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From Wheeler's Magazine.
THE SUNDAY CHRISTIAN.
. BV. T. S. AST HUB.
Two things are required to make a Christian —
piety and charity. The first has relation to wor
ship, and in the last all social duties are involved.
Os the great importance of charity in the Chris
tian character, some idea may be gained by the
pointed question asked by an Apostle, “ If you
love not your brother whom y r ou have seen, how
can you love God whom y r ou have not seen ?”
There is no mistaking*the meaning of this. It
says, in the plainest language, “Piety without
charity is nothing.” And yet, how many thou
sands” and hundreds of thousands around us ex
pect to get to Heaven oy Sunday religion alone !
Through the week they reach out their hands for
money on the right and on the left, so eager for
its attain meat that little or no regard is paid to
the interests of others; and on Sunday, with a
pious face, they attend church and enter into the
most holy acts'of worship, fondly imagining that
they can be saved by mere acts of piety, while
no regard for their fellow man is in their heart.
Such a man was Brian Rowley 7 . His religion
was of so pure a stamp that it would not bear
the world’s rough contact, and, therefore it was
never brought into the world. He left the world
O #
to take care of itself when the Sabbath morning
broke —and when the Sabbath morning closed,
he went back into the world to look after his own
interests. Every Sunday he progressed a certain
way towards heaven, and.then stood still for a
week, in order that he might take proper care of
the dollars and cents.
Business men who hod transactions with Mr.
Rowley generally kept their eyes open. If they
didn’t do it at the first operation, they rarely
omitted it afterwards —and for sufficient reason.
He was sharp at making a bargain, and never
felt satisfied unless he obtained some advantage.
Men engaged in mercantile pursuits were looked
upon, as a general thing, as ungodly in their lives,
and, therefore, in a certain sense, “ out-siders.”
To make good bargains out of these was only 7 to
fight them with their own weapons. And he was
certainly good at such work. In dealing with his
“brethren” of the same faith he was rather more
guarded, and affected a contempt for carnal
things that he did not feel.
We said that the religion of Mr. Rowley did
not go bey r ond the pious duties of the Sabbath.
This must be amended. His piety flowed into
certain benevolent operations of the day. He
contributed to the support of Indian and Foreign
Missions, and was one of the managers on a Tract
Board. In the affairs of the Ceylonese and South-
Sea Islanders he took a warm interest, and could
talk eloquently about the “ heathen.”
Not far from Mr. Brian Rowley’s place of bu
siness was the store of a man named Lane, whose
character had been cast, originally in a different
mould. He was not a church-going man, because,
as he said, he didn’t want to be “ thought a hypo
crite.” In this he displayed a weakness. At one
time he owned a pew in the same church to which
Rowley was attached, and attended church regu
larly, although be did not attach himself to the
church, nor receive its ordinances. His pew was
near that of Mr. Rowley, and he had a good op
portunity for observing the peculiar manner in
which the latter performed his devotions. Un
fortunately for his good opinion of the pious Sun
day worshipper, they were brought into rather
close contact durin” the week in matters of bu
siness, when Mr. Lane had opportunities ol con
trasting his piety and charity. The want of
agreement in these two pre-requisites of a genu
ine Christian disgusted Lane, and caused him so
much annoyance on Sunday that he finally de
termined to give up his pew and remain at home.
A disposition to carp at professors of religion
was manifested from this time. The whole were
judged by Rowley 7 as a sample.
One dull day, a man named Gregorys a sort of
busy r -body in the neighborhood, came into the
store of Mr. Lane and said to him:
“What do you think of our friend Rowley?
Is he a good Christian ?”
“ He’s a pretty 7 fair Sunday Christian,” replied
Lane.
“ What is that?” asked the man.
“ A hypocrite, to use plain language.”
“ That’s pretty hard talk,” said Gregory.
“Do you think so?”
“ Yes. When you call a man a hypocrite, you
make him out, in my opinion, about as bad as he
can well be.”
“Call him a Sunday Christian, then.”
“ A Sunday Christian ?”
“Yes, —that is, a man who puts his religion on
every Sabbath, as he does his Sunday coat; and
lays it away 7 again carefully on Monday morning,
so that it will receive no injury in every-day con
tact with the world.”
• “ I believe with you that Rowley doesn’t bring
much of his religion into bis business.”
