CHRISTIAN SSk* aND SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST.
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The Responsibility of Individual Members
of the Church for the Influencing of their
Churches.
(Ad Essay before the General Meeting ot the Cave
Spring Association, at Lime Branch Church, Polk
county, Sabbath, October 29th, requested for publics*
tion in the Indbx.)
The subject opens a broad field, and
one of great importance. The present
writer can only present a few thoughts to
elicit valuable suggestions from other
minds.
All bodies, whether material or social,
are composed of parts or principles, which,
combined, make the form and use of those
bodies. Each component principle or
member contributes its part to the gen
eral form and effect. But especially in
all social organizations, is the character
and efficiency of the body dependent on
the character and efficiency of the con
stituent members. Social organizations
abound among men. We judge their char
acter by what we know of their members,
more than by their professions: “By
their fruits ye shall know them.” We
hold their members responsible for the
character and influence of their bodies.
These are general and admitted proposi
tions.
In bodies organized for moral effect,
especially, is this law of responsibility
held, and the moro strictly is it held in
those of the highest character and dignity.
Now, of all social, voluntary organizations
among men, the church of Jesus Christ is
of the highest dignity and importance. It
is composed (when properly composed) of
persons renewed by the Holy Spirit, and
inducted by a most significant ordinance,
into the “ body of Christ,” whose grand
mission in the earth is the glory of the
Redeemer in the saving of men ! What
a design ! What an end ! How noble !
How important! Nothing equal to it —
nothing like it on earth ! But how is all
this to be accomplished ? It is committed
to the church of God. He works through
means, and these means are the members
of His churches as He has organized
them—as the Scriptures clearly set forth.
In 1 Cor. xii tve learn, among other valua
ble lessons, that there is a use for each
member of the church, however weak or
humble. It is self-evident that the har
mony and efficiency of the church depends
on the conduct of its members —the doing
by each of his particular duty. Here ap
pears the responsibility of each member of
the church. A. cannot do the duties of
himself and of B.: he can only do his
own, which demands all his time and
ability.
We admire the working of a well ad
justed, though complicated, machine, in
which there are many parts —wheels with
in wheels, each fitting and contributing
its part to the result designed. Let hut
one wheel break, or fail to answer its end
from any cause, the whole machine is
stopped and the time is lost until the de
ficiency is supplied. How beautiful the
harmony of a well organized church, in
which all the officers and members co-ope
rate in the great work ! in which each fills
his place—does his duty, be it great or
small, little or much, being guided by that
self-same Spirit who is the present help
and comfort of all God’s people! How
efficient, how saving , how glorious is such
a church !
But see one member here and another
there, failing to do their duty—“ forsak
ing the assembling of themselves together”
with the body—“ coming not up to the
help of the Lord against the mighty”—
neglecting the prayer meeting, the Sunday
school—contributing not evon their “mite”
to support the pastor or missions, or any
good cause. By so much as each one fails
of his part, is the good work hindered,
efficiency prevented and harmony destroy
ed. Here the responsibility appears.
Some, by their words, and many, by
their conduct, seem to say they have no
influence; they are not responsible for
the harmony of the church or the effi
ciency of the great work. Is this so ?
What says reason? What common sense?
What say the Scriptures ? “ None of us
liveth to himself and none of us dieth to
himself.” “He that knoweth to do good
and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”
How sad is the state of many of our
churches ! What a dim light shines from
them ! The world claims to be as good as
they. They are stumbling blocks in the
way of sinners, instead of being “ the
house of God and the very gate of heav
en !” What is the matter ? Where is the
blame ? Who is responsible ? It may be
the pastor is at fault. Forgetting his
“high calling,” entangled in “the affairs
of this life,” he may have failed to “study
to show himself approved unto God, a
workman, rightly dividing the word of
truth, giving to each his portion in due
season.” “Like priest, like people.” Or,
it may be, the deacons, failing “ to pur
chase to themselves that ‘good degree’
and * great boldness in the faith,’ ” which
is the reward of diligent study of the
Scriptures, and active, earnest service
“in every good word and work,” in pub
lic and private, are responsible. Or, it
may be that some prominent lay members,
more worldly-minded than spiritual, more
covetous than pious, have led off to cold
ness, and sin, and deadness. Social,
family and private prayers are neglected,
secret sins are indulged, the Spirit is
grieved, and takes His leave from such
a body. Every one, whether preacher,
deacon or private member, who fails to
do his duty, comes not up to the measure
of his obligations, is held responsible—re
sponsible to his conscience, responsible to
the church and the world, and responsible
to his God. How fearful that responsi
bility ! -
But still, some may doubt as to the
measure of their obligations. A con
science enlightened by the Scriptures,
under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, is
an infallible guide. ‘lt is required of a
man according to that he hath , and not ac
cording to that he hath not.’ “ The love
of Christ constraineth us.” The parable
of the talents, the prayer of Paul when
convinced of his sin, “ Lord, what wilt
Thou have me to do?” and many other
{PM A TEAR. ! FRANKLIN PRINTING HOUSE, ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1871. m A TEAR.}
Jointed texts, furnish a key to solve every
oubt and open up the way of duty, of
peace, and indefinite usefulness to every
child of God.
