7"
m
rrvTv
i 0
Published by a Joint' Stock Company under tlio Patronage of the North Carolina Conference Wm. E. Poll, Editor.
VOL. V I. NO. 37.
BALEIGH, N. C, WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 1863.
THREE DOLLARS A YKAR, IX ADVANCE.
C
A
A
D
VO
CA
i-i;lan At'.weate Publishing Com pany
1
.1X0. 1 FO.Vill, rKns::r.XT.
r.i-v. V"ji. II. Clsis:;im. O. (.
Ucv. J. Ili-XT, ami Zkxo II.
i-
f
. V. V. is v-iMii'.K'vl every Wediu'.ilay
'. t. :t 3 l i'V : ;ii r.!il. .I (". ').'. Out- Ht
... ,''.; mi lit.' Citth pi iiiciji'c.
. .-. . ...... i. if i:ared $ 1 per snuaro
j Hi. s loss, f-.r :":r.--i icst rti.-n, a;d at' cents
- .:::.r.' i- r e.tca su'-m. incut insertion.
. i :, .( ... '.c -.',';"'(.' I its tuts vutt
. . .."( . .'. f.-'.i' C (('(? .' . ' llCV.
i.. 1 ivau-i.r';. -. C.
t
. v;
(Original.
Tiio Army Mission.'
Mil. K-.ituu
I desire through the
c . Innins of the JfY-Jc7.V, to submit a few
!:. uhi.-: to the ndnlstors and laity of the
Church in li e North Carolina Conference,
. n the subject of supplying the troops
fjvi.'i North Carolina with ministerial aid.
I d'- so -vvtth extreme reluctance. Sever
al vreks ago I prepared an article on the
Mi'-joct. but withheld it, hoping that some
o..io t '..-o would d!cass the matter. I now
, rl;e with the hope of calling out aider
p.;,;. and those who have less repugnance
than I have, to appear in the public jour-
1:::!-.
North Carolina has now in the field
slxtv-live regiments and nine battalions,
be-ides a number of detached companies.
31::;; v of these regiments have been in
rvk-e for mere than two years, and have
j, ver had a chaplain. Our sons have
v.. .-Led awav by disease or fallen on the
field, and have had no minister of Christ
to direct t:n m to a bleeding Saviour, orto
administer to them the consolations of re
li'. ii in th-irf-ufTering3.
This. 1 suppose, is not because of the
j-v:uvitv o ministers, or of their unwil-
L'ncts to reive, or because. the Church -j
w:. riot able or willing to support thein.
"VY! i a the war was firt opened, the Leg-
i, of X- rth Carolina made rrovision
r . - ; iwA r: -sis taut Chaplain, to
cvnr rp'iMurui. .Tw . . . '
ji: . adab'e zeal appoint od Chaplains lo the
lvtmcnts as fa.-t as tbey were formed.
1 iider his ad mi nisi rat ion it constituted a
part of the organization of every regiment.
s Unfortunately f'1' the religious interests
of our trc-opF, they wore at
an c
J J
tiansfcrred to the Southern Confederacy.
Then difiereut counsels obtained, and
soon nearly ail the Chaplains appointed
by State authority resigned. A general
apatby on the subject followed. The
few Chaplains who remained amidst all
the disaura'omcnls which surrounded
them, have since reaped a glorious har
vst, and thore who u went forth weeping,
Loaring precious seed," have since "re
turned rejoicing, bringing their sheaves
with them.''
The harvet is now ripe, but the labo
rers are few. The question therefore
comes p io ns as christians, how may
tiiore laborers be sent forth?
1 '" of our liishops have published a
f taleiiicnt. in which they inform us, that
e at a recent meeting of the ishops and
1'Ioard of Managers of the Missionary So
ciety of our Church, it was determined to
send several missionaries to the Confede
rate army." For this determination two
reasons are assigned. The first is, that
'; it is well niah impossible to furnish
Chaplains to every regiment without
breaking up the organization at home."
