EPISCOPtk
METHOD
ST
1 V -
Riv. il.T. IllJIMON, DitvHiiig Senior.
OKGAN OF THE NORTH CAROLINA CONFERENCE, OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, SOUTH.
1 Ucv. V. II. CUIVIi(i(ilM, Publisher.
0
VOL. T.
IVLjiITGII, jST. C, WEDISrESDVir, JTTjSTE 5, 1807.
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OU, CHAIJACTliKS OP1 ( HUIST.
All Advocate, whose plea prevails:
l'i-'il lit-r. to those who lo His will;
A Coiuisi'llor. who never f:iils
A sure lMVucc from ovorv ill.
Perfect Example to
)! icdieiit, trusting,
Tli- fiicm! of Sinner1
ach mind,
, holy, meek;
seen no exhibition of parental piety
km vo that which was mere profession,
so h:ivc others been kept away because
of mistaken austerity, undue solemni
ty, the rise of cant phrases, an tithe as
sociation of religion with everything
gloomy and melancholy. No wonder
the fresh, blithe hearts of children
turn away in disgust from religion
thus unnaturally made unlovely. We
(ComnunuCiVticm
A (iui.lo to all who guidance
1
seek.
A Habitation, iirui, secure;
An Intercessor, :dvys heard;
A.Tii.hiv, of justice strict ami pure;
A loving King, in deed and word.
The Light. the Life, what living power;
The flighty, upon whom is laid
Our help in every trying hour.
The Name on which our fnith is stayed.
Our Tort ion ours, oh ! what a claim !
The l'earl of greatest price, untold,
A (Quickening Spirit - blessed name,
A Kefugc from earth's storms a fold.
A Shepherd lor each wandering one,
A Teacher sent from Heaven above,
A (ritt I nspeakaiile, unknown.
So full of goodness,
'race and hv
A Vine, the true and living vine.
The Wonderful, mysterious all,
Ivv'-eeding .Toy, supreme, divine,--Oil.
for what lure these wonders call.
Your Saviour and your Friend am I.
Sweet w ords 1 iv Christ to sinners told;
And Zio.fs Kin.tr exalted high,
Shall reign w hile ceaseless vears unfold.
Ehc pulpit
Family JleJiuiou.
Tin: faiuilv is
nVin. Communism is
n institution of divine
as unnatural
as it is impracticable; and when it seeks
lo fuse fifty families into one, mingling
their cares, their toils, ami their pleas
ures, it violates some of the finest in
stincts of our nature. The same may
be said of the fashionable system of
hotel life, now so common with many
wealthy families. A hotel is a v rv
convenient place for tenijiorary so
journ, but a very poor place for a fam-i
ftytto liVcTTmnrtn "alter month. What,
a place in which to bring up children !
The comforts and the proprieties of
home are there necessarily unknown.
Excitement, show, fashion, folly, world
liness, enter so inevitably into this
kind of life, that the impressible hearts
of childhood are fascinated by vanity,
and carried far away from God. Every
family should have the quietude and
sanctity 01 a nome. j tumble it may
be in its surroundings, without adorn
ment, the abode of poverty; but if a
Christian home, it is a better place for
a family than the glitter, luxury, and
allurements of a fashionable hotel.
The crowning glory of family, as of
personal life, is religion. It heightens
every domestic joy, and soothes every
household, sorrow. W'c do not deny
that there are families making no pre
tension to religion, in which the do
mestic virtues are cultivated, and much
of happiness is f mud. Yet even here
u good share of the happiness enjoyed
is often due to the religious influence
transmitted from other families, and
imperceptibly working out its legiti
mate results. How greatly would the
happiness and real prosperity of such
a family be enhanced if the grace of
God should reign in the parents' hearts,
and its influence, through them, be
ex ried over the minds rt:ul lnc of the
i.lr.ldu.ii i
Ve have r eason to fear J hat famiky
veligion is often neglected even by
some who claim to be Christians, The
p iri ids attend church on Sunday, and
their children may go with them if
thoy will; but if they prefer not, they
are excused, very often on the plea
that it is not right to force a child to
go to church. Xo prayer is heard in
the family, and but little religious con
versation, and that only of the most
general character. Everything else is
talked about- - schools, books, nowspa
j.ci.s, lood. dress, business, amuse
ments; but the greatest and most im-
portant or all themes is r.tterly neg
lect ed. Has fcuch a family any genu
ine claim to the name of Christian?
