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HENRY H. TUCKER, Kditor
PRA YING IN PUBLIC.
Every Christian man ought to be
both able and willing to pray, either
in private or in public, whatever the
circumstances may be, whenever he is
properly called on to do so. To those
who are not accustomed to it, this is
not an easy thing to do. Os course it
ought to be easy ; one ought to be so
unconscious of self, and so forgetful of
his surroundings, and so regardless of
man, and his thoughts ought to be so
above anything earthly, and his com
munion with God ought to be so close
and so sweet, that nothing could
prevent him from pouring out his heart
as freely before a great multitude, as if
he were alone in his closet. But we
are weak, and we are ignorant, and we
are sinful, and we are, too many of us,
unpracticed. Most persons, we presume,
especially in the beginning of Chris
tian life, experience most painful em
barrassment when called on to dis
charge this duty. To many, it is the
heaviest and sorest cross they ever
have to bear, and some even of those
who have tasted the good word of God,
have passed through life without ever
having learned to bear it at all; and by
consequence their Christian influence
has been crippled, and their spiritual
enjoyment marred, during their whole
journey. They travel wearily and
painfully along, like a man who
wears an artificial leg, and are inef
ficient like a man who has lost his
right arm, and must often stand by in
mortifying inaction, while others do
what ought to be done by them, or
while what ought to be done is left
wholly undone. We have no hard'
words to say of these unfortunate breth
ren, for however blameworthy they may
be, they have our heartfelt sympathies.
We have had the same experience that
distresses them, and it was only after
long years of effort, we may say of ago
nizing effort, that we overcame the ob
staclss in our way. We desire to say
a few words for their encouragement.
First of all, we express the opinion,
that any ordinary man, whether learn
ed or unlearned, whose heart is fixed—
who can truly say, “ O, God my heart
it fixed, ’’ can learn to pray if he will
only keep on trying. The best way to
do anything is to keep on trying, and
certainly praying is no exception to
this rule. We often hear of the gift of
prayer, as if it were a thing bestowed
on a passive recipient; butit is more like
a gift bestowed on those whose hearts
are set on it, and so set that they will
strive to attain, and keep on striving.
Os course, there can be no prayer when
the heart is not right before God ; and
no man is likely to have the “ gift of
prayer” on public occasions, who has
not the habit of frequent prayer in
private. On the other hand, one whose
mind and heart are saturated with
the spirit of prayer, will find it compar
atively easy to pray in one place as
well as another.
But besides the heart-work, which
is indispt nsable, and which is really the
chief thing, a certain amount of intel
lectual effort is involved in player. A
man who is in earnest may be aided
somewhat, perhaps, by an analysis of
prayer, into the elements which pro
perly compose it. We use the word
_ prayer not in its restricted sense of
mere asking, but in its more common
and wider sense, as describing the
whole address, which creatures such as
we should offer to our Maker in the
name of our Mediator, Redeemer and
Saviour.
Let us remember, then, in the first
place, that prayer in this sense is an act
of worship. If we had no favors to
ask, and no blessings to be thankful
for, it would still be an instinct of our
nature, and it would still be proper to
adore. God is a great God, and a great
King above all gods, and is worthy of
profoundest homage. As he is the
impersonation of infinite excellence, all
moral beings should naturally incline
to admire, and honor, and revere, and
praise, and love him, and to bow down
and worship him, in devout recognition
of his greatness, and goodness and glo
ry. There is an immense number of
expressions of this kind in the Scrip
tures, and especially in the Psalms;
any one who is familiar with them,
as every Christian ought to be, and
who appreciates them, can but adopt
them as bis own; and a few of these
make a most appropriate beginning for
a prayer, and it is easy to bring them
into use.
Thanksgiving is another element of
prayer, which ought to be made con
spicuous. Certainly every Christian
knows and feels, that he has much to
be grateful for, and it is easy to recount
our mercies. We have often thought
that in the public prayers of our breth
ren, thanksgiving is too much neglect
ed ; and we are sure that the best way
to secure additional blessings is to ex
press heart-felt thanks for those we
have. To be forever saying give, give,
without saying “ Thanks be to God for
what he was already given,” seems to
argue more regard for the gifts than for
the Giver, and certainly this is not the
spirit most likely to prevail in prayer.
