PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY A COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS FOR THE METHODIST EPI COPAL CHURCH, SOUTH. RUFUS T. HEFLIN, Editor.
R A L EGhTT iTuRSXyT S E P T K MbTJ9TT59
VOL. IV NO. 39.
ORIGINAL
FortheN.C. Christian Advocate
Calvinism vs. Arminianisin,"
Reviewed".-So. XXI.
Rev. R. T. Heflin :
I bave now before me Xo. xix, of 1.
T. P.'s communications ; lie is still on the
subject of God's ' decree of election and
reprobation.' In the consideration of the
subject, he commences with the fore knowl
edge of God, he says on this point.
'1. The fore-knowledge of God estab
lishes the Calvinistic doctrine of election.'
This, is however .denied. The Calvinis
tic' view of the 'fore-knowledge of God,
may 4 establish the Calvinistic doctrine of
election,' I allow : but, both are inconsis
tent with the Scriptural doctrine on these
points. 4 Fore-knowledge' is the founda
tion of God's decrees, according to the
Bible, as is fully proved by Rom. viii, 28
20, compared with Gal. iii, 7, S. I
Pet. i. 2. Election' follows faith in
Christ as he is revealed in the gospel, as is
shown by Eph. i. 314. Mark xvi 16.
Rom. x. 14 21. God"s knowledge, re
gards the 'number' of the 'elect' no doubt:
but, then 'his knowledge depends not upon
his decree of ' election ; but upon the cer
tainty of the faith fore-seen (Gal iii 7, 8.)
in the persons whom he elects ; and this is
according to his decree grounded upon this
knowledge, hence Christ says : ' He that
believeth and is baptised, sh tllle saved.'
And St. Paul confirms this when he treats
on the subjects of ' predestination, elec
tion,' and the 'adoption of children :' af
firming that all this is accomp ished when,
and even fir faith is exercised. Hence
he says : ' In whom also we have obtained
an inheritance, being predestined accord
ing to the purpose of hire who worketh all
thin cs after the council of his own will :
that we should be to the praise of his glory,
who firt trust' d in Christ. In whom ye
also trusted, after that ye heard tho word
of truth, the gospel cf your salvation : in
whom also, after that, ye believed, ye were
sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.'
Eph. i, 1113.
P. T. P.'s representation of Dr. Clarke's
views of God's fore-knowledge, is alto
gether erroneous. He s:iys of him : 'A e
must either believe with Dr. Clark that
God does not choose to know every thing.'
Now, Pr. Clarke (not Clark) does not
teach that doctrine at all, but quite the
contrary. See his views in his Commen
tary on Acts ii, 23 ; and especially, at the
close of the chapter. In his concludiog
remarks as found here, he contends that
God's knowledge is specifically exact, and
free from confusion ; not confounding -contingent'
with absolutely certain things;
distinguishing these, one from the other.
It is true, he contends for the ' free' exer
cise of his conscience ; but he nowhere de
clares, or even intimates, that he does
not choose to know all things.' His views
of God's knowledge concerning the 'con
tingency' of events ; and also of events
which he has determined 'absolutely ;' de
monstrate, that the Dr believed that God's
knowledge extended to and embraced 'every
thing,' or else he could not have a perfect
knowledge of these different events ; some
'contingent,' others 'absolutely certain:
for, such a knowledge as the Dr. ascribes
to God in these matters, must necessarily
comprehend, not only ' every thing,' but
every circumstance of ' every thing.' P.
T. P. contends that,
' 2. The immutability of God proves
the doctrine of election.' The immutabil
ity' of God, has no doubt much to do in
the salvation and damnation of men ; but
not as bringing about these events with
out the consent and co-operation of the
saved, and the wilfull and unnecessi
tated unbelief and impenitence of the
damned. This is clearly demonstrated;
1. By the Prophets, i. Isaiah: If ye be
willing and obedient, ye shs.ll eat the good
of the land : but if ye refuse and rebel,
ye shall be devoured with the sword : for
the mouth cf the Lord has spoken it.
Isa. i 19, 20. See also Isa. v 17. 2.
