A
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Carolina ^(jristtaa
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A DISCOUKSE
On Predestination and Election.
BV WILBUR FISK, D. D.
( Continued.')
•3. “Blit,” say the advocates of this
system, “supposing there are difficul
ties ill this subject, the Scriptures
abound ivith passages which at once
prove the doctrine.” If this is true,
then indeed we must submit. But the
question is. Where are these passages?
After such a strong assertion, it would
probably appear surprising to one un
acquainted with this subject to learn
that there is not a single passage which
teaches directly that God hath foreor
dained whatsoever comes to pass. Yet
this i.s the fact. If this doctrine is
taught in Scripture, it is in an indirect
manner. Nor will it follow, because
God hath predestined some things, that
he hath, thcrefere decreed all things.
All those passages then which have
been so frequently quoted as proof of
this doctrine, which only go to prove
that God hath predetermined certain
events, are not proof in point. Where
are the passages that say he hath de
creed all things ? We know of many
wjiich say of certain events that have'
come to pass, that God did not com-
man'd them, nor loill them ; so that the
abundant Scripture proof seems alto
gether on the other side of the ques
tion. It is argued, however, that cer
tain acts of moral agents, even those
acts for which they are held responsi
ble, arc, according to the Scriptures,
the results of God’s predetermination,
and therefore it is reasonable to infer
that all are. This general conclusion,
how'cver, is not contained in the premi
ses : nevertheless, if the premises are
true, if it can be proved from Scripture
that God holds his creatures responsi
ble for the results of his own decrees,
such Scripture proofs would be strong
arguments to ward off the objections
that arc brought against this system.—
For if, it is consistent with a righteous
God-tO make a moral agent responsible
for one event which w'as the result of a
divine decree, upon the same principle,
perhaps, he might make him responsi
ble for all, though all were decreed.—
Let us then look at those scriptures :
“ As for you,” says Joseph to his breth
ren, speaking of their injustice to him,
“ye thought evil against me, but God
meant it for good.” Now without stop
ping here to inquire whether Joseph
was inspired to utter this sentiment, we
arc ready to acknowledge that there
are a number of similar Scriptures which
teach that, in the sresult of the wicked
acts of wicked men, God had a design
and a controlling influence, and there
by made them subservient to his own
purposes. lie hath wisdom and power
“ to make the wrath of man praise him,
and to restrain the remainder of wrath.”
Birt does ho therefore decree the wrath
itself ? And is this wrath necessary to
the accomplishment of his purposes ?—
As well might it be said that, because
a government, in quelling a rebellion,
replenished its cqohcqucr from the con
fiscated .estate of the rebels, therefore
that government decreed the rebellion,
and was dependent upon it for the pros
perity of the Illation. Let it be dis
tinctly understood, then, that to over
rule and control the vesulU of an act
is altogether different from making the
act itself the result of an overruling and
controlling power.
Again it is said, “ The Lord hath
made all tilings .for himself, yea, even
the wicked for the day of evil.” That
the Lord hath made all things for his
own glory, is a proposition easily un
derstood, and doubted, I trust, by none ;
and, this is evidently the meaning of
the former member of this pa.ssage.—
The latter clause, if it helps the cause
for which it is quoted at all, must mean
that the Lord hais predestinated men
to be wicked, that ho might make them
miserable. But it is not necessary to
make the text speak this shocking sen
timent. We would do the text no vio
lence to explain it thus;—The Lord
hath destined the wicked for the day
of evil, and this shall be for his glory.
But there is another class of passa
ges like the following:—“ He doeth
according to his will in the army of
heaven, and among the inhabitants of
the earth.” “lie worketh all things
after the counsel of his will.” “I will
do all my pleasure.” But these pas
sages establish nothing in opposition to
our views, unless it should first be prov
ed by other passages, or in some other
way, that it is God’s will and pleasure
to work all things, even wickedness, in
the wicked. These scriptures prove
that all Crods werk$ are in accordance
with his own will and pleasure: and
that he will accomplish them in spite of
opposition of smnei-s. If it pleases him
to form his moral government so as to
leave the responsible .acts of his sub
jects unnecessitated bj his decree, this
he will do, for “ he will do all his plea
sure.”
