Newspaper Page Text
The Christian Index.
Vol. 57 —No 44.
Tabla of Contents.
First Page.—Alabama Department: Dignity
of the Christian Ministry; “Decay of the
Foreign Mission Spirit”—“Returned Mis
sionaries;" Religions Press.
Second Page—Correspondence: Rev. Dr.
Boyd and the Second Baptist Church, St.
Louis—Philemon; Baptism by Unbaptized
Baptists—J. L. D. Hillyer; Sunday-School
work in the Past—S. J. H.; That Ques
tionable Baptism—W. M. Howell; Wo
man’s Mission Work ; Ministerial Conse
cration—Ruth ; General Meeting; Rev. M.
H. Lane.
Third Page.—Childrens’Corner : The Glory
That’s Up in the Sky—poetry; “Little
Scotch Granite;” God's Flowers; A Short
Sermon—poetry; Little Tangles; An Un
conscious Sermon.
Fourth Page.—Editorials: The Philadelphia
Association With Reflections on its Work
and Ours ; The St. Louis Affair; Revival
of Skepticism; Georgia Baptist News;
Rev. W. D. Atkinson, etc.
Fifth Page.—Bethel Association; Secular
Editorials: News Paragraphs; Notes on
New Books; Georgia News, etc.
Sixth Page.—Resolutions; Obituaries; New
Advertisements.
Seventh Page.—The Sunday-School: Lesson
for November 30, 1879—The Message to
the Churches.
Eighth Page.—Florida Department: Still
Among the Associations; Revival and
Other Notes ; Read This ; Rheo-Type En
gravings ; Biographical Sketches of Baptist
Ministers; Special Notices, etc.
Alabama Department.
BY SAMUEL HENDERSON.
DIGNITY OF THE CHRISTIAN
MINISTRY.
"I magnify mine office.” —Rom. 11:13
If we were about to preach a sermon
from this text, we should analyze it
somewhat after this manner: Ist.
We should show what the Apostle did
not do—he did not “magnify” himself—
he sunk the man in the office. 2dly.
What he did do—he “magnified his
office,” —he honored his calling, the
work to which he was appointed. We
should then show in what the dignity
of his office consisted : First, in the
authority that appointed it, the Triune
God. Secondly, in the purpose it
seeks to accomplish, the salvation of
the world. Thirdly, in the rewards
with which Christ has connected it.
"Are not ye our crown of rejoicing in
the presence of the Lord Jesus!”
Fourthly—but we are not writing a
sermon, and shall proceed to jot down
a few thoughts mohfc appropriate to
our present purpose.
To magnify, in its primary sense, is
to enlarge anything beyond its due
proportions for the sake of effect; but
certainly Paul did not, could not moan
this: for what being, human or angelic,
can augment the grandeur of an office
to which it would be impious to com
pare the greatest emperor that ever
swayed a sceptre? But it means, also,
to extol, to honor, to praise, as when
the Psalmist says, “O, magnify the
Lord with me, and let us exalt His
name together.” It is in this sense
we understand the phrase. The Apos
tle honored his calling. He sought by
a life of godliness, of supreme devo
tion to “one thing,” of sacrifice, labor,
suffering, and a martyr’s death in the
end, to show that the sacred office was
infinitely worthy of all that mortal
agency could be, do, and suffer in exe
cuting its divine behests. To show
himself “worthy of this high calling,”
was the all-animating motive that
blazed before him with the distinct
ness of the sun in the heavens. How
sublime are his words in Acts 20 :24,
where he puts the whole case in a sin
gle sentence! Referring to the part
that the Holy Ghost witnessed that in
every city bonds and afflictions await
ed him, he says: “None of these things
move me, neither count I my life dear
unto me, so that I might finish my
course with joy. and the ministry
which I have received of the Lord
Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace
of God.” He felt that it was the high
est honor to which human nature, en
nobled and purified by divine grace,
could aspire, to be a “laborer together
with God,” in the grand work of sav
ing souls.
How, then, and in what respect,
may a minister now be said to magni
fy his’ office? We answer, First, by
the time and labor, the thoughtful and
prayerful care with which he prepares
himself for his work. To rush into a
work so vast in the range of its duties,
so crushing in the magnitude of its re
sponsibilities, without preparation, is
little short of downright presumption.
