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TWO DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS. fer. VOLUME XLL, NO. 3. Original |Wtrn. HIS WORDS. Written in memory of Bishop E. M. Marvin; and inscribed to that branch of the “Visible Church” which he bo faithfully, and effectively served. BY MR3. ELIZABETH O. WINN ELLY. “My brethren there is but one life necessary to the Church—the life of Him ‘who was dead’ but who ‘is alive forever in or el’” Bishop Marvin. “A shining light, how can we spare Its lustre from our skies 1” “Strange Providence,” we each exclaim, In sadnoss, and surprise— “ That snatches from the firmament. Before a nation’s gaze, An orb of wondrous magnitude. In glorious noon-day blaze.” But as the sun, in setting, sheds His light athwart the hills, And in departing radiance Their towering summit gilds, So, “being dead,” he “spcaketh” yet, Each word our memory fills. And lingers ever in the heart. As sunbeams o’er the hills. When blasted seem our earthly hopes, As human greatness dies. His words , borne on the passingjiale,' J Like music, sweetly rise; p, " And ever ’raid the raging storm. The universal wasie. Bing in a cadence, sweet and clear, f Above the bowling blast. $ When all seems wrecked, his word * arp Kka The mast that rises high. ■' ' Where sweeping wave , have buried, deep. Their treasures from tho eye. Not human, in tbeir sentiment, v -So full of truth sublime, They echo from celestial hills, Beyond the shore of time. ’Tho in his manhood, good and great, He dwells with us no more, His life is lost in Him who died, -* And lives forevermore.* Contiiktjsnl THE RULE OF GIVING. j Mr. Editor: I dislike controversy, es pecially when it becomes personal, and above all, in a religious newspaper. I wrote an article on the “ Rule of Giving,” in which I referred to two sermons delivered by dis tinguished ministers, as advocating the tithe system as the Christian rule of giving. I put the sermons together in my mind, and answered them as a unit. As I understood both of them to advocate the same doctrine, I was not particular in stating the points made by each. Dr. Cook has entered a disclaimer, so far as his sermon preached at the District Con ference is concerned, and makes seven spe cifications as to what he did not say in that sermon, bat does not admit anything he did say on the subject of giving one tenth of the income as the Bible rule. I took it for granted that as he advocated this rule in common with others on that subject and un wittingly, by a lapsus mentis , I wrote both sermons, where I should have said in one or Jioth. If he believes that Chriiu-ians should give one-tenth of’their Income as a Bible rule, he is committed to the gross income theory as much as the other advocates of that system. If he does not believe this, I have no controversy with him. If he did not advocate that as a Bible rule for Christians, in the sermon referred to, I am sorry that my memory so signally failed me. The Doctor must, have thought that the cap partly fitted him at least, or he would never have suspected that he was implicated in the mat ter, as I never had mentioned to any one who preached either sermon until he asked me at Conference. The Psalmist says: 11 Let the righteous smite me ; it shall be a kindness ; and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil which shall not break my bead.” In my case the smiting was certainly inflicted as gently as possible, as the writer kindly interposed a man of straw to receive the heaviest blows, else my head might have been broken. Thus: He denies that he ever said that the poorest widow had to give the tenth of her pittance to the support of the gospel, when I never heard this remark in either sermon, never said that it was announced in either, much less in the one preached by him. This is what I said, and I did not say it of both sermons : “ It wss also announced lhat und- r the tithe system there were no excep'ions, not even for poverty.” I theu proceeded to ar gue inferentially from this assertion made in one of the sermons, that the poorest widow who received ten dollars lo clothe her ragged children, would have to give one dollar of it as a tithe offering, and so of the poor cripple selling pindars and chestnuts at the corner of the streets. Can any one read this para graph in my article without being struck with the great fallacy of the preacher stultifying bis hearers with such an argument while vin dicating the tithe system ? But he denies that be intimated that there were any priests in the Christian Church, much less that they have a right to demand pay for their services of any object, pitiable or proud. I never charged Dr. C., or aiy one else, with such an assertion : mr does my language bear any such construction. I simply said, referring to the -poor cripple. “ The State would not charge him any tax, the lawyer would plead his case wilhout a fee, the doctor would visit him and furnish him medicine without pay. Shall the priest demand pay of so pitiable an object?” This was my own language, and as any ingenuous mind can see, was not charged as being said by Dr. C., or any one else, from the pulpit. • As to the Doctor’s criticism of my using the term priest as applicable to a Christian minister, I have simply to say, by way o! vindicating my knowledge of English, that in the Catholic, Greek, and Episcopal Churches, there are peiests, in a technical sense, and, according to the best lexicogra phers, a presbyter, elder, or minister, is a priest, in a general sense, in all Christian Churches. The natural inference from the Doctor’s misapprehension of what I said abom bis sermon, to every sensible mind, is this: If he so signally failed to state what I wrote in my article with it lying before him, how should he require of me to reproduce his sermon which had been delivered six months pre viously, especially when he was writing:. Cig claimer against statements made as to what he said, and I only wrote of the sermons as a basis for au argument on the difficulties of the tithe system. Dr. C. has recently written two articles for the Advocate headed, “ The Bible rule of devoting to sacred uses a stated portion of the income, reduced to practice.” • Here is the tithe system in a nut shell. Where does the Bible lay down a rule of giving a stated portion of the income except in the Leviti cal law? Why advocate this as a Bible rule unless it is still in force ? In one of these papers he says: ‘‘The Bible rule reduced to practice among the preachers would be an example of incalculable influence. The Le vites gave a tithe of their tithes.” These views, if my recollection serves me, he elab orated in his sermon, and I had no doubt in my mind but that he was an advocate of the Jewish tithe system as a Bible rule, which means the gross income, applies to every case, however poor, as was stated in so many words in one of the sermons referred to, and by implication inheres to all who believe in that system as a rule for .Christians. But the Doctor fears that some will find in my article an excuse for having no rule of giving. Ido not fear this. Avaricious men will fiud now, as they did in the days of the prophets, a way to dodge under aDy rule you may adopt. Some estimate their in comes by the comparative value of their pro perty, the first of January each year, and give a tenth of that to the ministry and char itable objects. I have known this done years ago, when the tithe system was advo cated by some of opr good old preachers. How would ibis raj., of estimating iucomes apply in the shrinkage of values within the last four years? Butfew, even with an honest estimate, would be able to show any income whatever, and would be exonerated from giving anything under the net income idea, as advocated in Bro. C.’s articles. If in darker ages it was thought necessary to throttle the truth (and even suppress the written word), for fear that damage might ac crue to the Church from its open