But there is still another class of
texts,^ which are supposed to favor the
doctrine we are opposing, more than
any others, viz., those passages which
seem to represent God as brinwino- a-
bout and procuring the wickedness of
the wicked : like the following:—“And
I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, that he
shall not let the people go.” “Now
therefore the Lord hath put a lying
spirit in the mouth of all these thy
prophets.” “He hath blinded their
eyes and hardened their hearts.”—
“ Him, being delivered by the deter
minate counsel and foreknowledge of
God, ye have taken, and by wicked
hands ye liave crucified and slain.”—
On these and similar passages it may
he remarked, that God blinds men and
hardens their hearts judicially, as a
just punishment for their abuse of their
agency. And for this act of his, in
blinding and hardening them, he does
not make them responsible. But lie
holds them responsible for that degree
of wickedness which made it just and
necessary to give them over to this
hardness of heart and blindness of mind.
And since there are wicked men and
lying spirits, tliey become fit instru
ments in deceiving and tormenting each
other; and therefore God gives them
power and liberty to go abroad, “ de-:
ceiving and being deceived.” But how
does this prove that God hath decreed
sin ? The idea that God hath made
sin and wicked spirits the instruments
of Iiardening and tormenting the incor
rigible sinner, and finally of shutting
the door of hope against him, has no
kind of affinity to the idea that he de
creed the sin which occasioned tills
hardness, or ordained the wickedness
of this lying spirit.
As to the passage from the Acts,
none of us deny hut that Jesus Christ
was delivered up to suffer 'and die, by
the determinate counsel and foreknowl
edge of God; but it is most emphatically
denied tliat this or any other scripture
proves that the taking and slaying of
Jesus Christ by wicked hands, was the
result of the determinate counsel and
foreknowledge of God. If any think
otherwise, let them prove it.
Having stated, and, as Our time
would permit, examined the arguments
in favor of the sentiment we are oppos
ing, we are prepared to urge against
this doctrine, not only that its argu
ments are unsound and insufficient, but
also that the system itself is liable to
the most serious and formidable objec
tions.
1. This doctrine of predestination
makes God the author of sin. Some
acknowledge this, and expressly assert
that God is the “ efficient cause” of sin.
Others affirm it in fact, while they de
ny it in word. Take for instance the
words of Calvin. “ I will not scruple
to own,” he says, “ that the will of God
lays a necessity on all things, and that
every thing he wills necessarily comes
to pass.” In accordance with this,
Piscator, Dr. Twiss, Peter Martyr, and
others tell us that “ God procures adul
tery, cursings, and lyings”—God, is
the author of that act which is evil”—
“ God, by his workings on the hearts
of the wicked, blinds them and stirs
them to do evil.” They deny, how
ever, that God is the author of sin, be
cause they say, “ God necessitates them
to act, and not to the depravity of sin:”
or, tnat “ God does not sin when he
makes men sin, because he is under no
law, and therefore cannot sin.” But
these are miserable shifts. Has not
tile deformitg of sin come to pass ?—
Then God has decreed this deformity.
To deny this, is to give up the doctrine.
But to acknowledge it, is to own that
God is as much the author of the de
formity as he is of the act. Again,
God doubtless decreed that sin should
be sin, and not holiness ; and it came
to pass as sin, because it was so de
creed. Is he not then the direct pro
curing cause ? A thousand turns of this
kind, therefore, are nothing but eva
sions. The/at of God brought forth
sin as certainly as it made the world.
lYc are often told, when we quote
Calvin and his cotemporaries, that
these are old authors; that modern
Calvinists do not hold thus, and that
they ought not to be made accountable
for these writers. But the fact is, we
make them accountable only for the
logical consequences of their own doc
trine. The whole system turns on this
hinge, “ God foreordains whatsoever
comes to pass.” For he that, by his
will and decree, produces and causes
sin, that makes sin a necessary part of
of his plan, and is the author of the
very elements and materials of his own
plan, must be the proper and sole cause
of sin, or wo have yet to learn the de
finition of common words, and the
meaning of plain propositions. The
distinction, therefore, of ancient
aud modern, of rigid and moderate
Calvinists, is more in word than in re
ality. And it would add much to the
consistency of this system, if all its ad
vocates would acknowledge, what is ev
idently deducible from the premises,
that God is the efficient cause of sin.
2. This doctrine of predestination
destroys the free agency, and of course
the accountability of man. That it
destroys free will was seen and acknowl
edged by many predestinarians of the
old school. Ami the opposers of Mr.
