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Many good and strong things were said in be half of A I T S I < > X S During the Session of the Southern Baptist Convention. Subscribe to and read the Christian Index, if you would keep informed. ESTABLISHED 1821. ©he (Christian Lttdex Published Every Thursday at 57 S. Broad Street, Atlanta, Ga. j. c. McMichael, proprietor. Organ of the Baptist Denomination in Georgia. Subscription Price : Ono copy, one year $ 2.00 Ono copy, six months 1.00 One copy, three months 50 Obituaries.—Ono hundred words free of charge. For each extra word, one cent per word, cash with copy. To CouitF.spoNDKNTS.—Do not use abrevia tions;be extra careful 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 off personal ities; condense. I': sin RM. Write all names, and post offices distinctly. In ordering a change give the old as oil as the new address. The date of label indicates tlie time your subscription expires. If you do not wish it continued, order it stop ped a week before. Wn consider each sub scriber permanent, until he orders his paper discontinued. When you order it stopped pay up to date. Remittances by check preferred; or regis tered letter, money order, posttal note. SPECIAL EFFORT: As February is one of the best months of the year for newspaper circulation, wo have decided to beg every Baptist pastor and working layman and conse crated sister, of our denomination in Georgia to make some special effort to increase the circulation of the Christian Index during that month. It is the pa per- of our church, the servant of our denomination and the medium of com munication between the great Baptist family of the empire State of the South. It is unnecessary to take spaee to show the need of such effort and the good that the success of the effort would bring. Every one knows too well how infinitely more good the Index would do, if it had two or three times the cir culation it now has. Brother pastor, will you during the month of February bring the Index properly before your people and urge them to take it? Wo will appreciate anything done for us in response to this appeal, by pastors, dea cons, superintendents of Sabbath-schools or laymen, HE VIEW OF THE WEEK. Death of Polygamy.— The proclama tion of the President declaring full am nesty and pardon for all past offenders against Federal laws prohibiting bigamy, <Src., has been accepted as an official no tification of the death of Morman polyg. ainy. The proclamation recalls the fact tliat some two -<ms ago the Morinwu Church, through its president, issued a manifesto declaring a purpose to aban don polygamous marriages. Taken to gether the two proclamations may be considered an official notification to the world that polygamy has heen stamped out by the Mormons themselves, who have so revised their religious creeds as to conform to the laws of the United .States. Accepting this as the true import of the President’s recent proclamation, the most formidable obstacle to the admis sion of Utah as a State in the I nion lias been removed. But once clothed with the sovereignty of statehood, would not the Mormons recant their recantation and return to the polygamous practices? And if so, where is the clause in the Con stitution of the United States which gives to tlie Federal government author ity to interfere? By our laws, marriage is regarded as a civil contract merely and coat rails are to be adjudicated by tlie laws of tlie State wherein they are made and executed. Moreover, it has been repeatedly decided by the tribun als that a marriage which is legal in the Slate wherein it is contracted or cele. brated, is legal in all the other States of the Vhion and all over the Christian world. Legal Tender.—Occasionally we meet with some rather novel specimens of le gal opinion connected with the current discussion of the silver question. Here is a sample : Smith loans Brown SIOO, of the present, legal tender of the United States,for say two years, at a given rate of interest. Smith, who distrusts the 72 cents silver dollar so far in the future, stipulates that the principal and interest shall be paid in tlie gold coin of the United Slates. Brown agrees to tills, and hence gold payment becomes au es sential part of Hie contract. Meantime, (say sometime next winter) the Congress of the United States, in the plentitude of its constitutional authority, passes an act declaring something else than tlie 100 cents gold dollar a legal tender. The question is, Can Smith collect from Brown his one hundred gold dollars, or can Brown take advantage of the act and force Smith to accept the new legal ten der in full satisfaction of the debt? It would seein that whilst this class of le gal puzzles might bo amusing to lawyers, they do not fail to excite earnest discus sion among newspaper editors who have a special faculty for discovering two sides to every question. Moroco in Waiting.