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ESTABLISHED 1821.
She ©hristian QnAex
Published Every Thursday at Ifi East Mitchel
Street, Atlanta. Ga.
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Organ of the Baptist Denomination in
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Prince Camille de Polignac, in the
•‘Nineteenth Century,” London, says,
with reference to the war between the
American States: “It would be most dif
ficult to give a description of this long
and painful struggle, in words which
would do full justice to the iron energy
of the South, to the gallantry of her sons,
to the touching devotion and spirit of
her noble and patriotic daughters.”
It is not indictment, it is confession,
when Buxton, the English brewer, says:
“The struggle of the church, the school,
and the library against the gin-palace
and the beer-shop is but one develop
ment of the war between heaven and
hell! ” There stands the Chief Culprit-
Creme of the age before the bar of the
World’s Conscience, and enters its plea
of “Guilty!”
The “Voice” says that “in New York,
Whiskey on the Bowery causes drunken
ness, on Wall street causes alcoholism,
and on Fifth avenue causes heart-fail
ure.” This is the strange partiality
that warps the social conscience, and
gives to Vice and the consequences of
vice, milder names, and names less
linked with reproach, in proportion as
we find them prevalent among the
wealthier and higher classes of society.
So we blunt the point of ourown arrows
and the edge of our own sword in the
warfare against the immoralities of the
times. But the consequences of vice
and vice itself are neither abolished nor
abated because we soften our speech
towards them: what is drunkenness on
the Bowery, call it as we may,is drunken -
ness on Wall street and drunkenness on
Fifth avenue—everywhere the sin de
nounced by Scripture ami shutting souls
out of heaven. Oh for pure hearts loath
ing it everywhere, and honest lips every
where exposing it.
We are highly gratified to read, in the
proceedings of the Chicago Baptist As
sociation at its recent session, this state
ment of facts: “While the growth and
influence of our foreign populations and
the control which they exercise in our
great city become more and more mani
fest from year to year, yet the hopeful
ness and the fruitfulness of Christian
labor among them are also more appar
ent. When we remember how few and
feeble were the bands of disciples in
these populations ten years ago, and
how limited have been the means at our
command, we are constrained to glorify
God who hath wrought such glorious
changes among us and who now calls us
to expect still greater things while we
plan for the future.” We are glad that
our brethren there are laboring in what
seems so difficult a field, and that the
divine blessing visibly crowns their
labors. What are Southern Baptists
doing for the foreign populations in
Southern cities? What are we of Geor
gia doing for them in Atlanta, Columbus,
Savannah, Augusta, Macon? Are we
putting the power of the gospel to proof
in these cases? Are we finding that for
them, too, “God’s mercy is at full sea?’ 1
Persons sometimes feel that they are
poor with an absolute poverty, when the
trouble is that they are not aware of
their own market value. To comfort
them, let us point out, in a single partic
ular, the money’s-worth which they car
ry about with them always. Among the
physical ingredients of an ordinary hu
man body, as set forth in the N. Y. Amer
ican Analyst for June, are three pounds
and thirteen ounces of calcium. At pre
sent market rates calcium is worth S3OO
an ounce, and so the amount in the
body aforesaid has a value of $18,300.
The trouble is that you cannot realize
these assets yourself, nor can your
friends realize them for you but all the
same, they are yours, and you ought to
hold up your head like a man—if a little
over the average weight, a S2O,(XX) man
or more! Whatever your purse, go as a
$20,000 suitor to the lady of your choice,
and take her to yourself, if she assents,
whatever her purse, as a $20,000 bride
(more or leash Who’s poor? Who but
the poor soul?
