ORGAN OF THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL ZION CHDRCH IN AMERICA.
VOL. IX.
i
PETERSBURG, VA., FRIDAY, MARCH 27,1885.
NUMBER 11
CORRESPONDENCE.
* I ROM THE MINISTERS ANL
MEMBERS OF THE A. M. E.
ZION CONNECTION IN
ALL PARTS OF THE
UNITED STATES.
TO THE STAR OF ZION.
- <i
THE SORROWS OF AN APOSTLE
—o—
BY THE REV. W. REDDY.
Christian experience is a generic
term, embracing in its scope a great
variety of experiences. Those who
credit the supernatural in subjective
experience, in advance of their own
conversion, are prone to imagine a re
markable demonstration of “power”
upon themselves, especially in their
feelings, at the moment of the change,
and that a continuous and unchanging
ecstacy, or buoyant, joyous emotion,
will attend their subsequent Christian
life. St. Paul may be .taken as an
ideal Christian, and the distinctive
facts and features of his experience as
a Christian will illustrate what may
be common to other Christians. Take
for example, what he says in 2 Cor, iv,
8, etc.: “We are troubled on every
side, yet not distressed; perplexed,
but not in despair; persecuted, but not
in despair; cast down, but not de
stroyed, Always bearing about in the
body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that
the lite also of Jesus might be made
manifest in our body; so then death
worketh in us, but life in you.”
The ministry of sorrow is a part of
the Divine plan. To “have fellowship
with Christ in his suffering” was the
aspiration of the apostle’s heroic heart.
Phil, iii, 10. Jesus was “a man of
sorrows and acquainted with grief.”
Sorrow denotes suffering of mind
either from the loss of some good, real
or supposed, or of disappointment in
our expectation of good. It is to feel
pain of mind in consequence of evil
experience, feared or done by or to
ourselves or to others. One said, “I
desire no man to sorrow for mebut
it is in the nature of true Christian
experience to sorrow even for others
.as well as for ourselves.
The occasions of sorrow are mani
fold, The apostle said, “I have great
llPJinTlPfia pnrl nnnfinnn/1 a/Y**v»s\«zr in mr
heart,for I could wish myself accursed
from Christ, for my brethren, my
kinsmen according to the flesh.”
Whatever affected the well-being of
the church adversely was an occasion
of sorrow to the apostle. Epaphrodi
tus was a “companion in labor and
fellow soldier” with Paul,’ and who
“ministered to his wants” as the “mes
senger” of the Philippian church.
Epaphroditus had been sick nigh unto
death. St. Paul sorrowed for his sick
ness, on account of the Philippian
church, for whose sake he was “full pi
heaviness.” “But,” says the apostle,
“God had mercy on him; and not on
him only, but also on me, lest I should
have sorrow upon sorrow”—loaded
down with sorrow.
Personal affliction may be an occa
sion of sorrow. Paul’s “thorn in th€
flesh,” was of this class, and his prayei
that it might be removed is an evi
dence that it was an occasion of great
affliction and sorrow. But when thf
answer came back from the Lord
“My grace is sufficient for thee, foi
my strength is made perfect in weak
ness,”he no longer grieved or sorrowed,
but took pleasure in infirmities, dis
tresses and afflictions.
1 So it is possible to “glory in tribu
lation.”
There are two kinds of sorrow which
should have no place in Christian ex
perience after that “godly sorrow
which worketh repentance unto salva
tion, not to be repented of,” and which
is the necessary antecedent of saving
faith, namely:
1. That “sorrow of the world that
worketh death.” Sorrow because of
“ the surrender of the world, the loss of
its smiles, its wordly honors, or pleas
ures. No longing after the leeks and
onions of Egypt; no looking back to
Sodom like Lot’s wife; no sorrowful
gloom of despondency and despair
over disappointed ambitions or the
“spoiling of goods,” no sorrow leading
to suicide. All this is the “sorrow of
the world.”
There are too many who sorrow and
repine at their providential allotment,
and look enviously at the prosperity
of the wicked until they lose confi
dence in Providence and fail to enjoy
either God and Christ, or the good
things which Providence does bestow
upon them. (“Godliness with con
tentment is great gain.”) David fell
into this pit, or came near to it, when
as he says, “My feet had well nigh
slipped, my feet were almost gone.—
I f&w the prosperity of the wicked.”
