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ESTABLISHED 1821. TheGhristianlndex t*ubliinel Every Thursday By BELL «fc VAN NESS Address Christian Index, Atlanta, Ga Organ of the Baptist Denomination in Georgia. Subscription Prick: One copy, one year 12.08 One copy, six mouths 1.0 ▲bout Our Advkrtiskrs.—We propose hereafter to very carefully investigate our advertisers. We shall exercise every care to allow only reliable parties to use our col hums. Obituaribs.—One hundred words free of •barge. For each extra word, one cent per word, cash with copy. To CoiURKSPONDBNTS—Do not use abbrevi ations; be extra careful in writing proper names; write with ink, on one side of paper. Do not write copy Intended for the editor and business items on same sheet. Leave Off personalities, condense. Business.—Write all names, and post Offlcesdlstlnctly. In ordering a change give the old as well as the new address. The date of label indicates the time your subscription expires. If you do not wish it continued, or der it stopped a week before. We consider each subscriber permanent until he orders bls paper discontinued. When you order it stopped pay up to date. Bbmittanckb by registered letter, money Order, postal note. Abel. Righteous Abel would have si lenced his own accusing blood if.he only could. When Cain sud denly struck him down, dying Abel took all the blame on him self. As long as he could speak Abel excused his brother, and sought to be reconciled to his brother. He put himself in the wrong and his brother in the right. He saw, now, when it was too late, how he had grieved and vexed and offended his brother. He had not thought about his brother. He had not put himself into his brother’s place. He had not looked at things with his brother’s eyes. He had been glad, and he had let his gladness too much appear, when his own of ferings were respected and his brother’s despised. Forgive me, O my God! Forgive me, Omy broth er! was Abel’s last prayer. What ever dead Abel’s blood may have cried, I feel sure what dying Abel himself cried. Lord, lay not this blow to my brother’s charge, he cried. And when Abel had said that again and again he fell asleep. If Cain had only-done theoppo site of what he immediately did as soon as he had buried Abel; if ne had only determined iu spite of it all still to abide in the land of Eden; if he had only kept him self in the presence of the Lord, and had not allowed himself to go out from the presence of the Lord; if he had only laid the foundation of his city beside Abel’s grave, then Abel’s prayer for his brother would have been heard, and Abel’s blood from that day would have begun to speak almost like the blood of Christ itself. Had Cain all his after days prevented the dawning of the morning that he might offer un ceasing sacrifices beside his brother’s grave; had he risen from his bed at midnight till, being in an agony, his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling to the ground on Abel’s grave; then Cain would have been a pattern that in him God might first show forth all long suffering to those who should af ter Cain believe to life everlast ing. And if you would but de termine to learn tonight of Cain and Abel; if you would but keep at home and dwell in the presence of your past sin, and in the presence of the Lord; if you would but build your house,if God would but prepare your table, in the presence of your enemies; now that Christ’s atoning blood has taken the place of Abel’s ac casing blood; now that Christ's peace speaking blood is every day and every night being sprink led from heaven upon His and other men’s murderers; —you would even yet escape being a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and would be made a fel low-citizen with the saints, and of the household of God. Where, then, is Abel thy broth er? Answer that on the spot. Where hast thou hid him? Say on the spot, Lord, come with me and I will shew Thee. Go back often to Abel’s grave. Go back continually to your past life. Go back to your school days. Go back to your college days. Go back to your first office, your first shop, your first workshop. Re call your first friend. Pass be fore your eyes the first young man, the first young woman, you were intimate with. Call up the long-moldered corpse of your first affection, your first passion, your first love, your first lust. Give instances. Give names; and ask if God has another case like yours in all His book. Face full in the face that monstrous folly; that word, that act, that makes you blush scarlet and turn in your seat to think of it. They are turning on their beds in hell at this moment for far less. Go THE CHRISTIAN INDEX. SUBSCRIPTION, Paa T 53.00. I MINISTERS, 1.00. i bick to than farmhouse in the country, to that hamlet up among the hills, out of which you were so glad to escape from the pres ence of the Lord and from the place of your sin, and get away to hide yourself in the great city. See how one ghost awakens another ghost till they come up an army of the ghosts of dead men and dead women against