Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

2 ASKED AND ANSWERED. BY C. E. W. DOBBS. Paul exhorted Timothy to “preach the word.” Does "ho use the same word found in John 1 ;1-14 ? If so ’is not the exhortation to Timothy equivolent to “preach Christ? ” Elias. Our brother tells ns his inquiry is prompted by a sermon from this text, in which the preacher ed as above. Exception was taken to the interpretation, and he wishes our opinion. The same Greek wo».l (logos) is used by.Paul and Jofin- It occurs nearly four hundred times in the New Testament, and is trans lated by various English terms, say in". word, account, cause, doctrine, matter, intent, reason, speech, com munication, preaching, fame. Its primary meaning is “a word, a thing uttered,” “from the verb (lego) to speak, and this idea directly or in directly is the basis of its use in ev ery place where it is found. John is the only sacred writer who uses logos to describe our Lord. (See John 1 ;1-14 ; 1’ John 1:1 ; Lev. 19:13.) He seems to use it to de note the pre-existent higher nature of Christ, thbugh the passage in the Revelation appears to refer to the glorified and conquering God-Mam the triumphing Head of the Church. John called this higher nature of our Lord the “Word” because he reveal ed God to man. We quote Dr. Ho vey : “In human intercourse it is the proper office of “the word” to reveal thought, feeling, purpose, character. By ‘rational speech,’ the natural and best medium of expression, the spir it of man, itself invisible, makes known its being and will to others. And therefore, if the existence and perfection of God wore revealed from the beginning by the higher nature of Christ which, in the full ness of time, became flesh, no other designation of that nature could have been more appropriate than the one selected by John for this para graph. But the Evangelist affirms, in his own way, that the being and character of God were thus revealed. With the utmost propriety, then, this Being is called the Word, that is to say, the Ono through whom God made Himself known to mankind.” (American Commentary.) Wo think Paul exhorted Timothy to faithfulness in declaring the doc trine and will of Christ, that is, to preach the Gospel. What is the meaning of Luke 9 : GO ? E. M. N. The account reads : “lie said un to another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead; but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.’’ The same incident is record ed in Matt. 8 :21-22. We can do no better than to quote the commenta tor, Rev. Dr. E. 11. Plumptree: “The form of the petition may mean either (1) that his father was then actually dead, and that the disciple asked leave to remain ami pay the last honor to his remains; or (2) that he asked to remain with Ins father till his death. The latter seems by far the most probable. In the East burial followed so immedi ately on death that the former would hardly have involved more than the delay of a few hours. In the latter case the request was, in fact, a plea for indefinite postponement. This al least tils in best with the ap parent severity of our Lord's answer. The point of the half epigramatic, half proverbial saying, lies in the contrast between the two meanings of the word ‘dead.’ ‘Let those who have no spiritual life linger in the circle of outward routine duties, and sacrifice the highest spiritual possi bilities of their nature to their ful fillment. Those who are really livj ing will do the work to which their Master calls them, and leave the lower conventional duties to be done or left undone as the events of their life shall order.” Something there was, we may be sure, in the inward state of the disciple which called for the sternness of the rebuke. He had been called to a living work : he wag resting in a dead one.” (Ellicott’s Now Testament Commentary for English Readers.) In the American Commentary Dr. Bliss has this note : “This was certainly in itself a very reasonable request. Our Lord would himself have been the first to re prove the lack of a disposition to care for the remains of a father. But there was now another call on the man even moro pressing. Eith er Christ could not tarry for the fu neral, which is extremely likely, or it was necessary for the hesitating convert to receive a startling inti mation of the extent and depth of the devotion involved in discipleship. The lesson to hj|p would at the same time impress all hearers with the strictness of Christ’s demands.” One of the early Christian “fathers,’’ Clement of Alexandria, says that tradition identified this man with him who afterwards appears as Philip the Evangelist who baptized the Ethiopian officer. How can the apparent contradi tion lie reconciled between verses 12 and 15 of the third chapter of Phil ippians? Paul disclaims perfection in the first, but assumes it in the second. PERPLEXED. There is no contradiction at all in .this beautiful passage. Paul’s ideal of Christian holines was very high. 