Newspaper Page Text
4
©he ©hriettan Ind rat
Published Every Thursday st 67‘A 8. Broad
Street, Atlanta, ba.
WHO OUGHT TO PREACH THE GOS
PEL.
All believers according to their
measure of ability should aid in
making the Gospel known to the
world. From these the Holy Spirit
selects men who are to give them
selves to the public ministry of the
Word. The preaching of the Gos
pel is God’s ordinance for the evan
gelization of men. What are the
qualifications that such should pos
sess. First. They should be con
verted. No unsaved man knows
Christ. He may have heard of Him
and may have studied systematic
theology so as to be able to give the
several doctrines' of the Gospel a
clear and distinct statement but his
nature must remain in spiritual ig
norance of the salvation of Christ
unless he repents of sin and believes
in the Lord Jesus Christ. He must
have an experience of grace if he
would preach Christ to a lost soul*
No mere catechetical knowledge, no
gifts of public, utterance can be a
substitute for the love of God shed
abroad in Ins heart by the I loly Spir
it. This great necessity is funda
mental. Second. He should be
drawn by the Holy Spirit to the
work of the ministry. Every renew
ed sou] desires the salvation of men,
but every such soul does not regard
itself called of God to the ministry
of the Word. The love of Christ
and the love of men unite in im
pressing this duty. Whatever pecu
liarities are found in different cases,
the Holy Spirit impresses this work
with persistent force upon the soul.
Some easily yield, others hesitate
and struggle in the settlement of
this question. Divine guidance
Should he earnestly sought. The
judgment of thoughtful Christian
men should be obtained. No hasty
impulse -should dispense with calm,
prayerful solicitude. It is the most
sacred office which any person can
enter and becoming earnestness and
interest should mark the conduct of
every one seeking to take this work
on him. Third. The concurrence
of the church should be secured in
approval. The Spirit of God, which
calls to the ministry is unquestiona
bly likely to impress other minds as
he has the mind of the individual
who is thinking about being a preach
er. The church receives these gifts
of ministry in answer to prayer and
a spiritually minded church is apt to
be in sympathy with any one of its
members that is so impressed. This
judgment of r church is not to be
the partial favoritism which has been
worked by some persistent, bold
faced electioneer for its action in any
case. The churches should be guid
ed by the Spirit of God in such de
cisions. The character of the indi
vidual should be known and ap
proved. His aptness to teach should
be regarded. The mere gift of ready
declamation or the natural desire to
be a public speaker may mislead
men themselves as well as blind the
church to other questions of far
greater worth and weight than these
popular gifts. The official action of
the church and presbytery should be
the expression of on honest judg
ment on the man’s fitness in all es
sential respects. Not a notice, for
bids the hasty apbointment of some
impulsive brother who signalizes his
conversion by announcing that he is
going to be an evangelist. Such an
nouncements are very far from
strengthening a sound judgment in
his favor. It is the duty of a church
to regard the voice of the Scriptures
rather than the hasty, self-assured
utterances of the unified man. The
man who over-rides or disregards the
judgment of his brethren is more
likely to be wrong than right. Above
all tilings the spiritual character of
the man should have a controlling
influence in forming our judgment.
No amount of orthodox zeal can be
trusted when the life is not pure and
good. Churches should have sense
enough not to concur in sending out
with its approval any one whose life
is not after Christ, no matter how
persistently he claims to be sent of
God. ——————
“And with one accord.’’ Here
was a model prayer meeting. The
little company of believers with
one accord appealed to heaven to di
fend the truth and an answer came
that shook the place in which they
had assembled. Great blessing
great grace, great peace and great
power vyas the result. Let us in the
weekly prayer meeting in the sanct
uary w ith one accord appeal to the
Giver of every good and perfect gift.
Let the family with one accord unite
heir petitions and surely receive
great blessing.
THE GUNS TURNED.
Our Brother Meeks of the Central
Methodist is always ready with an
answer. We clip the following from
his last issue:
The Baptist Banner, Huntington,
West Virginia, publishes a selection
of texts in which the word baptize is
substituted by sprinkle, and thinks it
looks very ridiculous. We take a
majority of the quotations, just as
given, and substitute the word im
merse, and commend it to the pray
erful consideration of the Banner.
