The Christian index. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1892-current, November 03, 1892, Page 2, Image 2

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2 "GET A MOVE ON YOU," That dignified and powerful Dr. J. G. Gibson wrote mo last week in the language of the above vulgar ism. Is he justifiable in the use of such speech ? Let us see. In the same letter be told of three district Associations attended in one week and three more proposed for the next week, traveling night and day for the success of his work. And all the time witnessing the sad fact that the contributions are falling be hind. Is there any wonder that he should write a thoughtless, lazy pas tor “to get a move on him.” They say that a physician who is unable to tell what is the matter will not be able to effect a cure. It is also true that some times a cure is very difficult when the trouble is quite well known. The diagnosis of the Baptist com plaint requires no Solomon. We are too open and simple to bo hard to read. The first and greatest trouble, through all this part of the country, is the fearful excitement about poli tics. Preachers and people have given time and thought to that sub ject to the neglect of the cause of Christ. There was more money spent by Baptists the late election for legislature than these same Bap tists have contributed this year to the cause of Christ. This insidious miserable party politics has absorbed the servants of God. Besides the political craze, wo are suffering from hard times. It is real. We have been going through a tre mendous strain on the vitals of trade. But there has been much more said about it than was needed. The hard times do not affect the contri butions to Christ’s cause in any ap preciable degree. The money given to religious purposes is not the re sult of prosperity. Wo do not fol low the apostolic injunction and lay by as we are prospered. Our col lections are affected by the number and plausibility of the excuses that can be made for not giving. Hero are a few, viz: 1. There is a great awakening on the subject of educa tion. The settlement and Associa tional High School is absorbing. When a brother has given toward the establishment of one of these his conscience is made easy about any other object of benevolence. Many parents are sending their children to School and they Regard that as the* quintessence of charity. 2. 'There has been just a little too much said lately about “Methods of Missions.” There are more than you think, who are willing to let you do all the mis sion work until you adopt their methods, and many more who have no method of their own but are glad of an excuse to cease giving an ac. count of the “methods.” There are many who give to missions not for Christ's sake but for very shame’s sake. 3. It is said we talk too much about it. A deacon in a Bap tist Church told his pastor to attend to his own business, when the pas tor approached him on the subject of giving. Os course the pastor promp ly told the deacon that he was “at tending to his own business.” We may talk too much of the wrong kind of talk. Our people need more to know about the actual work. Let every pastor have placed in his hands literature that will bring missions, the Bible, his own heart, and Jesus Christ to-gether. Mis sions must be lifted out of the me chanical route. There must be a Christly mission spirit infused. Let ei ery lover of the cause “get a move on him” and it may then be possible to get a move on somebody else. We bad already bold two Centen nial services in our church. At the morning service on the 2nd of Octo ber there was a Centennial service for the grown folks and in the after noon there was a service for the chil dren. Now r we propose to mix up all ages and sizes and hold a grand Centennial service under the direc tion of the Ladies Society. After all, none of us fear that we will do too much. May the God of missions make bare His arm and move the hosts of Baptists. F. C. McConnell, AN EVIL. When a church member moves from the neighborhood of his church he should carry with him a letter of dismission, and join, when ho stops, the nearest one to him. There may be some exceptions to this but they are rare. To hold a membership in a church some distance from one's hotne, to reach which ho has to pass one or more well organized churches of the same faith aud order is usually attended with very bad re sults. The church in his neighbor- hood may well suspect that he thinks they are inferior to those that he re fuses to leave or that he is trying to shirk responsibility. A member who thus refuses to carry his membership along with him is usually governed by wrong motives. It is sometimes pleaded that the graveyard at the old church contains precious dust; or old tried and true friends remain back there; or it may be the old pastor who bap tized us still lingers on the shore holding forth the light of life. If these or any other