BY ATKINSON & LAWRENCE.
-
ESTABLISHED 1844.
IN ESSENTIALS, UNITY; IN NON-ESSENTIALS, LIBERTY; IN ALL THINGS, CHARITY.
ELOft COLLEGE, N. 0., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21,1901
VOLUME LIV: NUMBER 8
$1.50 PER YEuR.
Christian SUiq
PUBUHHWU W'KKfH.Y.
Clu1 OffloUkl Or foil of the Southern Chris
tian Convention.
* Q AKDINAL PRINCIPLES.
1. IHie Lord Jesus Is the only Head of Hit*
Mo roil.
2. Tile name Christian, to the* exclusion
»f all party and sectarian names.
6. The Holy Bible, or the Scriptures of
'he Old and New Testaments, sufficient rule
<*f faith and practice,
4. Christian character, or vital piety, the
« illy test of fellowship or membership.
A. The right of private judgment, and
i he liberty of oryixdcnce, the privilege and
wtitv of all.
Current Comment.
The growth in what may be
termed missionary education in
ll>is country the past few years
has been a marked feature ol
our national and educational life.
At Princeton, N. J., 23 yeais
ago there was started what is
now known as the Students
•Christian Federation, a move
ment having in viethe educat
ing of men about foreign mission
lands, their coudi.ion and needs.
Today there are 640 colleges in
this country and Canada devot
ed to the higher education ot
students and professors interest
ed in the missionary work. In
•Jive years 1,700 foreign mission
aries have been sent out and
6,000 clergy min hare been en
rolled. In the women's colleges
there are 350 societies and 20,
000 members. In Great Brit tin
there are 135 societies with a
membership of $,ooo> During
the past five years they have
sent 1,200 mission tries into the
foreign field.
Mrs. Carrie Nation set out
single-hanned and alone to shut
up, or rather to burst up, the sa
loons in several towns and cities
in Kansas. Many have ques
tioned her methods, that of
smashing and destroying by
force, saloons and saloon proper
ty, and some have declared she
was crazy. At any rate Mrs.
Nation has succeeded for the
time being at least in what she
undertook. The "joints” (bar
rooms) in Kansas are closed up,
tor soon will be. They are in
danger ot destruction if found
open. Several other western
states have seemingly caught
the infection. "Nation Clubs”
are being formed in Indiana,
Iowa, Illinois, and possibly in
World of recent date, which has
been widely copied by the press,
will give some idea of the pres
ent status and tendency :
“Evil days are ahead tor the
• cigarette. Investigation shows
that the Legislatures in at least
thirteen States are considering
the adoption ot more 01 less
drastic anti-cigarette measures;
that eleven States already have
laws on their statute books pro
hibiting the sale of cigarettes,
and that the W. C. T. U. and
other organizations are urging
the adoption ot stringent legisla
tion in'half a dozen other Com
monwealths.
“The States under the first
head are Illinois, California,
Montana, Missouri, Kansas,
Massachusetts, Michigan, Min
nessota, Indiana, West Virginia,
Nebraska, Delaware and North
Carolina.
“Under the second head are
Rhode Island, Iowa,New Hamp
shire. Mississippi, Arizona, Tex
as, Vermont, Ohio, Pennsyl
vania, Connecticut and Georgia.
“Among the States where the
women and school teachers are
seeking to arouse their legisla
tors to action are Tennessee,
Maine, Utah, Oregon, Washing
ton and Wisconsin.
“So far as known but two
States in the entire forty-five
are paying no particular atten
tion to the subject—Wyoming
nod Louisiana. ,
“The conditions which have
‘brought about this almost uni
versal outcry are many, the evils
with which the cigarette is cred
ited ranging all the way from
I petty larceny and divorce to in
| sanity and death.”
j&s
The war on the cigarette is
| no new or passing upheaval or
[outbreak. It has been on a long
time. It is likely to be fiercer
and more determined as the
years go by and the business
life becomes more strenuous and
the moral standard of society
more elevated. Fact is the tight
against cigarettes is not merely
moral, it is economic and com*
| mercial. The use of the ciga
I rette is bad business and poor
i economy. It weakens body and
j mind and unfits a boy or man
[ for doing a full day’s work of
any kind. Business men, cor
! pot ations and States are recog
nizing this. Hence the present
growing prejudice against their
use and against those who, use
them. There are already many
firms, corporations and organi
zations that will not employ
any one who smokes cigarettes.