The existence of family religion de
pends on the religious character of the
parents. To bring up th-. ir children
aright, and to have the highest degrees
of domestic happiness, not one, but
both the parents should themselves be
Christians. Their children will bo in
Ihienced by their example, and will
thus lie drawn to. Chrisi or repelled
from him. This religion in the par
ents must, however, be something
more than form or profession. It
should be heartfelt, earnest, sincere,
practical ; removed from formalism and
coldness on the one hand, and from
cant and fanaticism on the other. If
the hearts of some children have failed
to embrace Christ because they have
would l ave all Christian parents mani
fest a cheerful piety, and thus accus
tom their children to associate religion
with whatever is bright and lovely and
cheerful.
One of the best m rules of promoting
family religion is family worship, morn
ing and evening. AYe do not mean by
this a brief prayer, hurried through as
rapidly as possible, with no effort to
awaken an interest in the hearts of the
children. We would have a season of
worship which all can enjoy, and in
which all may participate. Ono great
reasou why so main" children dislike
family worship is because the' have
no part assigned them in it. A chap
ter is read from the IJible, and a pray
er is oil'ered, very often a long and te
dious one, and thelittle ones get weary.
They are not to be blamed for this,
nor is it wonderful if they look upon
the time of family worship as an alliic-
tion or a limiishmeid.. 1
something to do, and tin
different. If they can read, let them
now and then read a few verses; let
there be an occasional comment, or ex
planation of the verses read; let each
one, even the youngest that can prat
tle, repeat a verse of Scripture; let ail
join in singing and in repeating the
Lord's Trayer, and they will feel an
interest in family worship to which
uiiL e mem
case will be
otherwise they will be
stead of re;
rm ess u
oe
wari
strangers. In-
irditig it. as a time ofdrea
a voided, thev will look f-r-
I to its com intr with delight.
If the ancient heathen offered daily
sacrifice io their household gods, surely
Christians should d
IIM I JlW'l'ClJ VP -
devotion more spiritual, tluVi those of
pagan households, so we must expect
that the lives of our families will be so
influenced, by the daiiy family worship,
that they will bo all brought to Christ,
and made partakers of his blessed
character. This is the great end of
family religion, and wherever it is
faithfully attended to, there will be
found a family strong in spiritual
affections, enjoying the highest degree
of domestic happiness, and useful to
the Church and to society.
Tin: Family Altau.
Have you erected a family altar,
dear reader? Y'ou are the head of a
family, and also a professed believer
in Christ. If you have, you know its
value. In that case it is a permanent
arrangement in your household. "With
you, then, home and the lamiiy altar
are sacredly and forever united. But
if you have not built up this sanctuary
about your hearthstone, and yet the
vows of the Christian religion arc upon
you, .c;ee to it that you offend your
heavenly Father no longer by your
failure to acknowledge Him in your
family. Erect it at once. If you would
have the blessing of God upon you and
yours, make an altar for morning and
evening sacrifice to Him. Certain it
is that you can never meet the respon
sibilities of a religious life in such sig
nal neglect of religion at your fireside !
Your every interest in time and eter
nity requires that you and yours bono
longer classed among the families that
call not on Jehovah's name. Erect,
then, the Family Altar, and with the
ark of the covenant in your house, you
and yours will be truly blessed, all the
better prepared for the duties of this
life and the rewards of the life to come.
Do it at once, reader, and God grant
that,
"When, soon or late, you reach that coast,
O'er life's rough ocean, driven;
May you rejoice-., no wanderer lust,
A family in Heaven !"
Mrlho'Ud,
For the Episcopal Methodist.
TniLAKELruiA, May 23m' 1SG7.
