Southern Christian advocate. (Macon, Ga.) 18??-18??, January 05, 1866, Image 1

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

THREE DOLLARS PER ANNUM. Vol. XXIX.—No. 1. MONDAY MORNING. It wa« the Sabbath when we 1 id us down, And while ..e slept, our Sabbath could no! part. Now w awoke, and b>! its gleam is flown, And the cold, common daylight chills our heart. No s slowly from the holy hill descending, Leav-sve ihe sanctuary gates ajar, . • That, fr >«ri the .‘■scr- and portals downward w nding, Some rays may follow us, where’er we are. And, a« we issue from the temple fair, Let a faint hr athofits sweet incense linger, About us yet—a breeze of heaven’s own air, From censers never waved by mortal finger. From that celestial garden whence we rove, Shall we not carry forth as many treasures As Adam brought awav from Eden’s grove— Dear relics ol' its lost and longed-for pleasures.* An ear of whpat, in every soil to sow, Till the whole earth Go i’s cornfield sha l become; A cluster of iipe fruit, lest we should grow Faint by the way, ere yet w.) reach our home; A fragrant bough, still rich with lingering scent— Toe old familiar scent that used to aide Among (ho e shadowy leaves where came and went The murmurs of Euphrates’joyous tide. Thus from the Sabbath garden let us wander, Carrying as much of Eden as we may Out with ns toward the sunny distance vonder, Where dawns the everlasting Sabbath day. * Adam says a Mohammedan tradition, was permit ted to . ring with him out of Paradise three things : the myrtle, which is the chief of swoet-s ented fi ov ers in the.'w ild; an ear of wheat, the chief of all kinds of f>od; a id dates, the chief of all the fruits of this world. Lane. MflAyjMlEßaßraroTgHig^^iijnßHHgnwTraHWHfrra'rwi'UMßßHMßHEHßaßHHgai ContriMicms. A “ MOTHER IN ISRAEL.” Mrs. Amelia M. Bass, widow of the late Rev Henry llass, of the S. C. Conference, w s born January 18tb, 1794, and fell asleep in J sua, October 21st, 1865, in Cokesbury, S. 0. So long identified with the church as the wife of an itinerant minister, and devoted with a hearty z al to all that concerned Methodism, it will doubtless bo gratifying to her numerous friends in South Carolina and elsewhere to read some 6ketch of her holy life and happy death. Converted in womanhood, her whole life became imbued with religious principles, and her character was built upon the broadest foundition oi Christian faith. She was nur tured m the pure principles o, the gospel, and, under the trainirg hand of a ministry remark able for piety and zeal, she devoted herself to the cau e of Christ and the salvation of souls. In January, 1821 she became the wtfo of Rev. Henry Bass, and through his long itiner ant ministry, proved herself a helpmate in* deed. Her heart was fully in her husband’s work, and her steady faith and glowing love inspired him with new zeal a : and a more heroic purpose in the cause of his divine Master. Per sonal sacrifices were made without hesitation, for this devoted woman “ conferred not with flesh and blood, ” when the glory of God and her husband’s u efulness were involved. Tra veling large d:s ricts before the days of rail roads, he was necessarily absent from home for long periods of time, thus devolving upon her the care of the househo and and the training of a family of six children. It was a great respon sibility, and shesometimes almost sunk beneath its weight; yet, fortified by grace and trusting in God, she was strengthened and sustained in the arduous work. Industrious, frugal, self denying, she “looked well to the ways of her household,” so as to advance the interest of her family and uphold the hands of her husband. We cannot honor too highly the nob’e heroism of those Christian wives who forego the plea sures of a permanent home and patiently sub mit to the inconvenience and discomfort of frequent removals, in order to sustain their husbands in the itinerant ministry. How j many bright names adorn the records of Me thodism of noble Christian women, who have left all to follow Christ and devote themselves to His service ! Among the brightest of these j names is that of the excellent Christian lady j to whose memory this feeble tribute of affec tion is offered. Her life, like her husband’s, was devoted to the church. She loved it above all else. Its prosperity was the burden ,of-her prayers, and the joy of her heart. For more than fifty year?, a communicant at its altars • and the intimate friend of its ministers, she was identified with all its interests and labored for its advancement and honor. The old Me** thodist3 of Charleston, where many years of her useful life were spent, will call to mind her zeal and devotion in the prayer meeting and cjas3 room, and her kind ministrations to the sick and bereaved. Her heart was full of ten derness. Love, gentleness, and a “meek and quiet spirit” were the beautiful ornaments that adorned her life Her piety was of the most scriptural character. Her faith was in telligent and well instructed Meek, humble and consistent, she exemplified in her daily life the great principles