AV ere the Israelites immersed unto
Moses in the cloud and in the sea?
Hardly. Were the people immersed
with the Holy Ghost on the day of
Pentecost? The Bible says the Ho
ly Ghost was poured upon them, and
also says that pouring was baptism.
To make pouring shedding forth an
immersion is a contradiction which
requires more than the ingenuity of
the Banner to reconcile.
Now let the reader look at the
following, and the inconsistency of
the exclusive immersion theory will
be seen at a glance:
Mark i : 4,5, B.—John came, who
immersed in the wilderness, • and
preached the immersion of repent
ance unto the remission of sins.
* * * I immerse you with water;
but He shall immerse you with the
Holy Ghost.
Luke xii: 50, —But I have an im
mersion tt> be immersed with ; and
how am I straightened till it be ac
complished!
Luke xx: 4.- The immersion of
John, was it from heaven or from
men?
•Acts i: s.—For John, indeed, im
mersed with water; but ye shall be
immersed with the Holy Ghost not
many days hence.
Acts xi: 16.—And I remembered
the word of the Lord, how that He
said, John indeed immersed with wa
ter, but ye shall be immersed with
the Holy Ghost.
Acts xix: 3-6.—And he said, into
what then were ye immersed? And
they said: Into John’s immersion.
And Paul said: John immersed
with the immersion of repentance,
saying unto the people that they
should believe on Him which should
come after him, that is, on Jesus.
And when they hoard this they were
immersed into the name of the Lord
Jesus.
Romans vi: 3.—Or are ye ignorant
that all we who were immersed into
Jesus Christ were immersed into His
death?
I. Corinthians x: 2.—And were all
immersed unto Moses in the cloud and
in the sea.
1. Corinthians xv: 20.—Else what
shall they do which are immersed
for the dead? If the dead are not
raised at all, why then are they im
mersed for them?
John xv: 14.—Ye are my friends,
if ye do whatsoever I command
you. -Wesleyan’ Christian Advo
: , ‘ u : ’ r
The foregoing article is copied
from the Wesleyan Christian Advo
cate, of July 27th, 1892.
It is taken for granted that, as
the editor of the Wesleyan transfer
red this article to his editorial col
umn, he indorses what Bro. Meeks
of the Central Methodist did.
1. We observe that in adopting
the idea of the editor of the Baptist
Banner, both Bro. Meeks and Bro.
Glenn did a good thing for their
readers. For once, they gave thepi
a translation of the Greek word bap
tizo instead of transferring that
word, merely transformed, as was
done by the translators of the com
mon version. In that version the
final letter o is substituted by the
letter e, which is of no force, inas
much as it is silent. It would
have done jnst as well to have left
oft’ the o, and to have merely trans
ferred the word baptiz, without the
e.
But the editor of the Central
Methodist, and of the Wesleyan Ad-'
vocate have given their readers a
translation in the texts quoted above.
They have properly used the verbs
inimprse and immersed, and the noun
immersion, instead of the Greek verbs
J baptize ami baptized, and the Greek
noun baptism. It is true that the
words immerse and immersion are
Latin words, but they are translations
and not mere transformations, and
give the true meaning of the corres
ponding Greek words. We are glad
that the readers of the Central Meth
odist and of the Wesleyan Advocate
have been furnished with a transla
tion of these words and that they
have been permitted to see, in their
own denominational papers, just
what the ordinance is.
The word rantizo(sprinkle)is never
used in connection with the ordi
nance of immersion.
I Nor is the Greek word which
means to pour over used in connec
tion with it. Wherever the Greek
word bapto or any of its derivatives
is "found, it always conveys the idea
of immersion.
That word, and that word alone,
conveys the true meaning and shows
the specific act.
2. It seems a pity that Bro. Meeks
and Bro. Glenn should have come so
, near giving the whole truth about
. the matter and then to miss it.
I The flaw, however, is not so very
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX: THURSDAY, AUGUST 11. 1892.
material after all, since they have
given their readers the essential
idea by the word immerse.
