The Christian index. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1892-current, September 29, 1892, Image 1

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Many good and strong things were said in be half of MISSIONS During the Session of the Southern Baptist Convention. Subscribe to and read the Christian Index, if you would keep informed. ESTABLISHED 1821. &lx£ (jOiristian link* r- — - Published Every Thursday at 57% S. Broad Street. Atlanta. Ga. j. c. McMichael, proprietor. Organ of the Baptist Denomination in Georgia. Subscription Pbice : One copy, one year $ 2.00 One copy, six months 100 One copy, three months 50 Obituaries.—One hundred words' free of charge. For each extra word, one cent per word, cash with copy. To Correspondents.—Do.not use ahrovia tions ; be extracareful in writingproper names; write with ink, on one side of paper; Do not write copy intended for the editor and busi ness items on same sheet. Leave on personal ities; condense. , Business.—Write nil names, and post onices distinctly. In ordering a change give the old as well as the new address. Ihe date of label indicates the time your subscription expires. If you do not wish it continued, order it stop ped a week, before. Wo consider each sub scriber permanent, until ho orders his paper discontinued. When you order it stopped pay up to date. Remittances by check preferred; or regis tered letter, money order, postal note. How far are the statistics of reviv als misleading? In just so far as they represent the success of human devices and not the work of the Spirit. It will be quite time enough for any bright and eager young man or woman to give serious attention to the “higher criticism”when its authors shall have reduced it to some shape. At present it is a “thing of shreds and patches.” The Catholic He view thinks that at the present rate of increase it will take “a hundred thousand years” for America to become Catholic. We are not making any figures on that Jine, for the reason that America can never become Catholic. It may be somewhat humiliating but it is nevertheless true that no important additions have yet been made to Aristotle’s system of logic- If some rising genius would show us how to detect the lurking fallacy which so often cheats us even when our formulas are completest, he would win the gratitude of a long-suffering world. t “To err is human,” runs the prov k erb, But it isn’t true, though so old hnd so widely quoted, Error is not inlierent in humanity. It belongs to a single state and is inherent in sin. A perfectly sinless being would be perfectly free from error. What then becomes of the shallow preten ces of those who claim to have reach ed perfection ? And how blessed is the hope of that coming state of sin lessness when the sanctified indeed shall no longer “know in part!” A “purely secular” education, which some conceited doctrinaires are clamoring for, is an education against all religion and against all the best interests of human life. It seeks a divorce of the immortal part of the student. It leaves out of view all that is greatest and best in human nature. The highest aim of edu cation is not, as a heathen philosopher said, to know one’s self, but to know God. And as we increase in this divine knowledge wo grow in every thing that is true and beautiful and good. It is quite too soon to claim, as a certain writer does in one of our exchanges that the battle of foreign missions has been won. There have been some great victories. Much territory has been occupied. The armies of the Almighty are increased and encouraged. But the enemy was never more active. It would be a fatal blunder to relax our efforts be cause of what has been done. Rath" cr let past successes influence our zeal for greater triumphs, until the ■world shall be full of the knowledge of Jesus Christ and his great salva tion, as the waters fill the sea. One of the greatest dangers that threatens our great commonwealth is the decay of citizenship. Our people are so migratory and so mixed that public affairs are left to professional politicians, and the need of reforms is unheeded until some personal calam ity enforces it. Every citizen is not only a voter but a bearer of a public burden. No one can shirk his re sponsibility. A sound and healthful condition of public morals is impoii blo as long as every man is chiefly concerned about himself. The apos tolic injunction which enforces a careful regard for the concerns of others covers 3 wide range of public duty. Contributions for Bible work should be made not only by Sunday ichools, bat by every member of a Slit (tljristian SnOcr. RevTßWest Baptist church; that the offering may be liberal, and worthy of the great object for which help is asked> remembering that it is not for any one society or