpit orators was introduced. A passenger near me thought Dr. Manly one of the most popular and effective preachers had ever heard ; and, in support of his opin ion, alluded to the effects of the speaker’s tears in the pulpit. Another flat-headed, irreverent passenger seemed to think, with many of the moulders of public sentiment in our day, that tears in the pulpit were very vulgar things. “In my opinion,” said he, “ they afford evidence of a lack of the power of self-command, and a consequent imbecility of mind, and, therefore, detracted from the reputation of a preacher, instead of adding to it.” I suppose he had forgotten that it had been reported of Him who spake as never man spake, wept over Jerusalem and at the grave of his friend Lazarus, that “ He was often seen to weep, but never to smile;” or, if he remembered it, he might have thought that Jesus of Nazareth was not reputable au thority, as He was the reputed son of a poor mechanic. Surely His tears could not have indicated imbecility of mind. Alas ! the leaders in our Zion, in the present day, seem to have more respect for the opin ions of a scoffing infidel world than for those of the royal David, or for those of Paul, who tells us of his visions and revelations, his spiritual his trials and temptations, his watching and weeping, and faith, hopes, and joys and sorrows. So reckless was he of the rules of propriety established by our modern savans, that he not only wept, like Jesus, over his dying fellow-men, but is in delicate enough to tell of it! Brethren, let us recur to our reckoning and see where we are drifting ; and to our com pass, to see whether we are sailing in the right direction. Remember, there was a time when no Christian deemed it indecent to be immersed; now, many declare it to be grossly indelicate. There was a time when baptismal robes were not considered necessary to a de cent administration of the ordinance of bap tism ; now, sprne Baptist D.Ds. will not ad minister the ordinance without them, deeming it vulgar and disreputable to do so ! Again I say, look out. See whither we are drifting. Abdiel Nekoda. *1 design to oast no reflection on either frogs or doc tors of divinity. I suppose they may both answer some useful end; for a poet says—l think it is Shakspeare— “ There’s nothing on the earth so vile doth live, But to the earth some special good doth give.” 1 To the credit of the race of frogs I’ll add, that I never heard or read ot but one frog that aspired lo attain to greater dimeus'ons than those assigned him by his Creator, and be—poor fellow !—by his attempt to ft cut a swell,” lost his life 1 An Important Admission. Boswell, in his unsurpassed Life of Dr. Johnson, gives the particulars of an interview between his hero, Dr. Johnson, and Rev. Dr. Adams, of Pembroke College, Oxford, from which 1 select the following: “ He (Johnson) argued in defence of some of the peculiar tenets of the Church of Rome. As to the giving this bread only to the laity, he said, ‘They may think, that in what is merely ritual, deviations from the primitive mode may be admitted on the ground of convenience; and I think they are as well warranted to make this alteration, as we are to substitute sprinkling in the room of the ancient baptism.’” Dr. Johnson was then 74 years of age, and was an oracle in English literature. Besides, he was a High-Church Episcopalian, and well versed in Ecclesiastical History, and in the theology of his age; and an admission like this from him, surrounded by D.D.’s and literary men when it was made, and was not contradicted at the time, is proof clear, that in 1784 it was understood and believed that “sprinkling was substituted for the ancient baptism,” by the Episcopal Church. And it is not difficult to agree with the sage John son, that the Roman Catholic Church are “a9 well warranted in making this alteration” as the Episbopal Church. Deny the loyal po sition, “ Tne Bible is a sufficient rule of faith ' and practice,’’; and every sect may make FRANKLIN PRINTING HOUSE, AMENTA, GA., THURSDAY, MAY 12, 1870. “ deviations from the primitive mode, for the sake of convenience,” till there will not be an original statute in the Kino of Zion’s Book. Whoever departs from the letter of the laws enacted by King Messiah and His inspired Apostles, takes Roman Catholic ground, and to be consistent, should go on to Rome, or return to Jerusalem. H. E. T. Mrs. E- S. Morgan—lnteresting Incident. Sister Elizabeth S. Morgan, wife of Dea con J. F. Morgan, and sister of Rev. O. C. Pope, died of consumption, April 19th, 1870, at Spalding, near Montezuma, Ga. While pastor of Antioch church, in Lee county, Ga., in 1864, it was my privilege to be frequently with sister Morgan, and to learn much of her character as an intelligent, active Christian. My purpose