I e aifoss my surprise at that announce
ment. If true of other portions oJ the
work, it certainly floes 'not appry to North
Carolina. Uefore cnir State vas invaded
we had preachers enough , to fill every
pastoral charge in the Conference. Vo
liayr them y:;t. Nineteen charges are
now within 'he enemy's lines, which
leaves a surplus of about twenty preach
ers without work. There are four lead
ing denominations in North Carolina who
are doing fully as well as the Methodists,
in furnish in ;r Ch.iolains indeed better.
Our proportion in the Stale would only
b- about twenty. Uut our Conference
bounds do not include the whole State.
t A portiou of the "'irgini Conference ly
ljrdng in this State is in the enemy's lines
also, and the preachers who have left
those charges, if added to ours who are
without work, would increase the surplus
of Methodist voaehers in the State, to at
least thirty. Now how the supplying the
army, with fifteen or- twenty additional
Chaplains from our Church in this State,
is lo disturb the organization at home, I
cannot conceive. I think it involves a
dillieulty which the llnee, ishops will
lvjrdly be able to exjdaiu. . What is true
f Xorto Carolina is also true of other 1
fctalea and ( -oil u von cos. Kentucky-. Mis-
souri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Louisiana and
portions of Virginia, Mississippi, Alabama
snd South Carolina arc in the enemy's
lines. Whero are the preachers? Ma
ny of them who have been driven from
their work, must be in reach of the liish
ops and could fill Chaplaincies. So far
as I can learn, no minister from North
Carolina has yet been called to serve as
an army missionary, although the State
has 00,000 men in the field. I do npt
mention this as a complaint but as an ar
trmnent. It proves this : that while the
N. C. Conf erence has a surplus of preach
ers, more than enough to supply its pro
portion of Chaplains to every regiment
in the army, other Conferences must
have a still larger surplus, as it has not
been found necessary to call on the X. C.
Conference for a single preacher for the
army mission, cV it proves that in the
judgment of ishop Early, therein no man
in our Conference fit for the work.
The second reason assigned is, that the
Government is heavily burdened and can
not bear the expense of chaplains. This
to me is more astounding than the former.
The government says it can " meet this
want," and has provided by law for a
Chaplain to each regiment. Hence there
is a difference of opinion between the
three ISishops and the government.
Which is mcstlikeiy to be correct? Let
us sec. In every regiment there are for-tyr-fivc
commissioned ofiicers. The pay of
the lowest is that of second Lieutenant.
The pay of Chaplain is tho same. The
three Bishops do not. qu.es tion the ability
of the government to pay the forty-five,
but gravely tell us th:;t it cannot pay the
forty-sixth. Tbat'Is the la.-1 straw which
breaks the camel's back. But who pays
these officers t All the people of the
Southern Confederacy. To whom do the
three Bishops appeal for enlarged liberali
ty to " meet this want" which they seem
to think a?! the people cannot meet?
Why to the Methodists of the Confcdera-
- ot r r.iiise.
If oi cannot "meet this
Tl . '1 . 1 . n n . - a. . .... '
attention to the fact, that these two rea-
sons which I have been reviewing, are the
only reasons given by the Bishops for this
new missionary enterprise, for the sup
port of which you are appealed to for un
wonted liberality. I have shown that
these reasons are founded upon incorrect
assumptions.
Let us now turn to the action of the
Missionary Board ifself. The second res
olution of the Board reads as follows :
"Jtcsoh e,?, T'irJ tTio'Bisliops !e, and Uicy nro
hereby auth.riel and requested to appoint such
(Jenera! Missionaries t the various departments
of the army, as ia their judgment the demand re
quires and the funds t the Society may justify:
Pfji-iih-'?, that the3r f hall not appoint more than
oiia General Missionary to each Army Corps."