association or State, or even for our own country alone, but for all, at home and abroad, wherever. American Baptists are doing missionary evangelization. Let the effort be general and whole hearted; let this Bible work have its just recognition, and a handsome sum be provided for the wider circu lation of God,s word. THE WOMAN'S TEMPLE. The Woman’s Temperance Tem ple at Chicago, is now about com pleted, and is said to bo tho most attractive business building in the world. Besides being the headquar ters of the National W. C. T. U. and the Woman’s Temperance Pub lishing House, it is also used as a Banking and Office building, four of Chicago’s largest banks having their quarters in it. Tho rent roll from the building already amounts to $140,000 although it has only been occupied since the first of May. When it is entirely filled, a rental of $200,000 annually, is expected. The capital stock of the Temple is $ 600, 000, and the National W. C. T. U. desire to gain possession of tho en tire stock. They have already $275, 000 worth of stock, almost half of the entire capital. They have called on any one who may desire to send SI,OO to Miss Esther Pugh, Treasur er of tho National W. C. T. U. of Chicago, as a token of their interest in this great movement. Wo give these facts so that any one desiring to contribute to this cause can do so. “LOVE IS THE FULFILLING OF THE LAW." PAUL. BY S. G. UILLYER, In what sense is love the fulfilling of the law? When Jesus was asked which is tho greatest commandment of all he answered: > shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy mind, and with all thy soul and with all thy strength. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself; for upon these two commandments hang all the law and the proph ets. These words 'give to us tho most condensed statement that can be given of tho two tables of the law—the first setting forth what wo owe to God, and the second what we owe to our fellowmen. Take notice, ho says: “upon these two command ments hang all the Law and the prophets.” This clause is the mean ing of tho whole passage. It teaches us obedience to tho Law, to bo acceptable, must have its basis in supreme love to God, and sincere love to our neighbor. It is possible for men to render an outward obe dience to tho law from considera tions of mere selfishness. And this was true of tho very people to whom tho Savior was speaking. He had called them hypocrites, and had com pared them to “whited sepulchres.” When, therefore, tho lawyer asked him, “which is tho first and greatest commandment?” he did not reply by quoting any precept of tho decal ogue, as, no doubt, tho lawyer ex pected him to do; nor did ho give a new and an original precept ; but ho quoted that very generalization of tho law, which their own Moses had given to their fathers. It was an answer which struck at once at their formalism, and showed how vain were all tho punctilious obser vances, so long as their hearts were not aninated with the lovo of God. Hence, as we • have said above, the meaning is that obedienee to bo ac oeptible, must be based upon lovo, upon loves must “hang all the law and the prophets.” We may do practically the requirement* of the law; but to make that doing an acceptable obe dience, it must be sanctified by love. Love is, therefore, the element which is indispensible to obedience. Lime is not marble, till carbon is combin ed with it. Then it becomes fit ma terial to adorn tho palaces of kings. So works arc not obedience, till they are combined with Love. Then they become as jewels, fit to adorn tho crown which Jesus shall give to his redeemed. This is one sense in which Lovo islho fulfillment oi tho. ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER 29, 1892. Law. It is tho condition that makes that fulfillment complete. But there is yet another sense, in which Love is the fulfillling of the law. Love has been called the mas ter passion of the soul. Tlyough its influence over the will, it domi nates all the activities of the soul, whether they bo intellectual or emo tional. It is not going too far to say that there is not an emotion of the human mind, that does not hold, inherent in it, some degree of love- Take, as an example, a case, appa rently, as far removed from love as any case can be, viz., tho case of a murderer. In common speech, we say, tho murderer is impelled to his deed of blood by malice. And so he is. But whence comes this mal ice? Its source is found in the love of self. To gratify this love of him self, the murderer wreaks his ven geance upon his victim. (So with all other affections, whether they be good or bad. They all include some farm of love. Now, in its normal state, the su preme object of love is God, And its next most exalted object is man. When God is its supremo