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ESTABLISHED 1821.
The Christian Index.
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Street, Atlanta. Ga.
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Organ of the Baptist Denomination in
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If even a saloon-keeper in Pawtucket,
R. 1., could advertise for “a partner who
is sober,” who shall blame men who
will have only a sober physician, or
sober lawyer, or sober merchant, or
sober mechanic? If only a sober man is
tit to be a saloon-keeper's partner, oh! j
fair young girl, how can you accept as
your partner for life any other than a
sober man?
John Locke said that “ out of one
hundred men, more than ninety are good {
or bad, useful or, harmful to society, ;
owing to the education they have re
ceived.” And may we not say that more
than ninety out of every hundred men
are dependent, in whole or in part, on i
the Sunday-school for the education i
which shall make them good ami useful? =
With how solemn a sense of responsibil
ity should we forge this link in the !
chain which is to bind tin- souls of men ;
to the virture that is manly and the
grace that is godly!
Not long since, in England, an Episco- ’
pal curate refused to allow a child to be
buried in consecrated ground, and
shortly afterward buried there "in sure !
and certain hope of resurrection to
eternal life” an old sot, who, while
drunk, was drowned in a ditch. The
reason was, that the child had not been
“sprinkled,” and the sot had been when
a child. Facts like these are a manifest
and irresistible “reductio ad absurdum"
from the Episcopal type of infant bap
tism. They show that infant baptism in
that type, parts company with even the
commonest common sense.
Bishop Vincent puts it sharply: “Do I
visit the sick and the afflicted as much
as I ought—first, as a pastor whose pres
ence and consolations they need, and,
second, as a preacher, needing the the
tenderness and knowledge which come
to .he pulpit through the ministrations of
the pastorate?” Tile preacher needs the
pastoral visiting as much as his people
need it. If there is any difference, he
needs it more. Without it he cannot bo
all in the pulpit that he might be and
would be with it: and this not merely as
regards his acceptance with his Hock,
but also as regards the qualities which
entitle him to acceptance.
Our sins do not hide themselves from
the face of the Lord. Not merely be
cause they cannot, but they are bold and
unblushing and do not care to. They
thrust themselves forward, they mount
up before Him. Oh! the infinite audacity
which prevents them from trembling
and from seeking, however vainly, to
flee from the sanctity and awe of His
presence! Wherefore we can only' cry
to Him with the Psalmist: “Hide thy
face, Lord, from my’ sins, and blot out
all mine iniquities.” (Dear reader, have
you offered this prayer to-day? Have
you put your heart in it, and felt the
answer from the heart of God? Oh! do
not neglect it.)
In Lippincott's Magazine for Septem
ber, Elizabeth Wormeley Latimer, giv
ing her recollections of the visit of
Dickens and his w ife to Boston fifty-two
years ago, tells us that on the whole
she should have said in those days Mrs.
Dickens showed signs of having been
born and bred her husband's social su
perior. And yet when he suffered his
heart wretchedly to wandei from her, he
taxed her with an inferiority which
made her unequal to the task of min
istering to his happiness. This is the
old story of unlawful passion chafing
under the restraints of virtue and duty:
it is the lower dissatisfied with the
higher, the worse rising up against the
better.
“Religion has had its Christ, and the
cause of human rights its martyrs,”
says the Cleveland, Ohio, Citizen: “but
it is necessary’ that there should be
another Christ to finish the work begun
two thousand years ago.'' How wildly
talks the infidelity of the day! If there
can be another Christ, then there has
been none, none except in name only,
none but an illusive Christ who is not
worth repeating. But Christ, our Christ,
was. ami as truly as he was, He is. He
is not dead. “He ever lives.” What He
began two thousand years ago, He is
Himself carrying forward still ;and to this
end He will be with His people “all the
days to the end of the world." We need
no other.
When the first “Baptist Congress" was
held, we had hopes for the movement.
We have fears now. At the meeting of a
body bearing that name in Philadelphia,
some time ago, “two theological profes
sors and one professor-elect” gave ex
pression to views regarding the Bible as
radical as even Professors Briggs and
Smith avowed. The danger is that the
men among us holding lax doctrinal
views, will contrive to use these gather
ings to strengthen each other's hands
and skillfully sow seeds of wrong be
lief in the minds of our people in the
various localities honored by their
presence. Watchfulness against this
danger is one of the duties of the hour,
and by no means the least of these
duties.
