Newspaper Page Text
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PRIDE.
—'* ■
Editor Index : There seems to be '
a growing disposition in this age to j
aim at sin us a body, instead of taking !
single aim at any part or particular.
Generally, this is the best. Yet I
Scripture warrants by the best of ex- j
amples, that of the Supreme Ruler,
that when particular sins are the ruin !
of any people, they should be specifi
cally denounced.
The sin of pride has either become
so general that few care to reprove it, I
Qr else we do not know that we arc
proud. But let us.see; is it not well
known that many city and village con
gregations have so much extravagance
in their dress, that many of the poor
are kept entirely away?
But this is only one instance; any
reader of this can find more, some in
himself. The special object of this ar
ticle is to point to the highest head of
all pride, its open avowal, “We have
heard of the pride of Moab, that he is
very proud, even of his haughtiness,
and his pride, and his wrath.”
Should some inquire concerning this
open avowal or boasting of pride—
would you have men to hide it —it
should be answered, not in the sense of
denying its existence—confess and
forsake.
But there is difference between con
fession and avowal. The first is good
for the soul; the second is evidence of
fortitude in the ranks of sin, worthy of
a better cause.
Do we not all know by bitter expe
rience, that “a man’s pride shall bring
him low!” Do not the Scriptures teach
furthermore, that “pride cometh before
destruction!” How much it is to be
dreaded! especially when such men as
Jonathan Edwards, after much expe
rience in a most glorious revival of
religion, tells us that men may be
proud of their religion ; nay, preacher,
church and converts, “boast in that
which they have received as though
they had not received it.”
“Before honor is humility;” “with
the lowly is wisdom.”
Is not this all well known by our
beloved brotherhood? Maybe so, and
yet the necessity for this article ap
pears from the fact that pride is open
and avowed ; called by name as one of
the worthiestof (he host of virtues, and
invited to a seat of honor —by whom?
By heroes, and poets, and statesmen,
and editors of religious papers, and
preachers of an humble Gospel.
I am proud of our Sunday-school,
writes (deliberately) brother Heedless,
and he is commended therefor, and
incited to more of the same sort by
brother Correspondent, who writes (de
liberately) to some paper that it is a
splendid school, of which the Superin
tendent may justly be proud. Is there
no way of commending the excellence
and faithfulness of efficient brethren
without inciting their pride to their
ruin? The latter is not the judicious
praise of a true friend.
Elder Random gives the history of a
good boy in his Sunday sermon, and
winds up by assigning him an enviable
position, which should fill the hearts of
his parents with honest pride.
It creeps into the text-books for
children, and seeks to rise in their very
songs to the place it was cast out of—
heaven. Listen to what they must
sing, as a hymn of praise, to that God
who “resisteth the proud “Only an
armor-bearer proudly I stand.”
One evil word may appear a small
matter in a beautiful collection of
hymns; but who would like to have
one drop of blood on his garments,
when search was made for a murderer?
The pernicious tempti r creeps into
houses—beguiling the hearts of parents
to instruct their offspring to “have
some pride about them,” family pride,
etc., instead of piety.
It has become common in the con
versation of otherwise religious people
who, in joy nt meeting a friend, ex-,
claim, “I am proud to see you,” instead
of saying, I am glad, etc.
The best excuse I have yet heard
for this word, is that words change
their meaning; but when hell changes
to heaven, and pride to virtue, I for
one am bewildered.
Not many years ago, one of our lead
ing religious journals, second to none,
in the opinion of its friends, stated as a
deplorable piece of news, that the
steeple of a certain fine church had
blown away—sad, “because it was the
pride of the whole city.”
W hen wo know that “pride cometh
before destruction,” that “only by pride
cometh contention when we remem
ber that this awhile unhappy country
has been sufficiently destroyed, it is
enough to alarm the minds of obscure I
individuals, and call Ainos from his
sycamore fruit to warn his brethren
that if they are proud, as most likely
we all are, to lament and not rejoice
for it; confess and not avow ; mourn, 1
repent, forsake. B. R. M.
Lake City, Fla.
[Our esteemed correspondent seems
to be making war partly on the sin of
pride, and partly on the improper use
of the word “pride.” Some of these
improper uses are ridiculous enough ;
for instance, when one says, “I am
proud to see you looking well this
morning but such uses of the word ,
are only provincial. But when one .