annunciation; will it do to advocate so revolting a senti ment now? Our Saviour was not afraid of the truth—His disciples should not be. If there is a mathematical Biblical rule for giv ing, let ns kuow it? We know exactly what the Jewish rule was. Does that rule apply to the Christian Church ? If so, my con science clamors to know it —and not mine only, but thousands of men with large and small incomes, among ministers and laymen, throughout this wasted laud. 1 firmly believe that the ultraism of the pulpit ofteu defeats the very object intended for good. Men are driven to deep ir be cause they cannot accomplish what seems, at. least to a morbid conscience, to be an im possibility. And the antidote for this de spair, not unfrequenlly, i8 found in skepti cism as to the whole Christian theory, or the embracemeut of it in some unevangelical Church which gives the widest possible lati tude to its membership. Let us preach what we live, and live what we preach, aud not go to the dark ages of the Church for our ruie of giving or of living. I once heard a preacher in enforcing the sanc tity of the Sabbath, quote the Levitical law on the subject. Are there not some in our day who are not entirely free from Judaistic notions, and to whom the language of Peter might apply? “ Now, therefore, why t> mpt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear.” Acts xv.: 10. I will close this paper, by your permission, (which has given me much effort to write, as I have been sick), by quoting Dr. Dod dridge’s beautiful hymn on Jacob’s vow, which I understand to embrace the idea of entire consecration of all that we have and are : l \ 1 “ If thou wilt spread thy shield around Till these cur wanderings cease, And at our Father’s loved abode Our souis arrive in peace ; To thee, as to our covenant God, We’ll our whole selves resign, And count that not our tenth alone, But all we have is thine.” E. M Pendleton. Atlanta, January 6 th, 1878. THE LORD’S SUPPER-AGAIN. Mr. Editor: In my article upon the Lord’s Sufiper published in the Advocate of Octo ber 9, the opinion is expressed that the invi tation should cot be limited to Church mem bers, but extended to every true penitent. In Dr. Abbey’s article of October 23, that opinion is endorsed and forcibly sustained. Brother Dowling dissents. He thinks the arguments in support of this opinion “plausi ble but not convincing.” Perhaps a second reading and closer scrutiny of those arguments would render them more acceptable. I have failed to make myself intelligib'e to brother Dowling when lie says, “this opinion is based upon the wording of the invitation.” The fact that the “wording” harmonizes with the “opinion,” is stated, before the argument proper, is commenced. It was further stated Jhat something had to be implied outside the ordinary import of the words of the invita tion before tbeir limitation to Church mem bership coaid obtain. But in my article the dicipline was not regarded as the ultimate rule ot truth and duty, but the Bible. I maintained, as the tenor of Bible teach ing upon the subject, that it was the duty not ofthe apostles only, nor of Church members only, but of all who would receive benefit, from the death of Christ, in penitence to c.ommemmorate his death in that- sacrament he had instituted for the purpose. That the command “do this in remembrance of me” was tor all men; just as, “He that believeth and is baptized” was lor all men. Theu, es the Scriptut-es prescribe no order of prece dence in the observance of these sacraments, ns to which should come first, the argument was, that the Church ought not, arbitrarily to -make such prescription. That in doing so it would discourage the penitent from dis charging a duty and obeying a command, merely because he had too long neglected another duty: discourage him from coming to the Lord's table, and thus being aided in com ing to Christ, because he had thus far neg lected to be baptized—or to take the vows of the Church. Bat brother Dowling “will be content if the discipline is harmonized with the views presented.” He quotes from the discipline as out of harmony with the views present ed, a portion of our prescribed form tor the reception of members when the vows are to be administered to them. This form sets forth the duty of Church-membership and BOme of its benefits, as inducements to taking its vows. And assuredly it is there stated that “none can remain within its pales or be admitted to its communion without assuming its obligations.” This clause, as i under stand it, means only that men of the world, out of the Church and purposing no eoniiec lion with it, may not expect to erjoy its com munion and yet refuse to assume its obliga tions. The lawyers have a proverb, “He that sticks in the letter sticks in the bark.” Brother Dowling does not confine himself rigidly to the mere words of the “invitation” in his construction of that; and if he will take the same latitude in construing the clauses of the discipline which he quotes, I think he will find the spirit of them in harmony with the “opinion” I maintain. And that it was not among the intentions nor any part of the object of the framers of our discipline when they inserted the portions quoted, to exclude true penitents from the Lord’s table, let us suppose a mau in his last sickness, to seek und find hope iu Christ. He desires PUBLISHED BY J. W. BU&KE & COMPANY, FQR THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, SOUTH. to be taken into the Church and to receive the sacrament before he goes hence. But he cannot be taken into the Church because he thinks nothing baptism but immersion; and it is too late for that. Then he desires at least the sacrament; and would any Metho dist minister withhold from the dying man the sacrament merely because he could not be baptized according to his faith and taken regularly into the Church ? I think not. Nor would he feel that he had violated the spirit of our discipline, when he administered in such a case. If brother Dowling will interpret the clauses he quotes, in the light of the past history and practice of the Church, I think he will be relieved of all difficulty as to any real conflict between his quoted clauses, and the proposed practice of inviting penitents to the table. As stated in my first article, while the six months’ probation rule was of force, it was common to invite probationers to the table. Yet they were not members, and were not so numbered in giving the census of the Churcn. The act of becoming a probationer was taken as an expr«ssion of penitence and of purpose to join some branch of the Church. Now the probationary rule is abrogated. The penitent cannot in that way express his ppni tence and desire to unite with the Church. But if he come now under the invitation to the penitent, does he not thus declare his penitence and also his purpose to join some branch of the Church, since he accepts a help which he can get only from the Church and which will not be continued to him with the purpose to remain out of the Church? Manatee, i'lajtl A. A. RoßHwtpN. ■ At. t yi- ■ A ■ SIGMON. BY REV. lfll. ’MARTIN, * Os the Sout h Ca rolina Conference : delivered before the under graduates of the Confer ence, on the fiftieth anniversary of his min istry, Dec 12f/t, 1877 Published by unani mous resolution of the Conference he,ld at Columbia, S. C. I know whom 1 have believed, and am persuaded that He is ab’e to keep that which 1 have committed unto Him against that day. 2 Timothy, 1: 12. By the kindness of my brethren of the South Carolina Conference, I occupy a no sition to night, somewhat neculiar, and l must admit, not a little embarrassing. Ps culiar in the first place, in that comparative ly few men are permitted to preach the glorious Gospel of the blessed God for fifty years ; —precious privilege, for which I, with a sincere sense of niv nnworthiness, record heartfelt thanks to Almighty God for His goodness in thus honoring me, who am the least of all His