of her profession. Charity was a crowning grace in her beautiful charac*> ter, and she delighted to magnify the virtues and forget the faults of others. Kindness was the law of her life. Universal love inflamed her heart and glowed in her actions. Selfish ness found no place in her nature; but to make others happy, by gentle words and kind deeds, Beemed to be the great aim of her being. Her well-worn Bible attests how well she loved its sacred pages, and her familiarity with its pre cious truths showed she had not studied it in vain. Few Christians ever prayed as much. Many times every day did she frequont her “closet” and hold communion with God She loved the “gates of Zion,” and her seat in the sanc tuary was never vacant, when health allowed her presence Yet, pure and guileless as she was in the eyes of others, she mourned over her personal defects and earnestly longed after higher attainments in the divine life. In a letter to an absent'son—perhaps the last she overwrote —she says : “I feel that my days on earth, in a 1 probability, are drawing to a close. I try daily to examine my heart. I feel that I can take God at His word. J3e has promised to turn none empty awav that come unto Him through Jesus Christ. It is all my plea— ‘ I the chief of sinners am, Yet Jesus died for me.' PUBLISHED BY J. W. BURSE & CO., FOR THE M. E. CHURCH, SOUTH Oh, it is a comfortable hope! I feel that I rea.ize the Divine presence.” That was her language the day before her illness She leaned upon Christas her only Saviour. This was the foundation of her fai h through life and it was unshaken by the rude sho k of death. The last eighteen years of her life were spent in Cokesbury, S C. During a portion of this time, her husband had charge of the Board! g Department of the Conference School located at that p’ace, thus furnishing to her anew field of usefulness among the young men who re sorted there for education. In the midst of arduous dut’es, she did not fail to use every opportunity to inculcate religious principles in ti e minds of those around her; and her tender, motherly care and Christ'an spirit won a place for her in every heart. In the young of both sexes she manitested the deepest solic tude, and she possessed ther.->ra faculty of winning their confidence and ass ction. They felt that she was their friend, and that if they needed sym pathy or counsel her loving heart would freely give it. Asa Christian mother what shall I say of her? Ass ction may bn partial, hut affection cannot portray in colors bright enough her ex cellence ar.d worth How memry goes back to the bright days of childhood, when at the evening hour she would take her little boys, for whose spiritual welfare she seemed to feel an ntense solicitude, and in the private cham ber su; plicate the divine favor upon them.— How full of sympathy she wa3 in all thiir efforts to do well in life ! How she aided them, by ter couno 1 and prayers ! .A voiiirn* w uld hardly contain all that might .be said of he* : beautiful devotion to her 1 usband ad children She was the bright light of the household, and her sunny smile of love c >u!d dispel all gloom fri m the domestic hearth-stone In 1852, death, for the first time, inVadcd the homo circle, and struck down a son on whom she doated with peculiar ass ction. That son had been the object of her com tar t prayers, yet he had made no profession of religion He d;ed penitently, yet that death almost broke her heart. Years of g’oorn succeeded, and such agony and wrestling in secret prayer I have never known. Faith was tried, hut it tri umphed and came forth from the ordeal puri fied “ like gold tried in the fire ” In the summer of 1857 sho was very ill, and all despaired of her recovery Many soi rowing friends stood around what was supposed to be her dying bed and listened to her inspired rx horta iors, for she talked with rapturous de l'ght of the gloricus scenes which seemed to open to her vision. But God strangely rai-ed her up to perform other duties and endure other 6uff ring s . She lived ! o attend her aged and faithful 1 u bsind through his protracted sick ne s And h'w grateful was the privilege to her loving heart! No other could have alle viated his pain and mini-<ered to bis wants so we 1 She saw him breathe his life out quietly, and her heart murmured r ot; for she felt that he had entered upon his heavenly rest. The war recently closed was a source of great, distress to her heart. She shrank from all scenes of cruelty and blood, and delighted most in an atmosphere of peace. A son in the prime of manhood fell in the cause of the South, and her heart bled; but he was a Christian hero, and grace assuaged her sorrow. She was a woman of great energy, though her phys’eal constitution was by no means strong. For some years her health had been feeble, and, at times, she was a groat sufferer. A few weeks previous to her d*ath, it was the privilege of the writer to enjoy several days ot most delightful communion with her. He never saw h r more calm and cheerful, and though the feeb encss of age was upon her, yet