The Christian Index and South-western Baptist: Thursday, November 27, 1879.
says, “I am proud of my preacher,” or
“proud of my country,” we think that
he has the authority of good writers
for the form of expression. The word
i is frequently used in a figurative sense,
ns in Job 38 :11 : “Hitherto shall thou
come and no further, and here shall
thy proud waves be stayed ;“ or as in
the line from Dryden: ‘•Storms of
stones from the proud temple’s height,”
and we must think that some of the
usages to which our correspondent
objects, are simply figures—sometimes
in bad taste doubtless, but not always
in a vicious sense. The sin of pride is
that which causes a man to “think of
himself more highly than he ought to
think.” Rev..l2 :3, and is denounced
in innumerable places in the Scrip
turee, while its opposing virtue, humil
ity, is as often extolled. The sin is a
very insidious one; so much so that a
man may even be proud of his humil
ity!—Ed. Index.]
SOUTHERN BAPTIST THEOLOG
ICAL SEMINARY.
I have just returned from the Sa
vannah River Association (S. C.)
which met with the Beech Island
church, about seven miles from this
city. I received in cash and bonds,
over nine hundred dollars for our Sem
inary. Notwithstanding this, and the
fact that I am just from seven associa
tions in Georgia, and many churches,
and have done well at all, and not
withstanding, as Corresponding Secre
tary, I have sent out innun erable cir
culars, etc., the future of the Seminary
is anything rather than bright. My
personal efforts have been successful,
but the pastors have not responded to
I my appeals, nor those of Dr. Boyce,
and the result is, that unless a general
collection is taken up, we shall proba
bly have to suspend until the endow
ment notes have all been collected.
Dr. Boyce, the Treasurer reports a
large deficiency, and he is taking mon
ey out of his pocket to keep the Sem
inary going. The notes for current
expenses are paid in annual install
ments like the endowment notes, and
hence, money from them comes in
slowly, while the current expenses are
about $20,000 per annum. Dr. Boyce
has issued another appeal, which, it is
to be hoped, will be heeded and our
Seminary saved. A general collection
all over the South will do the work.
Brethren please let it be done.
The Savannah River Association is
a noble body, though not what it was
before the war. Rev. J. F. Murrell was
elected Moderator, and Dr. W. B. Car
son, Clerk. Rev. A. W. Lamar, Cor
responding Secretary of State Mis
sions, made an encouraging report, but
on account of ill health he is going to
retire from the field, to accept a pas
torate at Cowpt ns. He is one of the
most valuable and useful men in the
State.
The Association meets next at
Smyrna.
On Sabbath I preached in the First
Baptist church, in this city, by re
quest, and Rev. F. Jones, of Beaufort,
preached in Curtis church.
M. B. Wharton.
Augusta, Ga., Nov 18th. 1879.
THAT INDIAN HOUSE.
It is due some of the readers of The
Index, in Florida, Georgia and Tennes
, ate especially, that we publish the fol-
I lowing facts, taken from a letter from
brother A. J. Holt, who was among
[ the wild tribes at the time, and who
I in person built the house.
The writer conceived the idea, upon
reading brother Holt’s appeals, of rais
ing the funds by dime contributions,
and except a few instances, only, dimes
, were given, and in many cases but a
I nickel. The names were recorded in a
i small book, and it was mailed to broth
| er Holt, as we promised, and he re
ceived it, as will be seen by reference
, to it in the following quotations :
“I am personally under many obli
gations to you for yo.’.r kind assistance,
without which the house could not
have been completed this winter. The
book of names shall be kept in the
church house perpetually as a refer
ence. I heartily thank all the breth
ren, sisters, friends and children, who
| have thus aided in the erection of the
j first church house over erected for the
Indians of the plains.
“The house is situated on Sugar
' ereek, near the village of the Tehuaca
na Chief, Ni-as-tore. It is about the
, centre of population of the whole Re
; servo. Sugar creek is a clear, beauti
! ful and ever living stream, that runs
i diagonally through the Reservation,
along whose banks, from head to
mouth, are dotted the quaint grass
' houses and buffalo tents of the Keechis,
Wiehitas, Tehuacanas and Wacoes.