- My first objection to this action of the
Board is, that it is a usurpation of power
not guaranteed to it, cither by express
grant or implied, by the Discipline, and
that it is an infringement of the rights of
the Annual Conferences. Whither are
we drifting ? The Board says it "authori
zes, and requests" tho Bishops, &e. I
suppose it mayT request whatever it choos
es, but when it presumes to authorize ft
thing, it may be pertinent to inquire,'
where did it get the right to authorize any
puch thin or ? Who authorized it to con-,
vcy any such authority to others ? The
only authority which it has is that which
the General Conference gives it, as ex
pressed in the book of Discipline. On
pages 23-80, the Discipline says, the
Board shall have authority to make by
laws to regulate its own proceedings to
appropriate money to defray incidental
expenses to provide for the support of
superannuated missionaries, &c. to print
books, See. to present, u statement of
its transactions to tho aunual meetings
and to the Generrd Conference. On page
2-11, it has authority to fix tho salary of
its Secretary, and wn page 216, authority
is given to fill vacancies occurring in the
Board. No one, I judge, will prctesd that
the authority it claims, ia to be found in
any of the above items ? But the above
ia all the authority conferred upon the
Board by trre laws of the Church.
True, on page 201, it is provided that
an autumnal meeting of .the Board shall
be held, at which time, in conjunction
with the Bishops it shall determine what
oreiijn fields shall be occupied, &c. That
gives the Board authority, not of itself,
but in conjunction with the Bishops, to
supervise our forr vjn missions. And on
page 24G, a like authority is given to an
nual Conferences over our domestic mis
sions. I will not insult -the intelligence
of your readers by presenting an argu
ment to prove, that by sending ministers
lo preach to our. own citizens to our fath
ers, brothers, and sons in the Army, is not
a foreign mission. That would be as ri
diculous as to attempt, seriously to prove,
that a meeting held in tho month' of April,
was net an autumnal meeting !
The only auswer to all this, which !
have heard, is, that tho necessities of tho
cas:) required this departure from the law.
I answer, that bad as our Church regula
tions are in regard to our Missionary ope
rations, and in my judgment they are had
enough, I am not prepared to admit that
they are so bad as to render it necessary
that the Bishops of the Church and the
Missionary Board should over-ride or ig
nore the law in order to do good. But it
may be answered, it is a small matter, so
that good be accomplished, whether it be
done in strict accordance with law or not.
It may be small in itself, but it is not so
in its practical results. When men vio
late one law of the Church under the plea
of necessity or expediency, they soon reach
a point when they can violate any other
law, though no such imaginary necessity
exists. A proof of this is at hand in the
action of this same Board in fixing the al
lowance of the General Missionaries to the
Army. The Discipline expressly says,
" The sum allowed for the support of Mis
sionaries shall not exceed the usual allow-"
anee of other itinerant ministers," page
212. The amount allowed to other itiner
ant ministers, i.- regulated byr their being
married or unmarried, and by the number
of children they have under certain ages.
This rule has been ignored by the Board.
It has fixed the allow anee of each General
Mbsiemuy at $8,000 per annum, without
regard to the size of his family.
Now, I am no advocate for our pres
ent system of finance. I think a much
better svslcni mi.;ht bo adopted. But
while the present is the law of the Church,
I insist that it be enforced and applied,
especially to those who' have it in their
power to renoal or amend bad laws, and
subs' itu? W.tler ones. When men be-
gument that they can feel, is the applica
tion of an oppressive lav.' to themselves.
The last objection T shall afe present of
fer to the action of the Board is, thafit is
wholly inefficient. It "authorizes and
requests" tho Bishops to appoint mission
aries to our ariry, provided they do not
appoint more than one General Missiona
ry to each Army corps. Now an army
corps when full is about 40,000 men.
All experience shows, that one minister to
a regiment, has all that ho can do. The
Legislature of North Carolina thought
two necessaiy at first. Tho Missionary
Board restricts the Bishops to one to about
10 regiments, giving one man the work that
would require 40 to perform. We may
easily imagine how it will be done, and
what amount of service the troops of North
Carolina will receive, scattered as they
are among the different corps in .Virgin
ia, Tennessee and in this State. The
practical result must be that after the
people of North Carolina have responded
to the appeal for "enlarged liberality
our soldiers will get but little missionary
service from this source.