Ihto. Hudson : Though writing from
this place, I will devote my letter to a
continuation of my notes about Balti
more. That is a place of peculiar in
terest to Southern Methodists, for
reasons which I need not mention to
your intelligent readers. Our Church
is well represented there by its Minis
ters and memlcrs. The Bishop ap
pointed a pastor to each congregation,
with the understanding that they were
to rotate, in their pulpit labors. This
system has its advantages and disad
vantages; the former, in that it distrib
utes the benefits of the talents and
popularity of the most inflcntial of the
preachers; the latter, in that it requires
the congregations of the most attract
ive pastors to support them without
the regular assistance of the large
penny collections from the crowds
which they draw to hear them.
Recently Bi o. Ros.eli has entered
the lame and beautiful edifice of the
Church of the Ascension. Before his
house of worship was entirely too
small. The Church of the Ascension
belonged to the Episcopalians; but they
had owed a debt of :,000 for years
and had to sell in order to pay it. It
speaks eloquently for the power and
prospects of Methodism in Baltimore
that on the day it was dedicated by the j
Methodists (i,00() was raised and
nearly all the remamtlerol the -J(,HUU
is secured that being the amount for
which it was purchased. I had the
great pleasure of hearing the pastor
on my first Sabbath in the City. He is
truly an extraordinary preacher. In
some respects I have seldom heard his
equal. Elegant in diction, chaste and
exuberant in fancy, uniting the ten
derness and beauty rf amiable sensi
bility with the boldness and force of
profound intellectuality, he gives to
stener "a feast of i
a now oi soul mat is sei-
the Sanctuary. But
after hearing him for twenty minutes
you discover that his influence upon
you grows more feeble. Wlietherthat
is owing to the trouble of his A oice, or
exhaustion, or to the irrtyiilarit ij of
modulation (a pifuliarity Avhich is soon
noticed) is not known. He is doing a
great work for the Church has an
immense congregation and should be
heard by all of our people who go to
Baltimore. Dr. Huston is the pastor
of Winans Chapel. It is too small.
Such a man must have a more commo
dious building. It is crowded to suffo
cation; I think, and I pray, that it will
not be long before he too will be fa
vored to enter an-edifice that can ac
commodate the vast throng who de
sire to hear him. He is not only a
preacher, but a pastor. He is working
bravery in the cause. Last Sabbath
he preached three times in different
parts of the City. The membership of
all the time? withholding from the
Church South' what would make it a
tower of strength and a crown of glory
in Baltimore. We have no forces
there that can wisely or safely be neu
tralized by 'wayward congregational
ism. In my heart, loving the breth
ren and our dpmon cause, I painfully
regret th facbtja division of effort,
this virtual sryaiindering of most hal
lowed resources, just at the time that
we need all possilfle help and can only
hope to succe'ed by the utmost harmo
ny and concentration, l nope the
Blessed Siririfc will soon lead them to
the bosom of our one great Alma Ma
ter. Again, I think it romarkable that so
many of the good people of Baltimore
who feel and believe with Southern
Methodism, are withholding their sup
port ami membership from those with
whom they agree and continuing their
membership under those who differ
from them more than Christian unity
in the same congregation justifies. I
do not urge this in behalf of discord
but for coii.-iisl!)Ci- sake, without which
virtue can neither be useful nor hap-
Again, many pious young North
Carolinians and other Southerners
have gone to Baltimore to live and
have not united with any Church.
Will not their parents attend to this ?
There are good pastors and noble
people in the different denominations
there. These young men are exposed
to "all the insidious, gilded temptations
of City life temptations which, if
known by their parents, would make
them shudder, and sigh with the deep
est anxiety. The City pastors do not
know these young men and the latter
often do not make themselves and their
profession known.
It is late ajid I must close.
Affectionately,
A. W. Mamh m.
... i'r ..the Episcopal Methodist.
ttoi 'or .Uaiinruiriili.
general effect is good, they arc to be
encouraged and not discouraged.
In discussing the propriety of foster
ing amusements, very naturally, Ave
are led to enquire what is the design
of our being. For which of these two
states of mind and body are we inten
ded? Are we created for happiness
or misery? Which is the natural state
of man here below?