“No, nor as much common honesty as would
save him from perdition.”
“ He doesn’t expect to be saved by keeping the
moral law.”
“ There’ll be a poor chance for him, in my
opinion, if he’s judged finally by that code.”
“ You don’t seem to have a very high opinion
of our friend Rowley?”
“ I own that. I used to go to church—but his
pious face was ever before me, and his psalm
singing ever in my ears. Was it possible to look
at him and not think of his grasping, selfish, over
reaching conduct in all his business transactions
through the week? No, it was not possible for
me. And so, in disgust, I gave up my r pew, and
haven’t been to church since.”
The next man whom Gregory 7 met he made
the repository of what Lane had said about Row
ley. This person happened to be a member ol
the church, and felt scandalized by the remarks,
after a little reflection he concluded to inform Mr.
Rowley 7 of the free manner in which Mr. Lane
had spoken of him.
“Called me a hypocrite!” exclaimed the in
dignant Mr. Rowley, as soon as he was advised
of the free manner in which Mr. Lane had talked
about him.
“Sol understand. Gregory was my inform
ant.”
Mr. Gregory was called upon, and confirmed
the statement. Rowley was highly indignant,
and while the heat of his anger was upon him,
called at the store of Mr. Lane, in company with
two members of his church, who were not at all
familiar with his business character, and, there
fore, held him in pretty high estimation as a man
of piety and sincerity.
The moment Mr. Lane saw these three men
enter his place of business, he had a suspicion
of their errand.
“ Can I have some private conversation with
y r ou?” asked Mr. Rowley, his countenance as
solemn as the grave.
“Certainly,” replied Mr. Lane, not the least
discomposed. “ Walk back into my counting
room. We will be entirely alone there. Do you
wish your friends present?”
“ Edo,” was gravely 7 replied ; “ I brought them
for that purpose.”
“Walk, back gentlemen,” said Lane, as he
turned to lead the way.
The four men retired to the little office of the
merchant in the back part of the store. After
they were seated, Lane said :
“ Well, Mr. Rowley 7 , lam ready 7 to hear what
you have to say.”
Mr. Rowley cleared his throat two or three
times, and then said, in a voice that indicated a
good deal of inward disturbance:
“I understand that you have been making rather
free use of my name of late.”
“ Indeed !in what way. 9” Lane was perfectly
self-possessed.
“ I am told that you went so far as to call me a
hypocrite.” The voice of Rowley trembled.
“ I said you were a Sunday Christian,” replied
Lane.
“What do you mean by that?” was peremp
torily demanded.
44 A man whose religion is a Sunday affair al
together. One who expects to get to heaven by
pious observances and church goings on the Sab
bath, without being over particular as to the mo
rality of his conduct through the week.”
“Morality! do you pretend to say that I am
an immoral man?” said Rowley, with much
heat.
“ Don’t get into a passion !” returned Lane,
coolly. “ That will not help us at all in this grave
matter.”
Rowley quivered in every nerve; but the pres
ence of his two brethren admonished him that a
Christian temper was very necessary to be main
tained on the occasion.
“Do you charge me with want of morality?”
he said, with less visible excitement.
“ I do, —that is, according to my code of mo
rality.”
“ Uoon what do you base your code?” asked
one of the witnesses of this rather strange inter
view.
“On the Bible,” replied Lane.
“Indeed! 4 ’ was answered, with some surprise;
on what part of it ?”
44 On every part. But more particularly that
passage in the New Testament where the whole
of the law and the prophets is condensed in a
single passage, enjoining love to the neighbor as
well as God.”
Rowley and his friends looked surprised at this
remark.
“ Explain yourself,” said the former with a
knit brow.
“ That is easily done. The precept here given
and it comes from the highest authority, expressly
declares, as I understand it, religion to consist in
acting justly toward all men, as well as in pious
acts towards God. If a man love not his brother
whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom
he hath not seen ?”
“Does our brother Rowley deny that?” asked
the men present.
44 If a man’s life is any index to his faith, I
would say that he does,” coolly replied Mr. Lane.
A deep crimson overspread the face of Mr.
Rowley.
I didn’t expect insult when I came here,” said
he in a trembling voice.
44 Nor have I offered any,” replied Mr. Lane.
“You have thought proper to ask me a number
of very pointed questions, and I have mereh r
answered them according to my views of truth.”