Ezekkl xviii 24-32. 3. Christ. 'He
that believeth and is baptized, shall be
saved ; but he that believeth not, shall be
damued.' Mark xvi 1G. In all these
places, aud many more : God's ' immuta
bility is clearly involved, demonstratively
showing, that his plan of salva'ion is im
mutably fixed; not, because he has de
creed that this man shall be saved ; aud
that mau shall be damned : but that those
characters who believe shall be saved ; and
those characters who believe not shall be
damned. Here, let it be observed, that
God's knowledge is certain as to the char
acter saved, and the 'number' comprehend
ed ; and also the characters damned, and
the number' iucluded : and this, not, be
bause he first ' fixed' upon the ' number'
and then knew this becaues he so 'fixed it:
but, because he knew perfectl y the number
that would believe, or not believe, and
therefore be saved or damned, according to ;
the 'immutable' decree, that the believers
.should be saved ; aud the unbeliever
should be damned .
3. The fact, substantiated by cxpeii-
euce, observation and sacred history, that
God acts upon the principle of bestowing
His favors as lie pleases, proves the doc
trine of election,' Even so : for, the fore
going proofs demonstrate, thatGod 'pleases'
to 4 bestow His favors' upon those ouly
who believe in Christ ; and withholds them
from those only who refuse to do so. No
one, either among the purely remonstrant
Arminians : and certainly, none among
the Methodists ; ever taught that God
chose men to salvation on account of their
'deserving' it. The insinuatijn in this in
stance, is anti-christian in every sense.
And this is true, if P. T. P. intends in
this, to extend the insinuation, to all the
variety of differences that take place among
mankind, with regard to 'favors bestowed,'
greater to some than to others ; for Armi
nians, and Methodists allow all this ; with
ho Trover, the distiuct understanding that
these 'favors' are regarded chiefly as earthly
things. With respect to salvation or dam
nation ; i. e. ' Election and Reprobation'
to eternal life, or eternal death ; all true
Arminians, and all Methodists teachers,
contend that a sufficiency of means of
grace, is furnished to all to secure their eter
nal salvation: and that none need be damn
ed ; that their damnation is resultant from
their final unbelief and rejection of Christ.
They allow a variety here also, and con
tend that, while there are different persons,
that those who receive but one may so use
it. as to secure a reward, as well, though
not as great, as those who receive five.
Now, 'experience, observation and sacred
history,' combined, show demonstratively,
that the views here given, by P. T. P. are
erroneous ; and those just submitted in
reply, are the only views which corres
pond with 4 fact' in the ease.
The care of ' Lydia' is fixed upon by
P. T. P. to prove, as by a 'fact' of ' His
tory,' that God first elects persons, and
then works in them by his ' word and
spirit the proper dispositions of 'heart' for
salva ion. This case, and others to which
P. T. P. alludes may be fully illustrated,
by the different results of the preaching of
God's truth, to the Jews of old, and the
Jews to whom Paul wrote. 'Let us there
fore fear, lest a promise being left us of
entering into his rest, any of you should
suciii to coiuu alio it .f" if.. l'or unto us
was the gospel preached, as well as, unto
them: but the word preached did not
profit them, not being mixed with faith iu
them that heard it.' Ileb. iv 1, 2. No
' Calvinistic election' here.
' 4. This doctrine is expressly taught
in Holy Scriptures. Eph. i 35, ' Bles
sed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in heavenly places in
Christ: according as He hath chosen us iu
Him before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and without blame
before Him in love ; having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children of Jesus
Christ unto Himself, according to the good
pleasure of His will.' Now, if 1. T. P.
had pursued the apostles train of thought,
he would have learned, that he taught
these Ephensians, that this immntable'
decree of election, took effect, 'after'
they bad 'heard the word of truth, the
gospel of their salvation : in whom also,
after that they believed, they were sealed
with that Holy Spirit of promise:' ver. 13.
This demonstratively proves, that this
' Predestination' of these Ephcsians ' unto
the adoption of children of Jesus Christ
unto Himself, according to the good plea
sure of His will,' was predicated upon the
foreseen faith (see Gal. iii 7, 8, compared
with Eph. i. 11 13,) of these very per
sous ; and that consequently, their election
was conditional, and could only take place
at the time they 'believed,' and thereupon,
were 4 sealed with that Holy Spirit of
promise.' We learn also, from this view
that P. T. P. is wholly mistaken when he
says.' The Armiuian theory, is that faith
and obedience are the cause of election.'
Not so, but the condition upon which
election is predicated.
The passage from ii. Thessalonians ii.