is, however, not so much to speak of ber character, as to relate a single incident, which will better enable all who read it, to judge of her Christian character. Friday before the first Sunday in August, 1864, had been set apart as the time to be gin a meeting of days at Antioch, one of the oldest churches in Southern Georgia. I had been to Atlanta the month previous as a rep resentative of our “ Relief Society ” in Dougherty county ; and such were the scenes passed through, and labors endured, that body and mind were overtaxed, and I came home with my lungs bleeding. I wrote to * different ministers, however, and, feeble as L was, entirely unable to preach, went to och, and no assistance had arrived, none heard > from save one minister, whose family was sick. Never was I more at a loss. For years the church had enjoyed no revival. The members were, geneially, anxious, hun gry for a blessing. This meeting had been looked forward to, talked about, wished for and prayed for, and a revival was already commenced in the hearts of the members, and on the first day there was a goodly num ber present. What was to be done? What could Ido but look to God for help? That I tried to db; and the Lord sent help. How, or who he sent, you will soon see. VV e assembled in the house. A song was sung, and brother Whitsett, (the only brother who prayed in public,) led us in ail earnest prayer. He was impressed deeply, and op pressed, too, by the circumstances. How earnestly he plead for help. Many a heart responded, and sighs and tears ensued. I read this text: “In my distress I cried unto the Lord and he heard me.” Ps. exx: 1. - It seemed as if the statement was recorded for the present emergency. There was no application of it necessary. Every one felt it to be a time of distress. I pressed the ques tion merely, “ Will you ‘cry unto the Lord V What else can we do? Will you not cry unto Him now? Will you not, can you not cry unto Him publicly?” Deacon G. sat in front of me, weeping. I said, “ Brother G., can’t you cry unto the Lord on our behalf?” The good old man calmly replied: “Brother Chaudoin, I am so unworthy, I feel like it would be presumption in me, to try.” Turn ing to the right hand a little,, I Addressed two gray-headed brethren, loquacious enough out of doors, and active, good brethren, too: “ Brother M., or brother 8., wont you, in our distress, ‘cry unto thp Lors’ f<si us?” Showing no indication, nor even giving any response, I deemed it not best to urge the matter, and turning to the females, I remarked, “Sisters, will you not ‘cry unto the Lord?’ I would call upon*you if I knew who of you would.” Just then sister Morgan bowed her consent. Said I, “ Let us pray". Sister Mor gan, pray for us.” She did pray. But that prayer can never be conceived of properly. It was so earnestly, calmly, humbly, deliber ately, distinctly uttered, and under such cir cumstances, as made it overwhelmingly im pressive, sublimely eloquent. The meeting went on. In due time ministerial, help was sent; but during that good meeting the Lord furnished us no better help than sister Mor gan. Her deep, consistent piety gave her influence, and her cultivated mind, well filled with Bible truth, rendered her able to be use ful in prayer, in leading the anxious to Christ and in persuading the careless to repent. Allow me space to say what all will antic ipate, that this devoted Christian woman died peacefully, happily. Only a few weeks prior to her death, I preached for her, and sought to show that “ Heaven is better than earth,” from several considerations. She responded then, but sooner than I supposed, she ex changed the one for the other, leaving a devo ted husband and five children. When my precious brother Wilkes (who, with his faith ful wife, lived near, and did so much for our sister (told me she was dead, I felt I must make public this reminiscence, —sweet to me, and it will be sweet to many of her numer ous relatives and friends, to read it. Wm. N. Chaudoin. Cottage Home , near Albany, GaApril 29f/», 1870. Temptation. God made man upright, but left him free to seek out many inventions. He was placed under law as a moral being, the reward of obedience held up before him, and the penalty of transgression denounced against him, in case he should sin. The story of Adam’s fall is brief; but it is traced with the deepest shades of sadness, which darken as the years advance, and the bitter fruits of sin are gath ered. Now, temptations assail the human family, depraved and corrupted as they are by sin, to which Adam was probably a stran ger, even after his melancholy fall. It is true that Jesus has come and made a complete sac rifice For sin ; oTie which is entirely accepta ble to the Father; but still evil exists in multitudinous forms, while a great and watch ful