The flaw referred to is in the
double meaning given to the Greek
preposition “en.” In some places
it is translated “in” and in other
places “with.” For example, Mark
1: 4, it is said, “John came, who im
mersed in (en) the wilderness,” while
in 1: 8 it is said “I immerse you with
(en) water; but he shall immerse
you with(en) the Holy Ghost.
Why not use “with,” in connection
wtih “the wilderness,” as well “with
water.” and “with the Holy Spirit.”
How would it do to say “John
came baptizing ‘with’ the wilder
ness?” That is just as true, just as
correct a translation as “with water,”
or “with the Holy Spirit.” But as
remarked it is not very material,
since you can not immerse a person
with any kind of material unless you
cover him up in it.
A m;m buried “with” earth, im
mersed with earth, must be covered
up “in” it. So if water is used. He
can not be immersed with it without
being covered up in it.
3. Now a word or two about some
questions asked by the
( t'llll'.'ll Met hodist.
“Were the Israelites immH< I u.e
to Moses in the cloud
sea?”
Bro. Meeks says, “Hardly
say they were, simply because Paul
says they were. Paul was an inspir
ed writer. He could not have stated
what was not true. He says they
were all immersed into or unto,
Moses in the cloud and in the sea.
If Bro Meeks and Bro. Glenn think
it hard, they must settle it with
Paul. Properly interpreted, there
is nothing hard about it.
“Were the people immersed with
the Holy Ghost on the day of Pen
tecost?” Certainly they were. They
were not only immersed with it, but
they were immersed “in” it. It
filled “all the house.” Hence those
who were in the house must have
been completely immersed in it. Be
sides it was the fulfillment of a
promise made by Jesus himself who
said: “Ye shall be baptized (im
mersed) in (en) the Holy Spirit not
many days hence.” What Jesus
and his inspired apostle said,must be
true.
4. Verily the guns are turned.
Bro. Meeks turned them on his read
ers and Bro. Glenn has turned
them on his. It is a powerful bat
tery consisting of ten pieces.' Each*
piece is a hundred pounder. They
are not loaded with blank cartridges
but with solid shot. The ammu
nition is taken direct from the New
Testament arsenal. The tenth gun
drives home a center shot. “Ye are
my friends, if ye do whatsoever I
•command you.” Suppose you do not,
what then? Roll out the guns, load
and fire again, brethren.
IN THE LONG AGO.
Before us lies a copy of the Chtis
tian Index, dated Macon, Ga., Oct.
15,1863. How those figures do crowd
the mind with sad memories! Then
over our now peaceful land waved
in gory glee the blood red flag of
Mars! Oh, so long ago! Yet not so
long to those of us who lived and
made those days of blood and fire.
Though a generation has come and
nearly gone since the day that the
Macon press rolled the sheet from
its cylinder, to many it seems but a
brief period in the unreturning past.
Look at the date again. But three
short months bad passed since on
fierce field the Confod
eracys hope went down! For those
awful July days of blood really seal
ed the fate of our beloved South.
Only a month later Bragg was driven
from Lookout Mountain and Mission
Ridge. Henceforth the final collapse
was only a question of time.
Let us look at this old sheet print
on dingy Confederate paper. Sam
uel Boykin was editor and the sub
scription price was“ss.oo in advance.’’,
A good motto was floated : “The
Pastors Aid, the Christians Guide
and the Sinners Friend.” Our sheet
is torn and half is gone. “Letters
from my Study No. 8” is the title
of the leading first page article,
which as an interesting discussion of
Buckle’s volume on religion. “Fair
Play” follows with an appeal to the
churches to “double their pastors’
salaries for 1864” in view of the
rapid depreciation of the currency.
The leading editorial is in the same
line. “Appalling Announcement!” is
its emphasized heading, and
with all the, force of italics the
churches are gravely assured that
“on the first day of January next,
many, probably half, and perhaps
three-fourths of the Baptist pulpit’
of Georgia will become vacant, and
I the houses of worship closed. Thus
| will the light of the gospel, to a great
extent, suffer a grievous • eclipse,
moral ruin shed its dismal and pes
tilential darkness over the state, and
Satan be enabled to howl with de
moniac joy!” Boykin was stirred,
sure enough, wasn’t he? That would
have been a “strike” unique indeed—
a preacher’s strike for higher salar
ies! We opine that it didn’t turn
out as bad as the good editor fear
ed.
