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•«
SEW SERIES, VOL 6-NO. 19.
OKI LORD, OKI FAITH. Oil BAFTISX.”-!FHISUKS IT:&
COLUMBIA. S C.. FkJIy. JANUARY 30. 1874.
Terms: $2.00 a Tear.
Selections.
f-j Tr---p.-
On Family Praytr.
•wftil displeasure of haavaa Tbe
prophet ray*, (Jar. x: 35,) “Pour
oat thy fary npon the he*tl.*»it, ami
the families that call not upon thy
name* Hera notice those fismilie*
that call not on tbs name of the
Lord, are reckoned with heathen j
but the prayer, “Poar oat thy fary *
this was the prajer of inspiration,
and of course afTeeable to the Di
vine will. O ye prayerl*** fathers
and careless mothers! are yoa pro
pared to meet this praytr I soil,
perhaps, yoa make a profession of
religion, too, and are yoa ashamed
to own Christ before yoar familea
and the world I
And will not Chriat be aahamsd of
you in eternity f Amt will not yoar
ohildren and families be swift wit
nesses apainst yoa f The fowl Lord
help yoa to rear the family, as fellah
did the altar of the Lord that had
been thrown down, and may the holy
Are descend and bant upon yoar
hearts, until you sod your families
shall say, from a sense of the Divio*
presence, the Lord he is Owl I the
Lord he is God I
OLD SERIES, VOL 6-N0. 279.
Tbs Qood Shepherd.
Some years ago, s friend of mine
was in Greece in the month of March. „
IU vu traveling in (he rono.rv ,bTr,l, > “«" M J •» • U “-
_, .t. L .. .. Thore utiuifliers
K 4
^family devotion was practised
I- Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Job,
tit,, tan be but little doubt, as they
gpifesd, from time to time, both
(kb sad ft>r their families; btft the
0* of sacrifice was a time of prayer
gg| ferotion, and family devotion
rtjwknbly the commencement of
fttblte. Invstion. When God intro-
' : Mosaic law, and regulated
and limes of their aacri-
the morning and
toeitg sscri flees, to ba Observed ss
t perpetual statute—Ex. xxlx : 90-42.
fta wu also the tiara of bnrning
jmtr g,r zxx:7-9; 2Chron.xii:
g, The time of sacrifice and burning
jMeose was » time of prayer—Luke
i:W; Pi- cxli: 2. Hence we read of
fe bur of prayer (Acts iii: 1) being
the ninth hour, fer this was the time
g the efferiog of the evening aacri-
Iw, and therefore known and under
used smoog the Jews everywhere
*th» boor of prayer. Here, theu,
«e tore the institution of morning
gi evening devotion, established by
fed himself. As it was impossible
|r the whole nation to meet at the
aspfe daily, for the morning and
wring devotions, they had their
gMfogues sod places where prayer
ms west to be made, or literally,
psytr bouses. At such a place as
dm St Pan! attended when Lydia
ms converted, and it was, no doubt,
vhsn they were going to the regular
bw of prayer, that the damsel,
passsaed with the spirit of divina
tin, followed them.
Bat when the sacrifices ceased,
ad the temple was no more, did the
wrung and evening devotions cease?
Ihe Jewish converts had always
toes accustomed to their morning
■devtniug devotions ; and although
Ih# Jewish sacrifices had ended,
fey b*d embraced Christ as their
feeing sacrifice and as their high
West, to present their prayers as
UPSS .before th» tl» «•.►•>« of the
■NUT
That the primitive Christians kept
iptbeir morning and evening family
Milions, is clear from tlie history
& those times. Dr. Cove, in his
wount of the primitive Christians
fes: “Their family duties were
■rally performed in this order. At
feir first rising in the morning they
»«• wont to betake themselves to
payer, to praise God for the protec-
tiw uid refreshment of the night,
wl to beg his grace for the following
fey. This was done by tbe master
the house, unless some minister
*as present to attend to it. I ques-
feo not bnt now they read some
fetaon of the Scriptures, which they
•sw ready to do at all suitable times,
•xl therefore certainly would not
•it it now. That they had their
Ws of prayer, the third, sixth and
:i;D '-k hoars, which they borrowed
'in the Jews, is plain from St.