“ You make a very sweeping declaration,” said
one of the friends of Rowley. “ Suppose you
give some proof of your assertions?”
“ That I can readily do if it is desired.”
“ I desire it, then,” said Rowley.
u Do you remember the five bales of cotton
you sold to Peterson ?” inquired Mr. Lane.
Rowley replied that he did, but evinced some
uneasiness of manner at the question.
“They were damaged,” said Lane.
“ I sold them as I bought them,” returned
Rowley.
“ Did you buy them as damaged?”
“No, I bought the cotton as a good article.”
“ And sold it as good ?”
Mr. Rowley seemed a little confused.
“ I sold the cotton at twelve cents a pound,”
was the reply. “ Nothing was said about the
quality.”
“ Twelve cents*is the price of a prime article.
If you had been asked by Peterson it the cotton
were in good condition, would you have answered
affirmatively?”
“Do you think I would tell a lie?” asked Mi.
Rowley, indignantly.
“ Our acts are the most perfect expressions ot
our intentions,” replied Mr. Lane. “ iou were
deceived in your purchase ol the cotton. Ihe
article proved so near valueless as not to be really
worth three cents a pound. You discovered this
as I have the best reasons for knowing, almost as
soon as it came into your possession. And yet
you offered it to Peterson, who not suspecting for
a moment that any thing was wrong, bought it
at the regular market rate as good. You saved
yourself; but Peterson, though not a professor of
religion, was too honest to put his bad bargain off
opon another. Now, it that act, on } r our part,
was loving your neighbor as yourselt, 1 must own
to a verv perverted understanding ot the sacred
precept. I, though no church member, would
have put my head into the fire rather than do
such an act.”
Mr. Rowley, much confused by so direct a
charge, attempted to explain the matter away,
alledging that he did not think that the article
was so badly damaged—that he sold as he bought
—that it wasn’t right that he should bear all the
loss —with much more to ihe same purpose; to
all of which Lane opposed but little. He had
presented tfie case already strong enough for all
to see how far it comported with Christian mo
rality. But he had more to say:
“ Beyond this, which I bring forward as a spe
cimen of the character of your dealings with
your fellow men, I could adduce almost innu
merable examples of your indirect and covert
modes of obtaining the advantage in ordinary
transactions. You may not be aware of the fact,
Mr. Rowley, but your reputation among business
men is that of a dealer so close to your own side
of the bargain, as to trench upon the rights of
others. You invariably keep the half cent in
giving change, while you have been repeatedly
known to refuse a ten cent piece and two cents
for eleven pence, in fact, you ate known as a
man who invariably seeks to get the better of
every transaction. If this is Christian charity
—if this is a just regard for the rights of your
neighbors—if this is in agreement with the spirit
of the Bible, then I have been laboring under a
mental delusion. Man of the world as Ia
heathen as you have seemed to regard me—lam
proud to say that I govern my actions from a
higher principle. You now understand, gentle
men,” addressing the fiiends of Rowley, “ why
I have called this man a Sunday Christian. It is
plain that he expects to get to Heaven by a simple
Sunday service of his Maker, while all the week
he pursues gain so eagerly as to thrust other peo
ple aside, and even make his way, so to speak,
over their prostrate bodies.—l have no more to
sav.”
Rowley was so much confounded by this unex
pected charge, that he was silent. His own con
science wrote an affirmation of the truth in his
own countenance. The men who had come with
him arose, and, bowing with far more respect than
when they entered, withdrew, and Rowley went
with them.
There was a change in the pious merchant after
this. He conducted his business with less ap
parent eagerness to get the best of every bargain
than had been his custom in former times, but
whether influenced by more genuine Christian
principles, or by an awakened love of reputation,
it is not for us to say.
It is not by a man’s religious profession that the
world judges of his character, but by the quality
of his transactions, in business intercourse with
his fellow men. If he be truly religious, it will
be seen here in the justice and judgment of all
his business transactions. If a man be not
faithful to his brother, he cannot be faithful to
Heaven.
The down-Easters bavins: their market for lob
sters spoiled by the cholera, are packing them in
ice and shipping them to Barbadoes, where they
have quick sales and good prices.
More than 17,000,000 passengers passed over
the Railroads in Massachusetts during the past
three years. Only 56 persons were killed, and 65
were injured.
Ragged churches, as well as ragged schools,
are opening in some English and Scotch cities.
