Newspapers / The Star of Zion … / Dec. 22, 1898, edition 1 / Page 4
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The Star of Zion. Rev. J. W. SMrfH, D.D., - Editor. Rev. Q. L. BLACKWELL, D.D., Mgr. ' Published every Thursday. Entered at the .Post Office at Charlotte, N. (!.,as second-class matter. Subscription Sates: One year, $1.00,’ six mot. the, 60 cents; single copy, 5 cents. No three morths' subscriptions. . pg* Articles exceeding 500 words which ma ke a column run the risk qf being boiled down. Postal card articles will be published at once. We do not promise to. print articles from pet sons who are not subscribeis nor agents of this paper. Send all articles to the Editor; send all subscriptions and business matter to the Manager. STAFF CORRESPONDENTS. Mrs. C. C. Pettey, Editor of Woman’s Col imn. Rev.G.W.Offley, D.P., Prof.W.F Fonvielle.A.B. Rev. J.H.Anderson; D.D., Rev.J.E.Mason, D.D. Rev. W. H. Marshall, Rev. W. A. Blacl well Rev. J. H. McMullen, Rev.E.D.W.Jones.A.M. Rev F. H. Hill, Rev. J. A D. Bloice, D. D. Rev.E. G .Biddle,B. j)., Rev. W. H .Davenpor t ,A .B Prof.W.M.Provinder,A.B.Rev.D.C. Covington Rev. C. W. Winfield. D. D., Prof D.W.Pirker Rev. S. A. Chambers. Prof.B.A. Johnson, A.M. Rev.H.W.Smith. Rev. T A. Weathingtor ,D.D. Rev.F.M.Jacobs.B.D, Rev. R. E. Wilson, A.M.. Rev. G. C, Clement. ,A.B.; Rev.R.A.Fisher D.D Mrs. A. Walters. Miss S. J. Jnnifer Thursday, December 22nd, 1898. Editorial. • - We wish you a merry Christ mas. S I If you. fail to get the Star, write for it. i Two prize Christmas conun drums:4 4Wliat shall I get V and “What shall I give ?” Santa Claus prefers the old fashioned wide-mouthed chimneys. He finds them so niuch easier to get at the stockings. “Christ is born, the great Anointed ; Heaven and1 earth His praises fling; O receive whcjm God appointed, For your Pijophet, Priest and £ing.” ''And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shall call his name Jesus; ^ for he shall [ save his people from their sms. ’-f-Matt 1:21. — Have you accepted God’s “un speakable -gift If not, the Christmas festivities will be mean ingless to you ? Why not accept Him now?! t* Prof, and Wm. A. Walter of Union, S. C., celebrated the fifth anniversai^r of their wedding Wednesday, evening December .21st. It Was a grand affair. According to a long custom, the-printers will-spend Christmas week having a high old time, and, of course, the Manager will not issue the Star before New A ear week. ThAT Will be a great gathering of representative Negroes at the National Afro-Americon Conven tion in Washington, D. C., the 29th inst. Read Bishop Walters’ powerful letter. - GrEEN|EVILLE COLLEGE in Greeneviile, Tenn., has secured a charter from the Legislature and will soop make application for State aidj. She is prospering, hav ing 105 students enrolled. The Editor did not return in time fropi the W. N. C. Confer ence to look over and pu olish this week several important articles which came during his absence. Look for them and Bishop Small’s address in the next issue. Rev. [A. B. Smyer wiites from Pine Blpff, Ark., that a team-rair away there last week^lid nearly killed Bishop Jehu Holliday. He is getting gradually better. God be praise^ for hi^mirabulous es cape from death. He s a great and noble sire of Zion . Let all pray for his recovery. The Star of Zion shines more brilliant ly in each issue. Its brilliancy never wanes ; and it is our desire to tread the floors of the Publishing House from which shines this mighty luminary.— Bristol (Tenn.) Skip. Neighbor, you will receive a cordial welcome when your feet strike our floors. Editor Robert B. Russell has ceased to publish the Maxton (N. C.,) Blade and will move to Ral eigh and will publish the paper next month under the name of the Raleigh Blade. Brother Rus sell is one of the ablest and most conservative Negro editors in the country. Success to him. It is well known that the great aim and object of the preaching of the gospel is to save men. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation. For this re&son it is to be preached to every creature. The work of the Church is to carry this gospel to heathen lands, and to enlighten and convert the peo ple. All moneys coming into the V. C. E. hereafter from whatever source, either from sale of literature or by donations, will be used exclusively for missions in the A. M. E Zion Church.