fypriaa, Clem. Alexandrinus, and
*&«*• When night approached,
^fore going to rest, the family was
*Pin called to prayer, after which
retired to bed, and about mid*
T* were generally wont to
to pray and sing praiaes to God. , ,
T custom was very ancient, amPferty lieard and hit bosom
its rise from the times of perae-
•Jhcn, when, not daring to meet in
y they held their religious
*fe*blies in the night. This prac
. ? however, being found inconve
tor the generality of Christians,
**1®°*% laid aside.”
J^hat fitmily devotion at certian
an ^ especially morning anft that seek me early shall find me • ! increased, or do they not rather go
neil tog, i n which all the family ! Among the twenty one hundred to hear something that will sooth*
Prfedhiag tor Itoniity
Ws do work is tfee church
oternity as wall sa for
•ore for eternity than for time So
the luinistsrs of the cresa of J«*«a
afeoald preach every sermon with
dear reference u> tfee feta re deal lay
of oar ram, of every ladle Ideal, ia
tfee groat forever. He afeoald keep
before tfee eye of feta adad tfee vaJae
of tfee soul—the richest gem is tfee
tsaiveree of maa—deaUood to Uve
aod reign with Gfertet la eternal day.
or aiak to •leery aad woe Irretriev
able In endless night The preacihsr
afeoald always resaewber paageatly
tfeat some person la listening for the
taat tine to tfee preaching of tfee
gospel, sail that this very senaoa
•ay be tfee means, if feithfelly de
liveresl, of saving a soul frooi-dsatb,
aad adding uoe aiove to tfee company
of tfee raaaomed on felgh Every
aerMoti, then, should he riefely scent
ed and savored with tfee tuuae of
Jesna, tbe clear, plain, positive dee
larstioos of God's word. There ia
ootbmg so interesting to an haabled
sinner as tfee story of tfee cross j and j
nothing else will .humble a sinner
bat the preaching of Christ applied
to bis heart by the Uoly Spirit. And
the word of God is the word of the
•ay avoid
—« -A, and tfeat
s»ay fe» aontioasd la tfee
fesali at
To preach for
neceseary to
reaurTvetkoa ia
loriog bis user, ms to
log bat Cferist emitted,
da this properly Mm oe
•bully givsa up
ministry, to be a
work. It Is al
filled with the di
ft Is from God.
bs cossetoos of
Uoa to all tfee
The seal mn
love of tfee Itivisi
baptised with
quenchless isms
king the
•feiatnf light ia
shall we preach for afore it j. aad
•loners shall be refevertsd to God
May the Lord fire strength and
gram for tfee wort, aad crown us
saioog the blood washed to tfee city
of oat God afeovaAforffokHM TrU
Christ's SyaptUf.
deeftne Jean* and the
• dlatiact, aad
In order to
tO b*
rorh of tbe
of bat one
to be
tW
with tfee
I foeasure,
producing a
* heart, are*
a burning aad
where the shepherds live. He
to three shepherds with tbair Horks.
One had about six hundred
fifty sheep, another bad about seven
hundred, and the other had shout
seven hundred and fifty. In all,
they had about twenty one hundred
sheep. They ware out in tbe valleys
where the grasa grew. All the flock*
were mingled together. Every sheep
bail its own uame. It would not
come nor go if called by any other
name; nor would it conn* nor go. if
called by any but its own shepherd.
Every shepherd knew all his oan
slieep. He kuew their names also.
If Any one was alioat to go into a
wrong place be ealted it and it turned
back. If the way was narrow and
•teen he wonhl *r.» hnfim> «i«l iW
would follow him. This ia just like
what tbe Bible says about t'hriat
ami bis flock “Tbe sheep heard li
bis voice; and he ealleth liis own
sheep by name, aod leodeth them
Tfee sympathy of Ufeftat was not
merely lovs of mw ia
’ loved tfee
>i
re fee km ml iLr n*
■ w a apoa asresiemfo
P of indivntaaia, he
oaTlfes foalutodr f
• j •(•cd.
in
who would preach
for eternity caw Hod no ti»a to
pteach *u) thing else but Christ era
* ,>U | cifled. This iusy ba fe> some a slum
i Wing block and toother* fuwliiliMM]
but to all who beliava, it sill tw> the aMi '">***+** *«r fifftag Taler aad
power of God auto salvation. Tbia ***** Tb«*are* Ha I*it for the da
| will W more thau all tfe* vain fdnhm
o|djy in the nuiiriw ran d«*.