Look at the warnings and threatenings
on the one hand, and the rich rewards
and glorious elevations on the other hand.
“ Curse ye Meroz,” said the angel of the
Lord, “ curse ye bitterly the inhabitants
thereof, because they came not up to the
help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord
against the mighty.” “To him that
knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to
him it is sin.” “ The servant that knew
his lord’s will and doeth it not shall be
beaten with many stripes.”
See, on the other hand, the induce
ments of faithful service in the cause of
our Saviour. “ They that turn many to
righteousness shall shine as the sun in the
kingdom of their Father.” “Let him
know that he that converteth the sinner
from the error of his way shall save a soul
from death, and shall hide a multitude of
sins.”
Brethren, the time for us to work is
short. Soon, our probation will be ended.
What have ive done to glorify that Sa
viour who gave His precious life for us ?
What are we doing to leave our foot-prints
in the world —foot-prints that point to
heaven ? Who, and how many, will be
our ‘ crowns of rejoicing’ in the day of
eternity ? Let us awake to a sense of our
obligations, and rise to the measure of our
responsibilities !
“Hold your Light."
A party of Alpine Hunters once came in a dark night
to a mountain torrent from which the bridge had been
swept away, and which they were obliged to cross by
torch light, under circumstances of great peril. The
cry which rang out through the gloom ana silence to
the guides, ‘’Hold your light,” suggested the following
lines:
Hold your light, Christian I
Brightly up on high 1
For want of its shiuing
Some traveller may diet.
While hosts pass, uuheediugl
His suffering cry.
Hold your light, Christian !
The beams of your Faitb
May save some sad brother
From darkness and death,
And illume his dark soul
With what Jesus sailh.
Hold vour light, Christian !
Os Hopb, the clear flame
May bring out of shadows
The Saviour’s dear name,
And some guilty, despairing,’
Lost sinuer, reclaim.
Hold your light, Christian 1
Let Chabitt show
Such heavenly radiance,
That all can but know
Her patient, enduring,
Perpetual glow.
Hold these lights, Christian 1
Let them shine on life’s way;
From their gleams all pollution
And sin shrink away;
And their full wealth of blessing
Thou sbalt know in t/iat day :
A Practical Illustration.—The Baptist Hymn
and Tnne Book.
I had a practical illustration, last Mon
day, of what must be the result, to think
ing minds, when they consider the decis
ion of the Bishops of the Episcopal
Church. An educated gentleman —a
physician —came to my inquiry meeting,
and said, “ I have come to consult you
about my baptism. I was baptized in
infancy. At fifteen years of age I was
confirmed a member of the Episcopal
Church. I told the Bishop then, that I
was not fit to be recognized a member of
the Church. The Bishop replied, ‘ You
have been baptized; you can repeat the
Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commandments,
and the Apostles’ Creed. Be confirmed,
and all will be well with you.’ When I
was baptized, the minister and the con
gregation said, ‘We yield Thee hearty
thanks, most merciful Father, that it hath
pleased Thee to regenerate this infant
with Thy Holy Spirit, to receive him for
Thine own child by adoption, and to in
corporate him into Thy holy Church.’
Now, the House of Bishops have decided
that * regenerate ’ does not mean a moral
change. If regeneration does not mean
a moral change, then what does it mean ?
If a member of the body of Christ—an
heir of glory, is not morally changed,
then who can be? According to this
definition of the Bishops, it seems to me
my baptism in infancy was a worthless
thing, and I have been a deceived soul.
I come, sir, to inquire your views on bap
tism,” I began as I would with a little
child, and gave him my views of the plan
of salvation. That if he had never felt
his need of a Saviour, and exercised re
sentance towards God, and faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ; that if he did not
have the Spirit of God bearing witness
with his spirit that he was a converted
man, then he had nothing to do with bap
tism ; that a man must be a saved man —
saved by faith in Jesus, ere he was bap
tized ; that no baptism of any kind or at
any age, could save him. The fruit on
the tree, does not make the tree; it only
proves the tree is good. The tree makes
the fruit. So, baptism and the Christian
duties do not make a man a Christian.
They only prove that he is a Christian,
because he obeys the commands of his
new Lord and Master, who says, “by
their fruits ye shall know them.” He
admitted he had never felt his need of a
Saviour, and had no evidence of anew
heart. After praying with him, he wept
bitterly, and said, “ Pardon my weak
ness, sir; this is no new thing with me.
I have been thinking about it for a long
time, but I never saw my real condition
so plainly before.” Here is a man of
education, a man of thought, a man of
experience, who comes and tells me he
has been a deceived soul, because he had
been taught to trust in his infant baptism
and conformity to the Church for salva
tion. May it not be, he is only one of
many —a representative man. 0, the ne
cessity of preaching the gospel in its pu-
rity and simplicity!
