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J. J. JAMES, Editor.
)cBote& lo ttcltgicm, iitoralita, literature, Agriculture anfc eneral i intelligence.
C. HEREWITH Co., rrc;ri:t
.VOLUME XX: NO. 22. :
RALEIGH, N.j C.; THURSDAY, MAY 31. 1855.
S WHOLE WO. 116 2
I - J I ' J 1 ' ': ! '
'--: v-V": " ' , ;.- . i --i " - '- ' . ..
THE BIBLICAL RECORDER
A Religious and Ldterary Paper:
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f , - For the Recorder.
The Tail Untaken Away.
"Great is the mystery of Godliness."
Why this is so, oar gracious and adorable!
Benefactor has not informed us. He prom
- id the world a Savior ; but that Savior tar
ried four thousand years. He promised to A-'
braham the signal honor that the Savior should j
descend from his family ; but- the faithful pa- j
triarch's children saw him not in twenty-two :
hundred years. Believers in Christ are God's i
favorites; but their way to heaven is appoin
ted through" tribulation. The Christian Reli- i
gion is dear to our Precious Redeemer ; yet he i
has permitted it to be opposed by enemies, and :
dishonored by heresies.
Why these things are so, is a question which ;
claims no solution at our hands. :
It is enough for us to know that, by many j
who "profess to be the friendsand followers of ;
our Blessed Lord and Saviour, mischievous in
novations and destructive errors, have been
introduced;? and held in his name. Among
the most obstinate and pernicious of these may
be classed the Remains- of abrogated Jewish
Rites. f
An attentive reader of the New Testament
can not fail to perceive that it was the inten
tion of theihead of the church to abolish: com
pletely all the ceremonies of the old dispensa
tion which deserve the epithet of Abratamic
or Jewish. These are declared to have been
done away, and to have been abolished. 2
Cor., iii. 11, 13 ) ; ' '
There may be some slight traces ofresem-.
blance between these and gospel ordinances :
and this fact has led incautious commenta--tors
to search out and magnify the resem
blances, and even to - see if they could' not
make out a transfer of former rites to the gos
. pel dispensation. . .
The apostle calls those canceled rites, weak
and beggarly elements - Gal. iv. 9. He calls
them a bondage ; (Gal. iv; 1 and the yoke of
bondage ; and their practice or exercise fall
ing from grace ; Gal. v. 4 and the loss of
. Christ. , Galv. 4. ' ,
, In all the cities of . heathendom were found ,
residing some of the children of ; Abraham. -;
Some, of these were among the converts of al
most every church. These were extremely
tenacious of the rites of their fathers. Because
first, the Law, and the Prophets had been rcs
tricted to their family for more than twenty
centuries j and from this fact they inferred that
none but Abraham's1 children would ever be
saved ; and that therefore the gospel ought not
to be preached to any other ; that, as no other
' people had practiced their peculiar ceremonies,
therefore, salvation could only ; come through
those ceremonies. - Secondly, Christ had nev
er prior to his death, sent the golpel to any
except Jews, : but had earnestly forbidden his
disciples to preach it to any one else. The
Holy Ghost informs us : These twelve Jews .
. sent forlhy and commanded them, saying Go
not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any
city of the Samaritans enter ye not : but go
rather to the lost sheep of the house of Isratl.
Matt. x. 5, 6. ' -
To overcome this objection, which' Peter
felt against going to a Gentile family (Corneli
us, Acts x.) God visited them both Peter
and Cornelias with a vision. And Saul of Tar-
bus was likely to become willing to preach u
Gentiles, only by a miraculous conversion
Some of Abraham's children belanged to the
v converts at Corinth.- These insisted upon the
- necessity of observing their ancient . customs
The iii. chapter of 2 Cor. is written to con
- ' vince thenr of their ; error, by stating to them
God's purpose ; the pernicious tendency of Ju
daism, and the glory of the gospel over it.-.