Indeed we can easily conceive, that an
address to the Almighty consisting of
nothing but thanksgiving, might
Bring blessings down in greater abun-
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX AND SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST: THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1881.
dance than the most eager asking.
When our Saviour took the cup, he
“ gave thanks," and thus has set us an
example, in prayer, which it is easy to
follow.
Confession is another part of prayer.
Certainly we have enough to confess.
In secret prayer it is best, in our opin
ion, to confess our sins, not in mere
general terms, but specifically, and
by name. In public prayer this
would not be proper, but there are
plenty of things to confess in which all
are alike interested, and the Scriptures
furnish us with a great abundance of
expressions which most exactly meet
our wants. The common complaint
with men is, that they lack words; the
truth is more likely to be, that they
lack the spirit; but the mere want of
words is most copiously supplied in the
Bible. The book of Psalms is a perfect
treasure-house of such expressions as
are needed ; expressions which cannot
be improved upon, and which will be
in constant use by the saints until the
end of time.
The prayer proper—that is, the peti
tionary part—comes next. What have
we to ask of God? All that is worth
having is worth asking for. We con
stantly need the blessings of provi
dence; and the prayer which our Sa
viour taught'us contains a petition for
these. The “daily bread” represents
them all, and, though specific in ex
pression, is generic in meaning; and
there is no reason why we should not
ask for other needful things as well as
for this; and there are innumerable
instances in the Scriptures, where other
things es like character have been
sought and granted. Spiritual bless
ings, such as forgiveness of sin, sus
taining grace, enlightenment from on
high, and the aid of the Spirit, it is cer
tainly proper to ask for, and it is easy
to ask for them.
Intercession for others is a feature
of prayer which should flever be for
gotten. In secret prayer, persons may
well be named, and sometimes, also, in
public ; but there are always classes of
persons for whom it is proper to pray
in public. These are the poor, and
the sick, and the bereaved, and the
tempted, and the unconverted, and the
heathen, and the great army of God’s
laborers, who all need the prayers of
the saints.
Pleading is a constituent of prayer
somewhat different from petition. It
consists of argument going to show
why our prayer should be heard. The
argument is always substantially this :
That our need is great, that God’s
mercy is great, that his promises are
many, and that Christ died.
We do not say that every prayer
should be mechanically constructed
after the model which has been given ;
but we do say that, to regard the ele
ments of prayer in their separate char
acter, will aid a man who is trying to
learn how to do his duty. As occasion
may require, one or more of these ele
ments may be omitted, and as occasion
may require, one or more may be made
specially prominent. But any one
must see, that half a dozen sentences,
or even a smaller number, on each of
the topics named, and borrowed, if need
be, from the Scriptures, would make a
prayer which would be complete in its
parts, satisfying to him who offered it,
edifying to those who might join in it,
and, if offered in Christian faith, ac
ceptable to God.
If our brethren who are struggling
hard to do their duty in this respect
will carefully consider the outline of
prayer which has been given, we think
it will aid them in the accomplishment
of their holy desires.
Rev. Dr. Dagg.—An article has
found its way into the secular press,
calling on the friends of Dr. J. L. Dagg
to render him pecuniary aid. This
appeal was well meant, doubtless; but
the impression that our venerable
“father in Israel,” who will complete
the eighty-eighth year of his life next
February, is in needy circumstances,
rests on no foundation of fact. While
not by any means a. rich man, he has
a sufficiency of this world’s goods to
supply every want. He resides at
present with his daughter, Mrs. Ruge
ley, at Hayneville, Ala., and if he could
be induced to return to Georgia, would
find a home with another daughter,
Mrs. Mallary, of Rome.
The rheumatism, which has drawn
his lower limbs, renders walking diffi
cult'and confines him mostly to the
bed; but he is conspicuously a con
tented, cheerful man, and no murmur
ever enters his heart, much less escapes
his lips. His health in other respects
is good. His sight has improved, and
the optic nerve seems less morbidly
sensitive than in past years. While
his throat troubles him still, he yet
converses, not as formerly in whispers,
but in loud, distinct tones; and his
partial deafness is not so great as to
render communication with him diffi
cult. His intellect retains the vigor
which has always distinguished it: he
is in mind a giant as of yore. He
speaks much of his “heavenly home,”
but earthly friendships have lost none
of their interest to him, and he remains
keenly alive to all that concerns the
welfaie of Zion. No one has felt a
more intelligent or more ardent desire
that the recent discussions respecting
the inspiration of the Scriptures should
issue in the rejection of “the novelties
which disturb our peace” and our doc
trinal purity as a people.
