HED 1844
IN ESSENTIALS, UNITY; IN NON-ESSENTIALS, LIBERTY; IN ALL THINGS, CHARITY.
$2.00 PER YEAR.
RALEIGH, N. 0., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1896.
M I . HIHM _ ii!Li_LL_i!!1
VOLUME XL1X: NUMBER 9.
1 ■ ■ • - % ■ m m'
■ •
:
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BY EMMETT L. MOFFITT.
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Tfy* O^mstiar* SUi't
«tk«%«%MU
The Organ of the General Convention
the Uhrtotlun Church (South).
CARDINAL PRINCIPLES.
1. The liOrd Jeeue to the only Heed of the
church.
8. The name Christian, to the delusion
Of all party aod sectarian names.
8. The Holy Bible, or the Scriptures of
and New Testaments, sufficient rule
1th and pfaetlco. - ,
1. Christian character, or vital piety, the
only test of fellowship or membership.
». The right of private Judgment, aod
the liberty of conscience, the privilege and
duty of all. ,
Texas claims the longest wag
on bridge in the world. It is at
Galveston^ ari_d is three miles
long. . ''
The pew Government 4’s are
selling at 115. The small bids
are being pat on the exchange
market.
The N. C. Dairymen’s Asso
ciation met last week at Occo
neechee Farm. Col. Carr is a
popular host.
The Army Appropriation bill
for $23,275,902 was passed by
the House* last week. It cer
tainly does take money to run
the Government. .
About $4,500,000 in United
• States for per cent bonds have
been awarded to the Morgan
Syndicate, according to circular
letter of the Secretary ol State.
Secretary Carlisle says he has
nothing to do with instructing
the Democratic Senators in re
gard to the election of the Ken
tucky Senator. No election has
yet been made.
After discussing the matter for'
several days the House killed
the Senate’s substitute free coin
age bill by a vote of 215 to 90.
The President will not be troubl
ed to veto the bill now.
The amount paid to Federal
pensioners will be much les„ this
year than they were last year;
but that makes little difference to
Southern tax-payers, because
just as much money will be spent
for some other purpose.
Daring the past twenty years
there have been about 450
churcher organised, in which
there are about 18,000 communi
cants. This makes a fair show
ing, but the number might be
greatly increased.
There mcst be some money in
farming: the expenses of the
State penitentiary were paid last
year by fi rming. A large num
ber of acres of land have been
recently leased, and more work
will be done by the convicts.
The first through train ever j
run trom San Francisco to Nor- j
folk passed through Raleigh last
week over the Southern’s new j
- route. It traflsferred 125 Unit-|
ed States marines from the na-(
vy yard at San Francisco to that
of Norfolk. |
When we consider the tact
that the king of the Armenians
was baptized in the third centu
ry, and that the Armenian was
tlie first race that accepted
Christianity, at least our sympa
thy and prayers should go out
for them continually. A long
and bitter struggle have they
had. ,
The Tennessee Centennial
and International Exposition
Company has sent out invita
tions to the various States, re
questing them to send delegates
in charge of various products
and relics from «heir respective
States. The exposition opens
May i st, 1897, and closes Octo
ber 1st, 1897. May it be a suc
cess. "
Within the past two weeks ten
vessels carrying arms and am
munition to the insurgents have
left this country for Cuba. The
insurgents are preparing for ef
fective action.
Great Britain is said to be
making preparations for war
with some country or countries.
She is increasing her navy,
which is already the strangest
navy owned by any government.
Her forces will hardly come over
this way,and if is sent anywhere
it will probably be to jtryath force
upon some poor little country in
Africa. , -
The Ladies’ Benevolent So
ciety has opened the Emergency
Hospital at Goldsboro. There
are four wards: two for white,
and two for colored, both male
and female. Mrs. Duke has
taken charge as matron of the
hospital. We are glad to see
the tendency of faring for unfor
tunate humanity growing more
popular among our people.
In “The Armenian Crisis in
Turkey”, Mr. Greene says:
Misgovernment as it exists in
Turkey is a- disease, of which
the germs penetrate the whole
system of the body .politic. No
creed is exempt; every man is
attacked by it. The more appa
rent result is outward impover
ishment and material prostra
tion. The more dangerous and
deplorable symptom is the moral
deterioration of all the races af
fected. t
With the new light of science
and the awful experiences of our
people we should make a com
plete diagnoris of the disease in
our Government and put forth
every effort to check it before
\he case becomes more aggra
vated.