Possibly it is not generally
known to our readers how wide
spread is the feeling in our
country against cigarettes. The
following from the New York
other states, and bands of wo
men, sometimes a hundred or
more in one company are going
to bar rooms, smashing win
dows, breaking bottles, bursting
barrels, and so forth. It is in
deed a strange epidemic, a rath
er no/el, but a very effectual
way of putting a check to whis
key selling in the open bar
room. But why is Mrs. Nation
not arrested or imprisoned?
How is it possible for her to act
as she does without falling into
the clutches of the law? Rev. J.
M.Miller,Council Grove, Kansas,
explains this in the following
words: “According to Kansas
law, the State doe: not recog
n:ze any property in articles that
are used in connection with the
sale ol intoxicants, so, as long
as Mrs. Nation smashes bottles
and glasses and knocks in the
heads of whiskey barrels, she is
violating no statute. Another
peculiar feature of the situation
is that the saloon keepers do not
dare to have her arrested on a
charge of destroying property,
for fear the courts will declare
that there is no property in the
eyes of the law in the articles
demolished. That would only
emphasize to the toughs their
absolute freedom lo smash things
in a saloon whenever the notion
strikes them. The Kansas pro
hibitory la w not only declares;
that saloons are a public nuis
ance, but authorizes private citi
zens, as well as sheriffs and con
stables, to abate those nuisances.
Of course such violent proceed
ings hurt the reputation of the
State. Nevertheless, it is incor
rect to suppose that the prohibi
tory law is not enforced in Kan
sas. It is enforced in lb$ee
fourths of the State, rigidly and
absolutely, fc^pt in Fort Sc^t,
Wichitu, Topeka, and other
Kansas cities it is not entorced.
In those cities the sale of liquor
is wide open and in defiance of
the law.”
CHARACTER SKETCH REV. JOHUA
LIVESAT.
BY REV. R. H. HOLLAND.
The writer knew but little of
the ancestry or birth place of the
subject of this sketch. When
the writer first knew him he was
in the prime of life, and oVie of
the strong men in the Christian
ministry. But basing his con
clusions upon the fact of hearing
him speak, of spending his boy
hood days near the head of
Blackwater river, and that where
he once went to fish in the river
there was scarcely any river at
all, it was so filled in by earth
washings from the hiil sid^s, his
birth place must have been Sykes
or Surry county, or near there.
Joshua Livesay had a brother
named John who was also a
minister. But John, as a preach
er, was not equal in talent with
Joshua. I recollect, when a boy,
seeing himjat Rev. Uriah!Rawls,
my fa.ther-in-law’s. He, howev
er, left Virginia about that time,
.and went South and united with
the Disciple church.
As an evidence that Joshua
Livesay was a minister of more
than ordinary ability and popu
larity, he married as his first
wife, a Miss Noah, a lady of
rare beauty and accomplish
ments, a connection ol one of
the best families in Norfolk
county. Of this marriage there
wa&one daughter, Mary Jane,
who was carefully trained and
educated, and was much admir
ed for her intelligence and per
sonal charms. She married,
but 1 cannot recollect the gen
tleman’s name. But her mar
ried life was brief, as she lived
only a short time, passing away
in the very flower of youthful
womanhood. Joshua Livesay
was married the second time to
Charlotte Rawls, the sister of
Rev. Uriah Rawls. Of this
marriage there were born.to him
three children — Martha Ado,
John and James. They were
all bright children, and grew up
to intellectual manhood and wo
manhood. Martha Ann married
a Mr. White, a most,excellent,
high toned gentleman. His
health became poor during the
w'ar between the states and he
lived but a few years. The fam
ily then consisting of Mrs.