“The house is 35x22 feet in the
clear. It has a firm foundation of
, hewn post-oak, and is built box fash
ion, of cotton-wood lumber, rough.
This cotton-wood is similar, if not
identical, with the white wood, or pop
lar, of the States, and is very nice,
white lumber. It is built substantial
ly, and is covered with white pine
shingles from Michigan, or somewhere
around Chicago. The doors and win
dows are faced with native walnut,
very nicely dressed and joined. The
floor is doubled, one on top of the oth
er—the same as two floors. The roof
is quite steep and Gothic style. Seven
feet of the floor of the rear of the floor
is an elevated platform, on which will
be placed a neat, tasty walnut stand,
with book-case, drawer and Bible hold
er. To the right of the stand is a
dressing room, 7xß feet, with a door
leading down to the clear water, about
a dozen yards away.”
It is proper to say that this should
have been done sooner, as the letter
from which we quote was written in
January last. Our only apology is
procrastination, caused by hard work,
and not being at one place but little at
a time.
On account of prejudice against
white blood, it became necessary for
brother Holt to leave the wild tribes
soon after he wrote the above, and
John Mclntosh, a native, took bis
place, and is doing good work.
W. N. Chaudoin.
MODEST MERIT OFTEN OVER
LOOKED.
Somewhere in life I have read or
heard a story about thus : Near some
pearl fishery, where the shells of the
oysters were thrown away, there lay a
shell that hundreds of people had
walked over, and kicked out of the way
as worthless. No one regarded it as
worth anything. At length a strange-,
(how often do strangers have to call
attention to the merits of our nearest
neighbors!) passing by, espied a glit
tering ray pass from that rude shell.
The flash of beauty caught his eye. He
examined the shell, and in it there lay
concealed, a pearl of the richest value.
This simple story will help tr.e reader
to understand the lesson which is now
to follow.
Once there was a Baptist church lo
cated in a proud little city of growing
wealth and distinction. In that church
there lived a minister of fair attain
ments, honorable piety and modest
manners. He was not the pastor, nor
expecting to be, for the town, and
church too, had out-grown him. This
vain little church resolved to have “a
meeting of days,” a series of meetings,
and invited a distinguished revivalist
to come and do the preaching. He
agreed to come, the church-house, and
everything were put in the finest trim.
Not only the externals were cared for,
but the praying ones went to work in
earnest, “praying fora revival;” that
was their “way of putting it.” They
did pray, too, for, although it was a
vain little church, (and churches, as
well as individuals, become vain,) there
were earnest, pious people engaged in
those prayer meetings. All things
went on well till the day the minister
was to come. A fine congregation
met, expectation was at its highest
point, expectation soon turned to anx
iety, and that arose to fever, nay, boil
ing heat. At last the message came.
“Can’t come, he’s sick!” What a
shock to this waiting people! Th
ci 11 upon the minister, whose member
ship was there, to give them “a talk.”
He did so from these appropriate
words: “It is better to trust in the
Lord than to put confidence in man.”
“The talk” reached the hearts of the
people. Their prayets had been heard,
and the man they had prayed for ap
peared in the person of him whom they
had ignored. The result was, a good
series of meetings. The people won
dered that they had never known the
worth of that good man and minister
before.
The writer attended an association
in an adjoining State some twelve
years ago,at which there was a preach
er, “little of stature,” in very plain but
clean apparel, and was the very image
of meekness. “The committee on di
vine service” were not acquainted with
him, and, judging the man by his ap
pearance, did not give him an appoint
ment until the dosing service, giving
as the reason, they expected the people
to be disappointed, and they did not
wish to have long to remain and bear
the blame of it. The appointment
was made for the plain little man to
preach, but every member of the com
mittee felt that they had done violence
to the taste of that intelligent audience.
But soon “a change come over the
spirit of their dream.” The announce
ment of the hymns, the reading of a
short paragraph, and the fervent pray
er, all awakened an interest in the con
gregation. Good taste, correct judg
ment, earnest piety, and a desire to
please God and benefit the people,were
clearly manifest in all that he did. But
not until he announced his text did
confidence reach its climax. With
becoming dignity he arose and read,
or rather, forcibly addressed to the con
gregation, these appropriate words of
Paul: “And now, brethren, I com
mend you to God, and to the word of
his grace, which is able to build you
up, and to give you an inheritance
among all of them which are sancti
fied.” After narrating the incidents
giving rise to the text, he proceeded to
speak of the wisdom of the counsel,the
safety and peace in submitting to God
and His Won!, and the conse
quences to them who faithfully obey.