13, quoted by P. T. P. is to be interpret
ed in the same manner, and to the same
sense, as the one from Eph. i. 4 5. And
thus interpreted, it will prove demonstra
bly, that the election of these Thcsaloniaus,
like the Ephcsians, was an election con
nected with, and predicated upon the faith
which they exercised in the ' belief of the
truth ;' for then it was that they were
'chosen to a salvation through sanctification
of the Spirit.' This is the more evident,
from the verse following, where the appos
tle affirms that their 'sanctification through
the spirit, and the belief of the truth ,'
was subsequent to the preaching of the
gospel to them ; and consequently, their
election through these means; hence he
says : ' W hereunto he called you by our
gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our
Lord Jesus Christ.' Verse, 14. Noth
ing can be plainer therefore, than that
their election occurred at the time of their
' sanctificatiou and belief of the truth.
It cannot be that ' sanctificatiou' can be
both the salvation of man , and at the same
time "evidence' of itself, as P. T. P,
affirms. The spirit may witness this, but
surely, Ins work cannot be its own evi-
uence.
Yours affectionately,
PETER DOUB.
Greensboro', N. C, Aug. 25, 1859.
For the N. C. Christian Advocate.
Respecting? the Cliurch You
Should not Join.
What considerations should influence a
person but recently converted to God in the
choice of a church ? This is an important
interrogatory. It seems to me that the
following questions should arrest the pro
foundest attention of such an one, and the
proper answers to which should greatly in
fluence his final determination :
1st. Which church will probably assist
me most in using all the means of grace,
wi h which God in the exercise of his ex
haustless mercy and love, has surrounded
me?
2nd Which church will throw the most
safe-guards around my pathway through
life?
3rd. In what church can I probably be
the most useful?
4th. To which church, in the Provi
dence of God, am I most indtlted for my
present happy condition ?
I here take my leave of these questions
without further comment. Now for a few
words personal to myself be'bre laying be
fore j'our readers a f.-w suggestive passages
copied from a Methodist work.
As you are aware, brother Heflin, I was
reared by parents who were members of
the Episcopal Church. It was, however,
under the owerful preaching of a Metho
dist minister that my soul was converted,
and that "peace of mind which passeth all
understanding " was given unto me. Be
fore joining the Methodist church, the
above questions were calmly considered
and conscientiously answered. It was a
matter of too vital importance to suffer in
difference or to justify an effort on my part
to deceive myself by cither their skinned,
sensitive sophistries, or by plausible ab
surdities. Hence I was in earnest. Hav
ing had some taste for Theological studies
whilst yet a sinner, and having read to
some i-stont tho writings of the four lead
ing denominations, I was perhaps the bet
ter prepared to make a judicious selection.
But for prayerful and earnest reflection
upon the four questions, I might possibly
have been seriously damaged and to day
be in the "wrong church." I was prayer-'
ful, however, and honest in my efforts to
find the truth, and hence I was not deceiv
ed by that figment of the brain, "Apostoli
cal Succession " the Episcopal Procrus
tian bed; nor did I commit the egregious
blunder of supposing, that the mode of
baptism was of such absolute importance as
to justify any one in declaring (and of act
ing in character with the declaration) that
without dipping there is no baptism t and
consequently no right to partake of the
elements of the Lord's Supper. I escaped
the Scylla of prelatical delusion on the one
hand and the Charybdis of dipping bigotry
on the other. Thanks be to God ! for the
light afforded me in the early days of my
christian experience. Neither was I strand
ed upon the deceptive sand-bar of "bap
tismal regeneration," nor did I settle down
upon the quiet, metaphysical bank of
"predestination." But I steered clear of
these breakers until finally having reached
a home of comparative quietude and of
much tolerance, I attached myself to that
church, the main doctrines of which, as
stated by its great founder, consist "in
repentance, faith and holiness" The first
of these being accounted by that greatest
of all ecclesiastical statesmen, John Wes
ley, ' 'as it were, the porch of religion ; the
next as the door ; the third religion it
sef." Time, experience, more extended read
ing, a greater familiarity with the usages
of the church, have satisfied me of the wis
dom of my choice. I rejoice on nearly
each revolving day that I am a member of
the Methodist Church a church, to quote
your own felicitous phraseology as employ
ed in a recent editorial, "whose history at
tests its origiu to be from God, and illu
mines the highway of holiness by which it
is advancing onward to the bright day of
millcnial glory." But all this is prefatory
to another question which is important and
significant, to wit:
What church you should not join ?
