The Lutheran visitor. (Columbia, S.C.) 1869-1904, October 17, 1873, Image 1
7<
RAN
R NH
t Idler, Editors.
“OHE LORD, ONE FAITH, OHS BAPTISM.”—EPHESIANS IV:5.
Terms: $2.00 a Tear.
P
1, VOL 6-NO. 5.
COLUMBIA, 8 C., FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1873.
OLD SERIES, VOL 6-NO. 265.
"Ul'mi-. . . i. . ' ...
— -■
—-
—
Communications.
Foe tlic Luth*raa Visitor.
In Baltimore
ascended the Washington
tbe
,441, |
ineut, where I bsd * bird’* eye view return**! Ur thank* of Ur Baartny
of the city. By the ski of e Reid
glass which 1 hired, I could ace *
part of old Virginia ami many mitre
jtyfjriMOBJS* Mil., Oct. 1st. arouud Baltimore. The deration i«
Rude: After speud ooe hundred and thirty feet It was
days iu New York—the the meet magnificent view I ever
which was Saturday, I em enjoyed. By the many spires which
UJi-jifor Philadelphia. I atteuded |K>tnt heavenward, t preauat* that
Igim that day aud was edi God to recognised. 1 like Haittmnre,
eollrct for my
anm 1 will like it
expert to fo to
school u» the choir and ft*
they had gives to aU yreeent Be
ended a vsty delightful Bunday
—
—
Selections.
Work* that FaCaw lnry One.
They ‘site In the Luril," treating the
Lord, loving the Itofd, obeying the
Lord, waiting
Ban moraing, from the Went to the
Christianity does not now go
m jL^y that he was iu Europe; j Bbeperdatown, to ctdl on my
11 ^ing that I was a stranger La old friend and countryman, I
d feeling . . If
L -triptwt sense of the term, 1
JL W U» CBUBCH Of the STRABO-
^ jiibbatb broke clear, beautiful
wbt, rad the usual Sabbath
in Mai city reigned,
to five a faiutideaof
ijr hustle, was just about
Ik Charleston is the most beautiful
■jU* busy day of the seasou.
that the New Yorkers term
Monday my time there
and Wall Street or uo \Vall
or no pauic, mouey or
, 1 h«d to leave iu older to
programme. In Philadel-
at the American
to its utmost capacity iu
of the grand parade of
t|| JUiowc fraternity, which was to
ndM winding up of the last week's
gutoriofi The first thing 1 heard
* bj arrival was, that “Benjamin
Shock's Sons’ great Wool Factory
gi that day Med, the largest flic-
America, because they conld
«NMk' their ftinds.” Financiers
-new popularly known as space/*
m—had taken advantage of the
W httnet panic there, as well as
•aany other portions of the coun
ty This More, however, may have
las only report, anyway I took it at
shift that there were no greenbacks
Am for onr little chnrcb and led.
Ok miring to bed however, 1 enjoy-
li t pod laugh at the expose of a
fcfiow countryman. The hotel being
mwded, I was pat iu a room where
dun were two beds, one of which
fed been occupied by my friend. I
retired early and not knowing which
hd to take got in the wrong one.
Moat 12 o’clock friend opens the
tar and comes in, when thu follow-
kfemverution took place : “Hello!
mtor, you’ve iu my bed.* “Am 11
l did not kuow which one to take, so
I took this.” “Yes, that is my bed,
1 tare had it for nearly a week.”
•*V«y wall, sir, you eau have it, I'd
n soon have the Other. 71 Out I
uffljml and made for the other side
d the room, when 1 heard friend
•tag: “they promised to pnt no
metm in this room, if I would have
bows it, I’d gone somewhere else.*
“liter please take your baggage
Mat side,” (vexed.) “All right,
w, move it.* I then said to him,
ta need not be uneasy because 1
* » here, I am a minister of the
P*ta- “Are yon ? what deuomina
ba are you V “A Lutheran, sir.”