— Whilst Moroco is an insignificant country, it has devel oped a faculty for getting into trouble with its neighbors, and now seems likely to become a factor in European interna tional politics. If England has made preparation to carry out a threat made some weeks ago, she has a squadron on its way to Tangier by this tlmo to com pel satisfaction for the murder of a Brit" ish subject by the natives. In anticipa. tion of this, Hie Spanish Cabinet have de cided to send n fleet to the same place to watch .Johnny Bull's movements so near her colonial possessions. It is probable 1 r_ . k » r. ■ < 1 . > » V • that a solution of the present difficulty will bo found in the payment by Mo roco of a large indemnity for the life of the dead Briton, But all the same the time is not very remote when this fertile and productive country, so long mis goverened by a mongrel race of semi barbarians will have to change masters, or else radically reform its ‘ methods. Hitherto Moroccos immunity has been done only to the jealgusy of European powers. No one of mem has been wil ling to see any other grasp so rich a prize. But now the conditions are un dergoing a change. In the general par. tition of Africa, there is a reasonable probability of some arrangement where." by Moroco can bo sezied by one of the European powers. Egypt is already little else than a British possession; the Italians are obtaining a. foothold on the south coasts of the Jleditterranean; while Germany has a covetous eye upon the flurial highways and fertile vallies of the interior of Africa. In the general rush by the Northern nations for more territory, little Moroco can hardly hope to long escape. Spain is her nearest neighbor, and is, for obvious reasons, the least likely to excite European jeal ousy. Neither of tlie great maritime or military powers would be willing to see Moroco become an outpost or prom ise one of the others; but they might not object to see the country fall to the lot of the Spaniards. Restriction of Emigration— The measures now before Congress looking to the restriction of emigration, recalls at tention to our defective laws of natural ization. Under our existing legislation a foreigner in order to become a citizen, must have a previous continuous resi. deuce here of “not less than live years,” and ho must have made his preliminary declaration of intention two years before applying for a certificate of citizenship. He must abjure all former allegiance swe.y to support the Constitution of the United States, and renounce any title of nobility ho may have. Ho must prove by “two citizens,” that his resilience here has been five continuous years, and that he lias resided at least one year in the particular State where the court ad mitting him is held. He must, in addi tion to this, satisfy the court that he has during such residence, behaved himself as “a man of good moral character;” that ho is attached to tlie principles of our fundamental laws and is “well dis posed to the good order of the Govern ment.” Finally it must appear that tiie country of his former allegiance is at peace with Mio United States, because the subject or citizen ot a belligerent cannot transfer his allegiance. ' In place of five years the period of probation might very properly lie ex. tended to seven, as formerly. But even as it stands, the short probationary period would not bo so objectionable if the law could lie honestly administered. This however is now impossible. With, in the last forty-live years, and there fore, since tlie law was enacted, nearly all the States have stripped their judi ciary of its ancient independence. They have either made thejudges elective for short terms by universal suffrage, or else indirectly placed all judicial tenure, at tlie mercy of local machine politics. But as these local tribunals still have the power, under the old law of Congress to admit foreignres to citizenship, natu ralization frauds have become the rule rather than the exception. It is too plain for argument tliat the judge who is elothsd with this authority should bo wholly independent of word politics. He should hold his office by life tenure or during good behavior, and thus be placed beyond tlie influence of local po litical “bosses.” Moreove, since tlie whole subject of nat utilization is, by our federal Constitution, vested in the na tional legislature exclusively the power o grant certificates of naturalization should be as exclusively witli the fed" oral or national trilmnals. This, when we come to reflect upon it, is of infin itely more importance than an extension of the probationary term of residence however desirable tliat they be; because it is of little consequence whether that term be long or short if its provisions are habitually and systematically disregar. ded by the trilmnals having tlie power to admit foreigners to citizenship. The Silver Dollar.