“ The Baptist Hymn Book ” issued by
the “Bible and Publication Society,”
Philadelphia, and the “Tune Book,” I
am under the impression I saw a favora
ble notice of them from your pen. I have
examined the “ Hymn Book,” and am
delighted with the selections and the ar
rangement. The compilers have evinced
their simple piety, sound theology and
good judgment, in the work. I have
submitted the Tune Book to the leader of
our choir— a pious, active member of the
church, and he speaks in admiration of
the music. 0, for congregational sing
ing, where all the people shall praise the
Lord! We have a choir and an organ,
but I urge the congregation, every Sab-
bath, to unite in the singing. Our leader
is a sensible man, and he selects such
tunes as the people understand, and they
do sing sometimes, with all their souls.
The Publication Society are determined
to leave the people without excuse. They
issue a cheap edition of this Hymn Book,
—for fifty cents. A book of a thousand
hymns, for fifty cents! J. W. M. W.
Baltimore, fiov, 4,1871.
Covetousness.
I. Covetousness debars a'person from
the Lord’s supper. 1 Cor. v.
11. It is a barrier to the ordination of
a deacon. 1 Tim. iii.
111. It is a barrier to the ordination of
a preacher. 1 Tim. iii.
IY. It is a barrier to admission to hea
ven. 1 Cor. vi. E. Dodson.
The Churches and Intemperance.
A correspondent, “C.,” in the Index,
Sept. 28, says, “It is notoriously true,
that, for many years, our churches, in
some localities, have tolerated the sale of
spirituous liquors by their members, at
‘ wholesale,' but not until* recently have
I known of its being tolerated by Baptists
at ‘retail.’”
Another correspondent, “Alpha,” has
written three pointed letters, (I hope he
will write more,) to a class in our churches,
whom he addresses as “ Dram-Drinking
Baptists.”
The testimony of these two correspon
dents establishes the fact that some of
the members of churches are “ dram
drinkers,” and that brethren in Christ,
professedly, sell to them, by “ wholesale
and retail,” that which will eventually
cast both soul and body into hell. A
more lamentable condition of things, it
would seem, could scarcely exist. Surely
Christ is being wounded in the house of
His friends.
But “ C.” says, further, “ Our mem
bers are not only actually trafficing in the
accursed thing, but our churches are ac
tually wanting in the moral courage to
take a stand against it.” Could there be
a greater degeneracy than this statement
indicates ? Truly, the whole head is sick,
and the whole heart faint. If Jeremiah were
among our prophets, he would say, “ Oh,
that my head were waters, and mine eyes
a fountain of tears, that I might weep
day and night for the slain of the daugh
ter of my people! Oh, that I had in the
wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring
men, that I might leave my people and
go from them; for they be all ‘ dram
drinkers,’ an assembly of wholesale and
retail liquor dealers!”
Brethren, what is our duty in regard to
this matter ? Christ’s kingdom on earth
is organized into churches. The members
of the church are required, individually,
to obey Christ’s laws. And the church,
collectively, is required to enforce Christ's
laws. Dram-drinking brethren are being
urged to “ stop and think, before they
farther goand brethren who deal out
“ liquid damnation,” wholesale and retail,
to their brethren, are appealed to, to give
up the traffic. But what are the churches,
as such, doing in the matter ? How many
of the churches are enforcing the Mas
ter’s laws in regard to intemperance ?
We would not urge harsh measures, nor
advise summary dealing, immediately,
with members. We would deal with them
in love. Many of them know not what
they do. They do not realize the guilt
they are incurring. We do insist, how
ever, that they should be warned; that
the error of their ways should be pointed
out to them, and that they should be ad
monished to cease from their evil courses.
And if they will not hear the churoh ; if
they will not be persuaded to desist from
the work of destroying themselves and
others, then the churches must see that
the blood of ruined souls rests not upon
their skirts.
We pray that the kingdom of God may
come, and that souls may be plucked from
ruin, and we wonder why the preached
word has so little effect on the minds of
professed disciples and worldlings. One
of the greatest, if not the greatest, hin
drance to the spread of the gospel among
us, is intemperance. And no church can
expect God’s blessing upon it, or its efforts,
unless that church is faithfully endeavor
ing to remove this obstacle from the path.
God having given the churches author
ity in this matter, He will not relieve
them from the performance of an unpleas
ant, and, it may be, in some cases, a
heart-breaking duty. He will hold the
churches responsible for their neglect of
this duty, and will withhold His grace
from them. What church is willing, by
continued neglect, to incur so sore a pun
ishment? B. W. I.