The Exposition closes on the 31st
instant.
A SERMON SPOILED.
Is it an objection to the New Ver
sion, or is it a recommendation of it,
that it spoils some of our best sermons
by showing that we have misinterpre
ted the text? We think it is a recom
mendation ; for however sound our
doctrine may be, if we pervert the
Scripture in promulgating it, we are
doing a great wrong. Nothing can
atone for the fault of making the in
spired words mean what they do not
mean. Most of our preachers are not
critical scholars,'and hence while they
preach good doctrine, they are liable
to fall into error in their understanding
of the text. The great advantage of
the New Version is, that it supplies to
all, whether learned or unlearned, the
results of the best scholarship of our
times. Sometimes even those who
ought to know better, and who do know
better, use scriptural phrases in a sense
in which they were not used by those
who wrote them.
,We are led to make these remarks
by the criticism of our Chief of Staff
on a blunder of our own, made only
last Sunday. In public prayer we
asked that our people might be a
“peculiar people,” and that their pecu
liarity should be this : that they should
be zealous of good works; mentally
referring, of course, to the passage in
1 Peter 2:9, where the apostle speaks
of “a chosen generation, a royal priest
hood, an holy nation, a peculiar
people.”
The word peculiar here is, for our
day, an unfortunate translation. The
word in the original does not mean (as
the word peculiar does) that which is
odd, or singular, or different from wbat
is common; it means, rather, that
which is one’s own— his possession—
his property. Hence the New Version
has it “a people for God’s own posses
sion,” and this is a proper rendering.
In Exodus 19 : 5, a parallel passage is
found in the words “Ye shall be a pecu
liar treasure unto me above all people;”
and in Malachi 3:17, where we read,
“They shall be mine, saith the Lord of
hosts, in that day when I make up my
jewels."
But the question arises, how came
King James’ translators to make such
a mistake as to render the Greek by
the word peculiar? It was not a mis
take ; the word has, in common use,
exchanged its meaning since they used
it. In its etymological sense, it means
that which is one’s own, and it was so
understood two hundred and seventy
years ago. King James’ men did just
what they ought to have done in this
respect, and the late revisers have done
just what they ought to have done.
Many scriptural expressions like that
under consideration become familiar to
a man’s mind, and it is but natural
that he should sometimes inconsider
ately use them in a sense not warranted
by the original. This is the only ex
cuse we can make for our blunder. If
we had been about to preach from the
text, we should have been more careful.
Has not many a sermon been
preached from the words “a peculiar
people?” We have a vague idea that,
in our earlier ministry, we used, or
rather misused, this text as the basis of
a sermon. But if we did it at all, it
was a long, long time ago, and our
youth must be our apology for lack of
knowledge.
An Illustration.—Two men are
drowning in mid-ocean; one of the
men is large and heavy, the other
is small and light. Before their
strength is quite exhausted, a ship of
the largest class draws nigh and is
about to rescue both, The large man
(let us suppose that he is somewhat
crazed by his sufferings) fears that,
from his extraordinary size, he will be
too great a burden for the ship, aud is
afraid to trust himself on it. But the
small man, being in his right mind,
says, “Brother, be of good cheer; if we
had to swim from mid-ocean to shore,
we might well despair, but this ship
can carry a thousand such men as you.”
Herb are two perishing sinners; one of
them has led what men call a blameless
life, the other is one of the vilest of the
vile. If they are to be saved by virtue
of any merit that is in them, or on
account of anything that they can do,
if heaven is to be gained by their own
strength, the case of both would be
hopeless. Strong swimmers and weak
swimmers, and those who could not
swim at all, would all be lost if left
without help in the middle of the
ocean ; and so those of great virtue or
little virtue, or no virtue at all, if left
to themselves to work out their salva
tion by personal merit, must all fall
short alike of eternal life.
