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HWVKV H. TUCKKR. Kditor
WHAT KIND Ob MEN WERE THE
A POSTLES?
They were common men. There '
was nothing remarkable about them
in any way whatever. We speak of 1
the original panel, and not of Paul,
who came in afterwards. They were |
not men of high social position; it is
not likely that they had enjoyed great
opportunities of education nor of cul
ture of any kind. Concerning Peter
and John, we are distinctly informed,
that they were “unlearned and ignor
ant men.” Acts 4:13. These two ap- I
pear to have been about such men as
may be found in ah our seaport cities |
who make their living by catching fish :
and selling them in the markets; and
it is probable that the other ten out
ranked them but little if at all. There
are perhaps five hundred or a thou
sand men in Atlanta to-day who are
fully equal intellectually ami morally,
and in all other respects, to the best of
them.
They had their weaknesses like oth
er men. There was a miserable and
petty strife among them, even while
their Lord was with them, as to *who
should be greatest. Mark 9 :33. Even
John, whois thought to have been so
gentle and amiable because he leaned
on the Savior’s breast, James, agreeing
with him, was foolish enough, and
enough possessed with an evil spirit,
to suggest, that fire be called down
from heaven to destroy a Samaritan
village, with its inhabitants, merely be
cause the people there yielding to their
national prejudices (just such as we
have now), failed to receive him,
on the ground that he was
on his way to Jerusalem—a place
which they hated. Lu. 9:51-56. An
other one of them who was really a
leader, was very rash, and lost his tem
per ; and denied his Lord and confirm
ed his falsehood with an oath. He was
lacking both in prudence and in cour
age, the two qualities which above all
others are most necessary, to fit a man
for the prominent place occupied by
him. The same man afterwards quar
reled with Paul, and the contention
was so sharp between them, that they
could not possibly labor together, even
in the work of the Lord Jesus, and
they wore obliged to separate. Acts
15:39. The same man, on another
occasion, was afraid to face an impor
tant issue, and meanly tergivisated
when he ought to have been bold; and
he actually drew Barnabas, notwith
standing the latter was full of the Holy
Ghost (Acts 11:24), into dissimula
tion with him ; for all which he was
rebuked by Paul. Gal. 2:10 17.
The were not always wise.
They received Simon, the sorcerer, into
their fellowship and Philip baptized
him, though he was afterwards discov
ered to be an impostor. Paul suffered
much from “false brethren,” 2 Cor. 11:,
26, from which we may infer, that
there were a good many of them. The
churches established by the apostles
were very disorderly. They had forni
cation, and even incest among them.
1 Cor. 5:1. They appear to have
made a convivial feast of the Lord's
Supper, and there were many heresies
among them. 1 Cor. 11:18-22. Judg
ing by their antecedents and also by
their history, the apostles seem to have
been neither wiser nor better than oth
er people. The world was full then,
and is now, of men, far superior to the
apostles, in all the qualities which we
should think would fit men for their
position.
Considering the immeasurable dig
nity of the office to which they were
appointed, and the inconceivable re
sponsibilities placed upon them, we
should suppose that they were about
the most unsuitable men that could
have been selected in all Jerusalem,
or in all Judea. The editor of The
Inpex, or anybody else, would have
selected men of the greatest moral
courage, ami of the most distinguish
ed abilities, and of the broadest and !
deepest culture, and of the most
commanding position; and if these ,
could not have been had, he would
have chosen the next grade below, j
and thus on to the end, and those
actually chosen would probably have
been about his last choice.
Hee what was to be done. A new
religion was to be established—a re
ligion of the most astounding char
weter,—a religion utterly subversive
human pride, and making war on
humin nature—a religion founded
by a man who was regarded ns the I
illegitimate son of a carpenter, but who
claimed to be the Son of God and ac
tually equid with God, and identical
with him, and those who accepted the
new religion were obliged to admit '•
thi» claim! As might have been cx
pocteil, the opposition was fierce, not
•only among the common people, but
among the rulers, and the wise men,
and the groat men, and among those
who were regarded as the good men.