: He uses the following language : But their
, winds vsert blinded: for until this day remain
tth the same vail untaken away in the reading
of Old Testament ; which vail is done away in
Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses
v ti read, the vail is upon their heart. . Never -
ihelessy when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail
haU be taken away. ' " - - ".
- From the above, our caption is taken. : Its
7 object will be. to point out cases in which the
vail that obscured the gospel under the Old
. Dispensation, is retained under the New : and
- that by this means ; gospel truth is not only
dimmed, but is perfectly shut out from view,
and completely lost. . f- vt v. -
Prior to entering into the main design of the "
. work it de?me(l proper to sUte that, it was
necessary entirely to abolish Jewish ceremo
nies ; first, because no just model of a gospel
church could be made out of the Jewish Polity.
The object of the old economy was to point to
a Savior4 and mark t his lineage ; that of the
New, the salvation of souls. The former was
confined to a single family ; the latter extends
to all nations. The standing Institution of the
one circumcision, was committed to parents to
denote their children's fleshly birth ; that of
the other, f Baptism,) was committed to be
.lievers in Christ themselves, to denote their
heavenly birth, but especially, their profession
of Christ. . --r' v - .- .
Secondly i If auy of the "' old'; rites should be
retained, it would naturally inspire a wish to
retain all. ; :'h"'"': - '
Thirdly : If the shadow of good things to
coml should be retained, th9 good things tbem
selvesHffOuld be misunderstood and lost.
Fourthly: The retention of every such rite,
&o. - . '
The great error and ground work of all vail
ed ceremonies under r the gospel, consists i in
what is conceived by the phrase, The Jewish
Church." Could all! ideas of what constitutes
a Gospel church completely vanish from the
mind when we hear the phrase, 44 Jewish
Church," the deception and the danger would
not be so great." But this phrase had no exis
tence in the Old Dispensation. And since a
Gospel church is a new thing, with a new heart,
anew life, new forms, and under a new dispen
sation, the ideas of a church cannot be attach
ed to the old dispensation, without an abuse of
terms and of the - Gospel itself.
It is here in order to mention that our
blessed Lord never uses the term in reference
to the former .age. Nor does one of the apos
tles. A solitary instance occurs. Acts vii.
37, .38. 4This is that Moses, which said un
to the children of Israel, A prophet shall the
Lord your God raise up unto you of your
brethren like unto me ; him shall ye hear.
This is he, that was in the church in the wil
derness with the angel which spake to him in
the Mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who
received the lively oracles to give unto us."
Paul the apostle here says, Moses was with
tho dharoh, nrl wttrAfi&rfrrrir nnnnt
believe that; church and fathers are perfectly
convertible terms. . ; Else that community
would oftener have been called church in .Mo
ses's time ; and Christ and the apostles would
have expressly acknowledged it as such. Nor
could it with propriety have been called a sha
dow, as in Heb. x. 1.
The term ; church used by Stephen in Acts
vii. da, was only ngurative- Abraham saw
Christ's day ; yet Christ's day was not then
when Abraham was. Christ was with Abra
ham, and before him ; and yet Abram was born
about 2007 after creation, Vulgar Chronicle,
and near 2000 years before Christ ; It follows
tbat, if there was any church real in the ifliafer-
ness. A Dram ana Moses and Unnst were all
members of it.
Paul declares the people were all baptized
unta Moses in . the cloud and in the sea. This
baptism was as truly real as the church was
raL And Paul is no more literal in this allu
sion, than Stephen is in Acts vii. 3S. If there
were visibly and literally a church t the wil
derness, then there was also visibly and literal
ly a ' standing baptism to that church. If this
conclusion be not correct, then according to
the combined testimony of "Moses and Paul,
the church in the -wilderness had circumcision
and baptism both at the same time.
