PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY A COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS FOR THE NORTH CAROLINA COS FERENCE, M. E. CHURCH, SOUTH. RUFUS T. HEFLIN, Editor.
YoL II- 3r. iS.
(DriginaL
For the X. C. Christian Advocate.
Proselytism and Proselyters.
KUMBKB" IX.
Mr. Editor : I am now to show,
That the system of proselytism, of
ten places the proselyted in a fals",
and consequently an injurious position.
This grows out of the wide extremes
of doctrinal tenets, which distinguish
the different branches of the universal
Church of our Lord Jesus Christ. The
criterions by which- we are wont to
i7.-n irr?joi1 tViA iinlv: onnsistent rule
by which we can determine a man s
filth and dnotrines. is his Church con-
I
nation. The geographical divisions
of the earth are not more distinctly
marked, than are the doctrinal com
plexions of the different denominations
th fthnl o Churoh of
God. Nor can it with truth be" said,
that these differences are-unimportant.
Protestant Jesuitism may, for party
purposes, seek to make this impression,
but honesty and truth will discover and
teach that they "affect the leading
principles of the divine government,
and the answer to the question, ' What
m
ust I do to be saved?' "
The Rev. Mr. Iloilgson very justly
remarks, '-It would be exceedingly ;
ior
possible, on account ot (i stance, iuju.ii
ui:t" j"V."'S."p,:V ! and where the minister preaches the
loimng a church, the acctrmes ot which i i . , . ... i
we do not believe, unless- it were lm-: , , , f , ,
uneuiuui uh. " ""c V - -r - must love the truth, and always speak
exceedingly difficult to find justifying ; and k out of the co'v of
reasons for such a- course, it is by no those who do nQt -means
difficult to originate reasons for, What cjm excuge guch humiiat;
so doing ; still to enlightened and un- j incons;ste ? In guch a case a3 the
prejudiced mrn-ts such reasons a re very -
unsatisfactory bear a very doubtful ;
mora aspect. une pieaua- a,tat ,
predilections ; another, the connection ;
ancestral
'V'. ai'll.'C1' r
bersh:p of dear fnends the occasion of;
his cho!ce ; while tne large majority
though not pubhely confessed find ;
their true and controlling motive in the ;
nfln'V" r pTcaMr--" ' -. i
' I
lorerroing reasons, wuu uic cavcmwuh
of the last and this must be reproba
ted by God and man might be well
enough, if no sacrifice of principle were
involved ; but where thi3 is the case
lilVUCA j " j limiUUltULO 111X11 M Ut,bllWl HV iSfJi
whore the doctrines and usages of thejgates truth or error" Aye, and ex
Church are distasteful to, and at war j poses his children to the influences of
with their feelings and judgments, even radical error !
those amiable considerations lose their
virtue, and great inconsistency, to say
the least of it, attaches itself to every
such case.
Men who are accustomed to think,
can never regard Church connection,,
as a matter of indifference ; nay, view
ed in the proper light, it is cf much
greater consequence than is generally
supposed. In connecting himself with
a Church, a man must be consider
ed as giving his countenance and Sup
port to its doctrinal peculiarities and
ecclesiastical regime. This being the
case, it is highly necessary that every
one should be connected with that
Church, whose tenets and usages cor
respond with his own opinion and pre
ferences. For a man to connect him
self with a Church whose peculiar doc
trines he does not believe, is tantamount
to saying that error is better than truth,
or at all events, just as good;: or that
it is a matter or perfect indiHerence
with him, whether error or truth pre
vails. A well grounded suspicion of
such unconcern is a death blow to reli
gious character ; and eternal truth has
said, "a double minded man is unstable
in all his ways." With what propriety
can an Arminian connect himself with
a Calvinistic Church ; or a Calvinist,
with an Arminian ? With what con
sistency can one who believes that sal
vation s "by grace through faith,"
unite with a Church whose formularies
teach that we are justified in baptism ;
sealed with the Holy Ghost in confir
mation ; and confirmed in Christ by
means of the cucharist ? And, in fine,
how incongruous for one who believes
that all who truly love and serve our
Lord Jesus are accepted of him. and if
faithful unto the end will be saved, to
be associated with a Church that un
ceremoniously cuts off all but their own
party from scriptural communion with
Christ, places them in " an interme
diate state between Christianity and
Heathenism," or in the utmost stretch
of their unbounded charity, piously
consigns them " to the uncovenanted
mercies of God" as the only hope of
their final salvation ? The presenta
tion of these cases and they are very
common, especially among the perverts
is, a3 it seems to me, sufficient to ex
pose the glaring inconsistency of every
such connection ; and when duly con
sidered, will suggest the injury that
must necessarily result to the parties.
