North Carolina Newspapers

EPIS CO PAL MET HO D 1ST . ...... - - - T H E ono.AN OF THE NORTH CAROLINA CONFERENCE, OF?THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, SOUTH j Kt'V. W. II. CIJJVIIYfUil.tl, I'liUIMit-r, llvv. 11. T. HUDSON, l)ircctlii;r Editor. i 1ST. C, AVXCONl AUGUST !28, 18G7. V OL. X. True Piety. To the tiling v. .--iu. To ilo tlt:iiir ''.''ti 1 Ki 1 1 i l'V ii:iy: To walk in M"! no-am of irmii .Hid In Mill y. Caiinir i-l!'-l"vi' aiili'. I'iscai'iiuL;- i : '. i ; l . . 1 1 1 i r i i . 1 !ii h'M! ! lo III-'.IMIIV; !n hunililc hon" to liiac la cliiiil' in fm tune's titl At God's i n li-:isino. To trust, although di-eeivol: Tl'U truth, thoiiili not believed: Falsehood d isdumhi j? ; r.lti'")t of ills received; To paidon when aneved: l'a.ssiou restiaiiiinjr. Witli lovo no wroiitr can chill. To siv. unwearied still. Tin- weak from laiHnvr: This is to do t;.,.r will On earth, and to fulfil Our heaveiilv euHinpr. She pulpit rt'olll ihc t'lmri h L'liiim. Tlie 3IUioii of the ( Umcli. The question whether the Church in its existing organization, is adapted to accomplish tbo work assigned it, is one of deep and viral importance. If Chris tians are rely ing upon an incfiicien; and defective agL-ney, it is suivly time tbey were corrected, that they may no: be hindered in the work of the world" evangelization. The little, compara tivelv, that has been done since the commission was given to preach the Gospel to every creature, seems to have awakened suspicion as to the adeoua cy of the means to the end. But thai a small portion of the Pagan or Mo hammedan world La.- become Chris tian, and that large masses in our own laud are mireached and unaffected by any existing evangelical agencies is to- painfully true. Uat, notwithstanding this dereliction and apparent failure, we must assume, he outset, that the Christian Church in its organic ca pacity is entrusted with resources and. capabilities amply sufficient to meet the moi'fil ivftntti "-i" thr ciiiii'i. v-x-.n. jn as a tree has. all the capabilities of pro ducing fruit, but grafting the branches and enriching the soil may cause it to produce m- -iv; and better fruit There can be nothing wiser than (rod's actu -al arrangement for the conversion of this world to Christ, and this is through, the instrumentality of the Church, in cluding the Gospel and a living minis try. The adequacy of this agency, un der the Spirit's influence, is not for a moment to be doubted. The old olive tree, with its new branches grafted in, is yet to boar fruit in sufficient ripe ness and abundance for the healing of the nations. If we abandon this posi tion, we have nothing reliable, as an instrumentally, wherewith to go forth to the great work of evangelizing the nations. Temperance societies, and moral reform associations, and Sabbath-schools may be good in their place, as adjuncts and helps, but they can never bo substitutes! for God's great instrumentality. The Church is the great central power, the source from which are to emanate all gooel anel evangelical influences. The pres ent dispensation, inaugurateel by Chi ist at the Pentecost, inclueling the Spirit, working through the Gospel anel the Christian ministry, is the dispensation under which the world is to be conver ted. But the question which more espee ialy interests us is, llmrcan Ihe Church Itceome more ffelh;c in its v'orh ? 1. In reply we say, by a more sub stantial union among all evangelical denominations. Union is strength ; this is everywhere true, in the physical, the political, and moral world. Nowhere is union more important than in the Church cf Goth Everything which affiliates with relig ion is unified and harmonious. The Bi ble, ijt all its diversified parts, is a unit, containing nothing conflicting. This mysterious Godhead, containing the three persons, is a unit. Experiment al piety, though rendereel divine in its manifestations by historic antecedents, educational influence, anel natural tem peraments, is characterized, in all eyes anel all men, by- an essential oneness. Unity among Christians anel in the Church, was the object of the Redeem er's prayer " That all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." This is an end to be realiz ed, not in the millennial periods of the Church, when the Gospel shall have achieved its last triumphs anel grace done its final work, but Christ prayed for Christian unity its an inslj. amenta 1 ity, as a working power, " that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." When we plead