The Christian index and southern Baptist. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1881-1892, May 26, 1881, Image 1

The Christian index and southern Baptist., May 26, 1881, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextSOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST, ' ‘ THE CHRISTIAN HERALD, of Alabama. 0E Tennessee - ESTABLISHED I 8 21. Table of Contents. First Page—Alabama Department: “Mother Wit, Micah’s God's and Priests. The Religious Press. Second Page—Correspondence: The Sources ol Chinese Opposition to Christianity—R. H. Graves; Friendship Sunday-School Association; Jottings by the Way—J. M. G. Medlock; The Sunday-School: The Crucifixion—Lesson for J une sth ; The Whisky Traffic. The Missionary Depart ment—Twenty-Sixth Annual Report of Foreign Mission Board. Third Page -Children’s Corner: Bible Ex plorations ; Enigmas; Correspondence ; ' etc. Fourth Page—Editorials : Why are they not Baptists ? A Paradox ; After Many Davs —A story in two chapters; Georgia Baptist News; Two Burials. Fifth Page—Secular Editorials: News Para- Siphs; The Magazines: Biography of ptist Ministers ; New Books ; Georgia News. Sixth Page—The Household : Strength for To-day—poetry ; Breakfast Table Talk; Apples or P ars ? etc. Obituaries. Seventh Page—The Farmers’ Index: Cotton, Weather and Work ; Seventeen-Year Lo custs ; Bermuda Grass—Enquiry ; How to Manure Lands in the South. Eighth Page—Florida Department: Florida Facts, Fancies and Figures; Correspon dence ; Receipts Florida Mission Board. Alabama Department. BY SAMVEL HENDERSON. “MOTHER WIT.” There is a certain equilibrium, a happy balance of powers in some minds, of which commo:, sense, or “mo - ther wit,” ,is the result. We call it “mother wit” we suppose from the fact that the characteristics of the mother are more apt to be stamped upon children than those of the father. Such persons seldom make mistakes; and . even when they do, they have a singu lar knack of converting their blunders into valuable resources for future use. It is said that if you will give a cat six inches to fall, though you may start him on his back, he will fall on his feet. Such is the case with these level headed men. No matter how long or how short the distance they fall, they always light on their feet, with their backs to the past and their faces to the future. The most brilliant intellectual powers cannot supply this “mother wit”—all the books in the world cannot create it—it must be coeval with the dawn of reason if it ever becomes a regulating power in the character of the man, whether inspired by the sage counsels of the mother in the nursery, or whether the direct product of the all-creating power, or both. Certain it is that no learning in after years can produce it, as no disasters in life can destroy it. The want of it is the parent of nine-tenths, yea, ninety-nine hundreths of what are called the mishaps of life. Dr. Profundis is, in many respects, a gifted man, is thoroughly educated, is well read, and has had quite a varied experience of men and things. His sermons are all secundum artem. The introduction, the analysis, the argu ments an 1 illustrations, and the pero ration, ire all squared to the rule. Everybody regards him as a fine ser monizer. But somehow or other there is always something lacking to give force and effect to what he says. He can preach about as well from one text as another. There is a monotony, a uniformity in his preaching not unlike the interminable landscape of a vast prairie, where there is neither hill nor forest to break the continuity. He possesses that rare capacity of round ing off the angularities of those great Gospel truths which in themselves are “sharper than any two-edged sword,” so that they fall so gently upon his congregation as not to disturb their equanimity. Moreover his orthodoxy is above suspicion. It rings like a new brass kettle. There is not a wit in his neighborhood who cannot at any time wind him up on some contro verted point, at the corners of the street, by suggesting some difficulty, which he will occupy an hour in clear ing up; for the benefit (!) of his en quiring friend, as well as others who may gather round. Being as guiltless as a child, he never suspects the well feigned attention paid to his learned dissertations as being anything else but real. He reminds one of s he smart saying of Horace Walpole of Dr. Gold smith when he called him “an inspired idiot.” With rare capacities in some directions his life has proved a failure; but even of this he is not apprized. He has never found out but that his career in life has been as successful as that of any other man. It is a great mercy that God has not given to some worthy men the capacity to “see them selves as others see them.” It takes the keen edge off of many sources of mortification which make many lives miserable. How different has been the career of brother Fidus. With but few of the early advantages of Dr. Profundis, and certainly not his superior in native in tellect, he ha* long since acquired a position of usefulness in his denomina tion second to none where he is known. He set out in life with the all animating impulse that he had one thing to do, and that, as the great essayist, Foster, expresses it, he who does that one thing well, “must bring to its accomp lishment a concentration of energy, an unrelaxing persistency of purpose, that, to common men, looks like in sanity.” No means of improvement, no opportunities of usefulness, have been neglected. And what is note worthy is, that he possesses the tact, shall we call