Newspaper Page Text
TWO DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS.
PEIR. A. IST ISTXJ3VE.
VOLUME XLI., NO. 5.
Original
SECURE YOUR SEAT EARLY.
“ Secure your seat early”—but not for the Play,
Where pleasure, and folly, and vanity meet;
With the gildings of vice turning night into day,
And winging the hours with fraud and deceit.
Where modesty loses her signal of pain.
And chastity waxes licentious and bold;
And the ear grows familiar with language profane*
And the heart with false sympathy callous and
cold.
“Secure your seat early”—but not for the Ball ,
Where fashion supreme in her tyranny reigns;
And the dupes of her blandishments answer the
call,
To kneel to the sceptre, and welcome her chains.
For the visor of tinsel, which folly may wear,
Conceals but the skeleton features of death;
And the mirror of purity, spotless and fair,
May be broke by a whisper, or dim’d with a
bieath.
“Secure your seat, early”—but not for the Feast,
Where the song, and the jest, and the revel
abound ;
Where, appetite wantons, by plenty increased,
And the cup of the Bacchante is worshiped and
crowned,
For that “Board” is no shrine to the Godhead
above—
That aong is no pcan of glory divine—
That libation no sacrifice offered by love,
To the Saviour, whose life was once offered for
thine.
There’s a drama preparing, 0, awful and grand!
And a stage whero all Heaven, with God, will
appear!
And ao audience, summoned from every land;
At the sound of the “trump” will be gathered to
hear.
There’s a place on the “left,” where the wicked
shall meet,
With demons for ushers, no seats to prepare;
There’s a place on the “right” where angels will
greet,
And provide for the righteous—Secure your soat
there.
There’s a feast, which the Lord for his people pro
vides,
Abundant and rich, in his palace on high ;
Where seraphs attend, where the Father presides,
And Jesus will welcome the guests of the sky.
With their crowns, and their harps, and their
“banners of palm”
Shall saints in the revels celestial .share;
With the anthem of “glory to God and the Lamb,”
t And the song of redemption—Secure your seat
there.
The programmes are ready; the tickets are out.
An angel is waiting your name to record;
Secure your seat early—delay not nor doubt—
For the drama of judgment—the least of the
Lord!
God’s heralds are calling from valloy and plain,
And the mountains are sending the tidings
abroad—
Till eoho to echo repeats it again,
Secure your seat early—secure it with God.
And it must he secured—o, secure it in time!
For no tickets are sold at eternity’s door.
Nor the janitor bribed, were the universe thine.
To purchase a seat thou hast failed to secure.
Oh no 1 when death closes the record of grace,
The soul whose address is not registered there,
Mustlurn from the portal of Heaven, to trace
Its name on the page of eternal despair.
Conlributioivs.
EXTRACTS FROM J. FILMOOR’S
JOURNAL.
Mu, Editor : I have received from Rev.
Geo. W. Lybraud, of Pennsylvania, the ac
companying very interesting extract from the
journal of J. Pillmoor, one of the first Meth
odist preachers in America. It will be seen
that he was the first Methodist preacher who
ever preached in the State. This shows him
to have visited Georgia in February, 1773.
Mr. Asbury had been in America but little
over a twelve month when his colleague made
the tour of which this gives account. The
journal has never been published, and has
been but recently found iq Englaud, and
purchased for the Historical Society of the
Philadelphia Conference. Truly,
MiUedgeville, Ga. Geo. G. Smith.
Monday, February 1, 1773.—1 rose great
ly refreshed, and began to prepare for my
journey to Georgia. [He was then at
Cbarles-Town. He arrived at that place
Monday, January 18, 1773. L] As I purpose
to return to Philadelphia by Land, I judged it
besl to leave my Horse in Charles-Town to
rest till I come back from Savannah, and set
off on a poor meau creature that I borrowed,
and in the evening reached Rantoul’s Bridge,
about sixteen miles from Charles-Town,
where I concluded the day in great tranquil
ity of mind in calling upon God with the
family. The next day I came to Ashepoo,
Wednesday to Alison’s Tavern, and about
twelve o’clock on Thursday to Purysburg, a
settlement of French Reffugees on the River
Savannah. As tho Boat was gone, I was
obliged to stay all night. Friday morning I
set off very early in hopes of getting to Sa
vanuah before night. As they had uo’proper
boat for horses, we were glad to f isten the
Cannooa together with ropes, and put the
horse with the fore feet in the one and the
hinder feet in the other. There was a great
fresh in the river, which carried us rapidly
down the stream for seven miles, then we
had to turn up a creek, and had the stream
against us, but the negroes pulled very Btout
ly, and in about two hours, put me Base
ashore. After a little refreshment, f hastened
on, and about two o’clock, I arrived in Sa
vannah. It stands on a rising ground, on a
pretty good river of the same name, which is
navigable up to the Town and carries on a
considerable Trade. Thsre are about three
thousand Inhabitants, white and black. The
houses are part of brick, the rest of timber—
not very large, but exceedingly neat. They
have three churches —one for the English
Episcopalians, one for the Lutherans, aud
one for the Independents. As the soil is
very sandy, and the streets not paved, it is
exceedingly inconvenient and disagreeable,
especially when the weather is hot. Having
no acquaintance, I was directed to a Lodging
House, where I found a number of persons,
genteel enough, but not very religions. In
the evening I attended a Lecture at Mr. Zu
bly’s Meeting, aud afterwards delivered him
the Letters I had from Charles-Town.
[From the above, he arrived in Savannah, ;
Friday, February - r >th, 1773.—L,]
Saturday I dined with him, and attended a
preparation sermon for the sacrament, and
afterwards returned home with him to make
my abode at his house while I stay in this
Place. The Circular Letter, respecting the
Arminian Controversy, had found its way to
Georgia, and deeply prejudiced his mind
against Mr. Wesley—so spoke very freely,
and candidly told me his mind. I had beeu
pretty strongly recommended to him, yet he
told me frankly he could not think of admit
ting me to his Pulpit until I had satisfied him
concerning the doctrine of merit, and Justi
lication by Works. As Ido totally renounce
every Idea of human merit , and all Justifi
cation by Works, I soon gave him full satis
faction, and he offered me his Church to
preach in Sunday.