When the prophet speaks of the death
of Christ, he employs the plural, and
calls it “deaths.” as though it were not
one but many (Isa. 53:9, margin of
Common and Revised Versions). His
human nature was upborne by the di
vine in the suffering of that death; and
may there not have been in it more
than the agony of countless deaths as
TIIE CHRISTIAN INDEX.
there was more than the efficacy’ of
•countless deaths in it: an efficacy for the
forgiveness ‘of sins in the case of every
believe as if there had been in it a
special reparate death for him, an efficacy
which would have been wanting in the
deaths of all (the members of the race,
had these deaths been suffered for him
self alone. Oh! wondrous theme—the
deaths, the deaths of Christ!
RECOMMENDATIONS OF OUR HOME
AND FOREIGN BOARDS-
Read at the Meeting of Wo
man’s Missionary Society of
Summer Hili. Association,
Held at Richland Stewart
County, Ga., Sept, zoth, 1893,
by Mrs. D. B. Fitzgerald.
[Published by request ]
At the meeting of the Woman’s
Missionary Union at Nashville,
May, 1893, the basis of work Ra
the conventional year ending May,
1894, was outlined by a number of
recommendations from our home
and foreign boards, and from the
executive committee of Woman’s
Missionary Union. Many of you
are not only familiar with these I
plans, but you have for the past
four months been doing your part i
toward carrying them out. But j
there may be others present who I
have not studied the’ situation so
well, and it is to them that I
shall address myself.
These recommendations were
read, discussed and adopted unani- I
mously by the representative wo
men there as wise and proper
methods of work ; and since then
the great tanks of our Southern
Baptist sisterhood have been
quietly, but steadily, pressing for
ward, endeavoring to make good
the pledg ‘s given by those votes.
I can, in the limited time alloted
me, dwell only on the most promi
nent ones.
Ist. That Woman's Missionary
Society aim to raise the sum I
required to support our female
missionaries in foreign lands. There
are 53 women missionaries, iS of
whom are unmarried. Last year
the sum of $36,000 was raised by
Southern women for this purpose,
but as more have been sent out
this year, and this of course cre
ates greater needs, there has been
a call for an increase of funds.
S4O, o<x> is asked for. Although
these sound like large figures, a
small contribution from each Bap
tist woman and girl in the South
would far exceed not only this,
but the needs of our work in other
branches. It does seem that it
would only be necessary to state
this proposition to meet with a
hearty response. If there are those
who are willing to sacrifice home,
friends and all the charms that life
in this land has, and are ready to
go out into the darkness of heathen
ism, and then labor and suffer while
trying to teach the gospel to lost
souls, surely other women, who
are not called upon to go, and yet
who are able to help, ought to rally
to their support. When the sweet
peace that comes with a sense of
the forgiveness of sins, when the
glorious hope of immortality has
been lighted in a human heart, it
does seem that straightway a great
and burning desire to tell some one
else of the pardon and love would
spring up and become the para
mount feeling of the happy soul.
It seems that such a result would
be inevitable if she fully believed
that the same grace that had blessed
her was full and free to as many as
would receive it.
Some one said in my hearing,
“Oh 1 I get so tired of the everlast
ing cry formoney, money, I almost
dread to go to church, for the first
thing a hat or basket is pushed at
me for a contribution.”
Surely such a remark comes from
thoughtlessness, or else from a
heart that has not throbbed with a
sense of pardon. The ravens fed
Elijah, but God requires us to feed
His servants who go out to teach
or preach of Christ. In this Chris
tian land an unmarried woman,
unless she be blessed with loving
kindred, has a hard struggle for a
living. Ona foreign field she is sur
rounded with all the hardships of
a residence amongst a strange and
ungodly people. Can we stint her
in the bare support that she
asks at our hands? Remember,
there are 18 of these dear unmar
ried sisters who represent us in
heathen lands,
“Freely ye have received, freely
give.” Let us look into our own
hearts, “as we have received.”
How is that? Oh what an over
whelming tide of God’s goodness
comes over us as we contemplate
our past lives! We have life,
health, home, Christian friends.