Wesley and Fletcher violently assailed
them on this subject. Mr. Southey
informs us, in his Life of Wesley, tha"t
the Calvinists called this doctrine of
free will, “ a cursed doctrine”.—“ the
most God-dishonoring and soul-destroy
ing doctrine of the day”—“one of the
prominent features of the beast”—“the
enemy of God”—“the offspring of the
wicked one”—“ the insolent brat of
hell.” Others, and the greater part
of the Calvinists of the present day,
endeavor to reconcile the ideas of ne
cessity and free agency. Man, they,
say, sins voluntarily, because he choos
es or wills to sin; therefore he is a free
agent. Hence they exhort sinners to
repent, and tell them they can repent
if they will. By which they mean, the
only impossibility of their repenting is
in their -will—their cannot is their will
not. This has led many to think that
there is no difference between their
preachers and the Arminiana. But let
us look at this subject a little, and see
if there is not some sophistry concealed
in this dexterous coil of words. God,
according to this doctrine, secures'the
end as well as the means, by the de
cree of predestination. And therefore,
as Calvin says, “every action and mo
tion of every creature is governed by
the hidden counsel of God.” The will,
therefore, in all its operations, is gov
erned and irresistibly controlled by
some secret impulse, some fixed and all
controlling arrangement. It is alto
gether futile, then, to talk about free
agency under such a constitution : the
very spring of motion to the whole in
tellectual machinery is under the influ
ence of a secret, invincible power. And
it must move as that power directs ;—-
for it is the hand of Omnipotence that
urges it on. He can act as ho ivills, it
is true, but the whole responsibilty con
sists in the violation, and this is the re
sult of God’s propelling power. He
wills as he is made to will.—he chooses
as he must choose, for the imniutible
decree of Jehovah is upon him. And
can a man, upon the known and univer
sally acknowledged principles of res
ponsibility, be accountable for such a
violation ? It is argued, I know, that
man is responsible, because he feels that
he acts freely, and that he might have
done otherwise. To this I reply, that
this is a good argument, on our princi
ples, to prove that men are free—but,
on the Calvinistic ground, it only proves
that God hath deceived us. He has
made us feel that we might do other
wise, but he hnows we cannot—has
demanded we shall not. So that, in
fact, this argument makes the system
more objectionable. While it does not
change the fact in the case, it attrib
utes deception to the Almighty. It is
logically true, therefore, from this doc
trine, that man is not a free agent, and
therefore not responsible. A moral
agent, to be free, muet be possessed of
a self-determining principle. Make
the wilt any thing short of tins, and
you put all the volitions, and of course
the whole moral man, under foreign and
irresistible influences.
S. Another strong objection to the
doctrine we oppose, is, it arrays God’s
secret decrees against his revealed word.
God commands men not to sin, and yet
ordains that they shall sin. In his
word, he sets before them, in striking
relief, motives of fear and of hope, for
the express purpose, as he informs us,
“ that they sin notbut, by his pre-
destinatien and secret counsel, he irre
sistibly impels them in an opposite
course for the express purpose, as this
doctrine informs us, to secure their
transgression. His rule of action is in
direct opposition to our rule of duty.—
And yet he is the author of both ! I^
God at war with himself, or is he sport
ing and trifling with his creatures ? Or
is it not more probable than either, that
the premises arc false ? When or where
has God ever taught us that he has two
opposing wills ? A character so sus
picious, to say the least of it, ought not,
without the most unequivocal evidence,
to be attributed to the adorable Jehovah.
In his word we are tanglit that he is
“ of one mind”^—that his “ ways are
equal;” and who can doubt it? We
are told, it is true, to relievo the diffi-
ciilty, that this seeming contradiction is
one of the mysteries of Gods incompre
hensible nature. But it is not a seem
ing^ contradiction, it is a reed one ; not
an insolvablo mystery, but a palpable
absurdity. Crod prohibits the sinfid
act—God ordains and procures the
sinful act—God wills the salvation of
the reprobate, 'luhom he has from all
eternity irreversibly ordained to eter
nal deedh ! When I can embrace such
opposite propositions by calling them
mysteries, I can believe that two and
two are more than four, that all the
parts are less than the wliolo, and tliat
a thing may be made to exist and not
exist at the same time ; and explain
them by reference to the mystery of
God’s incomprehensible nature.
