Newspapers / North Carolina Christian Advocate … / July 15, 1858, edition 1 / Page 1
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PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY A COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS FOE THE METHODIST EFIS COPAL CHURCH, SOUTH. RUFUS T. HEFLIH", Editor. Vol. XXX....sa. 28. EALEIGH, THTJESDAY, JIT LY 15, 185S. SI 50 a year, in advance. In a tDriginnl. T t!il N- C. Christian Aiivin-Mtp NORMAL COLLEGE. TO HIE MEMBKK? OF THE XORTII CARO LINA ANNUAL CONFER EXCE." Dear Brethren: Tl , , iiion. a lie course w5 7 Ty reference to th -d (they being the;Jthat of om. beg he lsiting Commit-1- i n i on the undersigne only members of th tpo onr-nl.f 1 l, .. ii , ' ' ciusujv auneieu 10 in me regular uui- lee appointed by vour body at its bt i i mi ?- ...,, ,.. , - - , , t Mege classes. The examinations are session, who were present at the late! ,, , , . , mm Lom. 'l"tn' t,1,, ate, rigid and thorough. ISo student is al Lommencemcm at formal Col ege.) to i i ronnrt tn .i i c i - ' lowed to remain in any department, report to you the result of their mves-j , , -.,, ' ! r" 7t T 1 "'and this is ascertained by a daily Fac- P J i gl'W:ng7 1,iStltJUt!0n; . ! ultv meeting in the evening. A truth I .u-y oeg leave to do so through the fulrecor(l 0f the de of ach stmlent. lv i rather than defer it to r.ext te.- tor the obvious reason, he t.i-it the important lucts and statements properly- embodied m a report of this embodied in a report of this kind, should !,r I.ii.l bpfnrn mil -ithI tho ' . " " 1,.1 i:iiu:cii:,lil'll. ill OlliCI ll.UL UlUSe f.u, i ' , - , , P , .ao have the special oversight of the ,vn r , vunege may secure your reauv co- ,T- i . " " r operation and support 111 carrying for- i,t t ' , r " , . , i i , : are ueemed necessary to eminent sue- J i ce: our Committee, on looking more narrowly into the duties and responsi : ,.1 .1 1 1 .1 buitic3 imposed upon them by their appointment, found them to be far more delicate and important than usu ally devolve upon Visiting Committees, and at once adJressed themselves to! the task of discharging them to best of ther ability, and m bringing to 1 r P 0 1 ; your notice such facts as we judge ad.- visable for the information of our peo- ' , ..1 vi- x i -i pie and the public, we may take a wider i ranje taan would be necessary, if this 1 l . , t . X : lepcrt were presented simHv for Cor-: ference action. , ii' r e propose, tnereiore,, to present the facts important to be known and understood in reference to Normal College, in the following order : 1. Ownership. You are aware, that after fall consultation with legal counsel, a contract was entered into by your body at Greensboro' in Novem ber, 1850, with the Board of Trustees, by which on certain conditions fully complied with at the time, the College was placed under the control of the r'n..i;-.. t 1 , , ', J tnereairer having the sole power of 'v 7 t. 11 nommafng Irustecs to fill all vacan - ,, , e .3 . t- cies in tne Loanl. fcaid contract con- icr-ed "rov. a : siting Committee an-; 1 i .1 p nually appointed hx the Conference. t -t 1 , m , - all the rights and powers of lrustees. ; . " 1 . - money, and the election of new Professors necessa- '. ry, before said election could take ef feet ; providing at the same time, that no transfer of the property of the Col lege should be made to the Conference, until such time as the Conference thought proper to remove the mortgage from the property, winch held it piedg- ed for the pament of the State loan of ; SilOOOO. j n .( 1 . lour Committee were gratified to r. , , . , - c Ti- 4. v v.. ..... u .v -ni . t j-:'' 1 11 e e 1 . tv the collection ot iunds, to meet the r .1 r tl, wants of the growing patronage of the T c . i- v Institution, or to relieve the property c ' -co- 1 1 J of tne mortgage. Efficient measures 1 7 i. 1 v .1. t 1 were, however, adopted by the Board . . ' i 1 -5 n at its last meeting, in which your Com- .1 1 r mittee neartilv concurred, to accom- plish these objects. F ii. Faculty. The present Faculty c i t I t. i 7 r consists of the President, three Profes - 1 . rn t- sors and two lutors, constituting a -r. irT..- r it Board of Instruction of rare qualifica - - Pr.r. -f- tL fill Tk tions tor tne posts tney nil. Iney are 1 1 voung men comparatively, having rep- " , -.- i- rr i -k 1 f..;r utit'oiis to rear. Jut it solid attain-;, m 3 1 patient and laborious research, , ' ... ,i u, v, iiiu l-ii ui irau ai mis ear- it 1 i -ii . CJ iwith commodious Halls for the feocie- and hard work, will secure reputation,. , ... pit 1 i-i .1 mm ties, and a suitable room for the Lab- a high position awaits them. I hey are! ' ,, , . 