As illustrative of the extreme incon
sistency and folly, not to. say wicked
ness, of being connected with a Church,
the doctrines of which are adverse to
our own sober jmlgmen: and enlighten
ed faith, I will submit the following
from the sermon of Doctor Hodgson :
" There is yet another serious diffi
culty. What doctrines will a man teach
This sermon is on the subject ' Fidel
ty to Truth, or wnat Church shall I join V
and should he circulatsd.
I his children, or allow them to be
taught ? those which he believes, or
' those which he does not ? Imagine him
returning from public worship with his
family, on a pleasant Sabbath morning.
His little son says to him, ' Father,
how did you like the sermon this morn
ing?' 'Very well, my son.' 'Did
you believe all that the preacher said,
father "?' ' NoT not all : I believe that
I the sermon wa3 eloquent, but I confess
1 was not pleased with all its doctrines,
and I will give you some of my reasons
when we get home.' ' Why, father, we
are taught those doctrines in the Sub
bath School nearly every Sabbath.
They are in" the catechism.' ( 'Are
they: vies, sir. 'Well, my son,
, - , - . , 1
iv are ine ooctrines 01 me unurcn.
i They are m the Creed, or Confession
ot .baith in the Church. I he minister
is required by his ordination vow to
teach them.' Do all ministers believe
those doctrines t' 4 No, my son.' 'Well,
lamer, uai ministers uu not:
- . , . . j . j
' You
! know the Church we attended before
;fcame.to the one we now attend :
I The ministers of that denomination do
t. 'Then you believe as Aey do
; fathcr ? . M ell, father what
I G0 J011 wisn us to believe, that which is
f or which you say is not true?
; That wh,eh 13 e' ot courSC' J-S0" I
""J u" -"u "'f ".",h 4"""u"
i iecanse i was tninking it strange mat
you wouid take U3 away
from
e1
the
-p. i,..
you say has a true creed,
You and mother aiw toa U3 that we
aboveand there are m such the
mjm actua, withdraws his all of influ-
ence an(J from whafc he consd
ent;ous dg ag t and ed
them t0 the support and advancement
of that which h he helieves
and holda ag se He tica1 re.
pudiates the truth and in defiance of
reaso .ust;ce anJ faith condetnn8 the
church, that holds and disseminates it
11C OCllO 111U10U14
church whose doctrinal system he can
not conscientiously defend ; unless his
conscience has become so impaired and
perverted, that it is a matter of entire
The case here presented and it is
no fancy sketch is, heaven knows, bad
enough when applied to laymen ; but
what can be said when the pervert is a
minister ? Must he, standing in that
holy place, preach the creed of the
Church to which he has been allured ?
The very conception of such a thing is
shocking to every moral feeling of the
soul. But what is he to do ? If he
preach the doctrines he formerly pro
mulgated, and still believes, he forfeits
the approbation and support of those
whose friendship he has purchased at
the sacrifice of other and more endear
ing ties : and, if he dare preach the
doctrines of the Church into which he
has been allured, he would only labor
to defend and establish tenets which he
holds to be false and exceedingly dan
gerous. In what light would a politi
cian, plaeed in such a position, be re
garded ? Would not all honest men
shun him as a traitor to his principles ?