attractions are sufficient to induce the removed member to regularly attend the meetings of his church there can be no valid objections. But long and continued observation shows that no attractions, however strong, are suf ficient to 'induce one to overcome any considerable distance and regu larly attend the appointments of the church. Our churches in small towns usually suffer greatly from this evil. Country members locating in town often imagine that they cannot feel free and easy in the town church, and hence leave their membership far behind them. This is a great mistake. Our town churches like other Baptist churches aim to glori fy God in the uplifting of the com munity, and generally succeed in making incomers feel at home among them. Seldom, indeed, have we no ticed any neglect of country people at our town churches. Churches usually feel a deep anxiety to receive members from wherever they may come, and scarcely fail to use all necessary means to win visitors. Let there be no fears that town churches will not receive country members with hearty good will. Pastors often discourage members who are moving away from getting letters of dismission under the mista ken motive that to have their mem bership remain is a compliment to the church and pastor. Thus mem bers move away with the premise “we will come back when we can.” At the same time perhaps there is no hope of there visiting the old church once a year. Many of these absent members never return. All the en dearments of the old church are for gotten ; and they are lost in the whirl and giddiness of passing scenes. Is it not true that thousands of wan dering homeless members might trace 4ieir spirituaLdecline and ir regular, and in some cases, debauch ed lives to this source ? That this is a great evil none will deny. Is there a remedy ? A com plete remedy would, doubtless, be difficult to suggest. But the evil may bo greatly abated. 1. By the church and pastor per suading members who may be mov ing away to carry letters of dismis sion along with them, and identify themselves with a church in the neighborhood as early as convenient, and thus be ready for every good word and work. 2. Let the pastor call attention to this evil, from the pulpit, insisting that is inconsistent with Unit conse cration to the cause of Christ which the New Testament teaches to live without church association and priv ileges. 3. Let tho church and pastor in the neighborhood of new coiners speedily impure into their spiritual condition and if found to be church members give them no rest until they have identified themselves with the people of God. Should these means bo faithfully used there would not be so many homeless Baptists, who claim alle gians to no church and are restrain ed by none, wandering, like sheep from the fold, in desolate places. There would not be so much anxious inquiry about lost members “that went out from us two years ago, and were seen at A., and afterwards were heard from at 8., since which noth ing has been known of them. A. J. Kelly. BLASTS FROM THE "RAM'S HORN.” There is no such thing as having much of a growth in grace as long as we insist on keeping onr hands in our pockets. The devil would rather start a fuss between a couple of God’s peo ple than to sell a drunkard a barrel of whiskey. Every man has an idea that if ho bad been in Adam’s place the whole earth would now be a Garden of Eden. Tho only people who can bo poor in tho next world will bo those who have not taken God’s way to become rich in this. When tho devil sees church mem bers wrangling with one another lie knows it will be safe for him to sit down and rest. THE CHRISTIAN INDEX: THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 3. 1892. TEE CENTENNIAL FUND. The Southern Baptist Convention has twice decided to attempt to raise during the current year $250,000 as a special fund for permanent work, This fund is to be divided equally between our Home and Foreign Boards, unless otherwise designated! and is to be used for Bible transla tion, chapel building and the church edifice fund—expenses which once incurred will not need to be repeat ed. It is not designed that the rais ing of this fund shall in any way in terfere with the regular contributions for the current work, indeed it is proposed that these contributions shall also be as largely increased as possible. So far there has been lit tle specific effort to raise this fund except what has been done by means of the chapel cards. It became evident to the Centen nial Committee that something more than this must be done if the money is to be raised. We have, therefore secured the services for several months of Dr. W. D. Powell, who will devote himself to this work. Dr. Powell is too well-known to need any commendation ; and he is singularly gifted for such service. The Foreign Mission Board kindly releases him from his work in Mex ico in order that he may labor for the raising of this permanent