. Beside this, the baptism unto Moses took
place in the cloud. And it also took place in
the sea. The sea hid the children of Jacob
from their enemies : this hiding was the bap
tism. J he bright side of the pillar of cloud
jwhieh followed or preceded the Israelites for-"
; ty years, illuminated their camps and their
march ; while its dark side shrouded the ene-
i mies in midnight darkness ; and this hiding was
i the baptism in th b cloud, y The vail aside, and
: this is clear. ' 1
Again, Paul says, they were baptized unto
Moses ; he says not unto Christ. He calls
i the manna spiritual meat ; and also the Rock,'
or the water which followed ; them, spiritual:
and say 3 it was Christ. 5 From all which it fol
lows conclusively, that those who see a literal
I church in the wilderness, must see also its lite
! ral ordinances ; and while they view it thus,
j the ratf is untaken away.
1. Upon this mistaken hypothesis of a visi
Ible church in the wilderness, rests the papal
j priesthood, and its long train of heretical con
I sequences. - - -
i " Because the Old Dispensation had its priests
i and high priests, the papal hierarchy must have
fits priests and confessors. Whereas, the Gos-
j pel chuich which commenced with the begin
i ning of the New Testament, or with John's
! preaching would abolish every kind of priest
hood which keeps up a representative worship,
or a worship by proxy. Hence in the priest
hood of the papacy, the vail is untaken away.
.'From tbis continued priesthood, taken from
Because no baptism, nor any type of it, . ever
took place till Christ sent John to baptize. For
John's baptism was from heaven, not from Moses,
nor from circumcisior.' -
the church in tho wilderness, the papists as
sume tbat they have many mediators. ' They
44 affirm that it is acceptable to God tbat we
should have many mediators of intercession.1 '
(Encyo. Rnl.; Knowl, Art. Popery; p. 955. )
From the church in the wilderness, political
or civil merit is transferred to the gospel
church ; and hence the Romish hiorarcby have
expressly decreed, (conn.Trent Sess. 6 Can. 2
Eocyc. Rel. Knowl, p. 954,) that the good
works of justified persons are truly meritorious;
deserving not only an increase of grace, but
eternal life, and an inorease of glory ; and it has
anathamatused'all who deny this doctrine.", '
From the practice of one man making satis
faction for injuries done' to another, under the
Old dispensation, popery insists upon the doe-. 1
trine of penance, under the New 1 hey pro
fess to believe that men can make satisfaction
to God for their - offences against him. Sins
are divided by them into venial pardonable
ana mortal capital or unpardonable J and that
no man can obtain the pardon of the latter,
without confessing to a priest, and performing
the penances which the Driest imposes."
(Council Trent, Sess 6, Can. 2.) Rome, in
her official character at Trent, pronounced a
curse on all who deny that penance was in
stituted by Christ himself. ,
And it is worthy of; remark5 that, after all,
the papists are not so very great dolts, nor
knaves either, if there was truly and literally a
church in the wilderness. And it is equally
worthy of remark that the creeds asserted by
papists, and by protestants, built upon the doc
trine in question, can not possibly bo supported
without the aid of" oral tradition."
According to the foregoing aitb, salvation
by grace is denied, and the Inspiration of the
Holy Scriptures placed on a level with men's
devices.
2. Upon this mistaken hypothesis of a literal
and visible or organized church sin tho wilder
ness, rests also the doctrine of infants' or babes'
right to church membership. It is customary
to begin said ancient church with Abraham, and
the covenant of God with him. ! Commencing
here, circumcision almost inevitably forces us
to retain some, or much of the ceremonies ob
lisatorv UDon tho circumcised. I
a
The error of this position seems to me to
manifest ifself by reflecting that : "
(1) If there was a visible and organized church
posed to have commenced with Abraham. The
apostle Paul would not be likely, in writing to
this same church in the wilderness, to have
committed such a fault as to begin in the wrong
place. But this apostle beginsj not with A-
braham, but either, with the prophets ; (Heb,
i. 1) or with Abel. (Heb. xi. 4.) He
makes the prophets speak to the one church in
the wilderness; and Christ speak to the other,
that is, the gospel church. He makes Abel
and Enoch and Noah, without either circum
cision, or Abraham's covenant, to be members
of the same church with Abraham, Isaac, Ja
cob, Sarah, Rebeccah, Moses, the people in
the wilderness and David. Hebj xi
(2 ) This arrangement by Paul argues that
circumcision was not ordained to j initiate peo
ple into the church: for it was not known in
Abel's and Enoch's and Noah's time, nor du
ring a period of two thousand years before A
braham. Had it been intended 'to designate
church members, it should have been applied
to all the faithful, from Abel to Christ, the or
der in which the apostle takes them. To No
ah's sons especially. Abel, and Enoch had no "
children, so far as history is concerned. Its
design, then, was to designate, not a church,
but a family. It was not even to make strangers
to become of Abraham's family, nor to intro
duce aliens iuto it ; but to denote those that were
already such, or acknowledged to be such.