The vagrant juvenile population are cleansed and
fed, and then taught the elements of education,
and religious and moral duties.
DEATH OF MRS. MADISON.
Mrs. D.P. Madison, widowof James Madison,
fourth president of the United States, died at her
residence in Washington city, on Thursday even
ing last, at half-past ten o’clock. The precise
age of Mrs. Madison we are not able to state, in
a brief obituary notice now before us, she is said
to have been born about the year 1770. Our im
pression had been that she was in her eighty-sec
ond year. The date of her birth above given
would show her to have been not yet eighty.—
The maiden name of this venerated lady was
Paine. She was born in Virginia, but her parents
who were members of the Society ol .Friends, re
moved while she was yet young to Philadelphia.
Be fore-she had attained the age of twenty she
married agenileman bv the name of Todd, who
died within three years alter, leaving her the
mother of an only son. We have heard that Mr.
Madison formed the acquaintance of the young
Mrs. Todd, while he was a boarder at the house
ol her mother. He married her in 1794, lie being
at the time a member of Congress. During the
presidency of her husband Mrs. Madison presided
as the female head of the family, and sustained
that position in the Executive residence with grace
and dignity. Her flight from the white house
on the occasion es the calamitous attack upon
Washington by the British, is an incident in her
life which has been very olten described and pos
sesses a degree of national interest.
Mrs. Madison lias passed the thirty-three
years of her life, succeeding the expiration of her
husband’s term of office, as a resident alternately
pf Washington, Philadelphia and Virginia. Hav
ing no children by her last husband, Mrs. Madi
son has of late years had residing with her as a
comoanipn and member of her household, a niece,
Miss Paine, a young lady much admired in Wasli
ington society. Mrs. Madison’s bouse at Wash
ington has long been a centre of attraction for
personages moving in circles ol refinement and
distinction in life.
At new year’s, on the great national anniversa
ry, anti upon all similar occasions, it has been as
much one of the usages of the capital to call upon
Mrs. Madison, as at the White House or any other
high official dignitary. There was visible in her
form and bearing, even so late as the beginning
of the present year, very little of the infirmity of
age. Her form was erect, her voice was full and
firm, her eye clear, and her manner as free, easy
and cordial, as it might have been when doing the
honors'of the White House.
Mrs. Madison’s son, Mr. Todd, is still living,
and resides we believe in Virginia. She always
manifested for him an extraordinary fondness.
N. Y. Eve Post .
KOBERT N7 ADAMST~”
CABINET-MAKER AND UNDERTAKER,
No. 93 Broughton St., Savannah, Ga.,
IS prepared to execute all orders in his line at
the lowest prices, with dispatch. Orders from the country
promptly attended to. Ready-made cofhns always on hand,
and made to order at short notice.
june 28 3mo
Summer Retreat on the Salts.
AT MONTGOMERY,
TWELVE MILES FROM SAVANNAH.
ABONAUD respectfully informs his friends
• and the public generally, that from the 21st irist., he will
be prepared to accommodate guests, to whom he promises
good attendance on accommodating terms, having good and
intelligent servants. Persons may be accommodated for board
per week, month or day, at the following rates, viz:
Board and Lodging, per week,- $5 00
Do. do. per day 1 50
Horses well fed and attended to for 50 cents per day.
N. B. During the season there is an abundance of Fruit
on the place; and the table will also be provided with all kind:)
of fish that the river will afford. apr 26*
Wauled.
BY A YOUNG MAN, as Clerk or Book keeper,
good references can be given to any person needing Ins
services. Apply at this office. may 31
liaiup Oil. ~
JUST Received per ship Hartford, a lot of su
perior Sperm Oil, which is warranted pure. For sab
very cheap at store, 111 Bay street.
apl 12 GEO. H. BROCK^
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HAVING lately put our Office in complete order
and made large additions to it, we have now the most ex
tensive Job Printing Office in the City and are prepared to
execute all kinds of PLAIN AND FANCY PRINTING,
with neatness and despatch, and on the most accomodating
terms. Office 102 Bryan-street, entrance on Bay Lane.
Savannah, March 22d, 1849. EDWARD J.‘ PURSE.
A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY,
A WEEKLY SOUTHERN NEWSPAPER, PUBLISHED
EVERY THURSDAY, BY
EDWARD J. PURSE.
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I Mm