Newspaper Page Text
Banks County Gazette.
VOL 2.—NO. 6.
Joining the Church.
Should I join the Church? This is
a question which many thoughtful
persons are anxiously considering.
They believe the Bible. They receive
all the great doctrines of evangelical
Christianity. They are in no way
troubled with the new theology. They
believe that all men are sinners by
nature; that they are under condem
nation; and that the Lord Jesus
Christ, the divine Son of God, is the
only Savior. They believe that all
who have heard the gospel should
repent of sin and believe in Jesus.
They are persuaded that there is sal
vation in him, and no other; and that
all who refuse to accept him as their
Savior in the present life will perish
eternally. They' have at least an in
tellectual persuation of all those
truths. They further admit that all
deciples of Christ should make a pub
lic profession of their faith in him
and be found in fellowship with God’s
people.
And yet there are those who, ac
cording to their own declaration, be
lieve all this, but neglect, or refuse,
to join themselves to the company of
Christ’s deciples. Their only relation
to the Church is that of adherents.
They may lie as regular in their at
tendance upon the public ordinances
of religion as those who are in the
full communion of the Church. They
are frequently generous supporters
of the Church, and are as forward as
any'in promoting, nil charitable and
benevolent enterprises.
It is not supposed that all these
persons are in precisely the same
state of mind, are all affected toward
the Church alike, or have all the
same difficulties* and keep themselves
aloof from the Church for the same
reasons.
Some of them have such views con
cerning the nature of the Lord’s Sup
per and the sin of eating ami drink
ing unworthily, that they feel safer
in declining the tender appeal of our
Lord, “This do in remembrance of
me,” than in complying in a possibly
unworthy manner, and thereby bring
ing condemnation upon themselves.
It is proper, we think, to say to
such persons their position in regard
to this matter is not one that is hon
oring to the Lord Jesus, or one that
affords satisfactory justification of a
course whica places ibem in virtual
antagonism to the authority and will
of the Head of the Church. Is it not
saying, in fact, that there is at least
one command of Christ, the obeying
of which involve so great hazard that
some of his friends, those of peculiarly
tender consciences if you will, are to
be excused for neglecting? Is it not
assuming that he is unable or unwill
ing to give the grace t at every soul
needs in making an acceptable ap
proach to him, and in observing all
his commandments? Is not the spirit
of that one who humbly goes for
ward in the performarice of every
plain duty saying, “Lord, I believe;
help thou mine unbelief,” the true
spirit of every child of God?
Another says, “I believe in Chris
tianity, and recognize the obligation
resting upon all to confess Christ be
fore men, and just as soon as I feel
that I will be able to honor the Chris
tian profession and live up to its re
quirements, I propose to join the
Church. Ido not wish to be a mem
ber of the Church and act so incon
sistently with the vows I take upon
myself as many do.”
Such a declaration may seem to be
candid, and indicative of right views,
and intentions. But the man who
resolves that he will not pray until
he renders himself more fit to draw
near to god; who will not make a
profession _of religion until he can
say, “I thank God that I am not as
other men,” but that now I am so
strong, so righteous, that I will be an
honor to the Church and to religion,
will never pray with a broken and
contrite heart and will never posses
the spirit of the true penitent and
true believer, until he can say, “I am
vile, lam a helples sinner, Christ’s
grace shall be sufficient for me,
through Christ strengthening me, I
can do all things.”
Every man who has been brought
by the gracious influences of the Spirit
to know that he is a sinner, and that
Christ is able and willing to save him,
and that he is willing to yield himself
to Christ to be saved by him, and has
submitted himself to God in all things,
though he may be conscious of much
sin, much weakness, entire inability
in his own strength to serve God ac
ceptably, yet humbly relying upon
the grace that is in Jesus Christ, may
say% “I believe in the Lord Jesus
and confess that God hath raised hint
from the dead; what doth hinder me
to be baptized, and admitted to the
fellowship of God’s people ?”—United
Presbyterian.