you. Men and women now dead, and in their own places. Men and women also still alive, but dead to you,—would God they were! Men and women who, when they, or their children, or only their spoken or written names pass before you, make you wish they were dead—they or you. Go back, I say. In God’s name, in God’s strength, goback! Take time, and go back. Take trouble, and go back. Take pains, and go back. Do not grudge time and trouble and pains. You will be well paid for all your time and trouble in humiliation, in re morse, and in godly sorrow. Ev en if you took, what Cain, it is to be feared, did not take—even if you took one whole hour every night alone with your past life, it would not oe mis spent time. Re deem the time. Redeem it, and you will be justified for so doing long before the great white throne is set. No; one whole hour every twenty four hours of your present life would not be too much time to give to go over your past life. I under take that if you will go home, and shut your door, and begin with such an hour to night, you will not fall asleep in your chair. Why are you so pushed for time to repent? Why is retrospection the only thing that you have no tirfie for, and always push it into a corner? Is it because you are not your brother’s keeper? Is it because you never struck afoul blow in the field? Is it because no gray head has ever gone down to a grave that your hands dug? Is it because no young man’s faith and no young woman’s trust, and no unsuspecting friend’s good name has ever been shaken, or deceived, or pulled down and mur dered by you? Have your hands been always so washed in innocen cy ? Are there no tears against you in God’s bottle, and no names in his book? God takes care and ac count not of murdered lives only, but also of murdered names and reputations. How many men and women have we all struck at with tkat sharp razor,an envious, malicious murderous tongue? Work at your consciences, you children of God, till they are as quick to detect, to record, and to recollect an unkind, an unjust, unhandsome, slighting, detract ing, belittling, sneering word, or look, or shrug, as they are to keep you in mind of a foul blow in a field, and a far-back grave in a wood. It would lay some high heads here low enough this night if the graves of all good names and reputations they have had a hand in murdering were to sud denly open around them. All good men, all men of God, keep a good whole churchyard of such graves ever open before them. And if you do not, whatever you may think you are, and whatever other men may think you are, Christ, your angry Judge, knows what you are. There are no ministers here, but there are a good many divin ity students who will too soon be ministers. Will they listen and let me speak a word or two to them on the blood of Abel? One word which I have purchased a right to speak. Alas! alas! We are called and ordained to be our brother’s keeper long before any one has taken us and shown us the way to keep ourselves. And with what result? With what result let our commun ion-rolls and our visiting-books answer. If any minister would be shut up and determined to preach nothing else and nothing ever but the peace speaking blood of Christ, let him read every night in his communion-roll, in his young communicants’ class list, and in his pastoral visita tion book. That name, that name, that name, that family of names! Where are the owners of all these names? What account can I give of them? If they are not here to night, where are they ? Why are they not here, and why are they where they are? What a preach er Paul must have been, and what a pastor, and supported and seconded by what a staff of eld ers, since he was able to say to his assembled kirk-session in Ephesus that he was clear of the blood of all his people! What mornings to his tent-making, and to his sermons and to his epistles; and what after noons and evenings to humility, and to tears, and to temptations, both publicly and from house to house! Like Samuel Rutherford, and long before his day, always at his books, always among his people, always at their sick-beds, always catechising their children, always preaching and always ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY. DECEMBER 24. 1896. praying. No, I know no reading so humbling, so condemning, so killing to us ministers as our communion-roll. We ministers must always appear before our people, and before God, clothed from head to foot with humility, with a rope upon our heads, and with nothing in our hands or in mouths but the cross of Christ and the blood of Christ, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.