fund. He is to receive no extra salary. The Committee congratulate themselves and also the denomination on secur ing Dr. Powell’s services. He will visit such points as may be desired, on consultation with those in charge of the work in the different states ; and we bespeak for him the hearty co-operation of all Southern Bap tists. His headquarters will be in Louisville, and his address will bo care of the Baptist Book Con cern. If other leading churches would do as the Eutaw Place church, Bal timore, has done, they would not need a visit from Bro. Powell, or from anybody else. It is the desire of Dr. Powell and also of the Committee that his time shall be used to the best advantage; that he shall visit only those points where he is most needed, and where his visits will bo likely to yield the best results. If the denomination will rally to this work, the raising of this, or even a much larger amount, wfil be rendered easy. May* no,# we'hope that the Centennial of Modern Mis sions furnishes a proper occasion, which the denomination will recog nize, for a supreme effort to save the world. Fraternally, T. T. Eaton, Ch’m’n Con. Com. S. B. C. DESPONDENCY. fs so common that I think it has come to bo regarded a misfortune rather than a fault and a sin. So some regard sickness and loss of time thereby. Whereas God will hold us accountable for loss time, in either case, when not a necessity. For all the time, in the latter case, when temperance and proper caution might have preserved us in health ; in the former, for distrusting the good pro vidence of God as well. The preacher is too lengthy for somebody who goes to chinch mere ly to be entertained, lie is too con scientious to be gadding around mere ly to keep people in a good humor. There is a John Jones or so in his church so restless that he can neither sit, lie or stand still a moment. He does not see a satisfactory growth in his people in knowledge and zeal His ministry is not effective as he could desire in winning souls; his effectiveness may bo indirect and un recognized largely, ns in tho case of Mercer, the elder Manly m his later years, and others whoso gifts are of a higher order, moving the levers that move the many. Popular min isters are those, for tho most part, whose effectiveness is recognized by all, not merely by tho discerning few’. And so the embarrassed pas tor gives way to discouragement, wastes time in hesitancy, or seeks another field, as if human nature and human untowardness were not everywhere tho same. Most mon who have left their ’mark on their times have been enabled to make a place and hold it, or to hold one when already made. The nnivcrsiA rule is, what thy hand finds to do, do it with thy might. Your place is right there. You have nothing to do with prominences, God will open the way for graceful change when it becomes expedient. He will always find a platform just broad enough and high enough on w hich to per form tho work he has given you to do. Don’t disparage his providence by murmuring or complaining, or wasting time brooding over misfor tune. And you young doctor or lawyer or teacher, hoc age, seize the first respectable place, do your best, if there is nothing adequate there some will want; you you will find your level and any struggle against the tendency will only precipitate you more rapidly towards the bottom. When once you succeed, you can re move where you please, all the re ports that follow you, will be favor able ; but if you fail, a single time, it will be reported every day, that you could not catch hold at such and such a place, that you are a failure anyhow. Nobody with average ca pacity, ever fails, in any calling, who husbands all resources, utilizes every moment, and hopes in God and his own strength, especially if fixed down in a place. The most despondent class now is the farmer, And yet, with all its faults, we have the best government in the world ; labor commands higher wages than it ever did in the history of the country, and a dollar will purchase more than it ever has done in any former period. The mistake people are making, is indisposition to settle down and make a home. That used to be thought of the first thing, when a young couple married, now, alas! becoming unusual in early life- Everybody has turned statesman and must attend all the barbecues and public speakings to applaud or dis approve, or fortify, or advise the candidate. The wife’s pin money is expended in this way. Men labor six or seven months in the year in stead of twelve, and blame God and the government that they are behind. Almost universal despondency reigns among the former class. Don’t all move to town ; settle down some where; make a neighborhood, main tain a school, build up a church, be still long enough for the preacher to teach you something, to mould and be moulded. Farming fails because it not attended to, is carried on hel ter skelter, and people are losing the idea of