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The Christian Index. roi. 55—NO. 4. Table of Content*. First Page,—Alabama Department : Record of Btate Events ; Spirit of the Religious Press ; Baptist News and Notes : General Denomina tional News ; My Prayer—Poetry ; etc. Sxookd Page. —Our Correspondents: Balti more Letter—Theopkilus; Letter from Au- Sista, Georgia—Navarre ; The Centennial ovement—Tertius ; The Towaliga Associa tion—H. S. R. Indian Missions: Rehoboth Bfission— J. S. Murrow. The Shell—Poetry. Mission Items : The Work in Mexico ; The Orissa Mission; The Missionaries of the Lon don Society ; The Appropriations of the Amer ican Board of Commissioners ; The Receipts of the Baptist Missionary Union ; etc. Select Miscellany ; “Old Hundred“My Neigh bors A Legend of Solomon’s Temple ; etc. Thibd Page. —Our Pulpit: Sermon, by C. H. Spurgeon, delivered at the Metropolitan Tab ernacle, London. The Sunday-school: Lesson for January 30 ; Systematic Co-operation Ne cessary for Sabbath-school Collections: Ap pointments by A. B. Wallace, of the Middle As sociation Sabbath-school Convention. Fourth Page.— Editorial; True Tests ; Prayer ; The Sabbath; Dr. Spurgeon: Good Work ; Rev. J. S. Baker; “TheophilnsSabbath school Books ; Tempe ance : Battle on the Will; Georgia Baptist Nbwb : Sublime Patriot ism ; Inhospitable ; Moody and Saukev ; Rev. B. G Manard ; The Young Men’s Christian Association of Griffin—Rev D. E. Butler. Zeal ; Old Fogy and Aunt Edith—Rev. B. G. Hillyer. A well Merited Compliment ; H. S. R.; etc. lYrru Page. —Abdriel Nekoda—Rev. J. S. Baker; Personals—Rev. D. E. Butler; Portraits. Sec ular' Editorials: Excellent Appointments ; The State University; The Blind Asylum; Our Gal lery; Literary 'Gossip; Remember the Poor: Something Old ; Georgia News; The Light of Love—Poetry: News of the Week-Foreign and Domestic; etc. Sixth Page. —Children’s Corner : Lines to My Deceased Father ; The Poor Drunkard ; Ad vioe to Boys : etc. Cotton Manufactures in the South; Virtue in Whistling; The New York Trade Reporter on Southern Transpor tation ; The South asserting her Birthright— Mobile Register; Successful Pear C ulture j etc. Seventh Page. —Science and Agriculture; Georgia Farm Notes; Good Advice to Far mers ; Red Pepper and Poultry. Eighth Paoe.— Special Correspondence : Pas toral Shpport; Mistletoe on Clod’s Trees—Rev. W. B. Fuller. Hon. Cincinnatus Peeples, Judge of the Atlanta Circuit—J. R Kendrick. Publishers’ Department: Commendations; etc. Marriages. Obituaries Advertisements. INDEX AND BAPTIST. ALABAMA DEPARTMENT. The Eufawla Times says the farming outlook is very encouraging. Rev. J. E. Foust, of Marion, has been dan gerously ill. s A "Young (Men's. Christian Asssormtion htb been organized in Florence. The residence of Dr. W. T. Brown, in La- Fay ette, was destroyed by fire last week. The Montgomery city council has passed an ordinance punishing cruelly to animals. General Lee’s birthday anniversary, on the 19th inst., was celebrated handsomely in Mo bile. The body of a murdered man was recently found near Davis’ bluff, in the Bigbee river. Col. C. P. Ball has been appointed superin tendent of the Alahamaand Chattanooga rail road. Post offices have been established at MoGlenn’s arid Mt. Pleasant, in Monroe coun ‘7' . Beulah church, ol the Cahaba Valley Asso ciation, has enjoyed a refreshing and tiiorough revival. R. G. Wright has been elected mayor, James B. Hunter Clerk, and R. E. Bowyer marshal of Union Springs. On the 6th, near Guntersville, a Mrs. Beas ley, while under a fit of insanity, killed her two children. Judge Bailey, and others, give notice that j.hey will apply to the legisture to create anew court in Perry. An entire block of buildings in Mobile, in cluding the old telegraph and express offices, was burned on the 15th inst. Loss SIOO,OOO. Col. John Forsyth, editor of the Mobile Register is a candidate for the United States Senate. Mrs. Andrew McKenzie, of Eufaula, aged sixty years, a highly esteemed lady, died in that city, recently. The House passed a bill fixing the time for the meeting of the next legislature on Tuesday after the second Monday of next November, and the same day every two years thereafter. Rev. T. W. White, pastor of the Greensboro Presbyterian church, was the recipient of a New Year’s donation of sllO, from the mem bers of his congregation. The Baptist Sabbath-schools, of Talladega, has resolved to contribute five cents per mem ber, monthly, to the erection of Williams— Whilden mission house. The House of Representives has forwarded a memorial to the Senate of the United States, enquiring into the right of George E. Spencer to a seat in the Senate. Judge W. B. Woods, of the United States Circnit Court, sitting at Mobile, removed the Stauntons and Loomis as trustees for the first mortgaged bondholders and receivers for