— There is one feature of the so-called “silver ques tion” now before congress, w Itich seems to have been strangely over looked. In 1891 the worlds produc tion of silver was 14'1,thin,000 ounces. The market value of silver is now 84 cents per ounce. The average cost of producing an ounce of silver is less than 86 cents. This gives the silver bullion owners a dear profit of 49 cents an ouftce. And yet their advocates in congress are impatient because, under the present law, they cannot raise the price of silverby“freo coinage” to 81,29 an ounce. The so called Sherman act, whereby the government of the United States endeavored to raise the price, has benefitted no one except those who have silver to sell or who have it in storage as has the government. Hence the repeal of that law would be a simple act of justice to tho rest of the community. Since 1878, the government has bought 416,165,950 ounces of silver at a cost of 8420,689- 435, in gold coin. At the present market price, this is worth only $343- ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY. JANUARY 26,1893. 336,908, —thus showing a loss to the government of 85,349,527 ounces, and a corresponding gain to the Na vada silver kings. Is is not time to stop this favoritism? The neat little sum of 8226,000,000, or thereabouts, of the peoples money, has already been spent in trying to bolster up the price of silver bullion. All further attemps should be abandoned. The government ought to let sil ver take care of itself, like gold and iron and cotton and wheat and eggs and bacon. Leave its price to be regulated by the natural law of supply and demand. Let the gov ernment buy it at this market price and utilize it for coinage, in so far as additional silver coinage may be necessary or desirable ; but let the silver dollar thus coined be an hon est dollar, representing an intrinsic value of 100 cents, instead of about 72 cents as it now does. When this is done the vexed silver question will readily adjust itself. All busi ness will rest upon a secure basis; men who have money to . loan at a reasonable rate of interest will not be afraid to let it out; and nobody will suffer except a little cotere of politicians who have become person ally interested in the silver mines of the West. Crisis in Germany.— There is a curious state of affairs in Germany. Many years ago, we heard a good deal about what was then known as the “reptile fund.” Bismark found the South German States unfavor able to the idea of German unity under Prussian ascendency. The fund set apart for solving the honor of the Hanoverians for the loss of their nationality, afforded opportuni ties to secure subservient aid from the press and from influential indi viduals, and the Chancellor used it freely. It is now hinted that a lead er of the Socialist Democrats has ob tained some traces of this “reptile fund,’’and threatens exposure. Among its beneficiares are said to be some dozen or so high officials of the Em pire. Eight generals, three judges, eleven journalists and some twenty live members of the Reichstag all got largo slices. The “Iron Chan cellor” seems to have dealt out the boodle with a'liberal hand. This is past, and perhaps too long past to make official investigation practicable. A quarter of a century is a wide gap in the lives of men. and most of the participants are now dead. But there is another feature in (ierman politics which still lingers. Autocracy in its worst forms has vanished from the face of Europe ; but the skeleton remains in Ger many, where it is illy conceded by constitutional forms. Tho mediaeval idea of absoluteism seems deeply root ed in the mind of the young Emper or. Educated under the eye of the wily Bismarck,he has grown up head strong and erratic, and has thus far been a thorn in the side of liberaliz ed Europe. Freedom of speech such as we understand it, has no ex istence in Germany. Thu press is closely throttled by government in terference. The severest espionage is exercised over the populace by secret spies and police. Any indi vidual expression unfavorable to the Emperor, or any criticism of his policy, is made a penal offence; and the offender, under tho charge of libel as a show of justice, is lined or imprisoned. Ostensibly, tho Ger man citizen possesses personal liber ty, but it is so restricted and hedged about that any adverse criticism of tho government is considered as libelous and followed by a heavy fine. There is scarcely a prominent newspaper or periodical of the oppo sition, that has not at least one mem ber of its editorial staff in prison for some obnoxious article “infringing tho dignity of the government.” This thing cannot last of course. 