home. Anyway, let us not sit down and nurse our hands, indulge revery, and claim that no man hath hired us, for there is much to do, in every sphere and God is above and his eye over us. E. B. Teague. THE BEGINNING HERE. He who has been in the Christian life fifty, sixty or seventy years, has only begun ,to sec and know’ the beauty and blessedness of godliness- The early svnts of the antediluvian period, who lived to be eight and nine hundred years old, merely be gan to see a little of what was in re serve for them in the boundless here after. It is said that tho famous musician, Mozart, exclaimed, just be fore he died, “now I begin to see what might be done in music.” This great master of music caught glimp ses of what was possible to be ac complished in the sphere of music Had he lived years longer he would doubtless have felt that he was still a mere beginner, as compared with what was possible to be realized. As the Christian grows in grace, as his vision of Christ becomes broader and keener, he realizes more than ever, the possibilities which are attainable. Those who have reached great attainments in divine things, feelthat they have only begun to know a little of the height and depth of the unsearchable richesof Christ. John says, “of his fullness have all we receiv ed. “Yes, but we have not received all of his fullness. We cannot in this life. We can receive “of his fulness,” but how little it is as com pared with the fulness itself! It is one thing to receive of the full ocean, but quite another thing to receive the full ocean itself. Only in Chris dwells the “fulness of the godhead.” But’should we be discouraged because wo cannot presently receive the com plete fulness of Christ? No, not at all. We should be encouraged in the thought that we cannot fully know Christ in this life. If we could fully know him now, he would not be tho Christ that we need. We need a Christ of whom and from whom we can bo learning, during the limitless ages. The riches of grace which we could exhaust in an earthly life time, would not be the riches to forever support and satis fy immortal souls. Tho great undiscovered beyond, of which wo see something here, is what beckons us on with high anticipations of in creasing surprise and ineffablo and exhaustless pleasure. But let us see to it that we are beginning tho life which opens into the joyous eternity C. H. Wktheube. Baldnoss is often preceded or ac companied by grayness of the hair- To prevent both baldness and gray ness, use Hall’s Hair Renewer, an hon-est remedy. ©ltj? gnmdaiT-eThuDl THE FIRST CHRISTIAN MISSIONA RIES. Lesson for Nov. 13th, 1892. Scripture Lesson: Acts 13:1-13. Motto Text :—“That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all na tions.” Luke 24:27. INTRODUCTION. The book of Acts naturally divides itself into two parts at the end of the 12th chapter. In the first part Peter is the most prominent charac ter, Jerusalem is the centre, and the work is extended throughout Judea and Samaria and some other parts! being confined almost exclusively to the Jews. At the beginning of the 13th chapter, Antioch becomes the centre, Paul the most prominent worker, and the work is extended into foreign countries and among the Gentiles. We are now at the begin ning of Paul’s first great missionary journey. Three of these journeys he made, starting each time from An tioch. It has been some eight or nine years since the gospel was carried to Antioch. Paul and Barnabas have labored there for sometime, and a strong vigorous church appears to have been built up there. The place possesses special advantages for be coming a great religious centre on account of its great importance as a commercial centre. EXPLANATION. I. Paul and Barnabas sent forth as Missionaries.—Vs. 1-5. The church at Antioch seems to be a complete organization,and not a mere group or loose assembly. Prophets and Teachers are mentioned. The specific office of a prophet is that of teaching. His power to foretell events was only incidental to this main feature. Just wherein the character or office of the Teachers mentioned differs from that of the Prophets is not very clear. As they ministered. —This in cludes the general exercises of. pub lic worship. On fasting sec also 10:30 and 14:28. The Holy Ghost said. —The manner of this revela tion is not made known. Notice that it is while they are ministering to the Lord that the Lord makes known his will. Paul had been call ed to this work at the time of his conversion. The call had already come to them to go. The call is now to the church to send. The church by fasting and prayer enter upon this task, showing their earnestness and their dependence upon God. The laying on of hands is not to be understood as conferring any new grace or power, but as public recog nition of the divine call and a giving of their sanction,approval and support to the enterprise. The plan of their journey byway of Seleucia and unto Cyprus seems to