4. In close connection with the fore
going objections, it may be added, that
this system mars, if it does not destroy,
the moral attributes of God. If he
holds men responsible for what is una
voidable—if he makes laws and then
impels men to break them, and finally
punishes them for their transgressions
—if he mourns over the evils of the
world, and expostulates with sinners,
saying,^ “ How can I give thee up—my
heart is melted within me, my repent-
ings are kindled together,”—“ 0 Jeru
salem ! Jerusalem! how oft would I
have gathered you, and ye would not,”
—and still he himself “ impels the will
of men” to all this wickedness—if, I
say, God does all this, where is his ve
racity ? Where is his mercy ? Where
is his justice? What more could be
said of the most merciless tyrantt—
What of the most arrant hypocrite ?
What of Satan himself ? What does
this doctrine make of our heavenly Fa
ther ? I shudder to follow it out into
its legitimate bearings. It seems to
me, a belief of it is enough to drive one
to infidelity, to madness, and to death.
If the supporters of this system must
adhere to it, I rejoice that they can
close their eyes against its logical con
sequences, otherwise it would make them
wretched in the extreme, or drive them
into other dangerous theoretical errors.
Indeed in many instances it has done
this—which leads to another objection
to this doctrine.
5. It puts a plea into the mouth of
sinners to justify themselves in their
sins, and leads to Universalism and in
fidelity. They reason thus:—What
ever God decrees is according to his
will, and therefore right. And God
will not punish his creatures for doing
right. Whatever God decrees is un
avoidable, and God will not punish his
creatures for what is unavoidable. But
“ every action and motion of every crea
ture is governed by the hidden counsel
of God.” Therefore God will not pun
ish any of his creatures for any of their
acts. Now, who can point out any fal
lacy in this reasoning ? If, therefore,
predestination be true, Lhiivcrsalism is
true, according to the universally ac
knowledged principles of justice. And
it is a notorious fact, that modern llni-
versalism, wliioh is prevailing so gene
rally through the country, rests for its
chief support on the doctrine of predes
tination Oth(>i'.s iTaving seen, as they
thought, that the Scriptures would not
support the do’etrine of Hniversalisin,
and that matter of fact seemed to con
tradict the above reasoning, inasmuch
as men are made to suffer, even in this
life, for their sins, have leaped over all
scriptural bounds into infidelity and
philosophical necessity. I have per
sonally known numbers who have been
driven, by the doctrines we object to,
into open infidelity. And it is well
known that the doctrine of fate, whicii
is closely allied to Calvinian predesti
nation, is the element in wiiich infidel
ity “ lives and moves and has its be
ing.” And can this be the doctrine of
the Bible ? How much is it to be re
gretted that our worthy pilgrim fathers
should have sowed this Geneva seed in
our happy country ! The evils done
to the church are incalculable.
These,-enjidij hearers, are .some of
the objections wo have to this doctrine
—objections so serious, and, as we
think, so obvious, that you may well
ask. What has induced good men to
advocate it so long ? It is, doubtless,
becliuse it stands connected intimately
with the doctrine of unconditional elec
tion, and what have been called by
Calvinists “ the doctrines of grace.
But for unconditional election, predes
tination would not bo desired, oven by
those who now hold to it; and but for
predestination, unconditional election
could not be maintained. Hence tliese
have very properly been called “twin
doctrines,” and must stand oi”fall to
gether. Let us pass, then, to the next
proposition.
[to be continued.]
MrlE,
a.
Curiosities of the French Crystal Palace.
You have heard of the famous bird
cage of Tahaii, which was at the same
time a cage, a fountain and a parterre ;
and they have told you of the lock which
presents 3,674,385 combinations: Hu-
ret passed a intfidred and twenty eight
nights in locking it, and Fichet was 4
months in unlocking it; now tliey can
neither shut nor open it. But those
curiosities are nothing to what I discov
ered. I have seen prodigious articles
of furniture, and utensils whose eccen
tricity has given me a vertigo ; tables
which would change into bathing tubs,
screens, arm-chairs, and warS-robes;
which could be transformed into wine
cellars, nighi;(i!resses and guitars.
I do not ipeak of the toy-makers of
Nuremberg and Tyrol. They have
reached the culminating point of tlic
fabulous ; the apogee of the impossible.