In proportion as earthly callings in
volve the exercise of high capacities,
do men who aspire to fill them pre
pare themselves for them by a proper
course of training. And by how much
this calling is above all others, by so
much is it more important that he
who aspires to fill it shall “study to
show himself approved,” etc. But this
is too obvious to need further illustra
tion. We therefore proceed to say,
Secondly, that a minister will al
ways magnify his office who is more
concerned as to how he shall preach
than where he shall preach. It is not
unlawful, we suppose, for ministers to
desire certain fields of usefulness, but
such desire should always be in sub
servience to the will of the Master.
SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST.
of Alabama.
“He that holdeth the seven stars
[ministers] in His right hand, who
walketh in the midst of the seven
golden candlesticks,” [churches] has
the right to dispose of these “stars”
among these “candlesticks” as He
chooses. And to bow in sweet sub
mission to His will is a true sign of
“a good minister of Jesus Christ.”
The minister who comes to betray in
ordinate concern for particular places,
rather than how he shall fulfil his
ministry, lowers the dignity of his call
ing, and greatly diminishes his useful
ness. Honor, in the kingdom of
Christ, comes to those who do not
seek it—it grows upon a man when
he is least conscious of it. And this
leads us to say,
Thirdly, That that minister magni
fies his calling who is more concerned
about the honor of Christ than his own
honor. That a preacher should seek
to edify his brethren is a most solemn
duty; that his brethren should pru
dently manifest their appreciation of
his services is his due. But when the
“praise of men” rather- than the “praise
of God” becomes the controlling mo
tive of his ministrations, the office is
lost in the man, and he sinks to the
level of mere worldly policy. He loses
his grasp upon the great heart of the
people. Os all men in the world a
preacher should place himself under
“the power of the world to come.”
He should exemplify to his brethren
what it is to "endure as seeing Him
that is invisible,” to “look, not at the
things which are seen, but at the
things which are not seen,” to live
habitually under the all-controlling
motives which Heaven only can sup
ply. To accomplish this, a man must
live, and move, and have his being, in
a spiritual atmosphere. He must de
mean himself like Bunyan’s Pilgrims
did at “Vanity Fair;” he must show
his indifference to mere earthly gew
gaw’s, and his absorbing concern for
the “true riches.” This, this was the
“crown of righteousness” that was ever
in the eye of Paul. To secure this, he
welcomed persecution, bonds, and im
prisonments, and contempla.ed with
prophetic precision-, and with a sub
lime faith, that on-coming calamity
that was soon to consign him to a
martyr’s daJhi.-
Finally, your minister that aspires
to fulfil the dignity of his calling, will
seek the spiritual good of his people,
rather than his own temporal interests.
In other words, he will find his high
est reward in the spiritual prosperity
of his charge. “I have no greater joy,”
says John, “than to hear that my
children walk in the truth.” A min
ister who is worthy of the name can
never be satisfied, however large his
salary, and however promptly paid,
when he sees and feels his “labor is in
vain in the Lord.” In his deeper con
sciousness, there is a feeling of unrest,
an aching void, which no earthly re
ward can supply. Think of such a
man as Paul, or Peter, or John, calcu
lating the value of dollars and cents on
the one side, and the Cause of Christ,
the value of souls, on the other! The
very thought is revolting to the Chris
tian heart. And is it less revolting
now than then?—Ye ministers of the
Lord, ye "ambassadors for Christ,” see
to it, that ye “magnify your office,”
and thus secure in “that day” the com
mendation of your final Judge, “Well
done, good and faithful servant!”
“DECA F OF THE FOREIGN MIS
SION SPIRIT" “RETURNED
MISSIONARIES.”
There appeared an article in our de
partment of this paper last May, about
the time the Southern Baptist Conven
tion assembled in Atlanta, on the "De
cay of the Foreign Mission Spirit” in
our churches. In accounting for this
decay, we alleged among other causes,
one which we thought had no little in
fluence on that subject. Never did we
write an article with a more honest
and earnest desire to promote the
cause of .missions. Several allusions
were made to it during the Conven
tion in the speeches of brethren, in a
rather deprecatory spirit, which we
allowed to pass unnoticed, for the rea
son that we had no desire to be the
means of agitating certain phased of
the question that might be unpleasant
and perhaps unprofitable, lieing con
tent to allow our brethren to grapple
with some pretty stubbon facts we had
referred to. But The Index of Octo
ber 30, contains Such an elaborate re
view of our unpretending article, from
the pen of our highly esteemed and
honored brother, Rev. R. H. Graves,
our missionary at Canton, China, that
we must say a few words in response.