for union wc do not contemplate one consolidated Church, all denominational distinctions having become utterly obsolete. These may bo the result, in part, of taste, educa tional habits, or original idiosyncrasies of character, and may exist in the days of the millennium. But we mean an evangelical and spiritual union a rec ognition of Christ as the .Supreme Head of the Church, his vicari ous atonement as the sole ground of hope; his life, the source of all spir itual life to bis people. ' And when the great body of believers shall stand irp ou this broad, catholic basis, animated with the spirit of love, rivals only in their zeal tc secure the honor and tri umphs of the liedecmer, then shall we regard his prayer as essentially an swered, and the Church standing up on a vantage-ground which she has J never occupied for the accomplishment of her mission of 1 lessing to mankind. Diversity of sentiment in non-essentials, in church polity and government, in modes and forms of worship is not J iucousi.-tent with this -union. Unity in j varietv is the great law of nature, ex- tending, indeed, all over the works of i God. We want in the Church the un ion of an army wi:ose soldiers, though belonging t d tile-rout regiments, and uniforms, and bear- ing different luKeis of arms, are yet all d. voted to the same General, and all animated with the same lofty and self sr.criiic'ng spirit of patriotism. With out this union, litis -rif. ! vorp, the sacramental host of God's elect are li ii' Ie to become demoralized anel to flee before the attacking and bristling for ces of tlie enemy. The Bonian.Catho i lie Church is a bulwark of strength, I but the power which is felt all over this hind, ,t the ballot, in moulding ear national policy, in controlling the-pub-lie funds, is not in her intelligence, her doctrinal purity, or spirituality, but in her unity. Herein lies her great stre ngth. "We want, not her polity, witli Ti -jw. P5us it Iter head, but we want union, if not organic, at least fra ternal, a cordial meeting on common evangelical grounu, that we may pre sent an undivided front to the enemy, as having one Loader, as fighting un der out.-banner, all animated by one spirit, and all seeking one anel the same Treat eml iff -.-. .-y or int.-ivur.a f 1 C'r;V. This spirit of union is essen tial to the full development of the ix sourc- -s and moral power of the Church. 2. Again, if the Church woulel ac complish its sublime mission of evan gelization both at home anel abroad, it must move wisely husband and direct its own resources. The Church has a central living pow er, consisting in the indwelling life of God, in virtue of which it is calleel "the salt of the earth," and "the light of the world." The power that is to reinlor sin odious, crime obsolete, that is to elevate the masses, mould the civ ilizations of the world, and introduce a new era of light anel blessing, is all to emanate from tlie Church. This life power of the Church is to be worked out through channels and organizations which shall 1)0 pre-eminently her own di'spring, anel most emphatically under her own supervision and control. The Church is a spiritual kingdom, and un der the guielance of the divine Spirit, it is to bo supposed that it has wisdom sufficient to manage its own affairs, to extend its own coneptcsts, without the interposition of the state or the self assumed agency of irresponsible indi vidvals. We elo not object to individ ual Christian activity yea, rather, we insist upon it, but every Christian should be a member of the Church, in full sympathy with its plans, anel corelially working through its adopteel and cherished agencies. God never designed that his people should work without co-operation anel sympathy. They are to "bear one an other's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ." They are to work in har mony anel as a Church for the accom plishment of the great object for which they- have been called. The power that is to convert the world comes within, and not from without. The life that is to vitalize the decaying masses is in the Church, and not in the extraneous associations. " Ye are the light of the world." " Ye are the salt of the earth." The weapons that, are to do valiant ser vice are in Goel's armory- the Church and are of heavenly timber mighty, through him, to the pulling down of strongholds. I conceive of the Church as an aggressive army, anel if scouts are sent out, a battle planned or fought, it is the army force that does it, under the direction of our