'Die grand end in view for every believer is conformity to the perfect Christ. (Rom. 8:29). It was for this that Christ had “apprehended” —laid bold of him and put him in the Christian race for perfection. He disclaims having yet reached that perfection. Benge! tersely remarks that “in his highest fervor the apos tle does not lose spiritual sobriety.” And another well says that “the be lievers sanctification, even when that lieliever is such a .saint as Paul, is progressive, and is not reached this side the grave.” In verse 15 ho uses the word “perfect” not in the sense of attainment, for that idea he had distinctly disclaimed, but in the sense of aim and purpose. His ideal was perfect, and perfection was the end for which he was run ning the race. Augustine has a good note just here ; “Perfeet, and not perfect; perfect travelers yet not perfect poscssors.” “The per fect on earth,” says Dr. Pidge, are those that seek perfection, and have come in their Christian life to acer tain maturity of faith and knowlege, so that they are no longer mere babes in Christ.” What is the “Talmud” and “Tar gum?” c. k. n. 1. The Talmud was the original oral law of the Jews. It contained civil and religious regulations not definitely or fully set forth in the written law of Moses. It claimed to be the guardian and explanation of the Pentateuch. Indeed the Jewish rabbis said that the oral law was com municated to Moses at the same time the written law was given. At first it was forbidden to reduce the Tal - mud to writing, but long since the prohibition lapsed, and the great mass of traditional rubbish is accessi ble to scholars in printed volumes, which reveal much of the customs, practices and decisions of the Jew ish nation in the past. The Targum is tho name given to a Chaldee version, or paraphrase, of the Old Testament. Its origin is traced to Neh. 8 :8. The claim is that the explanations then given were written down in tho Chalklee dialect learned in the exile. THE SUPREME NEED OF THE HOUR. That the churches, all abroad, have lost their hold upon the world; that the fervor and power of religious life is dying out—nay, has well nigh de parted; that modernized Christianity ceases to inspire confidence, and to awaken a reverential spirit-—is a fact that requires no argument for its i support. 1 am neither a pessimist nor a ! chronic grumbler. Nothing is more unsightly in my eyes. But it is neither good wisdom or good religion to cry : “Peace, peace, when there is no peace.” It is a very perilous thing for a man to walk amid dan. gers unconscious of their presence. It is a sad thing for a man to be in the incipient stages of a fatal form of di sease, and yet be unconscious of its presence. “To be forewarned is to be forearmed.” 1 was in the State of Texas recently. I spent a few days in the cross timbers, as they are call ed. A friend said to me, “You need to watch as you walk about these timbers, because there are many deadly moccasins lurking by the path way, and they may strike you with their venomous and poisonous fangs.” As the danger was there, I was thankful to bo apprised of it: other wise 1 might have been stung to the death. 'l'here is nothing moro common than to hear that the world under ' the influence of our superior culture, and of our higher Christian civiliza tion, is growing better, constantly advancing to a higher moral plane. In the present article I have nothing to say about this. It may be that the sickening details of erime-rthe apparent increase in the number of murders, thefts, burglaries and other forms of sin, is only apparent—that it so seems because the whole world is kin, aud we see and know of these things as our fathers could uoU But THE CHRISTIAN INDEX: THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER 29. 1892. the check that has bc.cn put upon the tendency to horrid forms of vice, may not be an evidence of the better condition of the social and moral life of the nation. Just belcw the falls of Niagara the bosom of the great river is calm and smooth as the pol ished surface of a mirror; but two miles below, the rolling, angry wa ters, that were battling beneath the calm surface, arose from the depths and broke the calm by their seething surging, impetuous billows. Possi bly this may be a picture of the pres ent, and a prophecy of the future life of our people. The thought in my mind is this: Restraint, legal or simply moral, is not what is needed. The river may be dammed. Its waters rise higher and still higher. The silent, restrain ed force becomes greater and still greater, till, at last, the pressure be comes so vast ami mighty that the material restrained gives way with a crash, and