And, first, we hasten to relieve the
mind of our dear brother Graves, and
perhaps others as well, by saying, that
if we were now to write that article,
we should modify, or likely leave out so
much of the last paragraph as inti
mates that “the Foreign Mission Board
was not organized to afford facilities
for men to make excursions to foreign
lands at the expense of the denorriina*
Atlanta, Georgia, Thursday, November 13, 1879.
tion.” All we meant by the expression
was, that the early and frequent re
turns of some of their appointees had
that seeming, and that such a policy
must be changed, or the Board would
be obnoxious to such an objection.
We regret that any such expression
was used, as it seems to grieve so
worthy a man, a man for whom our
respect borders on veneration. We
trust. this will be accepted us our
amende honorable, so far as this inti
mation is concerned.
Secondly, as to our reference to the
policy of our Presbyterian brethren, as
requiring their appointees to foreign
fields to remain fifteen years in the ser
vice, we only say that we derived our
information from a source we thought
authentic. But be this as it may, the
point we aimed to establish was, that
the foreign mission enterprise, as con
ducted by the Presbyterian denomina
tion, had a degree of stability in it
which we might well imitate. But let
that pass.
Thirdly, as to our suggestion that “it
is time that some of our missionaries
should die at their posts,” we only say,
it was quoted from an aged minister
who stands as high in the denomina
tion all over this continent as he does
in stature; and if we were to give his
name, it would effectually silence that
battery; but this we will not do, pre
ferring to receive its fire in our own
person. It is one of those under
tones which is felt over a broad sur
face, and which one hesitates to ex
press. But we felt that somebody ought
to say it, even at the risk of inflicting
a momentary irritation; and as we had
no “axes to grind,” and as we had done
some little service at least in promot
ing the interest of our Foreign Mis
sion Board, we thought we could as
as well afford to say it as any body
else. We judge no brother for aban
doning the foreign field and coming
back home. For aught we know, every
one of these brethren who have return
ed have good and sufficient cause for
their course. We only stated the fact
as giving an air of instability to our
policy which was and is diminishing
the influence and the receipts of the
Board. This, this is “the head and
front of onr offending; it hath rffthinx
more.” And all that as good, wise,
and influential a man as brother Graves
deservedly is, has said in his commu
nication, has failed to convince us that
we did wrong in giving utterance to
that fact. Os course he knows—all
men know—that we could not, and
did not refer to him, or to others, who
by “patient continuance in welldoing,”
have showed most triumphantly that
no “fitful impulse” animated them,
when they consecrated themselves to
this grand work. Neither our first ar
ticle, nor is this, the “expression of a
temporary irritation.” For what should
irritate us? No; it was written in sad
ness—it was written to bring out a fair
and candid statement of the case, so
that those who have the control of this
great enterprise might so shape their
future course as to make it invulner
able, if not to captious, at least to
honest criticism. And we hope our
beloved and trusted brethren of the
Foreign Board will aim to do, and will
do this.
When it comes to this, that the
“million and a half” of Baptists that
are reported to be represented in the
Southern Baptist Convention, do not
contribute an amount to its Boards,
(for we say nothing of what they are
doing through their State and local
organizations,) more than equal to one
nickel each, we thought it time to
raise the question as to why this decay
in the missionary spirit? We did not
aim to exhaust the question in the ar
ticle brother Graves reviews, but to
offer one reason for this decay. Other
reasons, as our readers know, were
given in subsequent issues of the
paper.
We can scarcely regret having writ
ten an article, the angularities of which,
if our brother will have it ho, have call
ed out so able, so kindly, and so potent
a paper, bearing the name of our cher
ished missionary to China, whose des
ignation to the work we witnessed in
Baltimore, in 1853, and gladly join
him in the hope that “this discussion
will be of benefit to the cause which
wo all love.” For indeed, after all,
there is no substantial difference be
tween us, as our brother says, “it seems
to me that the rules which experience
and common sense have taught gov
ernments might justly bo applied to
the mission service, viz: furloughs
sufficiently frequent to secure the ut
most efficiency, and the requirements
of the service to override family con
siderations.” He could not have ex
pressed our view of the question more
tersely. But if a furloughed soldier
never returns to his post, what then?
To conclude: it is because we are
here, and brother Graves is in China—
it is because we are in the thick of the
fight to maintain the integrity of our
Boards—that we do assume to know
some things that ho cannot know.