1 r .1 - 11 1 1 1 oratory, sc., are what cannot much mating their mark deeply; which is , 1 .1 -1 1 . A i longer e dispensed with, seen in the rapid improvement m the ; 0 pcholarship, high bearing and gentle- j i). Plans. The Board have rcsol inanly deportment of the students. ved to raised 50,000 in instalments But they are worked too hard, and a-lof one, two and three years, 3 early rangements are on foot to increase the as possible; and have appointed Rev. Faculty, so soon as it can be done with John N. Andrews their Agent, to safety. raise the funds, with the co-opera- 3. Patronage. Since the connec- tion of the President of the College, tion of the College with the Conference, 'Rev. Braxton Craven. Will not our we are happy to say, its patronage has! friends second the call promptly? The rapidly increased. There were 238 i Agents will commend themselves to matriculates the past year, a large in- j the public by their christian and gen crease upon 1 the year previous, but not tlemanly bearing, wherever they go, so large as it would have been, if pro- jand their noble cause must provoke the vision had been made to accommodate j liberality of our people. Upon you, them. About COO we learn applied for j brethren of the Conference, much will admission, but accommodations were j depend. You cannot need a word from inadequate. A most urgent and pres-jyour Committee, to prompt you to your sing responsibility then, rests upon the ! duty. friends of the College to provide this! T , . , mTY,,i.,f:r, - t t c In conclusion, your Committee beg accommodation at once. It is conn-!, .V-7 , , , i,, i .1 1 1- 1 .1 1 ii j (leave 10 say, that much might be added dently believed the number would ad-1 . , ',, . &" z, . , ..-.-.. i . i in regard to the merits and efficiency vance to 400 students the coming year, ! r-T -j 1 i: 1 1 . 1 ,01 its President and xaculty, of the if suitable arrangements were made. , , , , -j . . Vr 1 1 ,ii ;tt t v m, . ! sound scholarship of the Institution, e ask, shall it not be done: lhese: . . . - r . . facts are remarkable, but do not aston- !ofthe ,ntertst'S services of the late ish those conversant with the character j commencement -of the very gratifying t.- rni 1 1 1 ! performances of the graduating class, ot the institution. The strong hold , . fa .7. ' . , 1 rP .- &c, but as these matters will meet the faculty have upon the anections , ' t, , , , , , c, f s . , . ; your eye through other channels, be am! confidence of the students the, -I J , . . ' . , . . xt. 1 el fore you read our communication, we evident improvement in the morals 01 1 r , J ,T . . , ' ... . 1 , . iTL forbear. W e content ourselves with the young men who remain there any , . . , f , . r i 1 - 1 time the firm, prompt administration V v e i. 1 -. rfiaiinlinA thi phonnnoca rr hiarn and tuition compared with other Col leges its healthy location the una nimity which prevails in the neighbor- jhocd in ita support, and its system of j receiving students at any stage of ad ; vancenient, which seems to work ad rairably, are causes which will readily account for this rapid influx of patron- age. ; 4. Scholarship. We were highly gratified at the very marked improve- ment in the scholarship of the Institu tion, ihe course of study you will see e Catalogue, is equal best institutions, and it 1 -i i n - i i i , h tiu aitti cuiivtciiL Li niii jivt ' ui i , : is kept, and is open to the inspection A,.i .n i . ,.- i i i T10n The classes had just passed this l ll T,T-1 scorching ordeal. Each class had to , pairs an approved examination on ah f; i- rj .1 . mi itiie studies ot the entire year. The r .1 n 1 -v. e.auiinaiiuu 01 me college Classes eaen, : 1 c ii A 1 riii. eunsuiiieu noui liiree iu six nours. j.ne c 1 1 1 j bonier class had passed an examination 1 a short time beforethis, on the entire course. Never betore was the test so searching, and yet never before did so many of the students obtain first dis tinction. 5. Moral Influence. Many of j the students are decidedly pious, and a healthier, wider moral influence we . . be accounte tjiat ? 1 iiiic ucvci oct'ii any This may d for somewhat from the not only 13 good moral con- 1 3 t .. : j 1 t. unci a m uisiit, aim eiuurceu uy ine 1 1 i . r . -c Jkr ,. 