have been indicated by the Holy Spirit. Selucia is the seaport about 15jniles from Antioch* The island of, Cyprus is then about 60 miles away. While we may believe the Holy Spirit guided them in this direction we may note that his direc tions are in accord with reasons easily apparent to the human reason. This was the birth place of Barnabas, jt had a large Jewish population and many synagogues, and was in the line of travel to other places they will visit. They preached, first in the synagogues to the Jews. This was the rule. When rejected by the Jews they turned to the Gentiles, The use of the synagogue afforded a great advantage in all the early mis sionary work. The word minister used in reference to John Mark can hardly be taken in the sense of its present use. The possition was a subordinate one, something of an as sistant or servant. 11. A Hindrance and a Triumph. —Vs. 6 -13. The preaching of the gospel always has a tendency to dis close the worse elements of human character. Bar-Jesus is ready with his magic arts and his false teachings to oppose them. Sergins Paulus, intclligeht and thoughtful, would hear the word of God, but this juggler sought to hinder. Paul has the specisl endowment of the Holy Spirit to deal with his opponent, and charges his wickedness openly upon him. Tho wickedness is of such gross character as to call for severe punishment, and at tho word of Paul he becomes blind. Fit punishment that he whose delight it has been to deceive should himself be blinded. Thus the hinderer is overcome and put out of tho way. Such overthrow awaits all who re sist the gospel. This act of justice so promptly displayed affords a new evidence in support of the word they preach, and the acceptance of tho deputy is secured. Tho time spent upon the island ia not indicated but seems to be short. Only this one convert is reported. They did not wait till every person on the island was converted before they carried the gospel elsewhere. SUGGESTIVE. 1. The church at Antioch was cer tainly a missionary church. The Holy Spirit called them directly to the work. The church that does not believe in or practice missions is un like this apostolic church, and is not obeying the direction of the Holy Spirit. 2. As Paul and Barnabas are call ed to go, the church is called to send, and the people to whom they are sent are prepared to hear. The Lord overlooks no part of his work. In all points it moves forward in har mony. CROCODILE WORSHIP IN INDIA. The late Dr. Wilson, a noted mis sionary, when traveling in the North west Provinces, visited the Muggar Pool, or crocodile lake, which is still one of the sights near Kurachee. It was formed from the water of some hot springs within 150 square yards— -4 ‘the space of a barn-yard pond’ ’ — and accommodated seventy-five mon sters of all sizes, from the baby of a cubit long to the patriarch, Mor Saheb, who was eleven feet long and was marked with red lead, and wor shipped by the Hindoos. He says: ‘ ‘ They seemed quite tame, as they allowed us to lay hold of their tails and turned round at the call of the fakeers, expecting a dainty meal on some unhappy goat. We found the Mor Saheb asleep, but poked him up with our sticks. He opened his jaws about a cubit wide, and then hissed and blew like a pair of smith’s bel lows. He had lately had a dreadful duel with a competitor for the cham pionship, and as the battle was a drawn one, and threatened te bo renewed, he was kept apart from his fellows. They are all of the species crocodilus communis. The illiterate keepers form a community of Mo hammedans, more remarkable for the practice of pleasantries than auster ities. Take life like a man. Take it just as though it were, as it is, an earnest vital, essential affair. Take it just as though you personally were born to the task of performing a merry part in it, as though tho world had waited for your coming. Take it as it were a grand opportunity to do and to achieve, ,to carry forward great and good schemes, to help and cheer a suffering, weary, it may be heart-broken, brother. The fact is, life is undervalued by a great majori ty mankind. It is not made half as much of as should be the case. Where is the man or woman who ac complishes one tithe of what might be done? Who cannot look back upon opportunities lost, plans un achieved, thoughts crushed, aspira tions unfulfilled, and all caused from the lack of the necessary and possi ble effort? If we knew better how to take and make the most of life, it would be far greater than it is.— Anonymous. INFLUENCE OF THE TONE OF THE VOICE. Few mothers understand how wonderfully even little children are influenced by the tone of the voice, the touch of the hand, the very at mosphere they breathe. How quick ly an impatient, irritated tone begets an impatient answer! Many mothers do not realize this ; nor do they un derstand how easily very little chil dren may be taught to be orderly and neat, to be thoughtful for others, to enjoy being helpful to mother and father, if only they be made partners in the concern, and the enticing “we will do so and so” be substituted for the disagreeable “you do so and so.” It is noticeable that even young children dislike a command, while a request or a pleasant assumption on the part of a parent that a child will do certain things usually is acceded to with pleasure.