He closed with a few words of personal
applicat ion,expressinghimself with such
simple earnestness and tender patiios,as
both surprised and pleased all who
heard him. The committee were asham
ed of themselves, but knew not how to
apologize to one whose merit was so
far above that which they had placed
upon him. Who has not- witnessed
examples like these?
“A modest flower not to tell
The wealth of sweetneas in thine humble
cell. ’
W. M. Howell.
Great powers and natural gifts do not
bring privileges to their possessor so
much as they bring duties.
ONE-THIRD MORE NEEDED.
Before the next meeting of the
Southern Baptist Convention, seven of
otir missionaries, new and old, must
be sent to their fields of labor. Two
others, also, who are implor
ing the Board to send them,
ought to be sent. In order to accom
plish this, and to meet the other obli
gations of the Board, there must be
this year an increase of receipts, above
the last year’s contribution of the
churches, by at least one-third. It is
not merely the expenses of passages
and outfit which have to be provided ;
the support, in part at least, of these
men and women, when in their fields,
must be anticipated. Our missionaries
draw on our Treasurer quarterly in ad
vance. The Board must pay their
present debts, and then leave funds to
provide for these laborers and their
fellow-workers. This call for increased
offerings on the part of the churches is
so obviously reasonable, that the Board
hope that our people will give earnest
and prompt heed to it. Are they not,
also, encouraged to this duty by the
good providence of God? Let each
pastor present the subject to his church
or churches, and urge such immediate
action as will most likely accomplish
the object in view. It is necessary
that our work should go forward. If
it does not go forward, it will go back
ward.
The Missionary Union sent out last
month eleven missionaries. All the
great missionary bodies are pressing
forward their work. The whole Chris
tian world, that thinks and feels on
this subject, is astir at the changes
taking place among the heathen na
tions. If the ratio of increase of con
verts goes on in China and India dur
ing the next fifty years that has mark
ed the progress of conversions to our
religion during the past thirty-five
years, these vast empires will have in
that time a Christian population as
great proportionally, as our country, or
Great Britain. Shall not Southern
Baptists share in the glory of this great
transformation? Oh! that the Holy
Spirit may so enlighten the minds and
quicken the hearts or our people that
they will enter with becoming zeal and
vigor upon this heaven-ordained enter
prize, and reap their full share from
the fields already whitened for the har
vest.
To aid the churches to decide intel
ligently what they should do in this
matter, we publish below the amounts,
including the contributions to the
Rome Chapel, yi ven last year by their
respective States, and the whole
amounts given by them daring the
present Conventional year, from May
Ist to Nov. Ist, 1879.
1879. 1878.
Alabama $ 406 07 SI 381 35
Arkansas 86 35 119 31
California i (x) 10 00
District of Columbus 54 32 26u 75
Florida 23 80 82 39
Georgia „ 2 087 ns 4 601 08
Illinois 1 25 68 00
Ohio ... Buo 2 40
Kentucky 1 488 35 I 81(1 81
Louisiana 248 25 ph is
Maryland <nx> 27 2 296 Id
Mississippi 1 ,2-> 66 I 871 70
Missouri Ml 8 ) 2 4.33 63
North Carolina 1 22( 31 3 895 90
South Carolina I 515 57 4 066 54
New York 1 08 I 00 484 62
New Jersey 782' 9 2 6(81
Tennessee 755 55 917 95
Texas 596 65 1 052 81
Virginia 3 477 63 6 482 91
West Virginia 65 20 152 84
Canada 1 00
Connecticut 39 00
Indian Territory 1 (0
Kansas „. 1■«
Massachausetts 473 40
Rhode Island 125 77
Pennsylvania 5 00
Total 16 975 10 35 784 64
H A. TvrrKß, Cor. Sec'y,
Foreign Mias. Board-
Richmond, Va.
MERCER ASSOC IA TION.