Sunday [February], 7, 1773.—When I rose
in the morning, my mind was greatly drawn
out with a desire to preach, aud I longed to
do something for my Master and Lord. But
I had no opportunity ; Mr. Zubly preached
ftoitihmt (fhmlian lUtotalc.
himself and afterwards the Sacrament was
administered, and the people seemed to be
affected with the solemnity of the Ordinance,
and received with great order and decency.
In the afternoon I went to the Episcopal
Church, and heard a discourse on the great
duty of Prayer. His language was pretty
good, and his delivery agreeable, but his doc
trine very imperfect. What a pity that those
who profess to be the servants of Jesus should
have so little to say for their Master I At
six o’clock I preached in Mr. Zubly's Meet
ing with a degree of freedom, but not with
my usual life and liberty. When I came
down from the- Pulpit, a young gentleman
who has often heard me in Philadelphia, was
waiting to speak with me, and introduced me
to several others, who invited me to go with
them to Mr. Wright’ fl where I spent the even
ing in great hadpineas, and we concluded the
day with praise and prayer.
Monday [February], B.—Spent the morn
ing in study; dined with several gentlemen at
Mr. Wright’s, where piety and politeness are
happily united, and had a good time in the
evening, while I opened and applied, “ This
man receiveth sinners;” the word was with
power, and the Lord made bare His arm in
defense of His own truth and righteousness,
displayed in the everlasting gospel of his
Son. Tuesday I wrote several Letters to my
Correspondents in the North, and at night I
expounded the history of the Canaauitish
Woman to a large congregation of genteel
and attentive hearers ; my heart was drawn
out with desires to do them good, but I had
not so much unction and divine tenderness
of spirit as 1 frequently find in other places.
Wednesday, 10.—Mr. Wood, a Lawyer,
and a young Merchant from Boston, ac
coinpanied me to the Orphan House, twelve
miles from Savannah. The road was through
the Pine ’Trees, which being perpetually
green, make it remarkably pleasant. But
the situatiou of the House is by no means
agreeable. It stands on a small creek, and
is almost surrounded with barren sand that
produces nothing but Piues, which is a cer
tain sign of the badness of the soil. The
House itself is well enough. [lt would
seem from the journal, as though he intend
ed to have added more, as the page is not
completed. Nearly half is a blank.—L.] In
the evening I preached to the family with
peculiar satisfactiou of mind, and had abun
dant reason to say the Lord was in that
place. Thursday morning we had prayer in
the Chapel. My heart was united with the
people of God, and drawn out with longing
desires for the salvation of mankind. After
wards I returned to Savannah, and preached
in the evening with liberty of spirit. Friday
was the time for Mr. Zubly’s Dutch Lecture,
but the Town was in confusion on account
of his Excellency Governor Wright, who was
expected this day, so there was no service.
Saturday the Governor came—the Guns were
fired —the Militia mustered —and all the gen
tlemen in the Town attended to congratulate
him on his safe arrival, aud the whole Town
was full of festivity ; nevertheless, we had a
pretty congregation in the evening, and the
Lord made us to rejoice salvation.
Sunday, 14. —The so very
wet nnd gloomy was
but small, yet our in vain
the Lord. In the preach
ing in the Episcopal Church in the evening
at Mr. Zubly's, and concluded the day with
my kind and dear friend, Mr. Wright, who
has behaved to me with the greatest tender
ness and civility. Since I came to this Pro
vince I have had many invitations to Fort
Augusta, and several different places, but
my mind draws me back to visit the places
where I have gone preaching the Gospel, and
I judge it my duty to obey ; for I dare not
run without a commission, nor venture to de
part from my heavenly guide. Therefore,
having no longer any divine call in this place,
on Monday morning I took leave of Savan
nah, in company with Mr. Zubly, for South
Carolina. In our way we called on a Lu
theran minister to breakfast. He appeared
to be a man of God ; my spirit united with
him, and was exceedingly happy in his com
pany nnd conversation. We then went for
ward towards the Ferry. Mr. Zubly had ap
pointed his Negroes to meet U3 at a place
about half a mile from the river, but they did
not come in time ; so we ventured through
the woods and swamps, and did as well as
we could. After waiting a good while, at
length a Negro boy came with a Letter, by
which we were informed they were coming
with a Cannoo to fetch us. Presently the
Cannoo arrived; we took our saddles off the
horßes,took them and our portmanteaus in the
Cannooa with us, and left the horses to come
after us in the boat. As there was a very
great flood we had to row a great way thaough
the woods; but after some difficulty we es
caped safe to land. When we had taken a
little refreshment, we walked to the house
where Mr. Zubly had been sent for to visit a
woman that was sick, but she had taken her
flight before we arrived, and was to be buried
that day. We found the people gathered,
aud some of them pretty merry with Grog,
and talking as if they had been at a Frolick
rather than a Funeral I As they had two
miles to go, they put the Corps into a Cart,
and let each of us u horse to accompany
them to Purrysburg. [lt may be Perry—
letter u so much like a, or e. —L.] When
we came to the grave Mr. Zubly gave us a
short exhortation and concluded with Prayer.
We went then went into the Church, and he
gave us a sermon against drunkenness, which
though very uncommon at a Funeral, was very
necessary for the people that were there.
He published preaching for me on the mor
row, and at the time appointed, I found a
good congregation, to whom I preached the
Gospel with more comfort than I have felt
several days. The word was made quick
and powerful, and the people were much af
fected under the sermon. After preaching I
was invited to dine with a Frenchman, who
was one of the principal inhabitants, and ex
pressed a very great desire that I would stay
and be their Parish Minister, but Parishes,
however valuable as to earthly thiuga, have
no weight with me ; my call is to run —to run
to and fro that knowledge may be increased,
aud God exalted in the earth.
Wednesday, 17.—Took leave of my kind
friend, and hastened on to Combahee, and
in the evening to Ponpon. The next morn
ing I set off pretty early, and traveling steady
all the day, in the evening I came safe to my
dear Friends in Charles Town,who greatly re
joiced to see me returned to them again.
[He remained in Charleston, after his re
turn from Savannah, till Tuesday, March, 9
1773. He preached his laßt sermon in
Charleston, Monday evening, March 8, 1773.