— Bible Characters— Whyte. For the Index. Reminiscences of Georgia Baptists. BY S. G. HTLLYER, D. D. No. 20. KEV. JOSIAH SPRY LAW. Brother Law wanted about one month of being twenty-four years old when I first met him in January, 1832. He had obtained a good classical and English edu cation at the Sunbury academy under the instruction of Rev. James Shannon. He had also taken a full course of instruction in the Theological Seminary at Newton, Massachusetts. He was, therefore, well equipped in tellectually for the work to which he had devoted his life. His or dination took place soon after his return from Newton. It may be interesting to notice that at the same time, and by the same presbytery, two other ministers were ordained with brother Law. These were Rev. Charles B. Jones and Dr. Jesse H. Campbell. Brother Law succeeded his father, Rev. Samuel S. Law, as pastor of the Sunbury church, and had but recently entered upon his work when I became acquainted with him. He was pastor of the church, and I was rector of the academy. We soon became intimate associates and life long friends. He was endowed by nature with a good intelligence, a clear perception and a sound judg ment. To these qualities must be added a fluent speech and a remarkably correct elocution', and all these natural gifts were well developed by a good degree of literary and theological culture. In his person he was rather small in stature, but symmetri cally built with good limbs and muscular fiber; so he was active, strong, and capable of enduring much physical effort. He was indeed a handsome' In his manners he was easy and graceful. In conversation he was genial, affable and kind. He was not averse to pleasantry, wit and humor, and yet his re ligious sentiments were, like the chords of a musical instrument, always ready to respond in har mony to every touch of spiritual thought. These qualities made him a welcome guest in every social circle. The young and the gay could approach him without reserve or embarrass ment; the old and serious found in him an earnest and sympathiz ing companion; and the timid Christians, troubled with doubts and fears, could find in him ready words of counsel and of comfort. IN THE PULPIT. It was, after all, in the pulpit that brother Law appeared to the best advantage. He knew how to grasp the meaning of his text. And when he had grasped it for himself he knew how to present his meaning to his hear ers clearly and forcibly. This he accomplished by a carefully prepared analysis. His topics were well chosen and appropri ately arranged, so as to bring out distinctly the teachings of the text. When this was done, he knew how to apply those teach ings to the wants of his hearers, and by earnest words of exhorta tion and persuasion, to enforce their acceptance of them in their hearts, and the observance of them in their lives. He was an excellent and interesting preach er. Though he often read his sermons, yet such was the cor rectness of his elocution, that his delivery was never dry; his audience listened to him with interest and pleasure. His' fluen cy qualified him to speak extem poraneously with great effect; and thus he was doubly equipped for the work of the ministry. Several times during the year that I was with him in Sunbury, there were baptisms. On one oc casion he had the pleasure of bap tizing a younger brother; and at the same time, or on another occa sion,he baptized a younger sister. These two were, with himself, the children of his father’s first wife, who, years before, had gone home to heaven. In the presence of a large congregation assembled on the bluff already mentioned, as he was about to baptize one of these precious relatives, he paused a moment, and looking towards the sky ex claimed with tender feeling: “If the redeemed in heaven are per- mitted to know what is taking place on earth, a sainted mother is now looking down with joy upon the scene before us. She sees her darling child about to put on Christ by baptism.” O! there is something so lovely in a New-Testament baptism! ' It is the place where one, who has died to the love of sin, comes to be buried, symbolically, with Je sus. that he may rise with him to a new and a higher life. It is an epoch in his life which he never forgets. Other memories may be sweet, but, “like the music of Caryle, ’ are often “mournful to the soul.” But the memory of one’s baptism is not only sweet, — it is often, like the music of the angels, full of rapture and joy. HIS LABORS. Brother Law spent most of his life in Sunbury. For a short time he was pastor of the First Baptist church in Macon, and afterwards in Savannah. But he seemed to prefer to labor in his native county. He soon returned to Sunbury and again became pastor of the church at that place. His labors, however, extended to other churches within his reach. The white membership of these churches Wfcs small, but the colored members were very numerous. Like his father, bro ther Law felt deeply the spiritual wants of the colored people. It was interesting at our commun ion seasons in Sunbury, to look up at the galleries that extended round the sides of the auditorium all filled with negroes. They were there to hear, with their white friends, the preached Gos pel, and then, as many as were members, to take with them the memorial symbols of our Savior’s dying love. While the deacons were carrying round the cup, brother Law would return to the pulpit, whose elevation brought him nearly on a level with the