Rev. A, P. Foster, D. D. in the“Chau
tauquan for Jnly, after characterizing
Congregationalism as “the church of
God reduced to its lowest elemements,
the church of God stripped for action”
calls attention to the fact that on its pol
ity, it is not a denomination in the same
sense as Methodism, or Presbyterianism,
or Episcopacy. This fact, of course is
no less true as, regards our people. We
arc not a denomination, we eannot boa
denomination In the sense in which that
name is customarily understood a body
of churches held together by the author
ity of a government recognized as ru
ling over the whole. We abide more
faithfully than our Congregationalists
themselves by the Independency of the
New Testament, its single separate self
ruling churches. In the current sense
there never was and never will, nor can
be a Baptist denomination. When the
Baptists of old became denominations
they were Baptists no longer: They
were first Presbyterians, then Episcopa
lians, after that Romanists, and so on
through the long catalogue of schisms
Bd sects which mar the unity
the "one flock” of the one “Bhep
fcrd.”
r
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX.
MATTHEW T. YATES-
BY BEV. WM. B. MCGABITY.
In estimating Dr. Yates’ character we
notice first, that he was a man of pray
er. lam told thatn ear the old school
house in North Carolina, which he at
tended, you will find a rude stone which
marks his “praying place.” The people
of this community show it with great
pride. When a student at Wake Forest
he had his “praying place.” Every
student knew that Yates was a man of
prayer. This same spirit of prayer
marked him all through his missionary
work. Often times his letters are sim
ply prayers, that God would receive his
people in America; that God would send
more laborers into the harvest;” that he
would pour out his blessings on him and
his co-laborers.
Dr. Yates believed in providential
guidance. God had opened the way for
him, a poor farmers boy, to go to
school: to go to Wako Forest; God had
raised up friends to send him as a mis
sionary to China: God had followed
him to Shanghi, and he was doing the
work God wanted him to do. After
spending thirty years on the field he
writes, “I not only do not regret devo
ting my life to mission work, ,but I re
joice that God converted me worthy to
be an embassador tojthe greatest empire
on the globe.” None of our missiona
ries have to undergo stronger tests. Dr.
Yates entered the work conscious of lit
tle sympathy at home; had no help in
acquiring the language, his eyes failed
and prevented hard study for a while;
his voice failed and compelled him to
quit preaching for some time: when
war was raging in our country in the
sixties a rebellion was going on in China,
communication was cut oil and Yates
had to support the mission himself. Ten
years later our country was prostrate
with the panic of 1876. Churches fail
ed to contribute the amount expected
and Dr. Yates had to support the mis-i
sion again. But worse than all- other
things combined, he plead in vain for
nearlyjthirty years so» the Southern Bap
tists to reinforce his station. For one of
his deep spirituality to see thirty-eight
million people wrapped in all the super
stition of Buddism and Confusionism
dying daily, with no one to proclaimjthe
Gospel except a mere handful and the
thousands of Baptists in the South re
fusing to hear this appeal, his faith must
be tried. Yet in the midst of all this he
was thoroughly convinced that God was
leading his church and would accom
plish his own purpose.
Dr. Yates believed in old time religion,
with him man was lost unless he knew
Christas a personal saviour. There was no
middle ground between Paganism and
Christianity. He would turn the appli
cants off, test them in many ways, and
as near as possible be sure they were
Christians before they were admitted to
membership. Christianity should pro
duce the same faith in China that it docs
in America. Therefore, he depended on
the Holy Spirit, and w ith child-like faith
did his work and trusted to God for re
sults.
Trust in Providence always makes in
defatigable workers. It would bo hard
to find a man who did more work and
did it more thoroughly than Dr. Yates.
In ’77 he says “To-day the missionaries
influence has become a mighty power in
China. Churches of living witnesses
have been established, tens of thousands
have been convinced of the truth of the
Gospel who have not the moral courage
to make a public profession.” He might
have added, that the majority of these
had heard of Christ through him. In
this report, ’7O he says he has been work
ing on an average of fourteen hours per
day. Yet some people say missionaries
are lazy. Dr. Yates loved work. It was
a real trial that he had no time to work.
But his efforts were not confined entire
ly to China. His reflex influences did
more to mould the North Carolina Bap
tists than the work of any other one
man. Dr. Yates tried to impress him
self on North Carolina, and the Kiangseo
Province, but unconsciously influenced
the entire South, and a large part of Chi
na. Frequent baptisms occurred. Only
those who gave signs of conversion were
admitted, and if failed to continue walk
ing as Christians they were excluded.