Shall the minister of the living and true
God "stoop to deeds which would blast
the reputation of irreligious politi
cians?" And when he thus stoops,
does he not suffer from the merited
contempt of those from whom he has
separated; and enjoy the felicity of ''.
being suspected by those unto whom he
attaches himself? Such are the results
of proselytism, and the sad reward of
proselyters I
I have already conceded that persons
may conscientiously change their
church relations. I will now go fath
er, and say, that under given circum
stances they are bound to do so, or be
guilty of inconsistency, if not of moral
dishonesty. " Dissatisfaction with the
doctrines or polity of a Church, after
long and prayerful examination, may
be a sufficient reason why anew church
relationship should be formed." A
change under such circumstances is not
only admissible, but a duty. Such
changes do now and then Occur, but
the cases are comparatively " few and
far between," and they are never the
result of proselytism ; they spring from
the honest convictions of an enlighten
ed judgment from an earnest desire
to know and do the will of God. But,
as already stated, the most of those
who change their Chareh relations, and
especially those who leave the Metho
dist E. Church, are influenced by the
hope or prospect of acquiring respecta
bility and influence, or to escape odium.
How often do we meet with persons,
who in their youth, during their ap
prenticeship, and while poor, " bowed
at the altar of God in Methodist
churches, with whom Methodist minis
ters prayed with agonizing fervor,
whom they instructed and watched
over, and who were glad to receive the
attention and assistance of plain, but
godly men, have become wealthy, and
able to live in fine houses, and have
turned their backs upon their former
ministers and religious associates, to
join a fashionable church." These are
the blinded dupes- of unprincipled pros
elyters ; and verily they receive their
reward. Formality and a senseless
Christianity are substituted for holy
zeal and heart, felt piety ; and the dy
ing hour often finds them " without God
and hope in the world."
Thus, Mr. Editor, I have tried' to
portray the evils of proselytism, and
the wickedness of proselyters. Wheth
er the exposure of the system will in
any degree arrest and correct the evil,
time alone can determine. Having
done my duty, I will patiently abide
the issue. EPISTOLE U S.
Yirginia.
Make the lollowins corrections in
No. VI. of Troselytism and Prosely
ters : In third paragraph, 10th line,
strike out the word' not. Second col
umn, paragraph 3d, 1st line, for neitJi
er read either ; 3d paragrah, 2d line,
tor seals read scabs.
Gems from the Mine.
As the Christian Church nears the
true perfection contemplated' by its
great founder, we t.'iink the writings of
St. John will be read more and more.
One reason why we so think, is, that
in proportion as the single Christian ri
pens in grace, he dwells with increa
sing delight upon the gosoel and epis
tles of John. In the college of apos
tles, he seems to have been professor of
the theory and practice of perfect
love.
And it is one of the marvels nay,
one of the miracles of the Inspiring
Spirit, that this household pastor this
lover of the quiet manifestations of
grace, should have been made the New
Testament Homer, and come to chant
the grand Apocalyptic epic should
write the wars of angels and devils,the
conflicts of the ages, raise the alleluiah
shout for the overthrow of the mystic
Babylon, and peal the anthem of the
cherubim ! It is wonderful ; for the
child who would read the life of Jesus,
M?8rheS?J?ei.pUlin ;r.?nd when
should give immortality to his mother
tongue, he turned to the Apocalypse of
John.
But to day, dear readerv we do not
read him as the New Testament Homer,
nor read his wars of angels. No it is
our household apostle, whose soul is ev
er permeated with love, and whose
heart is ever young.
These things write we unto you, that your
joy may be full.
The sweet assurance of divine favor
made him happy, and he wrote that
others might share that same thrill of
abiding joy. Not merely that they
might have joy, but that it might "be
full." Fullness of joy ! Is such a state
a cold, rayless obedience, from mere
principle ? The first, the joyful ser'
vice of sonship the second that of
bondage. And, alas ! thousands go
through the world, seemingly devoted
men and women, who never pass be
yond the bondage who go sighing
and sorrowing, and almost resorting to
papal penance. Would that they might
pass into the service of adoption. Does
one such read these lines ? Brother,
sister, the Great Father has painted
the universe in bright colors ; he has
awakened music from every quivering
string, has gemmed the vault which
overhangs it, and, ulacing you amid
those bright creations, says to you,
" Rejoice evermore" ! Dare not go
longer with that heavy heart, lest you
sin against God.