And all this to mark the genealogy of our Sa
viour after the flesh : after which flesh or gene
alogy the apostle says, we now henceforth know
him no more. 2 Cor. v. 16, This circum
cision and its concomitants were our school
master to bring us unto Christ. Gal. 4 iii. 24.!
That is, to conduct us along till Christ shoul 1
come. He was then the end of this law to in
troduce' righteousness by faith. Rom x. 4.
Circumcision marched up to him at eight days
old. Luke ii. 21. But up to this period, it
could not be decided whether he was the child
of promise made to Abraham, or only one from
whom Messiah should spring. At bis baptism
the vail was drawn asider Dressed in the light'
of the third heavens,' the finger of God in tho
bavior, the toon ot Uod is come, pointed to
him, and proclaimed . to a weeping and lost
world, This is he. This is my belevcd Son in
whom I am well pleased. Matt. iii. 17.
. " . . - ."
; Circumcision has now accomplished its pur
pose; and is forever laid aside. And to view
baptism or Christ, in connection with circum-i
. -?' . imi . .t . l , .
eisiou is suu to wear . me van ; omee it is .
boldly announced by inspiration, that in Christ
Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything,'
nor no circumcision, but a new creature. GaLi
vi.. 15. 'Not : baptism is in the place of cir
cumcision, but faith which workelh by lovt.
Gal v. 6. Not baptism is in place of cir
cumcision, but circumcision of tho heart, in
the spirit, and not in the letter. To prove
form of a dove, as the echo of the angels was' seeing and speaking face to face with the Lord
still filling the Yir anolthe earth with the good of Life. We can well imagine how much that
tidings of great while they sing, Lo the hour's discourse was worth. Yet what was
taptidnj from circumcision, is to prove a posi
tive gospel church ordinance from Christ's nat
ural genealogy.: : But the vail is done away in
Christ. ' 2 Cor. .iii :14. But to prove bap-
tistu from oircumcision, is, to put on the vail
in order to seo Christ. .." V . -
! . " (To be continued.)
. MISCELLANEOUS;
v From the Advocate.
"What Cap I Do?"
This question is very - frequently and very 8
sincerely asicea oy persons woo v are sensible
that something ought to be done for the moral
and religious welfare : of the neighborhood in
Chich thev livo. A Sabbath school is one of
the very best means ever devised for promotiner A
iuo luor&iuv, auu proapeniy ot any neigooor
hood. This may be admitted by some well- I
disposed people wno dwell where neither this
nor any other public means of grace is enjoyed.'