White, John and James (the
father and mother haviug passed
away) moved from Portsmouth,
Va., their old home, to Tennes
see.
Joshua Livesay died in Suf
folk at a good age, a few years
before the war between the
states. Dr. Wellous was with
him often, and the writer visited
him in his sickness. And
whilst he was suffering very
much, he was enjoying great
peace ot soul, and gave a very
satisfactory assurance of his hope
of a blessed immortality beyond
the grave.
Joshua Livesay was one of the
best preachers of his day in the
Eastern Virginia Christian con
ference, His education was
above the average, and he was
a man ot fine reasoning powers.
The writer has heard him on
various occasions ard he always
kept close to his text, and gave
a clear and saiistoctory disserta
tion of his subject. He did not
seem to have any special field
or postorate, but he seemed to
belong to the whole conference,
and labored somewhat as an
evangelist.'1 He seemed to take
special pleasure in laboring in
protracted efforts and quarterly
meeting occasions He frequent
ly preached at Providence, Cy
press Chapel, Holy Neck and
Antioch. He alwaysTeceived a
warm and hearty reception and
his services were highly appre
ciated and enjo\ed.
Rev. Joshua Livesay frequent
visited my father-in-law’s, as
that was the preachers’ home,
and was family connected by
marriage, on quarterly meeting
occasions at Holy Neck. And
the old members of the church
always hailed with the greatest
pleasure the coming of“Bro.Live
say”, and all were delighted
with his ministry. His sermons
were always logical and full of
good digestible gospel food.
Among the many excellent ser
mons which it has been the
writer’s pleasure to hear from
Rev. Joshua Livesay’s lips, was
one delivered at Holy Neck not
many years before his death. It
was from the Songs of Solomon
4: 16, “Awake, O, north wind ;
and come thou south ; blow upon
my garden, that the spices there
of may flow out. Let my belov
ed come into his garden, and eat
his pleasant fruit.” . He applied
this text grandly and forciby,
• it was a beautiful and eftecttve
^ discourse, and the impression
upon the writer’s mind cannot
r soon be forgotten.
: Rev. Joshua Livesay lived in
■ Portsmouth, Va., many years
prior to the war, giving his at
tention to the medical profession,
first the botanic and then the
i homeopathic practice. With
what success in his chosen pro
fession the writer is not able to
say — preaching occasionally
only. And, although deeply
pious having the confidence of
his brethren everywhere, he was
somewhat of a “bruised .reed,”
easily shaken by the passing
breeze, or “wind of doctrine.”
1 Nothing of a serious nature, but
enough so, to render him a little
, unpopular, for a time, as a min
! ister. It did not detract any
• thing from his piety, or religious
faith, or was he less loyal to
Christian principles. It was
evinced only in minor things,
such as a frequent change in
his business profession, and giv-1
mg countenance to mesmerism, j
clairvoyance, etc., which was ev-;
idently a mental weakness, an
error of his head and not of'his
heart.
Although Rev. Joshua Live-!
say was several years the writ-,
er’s senior he was with him at
several of Ins appointments as I
pastor of churches. And bteal-!
ways assisted him in the services, j
preaching “sound doctrine not
giving the gospel trumpet an
“uncertain sound but truth in
clear, comprehensive language,
and his sermons were always
edilying and instructive to the
attentive listener.
There were many things con
nected v\ ith the old time relig
ious meetings and services in
Rev. Joshua jbkvesay’s day, or ‘
when the writer first knew him,^
he will ever remember with1
pleasure. Whilst there was not
so much style, fine churches,
and choir singing, and we had J
only plain gospel sermons, con-j
gregaHonal singing, and often,
uncomfortable houses ol wor
ship, there was more union,
more love, true fellowship, and
high, genuine sociability.jj
At all the quartely meetings
at Holy Neck, we could see a
ntimber i f brethren and sisters
from Providence, Norfolk coun
ty, many from Cypress Chapel,
Antioch, and sometimes from
Union, Barretts and Spring Hill.