He refers to it as follows :]
In the evening had a vast multitude of peo
pie to hear my farewell sermon, and all wait
ed with the closest attention while I opened
and applied the words of St. Paul to the be
lieving Corinthians : “ Brethren, farewell;
be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one
mind, live in peace, and the God of love and
peace shall be with you.” My heart was
PUBLISHED BY J. W. BURKE & COMPANY, FOR THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, SOUTH.
greatly engaged for the happiness of these
dear people, who have always behaved to me
as if I had been an angel of God 1 I should
like well to continue longer in this Town, but
I must hasten through the woods to Philadel
phia, and preach the Gospel in the waste
places of the wilderness. After preaching I
visited a gentlewoman who is sick, and desi
rous to be saved in the way of the Gospel;
we called upon God, and he graciously hear
kened to the voice of our supplications.
Tuesday, 9.—1 had many to take leave of,
who heartily wish me success in the name of
the Lord. We joined in singing the praises
of Jehovah, und calling upon his excellent
name, and he gave us a parting blessing.
Many of them accompanied me to the water'
side, where I found the Boat ready, and had
a very good passage to Mrs. Baktsdale’s,
where I waß kindly received, and spent the
evening in worshiping God with the family,
and rested in peace.
“THE RULE OF GIVING” REVIEWED.
Mr. Editor : In proposing another article
under this heading, I make haste to say that
nothing was further from my thought in my
former communication, than a controversy
with my esteemed friend and brother Dr.
Pendleton ; and it is a matter of sincere
grief to me, that he should have so miscon
ceived the motive and purpose of that com
munication as to imagine that I meant to
“smite” him, or was aiming blows at any
body or anything. I only meant to correct,
(with his assent, as I supposed, if not by his
request) a mistake he had made, through a
pure accident of the mind, touching the po
sition taken by me in a sermon at the Atlanta
District Conference, last summer. I had not
thought for a moment that he meant to do me
the slightest injustice and did not feel in any
degree aggrieved ; but regarded the correc
tion important, for the reason that, I agree
with him fully as to the effect of ultruism in
the pulpit.
This was the whole of the matter. Why
or how it could appear to the Doctor, that,
in making this correction, I misapprehended
or signally failed to state what he did say
about the sermon, I cannot understand.
Leaving out the compliments, there was but
one distinct statement made about the ser
mou in his article, and that wa3 to the effect
that, in exact correspondence with another
sermon the Doctor had in his mind, the
ground taken in it was “that the Jewish tithe
system has been perpetuated by apostolic in
junction in the early Christian Church, and
that this system involved the imperative ne
cessity of every individual giviug the tenth
of his gross income to the support of the
ministry, without any reference to outside
charities.”
This statement I quoted then, as I do now,
in exactly his owu words. Upon this basis,
he proceeded to answer both sermons “as a
unit," as he himself states in bis last article.
Now, as no such ground had been taken in
my sermon, and as the supposition that such
was the case was evidently the result of a
“lapsus mentis,” in specifying the poiuts
made against this “unit” which did not ap
ply to my sermon, I only meant to rescue my
little innocent production from the pontmol
ing which the good Doctor was giving it,
through mistake.
In this view, it could not possibly make
any difference whether the points made
were assertions, statements, arguments, or
inferences. They were all alike inapplicable
to a sermon which did not advocate the doc
trine which was being combated.
The only point involved in the whole mat
ter was as to the ground taken in the partic
ular sermon in question. Hence, in correct
ing Dr. P.’s error as to a simple matter of
fact, I did not feel'ealled upon to expreßS or
defend, my opinion on the general subject,
one way or the other. Nor would it alter the
case, in the least, even though it were true,
as he asserts, that two articles written by
me subsequently contained “the tithe system
in a nut shell.” The question was not as to
what I may or may not have advocated at
other times and places, but solely as to the
ground taken on a particular occasion, and
I am sorry Dr. P. did not accept my dis
claimer more unequivocally.
But since the matter has assumed the as
pect it has, justice to him as well as to my
self requires that I state what ground I did
take in the sermon to which he saw fit in
the first instance to except. And this I shall
do in the form of successive postulates, for
the sake of brevity.
1. The vows of Christianity involve com
plete consecration.
2. This consecration includes the employ
ment of property in the service of God.
3. For some reason, God has laid peculiar
stress upon this feature of the consecration
required.
In support of this proposition I referred to
the Jewish tithing system as well as to the
patriarchal form of worship, and affirmed
that the same principle was carried forward
into the Christian dispensation, as evidenced
in the fact, that God had put the gospel un
der the great law of ways and means, and
made its maintainance and progress in the
earth, in a very important sense, dependent
upon human co-operation with Him, in this
respect.
If I made any further allusion in the ser
mou to the Levitical tithe law, it was to the
same purport, and for illustration only.
4. The necessity for the employment of
money or its equivalent in the service of God,
is founded not in the weakness of divine re
sources but in the wants of human nature.
The gospel is a system of remeaies; it pro
poses to rectify what is wrong in human
nature. “The universal form of human de
pravity is selfishuess. The universal form of
selfishness is covetousness.” The universal
want of human nature, therefore, is a specific
against the love of money—the worship of
mammon. This specific is found only in
that feature of the gospel which requires the
consecration of property, according to abili
ty, to sacred and religious uses.
5. In all human financial systems the chief
object is to secure funds. In the divine ar
rangement for providing for the financial
necessities of the Church, the chief object is
to produce a moral effect upon the contribu
tor himself. The failure to recognize this
underlying principle accounts for the feeble
ness of the sentiment of moral obligation on
this subject which prevails in the Christian
Church at this day, and for the many ques
tionable methods which are resorted to, to
raise money for Church purposes—methods
which on special occasions, under the im
pulse of excitement produced by startling
appeals or humorous anecdotes, may result
in large collections, but leave the giver hurt
rather than benefitted in his spiritual lfe.
6. Giving, therefore, as a divine institu
tion, is a means of grace, like prayer ; and
the obligation to give being founded upon
that which is universal iu the wants of hu
man nature, is universal in its application.
It was in this connection that the remark
was made upon which Dr. P, commented so
MACON, GEORGIA, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1878.
severely in his first article, namely, that
“poverty worked no exemption or excitr
sion.” The import of the statement was,
that the gospel did not exclude the poor
from the use of this means of grace —that
“ He who delights in mercy has never yet
denied to the poor the joy of giving.” And
beginning with the poor widow who divided
the last handfull of meal with the prophet,
instances were given to show what a bless
ing it had been to many a poor widow and
hard-working man ; what a saving to their
means; what a comfort to their homes, to
be permitted to honor the Lord with the
savings of a grateful self-denial out of their
hard earned living.