*\ hat I mean what denomination
yoa f a Baptist, or Methodist, or
vbtf u i am a Lutheran, sir.” “I
■**« heard of that name before,
I think I’ve got a little sense,
b* there are as smart people in our
•■Rba of North Carolina as any-
'fibk* “Did you never read of the
Mb Reformer of the Sixteenth ceu-
*7! If you did, he is the man
whom we take the name.”
b I ever did I forgot it, and I
Md burnt as much as the most of
Mpte. Maybe its the Quaker* you
*®lat n “No, sir, it is the La-
J^bA” “Well, I don’t know notli-
*8 about them, I don’t belong to
^rch myself, but my father is
1 J'blhodist.’’ Thus ended the tnid-
ita «ooversation, and we dropj»e<l
2*. * Miep, and became food and
^ fer the mosquitos. I never
have thought that mosquitos
^ *> starved out in a city
^ Philadelphia where there are so
frjopte to bite. I am afraid
^•ou’tteed their mosquitos well
d°wn in “flea-bite” and
J^bwiloo,” or else they allow them
tat * 0Qn ®' *° ^ ,eco,n ® too imperti-
^ tad when they get old like
were that fed on my slim frame/
Mitt break them of their uiis
^ Being satisfied however that
>t. _ ®° w ors«, 1 sought quarters
^*1 have
! WL |
Haw. J.
U. 1 hope the Basks ia the V ajllky
have uot mmimmmAmI. Ua Uw
Btiminy, if God spares mo, I
to All my own pulpit, f most bo
home by Hynod. 1 am now of Iho
opinion that buidoeso of the moot
vital importance will be brought up
and disenaaed. If the books ia in
dividual families of loath Carolina
have not suspended, I hope they will
respond to my appeal of last 8am
pter, aud send me not only a dollar,
bat all they can spare. Some of the
ministers who are no poorer than
myself might put the ball in uioUoa,
and before any ooe would kuow it
our house of worship iu Orangeburg
would be opened to welcome the
wanderers and gladdeu the hearts of
those who gave. More next week.
Yours iu Cbriat, G. A. II.
For the Lutheran Viator.
S-aday-Schcol Calibration.
Saturday, September 13th, was
quite au interesting day at Bead)
Creek church, Davidson county, N. CL
The day bud been art apart, fur a
Sunday school colebratioa.
The church is under the eflicieql
pastoral udi* iuistration of the 11*#.
J. D. Bowles, who is eridentlv
very diligent and energetic worker
The Sunday school in raoiactiau
with the church is large, and rom
posed of a hand of interesting echo!
ars, aud under the management of
an active and industrious an per in
tendent and fsithAil teaerhera The
weather was pleasant and the nwwts
gootl. At an early hour (lemon*
from every direction were wending
their way to the church, ami by IO
o’clock the spacious edifice was filled
to its utmost capacity. The choir of
What U said ot those who dkt la
the Lard ia true of everybody. “Their
works do follow them." Bwery action
remains. The deed survive* the do
tag. This la obviemt as regards
other people. W* may forgrt the
kiodiMma or the injury w* did, but
the egret remaiua A small bu
prevented a neighbor from baakrwpt
«y, or the refusal oaaasd hia rate.
Timely succor saved the siok j oeg
lect resulted in death The calumny
hastily uttered was aa qakklr for
gotten by the speaker; bat It weal
on doing its evil work. C>ar
words and conduct have aa todi
reel tufioeace on those aroaad aa
which ia permanent, though the
words and arts |um lain obtiviea.
A preacher of the gospel doe* not
erase to work «hr* be cease* to
live. The teacher of truth aad of
erne alike, being dend, yet speoheth.
Oar works follow is their effect
on <iutwelve*. A nssh character ia
the result of his actioaa The total!
ty of hi* thoughts weeds, deeds,
makes him what he la Every Ia
dividaai work does Its part la aa
king him. You «ee a man laying
down first one bock, thro another.
I» It ooly a brick laid dowaf No;
those works follow ia tb* permaneat
form of the boose.
You see a sculptor Munkiag h
a | chisel Doe* each blow end • hew
r , richren-df No; those works Mk»*
ia the statue that ressatua. The
diligence or indolence of yuoth ful
Wws ia the itegree of menial culture
obtained.
Generally speaking, n man in In
tetlectaaliy <shai he made hrmenlf
daring the period of rdacattoo The
works of the j outh pwrswe the man.
A retribution i* even now going on.
