Newspaper Page Text
2
dnr Comspnknts.
For the Index and Baptist.J
SINNERS AM) PREACHERS.
Let any fair and candid observer of
life, any judge of bnman conduct, even
any severe and critical censor of man
ners and morals, survey with un
prejudiced eye the whole social horizon,
and declare if he can find a class of
men who wield a wider influence for
good, who bear a higher character for
intelligence, probity, culture, and re
finement, than our ministers of the
Gospel, of whatever denomination, it
matters not, the best, most honorable,
high-minded men he knows a,re preach
ers, And of those who love the company
of the righteous, who know well the
character of this large class of devoted,
self-sacrificing, public benefactors, there
is not one who reads these lines that
could not, with enthusiasm, make out
the list of names that in every village
and town throughout the Btate, are
counted blest for their good deeds.
The mission of these good men is a
holy mission; their work ennobles
them, and God blesses it; but He has
not gifted them with power to hinder
or forgive sin.
The Almighty author of our beauti
ful and holy religion, in the celebrated
charge to Peter, made use of these
words, “And I will give unto thee the
keys of tho kingdom of Heaven, and
whatsoever, thou shalt, bind on earth
shall be bound in Heaven, and whatso
ever thou shalt loose on earth shall be
loosed in Heaven.”
What was the significance of this
language, the interpretation of these
striking figures of speech; what was
the extent, application, and duration of
the high, spiritual power thus dele
gated, are questions that arose early in
the history of the church, and gave rise
to controversies, the momentous con
sequences of which have had power to
shake society to its very foundations.
The apostles of our Lord, whom we
may suppose included with Peter in the
responsibilities of this charge, upon
the abrupt and tragic termination of
their Great Master’s earthly mission,
doubtless, after careful deliberation and
consultation, in faith, in fresh, loving,
devoted remembrance of all that the
Divine One had taught, proceeded to
found that c' urch of Christ against
which “ the gates of hell shall not pre
vail.” That church, which in a lasting,
mighty, spiritual organization, bands
together on faith, strength, hope, and
love, the innumerable army of tho re
deemed, “ a great multitude, which no
man could number,” and which we may
one day see, (happy for any of us who
uiuy be counted among them,) “stand
ing before the Throne, clothed with
white robes, and bearing palms in their
bauds.”
In the execution of this great work
of founding the church, by the exercise
of that power “to bind and to loose,”
which as His chosen apostles, they de
rived from Christ by special command
and direction, we are aware what changes
they wude in the ordinances of religion,
abrogating the Jewish ceremonial law,
changing the observance of the Sab
bath from the seventh to the first day
of the week, and regulating the form,
subject and occasion of all ilie sacied
observances or sacraments instituted
by Christ.
The moral law, too, of our religion,
had the same origin. The teachings of
Christ, as set forth in the Gospels and
in the writings of the apostles, contain
all that we are required to know of our
duty to God. The “ keys of the king
dom of Heaven” were indeed used in
those holy hands to open wide and
make plain to the comprehension of the
meanest and simplest, all “ the mystery
of Godliness.” It is probable that the
apostles, one by one, as they finished
their course, and the time drew near
when they could no longer offer their
hearts of burning love on the sacrificial
altar of this new and precious faith,
chose and appointed some worthy
and easnest disciples to succeed them
iu the care and guidance of the church.
Paul at least seems to have chosen
Timothy to follow him, and perhaps
with a view to fit him for the office of
teacher and guide to the people, ad
dressed to him the well-known “Epistles
to Timothy.” These “ successors” of
the apostles were, in their turn followed
by ministers, who professed to have
been taught by them, and hence arose
the dogma of the Roman church called
‘ the .doctrine of the apostolic succes
sion.” A doctrine which sought to
vest in every incumbent of the priestly
office, the power of the apostles “to
bind and to loose” derived directly
tioni them, by spiritual inheritance,
transmitted in unbroken succession by
laying on of hands” and other forms
and ceremonies, to the present time.
lo the rational Protestant mind of
the modern thinker, this doctrine is a
manifest absurdity. For, even grant
ing the incomprehensible essence of
spiritual grace and power to be pos
sessed of the strange property of trans
mission by inheritance, by observance
of ceunioinos, ui attainable in auv wav
otherwise than by special gift from a
gracious Redeemer. It is plain that
the breaking of the chain of succes
sion is a matter of inevitable necessity;
a necessity involved in the long period
of time covered by such a stupendous
retrospect, a period of nearly nineteen
centuries, and also in the impossibility
of the conception that human frailty
could, for a much shorter time have
found men holy enough either to receive,
or pass on to others, these apostolic
gifts.