It is Ia> U“ rrgn Itrd that m» many
who are tbe professed minister* of
the crtNM of Christ altuoat <»i quite
forget this grand aad ever new theme
of the gospel, as«t *{ket»d their lime
and talent in preselling sermons
which, lo say the least of them, have
but meager extracts froai God's *** *ay«s* tfeoa,
truth, and are Ailed up with imag "ifoombody hath
inary <ht «h»ul*tful tfeeorma ooneerniug CMmow** how fee w touched fey
y
■wm tree, lie
litsrwmfbn of bisdias||des. tie auaad
fern tear* attfe the foiled sob* fey
the grave of Imaaraf. Uncalled lire
abashed efeddrea to ht> an la. Armmgsi
the »amixer*, ns ha walked, fee da
•rtad tfee indtt Idaal loach af fmth
^Master, the muitaad*
'N fen I
.y, »
U to being tempted
la aU poiata, yat without sta, that
•akae sympathy real, manly, perfect,
instead of a mere senUmenLal ten
eruaaa foo w 01 not teach yoa to foel
fer Irieto. U ail) not enable yea to
JMlfol, than, fo be merfofol to thorn,
nor to help thorn ia Um« of need
fit any aerUinty.
It to the soma human sympathy
which qusiiflies Christ fur judgment
U to wniten that tfea Father hath
aumiadted all jodgmont to him, ha
OMfoa ha to the ftao of man. Tfea
Chnat ex loads to tfea
ias oprera, not to its
; ba to “touched with
the foaling of oar iatrmittoa” There
to nothing ta feto haaow which oan
harmonise with maltoa j be can not
M for envy; fee has no fellow led
ing fer crwalty—oppreaatoa—hypoe*
rtoy; Utter, oeosorMNis jodgmenta.
®tomo*bar # fee could look round
about him with anger. Tfea sympa
thy of Chriat ia a comforting subject.
It to, besides, a tremendous subject;
fm on sy mpathy tbe awards af bear
•a and bell are built “Except a
man be born sgais'—not be shall
**®L bat—“fee can not enter into
bsaven.” There ia nothing in him
which has affinity to anything in the
lodge's bosom a sympathy for
that which to pore implies a repul
sum of that which ts impure. Hatred
of avil to iu proportion to the strength
of love for good. To love good in
tensely to to hate evil intensely. It
was in strict accordance with the
laws of sympathy that fee blighted
i*k*mai*ai in such ungentle words as
these. “Ye serpents, ye general»ou
of % i pees! how can y * enesjw’ tbe
daw nation of hell T Win the mind
of Cbnai now—or else his sympathy
for human nature will not reve yon
from, but only tusnre, the recoil of
abhorrence at the last—“Depart from
•* * I sever knew yon.*— Uobtrimu,
mar
pfeiloaopliy, geolog\, aatr«MH»my «<r m.i»•*—«tth • w
sues* other aciamce. Two se4a»Mt»» ^e j >xa»hii»•*** •* »s<i«.^s*.»w«(ewfoaWMre *■.
ont. And when be {isittetb forth hi*
own sheep he goeth before them,
and the sheep follow him; fot tbev
know his voice. Am! a stranger
will they not follow, bat will fire
from him; for they know not the
voice of stranger*. I am tbe good
shepherd and know my sheep sad
am known of mine. I lay my lifo
down for the sheep.”
The day my friend saw tbe sbep
herds was a cold day. Some of tbs
Iambs were quite strong and fall of
play; bnt some of them were young
and tender. The cold chilled them
aod they coaid not walk. The abep
herds bad on something like large
cloaks tied a room! their neck* and
girt about their waists. So they
took up the little lambs and put
them in their bosoms. Rot they did
not smother them, they left tbeir
heads out so that they could breathe
well. But they kept tham snug and
warm. It was a pleasing tight to
see an old shepherd, with hi* long
full of
lamba. Just so the Bible says of
Christ. “He shall gather tbe lambs
in his arms and carry them in his
bosom.” Many little children have
loved Chriat. And he ha* never let
such perish. He to as good to little
children as to old people. He says.