Kvsry good work ihwa good to our
mor.il nature, and every enl work
iloi-a barm to it. Thus virtu re ia its
Hot from
bdy activity, hot foam fatigue, sax
toty, wcarincati frifci oonfiict, pain,
grief; from the bepdeti of doubts,
from the yoke of "trial, from the
discipline of surra*. “And their
works 4a lollop %rm.* They do
not precede, blowim| n trumpet, aad
claiming admission
Lonl. They forth agaiuat hcalhettisui, aa to the
reward
to glory aa a
m*a works are snf
.• * 'ml lajkB'hi b talMsms^a
i m worm® MOM
We follow kirn
Pilgrim church, under it* realou* ' own reward, aad vice In the very
lender, Mr. Conrad, with his meto j iinlulgeiMe exacta its penalty Every
deou, w*.w in attendance, and pm| d> la a anfoAdal the.
relation
This ia also true in
♦ •ml. Mugait mentions a saaguiu
ary African prince, who, when told
of the reaurrnrtloo, struck hla spear
violently in the ground aad etrtelm
n l
great interest to the eterrises
of the day. Tbe so|>erioteudet»t,
teacher* and scholar* assembled
iu the grove, and, under a beau
tiful banner in tbe form of a
cross, with appropriate inscription*, ed: “What! Ami will all the
marched in proeeasion into tbe church, hsy* hilled live again f Yea, and
The exercise* were opened with ring all other actions. God wIB bring
ing and prayer. The programme for ewy secret thing into judgment,
the day was well arranged and ad How bule «>me think hhat they do
roirably carried out. The youthful along lifo’s highway. They fancy
speakers, both male and female, ac they are seuUeriog mars dead things
quitted themselves with much credit, right *°d left They art scattering
and to tbe delight of the andieoc* e ff*—f* whicti are hatched,
present. ; Hatched, they follow, per bap*, firm
Tbe exereine* consisted of mem#*
rized speeches ami dialogues of an
elevated character, and bearing di
rectly upon the importance and o-w
fulness of Sunday school*. The e*
ercises were inters|>eriMHl with appro
priate music, vocal and instrumental,
by the choir. After the forenoon
programme was completed, an inter
mission of one honr was given, dor
ing which time scores of tabfo linen*
were spread throughout tbe grove,
loaded with inviting viands to satisfy
physical hanger.
After the iutermiMion, ail re assem
bled in the church. The writer
flow expected to addrea* the audience
-—and, in order to give come system
to hi* thoughts, he had prepared
notes, which be expected to use in
the pulpit. But ths imstor fori
would have him take hi* powition in
the chauoel, and after the addrema
seat himself iu a chair placed there
for his special atmasnmodalioa. He
accordingly put hi* notes in his
pocket, took ilia position in the chan
cel, delivered sti address of half an
hour’s length from the impnlse of the
moment, anil took his seat, T«> his
otter amazement, three little ladic*
gracefully confronted him, took their
stand outside of the chancel railing,
( ami, with a few very handsome com
not felt any mosquitos j plimentary remarks, presented him
a beautiful hoquet. Although nom
as butterflies, bright and beautiful
in tbe sun ; but oh
butterflies have turvied into
i e* # ,. L. . , p asnaok A ^
IBID Ita.i* f-iw!hmS RwAva HNrj fwswPP'W p
and stinging, op to the margin of
the river and aero** min the prxesvi
of the dodge I ahull Merer forget a
*«rm»u 1 he*r«l fr»>m a negro clergy
man in Chtango, in the coarse of
whieh he said : “Van who art wlchwd
mtwd what you nr* about. Hew
would yon ilk* to have your mm m
your companion*, to Uve with theca
Corner and ever f A man's wealth
deco not follow him j hat the fraud,
severity, parsimony, arrogance, a*
•octaled with the getting, the spend
ing or the honnihig—thwe follow
him. Bo also the rnwleaauica and
goaeroetty of the am)niring and the
nsiog lay ep a good fiMindstion fey
the world to come, when the aionoy
Itself hoe perished.