Editor Index : The Mercer Asso
ciation held its annual session this
year with the church at Boston. It
met on the 14th and closed on the
16th. Having never, been in this body
befoie, I was fully convinced that the
Baptists of this section are warm-heart
ed, genial, faithful servants of the
Master. So much of Christ is seen in
their faces and conduct that even a
stranger, who loves the Lord Jesus,
'eels at home among them. They are
sound in doctrine, zealous in practice
and thoroughly alive to every denomi
national enterprise.
The usual routine was gone through,
giving prominence to the subjects of
temperance and Associations! missions.
It was proposed at the last session to
amend Hie Constitution,by a clause ex
cluding any church retaining in its
membership those who manufacture,
sell or drink to excess, intoxicating
liquors. Out of this grew much dis
cussion, which it is hoped will contrib
ute no little to the piety of our
churches. The amendment was final
ly disposed of by “indefinite postpone
ment.” The Association is doing an
almost increditable amount of mission
work in its own bounds. Missionaries
and Evangelists are distributing the
Bible and preaching the Word in per
haps all of our destitute places.
The efforts of the “Ladies Mission
Societies,” though not directly the work
of the Association, was mentioned by
the Mission Committee and several
speeches were made on the subject. If
those who are inclined to oppose these
societies had heard the speeches made
in their favor by Dr. Wharton and
brother Underwood, they certainly
would have given up their “strong
holds” unless bound there by preju
dice.
There are seven Societies in the As
sociation, and they have united in an
effort to form others. A “Missionary
Union” has been entered into, and an
executive committee appointed for the
purpose of furthering the cause. The
“Union” meets once a year in connec
tion with the Association. The foun
dation of their societies has been the
work of the “Foreign Mission Board.”
Now that they no longer have their
agents in the field, it is certainly most
commendable in the ladies to take up
the work where the Board was forced
to lay it down. Let the pastors and
churches encourage and assist them,
and no doubt great good will be done
for the cause at home and abroad.
E. Z. F. Golden.
Thomasville, Ga., October 21st, 1879.
THE FAITH OF THE PULPIT.
It was a strange commandment that
came to Ezekiel in the Valley of Vis
ion, when “behold there were very
many bones and 10, they were very
dry.” He was not required to prohecy
concerning them, though that would
have proved a severe fest to faith,
lingering on the verge of unbelief, as
the faith of the best of us is apt to lin
ger; but the much harder injunction
was laid on him, that he should speak
to them. And he obeyed, nothing
doubting. He spoke to the bones ly
ing scattered at his feet; for it was his
province to utter the appointed words,
and the province of God to make the
words heard. He could not waver,
because he served Him “who quick
eneth the dead, and calleth those
things which be not as though they
were.” Faith felt that God can clothe
a human voice, even as if it were his
own, with power to reach the ear alike
of those who have already passed out
of life, and of those who are not yet
born into it.
And if the trumpet which shall
wake the dead is to be blown in the
last day, as traditional theology teach
es, by “an Archangel,” he will give
no hesitating blast. It will not per
plex or trouble him, that this blast is
to roll resounding oyer the whole earth ;
is to be heard at the same moment in
both hemispheres and at either place;
is to come neither sooner nor later to
the lone mountain crag from which
the veil of snow never lifts, and the
unfathomed ocean cave to which the
glance of the sun never pierces, than
to earth’s central cities and their
thronged cemeteries. He will take no
pause from the thought that the ears
for which that blast rings out have
been dust for yearnT, or even scattered
dust for ages. No; God has power to
make them hear, power to make all
hear everywhere in the one supreme
hour of universal resurrection ; and
the Archangel trusts that power. Nev
er were hands swifter to grasp a trum
pet; never was a trumpet filled with
more joyous, triumphant breath.
The Christian minister needs to
learn the lesson of this trust. He
preaches by divine commission, to
souls “dead in trespasses and in sins.”
How shall these dead souls hear him?
As the dry bones heard the voice of
the prophet, and as the dead must
hear the trumpet of the Arch-angel, by
the mighty jiower of God. Our weak
ness here matters not the least; the
promise of that power to work with us
and through us answers full as well as
though we ourselves possesed the
power. To have the power in our
selves would not better our ground of
confidence. Nay, this ground would
be immeasurably weakened by it. To
have the power in God renders the
certainty infinitely more certain ; and
our faith in Him should be an influ
ence a thousand times more potent for
the exclusion or expulsion of doubt,
than any consciousness of quickening
might, as our own could be. Oh! the
sweetness of thought that He holds and
wields the power; that, as the great
est strong th would be weakness without
Him,so with Him the greatest weakness
is strength ; and that the weakness is
with him ; and that he puts into it a
strength which, when he wills it, be
comes for us, as truly as for himself,
omnipotent!