I find this subject so clearly and forci
bly considered in a small work which lies
before me, that I am induced to make a
somewhat lengthened quotation from it.
You will doubtless agree with me that the
arguments are legitimate, conclusive and
unanswerable. The extract here given, is
from an excellent work on "Experimental
Religion," by the scholarly and practical
Rev. Dr. Rosser of the Richmond Advo
cate. " There are two reasons, at least, why
you should not join any church that oppos
es revivals.
"1. Such a church denies the genuine
ness of your conversion.
' "2. Such a church of course, cannot
afford you the proper spiritual helps to
save your soul. It never did believe in
your conversion, and consequently it is
presumable that you never would have
been more than a fashionable moralist, had
you not been converted elsewhere; and
so, should you now join that church, you
must moderate your zeal to the standard
of morality in that church. I make no
exception ; any church that opposes revi
vals is not a safe place for you ; indeed,
you had better join no church at all, than
such a church.
41 3. A word or tw y such as oppose
revivals, and yet receive the young con
verts ; and here I address both minister
and people. Either these revivals are the
work of man, or the work of Satan, or the
work of God. If the work of man, you
are right in opposing the work, but wrong
in receiving the young converts. If the
work of Satan, you are right in opposing
the work, but wrong in receiving the
young converts. But if it is the work of
God, you are wrong in opposing the work,
but right in receiving the young converts.
In any case, you are wrong in part ; and
yet, in all cases, you do not hesitate to re
ceive the young converts. I advise you,
in future, when you receive these young
converts, that for consistency's sake you
forever hold your peace. But I am not
willing to let this matter rest here. As
you do receive the young converts, one of
two things is certainly true ; either you do
not believe that they are soundly convert
ed, and so you are willing to make up
your church of any sort of materials,
that is, you are bigots in the strongest
sense of the term, or you do believe
that they are soundly converted, and
hence you oppose the revival to conceal or
defend your own coldness, deadness, inac
tivity, and formality in the cause of
Christ.
"Nor will I let the matter rest here.
You say, this is not the work of God.
Well, what are you doing for the salvation
of souls ? If men depend upon you for
spiritual direction, what direction are you
giving respecting conversion ? Are you
not worldly ? Are not the members of
your church among the gayest and fondest
votaries of fashion, dancing parties, and
worldly amusement ? Are you not asham
ed to be found praying to Christ among
his disciples at the alter for conversion of
penitents, though you are not ashamed to
be found worshipping at the shrine of
fashion in the ball-room ? Alas for the
world, if you were the only guides ?
"Nor shall the matter rest here. WThen
were you converted, if indeed you have ev
er been converted ? Most probably at the
altar, amid shouts of an evangelical revi
val, at some protracted meeting or camp
meeting; and yet you oppose the work!
And so you deny the genuineness of your
own conversion, or you have lost your first
love; in either case, you are in the way
to hell ; and it is painful that you should
seek to involve oshers in ruin.
4 'And yet one word more. You are
ingaged in the most destructive hostility
to God worse than the most notorious
profligacy and, unless you stop and re
pent, your damnation will be the deepest
in the gulf of hell. God have mercy up
on you !"
Now, Brother Heflin, that is plain talk
but how sadly true. I well remember,
how a revival that was progressing most
gloriously for the cause of Christ iu a vil
lage not an hundred miles distant from
your 4 'sanctum," was opposed and ridicul
ed by members of the Episcopal church.
I remember too, how glad the Bishop was
to "lay his hands" upon a goodly number
of those who professed to be converted
the largest number indeed, ever before
seen in the church in that placethe first
too that had been seen there for many
years. And just here, before I close, let
me give you a conversation that occurred
on this occasion between one of the fabu
lous 4 'succession" and a member of our
church. The ceremonial form, called
"confirmation," with all its Romanish
looking accompaniments had been perform
ed, the services had been closed, and the
audience were quietly dispersing, when the
"clergyman" in question said to the Meth
odist : "I tell you, I felt good to-night
when I saw that " pointing to the altar
where the ceremony had been enacted.
The follower of Wesley replied. "Per
haps we will send for Brother again
next year, and it may be that you will
feel good again " alluding to the Metho
dist preacher through whose instrumental
ity those just 4 'confirmed" bad been con
verted, if happily they were converted.