Yet the avowed object of the new reli
gion was to capture the whole world!
To inaugurate such a stupendous
enterprise, under circumstances so
appallingly adverse, we should think
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX AND SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST: THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 1881.
would require men, and more than a
dozen of them too, of the highest posi
tion in the world, and of the grandest
capacity known to the human race.
But, God’s ways are not our ways,
nor his thoughts our thoughts; they
are as far above our ways as the
heavens—that is as space—space in
definite is beyond earth. He selected
the fishermen and their peers.
Now that it is all over, we can see
some of the wisdom of it, which no hu
man being could have seen at the
time. If the new religion had been
established by such men as human sa
gacity would have selected, its success
would have been attributed to their in
fluence. The powers, intellectual, mor
al, social, political and physical, while
they could have commanded, would
always have been regarded as the cause
and ground of ultimate triumph, and
thus the glory which belongs to God
would have been given to man; and,
thus too, we should have lost one of
the strong evidences of the divine ori
gin of the blessed religion of Jesus.
It was established not by might, nor
by power, but by the Spirit of God.
Not many wise men after the flesh,
not many mighty, not many noble,
were called. God chose the foolish
things of the world to confound the
wise, and the weak things of the world
to confound the mighty. Even the
base things of the world, and things
which were despised, were his chosen
instruments. 1. Cor. 1.26:28. 4nd
with these feeble and unworthy instru
ments the word of God grew mightily
and prevailed ; and to-day the civilized
word is called the Christian world; and
the day on which the Lord arose from
the dead is kept sacred in every lati
tude and in every longtitude of the
habitable earth.
From the facts before us we may
learn some lessons of practical wis
dom.
1. If the Apostles were such fallible
men as the record shows them to have
been, we ought not to worship
them. There is a great disposition to
accord to them a homage far beyond
their due, and which is almost idola
trous. They were faithful witnesses it
is true, but there have been many since
just as faithful, and doubtless there are
many now. The Apostles suffered
persecution ; but hundreds of thous
ands since their day have suffered just
as much, and some of them more, and
hundreds of thousands woulddoso now.
There is no reason why the apostles
should be held in higher esteem than
any other devout, sincere, and earnest
disciples of Jesus, whether men or wo
men. Many of our present pastors
and deacons, and laymen, and also
honorable women not a few, are fully
equal to the best of the apostles in
eVery respect, and superior to them in
some. The grace of God has as much
power now as it ever had, and it has
just as good material to operate upon,
and opportunities for growth in grace
and in the knowledge of our Lord are
better than they ever were.
It may be said that the apostles
were inspired. In the sense in which
the expression is used this is not true.
They were inspired only on certain oc
casions and for certain purposes. When
they preached, it was given them in
that same hour what they should say.
Those of them who took part in the
writing of the New Testament were in
spired for that purpose. But on ordi
nary occasions they were ordinary men.
Witness their mistakes! Witness their
wranglings and bickerings! Except
when under the influence of the Spirit
they nre no guide for us, and their
opinions arc no more valuable than our
own.
2. We should not underrate the merit
of Christians now living. According
to the common notion, for we can hard
ly call it an opinion, it is a terrible
heresy to imagine, that we have any
among us now, who would compare in
any respect whatever with the apostles.
We have multitudes who are quite as
wise, and quite as good, and far more
learned, and much better acquainted
with the Scriptures of the old Testa
ment having had immensely better op
portunities for their study ; and thor
oughly versed in the New Testament,
the last revelation of God to man,
which in the early days of the apostles
was not written ; and who can see fully
the correspondence of the two testa
ments with each other and the glor
ious light which each reflects up
on the other—a privilege which no
apostle ever enjoyed. Let us give hon
or to whom honor is due. Let us pay
to our devout brethren, whose piety is
equal to that of the apostles and who
are far mightier in the Scriptures than
any apostle could have been, that rev
erence and love to which their merits
fairly entitle them.