In this connection let me say, there is a
radically wrong sentiment touching the re
ligious use of money which prevails very
extensively, the prevalence of which, more
than anything else, hinders the development
of Scriptural liberality. This sentiment iB
not often formulated, but it expresses itself
powerfully in acts. It feels, though it does
not often argue, about this way:—the Gos
pel being merciful and benign must needs
lessen God’s claims upon our money, in
if it could be absolutely free, if it cost
nothing, it would then be perfectly merciful
aud benign and win the hearts of all the
people.
Here, it is readily perceived, is a total
failure to apprehend the philosophy of this
feature of the Gospel.
Giving to the Lord is a remedy for a spe
cial moral disease—the divine prescription
for promoting a special moral virtue. If
the Gospel has lessened the obligation to
give, then Christianity has lessened the
chance of human salvation and let down tie
standard of the special virtue which assimi
lates us to God, below the point where it
stood when Christ came to baptize the worid
with the spirit of benevolence. I will say
here, in so many words, that I never, on
any occasion, advocated the doctrine that
the Levitical tithe law was binding on the
Christian Church. Ido not believe that any
precept or principle of the Gospel glances
in the direction of binding the Christian
conscience to a tenth as the standard af
Christian benevolence. On the contrary,yl
believe with Mr. Wesley and Dr. P. that-it
enjoins a higher, more evangelical, standard
of liberality. But it is a mistake to suppose
that the tithe law was a grievance to the
Jewish people. Os all their peculiar insfi
tutions, none had a more salutary effect
upon their social system, or individual char
acter. And it is a worse mistake to sup
pose that a Christian is to do less for his re
ligion than a Jew did for his ; for if a Chris
tian may devote less of his means to sacred
and religious uses in proportion to his abi! : -
ty, without trespassing against his conscience,
then his religion elevates him iu a lower de
gree than Judaism did the Jew—“ it leaves
him to be more selfish without guilt aud leas
noble without reproach.”
It may not be amiss to add that the only
way to avoid mathematics iu giving is to
give nothing at all. If a man gave to the
Gospel and ou side charities only one mill
out of an income of a million of dollars,
there wonld fcft an arithmetical prrqyn-tizl
in his giving, and while the gospel unques
tionably leaves every man free to assess
himself, it just as unquestionably fixes a
point far short of nothing, “at which gifts
cease to be ' liberal' and begin to be ‘ vile
at which a giver ceases to be ‘ bountiful,’
and deserves to be called a ‘ churl.’ ” Above'
that point all is free.
Thi3 was the principle sought to be Ulus'
trated in the two articles on "The Bible ruse
of devoting to sacred uses a stated propor
tion of the income, reduced to practice. 1 "
How Dr. P. discovered in the examples
there given, “the tithe system in a nut
shell,” which system he says in another
place the writer had advocated as involving
“ the imperative necessity of every indi
vidual giving the tenth of his gross income
to the support of the ministry, without any
reference to outside charities,” I am wholly
at a loss to conceive. If the Doctor will
read those articles again he will see that in
the cases given the proportion varied itr,-
mensely—each man giviug as the Lord hail
prospered him and his conscience or grati
tude enforced.
$ But this article is now much too loug.
I will conclude it by saying, that I heartily
agree with Dr. Pendleton in accepting St.
Paul’s order, recorded in 1 Cor. xvi: 2, as
indicating the essential rule of Christian be
neficence, and propose, in another number,
to consider some of the elements it implies
as constituents of that rule.
W. F. Cook.
Atlanta, January 24, 1878.
Sektions.
“ ROOTER IST LOVE.”
A healthy and vigorous plant is half under
ground. For every visible branch there is a
root out of sight buried iu the soil. Nay,
growth begius at the root. It gathers and
seudß up the sap that makes new wood aud
foliage, blossoms aud fruits. Hence, if
plant is not well rooted.it will have a feeble,
sickly growth, or die. The soil then mußt
be deep and mellow. If a tree is planted on
a rock, or in a gravel bank, it may have sun
shine and rain and dew upon its branches, it
may be cultivated with the utmost care, yet
its leaves will soon wither and fall. Move it
to a bed of loam, and cut off the dying top,
the root in its new home will start up vigor
ous shoots, and soon rebuild the tree aud
cover it with foliage again.
Whe see then why the apostle would root
the believer iu love. He wants him to grow,
to adorn the gospel by his Christian graces,
and to bring forth much fruit. To this end
he must have a hidden life as well as one
that is outward and visible. He must have
a deep personal experience of the love of
God. He must send the fibers of his soul
out into the warm and mellow soil. He must
grow there as the rootlets grow. His closet
studies, meditations aud prayers, will make
him “a tree of righteousness.”
There is a piety, so-called, that is like a
Christmas tree. It is all for show. It iti
conspicuously active or intensely orthodox.
It endures for a time, as the rootless ever
green does. But when temptation or perse
cution comes, it droops and dies. This piety
of imitation or of form knows nothing of love.
It has zeal, but no charity. It understands
proselytism, but not conversion. It labors 1
to build up a sect or a particular Church, but
not to save or sanctify the souls of men. It
is worse than a failure. It is a terrible aud
most injurious fraud.
And yet some really amiable people have no
idea of a religion more radical —better root
ed than this. They believe that they ought,
to do something for Christ, to secure some|
preparation for death. They join the Church,'
go through the forms, try to force themselves
to take au iuteru; tse various kinds of Chriu-1
tian work. Yet they live like parrots or
monkeys, saying what they do not really feel,
doing because others do, or they think they
mast in order to be consistent. They know
nothing of the warm, living, constraining im
pulses of love; nothing of that martyr spirit
which counts the reproach of Christ its great
est riches; which rejoices in persecution for
Jesus’ sake. The Church is full of this root
less piety, this Christianity that has no hid
den life. And hence it is that it makes so
little impression upon the world. What is
needed most of all just now is not more
Christian activity, but more Christian con
secration. Not more work for Christ, but
more love for Christ. It is well to try to be
useful, but we should first try to be good, try
to grow in grace and in the knowledge and
love of God. When every plant in the
nominal vineyard of the Lord is truly rooted
and grounded in love, then will that vineyard
so put forth its beautiful foliage, and its ripe
clusters of fruit, that the world will be at
tracted; and when we say to men, “Come
with us and we will do you good, for the
Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel,”
they will believe ua.— Occident.
MOTHER AND I.