elivine Leader. I woulel have the Church work out its own interior force in every conceivable- way, but it should father and di rect its own movements. I would have every instrumentality an arm of the Church, moved by her will and made effective under God by her own life power. I would have the Sabbath scho 1, tract, home and foreign mission cause, as so many agencies, athorized and managed by the Church in work ing out her own her sublime mission of mercv and salvation to a lost race. An Allegory. Now it came to pass that in the course of my search for a comfortable craft to carry me safe over the troub leel seas of ecclesiasticism. I came up on a very numerous flotilla of very small cralt. Anel notwithstanding their frail structure anel slow motion, made so by reason of their construc tion 1 icing after the nioelel of a thou sand years ago, even in the depth of tlie dark ages, yet they persisted in strutting the waters as proudly as if they lead been a staunchly built craft after the primitive and perfect pattern now lost, first discovered in Juelea, eighteen himdrccl ami sixty seven years ago. There was no venture or exploit which any ship esssayeel to perform that these little ships eliel not tit once claim as capable of being clone enly by them. In fact this presump tion went so far that it was the univer sal custom, save with one or two e x ceptions, with these Church vessels to deny that there we re any other .ships save the Boman, Grecian, and Angli can Church craft. Whenever a mag-lulic-ent double-decker of the most meideru style stilled by one of these Church ships she refused indignantly to acknowledge tlie right of such ships to the sea, or that it was a ship at all. This was especially true of the power ful steamship John Wesley, that was bnilt lv Church craftsmen, but whose sin was not that she had not the best of captains or pilots, but that she eliel not abolish steam altogether, sail un der ehurch colors exclusively-, anel take her captain ;ind staff officers al ways at the hands of certain upstart apostolic Churchmen. Another peculiarity of these vessels I could but notice. They are con-strnctt-el so as to exclude everybody but the best classes. There we re seats for the rich alone, and the poor were plaeeel upon broken benches, exposeel to all manner of storms and tempests, if they elesired to take passage at all. The consequence- was, none but a very few anel these a very metm-spiritcd race of the common people, ever came onboard. Again I observed that the crews of these ships were mostly msule up of snobs. Now a snob ij an exceedingly- interesting specimen, cspecialfy the Church snob. He is exceedingly fond of millcnery and fancy dresses, in which he dresses himself and walks up anel down, saying to himself some very funny things he calls prayers, and look ing at times like a love-sick swain, anel at others striking attituelcs in the most mock heroic manner, as though ho were some big body, when he is nothing- but a snob. He loves to play wor ship, anel tloes just as children elo with their elolls anel play-toys, and is very serious while the acting is going on, but laughs and talks as funny as he can when it is all over. Now the common people hated these snobs most intensely, anel onco upon a time, two hundred years ago, Cap tain Cromwell drove them all out. of their little ships, captured and killeel their foolish captains, anel nearly ex terminated them. But the thing was wrong, and so God did not prosper such conduct. The true principle re cently discoverctl is this, that snobs have rights, anel if thev wish to wear their shirts on the outside it's nobody's business. Persercuting such follies docs not pay. The true way to kill them off is to laugh at them, as I elo now. Vicar of Bray, for I am ever upon the popular side, and am a Ritualist only so far as it pays. So the attempt to drive the fools out of the world, lie gun by the stern olel Puritans two hun dred years ago, faileel, as it ought to fail, anel wo say on these shores: "Build just as many crafts as you please. Claim that the world is yours and that nobodyr lives in it but your self, if you will." It will do no harm so long as sensible men have a chance, too. Truth must triumph so at least t hink I Vicar of Bray, and accordingly I took no passage in any one of these strutting craft, aud kept on my search for a true ship whereby I might safely bear my precious self over the seas. Yours parenthetically. Vicar of Brail. Cluisiiairs Dependence on the Holy Spirit. It is not