object, one of the desires which it develops in tho soul, is to do his will,—to fulfil his law. “Lord what wilt thou have me to do’’ is the earnest inquiry of the new-born soul. Hence love is the fulfillment of the law, not only because it is the only condition upon which wo can render an acceptable obedience to God ; but because it is also the impelling mo tive which enables us to render that obedience willingly,—with our own free consent and choice. With this view harmonize such words as these: “If ye love me keep my command ments.” “lie that hath my commandments and keepeth thorn he it is that loveth me.” “The love of Christ constraineth us * * * that wo should live not unto ourselves, but unto Him v.ho died for us and rose again. In view of this discussion, and of the scriptures which have been cited I would offer a few practical thoughts. Have you, dear reader, just now, a comfortable sense of the love of God in your heart? If you have, then you are in a condition which enables you to render him ac ceptable obedience, and you are in possession of a moral power where by you are able in some good degree, to keep his commandments. And the keeping of his command ments is the proof of your love. Now tho practical question for ev ery one is, “am I trying to do his will?” Let me help you, my brother, to answer this question. Can you say like David: “I have none in Heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee?” Just in tho degree that your heart can echo these words, you are truly fulfilling the first command ment, —“Thou shalt have no other God but mo.” Can you adopt, with all your heart, tho words of a modern poet: •‘Tho dearest idol I have know, What’ere that idol be, Help me to tear it from thy throno, And worship only thee?" If so you may feel assured that you are keeping the second precept which forbids idolatry. Again when you read in the book of Revelation, the sublime doxolo gies which tho heavenly hosts offer unto God saying: “Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, which was and is to come; * * * blessing and hon or and glory and power be to him that sits upon tho throne, and unto tho Lamb forever,” doos your heart respond to these lofty words ? Thon certainly you aro keeping the third commandment, which forbids profan ity and all irreverence; Once more, when you hear David exclaim ing, “As tho heart pantoth after water-brooks so panic th my soul af ter thoo;” or “I was glad when they said unto mo, come, let us go up to the house of tho Lord together,’ or “Ono thing have I desired of tho Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in tho house of the Lord, all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple;” do you also long for communion with God ? Do you re joice in tho Lord’s- day, as tho ap poir' I season, when it is your privi. suspend you? ordinary labors, and your worldly amusements, that you may seek communion with-God, in your private mid you may meet his people in holy convocation, and unite with them in praise and thanksgiving, in prayer and adoration and in listening to the exposition of his word? Then you are keeping the fourth commandment according to its intent and meaning. So much for the first table of the Law. But supreme Love to God is not satisfied with the service which we render to him alone. It expands it self over all mankind. David says, “My goodness extbndeth not to thee but to thy saints which arc on the earth.” The only service we can render directly to God is the exercise of right affections towards him. These are all that he asks, for himself, at our hands. Hence David was right. Our good deeds cannot reach the Al mighty. But they can roach our fel low creatures. Accordingly God has commanded us to love them as wo love ourselves. This love is the on ergizing principle which fulfils the second table of the Law, —not only according to tho letter, in outward acts, but according to its intent and meaning as expounded for us by the Savior in his teachings. True love for our fellow men will not only re strain us from doing the wrong, but it will depress all desire to injure them. Nay, it will impel us to do them good, as we have opportunity, and to the extent of our ability. And the greatest good which we can con fer upon them is to bring them to Christ. Hence it is written:. “Go yc into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.” So we see that love is the fulfiilling of all the commandments, because it is at once tho condition of an acceptable obedience, and the moral power which enables ns to render such obedience. 