servants. Peculiar in the second place, in that it is I believe, the first time in the history of the South Caro linn Conference, that one of its members has been called on to preach a semi cen tennial sermon. And peculiar in the third place, in that it is a duty no msn can ever be called on to discharge more than once. The position is also to me somewhat em barrassing. from the fact that I will, very naturally, he expected to speak, more or less, of myself; and knowing the propensity of old men to live in the past, and to think and speak of ihe former davs as better than the present, I almost fear to trust myself; but in obedience to your kind invitation, and in humble reliance on Him whose I am, and whom I serve, and confiding in vonr patience and indulgence, and hoping (for.vonr ry vyers- I upderteke, is the name ( of the Lord Jesus Christ, the performance of this, to me, grateful duty. The text is a brief yet comprehensive item in the experience of one who, taking him all in all, was perhaps one of the most remarka ble men that has ever blessed our race ; one who though born a Jew, educated a Jew, with all the deep rooted prejudices of a Jew, in favor of the national religion, the religion of his fathers for more than a thousand years, yet found in the teachings, in the life and death of Jesus of Nazareth, such exceeding beauty and excellency, as induced him at once and forever to renounce ail other, and embrace Him as the root and offspring of David, as the bright aud morning star, as the fairest among ten thousand, and the one altogether lovely; as the only name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved- Yea, he recognized in Jesus, ihe son of Mary, the conquering seed of the woman, the sacrificial lamb typified by Isaac, the Shiloh of Jacob, the distant star o f ’ Ba laam, the Emanuel, the wonderful Coun sellor, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace, the foundation stone, the tried stone, the precious corner stone, the sure foundation of Isaiah, the branch of Zechariah, and the Snn of righ teousness of Malachi. Finding all these far reaching mysterious prophesies, types, and shadow--, meeting with their complete fulfillment in the person of the crucified One, he with a noble self-sacrifice, threw himself at the feet of Jesus, committing himself, goal, body, and spirit, without, reserve, to Him and to His service. Conferring not with llesh and blood, but, with Moses choos ing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than toei-joy lha pleasures of sin for a season—for he too had respect unto the recompense of the reward —ho coante i all things but loss, so that he might win Christ. By faith he gave himself to Const, by faith he received Christ into his heart, by faith he became one with Christ—and now, after a long, laborious life, of constant devotion to the cross of Christ —looking at bis end as now near at hand—calmly reviewing the past —how God had graciously kept- him in every trial, how he had at ali times realiz-d the faithfulness of that, precious promise. “My grace is sufficient for thee”—he reas sures himself in the Lord, and triumphantly shouts, “I kuow whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against - hat day.” Let them do their worst, let them take my life, they can do uo mope, “Why should I start and fear to die?" Aye, he might have also sung “What is there here tq court my stay, To hold me back from home, While angels beckon me away, And Jesus bids me come?” “I know whom I have believed.” I know Him in the pardon of my sins, in the renewal of my nature, in the salvation of my boul. And here brethren, I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, that iu St. Paul’s re ligious experience, we may all, at our hum ble distance, sympathize with him, and with him know Christ, with him have a personal acquaintance with Christ, as our Saviour, our Redeemer, our indwelling Christ; for by faith we too, receive the spirit of adop tion whereby we with him cry “Abba Fatn er,” for the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God; we with him know whom we have believed, and with him, we too are persuaded that Christ, our bie3sed Jesus, is able to keep that which we have committed unto Him, ag -inst that day. Through what trials had St. Paul passed, in his long laborious ministry 1 What temptations! What discouragemt uts ! What disappointments! What fears within ! What fightings without! Well might he sing 44 Through m:ny dangers toils and snares 1 have already cotne.” But amid all and through all, the Lord had sustained him and enabled him through ali to rejoice in hope of the glory of God, krowi-ig that his life was hid with Christ in Gcd. We, beloved brethren, with St. Paul, are not our own; we tpo are Christ's, and to us'also is committed a dispensation of the gospel, and we, humble as we may be, are walking iu his footsteps; we are suc cessors of the Apostles, we also walk by !ai: h. I need not pause here to indicate to a body of Methodist .preachers the scenes of trial and conflict through which a la borious itinerant preacher must have passed, in connection with the South Carolina Con terence in the last fifty years, with all the changes, physical, political, financial, and moral, by which the world, aud especially our country, has been visited; but by the grace of God, we can say with the Apostle, “we kuow whom we have believed.” He MACON, GEORGIA, TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 1878. has kept us by His power, and we joyfufls? sing— “ Here I’ll raise mine Ebenezer, Hither by Thy help I’m come, And I hope by Thy good pleasure, Safely to arrive at Home.” For we believe and are persuaded that HK will keep that which we have committed un to Him against that day. Our interests are nil in safe keeping ; they eCre in good handL Fire cannot burn, moth cannot corrupt, uqj thieves break through aud steal. What have we, as the successors of thf- Apostles and embassadors for Christ, witfr* St. Paul, committed to the keeping of oul blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ ? L; First of all, in turning awav from all strict-: ly secular pursuits, and devoting ourselves to this one great work, and giving continually to prayer and the ministry of the?; word, we with him commit all our temporal wants, life, health, food, raiment, lodging and all, both for ourselves and our families# all into the keeping of Him who has called* us ; only asking for bread to eat and raimentt to put on. And although, like the we have ofteu been straitened, we have nevsE .been forsaken, and we have learned. wU«j-’ h at, in whatsoever stttte we are there ith ter® be content. For we know whom we have] believed; we can, we will trust him! He* will care for us and ours. He will keep that which we have committed unto Him against that day—“ For I know that my Re-- deemer livetb, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though after-: my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God, whom I shall see for : myself, and mine eyps shall behold and not. another.” Glory to God, we shall live again. For he that believeth in me, though he were ] dead, yet shall he live. “God my Redeemer lives, And ever from the skies, Looks dowu and watches ail my dust, j Till he shall bid it rise.” In the second place, St. Paul committed j the keeping of his soul, his spiritual interests : unto Jesus Christ as unto a faithful Creator, for the life that we now live, we live by the faith of the Son of God. Wheu Christ who is our lite shall appear, then shall wo also appear with him in glory— "Then let this body die, This well-wrought frame decay.” Only the body returns to the earth as it was, bat the spirit shall return uDto God who gave it. “As I live ye ehall live also.” We come now, in the third place, to con sider what seems most of all to have bur dent and the heart aod soul of the Apostle, that great interest of which he never lost sight from the hour of his conversion to God and his cal! to the ministry, until in the presence of the executioner, in view of the block, he exultingly challenged death for his sting and the grave for its victory, shouting “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” —the care of all the churches. 