'Die Germans, of all nations of Eu rope, are perhaps the most generally and best educated. They are a na tion of thinkers, and sooner or later, there will bo an explosion. The Autocracy of tho middle ages will have to give place before the force of an enlightened public sentiment. Our Island Neighbors.— lt is a question of time only when there will bo an inter-oceanic ship canal across the American isthmus. Tho necosities of modern commerce will demand it. It could hardly fail at whatever cost of construction, to pay a handsome dividend to tho stock holders were it now opened; and year by year the stock would become more and more valuable. In this enterprising ago, capitalists arc not likely to let such opportunities for permanent and profitable investment lie dormant. Somebody is going to to take hold of the enterprise and push it to completion. Then the government of tho United States will either have to recede from its position of 1822, generally known as tho “Monroe Doctrine,” or bo pre pared to maintain and defend that position. It cannot do tho first with out a complete abandonment of a tra ditional foreign policy coeval with tho foundation of tho government. It cannot very well do tho last with out some naval out post contiguous to tho canal. In anticipation of this dilemma,some of our ablest statesmen are considering seriously what per manent relations our Government shall bear to the neighboring islands, which have by irresistible gravitation become its commercial dependencies, Cuba, only six hours sail from the southern extremity of Florida, is among these commercial dependen cies; and no one acquainted with pub lic sentiment among the islanders can doubt the favor with which annexa tion is regarded by all classes of the population, save only the tew officials and their dependents sent out to ex act tho largest possible amount of revenue by whatever means, however questionable. This sentiment is in marked contrast with that which pre vailed there a quarter of a century ago. The change in economic con ditions has completely transferred the market of the island from Europe to America; and there is a deep conviction in the minds of Cubans that the only relief from misgovern ment and financial ruin is to be found in a political alliance t>f some kind with the United States. Whether the inter-oceanic canal shall cross the Isthmus in Nicaragua or Colom bia, the strategical position of Cuba will be of commanding importance to it and the island one of the keys that should never be allowed to fall into the hands of some great maritime power of Europe. In the financial embarassments of Spain, there is im minent danger that some lease of the revenues of tho island may be made to the banking syndicates of London or Paris. Indeed, the matter has been moted already with respect to certain monied corporations in Lon don. Os course such a lease would mean the practical government of Cuba from London ; and possibly its ultimate reversion,like that of Egypt, to the British government. Our formidable commercial rival would then have a line of marine fortresses reaching from Halifax to Bermuda and then co to Jamaica and Cuba; whilst our nearest base of supplies would be at Key West or New Or leans, and without a single naval station in West India waters. It is well to look a little ahead and get ready for possible emergencies. If we wait to acquire properties capable of impregnable defence until tho emer gency arises, wo may wait too long ; ami it is a serious question whether the time has not come for some de cisive action in the matter. The Panama CaiuJ Scandal. — About 16 years ago, t’; Ul appeared at tho Columbian Capital . little red faced bald-headed man of some fifty summers, who spoke all tho Euro pean languages equally well, but spoke none very correctly. He was a sort of cosmopolitan, a “citizen of the world,” who had claimed by turns to be a Frenchman, an English man and a Venezuelan. Nobody seemed to know' whore he originated, or where he belonged; but ho was a man of talents, and had an extensive acquaintance on both continents. This person represented himself as tho agent of an European Syndicate formed in Paris for the exploration of the Isthmus of Panama and for the further object of opening an inter oceanic ship canal across it. By a series of adroit manoeuvers, he finally succeeded in obtaining a very liberal concession from the Colom bian government. Ho carried this concession to Paris and sold it to a hastily formed “provisional” Com pany, organized under tho auspices of tho Paris Geographic il Society,’ of which Count Ferdinand de Les seps was then President. The orig inal concessionoro died a few years ago in extreme poverty, and his aged widow is now a raving maniac. His concession, however, became the basis of the celebrated “Salgor- Wyse Contract,” of 1878, under which M. de Lesseps and his asso ciates began and operated the mod ern “South Sea Bubble” known as tho Panama Canal Scheme, which is now the subject of judicial investiga tion at Paris- The two do Lessops; father and son—The one well advan ced in the eighties, the other nearly sixty—and also a number of the Directors of the Company, are on trial for what, in plain English would be called cheating and swind ling, aggravated by bribery. The revelations made at this trial, now in progress, are of tho most startling character. Bribery and corruption seems to have been the rule rather than the exception in the management of the Company’s af fairs, Cabinet ministers have been implicated in the wholcsa’o frauds and one of them (since resigned), has been arrested. The charge against him is that, ns Minister of Public Works, and for a monied campensation, ho deliberately falsi fied an official report in order to deceive tho stockholders and bolster up tho rotten enterprise in tho inter ests of the two <le Lesseps and their Directors. Contracts were signed for machinery and supplies with French firms whose bids were more than $5,000,000 (28.000.000 Francs,) higher than tho bids of English and Dutch firms. ’ Ono man, a Paris banker, confesses that ho received 1.620.000 Francs (about 8324.000) for promoting the Lottery swindle of 1886, whereby the desperate fortunes of the Company were temporarily bolstered up. Thu editor of one Paris newspaper (the little Gualois) received 100.000 Francs, or say 820.000, for “writing up” the rotten concern and misleading and deceiv ing tho stockholders. Some two and a half million dollars of the boodle seems to have been expended in tho United States. It is said that a prominent American politician, got a large slice of it in the way of salary for services rendered and to bo ren dered. Count do Lesseps spent some of tho remainder, when ho was here in 1877; but there is still some 82.000.000 unaccounted for. Per haps all the facts may come out yet before the investigation closes. Even M. Carnot, the present Presi dent of tho French Republic, has boon implicated. That is probably untrue, as is much of the sensational scandal now afloat concerning this dirty business. At the same time enough has been disclosed to raise serious apprehensions of a “revolu tion” in the French republic. The stockholders, for the most part, are French citizens of small means who staked their little savings on the fortunes of tho enterprise through personal confidence in M. do Lesseps. It is said that nearly every small artizan, farmer and country trades man in France became a shareholder under the promise of phenomenal dividends when the Canal should be completed in 1888. Os course they have lost every dollar of their hard earnings, and now that some high officials of tho Republic have been implicated in the plot, popular dis content is very great. Taking ad vantage of this, the old Bourbon party leaders are now scheming for tho overthrow of tho Republic and tho re-establishment of the Empire. They will hardly succeed in this; but in the present temper of the people, there is no telling what may happen. Obiiiiiiry.-The death of Rutherford B. Hayes, which occurred on the 17th instant, leaves but one Ex-President of the United States; and that one will cease to be Ex-President, by be coming President again on the 4th of March next. Then the present in cumbent, Mr. Harrison, will be the only Ex-President living, should he he survive the expiration of his offi cial term which : s nearing its close. Perhaps one of the most dramat ic figures in American politics since the time of Aaron Burr, was Gen Benjamin F. Butler, who died the other day at the age es 75 Not that Butler , like Burr, was in any sense disloyal to his country; on the contrary, his love of country was perhaps the greatest among his many traits. But as a lawcr and public man, ho had all the shrewdness and audacity of Burr; and was perhaps very little less scrupulous in tho management of cases. Ho seemed to have but one object in view, and that was success, which he seldom failed to attain. As a member of Congress, he was active, aggressive, adroit, persistent and able. In politics he was sort of a frelance. He was educated for a Baptist preacher, but never preached. In fact, one can hardly conceive of such a thing as “Ben Butler” as he was called, being prepared for holy or ders ; yet this is said to have H?en the one fond dream of his brainy mother, who was by the way a de voted Baptist. Mrs. Martha J. Lamb, editor of tho Magazine of American History, died in New York city a few days ago, in the 63rd year of her age. She was a native of Plainfield, Mass achusetts. She was highly educa ted and began writing at an early age. But it was her great