The Government of Great
Britain had better settle her va
rious disputes on friendly terms
while it has an opportunity to do
so. Mr. Gladstone is trying to
get Parliament to give an atten
tive ear to cries of distress com
ing from Armenia. Mr. Glad
stone knows ot the injustice be
ing done in Turkey, and is
aroused to sympathy for the op
pressed people. He will make
an earnest and persistent appeal
to his people, and says he will
not relinquish his claims upon'
them until a just and peaceful
determination ot the Armenian
question is arrived at. Mr. Glad
stone manifests that brotherhood
of nations which should exist
among all civilized and chris
tianized people.
The Cutholics of this city are
soon to elect a new cathedral at
the enormous cost of $70,000.
That will be the finest one in
North Carolina, and shows with
what zeal these people are push
ing forward their work. Should
not this inspire the members of
the evangelical churches to
greater effort; if not in the build
ing of costly houses of worship,
to providing soul food for those
who are stumbling about in
darkness and superstition ? Let
us help those who are willing to
be helped to take Christ for a
foundation upon which to build
an everlasting temple. If we are
to succeed in business we must
work. If the world is to be tak
en for Christ, his followers must
be active in the service.
We are glad to see a disposi
tion on the part of the South to
manufacture her own raw mate
rial and thus keep our own cap
ital at home; -and capitalists
from overstates, seeing the
§ood work going on in the
outh will be induced to come
and cast their lot with us. Our
people, until recently, have tak
en litfle interest in manufactur
ing, hence the North has gotten
for in advance of us. Our raw
material has been shipped North
to manufacturers, and then setft
back to us in a more valuable
state, for all of which we had to
pay ; but the Southern States are
making great progress, espe
cially in this line of work, and
not many years will pass before
we will at least equal the North
ern States in manufacturing.
Am 0v Contributors.
WHY HATE NOT THE PASTORAL
LABORS OF CHRISTIAN MINIS
TERS BEEN EFFICIENT I
BY REV. W. G. CLEMENTS.
As has already been stated in
a previous article, the pastoral
labors of Christian ministers has
not been efficient when seen un
der jhe light of visible results.
There -nrnst be Sortie reason for
this. What can it be? It can
not be a lack of gospel thought
or zeal in the sermons preached,
for in this respect the sermons of
Christian ministers have coui
parfcu ~favorably with those of
other denominations. What can
it be ? Can it be a lack of fol
lowing the Bible plan ? Yes ; in
my opinion here is the cause.
Paul says he preached publicly
and from house to house. Chris
tian.ministers have done iaithful
gospel preaching publicly, but
have failed to preach from house
to house. Small salaries and
scattered fields of labor have
made it impossible to preach
from house to house. Mea hav
ing to travel from 500 to loop
miles a month to reach their ap
pointments, have no time to
preach from house to house.
Jesus earnestly preached in
public will have its desired ef
fect in bringing sinners to a sav
ing knowledge of Jesus; but it
requires doctrines explained to
build up organization. This
Christian ministers were not
willing to crowd into the short
time given, them to preach
Christ. And not having the
time to visit, doctrines or princi
ples were not talked around the
fireside. This being true, thous
ands upon thousands Of those
who were brought to Christ un
der the preaching of Christian
ministers have found - homes in
other denominations. Thus the
Christian church is thankful for
her record in bringing sinners to
Christ, but counts her churches
and members with rather a
blushing face.
“SOUL TALKS.”
BY REV. J.PRESSLEY BARRETT,D.D.
. The poor pilgrim.said: I have
no part nor inheritance with
those who prosper in this world ;
no corner lots; no chance to
make money.” Well, praise the
Lord lor that. Do you ask,
Why? There is a good reason.
I know a man who had the
chance to make money and he
gave himself to it, till he could
hardly break away from the hab
it, for money-making had be
come a habit with him. When
he stood at the end of a long
life, he was most anxious to
break away from the bondage
of money-making, but he found
it most difficult to do so. Better
not have the chance to make
money, and so lay up your treas
ure in Heaven, than to have the
chance to make money, and lay
up no treasure in Heaven. But
if we have no “corner lots,” and
no “stocks,” and no gold, what
then? Why something better
than all that—be a Levite—why
the Lord is your inheritance.
Read Deut. io: 9. The riches
of His grace will grandly make
up, a thousand times over, for
all we lose in our earthly pos
sessions. Try it, depend' on it,
and cling to Jesus through all
the testing days of this earthly
life.