there was no appearance of rapidly approach ing decay. She was able to attend to her usual duties up to within a few days of her death. The last time she ever left her room was to visit a sick friend who desired her kind attention. On the 17th of October, she was seriously attacked, and seemed to Realize that it would be her last sickness. Physicians and friends vied with each other in their* offices of kir.dness and love. She said to a devoted daughter, in the early part of her sickness^#— 4 * Change the position of my bed, I want to die where your father died.” Her attack was violent; medicine failed to give relief, and her suffering became intense. Opiates were administered .and sleep ensued. From this she seerped-to become unconscious ; but on Friday, 20th Oct., p. pious'Jady sought to arou-e her and iiass, Heaven is your home!” Openin^J^j&yek,•sheoexclaim ed, “Yes, glorious kjjjq^pf'endles% rfest—of endless rest times. hours,^ her son-in-law—Rev. S. H. Browne —approaemng her, said, “Mo ther, do you know me ?’’ to which she made no reply. Again, he asked, “ Mother, do you know Christ ?” She.exclaimed with emphasis, “Yes! Yrs!” Scme’tiaie later in the day, Prof Wannamaker, an intimate friend, ad dressed her—“ Aunt Bfiss, do you think you will leave ub soon She could, not respond, but raised her hands as if in affirmation. “ You will soon be with Uncle Bass.” Again she lifted her hands with glowing face. He mentioned the circumstance connected with Mr. Fletcher’s last moments, who, when he could not speak, raised his hands as evidence that his Saviour was with him, and said— “ You have Mr. Fletcher’s sign,”—when again she elevated her hands and struggled to articulate; but speech was denied her. The way-worn pilgrim had reached her journey’s end—the earthly tabernacle was crumbling, hut the tongue which had so delighted in the praises of Zion, and which wa3 ever ready to speak for Christ, was silent now. Its sweet music is hushed forever on earth. Those weep ing daughters can catch no word from those dying lips—those absent sons. will receive no farewell message from that honored mother. But what need of further testimony?—what need of the rapturous shout, or triumphant song ? That long life of consecration—that beaming smile of hope—that eye bright with the visions of Paradise—are enough. Thus she lingered till Saturday, 21st of Oct, when she quietly breathed her la9t on the bosom of that Saviour whom she had loved so well and served :so long. A funeral discourse, suitable to the sad occa sion, was delivered in the village church by Rev. Prof. Wannamaker, and her precious dust was deposited in the old Tabernacle church yard, by the side of her sainted husband. The community where she had spent so many use ful days vi*d with eachethtr in paying tribute to her memory, and the South Carolina Con- Macon, Ga., Friday, January 5, 1866. ference, by resolution, exprsssed their appre ciation of her worth and bereavment in her death. The noble motfce-, the d?vcted Christian, is gone to her reward, but the memory of her virtues will never die « The memory of the just is blessed.” One Who Loved Her. DR. GREEN’S MEMORIAL—N 9. 1. I propose a review of the memorial offer ed by Dr. A. L. P. Green to the Tennessee and other Conference?, which suggests alarmingly radical chat gps for the action of the next General Conference. It is true, the memorial was not adopted by the Tennes see Conference, nor h-.s it been, so far as the writer’s information extends, by any other Conference to which it has been of fered—nevertheless, it is connected with the name cf an individual well known and of considerable personal and such views as are presented in it are the more dangerous on that account, for who hss not been compelled to confess to the prestige of a name? Matters of such trars cend;*nt importance as the weal or woe of one cf the most numerous and Heaven-bl* st Protestant churches should be discussed without regard to any individual's opinion, no matter how eminent that individual ma/ be; for the church’s interests, the world’s salvation should be the controlling motive in every atlempt to steady the ark of ihe Lord. I propose, therefore, to set an humble example to all who may discuss the memorial, or any other matter of church polity, by withholding my name from the pubbe. No good esuse needs any man’s name to sustain il, if an appeal to calm, dispassionate judgment is possible; nor should the idiosyncracies < f any one, no matter how honored or beloved, mislead the church ot God. But enough. To the work before us. This memorialist says, as preliminary to eight or nine changes proposed in the poli ty of the M. E. Church, South, that “ It is patent to all observant minds that for years there have been defects somewhere in our system of operation. Multitudes brought under divine influence by our ministry and blf s»ed with peace and consolation in Christ, ultimately take seats in other churches and worship at other altars, and frequently even the children of Methodist parents are found among those who forsake our sanctuary.