(''Until I went in the sanctuary of God
then understood I their end.” .“Thus
my heart was grieved, and I < was
pricked in my veins, so foolish was I
and ignorant.” “See Psa. lxxiii.
2. The lamentations and sorrow over
the dead who have fallen asleep in
Christ, as often indulged in, even by
Christians, is not in keeping with the
Christian faith and hope.
“I would not have you ignorant
concerning them which are asleep,
that ye sorrow not even as others who
have no hope.” 1 Thess. iv, 13. They
are with Christ, which is far better,”
and “them, also, will God bring with
him (Jesus) when he comes.” They
shall come with him to assume their
resurrection bodies, which will “be
fashioned like unto his glorious body,”
and “so shall they be ever with the
Lord.” “The ransomed of the Lord
shall return and come to Zion with
singing; they shall obtain, joy and
gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall
flee away.”—Isa. xxxv.
“And God shall wipe away all tears
i*__• __j i.i_ _i_ _n v __
xxuui. vucii cjw, auu iucxc ouau uc uu
more death, neither sorrow, nor cry
ing, neither shall there be any more
pain.”—Rev. xxi, 4. This is the res
urrection state:
O happy home! O happy children
there!
O blissful mansions of their Father’s
house! ,
O walks surpassing Eden for delight!
Here are the harvests, reap’d, once
sown in tears;
Here is the rest, by ministry [of sor
row) enhanced;
Here is the banquet of the wine of
heaven,
Riches of glory incorruptible;
Crowns, Amaranthine crowns, of vic
tory;
The voice of harpers harping on their
harps,
The anthems of the holy cherubim,
The crystal river of the Spirit’s joy,'
The bridal palace of the Prince of
Peace,
The Holiest of Holies ; God is there.
Send in your subscriptions to the
Star of Zion.
CHRIST’S LOVE.
—o:o— ,!
BY E. H. SHANNON.
I took my Bible up and read
Where Paul came, breathing still
Threat’nings and slaughter ’gainst the
saint
Whom he had sworn to kill;
And while I seemed to see the man
Amid the lordly train,
I turned the pages further on,
And saw him once again.
Not now, as then, with pomp and
power,
But prouder still he saith,
“I’ve fought the fight, I’ve run my
course,
And I have kept the faith.”
I pause in wonder. I may read
The story o’er and o’er, -
And still wonder just the same,
As I have done before;
I cannot comprehend it now ;
I may not till I die;
And musing thus I close the book,
And lay my Bible by;
If love of Jesus Christ can give
Such wondrous change as this,
Give me, my God, this love for thee,
And Jet me know such bliss, .
That, as the evening shadows come,
If lost in failing breath,
I too may say, “I’ve fought the fight,
And I have kept the faith.”
FROM ALABAMA.
Birmingham, Ala.,)
March 14,1885. J
Mr. Editor:
Permit me to say through the col
umns of our beloved paper something
of this, our magic city. Here we have
a population of about 17,500, 4,500 of
which are colored people, five colored
schools, and many whites, seven tthite
churches, six colored and one mission
church, two daily papers, and two
weeklies. It is a place of many marked
industries, amohg which are four iron
furnaces, many founderies, manufacto
ries, and five or six railroads piercing
its center, several banking companies,
and nearly 50 saloons, where intoxi
cants are sold. These, with their bane
ful influence, inoculate good society^
Nevertheless, we are struggling with
religious crusade to obstruct its chan
nel of evil. Will you pray for our
success?
The social circles of this place are
rapidly improving, but not in keeping
along with its industrial advantages..
Among the manv colored churches
of the city, the Sixteenth-street Bap
tist is the most conspicuous; it is a
massive building. 90-60. a first class
auditorium neatly constructed, with a
seating capacity for about 1500. Elder
W. E. Pettiford, its pastor, deserves
much credit for his ministerial genius
and masterly management of such a
superstructive. It is indeed a monu
mental edifice of the colored Baptist
of Alabama.
Of our own beloved Zion I will
now epeak. We are also erecting a
fine two story brick church under the
direction of the Bev. A. L. Scott,
which we will be able to worship m
within two months. It will cost not
less than $3,500. We have a mem
bership of 87, but as true as the steel
of the tried blade.
Our Sunday school, of which I am
superintendent, numbers about 180. It
is a model Sunday school, carrying on
its own expenses, and very often by
its marked industry presents a puma
to the trustees of our church to aid
them in building. It would tike to
have a visit from the management of
our paper, and from Bishop Lomax.