the Alabama and Chattanooga railroad, and ap pointed in their place Messra. David A. Wells, of Connecticut, R. H. Smith and W. D. Dunn| of Mobile. THE SOTJTH-WBSTEHH BAPTIST, of Alabama. BAPTIST NEWS AND NOTES. —ln Toronto, Canada, ten years ago, there were but two Baptist churches in the city, with a membership of about 500, and with not more than 400 Sunday-school scholars. To day there are six churches with comforta ble houses of worship, substantially paid for, a membership of about 1,700, and not less than 1,500 scholars in the Sunday-schools. —The Baptists of West Virginia are ma king an effort to raise $50,000 as a Centennial endowment fund for the St. Albans Prepara tory School, located at St. Albans, on the Great Kanawha river. —The Baptist Messenger is now published at Burkville, Newton county, Texas. —Pittsburg has anew and magnificent Bap tist church, the “Fourth Avenue.” It cost $130,000, and $30,000 remain on mortgage. The pew rents reach the sum of $7,000. The church will seat 1,236 people, and the pastor, the Rev. R. W. Pearson, D.D , ministers to a membership of 580 souls. —The “Baptist Ministers’ Centennial Club of Illinois” now numbers about 150 members, representing aggregate pledges of about $25,- 000. The object of the club is to raise funds for the coming year in aid of Baptist col leges and theological schools in the State. —The Baptists of Scotland have doubled their numbers in the past six years. They now have seventy churches and three thous and members. —The New York Baptist preachers have formed a “Baptist Preachers’ Centennial Un ion, to aid in the educational movement. —Rev. James Wells, formerly of Kentucky, and late of California, has gone toVirginia City, Nevada, to serve the Baptist church there as pastor. Rev. D. T. Morrill, late pastor of Park Av enue church, St. Louis, has resigned his charge, and enters at once upon duty as Dis trict Secretary of the American Baptist Publi cation Society for the Southwest. —rTbe Baptist church in Rondout, N. Y., Rev. James Cooper pastor, “is having the most powerful revival ever known in its histo ry.” The commissioners to adjust and settle the State debt have reported to the Legislature. If the report is confirmed the debt will be fixed at $10,000,000. The New York agent fy r the bond-holders has agreed to this adjust ment. The government ol the State, in the blinds of an honesty respected and economical administration, and with a constitution which forever precludes the borrowing of money or lending State aid to internal improvements or other schemes, Alabama will once more re sume her position in the financial world as a solvent and prosperous State of the Union. Mr. J. C. Stanton, of the Chattanooga rail road, has sued Mr.T. W. Snagge, the English barrister who represented the first mortgage bondholders in the recent suit in the United States court here, for libel, laying his damages at SIOO,OOO, in the city court of Montgomery. The Mobile Register, alluding to the fruitful services now being held in the St. Francis street Baptist church, says : The services at this church, during the past week, have been very well attended, and a thoughtful interest has been manifested. Rev. Dr. Wilson of the Coliseum Baptist church, in New Orleans, has preached every night. His burning, fervid eloquence, courteous bearing, and deep solicitude for the welfare of his con gregation have deeply impressed the large au diences in attendance, and it is hoped much permanent good will result. The Maryland legislature proposes to levy a substantial tax on dogs, and raise a fund thereby to compensate sheep owners whose flocks have suffered from canine depredations. Commenting upon the above item the Mo bile Register says : The reason why our legislature does not do the same must be because dogs are worth more here than in Maryland, or sheep are worth less. Rev. il. F. Buckner, writing from Eufaula Creek Nation, speaking of Marion, says ; I have just returned from Marion. I cannot say less of Marion than that it pre sents the best example of ante bellum Southern civilization that I have seen since 1860, and that was the highest and best civilization the • orld ever saw. Of the Judson Female In stitute, under the presidency of Dr. Sumner, of Howard college, under Col. Murfee, of the Home Mission Board with Dr Mclntosh lor its corresponding secretary ; and of the Baptist church, with Dr. Winkler lor its pastor, I can not now speak according to my high appreci ation, because language would fail me. Ordination. —A presbytery consisting of Revs. James Barrow and J. D. H. Robinson was convened at the Lost Creek church, Ran dolph county, Alabama, on the lßt inst., for the purpose of setting apart to the Gospel min istry brother D. M. Hight. The sermon was preached by Rev. James Barrow. The exam ination of the applicant proved highly satis factory, both with regard to his moral charac ter, and his faith and doctrine. —The Cbhistian Index advocates “the ap pointment ot a committee in every Baptist church, whose duty it shall be to see that ev ery family in the chnrch is supplied with a Baptist weekly paper ; and that every church raise a fund to be used in giving the paper to such as may not be able to pay for it.” We should like to hear of just one church that has love enough for the Saviour, and con sideration enough for the poor, to do it.