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174 Teaching, to be efficient aiaong men, must be in reference to their future vocation, for it would not be wisdom to give to the intended warrior on ed ucation in medicine; their vocations are dissimilar, and the education is unsuited, but teachers often mistake the future theatre of action. Our heaven ly Teacher never mistakes, for He not only knows their talent, but He gives them tho-e talents or gifts; earthly teachers can only cultivate and im prove those already given, autj the student would best succeed if he adapted that avocation in life for which he was by natural talent best capacitated. Our Teacher knows precisely what gifts He has given to each of us, He gave them for a specific purpose for the edifying of the body, the church; so long as we abide in those gifts, we are useful in His cause and service. When we aspire to gifts that we suppose are more for the edifying of His euurcb, we by indirection say that we know best. We are therefore to that extent dictating to Him, a bad trait in learners. He has set each of the mem bers in His body where it pleased Him, and has not consulted our pleasure. It is enough for us to do to abide in that place, and by all the ability He has given us to try to improve the gift so that we may be useful. But the foot says because I am the foot and occupy such an inferior place in the body, never allowed to speak, that I am not of the body at all, I am of no use, I attract no notice, and I might just as well never have been for the good I do. And yet without that member the body wouid be maimed. No, the idea is, if the foot would only own it, that it desires to be head where it may be more prominently brought to view and show off to advantage ; this is a rebellious spirit, finding fault with the Lord, presuming to counsel Him.— While it is a toot it is useful, remove it from that place and in the language of another, “it is good for nothing,” for where in the body would it fit or what possible office could it perform, and what bad traveling should we have if we substituted in its stead the hand. Ihere must be no schism in the body, else it will be imperfect. The body of Christ is perfect, because He has set each and every mem ber just exactly where they ought to be, the least change produces confusion and disorder, there is just enough members to make it complete, one more would make it redundant, one less deficient. Then all those who believe in the completeness and perfection of Christ‘s body, ought to be consistent in contending for a definite number, for by tbeir indefiniteness they do not accord to the body of Christ that completeness that they themselves possess, and thereby unintentionally, no doubt, rep resent Him as being satisfied with less than He re deemed, or claiming more than He redeemed.— But to return. If all the body were the foot it would be instead of the body a monster, an anomaly unsuited for any purpose whatever, and so of the body being made up of any one member. It is useless to ar gue or exjfmine a proposition so absurd not to say ridiculous. Our Teacher, if I may so express my self, is an Anatomist, Ho knows every member, where they are located, the offices they nro to per- SOUTHERN BAPTIST MESSENGER. form, the food necessary to their sustenance, He does not nouiish one part of the body to make that plethoric to emaciate the other. The same food that nourishes the head nourishes equally all the other parts of the body, the same blood that flows from tbe heart flows to and nourishes the whole body. If one member suffers the whole body suf fers ; if one rejoice all rejoice. So there is an in separable union with every member, to the Head it lives the body lives, it dies the body dies, it di rects, the body obey*. But I must not get on for bidden grounds, I am in the vicinity, I hope I have not trespassed. Let me ask brethren, in all candor, if we now have the various gifts of which Paul speaks ? Who has the gift of exhortation ? llow many of our brethren exercise the gift,or rather how many does it exercise ? Is it not now customary among us as soon as one seems to be useful to the church in ex hortation that he is taken from that station aud or dained ? How is it possible that the churches can prosper when these gifts are neglected or put in a position that God never designed them for, and of course never educated for? He is called on to fill a place in the body, he does not fit, there is a schism, it is like a bone out of joini, there is a limping on his part, and the cliuich is not edified; very likely he attempts to dive into the deepest mysteries of the word, he is unskilled in that, foun ders, some of the churches endoise it for truth, others reject, here Babel is begun. Who is to blame ? The churches of course. For the exhor ter, if he was in his right mind, would not suffer himself for ordination, and if he did, they should reject him as an aspirant and save themselves from much harm. But the churches reason thus, that they want someone to administer the ordinances, and as they can get no one else, they must have him ; they confess that they think his gift is exhor tational, but then he will do; you have by such reasoning tacitly denied the power and right of God in speaking by whom He would, and you are going to exercise that right yourself, in other words you have taken it on yourself to set the meraber s in the body, where it suited you, and now you ask God to bless your work, and are astonished that He does not. It may be asked what are the churches to do ? Wait on God; He knows your condition. Wait on the Lord t I say, do what He has taught you, look to Him. Again, I say where are all tbe gifts of which Paul speaks f If we have them Dot, is the church not needinor them ? They were necessary in his day, this is the same gospel day, without any new rules and regulations. One thing let us not do for the Lord’s sake, that is manufacture them. None are received into the school of Christ but His children ; the children of the world do not go to Him. He calls His own, teaches them every lesson that is for their good, writes His law in their hearts, gives them such gifts as will bo for their good and His glory, educates tbe heart, ear, eye and every part, that they may hear aright, see and understand, and walk and talk aright. Fie leaves nothing undone. He teaches some to fish, some to hunt, some to feed sheep, surae to endure hard ness. Others taught to war, some to teach others, but not to teach that which He has hot taught them. I must close on this subject, imperfection has marked all these articles, they are I fear uninter esting. I have omitted much; indeed the subject is inexhaustible, it would delight me much if sonic brother will write more on it. If what I have writ ten is true, I hope it may be blessed, if unture I do hope I may be corrected. I yet remain, N ANONYMOUS. Ga., July 28, 1860. WM. I. BEEBE, 1 J. 1. PUKINGTOSr, I Editors. COVINGTON, GA. : rT^OvTlsTlSeO - 1 . The Baptist Hymn Book. [Containing 800 Pages, and 1,311 Hymns.] W e are now prepared to fill orders for this, the only perfectly sound and Scriptural Hymn Book, in the* Southern States, on the following reduced terms:- Plain Russet Binding, per cop/ $ ,75 Plain Blue Binding, per copy, ,80. Gilt Edged Blue Binding, per copy, I,oos Extra Turkey Morocco, per copy, 1,75, Being desirous of introducing these Books in Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, we will send them post paid to any address in these States, at the above low rates, which are the Publisher's Whole sale Prices. At these reduced rates, they are the cheapest, as well as the best selection of Hymns in existence, for the use of Old School Baptists. Send in your orders at once, as this offer can only be afforded for a limi ted time. Near Lexington, Ivy., Bee. 4, 1860. To the Editors of the Southern Baptist Messenger*. Bear Brethren :—I see an article going tho rounds in some of our public Journals to the follow ing effect. “ the State Convention of Baptists met hero (Montgomery Ala.,) Wednesday, and resolved unan imously in favor ot disunion. They sent their reso lutions to Gov. Brown.” My object in sending you a copy of this publica tion, is simply to ascertain (as you are no doubt ad vised in the matter,)whether the Old School or Prim itive Baptists have anything to do in this business, or is it the New School or Fullerke Baptists who se ceded from us within the present century ? As they ha\e heretofore proved themselves to be secessionists and disunionists in their religious career, no marvel if they are engaged in the business still. But it cer tainly would be anew and strange movement for the old order of Baptists. As individuals and citizens we have, and should exercise our common rights un der the government as ethers. But as a society or church, while we maintain the rectitude of the ex pression of our King and Counsellor who said, 44 My kingdom is not of this world;” we should not be found meddling with the civil authority. Our motto should bo, “ Let every soul be subject to the higher powers ; ‘ for we are assured that “ the powers that be are ordained of God.” The prime object of tho Apostolic Baptists has ever been in all their conven tions (church meetings) to worship their God as ho has directed them,- —not to interfere with the earthly