One of them has inclosed in a cherry
stone a plan ef Sebastopol, a railway
station, and the “ Messiah” of Klop-
stook'
A manufacturer of Liverpool has ex
hibited a pair of razors, which serve at
once as an umbrella,, hair-briisli, wash
stand, barometer and coffee mill.
But nothing equals the charming
things which I discover in the American
section. A New York mechanic has
sent a musical clock, which indicates the
time, strikes the hours, turns the spit,
shakes up the bed, churns the milk and
rocks the cradle.
A workman of Philadelphia exhibits
at)-£xiceme4j|;,.ciilKi.ous .article ; seen in
front, it is a hand-organ , from the side,
it is a sauce,pan ; from above, it is a
bed-chamber ; from beneath, it is an
inkstand.
French kidustry has not remained
inactive, but it attains eccentricity in a
more modest degree. France knows
the height of the sublime, and attempts
to reach it, but fearing ridicule, its
chronic malady, it stops halfway.
I would notice, however, a penknife
exhibited by a cutler of Chatellerault.
This little instrument has six hundred
blades, and four hundred handles. You
might carry it about with you—in a
knapsack.
Let us not forget our brave city of
Rouen, which has sent a stick of candy
six miles long. From want of space
they were obliged to cut it into furlongs.
Its fivigmenif avpinnentr'd the machine
gallery ; the commissioner mistook them
for gas pipes.—Foreign Paper.
At the Tub.—You need not blush
dear madam, if we have caught you in
the suds. It gives us more joy to see
one wring dirt out of a pinafore than
to hear her ring music out of a piano
forte, or meloJeon. We have known
ladies—as they call themselves—to be
in a terrible state of feeling when a
stranger called and they were not dress
ed up “to th9 teeth” to receive him.—
They would turn red or pale, and be at
their wit’s ends to know what to do ;
and sometimes—we will tell the truth
—sometimes they have been wicked
enough to send ivord to the door that
they were not in.
We must speak against such pride,
and that w.tong feeling which prompts
young wotnsn never to wash, or mend
the holes in the heels of their stock
ings. Not a fig would we give for such
girls ! What are they good for but to
keep in a glass case and look at ? A
man who chooses such for a companion
will rue the day of his choice and re
pent in dust and ashes. Sure there
are hindrances enough to useful labor
without being ashamed of it, or pre-
teading to be !
• From the Js’4ashville Christian Advocate.
Young Preachers.
The annual Conferences, lately in
session, admitted on trial quite a large
number of young men, many of Whom
are reported to bo not only pious and
zealous, but unusually promising on ac
count of their talents and special fit
ness for the itinerancy. These young
men, with the other under-graduates
in the travelling connection, deserve
particular consideration. They con
stitute an important element in the
Church of Christ; for, if faithful,
they are destined, by the blessing of
God, to acliieve wonders in spreading
truth and holiness among mankind,—
Indeed, when we think of the vast field
open to them in this latter half of the
nineteenth century, a_nd forecast the
successes possible to tlTem, and the re
wards in store far surpassing those at
tainable in any other department of
human labor, we are profoundly im
pressed with the conviction that the
young preachers of this day possess
opportunities the most favorable, and
at the same time, the most responsible,
of all that have ever occurred in the
world’s history. The prospect which
brightens before them is encouraging
in the highest degree ; though every
thing, so far as they are concerned,
depends upon their fidelity to God and
to the work to which ho has called
them. In view of this state of tilings
they should have the fervent prayers
ami prudent counsels of Christians,
and especially of their brethren in the
ministry. Such helps they desire and
long for, with an earnestness which
none can fully appreciate, except those
who have preceded them in the expe
rience of similar labors and trials.
To young men converted and called
of God, and already engaged in the
work of preaching the gospel, either
on circuits or in stations, we might say
much in reference to their personal ex
perience and practice of religion, and
particularly in reference to the dis
charge of their immediate and press
ing duties, as pastors of the flock of
Christ. But, at present, we prefer to
follow another train of thought ; ive
wish to urge them to study—and that
too, to purpose—to learn ivhat to preach
and hoiv to preach, that they may
make able ministers of the New Testa
ment—able to banish errors and here
sies, and to convey the Truth of God,
pure and unmixed, to the understand
ing, and heart, and conscience, and
to impress it there by the Divine Spirit
that souls may be saved and God be
glorified. Now, we have no banners
to raise, and no trumpets to sound,
about the inarch of science, and the
advance of knowledge, and the pro
gress of refinement, in these last days.