The most promising male converts were
organized into theological classes. A
great work has been through these na
tive converts. Nearly all have proved to
be faithful ministers. Ono of his mem
bers, Deacon Wong retired from busi
ness some years ago, built him a chapel
and has since been preaching in it. Dr.
Yates taught his churches to be self sup
porting. From the first the converts
gave liberally to Christian work. Their
inumerable contributions generally
amounted to over three dollars per num
ber.
There are two tests of conversion—
willingness to do the Lord’s work our
selves, and contribute of our means that
others may do it where we cannot. Dr.
Yates’ converts have shown their will
ingness to do Christian work, by selling
tract, Bibles, etc., by preaching, and
building chapels. Forsaking father and
mother, and somo times their fortunes
that they might follow Christ. Taking
in consideration their poverty and the
greater value of money in China, it
would not be a mistake to say that three
dollars per number with them would bo
equal to thirty to us. According to this
standard the Georgia Baptists should
give four and a half million dollars an
nually to the Lord’s work. We conclude
with an extract from the Foreign
Mission Journal arfhouncing his death.
“The day of empty lamentations is
past. The highest honor to the noble
dead is to execute their noble purposoe
when alive—Could the now sainted spir
it of our brother speak to us, would ho
not cry as he cried for more than two
score years? “Send help to China.” His
noble wife and daughter with hearts torn
and bleeding and the whole band of
Missionaries of that land say “Amen.!”
Yate’s successors, Herring, Bryan, Ta
tum still cry “Send help to China.”
CANTON CHINA.
BY BEV. W. B. MCGABITY.
This is the principal city of south
ern China. One and a half million
people find homes here. Nearly
three hundred thousand live in boats.
The boats are of all sizes and de
scriptions, and are the only homes
the occupants have. According to
the Chinese, Canton has existed for
four thousand years. It is said that
traces of existence at 1200 B. C.
have been found.
The people are highly cultivated,
rich aud industrious, so much so
that some have nicknamed them
of China.” Thither thou-
ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY. AUGUST 17.1893. ’
sands of students from all parts of
the empire flock to stand the gov
ernment examinations. Great good
has been done by distributing tracts
and parts of the Bible among these
students.
The people are very religious and
have built magnificent temples. We
copy the following list from the
Encyclopedia of Missions, Funk &
Wagnails Co., The Flowery Pagoda
of thirteen stories, a Mahommedan
mosque erected in 800, A. D., a
temple to the God of the city called
a Temple of Hamows, where the
ten bells of Buddhism are repre
sented, Temple of Five Hundred
Gods containing the images cf the
disciples of Buddha. Thousands of
people flock to these temples.
About the first mission work done
in China, centered around Canton.
Near here at Macao Dr. Robert
Morrison began his work eighty-two
years ago. He spent a lifetime
translating the scripture and com
piling a dictionary. Seven years
passed without a convert, his whole
missionary life won about a dozen.
Canton will always bo dear to South
ern Baptists. Here our pioneer
missionary to China Rev, J. L.
Shuck spent many years, here Rev.
S. C. Clopton the first missionary ap
pointed by the S. B. C., died after a
years work. Besides these, Rev.
I. J. Roberts, Geo. Pearcy, F. C.
Johnson, B. W. Whilden, C. W.
Gaillard and others have labored in
this mission. Our present veterans
there are Dr. R. 11. Graves and Rev.
E. Z. Simmons.
THREE CHINESE TYPES-
BY REV. C. W. PRUITT.
Yesterday afternoon I spent at my
room on Main Street. Among other
visitors, three attracted my particular
attention.
1. Number one is an old opium
smoker who keeps the drugstore
just next door. He is more like a
servant to the doctor to whom the
store belongs. He came not so
much a caller himself as to intro
duce acquaintances of his. The
man is a very unpromising hearer at
best. You feel that the seed sown
on that soil almost surely fall among
the thorns. To make matters worse
ho would sit about two minutes, and
instead of retiring quietly,, he would
sing out in a very loud voice, “there
is no one in my store.” This was
his goodby, and was repeated in the
same stentorian fashion several times
during the afternoon. Such men are
numerous in China.