0 what a burden was here, the care of all the Churches. 0 how his great, soul groaned under this burden. After a long catalogue of his toils, his trials, and his Bufferings, for the sake of Christ and the salvation of souls, he concludes thus: “la jouraeyings often, in weariness and painful ness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and naked ness, beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the Churches. 0 how he loved the Church 1 What an intense interest he felt in her honor, her purity, her success I He looked upon her as the purchase of his own Redeemer's blood, the bride, the Lamb's wife ; as she that was heralded by prophesy, as coming up out of the wilderness leaning upon the arm of her beloved, fairer than the rose of Sharon and iqore beautiful ‘ban the lily of the valley. He loved the Church, he labored for the Church, and he felt the re sponsibility that was upon him and his fel low-embassadors, and their successors, for the continued success and final triumph of the Church. He saw too, in looking through the vista of coming ages, the workmen fail ing—old age, decrepitude and death, thin ning their ranks. The workmen die ; but with unshaken trust in God he exclaims, “1 know whom I have believed.” He will not. suffer the gates of hell to prevail against His Church; she is founded upon a rock, the Rock of Ages. What though the workmen faint and die, the work goes on and will still go on, until all shall know the Lord, from the least even to the greatest. What though ail the Apostles are gone ! What though Luther, Calvin and Melanchthon are gone I What though Latimer and Ridley are gone I What though the Wesleys, Whitfield and Fletcher are gone 1 What though Coke, Asbury. Me- Kendree and Soule are gone 1 What though Capers and Andrew are gone! What though’ our own beloved and honored Fleming, the devoted Dauiel aud the saintly Pegues have all gone within the present year, in the prime of their manhood and in the midst of their usefulness! What though the peerless Marvin, in memory of whom this church is now draped in mourning, hag been called within the last few days to put oft’ this mor tal body, that he might be clothed upon with immortality and eternal life I What though more than one hundred members of the South Carolina Conterence have died since I was admitted among them 1 and many others still living are growing oil and infirm, and cannot, much longer grasp the standard or wield the Bword 1 Yet the glorious work goes on, and will still go on until that day 1 Look around you, see how many youthful Elishas are waiting, wa ching the ascending Elijahs, that they may catch the falling man tie, gird on the heavenly armor, and go forth to battle valiantly for the Lord. Brethren we may soon die, some of us soon must die, but the Churcb will still live, Methodism will still live and prosper, the South Carolina Conference will still main tain its integrity; “He will keep that which we have committed to him agaiust that day.” Glorious day—day of the final triumph of the Church. The resurrection morning. That and iy set. apart for the restoration of all things. That dav when the last Conference shall have been held, tbe last appointment made out; that day when the Lord him.-eif shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trump of God, and He shall change our vile bodies that they may be fashioned like unto His glorious body. Glory to God, He is able to keep sll that we commit to Him; our souls, oor bodies, our wives, our children, our churches, our congregations, all, all unto that dav. Oh, trust Him, confide in Him, and all shall be well. And now that we may note the progress of Methodism, permit me to notice a few events connected with my own history, as relating to Methodism and the South Carolina Con ference : I was born in Mecklenburg county, North Carolina, on the 9th March, 1807. My parents were both pious members of the Presbyterian Church. When I was three years of age my father died, leaving me, with six other young children, to the care of a widowed mother, who did what she could to bring us up in the fear of the Lord. W hen I was about nine yeai s old a stranger on horseback with a large pair of saddle bags, called at my mother’s gate and asked per mission to spend the night; and being kindly received he proved to be “an angel in dis guise.” In the evening he said it wag his habit to pray in the families where he spent the night: My mother told him that was the custom of her bouse. He prayed. He was a Methodist preacher, the first I had ever seen or even heard of. What induced him to come there I never knew The stranger said that he would pas3 that way again in three weeks and would like lo preach in tbe house on Lis return. Leave was granted. He left an appointment and disappeared; and for tfiree weeks nothing was heard of him, weeks of great anxiety to my dear mother. ’ “Who is he? what is he? A Methodist preacher— what ia a Methodist? who are they? what sort of people?” The whole neighborhood was excited ; all were in expectation ; “will he come?” True as the needle to the pole, at the appointed hour, abont sunset, was to be seen the same stranger wendinv his way down the lane. A curious multitude awaited him. He preached.and at the close of the sermon said if there was no objection he would preach there again three weeks from that time. One and another ofthe older men replied, “that is our own gospel; let him preach as often as he will,we will be glad to hear him.” Permission was given and in a short time my mother's humble dwelling wasconvetted into a sanctuary of God aud was incorporated in the Sugar Creek circuit of the Sonth Caro lina Conference, Rev. Wm. B. Barnett in charge. A society was soon organized and Dj\ Dunlap of precious memory, appointed class-leader. A plain log house was soon after erected on my mother’s land which served for many years as a church, and in which I preached my first sermon af er re ceiving license. At the age of sixteen, God graciously converted my soul at a Methodist camp meeting. I did Dot however attach myself to the Church for several months. I loved the Presbyterian Church, the Church of my ancestors; I love her still. 0 how many saints in glory now, were fed and nour ished at her altars. But my views of Bible doctrine led me to the Methodist Church, at whose altars I first received the baptism of the Hnly Ghost, and on the 28th day of Au gust, 1820, I gave my hand to the Rev. Jo siah Freeman, whose body now sleeps be neath this pulpit. I was soon appointed class B ader, and with a profound sense of my tor Buell a work. I resolved to p- spout myself to the direction of God and -;U*s Cbiucit, and to the best t.f my-abiiity do all that was required of me. In a Few jynonths they gave me license to exhort, ajil .the first day of December,-1827, I wasp ' seensed to preach by that holy man Malcolm t Mmßberson—long since with God—and rii* ,p >mmended by the quarterly conference of ffhe Lincoltitqn circuit. North Carolina, to the South Carolina Conference, to be held in Camden, South Carolina, where I was kindly admitted on.fr.ial and appointed for 1828 to the Broad River circuit, now North Georgia Conferenee-ayßbv. Thomas Sandford, my eJJpf, and the now venerable Rev. Joel W. ToWesend, who still fives by the ‘grace of God, to bless the Church and the world, my senior colleague. We had twenty five appointments in twenty-eight days, giv ing three dayß out of twenty-eight to re a t, study, and prepare for our great work. Not much time for writing sermonsfhere, (though, ] fog fbyidus reasons, this effort is not extern- the practice of reading sermons I have never favored.) In 1829 I wa3 alone on the Flint River circuit, to reach