The Reward of Missions—How
it Worked in Andrew Fuller’s
Church.— “There was a period in my
ministry,” said the devoted Andrew
Fuller to a friend, “marked by the most
pointed systematic effort to comfort my
serious people, but the more I tried to
comfort them, the more they com
plained of doubts and darkness. Wher
ever I went among them, one lamenta
tion met my ear: Ah! sir, I can get
no comfort. lam unable to appro
priate any of the great and precious
promises to myself. I looked for light,
and behold darkness. I knew not what
to do, nor what to think, for I had done
my best to comfort the mourners of
Zion. I was, therefore, at my wits’ end.
At this time it pleased God to direct
my attention to the claims of the per
ishing heathen in India; I felt that
we had been living for ourselves, and
not caring for their souls. I spoke as
I felt. My serious people wondered
and wept over their sad inattention to
this subject. They began to talk about
a Baptist Mission. The females, espe
cially, began to collect money for the
spread of the Gospel. We met and
prayed for the heathen, met and con
sidered what could be done amongst
ourselves for them, met and did what
we could. And whilst all this was go
ing on, the lamentations ceased. The
sad became cheerful, the desponding
calm. No one complained for want of
comfort. And I, instead of having to
study how to comfort my flock, was
myself comforted by them. They were
' drawn out of themselves. Sir, that was
the real secret. God blessed them
while they tried to be a blessing.”
The Sunday-School.
International Sunday-School Lessons.
Lesson Xl—December 14, 1879.
THE HEAVENLY CITY.
Rev. xxi. 21-29. xxii. 15.
introduction.
The prophetical portion of the Revelation
begins with chap. iv. 1, and ends with chap,
xxii. 5. Our last lesson is from its closing
vision. We saw the Lamb in heaven about
to open the sealed book, and to reveal com
ing events. Four living creatures worshiped
him and twenty-four elders,representing the
redeemed of earth praising him with their
harps, offering incense, and singing the song
of tedeeming love. Myriads of myriads of
angels encircling the throne, caught the
song and swelled the chorus while all crea
ted beings in heaven, earth, sea and under
world echoed it back to the throne of God. A
grand, sublime and awful scene. In our
present lesson we behold the triumph and
bliss ofClirist’s people with him in heaven.
Their condition is represented under the
figure of a city of surpassing splendor in
which they dwell. As the earthly Jerusa
lem was the joy and desire of every Jewish
heart.it was most natural that heaven should
be symbolized by Jerusalem the golden.
OUTLINE.
I. The city—v. 21-23.
11. The inhabitants—v. 24 27.
111. Their blessedness—v. 1-5.
EXPOSITION.
I. Ths city.
V. 21. Beginning with verse 19. we learn
j that the city was great and holy, and that it
descended from.heaven, Jand that it is de
-1 scribed as seen from a high mountain. It
was surrounded by a high wall, having
twelve gates, with an angel at each, and on
1 each the name of a tribe of I-rael. There
were twelve foundations, on each of which
was the name of an apostle. The city was
square and built of gold, while its wall, gates
and foundations were of precious stones.
“The twelve gates.” Three on each side,
corresponding to the number of the tribes of
Isreal and the apostles. “Twelve jiearls.”
Os enormous size of course, but designed to
represent the beauty of the city. “Os one
pearl.” “The subsistence of each gate in
one pearl is a speaking image of that hea
i venly simplicity which above finds entrance
to the eternal city of God.” (Lange). “The
street.” All the streets are meant, and the
I original conveys the idea they were broad.
; ‘ Pure gold.” The city is represented in
verse 18 as built of gold, and here its streets
as paved with gold. The glory and magnifi
-1 cence of the city are thus set forth. “As it
were transparent glass.” Unlike all earthly
gold, surpassing it in splendor.
V. 22. ‘ I saw no temple therein.” When
ever John-had looked upon the earthly Jer
usalem, its spendid temple was the most
prominent building, and so he would quick
ly notice its absence here. Why no temple?