And our times have seen the bring
ing in of a prudish pietism, which teach
es us never to pray for joy ! Teaches
us that this is unworthy a highly devel
oped piety ! Why, then, did John
write this verse ? Why did one of old
cry from the depths of his heart, "Re
store unto me the joys of thy salva
tion" ! Why did one of the heroes of
the ancient church say, "The joy of the
Lord is your strength" ? And much
we fear, that too often teaches of relig
ion lose the "life and fire of love"
come to be formal and lifeless,and then
they warn us that we are not to pray
for Christian joy !
No, brother, aim to be holy, seek al
so to be happy let your joy be full !
Behold what manner of love the Father
hath bestowed upon us, that we should be
called the sons of God!
Love is still the theme ! This time
the divine love ! Every way he looks,
it sweeps beyond his vision ! He stands
with us, and says, "Behold ! ! what
manner of love" ! What is the evi
dence ? What is the crowning proof
"that we shall be called the sons of
God" ? We ! we have sinned reject
ed, contemned, despised ! We are the
wayward prodigals, and yet we may be
called the "soxs of God" !
"Oh, how shall I the goodness tell,
Father, which thoa to aae hast showed 2
That I, a child of wrath aad hell
I should be called a child of God V
And
This is his commandment, that we should
believe on the name of his son Jesus Christ
and love one another.
Toward the heavens faith toward
earth love then will we ever be true
to God and man Faith unites the soul
to the Infinite hut when we cease to
elerthrttff.
love the finite, the bond is broken ; for
"he that loveth not hia brother abideth
in death." t ...
! God is love!' He tha( dwelleth in love,
' dwelleth in God !
Here is the same
now it swells into
fong of love, but
an anthem Oh,
what a dwelling-place
is this ! Not the
j high tower standing
npon the moun-
tain s beetling brow !
hat may be shat
tered by the thunderbblt, riven by the
liehtninsr, or destroyed by the earth
quake. More secure by far. Dwell
eth in God ! Wonderful are the mys.
teries of love. Her'ii is the true home
for earth's humble3oneS Well may
those who love, talkyf a -shelter from
the blast, and of a home which is secu
rity itself. Well m& sucli feel safe !
Dwelling in God ! Ve ,can add noth
ing to that declaration"'
But what shall we thevsen
tence,' Got is Ti(ik ! yitjbffinded"
a gem irorn the mine :Tj!oa is -love i
Let Eden, with itjoiiiess 8k1es,
blooming flowersM tree of Vfe, la
den with fruit which give immortality,
explain it. j
God is love ;et Calvary and
Gethsemane pas3 before us, and let us
readr in letters of b'pod, -blood divine,
an exposition of this wonderful utter
ance :
Come witness of adoption, and while
testing our sonship and daughter-
hood, enable us to grasp these mighty
words ! Open our understanding ; but
when opened, and celestial teaching
has made known to them the deep
things of God, this mystery of love is
extended !
Look upward to the throne of light'
to the crowns of glory, to the mansions'
the palms, the robes, the tree of life,
the sea of glass, the gated of pearl, and
the city with the twelve foundations !
Now list to the song of the ser.tph, the
cherub, the mighty angel, and the whole
host of redeemed ones. But that song,
many-voiced as it is, commemorates,
but does not explain, the mystery of
love ! Bright, intense, and clear is the
light beam'ng from the throne ; but
while it increases the space we may see
and know, it also widens the outer ri ra
-tiie circle ofnweepW J -
Within that circle wVgtand. What
shall we say ? What shall we sing ?
Be this our song be this our anthem
God is love! JV. W. O. Advo
cate. Touching Story.
The following touching and felicitous
CD 9
i'lustration of the powfr of idea was
given by Wendell Philips the other
day in a public speech it New York.