And there was such a cordial
hand-shaking among brethren!
and sisters. Brethren then did ;
not hesitate to ride a number,of j
miles to enjoy those spiritual
feasts.
We recollect now the familiar
.faces of the Tatems, the Nashes,
Hurberta, Sparrows and others
from Providence; the Parkers,
Epps, Dukes, .Goodmans, Rid
dick, Jones and perhaps others
from Cypress: the Roberts,
Gays, Eleys, Watkins and oth
ers of Antioch ; the Cobbs and
Kitchens from Union ; the Bar
retts, Harrises, Holloways and
perhaps others from Barretts
and Spring Hill. And there
was such sacred solemnity, such
sincere devotion and such heart
ily and unitedly entering into
the services—a “worship in j
spirit and truth.” On ! for a re
turn to the “old time religion,”
tjie true spirit of worship.
Rev. Joshua JLivesay was one
of the old pioneers of the Chris
tian church in its early struggles,
co-laborer with the Tatems,
Barretts, Williames, Porter, etc.,
and did most faithful service in
his day, and the writer offers
this as his memorial, or with a
desire of preserving his remem
brance.
0*
Mission Department
BY REV. J. 1*. BARRETT, D. D.
AN IMPORTANT POINT.
There is a conglomeration of .
ideas as to mission work. Some
believe in home missions, but
not in foreign mission. Some
will contribute ol their means .to
support foreign 'missions, but
give nothing fore home missons.
A great mistake is this. The
truth is, home missions and for
eign missions are much like a
man and his wife, when they are
suitably matched—they are very
helpful to one another; in fact,
they cannot do without one an-1
other. It is so in ihe true church
ot Christ. Home missions can
not do without foreign missions,
and foreign missions cannot do
without home missions. These
two great enterprises of the ■
church are reflexive in their
powers one upon the other. On
the human side of the question
nothing so stimulates the home,
field as a good healthy work in
the foreign field ; and, on the
other haud, a good healthy and
ac'ive work at home is of the
greatest importance to the pros
perity of thq foreign field. In
some of our larger and older de
nominations leading men have
claimed that the home work has
always prospered or languished
just in proportion as the mission
work has prospered or lan
guished. ll this is true, and I
have good cause to believe it is
true, why then surely the church
at home must not expect prosper
ity save as it may lend a help
ing hand to the work in the for
eign field. It is also true that
the success of the work in the
foreign field is a great stimulus
to the work at home. In fact it
seems to be a foregone conclu
sion that the true health of the
one is a mark of the health ol
the other. This being true, we
ought as Christians to hush all
talk of opposition to either the
home or the foreign fields. Both
belong to the Lord, for both are
included in his vineyard, and
there can be' no doubt that the
languishing of the one, or the
other is displeasing to the
Lord of the harvest. So let the
man whs Is opposed to foreign
missions or the man who is op
posed to home missions, give up
such opposition, and instead of
opposing the Lord’s work any
where, at home or abroad,
seek to do all you can—for the
spread of the gospel everywhere,
at home and abroad. This can
be done, as I see it, only by the
church itself getting right with
God in its spiritual relations. If
we are right with God we like
to do things to please him—his
way; if we are not fight with
him, then we like to do things
to please ourselves, and it is
when we are in this condition
that we are so determined to
have pur way. Get right with
God, dear reader, and we cap
count on you to help both the
home and foreign mission work.
Jesus pleased not himself, but he
came to this w’orld at a tremen
dous cost, as the first foreign
missionary from heaven, to save
a world that w'as lying in sic
and wickedness. Let us see to
it that both the home and for
eign work have our fullest sym
pathy and co-operation, so tar
as we can give it, for both be
long to the Lord. Please Him,
brother, sister, and not you
yourself. A saved soul in China
is as valuable in heaven, so far
as I know, as is a saved soul in
America.
REGENERATION AND SANCTIFI
CATION.
BY REV. ]. W. HARRELL.