How many of us are liviiig on
the husks of the gospel? Alas,
brother, that is poor living, and
then’itfs such a pity to liVfe a
half-starved life when the Lord
spreads a table of abundance be
fore us. Many of us are living
on the poor little dried up ques
tions of mere denominational
lines, while the rich feasts which
are spread in a life which is hid
with Christ in God, are left un
touched. ‘Brother, sister, hear
me: If you are starving, as a
Christian, it is not because you
have nothing on which you
might live—for the Bible is full
of the Bread of Life. O, cease
to feast on the mere denomina
tional shibboleths, and take the
great and rich doctrines of grace,
of faith, of holiness, and live—
feast and grow fat in the Lord.
] You may doubt, beloved, but
doubting does not change the
< facts—the Lord spreads a rich
table for His people, and all are
welcome. Why stand off—why
hesitate to eat—why starve spir
itually? Why live on husks
when the sweeter and richer
food of the gospel is so abund
ant? O, why I
THOUGHTS OF JiATUKR.
BY REV. W. C. mfcKER, A M.
All nature expresses the thought
of God. The flower blooms it;
the lightning flashes it; the
thunder howls it. All nature
speaks it." God is truth. The
geologist finds an expression of
God’s thought in every strata of
the earth; the biologist finds
God’s conception in theameoba,
the smallest animal structure; in
every blade of grass, tree and
flower; the astronomer sees the
thoughts of God streaming from
the distant worlds of light, de
claring his omnipotence, ex
pressing his omniscience. Is
there a skeptic or atheist? Let
him turn his telescope upon the
midnight heavens in their ra
diant splendor, and they will
declare the glory of God. Let
him turn his microscope upon
the world of animalcules and
study God’s thoughts as embod
ied in a world invisible to the
natural eye. The student of na
ture is endeavoring to think the
thoughts that God thought in the
morning of creation. All that
God has made is a visible, tan
gible, material embodiment of
the creation of the divine mind.
This is not a world of chaos. It
is a world of orderly arranged
conceptions, and these concep
tions have been objectified or
materialized in God's creations.
The more we study and under
stand of the creation the more
we can understand of God.
Some would claim that religion
and science conflict; but how?
True science is the proper under
standing of God in his own
work, and religion seeks to un
derstand God and man as relat
ed to each other. The sacred
scriptures deal directly with this
relationship, and reveal a great
deal that cannot be learned di
rectly from nature; but Christ
made nature speak in confirma
tion of the revelation in his many
parables.
The wind how whispers, now
howls, some thought divine. It
is likened to the silent operation
of the Spirit. He who under
stands nature can make nature
reveal many wonderful concep
tions that would inspire man to
study more and more the direct
revelation. Truth, pallid truth,
is seen beneath all the material.
There was a conference at
Philadelphia on the 22d inst.,'
Washington’s birthday, the
prime object of the meeting be
ing to advance the cause of ar
bitration among the nations.
This “child’s play, of war” has
been going on long enough.
Some method should be carried
out whereby all questions of dif
ference could be heard impar
tially and settled according to
the demands of justice. Millions
ol do’lars were spent on account
of the recent difficulty between
the United States and Great
Britain, and the matter is not
yet settled. Surely the people
must be contending for principle,
tor there is no money in it.
According to the Chicago
Times-Herald, the South is mak
ing rapid strides toward increas
ed wealth. It states that “Since
1880 the annual output has in
creased about 100 per cent. To
day the new South is turning
out annually $1,000,000,000
more than it did ten years ago.
Since it appears that a war
with Great Britain has been
averted, the House is taking no
part .in making the ex-Confede
rate soldiers eligible to service
in the United States army.
The President has signed a
bill prohibiting prize fighting in
the different Territories and the
District of Columbia. Here is
one good law that Congress has
made.
The Pulpit
THETBAHSFICIURATION OF CHRIST
BY RKV. I AMES MAPLE, D. D.
He was transfigured before them.—Mark
t:l
There is some difference of
opinion among biblical scholars
about the place whefe this won
derful scene occurred. Some
think that it was on Mount Her
mon, which rises grandly above
Cesarea Philippi. Against this
view ecclesiastical tradition,run
ning back to the fourth century,
assigns Mount Tabor, in Galilee,
as the place. And this is more
likely, since Jesus, when he de
scended from the mount, found
the scribes engaged in a discus
sion with disciples. The pres
ence of the scribes would be far
more natural in their own coun
try of Galilee, at the foot of
Mount Tabor, than in- the hea
then and distant country at the
foot ot Mount Hermon ; and al
though, when last mentioned,
Christ was near Mount Hermon,
yet during the six da3's’ interval
he could easily hjve gone to
Galileo
The disciples were not all per
mitted to witness the glorifica
tion of Christ. When he ascend
ed the mount he took “with him
Peter, and James, and John.”