5, r and by the influence of the pious stu- ,.., ... ,. . aentsanatne citizens living contigu- . n TT .v nr , , . w. Q- Steward's Hall for the boarding of stu dents. They board, in families for a mile or more around, and are thus brought into constant association with a moral community. The fine moral influence now excited at Normal, is its strong feature, and gives it a high claim upon the patronage and support of the Church and community. 6. Normal Character. I; must not be concluded from the name of the Institution and the authority given by ! x 1 . . .-c . e i- ; the charter to give certificates of quah- , R , . , P . . . , 1 .. . ification to students to teach, that it 13 - 1 1 i v ' i v " 1 ? 1 iu uiiui a couiiuoii or niiru school e . , 1 . , . 0 . . . regret to learn that this opinion should n . . . fTi . ... , prevail to an extent. It is a libel .1 T -w- 1 ose who intend to become teachers, have special and efficient instructions to that end, but the College classes are required to pass through as extensive and thorough a course of literary train ing, as in any of our older institutions ; while those who do not desire to take this course are prepared for any voca tion. r." rw.,-,.-, t 1 .1 ancls. Lncler tl: le extraor- dinary management of the President. . j . , , , the Institution has been kept free from itmbarrassment Its only debt is the State loan of S10,000. The interest on this has been regularly paid, the , - c - , , ,r ' claims 01 the racultv have been met, , - . , , ancl incidental expenses discharged. . r , v. . . feT ' out or the regular incomes of the In- ... - rp,0 . . - , . stitution. The salaries of the Faculty ... , , , t , . , , J are liberal, but not equal to the labor r , , performed, or what such men could 1 ., 111 m, , ; co.mina''1 elsewhere. They have ; h,Sher. airn.s-tl'a" mone the noble 1 cause in which they are laboring, i Q rpy , fe. . o. Wants. The Trustees of the f, io"rtnr,n , u-LCCO "l 1 Cohege need SaO.OOO at once, to meet ! iL 0 . , ' , r i t . ' tfie pressing demands of the Institution, .., 1 . it , , , Ine Apparatus roust oe enlarged and . .1 tiiiie improved suitable accommodations for ' , . , . , . uuaiuui dim juiiiinij; SLUUtllLa tilt! uetfu- , ,... . ., - ' l uiyyilCAJ v- Ol I V ii. 17 UiH4lil w luiiiiiiiii" uciuic you suuu labia ua uci- 1 . fe 0 , e r tain more directly to the future pros- . perity of the College, thau those which relate to the past ; facts which we have derived from what we believe to be re- I liable sources, and from personal ob i servation. Finally, whatever may have been the opinions of either of your Commit tee, or of the public heretofore, as to the merits of this Institution and the qualifications of its Faculty, truth and justice compel us, after a careful inves tigation, to declare that we know no College in the land where parents and guardians may more safely send their boys, where their morals will be so certainly protected and improved, where they may obtain a more thorough, solid education, or where from the necessary habits of industry and labor formed at the College, they will be better fitted for the active duties of life. Such are i our present views of Normal College ; ; and if you, brethren, give it the foster i ing care 'and generou3 support which its merits demand, we anticipate for it a glorious future. ' All of which is respectfully submit ted, WILL. E. PELL, C. P. JONES, Visiting Committee. July 1st, 1858. For the X. C. Christian Advucate. A Remedy for Church Evils. : To a loose and negligent administra- j evi1 eJe- ec but few 'f any w;ou1d i tion must be ascribed, the failing and ' bo expelled non-attendance how I inefficiency of class meetings. Thatever strenuous the rue enforcing they are ma blighted condition, like i them' m,Sht be administered. Ine vegetation after a severe frost, must be j sourul convert would bring into these ! manifest to all who will take the trou-' meetings, a heart, that would feast up ible to cast their eyes abroad. Thejonthe exercises with an appetite, as j warning, life-giving rays of a faithful j endurm- as the spirit and practice of : administration have become more andllis self demal,and as keen as his thirst ; more feeble, leaving them to darkness ' for holiness. on -toco and blight. And no more will they ! RiJgeway, June 30, 1858. ; flourish with their green foliage and j - i golden fruit, until a faithful execution j Jew York Correspondence I of Discipline, shall rise again to the 1 j zenith, and pour upon them its steady, unclouded beams. In vain may the I press of our church send out for them, ! 