What One May Be.
The religion of Christ not only re
veals to us an infinite ideal of good
ness, but it assures us of the power
to reach it, to. realize it. It says to
you not merely, ‘‘This is what you
may and can be.” Apart, from this,
the gospel would lie no good news,
no message of gladness to us. As
you know that the first r:\y of light
your eye catches, gilding the eastern
horizon in the morning, is the sure
pledge and prophecy of the coming
day, or as you know that the future
plant is contained in the little seed or
germ, so (he first movement in the
human breast of true spiritual life,
the first throb, of genuine self-devo
tion to Christ, self-surrender of the
soul to God, is fraught with the new
born perfection and beauty of the
life that is hid with Christ in God.
The religious life, indeed, like
other life, is progressive; and here,
as elsewhere, effort, struggle, conflict,
are the inevitable conditions of prog
ress. You can no more become a
holy aud good man than you can
become a wise and learned man
without effort and painstaking. But,
my brethren, here lies the power over
evil, the conquering impulse, and
strength of the human life, that, iT
only we be true to God and ourselves,
the final victory is sure. The sun
and rain and dew, ail the genial in
fluences of nature, will not make a
stone grow; but the tiniest get m, the
fragile plant, just peeping above the
soil, has in it a secret principle which
can transmute air, earth, sunlight,
moisture, into means of i;s develop
ment, and so the heaven-born life
has in it the vitalizing, the assimilat
ing forces that will make “all things”
in this our earthly existence, “all
things” in the moral atmosphere,
“work together for its good,” aud
bear it, onward to perfection.—South
ern Presbyterian.
Misfortune is never sad to the soul
that accepts it as from God, for such
do always see on every cloud the
face of an angel.—W. C. Whitcomb.
A Washington correspondent says
that a curious lack of proper restric
tion upon the licensed liquor traffic
of the national capital was brought
out by the petition of a poor woman
to the local authorities asking that
certain saloon keepers, who had dis
regarded her personal requests, be
prevented from selling liquor to her
husband, who is, she says, an habit
ual drunkard. The petition was re
ferred to the chief of police, and lie in
turn referred it to the Attorney for
the District of Columbia in order to
ascertain his legal authority in the
premises; and that official, after a
careful search, said there was no law
by which these saloon-keepers could
be prevented from selling the poor
woman’s husband all the liquor he
wanted, notwithstanding his being an
habitual drunkard and the piteous
appeal of the wife. Congress offers
a splendid field for temperance mis
sionary work.
The Every Day Workers.
The church is yet to learn that its
chief work is to be done by conse
crated men of ordinary caliber.
Great speeches never marshaled a
host. An eminent Scotch divine,
getting into the pulpit after a week’s
elaboration of a learned discourse,
forgot it entirely, and was compelled
to give a plain talk, which, under God,
lIOMEII, BANKS COUNTY, GEORGIA, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 18111.
swept half his audience into the
kingdom. There is an absurd call
in the church to-.day* for what are
called “big guns,” and but little ap
preciation of well loaded rifles. The
“Swamp Angel’’ in the last war was a
failure. It proposed to do great
things but after awhile they found it
was cracked aiul were afraid to use
it lest ti blow up. So, while men of
small capacity are doing their work
well, and make no fuss about it, we
have a few “big guns” half cracked
with concei . about themselves, and
they blow up just when they are
wanted for important service. The
nuissance of the church to-day is ec
clesiastical “Swamp Angels.” Dr.
Chalmers’ astronomical sermons
“make us see stars,” but we suppose
there were at the time of their deliv
ery uncelebrated ministers of Christ
in Scotland who were bringing more
souls to the Savior. Patrick Henry’s
speech did good in the Virginia legis
lature, and was of service in giving us,
when boys, something to practice on
at the country school house till the
dinner pails along the wall shook with
the cry of "Liberty or death,” but
there were men who could scarcely
say a word in public who did as much
service when in Independence hall
they put their names to the document
that declared onr national deliverance.