But tho answer to this is, that these
are 'General Missionaries, who are appoint
ed to superintend the work. What work?
Who have we ia the army to superintend ?
Is it the few Chaplains of regiments we
have there? If that be the intention, I
presume the humble Chaplain as he toils
and suffers in his arduous work and re
ceives from the goycrnnienrhis $9G0 per
annum, will promptly tell fthese $8,000
men, that his Colonel has charge of him,
and that he can gftt,vaIoiir without any
other superior. "J '. y
But it may bo'saul, other ' "missionaries
arc to be appointed. Where is the pro
vision for that? The Board has made no
such provision, if it .required the authori
ty of the Board to appoint iuorc ttan one.
But if it did not require its authority at
all, its proceeding in this matter is a
ridiculous fsree. But tho Bishops have
acknowledged its authority and are actim;
under it. Thoy will of course not go be
yond the authority thus given them, and
nothing will be done. Yes, this much
will be done. The people of North Caro
lina will contribute large sums of money
to send preachers to servo their brave
sous, brothers, husbands and friends in
the army, but they will receive precious
little service, and those who appeal to
them for money for this mission, will be
called on lo explain why the troops from.
North Carolina are not being served, and
what has become of the money. General
distrust will be the consequence at home,
and in the army there will b no change
for the better.
But Methodists of North Carolina, are
we relieved of responsibility in this mat
ter ? Are we to sit down quietly at home
and enjoy all the advantages of the 'gos
pel, and leave our own children and broth
ers to fight our battles, and do, nothing to
' furnish them with the word of life and
the means of grace ? Truly, we would
be guilty not only of the blood of our
brethren, but of the blood of our own
children. The means are in our own
hands. Let us act at once, and histead
of waiting for this dilatory and inefficient
scheme- let us adopt one that is practical
and that can be carried into operation at
once.
In the absence of auy other, I will sug
gest tho following as feasible. And first,
let us co-operate with the Government to
furnish a Chaplain, in conjunction with
other denominations, "to each Regiment.
Let the Methodist Church in North Car
olina furnish her full proportion. This
would only require two or three preachers
from each Presiding Elder's District. Let
the Presiding Elders at once ascertain
from the preachers who will volunteer for
thia work. Let there be a meeting of thq
Presiding Elders and one layman frosi
each District, at the earliest day, say at
Greensboro, the third Wednesday in Au
gust next : and for the sake of conveni
enee, let the' District Stewards be the lay
men to attend that meeting. Let the Pre
siding Elders agree upon tho Kon who
shall go as Chaplains, and let the laymen
estimate the amount necessary, to be paid
to each one, hi addition lo the amount paid
lij the Government. Let the case of our
faithful Bro. Belts, who has labored ever
. , n,
since the opening o the. war as a Cnap-
lain, only for Chaplain's pay, be taken in-
to consideration, and let him be put on an
eqc footing with these now to be sent
out And if there be other Chaplains
of our Chut eli from North. Carolina, let
them be included. When the men prese
lected for the work, it would be well for
ing the meeting suggested, to sign a re
commendation to the Chaplaincy for each
man selected, and let them be forwarded
at once to. the Colonels needing Chaplains.
That would secure their appointment and
guard the Colonels against the application
of impropci men. After the plan has been
adopted and the amount necessary to bo
raised ascertained, let it be assessed to tho
several Districts according to ability, and
collections forthwith taken up to meet it.