Contrast this with the wretched lot
of woman in countries where Christ
is unknown : she is a slave, a very
beast of burden to the man who
no more loves, or considers her,
than the dog he kicks at his feet.
Her life is hard and bitter, and her
death is hopeless, utterly hopeless.
Have some souls that we might
I have saved sunk into the pit?
We kneel down and pray “Thy
kingdom come.” “O Lord, send
Thy gracious word throughout the
ATLANTA. GA., THURSDAY. OCTOBER 26, 1893.
world.” And yet, when God an-
I swers the prayer (and there are
many who are ready to go) we hold
back and hinder the answer to our
own prayers by refusing to give
the necessary means to support
those who are already on the fields.
We are told by those who have
been in China and Japan that our
brethren are not allowed by the
customs of the country to talk to
the women, and that if a Chinaman
hears of a new religion he will not
think it worth while to tell his
wife, or his daughter, for they say
women are fools, or they are like
monkeys, they have no souls. How
then, oh ! how are these poor, be
nighted, suffering women, of like
feeling with ourselves, how are
they ever to hear the gospel?
Thank God pious women do go
there regardless of privation and
hardships, and because they are
women, and are of no account in
the men's esteem, they can go into
the homes of the heathen, and ap
ply the remedy for sin and sorrow
by teaching the women of a loving
Father, and of a home that brings
rest, and peace, and joy beyond the
i grave. Often boys arc taught in
j this way, and the truth, finding
I lodgment in their minds and hearts,
: they grow up into Christian men,
and become preachers to their own
countrymen. Oh ! what glorious
j work our women missionaries are
i doing! Let every one of us see to
] it that we dt> all we can to help
| them.
The reason our boards are so
stinted in money is not because the
sum asked from each is so large,
but because so few are engaged in
giving. If every one who loves
the Saviour would give what she
is able, and give it regularly, our
church treasuries would be full, and
every ship that left our ports would
have with its freight, supplies and
workers for every destitute region
on earth.
Is it not marvelous that in a
country like ours, where churches
dot our hillsides, and tall, cross
tipped spires pierce the clouds in
every town and city, that here it
should be necessary for our boards
to keep agents always going up and
down begging for money for the
mission cause? Is it not sad that
the officers of our boards should be
so harrassed with debts, and
strained almost to the limit of
human endurance by the constant
calls for help from every field ?
And oh ! my sisters, is it not saddest
of all, is it not a sight to make
angels weep, that many godly men
and women, richly endowed with
gifts to qualify them for the work,
and who with tears of entreaty say,
“Here am I, send me, I long to go
and carry the gospel to the hea
then,” and yet the boards must,
with hearts that are breaking with
the sorrow of it, reply, “We cannot
send you, we have not the money?”
Beloved, look into your hearts and
see if you are in any degree re
sponsible for these sad facts. Read
the letters from our missionaries in
the Foreign Mission Journal. There
are two earnest appeals in every
one of them “Pray for us,” and the
pathetic call, “ Send us help.”
These cries will not always sound
in our ears. In a few years we
will have passed away, and to
gether with those whom we might
have helped, we shall appear before
the bar of God. The heathen of
to-day are ours to work for ; those
of a previous generation belonged
to our predecessors ; those who fol
low will be for our successors, but
if we fail to do our duty, the hea
then of to-day are lost. Does it
not seem that if we should be
granted an entrance to heaven, and,
as its joys burst upon us, we could
see those whom we might
have helped turning away into
outer darkness, would it not seem
enough to poison the joys of heaven,
if such could be? “They that turn
many to righteousness shall shine
as the stars.”
(Continued next issue.)
BAPTISM AND EVOLUTION.
BY J. H. THOMAS, D. D.
“The New Theology will not
make great inroads among the Bap
tists, for they are too strongly en
trenched behind the ordinances."
These are the concluding words of a
public address, delivered a fewyears
since by a distinguished Methodist
preacher, (now the successful editor
of one of their most widely influ
ential journals, and always recog
nized among his own people as a
thinker of unusual sagacity and
breadth of vision). The speaker
had delineated and commented at
length upon the features and ten
dencies of* the Andover movement,
and its probable influence on the
various denominations. His proph
: ecy as to the essential immunity
of the Baptists was the more con
j spicuous because, in his judgment,
it could fairly apply to them almost
alone The reason as signed for that
1 immunity is also notable. For it
implies a depth of significance in
the Baptist tenacity us to unmuti
lated ordinances that, while not at
once apparent, is well worth
“ciphering out.”