If this be so—If by a natural law,
aa well aa by • special divine Jndg
meat, “for every tdle word which
men speck they ahull give account
if every uegieet of duty and every
com mi set on of sin abides and foilowa
tbe doer, clamoring lot Judgment—
lie goriMlfwt, and pieada
»* the door for na.
t bft then it ie also
They fol
ks* ml Thev IbOo# ia thetr min
on onr own mgfol nature, ren
dering an more or gRi meet for the
t ^ hi ^ml A ^ *iioaei a jail .\f *oLkirktk*
iiiiifnuMMT mi mi nyppir oi ffijoy i u g
it. They follow id tele tom to the
•portal award of Ih4great day. Tbe
dnetrine of reward in true a* that
“Grit h hot nnrifht
to forget jronr #»rk and labor of
lovr in that yn milietrriil to tbe
TV re ia a Wwardmg with
with#ve. A cup of
etdd water wtH net Ikee ita reward,
rbrietiaae will ant flfemeclvee {dead
their good wwha. ‘•kty have an Ad
enenfe whd will d-r this for them.
p *
aad will make the beet of every case
fommittad to kirn, far whatever good
work* we do are the result of hia
own work in we. AVe akall rater
WNiffh m »minia, ft
claiming: ••God he p*mfel to me a
aiwwer f hat onr AdNamt* and Judge
wilf |flnrWmial A nMHfirt JklTil IT
ward whataver wa#dooe ham love
and HkenoM to khheelf. “Itleaeed
are the dead which die ia the Ixwd
i nei re*i irum mem moor* ann meir
works dm follow ibem.”-
Tkt Mrds| Ceanh.
What Christina heart due* not
beat high at the thought of the wild
but piercing radiancR of divine light
wow vmuMv gltmmirihg all alooy the
border* of IfeallkcoTMu * The nation*
which, for tong agr*, have been ait
ting Iw ‘ dark ties* aad tbe ahadow of
death* are beginning, at laat, to «ee
the glorkMta light of the Gospel, and
are throwing off the chain* with
which ignorance and •aiwraiituta
have hound them, ami an* hastening
to eqjoj the liberty of the children «f
God. The thick rhmdt which foe
lo centariea have hang over them like
a pall, ate bring edged with white,
and mem, after the long night, to be
•tirrtag on the mountain ride, a* if
to collect tbe mar! vre for rotting up
end opening the valley* to the day.
Tbe iaAeeacw of tbe llibte and Bible
truth la brooming stronger and
stronger aad Is extending Itself far
(her aad timber ia all direction*.
That old book, “tbe book of our Ite
dremar * gift and oar father** faith,*
has been gradually aMwadtog. taking
to itself new tongues, spreading open
ita pages ta every land—printed ia
1- btaeae cseMjni, pouileri—®l la tbe red
man** wigwam, sought after in
Baenua Ayres, a arhonl book ia Kyi,
eagerly bought la I oowtantlaopie,
loved la the kfootii of Kafir land,
while the voice* of th* deod, from
Assyria to Kgypi. have been lifted
up to bear It witacee. Among tbe
million* of India there ia a listening
>ml a normue t amid the at rsnrw.
of rivilixatfoni ad
tho
old crusading days, dad in visible
armor aad bearing aa earthly sword.
It taepa gently like the dawn; Ita
weapons, the shafts of light, wearing
the breastplate of faith nod love,
and, for a helmet, the hope of salva
Uoa That clothed la tbe armor of
God, if faith do not waver, and if
lore continue to bum, it mart tri
umph.
God has placed at the disposal of
hit church all the mighty arte and
appliances of ariliaattoo, awl has
made it the special agent ia eeading
Hit Gospel to the heathen, liia gra
mane proridenoa, overruling the in
ot mao, has brought
to each other.
Fast Alice for commeoMaiioa are be
ooauaoally. Let the
be alive to its daty.
Lot H nan the menu* which God ho*
placed within ita reach. Let every
ehriatiaa wake ap to his work, for it
ia a work ta whieh every Christian
hoe so interest. By prayer, by bt
bor, aad by coatrtbating of our
means to this glorious pnrjwne, let
as aid ia hastening on that glorious
period when all nations and every
people ahaU bask in tbe light and
enjoy the glorious privilege* of the
liospei, and when aU the kingdoms
of thm world shall have become “the
kingdoms of car God nod his Christ.”
1 *«./„ ^ ^ mmeyasaMi
”***“* •wCw-iyedFmiP M
a Shock af Corn Ootarih In ita
sometimes talk of •untimely deaths, 1
of young Christian*, removed too
early from spheres of usefulness, as
if the Omniscient Husbandman did
uot kuow w hen His immortal gropes
are purple and hi* corn iu the ear.
Barely, God doe* the whole thing
wisely, gathering each spiritual
growth just aa it come* into condi
tion for ita immortal nsea.