the restrained and impris oned waters, true to the laws of their being, sweep onward and down ward with resistless and devasting power. Thus it is with these educa tional and moral restraints that we throw about the young. Not a word against these. Oh no! We need them. But of themselves they are insufficient to effectually restrain and to finally save. We need, these latter days, a firm er conviction of the gospel’s power. “The gospel”—this alone—“is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth”—to high, low, rich ami poor. Christ is the founda tion on which men must build. Nor can an eduring character bo built on any other. If we get the stream pure the fountain must be made pure. If we would have good fruit, the tree must be made good. If we would have a permanent condition of good morals in the community, we must lay religion as the basal stone. We must quit all our foolishness, as preachers, of ignoring repentance, contrition for sin, regeneration by the Holy Spirit, union with the Son of God by faith, conscious knowledge of acceptance; substituting in their stead confession of Christ and join ing church. Wo must quit madly running after quantity and turn our thoughts to quality. This is one of the crying deinamds of the time. I I have’not as yet reached the thought that whs in mind when I took my pen, bit I must stop, and speak again. J. C. Burkholder, Elizabethtown, Ky. MAN LIKE HIS CREATOR. “Man was a fair though miniature likeness of his creator. And this likeness has been greatly marred and defaced by sin yet its traces may still be seen lingering here ami there amidst the deformities of a fallen nature. And when the light of divine truth fails upon that nature these lines of likeness reappear.” This quotation is copied from an excellent article from the pen of Dr. S. G. Hillyer in the Index of Sept. 15th “Thoughts about God.” Not from a spirit of criticism but to ask for further light from the pen of this learned philosopher and sound theologian. The first sentence of this quota tion is a beautiful expression—but some of the fond readers of the In dex would be grateful to Dr. Hillyer to have him say what ho means by “miniature likeness” in the quotation. He says further that this “likeness” has been defaced by sin, yet its traces may still be seen. “And when the light of divine truth falls upon that nature, these lines of like ness reappear.” When these words were read, we hastened over the succeeding parts of the article, to learn what are the remaining lines of the divine “likeness” in human nature in its depraved state which “reappear” under tho light, but fail ed to discover the subject of our solicitude. This expression of Dr. Hillyer is, I presume, figurative, refering to the process of writing on paper and which is invisible until subject to heat when it becomes visible. This inquiry arises then. Ave there traces of tho divine nature lying la tent in the human heart and when shone upon by the light of truth springs up, becomes real and visible? Having been marred and defaced by sin. The words marred and defaced are used by onr Father in Israel in their usual significance and ns syno riims, they signify to disfigure. Does Dr. IL intend to teach that the di vine lineaments or lines of divine “likeness” are simply disfigured in tho degenerate heart of man, as the result of the fall of our first parents in Eden, and when, subjected to the light of divine truth, this disfigure ment is removed and men are there- by restored to the divine likeness as it existed before the fall? If Dr. 11. has the time to spare and the Index the space we would be glad to hear from him on the lines specified above. J. G. McCall. Quitman, Ga., Sept. 18th 1892. HANELSBORO, MIBB. After a continued absence of eight months from my pastorate, caused by the serious illness and final death of my wife, I am again at home, ready to do what, by the help of God, I may be able in setting for ward the cause of Christ in these parts. During the illness of the dear de parted, we spent about three months at the historic Hot Springs of Ar kansas, a town of about 1,200 citi zens and perhaps an average of as many visitors every month in the year. Tho sick and suffering are there from all parts of the known world and perhaps represent almost all classes of diseases known to men with the possible exception of lepro sy, organic heart disease and pul monary consumption, the last two of which afe never benefitted, so they say, by the hot bath. One who frequents the bathing places here is likely to be reminded of John 5 :3, as to the multitudes and alas as to the design of all this, the healing of the body, with only one here and there who ever thinks of their diseased souls and the source of its cure—the bath of re- generation. Not only doos the reckless sinner not think of the need