work, “The History of the city of New York,” published in two volumes in 1880, which made her famous. For accuracy, clearness and precision, it has few equals and perhaps no supe rior in historical writing. She also wrote “The Homes of America,” “Wall Street in History,” several en tertaining and instructive books for children, besids numerous historical essays for the Magazines and Re views. In the spring of 1883, she became the editor of tho Magazine of American History and by her geni us and industry, soon placed it in tho very front rank of periodical lit erature. She was an honored and influential member of some fifteen historical and other literary societies in this country and Europe. The death of Col. L. P. Grant, of Atlanta, removes one of tho pioneer figures of this new and wonderful city. In fact, Col. Grant may bo said to have been one of its founders. He built her first Railway but one, and was always foremost among those who sought to make tho city what it is. Some ten years ago, ho donated to it tho beautiful suburban Park which boars his name, and of which all Atlantans are so justly proud. lie was a man of extraordinary bus iness, energy and talent, and withal a relined and cultivated gentleman. Tho places of such mon are not easi ly supplied. S. S., “China,” Dec. 23rd, 1892. Dear Index.- —We are now ap proaching Yokohama, Japan. Wo have had a pleasant voyage almost all the way, and a superb call at tho Sandwich Islands. Asia comes in sight and all tho tromondous respon- sibility to the missionary. Tomor row wo shall see something of interesting Japan. Then Christmas day sail again for China. God bless the lovers of Christinas and of China in Georgia. Affectionately, C. W. Pruitt. “THE TRUE BASIS OF MISSIONS.” The authority of the Lord Jesus Christ is the “Basis of Missions.” “All power is given unto mo both in heaven and in earth; go ye therefore and preach tho Gospel to every crea ture.” In this utterance it is clearly implied that only creatures who hear will be saved. Paul carries out the inference into plain Scripture state ment. “How can they believe on him of whom they have not heard and how can they hear without a preacher.” Neither philosophy about the nature of God nor Theory about the heathen can avail in the face of plain statement. If human speech can bo made plain tho impression is made by the Lord and his Apostle that the heathen without tho Gospel is lost. A great many of them as a great many of our own will be lost with the Gospel, to be sure, but that does not argue that some of them -will bo saved without the Gospel. It does not avail to argue thatjthe Holy Spirit may carry to them a knowl edge of the atoning work of Christ. If that is one of the Lord’s means of carrying out his great purpose, he has been careful not to reveal it to us. With this figment of a may be, put tho well-defined revealed will of the Master and see the difference. The authority of tho Son of God is the basis of missions and that author ity has been coined into the current and unmistakable “Go ye.” The love of fallen men might well afford an incentive to the greatest sacrifices, but it is not the suffering or danger of the heathen that should prompt Christian missions. Philan thropist might make appeal to the love of humanity but tho redeemed of God hear their risen Lord saying, “go.” We often appeal to sordid avarice from this motive and that motive, but there is just one great soul lift ing motive, “The love of Jesus Christ His son constrainoth us.” It is conceded by every one famil iar with the Bible that the Holy Spirit is a sovereign in the quicken ing application of the Gospel. No one would claim that the only pos sible plan of salvation provides for human instrumentality. Speaking of what could have been the Divine plan allows suggestions along nu merous lines of thought, but when you come to write what the revealed, authenticated plan really is, then all of us have tlie same source of infor mation and there is no room for divergence of opinion on the subject. God could have provided any number of means by which men born in sin should know of their Savior but he has revealed to us that it is His plan to have some other sinner go and tell tho lost one that Jesus will save him and urge him to be lieve it, offering as proof of the truth of what he tells him, lives changed by grace. I should now bo satisfied to end this paper were it not that while I am writing on this subject I may speak a word to certain honored and beloved brethren who have labored under the difficulty of reconciling missions with the doctrine of elec tion. It appears to mo perfectly agreeable that God whose own tho elect are, should provide to reach them with the Gospel of their salva tion. And is it any wonder that Ho should send one of His own after another the world