it, of making these means and opportunities go further than one man in a hundred. His well selected library (which is by no means exten sive) contains nothing but what bears directly or indirectly upon his calling and we need scarcely to add that every volume shows that it has been “well thumbed.” His sermons are the very opposite of those of Dr. Profundis, be ing distinguished for a kind of jagged ness, that generally finds the “joints in the harness,” and sticks where he sends them. And yet with all this, he*is a meq of th- most lowly spirit one ever meets; possessing a large measure of that “charity that suffereth long and is kind.” The genial element of his nature wells up in social and religious circles, making him one of the most charming companions. But in his pul pit ministrations, by a previous course of preparation, by prayer, reading and meditation, his subject masters him— he almost loses his identity in his theme. In rightly dividing the word of truth he literally “knows no man after the flesh.” His church and con gregation, though not wanting in proper expressions of appreciation of his worth, are too much occupied in nursing the wounds the truth has made in their own hearts, to indulge in meaningless compliments to their preacher. And then, in his pastoral visits, he has the rare sagacity to know exactly the force of those adverbs, how and when, as well as what to say, and when to take his leave. Hence, he is welcome wherever he goes. To say all in a sentence, to a piety above suspi cion, he combines a measure of “mother wit,” of good practical sense, that make him the wisest and safest counsellor in his church. It is due brother Fidus to say, that, notwithstanding his early imperfect training, such has been the industry and proficiency he has made in all the branches of study relating to the minist ry, one of our best institutions of learn ing has conferred on him the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity. If the honor be a reward of merit, none is more deserving. MICAH’S GODS AND PRIEST. The story of Micah is recorded .in the 17th and 18th chapters of Judges, and has its many points of interest. He was a religious man after a sort, having a “house of gods, made an ’ ephod, and teraphim, and consecrat ed one of his sons, who became his priest.” In process of time, there came along a young Levite, a regular tramp, 1 hunting “a place.” He was the very 1 man for Micah, for he wanted a Levite for his priest, and he agreed to perform 1 the ritual of the family for “ten shekels ’ of silver by the year,” (about six dol ’ lars,) and his victuals and “one change 1 of raiment.” A very meagre salary, ' we would say, but then it did very well ; for an adventurer, young and unskilled ■ in his calling. The “Danites”’ being * somewhat straitened in their bor- > ders, sent out a raiding party, to spy ■ out the country with the view of en ’ larging their boundaries. It was their * hap to pass through Mount Ephraim, i and fall in at the house of Micah. 1 Like all raiding parties, they were very I inquisitive And inclined to plunder, t They first decoyed off the Levite, his t priest, under the promise of a better ■ situation; for this priest, like not a few I religious teachers of all ages, looked up- > | on religion as a mere matter of bargain ATLANTA, GEORGIA, THURSDAY, MAY 26, 1881. afid sale. They then rifled his house of his gods, his ephod, and his tera phim, and departed. Micah gathered his neighbors and followed them, and when he came up with them, the Danites asked him’ “what aileth thee that thou comest with such a compa ny ?” Micah answered' “Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away; and what have I more? and what is this that thou sayest unto me, What aileth thee?” His silver gods and his priest constitut ed his religion, and when these wercT gone, nothing remained worth living for; and the poor man was distressed beyond measure. We would not be offensive, but we of* oten think of Micah’s priest when churches begin to bid against each other for a pastor. It is true, but little of this is done in our country churches, scarcely any of them paying as much as Micah did, “ten shekles of silver by the year, and a suit of epparel,and thy victuals ” many pastors not receiving food and raiment for their services. But theyi, some of our town and city churches appear to think that when they (lx their eye upon a brilliant nun, all they have to do to get him, is to add a few more shekels to his stipend than he is receiving, and that, a s a matter of coussc, he must “yield to the soft impeach ment.” True, they are sometimes mistaken in their man, (and would to God they could always be mistaken,) and find out that money is not the controlling motive at all times with all ministers. For it is not a little credita ble to the sacred profession, that there are not a few ministers, even in • these times of poverty, and though stinted tq the lagt degree, who can say to all -impute to them <o low and despfc .AW a motive, as Peter said MagusJ “Thy money perish with thee!” But that there are ministers who do yield to such motives is true from the fact that there are churches which present these motives; not, indeed, ostensibly, but covertly, in brackets if you please, but plainly enough to be seen. And then when we see sensible men, who were once in affluent circumstans es, and who by the calamities of their latter years are reduced down to com parative poverty, constantly poring over their misfortune, looking regretful ly upon the past, sadly upon the present and despondingly