we mat have him anel bo thankful, but we mm 4 lWe the Hoh Spirit's power and presence, and the assistance of the Mostj High, other wise our religion will become a mock ery before God, and a , misery to our selves. We must have the aid of the Holy Spirit, for ours is iot a mechan ical religion. If our wciship consisted in the reading of formsr appointed by authority," we couldj exceedingly well without 'the ""assistance of the Spir it of God. If we believed in the man ipulations of priestcraft, anel thought Hint after certain words, anel genuflec tions, anel ceremonials, all was done, it would matter little to us whether we hail the conscious presence of God or no. If we could regenerate by wa ter, applied by hands saturated with the oil of apostolical succession, wc should have no particular need to pray for the benediction of the Holy Ghost; and if tlie utterance of certain words, it may be by profane hps, couLl turn breael anel wine oh, horrible elogma ! into tho flesh and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, we could won elrousiy well afford to dispense with the Spirit of Gotl. But we cannot thus eleceiro ourselves. Ours is not a re ligion of mechanics ami hydrostatics; it is spiritual, and must be sustained by spiritual means. If our religion were, on the other hanel, one of mere inteliectualism, we should only need a well-traineel minister, who had passcel through all the grades of human learn ing, who had storcel himself with the best biblical criticism, and was able to instruct and illuminate our under standings, and we, if we be men of judgment ourselves, coulel profit cx eeedinglv well. Our faith stanling in the wisdom of man, the wisdom of man could easily be found, and our faith could be confirmed. But if, my brethren, our faith standeth not in the wisdom of man nor in the eloeptcnce of human hps, but in the power of (I'"!, llten in vaiti do wo make: a ivo- fe-ssion, unless Hie Holy Ghost dwell eth in our inner man. So dependent is the Christian Church upon the Holv Ghost, that there never Mas an acceptable sigh heaved by a penitent apart from him; never did holy song mount to heaven except he gave it wings; never was there true prayer or faithful ministry except through the power anel might of the Holy Ghost. Sinners tire never saved apart from the Spirit of God. No moral suasion, no force of example, no potence of logic, no might of rhet oric, ever changed the heart. The liv ing Spirit alone can put lifo into dead souls. Anel when these souls are quickened, wo are still as depeneleiit as ever upon the Spirit of Goel. To educate a soul fcr heaven is as much a divine task as to emancipate a soul from sin. To comfort a desponding Christian, to strengthen his weak hands and confirm his feeble knees, to brighten the eyes of his hope anel to givo him nerve to hold the shielel of his faith all these are the work of the Spirit of the living Gotl. O Chris tian, with all the power thou hast re ceived, thou" hast not strength enough to live for another second, except as the Spirit of God quicken thee. All thy- past experiences, all that thou hast lcarncel anel acquired, must go for nothing, except daily and perpetually, moment by moment, the Spirit of God shall dwell hi thee, anel work in thee mightily, to keep thee still a pilgrim to tlie gate of heaven. Thus, as each individual is dependent, the whole Church is dependent in a tcn-thou-sand-fold measure. Without the Spir it of God, we are like to a ship strand ed on the beach; when tho tide has re ceeleel, there is no moving her until the flood shall again lift her from the sanels. We are like that frozen ship, of which wo read the other dayr, frost bound in the far off Arctic sea; until the Spirit, of God shall thaw the chilly coldness of our natural estate, anel biel the life-floods of our heart flow forth, there we must lie, cold, cheerless, life less, powerless. The Christian, like the mariner, depenels upon the breath of heaven, or his bark is without mo tion. We are bike the plants of tho fieltl, and this genial season suggests the metaphor; all the winter through vegetation sleeps wrapped up in her frost garments, but when the mysteri ous influenco of spring is felt, she un binds her cloak to put on her vest of many colors, while every bud begins to swell and each flower to open. Anel so a church lies asleep in a long and dreary winter, until God the Holy Ghost looseth the band of lethargy, and hearts bud and blossom, and the time of the singing of birds is come. This doctrine