But we hold that, whatever may be the
field of labor—whether the people are
civilized or barbarous, scholars or dun
ces—the young preacher is bound to
seek diligentl}^ an extensive and accu
rate knowledge of the Holy Scriptures;
and he is bound also to seek diligently
an extensive and accurate knowledge
of mankind in their relations to God
and to each other. These branches
of knowledge he must, likewise, learn
to teach with correctness, readiness,
and impressiveness. We hold, more
over, that the young preacher is bound
to employ, as far as possible, all agen
cies, sacred and secular, human no
less than divine, that will help him in
his great work—every thing that will
discipline his faculties and increase his
resources—every thing that will bring
truth in its light, and power to his own
mind, and assist him in conveying it to
the minds of others. This course is
absolutely obligatory. It is deducible,
as a duty, from the teachings of tlie
the Holy Scriptures ; and it is confirm
ed as a necessity by reason, observa
tion, and experience. Moreover, it is
enforced by the authority of the Cliiirch
which prescribes a course of stiidjq
comprehensive in its range, though not
too extensive to be pursued with suc
cess by the young preacher who hear
kens to every advice, grea.t arid small,
in the Book of Discipline. But we
hasten to another point, without dwel
ling on these truisms ; and wo will only
add, that ho, who could object to the
views here presented would be chargea
ble with an absurdity, which, if its ef
fects were only equal to its folly, would
drive Christianity back into the dark
ages, and plunge the world into bar
barism.
In prosecuting his studies, the young
preacher will meet difficulties. Many
of them ho can overcome ; and the
effort, crowned with success, will
strengthen and cheer him. But others
will be too hard for his powers. What
must he do ? Yield to them, and re-
a in ignorance ? Never. Rather
let him seek help—let him have a teach
er. Here, some perceive a necessity
for a change, if not an improvement,
in the method of preparing for the min
istry common among us ; but on this
subject we have nothing to say at this
time,-as we wish to advise, in reference
to the best means now available, for
the accomplishment of the object de
sired in behalf of the young preacher.
We would therefore suggest, that, if
he has a colleague able to help him, he
should depend upon him for assistance;
or, if not, it may be that the Presiding
Elder is within reach, or a superannu
ated, or a supernumerary, or a local
preacher, who could and would assist
him. And, in default of all these, an
intelligent layman certainly could be
found, who would be very serviceable
to the young preacher. Let him then
have a friend on whom he can rely,
and let that one thus engaged feel that
he is doing a work for God ; and the
{young preacher will soon show the ad
vantage of such an aiixiliaiy in the
improvement which he will exhibit as a
minister of the go.spol. We earnestly
recommend this plan ; and it may
be that the general adoption of it,
consistent as it is witli the earliest
teachings of the Church, would result
in the development of a system fully
competent to supply deficiencies that
have become the subject of frequent
complaint.
We are prompted to offer these views
by the ardent desire which we feel for
the prosperity of tho Church, and for
the usefulness of those young men on
■whom ivill be devolved, in a few years
the work now performed by their fath
ers and brethren in the ministry. We
pray that, for responsibilities and du
ties so momentous, they may be well
qualified by the use of every possible
agency, and especially by the copious
baptism of the Holy Ghost; and we
A New Kind of Slave Ttade.
A letter from Calloa, Peru, says:
“The only business transacted at
present is the seliing of Chinese slaves,
landing from American and English
ships. Language is inadequate to ex
press the horrible condition of these
miserable wretches. Stolen from their
homes and families, smuggled on ship
board without their consent, on the pas
sage treated like brutes, they are
brought to this coast and sold to men
who have no mercy, for a nominal term
of eight years, although in many in
stances no term of service is mention
ed. An American ship sailed from
China with six hundred and five, and
landed four hundred and four, leaving
two liundred and one, who either died or
drowned themselves on the passage.—
The average price realized for this car
go of human flesh was two hundred
and fifty dollars [§250] per head.-
pray, too, that now, and during tlie j The horrors of the African slave trade,
year before them they may increase iiv in its palmiest days, wmre nothiim to
wisdom and knowledge, and he abun-^ be compared to this, for in other coiin-
*intly successful in winning souls to; tries there are laws for tho protection of
Chnst and m building up the Church the slave ; but here the master is cloth-
° ed with absolute authority* and can gov-
ern his sl.aves as he sees fit. How men
Are You Tempted? ^vith souls and any human feeling, can
Has Satan folded his pinions in your engage in so nefarious a business, I am
path, in the guise of an Angel of Light' at loss to conceive ; and yet this ves-
just sent from the mercy seat ? Has s«l is owned by white men.”