Church of HenrylWard|Beecher«
Your correspondent from the far sunny
South, presumes that he may write some
thing from this great city which may in
terest your readers. Curiosity (if no
higher motive) led me to cross Fulton
Ferry to-day, to attend service at Henry
Ward Beecher’s church, in Brooklyn. I
soon found myself one of a large crowd,
wending their way to the church of the
famed Brooklyn pastor. The building is
a large, plain, brick structure; nothing
striking in its external appearance. Its
interior is plain, simple, unique, having
none of the gorgeous display which char
acterizes many of the churches of the
city. The pews are arranged in circular
order, and so provided as to economize
every inch of space in the great auditori
um. The gallery, occupying about three
fourths of the area, furnishes a range of
seats rising in amphitheatral form on three
sides of the room. A simple stand and
large Gothic chair, upon an elevated plat
form, constitutes the pulpit, around which
thousands have gathered for a quarter of
a century to listen to the teachings of the
man who has made his mark upon the age
in which he lives. In rear of this pulpit,
and above its level, is a range of seats for
the choir, and behind them is the great
organ, which ranks among the best on
this continent.
The choir, consisting of about fifty
persons, commenced the exercises by
singing the Psalm, “ The Lord is my
Shepherd.” Asa musical performance,
it was grand and beautiful; but this mode
of worship is a monopoly, that has always
seemed inconsistent with the service which
belongs to the sanctuary of God, in which
all should participate. I expected we
would be entertained with this kind of
music throughout the service, but in this
I was agreeably disappointed.
Preceding the sermon, the pastor made
several announcements, among which, he
stated that the members had raised 05,000
during the past week, for the Chicago
sufferers, and, through their instrumental
ity, they had, in all, raised and forwarded,
in supplies and money, the sum of 040,000,
in the church and congregation.
The prayer occupied 21 minutes. It
was declamatory, metaphysical, abound
ing in most of the figures of speech
known to the science of rhetoric; seemed
(to me) to be intended more for the ear of
the audience, than as praise or supplica
cation to the Most High.
His text, “ Faitb, Hope and Charity,”
or love, as interpreted'By him. There
was nothing offensive in the sermon, to
the Southern ear—no allusions to politics
—no attempt at wit—mrthing to degrade
the dignity of the pulpit. This was a
relief, for, from accounts, I had anticipa
ted much that -would be objectionable in
these respects. His exigesis was unex
ceptionable. He unfolded every point
With clearness and force-. There was no
attempt at display. He enlisted the at
tention of that great multitude for an
hour and ten minutes. That he has done
this from Sabbath to Sabbath, for twenty
five successive years, is the highest evi
dence of his ability. Throughout his
sermon, there was the Spirit of Christ.
Beecher, with all his outrageous faults,
is I believe, a Christian. He had to be
a Christian, to talk as he did in that ser
mon. Our Saviour spoke wisely when He
said, “ Judge not.” He knew that we
were incapable of accurate judgment in
regard to the spiritual condition of oth
ers.
But the crowning excellence of the
service, was the congregational singing.
Imagine their full, well-trained choir, sus
tained by an organ of superior power,
touched by an organist of unequalled skill,
all accompanied by an assembly of three
thousand well-trained singsrs. Every one
in the congregation was furnished with a
hymn book, and they all sang.
The first hymn commenced with the
lines,
“ Lore, Lore on earth appears,
The wretched throng Hi» way.”
The following couplets are the last two
lines of three several verses of this
hymn:
1. “Soft, my harp, thy breathings be,
Let me weep on Calvary.”
* * * * * *
2. “ Hushed, my harp, thy breathings be,
Christ is weeping there for me.’’
* * * * # *
8. “He lives, again He lives,
Joyful now, the strains should be,
When I sing of Calvary.”
The adaptation of the music to the
sentiment, is a hign attainment, to be ex
pected only among experts —not in large
congregations. But the effect of three
thousand well-trained, skillful voices, in
singing this hymn, is nqt. a subject for
description. This must b* left to the im
agination of the reader.
To close the exercises, this great as
sembly rose and sang, “ The Shining
Shore.” It is impossible to convey a just
idea of the enrapturing effect of the sing
ing of this hymn by such an assembly.
We, who wish to hear any better music,
must aspire to enjoy it when we reach
“The Shining Shore.” M. E. B.
I New York, Oct. 29,1371.
Strength for the Day.
Strength for the day I At early dawn I stand,;
Helpless and weak, and with unrested eyes,
Watching lor day. Before its portal lies
A low black cloud—a heavy iron band;
Slowly the mist is lifted from the land,
And pearl and amber gleam across the skies,
Gladdening my upward gaze with sweet surprise!
I own the sign ; I know that He whose hand
Hath fringed those sombre clouds with ruby ray,
And changed that iron bar to molten gold,
Will to my wandering steps be guide and stay;
Breathe o’er my wavering heart His rest for aye,
And give my waiting, folded palms to hold
His blessed morning boon —strength for the day!
—Rachel O. Altop.
Hard upon the Women.