upon the future, we think of Micah’s saying, “Ye have taken away my gods, .... and what have I more!” They seem to have concluded that the chief end of man is to acquire property and money, and that when these their riches take to themselves wings and fly away, they can only exclaim, “what have I more!” and abandon themselvs to a life of misery and unavailing regret. The idea that all this has occurred under the infinite wisdom and goodness of God, and that He is the same in adver sity as in prosperity, in poverty as in riches, never gives the “silver lining” to the cloud on which they are con-1 stantly gazing. It is as if they regarded their property and money as the better part of themselves, so that when that is gone everything is gone. We remem ber a very short and terse speech a sensible man made to a number of our people at the close of the war, who were all anxiety about their property, as none of us knew what day or what hour a raid might pounce down upon us, and destroy or carry off what we had. Said this man, “What are you afraid of? Your property is not you. Suppose they do take all you have, you are still men. What is a man but a hundred and fifty pounds of flesh and what he believes? As long as we retain these, let us meet every crisis with a manly spirit!” Add one thing to the advice, and it was good then, is good now, and always will be good. Trust God and do your duty in the spirit of a true man, and what can harm you? Did you ever know anybody starve that had “faith as a grain of mustard seed,” and energy enough to work? Why, reader, if you are a child of God, you are as rich to-day as you ever were. The fact that you have not quite so much “filthy lucre,” we had like to have written mud, sticking to your garments as you had years ago, is of not the slightest consequence to you in the long run. This world can only give you a “through ticket” to a better. And is it wise for you to worry and fret over your present destiny, as if you were a mere bank-note bearing the face valuation of one hundred instead of one million dollars? Your real treasure are in Heaven. No “Danites,” or other “thives can break through and steal” those treasures. The poorest saint that ever lived is as rich there as Solo mon in all his princely wealth and earthly glory. Rest assured that you do not serve a Master who estimates his “jewels” like earthly bankers do the figures stamped upon a bill of exchange. “That which is highly esteemed among men” may be “an abomination to God.” As long as God, and Christ, and angels, and the Redeemer, and a Heaven full of glory are yours, you are just as rich as it is in the power of Almightiness to make you. This world is only impor tant to you as it may enable you to “lay up a good foundation against the time to come.” It is a blessing only as it is used wisely. The Religious Press. A writer in the Christian Observer says: Although it may appear to some persons a severe assertion, it is nevertheless true, that the Romish Church has done more in the work of discrediting the miracles of Jesus Christ than all ancient and modern unbelievers put together; for while pretend ing to elevate the spurious miracles of Rom anism, to the level of the former, she has really done nothing more than to reduce the former to the level of the latter. There is some truth in this, and some error. Spurious miracles do no thing but harm, and may indeed shake the confidence of some in all miracles. The case of counterfeit coin is parallel. It may raise doubt of genuine coin, and make people cautious in receiv ing it, but it can never reduce gold to the level of brass. Old Maids.—A sensible writer expresses his opinion of old maids in the following , manner: “I am inclined to think that 1; many of the satirical aspersions cast upon r oitl mtedt tell more to their credit .han is generally imagined. Is a young woman re markably neat in her person, she will be an old maid. Is she perfectly reserved toward the other sex, she has all the squeamishness of an old maid. Is she frugal in her expenses and exact in her domestic concerns, she is cut out for an old maid. If she is kindly humane to the animals about her, nothing can save her from the appelation of an old maid. In short, I have always found that neatness, modesty, economy and humanity are the never failing characteristics of that terrible creature—the old maid. “It is no doubt a terrible thing to be an old maid, but so long as men drink rum, chew tobacco, smoke cigars, and act like beasts and fools, it is not the worst thing that can happen to a decent woman. Indeed, we should not have to hunt very far to find plenty of women who are not old maids, but who would give all their boots and shoes if they were, and who in bitterness and sorrow lament the day when the suffered the yoke to be placed upon their necks. “Marriage is honorable in all, but if it is honorable it should be honored, and those who make it a burden and curse and calam ity need not to wonder that intelligent and considerate women fear to take the risks it involves.” We do not know to whom we are indebted for what is above written, but it expresses our sentiments, and we beg to add the opinion, that where there is one old maid who wishes that she were married, there are scores of married women who wish that they were old jnaids. Whiskey, tobacco, self ishness and inconsiderateness of a wo man’s feelings, make matrimony to bear hard on the gentler sex. We hear a great deal about lawlessness at the South, and the political papers of the North are constantly descanting on the lax administration of the criminal law here. It is in order, therefore, to state on the author ity of the “Christian Leader” that there were 58 murders in the city of New York (the very centre of Northern civilisation) last year, and only two executions.