he then ventured upon your admira-|
tion, and shaken pearls from his plumes, 1 ^ Queer Story.—Is it True .s’—Judge
like dew drops from the wings of an and Ju Ige Wasliinglon were on
eagle, and offered you ail, and more, !"'“J Yeruon, uttonded by a
for one vow of allegiance and service ? i "'>'o ''ad the cluirgeef a large port-
1 niaiitoau oontaiijiug theirciotlies.
ge port-
At their
1 • r £ , r T 1 • . ; hist stopping place, there happened to be" a
den m her first bloom, showering roses with a p-.ck of goods which
at your feet, holding the sparkling
chalic to your lips, and claiming, in
blandest tones, a share in your affec
tions ? And, more to be dreaded than
cither or both, have you lioard the si
lence and solitude of your soul startled
by the voice of your own passions.
re^eulbled their porltuanteau. The roads
were very dusty, and a little before reach
ing the Geueral’.s, they, thinking it hardly
respectful to present themselves as they
were, stopped in a neighboring wood to
change their clothes. The colored man
got down his portmanteau, and just as they
prompting you, with all earnestness, to i PreP^red themselves for their new gar-
tormented by night, until you are al
most ready to yield—but still resisted,
looking onward to heaven ? If so, I be
seech you, turn not away from the sub
lime contemplation.
Blessed be God ! I have ‘good ne'ws’
for you from that “far country.” There
’s no tempter in heaven I On earth,
every land, every city, every house
is open to tho visitation. Nay, eve
ry heart is constantly expposed to
some insidious solicitor. Even Eden
-the garden of the Lord—and tho
heart of Evo—the purest that ever
beat in the bosom of woman—were
not safe from the foul incursion. Alas
for us that the tempter succeeded!
Hence all our sin and shame and ivoo.
But in heaven tlie eye never sees, the
car never hears, the mind never knows,
and the heart never fools the form or,. , , . , , ■ ,
yoice the thought or sense of any |
temptation. “I ear not! says he who ;
was once “tempted in all points like as
They were so much struck
by tho consteination of their servant, and
the ludicrousiies.s of their own position, be
ing there naked, that they burst into loud
and repeated shouts of laughter. Wash
ington, who happened to be out upon his
ground,! near by, hoard the noise and camo
to .see what might be the occasion of it,
when, finding his friends in that strange
plight, he wa.s so overcome with laughter,
that he actually rolled upon the ground.
A large p.arty of persons are about to re
move from Boston to Georgia, where they
have purchased a fine tract of land which
includes a good water po.ver, ready for im
mediate use. They propose to build a
manufacturing town, which shall soon be
come a city ; and cariying with them, as
they will, New Englami energy, ingenuity
and aptimde for thrift, they can hardly fall
rhort of full suoee,ss. They propose to
sake out quite a number of new and prae-
wc, yet without sin.” “Fear not!”
CIRCULAR,
says the Saviour, and his joyful people ; a book for every southern metiiodist.
march along on the hill-tops of glory, I Early in 1856, probably in tho month
singing as they march. j ‘’f February, I expect to publish a new work
Be of good courage, therefore, oh ' pm'ricular features of which I beg
tempted one ! Say to your soul, “The i ^^'tentiun.