The first page is also enriched by
a fine article on “The Golden Calf”
from the pen of that dear saint w’ho
so recently went to heaven-—Basil
Manly, Jr. Listen to these burning
words: “The covetous man can
bring his idols with him always and
everywhere, or rather they -have
gained such'a control over him, and
he is so fully ‘joined to his idols’ that
he cannnot leave them behind. And
while the eye of man sees nothing
bus a decent and apparently atten
tive worshipper, God sees in his
heart he is really revolving some
scheme for the acquisition of proper
ty, some plan of gainful investnidht,
some profitable arrangement of his
affairs. You start as if I had been
reading your thoughts! Idolater!
Idolater in the temple of God! You
cannot wonder at the Israelites,
who made the calf in lloreb.”
Here is an account of the Hephzi
bah Association, which had recently
held its annual meeting. The reader
is told that Rev. W ,L. Kilpatrick de
livered the introductory sermon in
his usual clear, quiet and instructive
style. The sermon was a good one
and was well-received.” Os course
it was, and our now “Dr.” W. L. has
not forgotten .how to preach just
such. The beloved E. W. Warren
was there and preached the mission
ary sermon on Sunday morning,
which is described as a splendid ser
mon from James 2: 14.
Editorially a brother “A. C. D.” is
hauled over the coals—rather the
Rehoboth association is thus treated
because that body is praised as “the
model association of Georgia” in its
plans for doing missionary work,—
“independent of conventions and
boards not under its control.” “A.
C. D.” would have been delighted
could he have lived to know our
modern malcontents, Crawford, Bos
tick, Herring, and others, who have
begun a new crusade against con
ventions and boards. Rehoboth as
sociation now keeps step with her
sisters in our general work.
Under the head of “News from
the churches’ipf’ v *' t ’f a column of re*
vival intelligence. L. Price tells of
“one of the most refreshing revivals”
in “old Philadelphia church, Tatnall
county.” W. M. Pope writes of how
“the good Lord has again visited and
much blessed old Rehoboth church,
Randolph county.” He says: “I
baptized 18 lovely, willing souls,
amongst them three lovely young
men, who must soon leave for the
field of blood.” “Oh God help us,”
he exclaims, “and hasten the time
when this awful tide of blood shall
cease and men learn war no more.”
George R. Moore has a good word
from Union church, Meriwether
county reporting seven baptized.
There are interesting letters from
the soldier boys in camp at Dahlo
nega and James Island, S. Q. One
of these speaks in highly compime n
tary terms of Col. Lee, whom »we
take to be Gen. Stephen D. Lee, now
the honored president of the Missis
sippi A. it M. college, and father of
Atlanta’s promising young attorney,
Blewitt IL Lee.
The 28th Georgia thanks Bro.
Boykin for sending hundreds of
copies of the Index soy free distrib
ution in the regiment and Bro. Boy
kin gratefully records the liberal ac
tion of the Virginia Sunday-school
and Publication Board in “appropri
ating SI,OOO for sending the Index
to the soldiers.” It is added that
“this board has done more for the
army than any other organization in
the South.” And Bro. Boykin has
not yet forgotten to say good things
about Sunday-school boards! They
have always have been very kind to
him.
“Brief Mention” is made of liberal
contributions to the treasury of that
Virginia board. “Sime the first of
June 139,000” —but, alas, let vis not
forget, it was in “money” of which it
took. 120.00 to buy (1.00 in gold.
The Presbyterians are commended
for having issued an “army hymn
book.” The fingers which holds this
pen set up the type from which was
printed the first hymn-book for our
soldiers—“ Hymns for the Camp.”
Rev. Dr. Shaver, then editing the
Religious Herald, selected the
hymns.