Jesus Christ is the Son of God ; and
he came into this world to save sin
ners. One sinner is the same to him
as another. Any one who trusts’in
him is as safe as any other who trusts
in him; for all who trust in him are
saved. A comparatively virtuous sin
ner and the vilest of all sinners are
equally lost and equally saved. Outof
Christ one is as certainly lost as the
other; in Christ one is as certainly
saved as the other. Men drowning in
mid-ccean are never saved by their own
efforts, and perishing sinners are never
saved by theirs ; no deeds of righteous
ness which they can do will be of the
least avail. Let them cease to struggle,
for struggling is useless. Christ is
mighty to save; Christ is the mighty
God; and omnipotence is pledged to
save all who trust in him ; and there is
no salvation for any but in him.
Sunday-schol Helps.—The Southern
Baptist Convention, through its Sun
day-school paper Kind Words, in its
different editions of weekly, semi month
ly, monthly, Quarterly, and Weekly Les
son Papers, is seeking to provide for the
wants of our Sunday-schools. That
these wants are properly met, these
productions themselves testify. They
are sent forth by our brother 8. Boykin,
at Macon, Ga., under the auspices of
the Home Board of the Southern Bap
tist Convention, and we invite the at
tention of our Sunday-school people to
them, and advise their introduction in
to our Southern Baptist Sunday
schools. In appearance they are neat,
well illustrated and as to doctrinal
views, reliable.
If our people are to rear up a gener
ation to carry out the plans and senti
ments which we now advocate, they
should encourage the literature which
promulgates those plans. In its reli
gious and spiritual tone, we believe
Kind Words worthy of the confidence
and support of our denomination, and,
therefore, feel safe in recommending it
to our Sunday schools and families.
We call attention to the advertise
ment of the Mercer High School, in
Penfield, of which our brother, Rev. J.
W. Ellington, is Principal. We have
known brother Ellington for many
years; in fact, he was a student at
Mercer University during part of the
time of our Professorship there. We
can confidently recommend him as a
teacher, and have no doubt that he
will give entire satisfaction to those
who may patronize his school.
It is a long way from Georgia to
Maine, nevertheless we send to our
brother, Dr. H. S. Burrage, of Zion’s
Advocate, our congratulations on his
recent marriage, wishing him all the
joy that can flow from this only relic
that we have of the happiness of Eden.
The correspondents of Dr. Landrum
will address their letters —Rev. 8.
Landrum, D D., Coliseum Ph.ce Bap
tist church, New Orleans, La.
GLIMPSES AND HINTS.
A gentleman belpnging to the Soci
ety of Friends, in a private letter,
writes: “This much I can say, with
all Friends, that infant baptism is a
rite for which we find not only no
Scriptural or historical foundation, but
even no seeming apology, and which
in its tendency is mischievous exceed
ingly.”
A writer in the Presbyterian thinks
that Rev. A. B. Simpson, of New York,
ought to have been disciplined or cen
sured by the Presbytery, 1, for his se
cret immersion, and, 2, for bis public
utterance (in a Presbyterian pulpit)
of his rejection of infant baptism. We
lean to the side of this writer as re
spects the first point. And if Mr. S.
was immersed secretly by a Baptist
minister, does not that minister need a
little discipline or censure from our
people ?
Prof. Phelps justly remarks that a
preacher’s views on inspiration will
show themselves in his preaching.
“Homiletic exposition always involves
some theory of inspiration. We can
not, if we would, discuss the Bible as
if the question of its inspiration were
obsolete. Homiletic exposition must
often disclose a preacher’s theory of in
spiration. If you do not define it in
form, you must often express it by im
plication. When you do not express
it, you will often hint at it. When you
do not consciously hint at it, it
will look out of the windows of your
sermon and show itself for what it is.
It is important to observe, therefore,
that no indefinite theory of inspiration
can live in the popular faith. The
fact is a most significant one, that the
popular mind never, to any considera
ble extent, enters into refined distinc
tions on this doctrine. It receives
the doctrine in some strongly defined
form, or in no form. Vagueness of
teaching destroys the doctrine as effect
ually as flat denial. Exposition must
assume it in a bold form.”