Lord is my light and my salvation, \ Annals of Southern 3Ietlwdism, for
whom shall I fear ; the Lord is the ' 1855,
strength of my life, of whom shall I be be a 12 mo. volume of not les.s than
afraid?” Only resist the devil, and 360 pages, well printed, from sUrcotype
he will flee from you. Only neglect /P™ good paper. It will contain
rbe avnvLl will =^vaihible Statistics in c
tho world, and the world will soon
resign you to the company of religion.' ,
i (if the operations of the
every department
r, J- -If. - i" , c . X f. METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, SOUTH,
Only deny yourself, and the Spirit of i q'i,g embraces tho Flan of Episco-
bhiist ^\ui saiely conduct' you to the , pa,l visitation j accounts ot" the sessions of
bowers of perfect peace.—Stockton. ; all the Conferences held in 1855, the ap-
I pointmerits, cumbers, &c.; a summary of
Locked Jaw.-TIig oldest case of;
thisdiseasewhichstandsreoorded, mustlrx " Up* ® °
, ^ P , , „ , I Commencements, with all else connected
be that referred to by a Scotch clergy- | our educational movements ; 'i re-sume
man, who while preaphmg to his con-! of our Mission-u-y operation- embracing
giegation on the subject of Daniel in j whatever seems of general intcre-t in that
the lion’s den, and his miraoulous de-; dep irtmem ; the movements of the Tract
liverance from so imminent a peril, thus j and Sunday School Societies; whatever
proceeded: j appertains to our piiblisliitig interests, with
“And what d’ye think was the reason i anuouneeiiK-nts of all New Buok.-i publish-
why the lions dinna tear Daniel a’ to ‘i'} Coneern, nr vuitleu by S, uthera
pieces, and eat him up, eaven as a oat
eats up a mouse ? I daar’t say nane o’
ye can tell, noo. Very well, I’ll toll ye
how it was : The Laird above, he gin
’em the locked jatv !”
A Novel Answer.—A few Sabbaths
since in a town in the vicinity of tliis
city, a teacher of a Sunday School was
engaged in questioning his pupils upon
subjects conaected with their previous
studies in the Bible. At last, turning
to a young Irishman, a member of the
class, he asked “What Adam lost by
his fall!” Pat fora few moments was
apparently in a brown study, but at
last his face brightened as he interro
gatively replied : “An’ was it his hat,
sir?”—Boston Traveller.
Tw'O young ladies were singing a duet.
A stranger turned to his neighbor, say
ing : “Does not the lady in white sing
wretchedly?” “Excuse me, sir,” re
plied he, “I hardly feel at liberty to
express my sentiments; she is my sis
ter.” “I beg your pardon, sir,” an
swered in much confusion, “I mean the
lady in blue.” “You are perfectly right
there,” replied the neiglibor, “I have
often told her so myself; she is my
wife.”
A colored servant sweeping out a
hotel boarder’s room, fround a sixpence,
which he carried to its owner : “You
may keep it for your honesty,” said he.
Shortly after, he lost his gold, pencil-
case, and enquired of the servant if lie
had seen it. “Yes sar,” said the darkey.
“And what did you do with it? “I
keep um for my honesty,” said the
darkey, with entire simplicity.
Motliodi^ts; wliat the Church is doing for
thy iusU-uction of Slavi-s; Ili.storical and
Biographical E.s.siiys; iiiteresting personal
reminiscences; aud a miscellanv of impor
tant facts and incidents.
THE “ A.NNAL.S,”
It is believed, will be a fair and full da.vuer-
risotype of the progress of Southern Metho
dism.
It will occur to you at once, that if I
have succeeded in preparing this volume
with any reasonable amount of skill, it will
not only he a very agreeable book fur pre
sent reading, but that every year will add
to its value as showing the posture of Sou
thern Methodism at this particular juncture
of its history.
Tins DIGEST
Will bo specially valuable as a Book of re
ference. To whatever question of general
interest may arise in regard to the events
of 1855, it is hoped that a sati.sfaetory an
swer will bo found in the Annals.
WWlo it is believed that the Ministers
in our Cliurch will desire copies as soon as
they can be obtained, I have paid regard
to what I supposed to be the tastes of gener
al readers. The older members of the
Church will find sketches that carry them
back to their earlier compeers, a.s in this
departineut I have not restricted myself to
the history of the year, but have collected
whatever has a[peared during the year,
which, as history and biography, preserves
the memoirs of the old(-n time, aud of tho
early men of Soutliern Methodiem.
The work will be published at One Dol
lar a copy. Tho.se who subscribe in ad
vance, shall receive tho first copies issued
from the press, A gold dollar pasted in a
letter can be sent securely and is prefera
ble to bills of disiant banks. Those of the
banks in North and South Carolina will be
as good as gold. In return a copy will be
sent well wrapped and pve paid.
My address is Goldsboro’, N. C.
CHARLES F. DEE?dS.
Dec. 29,