The ministers of religion, therefore,
at the present day, are not, Dor do they
claim to be, different in any way from
other Christians. They are neither pe
culiar, infallible, inspired, nor gifted
with prophecy. The law of the Lord,
which they expound to us with such
various success, is not of their making,
and to “ the faith once delivered to the
saints” they are not at liberty to add
one word; nor can any act of theirs
abrogate or annul one single article of
that faith. The minister of the Gospel
is neither the keeper of your conscience,
the machine to say your prayers, your
mediator with Goa, nor does he stand
to you in any relation in the place of
Christ.
What then does it matter to you, oh,
fearless man of the world ; or to you,
oh, thoughtless child of sin ; or yet to
you, oh, pitiable, hopelessly condemned
one, that could not if you would be
lieve ; you whose restless feet moving
you onward, even as I write, are al!
turned alike one fatal way, upon that
path whose downward course, by some
strange fascination you will not see ?
What does it matter to you, if one
who vainly tried to point the way to the
Crucified, should droop his warning
finger and turn in shame and ruin his
sinful steps to follow in your path ?
By what logical fallacy, have you
reasoned out the conclusion that the
grievous calamity of another can alter
your case? The facts still stand un
touched, spite of your triumph ; the
facts of sin, sorrow, condemnation and
the awful judgments of God; your
insolent, proud, blasphemous hearts
now glory in the thought that tho man
of God has joined your ranks—a
thought that much encourages you to
go on in your chosen way—you are
guided by him after all. This hypo
crite unmasked, this false witness de
tected who has given you so glorious a
triumph, has power over you it seems
that he (lid not have before.
Ah, go back! Go back to the word
preached, the warning given, the re
demption offered long ago by lips di
vine and stainless; to that word whose
truth incorruptible as the stars, and
unchangeable in duration as the uni
verse, no human action can alter, no
human power assail. Find there the
certain answer to tho frightful problem
of your destiny, “ Unless ye repent, ye
shall all likewise perish.”
Champion.
For the Index and llaptiHt.j
AOYOKTII BAPTIST SI\DAY-SCHOOL.
A l)sy of Enjoyment lu the Gate City.
Editors Index— Friday morbing,the
12th, in accordance with previous an
nouncement, the Acworth Baptist Sun
day-school collected at the depot at
quite an early hour, to take the 6| a.m.
train lor the Gate City, to enjoy their
annual picnic. The morning was as
bright as ever dawned, and the birds
never carolled sweeter music, neither
were there ever seen two hundred hap
pier ones than boarded the train on its
arrival. Three hours pleasant ride,
brought us to Atlanta. We were met
at the depot by Messrs. Stouton aud
Stewart, who, by force or otherwise,
took possession of the baskets, and
had them sent to the Fourth Baptist
church, where we soon followed in the
street cars, and were cordially welcomed
in a most beautiful and touching speech
from Rev. J. Wynn, which was re
sponded to by Rev. J. C. Holmes, of
Acworth, in a very appropriate manner.
The church was most magnificently
decorated with flowers; everything re
flected too clearly to be mistaken of
our welcome—tho very odors said ‘'wel
come.”
Mr. J. C. Cooper, the superintendent
of the Acworth Sunday-school, was
made happy by being presented with a
most elegantly and tastefully arranged
bouquet. The fair donor’s name was
unknown to him. Also Mr. Joseph
Wynn was the happy recipient of a
like token. After a few appropriate
songs were sung, the excursionists and
their West End friends repaired to a
nice shady grove near by, and sur
rounded the bubbling spring from
which they could sip pure cool water,
when the baskets were robbed of their
contents and the rich viands spread be
fore a delighted orowd.
After dinner was over, fun and ac
quaintance-making were the order of
the hour. The beautiful and accom
plished Misses Johnson and Stewart, of
Atlanta, did much to render the day
pleasant. We visited the cemetery and
many places and things of interest in
the city.
We took our leave of the city at 6
p.m., all delighted with our visit to the
Gate City, aud bestowing our blessing
upon her hospitable people, especially
of West End and the Fourth Baptist
Sunday-school. May their days be
many and happy ones.
The Acworth Baptist Sunday-school
is in a prosperous condition and well
attended. A Member.
Examinations for admission to Har
vard College will be held at Cincinnati
hereafter, as well as at Cambridge, tho
object being to enable students at the
West, to ascertain their prospects of
entering the University, without the
trouble and expense of a journey East.