— We think the time has come when we should look ass ! the cause of this evil and, if possible, remvf e it. It cantaot be the want of spirituality! i. r we-have power with God as His instruments to a??ake pinners and to cause them to return to God ; but we fail to induce them to take a life-time interest among us; so we should look else where for the difficulty. M»y it not be f 'und in our refusal to accommodate our selves to the advanced and improved con dition of society and changes of the times ?” I give the precise language of the memo rialist, became this is the assumed position, from whence he proceeds to tear down and to build again the Lord’s house. Let us now, admitting the above to be a statement of facts, see whether the m« morialist has discovered the remedy tor the “ defect somewhere in our system of operations,” * patent to all observeot minds,” in what is proposed by him in these eight or nine changes. It is true that “multitudes broughtunder ■divine influence by our oninistry,” do not unite with us, but “ worship at other al tars,” and that sometimes (he says “fre quently,”) “ the children of Methodist pa rents are found among those who forsake our sanctuary.” Now, how does he .pro pose to remedy this admitted fact? Ist. By changing the name of the church ; 2d. By destroying our system of itinerant Gen eral SuperinteLdency, and reducing our Bishops to mere diocesans; 3d. By indefi nitely prolonging the pcstoral term—atthe Bisnop’s will; 4th. By introducing the lay element into the legislative department of our church; sth. By permitting our people to give to their pastors as salary any amount, be it great or small, they may elect; fyb. By doing away with the system of probationers, or catechumens, in the church ; 7th. By striking a blow at the ex piring body of class meetings, in proposing that attendance upon them, be by law msde optional; Bth. By the adoption of the pew system, instead of free sittings, in our church es ; and, lastly, by blotting from the book of Discipline every condition of membership ‘ not clearly found in the Word ot God.” By which I he means that an act must be not only Against the spirit, but the precise letter of the law of God, or it must be tolerated. Before entering upon a discussion of the merits of these proposed changes, I-make an assertion, and will endeavor to sustain it. It is this* the memorialist has proposed no thing remedial ; because he has entirely mistaken the origin of the evils which he proposes to remedy. Now for the proof. It has been, and con tinues to be, the glory of American Metho diem that unnumbered thousands, not con nected with it, have been converted through the instrumentality of her ministry. This is attributable to our camp and protracted meetings, our night preaching in the cities and towns, the frequent changes in the pas torate, exciting the curiosity of persons usually attendant upon the ministry of oth er churches—the solemn, awakening char acter of our preaching and the irresistible ness of our Scriptural doctrines, when ac companied by the power of the Holy Ghost Under such circumstances, many thousands are convicted and converted who become members of the church in which they were reared. ‘ But it was not so in the earlier days of Methodism— then large numbers, nearly our whole increase, came fiom with * out.' True; but then most of cur popula tion, especially In the South and West— that portion with which our preachers most frequently came into contact, and among whom they had most success, living in sparsely settled districts or wilderness ter- ritory—h and no church affinity, and knew nothing of Sabbath-schools, pastors or even regu’ar church services. An ccca-iouat sermon of burning, scathing words, ming led with loving entreaty and powerful ap peals to conscience, from seme itinerant M thedist preacher, was the suna total of their religious privileges, and they joined the preacher’s “society” and became a leader or member ot the class organized by him, as a matter of course. But it is very different now. The church, the Sabbath school, the zealous sectary, watching vigilantly over his own, and the proselyting big at, seeking for victims, are found everywhere. Nevertheless, thank God ! thousands on thousands of souls, not of our denomination, are converted under our ministry, who come with hearts filled with gratitude into our told, whilst it is true—and when all the facts are considered it is not singular that it is so—that many other thousands thus blessed under cur ministry “ worship at other altars.” Is there any remedy tor this ? Will any tinkering with our church polity, or any radical changes in it, prevent these “ mul titudes” from unitirg with theil S. bbalh schoolmates, teachers, parfnts, brothers and sisters in church relation? Whilst other churches have such systefns in opera tion as they row have, for holding and get ting unless we become proselyting bigots can we do more than preach the Word faith fully to these visitors to our churcVs and attendants upon our extra meetings, in struct them when inquiring the way of