71 Wheat St., Atlanta. HOW LONG WAS JESUS IN THE GRAVE? BY 11. B. HII.LYEU BELTON TEXAS, v I rarely answer upon my articles, as I have no private ambition to gratify. J write only, for the public good, give my views, let others give theirs, and leave the reading public to decide. But to my mind this is a question of vast importance, intensified by the indif ference of our brethren. The truth of the scriptures, ye, and even the divinity of Christ hangs upon it! for when God by his prophet, or his Son predicts that a certain event shall transpire, and at a specified time, he is responsible for the time, as well as tho event, to constitute a fulfill ment. Christ said with great exact ness. “Three days and three nights,” and less, or more than that exact time would be no fulfillment. Rome has said “one day and two nights” and upon it based her “ Good friday ” and christendom has accept ed it without debate. You refer to Ist Samuel 30: 12. and Esther 5:16.5:1. as paralell passages, they are not at all paralell. Christ said “Three days, and three nights, singularly exact. Again you say the day following (the crucifixion) was the Jewish Sabbath, that is our Saturday. How do you know this? This is the very vital question at issue, for I hold it was A Sabbath day, “an high day.” See John, and the Ist day of tho feast of unleavened bread, a “holy convocation day,” a day of “rest,” sabbaton, and worship. “Wherein no work shall be done, save to eat’’ A fleeting Sabbath, falling different* years, upon different days of tho week, as does our Christmas, and the day before it has a “preparation day” and upon this day Christ was crucified and in this year it fell upon Wednesday and Christ lay in the grave a Thursday Sabbath, and a Sat urday Sabbath, two Sabbaths, and hence the plural Sabbath “Sabaton”, Used by the evangelist in refering to tho resurrection, which is suppres sed in our version and translated “week.” Christ says “three days, and three nights.” Equal number of days and nights require the resurrection to be the same time of the day with the burial AU agree that Christ was hurried late in tho evening ” and just at the time of the evening that the Sabbath began to appear.” Drew on” that is just before sun set, and such we find to be the time also of tho resurrection by Matthew, for he says “In the end of the Sabbath as it to dawn toward (ho Ist day of the week,” certain women camo to tho Sepulcher, and. found it empty. No scholar will deny that the Jewish Sabbath Commenced at 6 o clock Friday evening, and ended at 6 oclock (or sufidown) Saturday evening, and does all over the world to day, tho night proceeding the day, and the first day of the week (our Sunday) “drew on,” “began to appear,” or “dawned,” used in its old original sense of “beginning” just after 6 oclock or sundown, Sat urday evening. Tho Greek word “ Opse,” is used by the evangelist to denote the time of the burial, and is also used by Matthew to denote the time of the resurrection. So that whatever “ Opse” means with reference to the burial it must mean when used with refference to tho resurrection. This settles be yond dispute the resurrection to be Saturday evening just before sun down. Now “ Opse” means evening, and may denote the last three hours of the day, or the first three hours of the night. As a military phrase it meant the first watch of the night extending from 6 til 9 oclock. While “proi” meant tue fourth watch of the night from 3 oclock a. m. until 6. a. m. and Jesus thus uses these words in speaking of the four watches of the night. See Mark, 13: 15. Proi often translated morn, as “from morn, “prbi’ until evening, “Opse,” proi extending from 3 to 6. a. m. as forth wath, or night proi,” also from 6. to 9. a. m. as day “proi” hence to know what time in “Opse,” or “prai” evening or morning a thing occured required other words to designate it, hence we found that Matthew to particularize the time of Opse that the visit occurred, says “as it be gan to dawn towards the Ist day of tho week. The most Casual reader of the Bible has doubtless noticed (if not please turn to and read) that the events that took place at tho grave as described by the four evangelists dif fer widely one from another; And why ? Three seperate, distinpt vis its are clearly disoribed by them, and of course different things occurred. This beautiful truth is suppressed by our translators in tho interest of “good friday.” How then is it? Matthew says the visit as described by him was made at “Opse,” “as it began to dawn towards the Ist day of the week,” that is Saturday eve ning before sundown in the twi light. Mark says in the account given by him of the visits of the women to the grave was at “proi” morning, and emphasises the exact time by saying “at the rising of tho sun.” While John’s account was also at “proi,” but “when it was yet dark.” Luke says, his was in the “deep twi light.,” Mark. Luke and John by our translation are made to say. “ Tho first day of the week.” While it should read the