Regeneration and sanctifica
tion stand in close relation to
each other in the great plan of
salvation. They are compan
ions that should never be sepa
rated. They are the two pillars
upon which God proposes to
build the magnificent structure
of a holy character. They are
component parts of God’s re
demptive scheme. They fit into
each other perfectly. God has
fixed the bounds of each so that
neither covers the work of the
other. Each has a definite and
distinct work to accomplish in
the salvation of the soul. There
is no conflict between them at
any point. They are always
helpers and on friendly terms.
The terms regeneration and
sanctification cannot be used
interchangeably, because their
meaning is entirely different.
Both come within the compass
of God s redemptive scheme, but
have a different work to perform.
When both have performed
their work we have a holy life.
So the direct result of regenera
ation and sanctification is holi
ness. This being true, each has
its part to perform. The Master’s
hand has fixed the hemisphere
of each and blended them into
one grand sphere.
Regeneration is not culture,
growth or anything that is
wrought by creature effort, but
a supernatural work wrought in
the soul through the agency of
the Holy Ghost. . It is that act
on the part of God by which the
soul dead in tresspasses and sfn
is resurrected to newness of
life. It is a glorious work
though wrapped in mystery, be
cause in it man receives a new
life which is capable of endless
development. The learned
Nicodemus could not understand
it. But Jesus said to him : “Ye
must be born again. The wind
bloweth where it listeth and
thou hearest the sound thereof,
but canst not tell whence it
cometh and whither it goeth—
so is every one that is born ot
the Spirit.”
The term regeneration liter
ally means to give back life. It
is the restoration of that life to
the soul, which was lost in the
fall. So legeneration means
the impartation of spiritual life
or the restamping of the divine
image upon the human heart.
Since the corruption of man’s
nature by the fall, regeneration
is a necessity. Man tell so low
that nothing he could do would
restore him to the favor of God.
Every human effort along this
line has been an utter failure.
All effort to reform man without
first regenerating him has only
been to show the impossibility
of such a thing. Regeneration
is an actual necessity. It is the
only way for God to recover
man to Himself. “That which
is born of the flesh is flesh and
that which is born of the Spirit
is spirit.”
Without regeneration man
cannot enter into the kingdom
of God. It takes this divine
work to induct him into the
kingifom of grace and prepare
him to receive the good news of
salvation. “Except a man be
born again, he cannot see the
kingdom ot God.”
The work ot regeneration is
variously" described in the Scrip
tures. In John 3:3 it is called
a birth. This is the plain, prac
tical manner in which Christ
represented it to Nicodemus.
Just as the natural birth is nec
essary to natural life, so the
spiritual birth is necessary to
spiritual life. It is also describ
ed as a new creation, 2 Cor. 5 :
17. When we are regenerated
we receive a new life, new de
sires, new purposes, new affec
tions, a new kingdom. Our life
is changed and we see things in
a new light. We live in a n,ew
world. God fills our lives as
never before and pours fourth
the sweetness of His life into
every avenue of our souls.
The purpose of regeneration
is to make us new creatures in
Christ Jesus. In Eph. 21:1-6
regeneration is described as a
spiritual resurrection. 'There the
sinner is represented as being
dead in trespasses and sins, but
raised to sit in heavenly places
in Christ Jesus. Titus 3:5.
Here regeneration is represent
ed as a washing—“washing of
regeneration^” and in 2 Peter
1:4, it is represented as partak
ing of the divine nature,
“Wherby are given unto us ex
ceeding great and precious
promises ; that by these ye might
be partakers of the Divine
nature.”
The direct result of regenera
tion is, (i) Spiritual life. “1
came that ye might have life.”
(2) It takes us out of the world.
“They are not of the world even
as I am not of the world.” ]ohn
17: 14. (3) It gives victory
over the world. “For whatso
ever is born of God overcometh
the world.” 1 John 5: 4. (4) It
gives victory over sin. “Who
soever is bora of God doth not
commit sin.” 1 John 3:9. (5)
It gives victory over satan. “He
that is begotten of God keepeth
himself and that wicked one
touchcth him not.” 1 Johu 5:I8.