3. We should learn to look charita
bly on the faults of our brethren. If
they make mistakes let us remember
that the apostles did the same. If
they sometimes show an unholy ambi
tion let not forget that the apostles
did the same thing. If they sometimes
are guilty of duplicity let us bear in
mind that even Barnabas, full of faith
and of the Holy Ghost as he was, was
led into the same sin. If they fall into
a snare and become guilty of grievous
crime let us remember our brother Pe
ter's case, and not cut them off forever
from our confidence, if they give due
evidence of hearty repentance.
4. On the other hand let us not
abuse charity by making it the apolo
gy for laxity of discipline in our
churches. The same New Testament
which shows both the bad and the
good side of apostolic history teaches
us to withdraw ourselves from them
that walk disorderly and this command
is given specially “in the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ.” 2. Thess. 3:6.
Other reflections suggest themselves,
but this aiticle is already too long, and
we must leave our readers to their
meditations.
INTERBIBLICAL HISTORY.
The canon of the Old Testament
was complete fourhundred years before
a line of the New Testament was writ
ten. What happened in the interval
between these two periods? Would it
not be interesting to know? and would
not such knowledge be valuable?
Would it not help us to understand
much that we find in the New Tes
tament?
Read what our brother John A.
Broadus says:
To neglect the interbiblical history
of the Jews is fatal to any thorough and
vivid historical knowledge of the New
Testament. Matthew and Luke take us
at once in medias m. These beginnings
of a new thing evidently take place amid
an old civilization, anti we can not look
around on the Roman or the Jewish
world without looking back. If we turn
simply to the Old Testament it fails to
ex plain much of what we encounter in the
Gospels. Imagine a reader well ac
quainted with the Old Testament and
its secular historical environment, who
passes at once to a first examination of
the Gospels. He will feel himself to be
amid strangely new surroundings. Who
is Herod, king of the Jews? is he a
descendant of David ; and if not, how
has he come to usurp the throne secured
to David's line? Who is Ctesar Augus
tus, issuing a decree to all the world ?
We have seen Egyptian, Assyrian, Bait
ylonian, and Persian masters of Western
Asia, claiming to reign over all the world,
but who are these new rulers? Not a
few things also require to be explained
in the social and economical condition
of the Jews, as indicated in the New
Testament. But the most numerous and
wonderful changes are in their religious
condition. Who are these Pharisees and
Sadducees constantly coming before us
and evidently exerting so powerful an
influence on religious thought and life?
What are the Rabbis, the lawyers, the
Scribes? What are those synagogues,
found in every town and frequented on
every Sabbath, not for sacrifice and other
ceremonical acts of worship, but for read
ing the law, religious discourse, and
prayer?
What high ruling body is this, called
the Sanhedrim, a name having no Heb
rew derivation, while the body is pres
ided over by a high-priest? What is
meant by the traditions of the elders?
Whence came this wide-spread and firm
belief in a resurrection of the dead, as to
which the Ol<l Testament gives but a few
dim intimations? Such r.ro some of the
questions that must s >rely perplex tire
reader we have imagined. Now, from
reading the New Testament itself, with
commentaries and other popular works,
intelligent people among us do get
some knowledge ol these things; but it
can never be a complete or a satisfactory
knowledge .unless we personally study
tiie rise ami growth of all these new and
strange institutions and usages.
The above extract is from Dr. Broad
us’ article on the Old Testament Apoc
rypha, published in the Baptist Review,
of which see a notice in another
column.
According to Yorn Ability. —“ Every
man accordig to his ability,” is the Christian
rule of giving and working. It is not very
faithfully obeyed. There are many persons
who have great ability, yet do but little work;
who have ample leisure, yet give but littie
time; who have laige pi sseaaions, yet make
small contributions. That is an evil that
we have all seen under the sun. And there
is another that is like unto it. There ae a
great many people who have Some ability,
but who do nothing; who have not much
leisure, but who give no time to the Lord's
work; who have a little money, but who put
none at all into his treasury. Those who
have a little and give nothing violate the
Christian law just as truly as do those who
have much and give little. There are a great
many persons, young and old, in all our
Churches, whose means and opportunities
are limited, from whom not much ought to
be expected; but they are able to do some
thing; but they do nothing. They are trans
gressors of the Christian law. They ought to
repent, amido works meet for repentance
Sunday Afternoon.