“Oh, thought beautiful and com
forting I Death is not destruction,
but harvesting—the gathering from
fields of mortal tillage ripe fruits in
their seneou. And why then should
our harvest feast be sad over gar
acred immortality f Why should
this sweetly tolling ball, tilling the
troubled earthly airs with a gentle
sowed, so startle aud sp|»al the trust
ful «|>irit t God strengthen your
faith so to behold this mysterious
thing in a light from heaven that ita
dark veil shall seem transparent, and
a face with soft eyes look forth
loving and bright as the face of an
angel.
“Ifeath is not destraction ! Death
is uot even decay ! I h ath is kerrett
ing! Hear ye this, oh disconsolate
hearts! Ye parents from whose
household sweet childreu have been
rudely parted, boar ye this, ‘Tike Be
forerf htu pone doien into HU garden
t*> gather litieu!* Ye childreu who
have lost revered parents, and whose
life is chilled in the shadow of that
dread thing—orphanage—bear ye
this; L4« a thoek of «ora cometh in
kU team*,' to are matured touts gatk
ered to the garner of Hod!*—Her. Chat.
Wmdsttorlk, /J. f).
vanriag from the West, la
deep, still music of the Gospel; w
quivering here and there, a feint
ruddy A ash, aa of life*, seems to
announce that the swoon of super
gHHgm Mbcwhan for ngwa, la anon to
pose away. Tbe introduction nod
•stoMAoa, ta India, of the aria of
civilised life hare infased a new life
into that hitherto onarrwle people,
and art opawinf Chair eyta to a wo-
hlar destiny, while the mleetaoarj of
the eras* is standing hi the avenue
thus opened by Providence, sod bold
ing n|» the word nod pointing to the
water of life.
From still farther mat the glad
Udiaga come that China and Japan
bnfw hoard of the Crwr rclf<( 1 si em -
in the Mansion House,
kven a?‘ l8ttac A,t) ert«oii on La-
111 Ba * t ‘ more - Thi » i« »
by The proprietor is genial,
^ “^derate, only #1.50 per
tarvanta are polite and
and you are sure to get
Uym*®* 18 - 1 advise all onr mer
fe. 10 Patronise this house. To
b ° iDg quitw rp,lt,y ,nake
roands, 1 weut to, aud
may We out in despair oak : “Who, pt*, from the hpa of epeetohe men,
then, con be saved V* Tbe gospel who have root behind them all the
present* the only solution: “Believe reftwemewt sod social pies**re* of
in the Itard Jeans Chita*." life borne, no I’set cant behind him the
good work* ere •atmtitntad for oar pbllosspky of Greece sod the grand
bod owes. He can both remove Iks mr«f Bums, and hare gone forth,
be ring more than threescore years, guilt of onr sin*, sod, by hia Spirit
yet had he never ench honor shown my aterionsly working within os, ho
him bcfor.v He wm so completely cao MOfraBw the evil rifori af rid
taken aback that be could only re ou our owa character. Old things
spond, U I am muek obliged ta yon.” pose away nod all things become
Rev. G. NeiflVr then made some 4 new. The* the word* wee tistAlted:
brief, bnt very pertinent, remarks, In j “Blessed are the deml which foe In
relation to their beanttfel -Hnwdny-
Laed.” It ta na
nchool banner. One of the young decree: “I heard a<
ladies then modestly steppnl into | It ta Axed and per mi
d:
while
»are aaneodtof feasn
■ j,,- irnfapn of ib# nroa. hi pfriwe at
th# jaiwev wm! giorygg (foBfoNfoPMs
BeoaUfel ta thta return of the ehrie
“In His moral tillage, God rolti
votes many Sower*, neetaingly only
for their exquisite beauty and fro
groove For when hotbed in soft
*unshine they have burst Into bios
snm. then the I brine Hand gather*
them fhm the earthly Acid* to be
kept in cry stal vases in blessed man
stone above. Thus little children
die—M»mr ta th# sweet bud. some iw
feller bioaaom; but never too early
to make heaven fairer and sweeter
with their immortal bloom.
“Verily, to the eye of Faith, noth
lug ta fairer than the death of yoong
rhihlrea. Bight and sewer indeed
recoil from it. The flower that, like
a breathing rose, fitted heart and
home with an exquisite delight, ala*!