Nearly all the recent proposals
to remodel doctrine have arisen,
consciously or unconscioulsy, from
the pressure of a supposed neces
sity, created by the establishment
of the scientific doctrine of evolu
tion ; to the radical demands of
which, religious, as well as all
other, thought must be readjusted.
The doctrine of evolution, accord
ing to Mr. Herbert Spencer (its
most authoritative expounder and
generally accepted champion), nec
essarily excludes the conception of
special creation, of which it is the
direct logical antithesis. The es
sential ideas of evolution are 1.
That no absolutely new thing ever
begins, or can begin, to be ; the
seemingly new is only another
phase of the old. 2. That present
forms have invariably been reached
through slow, gradual and uniform
processes. 3. That they are the pro
duct of indwelling natural forces,
which are perennial, constant, and
self-operating. The one symbol to
which evolutionists continually re
turn as embodying the central
truth of the universe is that of
growth. Creation, on the other
hand, suggests, even if it does not
demand, a contradiction of the
above scheme at every point, for
it implies 1. Origination. 2. An act
rather than a process, long or short.
3. A creator, separable in thought
from and independent of nature.
However specious and seductive
may be the phraseology used to
hide the issue, it is plain that the
question raised is that of the reality
and presistence of the supernatural
as a factor in the history of the
universe and of man. To speak of
“creation by evolution” is to be
muddle the by the use
of “words without wisdom.’’ ( hie
does not “create” a tree by planting
it and letting it grow. It is useless
to conceal from ourselves the fact,
long ago bluntly stated by Prof.
Tyndall in his Belfast address, that
the modern scientific evolutionist
has returned to the position of the
heathen Lucretius, v. 12, that
“nature is seen to be ab'te to do all
things of herself, without the help
of the gods.”
Under the stimulus of this theory,
it has been urged that the Bible is
simply the natural utterance of
Jewish devotion and speculation ;
better than other books, only as,
by the help of unguided circum
stances they had ripened religiously
more than others. It follows, log
ically, that it is not the word -of
God to man, but only the word of
man about God. It is the product
not of divine inspiration, but of
human aspiration. if-
Jesus of Nazareth, following the
same line of speculation, was the
normal and inevitable product of
Jewish evolution. He was a “Son
of Man” literally; but the “Son of
God” not in any unique sense, but
only figuratively, as all men are
so. He was different from other
men, not in kind, but only in de
gree. If he meant to imply any
thing other than this, when He de
clared that He was “from above,”
while those about Him were “from
beneath,” He was either mistaken
or untrustworthy.
Naturally, the doctrine of regen
eration, involving as it does the
conception of an instantaneous,
supernatural transaction, through
which its subject becomes a “new
creature,’’presents an especial“stone
of stumbling” to the evolutionist.
If “that which is born of flesh is
flesh, and that which is born of
spirit is spirit,” there can be no
transmutation of species here. 'l’he
transaction is symbolized by
“birth,” which is sudden, and not
by growth, which is continuous.
It is through the immediate inter
vention or the Spirit, a supernatu
ral agency, mysterious and sover
eign like “the wind.” No man can
by self-help or by help of natural
forces envolve into the new life,
lie must be “born, not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh, nor of
the will of man, but of God.”
Now who can witness the ordi
nance of baptism, administered as
Christ appointed it to be, without
recognizing in it a visible, conspic
uous and permanent protest, set at
the very door of his church, against
the intrusion of such naturalistic
perversions of His gospel as are
here indicated. We are born but
once, and accordingly are baptized
but once. Birth and growth are
related, as a prior sudden transac
tion to a subsequent continued pro
cess ; and baptism is in like manner
related to the Lord’s Supper : the
one indicating the quick transition
“from death to life,” the other the
protracted nourishment of continu
ous life that follows, Birth is not
self-originated or self-effected, nor
can baptism be lawfully self-ad
ministered. Nothing could be
farther from the truth than Dean
Stanley’s fancy that baptism arose
naturally out of the oriental bath.