Yes, that is the great trouble. Be
cause they cannot do much they refuse
to do anything. “Oh what little I can
do would not help the cause in the
least.” This is not true, but admit it:
it might still do you some good to do
what yo t can. It is more blessed to
give than it is to receive. Secure then
this blessing for yourself.
The Central Baptist says:
We can sea nothing in the simple act of
teaching the colored people that r'l ttld os
tracise a Christian teacher from goed society
among bis co-religionists, or bar the doors of
white people generally against him.
And that is our opinion exactly-. In
the simple act of teaching there is
nothing objectionable. But a good
deal depends on what it is that is
taught; and a good deal on the associa
tions and habits of those who do the
teaching; and a good deal on the un
conscious influence of the teachers.
We have seen some very conscientious
persons laboring with great zeal who
in our opinion did more harm than
good. We have tried to give them
practical views which would have made
their labor efficient, but they would not
listen ; their desire is to teach, not to be
taught ; and they think they can teach
everybody. Unfortunately “everybody”
does not agree with them, and so the
parties are at outs. A fanatic of the
positive polo meets a fanatic of the
negative pole and of course neither of
them will listen to the other. A man
who is not a fanatic at all slips between
to reconcile the parties, and to him
neither ol them will listen. So it goes.
A REMARKABLE MORTUARY
REPORT.
In the second annual report of the Board
of Health of the city of Atlanta, we find the
following statistics:
“In analyzing our record of mortality for
the past year (1880), we find that the total
number of deaths in the city was 679 giving
an annual death rate of 17 8 per thousand.
Os thia numi er there were 288 whites, and
j 391 colored The annual rate.of mortality
per thousand among the whites was 13;
among the Colored 23 8
“The number of deaths in persons over
five years of age was 392 White 175; col
ored 217. The number of deaths among
children under five vears of age was 287.
White 113; colored 174
“ Among the principal causes of death, we
find that pneumonia is Charged with 62.
White 14; colored 48 Other acute lung
diseases, 18; —9 each of white and colored
Consumption 100. White 41; colored 59
Diar'hoeal diseases—including diarrhoea,
enteritis, dysentery and chulera-infant im—
-114. Whiteso; colored 61 Typhoid fever
25. White 11; colored 14. Malarial fevers
5 White 2; colored 3 Scarlet fever 2 ; both
white. Diphtheria 5. 1 white, four colored
Rheumatism 2—white.
" Twenty deaths were due to accidents—9
white and 11 colored. Three suicides, all
white, are not included in the above figures.
There were 81 still born children white
31; colored 50.
“ The greatest mortality among the whites
occurred in the month of May, when it
reached 33 The lowest, in January, was 12
Among the blacks the greatest mortality
occurred in the months of May and Julv. 44
each. The lowest iu January, April, Octo
ber and November. 25 each. The greatest
total mortality was regis'ered in May—77
The lowest in January— 37.
“ We are unable to offer any comparative
statements of annual mortality, as reliable
mortuary statistics were not obtained prior
to the organization of the present Board in
July 1879
“It will be observed, by an examination
of the alrove figures that, of the total num
ber of deaths, 42 26 per cent, occurred in
children under five years of age ;—ll 78 per
cent, of all deaths was due to acute lung
diseases; 14,72 per cent, to consumption;
16 81 per cent, to diarrhoeal diseases, and
3.68 to typhoid fever
“ The disparity in the relative death rate
of tire whites and the negro is striking and
invariable. The record in this city does not
differ from that in other cities. The fact is
significant, and full of melancholy interest,
ami, unless these figures are reversed by the
statistics in the rural districts, the fate of the
race will not be difficult to read."
The above is copied from the official
report of the Board of Health. We
append some remarks of our own.
The entire report taken as a whole and
including both, whites and blacks,
shows that Atlanta is one of the health
iest cities in the world, the death-rate
being only 17.8 per thousand. For
white people the place is a marvel of
health the death-rate being only 13 per
thousand. For blacks It is nearly as
healthy as New York and Boston are
for anybody, the death-rate being 23.8
per thousand.