of soul cleans ing and seek it but it is thoughtless and thankless to (fed for the bath that heals his suffering body. Many of whom, while laving in this cura tive water, which God has provided for the restoration to health of their diseased bodies, (diseases which, in large part, have been superinduced by the most wicked dissipations) take God’s holy name profanely in vain. O, that it might be true of men now as with. David—Ps. 119: 59, 60, but instead, Prov. 1 :25, Isa. 1 :3, Luke 19 :11 are true of carnal man. But that is not the worst of it* Men, and women too, I blush to say, 1 am informed by physicians, the most reputable and reliable, who go there from head to feet, in side and ont, as a result of squander ing thei’s virtue and health by the vilest dissipations, go, (after finding that “their cases can be cured” by these waters, etc.,) into greater ex cesses of dissipations, until in some instances, they all but rot alive. Could Sodom have been worse ? But I speak this to the shame and dis grace of the visitors and not of the citizens. Those who live there will compare favorably with any of the same population within my acquaintance, as to their morals, etc. But. this is not all, nor the worst, but for fear my article will be too long, 1 will reserve the balance for a future letter and give the remain der of this one to “the better side of life.” Our Baptist cause there is not as well manned as it needs to be. Two churches but one of them for quite a long time has been pastorlcss and there seemed to be no special effort to secure a pastor. The first church, with about two hundred members, the second has about two hundred, 1 think—has a good pastor, “an able minister of the New Testament” and this church is prospering. Geo. W. Reeves is the pastor. There arc strong colored churches and each has a good pastor, “well reported by those without.” I can not in this letter speak particularly of our cause in Arkansas generally, but will say before, closing, that ‘their work all tnings considered, is well up with the older states. My next shall pertain to our Mississippi work generally and our coast work particularly. Fraternally, J. J. W. Mathis. 18 IT THE BEBT WAY? There comes before a Christian a certain matter for him to decide. It is one of consideroblo importance. Now, there are at least two ways in which he may decide what he should do witli that matter. One is, to use his reasoning powers, his experience and all the knowledge he may pos sess on the matter, and thus decide what course to pursue. The other way is this: lie may pray very earn estly for wisdom, for a clear convic tion as to what it would be best for him to do, and then, having opened his mind and heart fully for God’s Spirit to fix in him the decision he should make, he acts accordingly. Take the following actual occur rence as an example: a certain min ister, for several years without a pastorate, visited a church, receiving a unanimous and hearty call to be come its pastor. The church expec ted he would be able to decide at once as to whether he shonld accept the call. The minister liked the place and people and thought ho would be pleased to settle there. But after most earnest prayer over the question for a week or more, he felt that he ought not to accept. His Christian friends urged him to ac cept. They argued that tho fact that he wanted to settle and would like to settle there and the way was opened so nicely for him, he would make a mistake if he did not. Now, had this man looked at the matter as a commercial man would upon some business transaction, depending upon his own judgement and the advice of friends, ho would have decided at once to go there. But then he took this ground: lie believed that God knew far better than he what would be best for him and the cause;—in deed, the question really was, Did God want him to go there? Why then should he not ask God ? Why not inquire the mind of tho Lord ? How could he do otherwise and be at all consistent? He believed in prayer, because he believed in God. So he depended upon God to give him the light he needed and believ ed that he did. Is not this the best way,—the only safe way ? Yes. C. H. Wetiierbe. ©lte gtmulait-dhxoirt* DOROAS RAISED TO LIFE. Lesson for Oct. 9th, 1892. Scripture Lessox: Acts 9:32-43. IXTRODUCTIOn. The bitter persecution which has been waged agaiust the Christians ceases now for a while. Verse 31 of this chapter tells us of a rest that came to all the churches. This free dom from persecution for a season may have resulted from one or both of two causes, (a) Saul the leader has been converted, The Ro man Emperor, Caligula, attempted about this time to claim divine hon ors for himself by setting up his stat ue in the temple in Jerusalem. The Jews were so aroused to resist this that they forgot for a time the