And st'l tho query arises in the mind of one
and another of these 44 What can I do to
wards establishing a Sabbath school for the
good of my family, and the families around
me ?" Let the following J facts in relation to
Sabbath school efforts in Maine, encourage
those who would be glad to do some good to
their neighbors by affording them the means of
religious instruction
In the town of B., a Sabbath school mission
ary, after addressing the people in their school
house on the subject of organizing a Sabbath
school, submitted the question for their action,
whether tliey would have and sustain a school
An old deacon 'of the little, feeble church;
which bad been sometime destitute of preaching
arose and said he felt as though they must have
a Sabbath school. His little grand-daughter,
who had previously attended Sabbath school,
had repeatedly asked him if there could not be
a Sabbath school in their school-houses, and
begged that he would do something towards
opening one. He had felt anxious to have one,
but had been discouraged, by the indifference
of others ; but he said, with tears in his eyes,
he 44 could not stand such entreaty any long
er." They must have a Sabbath school : and
he called on his neighbors to help him begin it
then, and sustain it through the season : and
they all agreed to do it. The school was then
organized. Some books for the library were
then purchased, and the missionary, (an agent
of the New England Sabbath School Union)
made a donation of enough more to supply a
sufficient library, left some tracts and copies of
the 44 Young Reaper," tor distribution, and
went his way. That Sabbath school was sus
tained. The people, young and old, attended
it during the season. In the autumn follow
ing, the missionary met the old man again,
when-he expressed biscratitnde for the former
TiOi, ami UmA.. -- '
esting a Sabbath school before.
If you, reader, are a little girl or a little boy
who want a Sabbath school to go to, you can
ask your parents or your grand-parents to do
something about it, and beg this of them till it
is done. .
If you are a professor of religiont a member
of the church, you can ask your neighbors to
come together, and then tell them how you feel
about this matter, and beg their assistance in
teaching the children and youth of your neigh
borhood, as well as you can, the word of God
and the way to heaven. If you cannot leave
your own dwelling to do good, stilV you need
not despair, although none of your neighbors
are sufficiently interested in the welfare of the
youth to establish a Sabbath school.
In the town of N. b., dwells a praying lather
and mother advanced in years, whese children,
all hopefully converted to God, nnd one of them
a minister, are. scattered abroad far from that
house ftf prayer. ' But these aged parents
though deprived of the privileges of the house
of God, would still bring forth fruit even in
old age. Tin mother was always in the Sab
bath school with her children, when she could
be
When over fifty years of age, she would 1
il M- A - lil T?1t l !
walk more than a mile to meet her Bible class
in the school of which her son was Superin
tendent. But she cannot do this now, and
there is no Sabbath school in that neigh
borhcol, except the one which . this praying
woman conducts in her own house, where she
has invited all the children to come and recite
God's word, receive instruction, and sing his
iraise with her. Her husband receives regu-
arly a package of the 4 Young Reaper," with
which ho supples all the families wfco are wil
ling to take it. Their son in the ministry oc
casionally visits the 44 old house " and leaves a
few new and interesting books for his mother's
Sabbath school. Thus a second generation of
children, not their own, gather around them in
that humble dwelling, to recive instruction from
lips which, not in vain we trust, in former years
were' wont to instruct the now absent ones of
their own household.,
Who shall say that . none of these little ones
will yet be brought to Christ through the pray
ers and labors cf these aged disciples!
' urelymone who read; these lines need long
ponder upon tho question, 44 JVhat can I do ?"
A talk with Christ.
. The Samaritan woman who . conversed with
Christ, while he sat on Jacob's well, had an in
valuable privilege, in that hour's discourse in
privilege
the'presence" of the Spirit of Christ; That"
hour '8 discourse was worth no more than such;
as can be procured by every ono who will now
come into converse with Christ. Through his
Spirit actualizing his personal presence, Christ
can as well interchange thoughts with any of
us. as with .the Samaratan woman. While his
J bodily presence was in Samaria, it could not;
be in Galilee, nor in Jeruaalemn Ubut now. tus
presence comes forth to the world through his
uncoufined Spirit., r '. , ':'---.-":
Any one of us would count it an ineffable;
privilege, if Christ in bodily form should reveal :
himself to us, laying aside all the robes of his
heavenly royalty that would overcome and re
pel, and in the humble and familiar manner in4
which he sat on Jacob's well, should invite us
3t ...... i
to mm, uiscoursmg so irceiy 01 euivauwu,
lead us to the well of water Bpringi'-j up into
everlasting life. ' Bat . tho equivalent of this
same privilege is within the reach of all. j All
are invited to come ! to ; him for converse on
these very themes. ; He has sent his Spirit to
meet every one of his people when they wilL
He bids them approach to the interview with-"
out constraint, and says, Come now, and let
us reason together.", We have no occasion to
say, 44 Who shall ascend into heaven and bring
Cnrist down from. above ?" If yon will enter
tain it and listen to it, the "word of Christ is-
I already spoken, and! is. now speaking within
1 . . term 3 ! t ; . -1 - ..