2. One of the men introduced by
number one was Mr. Chao, the presi
dent of one of the banks here. He
is a man of great dignity and has
every mark of great business ability.
He is one of the very wealthy men
of the City. I have no doubt that
on most occasions he is a gentleman.
But many a worldly-wise gentleman
has rejected Christianity. A few
moments were spent by him in look
ing over a book that happened to be
lying on my table, then suddenly he
broke in with a series of questions,
“Where is God?” Ho was told that
God is a universal Spirit and has not
his abode at any particular place 1
“Well, how do you worship him
then?” “He is worshipped in the
heart without any need of,the acces
sories of idols, incense or paper. It
consists chiefly in expressions of love
which be has commanded.” “Which
ho has commanded! Can God talk? ”
“Ho has made known to us his will
through his revelation.” At the
hearing of this last reply the expres
sion on the president’s face was as if
he had heard the quintessence of
folly and of want of logic, and with
a business air, arose, said “good-by,”
and walked haughtily away. My
heart went after him, and at the
same time, anger was stirred within
me as I saw how completely he had
expressed himself, and to all those
present, and yet had given me no op
portunity to reply. My reply was
made to those who remained, but in
a bitter spirit that gave me no com
plete pleasure. I made the point to
which they readily assented, that
then God would not be equal in a
bility to men who have the power to
make known their wills to their
children. To these Pantheistic men
the idea of a revelation is the great
stumbling-block. There is here a
terrible want of faith in both the
being and goodness of God.
3. My third intnresting visitor was
also a Mr. Chao, a distant relative of
the banker. 1 have known him for
! rears to be a man who read the Bi
de and secretly professed to believe
in it. Yesterday he sat in the room
the whole afternoon and would talk
freely when ho could catch oppor
tunities. To my astonishment I
learned that he had been interpreting
the New Testament allegorically all
the while. According to his inter
pretation, Jesus was no real person,
but only an idea and so of all his
twelve, and so of the River Jordan,
and Jerusalem, etc. Ho was able to
interpret the book of Revelation
more easily than any other portion
of the Now Testament. On that
book ho could talk quite glibly. I
of course tried to lead him to the
conception that the book was to be
interpreted as a reality, and he went
away with that key to its under
standing. The trouble is, that with
many Chinese, far-fetched explan a-
nations of things are very popular.
Here the man who can land one in
inextricable confusion is the man of
learning, the great man. And peo
ple wonder that such a man knows
how to say so much. Dr. Broadus,
with his simple, clear statements,
would, I fear, often fail to impress
this wonder-loving people.
But in spite of these obstacles the
gospel is becoming known and men
are being saved through the infinite
grace of our God.
Hwanghien, China, Juno 20tb,
1893. P.O. Chefoo.
ORIGIN OF THE STATE MISSION
BOARD.
BY DR. GEO. R. MCCALL.
The value of the present Mission
Board of Georgia makes it desirable
that our people should know its
origin. The mission work of Geor
gia was conducted for years by the
Executive Committee of the Con
vention. Os the necessity and im
portance of a Board for the manage
ment of missions and Sunday-schools
in the State was a matter of differ
ence of opinion among the brethren.
The columns of the Index will show
that the subject was often warmly
discussed, pro and con, until 1876,
when the Convention met in Thomas
ville. Then the whole subject of
missions and Sunday-schools was re
ferred to a special committee, of
which Bro. J. G. Ryals was chair
man. This committee recommended
the appointment annually of a com
mittee located in Macon, on mis
sions, ■whose duty was to arouse
the spirit of missions among the
churches, and to secure, as far as
practicable, some systematic plan of
giving. But the committee was de
nied the privilege of appointing
missionaries, nnd 'were required to
ask their appointment by tho Home
Board of the Southern Baptist Con
vention. This requirement was fatal
to the accomplishment of any thing,
and hence, when the Convention
met in Gainesville in 1877, nothing
was reported as having been done.