life, and rejoice with them when converted? Must we become exclusive immersionists to secure such as, though converted under our ministry, believe that immersed be lievers only should be members of a church of Christ ? Or must we adopt Presbyterian forms of worship or modes of chutch gov ernment to secure such as prefer these, or the organ, the chant and the ri'ual, to suit the aesthetics!, who, no matter by what in strumentality converted, have been trained to feel that such things are essential to the worship of that God, who, neither by the gorgeous ceremonies of Jerusalem nor Mt. Gerizim, is to be longer worshipped, but in spirit and in truth ? Shall the church become a chameleon, changing with every, eircum s'arce, vainly endeavoring to adapt itself to the endless varieties of taste ? .A Member of the Ga. Conference. [We must beg our esteemed errreppon dent rot to complain that, we Lave divided hi3 article. We do not give quite half of it this week ; but we could not give more, and find a good stopping plsce. We must insist on brief articles, or else reject them, even when they are acceptable in every particular but th v eir length.— Editor ] # iwlttfiras. From the Christian Advocate and Journal. Conversion of an Infidel. Among Ihe papers left by the late Bish* op M’Kendree is a letter from the Rev. James O. Andrew, giving at the Bishop’s request the particulars of a remarkable con version, and the long-delayed answer to a mother’s prayers. *The letter has no date, but was evidently written at Wilmington, N. C., and in 1818, as Mr. Andrew was stationed mere in that and the prece ding year. N, Mr. Howard had been an infidel about twenty years, during which he seldom at tended the house of God, insomuch that be observed to me, after his conversion, that he had heard but three sermons in six years. The world had been the sole object of his pursuit, and he had succeeded in a msssing a considerable quantity of its wealth. He was in this situation in the beginning of 1817. He possessed among a number of other slaves one named Peter, who usually attend ed to bis cattle, and in whom he reposed considerable confluence. Peter had been for a number of years a faithful member of the Methodist Church. Some time in the early part of the above named year, Peter died. When he saw the corpse Mr. Howard was struck with astonishment—for he had seen him in health, perhaps, only the day before he beheld the lifeless clay—and exclaimed, “My God! Peter, are you dead ?” At that moment, he says, this reflection came into bis mind : ‘ Yes, you are dead, but you are happy. But how can this be? If you are happy lam wrong.” He ban ished the reflection from his mind, _but it returned again and again. At length he resolved to search the Scrip tures for himself, and see if there was a sufficiency of cogent reasoning in the Bible to convince him of its truth. He would during this examination, read no other re ligious book, nor converse with any religi ous person, but confined his examination and reading altogether to the Bible. After thus reading and examining for four or five months he became fully con vinced of the authenticity of the Scriptures. This took place on Sabbath morning, about eleven oclock. About one he sat down and wrote-a full recantation of his former prin ciples in a letter to one of his most inti mate associates in Deism, requesting him to make it known to his former compan ions in irfidelity, exhorting them to search for thempelves. He next morning called his family to gether atd made known to them the change which bad taken place in his mind. lie said “We have all served tlje devil togeth er, and if we do not repent we shall all per ish.” From that morning he commenced family prayrr. Comparing his life to the sacred word; he now began to feel that he was a wretch E H. KYEES, D.D., EBITOS. Whole Number, 1465. ed finner, and that something more was necessary than a simp'e admission of the truth of Scripture. He felt, that he must te brm again, and began to cry mightily to God. After seeking thus earnestly for about a fortnight, being in great distress, he sent out on a Sabbath morning, and cilling his neigh! ors together addressed them to this effect: “You who have an in terest in the throne of grace, I have col-, lected you together that you may pray for me ; and you that do not pray, I wish you to witness the condition of one infidel.” They began to pray about ten o’clock, and continued in prayer until about two, when the Lord spoke peace to his soul and gave 1 im the witness of his acceptance. Shortly after this he came to Wi'minglon, and in the presence of his foimer compan ions united with our society, and has ever since seemed to enjoy the life and power cf religion. It may, perhaps, be proper to observe that Ms mother bad been praying for h ; m about forty years ; that during a'l that time she had seen only one of her children con verted ; but how the Lord gave her to see her whole family gathered into the Church in the space of two months. Religion and Beauty. God is the author of beauty. The descrip tions