Yours in Christ,
PHILO-JUNICUM.
r , . -
Highest mountain.
The highest mountain in the world is
Mount Everest, in the Himalayas. Its
height is 26,000 feet, or five and a half
miles above the sea.
From the N. O. Ch. Advacate.
Foot-Prints Across the Continent.
No. VII.
Saw-palmetto Trains and herds Ante
. lopes Llano Estacado Fort Lancaster
Pecos River Sight and Smell
Strange mountatn Scenery Camanchfi
Springs Hot days and cold nights
Betting the bottom dollar Emigration
Lympia Grand Pass Dead Man's
Hole The Dogtowns.
We left Heward spring after breakfast,
and pursued our journey through the day
without any special incident by the way.
The country is poor, dry and rocky. The
only growth is a dwarfish mezquit and a
species of palmetto with a long serrated
leaf, commonly called in S. E. Georgia
" saw-palmetto.''
We met several government trains, a
herd or two of horses in transit from Mex
ico to the interior of Texas mere scrub
stock, not cf much value anywhere.
In the afternoon we saw a great many
antelopes, in different squads among the
hills ; but, as usual, they were too shy
either for close inspection or successful
shooting.
The mountains continue seem to grow
higher and, if possible, more wild and
bleak.
The views are panoramic perpetually
shiftinff vet always desolate. We have
here uniformity of change a monotony of
variety hill, mountain, vale, cave, gorge,
canon, precipice all alike in loneliness
and sterility the very nakedness of ruin.
Finally, after ascending a mountain,
we enter upon the southern extremity o
the Llano Estacado or 4 the Staked Plains,'
and, on looking back, a very remarkable
change appears. The mountains, through
which we had been toiling, are seen no
more the innumerable summits seem
blended, the points and crags and inequal
ities are lost, and there lies before the
gaze almost a perfect plain. The change
is most marvelous; it is however only the
magic of elevation.
'lhese letters are likely to grow tedious.
I must therefore omit details of night-encampments,
description of scenery, and
the every day events of this long tedious
trip. Selecting from the mass of materials
enough for a few letters, I will sum up in
a closing epistle my views of the country,
its wants aDd prospects.
Fort Lancaster, the next point of inter
est, was reached about noon the 26th of
May. After crossing the plain we came
suddenly upon the most frightful descent
upon the whole route. The road has been
cut out of the mountain side, and runs
along upon the brink of a precipice of aw
ful depth. To go down n safety requires
all the help and precautious for such cases
made and provided.
The Fort is upon the valley below, and
consists of adobe houses, mainly, neatly
arranged, end constituting cool retreats
from the almost intolerable heat of this re
gion. The thermometer I think was 104
on the day of our arrival. The wind, con
fined by the mountains, was pouring like
a torrent through the vale ; and yet, in
passing over deserts of sand a rock, had
become so dry and hot as hardly to effect
the temperature at all. Nevertheless, to
one iu the shade, it was very refreshing.
Here we dined, changed teams, and set
out afresh. In a few miles crossed the
Pecos river a deep, muddy, brackish
stream and travelled late at night in or
der to find a place open enough for a camp.
In this region the Indians are very troub
lesome, and the travcles must needs be
wary. The mules were tied fast some to
the bushes and some to the wheels ; a
double guaid was stationed, and the rest
of the company went to rest. Fortunately
we were not disturbed.
Very early we were up and off. The
poor mules were supperless, needed water,
and a few miles ahead was a famous spring
and plenty of grass. The spring is called
Escondido, which means hidden.
At the foot ot a mountainous pile of vol
canic rock, the waters break out ; but are
so concealed by bulrushes and flags as to
be invisible, until by a circuitous path you
reach the very rock from under which they
flow. When you have found it, before
you drink, you will have to settle a serious
controversy between sight and smell, lhe
sulphurous odors which come up from the
muddy bed right below, will sicken you
and tempt you to turn away ; but the bright
water, clear and cool, looks so inviting,
you will conclude that although in bad
company, it must itself be good and pure.
Sight supported by long thirst will carry
the day ; you dip and drink and then find
that the argument is on the side of smell.
The nose is a hetter judge than the eye.
Alas! in this world of delusions good
looking things are not always pleasant.
44 All is not gold that glitters."
In the evening we reach the other stage,
encamped and waiting for us. While
waiting for us, the driver had killed a fine
buck, aud after v-amping together that
night we had a feast of fat things in the
morning ; venison steak, after feeding a
day or two on jerked beef, is savoury
very.