A writer of the 17th century says, in
an article on the capriciousness of women,
“ Gardeners compare women and girls to
a flock of goats, who roam and browse in
cessantly, holding nothing inaccessible to
their curiosity and adds, “ There is but
one considerable difference between them:
the goat wears horns, and the woman
makes others wear them.” He says again,
in the same article, “ When Satan afflict
ed Job, he deprived him of his flocks, of
his houses, and of his children, but had a
care not to take his wife from him, know
ing that this was the only way to make
him desperate; as it would have done
without God’s special grace.” He also
informs us that the Rabbins taught, that
a man who had a bad wife wa3 exempted
from public duties, “ because he had busi
ness enough at home, without needing
any abroad.”
It is highly creditable to the sex that,
notwithstanding the acerbities that have
been poured out upon them in a continu
ous stream for centuries, they retain their
original siveetness unimpaired. It were
enough, one would think, to sour an an
gel’s temper to subject it so incessantly to
so severe a test. J. S. B.
“Love Ye One Another."
Overshadowed by sin as our natures are,
yet our kind Creator has planted in our
hearts certain noble principles which, illumi
nated by His divine grace, are calculated to
elevate the creature into newness of life,
whereby we may keep the inner courts of
our hearts animated with something of the
godlike feeling that influenced our Saviour
while here upon earth.
The love and apprehension of Jesus for
His disciples increasing as He knew He must
soon leave them, He would fain have their
hearts united by the heaven-born principle of
love lor each other, that they might bear with
each other’s infirmities, and share each other’s
sorrows, so that while engaged in the labor
which He had appointed for them, amid
temptations and persecutions, they might
strengthen each other’s hope, and thus be the
better enabled to bear the loss of His socie
ty, which was wont to cheer their hearts. In
consideration of this, and with nobler and
holier feelings than human nature can pene
trate, He bequeathed this last commandment
unto His disciples, “ that ye love one anoth
er.” He had felt and borne the heat and
burden of the day. Having taken upon Him
self our nature, He knew the depressing
power of sorrow, and He also knew the
strength of love and sympathy to soothe and
comfort.
Love is the distinguishing feature of the
new birth, “for by this ye may know that
ye have passed from death unto life." With
a heart freighted with love towards man, we
may go forth in the conflict of life armed
with power to overcome and subdue; for
heaven itself descends in love, and heaven’s
power is unlimited. God has given love
strong power, because it is kind, and “ with
no ill to its neighbor," it can do all things ;
and above all, it leads us, when overwhelmed
by doubts and bitter thoughts, by sweet per
suasion to God, who loves us with an ever
lasting love, insomuch that He gave His only
Son to die for us, and daily bestows bless
ings upon us as if He would constantly keep
us in remembrance of the “ gteat love where
with He hath loved us."
True sympathy cannot successfully be as
sumed. A heart delicately attuned, can de
tect the false note of expression. Sincere
love hath a power all its own, of which it
cannot be robbed, and which, when coun
terfeited, if placed in the refiner’s fire, its
true character is betrayed. When earnest
and true, it is ever active to accomplish good.
It will never forsake, but will wend its way
to the saddest scenes of adversity, there to
cheer the solitude of the suffering, while its
counterfeit has become weary of the difficul
ties of the way, and has turned back to more
congenial scenes. Ah, yes, ’tis the tone, the
touch, the glance of true sympathy alone,
that can reach the great deeps of our hearts,
and bid us live.
A flower transplanted from the shade into
the sunlight, will develop new strength and
beauty, its leaves expanding, its varied tints
appearing ’neath the healing beams of the
sun, while in the shadow and gloom it would
have paled and died. Such is the influence
of sympathy upon the human heart, when
misfortune and disappointment- has fallen
upon it. Who of us hath transplanted a
flower? The kind deed, prompted by sin
cere sympathy, who of us can recall it? Its
price is above rubies, for our Saviour hath
said, “ Inasmuch as ye did it unto the least of
these, ye did it also unto me.”
“ Love yc one another.” It was delivered
to the apostles on that memorable occasion,
as the crowning virtue of Christian character.
Let us also receive it, as fresh from His lips,
guarding it from cold distrust and the blight
ing power of worldliness. With heart united
to heart in the great cause of Him who first
loved us, Zion, putting on her beautiful gar
ments, shall arise and shine, and all nations
shall be won by the brightness of her glory.
Rcth.
Tuskcgee, Ala., Oct. 1871.
“Alien Immersions."
In a letter, written Oct. 10th, to the
Editor of the Baptist, Rev. Richard
Fuller, D.D., of Baltimore, says: I de
sire to have more and more of the heart
of a child sitting at the feet of Jesus.
In uniting myself with the Episcopal
church, baptism was plain, and I request
ed the Episcopal minister to baptize me.