Summer schools of science and cul
ture are becoming very popular.
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX AND SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST.
For the Index and Baptist.]
A CLEARER VIEW OF I COB. XV : 29, 30.
This passage contains two questions
which are similarly constructed, and
are closely connected with each other,
but relate to two distinct classes of
persons. “ Why are they being im
mersed (now undergoing immersion)
huper ton nelcron-, and why are we
standing in danger every hour?” The
distinction between the two classes is
marked by the use of the different pro
nouns “they” and “we ;” and also by
the difference between the things which
are respectively affirmed of them. The
first class were distinguished by under
going a present immersion ; the second
class, by being in a present hourly
danger. The immersion which dis
tinguished the first class was not or
dinary Christian baptism. This per
tains alike to all the followers of Christ,
and could not be the peculiar distinc
tion of any particular class. Nor was
the distinction between the classes any
difference as to the time or circum
stances of their baptism ; for no such
difference exempted any from the com
mon danger.
The evil of which the second class
were in danger, is not expressed in the
second question. If Paul understood
it to he the immersion mentioned in
the first question, the omission is mere
ly the common ellipsis of grammar,
and was thus supplied in the mind of
the apostle ; “ Wily are we standing
in danger every hour of being so irn
mersed ?" The close connection be
tween the two questions renders it
perfectly natural for the mind to make
this supply ; and if this supply be not
mentally made, there is in the language
an omission which cannot be well ac
counted for. If Paul understood the
evil to be a violent death, ho had the
highest authority for considering the
phrase being so immersed an appropriate
expression of it. Christ used the term
immersion (Matt- xx : 22, 23) to denote
His own violent death, met the violent
death which He foretold that many of
His followers would suffer; and He
used the term as needing no addition
to render it appropriately expressive of
this evil. That Paul understood the
evil to be a violent death, we have de
cisive proof. After ulaeing himself, by
the use of the pronoun “ we,” in the
class of those who were in hourly dan
ger, he states explicitly and without
figure what the evil was : “I die daily.”
A violent death, therefore, was the evil
of which Paul and his associates, in
the second class, were in hourly danger,
and which in his mind was appro
priately expressed by the phrase being
so immersed. We have thus reached as
perfect a demonstration as such a case
can admit, that the immersiou intend
ed in this passage was not ordinary
Christian baptism, but Christian’s
martyrdom. Like the phrase plunged
into eternity it signified death, and not
any measure of suffering that falls
short of death.
The two questions which have been
under consideration, were designed to
show the folly of persevering in the
Christian profession, on the hypothesis
that there will be no resurrection. The
first question shows it in relation to those
Christians who were in the actual suf
fering of a violent death for their un
yielding adherence to tho persecuted
faith ; the second question shows it in
relation to other Christians, who,
though not yet driven to the same ex
tremity, were in hourly danger of being
called to suffer death for their perse
vering fidelity Christ.
The primary meaning of the propo
sition huper is over, with a space inter
vening. It cannot be supposed that
Paul was unacquainted with this pri
mary meaning of the words; and it
ought not to be assumed without proof
that he did not use the word in this
sense in the passage before us. In
precisely this sense of the proposition,
the phrase huper ton nelcron (over the
dead) renders the figurative language
of which it is a part, clear, consistent,
complete, and forcibly expressive.
Paul asks: “What will they do who
are being immersed over the dead, if
the dead rise not ?” If all who have
heretofore suffered the immersion of
martyrdom, have gone hopelessly down
never to rise, what will be the end of
those who are permitting themselves
to be immersed over them with the
same immersion ? This is the import
of the important question ; and the ob
vious answer must be, that they will
go down alike hopelessly after those
who have preceded, and will perish with
them. In view of this obvious conse
quence, Paul asks the two questions
which have been considered in the pre
ceding paragraphs.
The thought that the ceremony of
baptism is symbolical of the resurrec
tion, cannot be found in the language
of the passage, until it has been put
there. Had it been Paul’s design to
expose the folly of receiving an inap
propriate ceremony, he would not have
used the future tense, ‘ What will they
do ?” The ceremony, and the folly of
receiving it, were not things future;
and as to the future, the baptized will
fare no worse than others, if annihila
tion is to be the common lot of all.
With unity of design from the begin
ning of the passage to the end of verse
32, he exposes the incomparably greater
folly of suffering persecution and death
without any prospect of future ad
vantage.
The above article is a somewhat en
larged copy of one which I wrote in
October, 1874, for the Baptist Quarterly.