I do not iiisist upon this plan in any or
all of its features, but I only suggest it in '.
the absence of any other, except the plan ,
of the Board of 3Iissions. It has to my '.
mind, superior claims to that. First, it )
violates no law of the Church and infrin- j
ges upon no one's rights. Secondly, it co
operates witlf'lhe Government according
to its plan authorised by law. Thirdby, it
secures for the army 40 preachers instead
of one. Fourthly, it is more economical ;
instead of calling upon the members and
friends of tho Church, who also have to j
bear their enual proportion of the eipen- ;
ses of this war, to contribute '$3,000 for
the support of each preacher sent to the
army, it secures the 9G for each Chap
lain pledged by the government, and only
requires the raising of the deficiency to
make up each man's support.' In taking
up the collections let them be raised for !'
that specific purpose. Do not call them .
Missionary collections. That term has
been sufficiently abused.
Hoping to hear from ' others on this
subject at an early day, and earnestly de
siring that some efficient plan "shall bo
promptly adopted, to send the gospel to tho
army and to do our full share in this
work, I subscribe mvself
Your brother and fellow laborer,
WILLIAM CLOSS.
Louisbuucs, July 14, 1SG3. -
The Mather.
Bishop Doane, on the death of Bv.
Dr Wharton, said: "He is to be added,
on his own testimony, to the host of great
and good men who have owed their great
ness and their goodness, under God, to a
mother's precepts, and teader carcases, "
he says iu a little sketch of his first fifteen
years, "are still fiesh in my memory, and
frequently present her dear image to my
mind. Until eighty five years of age,
he was accustomed to speak of these benefits
with the fervor aud susceptibility of youth."
To-day is ours. Work while it is call
ed to-day. Work what? rDo tho duty
which licth next you. .Workout your
own salvation. I7o works meet for repen
tance. Do with thy might whatsoever
thy hand fiudeih to do. Work li'-w ?
Earnestly, faithfully, courageously, humb
ly, lovingly, prayerfully.
tltttxans.
Religion in the Anay.
We clip the following extract on this
subject from' the report of llev. Mr. Dick
inson, Superintendant of Colportage, to
the recent General BapCt Association of
Virginia: '
Modern history presents no example of
armies so nearly converted into churches
as the armies of Southern defence. On
tho crest of this flood of war which threat
ens to engulf our freedom,' rides a pure
Christianity j the gospel of the grace of
God shines through the smoke of battle,
with the light that leads to heaven ; and
tho catap becomes a school of Christ.
This accords with the great lawof Prov
idence that what ministers to tho peace
of mankind should be born out of commo
tionthat when the evil cf tho world
beats on U3 as a storm, tho clouds should
disfcil the manna of JZu goodness. When,
shortly afto? Christ's ascension, a furious
persecution broke out against Hi3 follow
ers,' who enjoyed quiet and the peaceful
blessings of the gospel at Jerusalem, and
Stephen was stoned, it seemed to te a sad
and overwhelming calaufai'ty to tho church,
but it only opened a new sphere for the
church's activity, and led to the diffusion
of the. gospel. "They that were scattered
abroad throughout the regions of J udea
and Samaria, went everywhere preaching
the word." "Tho word grew and multi
plied," and "many became, obedient unto
the faith."
We may look for like results in the per
secution which Providence permits to
come on our land as 'an overflowing scourge.'
We have already seen them ; those of us,
at least, who have aousht ont the works oi
the Lord. From the TOry first day of the
i nnTianivo- nnfitesr. t.n the Tireafiiit time, relicr-
T Qus influencea have been spreading among
' the soldiers until now, in camp ancl ho3-
j pital, throughout almost every portion of
I thC army, revivals display their precious,
1 saving power. In one ot these revivals
t oyer mudrcd aro knwn a3 liaving
t professed conversion, while doubtless thero
t are hundreds ot others -equally blessed,
., whose names, unrecorded nere, unci a
1 place in the "Lamb's book of life." This
' levival is still in progress, with unbated
interest. And if such be the state of
things now, what may wo not expect of
God's people, with one heart and one
mind, come up to "the help of the Lord
to tnc help of fcuc Lord against the rt:ijrh-
ty." -
In many who have been called to share
the privations and perils of military scr
vice, there has beeu a marked develop
ment cf the Christian character. The re
pose of home, before the war, hnd tecni
inglv lulled them to slumber. If not for-
1 gotful of their obligations, as well to the
heathen at our doors as to those afar off,
they were undemonstrative and retiring in
religious matters1 shrank from the pub
licity of active labor for the Lord stood
idle in the vineyard. But thrown amidst
the stirring incidents and confronting the
doubtful issue of a campaign, they have
awakened out of sleep. They, have felt
themselves moved to speak for desus;
have counted it a privilege to testily, in
the audience of their assembled comrades,
or in the unreserve of private intercourse,
j "the things which make for the peace" of
the soul. A chaplain communicates the
following fact, which exemplifies this re-"
mark:; "Captain J , a Bapt;st broth-
j er, ha3 recently began to pray in public,
: and occasionally he delivers an exhortation.