Bro. J. H. Campbell offered the
following resolution:
Resolved, That the Executive
Committee of this Convention be
located in Atlanta, and that the man
agement of the Domestic missions
and Sunday-school work in this
State, be committed to said com
mittee, with authority q collect
funds for this object, anil appoint
missionaries as the state of their
funds may justify, and also appoint
an agent for the collection of such
funds if they see proper, and other
wise do all in their power for the
promotion of the Cause of missions
in this State, which was referred to
the standing committee on missions,
of which Bro. J. L. Underwood was
chairman. This committee made a
report, which, after discussion, was
adopted. The following is the por
tion of the report which brought in
to existence the present Mission
Board of the State of Georgia:
Resolved, That this Convention
appoint a committee to be located in
the City of Atlanta, and consisting
of Brethren A. T. Spalding, D. W.
Gwinn, J. 11. James, J. M. Wood, J.
11. Campbell, W. L. Goldsmith and
S. T. Jenkins, which shall take
charge of missionary and Sunday
school work in the State of Georgia,
and that they be authorized to em
ploy missionaries and Sunday-school
workers, raise funds and expend
them, using such agent or agents as
they may deem necessary.
The first report of this Board was
made at La Grange in 1888.
When the Convention met at
Columbus, Bro. G. A. Nunnally offer
ed a preamble and a series of resolu
tions looking to a change in our
plans of raising funds, which was re
ported to a special committee,of which
Bro. W. 11. Davis was chairman.
This committee reported that where
as it has become necessary to curtail
the expenses of collecting funds for
our missionary operations, therefore,
Resolved 1, That we respectfully
request the Southern Baptist Con
vention to instruct both the-Homo
and Foreign Boards in raising funds
in Georgia to work through our
State Mission Board.
Resolved, That the State Mission
Board be instructed to put itself in
direct communication with the pas
tors throughout the State, urging
them to bring the subject of missions
directly before their churches, and
to make collections at stated times
during the year.
Since the above action in 1879,
there has been in Georgia no paid
ngent representing the Homo and
Foreign Boards. The State Board,
by virtue of tho resolution calling
it into existence, is “authorized to
use such agent or agents as it may
deem necessary.”
Tho above shows tho origin and
powers of tho State Board and ac
counts for the energy and earnest
ness of our Corresponding Secretary
in raising funds for missions.
Smithville.—Rev. 11. L. Crumb
ley, the pastor has closed a series of
meetings with his church at Smith
ville. Tho church was graciously re
vived and fifteen were added by ex
perience and baptism and two placed
themselves under its watch care.
G. Al. Patterson.
PSALM 50—CONTINUED.
BY REV. F. C. JOHNSON.
3rd. Our God will come and will
not keep silence. A fir will devour
before Him, and round him roars the
tempest loud.
4th. He will call to tho heavens
above and to the earth, when he
judges his people.
This God is tho Messiah, who
went even by this name, “The Com
ing One.” Thus John the Baptist,
shut up in the castle of Machaera,
by Herod Antipas, which castle he
was never to leave with his head ou
his shoulders.
(Sad end, at least seemingly aud
gloomy to a ministry so glorious in
its beginning.) John, I say, sent
from this prison two of his disciples
to Jesus, in order to ask Him this
question, “Art thou ‘The Coming
One,’ or are we still to look for an
other ? ”
These two verses refer to nothing
in Israel’s past, however, that past
had been glorified by the Divine
presence and inteference in Israel’s
history.
These verses point forward to the
future which in Israel’s history is
even to be more glorious than what
is past. They have a double refer
ence. 1. To the destruction of Je
rusalem by Titus and the consequent
dispersion of tho Jews. 2. To that
most glorious appearing and shining
forth of tho Son of God. When tho
Lord Jesus shall bo revealed from
heaven with his mighty angels, in
flaming firo taking vengeance on
them that know not God and that
obey not tho glad tidings of our Lord
Jesus Christ. Who shall be punished
with everlasting destruction from,
the presence of the Lord, and prove
the glory of his power ; when he
shall como to be glorified in his
saints and to bo admired in all them
that, believe in that day.” 2 Thesal.