“Like as Christ was raised from
the dead,” like as the dead in
Christ will be raised by a power
not their own, so are the baptized
raised by another in Christ's name
to “newness of life" imparted by
Him.
Well may Baptists, therefore,
“remain entrenched behind” this
symbolic barrier which our Lord
has Himself erected to prevent the
re-entrance of the world-old error
that man can somehow ripen of
himself into fitness for heaven.
On its front men cannot fail still
to read the inexorable decree, “Ex
cept a man be born again he can
not see the kingdom of God.”
THE PRIEST AND HIS BREAST
PLATE-
Ex. 28 AND 39.
BY J. G. m’cALL.
The priest of the Old Testament
was a representative and typical
character, in office, in duties and in
dress. We note this time his breast
plate. The breastplate was four
square —twice as long as broad. It
was* intended to fold together
lengthwise, and when folded it
would be equilateral; made of gold
beaten and entwined with the
royal colors, blue, purple and scar
let, with fine white linen, with cun
ning (artistic) work, most beauti
fully arranged. The beaten gold
was precious and valuable ; the com
bination of these royal colors was
beautiful to the eye ; the white fine
linen was the emblem of purity,
holiness. This breastplate, some
what in the form of a book, was on
the outside studied with twelve
precious stones in three rows of
four stones each. Upon each one
of these stones was engraved the
name of one of the sons of Jacob.
When the breastplate was folded
together, as intended, these beau
tiful and valuable stones —each
with its name—were shut in and
concealed from view, and were un
seen and unknown to the world ;
but they were precious, beautiful
and significant all the same. The
breastplate was supported by two
strong blue shoulder pieces fastened
over the shoulder of the priest by
means of two onyx stones, and upon
each one of these two stones were
engraved six names of Jacob’s
sons. When the breastplate was
folded together it had golden rings
on the corners by which it was
kept, not only folded together, but
bound securely, so.that one of these
precious stones could not be lost, I
nor <yven misplaced.
When the high priest would
make atonement, when before the
altar, in the presence of the holy
Shechina—with fear and trembling
he passsed behind the sacred cur
tain—he would place the breastplate
by its shoulder bands around his
neck and so adjusted that it would
rest upon his heart.
These twelve names—synono
inous with the twelve tribes, the
elect people of God under the old
dispensation—was carried by the
priest upon his shoulders, typical of
physical strength, and upon his
heart, typical of his love for them.
The Aaronic priesthood culmi
nated in the Christos of God. Thus
tians’ priest was the great proto
type of the Jewish priest.
lie carries us by name upon His
heart and upon I lis shoulders. He
graciously taught us the omnipo
tence of His love, and power over
all earthly forces.
Our High Priest loves us, keeps
us near to Himself, keeps us always
safely. He never forgets us, no
one able to separate us,kept by the
power of God unto salvation.
Beautiful type, glorious prototype !
Happy Jew, blessed Christian!
Quitman, Ga.
HANDFULS OF PURPOSE.
REV. F. I>. DAVIDSON.
These words occur only in the
book of Ruth, and are full of
meaning to every one who would
do good. Ten years before this
time, Naomi, during a severe fam
ine, went to dwell in the land of
Moab. While in Moab the Lord
laid the afllicting hand heavily upon
her. The messenger of death in
vaded her home, and robed her of
husband and children .
At last she hears that God has
visited her people with plenty, and
like the prodigal son, sets out to
return to the old home, bringing
Ruth, the Moabitess, with her. It
was near the beginning of the
barley harvest when they arrived
in the little town of Bethlehem.
After hurriedly adjusting their do
mestic affairs, Ruth, by faith, goes
out to glean in the fields. It was
the field of Boaz,, a mighty man of
wealth, into which the Lord led
her, and here she began the work of
gleaning among the sheaves.
On coming into the field Boaz,
noticed her among his maidens, and
inquired of his reapers who she
was. He was told that she was
Ruth, the Moabitess, who came
with Naomi. Then Boaz, com
manded his reapers to let her glean
among the sheaves, and to reproach
her not, also to let fall some hand
fuls of purpose for her. From
these words we may derive many
valuable lessons.
I. SURROUNDED UY MANY OPPOR
TUNITIES.