In a future number-we wrill discuss
these various questions and propose
to consider the origin of the present
hostility to pleasure and amusements.
I think tluat we shall see that it has
isen in a great measure, from false
views of the design of our being, and
erroneous theories, adopted centuries
ago, by ascetic and monastic religion
ists.
Having just come out from a state of
war and confusion, by which society
was broken up but is now in a state of
formation again it is of vast impor
tance that wo adopt correct views as
to the bearing of amusements upon our
institutions and the future happiness
of our country. Now is the time to
take tho right stand. We have no di
versions, as yet, that have obtained
any great iiiflueiico over the public
mind. Everything is immature; nei
ther fortified by any hoary-headed cus
toms, nor endeared to us by very ten
der associations. The amusements that
we now have we can give up: by and
by we shall have become attached to
them, and a moral revolution will be
required to change the current of our
pleasures.
.lohii Wcslt'y.
IIIS PKKSONAL AirFAIiANeK.
dom enjoyed in
:v TIT ALIA.
What is the Bible Ltke? It is like
a large beautiful tree that bears sweet
fruit for those that are hungry, and
affords shelter and shade for pilgrims
on their way to heaven.
It is like a cabinet of jewels and
precious stones, which are not only to
be looked at and admired, but used
and worn.
It is like a telescope, which brings
distant objects and far off worlds very
near so that we can see something of
their beauty and importanco.
It is like a treasure-house, fi store
house of all sorts fjf valuable and useful
things; and which are to be had with
out money and without price.
It is like a deep, broad, calm-flowing
river, the hanks of which are green and
flowery, where birds sing and lambs
play and dear little children are loving
and happy.
My dear little children, I want you
to love the Bible. If you attend to it,
it will make you through God's bless
ing, wise, rich and happy forever and
ever. Times and Witw.'ss.
his noble little charge is growing sure
ly. Bro. Smith from Georgia is also
doing an excellent work. With a body
torn by the missiles of death on the
battle-field, his appearance attracts
your attention and awakens your in
terest, while his preaching and zeal
prove him to be a faithful and accom
plished herald of the Gospel. Bro.
Wilty is pastor of Holland Street. Ho
has recently, also, moved into a more
spacious building, and is earnestly
struggling to build up his little flock.
All of these Churches would bo the
better, if they only had young, active,
vigorous pastors together with the
preaching talents of these older breth
ren. I have seldom, if ever, seen a
more promising field for pastoral ex
ertion. I need not extend these per
sonalities. Everybody who takes or
reads the Baltimore Mi Utoilid (and I
hope all who can eit her do or will)
know the trenchant power of Dr.
Bond's inimitable pen as an Editor.
He throws down the glove to the most
daring and accomplished of the so-
called religious press of the North, but
they do not accept. They are afraid
of him. From what I've heard ho has
Honorary Degrees enough to fill a
" key basket," and from what I have
read I h-elieve he is worthy of them.
Bro. Toisal is at his elbow, working
with untiring zeal to make the columns
of the Methodist worthy of the high
esteem in which it is held. I regret
several strange facts about Methodism
in Baltimore.
1. I regret that our good brethren
who belong to the independent Church
es think it their duty to hold so un
fortunate a relation to our general in
terests. If they hold out in their
present way, they will fritter away
their energies and resources in vain,
Ma. Eorroi:: By your permission, 1
purpose to furnish, for your most ex
cellent paper, a few articles, strictly
spoakmir, intended as a plea tor amuse
ments, vet I propose, in this connec
tion, to consider the bearing that pleas
ures generally have upon us, in the
important relations of life.
I think we will be better prepared
j to consider the subject of amusements
after we have settled the question, in
our minds, whether this life was to be
one of happiness and pleasure or of
pain and sorrow; whether we are, like
the honey-bee, to draw sweets from
every beauty and bounty of nature,
to grow happier find better as we jour
ney on, till there be scarce a boundary
between the joys of earth and those of
heaven; or whether life is truly "a
state of probation," " a vale of tears,"
where all nature is at war against ns.
It will aid us, to begin with, to deter
mine how far the bounties and delights
of nature were created for our use and
enjoyment; and how far we may ven
ture to indulge ourselves in the enjoy
ments of the social circle.