The mountains are changed in from,
and constitute a remarkable feature of this
region. They are circular, conical, smooth,
oblong ridges with abrupt terminations,
now undulating like the waves of the ocean,
yonder towers one gray and venerable ;
while around, in a group, are several oth
ers of various attitudes and dimensions, all
of one family making you think of an old
man and his household. There is one like
a centre-table in a parlor, yonder is anoth
er, solitary and alone he seems to have
fallen out with him, affd set up for him
self and presently you nraj see long
smooth stretches of mountain like a fortifi
cation with a grand old gateway in the
centre opening to some .feudal stronghold
beyond ; while, on every hand, there are
towers, temples and domes tumuli, pyr
amids, and monumental pues--you feel at
last as if you were among the grand old
relics of some primeval world.
On the 27th we reached Camp Stockton,
better known, however, as 44 Comanche
Springs." This is a new military post,
located in an open plain, and as yet has
the most extemporaneous arrangement for
tne accommodation of the soldiers. 44 Shan
ty" is the term employed in the East to
express the lowest style of a human dwel
ling ; but the stick affairs here are of a
lower grade still too low to be described.
For the present, the place is called a camp.
The men were busy, however, erecting
houses a sor of concrete, a cross between
a stone building and an adobe. Water is
abundant and very good ; but the supply
for fuel is a little curious, consisting almost
entirely of the roots of the mezquit bushes.
Strange to tell, these little dwarfish bushes
have immense roots exceeding in size and
number those of many large trees.
The kindness of Lieutenant Sherman
and Mrs. S., 1 shall not soon forget. We
dined with them, and in view of long ab
stinence, felt most pleasantly recruited.
Here we dropped some of our passen
gers ; and, as the number left was too small
for two stages, we were crowded into one.
Six mules were hitched, and eight more
were driven a-head. We had two out
riders one to drive the loose train, and
another to ride by the one in harness ; the
last was armed with a large whip, with
which he kept the team excited. His blows
were hearty and frequent. We traveled
two hours, eight or ten miles an hour
stopped, and rested ; changed teams, and
proceeded in the same order.
At night we camped in as bleak a place
as could well be found. The winds were
fierce and cold. The nights contrast
strangely with the days. The sun is trop
ically hot ; but, when you lie down to sleep
at night, overcoat and two good blan
kets are no incumbrance.
We stopped at Barilla Swings for break
fast. Found there a large train of emi
grants. Two ladies came down to the
stage to talk with Mrs. P. The oldest
said she was moving simply to follow her
daughter; the daughter said she was follow
ing her husband. I inquired into their
history a little. They hed moved from
Tennessee to Mississippi ; then to Texas,
now to California.
I said, 44 1 suppose you will go next to
the Sandwich Islands ?"
The young one replied, with some spiritf
" If I ever get to California, you may bet
your bottom dollar that I'll never move
again."
The emigration from Texas to California
is very heavy. The Atlantic States yield
thousands to Texas ; and Texas, in her
turn, sends them to the Pacific; and, to
my astonishment, I find scores here about
to come back to Texas. An American
humanity is a restless one ; most commonly,
one move unsettles a man for Ufa.
The mountains along here are wild and
grand. I suspect they abound in iron ore.
They will make you think of Balbec, The
bes, Palmyra or Tadmor; in the wilderness,
the silence, solitude and desolation of anti
quity seem to brood over the scene. Fallen
columns, demolished temples, towers in
ruin, patches of . old fortifications, palaces
deserted, remnants of architectural gran
deur still mouldering- in Bad decay. A
thousand similitudes like these force them
selves upon your fancy as you look out
upon the fantastic shapes about you. The
stillness is sepulchral. Solemnity steals
over the mind. The rattling of the coach
wheels has an irreverent sound, which jars
upon the feelings like laughter in a grave
yard. All around is rugged, bleak deso
lation. Vegetation is dead, as if nature
sympathized with the ruin of ages, and
meant to add her spoils to the mournful
pile.
Finally, we reached a spring called
4 ' Lympia," around it was a little verdure ;
and here, for the first time for a long while,
we saw some deer and antelope. They had
doubtless traveled to find water.
Here we enter into "Grand Pass," the
only outlet through the rocky barriers of
this melancholy region.