The First Baptist church, of Rich
mond, Ya., is reported as “testifying
its grateful of the ser
vices of Rev. J. B. Jeter, D. D., dur-
ing a pastorate which closed twelve
years ago or more, by presenting
him with $2,000.” That old mother
church of the Richmond Jordanic
saints still delights to honor its for
mer pastors, as Dr. Burrows, Haw
thorne and Warren can testify.
“Brief mention”also tells what a Presr
byterian lady thought concerning our
slaves. Said she: “Our slaves are
so much likes children, it seems to me
their moral training, like the early
education of our children, must de
volve, for the most part, on the wo
men of our land.” Ah! the negroes
born in those days can never know
how their fathers and mothers were
taught by those women!
But we here tenderly fold up this
relic of a time gone by.
NEED AND SUPPLY : THEIR LES
SON.
•
Through all the works of God
there runs this principle : Whatever
proves the existence of a need, there
in prophecies and promises the ex
istence of a supply for it. We know
the supply—always know that it is,
and know mostly what it is, simply
by knowing the need that calls for
it.
Take a supposition to make the
meaning of this statement clear. A
child yet unborn is transported by
divine omnipotence to a remote
quarter of the universe and subject
ed to the inspection of intelligent be
ings. These beings see the need of
the existence of air for the function
of the lungs in breathing, and of
light for the function of the eye in
vision, and of food for the function
of the iftomach in nourishment and
growth. So far there is to them no
room for doubt. But their knowl
edge, by virtue of its, reaching to
this point, roaches and must reach
further still. They know, too, and
know with a certrinty as absolute as
the certainty with which they know
the need, —that in the far-away world
destined to be inhabited by that child
the air is, and the light is, and the
food is. Not even a visit to our
globe could deepen their assurance
of the existence of these supplies
for the child’s needs here. They
stand at once securely and immova
bly, on the principle: the need is,
the supply must be.
This principle applies not to the
sphere of the outward man only, but
to the sphere of the inner man as
well. Here also we find need calling
for supply, and supply answering to
need. We fold here whatever is
needed for the consciousness of our
own personality, whatever .for the
recognition of a world external to
ourselves and, like ourselves, a real
ity ; w'hatever for judgment of this
world as a “cosmos” not a “chaos,’’
as a mighty ordered system, with in
finite interweavings of cause and ef
fect, of means and end, of purpose
and fulfilment; whatever for the
intuitions and processes of reason
which link this system with “the
King of the Ages, immortal, invisi
ble, the only God,” at whose call the
system sprang into being, whose sov
eignty it serves, and to whose “eter
nal power and god-head” it bears
witness ; whatever for the office of
conscience in setting forth, under the
shadowings and shinings of this
King’s throne, the supreme and in
escapable distinction between right
and wrong, between good and evil,
and, with its'“categorical imperative,”
enforcing the sense of moral respon
sibility to Him; whatever for tue
function of sensibility, not merely in
kindling the desires that take and
the affections that give, but in in
spiring aspiration toward “the true,
the good, the beautiful,” as moulding
us to the image and lifting us into
the fellowship of the divine ; what
ever for the freedom and masterv of
the will in making life a unity, not
as “a struggle for existence” on the
plane of natural, physical life like
the beasts that perish, but as a heri
tage of blessedness on the plane of
that spiritual, eternal life, which
alone, to us as to the unsinning and
undying angels, is “life indeed.”
Everywhere, then, need finds sup
ply ; everywhere need proves sup
ply. We wish to state briefly two
inferences from this universal prin
ciple in the constitution of the uni
verse and in the administration of
its affairs.