persecution of the Christians. During this period of rest Peter goes throughout all parts in the ex ercise of his ministry. For some seven years after Pentecost work had been confined to Jerusalem for the most part. Persecution drove the disciples abroad, and as they went, preaching, many disciples were won throughout Judea, Samaria and Galilee. Peter’s mission was quite likely intended especially for the more thorough instruction ami per fect organization of the scattered disciples. All are not yet converted in Jerusalem or in the countries sur rounding, but these incidents of the work ot Peter and others are given to show that all have had opportu nity to hear the testimony. Thus things are being made ready for the Gospel to be carried over to the Gen tiles and unto the uttermost parts. KXPLAXATOBY. I. Petek Heals a Paralytic.— Vs. 32-35. Lydda, a few miles East of Joppa on the way to Jerusalem. Aeneas, no intimation is given as to whether he was a Christian or not. Nor are we told whether he sought healing of Peter. Only two state ments are made concerning him. He was sick of the palsy. He had kept his bed eight years. Yet in these few words what a history of help less suffering. Had he spent bis living upon the physicians ? Had they tried to heal and failed ? Had his friends cast him off ? Had he heard of Peter and his miracles ? What had passed in his life during these eight years could never bo told. It is clearly evident from the length of time that he had been af flicted that some greater power than man possesses is needed to effect a cure. In the name of Jesus Christ he is bidden to arise. Peter gives all the honor to his Master. The Master honors Peter’s faith and word. Im mediate and perfect cure is wrought. How great a blessing is this that such great sufferings are so wonder fully banished. Yet by means of this tern[rnral blessing come far bet ter spiritual blessings ns many look upon the miracle, believcj and turn unto the Lord. 11. Dorcas Raised to Life.— Vs. 36-43. Joppa. A city of some importance on the coast of the Medi terranean Sea, about 35 miles North- East of Jerusalem. Tabitha, a He brew name of which Dorcas is the Greek form. Full of good works, — this indicates that she gave her W’hole life up Jo doing good, to the relief of the poor and needy. Notice that it is good works and not merely good words. “Good works,” accord ing to the proverb, “cost much and are worth much,” but good words are a very poor substitute when the hungry are to be fed and the naked to be clothed. Almsdeeds.—ller’s was a personal not a proxy service. Some give money and think it is alms, when in reality it is only an attempt to buy themselves off from the obligation to help the needy by their sympathetic personal contact and effort. Died. It has bden remarked that her death seems to be regarded with greater calmness, less wild lamentation than formerly’, and this is one of the fruits of Christ’s resurrection. Sent for Peter,—with what defi nite purpose or expectation it can not be known. Widows. Those who had been helped by this good woman. Kneeled down and prayed. Well might Peter realize the need of going to God in humble prayer as he stands in the presence of sorrow and death. The Lord answers his prayer and works through him in the bringing of Dorcas back to life. The main design of a miracle like this may be best understood by not ing the effects produced as described by the Scriptures. We are told nothing of the after life of Dorcas. Our attention is called to the fact that many’ saw the miracle and were led to believe on the Lord. Such is the high purpose of every miracle. SUGGESTED. Christians are spoken of as Saints in verse 32. “The primary signifi cance of this word is : individuals set apart to the service of God, and as only those who had been ceremo nially purified were, under the Jew ish law, thus set apart to God’s ser vice, the term came to be associated with purity Therefore, combining these two things, we may define saints as those who, purified by God’s Spirit, have dedicated themselves to God’s service ; and as thus explained, the name is appro priate to all true believers who are seeking to walk in holiness and love.” The life of Dorcas was “full of good, works,” given up to doing good. Why should your life be dif ferent ? Gott’s word affords no jus tification for devoting a life so dear ly purchased to the unworthy’ ends of gain, ambition, indulgence, or pleasure. “Ye are not your own,” “ye are bought with a price.” “Glo rify God in your body, and in your Spirit, which are God’s.” The life of Dorcas will bring to mind the blessing, the place, the power of woman under the Gospel, and many useful lessons will occur. But while all these are being fully considered and appreciated, let us not forget that the religion of Jesus Christ is eminently