Mother and I are travellers;
We’ve been journeying many a day,
So happy and contented,
Along life’s changeful way,—
Sometimes far up the mountains
Where the tempest wildly blows,
And sometimes in the valley
Where the quiet water flows,—
Sometimes ’mid scenes of pleasure,
When hope and joy were ours,
When life seemed made of sunshine
And singing birds aud flowers,—
Sometimes in the darkness,
’Mid sorrow, doubts and fears,
When the world seemed wild and lonesome
And life was made of tears.
But, mother and I, we care not,
Come joy or else come woe ;
We do not mind the journey
If together we can go,—
For 1 am young and hopeful.
And, when she’s tired or sad,
Then I know how to comfort
And make her old heart glad.
She is always truiting
In sorrow or in joy.
And says the Lord is leading
The mother and her boy.
‘So we journey onward
Together, and alone;
Toward a pearly city,
Toward a Great White Throne ;
Toward a Land Immortal
Beyond the moon and stars,
Beyond the Lonely River,
And the gate which Death unbars; —
Aud when Life’s day is fading,
And in the sombre west
Our sun is slowly sinking,
Then we will wait and rest,
Until the Lord of glory
Shall take us by the hand,
And lead us through the water
To the shore of Heaven’s land.
’TiB evening now with mother,—
There’s twilight in her hair;
Tho sunshine of her eye is dim,
Her voice set ms full of care ;
And maybe God will take her first,
Will leave me here awhile
To fight the battle all alone,
Without my mother's smile.
God knows, and we cun trust Him, —
He doeth what is best, —
So mother and iSwill journey on
Toward the Laud where we shall rest—
tThe Land where all our hopes are fixed.
Our happy “By-and-By,* r ~
Where we shall find our perfect peace
Forever, mother and 1.
—New York Observer .
AN OLD DIALOGUE REPRINTED.
Returning from a council the other day, I
overheard a discussion between my delegate,
Deacon Grumbole, and Deacon Webfut, of
the Baptist Church at Riverside. Os course
the topic was immersion, and it was intro
duced by Deacon Webfut, remarking that his
pastor, Dr. Jordan, had five per
sons the previous Sunday. Deacon Grum
bole, who will never be outdone if he can
help it, quietly replied that pastor Cyril
baptized on that day nine persons.
“ Well, I hope he did it in Scriptural
method.”
“Certainly; our pastor always does ac
cording to Scripture.”
“ Well, now, Brother Grumbole, what is
your idea of the Scriptural method 7”
“01 got my notion of it from the first
case of baptism on record.”
“What is that? Not Philip and the eu
nuch ?”
“ 0 no; it was centuries before that. I
mean the Israelites, when they were bap
tized in the Red Sea.”
“Well, brother, that was a clear case of
immersion. They were, as Paul says, all
baptized in the cloud and in the sea.”
“You are satisfied, Brother Webfut, that
they were really baptized ?”
“ Certainly; the apostle says they were,
and tells how it was done.”
“Well, then, I have just one question to
ask: Did they get their feet wet?”
“ They were immersed, that is plain
enough. As Paul says, they were under the
cloud and passed through the sea, and were
all baptized in the cloud aud in the sea. If
that wasn’t immersion, what was it?”
“ Well, Brother Webfut, did they get their
feet wet?”
“ Why, that’s uothiug to do with it; they
had water on all sides of them, aud water
above them: they were completely sur
rounded by waterJ’
“Well, Brother Webfut, as I understand,
they weut 'ondry ground through the midst
of the sea aud if you can immerse me on
dry ground, I am very willing to be im
mersed. I believe iu dry-ground baptism,
where you won't get your feet wet." — Con
gregationalist.
PRAYER-MEETING TONES.
When you speak iu a social meeting, speak
in a natural tone of voice—that is, a tone be
fitting the subject, and such as you would
use for a similar purpose in any other com
puny. Not much good comes usually even
from good thoughts, if they are uttered in an
unusual aud unnatural voice. Those who
hear know that it. is not the manner of ordi
nary speech, and they are apt to infer that
what is said does not belong truly to the man
himself who is speaking ; and that there is
the putting on of something for the occasion,
They are very apt to be partly right, too, in
this opinion. For while these unnatural
tones may sometimes be due to embarrass
ment, or to awkwardness, or to having acci
dentally fallen into a bad habit; yet even
then they indicate some separation between
the manner of expression and the un
derlying state of mind, of a sort that does not
exist, or that should not certainly be of long
continuance.
If your religious beliefs and feelings are
genuine aud hearty, and if they have impress •
ed themselves upon your common life, and
have become with you as familiar things,
you will express them in a simple and hearty
way, without even the reality or the appear
ance of affection. Put away, then, your
prayer-meeting tones, if you have any. Get
“ unction,” if yon need it, in your daily life,
and upon yourself; and then talk, wherever
you are, after an honest and sensible and
i Christian fashion,— Congregationulist.
ALONE ON HIS KNEES.
Cruden, author of that invaluable book,
“The Concordance,” died on his knees while
praying. He was a man of remarkable in
dustry and fervent piety. His heart beat
warmly for the poor and Buffering. He con
secrated the entire profits of the second aud
third editions of his book to relieve the poor.
It was his soul’s delight to minister to their
wants. He was a fine illustration of that
gospel precept, “Diligent in business, fervent
in spirit, serving the Lord.”
The first copy of the Concordance he pre
sented to Queen Caroline, wife of George 11.,
in 1737. The Queen was so well pleased
with it she promised to reward him; but six
teen days after she finished her brief life.
Poor Cruden s hopes were disappointed. He
kept on in his back Btore in London, in the
Royal Exchange. When nearly 70 years old
he was missed. Search was made in his
lodgings, and the man of God was found
kneeling by his chair, with the open Bible
before him, his face calm and peaceful. Thus
bediedaloue. Yet not alone. He who says,
“Lo, I am with you always,” was with him.
How blessed thu3 to fall asleep in Jesus.
“Asleep in Jesus, 0 for me
May such a blissful refuge be I”
David Livingstone, the beloved missionary
and explorer of Africa,also died on his knees.
Future generations will be benefitted by his
life-work. Like Cruden, he died poor and
alone, and while in the act of prayer. From
his long and weary march over a wild and
untraversed country, exposed to hostile tribes
of savages, to malaria and other diseases, he
at last had to rest. He could be carried no
further. His faithful men built him a hu*
beneath a large tree, and here the weary
traveler rested. After giving him food and
preparing his couch, his faithful servant left
him, hoping sleep would relieve him. After
some hours they drew aside the curtain;
Livingstone was on his kuees. They listened
there was no voice; they touched him—he
was cold in death I Thu? died this wonder
ful man. His attendants embalmed hiß body,
and bore it hundreds of miles to the coast.