1. Before Herbert Spencer could
prove that there has been no divine
revelation to mankind, he must first
prove that there is and can be no
Herbert Spencer. The existence of
such a man as he proves irresistibly
the need of divine revelation, if the
affairs of the universe are to be ad
ministered on principles of benevo
lence. His acquaintance with the
whole circle of modern knowledge
and speculative thought, bis marvel
lous powers of Subtle analysis which
seem to overlook no fact, and his no
less marvelous powers of generaliza
tion which seem to overlook no rela
tion between facts, have earned for
him among a growing school of
thinkers the title of “the foremost
philosopher of the nineteenth centu
ry, if not of the English race.” And
yet this- man, with this mental fur
nishing, having rejected the Chris
tian Scriptures, knows nothing of
God, except as “a Force that per
sists,” a Force which as regards its
nature and its characteristics is at
once “the Unknown” and “the Un
knowable.” Now, we are so consti
tuted that God stands to us as “our
being’s aim and end that our high
er capabilities can have no adequate
fruition unless we “call upon Him
(not as Force but) as Father” and
know that he answers us; that ex
istence is a woe and a curse to us
and blessedness an unattainable and
mocking dream, until consciously “in
Ilim we live and move and have our
being.” Can it be, then, that we
have been doomed to virtual or
phanage and absolute and hopeless
isolation from our Maker? No, no:
for “God is love.” No, no : Her
bert Spencer sLinds as demonstra
tive proof that the need of revelation
is ; and knowing that, we know, in
Herbert Spencer’s despite, that the
revelation which supplies the need
must be.
2. Before R. G. Ingersoll could
prove that there is no future world
of punishment for the incorrigibly
wicked, he must first prove taht there
is and can be no R. G. Ingersoll*
The existence of a man such as he
irresistibly proves the need of that
world, if the affairs of the universe
are to be administered on principles
of righteousness. Like Timothy
reared in a godly household and fa
miliar with the Scriptures, from a
child, unlike Timothy he became a
virulent enemy of the faith. A man
of culture and of talent if not of
genius, gifted with eloquence of lip
and pen, he unblushingly blasphemes
the Jehovah of the Old Testament
and the Jesus of the New, these two
who are one. Not the Satan of Mil
ton could be more haughty and de
fiant, not the Mephistopheles of
Goethe more bitter and sneering.
No reverential spirit of worship, no
awed sense of sanctity is spared from
“fleer and gibe and laugh and flout.”
No tender, sensitive love Which feels
a word against the sinless Savior of
sinners as though it were a blow
dealt straight at its’ own heart, es
capes the remorseless cruelty of
scorn and derision. No doubt can
so darken the intellect and so drink
up the spirits, and no disbelief can so
sear the conscience against the sense
of purity and right and so enslave
the life to the impulses of passion
and the sorceries of crime, but he
adorns it with graces of style and
seductive sophistries of sentiment,
and sends it forth to do its deadly
work in deadliest fashion. Can man
thus wage war against God and
Christ, against truth and holiness,
and shut out souls from peace on
earth and from the glories of heaven,
yet render no account and endure no
retribution sos it ? I las God set sin
free from responsibility and restraint,
to waste at will the world of mind,
to rob the souls He has made, of
Him, to rob Him of love and service
from these souls— : which is robbing
Him of the souls themselves, and
shall no holy indignation smite it, to
avenge the wrongs of Creator and
creature alike ? Shall Infinite Sov
eignjy “stand silent by” and put up
no barrier, lest the stream of evil
swell into a deluge and drown out
all the glories of the universe in
drowningall its purity out? No,
no : for the righteous Lord loveth
righteousness.” No, no: R. G. In
gersoll stands as proof demonstra
tive that the need of a future world
of punishment is, and in R. G. Inger
soll's despite, we know, in knowing
that, that the world which supplies
the need must be.
We are told that Coleridge once
conceived the idea of a book, “Chris
tianity Defended from its Defen
ders,” which should separate the
pure gold of its truth from the alloy
of human errors with which they bad
debased it. So, too, had anything
like the masterly intellect of Coler
idge, been granted us, we, on the line
of thought in this article, could have
written a book, Christianity protect
ed from Rejection by its Rejecters
and established by its Assailants
, against all Assault!
ON THE MOUNTAIN.
I met a brother to-day who had
just returned from Monteagle. As
soon as we had clasped hands he be
gan to tell me of his delightful visit
to that summer resort The pure
mountain air and the cool, refresh
ing water, together with his social
and religious surroundings sent him
home, rejoicing in renewed vigor
and increased energy. He seemed
to have enjoyed, most of all, the
company of the refined and culti
-1 vated people whom he met there,
and particularly emphasized the
pious Christian influence which
seemed to go out from the visitors at
that place. I said to him, “you have
come back, my brother to your work,
down upon a lower plane than that
which you left, where you are
brought into daily contact with the
uncultured and unrefined, as well as
among those who know nothing of
Christ as a personal Savior, and are
therefore exposed to the currupting,
destroying consequences of sin. Up
on the mountain top, amongst the
refined and pious was a high privi
lege. Amongst the pure and good
there come to us influences strength
ening to mind and exalting to spirit.