— Western Recorder. FRANKLIN PRINTING HOUSE, ATLANTA, GEORGIA, JANUARY 27, 1876. Spirit of the Religious Press, —An exchange hits hard as follows: “Christianity is weary of mere sentimentality in religious worshp. It has had water and molasses enough. It wants the old wine, and the best wine of the Gospel, and it must have it or sink into a miserable marasmus. Ritual istic foppery and ecclesiastical millinery have proved how utterly ineffective for good they are They bring religion into contempt, and make worship ridiculous. —The Congregationalist expounds self-denial as follows; For a young man so placed that for him to allow himself Borne indulgence lawful to him might be to tempt some companion to an in dulgence to him unlawful and dangerous, to give up that pleasure, to close permanently al' the avenues of his nature which lead in that direction, for the sake of the benefit to be hoped to another from that transaction ; as Paul declared his willingness to eat no meat (to him lawful, and, in itself, strictly expe dient) while the world should stand, if for him to do so would be to make his brother, of weak conscience to ofti.Sd. Total abstinence from intoxicating drinks may be to you, friend, a self-denial. If so, by all means exer cise it. That exercise may re-act in blessing on yourself, while, almost surely, it will help (and may save) others. The Presbyterian systematizes the ways of giving for religion and charity thus: One way is to give something to every cause that, is presented, without inquiring into its merits. This is a careless way, but better than none. A second way is to give from impulse, as much and as often as love ard pity prompt. This is adapted to those of the rich who are kind-hearted. A third way is to save the cost of luxuries, and apply them to purposes of religion and charity. This is for the self-indulgent. With the frugal it is apt to be accompanied by nar rowness, asceticism, and pride in good works. A fourth way is to make a special effort to earn money for benevolent objects. This is for lazy people. A fifth way is to lay aside as an offering to God, a definite portion of our gains one-tenth, one-fifth, one-third, or one-half. This way is adapted to all, but especially to the pentur ious, economical, and hard-working, the ef travagant and the poor, whose gifts would be largely increased if it was generally practiced. A sixth way is to give to God and the needy just as much as we spend on ourselves. A seventh way is, to limit our own expendi tures to a certain sum, and give away all the rest of our income. This was John Wesley’s way. ‘ WcsjUould not cn'£iyr of giving, but practice, and teach our child ren, different modes, each in its proper place, as occasion requires. —The Evangelist maintains that perscmal work has always been the most successful, and says: “ Our Lord went in and out of the homes of men, and in familiar conversations with one here and another there, won them to himself. His disciples each received a personal cal], He talked with a woman by the well, with a ruler alone by night. And His most precious words were spoken in the privacy o' 1 **"! circle of His peculiar friends. Paul followed personal me jd of his Mas ter. All Revivalists and Evangelists and suc cessful pastors have need the power of personal application to the souls of individuals, and no matter how mighty have been the influences of the public services, they have been best clinched in private. The harvest times in the Methodist churches are in the prayer-meetings that follow the preaching. And such work as that which Mr. Moody is doing would be greatly shorn of its power if there were no in quiry meetings, and if there were no personal solicitation of the ungodly on the part of Chris tian workers. Dr. John Brown tells in one of his most interesting papers about “ Jeems the door-keeper,” whose theory of prayer was that “ there was nae true prayer till ye come into close grips' wi’ God." It is the theory of successful work in saving souls—come into close grips with them.” # —The Presbyterian Journal makes the fol lowing profound and very true comments: As we once walked the streets of one of our cities with a Professor of a well-known college, the subject of death became the theme of our con versation. “ The prospect of this event,” said he, “does much to regulate my speech. If I am tempted to utter any thing that is slander ous, irritating, offensive, or unjust, I imme diately check myself by the recollection of a line in one of our Sabbath-school Hymns— ‘ Let me think, if I was dying.’ ” Well would it be for men generally, to apply this test to themselves. How much would then be left unsaid ? We often forget that we are mortal, and thus we are led to unkind and se vere remarks which never would have escaped our lips had the solemn truth been present to our minds—“the Judge standethat the door !” Frequ<-ntiy is this trufe in public assemblies. Unholy motives operate ; the crowd excites, listening multitudes stimulate, personal am bition urges on, and thus are men induced to say, what, if they knew that there was but “ a step between them and death,” they would have carefully suppressed, and rejected even as a suggestion to their minds. It is said that the best way to calm a collection of bees that have escaped from the hive, and are contending in the air, is to cast a handful of dust among them. A recollection of the dust to which they are so soon to return, would do much to make meu bridle their tongues amid the an noyances and conflicts of the world. —Alluding to Dr. Jeffery, the new recruit to “Liberal Baptism,” and who is now asso ciate editor of the Baptist Union, the Journal and Messenger says : “Any Doctor of Divinity holding that bap tism was the primal and initial faet in the orderly development of the Christian Church” ought to be able to show an orderly develop ment of views on the communion question, and an orderly walk with Regular Baptists.” —The Golden Rule utters a benediction over the man who “ knows enough to keep his mouth shut.” “ Some people,” it says, “live sixty years without learning the art. Indeed, the older they grow the wider their mouths open. A man or woman who is a gabbler at forty-five is a dreadful affliction to a house, a church, or community. There are two things this age need to learn —when to say nothing, and when it says anything to say it well. l lf any,man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, thiß man’s religion is vain.’ ” —Dr. Pendleton, in the Baptist Visitor thus replies to Rev. Mr. Pentecost; “ Rev. G. F. Pentecost, of Boston, has pub lished a long article in favor of 1 open com munion,’ in which he says: I We do not deny the orderly precedence ot baptism to the Lord's supper.’ I know of no middle ground be tween* orderly’ and disorderly. As baptism, than, is the orderly precedent to the commun ion, it is disorderly to commune with the un baptized. Mr. Pentecost believes immersion alone to be baptism. Out of his own moutlx, therefore, do I condemn him by charging that wlx-never be communes with the unbaptized he does a disorderly thing. There is an in junction which was once thought worthy of respect; ‘Let' all thingß be done decently and irfCr<|gr. ” mj&xe New York Methodist remarks: Se at the right place. It is not well to dejive your family of a favorite newspaper beemseyou are going to be economical. Nor is it well to embarrass the Missionary Society and starve out your pastor because you are pinched. The paper and the pastor will help yoq.to other and safer economies. Everything that has to do with youi well-being, struggle hard to keep. All that concerns your wdl seoning, put the knife into that. You cannot affo'ffto lose a year’s growth ; 1876 will come but once, and no other year of our Lord can lake its place. But in that field of seeming are things to spare, be sure of it. Lop them off Do not be afraid that a last year’s coat will lose you influence. We saw a man the day who owed a good situation to a poor overcoat. The employer said : “ 1 have just tHffcfd away a well-dressed man. I thought I couldn’t afford to support that suit of clothes. But I’ll take you; your coat recommends you.” Church Journal is caustic; it says; “There is a good deal of this praying which is not prayer at at all. Men piously ask the L*Vl to undertake works by the score which they are too lazy or too penurious to do for themselves. _ Prayer becomes a cloak for lazi ness, and piety a mask for avarice. In this poi.xUxf view, missionary- meetings are often the/flidest places in which a thoughtful man for an hour’s meditation. He finds hiniefeff often wondering in them—not that thelfeathen are not converted, but that there aratfiy Christians left. Men meet, and pray, and turn the whole business over ’hands with an air of pious re- H ‘OTPhn, contributing a dollar ob two as they Iftorwij aB tMr tqward tl^fcmterprwe.''’ ing houses of worship, says: We have steadily opposed the taxation of houses of worship, because they are not per sonal property ; not productive property ; are devoted to public uses; enhance the value of property around them ; promote the welfare of society; are donations to the public good. It is bad policy and bad morals to discourage gifts of money for the erection of churches, by forcing the benevolent donor to pay taxes on the property they give for the good of others. It would be equally consistent to tax men who give land for public roads and parks ; who give money to build colleges, and to endow colleges, adding to their taxes as they p#rt with their property. The plea that property that is pro tected should pay tor the protection, is not ac cepted by any government under heaven. This is not the basis of taxation at all. In deed, there is ns accepted basis, only to collect revenue where it (an be done the most easily, and causes the least embarrassment. Al) classes of property need not be taxed in order to equalize the burdens of government. Tax ing houses of worship would discourage reli gious education, impose unjust burdens, work constant annoyance, and yield very little rev enue. —The Independent says : What a motto for everyday use our dear Master gave us all when he said to Peter: "What is that to thee? Follow thou me!” It fits so many cases. Here, for example, is an obscure, hard-working paster, who reads in his religious journal of the wonderful successes of a Moody or a Spurgeon ; how one of them preaches every Sunday to six or seven thou sand auditors, and how the other is blessed to the conversion of several thousands of souls in a single year. He throws down the paper, in a sort of envious despair, and feels that he is an absolute nobody in the vineyard of Christ. "What is that to thee ?” whispers the Sheph erd’s voice. " Follow thou me 1” Ashamed of himself, the humble country parson turns to his Bible and his unfinished sermon again, determined that he will do his little beat, even t hough his name never figures in the bullet ins. If the Master smiles on him, it is enough. To save even one soul is reward for a lifetime’s toil. How often a self-distrustful Christian tries to ezcuse himself from active labors in the church or bunday-school with the%tereotyped apology: If I was gifted like A. or 8., 1 would be as active as they are in teaching, or in public prayer or speech.” Friend, the way to attain to larger gilts is to employ’ the guts you liavi. Give Jesus thy one talent, and'then He may trust thee with two Christ judges his ser vants according to what they have, never ac cording to what they have not. —The Christian at Work stirs up the “lazy bones” in this energetic manner : There are great hulks of health floating about unserviceable either to church or State, while others with gout, or partial paralaysis, or dun eyesight that can only distinguish between light and darkness, or limping by the aid of two crutches, are every day making a subtrac tion from human Borrow, and an addition to human comfort. It is a shame to have hands, or feet or eyes, and not employ them for good service. It was evidently intended that the race should average for each man two eyes, two ears, two feet, and two hands.” The Independent has these thoughts on preaching and preachers: . “ A preacher who is not in some way a seer ib not a preacher at all. You can never make people see religions realities by correct defini tions. They will not believe in the reality of God on the word of u man who merely demon strates it to them. You must Bee such things ourself if you are going to help others to se THE HEBALD of Tennessee. them. This is the secret of all the preaching that ever was good since preaching began.” —The Watchman says: Dr. Hodge, of Princeton, writes a strong letter to the Tribune defending the action of his college in requiring of students a promise not to enter any secret society. He is led to say that the Bible sanctions voluntary vows. “ In fact,” he adds, “ baptism, the Lord’s sup per, ordination and marriage, all involve sol emn pledges, which, being made to God, are vows.” As Baptists, we heartily agree with this view of baptism. But Dr. Hodge teaches that all Christians should have their children baptized in infancy. Does he mean that the unconscious babe makes a vow in Its baptism ? His eyes are keener than ours, if be can discov er anything in the nature of a pledge on the part of the infant. On the contrary, many babes on whom we have seen water sprinkled, have protested against the whole ceremony with all the force of their lungs, and hands and feet. —The United Presbyterian, speaking of the necessity for supporting and promoting de nominational institutions for the education of theological students, says: There is not enough of real genuine pride, on the part of our people, in their institutions of learning. This is true alike of the colleges and seminaries. They admit that schools and colleges are necessary, and they are fond of good preaching as secured by having young men educated at