Uta AM etrw-keu with SUM aogutab In,
And ita stem broken end the biosaom
gone. Hut nnto Faith, eagle eyed
briood mental vision, and w inged to
mount like the aingmg lark over the
fading rainbow ntito the blue heaven,
even tbt* to tooohtwgty lovely.
“The child’s earthly ministry was
well doae, for the rone does its work
as grandly ra idosaom as tbe vine
with Its fruit And having helped
to mortify ami lift heavenward the
very hearts that broke at ita fere
well, it has gone from this trouble
sou* sphere ere the winds Hilled or
the rains stained it, leaving tbe
world B bleased, and the skies
through whieh it passed, still sweet
with ite lingering fragrance, to Ita
glory wa an ever unfolding flower in
the bleased garden of God. Barely
prolonged life ou earth hath no boon
like this! For aoch mortal toveli
news to put ou immortality—to rise
from the carnal with so little memo
ry of earth that the mother** cradle 1
seemed to have been rocked in tbe
bouse of many mansion*—to have
wo exjierieoee of n wearied mind and
chilled affect tout, bnt from s child's
Joyous heart growing ap in tbe pow
or of an nrcbangriic intellect—to be
raptured as a blessed babe through
the galea of Paradise ! Ah ! this is
better than to wstoh ss an ok) proph
et for the car of Are in the valley of
Jordan.
“Surely, God is wise is sll bis
works. And even amid our team
will we rejoice In thta harvest feast,
til Ilf : !foNP| Aft I*r
gather* so largely ‘the flowers ia
their season.’
“And as of flowocs, so of fraita in
their order, sod after their kind,
each •cometh In his season.' Borne
fritita ripen early. Scarcely has the
deltoioaa Jane poured ita fell glory
over earth ere some rare and deli
cious species ore already ripened.
And some ripen later. There are
trees that do not even blossom until
midsummer. And there are fruits
that remain ban! nod unsavory till
God shakes them in the wild An
tnmaal wind, and treats them with
the distressful ministry of frost Aad
so It to in the spiritual—eowl* devel
op nod mature differently. Some are
ready for gathering at life's early
rammer; eome come not to the ear
ing till the time of the latter rain.
And God watches carefully that each
<*•11 <rem* ta km teeera.' We indeed
The Piston of Our Lord Jesus Christ
interest and trial in the whole his
tory of Christ, are found sleeping,
watouly, when they ought to bare
been watching and praying, but in
violation of the Saviour’s express
injunction: “Watch and pray, that
ye enter not into temptation “Tbe
spirit indeed is willing, bnt the flesh
is weak.”
There is, as Hervey says, a double
nature in all true Christians. Re
generated and sanctified as they all
are, partially, yet are they conscious
of a dreadful load of corruption re
maining within. Paul evidently ml
lndes to this when he says: “1 find
a law, that, when I would do good,
evil is present with me. For I do
light in the law of God after the
inward man. But I see another law
in my members, warring against the
law of my mind.”—Rom. vH : 21-23.
Buoh, too, is, to a greater or less ex
tent, tbe experience of every child of
God, in every age aud in every laud.
Thus to these antagonistic and con
stantly conflicting principles our
Lord alluded, when he said to bis
drowsy, heavy disciples, “What,
could ye uot watch with me one
hour!” He calls one of these prin
ciples flesh, the other spirit, “the
spirit is willing, but the flesh is
weak.” But then it must be careful
ly observed that he does not excuse
this weakness. Such a conclusion
would be a monstrous and hurtful
error. On the contrary, we cught
constantly to remember that the
very weakness is the ever potent
reason and argument to tbe watch
fulness and prayer to which the
Saviour bad but a little while before
urged them.—Memphis Presbytetian.
Frsehnees in Preaching.
The preacher and pastor can not
afford in any sense to be dry, formal,
prosaic or doll. His speech needs
to be sparkling like the dew, fra
grant with all grateful aroma, limpid
as the fresh stream from the crystal
fountain, and warm with the gene
rous spices of a deep bnt quick
sensibility. It is not enough for
him to state a truth, he must illus
trate it aud apply it Direct argu
ment in support of a proposition is
well enough, but the indirect is bet
ter, provided that it hare the pas
sion and pathos of i>ersonal enthusi
asm.
What shall a preacher do to keep
himself fresh, vigorous, vivacious?