He is now so much enlisted in the Mast-
er's service,, that he has consented to take
my place tor some weeks, whne I sr.all be
absent on furlough, and conduct the meet
ings. The war is wonderfully developing
his gifts." We may confidently expect
tnat many soldiers will be called to tread
this path ; will be conducted through tlie
camp into the pulpit, as indeed some have
already been.
The influences which have quickened
spiritual lifa in these believers, have given
- birth to it m mrltitudec who entered the
s- army strangers to the grace of God. Far
f. from home and friends, toiling on the
march, cr languishing in the hospital, their
eyes have been turned to Him, whose love
; sited abroad in tho heart, is " strength in
the timct'f weaknes?, light in tho. time of
darkness, joy in tho time cf sonow," life
: in death, life ocyond death. Iiow often
havo coaplairw and colporters heard the
5 penitent exclaim," I thank Gcd' for this
j siekness, this wound, this absence from
J- home, for it has been instrumental in lead
ing me to the Friend of sinners!" .So
strikingly docs Providence prepare the soil
; for the sower, bearing the precious seed
of sating truth. Scepticism, pride;, the
hope of long life, the lust of gain, ambitious .
j worldliness, these and other barriers
' which often interpose between tho souls
t of men and the service of Gcd, are, in tho
'. cases of thousands in the camp, and cspo
I. cially in tho hospital, taken out of the way,
by the stroke of that rod which is smiting
the nation to gave it.
Powerful Speaking. Many arc mis
led by the admiration of what i3 called a
powerful discourse, forgetting that that is
the most powerful which best effects the
object proposed. The power of a sample
of gunpowder or of a piece of ordnance, is
i tested, not by tho loudness of the leport,
i but by the depth of tho impression made
' on thfi tari ftt. ArchiuiJifn Whntrl-t
Thc Great Need.
In every stage of the world's history
some conspicuous want ha evcr.shono
forth in the church. Though it has as
sumed various forms in the dajs gone by,
giving a wide field for debate as to what
,tbat need may have beeu, w hardly think
many will fail to agree with uj in believ
ing that a want of heart sadly character
izes the religion of ur day. Few iu this
land of light and privileges can throw the
mantle of ignorance over th?ir failure t
improve the opportunities of " increasing
knowledge." Kings and prophets longed
to see, and died without the eight of those
blessed truths which a lisping child hears
while kneeling at a mother's knee. No,
this unction may be laid to na soul now.
On the contrary .wo hear oftentimes too
much to be' properly digested', nay, to dissi
pate in books and sermons. The religion
of Jesus was intended to find its choicest
soil in the garden ef the heart tho mind
being tho medium though which these
blessings were to flow. Compared with vs
the disciples themselves were deficient in
knowledge, and yet how fur above us arc
their flights ofgrace. And vhy with all
our multiplied privileges are we so clog
ged in our journey heavenward so faint
in our endeavors aftor the unfading cro u ?