—Central Presbyterian. We care but little for what the political papers say; we expect nothing but par tizan unfairness from them. It is when the religious papers “raise a false re port” that We are hurt. Then we incline to say with David: “If it had been an enemy I could have borne it.” But, O man of God, “it was thou, our equal, our guide, our acquaintance with whom we have taken sweet counsel together, and with whom we have walked unto the house of God in company.” 0 man of God, it was thou I" The Standard (Chicago) inviting the Baptists of the Eastern States to attend the anniversaries at Indiana polis, says: “One of the good results which we hope • will come from the anniversaries is that theywillmakelndianapolisand its neighbor ing cities better known to our New England i friends. We trust that those persons who consider Ohio and Indiana as ‘out .Vest,’ 1 and Chicago as over the verge of civilization will all be there. If they see no painted savages walking in the streets, but rather , the marks of as great a degree of progress as are to be seen in any Eastern cities of the ' size, they may be less inclined to look upon ! these regions as all missionary ground. r Whatever the preconceptions of this class, , fortunately small, we hope that its members will every one be present at the Indianapolis t meetings, and we anticipaW for them that their disappointments will be often er agree able than otherwise.” Russia has latterly been the theatre of anti-Jewish riots. The meanest thing under the sun is the spirit which would destroy those who by industry, economy and native intelligence nave risen to a higher level than their persecutors. The persecuted Jew is a far nooler specimen of humanity than his persecutors. This is what we call a doctrinal ar ticle, and the doctrine is good. The article is from a pofitical paper—the Democratic Standard (Pa.). “Peace on earth— good will to men.” Speaking of Bible Societies, Foreign Missions, etc., the Catholic Mirror (Bal timore, says: These enkindle and keep alive religious contentions; bring Christianity into discredit, propagate doubt snd indifference among weaklings, and force the more daring and reckless into the ranks of scientific infidelity and hopeless atheism. We have no comment to make. How strange it is that people in one part of our country should always im agine that the people in all other parts of it are barbarians! It results from a state of chronic self-conceit and self righteousness. Well, the Chinese are just so. Perhaps we should all feel better if we had a little of the conceit taken out of us. An exchange paper says that it is in “bad taste” for a member of a deliber ative body to appeal from the decision of its presiding officer! What next? The man who gets over-zealous in plead ing for the “distinctives” is not always so useful as he thinks he is. They become his hobby, and he rides it so habitually, and often so rudely, that he does an injury when he is meaning only to do good. People do not like hobbies. They are particularly sen • sitjve about such as relate to things they hold in special reverence, and when some one, through an excess of zeal, takes up what they have sworn to, and which they are honestly but quietly trying to regard, making it the staple of his lecturing, they grow restive, and finally disgusted. We have known men of this class to be dreaded in churches by those who were as well estab lished in the faith as themselves, and it is but a common observation that the pastor who seasons his preaching too strongly with specific denominational homilies is almost sure to dry up the springs of piety in his parishioners.—United Presbyterian. Never was a truer thing said. The man who rides a hobby jogs up and down considerably, but makes no pro gress. The man whose head and heart, and mouth and inkstand, are so full of baptism and the terms of com munion, and church-government, that there is no room in them for anything else, is about as poor a specimen of a Christian as we have ever seen. A large hobby is as bad as a small one. Any kind of a hobby diminishes, if it does not destroy, a man’s influence for good. A number of persons connected with the theatrical pertormances in Cincinnati on Sunday week, were arrested on Monday and taken before Police Judge Wilson, who de ferred the trial till after the expiration of his official term. Yes, but when the proprietress of an indecent minstrel troupe was brought before Recorder Milledge, in Atlanta, she was fined one hundred dollars. When several hundred persons who have met together ostensibly to worship God, spend a quarter of a hour before the service in whispered gossip and giggling, the elo quence of an angel in the pulpit could not counteract fully the effect of such irrever ence, * * * * * * * The fifteen minutes immediately preced ing the formal opening of divine service de termine to a large extent its whole character and result. Think of this, and reform your conduct in the house of God.