— Varick En deavor er. “All moneys,” did you say, will be “used exclusively” for mis sions? Brother, how will you live? From what source will you get your salary f~ You can’t live on wind. Bishop G. W. Clinton and Rev. J. F. Moreland, of St. Louis, attended the recent North Arkan sas Conference, presided over by Bishop Holliday, and were royally received. Their sermons and speeches made great impressions upon the Conference. It was cer tainly cheering to our brethren in the southwest to look for the first time upon another one of our great bishops. We hope others of them will visit and -encourage Bishop Holliday’s Conferences. As Rev. J. B. Colbert is the Missionary Secretary, he will doubtless read Rev. W. H. Snow den’s communication with consid erable interest. Brother Snow den says there are plenty of un heard-of men in Zion who can make a success of any of these de partments. Brother Snowden is right.? If any General Officer can not make some kind of a success of his department in four years he is a failure, pure and simple; and the General Conference should have the backbone to let him down gracefully and elect another to fill his place. The N. C. Conference of the M. E. Church, South, in its session last week in Elizabeth City, N. Or, adopted a resolution requesting more preaching during the Con ference sessions; that a sermon be preached every night of the Con ference. This is in accordance with what we said editorially three weeks ago. The people want to hear the different preachers. Give them preaching, and let these young school-boy preachers "who are trying to turn the night ses sions of Conferences into concerts, literary lyceums and debating -tfiUBsTiave the afternoons to show the people how much they knowr Good News. “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo,j the an gel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone around about them; and ijihey were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savibur, which is Christ the Lord. And suddenly there was with the angel a multi tude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will to men. ”—Luke 2:8-14. The Value of Civility. We must all be willing to acknowledge the worth of civility when we daily see how a disregard of it has severed friendships tender and true, broken domestic felicity, and caused cruel estrangements in every relation of life that time it self refuses to heal. It costs us nothing jto be cour teous, and Since it is so rich a vir tue, and so necessary ip our daily intercourse with others, would it not be well to cultivate it more fully and exercise it more general ly ? The neglect of civility is hurt, ful, and the want of a delicate and instinctive appreciation of the rights and feelings of others has occasioned disruptions in homes and communities that have engendered the bitterest and most lasting feuds. We should make it an unfailing rule never to say adything that will wound the delicate sensibili ties of others—never find fault unless compelled to do so, for al though many persons profess to be invulnerable on certain points, and desirous of courtihg criticism, yet it would be well to remember that it should be administered most carefully so as to not pro voke ill-feeling. A tfuly welibred and polite person will always en deavor* to interpret charitably the acts and feelings of others and will more frequently :err in a too lenient judgment than in its op posite of harshness and severity. A Worthy Gone. The following postal card writ ten from Yonkers, N. Y., by the Rev. William B. Bowens, dated December 14th, came the next day to the Star: “Dear Editor: I haye not had the pleasure of reading the Star of Zion for five weeks. Send it to me here where I am under medical aid*” Just a few moments before the card arrived the following start ling telegram from Rev. W. H. Newby, of the same city, was re ceived at our office : “Editor of the Star: Rev. W. B. Bowens died last night; in this city. Fu-< neral Bunday.” Truly this proves that “there is but a step between me and death.” Rev. Bowens, who suffered with hasty consumption, was buried last Sabbathi afternoon. He was the efficient pastor of our church at Troy, N. Y. He was born at Netvbern, N. C., March 1^, 1853, and went North during the war. He was converted December 19, 1867, and joined; Zion, and was licensed to preach August 11, 1875, and joined the New England Conference June 16, 1879. His labors at Waterbur£, New Bed ford, Cambridge, First church, Providence, Derby and at Troy, unwearying and self-sacrificing, were crowned with great and glorious success. He was a fine man and a good doctrinal preacher. Zion has lost one of her best workers. Heaven has gained a faithful minister. Requiescat in pace. Keep Your Mouths Clean. Bishop B. T. Tanner, of the A. M. E. Bethel Church, in his Con ference which met a few days ago at Lexington, Ky., denounced the use of cigars and tobacco by min isters, and closed by saying “You shall not take God’s money and burn it up in cigars and tobacco as long as I am your bishop.” All denominations are now a unit against receiving into the ministry men who use tobacco. It is a fil thy habit. People’s mouths as well as their hearts should be clean. “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” Our ministers should give up the use of tobacco and take the money and buy theologi cal books and other literature, and homes for themselves and fam ilies. Our bishops have long since de cided that no man who chews to bacco and smokes cigars shall join our itinerancy. Our presiding el ders, should also refuse to give such men exhorter’s and local preacher’s licenses. Of course' several candidates