Notwithstanding this subject has
been so long before the world, yet I
cannot find that it has ever been care
fully examined by any one, cither ex
haultcd or humble.
It has been discussed, in a very lim
ited manner, thousands of times in the
pulpit and other places, but never with
any pretence to master it; and I have
not I een so fortunate as to find any trea
tises upon the subject giving it a fair
discussion. This silence of theologians
and moralists upon the subject might
seem a little surprising, when we con
sider the opposition to pleasures and
amusements, if experience did not
inform us that the most stubborn prej
udices are seldom founded on close en
quiry. A careful study of the subject, in
most cases, moderates the passions of
disputants, shortens the distance be
tween them, and dispels their prejudi
ces. And we think our present sub
ject does not differ, in that respect,
from others.
It can not be maintained that there
are no dangers to be feared in pleas
ures and amusements. I would not
take so bold a position as that, in fa
vor of anything, since there is nothing
without its evil as well as good ten
dencies. I shall not contend but that
pleasures are more liable topervei'sion
than many of our more serious employ
ments. The most tliat I hope to do, is
to show their natural tendency gener
ally. It is only the general result that
we are to look at, and no sane man
expects to find unmixed good. If the
Such an angelic face! tho expression
so calm and lofty, the features so re
fined and defined, regular and delicate.
ist (lir; f u-e tl-fit nedo s VM s. e 1 i :
mother was a beautiful woman (one of
his aunts was painted by Sir Peter
Lely, as one of the beauties of the day.)
Yet there is nothing feminine about it,
unless as lar as au angel s lace may or
must be partly feminine. Eyes not ap
pealing but commanding; the delicate
mouth as firm as a Roman general's;
self-control, as tho secret of all other
control, stamped on everv feature. If
anything is wanting in the face and
manners it seemed to me it was that
just nothing was wanting that it was
too angelic. You could not detect the
weak, soft place, where he would need
to lean instead of to support. He
seemed to speak almost too much from
heaven; not indeed as one who had
not known the experiences of earth,
(there was the keenest penetration and
the deepest sympathy in his words,)
but as one who had surmounted them
all. The glow on his countenance was
the steady sunlight of benevolence,
rather than the tearful, trembling, in
termittent sunshine of affection, with
its holies .and fears. The lines of his
brow were the lines of effective thought,
not of anxious solicitude. If I were
on a sick-bed in the ward of a hospital,
I should bask in his benevolent look as
in the smile of an angel.
MIL WESLEY AND MR. WHITFIELD.
Mr. Whitfield looked as if he were
pleading with tho people to escape
trom a danger lie saw, but they could
not, and would draw them to heaven
m spite of themselves. JUr. esley
did not appear so much to plead as to
speak with authority. Mr. Whitfield
seemed to throw his wholo soul into
the peril of his hearers. Mr. Wesley
seemed to rest with his whole soul on
the truth he spoke, and by the force
of his own calm conviction to make
every one feel that what he said was
true. If his hearers were moved, it
was not with the passion of the preach
er; it wras with the bare reality of the
things lie said.
Henry Clay's Children.
The wife of Henry Clay, besitlcs per
forming the arduous duties I have
mentioned, became the mother of
eleven children, six daughters and five
us. Two of her daughters died in
infancy, and two others at the age of
fourteen. The two remaining daugh
ters lived to be married and to bo
mothers, but died early in their mar
ried life, to the inexpressible grief of
their parents.
But these were not all the domestic
afflictions of Mr. and Mrs. Clay. Their
oldest son, in consequence of an acci
dental injury, lost liis reason as he was
approaching manhood, and became at
length so violent that it was necessary
to remove him to an asylum, where
excepting a few short intervals, he
resided for twenty years.
Mr. Clay's second son, upon attain
ing manhood, entered into the manu
facture of hempen goods. The fourth
son, Henry Clay, Jr., graduated second
in his class at W est Point, and fell at
the battle of Buena Vista. The two
younger sons embraced the profession
of the law. Ex.