first morning) “proi” after the Sabbaths, Luke leav ing out the proi, and in its stead using words meaning “deep twi light.” Matthew an inspired apostle says that Christ was out of the grave Saturday evening at sundown, (and this spoils tho one day and two night theory). Christ says he would lay in the grave “three days and three nights” So we must count back from opse Saturday evening “three days and three nights” for tho burial and this brings us to Wednesday evening for tho burial. Thursday tho Passover Sabbath, and Saturday tho regular weekly Jewish Sabbath, gives Christ 2 Sabbaths in tho grave, thus explaning why all four evangelists use tho plural Sab bath, “Sabation,” in refering to tho resurrection. I am sorry you refered to Dr* Broadus. No man surpasses mo in his admiration for the purity and learn ing of Dr. Broadus. Yet I daresay the Doctor has never given this stib jact an hour’s serious thought. . I am sure ho cannot road this article aud with it fresh on his mind, lay down his commentaries and take up his Greek testament, with any of the standard lexicons and read Matthew’s account and say it occurred Sunday morning. My own father, Rev. John F. Hillyer, LL.D., held to the old theory, “one day and two nighta” without ever having given it a seri ous thought for forty years of his ministerial life, but when he hoard ,ihe great and good Watson, and ex (Amiued. carefully the Greek, ho was astonished to find Watson was right, and deeply pained to see our English translators try so hard to cover up the facts by false translation, all in the interest of “Episcopal Good Friday.” And shall Baptist, the only donomina" tion on earth giving tho world an open Bible, bo found defending a false “papal dogma ?” Written for the Chbistian Index. THE PASTOB. BY F. R. BOSTON D. D, The Biblo teaches us that a true minister of Jesus Christ must be called of God, It is not with him a matter of choioe as a vocation in life which he may take up and lay down as it suits convenience or circumstan ces. It is not among the professions of the world which a man enters in order to best serve himself, but tho ministry is a calling of God. For this reason Paul wrote, (Romans x, 15), “And how shall they preach ex cept they be sent ?” The success of a minister depends, first, on having been sent by the Lord. His power to win souls must come from the genuiness of his divine commission. If the Lord does not work with him by the presence and power of His spirit, then, indeed, he will fail. But when he is called and commissioned of God, he is armed and equipped for his work, and he is accompanied by the Holy Spirit. How solemn and impressive Christ’s words to His disciples, and through them to every true preacher, “Go ye therefore and teach all na tions,” etc. (Matt, xxviii, 19), and Paul’s words, (2d Cor. v, 18-20) “And hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.” Now, then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye recon ciled to God. The real power of a pastor cannot be felt nor his ministry appreciated and profited by unless we realize the divine side, namely, that he is called of God, he is commissioned by the Lord. He is an ambassador of Christ, and he is separated from the world to the work of the Lord. When men look upon a minister as they would upon a professional man, whom they would hire or dis miss, as he suits their fancy, they degrade the ministry, and deprive their souls of the help and profit which they so much need from the ministration of divine things. While we must recognize that a minister must be called of God, and that there is a divine side to his la bors among men, we must not forget that ho carries this divine treasure in earthen vessels, for Paul says, (2d Cor. iv, 7) “ But we have this treas ure in earthen vessels.” He meant to say that as the ancients kept their gold and silver in earthenware jars, so God called and commissioned to preach His gospel weak, fallible and imperfect mon. Therefore, while a preacher must have his commission from God, yet we must not expect him to bo infallible, without imper fections and weaknesses. Nothing is impossible with God ; He could have made His ministry like the purest and most perfect porcelain vase ; but Ho has not done this, and Paul says tho reason is that the ex cellency of tho power may boos God and not of us. We learn from tho word of God that the right way to secure a pastor is to ask him from the Lord. If you will consult Eph. iv, 11, you will read these words: “And Ho gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pas tors and teachers.” A real pastor and teacher is a gift from tho head of tho church to tho church in an swer to prayer. Tho first step a church should take in securing a pastor is devout, united and earnest prayer to Al mighty