vim. ; V- xuf woru is nigu inee, m tny mouth
and in thy heart." The - thoughts of Christ
are already present in your memory, and you
have only to bring them on, and reply to them
and yon will be as ! much in converse with
Christ, as was the Samaritan woman, who stood
wondering at -the gracious words that proceed
out of his mouth. The written word of God
ia, . it were the telegraphio Una on which he
gives conveyance to bis thoughts from heaven
to earth. We have only to hold the mind in
close connection with this medium of divine
communication, to have thoughts pass and re
pass in effectual converse. .i-). K - ::gy
The subject of holding ; converse with 1 God
i3 a difficult one for many to make real to their
, minds. It may perhaps be , illustrated by an
example.' v-- .
. A man of wealth and worldliness was walk
ing at leisure, and holding the following dis
course mentally with himself. 44 I am a hap
py man with an ample" fortune, all of which
1 have acquired myself, so that I am depend
ent on no one. ;It is all my own." At that
moment a sudden shower drove him for shelter
into the open door of a Church. Just as he
entered, the preacher was reading his text
44 Ye are not your own, ye are bought with a
price." This he thought was a strange doc
trine ; but he felt that it did not apply to him.
For said he to himself--" I am my own, and
all that I have is my own." As the sermon
proceeded, however, it disclosed to his view
the ground and reality of his obligations to
God ; and at its close, he retired with an im
pression, which did not leave him till it issued
ic his conversion. . Ti;
This was an instance of God's discourse with
man. He brought about the coincidence of
that text with the man's thoughts at that mo
ment. And by it he opened a discourse with
him, and carried on an argument which issued
in his 'conversion. So, in all the exercises of
our minds under the dealings of Providence,
and particularly under afflictions, Christ is re
ally talking with us. The dispensation or
chastisement has a voice which ' speaks his
meaning.
The illustration of the telegraphic wires may
serve another purpose. The operator at a cen
tral point, has a message to send abroad to all
the stations in communication with that point.
tT - I- V it ' . . 1
ne presaeu jus uuger upon toe instrument, ana
every station"1 BynTutferahce0 " Hgcfes fo
many receivers, and to each is as complete as
if it were to him alone. In a manner infinitely
more effectual than this God makes his own
thoughts to be present, at the same instant, to
every one with whom he will converse, and
each one of us, in all the Outgoing of thought
and desire, may tonverse with God, as really
as if we stood before him the, only creature in
the universe. By suggesting thoughts and
making impressions on the mind, God sustains
a more effective intercourse with men than ever
takes place between men in conversation with
each other. Pu. Recorder.
Treatment of Ministers
The calling of a new minister is often an oc
casion for exhibitions of absurd and unchristian
feelings. It not seldom happens in such au
exigency that when more than one individual
has appeared before the people with a view to
settlement, each one has bis admirers, who are
decided in their preference ; and, convinced ;
that their favorite is just the man for the place,
that no other could with any propriety be set- .
tied over them, the adherents of the respective
candidates insist upon the calling of the man
i . . i 1 . . .., t
ot tneir cnoice witn as mucn pertinacity ana
warmth as if the whole welfare of the church
was involved in the gratification of their sever
al preferences. -All cannot be gratified,' and no
matter who is settled, unless it be some compro
mise candidate, some are dissatisfied.- The in
cumbent is not the mat) of their choice, and as
a po nt of spite they 'are never cordial to bim.
Some even declare he shall not stay ; and are
unprincipled enough and unkind enough to do
all in their power to make 'his situation too un
comfortable to be held. , . They effect their ob-
ject, because the self-respect of the " minister
compels mm to leave. ,ms irienas are grieveu,
the breach is widened, and things go on from
bad to worse. Can any church prosper where
the messengers of Christ are so lightly esteem
ed and so shabbily treated ? Will not He who '
sent them X avenge his own honor in them ?