The eloquence of Phillips is surpassed
by nothing but his fanatisism :
I wa told to-day a stoy so touching
in reference to this that you must let
me tell it. It is a tennerance case,
but it will illustrate this just as well.
It is the story of a mother, on the
green Hills of Vermont holding by the
right hand a son sixteen ears old, mad
with love of the sea. Ard as she stood
by the garden gate on s sunny morn
ing, she said : 'Edward, they tell me,
for I never saw the oean, that the
great temptation of a seaman's life is
drink. Promise me, before you quit
your mother's hand, that you will nev
er drink.' And said he (for he told me
the story,) I gave her the promise, and
I went the broad globe over Calcutta,
the Mediteranean, San Francisco, and
Cape of Good Hope, the North Pole
and the South I saw them all in fortv
years, and I never saw a glass filled
with sparkling liquor thit my mother's
form by the garden gafe, on the green
hill side of Vermont, did not rise be
fore me ; and to day, it sixty, my lips
are innocent of the taste of liquor.
(Applause.) Was not that sweet evi
dence of the power of a single word ?
Yet that was but half. , For, said he,
yesterday there came into my count
ing-room a young man ot forty; and
asked me, 'Do you know me ?' 'No.'
'Well said he, 'I was once brought
drunk into your presence on ship
board ; you were a passenger ; the cap
tain kicked me aside ; you took me to
your berth and kept me there until I
had slept oif the intoxication ; you then
asked me if I had a mother ; I said I
never knew a word from her lips ; you
told me of yours at iht garden gate,
and to-day I am the master of one of
the finest packets in New York, and I
come to ask yoa to call and see me.'
How far that little candle throws its
beams! That mother's word on the
green hillside of Vermont ! Oh, God
be thanked tor the almighty power ot a
single word I (Applause.)
Sunday Trains.
Have Railroad Directors and Super-
intendants ever for a moment consider
ed on the enormity of this great and
palpable sin ? We are surprised at the
impunity with which they disregard
both the law ot ou ana tne law oi tne
land. And who demands this violation
at their hands? Certainly not the
moral and religious community. Sabbath-travelers
are suspicious men and
women, whoever they are, and should
not be gratified at the expense of an
institution which should ever be dear
to the American people.
Extract from the Memorials of Mrs IIaailin
Missionary in Turkey. .
The Baptism.
"Saviour, on her young heart sprinkle
Thine atoning, precious blood ;
Like her brow, nor spot nor wrinkle
Be upon her soul, my God."
On the morning of the Sabbath,death
seemed to have commenced his last
attack. A sense of prostration, and
an internal failing of all the powers of
life, made her feel that she was near
her home. She was placed upon pil
lows in her rocking-chair near the
window. Her person was emaciated,
to the las4 degree, and her lips pale
and parted in her pantings for breath ;
and yet her eye was bright and beam
ing, afid her countenance sweet and
calm. They had desired to have the
baptism of their infant in the morning;
but the dear sufferer was struggling
' fXr breath, and committed her soul to
j Him who holds the keys of death and
the invisible world. Towards noon
she was relieved, and ahout 1 o'clock
the holy rite was performed.
A little china bowl had been prour-
ed for the baptismal font, and, a3 they
had no table,a white napkin was spread
upon a rude stand. Here were gath
ered the dying mother, the afflicted
father, and their five litle daughters.
There was nothing externally im-
posing in this scene, but to the eye of
i;t.u., iiiviaiuiospKuuiiuia were mere,
an immeasurable cloud of witnesses, to
behold that mother's last offering. Ea
pecially was He present, the Shepherd
of Israel, in pity and in love. And
who could say that the departed grand
parents were not with them in that
lour
The meaning of the
sauiuu lUICiHU-
ny being explained to the two elder
children, they solemnly pledged them
selves to perform to their little sister
the duties of a mother, so far as their
childhood and experience will allow.
Ihe Holy Scriptures are read,the bless
ing of God implored, and then, at the
mother's request, the infant for the last
time is laid in Ler arms.