There are poor Ruths every
where, and when we will we may
do them good. The world is full of
poor, unfortunate people into whose
lives the sun rarely ever shines.
There is a constant stream of them
pouring across our pathway, with
broken hearts, who long for some
word or act of sympathy to lift the
cloud from their moral sky. We
pass them on the streets, and in
the stores and shops, and oftentimes
they are only separated from those
that are reveling in their wealth
by a few inches of brick and
plaster. In our great centers of
population are gathered, side by
side, the rich and the poor, the one
with more than they can consume,
the other with nothing to stay the
cravings of a starving, suffering
body. We do not have to cross
the ocean, nor leave home and na
tive land, in order to find something
good to do. “Lift up your eyes and
behold the fields.” “The poor ye
have with you alway, and when
ye will you may do them good,”
are just as true and full of meaning
to-day as when they fell fresh from
the lips of the dear Master him
self. Up yonder rickety stairway,
hid away in the dingy attic,is a poor
old woman who has worn her life
out toiling for others. Down in
that damp cellar are some orphan
children whose shivering frames
speak volumnes to us if we would
only read. Brother, pause and ask
yourself, “Am I doing my duty to
bring joy and gladness into the
lives of those among whom I live?"
Pray God to give you grace to em
brace these golden opportunities.
11. DOING THE LITTLE THINGS IN
JESUS’ NAME.
Many people are waiting for
some great thing to do. They let
slip a thousand little things that
would make some poor heart leap
with joy, thinking that soon some
great opportunity will present itself
to them, and by one single heroic
deed they will become great. True
greatness consists in toiling pati
ently and lovingly in the sphere
that God has placed us. The reap
ers in Boaz’s field were to let fall
only handfuls of the ripe grain. A
small thing indeed, but when gath
ered up by the poor maidens, was
sufficient to preserve the life of
whole families of poor people who
had no field of their own. Only a
kind word or a smile, or a bunch of
roses bestowed on some pyor sor
rowing one, may be a small thing
in itself, yet sufficient to turn the
whole course of their life. The
man that will not scatter seeds of
kindness among the poor and broken
hearted, will not, even if he has a
chance, do a great thing. The
highest eulogy that can be pro
nounced upon any one is that he
went about doing good. This is
the Christly spirit, and will receive
his reward.
111. DOING GOOD ON PURPOSE.
The reapers were to let fall the
grains of wheat on purpose, and not
simply by accident. The joy that you
bring to the lives of the people
should not be a mere accident, but
from a well-matured purpose on
your part to do them good. Jesus
died to purify unto Himself a pe
culiarpeople zealous of good works,
and we are commanded to do good
unto all men. “He came not to be
ministered unto, but to minister.”
If we bear about in us the Christly
spirit, then it will be a gieater joy
to give than to receive. My
brother, look around you and study
the needs of the people, and then
study how you can be made a Bless
ing to them. A word from you
may be all that is needed in some
cases, then God grant us “the
tongue of the wise that we may
know how to speak a word in sea
son.” If we are Christians, many
will indirectly be blessed by our
lives, but this should not for one
moment satisfy us. There is a
difference between doing good and
purposely doing good. The lamp
that sits in the window of the shop
keeper’s store may give light to the
passers-by and guide them over the
slippery places, but quite different
it is to that of the warm-hearted
friend who takes his lantern in
hand and walks with us to our
home. It is purposly doing these
kind acts that brings a thrill of joy
to the soul of the one aided by us.
IV. PREPARATION FOR THIS WORK.
How poorly able by nature we
are to be ministers of mercy to the
suffering. Our hearts are cold, sel
fish and sinful. They need to be
transformed into fountains of
warmth, love and pity by t he I)ivine
Spirit. He whose heart lias been
kissed back to tenderness by Him
who wept over a sinful world is
prepared for these little ministries
of love. In the doing of these
things the world will take knowl
edge of you that you have been
with Jesus. Brother, it is sympa
thy the world wants, and he who
sympathizes with them most is the
one that will have the strongest
hold upon them for Christ. How
delicately related in the ministry
of Jesus was his personal attention
to the suffering, and His teaching
the gospel. No man is lifted for
this work that does not love men,
and no man loves men who is not
born of God.