for the ministry who stood before the altar in con ference and solemnly promised the Bishop to quit using tobacco are still using it. They lied to get in and should be called to an account for lying and deception. Men who at the beginning of their ministry will deceive their bishops and beat their way in this manner into the conferences are too slip pery to be entrusted with churches. “Be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord.” Isa 52: 11. Christmas Reminiscence. Hail, all hail! to thee, rosy, joy ous, holy old Yuletide. Nearly nineteen centuries ago you first came to us, bringing the richest, rarest gift that God ever gave to mankind, and each successive twelve month we have heard your welcome tread upon the threshold of our homes and hearts as absent ones and sweeit souvenirs and tok ens of love and good-will have gladdened our lives. ' Yes, here comes Christmas, bringing back many boys and girls who years ago strayed away hun dreds of miles from the fold. The door-bell rings,and mother and fa ther, sisters and brothers, auntie, cousins and friends make merry over the retu rn of the wanderers, and the Christmas carol rings out cheerily in the old-fashioned par lor where the ponderous oak logs crackle and hiss as long fiery tongues leap up the broad chimney to clutch old Santa Claus should he attempt smother descent. Ah! We are dreaming. We are talking of the old by-gone when mother and. sister busied them selves over tray and pastry-board, and the old gobbler felled from the porch, and the jelly bag was noisy with its amber drippings, and the hog was killed and cleaned, and the great fruit-cake towered like a snow mound above the tempting plum and cranberry tarts. This picture is quite famil iar to hundreds of the Star read ers in whose hair are now silver threads, and whose eyes years ago vied with the raven’s wings are dim now from vigils and tears; for Yuletide or Christmas seasons are full of bitter memories and frag mentary echoes of happy song and thrilling nursery fales. But we will not chill your mirth by tell ing what the years may be laying up for the readers. We wish you all a merry Christmas! Successful Pastors. It is a great thing to be a minis ter for the Lord Jesus Christ. The minister’s great work is to wi n and save souls. To this end he is to employ every legitimate means. He is to study the word daily so as to preach the word intelligently and faithfully. He is to admonish, entreat, per suade. He is to work in public, in the house of worship, on the street, and from house to house. He is to work in the “great con gregation,” in the social circle and heart to heart with individuals in the privacy of their closet. He must do these things if he would be successful. This shows he must be a pastor as well as a preacher. Whatever else he does is by way of preparation and equipment for this one work. We are therefore not underrating intellect, culture and study. These elements of a fully furnished minister mean much. Without them the minis ter’s best efforts may prove very ineffective. His efficiency depends upon other things than zeal and diligence. But it is nevertheless / true that a man must be an earnest, zealous, energetic pastor if he would achieve the full measure of success. Men who have been endowed with vigorous intellects, who have been characterized with remark able erudition and exemplary pie ty, who have been diligent stu dents and eloquent preachers, have also been “splendid failures’’ as soul-winners and soul-savers. Others less noted for scholarship and eloquence, but who proved to be most diligent pastors, have made their ministry a grand suc cess. They have gathered large congr egations, have reaped mag nificent harvests of souls, and have led men onward to the higher planes of Christian life. Men are influenced in relation to their souls by many things of a very simple and natural character. It is often not enough that the truth be preached to them and preached by a minister who is a scholar and an orator. The ave nues to the heart may be closed against learning and eloquence. Men’s ears must be opened. If they refuse to hear a minister, what good can he do them ? Men cannot be forced into heaven, nor to Christ. They must be drawn. “I will draw all men unto me.” But this is done by influence nat ural and human. A minister can do almost nothing with meq whose love and confidence he fails to com mand. He must get a personal hold upon their affections. He must get into loving personal con tact with his people. Thus alone can a pastor re^ch and win those under his ministrations. Rev. Dr. Love, of the Zion church, is atteoding his Church Conference at Washington. His people sent him off looking fine enough to preside over it. He will be the best dressed man in the Conference, and St. Peter’s church hopes for his speedy return.— Kinston (N. C.) Searchlight.
The Star of Zion (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Dec. 22, 1898, edition 1
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