44 He that despisethyou despiseth me." j -'-
' Some churches seem to have but little regard
for the reputation of their minister. Even
where there may have' been . unanimity in the
call, there are some congregations that seem to
think themselves entitled to take strange liber
ties with their mirjister.vAlUnive!their;6wn
notions about ministerial X propriety, to which
they are free to exact conformity. ' Their views
are very decided, and cover the whole range of
ministerial life, from the pulpit to the kitchen.
; instead of nobly and unitedly rallying around
the pastor of their choice, holding up hi3 hands,
passing by his ' unavoidable weakness or cast-
ing the mantlo of charity over them, cheering
him on in his arduous work, letting his private
I affairs alone, discouraging all , "petty scandal
about himr standing by him and defendirjgbim
from all defamation and unjust accusation, and
showing their estimation of the Gospel and their
appreciation of his labors, by a faithful attend
ance upon his ministry instead of such a jeal
ous regard for their minister's -reputation an&
1 usefulness ; (for they are inseparably connect
ed,) tbeje are some congregations in which no
allowance would seem to be made for anything
in the" minister short of perfection." : Breath
that should be spent in defending him from ca
Iumny before men and pleading in bis behalf
before God, is devoted to the utterance of se
vere and meddlesome criticism, or in extending
reports tending to impair bis standing, and so
bring his ministry into disrepute. " His matters,
public and private, are bandied about and tho-
roughly canvassed. . Hi
servants, all have to pass the ordoal, and be
come the subiects of free
m ordrnary conversation. There is no- tender !
regara ror nis personal weuare ; no studious
endeavor to make his residence
all respects agreeable ; no standing up for hia
whenever he is right, nor charitable allowance
for him when he errs ; there is no appreciation
oi ine iact tnat his . usetalnesa depends very -materiallv
noon hia rfirnifAtinTi. and that M.
tation is the property of the people, to be care
fully guarded and jealously defended by them.
-The pastor seeks , in. vain for that cordialitr-
wnicn ne uas a ngni 10 expect, and after striv
ing fora time in vain " to live down and outlive
by a course of dignified straight-forwardness, all
obstacles arisinsrfrom the sonrare nf the in-nrm
he resigns in sorrow, if not in disgust, the -
B V" ywptfs wuu seeui ii nave caned
him for other, purposes than to receive the
Word at his mouth. . It is to be hoped that '
such looiditie8 are not numerous ; but some stich '
therecertainly are,!fand the frequent removal '
of ministers, which has become so noticeable,
may perhaps be traceable in not a few cases to
this 44 fallacy,'.' in greater or less degree." Mm-.
isters may expect and exact too much they
are humau, and are not to be worshiped. Yet
the spirit and the letter of their credentials en
title them to a good deal, and they are not ex
cessive until Jiey go beyond that. . Let tiera ; v
magnify their office. - " '
, Some churches, again, go to the opposite ex
treme. ;They impair their minister's re puta - -tion
and usefulness by excessive praises They -praise
him to his face, and they praise him be
hind his back. ; They, raise for nirn a reputa-
tion which he cannot sustain, which re-acts to
his injury, and, they" disgust discerning minds
by their excessive laudation of what was per
haps really creditable. V There is i no man like
their minister ; at least they seem to wish po- .
pie to think so--that he is a very great man ; -that
they may live under the shadow of his
greatness. X ; If their minister is really a worthy
man, discerning minds will find it out, while his - -devoted
flock will have enough to do to shield .
him from those shafts which envy 'always aims
at true worth. Extremes are never in the '
right. ' The best mode for a peoplo to show .
their appreciation of their ' minister is by their V
personal kindness, and faithful attendance upon
his ministry, t Christia n Intelligencer I
X Si - - i i .. : v" rX --X- ;v
The Idolatry of Wcallli.