The English Baptists have now at
least ’four hundred missionaries, in
charge of nearly six hundred stations
and sub-stations, with an aggregate
membership of about forty thousand.
We see in the newspapers a state
ment, that there are seven hundred
colored Baptists preparing for the min
istry, in institutions established, at the
South, for their benefit. To meet the
present and prospective needs of color
ed Baptists, in this country and Africa,
there ought to be seven thousand.
The Morning Star, Dover, N. H.,
mentions the statement that there are
in the South “ten different connections
of Free-will Baptists,’’chiefly in the Car
olinas, Georgia and Alabama, and adds
to the number two others in Arkansas,
and one in Missouri. These bodies are
small and scattered, and may be rank
ed among Baptist “open-commun;on
ists’, as “the Dispersion.”
South Louisiana, with a territory of
perhaps about forty thousand square
miles, is almost to be compared with
heathen countries, so far as Baptist
teaching is concerned. But our peo
ple have made a beginning at Lake
Charles, Vermilion ville, Opelousas,
Washington and Alexandria.
Rev. Gilbert Beebe, of New York,
who, when the division of American
Baptists on the question of missions
took place, sided with the Anti-mission-
aries, and became through bis paper,
the Signs of the Times, a leading ad
vocate of their views, died last month,
of apoplexy.
A Methodist missionary writes that
the Brazilians give the name “Deabo”
devil—to every ox and every mule
of theirs.
Rev. J. M. Cramp, D.D., died, Dec.
6th, in his 86th year. He was bap
tized when sixteen years of age, and
did honorable service as pastor in
England, his native country, and as
president of the Baptist colleges at
Montreal, Canada, and Acadia, Nova
Scotia. He was author of “Text Book
of Popery,” “Reformation in Europe,”
“Life of Madame Feller,” “Paul and
Christ,” and “History of the Baptists,”
and leaves in manuscript a “System of
Christian Theology.”
The church at Tromsoe, connected,
as are twelve others, with the Norway
Baptist Union, is the most northerly
Baptist church in the world, being
above the Arctic Circle; but no diffi
culty is found at any time in immers
ing believers after the New Testament
model. So testifies Dr. S. F. Smith in
the Watchman.
The Boston letter of the Chicago
Standard says that Prof. Toy is not
connected with Harvard Divinity
School, (as asserted in a statement
copied into our paper two weeks ago,)
but with the University, and that he is
a regular wen-shipper at the Cambridge
Baptist church, sitting under the min
istry of Dr. Franklin Johnson from
Sabbath to Sabbath.
The N. Y. Methodist hopes “there
will be no more Evajgelical Alliance
meetings until those who participate in
them get grace enough to commune
together at the Lord’s table.” It is
“grace,” then, which decides a man’s
views as to communion; and open
communiouists excel in “grace.” Not
the grace of modesty surely, when
they speak in this style. They are
welcome to the degree and kind of grace
which sets aside the law of the New
Testament respecting the Christian
ordinances.
A writer in the Lutheran Standard
represents Martin Luther as saying
that “ those who can dispense the Sac
rament” (give the bread and wine of
the Lord’s supper) “ to Reformed and
Lutheran communicants at the same
time, must have hearts harder than
adamant.” This is high authority for
ascribing open communion, even be
tween two bodies of Pedobaptists, not
to “melting charity,” not to “grace,”
but to hard heartedness!
Rev. W. A. Nelson, D.D., returns
from North Carolina to Tennessee, to
act as State Evangelist, under appoint
ment of the Baptist State Mission
Board.
Dr. Marsena Stone has been oblige d,
by ill-health, to give up his work as
Teacher of Theology in the Colored
Institute, Selma, Ala.
A Congregationalist pastor writes to
the London Nonconformist “that there
is often as much ‘bigotry’ among Con
gregationalists against immersion as
among Baptists in its favor.” He would
like to see his own denomination place
baptisteries in their houses of worship
and allow immersion to those who pre
fer it. Put by his side the Methodist
Presiding Elder, in Texas, who said,
not long since, that “to be immersed is
departing from the faith I ”
During the presidential canvas last
year, Dr. H. L. Morehouse, of New
York, in a speech before a Baptist
Association, made a partisan political
appeal in behalf of one of the candi
dates. Dr. M. is the Corresponding
Secretary of the American Baptist
Home Mission Society, and the speech
in question was delivered in advocacy
of that Society.