119 oii tuiuiiiua 01 uuiogj , 111 vitui j may the pulpit flame ever and anon 1 with its stereotype praises. They lie j still, like a corpse at a funeral, under j the glowing strains of eloquence; or, if j they move at all, it is like the proces ! sion to the grave. How many churches ; can be found,. where thev have been j sleeping in the stillness of death, for lo, ! these many years. A class leader and ja few brethren, like solitary mourners, j go, at long intervals, to see if they are i awaked from their slumbers ; but they i s?e only a, few twitches of animal mo ! tion, while the galvanic battery is play- ling upon them; and departing they I ; question among themselves whether j and parties ; all should bo represented, ; there be any resurrection for them. an blessed, by it. Dr. Bunting, the ; Now,I fully believe that we are able, j great Methodist English divine for jwith the blessing of God, to restore over half a century, is no more ; he class meetings to the life and efficiency j died full of years, full of honors, and ; of their brightest dajs. It is common, ! fa 0f faith. The action of the Gene ; I know, to say of them that they were ' ral Conference in leaving out the rule suited to a former period, but are not j to the present. I excuse Methodists, ! who hold such sentiments, only on j j the ground, that they have never at- ! ; tended regularly the stated meetings I of j "-"- : a company of men, having the form, i d seeking the power of godliness, i : and united in order to pray together, to receive the word of exhortation, and to watch over one another, in love, that , tney may help each other to wortc out ever the fashion" leaves, the spiritu I their salvation; having such a desire to -l fi,m to di out ' Tn some .1 11 1 flee tlu wrath to come and be saved j sections the revival spirit is still mani jfmm their sins, really fixed in their j festin itself, and from the reports of ; hearts, as bears the fruits of conscien-; stock holders of circus companies it jtious conformity to the rules of the I seems, it has neatly lessened their j church. It is only to such a company ! profits thc past Spring ! Dr. Chee ! as this, that class meetings reveal their vers abolition church still refuses let I charms and diffuse their life and bless- i tna frt frfw trhilfi Dr. j cdness. The meetings of such a com- J I 1:1. 4.1, ii : r i. 1 pany are like the gatherings of the ; family group. Confidence, mutual in ! terest m each other, desire, on thc part ; :ot the elderly to instruct and com-1 jfort, a kind, humble bearing toward ; each other, bring heart to heart and banish hypocrisy and reserve. This I creates an atmosphere that warms the pious feelings of the heart into life and vigor, expands the desires an 1 set tles and confirms holy purposes. But these precious fruits cannot be gathered from the meetings of a com pany of men, not ' having the form,' that i?, not conforming to the rules,and not 'seeking the power of godliness,' that is,holincss of heart. Disobedience, that is. the neglect of known duties, now, as in the days of Adam, hides from God hutei the light because the deeds are evil. Such persons as diso bey the rules,if they be scriptural rules, cannot love class meetings, no more than they that -do evil can love the light. And if they attend, it must be with heart-felt reluctance. They are in a dread ; for disobedience has filled them with inward darkness. If they are permitted to sit there unobserved as in a dark corner, without taking part personally, they can endure, or even enjoy,the exercises, because there is no exposure of their own spiritual darkness. But most of the members are disobedient, and therefore, inward ly dark; how then, can we expect class meetings to live and to flourish ? The yery few who attend class meetings are quite as many as keep the rules of the church. And the variable atten dance of some of these shows the falter ing character of their obedience. Let us then, use the only means that can keep class meetings alive, and endow them with power to spread, as a mighty auxiliary of the ministry, scrip- - tural holiness over all these land3.rA faithful administration, by creating and fostering obedience and self-denial, would raise up, by its legitimatejnflu ence, lovers of these meetings, ""i he members being cheered with inward spiritual Iight,3nd acting under a filial fear of giving offence and being expell ed, would place their attendance, at class meetings,among their most sacred and precious privileges, treating temp tations to neglect them as the foul sug gestions of the fiend. 