Spring is dawning upon us and you
may look out for the general fbnd> it
—--‘-■
will be colleoted.
Oar Presiding-elder J. M. Butler
was with us An Sunday last, and ren
dered important service, and spok<
himself well pleased with our pros
pec&s.
Can you say what has become of th<
minutes oi the last general conference
I am youiH for God and Zion.
~ * Pattie A. Scott.
FROM SOUTH CAROLINA.
Valley Fall P. O., ")
Spartansbueg County, 8. C., [
March 18, 1885. )
Mr. Editor:
Please allow me a spaoe in youi
Star to state to its many readers the
progress of the negro in societies and
the good societies can do. On the 12th
of February, or about that time, in the
year 1879, twelve citizens in Newber
ry county, assembled, themselves to
gether and, organized a society by the
name of Future Progress,, and elected
Lewis Duckett, as their president, J P
Sims, as vice-president, Rev. Samuel
Greenwood, chaplain, and your huln
ble servant as treasurer. We met
monthly and invited others to come
and join our number. Our number
increased and we worked with a view
to that promise in the Bible, Work,
for in due season ye shall reap if ye
faint not. From then and until now
we have been calling our people to
getner. i win not tate tne time to
name the different conventions that
have been held at different places,
known as the future Progress Conven
tions. I merely want to state the gobd
it has done from the time we organised
until th&present. On the 4th March,
1885, we again was called together by
the State Board to hold a. convention
at Mt. Olive, in Newberry county,: S.
C. The convention was called to order
by David F. Lyles, president of the
State Grand Lodge. Delegates attend
ed from different local orders, andj it
was surprising to see from the mepa
bers we organized with, and now we
have seventy-five, delegates as repre
sentatives from 13 different ledges,
with a membership of 800. The Re
port of finance property ranges from
$50 to $1600 on hand. Our insurance
funds as death benefits is $100 ito
every death at present, but will soon
reach $600, as the constitution pro
vides for.
Now, Mr. Editor, I would like to
say to the many readers of your paper
in South Carolina to call for the Fu
ture Progress Society, by addressing
N. C. Duckett,. Liberty, Postoffice,
Newberry county,, S, C.,. as he is our
State agent, he can give full informa
tion. If the western and southern
fevers don’t' get too high and carry
our people off, I believe that the Fu
wire progress wm iaxe me lead id
South Carolina. Male and female oar
join; its objects are good moral char
acter.
Now, Mr. Editor, please publish
this with any correction that is neces
sary. Yours for the negro in the South
and Star. L. H. Sms,
Agent for F. P. Society, for Spartans
burg, County, S. C.
*
FROM SOUTH CAROLINA.
Lancaster, 6. C., j
March 5,1885.
Mr. Editor: » I W/rJPV
Permit me to say to the preachen
having charge in the S. C. conference
please fulfil yojur promise that yot
«made at the annual conference to or
ganize auxiliary societies in aid to th<
L. H. and F. M. Society. Let the fi
C„ conference be ;the banner confer
ence. If you wiU come to my help!
will be so.
Mast J, Clinton.
[For the Star of Zion.
, Mr.Editor:
Please publish the following notice
> for the benefit of the brethren of the
■ South Carolina conference interested
in the Sunday schooledepartmen t ol
> our church. s
The State Sunday School Conven
tion will convene in St. Augustine
chapel, Union Courthouse, S. C. (Rev.
TI P. R. Moore, pastor) on the fourth
Wednesday in May, 1885. The fol
lowing persons are duly authorized to
call together the superintendents of
Sunday schools in their sections, and
hold a district convention for the pur
pose of electing three representatives
from each convention, besides the
above named persons who are by vir
tue of office members of the State Sun
day School Convention:
Chester District—For the western
section, R. Frederick.
For the eastern section—Wyatt Mo
bley.
York district—For the western sec
tion, D. L. Johnson.
For the eastern section—S. E. Few
ell
Union district—For the western sec
tion, L. H. Sims.
For the eastern section—Carter
Beaty.
Lancaster District—For the north
ern section, C. G. Mcllwain.
For the southern section—W. G.
Jbawaras.
You are hereby notified to call your
conventions on or before the 1st May.
You will please obtain foil and accu
rate reports from all the Sunday
school and collect bhe dollar to bring
to the State convention. All superin
tendents of summer schools are re
spectfully requested to revive their
Sunday schools by the 1st of April or
sooner.