He tun st read refreshing books, fall
of ii.gradients to stir his thought
and set his pulse a going. Such
book* may not be of a theological or
devotional order, and yet they will
quicken liia theological reflections,
and raise his emotions toward the
Infiuite Beauty.
We refresh and recreate the whole
frame work of the inward man by
having on band for leisure momenta
some work on art, or it may be a
poem, long or short, to lubricate the
imagination, or a collection of elo
quent addresses, or what may in
some cases be better than all other
expedients, a volume of polite litera
ture from some master whose pages
shall beguile the reader far away
into realms of thought diverse from
those the preacher most frequents.
A cheerful animation will make
heavy burdens light, and tbe play of
a lively genius, mixed with the hard
work of daily routine, will enable
moderate talent to accomplish most
admirable undertakings.
It has been stated that the |>or
tion of our Lord's history respecting
his possum was attended with the
profoundcot mystery, in a number
of particulars. Bnt notwithstanding
there ia so much in that history we
can never ko|te to oomfireheud fully,
yet we should not foil to glean from
it much that is practical, aud of
great importance to be inferstood
and remembered by God's peoplr.
Iu the first place: The Saviour
prayed, aad he prayed tiecanse he
was in trouble. Whilst he was so
oppressed, and sorrow fa), that be
exclaimed, “My soul is exceeding
sorrowful even unto death ;* and
although it is expressly stated by
Luke that “there appeared an angel
onto him from heaven, strengthen
ing him." Yet did be as he con
templated the bitter cop he mast
drink, thrice pray to bis Father^if
possible to let the cup pass from
him, nevertheless, “not as I will, but
a* thou wilt” As the sparks fly
upwards, so certainly is man bora to
trouble. There is no escape from it
H matters not what onr condition,
circumstance*, or relationship, sor
row and distress are rare to come
sooner or later. Our own bodies,
we love and cherish so much; our
families, our own minds, bnsiuess,
friends, are all so many channels,
through which tribulation and dis
tress are sure to flow in upon ns.
We can nut prevent it What are
we to do? What under such cir
cumstance* can we do ? The blessed
Havionris example famishes the ex
ample. We most go to God with
our trouble*, pour all of onr sorrows
and distress into his ear. If it be
|KM*ible we may know that we shall
receive gracious answers.
But in the second place: We are
to learn the lesson from the same
example of entire submission to the
I Urine trill. We are very apt to
waut and to prefer onr own way
It it born ia us, hence we see this
developed disposition in helpless in
faucy, and in hoary age. It was not
so with Christ. He said in his
prayer, “Not as I will, but as thon
wilt.” In another prayer, he said,
“thy will b* done.” Perhaps the
chief source of human happiness is
to be found in the nnsnbdned, on
sanctified will. A good man says,
and we believe he says it aptly and
truly: “Happy is be who has learn
ed to have no wishes, aud in every
state to be content.” The very cli
max ot all ideaa of true happiness is
to have our wills swallowed up in
the will of God. This is a lesson we
are to leaim, not in the schools of
men, bat of Christ; and is an atone
ment oooatautly to be prayed for.
“Thy will be done.” God can not
will but what ta right and best. We
con not know what is best; he al
ways does.
But iu the last place: Another
lesson of importance we may learn
from the history we mm considering,
ta tbe great weakness of even the beet The Lord does not afflict us to
man. Peter, James and John, all* leave us in misery, bnt rather to
apostle*, sod at s period of deej>est ncrease onr happiness.
The Hand-Basket Portion.—
“They have a common saying in the
Weald of Kent,” Mr.Huntington says,
“when the daughter of an old farmer
is married, if it be inquired what por
tion the old man gave, the answer
is, ( He gave them not much money,
bat the old people are always seeding
them something—there to always
something sent from the farm-house.’
Then the observation usually to, ‘Aye,
hers to a hand-basket portion, which
to generally the best, for there to no
end to that’ Even so, our everlast
ing Father gives to his poor children
a ‘hand-basket portion’—a basket
being that which we generally fetch
our daily provisions in. And God
sometimes even puts his blessing in
the basket, and then it seldom comes
home empty; as it to written,
‘Blessed shall be thy basket’ ” Deut
xxviii: 5.
He that is contented with just
grace enough to get to heaven and
escape hell, and desires no more,
may be sure that he hath none at all,
and to far from being made partaker
of the divine nature.