It is because we want heart-warmth, earn
estness, life. An easy thing it is to admire
beautiful sentences in a sermon, and feel
all aglow while .soaring on the wings of
some poetic thought. But alas ! when we
descend to the constant labor, the dry de
tails and practical duties begotten of every
day, how little dp wo become ! fc-entiment,
a love for tbo 'beautiful, prctfy thought,
Christ died not to inculcate these. We
must lock elsewhere would we find it.
Religion is a thing of tho' heart sublimat
ing every desire, purifying every thought,
ftnd throwing a lialo around all the affairs
of life. And if We reach hcr.vcn, this
sickly life must bo mortified, and throwing
off the covering of sentimcntalisni, wo mjist
brace up ourselves for a long struggle, a
fierce conflict, and give Cod our Jirorti.--
Tlic Southern Chvrchmun.
The licginnin.
IlBADEtt, the beginning of all saving re
ligion is to become acquainted with Jesus
Christ. This is the corner-stone of Chris
tianity. A watch without a mainspring is
not more useless than a religion without
Christ.
But let mo not be misunderstood. It is
not the mere knowledge of Chrkt's name
that I mean, it is tho knowing his mcroy,
feiaco and power ; the knowing him not by
the hearing of the car, but by the experi
ence of your heart. I want jou to know
him by faith I want you to be abl to
say of him, " He is .my peace and my
strength, my life-and my consolation, my
Physician and my Shepherd, my Saviour
and my God."
Why do I make such a point of this?
I do it because in Christ alone " all ful
ness dwells." Col. 1:19. In him alone
thore is a full supply of all that we require
for the necessities of our souls. .Of our
selves we arc all poor empty creatures,
empty of righteousness and peace, empty
of strength and comfort, empty of courage
and patience, empty of ptwer to ftand, or
go on, or make progress in this evil world.
It is in Christ alone that all these things
arc to be found grace, peace, wisdom,
righteousness, eauctification, and redemp
tion. It is just in proportion as we live upon
Christ that we aro strong Christians. It
is only when self is nothing and Christ i
all in our confidence, it is thrn only that
we shall do great exploits. Then only aro
we armed for the battle of life, and shall
overcome. Then only arc we prepared
for the journey of life, and shall go forward.
To live on Christ, to draw all from Chris,
to do all in the strength cf Christ,-to le
ever lookfng unto Christ, th;3 is the true
secret of spiritual prosperity. "I can do
all thi
OajO A Kill, VMIUUgU VIiri&fc
r. T1...1 ii o v. m. .
which strengtbeneth m." Phil. 4 : 13.
Iceadcr, do you xcant to moie a legn
nlnr m relition f Go a? a bumble sinner,
to Jesus Christ and cntrc.it him an mo
jour soul. This is the right end of the
rope-
Begin here.
your .Soul f:afet'
Such was the question addressed recc;:?-
1 by a young Christian officer, wull kuown
to mc,,to a brothor in arms, who was run
ning eagerly, in the paths of folly ttud sin.
The question was put under the canopy of
Leaven, at night, as they walked together.
It was an crrow from the Spirit's quiver.
It led to repentance, faith, newness of life :
and new the young convert tmd Christian
eoldier is seeking the salvation of others
once his associates in cvi!.
Answer, then, O rtader, the nucstioa
now. " 13 your soul eafc I" Yea or nay
is yntr tout tajr. ? Are yon in Christ
Lj living, personal iait: r Have you tee
evidence that vour sins nrn fnr"Ivtn vnn
.through His blood, that His robe of right-
eousness covers, you, and that His Spirit
has made you anew creature? If not
seek salvation now fcVE.'i Now! Be
lieve, and live. And if you tire tafo your
self, go forth as Christ's ambafsador, uni
gently, lovingly, tearlully, earnestly, faith
fully, say to brother, sister, acquaintance,
neighbor, " Z- your soid safe f"
Test or Ciiaacti:x If vou hav
really given up your heart to God in prt
vatp. vnur llfo will show Tar th l!m rir?oA
cf God in public : if Gcd has the hcjirt
he is sure "of the life.