first-class divinity halls, but the grand work of providing the necessary means for this does not much move their am bition. What we want is the generous enthu siasm of earnest men of wealth, who shall set the example of lifting our institutions out of their lowliness and setting them up on an equality with those whose work it is expected to equal in furnishing scholars for our pulpits. When a man of great wealth talks of the necessity of having learned and able preach ers, skilled in all the requirements of modern culture, and when he expects his particular preacher to appear so, while he is doing noth ing in the way of advancing his denomination al schools, he is enacting over again the old barbarity ol the Egyptians, who would not pro vide straw yet demanded the bricks. The people ought to have scholarly preachers, and the church needs and mußt have them, il it is to maintain its place, but they are impossible without the liberality ol the people who, under God, have the thing all in their own hands. —The Congregationalist speaks as follows of a pastor who had been asked to preach to children; “He now replies that, having given the subject due reflection, he has concluded to preach regularly to tLegchildren, with a ser mon one Sabbath .afternoon in the month to adults. He says that the main hope of the Church is thfe rising generation. The thoughts and intents of hiß grown up hearers are In tkie main’ fixed; but those of the youth are "yerta life sloped and fflreefed., y fJWgcan <es*the boys and the girls of to-day for Christ, lie has made sure of the men and women of to-mor row. His business is to carry the lambs; the sheep must follow on. To us there is something a little startling in this proposed reversal of present methods, end for end ; but we are not sure that a sound Christian philoso phy may not be at the bottom of it.” A Divorce with a Terrible Ori gin.—There is in this city, however, one most amusing low comedian who has a reason for never smiling. In his youth he was the father of a little girl of a refractory, obstinate disposition. One day, to punish her for something, he locked her in a bed-room, and with his wifi, went down stairs to dinner. Soon the child began to scream in a terrible manner, which the parents con sidered was only temper; but as the shrieks continued the wife became- al armed and desired to go to her. He, however, forbade her doing so, as he said the child must be taught obedi ence, and that she should not pain her end by screaming. They went on with their dinner, the fearful shrieks contin uing for a while and then ceasing. As they were about leaving the table, smoke began to pass through the house. There was fire somewhere. Rushing to release the poor little girl, they found her dead. Her clothes had evidently caught fire from the grate, and while the parents were eating, the child was dying. The comedian’s wife took a horror and hatred of her hus band after this, as she believed that if he had allowed her to go to the poor infant she might have saved her life. They were divorced. No wonder that man never smiles off the stage. — N. Y. Cor. Baltimore News. ENDOWMENT OF TUE ISDEX. The following paragraph is extracted from a a private letter of an esteemed brother, who has been, for many years, a zealous Baptist; ready at all times to contribute to the advancement of denominational interests in the South; he says; “While good and zealous brethren are laboring to raise endowment funds to build colleges, acadamies, and seminaries, in which a few poor children are educated, they only say “ subscribe ” to The Index. Why not raise an endowment fund for The Index? Then it could be sent to every log cabin in the South, when the poor would have the Gospel preached to them free." This suggestion we think eminently practical. Great good might be accomplished if it were ob served. The paper goes now, at our expense, to many of the poor of the denomination but the provision recommended would carry T s. In dex, freighted weekly with the glad tr -I the Gospel, to every brother and sister of the South, who, by reason of poverty, may be, at present, denied its benefits. The subject is wor thy of serious consideration and prompt action. In behalf of those who would be its beneficiaries, we commend it to our brethren of the Southern States. Who will mot* fikst in this mattku ? —The Baptists of impoverished South Caro lina have raised over $190,000 to endow Fur man University. WHOLE NO. 2804. In'PRAYSS. Let me not die before I’ve done for Thee My earthly work, whatever it may be ; Call me not hence with mission unfulfilled ; Let me not leave my space of ground untilled; Impress this truth upon me, that not one Can do my portion that I leave undone, For each one in Thy vineyard hath a spot To labor in for life, and weary not. Then give me strength all