Because all sacrifices for sin will have
ceased forever, and no place of worship is
needed where the object of all worship is
continually present.
V. 23. “Had.” Rather has. “No need.”
i Because the presence of God and the Lamb
makes perfect, never-ending day. “The
glory of God.” The splendor that surrounds
his presence. See Ex. xi. 34, 35. Paul saw
it and was blinded by it. Acts xxvi. 13.
“And the Lamb,” who is also surrounded
with glory.
11. The inhabitants.
V. 21. “The nations of them which are
saved.” Denoting the vast number of those
who dwell in the city. “Walk in the light of
it.” Find a peaceful home there. “The kings
of the earth, etc.” Men receiving the glory
and honor of earth gladly come and lay them
■ at the feet of their God.”
V. 25. “The gates of it shall not be shut.”
Denoting the liberty, peace and security of
, the inhabitants. The gates are o)>en too, for
the bringing in of the glory of the nations.
“For there shall be no night there.”Tberefore
1 the gates shall never be closed.
: V. 26. “They shall bring.” Indefinitely.
There shall ne brought. Not only rulers but
the people as well, will be of one mind in
, bringing into the city all that is excellent
and glorious. In the future glory all things
shall be subordinate to Christ.
V. 27. Not only shall the inhabitants be
numerous and honorable, but they h) all also
be pure. “In no wise enter.” A most posi
tive declaration. “En er into it.” Outside
all is unclean. "Anything that defileth.”
There shall be nothing unholy there. Buch
as say they are Christians and are not, may
enter tne churches on earth, but not one of
them can enter the New Jerusalem. “Work-
abomination.” Violates God’s law.
“Written in the Lamb’s book of life." This
is the positive requisite, this, the title to ad
mission. It is t<e Lamb's book, that is, the
book in which are written the nautes of the
redeemed. Those whose names are therein
are they who have been chosen, renewed,
justified, sanctified and glorified.
111. Their blessedness.
V. 1. “He.” The angel interpreter men
tioned in vena-9 of Ch. xxi. “A pure river.”
A symbol of blessings, rich, abundant, ever
flowing. “The wat r of life.” They that
drink of it will never die. “Clear." Literally,
. bright. “Out of the throne of God and the
Lamb.” Directly from God and Christ.
There is one throne to both.
V. 2. “The street of it,” i. e. of the city.
“On either side of the river, the tree of life."
The trees were between the river and the
street. A line of trees extended along the
river on either side. They were all of one
' kind, viz.: “the tree of life. Adam and Eve.
having sinned, were driven from the tree of
life in Eden. To that tree the redeemed are
restored,and not to one,but to many.“Wbich
bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded
her fruit every month. Rather. Making
twelve fruit-harvests, each month one. This
signifies the fulness and freshness of heaven
| ly blessings. It is the abundance of the fruit,
not the variety that the writer is describing.
I Not only is the fruit of use, but also the
leaves. These are sanitary, having healing
and life-preserving virtue.
V. 3. “There shall beno more curse.’ The
curse pronounced in Eden (See Gen. iii. 17.)
shall cease for the redeemed. No accursed
I thing shall be found which shall separate
| man from God. See Josb. vii. 12. “Shall be
| in it," that is, permanently. "His servants
shall serve him'’ with perfect service, for God
will be present and no hinderanoes will ex
ist.
V. 4. "Shall see his face." Shall have free,
constant, blissful access to him. “His name
shall be in their foreheads.” They shall be
openly known and acknowledged as his.
V. 5, "There shall be no night there." As
in verse 25. It signifies however more here.
"There shall be no weariness on the part of ,
the saints; no time of imperfect vision; of
terror, of peril.” "No candle." No artificial
aid to vision. “Neither light of the sun.”
No natural light, such as is necessary in the
earthly state. “Reign forever and ever." A
glorious condition that knows no end. This
Is the eternal triumph of Christ’s people.
RHMARKH.
Heaven is an abode of surpassing splendor,
of inconceivable happiness, of intimate ac
cess to God in Christ, of perfect freedom,and
of purity and holiness eternal. It is the glory
of heaven to bear the name of God and the
Lamb. If we would serve God In heaven,
we must serve him here.