1.7, 8,9, 10. This is that second
coming when he appears to them
that look for him, without sin that is
without a sin-offering. When he ap
pears not as tho infinite, meek and
mute lamb of God, bearing the sin
of the world, but he appears this
second time as El Shadai. As El
unto the salvation of them that look
for him; but Shaddai to punish them
who neither acknowledge Him as
God, nor respect his glad tidings.
In the first, event, the fjre burned
and from Dan to Beersheba the
smoke of burning cities and towns
ascended. While tho tempest of war
strewed the wasted fields with tho
bodies of disobedient Israel slaugh
tered in their vain contest with Shad
dai.
For the Roman armies, were the
tempest that raged with such vio
lence and that strewed the land so
thickly with the carcasses of that ill
advised people, who had rejected the
prince Messias and cried out “We
have no king but Caesar."
This is the first event referred to
which at the writing of these verses
was future, but is now an event of
long past. There is yet to come
another and grander fulfilment.
That is the day of the final judgment.
Daniel thus describes the throne of
the Lord on that day: “His throne,
the flame of fire. His wheels, the
burning fire. A stream of fire
issues and comes forth from before
him. Thousand thousands are his
ministers, and ten thousand times ten
thousand stand before him. The
judgment is set; the books are
opened.” St. Peter shows us the
extent of that fire which shall burn
before him, and the violence of that
tremendous tempest. “The day of
tho Lord will come as a thief in the
night: in the which the heavens will
pass away with a great noise, and
the elements will melt with fervent
heat; the earth also, and the works
that are therein will be burned up.”
V. 5. “Gather my saints unto
me: those that have made a cove
nant with me by sacrifice.” Gather
my saints unto me, that I may teach
them. The teaching follows in
verses 7-23. My saints, is immedi
ately defined by tho words, “those
who have made a covenant with me
by sacrifice.” This means Israel,
which was a type of the church- Tho
reference is to the history related in
Exodus 24:3-8, where all Israel
made a covenant by sacrifice with
Jehovah. My saints, i. e., those
whoso lives are consecrated to my
service,—who obey my word, and
whom I protect. The relation be
tween God and Israel, is the re
lation of two parties to a covenant.
It is no loose, indeterminate, vague
relation. Jehovah is the party of
tho first part, and Israel is tho party
of the second part. The promises
and engagements of the two con
tracting parties are written out in
full. Thus it is said “Moses came
and told the people all tho words of
Jehovah,” i. e. all that Jehovah
promised to do for the people, “and
all the judgments,” i. e. ail that tho
people were to do on their part.
“And all the people answered with
one voice, and said, All the words
which Jehovah hath said will wo do.”
This was then reduced to writing,
“And Moses wrote all the words of
Jehovah. Then 12 altars, one for
each tribo, were built, and the vic
tims slain. The blood was sprink
led one-half on the altars, and then
Moses took the ■written contract, and
read it in the hearing of all the peo
ple. Again the people said, “All
that Jehovah hath said will we do,
and be obedient.” Then the other
half of the blood was sprinkled on
the people, and so the covenant
was duly ratified and became bind
ing on tho two parties, Jehovah tho
party of the first part, and tho trbes
of Israel tho party of the second
part. To this history reference is
had Heb. 9 ; 19-20. Now Israel tip
ifying what we call the church, is in
covenant with Jehovah, a covenant
into which Israel voluntarily, enters,
knowing the terms of tho covenant,
and of its own free will, without
any constraint, engages faithfully to
perform the terms of this covenant.
Now Christians are in covenant
with God, and that by sacrifice, even
the sacrifice of Christ. Preachers
ought to imitate Moses. Moses
makes tho people to understand,
what it is they undertake, in this
covenant, that they may have Jeho
vah to be their God, guide and Sa
viour. They are not inveigled into
it. It is not by rant, or by elo
quence or by any human arts, stage
contrivances, but by full and thor
ough teaching of the covenant, that
they are induced to ratify it. The
Christian and Christ are parties to a
solemn covenant, in which Ho for
his part, undertakes to govern guide,
and save them; the Christian under
takes on his part to obey Christ in
all things.