It now rests in Westminister Abbey, where
repose kinge, poets, divines, and philoso
phers. Blessed ending of a busy life ! His
life was one of prayer, as well as untiring in
dustry.
“His watch word at the gate of death ;
He enters heaven with prayer.”
A medical student in New York recently
died on his knees, while in prayer and alone
with God. The day before his death he com
plained of a pain iu his head. Nothiug es
pecially alarming in so common an occur
rence, he retired to his room, hoping sleep
would relieve his pain. Next morning, as
the breakfast bell rang, there was no re
sponse from him. Another voice had called
him away. After breakfast his room was
entered. The bed bad not been disturbed.
The young man was kneeling by the bed,
with his hands outspread, as in the act of
prayer. Thus he passed away. A calm,
serene smile, was on his face.
“Life’s labor done: as sinks the clay,
Light from its load, the spirit flies,
While heaven and earth combine to say,
How blest the righteous when he dies.”
■ Is there anything sad in these and many
other similar deaths? Is it proper for us to
pray, “From sudden death deliver us?”
“THE LORD WILL PROVIDE.”
It was hard times iu the cottage where
Widow Smith lived with her three children.
The mother worked hard ; but things seem
ed very scarce, and the children had such
hungry appetites, and wore their clothes out
so fast.
One day the old minister called, aud in
his friendly way got to talking of their chil
dren.
“ I had twelve sons,” said he.
“ Just Jacob’s number,” was the widow’s
answer.
“Yes, ma’am, and I had Jacob's Ood to
provide for them.”
The words stayed in the widow’s mind
long after the minister had left. She remem
bered how God had once let the famine come
to Jaeob’s household, but not till he had first
provided corn in Egypt, and sent Joseph
down that he might be ready to distribute it.
She thought of God’s dealings with her aud
her little flock, and her heart was comfort
ed, because she knew that the Lord would
provide.
‘ • In some way or other the Lord will provide;
It may not be my way, it may not be thy way;
And yet in His own way, ‘The Lord will pro
vide.’
At some time or other the Lord will provide;
It, may not be my time, it may not be thy time;
And yet in his own time. ‘The Lord will pro
vide.” — Sunday school Advocate.
“HITSTUDY OF THE SCRIPTURES.
He who would get the greatest good out of
the Bible must be willing to work for it. The
best things are not found on the surface.—
There is something to be gained by even a
cursory reading of the Scriptures; but this is
not to be compared with the results of intel
ligent, persistent study, of the text. Every
good Sunday school teacher finds this out in
the line of his ordinary work. It often seems
to him as he takes up his next Sunday’s les
son that there is not much in it to interest or
profit himself or his scholars , but as he ex
amines the passage, statement by statement,
and word by word, comparing Scripture with
Scripture, and finding unlooked for mean
ings underneath those which are more obvi
ous, its fullness aud its beauty grow upon
him. The more he studies it. the more he
finds in it, aud the more he perceives before
him as yet to be disclosed from it. If he
gives much time to its study during the week,
and then meets his fellow-teachers at the
Saturday evening teachers' meetiug, to com
pare with them the results of their study and
his, he is convinced that, whatever might be
said of other lessons, this one is rich aud pre
cious beyond his expectations. Commonly a
man enjoys and appreciates a Bible-lessou
just in proportion to the tirns he has given to
its intelligent and faith-filled study. He who
at any time says there is not much in this
week's Bible lesson, gives evidence thereby
that he has not yet looked below its surface,
or devoted much time to its study.—Sunday
school Times.
The Power ok the Bible. —The chief
duty of Protestantism is with the Scriptures.
It is clearly to declare and publish them
abroad. The Bible does not need any de
sense so much as it needs proclamation. It
defends itself wherever it is known. Deep
in every soul there dwells forever a witness
to the truth, whose clear eye and steady
voice will see and respond to it wherever it
is knowu. We do not need to implore men
to heliavejthe truth. We only need that
they shail apprehend it, aud then we may
defy them to deny it. And thus the Bible, as
eternal truth, needs no other argument for
its support than itself clearly preached.
There are defenders of the truth who think
it" otherwise. They treat the Bible as a
weakly infant, whioh must be bolstered up aud
carefully sustained, lest it fall. And so they
bring together their learning and philosophy,
their human reasoning and research, which
they use as proof to keep the Bible up, trem
bling all the while lest one of these should
fall, and the truth, unsupported sink to its
hurt. But the Bible disdains all these ap
pliances. It is no weakly infant. It has
more than a giant’s strength, and can not
only stand unaided, but can walk forth
alone, conquering and to conquer.— Prof.
Seelye.
THE ATHEIST AND THE GLOBE.
The famous astronomer, Athanasius Kir
cher, laving a friend who denied the exis
tence of a Supreme Being, took the follow
ing method to convince him of his error, up
on his own principles. Expecting him upon
a visit, he procured a very handsome globe
of the starry heavens, and placed it in a cor
ner of the room where it could not escape
his friend’s observation. The latter seized
the first occasion to ask whence it came, and
to whom it belonged. “Not to me,” said
Kercher, “ nor was it made by any person,
but came here by mere chance !” “That,”
replied his r skeptical friend, “is impossible.
Tou surely jest.” Kircher, however, seri
ously persisting in his assertion, took occa
sion to reason with his friend upon his athe
istic principles. “ You will not,” said he,
“ believe that this small body originated in
mere chance ; and yet you would contend
that those heavenly bodies of which it is only
a faint and small resemblance, came into ex
istence without order or design!” Pursu
ing Ibis chain of reasoning, his friend was at
first confounded, iu the next place convinc
ed, aud ultimately joined iu a cordial acknowl
edgement of the absurdity of denying the ex
istence of God.
A DEVOUT LIFE.
Devout life has untold power. Like the
forces of nature, it is often hidden or ob
scure, but it holds and shakes the world.
Men may refuse to hear your preaching;
they are not able to evade the argument of a
blameless aud holy life. The aroma of it
fills all the atmosphere ; its doctrine distills
like the gentle dew, or like the small rain on
the mown gra33 ; its lines go oat through all
the earth, its words to the end of the world;
there is no speech or language where its
voice is not heard. Your reiigiou, to be of
any worth, must be such a life. Profession
is well, but it is only the gateway to the life
—only the sign of the inward substance.