which I traveled nearly me hundred miles on horse hack, with my Wardrobe and library all in my saddle bags) 'there were no railroads, hor even buggies in those days. My work covered parts of five counties between the Flint and Chattahoochee rivers—Columbus, my head quarters, was then without a Church building of any denomination. I remember An t three Church buildings in all that country, jftiiti they were built mostly of*unhewn logs. I also paid occasional visits to the Asbury mission in the Creek nation. I can never forget my first visit to the mission at that place; it was nearly dark when we arrived and soon after, being seated with the mission family, in one part of the log house, my soul was thrilled with strains of sweetest music from another jeart of the building fylere wore some fifty young Indians singing “Jesus my all to heaven is gone.” My very soul was moved within me at the thought, rtere the Indian in his wigwam claims my awn blessed Saviour as his Jesus. And why not? Has He not said, “Ask of me and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, the uiterofost parts of the earth for thy bssessiou ?” JfDuring this year, I, with my own hands, as sisted in clearing off the ground and settingup the wooden pillars on which the first church in Talbotton, Ga., was built, and in which, at' flast Quarterly meeting for the circuit, now venerable Rev. Samuel Anthony, of South Georgia Conference, was licensed \ l preach. In January, 1830, at the Confer epee held in this city in that old, long un sightly building which stood almost on this very spot, I was ordained to descon’s orders to that great hud, good man Bishop Soule, jjth, how my heart was moved within me to Ugh and holy resolves: and I seem to see jfcjv standing befor6.jne.nQSW a*ifoffefivcijtng ■f-i Yuarge to my cla9B, he straightened him self up, and with holy fire glowing in his eve. with thrilling empnasis, exclaimed, “Oh, feiat we were young again, that another life nlight be devoted to the glorious work of pfc-aching Jesus Christ and him crucified to aflerishing world! (/ ‘ Oh, for a trumpet voice, On all the world to call, To bid their hearts rejoice In Him who died for all. For all my Lord was crucified ; For all, for all, my Saviour died.’ ” ilq 1830 and 1831, I was on the Yadkin cfccuit, North Carolina. In the year 1830, I bad the honor of introducing Methodism into the ancient town of Salisbury, N. C. 1832, Deep River, a five weeks’ circuit, alone; here I had 32 appointments in 35 days, in a circuit of more than 800 miles around. 1833, Darlington, South Carolina. 1834 and 1835. Charleston, where it was our custom to preach four times a week; here, in 1835, I suffered so severely withyeliowfever,which was followed by two successive attacks of bilions fever in Cneraw in 1836,that my constitution gave way, and in 1837. on the Biack Swamp circuit, my wnole system yielded to a combination ofin Simulation of the lungs and bronchitis, which disqualified me for regular work for soveral years, and so affected my vocal pow ejfe that I have been compelled to proceed vyy cautiously in my pulpit minislraiions ever since : but, by the grace and mercy of God in Christ Jesus, 1 have been kep l to this day, though often faint, yet still pur suing. By the grace of God, I have served the Church on circuits nine years; on missions, to colo ed people, nine years ; on stations eleven years; agencies, eight years; Presi dent Columbia Female College, three years : chaplain to Lunatic Asylum, one year; and fafir years presiding elder. When I was admitted on trial in the South Conference, in February, 1828 the Confer eiiee included a large portiou of North Car olina, all of South C rolina, all Georgia, ail Florida, and the Creek Nation, now part of Alabama. The Conference then numbered Stvinembers, and 25 on trial—in all, 112 jiteachers. Among them I may be permitted to mention a few names of those who nobly served their own generation, by the will of God, aud nearly all of whom have fallen asleep, such as Isaac Smith, the first Metho dist minister that ever preached the gospel iniColumbia —he preached in the house of his friend, Col. Thos. Taylor, long before there was any church in the city ; Lewis My cry; L iv:ck Pierce, who, by the mercy of God, still lives in a gresn old age, a burning a shining light; Wtn.M. Kennedy,the wise . ijSniiellor; Wm. Capers, the founder of vßsions to the S aves, afterwards Bishop— the.-Chrysostom of the Southern Church ; Ssjnuel Dunwody, the logician ; Nicholas faliey, Thos. Sandford, J. O. Andrew, after ward Bishop, Malcolm McPherson, Hart well Spain, Henry Bass, and many others, noble spirits, who were standard bearers among the host3 of Isreal —all of whom, or nearly all, have Plaid down "their armor at their Captain’s feet, and are now at rest beneath the shadow of the trees. Qf ali the 87 theu members of the Confer ence, I know of only six remaining on this side the river—each patiently waiting the Mdster’s call. They are: Lovick Pierce, James Dunwody, J. W. Townsend, and Zac cheus Dowling (who gave me license to export), M. C. Turrentiue. and John Watts. Os the class of 1827, 1 find but two living— Jesse Boring and David Derrick. Making, ing in all, eight out of the 112. Os my own class. 1 beg to make mention especially of igaatius A. Few, who loomed up, a star of the first magnitude, but who, alas ! fell early; but, thank Ood, he fell at hispost with armor oil and left benind him a name thet will never die. There are still living of this class, three beside myself, who are yet on Ztou’s walls. They are: Wm. M. Wight man, now Bishop; John W. Talley, now su peeannuated, and Wm. H. Ellison, P. E. in lilii. Alabama Conference. The other 16 have crossed over, aud are now awaiting us on the other side. At the Conference held in February, 1828, the Miuutes show in the South Carolina Conference a membership of 35,173 white, and 18,460 colored. At the session held in this city in January, 1830, the Conference wa„ divided into the South Carolina aud the Georgia Conferences, leaving in the South Carolina Conference 67 effective preachers, and at the end of that year, 20;513 white and lit, ill colored members. Since that time, by different acts of General Conference, the whole of oar territory in North Carolina has been ceded to the North Carolina Conference, in which territory there are now 53 preachers and 21,320 white members. In the North Georgia Conference, 175 itinerant, 420 local preachers, and 56,599 white members. In the South Georgia Conference 122 itinerant,2l6 lo cal preachers, and 29,697 whit e members. In the Florida Conference, which has also grown out of the old South Carolina Conference, there are 69 itinerant, 124 local preachers, and 9,174 white members ; and the mother of them ail, the old South Carolina Confer ence, numbers, after all these deductions, 154 itinerant, 144 local preachers, and 41,742 white members —making a total of white members at present in the territory covered by the South Carolina Conference, when I was admitted, of 158.532; and of itinerant preachers 563, and of local preachess 1,020, connected with the M. E, Church, South, exclusive of the M. E Church, North, and the Methodist Protestant Church. There are also within the limits of the South Caro lina Conference, as now bounded, 52,971 members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, employing 157 preachers—and this exclusive of several other denomina'ions of colored Methodists in the State. “ Lo, what hath God wrought.” "The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad. /•*.;»ay it tfdf bh oeeatfjsr to make a brief survey of our beloved, Meth odism fronqifs- beginning? MMffrfcdism b*p\ gan in 1739 by as-w young men o. Oxford, England, meeting together to read theScrin tures and pray for and with each other. In 1766 the first Methodist sermon was preach ed on this continent; the first Me'hodist, house of worship was erected in America in 1768, or 1769 In 1784 the Methodist Epis copal Church was organized wi.h a member ship of 18 000 and 104 preachers, in 1827, when I was licensed, triere were in North America, including Canada, 1,576 itiner ant preachers. 