of his character given in his wo and and the revelations of a future stale—whethor the lans gurge be figurative or literal—are replete with beauty. The Psalmist pr ys that the beauly of the Lord our God may be upon us. Under the old dispensation, regard was had to beauty in the structure of the tabernacle ard temple, and in the services connected with tin m. Un der the new dispensation a more spiritual wors ship las been ordained If the costly cathe dra!, with its groined arches and stained gloss and elaborate works of art, be rot in keeping with the simplicity of a worship in •which all are kings and priests, yet surely that worship may be performed in decorous ed’ficrs, and G( d’s pra ; ses uttered in unison with the musical sounds. The beauty of holiness and material beauty are not antagonist. On the contrary, religion furnishes the con ditions favorable to tfce full doveb j ment of man’s se-thetic nature. In the first plfee, it restrains and eradicates those passions v hich prevent the perceptions of beauty. The heav ens are mirrored in the waters of the lake only when those waters are pure and peaceful, and a similar condition of the soul is n: cessaTy in order that the forms of beauty may be mir*> rored there When disturb! and by earthly pas sions the power to perceive ad eijoy the beautiful is destroyed. The drunkard as he staggers homeward at night sees not the beauly of the quivering shade cast by the aspen on the moonbeams deepening in hispaihwav, nor hears the music of the whippoorwill which be startles from the door-stone of his dwelling. Brute passion has destroyed the power of ptreeivirg beauty ; and just in proportion as passion of any kind bears *iway, sensibility to beauty is destroyed. Now, religion purifies the heart, the emotive nature, and thus leaves the mind open to the power of beauty. Again, religion associates the beauty of the Lord with the beauty of his works. One is visiting a gallery of paintings. He is passing a picture without giving it sufficient attention to perceive its merits. He is told that it is the work of a dear friend who died beyond the sea. He is at once placed in a condition to perceive all its beauties. Religion associates God with all his works. The humming-bird, as he poises himself in the viewless air and draws the sweet nectar from the honeysuckle, is beautiful even to the un*. taught rustic, but far more so to one who knows that his Father’s hand gave symmetry to that tiny form, and painted its plumage with that brilliant green, and tipped those wings with go’d and scarlet. The young man is walking through a clover field. Though he may be of the earth, earthy, he cannot fail to be pleasantly affected by the fragrance and gorgeousness of the wiving car pet, and the brilliancy of the gems which tip each leaflet. But to the thoughtful Christian that morning walk is a source of far higher pleasure. He views the clover field as the work of a divine Artist, and that Artist his dearest friend. He sees how much it cost to spread out that carpet and stud it with t ose gems Sunshine and showar, heat and frost, and chemical forces, and the mixing of colors infi nitely more skilfully than was ever witnessed in the studio of Titkn, and those diem on dp, which sparkle more brilliantly than thhse on queenly brows—what an expenditure of res sources was necessary to produce them ! The ocean had to exhale its waters, and sober even ing to condense them on the leaf, and a ray of light had to be sent $ hundred million wiles to kindle up its brilliancy. This man is not in a mere common-place clover field.' He is in God’s studio, God’s laboratory for forming ob*» jeots of beauty. Will not his power to perceive and enjoy beauty he increased?— Hoars at Home. Testimony of Infidelity. The first infidel witnesses who came on the stand after the death of Christ, testified that while they (the testators) were asleep, a man’s body was stolen from the tomb which they were guarding. The points of their testimony are as follows: Ist. Sixty soldiers acting unv der military regulations, which punish with death guards who were found sleeping on their posts, were all asleep at the same time 2d. That a number of men (not exceeding twelve) approached the tomb, rolled away a heavy stone, and bore away the corpse withqut wa king the guard so as to enable them to arrest the accused. 3d. That notwithstanding they slept so soundly as to allow these unarmed men to carry away the object they were guarding, they nevertheless identified the men, to be the “ Disciples,” even in the dark and in this sound sleep. Subsequent history shows that infidel testimony from that day to the present is of a similar character. Stray Thoughts —To confound’ wealth with happiness is to mistake tho means for the end. You might as well fancy that a kryfe and fork would give you an appetite.—The smallest compliment we receive from another confers more pleasure than the biggest compliment we pay to ourselves I—Most fashions are ridicu lous, but one is obliged to tumble into ridicule to avoid appearances still more ridiculous.