[to be continued.]
The Sunday School.
LESSON FOR FEBRUARY 24,1901.
BY REV. H. SCHOLZ, A. M.
JESUS IN 6ETHSEMANE.
Golden Text—Not my will
but thine be done.—Luke 22:42.
Read Matthew 26:36-46.
After instituting the Lord’s
Supper and giving some words
of comfort to his disciples, Jesus
left the upper room in Jerusalem,
went across the brook Kedron,
and entered the garden of Geth
semane. His disciples accom
panied him. Eight of them
I were left at the entrance to
watch, while Peter, James and
IJohn went with the Mast-r into
the garden. It was late a. night.
All were weary from th ; trials
and work of the day. J- *us be
came very sorrowful. He old his
disciples that his sorrow was so
great as to produce death md re
quested them to watch w bile he
went he forward a little distance
to pray. Falling upon ids face
he prayed that this cup might
pass from him if it was th i Fath
er’s will. Presently he return
ed to his three discipl ;s and
found them heavy with sieep on
account of fatigue and sympa
thetic sorrow. Addressing Pe
ter he said, “What, could you
not watch with me one hour?
Watch and pray, lest yt. enter
into temptation, the spirit indeed
is willing, but the flesh is ,veak.”
After saying this, Jesus went
back again and prayed. He
besought his Father that if this
great sorrow might nor pass
from him except he bet it he
might receive strength to jear it,
adding, “Thy will be done.”
This second prayer enc’jd, he
relumed to his disciples again,
and found them sleeping. He
went back and prayed the third
time, uttering the same words
as in the second prayer. His
agony became so great that he
sweated, as it were, grea\. drops
of blood. In answer to his
prayer for strength an angel
came and comforted him. Then
he went back to his disciples
and told them that they might
sleep on now and take their rest.
Not long after this, or perhaps
immediately, he saw the lights
of the company that were com
ing out of* the city to take him,
and he said to his disciples:
“The hour is at hand, a >d the
Son of Man is betrayed i ito the
hands of sinners. Rise, let us
be going ; behold, he is at hand
that doth betray me.”
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS.
1. The great sorrow and
agony experienced by Jtsus, we
think, was not on account of tear
of death on the cross, bu< on ac
count of the iniquities of the
world which Christ was ; earing
upon himselt. It was ruly a
load sufficient to crush i.ny hu
man frame.
2. The three favored apostles
were allowed to beh id the
agony. It was a trying lime to
them. Their Master almost
dead with grief, they 1 kewise
could not suppress the>r emo
tions of sorrow. But tiny were
not faithful sympathizers, .be
cause they went to sleep when
Christ needed them most.
3. All people at some time in
life are led into some Gt thsem
ane to mourn. All the world is
full of sighs, full of sad and
weeping eyes. Christ sorrowed
on account of the sins of others,
but how often we bring c n sor
row on account of our ow 1 sins.
4. In deep distress, our great
est refuge is in pray* By
prayer Christ bore up un ier his
sufferings and came out con
queror. Had those sleeping
disciples been watching and
praying, perhaps, they would
not all have forsaken him and
fled, when a little while after
ward their Master was a .ested.
5. God answered the prayer
of his Son,-not by removing the
sorrow, but by enabling Christ
to drink it. It is so often that
our prayers are answered in a
way different from what we ask.
Yet God’s way is always the
best. Trials borne to their final
results often help to make us
better and stronger. •
6. “The Son of Man is be
trayed into the hands of sinners.”
Judas was about/to accomplish
his treachery.. The crowd of
roughs that came to take Christ '
were just about such a mob as
would gather in the slums of
some large town for the purpose
of doing deeds of lawlessness^
only such would have brutality
enough to do the work that was
to be done.
7. “Rise, let us be going."
Christ did not flee from arrest.
He went forward to give him
self up. There was no shrink
ing from personal danger and
death. All the conflict in his
feelings in Gethsemane had been
on account of the sins of tvc>
[world and not on acc'vmt of the
cross.
w ■■