We must all lay hold of the work. If
the raging conflagration of sin is to be
put out it will not, be by one fireman
standing with a big born making a
groat racket, but by men, women and
boys bringing what water they can—
some in hogsheads, some in pails and
some in small dippers, every one
doing what ho or she can, God help
ing all the time:
“Not by might or by power but by
my spirit; saveth the Lord.” —Chris
tian Heraltl.
Whatover God gives yonjtO clo, do
as well as you can, Thi“ is tlio l>es
possible preparation for what he may
want you to do next.—George Mac-
Donald.
Patient prayer is powerful prayer.
If tliou hast come into Christ’s school,
submit to his lessons and Iris tasks.
One of them is: “Not as I will, but
as thou wilt.”
Waiting and Getting.
It has been said that the reason
why so few people get what they
want in this world is because they
do not want it bard enough. There
is profound truth at the bottom of
this conceit. Earnest striving
and perseverance are rare quali
ties. A little struggle, and then a
falling off; a few faint efforts, and
then despair. This is the usual story
of attempts to “get any thing,”
whether it ho a physical, mental, or
spiritual good. But to long for a
thing so strongly that for the sake of
its attainment one can conquer obsta
cles, live down opposition, ignore
discouragement, and work persistently
and through years of trial and ob
scurity toward the fulfillment of a
hope—is not this the record of all
grand achievements and the history
of all heroic lives ?
Many more wishes might he real
ized if people were willing to pay
this price for them. Aby thing worth
having in this world is clear, includ
ing experience. Genius itself has
been defined as only unlimited pa
tience, or an endless capacity for
hard work.
It was told of some celebrated gen
eral that he never knew when he
was defeated; by and by he could not
be defeated. A little of the same
spirit infused into ordinary life-work
would make many a dream possible
that now seems to tr.e wist ful ijreamer
as extravagant as the cloudiest castle
in Spain.—Religious Telescope.
The beautiful Maltese lace, made of
black or white Burcelone silk, sprang
from the philanthropy of Lady Ha.mil
toil Chichester, who exhibited to the
native lace makers a Greek coverlet
and induced them to imitate its ex
quisite mesh.
USE OF ARTIFICIAL STONE.
It la Surceetllns the Natural Article in
Building Houses and Bridges.
Of oil the great improvements -which
hove been witnessed daring the past
twenty years that of artificial stone
stands in the front rank. Nearly all
the large cities of the United' States
have Uieir works for manufacturing
art ificial stone, and seores of thousands
of barrels of cement, are annually used
in the industry. This may not be
news to people who travel, and are es
pecially interested in architecture and
engineering work, but others who have
not had thy opportunity of investiga
tion would Ik? amazed to see the con
structions in artificial stone which have
taken place in tile last decade. The
magnitude of these works would as
tound, the old Roman engineers, whoso
works’ are historic.
Tiie Vaune aqueduct, thirty-seven
miles long, to supply the city of Paris
with water, is built of composite stone,
it comprises two and a half to three
miles of arches, some of them as much
as fifty feet high, and eleven miles of
tunnels. It also includes eight or ten
bridges of seventy-five feet span. The
pipe is six and a half feet interior diam
eter, with a thickness of nine inches at
the top and twelve inches at the sides.
The lighthofise at Port Said, Egypt, 180
feet high, is another notable example
of artificial construction. A Gothic
church at Visile (, near Paris, is one
pieee of stone, including the steeple, 130
foot high. The municipal barracks at
Notre Dame, Paris, of artificial stone,
have arched ceilings whoso spans vary
from twenty-two to twenty-five feet.
Over thirty-0110 miles of the Paris
sewers are constructed of this material.
The jot ties at the entrance of the Suez
canal are built of artificial stone blocks,
each weighing abmit twenty tons, and
16,000 of them wore used in the im
provement of the docks iu New York.