It may be acceptable to those of your
readers who do not see that publica
tion. J. L. Dago.
For the Index aud Baptist. |
MERCER ACSP.
On my way home from Thomasville,
I could not resist the inclination to pay
a visit to the Institution so dear to the
hearts of the Baptists of Georgia.
Taking a street car in front of the La
nier House, after a pleasant ride of half
an hour I was on the grounds, ming
ling with the young men. The cheer
fulness, good humor, and healthfulness
of all with whom I met, impressed me
with a good deal of force. I learned
that the health of the students had
been remarkably good; no severe case
of sickness having occurred during the
present term.
1 have never visited the University
without being struck with the remark
ably good behavior of all the young
gentlemen. I give an illustration.
Several of the students are members of
a brass band. In their leisure mo
ments they practice upon their various
instruments. The evening I was in the
students’ hall, I was forcibly reminded
of brother Tuggle’s horn speech, at the
Convention. I heard big horns and
little horns, long hernsand short horns,
base horns and tenor horns, brass horns
and—l know not how many other kinds
of horns, hut no sooner were religious
services began on the first floor, than
the horns ceased to be blowed on the
second. Everything like noise was
bushed. I have seen the statement
somewhere, that at one of the New
England colleges, perhaps it is Yale,
an annual prize is offered to the most
polite student. I do not know that
either faculty, or the board of trustees
of Mercer, have ever adopted such a
custom, bnt I do know that a more
polite body of young men I never met
than those I found at Mercer.
Sister Ann Holomon presides over
“the students’ hall”—she is assisted in
her duties by her son, brother D. L.
Holomon ; they are both good Bap
tists. The young men respect sister
Holomon and her family very highly.
She keeps an excellent table, and she
and her son do all in their power to
adu to the comfort and happiness of
their boarders. Like a mother she
watches over them. I think I can assure
all parents, who have sons at the hall,
that they need have no anxiety about
their fare, or about attention for them
in case of sickness.
I attended morning prayer in the
chapel, and was gratified to see all the
faculty looking well, save Dr. Battle,
who seemed quite feeble. I trust,
however, it was only the fatigue ex
perienced by most of the brethren who
attended the recent State Convention,
and that it has long siiqc? passed away.
I would urge all Baptists in visiting
Macon, to pay a visit to Mercer. The
kind-hearted brethren of the faculty
will be glad to see you, and will extend
to you every courtesy. Mercer has, as
I was informed, about one hundred and
thirty students, which is a good num
ber for the “ times.”
In conclusion, I would say, brethren
be sure to send your sons to Mercer,
where they will be thoroughly educated
and where they will be surrounded by
Christian and Baptist influences.
L. H. Stout.
Thomaston, Ga., May 10, 1876.
For the Index and Baptist.
MAX’S DUTY TO GOD.
Most all persons are conscious of
the duty they owe to God, and be
lieve that there is a curse resting
against the uugodly. Therefore, being
inspired with this knowledge, can we
not see that it is necessary to render
unto God His dues ? Yea, we should
often be in fervent prayer, tor God’s
love and mercy to man, is exceedingly
great.
Man is, in many instances, surround
ed with cares and temptations ; but he
should ever make God his dear, de
lightful theme.
There are many reasons why man
should love and serve God : The first
great cause is this —because God first
loved him. For while man was in sin,
marching fast to endless woe, God sent
His darling Son into the world, and for
what cause ? for nothing less than to
reconcile apostate man to his offended
God. There was a cause for his de
scent, and His mission was very need
ful. There is but one Mediator be
tween God and man, and that is the
man Christ Jesus, who gave His own
precious body for a sacrifice, and there
remaineth no other sacrifice for man’s
redemption. Is He not sufficient ?
what more do we want ? One drop of
Jesus’ precious blood can make a
wounded sinner whole.
He even became numbered among
the transgressors for the sake of man,
and was even slain upon the cross,
simply for love for the souls of rebel
lious man. Where is the love greater
than this ? Was love ever so glorious
ly displayed ?
We are taught that nothing impure
can inherit the kingdom of God, be
cause it is the abode of God. Will
man not believe the Scriptures ? Can
he not comply with the offered terms
of mercy ? Man must be regenerated
before he can enjoy the smiles of God.
So long as we remain in iuipenitency,
we are at enmity with God; hence we
see, in a clear demonstration, that we
must be born again.