I thought I could remain in that church ;
but, while politics is the science of com
promise, conscience cannot be thus pal
tered with if we are sincere. So, after
awhile, I identified myself with “the
sect everywhere spoken against.” The
Baptist church in South Carolina left the
question of re-baptism to me, and I felt
dissatisfied with the former immersion on
tivo grounds. First, I was conscious that,
however sincere, I had not then been truly
converted; and secondly, I questioned
the regularity of the act when performed
by one not himself baptized. I was,
therefore, immersed by a Baptist minis
ter. I have always advised persons to
leave nothing irregular in this solemn act,
especially as the irregularity can be so
easily rectified. Still, I have doubted
whether the baptism was so void as to
justify our insisting on re-baptism when
the candidate for admission is perfectly
satisfied. After patient thought, how
ever, and looking to the integrity of the
ordinance, and the best spiritual tv elf are
of the candidate, I would now advise a
church to require a baptism, not only
valid, but free from any disorder.
Unpaid Debts to Pastors.
The cases are numerous in which
churches fail to meet their pecuniary en
gagements to their pastors; and so cal
lous are defaulting churches on this sub
ject, that some of them seem to have no
conscience in regard to it whatever. Yet
it is in violation of an obligation assumed,
a contract formed under all the solemnity
of an oath. It is an obligation assumed
by the professed people of God, in His
house, as in His immediate presence; nay,
on an occasion when His presence is very
specially invoked.
Do we regard an ordinary oath on the
Holy Bible as imperatively binding ? Is
the violation of such an oath branded as
perjury ? Is perjury regarded as a crime
as detestable as any that a man in social
life can be guilty of ? It is regarded as a
crime of this heinous nature, because it
tends to destroy all confidence between
man and man, to break up the foundations
of society, and it is a mockery of God.
As damaging a thing as can be said of a
man, is, “ I would not believe him on his
oath.”
Can it be that any of our churches are
guilty of this crime ? To say that they
are, would be to make a most terrific
charge. Yet what shall we call their fail-,
ure to meet obligations assumed under
these solemn circumstances ? If we must
not call it perjury, what shall we call it ?
It must have a characteristic name. The
only other term I know of as applicable
to the case, is, that they are foresworn.
Teaehnically, they are not perjured ; is it
that really they are foresworn ? But
without giving it a name, the simple fact
is this: a church, under a more solemn
form, if possible, than that of an ordinary
oath, engages to pay its minister a stipu
lated amount for his services, and yet fails
to meet its engagements.
Can God look favorably upon such
churches ? Is it at all surprising if they
wither, and continue to wither till they
become extinct ? And may it not be that
temporal judgments also sometimes fall
upon the men who thus trifle with the sol
emn obligations of an oath assumed before
God in His house ? Temporal judgments
some times do follow the commission of
crime.
Can the view which I have here pre r
sented of this matter be correct ? Some
facts within my knowledge seem to show
that it is not that which is commonly en
tertained ; for I cannot believe that, with
this view, a Christian church could prove
, so reckless of God’s displeasure.
A minister had been laboring with a
certain church a number of years. The
salary promised him was small; but of
that small sum, a portion every year re
mained unpaid. For these deficiencies,
the session readily enough gave him their
written obligation as agents of the church.
But these obligations remained unpaid ;
and other deficiencies occurred, till the
deficit due the minister amounted to sev
eral thousand dollars. Often, pressed by
his necessities, had he endeavored to bring
them to some settlement, but without ef
fect. At length, in despair, in a meeting
of the session, after another earnest yet
fruitless effort to get some payment on his
claims, he deliberately put all the evi
dences of their indebtedness to him into
the fire, in their presence, as so much
waste paper. Yet, strange to say, one of
the elders v of that church told the writer
of this the main fact—the destruction by
the pastor of the obligations of the church
to him to the amount of several thousand
dollars—as evidence of the wonderful lib
erality of the pastor of the church, without
seeming for a moment to suspect that there
was involved in the transaction any dis
grace—any deep, withering disgrace to
them.
This is not a solitary case. I would
that it stood o: t in its “bad eminence”
alone. I have in my mind four other
cases of recent occurrence. In one of
these cases, appeal after appeal had been
made to the church to pay to the pastor
his just dues, till all his logic, and all his
rhetoric, and all his powers of moral sua
sion were exhausted, when he felt con
strained to say to them : “ I will not trou
ble you with another appeal. I will not
invoke the civil law to force you to pay ;
that would bring discredit upon the
church. It is useless to appeal to church
courts ; they can exert no power that you
will regard.” The debt yet remains un
paid.—Southern Presbyterian.
The One Fold.
“ Other sheep I have which are not of i his fol and ; them
I must also briug.”
Look from the sphere of endless day,
O God of mercy and of might I
In pity look on those who stray
Benighted in this land of light.
In peopled vale, in lonely glen, |
In crowded mart, by stream and sea,
How many of the sons of men
Hear not the message sent from Thee!
Send forth Thy heralds, Lord, to call
The thoughtless young, the hardened old,
A wandering flock, and bring them all
To the good Shepherd’s peaceful fold.
Send them Thy mighty word to speak,
Till faith shall dawn and doubt depart;
To awe the bold, to stay the weak,
And bind and heal the broken heart.