The most wonderful feature in the
report is the exhibit of the relative
mortality of whites and blacks, the
percentage of deaths among negroes
being nearly double that of the whites.
How can this remarkable fact be ac
counted for? Os course we do not
know but we suggest the following con
siderations.
1. The negroes are less thrifty than
the whites, consequently they suffer
more from the wants and prevations of
poverty. A vast number of white
people in Atlanta depend on their daily
labor for their daily bread just as the
negroes do. But it would seem that
they are either more industrious, or
that they know better how to husband
their means, or both.
2. The negroes are more reckless in
regard to their health than the whites.
They have not been in the habit of
taking care of themselves. They fre
quently expose themselves when a white
man would not do it. They neglect
themselves and postpone proper atten
tion until it is to late; and on recovery
from sickness or from slight indispo
sition they resume their occupation or
their ordinary habits too early.
3. When they have the disposition
to protect themselves they do not know
how to do it. They are ignorant of the
laws of health, and have no proper
knowledge of remedies. They become
the victims of quacks or what is pos
sibly worse, of conjurers.
4. Underlying all this there seems
to be another cause which is somewhat
occult and the nature of which we do
not understand. It seems to be a law
of nature that where two races of men
are placed in competition side by side,
the weak waxes weaker and the strong
stronger. It is the survival of the
strongest if not of the fittest.
The same phenomenon is witnessed
iu the Sandwich Islands where the
native race is rapidly disappearing.
The natives and Europeans have been
living peaceably together for about half
a century; the former have become
civilized and christianised, and yet
they are dying out, while the whites
are thriving and multiplying. Why is
this? We do not know-.
A somewhat similar case is that of
the American Indians. What became
of them? They were not all butchered.
They melted away.
We think it probable that if a million
of Chinese were placed among us,
thrifty as they are, three or four cent
uries would see the last of them. Part
of their blood would be absorbed and
the rest, would disappear.
There are five millions of negroes
more or loss imbued with the genius
of civilization. They will probably be
able to perpetuate their race for an in
definite length of time. But will they
thrive? The mortuary reports of all
the cities show that if they were not
replenished from the country they
would noon pass away.
Yet according to tffie census they
seem to be increasing more rapidly
than the whites. If this be true, it
would seem that country life is favor
able to the longevity while city life ab
breviates it.
We have no statistics from the
country but are inclined to the opinion
that the same causes which increase
mortality in the cities operate, though
not so strongly, in the rural districts.
The rapid increase of the negroes as
shown by the census may be more ap
parent than real. The census of 1870
probably did not report them fully
while the census of 1880 does.
One of the most significant facts in
the above quoted report shows that we
should look for the cause of slow increase
not merely at the end of life but at the
beginning of it. Os 81 still-born child
ren 31 were white and 50 black. This
was not so in former drys. Negroes
are not experts in certain kindsof vice ;
if they were some things which we now
hear of, would never come to light, hut
the result would be all the same. The
scientific methods of violating the sixth
commandment are unknown to them,
and we hope they will so remain.
The Revised Book of Di-cipi.ine. In
chapter i. sec. 5, of the revised form of
the Book of Discipline we read, “All
children born within the pale of the vis
ible church are members of the church,
are to lie baptized, are under the care of
the church, and subject to its government
and discipline, and when they have ar
rived at the years of diacr.tion they are
bound to perform all the duties of church
members.” This implies that children—
the children of Christian parents are
born members of the church. The lang
uage is in accordance with that used in
chapter ii. sections 2 and 4, of the “Form
of Government,” but not in accordance
with that used in chapter ix. sec. 1 of the
“Directory for Worship.’’ In the latter
place it is said, “Children born within
the pale of the visible church, and dedi
cated to God in baptism, are under the in
spection and government of the church.”
The difference between the two state
ments is worth looking at. The one says
that children are members of the church
irrespective of baptism ; the other that
they are members in consequence of bap
tiim. We are persuaded that the latter
statement is the correct one, and conse
quently that the statement of the As
sembly’s Committee is defective.