Infidelity of tlic .Northern Setu
lar Press.
The New Xork Christian Adcm-aU
hojx:
To one who has not given attention
to the subject, it will occasion a thrill
of painful surprise to examine how
largely ihe press of the country is
managed by men who do not conceal
their disbelief in, rind their contempt
for, Christianity. Open piofessions of
infidelity ai'e not their policy; but while
retaining the name and somewhat of
the forms of expression of religion,
another and a widely different and
antagonistic gospel is taught. The
North American Jlccirw, almost the
only general literary quarterly, is as
evidently if not as offensively. non-
Christian as aro the writings of Strauss
or Theodore Parker. The AUanti
JionHii, the nrst literary magazine in
the country is the recognized organ of
the most rationalistic free-thinkers
about Boston, which is equivalent to
saying, in the world ; for in point of
arrant skepticism, Tubigenis pat intex
the shade by our American Athens.
Our New York periodicals, if less out
spoken in their irreligion, are scarcely
less decidedly non-Christian. Tho
ruling minds in the editorial work of
both of Harper's able and popular
works are certainly not in sympathy
with plain, old style religion. Tk
Sattijn, probably the ablest and most
scholarly weekly ever issued in this
country, is managjd by an editorial
corps oi "liberal Uaristians, which is
the euphemism for;oe infidels. The
J'uvnoloijical Journal, a truly ably
conducted monthly, is confessedly out
side the plane of orthodox-; while the
Lilral (.'Jtristtan, (Unitarian,) and the
Aidi-slatxrii Sandtvd, (which two we
name, not because of any special abili
ty, howeve r,) beloi.g in the same cate
gory. Of the daily papers, the Jferald
has its established reputation for a
reckless disregard for religion in any
form, though we have somciiiuc-u id
most d included that it. is, pi-rililps, tin
least dangerous of our principal dailies.
The Trihinir has always been anti
Christian, though in its chief editor's
strange way it has been humanitarian.
We doubt, however, whether all the
good it may have done in the interests
of anti-slavery, of education, and of
social economy, can compensate for the
harm it. has inflicted by unsettling the
faith of thousands of the young peojde
of the land. The Wy Timv, which
for a long time occupied an enviable
position as a mcral and Christian
journal, has lately passed over to the
class of sneerers at religion and mol
ality. Its new department of "Minor
Topics" is among the most objection
able things found in any of our daily
papers, reckless alike of truth, of pro
priety, and of decency; while its politics
are as they are, if anybody can find
out how. Of the older style of papers
the L'rrniiuj Post is a very decent polit
ical and literary journal, with Unit arian
proclivities. The Jminiid of ('omnwrrc,
once almost a religious paper, is such
no longer. The (.-otmnrrrial Adenauer,
for long years the model for a secular
newspaper, is now simply the mouth
piece of a very bitter old politician,
disappointed and cynical, ihcso are
some of the periodicals that aro now
giving form and fashion to the minds
of the people of this nation. Tho
view they present is indeed sad
deniner, and full of evil portent. But
where is tho remedy ?
The Clinton's Autilllt.y. Prayers
are the Church's artillery. As long as
Moses continued in prayers, Israel pro
vailed over Amalek. The v.;pplii atkn
of Hezckiah was tho means of wither
ing tno mighty liost of bonnaelio
rib. Praying believers, it has been
truly said, are of more ucrvico to a
place, than walls of brass and ramparts
of iron.
The Gcidixg Star. To tho fctonu-
driven mariner, his compass lost, how
welcome are the rays of the jiolar star.
The Bible is the Star of Bethlehem.
It is-a supernatural object; asoureo of
light; it guides to Jesus; its light reach
es the Gentile as well as the Jewish
world; jf -we follow its loads, it will
come and stand over and throw tho
fuller light on Christ.
The Cross. The cross of Christ is
tho Christian's glory. The offense
which the world takes at Him is n
proof that lie has taken up the cross of
Christ and is following liiiu. This no
man can do faithfully but he must givo
offense. Settle this well in your mind;
sit down and count tho cost. Are 3ou
willing to bo Christ's glory and tho
world's scorn? Do you expect all
from the cross? Then give up all for
the cross.