Then all these wastes —a dreary scene—
On which, with sorrowing eyes, we gaze,
Shall grow with living waters green,
And lift to heaven the voice of praise.
— Bryant.
Neglected Members.
In most churches we find members who
feel coldly towards their brethren, because
they have not received what they considered
due attention. They have been slighted. In
city churches, we frequently hear individuals
say, “ 1 have been so many years a member
of this church, and none of the members have
visited me ; and not one of the ruling elders
has ever entered my door.” The same com
plaints are heard, though perhaps loss fre
quently, in towns and country places. We
have a few suggestions to make to those who
feel themselves neglected.
1. Be sure to do your duty in opening the
way for an acquaintance in the church. In
large cities, the members of the church ave
accustomed to hear the names of new mem
bers announced; but they do not know in
what part of the city they reside, and of
course, cannot call on them. Take measures
to be introduced to members residing in your
ne : ghborhood ; or, at any rate, attend the
weekly meetings of the church, and you will
soon make pleasant acquaintances; for, un
fortunately, these meetings are not so crowd
ed that strangers regularly attending are over
looked.
2. Be active. Try to make yourself use
ful. The members of our churches are often
too neglectful to strangers ; and in our large
churches it is not possible to have them so
generally acquainted with each other as is
desirable. But in every church wc find those
whose hearts warm towards new members
who show a “ mind to work”—who never
look for slights, and claim no marked atten
tion, but enter at once into the benevolent
operations of the church, and are found regu
iar in their attendance upon the sanctuary.
The most devoted Christians will seek the
acquaintance of such persons, not so much
because some attention is due to new mem
bers, as because they need their aid in their
plans of doing good, and expect to be person
ally benefitted by intercourse with them. And
surely it is much more pleasant to attract the
members of the church into which you have
entered, by the brightness of your example,
and the warmth of your heart, than to receive
an occasional call as a matter of courtesy or
of conscience. We have never known a
warm-hearted, active Christian to be long
overlooked in any church with which we have
been acquainted. Whether rich or poor,
learned or unlearned, such disciples will be
found and prized.
3. Do not wait to be hunted up. There
is an impression amongst good men, that
those church members who require to be.
looked for are scarcely woith finding; and
those who would cordially embrace one who
is generally seen in his place in the house of
God, and who manifests a deep interest in
the cause, may, though they should not, neg
lect one who neglects his duty, because he re
gards himself as slighted.
What Hinged upon a Moment.
Not long ago, 1 walked the streets of old
Leicester, Tn England, taking an antiquarian’s
interest in the scenes around me. At one
moment, I gazed on a bit of Roman wall, and
the next, Norman arches met my view. A
little farther, and the associations were con
nected with the last of the Plantagenets; for,
yonder, Richard Ilf slept the night before the
battle of Bos worth Field ; here he crossed
the River Soar as he marched with his army
to the conflict, and here his remains lie buried.
And I could almost hear the clash of arms
and see the ill favored visage of Richard, as I
gave myself up to the historic memories
which rushed through my mind. But there
was a spot of deeper interest than these. 1
looked on the battered walls of Leicester, and
noted the breaches which were made by the
besieging army of Cromwell; and, a few
paces farther, I stood where a rollicking
young royalist soldier was posted within the
walls as sefbtinel, who, handling his musket
awkwardly, was removed from his post, and
another man placed there instead. Had that
fatal ball sped on its way one moment
sooner, there would have been lost to the
world one of its most loved and honored
names; for, in that case, the name of John
Banyan would never have been set as a
bright jewel in the coronal of fame; one mo-
WHOLE NO. 2566.
gnent sooner, and the grand old ■u-oiu, Q f
Bedford Jail would have been cut ot], md
his glorious vision of the pilgrims to the Ce
lestial City would never have charmed gen.
erations of men of every land ; id tongue.
Is it possible to estimate too highly the
worth of that one moment, which spared
tfae wild, wicked young man?—soared him
for a life so devoted, and a work -o . eat ?
Can we contemplate an incident lik- Ur.
without wondering with great'ad mi;
the providence of God I—‘Chris ti'' "
Don’t Argue.
“Tho way to meet scepticism is not by
argument. In twenty years of legal dispus
tiatibn, I never knew a man to be opnvioced
against his will. Scepticism of the head is
harmless. It is the scepticism of the heart
that hurts. Find out what duty, plain, sims
pie, evident duty, is neglected Press that,
home upon the conscience. A right life is
she best cure for scepticism. Duty is the
medicine for doubt.”
There is a good deal of sense in this coun
sel, and it applies equally well to the treat
ment of the impenitent man who is not scep
tical—though we are inclined to regard every
impenitent man as more or less sceptical at
heart. If we could reach the ear of ever}
Christian in the land, w;e vvp.ulJ. say to them
—especially if they are young and inexperi
enced in the work of winning ZfonV
argue with a person whom non desire and
peet to lead to Christ. You may be worsted
in argument, even though the truth is on
your side. If you overcome your adversary,
you have placed him in the position of an
adversary, and he remembers his defeat with
chagrin, whenever you attempt to approach
him. Come down to the level on which he
stands, however low it may be, and press
dome upon him the duty which ho acknowl
edges as such, and yet has neglected. If you
>an find no point of argument—no common
evel on which you can stand—press the
ruth as it is in Jesus home upon him, in all
ts purity and simplicity; but don’t argue.