Again they kneel to pray, but the
fountains of the great deep are broken
up; and, while the little Mary is smil
iiig' uu nappy, ahu tr.e inouier acic.i
and calm, the father weeps alone with
his weeping children. After a time he
can only plead, 'Jesus wept.' But they
rise not from their knees till he has
earnestly besought the good Shepherd
that he would look with an eye of lov
ing mercy upon this lamb of the flock,
and take it into his own fold. The soul
of the mother meantime had reached a
higher sphere ; it was far above the hu
man sympathies which pierced and
crushed their hearts, and though dis
solved in pleading for the blessings of
the everlasting covenant upon her
child, not a tear dimmed the serenity
of her countenance.
The napkin and bowl, thus rendered
sacred, she placed together, wishing to
have them preserved as mementoes of
the scene.
Lay the mother's tender blossom
Gently on her loving bosom ;
Slowly comes that mother's breath,
Gathers fast the cloud of death.
Soon her precious one she leaveth,
Yet her heart unto it cleaveth ;
Who its infancy will bless?
Must she leave it motherless ?
But 'twas God her faith is testing,
And on God her soul is resting ;
He has calmed her anguish wild,
Now to Him she brings her child.
Silent is her earnest pleading,
For her darling interceding ;
On her placid hrow the while
Beaming a celestial smile.
Speechless grief his spirit rending,
O'er that babe the father's bending;
Holy drops he sprinkles now
On its 6miling, happy brow.
When the Triune names are blended,
And the sacred rite is ended,
Low he bends in fervent prayer
For the geDtle Shepherd's care.
Yet that prayer is all unspoken,
Tears and sobs his words have broken ;
Father, now his soul sustain !
Let him seek Thee not in vain !
Little ones are by him kneeling,
Mournful is the gush of feeling
Bursting thus from childhood's heart,
From a mother's love to part.
'Jesus wept,' the father pleadath,
Weeping love now intercedeth ;
Man of grief ! our tears behold !
In thine arms this lamb enfold 1
Angel-forms are hither tending :
The Redeemer o'er them bending,
With an eye of pitying love,
Bears their pleading lova above.
Child of tear, baptized in sorrow r
Shrouded by a dark to-morrow ;
Never more went thou to rest
On thy mother's loving breast.
But her God beheld that weeping ;
He, sweet one, is covenant-keeping;
He, the pure, the undefiled,
He will bless thee, darling child !
Alua Mater.
B,An old lady, up in Vermont, was
asked by a young clergyman, tc what reli
gious denomination she belonged. ' I
don't know,' said she, 'nor I don't care
anything about your nominations. For
my part" I hold on to the old meeting
bouse; and what's more, I mean to belong
there.'
Reflect before you act ; be just and
wise in all your dealings.
An Itinerant Preacher.
Not a few preachers will recognize
a bit of their own exDoriencc in the
following, from the N.
W. Christian
Advocate :
Rev. W. W. nibben. P. E.. of Jef-
forsonville district, thus describes the
recent move, or rather the preparation
to move .
But it must be confessed moving
is
not the most pleasant part of the min
isterial itinerancy. The preacher him
self can 'go' and not feel it much, but
when, it ecmes to the transportation of
wne, children, household goods, includ
ing bedsteads, chairs, cooking-stoves.
Dureaus, beds and bedding, with all the
little notions of a domestic establish-
ment, the exercise 13 not very trans
porting, at least we never so realized it.