327,932 white. 53 542 col ored, and 520 Indian members; making in all, 381 997. According to the sta tistics of 1874 thsre are now. leaving ont Canada, 14,330 itinerant preachers, 18 060 local preachers, and 2,262 285 members. Os these there are in the Southern division of Methodism, 3,485 itinerant. 5 330 local preachers, and 696 764 members, A1 though Methodism is to day only 138 years old, it numbered in 1874, throughout the world, 24 866 itinerant preachers, 63 131 local preachers, and 3 923 510 members. Look now at her literary institutions.— From the beginning Methodism has ever been mindful of her educational interests, though her progress in that direction was very slow for some years. Iu 1803. or 1804, the first Methodist Academy in South Caro lina was opened at Mt. Bethel, in Newberry county, by Pfof. Hammond, father of the late Gov. J. H. Hammond. That school furnished the first students to the South Car olina College, one of whom was the late Chancellor Harper, whose father, a Method ist preacher, Rev. John Harper, in concert with Rev. George Dougherty, founded the Mt. Bethel Academy, and under whose aus pices the first Methodist Church in Columbia was built, he giving the land, in 1803, on which this church now stands; anff yet, as late as 1827, when I was licensed to preach, we had but two colleges, and very few high schools, under the patronage of the Method ist Cbprch in the United States ; Augusta College, in Kentucky, and Union College, in Ohio, were the only ones; and not one col lege for young ladies in the world. Now We have, under the control of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, alone, 21 univer sities and colleges for young men, and 28 colleges and high schools for young ladies; of these, two for young men, and six for young ladies, are within the bounds of the old SoJth Carolina Conference. Her literature. 1n1827 the Methodist Church in North America, including Canada, had one religious newspaper, published id the city of New York; now their name is legion. Ex clusive of Sunday-school publications, month lies and quarterlies, we have in the South ern branch of Method tap alone, -frith a teumberofpr'Jvate paper- partaktng of the same spirit. In 1819 the first missionary society was organized in the Methodist Epis copal Church in America; in 1820 its entire receipts were $823.14 ; ini 874 the two grand divisions of Methodism collected for the same purpose nearly S9OO 000. In 1829 the first missionary to the slaves in the South was appointed, through the influence of our own “enskied and sainted Capers,” aud that Great Day alone can tell the thousands saved through that instrumentality. Consider next the wonderful progress of Sunday-schools in the last fifty years-how the Church has heard and felt the force of the Master’s command, “ Feed my lambs.” I was in my second year in the ministry before I ever saw a Sunday -school; now, in the South Carolina Conference alone, there are nearly 20,000 white children receiving instruction iu the Sunday-school. “ Surely all thy chil dren shall soon be taught of the Lord, and all shall know Him, from the least even to the greatest.” Good Lord ! speed the time when the Church shall bring forth the top stone thereof with shdutings, crying Grace ! Grace 1 unto if. Oar Church buildings have also kept pace with the progress ot ihe Church in other de partments. Contrast this present beaut-ful house with the old long w mden huilding in which 1 was ordained by Bishop Soule. And now, brethren, indulge me, aao unite wish me, for a moment in the r fl-ction : If God has done so much for us, and accom plished so much by us. iu thela-t fifty years, what may we not bopelully anticipa'e for our beloved Zon in the years to cone with our present advantages and arp'iances Trie pro pact is dazzling. How he Church looms up before us iu her prospective triumph in the great worn of extending the Master’s kingdom and conquering the world to Chri-i! OI how, to-day, ith glad hearts we see the Church girding on her armor for ihe fi- al on set, and bear her already shou'ing tor the ultimate glorious victory. I sometimes leri a strong desire to iive to see that, glad day when she hat lookerit forth as the morning, fair as the moon, aud clear a3 the sun. shall also be terribie as an army with banners, put ting to flight every thing that opposes, and subduing all the nations and kindred- o! the earth lo the dominion ot Christ. This L may not live to see. I must soon put off this mortal body, but I hope to join that long, long list of ministers, who have gone from the Sonth Carolina Conference, in fooling down from heaven upon her sue cesses and her triumphs, and I hope, with tb m, to witnetg the glorious coronation of “the bride, the Lamb’s" wife.” And now, brethren beloved. I have per formed, as best I could,-the task your kind ness a-sigued me Yoa will permit me, in conclusion, to refer again, for a moment, to my own experience. Whan I first entered upon this great work, I felt- from my heart, “ 'Tis all my bitstn ss here below To cry Behold the Lamb;” and now, after the toils and trials of fifty years, I do still feel “ Happy, if with my latest breath, 1 may but gasp His name, Preach Him to all, and cry in death, Behold, behold the Lamb.” And I am happy to say, there has not beeu one day in all these fifty -.ears, that I would have exchanged the position of a Methodist Preacher for any other position or calling known to men. t love the Church; I love Methodism; I love the South Carolina Con fereuce. Iu sight of the Great White Throne I expect to praise God for the kindness shown me by the Sou h Carolina Confer ence in receiving me, an inexperienced boy, like Elisha, from following the plow, and honoring me with a name and a place among her members. Aud now let me say to my older breth ren, who, like myself, are nearing the goal, look up and see how the crown sparkles just before you; and forgetting thoee things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, press toward the mark >or the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. ’Tis almost in sight 1 And to you, my younger brethren, I would sav, thauk God and take courage. O, what a field lies open before you—victories, con quests, triumphs, and eternal life in the end 1 Be firm, be bold, be faithful, live near to Godphave constant daily communion with Him. Think, O think, what responsibili ties are upon you. The honor, the future of Methodism, under God, are entrusted to you. See to it that the coming generation receives Christianity, Methodism with all her institutions, in as good working order as they came to you. And now, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I commend this whole congregation, preachers and people, to H>in who is able to keep that which we commit to Him, against that day. Condensed from National Sunday-school Teacher. INTERNATIONAL LESSONS. January 27,1878. —Jehoshaphat’s Prosper ity. 2 Chron. xvii: 1-10. Golden Text. —“And they taught in Jti dah, and had the book of the law of the Lord with them, and went about throughout all the cit ies of Judah, and taught the people.” —9 Topic.—“ The Lord Established the King dom.”—6. Home Readings. —Monday, 2 Sam. vii: 1-29—1 will Establish the Throne; Tuesday, IK.ix : 1-9 —I will Establish the Throne ; Wednesday, Ps. cxxvii: 1-5 —Except the Lord Build; Thursday, Ps. cxxxii: 1-18— Make Horn of David Bud; Friday, Zech. x : 1-12—I will Strengthen the House; Satur day, Ps. xl: 1-17—Set my Feet upon a Rock ; Sunday, Heb. xiii: 1-21—Established with Grace. Time.— B. C. 914-911. Place.— Kingdom of Judah. Rulers.—Jehoshaphat, king of Jndah ; Ahab, king of Waqi. «. I notes and oSiments. Strengthening Himself (1, 2).