a manly thing and for the work of the Lord now pressing upon us many strong men are needed. The claims of the poor are constantly pressing upon us. “Whensoever ye will ye may do them good.” These claims receive grateful recognition and find warm response in many hearts. But not all help for the poor helps the poor. The real value of any kind of help to a man may well be questioned if it does not help him to a more indus trious and honorable and Christian life. To the Superintendents of Sunday Schools in Georgia. Many will remember reading the first letter we received from the Su perintendent of the Sunday School of the Baptist Church at Rome, Ga., and which was printed in the Index. Their plan was to have a box or barrel and to drop birthday offerings in for the Orphan children in the Home, and to teach the children to give systematically, Superintendents, teachei-s and scholars to drop in the same number of pennies as they have years, thus a child of six years, six pennies, ten years, ten pennies* etc. It can bo given silently, so that gentlemen or ladies of uncer tain age need not hesitate to drop in their pennies. Perhaps some father or mother would like to rememlier the orphans thus in remembrance of some absent loved one. The follow ing letter shows the result from the Rome Sunday School. What school will be the next to follow ? The amount was sent to Mrs. W. J. Nor then, who handed same to the Treas urer. Dear Mrs. Nobtaxx :—The Sab bath Seltool, First Baptist Church Rome, adopted the plan of encour aging birthday gifts for the “Orphans’ Home.” From a small beginning, we trust many schools will follow and thus secure to the Home a nice income from an unexpected source. I now have the pleasure to hand, check $18.84 amount of our receipts to date. It will be well for your Board to bring this plan before all the schools in the State. Yours with great respect, C. O. Stilwlll, Treas. Rome Bap. S. S. First Ch. CONSCIOUSNESS OF POWER. Natural. Bacon wrote in early life, “it takes all knowledge to be my province.” Mrs. John Adams, wrote to her son John Quincey, while yet a lad: “My’ son, disdain to be ig norant of anything known by any body else.” The greatest of novel ists, I quote from memory’, wrote, “Do not deceive yourself vain worldling. The shy and troubled air of yonder great man, 1 is no sign he does not know his superiority to you. It is the consciousness of qualities, he cannot reveal to the common, everyday, world that flat ters and puzzles you when you meet him.” It was handed around as something rich when B. H. Hill, just entering upon the practice of law» said he was going to take the place of William at the bar of Western Georgia. Napoleon’s cool declarations of destiny amused his matronly future queen. This con sciousness that will not down when the possession of a young man, is often mistaken for vanity', when only’ an illustration of the maxim, we can because we think we can. SPIRITUAL. There is something analogous to conscious natural, in spiritual power. Spurgeon possessed it in an eminent degree, insomuch, that the prefaces to some of his earlier volumes, look ed very like sheer egotism. Noth ing but his after life could have vin dicated him. The youthful Bascom was something like a parallel case. Spiritual manhood in a young min ister is the constant prophecy of suc cess. It ‘allows no man to despise him.’ And why should he fear when consciously charged with a message from God to man? Elimi nate the human clement likely’ to at tach, and you have an ideal charac ter: So Paul invokes the prayers of his brethren, that he “might open bis mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the mystery^of th© ‘ Gospel.” The virtue of humility, in cases of the profoundest self-consciousness, is sufficiently’ guarded, if, as always, the spiritual man, in proportion as he is spiritual, remember the maxim, know thyself, emphasized so much by inspiration. Conscious unction from the Holy One, united with the convinction of a great message to deliver, the res ponsibility of which would make an angel tremble, and you have, on tho moral side, a sublime character in deed. E. B. Teague. Ayer’s Pills the best remedy for Constipation, Jaundice, Headache, Biliousness, and Dyspepsia, Easy to Take sure to cure all disorders of the Stomach, Liver, and Bowels. Every Dose Effective THE ORiGiNHL ... ***“ Stamp 4 Feb. zS, lfw». w o mcli Waist. . * TAKE NO OTHER. 1 REMEMBER THE GENUINE IRCKSON O Corset Waists ARE MAD 3 ONLY BY THB JACKSON CORSET CO., Jacksaii, Mich. Thr manufacturer’llnameh printedn;xin thebox«l aiauiped up-iu twHG*©l’ ciui? in each wabiu r jr y ar- cL J most wUF/ W napula r the kind now Vsi '■J °ntbr market. Ay‘/rrTryk Von nbo'iM a % t vlOJ• ■re one of AT jj. 7 \ idem. BE SURE and GET ■UPRIGHT THING dealer hanirt them wrfte to do* J WANTED. ,'