These were witnesses enough,
and those who were best quali
fied. They were the same who
had witnessed the healing of
Jairus’ daughter, and who were
with him in the garden ot Geth
semane. There is an instructive
lesson in this selection. It shows
that the seventy were dearer
than the many, the twelve dear
er than the seventy, the three
dearer than the twelve, and John
the dearest of the three. These
three were selected because they
were destined by Christ to be
distinguished disciples in the fu
ture work of his church. Those
who live nearest to Christ will be
favored with disclosures by him.
Let us look at the three scenes
in the transfiguration and learn
what they teach us.
I. First Scene.—’1 is night,
the scenery is rugged and wild;
Christ withdraws himself from
his disciples to pray. He has
need of it now : he is nearing
the great tragedy. He “went
up into the mountain to pray.”
He prayed much, and often when
he prayed went up into the moun
tains, or into the deserts ; for he
chose to be alone. There is
something in the solitude and
deep and awful stillness of the
mountain favorable to devotion.
It is proper to withdraw from
society and retire to some lonely
place to hold communion with
God; and it is desirable that ev
ery one should have a place
where he may be alone with
God. This avoids the appear
ance of .ostentation, and guards
against pride ; for pride is easily
excited when we know that oth
ers hear us pray. There are
many things that we need to talk
with God about, and ask his aid
in, that would not be proper to
mention before others. The
mountain was a sublime place
above lower things. John when
worshipping alone in the Isle of
Patmos saw Heaven opened,and
\yitnessed marvelous manifesta
tions of the divine glory, and
heard the inspiring music of the
hbly, angels and the mighty host
of the redeemed.
As the disciples watched
Christ as he prayed they wit
nessed a marvelous change in
his appearance. “He was trans
figured before them, and his rai
ment became shining, exceeding
white as snow ; and his face did
shine as the sun.” The word
“transfigured” means to change
the appearance or form. It does
not denote change of substance,
but simply the appearance.
Christ’s inner and supernatural
glory broke through the walls of
the flesh, causing even his rai
ment to shine “white as the
light.” “His face did shine as
the sun.” In his pre-existent
state Christ was “in the form of
God,” “the brightness of his glo
ry, and the express image of his
person.” In the original it is
f‘splendor or shining like the
sun.” When Christ became in
carnate this glory was veiled in
the flesh. Paul calls this “the
vail, that is to say, his flesh.”
As the Vail of the tabernacle
concealed the glory of God in
the holy of holies from the view
of men, so Christ’s body screen
ed his higher nature; and his
earthly associates did not see
him as the angels saw him be
fore his incarnatiou in heaven.
The radiant light that stream
ed from the face of Moses with
unbearable splendor was an ex
ternal reflection of the Divine
Being with whom he had been
in sweet communion; but this
effulgence of Christ was the mo
mentary outshining of his divine
nature. It was a flash of the glor
ry he had with the Father before
the world was, and it made such
a profound impression on the
mind and heart of Peter that
thirty-four years after he spoke
of having been an eye-witntss of
the majesty of Christ. Speaking
of his confidence in Christ as his
Lord and'Saviour he said :
For we have not followed Cun
ningly devised fables, when we
made known unto you the power
and coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ, but were eye-witnesses of
his majesty. For he received
from God the Father honor and
glory, when there came such a
voice to him from the excellent
glory, “This is my beloved son,
in whom I am well pleased.”
And this voice which came from
heaven we heard, when we were
with him in the holy mount.
Christ was in the form of God
(Phil. 2:6). God is light (l
John i : 5). God dwells in the
light (1 Tim. 1 : 16). God cov
ers himself with light (Psalms
104: 2). When Christ would
appear in the form of God, he
appeared in the light fjob 1 : 5,
£0). -
Christ’s “raiment became shin
ing exceeding white as now.”
All his body was transfigured?as
his face was ; so that the beams
of light darting from it through
his clothes, made them white
and glittering. The brightness
of Moses’ face was so feeble that
even a thin veil could conceal it;
but such was the glory of Christ
that it made even his heavy gar
ments shine brilliantly.
What does this scene signify?
First, That Christ was divine.
Whence came that glory ? Evi
dently from within. All this
glory with which Christ was in
vested was only a faint earnest
of the sublime glory to be given
afterwards. In the close of his
ministry when the cross was just
before him he said in solemn
prayer to his Father :
I have glorified thee on earth :
I have finished the work which
thou gavest me to do. And now,
O Father, glorify thou me with
thine own self with the glory
which I had with thee before the
world was.