A writer in the Lutheran Standard
—illustrating the position that “it is
sinful to observe those rites and cere
monies with which a false doctrine has
been associated”—says :
There are also ceremonies found in
Protestant churches in which an en
lightened Christian cannot participate.
The sects generally make the breaking
of the bread a necessity in the distribu
tion of the Holy Supper. This breaking
is said to be required by Christ’s exam
ple,and by its signification. That Christ
did break the bread may not be denied;
but no one can show us a word of com
mand, by which such breaking would
be required. On the other hand, they
have made it necessary for us to abstain
from such breaking of the bread. They
have connected a false doctrine with it,
which we cannot confess. It is affirmed,
that as the bread is broken in the Sacra
ment, so was Christ’s body broken upon
the cross. That Christ’s body was not
broken as bread is broken, because not
a bone of Him was broken, is known to
all who have read the history of Christ’s
suffering. The breaking of bread can
then not be an emblem of Christ’s suf
fering, for which reason we refuse to
break the bread in the celebration of the
Holy Supper.
We have a question to ask, for in
formation. The eating of the bread
and drinking of the wine in the Lord’s
supper, as was done by the disciples, is
of the essence of the ordinance. Now,
our question is this: Is it also of the
essence of the supper that there should
be an officer to do what Christ did at
its institution —that is, to break the
bread and dispense the wine? This
question has been answered in the
affirmative, by the practice of all de
nominations. Has not this fact helped
to vitiate the doctrine of the ordinance,
by the intrusion of the idea of priestly
consecration and supernatural efficacy ?
GEORGIA BAPTIST NEWS.
—The colored Baptist of Greenville, Meri
wether county, are preparing to erect a new
house of worship.
—Rev. A. L. Lamar, of Camden, S. 0,
preached last Sunday at the First Baptist
church, Macon.
—Telegraph and Messenger: Rev. Dr. I.
R, Branham, after an absence of many years,
will, at an early date, resume his residence
and open bis school in Macon. We welcome
him back.
—The members of the Cave Spring Bap
tist church have elected Rev. M. H. Lane
pastor for the next year.
Sparta Isbmaelite: Rev. L. R. L. Jen
nings will probably be called to the pastorate
of the Baptist church for another year. He
has filled the pulpit very acceptably the past
year, and our Baptist friends will do well to
secure his services.
—Warrenton Clipper: Long Creek church
near Beall Spring has called Rev, E R. Cars
well to the pastorate of that church. Thia
is one of the best country churches in Mid
dle Georgia. The retiring pastor, Rev. T. J.
Veazey, has served them acceptably for a
long time and now be is to be succeeded by
one of the biggest ministers in the State.
We have no doubt but that Mr. Carswell
will accept from what we already know.
This gives him four churches: Thomson,
Pire Grove, Sweet Water, and Long Creek,
with a salary of more than SIOOO.OO. It will
be distributed as follows : Thomson. S3OO 00;
Pine Grove, $250 00; Sweet Water, $250 00,
and Long Creek, $225 < 0 t-> $250 00. He will
probably preach at long Creek on the Uh
Sunday and we shall try to avail ourself of
the opportunity of hearing him.
—The cornerstone of the De Soto Baptist
church was laid at Rome, December 6th.
Among the articles placed under the corner
stone were two coins one hundred and forty
years old. The “Courier” says: Rev. G. A.
Nunnally and Mr. W. A. Wright made short
and appropriate addresses. The demonstra
tion of the evening has enthused the friends
of the enterprise ard given great encourage*
meut to the work. Only a small amount is
now needed toplace the house in a safe con
dition, and it is believed that the necessary
amount will be forthcoming in time. About
forty dollars were added to the building
fund yesterday. The house is certainly a
neat building and will be an ornament to the
city. Eeverybody should help.
Hartwell Sun: Rev. I. M. Ginn, of
Arkansas, preached in the Baptist church on
last Sunday night to a large audience. Mr.
Ginn is a native of this county, but removed
to arkam as a number of years ago.
Louisville News and Farmer : Rev. W.