Very much embarassed are our Pres
byterian brethren with the question
of infant baptism. Greatly do they
disagree with each other; and the
above extract from our valued ex
change The Presbyterian of Philadel
phia shows that their book of Discip
line disagrees with itself. It is an old
chronic sore that has been plastered
over many times, but to no effect. It
will never cease to annoy them. It
is a piece of proud flesh the only re
medy for which is to apply the knife
and cut it out.
We think we can safely promise that
when they have settled all the difficul
ties in regard to infant baptism we
shall adopt it. Until then we are glad
to keep clear of a [so-called ordinance
which is as troublesome as it is un
scriptural. Yet some of the best people
we ever knew were Pedobaptists. How
strange!
An atrocious crime was recently
committed in Pennsylvania by a man
named Snyder, whereupon he was
seized by a mob of a hundred men and
put to death by hanging. On this the
N. Y. Independent says :
The hundred men that hung Snyder
a*e murderers, every man of them, and
by the laws of Pennsylvania are punish
able with death. They were not the of
ficers of law and had no authority for
their deed of crime. The fact that the
murderer deserved death gave them no
right to inflict it.
There ought to have been another cor
oner’s jury, to ascertain how Snyder came
to his death. His death was by murder,
as really as the death of those he mur
dered. He intended to kill his victims;
and ttie hundred men intended to kill
him. Society cannot with too much vig
ilance hunt down murderers and brit g
them to justice; but civil society must
demand that their punishment be com
mitted exclusively to the constituted
agents of law. If a self-appointed mob,
by mere brute force, does tins work, then
that mob ought to be brought to justice.
A righteous indignation should be taught
both the duty and the necessity of keep
ing itself within the limits of law. Penn
sylvania owes it to herself, as a com
munity of law and order, not to overlook
the crime which was committed by the
hundred or more men who hung Snyder.
Judge Lynch should be made to under
stand that the people have no occasion
for his services and that they will nut
tolerate them.
And these are our views exactly.
When Snyder’s crime was done, there
was one murderer; when he died at
the hands of that lawless mob there
were one hundred murderers. No con
ceivable circumstances in a civilized
country can justify what is called
Lynch law; and it could never be
administered, in our presence except
over our most earnest and most Solemn
protest.
It is true that God can work without
human agency; but he has not chosen
to do it. It is true that the strongest
Christian is weakness itself in- God’s
sight; but God has always chosen weak
things to overcome the strong. It is
for every Christian to put himself in
the way us God’s use, to join himself to
the army of God in every conflict with
sin ; and let him who stands aside fear
lest, when the battle is over and the
enemy routed, when the triumphant
hosts return to celebrate their victory,
when the shout and the song ring
through the habitations, then the
curse of God rests upon the indiffer
ent, as it rested upon Meroz in the
days of Deborah.— Journal aud Mes
senger,
TO ALL WHO ARE INTERESTED IN
THE WORK OF THE B‘>U HE UN
Baptist convention.
At the la!e meeting of the Southern Bap
tist Convention, held in Lexington Ken
tucky, the full iwing resolution was unani
mously passed:
R-solved, That the Boards of- this Con
vention are hereby instructed to appoint a
joint committee of three, whose duty it shall
t>e to prepares paper, setting forth, if pi-si
tile. some plan, by which the S mthero Bap
tist Convention may het er succeed m reach
big, for contributions, the in is-es of our
Southern churches; ad, that this paper be
presented for consideration at the next
meeting of the Southern Baptist Conven
tion.
The committeeappointed under rhe above
resolution led, that, tins is a subject to
which they may well call the attention of
all who are interested in the work us the
Southern Baptist Convention
A glance at the yearly contributions to
Home and Foreign Missions will suffice to
show that weare not duinga Work commen
surate with our ability. And we do not
think that for years to come, the Convention
can set before it any higher aim than that of
reaching and enlisting the masses us our
Southern churches in the cause ot missions.