adversary is ever ready to take advantage of human ignorance and weakness, and by the most refined and subtle arts, lead men into sin and death. Man is the creature of many illusions, and yet, strange to say, his faculties are so blunted by the fall that he gains but little by experience. To-day the temptation is spread before him like a paint ed beauty, smiling in all the seeming loveli ness of innocence; the cup of pleasure sparkles, mantling to the brim, his pulse bounds with all the wildness of delight; he drinks, totters and falls; the illusion van ishes, leaving him to the fearful twinges of conscience and the awful judgments of God. He roars by reason of the disquietness of his’heart, the fever of guilt burns with con suming ardor in his soul, he sinks in the deep mire where there is no standing, and the proud waves roll mercilessly over him, until hope well-nigh deserts his wretched bosom, and he is ready to give up all for lost. Even prayer, the blessed resource of the wretched, fails him, so that he can scarce smite upon his guilty bosom and say, “ God be merciful to me a sinner,” But when faith can bring the wretched wanderer to “ the blood of Jesus, that speak etli better things than that of Abel,” when “ godly sorrow works in him repentance unto life, that needeth not to be repented of,” and when he obtains the sweet assurance of par don, how ready is he to enter thesolema vow that he will go in the way of temptation no more, or if he should be suddenly overtaken, he will resist “even unto blood, striving against sinthat he will die rather than grieve the Holy Spirit, or wound the blessed Saviour. For a time he rejoices in the con scious favor of God, his faith transporta him to the bright, etern&i 'aim of divine love; he gazes rapturously ross death’s stormy Jordan into the Elysur elds of the heavenly land, and he the chorus of the angels with # the sweetness of his song; but some id greets fiis ear, or same worldly his attention, and charms, by of its colors and the beauty he gazes with de light upon the and in tha whirl and ft of the moment he fails to suspect that it is an illusion until, alaa! he has yielded, handled and tasted. Thek comes the bitterness of self-reproach, the crashing mortification of conscious guilt, and the fearful louring for of judgment and fiery the ravings pf remorse. Such are the"te.*ij££ations which assail life’s poor wayfarers asHhey wearijy and painfully travel towards traveller jfeturnspfcnd too l often, alas ! the great adversary lay 4 them low. But Je9us has provided the tgfiedy by clothing His fol lowers ip heavenly jarmor, and firing their souls with a noble (Viurage to resist the devil until he flies inglun ously from the unequal cdfctest. Jesus is)<sfe succorer of His people, add He knows ho deliver the godly out of temptation. His cross is talisman which drives back thsßßKs.of darknes|and wins rttie well-fought fieldX Then, well may tnp «hild of grace sing, ‘tin tbe cro»N u t I glory, . Towering oVW wrecks of time." \ *H. CpE That discussion. For some months ;>ast"a spirited discussion has heen carried <©>«in the columns of the Index, r ,and in those, of the Baptist, as to whether, the Diyhiity of Christ suffered when He was crucified. Brethren of acknowledged piety and ability hav& appeared on both sides of the question, and a calm and unbi ased survey of the wlifole field of controversy, I have come to the ec .ision that, as far as results are it is very much like the effort of a tna&/to lift himself over a fence by the of his boots. Brethren have reasoned we« Land have exhibited much intellectual vigor and aslateness; but to an outsider, they seem rot to have touched bot tom, nor, as far as appt ’.ranees indicate, are they likely* to dojßt Really, they have drifted out until thje water has become quite too deep for ordinary soundings, and about the best thing that* can hands to return to sbe point of and in the future expend Uhet-r intellectual energies upon questions whieft promise better results. Metaphysics present,>comparatively, anew field of thought, and ,we have not made suffi cient progress in cultivating it, to warrant us in applying them to jbe solution of theologi cal enigmas. There is, according to Manse!, a limit to religious thought, and when we get beyond it, we may just as well confess that we are adrift, and like Noah’s weary dove, return to the point fnom whence we set out, a little wiser than when we started. Had we been able, by induction, to ascertain all the facts of the plan of (sal vation, there would have been no revelation, as God never does for us what we should*do for ourselves. But as the scheme of redemption, in ail its mys terious detail, was bfvond the reach of hu man discovery, God wgiven us a revelation upon all the points vpßh it is