L Kilpatrick, we are sorry to know, did not
accept the call of the Baptist church at this
place for another year
—Talbotton Register : Rev. J. A.
Dawson, preached an excellent sermon ak.
the Baptist chuich, on Thursday night
He has not yet decided to accept the c
church at Talbotton. Y; \
LaGrange Reporter: Rev. J. A. \> / de
bas been called to the pastorate of the Ho
gansville Baptist church. Mr, Wynne is a
very elcqmnt preacher.
That splendid edifice—the Baptist church
—ought to have a steeple of corresponding
magnificence of architecture Could not a
sufficient amount be raised by small, but
regular contributions? Who will take the
initiative?
—Columbus Enquirer Sun: Sometime
ago we noticed in these columns that Rev.
S. P. Callaway had sold the State Line Press
and biught the LaGrange Repoiter. This
change rendered it necessary for him to re
move to LuGrange, giving up the charge of
the Baptist Church al West Point, of which
be had been pastor for a number of years.
It has come to our knowledge privately that
he is now without any preaching appoint
ment. Mr. Callaway is acknowledged to be
one of the most interesting and popular pul
pit men of bis denomination in the State,
and above all reproach in his private Chris-,
tian character. His fine pulpit talents
should not be allowed to remain unemploy'
ed. We feel that we lender a worthy ser
vice to the cause of Christianity in recom- .
mending him to any churches that may be
looking out for a pastor, especially such as j
are in convenient distance of LaGrange. Wejfl
take the liberty of mentioning the
without his knowledge. rfg||
—The Siiady Grove, Slewart county,
list church has extended a call to
W. l-'.'Ckler to continue with them as ptflH
for the coming year. |H|g|
—Cuthbert Enterprise: Rev. E, W.
ren, D. D., pastor of the Baptist church ioM
Macon, and one of the most useful men any-H
where, was in our city Tuesday and Wed-■
nesday of this week. Twenty-six years ago4l
he was the pastor of the Baptist church here,
and his friends of 'Tang syne” are glad to
meet him again.
Perry Home Journal: Nine persons
have united themselves with the Baptist
church at this place during the last wees or
so. Two were immersed in the creek last
Sunday afternoon, and the other seven were
immersed in the pool at the church that
night, Rev. R. F. Tharpe officiating.
—The additions to the Third Baptist
church, Atlanta, (Rev. H. 0. Hornady pas
tor,) average one member for every Sabbath
for about two years.
—Newnan Herald : Our Baptist readers
should read the appeal for Mercer University
which we publish elsewhere, and resolve to
do something to help this fund. There are
now three promising young men from
Coweta county who are studying for the
ministry at Mercer and ei joying the bene
fits of free tuition.
—Columbus Times : The friends of Rev.’
Thomas Murphey will be pained to learn of
his death which occurred in this city. Mr.
Murphey was fora number of years pastor
of various Baptist churches in both Alabama
and Georgia, and he has now gone to a bets
ter and brighter world to reap his reward.
He leave s six daughters to mourn his death.
His remains will be carried to Cusseta.
—Washington Gazette: Rev, Dr. Hillyer,
of Texas, is on a visit to his brother in this
place. He lived in Washington sixty-eight
years ago, and now comes back to find not
one person here whom he knew then. We
are glad to know he will preach at the Bap
tist church next Sunday.
—Walton News: We learn that our
young brother, W. S. Walker, was ordair ed
to the gospel ministry, in Monroe, Sunday
the 4th inst. The presbytery consisted of
the pastor J. F. Edens, H. D. Straton, J. M.
Brittain, John H. Harris. The services
were imposing and the preaching Saturday
and Sunday, able. Rev. H. D. Straton
preached the ordination sermon. Brother
Walker, in company with 0. W. Pruitt, will
sail for China soon, as missionaries.
Father Ryan has become a contribu
tor to the editorial columns of the
Catholic Mirror. Was it he who in the
the last issue said, “the greatest evil for
the young is evil reading,” and warned
our girls for that reason not to read
“dime novels?”
On the last Sabbath in November,
Rev. E. D. Stager, Baptist pastor at
Woodstown, N. J., fell dead in the pul
pit while preaching. “In such an hour
as ye think not, the Son of man com
eth.”