'Iron Whc.eio,' whether great or small, might then -be hurled at our church, with all the fury of maddened sectarianism and frepzicd bigotry; but they would burst into fragments against the bulwarks of ho liness. 'Only with our eyes shouldVe behold and see the reward of the wic!: - ed.' xci. 8. These wheels can pass ryP where disobedience and unrn'j 1 ; have made breeches m the w.uls - uur ! Zion. Let us now go to work and, by carrying out the Discipline in its plain, ! truest import and scriptural injunctions, ! build up our walls, high and secure, against all disobedience and unright ! eousness. Then doubts of the scriptu jral validity of class meetings will be confined to other churches, and to those who look upon our prosperity with an American Bible Society Dr. Bunting Huh on Slavery Deserted Churches Revivals Circuses Dr. Cheever Dr Tyng Boy Preachei Ex-President Monroe, &c.y &c. Considerable controversy is going on here still, about the character and ten dency of the uianagement of the Amer ican Bible Society. It is stated that out of thirty-six managers, twenty-one are of the presbyterian faith ; and that when a vacancy is filled from another denomination, it is by some one so re mote as to be unable to serve, and that none such in the city are elected for feai they to ill serve ! It' is ' "great pity if these thing3 are so. This noble institution should tower above all sects on slavery, has stirred the bile of all the abolition journals north. As the church has no control over the state laws feut much over the spiritual interests of the blacks and whites I think their ine DiacK3 ana wniies j. nun labors to spread the " gospel" of more serviCe than to be 1 will be medling with the state " institutions"' of the country. The fashionable churches are now closing up "for the season. vVtsen Tyng's endorsement of his son's course J n . . , on the slavery question, has mortified many of his friends, loung Kenedy, the 5oy Baptist preacher, still draws arRfj houses, and is evidently injuring i,:mif ,nwir mnb b mav please or bene'fit others. His labors are too severe for h,s man or his boyhood. Ex-President Monroe's remains were exhumed to-day, and an imposing pro cession escorted them to the City Hall where they remain till to-morrow, Jfrli en they will be placed on a steamer for Richmond, Va., accompanied by the 7th regiment of GOO men, and a large concourse of officials and other citizens. Just complaints are charged upon the appointing power, in placing about nine-tenths of the chaplains in the Na vy, from the Episcopal church. The sailors, if they are to blame, must be fond of reading! James M. Edney, of this city, is' getting up a splendid lithograph, 19x24 inches, of the Meth odist"Bishops, South. It is from late likenesses, is in the hands of the best artists in the city, and will be out in September; and will include Capers and Bascom. An almost breathless anxiety is now manifested in regard to the destiny of the oeean Telegraph, it being now time to hear from the steam er on this side. I hope the 4th may celebrate it3 triumph. We have had five very warm days seventy persons have been "sun-struck," the most of whom are dead. " Canceni," convic ted on the third trial for the murder of officer Anderson, has had "a bill of exceptions" filed, and will, doubtless, yet go unhung ! The " war" question between this and the mother country is settled, as every sensible man must have expected, from the character ot the complaints. Respectfully yours, July 2, 1S58. E. Ifleilinus. A California Camp Meeting. Thc Pacific Methodist of the28th May, contains the following interesting account of a camp meeting in Califor nia : Our notes of the camp meeting near San Jose last week, extended to Sun day evening, 16th instant. It contin ued until Monday morning, 24th. This was one of the most remarkable works of grace in the history of the church, and has hitherto had no parallel in California. The multitudes in at tendance the deep solemnity perva ding the great congregation the keen convictions of sinners the clear and striking conversions the overwhelm- n J'JS OL ueiieve-io iw-fj nn flagon g energy of most of the ministerial and lay laborers for ten days of continuous effort, and part of the time with unfa vorable weather all these, with other features of the occasion, mark it as o'iie that will be remembered as the Great Santa Clara Camp Meeting. We can not give in detail its incidents; nor would it be proper perhaps, thrilling as they were to both actors and spectators, and sweet as is