Dakk Ih rus. To every man there
are many, many dark hours, when ho
feels inclined to abandon his best en
terprise hours when his heart's dear
est hopes appear delusive hours when
he feels unequal to the burden, when
all his aspirations seem worthless.
Let no one think that he alone has
dark hours. They are tho touchstone
to try whether we are current coin or
not.
Br.wTiri'L Tiioroirrs.. Tho same
God who molded the situ find kindled
the stars, watches the flight of the in
sect., lie who iMialices llie Clouds aild
hung the earth upon nothing, notices
the fall of a sparrow. Ho who gave
Saturn his rings, and placed theinooii
like a ball of silver in the broad arch
of heaven, gives the rose-leaf its deli
cate tint, ami made the distant sun to
nourish the violet. And the same Be
ing notices tho praises of tho cheru
bim and the prayers of the little child.
E.ua.v lb:si'ON.-iiiiiLiTY. -Early rcsjion-
sibility is almost equivalent to early so
briety. If a stick of timber standing
upright wavers, lay a beam on it, mid
put a weight on that, and see how
stiff the stick becomes. And if young
men waver and vacilate, put resonsi
bility on them, and how it straightens
them up. What powe r it gives tlic ni.
How quickly it develops and puts for
ward all that is good in them.
for
Educational Qualifications
the Ministry.
Dr. Nadal maintains that a thorough
education unfits a man to labor suc
cessfully as a Christian minister among
masses which we would win to Christ.
The two leading positions which un
derlie the arguments of the paper are,
first, that education unfits or " una-
dapts" a man for ministerial labor
anioncr the masses; secondly, that for
an effective ministry there must be be
tween the pastor and the peoplo he
serves, substantially, social equality.
It follows, since education " unadapts"
men to mingle with those who live in
"dirty houses" and wear "filthy clo
thing," we need a diss of ministers of
such " aesthetic taste," that they have
no horror of coarse manners and coarse
speech, whose lives shall be spent upon
country circuits. On tho other hand,
we need some of the refined and culti
vated for our city Churches, where their
affinities can be found, and where they
can remain an unlimited time an id the
luxuries and culture of wealth un con
taminated by the touch of the common
people. It is asserted, if our ranks
were once filled up with graduates of
colleges, "the itinerancy would not
survive half a dozen years .... such is
the tendency of culture to settle itself,
to have its fine library and its literary
circle about it."
Faith. I have seen a lone tree stan
ding on tho prairie: havo beheld tho
storms of winter buffet against its
trunk, and the gales of autumn Ieiid
its lofty branches b the dust, but when
tho blast had gone, have viewed its
tall form still erect, limbs still expand
ed, and I have said such is the. Chris
tian amid tho riots and tumults of the
world's unrighteousness. His trust is
in Him who gave tho tree its unyield
ing root, in whoso right hand there is
deliverance. Let the christians, then,
learn a lesson from tho tree, and amid
the conflicts of life remember, that with
faith, they aro liko a house built upon
a rock; that their warfare is but for a
limited period, and that the reward of
the good soldier of tho cross is tin in
heritance of eternal felicity.
Theke la a Goi. Tho herbs of the
valley and the cedars of the mountain
adore Him; the insect hums his praise;
the elements salute Him at the dawn
of day; tho birds chant Him in the
foliage; the thunder-bolt flashes forth
His power, and the ocean declares His
immensity. Man alone has said " there
is no God." He then has never, in
his adversity, raised his eyes toward
heaven, or, in his prospcriy, turned
his regards towards the earth. Is na
ture so far from him that he has no
power to contemplate it? Or, does he
believe it to bo the simple result of
chance? But when had chance tho
power to constrain organized and re
bellious matter, to arrange itself to an
order so perfect?
The Christian Adeole says: "The
season is ono of marked spiritual pros
perity in many portions of our church.
Our revival list last week, conden'ied
from pastors' letters received at this
office during the previous eight davs,
mention a total of over three, luousand
coneersionx.
Wanted. A number of bravo young
men for cavalry service under Christ'
Banner.
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