Man was created to magnify the
name of God ; but, alas I many are
there who submit to the power of Sa
tan, and haste to endless death. Each
one should be aroused to a rigorous
discharge of their duty, before it is too
late. Let us close with the poet:
Man has a work to do below,
( Before be can in peace ascend ;
Only strive, and God will show
His love and mercy to the end.
•
Bat if we never try to win
That heavenly gift above,
We may expect to die in sin,
And never taste His Love.
Tet if we come to Him in faith,
And humbly fall at Jesus’ feet,
He will exclude from us that death,
And count us His at mercy’s seat.
Happy Christians, blest are you
Who die in Jesus’ love,
You have a treasure, rich and pure.
With your sovereign King above.
There the angels always praise
His holy name on high,
Unnumbered are their happy days,
Beyond the distant sky.
J. W. Calhoun.
May 5,1876.
For the Index and Baptist.]
LETTER FROM CHEROKEE COUNTY.
Walesca, Cherokee County, Georgia, )
May 8, 1876. j
Dear Index — l feel it a duty to let
the readers of our denominational pa
per know of the progress of our Mas
ter’s cause in this part of the moral
vineyard. t The Lord has abundantly
blessed us in the past year, in the out
pouring of His Holy Spirit upon our
hearts.
I believe we have some sound-heart
ed servants of Christ, wtio have
preached the Word in its simplicity,
and with power.
Rev. J. J. Keeter was called on last
summer to make an appointment to
preach in the vicinity of Sallaooa Val
ley, about tea miles north of Walesca.
He sent an appointment to the request,
and when he got there, he found him
self surrounded by Presbyterians,
Northern and Southern Methodists,
aud a few Baptists scattered here and
there. All appeared to be in a luke
warm condition, but appearantly de
sirous to hear preaching.
The Baptists were without a visible
church in that section, but desired to
become a visible body of Christ. He
informed them if they would call a
Presbytery, an effort would be made to
constitute them into a visible church
of Jesus Christ. Accordingly,, they
made a selection, to.wit: Rev. H. G.
B. Turner, Rev. J. Cantrell aud Rev.
J. J. Keeter. The time and place were
appointed, and, according to arrange
ment, the above-named preachers met.
Rev. J. J. Keeter was called on to
preach the Constitutional Sermon. He
selected for a text, Matthew 16:18
“Upon this rock I will build My
church, and the gates of hell shall not
prevail against it.” He used the text
in a very appropriate and forcible man
ner. ‘Some vefv apifropriatJ"remarks
were made by brother Turner.
The Presbytery havingbeen formed—
Rev. J. Cantrell, Moderator, and broth
er J. J. Keeter, Clerk—letters were
called for. There were seven names
presente3, with their articles of faith.
After examination, the Presbytery
pronounced them them orthordox in
faith, and they declared them a visible
church of Jesus Christ.
After this, the little band entered
into church covenant. The solemn
charge was given by Rev. H. G. B.
Turner, in an impressive manner. The
church made a call for their supply,
and Rev. J. J. Keeter was chosen. He
being present, agreed to attend, and
he proposed to give them a protracted
meeting.
According to arrangement, the pas
tor met with the church, and also, his
young brother, P. B. Keeter. The
two brothers commenced a series of
meetings. I am satisfied that the
Scriptures were fulfilled iu this saying :
“The people that sat in darkness saw
great light, and to them that sat in the
region and shadow of death, light is
sprung up.”
The result of the meeting was : fif
teen joined by experience, and several
by letters. Some joired other denom
inations.
The church continues to be in a
prosperous condition, under the ser
vices of its pastor. May the Lord
enable him to continue his impressive
manner of preaching to the people ;
may God give him grace and continued
success.
Dear reader, I am under the im
pression that if our preachers would
preach plainly and simply, as they find it
in the Bible, their preaching would be
more effectual to the ac complishment
of good in the churches. K.
For the luilex and Baptist
HOW TO SrSTAIN THE GOSPEL.
Florence, Ga., May 13, 1876.
To the Editors of the Index and Baptist:
Brethren —Permit me to give vou
the plan of a brother, not a great wav
from here, and ask, if it were generally
adopted by the Baptists, if it would
uot comfort the hearts of our pastors,
relieve our Board, strengthen the
hands of our missionaries, and forever
si t at rest the perplexing question—
“ What is the best method for raising
money to sustain the Gospel ? ”
He gives one-tenth (after paying
hirelings wages) of all the crop he
raises for benevolent purposes. Dur
ing the last summer, he became con
vinced that the Christian ought to do
as much as was required of ancient
Israel. Therefore, on sowing grain
last fall, and planting this spring, he
promises the Lord a tenth, as above.