On the 1st of April I will begin the
publication of a series of articles for
the Star on the Sunday school and its
advantages and importance.
Don’t fail to give the matter your
earnest and special attention.
The Home Mission Board will also
meet at the same, time and place by
order of Rev. N. A. Crockett, presi
dent. The members of the Committee
on Constitution and By-Laws are re*
quested to meet early to have the doc
ument ready for adoption.
G. W. Clinton,
President : fu
SundaySchool convention, y
T. P. R. MOore,
Secretary.
P. S.—The Rev. H. Blake, Rock
Hill, S. C., Book-steward, will supply
all our Sunday schools with books.
Enclosed find a donation ofol.OO,
will send more next time. G. W. C. *
FROmT TENNESSEE.
Wolf Creek,)
Cocke County, Tenn. J
Mr. Editor:
Rev. J. D, Banks, our pastor, is do
ing all that he can to collect the gen
erai iuna, assessed to ms cnarge.
der Banks says he intends to be in the
lead in the second Presiding elders
district.
We have had a Very rough winter,
and our people are very poor, but the
elder sa^ he has introduced the His
tory of Zion among his people, and
alto Bishop Hood’s Book of Sermons,
i Elder Banks preached for us on Iasi
Sabbath from Joshua, first chapter.—
t The eldersaidtbatwe wanted courage
to say yes to everything that is right,
, and Christian courage to -say no tc
anything that is hot right. -
. i The elder collected $1 general fond
t and baptized eight children.
Yours for God and-Zion. .■■
* W. M. MeCkEA.
.
APPOINTMENTS.
Mr. Editor:
Please publish, my second quarterly
Wesley circuit—Wesley chapel,
1 March 21 and 22.
Zion Hill circuit—Sand Springs
March 2S and 29. .
Memphis Station—March 31st and
April 1st.
Zion Winger—April 4 and 5.
Free Union circuit—Free Union
April 11 and 12.
Camden Circuit—Liberty chapel,
4pril 4 and 5.
Canton circuit—Middleton April 18
nad 19.
Sharon circuit—Zion chapel April
25 ond 26.
' Kosciosko station—May 2 and 3.
Carthage circuit—North Bend May
9 and 10.
Cooksville circuit—Cooksville May
16 and 17.
Clarksville station—May 23 and
24. - L. J. Scublock, <
Presiding elder.
Coffeeville, Miss., Feb. 5, ’85.
’ Notice.
Wilson, N. C., >
February 12, 1885; J
To the Ministers of the North Caro
lina Annual Conference.
I hereby issue : this circular to call
your attention to two important mat
ters.
property at Raleigh or not. You re
member my report ^ttyoar last ses
sion at N<hvbernef Ni C.,' andanum
ber of you.promised to send me the
money to make a payment on the 1st
of January, 1885, and ihis is the 12th
day of February, and I have not re
ceived one cent up to date.
Second-^-The law pf our connection
demands each miniver to make month
ly collections of the general funds and
forward the same to the conference
steward, and he the annual conference
Bteward is to make his report to the
general steward the second Wednes
day in each month; and two months of
the conference year,’ have passed away
and I have not received one cent yet.
Please give these matters your earliest
attention, and let me hear from you
at once. Direct all your communica
tions to W. J. Moore, Wilson, N. C.,
P. 0. Box 59, and oblige your brother
in Christ. W. J. Moore,
- N. G. Conference Steward.
ACiJfti> TO: STAR
Mr* Editor:
The A. B. C. of the gospel cam be
found in Romans, John and Matthew
„ jl wui pay ior anumaKe ine otak
a present for six months” to the first
boy or girl between the ages of 12 and \
21 years, who answers it, written in
fUll in the [columns of the Star of
Zion. I’ve made up my mind to give
the Star $3.00 a year in subscription
to get it in the hands of the young
people by offering it for answers of
scripture questions. Boys and girls,
look out for the Star. Yours for the
Star,of Zion. S. B. Hunter.
P. S.—It must be explained thus
A
Romans ' . -
B
John - '*
C-*—W,
Matt.
With chapter and verse after the
words. ■ • ;
Notice, u
We call special notice ., to all
subscribers: and salestnen who are in
arrearage to the Star, will find their
papers stopped unlow heard from.—
This will be the last number nailed to
ddinqtreitjj