gallery, and there preach almost another sermon specially adapted to the needs of his colored hear ers. The planters on the seaboard of Georgia were generally pleased to have ministers, who were willing to do it, to come and preach to their negroes. Some, perhaps a majority, went so far as to build a house devoted to religious services. It was called the “prayer that house the religious labor for happened to be in the neighbor hood. We have already seen how brother Dunham and brother Samuel S. Law labored among the colored people. Brother Jo siah walked in the footsteps of his vent rable father. I have known him ride several miles after supper to fill an appoint ment in one of these prayer houses. I was with him in one of his evening excursions. We found the house well filled. His mode of conducting the services was just the thing for his humble auditors. He was as a gentle shepherd feeding the lambs of the fold. Brother Law’s fame was not confined to the narrow region in which he lived. In 1839 I met him at the Georgia Baptist Con vention at Richland church in Twiggs county. On that occa sion I heard him preach a mag nificent sermon to a large and appreciative audience. From that hour he ranked among the best preachers in Georgia. He was once offered, by the Board of Trustees, the chair of Theology in Mercer University. But after due consideration he declined the office. He was not willing to give up his regular ministry among the people whom he loved, for scholastic honors. He preferred to continue upon the field where he had been so useful and where he was so much beloved. Everybody who knew him loved him, especially the colored people whom he served so faithfully. It is said that, just a- few days before he was stricken with the malady that ended his life, he baptized at one place thirty negroes, while sixty oth ers, perhaps at another place, were awaiting, his services. But death intervened; he went home to die—to die in the merid ian of his manhood. Strange that such a life should be so short! His death occurred in 1853, when he was only about forty-five years old. He rests from his labors and his works have followed him. He left a widow and a large family of children to mourn his loss. And thousands of sympathizing friends in Georgia were ready to mingle their tears with the tears of his weeping household. May the Lord help the readers of this humble tribute to his memory to gather spiritual strength and fidelity from his example. 563 S. Pryor St., Atlanta. For the Index. The Help of Hindrances. BY MRS LAURA RICHARDS. To those who walk by faith and not by sight, hindrances are but stepping stones heavenward. An upward ascent means climb ing step by step ; it means more, it means overcoming obstacles in the way. “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.” Rev. 21:7. The hin drances are the world, the flesh and the devil; they stand in the way, they cannot be avoided, they must be overcome; hence life is a battle. And for what end, and why ? Life is a pur pose, a plan, a mission, as well as a battle. Taking it easy, en countering no obstacles, making no fight, showing no colors in an enemy’s country marks a traitor and not a soldier. Striving, struggling, watching,waiting,en during shows a life of usefulness; while indolence, ease, indiffer ence, negligence means failure in any sphere of life. Contrast the two, consider what is at stake. Can any one sit down in idleness and hope to glorify God there by? No matter how much we trust him, no matter how much we love him, praise him, enjoy him, still the fight has to be made. God has so ordered it, so plan ned it; it is the inevitable, and is for his glory and our good. This is the Holy Ghost dispen sation. The world is turned up sidedown. Acts 17:6. “When I am weak then am I strong.” A hindrance is a help, a step ping-stone to success, when it is overcome in the strength of God’s power; when it strength ens faith in God. Growth in grace called forth the exalting, victorious expression of James 1:2: “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations,” and Paul’s sweet assurance: “He will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able to bear.” The testimony of the true and tried in all ages of the world tell of the help of hindrances: “ Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity.” From the very borders of the grave is Hung back to the world the hap py joyous note of freedom: “O death, where is thy sting ? O grave, where is thy victory ?” Bu^^ drances occasion to exercise the Christian graces: “ Patience, forbearance, gentle ness, humility, charity, faith, hope, love ?” It is the hindrance, the trial of faith, that work eth patience that develops patience. Take heart, O ye weary, tired, burdened pilgrim on life’s toilsome road ! Are you tried almost beyond endurance ? Here is courage. Only through that channel comes to your life the opportunity to be patient, patient for Christ’s sake. Are you crushed, bruised, broken in spirit ? Is that the hindrance, the trouble, the trial ? Humility ie the precious