their rememberance to us. Indeed, Ave did not get back until Saturday. In the meantime, glad news reached us from day to day news of the conversion of cherished friends and former kind neighbors, and of the in creasing interest and power manifested. The spirit of the meeting met us on the way, and we had a stage-coach pente cost all to ourselves. But that does not belong strictly to an account of the camp meeting. We rested Friday night with the pleasant family of our friend and brother, Dr. Reynolds,in San Jose. Next morning our friend, Mr. John P. IIening,kindiy furnished a conveyance to the camp Revs. Fisher, Grewell, Bailey, Simmons, Barton and Hargis, were there, and at work. The 111 VUllltt rain of the day previous had somewhat diminished the congregation for the morning service, but had not abated the zeal or faith of the worshipers. Up to this time about seventy persons had joined the chnrch old people, middle aged, and youths. At 11 o'clock Rev. A. M. Bailey gave one of his most ef fective religious talks, from the 187th Psalm, 1-7. At 8 o'clock an attempt was made to persuade the congregation of tho folly of neglecting the great salvation. At night Rev. J. Grewell invited the 'heavy laden' to the rest of the gospel. During each of these ser vices there were indications of deep concern among the hearers. The night service was continued until a late hour. A divine glory rested upon tho place. The voice of prayer, the shouts of re joicing converts, and the sweet melody of 4the songs of Zion' sung by happy christians, invested the scene with a heavenly sacredness and beauty. Next morning was the Sabbath a bright, clear, balmy May day the day Pentecost and the tenth day of the meeting. At half-past eight o'clock there was preaching. Before eleven o'clock had arrived a congregation had assembled scarcely smaller than that of the previous Sabbath, to whom Rev. O. Fisher let off a big baptismal gun. Whatever difference of opinion there may have been as to the soundness of his views, it must have been conceded all round that it was a scriptural,logical and lengthy discourse. Excepting a slight intermission, it took the rest of the day, including a collection, a short newspaper speech, and th administra tion of baptism to a considerable num ber of persons, both adults and infants. At night Rev. A. M. Bailey preached. The sermon was followed by prayer meeting at the altar, arouna which many penitents kneeled, a number of whom found peace in believing. Seve ral were baptized and received into the church among them, three or four Sabbath School pupils. Here is en couragement in Sunday School labor! On Monday, the meeting clos ed, not, however, before several more persons were baptized and received into the church. This was a most touching and impressive service. After an ap propriate exhortation from Rev. Bro. Simmons, and singing and prayer, the exercises were brought to a close. It was a melting time. Tears of joy and affection flowed freely, hand3 were elapsed, farewells were uttered, tents were struck and thus closed the most extraordinary religious gathering yet witnessed on this coast. The number of accession to the church during this meeting is ninety six. Among them are some of the most substantial citizens, and promising men and youths, in Santa Clara Val ley. If we were to attempt to estimate all the good that will result from it, we should have to look beyond time, into eternity, and make this article longer which we will not do. Wisdom from the Bible. Take all the books wise men have made, They darken while you read ; But if you learn the Bible lore, You ill be wise indeed. And then when you have learned the right, But one rule need be given ; Do it and 6ure as God is good, Yoo will te sura of heaven. A Baptist ag-ainst Close Communion. A writer in the New York Exami ner, quoted once before, thus replies to some remarks made in answer to his previous letter. He remarks : " 1 shall be disappointed it my broth er does not find 4 Many Baptists' un comfortably pertinacious in their de mand of an Apostolic usage or at least, of a clear Apostolic sanction for his practice. " It would be unreasonable to de mand an instance where the Apostles actually excluded a Christian from the Supper, because he was in error, or belonged to a sect that was in error, on the subject of baptism. But wo may demand a clear and unmistakable Apostolic requirement to that effect ; and we do. Because we believe that such an exclusion is, prima facie, con trary t the spirit of