Space will not permit of statement
in detail of scores of hundreds of ex
amples of artificial stone construction
in this country, but among the more
recent may be mentioned the Pompeian
villa at Saratoga, the Moorish villa,
Hotel Ponco do Leon, Alcazar hotel
and the Casa Monica, St. Augustine,
Fla. These hotels, the most magnificent
in (lie world, are constructed of artifi
cial stone, including roof towers, ceil
ings, baths, etc. There is not a joint
In immense yaruotun-a. The bnl
coit&s, high up on the towers, are of
solid terracotta, and weigh five tons
apiece. The Casa Monica has a front
ngo of 450 feet. More than (50,000
barrels of cement wore used in the con
struction of these hotels.
A dwelling was erected a few years
ago at Port Chester, without joint or
seam. The house is fireproof. The
lioois, roof, stairways and towers are
all of stono and 4,000 barrels of cement
were used.
An interesting application of this
material in the construction of a hollow
sustaining wall was made at the cetue
tery of Pussy in supporting a bank of
earth 21) 1-2 feet high. Numerous rus
tic bridges in parks and cemeteries in
various parts of the country have been
built of this material. Tlio most im
portant and general uses, however, to
which artificial stone is put is that of
trimmings for brick buildings,
It is specially adapted for entire
fronts of commercial buildings and for
churches, schools, hospitals and dwell
ings. It is also largely used for wall
facing in basements of frame dwellings.
Late improvements have been made
which greatly enhance its value as a
building material, whereby the surfaces
of the stone are made rough, represent
ing the tool work of the stonecutter.
And buildings erected of this material
are represented as being much admired,
and the stone in them is not easily dis
tinguished from the natural stone. —
Rochester Post-Express.
Ot>y One Subject on Which to T;ilk.
I overheard a remark the other day
that siad a good deal of domestic pathos
in it. One woman said to another:
“I do have the most stupid call when
I go to that bouse. ”
“Why so. She is a very pleasant
lady.”
“Oh. I know that, but—but—well, I
will tell you. You know lam so un
fortunate about getting good servants.
I am obliged to change every few weeks.
Mrs. has actually had her servants
eight and ten years, and we never havo
anything to talk about.”—Chicago
Opinion.
Little Ollie Miller heard her sister
Lula speaking of a diary, and having
had it explained to her that a personal
diary was a brief record of one’s life,
she exclaimed:
“Well, then, I don’t see what they
want to call it u diary for; seems to me
they oughter call it ali very. ” —Boston
Courier.
Caution.
"Can you cook?” ho asked anxiously,
ere he popped the question.
“I don’t know,” she answered, “but
i-1 can try. ”
‘Not on me," he rejoined, reaching
for his hat—-New York Sun.
A POPULAR MISCONCEPTION.
Waller llesant There Was No Lclsuro
f;* tho Eighteenth Century.
It Is conventional to represent the
Eighteenth century as a time of leisure
and quiet happiness; when a poet
writes about this time lie tries to
breathe into his verse an atmosphere
of peace; ho does bis best to throw
into the poem a calm of thesoul. Then
people applaud tire poet forcatching so
wonderfully the very spirit of tire time.
Well, 1 cannot for my own part find
anywhere in England during the last
century anything at all to justify this
belief in the universal leisure. The
Eighteenth century was a desperately
turbulent, dangerous, hardworking,
poorly paid time; it was torn by con
tinual contests and struggles, by party
faction and by civil wars; it began
with a long war, and it ended with a
long war.
England had three civil wars; two at
home and one in her colonics. The
press gang was busy in every port; the
recruiting sergeant in every country
town; the Hoggings, by which disci
pline was maintained, seem almost in
credible; tho iniquities of the govern
ment —not on this or that side, but on
both sides— tho jobbing, buying of*
places, sinecures, pluralities, nepotism,
simony, as wo read them now, appear
simply intolerable. If there was no
rest or peace without, there was little
within.