We got through as the sun was setting ;
and, on the right was a long broken ridge
of mountains, with sharp rocks, shooting j
np like steeples and spires and above were 1
$1.50 a year, in advance.
clouds, rolling and tossing with tbe wind
the reflected light likened them to smoke
and flame, ascending from a city on fire
We thought of Moscow and Kremlin.
Thunder bellowed from the darkening sky
lightnings flashed the wind blew a gale
and we thought a storm of rain was com
ing. A few random drops fell, and all bat
the wind was still. That raged on. We
had reached Fort Davis, where we camp
ed. From Camp Stockton to Fort Davis is
one hundred and twenty-five miles. The
road is generally very fine, and the scenery
grand. We passed a place called "Bar
rel Springs,' and stopped to dine on a rocky
hill, where the only fuel to be found waa
the trunk of a decayed cabbage-tree.otber-wise
known as Spanish Bayonet.
"In the afternoon, we came to "Dead
Hfnn'a Hole "a most revoltiDe name for a
spring of the best water on the route.
The mountains along here are lovely
live-oak abound, and resemble an a pple
orchard in the order of their growth. Some
of the mountains are naked, others are
covered with dead grass, very yellow in the
pun-light; others, spotted all over with
these orchard like trees. The Tallies are
poor generally, and naked. In them are
to be found those curiosities of the West
44 Dogtowns."
The prairie dog is a marvel in natural
history. These little animals live in com
munities. Tbey burrow in the ground,
and a pile of dirt marks the mouth of every
habitation. Some of them aro mere vil
lages, others may be classed as towns, and
others as cities. Nothing but population,
however, marks the difference. The archi
tecture is all of one pattern.
The dog is about as large as a 44 fice"
nine days old. To 8eo one of them curl
his tail over on his back and run for his
hole, makes one think of 4 4 Tom Thumb"
in regimentals. Bold and brave as he af
fects to be, he never barks till he gets
home and feels secure of his retreat below.
The sound of an intruding footstep brings
every inhabitant to the door, and the cho
rus of barks is wonderful. A litter of a
thousand hungry pups would resemble it
very much. The towns in which they
dwell are not laid off in lines, y. tl noticed
that their holes were about equi-distant
every way. I presume they live on grass,
at any rate where they are numerous no
grass is left. The earth is naked as a high
way. The most remarkable fact about them
remains to be stated. The rattle-snake,
and a species of owl, (very much like the
common screech-owl) dwell with the dogs.
These all live together in peace and friend
ship. Qf this there no doubt I Baw
the "owls go in and come out; the snakes
were lying by ; neither seemed afraid of tho
other, and those who had dug down and
made thorough examination assured me
that every house contained some of each.
One night we stopped to camp close by
one of these towns the passengers were
spreading their blankets when Bro. Sim
mons, whose legs are long, and served
him well that time, leaped np and back
wards, and cried out, 4 look there! A
rattlesnake in coil rung out his peculiar
defiance and stood ready for battle. No
sticks were near ; a pistol was the only
chance it was too dark to 4 draw a bead
on him but the second shot finished tbe
campaign.
G. F. PIERCK.
A Heathen's Rebuke.
A valued friend relates to us the fol
lowing interesting and authentic anecdote:
A man of great learning and talents,
but an unbeliever, was travelling in Ma
nilla. He was escorted by a native of
rank, and as they were about starting, the
native, with the refined politeness which
characterizes the orientals, requested the
white stranger to pray to his Qyi.
This was probably the only thing he
could have been asked to do, without being
able to comply ; and on bis declining, the
native said, 4 4 Well, some God must be
prayed to, so you will excuse me if I pray
to mine."
4 4 Full many a shaft at random sent.
Finds mark the archer never meant "
And it was in this case. The unbeliver
was rebuked by the heathen, and the man
of science, who had gone there in quest of
natural curiosities, returned, having found
the "pearl of great price." Ilia next vis
it is to be with the missionaries to preach
Christ. Ex.
Increase.
The official reports make the
the Wesleyan body for the past year as fol
lows: In Great Britain, of members
lo.tQG ; on trial, 25,541. The fact that
multitudes have been lost through deaths,
removals, &c., shows that at least 40,000
persons must have been united with the
Church daring the last year. The affilia
ted conferences Canada, Eastern Amer
ica, and Australia report an increase of
9,251.
r i
n