This prayer was answered in
the exaltation to the right hand
of God, “far above all principal
ity, and power, and might, and
dominion, and every name that
is narned, not only in this world,
but also in that which is to
come: and hath put all things
under his feet, and given him to
be head over all things to the
church.” So with all the disci
ples of Christ, of whom Paul
says, “I reckon that the suffer
ings ot the present time are not
worthy to be compared with the
glory which shall be revealed in
us.”
Second, A higher order or
character of prayer. While he
prayed he was invested with glo
ry ; so with Moses ; so with Ste
phen ; so with the disciples on
the day of Pentecost. It is
through prayer and the contem
plation of Christ that the Chris
tian is spiritually transfigured.
Hence Paul says, “We all, with
open face beholding as in a glass
the glory of the Lord, are
changed into the same image
from glory to glory, even as by
the Spirit ot the Lord.”
II. The Heavenly Scene.
—“There appeared unto them
Elias with Moses: and they
were talking with Jesus.” They
“appeared in glory.” Their per
sonal appearance was similar to
that of Christ. They appeared
to the three disciples just as they
do in Heaven among the angels
of God.
It was by Moses that the law
was given, and its institutions
pointed to Christ. It “was a
shadow of good things to come.”
“Wherefore the law was our
schoolmaster to bring us unto
Christ.” Moses appeared on
the mount with Christ to show
that this was so, and the law
ended in the gospel. It was
proper for him to appear there
now that his prophecies and
types were all to be fulfilled in
the Messiah. He was there to
bow to Christ as his Lord and
Saviour. Elijah whs a distin
guished prophet, and represented
the restoration of the law and
re-establishment of the kingdom ;
and indeed he was the mightiest
of the prophets. They all point
ed to Christ. “To him gave all
the prophets witness.” Elijah
came as the most distinguished
and most highly honored of the
prophets to show that their pre
dictions of the coming Messiah
were fulfilled in Christ, and that
they all acknowledged him as
the Teaceer of teachers—as “the
truth,”
The theme of the conversation
of Moses and Elijah was as sig
nificant as their glory. They
conversed with Christ about his
death that was sopn to take
place at Jerusalem. They had
been living in Heaven for centu
ries, and had seen Christ there
as the Son of God clothed in the
uncreated glory that he had
with the Father before the uni
verse of world were called into
being by his omnific “Let it be
so.” Doubtless they had seen
him leave the bosom of his Fath
er, lay aside his glory, and enter
on his mission ot mercy to this
lost world. Now they too have
left their home in Heaven and
descended to earth to honor him.
They knew what he had yet to
suffer, and were deeply interest
ed. We have no record of the
conversation, and it is best that
we should not have, or we would
have had it. It is wonderful that
in this indiscribable physical glo
ry of Christ’s transfiguration the
attention of all should be direct
ed to the higher moral glory of
his crucifixion. To these celes
tial visitors the cross of Christ
stood upon the throne of the uni
verse, aod was the symbol of re
demption. There is no problem
like that of redemption, and it is
of deep interest to all the inhab
itants of Heaven. The angels
anxiously desire to solve its pro
found and sublime mysteries (i
Pet. x : 10-12), It awakens the
deepest feelings of gratitude in
the hearts of the redeemed, and
inspires all their songs (Rev. i:
5, 6; 9: 9-12).
III. The Overshadowing
Glory.—“Behold a bright cloud
overshadowed them : and behold
a voice out ot the cloud, which
said, This is my beloved Son, in
whom I am well pleased ; hear
ye him.” This was a luminous
cloud, not dark like that on Si
nai. It was analogous to the pil
lar of cloud by day, and the pil
lar of fire bv night in the wilder
ness. This cloud was to break
the force of the light which oth
erwise would have overcome the
disciples. It vvas like the veil
which Moses put over his face.
It was also a symbol of the divine
presence as the cloud of glory
was above the divine mercy seat.
The disciples trembled with fear
when they saw themselves envel
oped in the cloud, for it was not
an ordinary cloud and it was at
night. Out of the cloud came
the Father’s voice : “This is my
beloved Son in whom I am well
pleased ; hear ye him.” A. great
crisis was at hand, and the same
supernatural voice from the ev
erlasting Father, which prepared
him io battle with satan in the
wilderness now prepares him to
meet and overcome the maligni
ty of the prince of darkness on
the cross. There was no sound
of a trumpet, no flash of light
ning, no crash of thunder as in
the giving of the law. There
was the manifest glory of Christ,
the luminous cloud, and the lov
ing voice of the loving Father.
This makes the difference be
tween the law and the gospel.
“The law was given by Moses,
but grace and truth came by
Jesus Christ.”
[continued.]