—Christian Ad vocate. We heartily concur in all this, and will add that the fifteen minutes just after divine service have much to do with its effect. Conversation, harmless in itself at other times, is harmful either before or after so solemn a thing as the worship of Almignty God. His altar should be approached and left re verently and in silence. The disposition to act the critic is almost universal. It is a necessary disposition and a right one, and it is only when it is im properly exercised that it becomes an injury. —United Presbyterian. Genuine criticism always shows how that which is complained of could be amended or improved; anything else is mere fault-finding. There are but few real critics, while fault-finders are many. “Kxepino Back Pabt of Thx Pbicb. —It is related of a chief of an Irish clan, that when he came to be baptized, centuries ago, he held up out of the water his right hand. When asked what the act meant, he replied that he withheld that member from God’s service, that with it he might war against i a hostile clan. With scarcely less folly do ; some Christians hold back part of their VOL. 59.—N0. 21. money, their time or influence from God, and think that He will accept the rest. To be a faithful follower of Jesus we must allow nothing to come between us and Him. A soldier who went to war took with him some ot the small instruments of his craft— he was a watch tinker—thinking to make some extra shillings now and then while in camp. He did so- He found plenty of put. tering, and almost forgot that he was a sol dier, so that one day, when ordered off on some duty, he exclaimed, “Why, how can I go? I’ve got ten watches to mend!” Some Christians are so absorbed in self-seeking that they are ready to say to the Master’s call, “I pray thee, have me excused?” They are nominally soldiers of Christ, but really only watch-tinkers—they keep back part of the price. Every transaction ot life has its moral side to it. Two men engage in trade and we say of their purchase and sale that they are business and secular, and yet the commer cial part of what they do is trivial compared with its ethical features. It is by rightly considering this that life gets its appropriate training.—-United Presbyterian. If a man does much buying and selling, and bargaining, his religious character is apt to crop out somewhere ; and he whose character is below par in this department of life is not to be trusted anywhere. It is perfectly manifest that our times need a little more of the ring of the old evangel ical metal; our pulpits a little less of speculs ative philosophy, and a little more of that downright assertion of God’s claims, which Jesus Christ and Paul and Peter used when they closed and clenched ever r argument with a Thus it is written, Thus saith the Scripture.—lnterior. Not long ago a Baptist brother speaking of a sermon which he had just heard, said, “I couldn’t stand the doctrine of that sermon—l didn’t like it.” “Well,” said the friend to whom he was talking, “didn’t the preacher fortify every point he made by fair and honestly applied quotations from the Scriptures?”, “Yes”, said the first speaker, “so he did, but I can’t swallow such doctrine as that.” Yet this man as already said, was a Baptist. Evid ently he needs to be taught that the Bible is the only rule of faith and practice, and that “Thus saith the Lord,” settles all questions. Whether the “doctrine” chimes in with your no tions or not is a matter of no import ance ; if it is taught in the word of God it is true, however, much it may grate upon your feelings or contradict your philosophy; and the sooner you learn to accept it, the better the prospect will be for your soul’s salvation. “Sanct ify them through thy truth ; thy word is truth,” says our Savior. Whose word is truth? Not yours; His. It is somewhat singular, but not uncom mon that a man will voluntarily agree to do a certain work or serve on some committee, and yet when the time comes for service fail to meet the obligation he voluntarily asum ed. It certainly shows a low conception of the value and solemnity of a promise. If it is in connection with Christian work it is so much the worse, because it directly concerns the welfare of Christ’s cause. No man is. forced to engage or promise to do anything in the Lord’s service. He makes such en gagements willingly. How sad under such circumstances is it to see the trivial and of ten no excuses which prevent the fulfillment. A disregard which would ruin the reputa tion and interests of any man if practiced in any business occupation, is freely indulged in and treated as trivial or as a matter of course in the most solemn occupation ever committed to the hands of mortal man, the work of the Lord Jecus Christ. It is only in accordance with the secular mission of the Church that the Baptists of Richmond, Va., should make an effort to establish a “Home for the Aged.” Could they do less than this without a departure from the spirit of the New Testament? The Baptist Record believes with all its heart that “whenever the Baptists of the South are properly addressed on the subject of missions they will give $1,000,000 a year to send the gospel abroad.” And that will be but the be ginning of still greater things. Institutes for the benefit of colored ministers are held in several portions of South Carolina by white Baptists. This fact, we presume, stands in the re lation partly of cause and partly of ef fect, to the cordial feeling between the races in that State. Preaching every Sunday is had by only 21, and preaching more than once a month by only 93, out of the 639 white Baptist churches of South Carolina. The Ministerial Students of Missis sippi College, (Baptist,) request the publication, in book-form, of the lec tures delivered before them by Rev. J. J. D. Renfroe. The Tunkers, or “German Baptists,” have churches in twenty States of the Union, with 1,575 ministers.