'I wonder,' said Mrs. II. the other
day, whenve were packing up, 'if we
ever will get used to moving. I believe
this is out thirty-se66nd "move1 sinco- w
were married, and our thirty first since
we entered the itinerancy, and I do not
teel that 1 am any more used to it than
wnen I first bean
Gloving,
I replied
is among those incidents of life that we
never get used to, I reckon, though we
may learn to endure it fur the sake of
the church and the salvation of souls.
r i i, ,
!OVpr .irmh.n.' AW oil t .;r
wur reward win come 'when we cross
i of the itinerant who bears the heaviest
burdens, especially if she have a large
family of children to care for and watch
over. The poverty of the itinerancy
falls with its heaviest force upon her
shoulders, yea, often upon her heart ;
for often while the husband is sitting
by the comfortable parlor fire of some
rich mnmhof cho ,tU
ixj , null mri I1L1I
le ones.
is gathering over a few embers, feeling
that ''tis a bitter lot to be poor when it
snows.' Her last dollar is gone, and
her scanty table will compare very
poorly with that of the kind brother
who has invited her husband to p;irt:ike
of his hospitalities. May God pity all
who thus suffer in the vineyard of our
Master.
But then this is not all ; the time has
come to move again, and 'the little all'
Iy, Sately, and expeditiously. 'Movir
is hard work,' so says every on" who
has ever tried it, and, besides, so far as
expense is concerned, 'three moves is
as bad as a fire.' One might reasona
bly suppose that the moving portion of
JUetnoaist itinerants would haveto make
an 'assignment' about every three years!
Many, alas ! have had to locate, and
the bnhant talent all over the land in
the local ranks tells us how much the
church has lost by such transactions.
Christ Oar Life.
The life which we have from Christ
hath no seed of mortality in i;self, be
cause it comes from Christ ; and as lie
saw no corruption, so nothing that ris
eth from him doth of itself tend to cor
ruption ; for 'Christ dieth no more ;
death hath no more power over him.'
He now liveth ever, not only by himself,
but over his members ; not only as a
man, but as a member of his own body,
in that spiritual and heavenly constitu
tion, and under that denomination can
co more die than Christ suffer agah).
The life of Christ is ours. 'Christ
liveth in me saith the apostle. Now
the life of Christ is free from the power
and reach of death. If death could not
hold him when it had him, much less
can it reach or overtake him, having
once escaped. He died once unto sin,
but he liveth unto God : 'Likewise,'
saith St. Paul, 'reckon ye yourselves to
be dead unto sin, and live unto God;
and Hhrough or in Jesus Christ, by
whom we, in like manner, are made
partakers of that life which, by rising
again trom the grave, he did assume,as
we were by Adam made obnoxious to
the same death which he, by falling,
did incur and contract.
The sonship, and, in consequence,
inheritance of Christ is ours. I speak
not of his personal sonship by eternal
generation, but of that dignity and
honor which he had as the first-born of
every creature, and heir of all things.
Christ's victories are ours. He over
came the world, and temptations, and
sins for us ; and therefore they shall
not be able to overcome him in us.
He is able to succor them that are
tempted. He who once overcame them
for us, will certainly subdue them in us;
he that will overcome the last enemy
will overcome all that are before ; for
if any be left the last is not overcome.
The Rainbow.
Shortly after her arrival in Ireland,
where Mrs. Hemans died, she was ex
tremely nnwell. When among the
mountain scenery of the fine country
of Wicklow, during a storm, she was
struck by one effect in the hills. It was
produced by a rainbow driving down
into a gloomy mountain pass, which it
seemed really to flood with its colored
glory. 'I could not help thinking, she
remarked, 'that it was like our religion,
piercing and carrying brightness into
the depths and sorrow of the tomb.'
All the scene around that one illumi
nated spot was wrapt in the profoudest
darkness.
H SO a Year, ia Adraan .