necessary for us tp understand ; has not informed us WhethWThe tJTTrist suffered, it is fair to assume thap',ignorance upon this point is of no practicafedisadvantage. These lines are not \aritten in a patronizing spirit, but with a sincere desire to aid dear brethren in finding their way safely out of a labyrinth which, like .that of Egypt, seems interminable. BrethrAi; if you can, come back, and let us all take a fresh start, in a di rection where there is “land ahead.” . t H. C. H. Horthem and Southern Baptist Colleges; Their Comparative Prosperity. The extravagant ideas which some have of the number of students in Baptist Colleges, North, suggest the propriety of republishing a few statistics. My authority for what fol lows, is the National j&aptist, of February, 17th, 1870. Its authority I suppose to be the Catalogues of the several institutions named. And that I call special atten tion to Rochester University, whose marvel ous numbers were lately the subject of com ment by an excellent brother, 1 will intro duce it first. Rochester University—Seniors, 23; Jun iors, 32; Sophomores, 25; Freshman, 28. Total, 108. y - Brown University—Seniors, 47; Juniors, 39; Sophomores, 55,; 50. Total, i97; ' " Madison University, Hamilton, N. Y.— Seniors, 15; Juniors, 14; Sophomores, 24; Freshmen, 44. Total, 97. Richmond College, Richmond, Va.—Stu dents in several Collegfate Schools, 131. Mercer University—Seniors, 15; Juniors, 32; Sophomores, 19 ; Fieshmen, 18. Total, 84. I have given, above, the statistics of the five largest Baptist Colleges in this country. If any one will take the pains to compare my piece with the original documents, he will see that I have taken the.foip- regular College Classes as the basis foP Comparison, leaving out all irregulars, students, etc. J. H. K. Whit* Plaint, Ga. On BofcffSijies. I write to assure you 4-jlot I am on both sides of the “ protratrtecU meeting” contro versy. And, if it will not astonish you over much, I will assert ifyis my candid opinion, that “ Layman,” though hi! real name is un known to me, is on my platform. “ Lay man” had seen so muoh.of the abuses of “pro tracted meetings” that- he felt called upon to speak out concerning them. He dealt some heavy blows, and no doubt has done good. He has ventilated an old mine, and set free much foul air. lam with him with a whole heart, if he is understood. He is opposed to a “ distracted” meeting, _apd so am I. But, on the other hand, does ndT*‘ Layman” favor a “ protracted meeting” as it should be ? If such a meeting comes down, so to speak, in stead of being gotten up, is he not ready to welcome it? Is he not ready to hail it with joy, and to enter into it with all his heart? He writes too much like a Christian to leave me room to doubt his hearty acceptance of a genuine revival. The end of the matter is, we do not want such meetings as “ Layman” condemns, because they have dpne us immense hurt; and we do want such as the Holy Spirit pro duces, for they are among the greatest bless ings that the churches can hope for in this world. Scrap. Thb Bible.—l am a creature of a day, passing through life, as an arrow through the air. lam a spirit come from God ; just hov ering over the great gulf, tiH, a few moments hence, I am no more seen! I drop into an unchangeable eternity. I want to know one thing—the way to heaven; how to land on that happy shore. God himself has conde scended to teach the way. He hath written it in a book. Oh, give me*, that book. At any price, give me the book of God \—J. WesUy. The Waiting Saviour. To-night the Saviour knocks, At a young maiden’s door; His locks are wet with dew, His feet are travel-sore. He knocks and knocks again. Then bends His ear to catch If but one sound of stir within, His hand upon the latob, Ready to enter in, Waiting—and longing too, If but the maid shall rise And rusty bolt undo. The maiden sits withA, Her face is strangely fair, Surely a lovely soul Must find its dwelling there. She trembles at the sound So often beard before; No one hath need to say, “Jesus is at thy door.” “ If thou didst mean,” she cried, “ To free my soul from sin, Thou wouldst break through the door And force an entrance in." “ No, child," the Saviour said, I do not force the way; The power rests with each To bid me go or stay.” “Jesus, the glittering world Beckon* me on, tonight, To all its untried paths Os pleasure asid.delight.'’ Child, in my hand I bring Pleasures forevermore, Joys which no eye hath Men '•'**&» ■» Nor ear hath heard before. “ I love so little, Lord; I am ashamed to own How little need I feel; O melt, thou heart of stone t” “ Thy love may be but weak, Tby want but faint and small; y Jesus will enter in If thou but thirst at all.” “ 1 am not worthy, Lord, That Thou shou|dst enter in; I’ve washed my robes, and still ] Dark spots of sins remain.” “Just as thou art, my child, I’ll robe thee fair and dean, Wa-ihall thy sins away As tho’ Ihey had not been.” “ I cannot comprehend What thou hast done for me.” “Nor shalt thou, till years roll Thro’ an eternity.” “And is this all, dear Lord, All Thou wouldst have me dos” With eager feet she ran, The door wide open flew. “ Come in, Thou blessed Christ, Thou ‘Man of Sorrows’ come, Thy wondrous, patient love Hath found at last a home.” And Christ did enter in, » That spot was holy ground, And angels sang in heaven, ** She who was lost is found.” J tarie Bell, in Congregationaliat. Early Baptist Martyrs. The story of the imprisonment and mar tyrdopn of Michael Sattler, a contemporary of Luther, and, like him, a converted monk, but a Baptist ‘minister, should be a searching exhortation to each of us. I find the short account in a rare little work, published by Baptists a few years after the events de scribed. That you may realize how much truth and the little error our forefathers in gospel faith died for, I will translate fully. The execution of Sattler and others took place on the 20th of May, 1527„ at Rotenburg, on the Neekar, and awakened the sympathy of noble Capito, a learned disciple of Zwingli, who petitioned the cruel court to remit the sentences of the remaining prisoners. “ The following are the accusations,” begins the headi rig of the narrative, “ for which Michael Sattler was forced to give an account with his blood. After many investigations, on the day of his departure from this world, Michael Sattler requested, since the acquisitions had been many, that they should be read, and he be heard thereupon again. But the City At torney was opposed to it, and Michael ap pealed, whereupon the judges, after conside ration, replied they were content, as far as the plaintiff would allow it. Then the City Clerk, speaking for the City Attorney, said : Pru dent, honorable and wise gentlemen ; he has boasted of the presence of the Holy Spirit in him, hence it does not seem necessary for me to grant the request; for if he had the Holy Spirit, as he boasts, the same would let hall know the accusations. This Michael Slatter answered with :Ye servants of God, —1 cher ish the hope that this will not be denied me, for the charges are not now known to me. The answer of the City Clerk began as before, and continued : Although not obliged to do this, still, we are willing to grant him this surplus, in order that it may not be thought that injustice is shown him because of his heresy, or that we wish to cut him short. Let the articles be read aloud. Here followed the nine charges: 1. That he and his followers have acted contrary to the mandates of the empire. 2. That he has taught, held, and believed that the body and blood of Christ are not in the sacrament. 3. He has taught and believed that iufant baptism is not pro fitable to salvation. 4. He has rejected the sacrament of extreme unction. 5. He has rejected and despised the mother of God and the saints. G. He said oaths should not be taken in court. 7. He has started anew, unheard-of use of the Lord’s supper, viz : put wine and bread into a dish, and eaten it mix ed. 8. He left his order and took a wife. 9. He said if the Turk should come into the country, no opposition should be shown him, and if war were right, he would rather march against Christians than against the Turks; which is a great thing to bring npon us the mightiest euemy of our holy faith. At the close of the reading, Michael Slatter desired to converse with his brethren and sisters,- which was granted him. After he had spoken a little while with them, he began, and an swered undauntedly as follows: “ Hear a brief reply to the accusations against me, my brethren and sisters. We deny, first of all, that we have acted against the imperial mandate. We have only taught the people not to cling to the doctrine and temptation offered by Luther, but to the gos pel and Word of God. Ido not know that I have acted in anything against the gospel; the words of Christ be my witness. Secondly. We declare that the real body of Christ has arisen to heaven, and sits at the right hand of God ; and if the body is in heaven, it cannot be eaten in the sacrament on earth. Thirdly, About baptism, we hold that infant baptism is of no use to salvation; for it is written, we live by faith alone; also, he who believes and is baptized shall be saved. Fourthly. We have not rejected oil a9 God made it, but we think nothing of the attempt of Pope, Bishop, monk and priest to make it better, for the Pope has never made anything good. Fifthly, We have not despised the mother of God and the saints, but the Virgin is blessed above all women, for graoe helped her to bear the Saviour of the world. However, the Scrip tures know nothing of her as mediator, for she awaits the judgment as all of us. Paul says to Timothy, ‘ Christ is our mediator with God.’ As to saints, we who live in faith are they, as Paul was wont to address the Corin thians and Ephesians. Sixthly. Weoonsider that one should not swear before the magis trate, for the Lord says, ‘ Swear not at all, but let your speech be yea, yea, and nay, nay.’ Seventhly. As I consider the unchris tian, dangerous state in which I was, and ob served the pride, usuriousness and sin of the monks and priests, I went and took a wife according to God’s command, for Paul pro phesied to Timothy, 5 It will come to pas 9 in the last days that men will forbid marriage, and command us to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanks giving.’ Eighthly. If the Turk comes, we should not withstand him, for it is written, ‘Thou shalt not kill.’ We should not defend ourselves agauist the Turks or other persecu tors, but persevere in earnest prayer to God to protect us. (Almost the Quaker doctrine.) Finally, ye servants of God, I exhort you to consider that God has put you in authority in order to punish the bad and defend the good. Since we have not acted against God and the gospel, think what you do. Inquire, and you will find that neither I nor any breth ren and sisters have spoken or done aught against the government. Therefore, ye ser vants of God, if ye have neither heard nor read the word of God, send for learned doc tors, and for the divine books of the Bible, in any language, jmd let there be. a disputation. Where they prove to us from the Scripture that we err and have done wrong, we will gladly withdraw and recant, or suffer the pep alty of our errors. • But if. we - are proven of no offence, I hope to God you yourselves will be converted and taught.” (How much noble close resemflles Paul’s speech, as pris oner before Agrippa.) The judges laughed at the speech, and put their heads together, when the City Cierk said : “Ha ! you desperate miscreant and monk, shall we dispute with you? yes, the hangman shall dispute with you, believe mo that.” Michael says, “ What God wills, that shall be done.” “It were better that you had never been born,” said the Clerk. “ God knows what is good,” was the reply. “ You arch-heretic, you have misled these pious peo ple ; if they would only now abandon their errors, and crave pardon.” “ Pardon is found by God alone,” said the prisoner, and another of the accused exclaimed, “ We dare not de gart from the truth.” Then the provoked lerk cried out, “ I tell you, villain and hero tic, if there were no hangman here, I would hang you myself, and consider that I had done God a service in it.” Michael answered, “ God will judge.” Then the Clerk turned to the judges and said he could not put an end to this gabbler all day, if they did not proceed to the decision. Michael was asked whether he were content with the close of the trial, when he replied: “ Ye servants of God, unless we are convinced out of the Scriptures of error, we are willing, for the sake of the Word of God, to suffer all that is or may be Sut upon us to suffer, all in faith upon Christ esus, our Redeemer, as long as we have breath in us.” After the Clerk referred again to the proofs the hangman would show, and Michael had, for the last time, appealed to the Bible, the judges arose and went into an other room to make the decision, leaving Michael to be scoffed at by the crowd. One said, swinging a sword that lay on the table, “They’ll argue with you with this.” But Michael answered not a word, while one of his fellow prisoners said, “We should not throw* pearls before swine.” He did say, how ever, to an honest questioner, that he would have remained a monk, following the desires of the flesh, but, he ad led, “ it is better so.” Now that the judges had returned, the follow ing condemnation was read : “ Michael Sat tler shall be given into the hands of the hang man, who shall lead him to the public square and cut out his tongue, then chain him to a wagon, and tear his body with glowing tongs twice within the walls, and five times just without the gate, where he shall be burned, as a heretic, to powder. His associate breth ren shall be beheaded, and his sisters, in cluding his wife, be drowned.”