jewel within your grasp, beautiful in the sight of God. Are you helpless, power less, every pi op taken away ? Rejoice, you are just at the point where God’s strong arm will sup port. Are you on the verge of despair ? Overcome the hin drance by exercising hope, hope in God, precious boon to mor tals given ; you are the only one who can appreciate the gift. Read Revelation with the word “overcome” as the key note. It is a glorious revela tion. “He that overcometh,” runs through it like a golden thread, and always with a bless ing entwined, even the glories, beauties and privileges of the heavenly kingdom. Read the epistles of Peter in the light of his experiences in overcoming hindrances. “Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, but rejoice in so much as ye are partakers of Christ’s suffering.” “The Lord knoweth how to de liver the godly out of tempta tion ” “Tried as by fire.” “Puri fied.” “Kept by the power of God.” “Redeemed by the precious blood of Christ.” Read Paul’s experience, ye who are praying' for deliverance from some “thorn in the flesh,” and list for the gentle whisper: “ My grace is sufficient.” Canton, Ga. For the Index. An Incident and Its Lesson. BY ANNA S. PRUITT, CIIEFOO. Last month on our way to visit some Chinese Christian friends we encountered a high river, greatly swollen by recent rains in the mountains. The water was up to a man's waist and still rising. Mr. Pruitt and I rode across in safety, but the children preferred to trust themselves to be carried across pick-a-back by strong men. Four year old Ashley was the last to be landed safely on the farther shore, lie came to me with beaming face, saying: “I held up Mr. Wang’s hand, so he didn’t fall. If I didn’t hold him up I ’fraid he would tum ble into the water.” Thus he had crossed the wide river, not thinking of his own condition should he let go, but believing that his little strength was needed to keep his stalwart bearer from falling. I am thinking that some of us travel heavenward guilty of much the same mistake. Are we inclined to take credit to ourselves person ally for the advance of righteous ness in our neighborhood, for the good work of the Spirit in our own or others' hearts ? At any' rate, we think and speak with pride and satisfaction of the manner in which our church and our denomination have held up God’s cause, feeling that but for their strength and de votion the work of the Lord must languish. Do we not sometimes forget that God’s great purpose in allowing us, in our feebleness, a share in his work, is to carry us safely and triumphantly through the tempta tions and trials of this life? Our work, ordained and blessed of him, is to cling closely to his precept and example, without counting results, and assuredly it is not for us to take to ourselves credit for anything the Lord accomplishes through us and for us. It is he who bears the burden and we who are saved through his grace. Is our faith in him, or in our church, or our denomination ? To withhold our prayers and our more material support from his great work of spreading the Gospel, will not result in the failure of his purpose by one iota. It will not cause that a single one of his elect shall fail of full salvation. It weakens not God’s cause, but our own safety. He needs us because we need him. For the Index. Rev. Dr. T. Curtis. BY REV. B. W. WHILDEN. CLOSE OF LIFE. For the following remarks I am indebted almost entirely to Rev. M. C. Barnett, one of the historians of the Broad River Baptist Association. When Dr. Curtis was pastor of the Wentworth Street Baptist church in Charleston, he was a messenger from the Charleston Association to the Broad River at the session of the latter in the year 1846. The historian says it was the first time he met him at the session of the body. A cir cular was presented on Domestic Missions. The Association was at that time numbered among anti-missionary associations. The circular was thoroughly mission ary in spirit. “Dr. Curtis took a very active part in the debate in behalf of the circular. To me, at that time, he was very singular in his man ner in debate. He signified that he imagined himself almost an intruder, especially as he had to take a position which was op posed to Eider Dobbins, whom he seemed to regard with a pro found veneration. He perhaps had never met with Dobbins be fore; but he was acquainted with him from character, and to op pose Dobbins in debate seemed to him almost like opposing an oracle. In all his remarks, therefore, he kept his eye stead ily on Dobbins. He stood up close to the table, facing Dob bins, and while making his speech he would frequently bow down with his face nearly to the table, and then at the end of his sentence he would frequently throw himself back over a per pendicular and for a moment look steadily at his brother Dobbins, as if he would ask him to forgive him for what he had said amiss, and then down and up in like manner.” In 1845 he became a member of the Broad River Association. A church was formed at Limestone Spring, where he settled, and