His grain is now nearly matured, and
• he, and some of his neighbors, think it
is fully ten per cent- better than they
had thought the land capable of pro
ducing.
Let Christians think of it.
A Baptist.
For the Index and Baptist.
OLD PROVIDENCE CHTRCH.
A Scrap of Church History from East Tennes
see —Farm Notes, etc.
Shark’s Station, M. & W. R. R-
Dear Index —It has been many a
day since I read anything in your wel
come visitor from this part of the
“moral vineyard," but if you agree,
your readers shall once more hear from
us and our church, “Old Providence,”
(Dr. Lawton remembers it.) It has
been removed from its ancient, but still
hallowed spot, about three miles west
of Smarr’s Station, to a location three •
hundred yards above said station, and
only thirty steps from the railroad.
We have remoddled and modernized
the building, and have a snug little
house of worship. The change of lo
cality became a necessity. The patri
archs, Job Taylor, David Thrash,
Thomas Dyson, Brantley and Cheney,
who supported the church, and knelt
around her altar, when in her pristine
glory, had been numbered with the
dead, leaving only two of their con
temporaries, “Old Un de Billie Hill”
and “old brother Bice,” as sentinels on
the watchtower. The congregation
had dwindled down to a fe w attendants,
and religious zeal was at a low ebb.
We hoped that by removal, our con
gregation would increase, our zeal re
vive, and our church build up. We
have not been disappointed. Last
summer we had an interesting revival,
when several joined us, and the peo
ple all around, of other denomina
tions, attend our monthly meetings.
at the old site, we could, with
difficulty, procure a regular preacher,
after brother Wilkes left, but now, we
have, in my opinion, one of the best.
I wish you could hear him while he
is • reaching his series of sermons to
the young. We young people are much
delighted because our pastor is so
pointed, and because he gives us so
many nice topics to discourse upon ;
for instance, on the second Sabbath in
this month, he told the young men
that “woman was neither man’s infe
rior nor superior, since God has formed
her, neither from man’s feet, that he
might trample upon her, nor from
man’s head, that she migtu rule him,
but that of man’s rib was woman
formed, that she might be his equal,
and ever near his heart.” This con
soles us, since now no intelligent man
will consider us his inferior.
No less comforting to every sex, was
his withering rebuke to the young
men for drinkiiig, flirting and prom
ise-breaking ; but we felt a little ner
vous when he turned to us, caught us
smiling, and thundered in our ears:
“And I say these things, young ladies,
not to make you laugh, but to show
you that you are, in a measure, ac
countable for those evils among the
young gentlemen.” If brother Hooten
thinks we are the cause of the young
men’s flirting, we want him to tell us
who makes young ladies flirt. But
enough.
Our farmers planted largely of
wheat, and are about ready to reap an
average harvest; corn crops are fair ;
we have good stands of cotton, and
some home-made bacon. We have
our share of bouncing lasses, and hos
pitable matrons; plenty of vegetables
and spring chickens, and we can all
sing and pray.
If these are not enough to induce
Dr. Butler and Dr. Lawton to visit us,
and assist brother Hooten occasionally,
we want you to admit that you can’t
be persuaded by a Young Lady.
For the Index and Baptist.]
LETTER FROM TENNESSEE.
Edgefield, Tenn., May 16th, 1876.
Dear Christian Index —During the
week I have been here in a series of
meetings, with Rev. W. A. Nelson.
There has been quite a number of con
versions, and the interest is on the in
crease.
When I am through here, I am to
hold another meeting with brother
Lain, at the Central Church, Nash
ville, and another in North Nashville,
before T come home. Since brother
Lain came here from our State, he has
taken a hundred and sixteen into this
church—a large majority of them by
baptism—and there seems to be a
white harvest for him yet.
, L. B. Fish.
In one of the Rev. DeWitt Talmage’s
sermons he introduces the following an
ecdote :
I saw an account of a little boy who
was to be taken by a city missionary,
with some other boys, to the country to
find homes. He was well clad and had
anew hat given him ; but while the
missionary was getting the other
children ready to go: this boy went in
to the took the hat he had
thrown off and tore the lining out of it.
The missionary said, “What are you
doing with that hat ? You don’t want
it. What are you tearing the lining
out of it for ?” “Ah I” said the boy,
“that was made out of mother’s dress!
She loved me very much before she
died, and I have nothing to remember
her by but the lining.” And so the
boy tore it out>and put it in his bos
om.