Hence his “On to Richmond” allusion
falls harmless at our feet. The mis
sile, though winged from the very heart
of philanthropy, found no “joints in
the harness.”
The Religious Press.
The editor of the Baptist Record, hav
ing read the “statement” of the dele
gates from the Second church of St.
Louis to the General Association, thus
expresses himself:
After reading this, one feels like asking
why all this was not said long ago. We
have all been wishing to hear something of
this sort. We have been anxious to hear
that the church repudiated these infractions
of the faith by her pastor. The denomina
tion had a right to demand that the church
speak directly to those grave doings. Some
said they were exceptional, and might be
passed as such. We wanted to know what
the church held with respect to them. At
last we have an avowal of repudiation. But
it was only at last. We do not wish to irri
tate a wound, but it is timely to say that to
our mind, the Second church has been en
tirely 100 much on her dignity. Too much
dignity has been the ruin of many a man, as
well as the destruction of many a noble
cause.
Things now seem in a fairway of a proper
and lasting settlement. But it would be re
freshing to hear from Dr. Boyd about now.
Does he repudiate his own act ? If he does
he should say so like an honest man. If he
does not, the Second church ought to do one
thing more —repudiate him. Until one or
the other of these things is done, the church
will not be entirely washed of the open
communion stain. We hope for the best.
We do not wish to close without saying
that the position of the Second church has
been trying. How trying, possibly, out
siders can little feel. The good men in the
church who have been laboring to right the
noble ship have needed help and sympathy.
We give both. And while we give the last
freely, we could not fail to insist that the
denomination had a right to hear a flat re
pudiation of Dr. Boyd’s acts. We are glad
we hava it. It is good for all.
likjnk again, brother Record. You
say : "At last wo have an avowal of re
pudiation. But it was only at last.”
We fully agree with you in the senti
ment, and think that if the disavowal
had come at first, it would have come
with excellent grace. But has it come
at last? Has it come at all? Not
from the church. That body, we are
grieved and distressed to say, is silent.
We agree with you, too, that if Dr. B.
does not repudiate his own act, and if
the church should still retain him,
either as a pastor or as a member, it
ought not to be regarded as a Baptist
church. Our prayer to God for Dr.
Boyd is that he may have light and
grace, and help from on high to do
that which is right. He has needlessly
given a world of trouble to his brethren.
By two or three foolish acts he has
done more harm in a moment, as it
were, than will be compensated for by
years of good service. If he really
thinks that he has done no wrong, he
is clearly not of us, and it would be
well for him and us that his connex
ion with us be dissolved. On the other
hand, if he sees his wrong, he ought to
say so, and thus do what he can to
heal the cruel wounds he has made.
On the same subject the New York
Independent has the following, which
it is well to copy, because it shows how
the matter looks to outsiders :
The Second Biptist church, of St. Louis,
after being expelled from the local Associa
tion, has got itself admitted into the State
Association, and is, for aught we see, rectus
in curia. The church presented an accepts-I
ble form of application, in which it declared |
that if it had done any wrong, it was sorry, 1
and retracted its action. That was all,
The Independent is mistaken, how-;
ever, in supposing that the church has
even gone so far as to say if. The
church has said nothing.
It is humiliating to bo compelled to be
lieve that in many localities about one-third
of the voters are practically in the market at
every election, and yet if the articles of
“Freeman” in the New York Independent
are trustworthy, as they seem to be, there is
reason to fear it.
So says the Morning Star, and so
say we. The localities referred to by
Freeman are nil north of us, and ho
seetns to know whereof he affirms. VVc
receive a great many lectures from that
quarter on “the purity of the ballot
box.” A few examples would do us
more good than all the lectures; and
the missionaries who have been sent
here to instruct us in such matters,
would perhaps do well to return home,
where it would seem that their labors
are quite as much needed, to say the
least. As matter of fact, there is every
where more or less of dishonesty in
elections; there always has been, and
until the blessed millenium comes,
there always will be. The remedy is
THE CHRISTIAN HERALD,
of Tennessee.
not for one section to abuse another,
nor for different sections to debate the
question as to which is most corrupt
and wicked; but for all good people
everywhere to preach- righteousness
“beginning at Jerusalem.”