God to send them a man af ter His own heart, to break to them the bread of life. In early days when these ideas were more clearly recognized, tho ehnreb, without a pastor, would appoint a special time of prayer and humiliation to wait on God, making a request for such as He would send to them to minister in divine things, end then having committed their ease into tho hands of the Lord, they used every right means to seouro a pastor guided by divine providence. A church that secures a pastor in thia way cannot but feel that ho is. EGod’n. gift ta them, _ Thojp, must Brother Minister, Working Layman, Zealous Sister, We are Btrlvinsr to make Tlie Index the best of its kind. Help us by securing a new subscriber. VOL. 69—NO. 39. love, cherish and encourage him in his divine and heavenly ministra tions, and they must protect and defend him against the malicious and evil-minded. Tho Biblo very forcibly defines and describes the relation of a pas- , tor to his church, and the authority' which ho has over them. Let us group a few of these passages togeth er: Heb. xiii, 7. 1 ‘ Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God, whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.” Dr. Angus, in his comment on this verse, paraphrases it thus: ‘ ‘ Remember your leaders who taught you tho Gospel; and observing the happy re sults of their Christian deportment, imitate their faith.” Heb. xiii, 17 “ Obey them that have a rule over you, and submit yourselves for they’ watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy and not with grief, for this is unprofitable for you.” Here you will observe the pastor has spiritual authority, for the church is charged to obey him, and submit themselves to him, not that he may lord it over God’s heritage, but be cause he is largely responsible for their growth in grace. He will have to give an account for his ministry, for this reason submit yourselves to his ministry, if your conduct is in consistent, while tho grief will be his, the loss will be yours. Let mo direct your attention £o one other passage in this connection: 1 Thea, v, 12. “And wo beseech you, breth ren, to know them, (1 e regard them with the respect and gratitude due to their character, office and labors) which labor among you, and arg over you in the Lord, and admonish; you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake.” If these directions could be car ried out in full in our churches, what mutual love and esteem there would be between pastor and people. What peace and harmony. What a bles sed C'hrist-liko family the church would represent. There would bo no Diotrepheso casting out all who did not recognize his authority, ruling or ruining because he loved the pre-eminence. What work for the Master would be done, and the world wonld say, see how these Chris tians love one another. ; Paul, as a minister of Christ, ask. ed of his brethren, prayer, more than anything else. As a minister, and the son of a minister, and knowing the hearts of our ministry, I can say with all sincerity that a preacher of the Gospel desires, first of all, the prayers of his people, for if he ha® their prayers he will have every thing else. Tho strongest and most consecrated minister is rendered powerless in a praycrless atmos phere, and his ministry is powerless over the brother or sister who never prays for him. But his ministry is clothed in power in an atmosphere of prayer. A prayerful person will always find something in the pastor’s sermon or ministry helpful in the Christian life. Was not that a good resolve of tho brother who said, I pray for my pastor right or wrong. I pray for him when ho is right that he may be divinely sustained. I pray for him when ho is wrong that ho may be divinely righted. Do not tell your pastor all tho lit tle criticisms that you hear the com plaining utter against him. Because, ho is a man of God, giving his life for tho saving of souls and tho good, of his people, docs not give you the right to tell him tho hard and unjust; and unappreciative things, those foiC whom ho labors aro saying about*, him. Take a lancet and cut his flesh, it will bo less painful, and the, scar will sooner disappear than the wound in tho heart. While tho consecrated pastor does, not, by any means, desire tho ful some praise of his people, yet ha does crave expressions of love and appreciation for his services. Many times a pastor goes to his home from, his pulpit sad and depressed because his sermon scorned to him to fall' powerless on tho hearts of his audi ence. That some one had been hel ped by his effort would be a joyous compensation. Ho will say, I am satisfied—one heart comforted and edified. llow many misread ns aneft misjudge ns by supposing wo are straining after “ big sermons,” or rhetorical effect,’* or OQthird u