this church united with that body. The members of that church were mostly the teachers and pupils of the Limestone Springs Female School. As might naturally be sup posed, Dr. Curtis was a useful man in the bounds of this associ ation; useful in debate and use ful by valuable papers prepared by him at the request of his brethren in some of their annual meetings. There was a good deal of im petuosity about Dr. Curtis in de bate; still no man ever obseived the decorum of debate more strictly than he did. None ever paid more deference to the age and standing of a competitor. With all his singularity of man ner, however, he soon ingratiat ed himself into the favor of the association. So, if you were present at any g eeting and saw Dr. Curtis ride up, you would see directly the people begin to gather around him to hear h VOL. 76-NO. 52 rich suggestious, and his amus ing anecdotes of things that he would tell of things that princi pally had taken place in Eng land. Toward young ministers he was really a father in Israel. I have thought he knew more of the value of learning and the uses to be made of it than any man I ever saw. The association at the session in 1858 adopted the circular letter prepared by Dr. Curtis on the proper observance of the Sabbath. “This was the last time that most able and vener able brother ever met with our association. Before another meet ing of the body his Master called him to the ‘general assembly of the saints, and church of the firstborn.’ I remember that dur ing the whole session of the body he was particularly affectionate, and sometimes expressed him self as being very old fashioned in his feelings in matters of re ligion. In singing the last hymn of'the meeting he walked through the crowd, shaking hands with the brethren while the tears stood in his eyes. He then led the devotions of the brethren with great fervor of thanksgiv ing and supplication, and the as sociation adjourned, and many of his brethren never saw his face any more.” Williston, S. C. For the Index. Pen Droppings. BY l. l. v. Some individuals possess a rather misty quality known as “goodness of heart,” which, in the estimation of many of their acquaintances quite atones for the lack of half a dozen or a half score of the more substantial ele ments of character. When it is alleged of such an one that he is addicted to strong drink, we are met by the rebutting statement that he possesses great goodness of heart. Should we urge that one has slight regard for the truth, and gives too loose rein to his imagination, we are met by this same averment about his goodness of heart. Thus does this quality, whatever it be, stand as an offset against the most objectionable traits. It may be that on investigation we shall find it to be a mere negative kind of amiability which never offends and seldom resists. Sometimes it means a real benevolence of disposition which is ready to per form any act of kindness that may come in the way. These people for whom so much good ness of heart is claimed are not as a class very reliable. You may not count on them as having firmly settled and well under stood ways of thinking and act ing. They are apt to be described as “enemiesto themselves” —the apologist forgetting that one rarely if ever damages himself without hurting somebody else. It ie true, however, that there are those who insist upon the rules of a rigid morality in themselves and in others without much of kindness in their disposition. One who really needs help will not feel so sure of obtaining it from one of these as he would from a person less careful in his deportment. The merciful, even though often erring, will win more love than the sternly just, even though that justice never de generates into unfeeling harsh ness. There is much to be said for those who have what is rightly called goodness of heart. But as we said in the outset, this quality is made to stand for too much. It should not excuse the want of sound moral principle. It ought not to extenuate the sin of drunkenness or debauchery that the drunkard or the de bauchee is ready at times to do an act of kindness. We may commend the good quality with out excusing the bad. Never sit down and confess yourself beaten. If there are any difficulties in the way, struggle with them like a man. Use all your resources, put forth all your strength, and you ‘never say die.” The case may seem hopeless, but there is gene rally away out somewhere. Are bound and fettered by hurt ful habit? Do not despair. You can’t do much to help yourself, it is true, but there is one who nev er fails to strengthen the young man when he makes an honest at tempt to overcome temptation and master every evil passion. “He brought me up also out of a hor rible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.” That is the experience of thousands of our fellows who have felt their feet slipping, who have begun to sink in quicksand of sin,and have reached out a hand to accept the loving help of the strong and gentle Christ. While he lives and loves no man need ever give up.— Ex.