Now when a man joins tho church
ho er.ters-into a written contract with
Jesus Christ. Christ is the party of
the first part, this man joining the
church, is tho party of tho second
part. It is not a parole contract. It
is a written contract. Now it is to
be feared that thousands in our so
called revivals, go into this contract
without the slightest idea of the in
finite solemnity of it, and without
any subsequent effort on their part
to fulfill the duties, perform the ser
vices, and live the lives which this
covenant injoins upon them.
Two chief words, express tho en
gagements of the contracting parties.
Tho chief word in the engagement
of Christ, is to save. The chief word
in tho engagement of him who joins
the church (as we call it) is to obey.
Christ engages to save unto the ut
termost, the member of tho church
engages to obey him tho Saviour, in
all things—he engages to forsake all
and all things even to his dearest and
nearest relations,' even lite itself
to follow Jesus Christ.
But these two words, save and
obey, require much study and ob
servation to fully understand. Tho
true business of preachers is to ex
plain out of the word of God, these
words—The true business of the
members of the churches is to learn,
what Christ’s salvation means, and
what Christian obedience means.
To what extent can tho bulk es our
preaching ba called a teaching ?
How many persons go to church,
with any thought of being taught? I
cannot lelp thinking the time will
come, and it never can como too
soon, when we shall cease to hear of
Pulpit Orators—(No rarity in Hell),
and shall hear of men like unto Ezra
who “had prepared his heart to seek
tho law of Jehovah, and to do it, and
to teachin Israel statutes 'and judg
ments ” Preachers who strive to
imitate Him tho great teacher, of
whom it is said, “He opened his
mouth and taught them.” Os how
many that bears to-day may it
be said—tho opening of their mouth
is tho teaching of tho people, who
hear them. ?
“And the heavens shall declare
his justice, for God himself is judge.
Selah.”
The heavens are put for the inhabi
tants of heaven, “tho angels that
have kept their first estate,” just as
wo say America, for the Americans,
or England for the English, etc.
Now it is well said the heavens de
clare his justice, for tho heavens
surround tho earth on all sides, and
have tho fullest view of all things
on earth, and all that is either done
by tho earth-dwellers, or done to
them. They aro therefore compe
tent witnesses, and again, for God
himself is judge. It is the justice of
God in his dealings with man that
engages tho attention of the angels
“that excell in strength.” Heaven
is God’s throne, and countless angels
minister to him. Angels are messen
gers, and from the beginning have
been employed on errands to this
earth. Their first mentioned em
ployment, is directly after Adam’s
expulsion from Eden. Their last
named active appearance is in tho
last chapter of Revelations, at the
close of the book, in these words:
“And I John, saw these things
and hoard them. And when I had
heard and seen, I fell down to wor
ship before the feet of the angel
which showed me these things. Then
saith ho unto me, “See thou do it
not: for I am thy fellow-servant,
and of thy brethren tho prophets,
and of them which keep tho sayings
of this book: worship God.” So
throughout man’s history, from the
beginning to tho closo of tho sacred
history, they appear actively engaged
in all tho important affairs of man’s
life. And in Hobrow 1:14, the
angels are declared to be all without
exception, ministering spirits, sent
forth to minister to them who shall
VOL. 70—NO. 32.
be heirs of salvation. St Peter tells
us, they stoop or bend from their
starry thrones that they may have a
nearer view of the marvellous opera
tions of Divine grace in the work of
salvation. From the Scripture I
would conclude that they are as
deeply interested in Christ’s work
on earth, and as actively occupied in
it to-day as they ever were.