As White as Snow.
That is a beautiful thought of the lamented
Dr. James Hamilton: Suppose that every
one were to mark in golden letters the text
v hich has been the means ot saving iiis soul.
The Apostle Paul would mark the words,
“Saul, Saul, why persccUtost thou me?” for
it was these words, spoken by Jesus from
th dazzling light, that made him anew crea
tu. \ In the Bible, of the Macedonian jailer,
the golden letters would be found at Acts
x\‘ ; 31, “ Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
am 1 thou shalt be saved for, embracing this
simple offer, he rejoiced, believing in God
with all his house. Martin Luther would
pr,nt the text, “The just shall live by faith,”
in gold: for that text, spoken by tl.c geutle
lip3 of the vicar-general, guided him to peace;
and the young monk of Erfurth, reduced by
fasts, and tears and struggles, to the verge ot'
the grave, found rest in the wounds of Jesus.
In the Bible of Runyan, the mark would bo
found at, “Yet there is room.” ft was
through the lattice of these words i hat he
first saw the cross, and lie thought God had
put them into the Bible to meet his special
case. And the ironside soldier would indi
cate. Eccl. xi: 9; for it was there tha f the
bullet stopped, which, but for the interposing
Bible, would have pierced his bosom ; and
when the battle was over he read, “ Rejoice,
0 yomig man, in thy youth, and let thy heart
cheer thee in thy youth, and walk in the w ays
of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eye
but know thou that for all these things God
will bring thee into judgment.” But" .vim
can tell how many would enshrine in gold a
text which has comforted millions, and ides
tined to comfort millions more; or what
words do we so instinctively turn to, in di
recting anxious souls to Christ, as these:
“ Come now, and let us reason together, saith
the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow; though they
be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
Excision. —It seems to some persons,
weak-kneed as they are, a terrible thing
that open communionists should be exclu
ded from our churches. Shall we declino
fellowship, they ask, with Spurgeon and
Noel ? Why not ? We refuse to com
mune with such men as Lange and Hor
ner, Bonar and Brown, not because we
doubt their piety, but because they have
departed from the order of a gospel
church. If, therefore, any among us do
the same, they virtually exclude them
selves, and cannot be recognized as Bap
tists.—Rev. J. L. Reynolds, D.D., in
Workiny Christian.
Men of ITeakt. —ln Perc IJyaeinthe’s ad
dress before the French Benevolent Society
in New York, he said: “ 1 would say, then,
take this as a motto, ‘ Let us be men of heart.’
M< nos this kind are the one thing needful to
the nineteenth century. The age boasts of
his oria is, of learned men, of philosophers,
of materialists, of egotists, every where ; but
th men of heart are few and far between. A
w; 'm, generous heart, carrying with it the
in julst-s that spring from the heart into Jo
in sticity, into commerce, into politics; in
si rt. into public and private life, is the rarest
U ng of the times. Men are ashamed of their
h irts. They appeal to their reason for
e jryining. That cold and lifeless.principle
i permitted to obtrude everywhere ; into the
t unols of the nation, into the homes of the
i dividuals, even into the halls of the church.
Tut it is with the heart that we must love
Christ, that we must adore («od. It is the
heart that must speak in our business, our
life, and our religion. It is the heart which
si ould animate the church.”
Witch. —A friend was recently overtaken
by night on a mountain ridge. The path be
hind was too perilous to be retraced in the
darkness, and the way in front was stopped
l,v a projecting rock, which, in his exhausted
state, he could not scale. His only alterna-
tive was to wait for the morning. But his
resting-place was a steep slope, ending in a
sheer precipice. One careless movement
might prove his destruction. As the dark
ness deepened, the danger was disguised.
With a lessening sense of peril, there came
on increasing drowsiness. What efforts were
his, during those long hours, t.<> drive off.
sleep ! How he had to stir up his mind to a
conviction of the necessity of unremitting
vigilance! For, should he once be over
powered, he might unconsciously slide dowjf
his sloping couch, and be hurled into t
valley below. Such is our position. If w
would not fall down the precipice, let us watc -j
lest during slumber wo slip along the tread
erous incline. —Newman Hall.
Mouunino for the Dead. — ino celebra
ted James Watt, who had tasted the bitter
ness of grief for the loss of a wife, said ad
mirably : “Our duty to the departed has
come to a period ; but our duty to our living
family, to ourselves, and to the world, still
subsists, and the sooner we can bring our
selves to attend to it, the more meritorious.”
{|[God. —Our relations with God are such tha
our obstacles are all means.