Upon the lower level, amongst the
rude and unsaved, is a plane upon
which we find our duty and our
work as Christians. It is those who
who are down that must be lifted
up; those who are lost that need to
to be saved; those who are sinners
that need to be brought to repent
ance, If we are saved ourselves we
are commissioned as missionaries to
to the unsaved. We are to be to the
world around us as salt, and light,
Moses could not stay upon tho
mountain top always. He was need
ed at its base. As soon as he re
ceived tire law, it was his business to
make it known to the Israelites. He
must go down and encounter the
dangers and the hardships of the
wilderness. As the spokesman of
God, he must lead that perverse and
rebellious people to the borders of
the promised Land. It was not to
him a season of personal pleasure, of
social enjoyment, or of spiritual ele
vation alone. But he must come
down amongst the common people,
guide, instruct and warn, and point
out the way to them. It was exalt
ed privilege on the mountain top,
but the burden of duty at its base.
Peter, James and John enjoyed the
exalted privilege of witnessing the
transfiguration of Jesus upon a high
mountain. They looked upon the
brightness of His face and upon the
beauty of His raiment. They saw
Moses and Elias and heard them
talking with Ilim. They were cov
ered by tho bright cloud that over
shadowed them, and heard the voice
from the most excellent glory, de
claring Jesus to be the Son of God,
So overwhelmed were they by this
surpassing vision that Peter desired
to build there three tabanacles and
abide.. Scarcely had they heard and
seen, when the vision was gone, and
they saw none save Jesus only and
themselves. He charged them as
they came down from the mountain,
that they were to tell no one the vis
ion, until He had risen from tha
dead. So transporting was the scene»
so delightful their communion with
the pure and holy upon the mountain
top, that had not Jesus bid them keep
silence, they could have talked of
nothing else, and thus been unfitted
for their duties in the plane below.
These disciples were called to la
bor and sympathy and self-sacrifice
amongst their brethren. Exalted
privileges but inspire and prepare ua
for the real work set before us.
Paul, though caught up into the
third Heavens and his spiritual eyes
opened and permitted to look upon
things in glory, was not permitted to
stay there, but was brought back lo
earth and silence enjoined upon hin.
He was brought down from the very
mountain of heavenly glory to the
low’ level of earth. With a thornin
his side to puncture his pride, he was
to bear the gospel, not only to his
ow-n people, but to “the heathen," in
distant lands, to suffer for the good
of others, and then die a martyr to
the cause of Christ. ’
The good fight ended, there was
“a crown of righteousness laid up for
him.
So, let us each one not forget, that
that while there are times of special
privilege, when upon the wings of
faith and hope we may be lifted
above the clouds and darkness of
earth, that we are not to remain in
this exalted position. It is there that
we may gather fresh inspiration and
have our energy renewed for the per
formance of the duties which de
volve upon us as followers of Christ.
He sought not his own ease, or com
fort or pleasure, save as it came from
the ease and comfort ’and pleasure
which He conferred upon others.
Amongst the lowly, the destitute,
the suffering, the dying and the sin
cursed of earth He found His work
and his chief joy. It was of the
travail of His soul that He was satis
fied. It was out of the valley of the
lowest humility that He ascended to
the loftiest mountain of His glory,
So should it be with each one of us,
fellow-ehristians. A soul saved
should be a soul saving.
WANTED I
A situation to tench in school or private fam
ily by a Virginia lady of i xp< rienco who is t
distinifiiishod full grad note in Latin, French,
English and Matln'inutlcs. Refers to promi
nent teachers mid Baptist ministers. Best tes
timonials. Music taught if desired.
Address Miss Makia M. Moxcvnz.
Ila tn* un Bowling Green, Va.