— Standard. The Church—lts Polity Divinely Prescribed. First—The New Testament examples of churches must be as authoritative in regard to their form of organization, as to their in stitution and existence. The church, being simply an organization, could be instituted only by prescribing its organism. And we are certainly forced to admit the equal au thority of the Scriptural examples for the order and organization, as for the churches which that organization creates. If these examples are not authoritative, then the whole matter is left to human dis cretion, and every Christian is a law to him self, so far as the church and membership with it is concerned. This sentiment universally accepted, would manifestly be equivalent to the annihilation of the church, if not to the extinction of Christianity itself. Secondly—The conclusion above mentioned is strongly confirmed by the uniformity of these Scriptural examples. It was the inva riable practice of the apostles to organize churches wherever disciples were gathered. They evidently conceived this to be a part of the Gospel system—a part of their mission as preachers of that Gospel. And the churches they formed were as invariably of the same order, organized after the same pattern. Thirdly—These churches arc everywhere recognized as instituted agencies by the apos tles. They address their epistles to them, and give directions to them as organized bodies. They advise their church action. The seven churches are thus specially and directly ad dressed, through their presiding officers, by the Saviour himself. Fourthly—Chucrh offices and officers were instituted, necessarily involving the existence and the prescribed order of the churches in which these offices were created, and for which these officers were appointed. And these offices and officers arc not merely au thorized by example, but are expressly de clared to be of Divine appointment. “ God hath set them in the church,” etc. Finally—Various directions and precepts are given to the church which could only be carried out and obeyed by them as churches; among these, especially, the observance of the Lord’s supper. Various acts of discipline, and particularly the law of discipline given by the Saviour (Matt, xviii.) anticipative of the church, and providing for interests so vital to its peace and prosperity, that He would trust its enunciation to none else, or less, than His own personal utterance and authority are narrated. Transubstantiation. When Wolsey and Erasmus disputed on this point (an essential change in the ele ment*,) Wolsey said to Erasmus, at parting, “ Well, only believe that it is so, and it will be so.” Erasmus, on leaving England, bor rowed Wolsey’s palfrey to take him to the ship; but, instead of returning it,carried the animal off with him to the Continent, and sent Wolsey this answer on paper : Qu'd mihi dixisti de corpora Christi “ Crede quod edis, et edia,” Sic tibi tescribo, de tuo palfrido, “ Crede quod habes, et babes.” Which may be thus paraphrased in Eng lish : If wine and bread, mere human food, Beoomes tbe Saviour’s flesh and blood, When I iu faith receive it; Then faith for you as much may do, And vour lost jade is safe with you, ff you will but believe it. —London Record. WHOLE NO. 2489. The Invitation Society. Some years ago, a gentleman residing in one of our cities was deeply impressed and grieved by seeing multitudes who neglected public worship; and ho determined to make the effort to induce some of the Sabbath breakers to frequent the house of God. It required some little effort at first, but he overcame his timidity. -One Lord’s day evening he went forth with his holy purpose, and meeting a young man who did not appear to be on his way to a place of worship, he respectfully addressed him, got into conver sation with him, and persuaded the stranger to accompany him to worship, and, as an in ducement, offered him a seat in his own pew. Succeeding in this case, he was emboldened and enoouraged to proceed in this line Christian activity and usefulness. And now,/ mark with what a blessed result! —he was the means of leading one hundred young men to become stated attendants at the sanctuary, many of whom have been truly converted to God. A minister of the gospel mentioned this at one of his prayer meeting, when the idea was caught up by some persons present, who at once said, “ How admirable a plan this is fcJr doings good.” A little -association was •immediately formed, called Invitation- Society.” - In sixteen months,’two hundred persons were persuaded by eight or ten of*i£s agents no lutiger to forsake the assembling of themselves in the house of prayer. One.of these agents, an earnest Christian, in humble life, devoted himself to this work, and wa9 the means of bringing forty to hear the word of life.— Rev. J. A. Adams. A Straitened Soul. “ I can’t afford it!” What! you not aflbrd a sixpence to help on the spread of God’s Word upon earth?” Nay, brother: I can’t afford to refuse the money.” “ How so, neighbor?” “ Why, does not the Lord say that a cup of cold water given in His cause shall not lose its reward? Does not Paul say, speaking of giving help to the spread of God’s Word, ‘He that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting?” And did not the Lord again say, ‘Make to yourselves friends out of the money which most men make their enemy; and, when ye die, they whom you have helped to make friends of God instead of His enemies, will give you a hearty welcome into the kingdom of glory ?’ 