We agree with the following "clip”
from the Biblical Recorder, and are of
the opinion that a great many first
class deacons and exhorters have been
spoiled by making fifth-rate preachers
of them:
Many good exhorters and deacons have
been spoiled by putting them into the minis
try. They were useful as private members,
they worked well and did much good, but
when once they have been ordained, they
don’t seem to be willing to do the work tor
which they are specially fitted, and so soon
as they are set apart to the work of the min
istry, they cease to be of much service to the
cause of the Master.
We must not forget that there is urgent
need of earnest, active, enterprising and tal
ented laymen in the churches, and it by no
means follows that God has called a man to
preach because he is zealous, or even because
he can exhort with fluency and power. Not
a few laymen ot the churches ate as effective
in developing the graces of the membership
as the pastors themselves, and there is
scarcely a greater want among us at present
than men of this class.
Somebody has collected several very curi
ous facts about the cost of books in early
times, and in the light of them who shall
say that books nowadays are not cheap?
The King of Northumberland in C9O gave
for a history of lhe world 800 acres of land,
and a Countess of Anjou, date not stated,
once gave 200 sheep and a large parcel of
furs for a volume of homilies, and 120 crowns
for a single book of Livy I In 1720, a Latin
Bible was valued at $l5O, and this was a time
when two arches of London bridge was built
for less than $l5O. A laborer in those days
had wages so small that the earnings of fif
teen years would have been necessary to buy
the Bible, and the Bible being in Latin, he
could not have read it after all.— lnterior.
Yes; and at that time a paper like
The Index would have been considered
cheap at five hundred dollars a year.
The people of this day do not appre
ciate their privileges. Just think of a
preacher coming to your very door
once a week for a whole year, with
all sorts of nice little sermons, and
pleasant talks, and instructive lectures,
together with the religious news of
half a continent, and with the ideas of
the Lent thinkers on current topics;
and all this for two or three dollars; I
or say for the retail price of fifty pounds
of flour, or two or three bushels of corn,
or twenty-five pounds of cotton, or
about ten spring chickens, or a couple
of turkeys, or twelve or fifteen dozen
eggs.
Very pleasant is this from the Luth
eran Standard :
The four thousand whom our Lord so
miraculously fed in the wilderness, beheld a
wonderful manifestation of his fatherly love
and almighty power. However, they were
not permitted this blessed privilege until
they had followed Jesus far away from the
abode of men, and earthly means of help
were no longer to be found.
Just so it is with the sinner. Before he
oan rejo.ee in the depths of God’s love for
him, and realize the greatness of divine
power in his behalf, he must be led by grace
far out in the wilderness of i.uniility and
lowliness, where all earthly means fail, and :
all human effort is vain and futile.
God first deprives us of everything we
have, that we may be willing to take all
things from him. While prosperity blesses
us we are very apt to trust in self. The
Lord must make us poor in spirit and in ,
body, too, very ofen before we will accept
the true riches which he offers freely to all.
The Holy Spirit must teach us our sinful
news, onr utter depravity, our helpless pov
i rty, before he can lead us to look to Christ
in fai.h for the riches of forgiveness and ,
peace. He first, by his gracious influence,
leads us to long and sigh for comfort, to
hunger and thirst for spiritual nourishment,
and then we behold about us the bread of
life in never failing abundance.
—The Albany News of last Thursday i
gives the following interesting synopsis i
of lhe sermons, and addresses on the
preceding Sabbath: “The announce
ment that distinguished ministers of
the Baptist Association, then in ses
sion, would occupy the pulpits of the
Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian
churches, called out a full number of
church-goers on last Sabbath—a bright
and beautiful day.
“At the Baptist church, in the fore-I
noon, Rev. M. B. Wharton, taking the
place of Dr. DeVotie, who was too
unwell to fulfil his appointment,
preached a plain, earnest, practical,
sermon on Missions. Much of the dis
course was devoted to interesting sta
tistics, showing the work already done
and yet to be accomplished. He re
viewed the vast field of missionary labor,
and, while regretting the comparatively
small amount of work done, yet felt
I encouraged to hope and pray for the
future, and strongly urged the duty
I and necessity of earnest effort in that
direction.
"Dr. A. J. Battle occupied the pulpit
at night, preaching from the text,
‘Verily I say unto you that there be
some of them that stand hero, which
shall not taste of death till they have
seen the kingdom of God come in
power.’ He analyzed the constituent
elements of a great kingdom—a great
sovereign, a great people, and a great
Whole No. 2394
territory. Christ is the Sovereign of
the Kingdom of God ; the vast army of
Christians its subjects, the whole earth
its territory. The Kingdom of God on
earth is temporary ; its subjects imper
fect in their present condition; but
after this world comes the everlasting
Kingdom, where all the subjects shall
be perfected in the righteousness and
glory of God. We should make this
temporary kingdom—this probationary
state—but a prelude, a stepping-stone
to that upper and better’ Kingdom,
where the Lord of Hosts reigneth.