Religious men who were affected by
a weakness of faith simply tortured
their lives. Johnson, always praying
and meditating, dreaded death with a
constant fear which poisoned at least
twenty years of his liife Cowper, after
a life spent in religious exercises, died
in -‘despair unutterable.” No peace or
quiet anywhere, save, perhaps, in some
quiet cathedral close, where the canons,
keeping aloof from controversy, dozed
away their harmless lives as still they
do; or outside the little country towns,
where, to quiet women and retired
men, the seasons passed then, as they
may still pass, nnvexed by questions,
doubt or thought of danger or of
change.
Hut as regards the life of action, the
life among one’s fellows, the only life
worth having, tho life of London, it
must have been filled and perpetually
troubled by the pain of witnessing con
tinnal injustice and needless suilering,
the stupid engagements in war after
war, with no end and no settlement,
and tlie noisy struggle of opposing
opinions, in which every man must
play his part. But leisure, peace and
quiet--these things I cannot find
Walter Bcsant in Harper’s.
Horscfi ami Horsemen in Aneie.nt Times.
The East was the original home of
horsemen, and war the early training
of tiie horse. Though he appears firs*
as a beast of burden, and though riding
preceded driving, there is evidence to
show that chariots in great numbers
were used in war before cavalry be
came common. The use of the horse
,vas all but limited to war. Bullocks
were the usual moans of transportation,
and were no doubt then, as now, in the
orient, sternly and rapid travelers. The
higher the warrior above the common
soldiery, the more terrible Ills aspect
and tbedeadlier his aim with lance and
arrow, lienee the steed's early appear
nnee in battle. To debase him to the
purposes of pleasure was never dreamed
of.
Wo find the very best of cavalry in
ancient times. The Greeks ran against
a serious problem in the Persian light
horse when they first trod the soil of
Asia Minor. They were nothing like
so good horsemen as the Asiatics until
Alexander’s Companion cavalry showed
them what drill could do; and the
Roman was still less apt. Philip of
Macedon first utilized the excellent nm
terial of the Thessalian plains, and or
ganized a cavalry which, from its ma
nenvers and lighting, must have eon
sister] of admirable horseman.—Col. T
A. Dodge in Harper's.
Better Pork Than Pianist*.
Although Liszt’s is one of the gen
tlest memories the world has ever
known, lie could be severe at times.
On one occasion a young man from
Nassau, in Hungary, a town famous
for its hums, applied to Liszt with a
view of taking lessons from him. As
was usual with him at such times, he
invited the young man to take a seat
at the piano and play something.
When lie had finished the piece lie
waited for several moments to allow
tbe nbbe an opportunity of pronounc
ing judgment on Ids playing. At last
the master, noticing that the young
man was waiting for him to speak,
asked him where lie was born and
where he lived. “In Kassan,” replied
the youth, with pardonable pride.
“Well," returned Liszt, “1 can only say
that I prefer the Kassan hams to Kas
san piano players. Etelka Illofsky in
Ladies’ Home Journal.
A rrofMUi.2il i'Ctabimibt.
“Why, 1 thought Weehera real opti
mist.”
“No, since lie went into the meat
business he makes the wurst of every
thing.”—- Alitnsey's Weekly.
SINGLE COPY THREE CENTS.
POPLAR LEAVES.
The wind blows down the dusty street;
And through my soul that grieves—
It brings a sudden odor sweet,
A smell of poplar leaves.
O leaves that herald in the spring,
O from)ness young and pure, f
Into my weary soul you uring
The vigor to endure.
The wood is near, by* "vnt ofw|*ght.
Whole all tho poplars gro\.,
Straight up and tall and silver white.
They quiver in a row.
My love is out of sight, but near;
And through my soul that grieves,
A sudden memory wafts her here
As fresh ns poplar leaves.