The Gospel was not proclaimed to give you
a creed, but to render possible to you a
devout life. You will be a power among
men, not in proportion to your knowledge,
or your natural endowment, but iu propor
tion to the sanctity and fulness of your reli
gious life. — Zion's Herald.
Condensed from Nntinnal Sunday-school Teacher.
INTERNATIONAL LESSONS.
February 10, 1878.— Jeuoshafhat Helped
of God.
2 Chron. xx . 14-22.
Goi.den Text “ Believe in the Lord
your God, so shall ye be established: believe
his prophets, and so shall ye prosper." —2o
Topic.— “ The battle is not yours, but
God'sP-jjS^^
HomeJ^^hos. —Monday, Ex. xiv: 1-31
--“I for you Tuesday.
Sam. The Lord Discomfited
them; Josh, x: 1-15—“ The
Lord Fought for Israel;” Thursday, 2 K.
vi; 1-23—‘'Mountain full of Horses ;” Fri
day, 2 Chr. xxxii: 1-23—‘‘With him an Arm
ofFiesh;” Saturday, Is. xli: 1-20—“I will
Help Thee;Sunday, Pa. xxxvii; 1-40 —“He
Shall Deliver Them.”
Time. —B. C. 896. Rulers.— Jehoshaphat,
king of Judah; Ahaziah. king of Israel.
Place. —Jerusalem, aud “before the wilder
ness of Jeruel.”
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
The Prayer for Victory. — After the
unhappy battle of liauioth-Giiead, Jehu, the
prophet, told Jehoshaphat: “Therefore is
wrath upon thee from before the Lord.”
The truth of that declaration was soon real
ized. The Children of Moab. and of Am
mon, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir, all
the long time enemies of Israel, combined
together for the purpose of driving the peo
ple of Judah outfrom their possessions (11),
This irruption, siugularly enough, seems to
have taken the king entirely by surprise. He
was utterly unprepared to meet the danger.
By creeping, nnoerceived, around the south
eru end of the Dead Sea. they stole a march
on him, aud the first intimation that he ap
pears to have had of their coming was when
they were distant only fifteen hours from.
Jerusalem. But so soon as he was made
aware of the facts, great energy was mani
fest throughout all the kingdom. He took
three steps lo avert the impending calamity.
1. He “set himself to seek the Lord.” In
the eyes of men of the world, he acted very
absurdly. Thoße who believe that “the
Lord is on the side of the heavieet battal
ions” would have beeu entirely out of pa
tience with the king at that moment. They
would have said that this is a time for action,
and not a time for prayer, lustead of going
into the sanctuary, they would have declared
that he should have been concerned iu get
ting together what he could of an army. But
instead of unavailicgly trying to do what
there was no time to do, he went to Him
whose hosts are always ready for battle.
There was not time to summon together an
army from tho length and breadth of his own
dominions, but there was time to call for aid
upou him whose armies are as the sand of
the sea tor multitude. 2. He did another
thing, that, iu the judgment of the people of
whom we have beeu speaking, would have
appeared equally senseless. He dispatched
couriers throughout the kingdom, uot to hur
ry troops up to Jerusalem, but to proclaim
did uot have for nil counselors the hard ma
terialists of the present day, who believe iu
the power of everything but the power of
God. They would have convinced him by
mathematical demonstration that it was per
fectly unreasonable for him to expect any
thing else than defeat. Unbelief of that
sort is the occasion of more discomfitures
than the great hosts of the enemy. 3. He,
with all Judah, sought help from the Lard
in prayer. Certainly these appeared to be
three very filmy barricades to throw around
a city about to be beleaguered. But they
wtre sufficient for the occasion. Iu the last
oue, he responded to Tyndall’s demand for
a prayer guage, centuries bofore that scien
tific gentleman made it. What God has done
in answer io prayer is better evidence of his
ability and willingness to respond to human
appeal than any test to which, without
authority, we can subject him.
The prayer oi Jehoshaphat was a remark
able one. Asa model for all iu peril to fol
low, it is well worth an analysis. 1. He
asks God to help because he is able. He
pleads, first, “Art thou not God in heaven 7”
There are very few that doubt that. But he
does not stop there. “Aud rulest not thou
over all the kingdoms of the heal hen V” That
was fiat heresy according to scientific ways
of thinking. According io that, God has
made laws that have superseded himself in
his relations with men. Happily lor us this
is uot true. We deal not with inexorable
laws, but with a placable Creator, who has
not bound his hands so that he can not as
eist his distressed creatures. Thirdly, he
asks, “aud in thine hand is there not power
and might, so that none is able to withstand
thee ?” The hosts of the enemy in his sight
were as nothing to the power of God. Aud
if such faith were ofteuer exercised, such vic
tories ae his would be oftener recorded.
2. for help because God was their
God. J hat fact had beeu niauilested iu two
ways. Ist. On the part of God. He had
dn?eu out the inhabitants of the land before
liia people Israel, and had given it to his
‘•friend” Abraham and to hia seed forever.
2d. On the part of the people. They had
built a aanctuary therein for his name 3.
He asked for help, because the Lord had
promised to give help. When the temple
was dedicated, Solomon prayed that when
KENNEDY, D.D., Edltor
IT’ Assistant Editor
A* G. HAYWOOD, D. D., Editorial Correspondent
WHOLE NUMBER 2087
any evil should come upon the nation, and
they should cry unto the Lord, that he would
hear and help, aud God pledged himself so
to answer by the fire that he sent down from
heaven at the conclusion of the prayer, vii:
1. 4. He asked for help because they were
not to blame in the matter. The Israelites
were not the original offenders. By the
command of the Lord, they were not, in
their journey through the country, to con
tend with the Edomites, nor with the Moab
ites, nor with the Ammonites, because of
their kinship. Deut. ii: 4,5, 9, 19. If,
therefore, the Jews were now to perish, it
would be because their fathers had obeyed
the divine command not to destroy these na
tions, and, hence, obedience to God would
be the cause of their own downfall—a thing
that the Lord never would permit. 5. He
claimed help on account of weakness. “We
have no might against this great company
that cometh against us.” In this prayer,
therefore, are shown six elements of success
ful supplication: 1. Oue should first seek
the Lord—endeavor to get his heart right
with God. 2. He should ask because God
has the power to answer. 3. He should ask
because he feels that the Lord is his God.