—Jehosha phat wub thirty five years old when he be gan to reign. His first act indicates him to have been a man of energy, prudence, and sagacity. He ‘-strengthened himself against Israel.” Though there had been strife be tween the two kingdoms, singularly enough there does not appear to have been any for tification of the cities ot Judah that were near to her northern neighbor. Perhaps the of kinship had lolled the rulers of Judah into a false feeling ot security with reference to those who had, noi so very long since, been their brethren That feeling would explain why Rehoboam was so care ful to fortify his southern frontier, and why he and bis successor had done apparently nothing towards protecting his northern. Ou account of this lack of preparation as against those whom it must still have been hard to regard as foreigners, Asa found himself so weak that his faith in God failed him, and, at the sacrifice of the treasures in the house of the Lord and in his own house, he bought the aid of the Syrian king, and. in that act, made the first grave mistake of his life. He relied on the king of Syria instead of on the Lord, and the result was that he paid that monarch a large tribute, instead of having him pay a large tribute unto himself, xvi: 7. He was, however, successful in h>s object of diverting Baasha from Ips intended occupation of Ramah, aod, iu turn, fortified the cities of Geba and Mizpah. Jehosha phat took hold of the matter still more en ergetically. He did not mean to be com pelled to resort to the aid of heathen kings as his father had done, nor even to be tempt ed to do so. King ABa had been rebuked •for seeking such aid on the ground that the Lord had helped him before againßt the huge host of the Ethiopians and the Lnbims, and he would have given him the victory over the forces of Baasha. Though this remind er of God must have been quite familiar to Jehoshaphat, he did not take that as any reason why he should intermit his own ef forts to render his frontier entirely secure against his northern contemporary. The promise of God to defend, which was im plied in the rebuke, did not excuse him from making all the efforts that he could to prepare for his own defence. God does nothing for man that, just as well as not, he can do for himself. When we pray that he will give us this day our daily bread, that v.rayer does not absolve us from the neces sity of looking and working pretty diligently ourselves. It would have been folly for Je-, hoshaphat not to have built his fortresses and to have garrisoned them. It would have been greater folly still for him to have re lied solely upon them ; for they would have been as houses built of cards, had the Lord iliftaj hj§ hand against them. Me- pieced, •forces in all the cities of Judah that were already walled, set garrisons, or military posts, throughout the land, and put troops within the cities taken from Ephraim. What be did, we are to do. We are to work out our own sslvation with fear and trembling. But that is not all that is included in the gracious command. The rest of it reads: “For it is God which worketh in. you, both to will aud to do of his good pleasure.” What we cannot do for ourselves, he will do for us. “Give diligence to make your calling and election sure ; for if ye do these thiogs. ye shall never fail.” 2 Pet. i: 10. Aud there is another thing in regard to which we should follow the example of Je hoshaphat. He carfully examined his king dom to find out where were the weak points in it. A mau does well when he tries to find out the weak points in his own charac ter —those places in it where he is the most liable to be overcome of evil —and then sets himself to work to strengthen them. Strengthened by the Lord (3-6). — The secret of the prosperity of Jehoshaphat did not rest entirely in his own prudence, though that contributed to it. It is expressed in the words: “And the Lord was with Je hoshaphat.” It is interesting to note the reasons why the Lord was with Jehoshaphat. 1 4 He walked in the first ways of his father. David ” The "first wavs of D •vid were those wavs that he followed before he sinned so griev ously in the ma'ter of Uriah and Ba'hsheba ■nd in the numbering of the people. As Rev. Henry S Kelsey well sa> s in the Mon day Club Sermons, he tok he bent part oi ihe life of the noblest ma r ' he knew for a .model.” Jehoshaphat rou dm have se lected a better model. Bit we can -ot for bear to remark, in pas ing h ,i he I v and in our times, ttiat he w >uld h-.ve had a life to copy which never exhibited" any imrerfec lions. The ■ first way* of our Lord Jesus t h'ist, unlike those of David, can not be biougnt to reproach his last ways. His life was perfect from its beginning toils close. He alone is the faultless model for all to follow. 2 ‘"Hesought not unto Baalim.” “Baa lim” is the plural of Baal, and refers to all idol gods, and even to that finer kind of idol worship where the devotees bowed down to forms of animals under the pre tence or delusion of worshipping Jehovah. 3. 4 But sought to the Lord God of his lather.” If the king had simply not sought afer Baalim, that fact, would have had com parativeiy little weight wi‘h those who did. But when he not only did not do that, but, also, sought alter the Lord, that fact had a great effect. One must not only cease to do evil, bat, also, learn to do well. 4. He “walked in his commandments.” He sought the Lord in the temple, and theu showed that he had found him by the way he acted when he was out of it. “Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you.” 5. He walked “not alter the doings of Israel.” In Israel it had not been proposed to aban don the worship of Jehovah, but only so to modify it that the people might the better get hold of it. Religion in that kingdom was to be made more easy and more popular. The worshippers were not to bend before an in comprehensible unseen, but belore visible representations of deity. They were not to be subjected to wearying jonrneys to the temple, but were allowed to sacrifice near by, withont any special sacrifice to them selves. That was the beginning, but it did not long retain this semblance to the true worship. Such compromises with the world never do. After a while, came the worship of Baal and of Ashtoreth pure and simple. In no way did he follow the example of the erring kingdom. He was not deceived by its pious pretensions nor allured by its irn moralities. And in his uncompromising de votion to the worship of the true God, we fiud another thing that is worthy to be imi tated. “Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” “Therefore the Lord stablished the king dom in his hand.” God asks no one to work for him without pay. In some way or other he is sure to be rewarded—unless he is working solely for reward. He represents himself as an employer, saying: “Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right, I will give you.” So to King Asa he said : “Be ye strong, therefore, and let not your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.” There is a temporal as well as a spiritual reward for those who seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Not in rich endowments, it may be, but in such supply of daily needs as will cause one to know that “your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.” Jehosha phat had shown himself diligent in establish ing the kingdom of the Lord, and found that F. M. KENNEDY, D. D., Editor J« W- BURKE, Assistant Editor HAYGOOD, D. D.,.....Editorial Correspondent WHOLE NUMBER 2085 the Lord had been equally diligent in estab fishing the kingdom for him. There is.a significance in the expression, “stablished the kingdom m h.shand.” He had complete control ofhts people, not by force, but by their good will. They were gladly obedient. They were pleased to be the subjects of such a king. “All Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents. These were the free will offer ings of a devoted people. From 1 Sam. x: 27, it is thought that it may have been cub tomary to bring presents