Catliolic lore which beats in every Christian heart towards every other Christian ; that it breathes the spirit of anti-Christian ec plesiasticism, which exalts the outward aiid formal over the inward and spirit ual ; and that it ia one of the hindran ces to the re-establishment of the t4pri mitivo model," the realization of that perfect oneness of the church in Him for whi&h our Master prayed, and with out which (as He is true) the world can never be convinced that the Father hath sent him. (John 17 : 21.) Now it is with a class of men, multi plying daily in the bosom of Close Communion churches, that Close Com munion hath to oleal. With them the question is not a speculative, but a practical one ; an! i3 getting to be a terribly earnest one a question, as I said, of the heart as well as of the head. They stansl looking over their partition walls, with heart that yearns after the image of Christ, which shines as brightly beyond as within them ; and they are beginning to ask, with feeling, " Who has built this barrier, j among brothers ?" and to say in their i hearts, "if the Lord has not built it, in the Lord's name let it be razed for what God hath joined together, let no man put asunder. "They see that Close Communion, whether logically or illogically, docs actualbi, and powerfully, tend to alien ate Christian brethren, to embitter oth er discussions, to prevent a free and loving intercourse, and to perpetuate those wretched schisms which rend the body and afflict the heart of Jesus. They will demand what fruits ot heav-enly-mindednesa, holy zeal, or joy, ycu can show to counterbalance this bitter harvest of dissension, animosity and strife ? You forbid them, in the name of the Lord, and on the authority of His word, to unite with Christian brethren in celebrating the Saviour's dying love, if uxhiptized however clear the evidence they may give of sincerity and spirituality, of being con formed to the image and dear to the heart of Christ. Be assured, they will demand chapter and verse for the pro ofjhibition. Be assured, they will not accept a dogma of human authority, however venerable and imposing, nor j an inference of human reasoning, how- ever logical and lucid, as equivalent in this thing to a positive institution of the Lord. What is Earth ? Tbe following epigrammatic and singular lines are a complete answer to the question : What is earth, sexton ! A place to dig graves, What is earth, rich man ! A place to work slaves ; What is earth, gray beard ? A place to grow old; What is earth, miser I A place to dig gold ; What is earth, schoolboy ? A place for my play ; What is earth, maiden ? A place to be gay ; What is earth, seanstress 't A place where I weep ; What is eartb, sluggard ? A good place to sleep ; What is earth, soldier? A place for a battle; What is earth, herdsman '! A place to raise cattle ; What is earth, widow ? A place of true s(r row ; What is earth, tradesman ? I'll tell you to morrow ; What is earth, sick man ! 'Tis nothing tome; What is earth, sailor. My home is the 6ea ; What is earth, statesman ? A place to win fame ; What is earth, author ? I'll write there my name ; What is earth, monarch ? For my realm 'lis given ; What is earth, Christian ? Tho gateway to heaven. Words of Wisdom. The Sculpture of Habit. Did you ever watch a sculptor slowly fashioning a human countenance ? It is not mould ed at once. It is painfully and labo riously wrought. A thousand blows rough-cast. Ten thousand chisel-points polish and perfect it, put in the fine touches, and bring out the features and expressions. It is a work of time ; but at last the full likeness comes out, and stands fixed for ever and unchanging in the solid marble. Well, bo does a man, under the leading of the Spirit,or the teachings ot batan, carve out his own moral likeness. Every day he adds something to the work. A thou sand acts of thought and will and deed shape the features and expression of the soul ; habits of love, purity and truth, habits of falsehood, malice and uncleannes9,silently mould and fashion it, till at length it wears the likeness of God,or the image and superscription of the Evil One. Plain Sermons. Mr. Spurgeoa's Prayer-Meeting. Perhaps a few useful hints may be gathered from the following account which Mr. Spurgeon gives of his pray-er-meeting, the success cf which de pended very much upon the spirit and manner in which it was conducted. Mr. Spurgeon 8ay3 : 44 Now I have the pleasure of eeeing very generally a prayer-meeting of 1200 to 1500 persons, and I don't