4 Because he has promised to hear and an
swer in time of trouble. 5. Because he has
been endeavoring faithfully to obey him. 6.
Because he needs help.
Tiie Promise of Victory (xiv: 17.)— 1t
did not take long to answer that prayer. The
response came immediately. "Then upon
Jahaziel came the Spirit of the Lord.” So
quickly was an answer vouchsafed that it re
minds one of the testimony of Daniel: “And
while I was speaking in prayer, even the
man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision
at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly,
touched me pboufc the time of the evening
oblation.” Den. ix: 21. These immediate
answers show that God is not a God afar off.
When we are in trouble, we speak in his very
ear.
On the morrow they were directed to go
down against this great array that had come
up against them, aud were told just where
they would find them. But that was all that
they were to do. They were to do no light
ing. They were simply to stand still and
see the salvation of God. The king aud the
people had done their fighting in their pray
ing. They had contended with God, and
now God was to contend for them. If we
prayed more, we would have to fight less.
The battle with the world is won upon the
knees, or ever the Christian man leaves his
closet. He often finds that he has only to
stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.
Praise for Victory (18, 19). —The act
that follows the utterance of the inspired
singer is fully as remarkable as any other of
the incidents connected with this wonderful
history. Jehoshaphat prostrated himself
“with his face to the ground, and all Judah
and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before
the Lord, worshipping the Lord.” Besides
this, the singers of Israel, the Kobatbites
and that part of the Kohathites which had
descended from Koruh, “stood up to praise
the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on
high.” Thauksgiving aud praise were re
turned for the promise as for the triumph
that it guaranteed. If we receive hisyirowt
ms with thanksgiving and praise, the things
promised will not tarry. Blessings that we
pray for can not tty to us unless our faith
wili furnish them with wings.
The Praise Victory (20-22). —We doubt
whether any commander, before or since,
ever gave such a singular exhortation as did
Jehoshaphat: ‘ Believe iu tfce Lord your
God, so shall ye be established ; believe Lis
prophets, so shall ye prosper.” Aud his
battle array was as irregular as his battle
cry. He appointed singers, clad in garments
covered with holy ornaments, to go before
the army singing : “Praise the Lord, for his
mercy endureth forever." He adhered
si.ric lv to the command of the Lord to “stand
ye. still.” and hsEca marched forth, pet fa?
battle, but to behold the fulfillment of God a
promise. When the Lord commands an ap
parently foolish thing, it is better to follow
out his directions to the very letter “because
the foolichuess of God is, wiser than men,
and the weakness of God is stronger than
men.” They marched, not like an army
going into battle, but like one triumphantly
returning from one. Aud, although this all
seems very absurd, when one compares it
with modern war maxims aud tactics, yet it
was as successful as any general could have
desired.
The Lord redeemed his promise. Before
they came in sight of the enemy the batt'e
was won. “Wheu they began to sing and to
praise, the Lord set ambushments aeainso
the children of Ammon, .Moab, aud Mount
Seir, which were come against Judah, and
they were smitten.” The conjunction of thß
two facts—the singing and the ambushments
—shows how closely they were related, and
how much the latter depended upon the
former.
What is meant by saying that “the Lord
set ambushments against the children of
Ammon,” etc.? The theory which early ob
tained was that the liers-in-wait were celes
tial hosts, who began the attack, and caused
a panic, which resulted in the mutual des
truction described in the text. It is evident
that the ambuscade was not composed of
men of Judah, for they were to take no part
in the fight, and were nowhere near the scene
of conflict. It is unnecessary, however, to
suppose that angels took the part of liers-in
wait. It is more reasonable to surmise that
these tribes of the desert, naturally suspicious
and distrurtlul of each other, and easily ex
cited to hostility iusome way became mutu
ally offended. It is probable that oue tribe,
or part of a tribe,, on account of some real
or fancied insult, hid themselves in some de
file in order to take a treacherous revenge.
This accords with lloubigant's version,
which read?: “The Lord set against tho
children of Arninou and Moab, ambushments
of those who came from Mount Seir against
Judati; and the children of Ammon were smit
ten But they afterwards rose against the
inhabitants of Mount Seir and utterly des
troyed them, who being destroyed, they rose
up oue against another and mutually destroy
ed each other.” That gives a vivid picture
of the facta as the/, no, Moubt were. Wheu
the Ammoniies found themselves entrapped
by their allies from Mount Seir, and, after
the first disastrous surprise, recovered them
selves and destroyed their assailants, it was
very natural for them to suppose that there
was treachery all around, and so it was that
“every one helped to destroy another.”
When Judah, with its vanguard of singers,
came to the conical hill, which is spoken of
as a “watch-tower,” they looked toward
the place where they expected to behold the
hoßts of the enemy, aud, behold, the plain
was full of dead bodies, so lull that it seemed
as if none had escaped I They stood still
aud beheld the salvation of the Lord. In
stead of to a battle, they came to a place
ol booty. Their very trial proved to be their
gain—-as so often it does in the case of every
Christian, immense was the spoil they gath
ered. It took them three days to collect it
all. “And on the fourth daythey assembled
themselves in the valley of Berachah (bless
ings); lor there they blessed the Lord.” The
valley bears the name, but slightly changed,
to this day, it being now known as Beirukut.
And the valley down which the remnant of
the invaders tied is called Jeho-Bhuphat iu
memory of the king who led his singing army
there to behold the salvation of the Lord.
In these name3 that Btitl cling to the lo
calities, we have strong corroborative evi
dence of the truth of the narrative we ara
studying “There they blessed the lord."
Psalm 47 appears to have been composed
with reference to, and may have been used
on, this occasion. Every victory, given of
God, should be immediately aud gratefully
recognized. Ou the very place of victory, if
possible, is the place to return thanks. He
who is the most thankful for the aid he re
ceives is never likely to call in vain tor help
wheu agaiu he is iu great need of it.
Love to the path of duty,
and wings the feet to travel it; it is the bow
which impels the arrow of obedience; it is
the mainspring moving the wheels of duty;
it is the strong arm tugging the oar of dili
gence. Love is the marrow of the bones ot
fidelity, the blood in the veins of piety, the
sinew of spiritual strength, yes, the life of
sincere devotion. He that hath love can no
more be motionless than the aspen in the
gale, the sere leaf in the hurricane, or the
spray in the tempest. As well may hearts
cease to beat as love to labor. Love is in
s'inct with activity, it can not be idle; it U
full of energy.