“In the afternoon there was a Sun
day-school mass-meeting. The house
was filled to its capacity, and a most
interesting time was had. Rev. T. C.
Boykin led the services, and delivered
an address. Governor Colquitt, who
was in the city, was present, and ad
dressed the meeting. The speeches
were interspersed with singing, and the
occasion was both pleasant and instruc
tive.
“The text of Dr. S. G. Hillyer, who
filled the pulpit of the Methodist church
during the morning hour, was taken
from St. John xiv: 1: ‘Let not your
heart be troubled ; ye believe in God,
believe also in me.’ The venerable
speaker said that the great object of
life—its labor, thought and endeavor—
is to avoid trouble. The Stoics of old,
believing in an absolute Fate, sought
to avoid the sting of misfortune by a
cold, haughty pride that mocked at
sentiment, scoffed at sympathy, laughed
at humanity. The Epicurians, trust
ing in blind, insensible Chance, sought
escape from trouble by seeking pleas
ure, making it the end and aim of
life—thinking its chief object to be the
pursuit of happiness. But the Christian
religion otters surcease from trouble
through trust in God. Faith in God
is the great panacea for all human
troubles. Through Faith, Christ was
enabled to bear the great agony of
Gethsemane, and say: ‘Not my will,
but Thine be done.’ By Faith men
are enabled to bear the burdens of life
anti the Hings of adversity. In this it
offers a far better escape than the phi
losophy of the Stoics; it consoles and
helps and strengthens. And like the
Epicurian philosophy, it says: ‘Seek
happiness.” Not sensual, wicked grati
fication, that soon pall on the taste,
wear out the body and degrade the soul;
but seek the highest and truest happi
ness,which is found only in the sublime
but humble life of the follower of Jesus
of Nazareth ; which comes only through
faith in God, through trust in Christ.
The sermon was a beautiful one—fer
j vent, strong, simple, fraught with the
inspiration of a sincere purpose, and a
glad, glorious experience. It was earn
est, practical, Scriptural, and w'ent
straight to many a heart, carrying com-
I fort and conviction.
“Rev. J. H. Corley preached at the
Methodist church at night, from Psalm
xxxiv: 3 : ‘O, magnify the Lord with
me, and let us exalt his name together.’
I The first duty enjoined was to magnify
the Lord by our thought. We should
cultivate a habit of thought on the per-
I sections and glories of God; should
I make this habit a part of our life and
daily existence. We cannot make God
greater by our thought; so the lens
does not - make the object beneath it
greater, but causes it to appear more
1 perfect unto our sight. So a habit of
thought upon God brings nearer to us
and into clearer light the glories of his
being. We should magnify the Lord
in our lives, in our action, in our ex
ample. We should magnify him in our
family, by teaching and by practice, by
family worship and by religious domes
tic duties. They are prany and most
important, and afford abundant oppor
tunity for working to the honor and
! glory of <rod. Finally, we should mag
-1 nify God in the church, by worshipping
him aright—earnestly, zealously, spir
itually ; by consistent lives and shin
ingexamples. The sermon was listened
to with profound attention, and was
greatly enjoyed by all who heard it.
At the Presbyterian church, Sunday
morning, Rev. A. J. Battle preached
a most powerful and practical discourse
I upon the subject of frailties of human
nature, illustrating by the three seives
through which God sifts mankind, sep
arating the chaff from the wheat, etc.
The Doctor dwelt forcibly upon the
degeneracy of the times, the trials and
temptations which, for the last twenty
years have battled against the Christian
church in this land, corruption in high
places, and the use of public office for
private gain, etc. It is not often our
people have the opportunity of listen
ing to a sermon of such positive, prac
tical and forcible bearing as was this
effort of Dr. Battle.
“Rev. D. E. Butler preached at night
on the text, ‘Satan desires to have thee,
that he may sift thee as wheat,’ and
elaborated the subject in a most
thoughtful and earnest manner, show
ing how Satan is ever tempting man
kind ; how erring human nature is;
how prone to self-trust, and how apt
to fall. The sermon was pronounced
a fine effort.”