know that we ever come belowa thous and at prayer meeting, except it 6houhl be a terribly wet night ; and I know the reason in a great measure is this, that when I call upon a brother to pray, he knows how .long he is to pray ; he is not to pray twenty minutes till we are tired, but he is to be short; and then he knows too that he is just want ed to ask God "for what he wants, and "no, to preach a.scrnwn. So he begins, and perhaps he ftiakc3 mxny bluna.vu, but he warms and improves as he pro ceeds. ' My good deacon was telling me this very day of what a friend said on Saturday night, at prayer meeting ; he said, 4 O, Lord, I don't know, I'm so ignorant, I can't put six words to gether,' properly ; but take the mean ing, Lord ; take the meaning V 44 Well, that was a very sweet thing for hira to say, 'take the meaning ;' and he prayed for me in th'i3 fashion, 4Lord, bless our minister ; help him when he comes to preach next Sunday, and may he preach the Lord Jesus Christ ; grant that he may set the Lord Jesus Christ right a top of the Bible, and stand right behind Him himself, so that we car see nothing but the Lord Jesus and Him crucified !' Now when the people hear a prayer like that breathed by an earnest man, they will go to the prayer meeting." A Good Example. The following document was made by a poor young man in Baltimore, a member of the M. E. Church, who has since that time been able to give be tween twenty and thirty thousand dol lars for the purposes therein named : On this oly Sabbath day, , A. D., 1S4-, I make this covenant, my heavenly Father, alone with thee, upon my bended knees ; and I ask wisdom, grace and strength ever to perform. Lord, thou knowest my fceart ; I trust I am actuated by right motives. Is not this the reason ? That I may have a fixed principle to guide me, fearing that were I left to impulse and feeling, in prosperity I might forget the boun tiful giver. Lord, search my heart. Forbid it should be prompted to this by selfish motives. Suffer not a thought to come over me, that for this thou art bound to bless me, or that in bo doing I merit thy favor. No, Lord ; may it ever be a free-will offering ; and fur ther, may it not bind me to do just so much, but do good continually, Buffer ing no charitable object to tarn away when I have the means to bless. "I will give for re)igious, benevolent and charitable purposes one-tenth of my nott gains over my expenses. If I should ever be worth five thousand dollars, I will then give one-fifth : if ten thousand, one third; if twenty thousand, one half ; if thirty, three fourths ; if fifty, then all. Lord, may I be a cheerful giver. If I am poor, may I remember the widow's mite, thy commendation, and go and do likewise. If I fail in this, put me in mind, by ap pointing a better steward for thine own." The Preacher's Hobby. Wc may have remarked in some of the worst specimens of extemporo speakers that they always giro you the same sermon, more or less, whatever their text may be. We have somewhere read an anecdote we think in Moore's life of Wesley to this effect: A curate, who preached extempore, always introduced into his sermon a dissertation on the duty of paying debts, whatever the subject might be. The congregation considered this an insult, &nd appealed to the rector to give tho curate some text from which he could not branch off to this old topic. The rector fixed on 44 the conversion of St. Paul," thinking no pathway out of this could lead to the curate's favorite griev ance. However, after a few minutes' description of St. Paul's conversion, amongst the marks of a regenerate man the curate enumerated a paying of out standing accounts as one of the most obvious. Strange that even so he was not to be restrained from throwing himself off the rails and getting on hia old tramp road. Scottish Guardian. Tne Plow. God epeed the plowshare ! tell me not Disgrace attends the toil Of those who plow the dark green sod, Or till the fruitful soil. Why should the booest plowman shrink From mingling in the van Of learning and of wisdom, since 'Tis mind tbat makes tbe man. God speed the plowshare and the hands Tbat till the fruitful earth, For there is in the world se wide No gem like honest worth. And though the bands are dark with toil, And flashed the manly brow, It matters not, for God will biota The labors of tbe plov. o
North Carolina Christian Advocate (Greensboro, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
July 15, 1858, edition 1
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