to a newly inaugu rated king. If so, that fact only proves that, in this instance, the offerings were so much more spontaneous and numerous as to de serve particular mention. And so again, we have the pleasant thought that, while the king was endeavoring to fix the hearts of the people upon the Lord the Lord took care that they should be fixed upon the king. The larger an empire one wins here.for the Mas ter, the larger an empire, also, he wins for himself. The result was that bis heart wasjifled np, pr, as the marg>»-i4s-i«, “enewraied'm The ways of the Lord. - His heart wfig encour sg din asood sosf of way. .It was not-shop iy cheered at this exhibition of popular favor, as the heart of any man might well have been, but he was encouraged to go on in his eood work of rooting out evil and of sup plan'ing it wi-h good. He took away the high places that had been left by Asa. and cut down the A«herim that had escaped his vigilance or had been dedicated since his •ather began the ta k of exterminating them. Strengthening the People xvii: 10). He saw to it that they were thoroughly in s'uructed about God. He formed a band of itinerant instructors whose business it was to see that the people knew concerning him whom it was their duty to serve His board of instructors consisted of five princes, nine Levites and two priests. The employment, of laymen to teach the word of God, then, is not so recent as some have supposed; for the first five mentioned wove ‘laymen It may be said of them, however, , that they were not ignorant nor uninflaemial r men. They were selected on account'off their high position, and, presumably, on ac- * count of their fitness to instruct,’ He did* not seud those to teach abroad who had no standing at homo. The important duty of teaching should not be committed by the Church to th&se who have no influence and who themselves need to be taught, instead of becoming the instructors of others. It is thought by some that a division of the work of instruction is indicated by the different classes of persons sent out on this mission; that the Jaymen must have taught the people concerning the civil law, the constitution of the kingdom, and their relations to the king; that the Levites must have instructed them in the temple services and ritual law; and, that the priests must have expounded to them the attributes of God and the nature of their relations to him. If this conjecture be right—audit is only a conjecture—then the people were educated by this commis sion iu regard to th-fi- dutieß to God, to the king, and to each other. The “Book of tuts Law,” although they had, besides, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, i. and ii. Samuel, Job, part of the Psalms, and all ofthe writings of Solomon, doubtless refer red to the Pentateuch. This was the first attempt of any king to give his people any svstematic instruction iu religions matters. When a man could grasp the idea that edu cation in the law ot Gofi was the, best cure tor idolatry, it ir dicates a mind df no com mon breadth, sagacity, and statesmanship. And the resnlt of it was all that he could have wished. The people were by it made willing, instead of being compelled, worship er.. of Jehovah. By it, also, they’were made more homogeneous, more oevoted to their king, .and more devotei to each other. Ifo oliywi ! pfe, hut, also, on the nations round about. “And the fear of the Lord fell npon all v the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, 80 that thev made no war against Jehoshaphat,” The Philistines and the Arabians brought him “presents” as tribute instead of waging war against him. “And Jehoshaphat waxed great exceedingly.” He built palaces and cities of stone in Ju dah. His army numbered more than a mil lion of men, unless the figures given are “round” numbers, and not literally to be depended upon. Under him, the kiugdom of Judah alone very nearly rivaled the joint prosperity of the two kingdoms when they were united under Solomon. To the south ern kingdom he was another David. He experienced to the full the saying: “Godli ness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is. and of that which is to come.” 1 Tim. iv: 8. There is one thing that fovery clearly demonstrated by the unexampled good fortune that came to Judah under his rule, and that is, that the nation that wishes to be prosperous must obey and be intelligently educated in the law of the Lord. God is a greater factor in the fortunes ot nations than politicians and rulers seem to supoose. Q ieen Victoria wpnt not a whit beyond the truth when, in reply to the ambassador of an African sov ereig i. *ho sent to know th- secret of E ig land s greatness, she extend-d to him a bean ifully bound eopv of the Bible, andssx claimed: “T-11 the prince that this it the secret o* England’s grea ness.” M,y Mat continue to be the mason of he- prosperity and, also, of ours : tor b!ess“d is that na Lon whose God is the Lo-‘ ” ONE MIS-STEP. One » ep may -jlape a c arm e- an I des i y I" it be a ugh step, the haracteraod destiny wid be rieh ly -naped ft a vrong step a mi- step the>ih“ ch.raner and des tiny will be wrongiy^hap-d. Liberty or bondage, prosperity or adversi ty. joy ar sorrow, li*e or death, a-e suspend ed on a single step! We often hear it sud, •‘ Why v it was only one misstep!'' True, only onk mis-step; a" and yet see wha' results I How the mind has heen clouded by it, the conscience d-filet, the moral seasibili'ies stupefied I O ily one m's-step, and vet the Spirit is grieved, and he prospect of eternal life obscured. One mis step often leads to others—to a succession of mis-steps. Once let the individual leave the beaten path by a single step, and he may wander on in dark ness and never find the narrow road again. Only one mis-step I Whatisit? “Why, I only gave way to a little ill-temper,” but see the result! The children observed it. Children are sharp eyed. They are close watchers. They are quick to mark the mis step, aud they have tenacious memories. Long after the occurrence which you called a “ little thing,” has passed from your re collection, they have it vividly in remem brance. The poison has entered their young minds. They see in the mis-step a depar ture from the Christian faith, and they are unfavorably affected. For years, perhaps, possibly forever, that one mis step may hold them from the cross. Only one mis step 1 Whatisit? “Why, simply a careless word affecting some one’s character,” say yon. True, bat remember, the poison of asps is under a careless tongue. “ Behold what a great matter a little fire kindleth 1” That careless word is repeated. It runs from one to another. An innocent person suffers loss in point of reputation.— The mischief sweeps through the community like a sirocco-breath. Alas! for the deadly power of that careless word. Only one mis-step! Wnat was it? “A slight deviation from the rule of rectitude in a business transaction —a very little thing, hardly noticeable,” you say. Yes, bat it was observed by the other party to the. trade. He is not a Christian, but he knows you make the profession. He cannot reconcile the transaction with the Christian character. It rankles in his heart. He had serious thoughts about seeking Christ —those serious thoughts are now dispelled. Satau, ever ready to seize upon such advantages, weaves his net work more thoroughly around his soul, and that soul drops into perditinn, the eternal victim of a single mis-3tep 1 How we need to walk circumspectly, to “ set a watch at the door of our lips,” “ Be ever standing on our guard, And wafchiDg unto prayer.” Methodist Recorder. To consolidate aud methodize and com plete what has been most successfully begun in former years—to turn theory into practice, to attack with vigor the great task of life, to cast out old evils, and by grace to exhibit a holy character—these are the duties of him who is growing old. The whole prospect ia deeply serious, though it need not be alarm ing.—J. W. Alexander ,