has been preached hun- dreds of times, and we all know it; but for all that, wc all forget; and especi ally when wc are in earnest about our work, and pcrceivo our personal re sponsibility, there is no truth that needs be insisted upon more thorough ly than this: "Without me, ye can do nothing." Until wo are utterly emp ty of self, we are not reaely to bo lilleel by God; until wo arc conscious of our own weakness, we are not lit platforms for the display of the Divine omnipotence. Until the arm of flesh is paralyzed, anel death is written tqi on the whole natural man, we are not ready to be endowed with tho elivine life anel energv. Pots of Honor in tlie Clturcla. Methodist preachers as a body arc exceeelingly generous, forgiving and faithful in friendship. Some among them may be selfish, grasping and un kind, but most of them are nobly self sacrificing, humble anel friendly-min-deel. The surest road to success in the Methodist Church is faithful, ear nest performance of duty in the rnju hr ivorl; taking whatever comes, en during trials one year and enjoying triumphs another. Success scarcely ever is fortuitous, it comes from pati ent toil, from heroic resistance, from unselfish devotion to the salvation of others. Posts of honor arc found all the way up from the prebation of the first year to the highest position in the minist ry. Formerly it was thought that honor was gained in the greatest abundance as teachers, editors, agents, etc., but now the pulpit is the place eif honor and emolument above all others. Our first ministers as pastors are higher, greater anel better paiel than any oth ers. College presidents and professors i '. generally elo not get much more than half the amount paid in our best sta tions, and neither bishops, etlitors, nor agents get as good salaries as minis ters in our e:hief cities. Bccently the status of the pulpit has been changed from the second to the first position in the Church, and pas tors have outstripped till others in the race for honor, if that is the goal men seek. Again and again for tho last few years ministers have refused the most exalteel positions in our colleges and the first places in other ftehls for their chosen, delightful pastoral work. We rejoice to see this, for it will inspire our voting men with the noble ambi tion to excel as pastors and preachers. We have closely observed the history of inelividual ministers, and of our conferences for twenty-two years, anel if our voice could reach all of our sev en or eight thousand pastors we would warn them by the wrecks we have seen net to seek honor out of tho minis try of the Word of God. Some we have seen descend from the pulpit through all the stages of in famy to utter ruin. Theyr began te go astray thinking they were going up; they ended in perelition. Several who stood high in our ministry have at tempteel to take a more rapid flight by joining either Churches. Generally they have dwinelled into insignificance. One has landed in Borne, another in her ante-choMihcr. They started for a crown and gained a gov:, they attemp ted sudden flight with wings fastencel with wax, which, melted anel left them in the mud. Some have becomo dis satisfied because they have not been promoted rapidly enough, and have left the ranks of our army for a com mission in some other. They have generally ignominiously faileel. The earnest, industrious, faithful intinerant minister succeeds best, gains the post of honor and the crown. A man who has worked faithfully in every position, who has betrayed no trust, lost no time, buried no talent; comes out victor. He reaches the goal anel is crowneel. His way maybe rug ged, difficult and even perilous, but his reward is sure. The highest re wards arc gaineel in the regular faith ful performance of one's duty. Occasionally men have become rest less and form cliques in conferences, and attempt to carry small measures by the arts of the politican. Such mean efforts result in divisions, heart burning, and generally in disgrace to the participants in these unworthy schemes. There should be transpar ent honesty, brotherly love, anel un selfish friendship among Methodist ministers. Places of honor are so abundant, the rewarels of faithfulness so sure, the duties of friendship so sa cred that none of us should counte nance for a moment any nnworthy j contrivance, any electioneering trick, any scheme of self-aggranelizemeut. We have always looked upon the prcsiding-elelorship, as now constituted as one of the most remarkable and most effective