A Candid Deacon
Deacon M. was an honest old codgrr,
a kind, obliging neighbor, a g ol
church-going christian, believing in the
Presbyterian creed to the fullest extent;
but alackaday! this pillar of the chnrcb,
was, at times, a little 'shaky 'in fact,
the deacon would, occasionally, get ex ceedingly
'mellow;' and almost every
Sunday at dinner he would indulge ii
his favorite cider-brandy to such an ox
tent that it was with some little diffi
culty he reached his pew, which was v
the broad aisle, near the pulpit, and
between the minister's and the vilhigrc
'squire's. One Sunday morning the
parson told his flock that he should
preach a sermon- to- them in the after
noon, touching many g'.aring sins that
he grieved to see so conspicuous ainon
them ; and that he hoped they would
listen attentively and not flinch if he
should happen to be severe. The af
ternoon came, and the house was fuM ;
everybody turned out to hear their
neighbors 'dressed down by the minis- -
ter, wno, alter wen opening nn Berm-.n,
commenced upon the transgressor in n
loud voice, with the question 'Where
is tho drunkard ?' A solemn pau-
succeeded this inquiry; when, up rns
Deacon M.. with his face radiant from
copious draughts of the favorite driidc
at his noontide meal, and steadying
himself as well as he could by the pew
rail, and looked up to the parson an l
replied, in a piping and tremulous voice
'Here I am.' Of course a consterna
tion amongst tho congregation was the
result of the honest deacon's response :
however, the parson went on with his
remarks as he had written them, com
menting severely upon the drunk nd,
and winding up by warning him to for
sake at once such evil habits if he wouM
seek salvation and flee the coming
wrath. The deacon then made a bo-r
and seated himself again, 'And now'
out spoke the preacher-man in his loud
est tones, 'where is the hypocrite ?' 'V
pause 'but none responded. Eyes
were turned: upon this and that man ;
but the most glances seemed direcird
to the 'squire's pew, and indeed tho
parson seemed to squint hard in tint
direction. The deacon saw where tho
where it should
De aimed, and rising once
Ui
ore, rcnnrir
over his pew rail to the 'squire, w'tom
he tapped on the shoulder, and thus
addressed: 'Come, 'squire, why don't
you get up; I did, when he called on
me.' Boston Pott.
Hope, Faith, and Love.
A magic boat I saw afloat.
On the stormy sea of life :
With pure bright brow, a child at tho pnwr
Steered through the raging strife.
And 'mid the storm, that cherub form
Sang clearly, ceasing never :
" Bright hope will sail through the fiercest
gale
On the ea of lifb forever I"
The boat aped on ; the dny aa gone ;
Dark clouds that child surrounded ;
Tet like a star, it shone afar
As it ever onward bounded.
.And higher grown, its altered tons
Sang firmly, faltering nevei
" Faith steers aright, through the blackest
night.
On the sea of life forever."
Through perils dark, that magi? tmrk
To its heavenly haven bounded ;
And the child full-grown, like ua aul
shone,
Its brow with a crown surrounded.
And high it hung, with seraph tongue,
Its music ceasing never :
"Love, shining bright, is the highest liRiu
On the sea of life forever."
The Land of Promise.
from the cermax or chland.
There is a land where beauty will not fu!e
Nor sorrow dim the eye ;
Where true hearts will not sink nor be d';
mayed, And love will never die.
Tell me I faia would 'M3;
For I am burdened with a heavy woe,
The beautiful have left me all alone ;
The true, the tender from my patn'liuvo
And I am weak and fainting with dexpnir.
Where is it t Tell me, where t
Friend, thou must trust in Ilim who trod be
fore The desolate paths of life ;
Must bear in meekness, ax Us meekly bore,
Sorrow, and toil and strife.
Think bow the Son of God
These thorny paths hath trod ;
Think how lie longed to go,
Yet tarried out for thee th appointed wo ;
Think of his loneliness in places dim.
When no man comforted or cared fr Ilim ;
Think how he prayed, unaided and a!one.
In that dread agony "Thy will be done!"
Friend, do not thou despair
Christ, it his heaven of heavens will hear thy
prayer.
Applauding Preachers In tho 4th
century the preachers were applauded du
ring the delivery of their discourses, ufk-r
the manner of popular lectures and politi
cal assemblies in modern times. Indoed,
the frequent criea of " Orthodox," and the
clapping of the hands and stamping of the
feet in the Churches, were as common sit
this period as similar proceedings now arc
at the opera. Il is related that Chrjsoefoni,
the celebrated preacher, was applauded in
the great Church at Constantinople by tho
people waving their plumes, their ban.lker
cbeifs, and their garments, and by oiler-!
laying their hands on their hearts, and ex
claiming, " Thou art worthy of the Priesthood."