It is well put, “the angels shall de
clare his justice,” for God himself is
judge. The word for God here, is
“Elohim”—that is God the creator,
is judge. He who gave man his be
ing, including substance and form,
the author of his environment, the
giver of the law that should govern
him. This God is judge and what
is proper for “Elohim” is justice. It
is not as Jehovah, the covenant God
of mercy, but Elohim the creator,
who is judge; and it is justice he
must execute, not mercy, that he is
to show. What suitable, and cred
itble proclaimers of this justice those
exalted Heavenly Spirits, who have
witnessed the whole history of man,
and . have performed from the begin
ning great functions in the course of
this history? It is not mere poetry
the beautiful fiction of an exalted im
agination. It is the truth. If ever
there be great poems like Homer’s Vi
rgil’s and Dante’s, and Milton’s again
—these great poems, will spring from
the knowledgo perfected of Revela
tion and Science. Their essence will
be truth,and these poems will be more
like Job, the Psalms, Isaiah and the
Revelations, than they will resemble
the classic models of Greece and
Romo. The Poets will be truly
Christian scientists. When you anal
yze a Psalm in the most careful man
ner, you will find it expresses the
truth, just as much so, as one of
Euclid’s propositions. It will bear
the closest scrutiny, and its excel
lence, its beauty, its truth, will ap
pear the more, tho closer, the more
accurate this examination of it shall
have been.
Selah. Many ask what does Se
lah mean. It occurs 73 times in the
Psalms, and three time in tho third
chapter of the prohet Habakkuk,
making in all 76 times. All the
compositions in which it occurs, ai e
what we call hymns, or poems sung
with the accompaniment of somo
musical instrument, or instruments.
Now tho learned are agreed on this
Selah, means a pause, and is q di
rection to the singers and players.
Many if not tho most, think it means
that the singers pause, wade mo
musician plays an interlude. It has
nothing to do with the meaning of
the Psalm, and should not bo pro
nounced by the reader.
AN INTERESTING LETTER FROM
MISS EMMA L. AMOS, FORSYTH,
GA-
I have but a week or two returned
from a trip that presented many and
varied scenes to me. At the end of
it all I come to you with somo
thoughts, which during that time and
since, have occupied my mind. In
return (either publicly or privately
as may suit you best) I ask for somo
of your own thoughts on the subject.
With pleasure I gazed upon tho
shifting scenes presented in a rido
of 3.000 miles. With hushed awo
and admiration, amid its rush and
roar I gazed upon Niagara’s beauty
and sublimity, wondering how amid
such exhibitions of His goodness and
power, humanity could fail to bow
in grateful submission to the will of
its Creator. With keenest delight I
drank in tho matchless beauties of
tho St. Lawrence and the charm of
a four days stay in the old city of
Montreal. In an irresistible fasci
nation, I yield ed mo to tho bustle
and rush of Chicago and tho beauty
and charm of the “White City,”
which to mo seemed indeed as the
fair young bride of tho hoary-haired
19 th century.
Then when homo ward bound,
charming Cincinnati that “city set
upon a hill,” all wooded and green ;
and Lookout with its broad,far-reach
ing views, called mo aside to spend
brief hours a willing votary at their
shrines. Yet, withal, there was
scarce in it all aught to compare with
tho uplifting power, tho real, true
pleasure, the high resolves and emo
tions emanating from that grand
body of “Christian Endeavorers” met
in their 12th annual convention in
tho city of Montreal in July, ’93.
Tho merest chance, in the world’s
parlance threw mo among thorn.
I trust I shall never regret that
chance. It was a grand meeting of
a body which, though but twelve
years old, yet numbers among its
members more than 1.500.000 souls.
A body which reaches out to Aus
tralia, Turkey, Now Zealand, Mad
agascar Scotland, Africa, Samoa,
China, Franco, Persia, Sandwich Is
lands, Chile, Norway, Spain. An
International Convention with dele
gates or telegraphic messages from
the most southern aud western
States and Territories, from the pro
vinces, from Australia, Paris, South
Africa, Spain, Chile, Madagascar,
India and Japan and the “Floaters,”
or tho Sailors.
It was grand! Ono was glad to
bo there. One caught the enthusi
asm and was glad to catch it. Thorn
was no cant about it all. It was a
hearty, earnest, and seemingly,
wholesome body of Christian workers
made up of Presbyterians, Congre-