around until all are found ? He that foreordained tho salvation of a man who now lives in the heart of China also fore ordained each successive step that should be taken to reach that elect one. It is said by some, “that it is strange that God has only lately put into operation these ordained meas ures to roach His elect among the Heathen.” In answer to this, lets inquire how much wo know about tho processes of tho Almighty. Why did Ho wait four thousand years after His first promise before Ho sent a Savior? How much do wo know about the elect? Except the fact that there is such a class we know little. It may bo true that certain members of tho family, that certain families of a neighborhood or, certain nations aro selected as Brother Minister, Working Layman, Zealous Sister We are striving to make "Tlie Index the best of its kind. Help us by securing a new subscriber. VOL. 7ONO. 4. the objects of saving grace. There is some intimation that one nation may bo the object of electing love at one time and another nation at another time. It may be that there is some one period of time when all living shall be elected to grace and glory. Election Therefore, is not a Subject that should affect our duty. Election is a great truth that we are expected to believe; To preach the Gospel to every creature, is a great 9 duty we are expected to perform. After all is said ’that can be said, there is no reason to suppose a con flict between tho doctrine of election and tho doctrine of missions. Really election is one of the fun damental assurances that undergird mission effort. Were it not for my firm belief of that sacred doctrine, I -should despair of results, but believ ing in the eternal purpose of an omnipotent God to carry farward the glorious work till the last little one of His is reached makes success certain and failure impossblo. When, missions fail God will have failed. And when missions contradict elec tion the infinite wisdom of choice will have ceased to bo tho infiite wisdom of means. If there were no election there would be no missions. When missions cease you may be assured there are no more elect. “For whom ho did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that h 0 might be the firstborn among many ' brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom lie justified, them he also glorified.” This is the chain with the golden links. F. C. McConnell. PURPOSE VERSUS PURPOSES. It is a fact worthy of note, in the New Testament the word pur pose when used in reference to God is always used in tho singular and. never in the plural: and we are quite inclined to the opinion that God never intended to introduce ( Himself to the world as a God. of . purposes. ; He would carefully lead us up to the idea that in the creation of the . material universe—the establish* r ment of the laws for its government; . the creation of man and the estab > lishment of the laws civil and moral for his government: the introduc- - tion of sin into the world the fall of j man ahd the scheme of redemption . were all in pursuance of one purpose . only. , That God is a God of purpose ; that He is a God of one plan are [ clearly deducable as well from the re velation of himself in nature as in grace. He is the God of hosts—He is the God of means. He has one purpose in view and one plan deter mined on for the accomplishment of that purpose, but employs a i wonderful vareity of means and agen. cies upon the plan adopted and for the purpose determined on, quite in , contrast with his creatures—men and women : whose purposes are as mul tiplied and plans as numerous as are men and women themselves. We have one purpose in view in early life, another in middle age and still another in the evening of life. We devise one plan and inuke experi ments and if we fail of success, ; other plans aro adopted—and thus human life is made up from the cra dle to tho grave of adopting one i purpose after another—of taking up one plan—abandoning it and trying another. God has never abandoned his first purpose—nor changed his i first and only plan. Tho fall of man was net a change of purpose in volving a necessity for a new plan. The plan of redemption was agreed on, not < nly before tho fall of man, but before his creation. “To make all men see what is fel lowship of the mystery, which from the begining of the world hath been hid in God who craated all things by Jesus Christ; to the intent that now unto the principalities and pow ers in heavenly places might be known by tho church tho manifold wisdom; according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord Eph. 8: 9-11. The glory of God was the oxclu. sive purpose of tho creation. Thou art worthy O, Lord to mine glory and honor and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they aro and were created. Rev. 4-11, J. G. McCall,