faithfully to toil, Converting barren earth to fruitful soil. I long to be an instrament of Thine, To gather worshippers unto Thy shrine ; To be the means one human soul to save From the dark terrors of a hopeless grave; Yet most I want a spirit of content. To work where’er thou’lt wish my labor spent, Whether at home or in a stranger clime, In days of joy, or sorrow’s sterner time ; I want a spirit passive to lie still. And by Thy power to do Thy holy will, And when the prayer unto my lips doth rise, Before anew home doth my soul surprise. Let me accomplish some great work for Thee. Subdue it, Lord ! Let my petition be, O, make me useful in thiß world of Thine, In ways according to Thy will, not mine; Let me not leave my space of ground unfilled; Call me not home with mission unfulfilled ; Let me not die before I’ve done for Thee My earthly work, whatever it may be. jjeifcral Denominational News, —The Treasurer of St. Augustine (Catho lic) church of Cincinnati, has embezzled $6,000 of church funds, and the. Archbishop is after his bondsmen. —The chaplain of the present House of Representatives has made anew departure by appearing in gown and bands, and kneeling on a cushion, offering prayer from the Episco pal prayer-book. A vicar of the Established Church in En gland, recently likened all independent chap els, all the worshipping-places of the dissen ters, to houses of Satan. —A grand gathering of English, German and Swiss Protestants is contemplated to be held in Geneva, in the spring. —The Presbytery of Japan has receifirfy li censed two of the young men undercare as probationers to preach the Sev eral other young men are with a view to the ministry. —The Southern Presbyterian Assembly enumerates 871 Sabbath-schools. Their uni ted contributions amounted, last year, t0530,- 900 ; the average attendance ot teachers being. 5,000 and scholars 35,000. . * ' —Maj. Cole, pssisted by his wife and daugh ter, is holding successful religions meetings at •■o—- ; —There are still two Waldensian eongrega-f' 1 " tions in Fiance. —A remarkable meeting of foreign mission aries employed in city mission work was re cently held in London. Grace was said in fourteen different languages. —Ouchalatta, the newly elected chief of the Cherokee Nation, has just been ordained a Bap tist minister. Three of the former judges of the Creek Nation are Baptists, and the other one is "favorable to themtheir Superintendent of Public Instruction is a Baptist minister* and their national Treasurer is a Baptist. —At a recent Catholic procession in Mad rid, a Protestant teacher was discovered at a second-story window, with his cap on. A priest in the procession shouted to him, an 1 he crowd took up the shout, demanding the removal of the cap. Refusing to do this, he was arrested on a charge of interfering with religious liberty 1” He has had no trial, but is required to appear at court twice a m >nth as a security for good behaviour. —Rev. Mr. Noble, of Portage, Wisconsin, a minister of the /-' :ee Methodist Church, has purchased a steamboat, and with it he intends to travel up and down the Wisconsin river, holding revival meetings, and preaching at ev ery landing., —The American Tract Soc ety has distri buted since 1835 something over 40,030,039 tracts, —Some remarkable facts respecting the spread of Christianity in India have recently been brought out by the census, which wis [,repared with great labor and care by the In dian Government. Two hundreciand iweii'y five thousand Protestant native Christians are reported, showing that during t t paßt ten years there has been an increase of 61 per cent, of the Christian population, wm • the natural increase of the Hindu populati > i has been but five per cent. A Baptist merchant in Bridgeport, Conn has made a very liberal cash donation tow ir-l the erection of an Episcopal church in Ligau Utah, where a small Protestant Episcopal s < ciety of twenty members has been gathered the only Christian church in that town. —A new Presbyterian church is to be erec ed in St. Louis, near LaFayette Park. It wll cost $50,000, and hold 1,200 people. —The Protestants have now fifty missiona ry stations in Japan and many native preach era. Anew Presbyterian chapel, with room for seating 300 persons, has just been opened in the capital, and Dr. Yerbeck preached the sermon in the Japanese language. —The Bible is still the bonk of the Mada gascar Christians, as it was in the days of per secution. For some time the stock of Bibles at the missions was exhausted, and it wa3 pa! n ful to be obliged to turn eager enquirers fir the volume away. At lastthe London Bib'eSocie ty sent 6,000 Bibles. These were all sold in a few days, and hundreds of people who came too late had to be sent away. One man sold his principal garment (a kind of shirt) in or der to make up the required shilling.