Wealth' is the goddess, whom all the world ' -worshiped.
There is many a city in our em
pire, of. which, with an eye of apostolic discern
ment, it may be said, that it is almost .wholly "
given over to idolatry. If a man look no high- -
er than to his money for his enjoyments, then '
money is his God. . , It is the god of his depen
dence, and the god upon whom his heart is
Staid. Or. if ftriart, frnm ntlior oninumonl. -
7 I w m v. vmjvj utymffj i.,
vi nuc uviiig uvu. xic is ruuueu 01 me grau
tude that we owe him for our daily sustenance;
for, instead of receiving it as it came direct
out of his handjwe receive it ai jf it camo
from the bands of a secondary agent, to' whom
we ascribe all r the stability and independence '
of God, as the real though unseen author of
our various blessings ; and, as if ' by material .
intervention, does it hide from the perception "1
of nature, the hands which feeds, and clothes,
and maintains us in life. It just has the effeet "
of thickening , still more that . impalpable veil ;
which lies between God and the eye of the sen
ses. We lose all discernment" of him as the
giver of our comforts ; and coming, as they ap-
pear to do, from that wealth which bur fancies
have raised into a . living personification, does
this idol stand before us, as a substitute for
that Great Being; with whom it is that we re-
ally have to do. All this goes both to widen
and to fortify that disposition which has taken
place between God and the world. It adds the
power of one great master idol to the seducing
influence ; of all the lesser idolatries.;; When '
the liking and the confidence' of men are to
wards money,', there b' no direct intercourse, .
either by the one or tho other of-these affec- ,
tions towards God ; and in proportion as he
sends forth his -desires," and rests his security '
on' the former, in that very proportion does -r
he renounce God as his hope, and God as his
dependence. .--..
And to advert for one moment to the misery .
of tbis affection,' as well as to its sinfulness
he, over whom jt reigns, feels a worthlessness
in his present wealth, after it is gotten and
when to this we add the restlessness of a yet
unsatiated appetite, lording over all its 'convio-
tions, and panting for more ; when to the dull
ness of bis act&ai satisfaction in : all the n ebes '
he has, we add his still unquenchable desire for -riches
that he has hot ; when we reflect that, .i .
as, in pursuit of wealth, he widens the circle of m
his. operation, so he lengthens out the line of r
his open ; and hazardous exposure, and multi- ,
plies, ; along ; the extent" of those vulnerable " ,
points from which another and another dart of
anxiety may enter into his heart ; when he
feels hinue!f floating onlan ocean f.of contin- J
gency, onwhich, perhaps, he is only borne up
by the breath of a credit that is fictitious,- and
which, liable to burst every moment, may leave -him
to sink under the 'weight of his overladen : "
speculation ; when suspended on the doubtful
result of his bold and uncertain adventure, he .
dreads the tidings of disaster in every arrival,
and lives in eondhual agony of feeling, kept up
by the crowded turmoil of his manifold distrac-'
tiohs and so overspreading the whole . compass
of bis thoughts as to f leave not one : narrow 1
space for the thought of eternity ; will any be-'
holder just look to the mind of' this unhappy '
man, thus - tossed and bewildered, and , thrown ! V -into
a general unceasing frenzy, made, oat of- .
many fears and agitations, and not say, that the ,
bird of the air which sends forth its unflecting ,
song, and , lives on tho fortuitous bounty of -Proyidence,
is not higher in the scale of enjoy t
ment than he ? and how much more, then the -'quiet
Christian beside him, who, in possession -of
food and raiment, has that godli2::3 with'
contentment, which is great gaia who, with -the
peace of heaven in hi3 heart and the glories j .
'of heaven in his eye, has found out the true . .
philosophy cf existence has sought a portion ,
,where alone a portion can be found, and iaj ,
bidding away from his mind the love of rr.:3y , .
baa bidden avray all the cross and all ths care--
Talncssaloc''v;:'.h it.- Dr. Ch7.lrr.trs.