1 can’t afford to lose my share in these great and precious promises. Besides, I see that the Lord always does with our con tributions what Joseph did with his brother’s money; he returned it to them in their sack's month. Have you ever helped the oause of Christ, and found the barrel of meal empty, or the cruse of oil dry? Helping the oause of Christ is a safe investment for money, and brings a first-rate dividend ; and, as a needy man myself, I can’t afford to lose it.” The Money God’s Cause Needs. John Wesley was endeavoring to found an orphan school at Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He had his plans arranged and his workmen en gaged, and he was going to leave. They de sired one hundred pounds for materials to commence the work, but Wesley had not the money. His plans were all laid and the time fixed for leaving, but where would the money come "from? Just as he was about to leave, a Quaker called upon him and said: “John, I had a strange dream about thee’last night: I thought I saw thee with a parcel of little lambs in a storm, and thee was trying to shel ter them and had no place. I woke up and thought of thy orphan house, and here is my check for one hundred pounds,” This was just the sum that was wanted. God intended that the poor children should be taken care of; so that He put into Wesley’s mind the pur pose to go forward, and placed in the old Quaker's pocket the money and the heart to give it.—But is there not reason to fear that many such thoughts when put into the minds of Christians, to work, or to give, are sup pressed or thrust out? How great guilt is contracted in this way ! How Mach? A lad who had just found the Saviour, went to his pastor’s study to talk about it. Said the pastor : “ You think you are a Chris tian, do you ? Well, my child, how much are you a Christian ? How much do you love your Saviour? How much are you willing to do for Him who has done so much for you ? The question, though abrupt, was a salutary one, and in after years that lad, then himself adistinguished minister, often thanked his old pastor for his faithfulness. How much are you a Christian, father, mo ther? Is there so much of Christ in your daily life that your children can see Him re flected there? Sunday school teacher, how much are you a Christian ? Is your life a daily consecration, or do you give to God only that Sabbath school hour with your class? Are your pray ers in faith ? Do you live so near to God that He hears and answers those prayers ? Young disciple, how much are you a Chris tian? Do you answer, I try to do as well as other church members; or are you looking at Christ, not his erring followers ? Do your worldly companions know that your path is different from theirs ? Do they long to be like you, because Christ makes you happy? Have you so much of the love of Jesus that you cannot hide it under a bushel ? Is it so sweet to love him you cannot help telling some one else of His blessed presence ? Do you try continually to lead sinners to God ? How much am / a Christian ? I ask my heart to-night. Help me ever to ask, how much of a Christian can I be, with Christ's help ?—Sunday School Times. Preaching Memoritek. —Preaching memo riter is unusual in New England, ministers having neither time or inclination to write and commit to memory their sermons. At the theological seminary in Hartford, Rev. Dr. Bodwell has introduced the memoriter practice. This is English, after the pattern of James, Raffles, Jay, Fletcher, Liefchild and Reed ; James preached fifty four years in that way ; and before the London Missionary So ciety recited his sermon, an hour and a half long, “ even to every and, if ar.d but,” said the friend who held his MS. Jay committed sermons from sixteen years of age to sixty three. Liefchild held a congregation of 2,000 till he was past seventy, in the samo way.— Chris. Sec. The Methodist Ministry. —Rev. Geo. G. Lyon, in the N. Y. Christian Advocate says: “A venerable layman of our church, of moral worth and of high standing in society, who has been intimately acquainted with Method ist ministers for forty years, has made a note of some of his observations on the manners of our preachers, which he has sent to me, and which are worthy of more general pub licity. He once heard David Crockett say that he was raised in a country where there was neither law, education, knowledge, nor good behavior of any kind, and that some of our preachers evidently came from the same section.” The Fallen Church. —Wendell Phillips says that “ the church is only the full moon reflection ot fashion, literature and the State.”