agents of gooel will in our body. Tho presiding elder has every possiblo motive for faithfulness to his brethren anel to the Church. His influence depends upon the gooel will of the people and tho active co operation of his fellow-laborers. Wc can not conceive, unless he be an ut terly mean and despicable man, how he can wish to oppress one of his men or to alilict one of his charges. Thcvery contlitions of his office impel him to faithfulness both to the people and preachers. We do not remember a single case in our whole ministry where we thought a presiding elder had knowingly injured a preacher or a charge. The prcsieling-eldersln'p re quires intelligence, a knowledge of men, perfect honesty of purpose and constant watchfulness. It is a place of wonelerful power if rightly managed, but it is a place of toil, self-sacrifice and poor pay. A pastor loses much in taking this position, and yet none but the very best men ought ever to have it. It is a fatal blunder to put inferior men in this exalteel positiou. East or West, it is a work that never should be trusted to weak bauds. The posts of honor are open for till. Let the higest, holiest impulses of our souls be to preach with the Holy Ghost sent elown from heaven. What honor is comparable to that of winning souls to Christ ? The pulpit is the Gibraltar of the Church, and the source of her aggre ssivc power. Agents, editors and all other officers would lie about noth ing were it not for the tremendous power of the pulpit. The pulpit is n w not only the ackuov.Iedgeel leader of lljbntisthe throne of the ministry, l i i . i. . i r:-i. - T. i: its inguesL poiin. i tie pooi in.-iuic-1 ions of time will soon fade away in the light of eteruitv, and the crowned ministers of Jesus meet where the air shall neei-bo tainted by unholy elesire, nor a brother laiel aside on account of old age or feebleness. If God shall permit us, who have reached the meri dian, to gain the honors of respectable old age-, let us always keep our souls nurtured by the hallowed associations of youth, anil the pure worship of Gotl. The final victory will give us crowns and thrones with Jesus Christ, anil our post of honor shall be with Him forever. Gnats ami Camels. The Pharisees were scrupulous about trifles, and careless as to real sins. They watched for motes and over looked beams. They paid tithes of mint, anise, and cummin, but neglect ed justice, mercy and faith. They were afraid to enter the palace of pagan Pi late, lest they shoulel thereby be tlefil ed. At the same tinio they were con spiring against the Holy One of Goel. So the officers of the Inquisition mingled religious rites anel prayers with the infliction of cruel tortures. The Italian banditti, or highway rob bers, are said to be very particular about their devotions. A traveller in Spain describes a scene which he witnessed in a gambling sa loon in Madrid. The sound of a little bell was heard in tho street, announc ing the procession of the host to the house of a sick person. Instantly cards and dice were thrown down, anel cvery gambler was on his knees, in perfect silence, till tho procession had passed by, when all resumed their places anel their play. John Newton nearly starved himself in his anxiety to mortify the body. Yet he was captain of a slave-ship, anel carried on the detestable business of man-stealing, until his conscience be came awakened to tho sense of his sin. I knew a man who was in the habit of introducing profancc words into all his conversation, but he would nev er partake of a meal without first say ing grace. It is possible to observe the rubrics, and break the commanelments. Some consciences arc like the Achil les of Greek fable, who was only vul nerable in one spot, and that the heel. Or like spiders' webs, which catch harm less flies, anel are broken through by hornets and bats. Remember which is "the first and great commandment." And which tho seconel. All ritual or ceremonial things are subordinate to these. Do not mis take uniforms for soldiers, nor banners for muskets. Coleridge compares the ritual part of religion to a beautiful necklace worn by Faith; but drawn too tight it will strangle her. V LI PPLYd' S. Ixrinix Pi:osixvn:s. An infidel set Is to make prosely tes on the same prin ciple which causes little children to cry at night for a bedfellow hi is ojhmf of' heiiiij lift ohiiic hi the thirl.'