Real progre s iu this direction from year to
year will be one of the best possible answers
to all questions concerning the need fur the
Convention, and rhe best of all justifications
f r having continued wicht le t.eretoiore ap
parently lar 6 e prupur.iou of expanses to in
come.
And we believe that for a work which so
imperatively needs to be done, there must
be some way for approximately
ing it.
The committee in preparing the paper as
instructed desire all the light that is possi
ble. Andas the territory ot tue Convention
is so laqe, and the conditions lor reaching
the masses must be so different in the differ
ent States, they ask from all who have giv
en, or who can give to the subject special
thought that they will send to the commit
tee, in the most concise form p issible, any
suggestions which can help them in brtng
'' g the subject properly be ore the Conven
tion.
Ac is also hoped that during the cothing
winter this subject may be discussed by the
editors and correspondents of our denomi
national newspapers, and thus brought to
the attention, nut only of the committee,
but also many of the masses.
Very respectfully,
F. H Kk&foot,
H. K. Ellysok,
W. C. Cleveland,
Committee.
N. B.—Please send all such communica
tions to F. H Kerfoot, 116 McCulloch street,
Baltimore, Md.
'the Baptist Review, Rev. J. R. Baumas,
D. D. editor, Cincinnati.
The January number of this excel
lent Baptist Quarterly is before us. It
contains 136 pages of entertaing and
valuable matter from some of our best
men. The four numbers of the year
will contain over five hundred pages of
the best that our denomination can
produce, and the price is $2.50 a year.
We cordially recommend it to the pa
tronage of our ministers and intelligent
laymen ; though really we think that
those who read and pay for so good a
publication are more patronized than
patronizing. The tide of beneficence
runs not towards the publishers of a
good book but towards the readers of
it. Among other excellent articles in
the present number is one on the Old
Testament Apocrypha by our brother
John A. Broadus. The editor Dr.
Baumes does not write the articles, it
is true, but it affords us pleasure to say
that he is known to us, and is held by
us in high esteem.
There is one thing that true moral
excellence will not permit itself to do,
and that is to pose before others iu its
daily walk, as though it would say:
“See me; see how patient I am ; how
gentle and winning; how resigned to
whatever trials may be sent to me; and
how superior to the passions and moods
of ordinary men and women.” A great
many persons who are really trying to
be Christians, virtaully say all this by
their manner, if not by their words.
But this is a strain of artificiality which
has no place in genuine goodness of
heart and life, which surely ought to
be above self-consciousness and the
Pharisaism of humility. “Surely,”
says a recent writer, “the spirit we
should long to find in ourselves, and in
any for whom wc have a care, is that
inward leaning towards all things love
ly, that inward shrinking from all
things base, which will make right
doing almost instinctive.” An instinct
ive right-doing is not made up of any
number of tableaux of saintliness.— S.
S. Times.
THE PARENTS’ AND TEACHERS'
ASSISTANT
IS REARING CHILDREN FOR ETERNAL LIFE,
BY REV. HENRY H. TUCKER, D. D.
FIFTY-SECOND WEEK.
And God shall wipe all tears from tbelr eyes
and there shall be no more death , neither sorrow
nor crying, n ither shall there be any more pain
lor the former things arc passed away. Rev.
xxi:l.
Heaven! sweet, happy, holy, glorious
heaven is to be the home of the saints
forever and ever. “Eye hath not seen
nor car heard, neither have entered in
to the heart of man the things which
God hath prepared for them that love
him.” 1 Cor. ii :9. Why then should
we fear to die? We have no reason to
fear; we should rather welcome death,
knowing that it will usher us into the
happiest place that God has ever pre
pared. “Amen, even so, come Lord
Jesus!” Rev. xxii ;20.
QUESTIONS.
What is said of heaven? What is
quoted from Cor.? Has the Christian
any reason to fear death? How should
be rather feel? What may he know
about death ?
1276
No chilling winds, nor poisonous breath,
■ Can reach that healthful shore:
Sickness and sorrow, pain and death,
Are felt and feared no more.
Filled with delight, my raptured soul
Would here no longer stay;
Though Jordan's waves around me roll,
Fearleu I'd launch away I