-Now York Commercial Advertiser
Napoleon and the Scientists.
r"pnW*n was fond of the society of
seieniis s, and .• -arded with prizes
and honors tho most nbUt worthy of
scientific discoveries. Although at wu.
with "periido Albion,” as ho was wont
to call England, lie drew the line at
scientists, and pardoned English pris
oners at the simple request of Joseph
Priestley, after all other means bad
been exhausted, and acceded to the
award of 3,003 francs by the first class
of the Institute to Davy for his cele
brated memoir of 1806. it was Bona
parte who proposed to award a gold
medal to Volta, after reading his me
moir on galvanism, and later induced
Volta, by ei. iluiuciits and titles, to
surrender his Italian professorship fora
residence in Paris.
When tlie memorable expedition to
Egypt set sail Bonaparte took with him
many savants and academicians. After
the wager of battle had turhed against
the great soldier, and lie was trans
ported to tlie lonely St. Helena, lie
must have felt that the last tie to Franco
had been severed when, in 1817, he felt
forced to resign his chair in the Acad
emy of Sciences. --W. C. Caliall, M.
D., in Popular Science Monthly.
Da ngerottt* Knowlrd £<>.
A certain illiterate nmn had married
a woman with just enough education
to want to air what little learning slio
did have. As she became older, the
habit of using big words grew into a
mania. The pocket dictionary did
great service in perplexing her associ
ates, and many a disgusted reply did
she receive from delayed groccryiiK-u,
who were in haste to get back to bush
ness, but she only moralized the more
upon the "illumination” of mankind.
Suddenly her husband became very
successful in his lumber speculation,
and his wife Hoeuiod to think that big
ger words would add to the dignity of
her new position.
One day a former townsman visiting
in the town congratulated the lady
upon her brighter fortunes. lie was
rather taken back at tlio reply, “Oh.
yes, Joshln.li aud I havo had quite a
boomerang since you wore hero!”—
Lew istown Journal.
A Fro blent About CVmi.
Here is a puzzle in geometry. It does
not require a skilled mathematician,
however, to solve it.
It is required to demonstrate (geo
metrically) that a larger crop of corn
can be grown on an acreof level ground
than on tin acre of slanting ground.
The stalks of corn are supposed to
grow perpendicularly in both cases, and
all other particulars, such as fertility of
the soil and the like, to be the same.
The ingenious reader will probably’
have no trouble in solving tlio problem
without assistance. —Now York Trib
une.
True (ieullemnn.
Old words are continually receiving
new definitions. Two negroes were
talking about their respective employ
ers.
“Well, now,” said one. “nobody can’t
say but Mr. Loftus is a real gentleman. ”
“Oh, no," answered the other, "lie’s
well enough. Hut lie ain’t no such
nmn as my boss. My boss is always
jes’ so. Why, I see him step on a ba
naner peel t’other day, an’ it didn't
frustrate his dignity the leastest bit.”
Youth’s Companion.
Never purchase glasses from a ped
dler or a jeweler. Even opticians, ex
cept the most careful ones, practically
allow the customer to make his own se
lection, and if he is near sighted he
commonly selects glasses which are too
strong, while if he is far sighted he se
lects such as enlarge the print, or else
arc of too low a number, from the false
idea that this will favor a long pres
ervation of ''is sight.
Arguing from the measurement oftiie
fifty-second parallel of north latitude,
between Valencia, Ireland, and Orsk,
Russia, the conclusion is reached that
the earth’s surface on this parallel is
not that of an ellipsoid of revolution.
This confirms the conclusions reached
in this country when the forty-second
parallel was measured, and shows that
the earth is not a perfect spheroid.
' In Elizabeth's reign the English army
wore a variety of colors, but a change
occurred in'” 1584, when some of the
troops for Ireland wore coats of motley
and others of “sudd greeue or russet."
The cavalry at this time wore red cloaks
p.iid breeches, and the infantry who
went to low countries wore red coats.