—The Standard. FLOSSIE'S FANCIES. Flossie was spending a month in the country, and the second evening after her arrival she was taken out to see the milking. “Well,” she said, when a glass of warm milk was handed her, “that’s the first time I ever saw a milk wagon with four legs.” Hens and eggs were objects of interest to her, also, but she did did not see a turkey until she had made the rounds of the hennery, and then she frightened up a great old gobbler in the melon patch. He made a rush for the fence, and she fell over a watermelon. “What’s that, Flossie ?” inquired her mother. ,‘I don’t know,” she said, as she brushed her dress; “but I guess it’s the kind of hen that lays watermel ons.”—Detroit Free Press. Catarah in the head is a constitu tional disease, and requires a con stitutional remedy like Hood’s Sar saparilla, to effect a cure. DUSTING. There is an art in dusting which which does not receive the attention it demands. According to the vari ous analyses of different observers, the components of ordinary dust ex hibit special characters in almost end less variety. Mineral matters, ani mal and vegetable debris, morbid germs, and whatever is small and light enough to remain for any time suspended in the air, falls jnto the category; and among these things are many substances that in the air do mischief. The spread of cholera and exanthematous diseases has, doubtless with truth, been attributed to its influence. Methods of dusting, therefore, which merely remove the dust to another place or fill the air with it, are not sufficient, and are not harmless. It should be wiped rather than brushed away, and carried off or destroyed. Then let the sunlight in to kill what infection may remain —Popular Science Monthly. HOUSEWORK AS AN EXORCISE. To keep the complexion and spirits good, to preserve grace, strength, and agility of motion there is no gymna sium so valuable, no exercise more beneficial in result, than sweeping dusting, making beds, washing dish es, and the polishing of brass and silver, One year of such muscular effort within doors, together with regular exercise in open air, will do more for a woman’s complexion than all the lotions and pomades that were ever invented. Perhaps the reason why housework does so much more for women than games is the fact that exercise which is immediately productive cheers the spirit. It gives women the courage to go on living, and make things seem realy worth while.—Medical Record. PINEAPPLES AS MEDICINE. In countries where the price of pineapples is much higher than here, the fruit is appreciated at something nearer its true merit. Pineapple juice has medicinal properties of the highest order. In throat disease, and even in diphtheria, it has seldom failed to give relief, and, as an anti dyspeptic it is invaluable. The un pleasant taste victims of indigestion experience on rising in the morning can be got rid of by the persistent use of this remedy, and as it goes at once to the root of the trouble, and removes the cause, the cure is a per manent one. Any dyspeptic who has not tried the pineapple should lose no time in taking the advice of one who has. Scrofula is, in the main, a disease of early life. Home knowledge is all astray about it. You cannot tell your child has it or not; your doctor will know. We do not prescribe. We are chemists. We make the remedy, Scott’s Emulsion of cod-liver oil. Your doctor must tell you when to use it. A book on careful living tells what scrofula is. Shall we send it? Free. SdoTT& Bowsr. Chemists, 133South sth Avenue, New York. Your druggist keeps Scott’s Emulsion of cod-liver oil --all druggists everywhere do. sl. 4« ROSE TOBACCO A quick, cheap, pleasant ■ ■ Bfe !5S and absolute cure for the I ■ K g ||Us foa TOBACCO HABIT a// Q H-l HM EC its forms. For proof BRAZEAL A CO.. 2105 A 2107 3d Are., Birmingham,AM B. A. WHITAKER & CO. MULBERRY, TENN, UrecderH and Hlsippers —OF PURE DUROC JERSEY SWINE of highest class and most fashionable pedi grees. Every animal descends.on one or noth sides from prize winning ancestors Semf stamp for catalojnie, price lists, etc. “8. 0. Brown Leghorn” Cockerels from SI.OO to <1,30 each. 30junely READY SEPTEMBER 15. Gospel From Two Testaments! Sermons by Baptists on tho International 8. S. Lessons for IMS. Editor: President E, Benj. Andrews, of Brown University, Sant postpaid on receipt of price,«!.215. Large dis conn t to the trade and to clubs of 15 or more. Order early of E. A. JOHNSON & CO., Aaur-’lt Providence. R. 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