. A C.u itai. Bi:ia ki-:. During the Bap tist anniversaries at Chicago, a geiil Io nian effectually-stepped some imperti nent talkers in the audience, by inter rupting the speaker, Mr. E. D.' Jones, of Missouri, exclaiming : " Mr. Chair man, please ask Brother Junes not lo talk so loud ; I van't bear nil that tin mo ladies and gentlemen around me are saying." Ministers of the Gospel arc spoken of in one of the sermons of Leightoti, as 'Burning coals scattered through the nations blessed incendiaries of tlie world, setting it on lire with the love of Christ." Joux Newi-ou once said : " Tlie art f spreading rumors may be compared to the art of pin-making. There is usually some truth, which I call tho wire ; as this passes from hand to hand, one gives it ii polish, another a point, others maki' and put on the head and at last, tho pin is completed." Who is wise ? He that is teachable. Who is mighty? He that ' conquers himself. Who is rich? Ho that is con tented. Who is honored? He that honoreth others. L vw or Prrr.uTs. By one of the laws ef Pittacus, one of the seven wise men of Greece, every fault commited by a person when intoxicated was deemed worthy of a double punishment. A Ritualistic rieldle has been started in England. Why was Eve the Jir.-t Ritualistic convert ? Because she be gan by being Eve-angelical, and ended bv taking to vestments. Ri:mai:kai:u: Coincim:xck. The Bos ton "Traveller" of the K'.th of .July states that a lady in Reading, Mass., while conversing with some callers, suddenly turned pale, and, sinkiiigm t i ii chair, exclaimed, "Did 3011 hear that gun? It affected me strangely ;" and wept inconsolably. Her visitors had heard no report, and it afterwards appeared that no gun had been tired at that time on the place. News came, however, that her brother, residing a hundred miles away, was at that very instant shot by tlie accidental discharge of his fowling- ieci! while hunting in a grove near his house, and killed.' RjXKiiors Ti:.um.o. It was the es timate of the late Dr. Baker, as cited by an exchange, that two-thirds of pi ously trained! childrm become hopeful ly religious ere they pass the bloom of teneler youth; while only one in twelve becomes so, among children who arc not thus reared. Sia-F-BioiiTixM sm;ss. "Ii was ever my invariable custom in youth," says a celebrated Persian writer, " to rise up from my sleep to watch, pray ami read the Koran. One night as I was thus engaged, my father, a man of practiced virtue, awoke Behold, 1 said to him, 'thy other children are lest in irreligious slumber, while I a loue am awake to praise God.' 'Son of my soul,' saiil he, 'it is better to sleep, than wake to remark tbo faults of thy brethren.'" Finns or Viuti i:. If you should see a man digging in a snow-drift with the expectation of finding valuble ore, or planting seeds upon' the polling bil lows, you would say at once that he was besiele himself. But in what re spect does this man differ from you, while you sow the seeds of idleness anel dissipation in j our youth, and ex pect the fruits of ago will be a good constitution, elevated affections and holy principles ! If you desire a vir tuous happy life, in youth you must plant in your bosom the fccds of vir tue. Death Br u Iti:i'i;xr.Ni L. Heaven is not a place to lie bargained for on tho death-bed, or at life's close. It is not a place into w hich we are ticketed, by President or by Pope or by tho Lord himself. Wo are all our lives long shaping with resistless energy the characters by which we are to bo judged in accordance with the words " He that is unjust let him lie unjust still; and he that is filthy let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous let him be righteous still; and he that is holy let him be holy still." Bettixo Men's Ciiuuty. When the Tattersall removed their establishment to Knightsbridge, the authorities of St. George's Hospital feared a diminu tion of the alms left in their poor-box at Hyde Park corner. It was imagin ed, that after a satisfactory settling day some five-pound notes were be stowed by lucky betting men on the great charity that confronted them. Careful not to disappoint their gener osity, the hospital placed a supplemen tary box at Knights-bridge to catch tho overflow of heart and pocket that is supposed to take place among success ful turfites. There was little ueed for such precaution. A year's appeal to betting men's charity has hardly paid for the cost of the alms-box intended for their contributions. A Mall Ga zette. The Bible teaches us that whatsoev we do, we should do all to the glory of God ; and it also teaches us that try ing anel praying shoulel go hand in hand