V. ONLY ONCE,
Brother, remember that you pass
through this world only once.
You can never recall the past. If
you are a blessing to men it must
be now. The time for letting fall
handfuls of purpose will soon be
VOL. 70—NO. 42
over. The opportunity for making
glad the hearts of our fellow beings
will soon be past. Then in Christ’s
name let not another opportunity
pass you without making some soul
to rejoice.
West Plains, Mo.
GLIMPSES OF THE LIFE AND DO
INGS OF A GREAT MAN IN
ISRAEL.
C. A. Davis, Sr., the Conse
crated Banker who Depart
ed this Life in Greensboro,
Ga., August 16, 1893,
BY DR. W. D. POWELL.
I come to place a sprig of acacia
on the tomb of a departed friend
who has entered into the eternal
rest, and whose works still follow
him. It is eleven years to-day
since I reached Mexico as a mis
sionary. A few weeks later I re
ceived my first communication from
him, offering to support a native
colporteur at sls per month. What
a delightful correspondence I have
maintained with him through all
these years. Ido not hesitate to
say that his letters were the most
spiritually-minded that 1 received.
His letters, and those of dear Dr.
Tupper—the father of the mission
aries—l could never destroy. These
letters were never intended for any
eye other than my own, yet I am
sure that the reader will get the
best idea of this noble man’s char
acter if I will quote liberally from
his letters which lie before me.
lie was a model Christian giver,
and many should study and heed
his example.
1. Not every one understood his
true character. Hear him : “I feel
that all God has bestowed on me is
of grace, for 1 am unworthy of the
least of His benefits. He has in
deed been gracious, very gracious
unto me and those dear to me. I
trust to meet father, mother,
brother, sisters, wife and children
in heaven : as those who have de
parted died in the faith, and those
living have eternal life through
faith in Jesus, and I hope to meet
hundreds more whose faces 1 have
never seen in the flesh, whom God
has graciously saved indirectly
through means which He has fur
nished me, and which He has won
derfully blessed. lam reserved,
and of few words, shrink from no
toriety, and have not the capacity
of publically advocating the cause
of. Jesus personally, but God gave
me business capacity, and has
blessed me in temporal affairs, and
I trust some of the means he has
placed in my hands have been ap
propriated to, and been blessed in,
winning souls to Jesus. To God
be all the honor and glory.”
His idea of our inheritance. On
one occasion he wrote to me : “Did
you ever consider the rich inheri
tance which is yours, and which
belongs to all the saved ? J esus
does not offer to make us equal to
the angels. I do not sing the song,
‘I want to be an angel.’ The inheri
tance of the soul is higher, greater,
more glorious than that of the
angels. They are the sons of God,
joint heirs and one with Him. Is
it not incredible? It would be if
God had not assured us of it in
His word.”
He believed that the Baptists of
the South should awaken from their
long sleep. Eight years before his
death he wrote : “I notice that you
are in want of efficient help. God
has opened wide the doors of en
trance to the heathen world, and
now we do not appear to be ready
to enter in. Why are you not re
inforced? Is it for the want of
men or the means of support for
them ? Certainly there is sufficient
Christian devotion and liberality in
the South to supply all the help
needed if your wants were properly
brought before the churches.
Shame and confusion on me and
every Baptist in the South that the
lost and ruined should cry for de
liverance, and there be none to
hasten to their rescue.”
We live in an age of wonders,
and nations are now comparatively
born in a day. The work of years
is now being accomplished in days,
and the time seems to hasten when
all shall hear the gospel of peace
and live.”
A year later he writes: “We
have been praying God to open the
doors for the gospel throughout the
world. Our prayers are answered,
and lo! we are not ready to occupy
the fields that are more than ripe
for the harvest. If you can find
another efficient, humble, faithful
man who will act as colporteur,
and there is work for him to do,
let me know what his services are
worth, and 1 may be able to put
another man in the field. May
God rear up and sendjforth labor
ers at once to reap the harvest of
souls which appear to be waiting
in your field to be gathered in.”
Brother Wilson, now an honored
missionary of the Foreign Mission
Board, came to Mexico as one of
brother Davis’ workers’ Ofttimes
we needed another native helper,
and while prayerfully considering
how he could be supported, a letter
would come from brother Davis