“I love them that love me. and those
! Miration Ihroogh CfenM receive*
1 oaly parit»l attvnliaa to* them,
j while It *feould engage I heir time,
I talent sn<l their all. Here to an in
[exhaustible mine uf truth to which
: every minister should he engaged all
; his life, and where only he may
1 secure I reman re* into eternal life-
Not long ago I heard a mas preach
a sermon from a test wfetefe embraced
the feetrefeip of Gutl'e children la
the kiagdoai of t'briaC lie labored!
toog and hard lo prove that there ia
no kingdom for God'a children mow
within or without. He than dosed
ap tbe argument by the quotation
front fit Pan! t “For the kingdom of
God to not meat aad drink, bat
righteousness, and peace, aad joy la
the Holy Oho**,”— Rum. slv: 17. tt
reminded me af boys building rob
houses for tbe fan of tumbling them
over when bail!. Tfea* mini*ter*
often specatata upon airy themes,
instead of preaching tfee aaacarrfe-
able riche* of Christ. They do not
preach with that trenteorioaw ear
seat nos* wfetefe tbe realties of etnuti
ty demand. They preach for iiare,
with comparatively Utile interest la
what to to take place ia reullews
years, life, how shall it go with
such when they ttand before Ifeo
jodglaaot seal of (?fertot V
Wfeat do men want with abstract
nuesiioti* rtf throktri or of tfee
*g wfwp'VWvwivi” *** **»vw*war wire ossaoe
single
tfefoh, ta a stogie
that does am ifertlt at ware
with more Ifeao dec trie speed op to
the mighty heart of Go*. Yoa
feev e not shed a tear »or a axgh that
dal not worn ii' back to yon exalted
•w4poriAedb| feavtag pasaed tferoagfe
the Eternal Ikmmhw.
The sympathy of the Divine lie*
man! fee hmtwa what foraaglfe to
seeded. It# gwes gvsae Is hol|>;
end when the world, with its ifeea
whisper to a* ss to Kean. tWM am
thy hSrtferlght, tha other resss apeak*.
*aa—n I |u>im liOwadiMS for hnirtrl
, rieaav a v^m* a^s-w ®eisew aw^^rw
warn the toward paaaa fer the oat
ward thrill—the feeaedletsaa of ajr
Father fer a area* af p<#U*gr ? There
ta wfeee ww seam to tread
this earth, aapener to its al
ifeAa M da wnfeaat Mi
firmly hearing aatwrivea M
War^Liy Christiaan.
Hare so OdtewafHp with *W anfvniVfal
Bldrit” “For tbe frwH of the Spirit
to in at? goodness sod righteousness
and truth ” “Sec (bat ye walk cir
oumapectly, not aa fools, but a* wise,
redeeming the time, beoeuae the days
nreevil” “That ye may be blame
fem and ken*fas#, the children of
God, without rebuke in the midst of
a crooked aod perversa nation, among
whom ya ahiao aa lifkt* in the world.”
Theatre going, ball and circus
ffc«Af cfertoltoua, have you pat on
the whole armor, and having done
aU, do you stand for Urn Church to
yoar heart of baertaf Are yoa
krrewe fey the fruits of tfee Bpirit, or
the works of the flesh and the world ?
If yoa are a parent, I |#*y yoa do
not teach yoar children to lake de
light in that species of excitement
experienced in Lire theatre, where they
may form false tastes, aud ex aggers
tad views of life, that may unfit
them for tfee quiet and sacred iuflu
enciea af home life, and the sweet re
lations of the domestic altar. Xor
ye* the false graces and vain glory
of the bell room, w here their minds
ihroogh execs* of dissipation may
exclude the wholesome mental disci
pline of sober thought, aod the salu
tary lentous of serious reflection.
Nor yat the detnoraltoitig, sensoali*
ting, towenug atmosphere of tha cir
cos, where all that to best aud holiest
in Christian saciety is made fit subject
for ooaraa jest, indelicate song, or
nhald tooeudo. Where a true sms
to made to blush /«r woman, and pity
bis fellow man; that being made in
God's own image he should so de
grade himself, and become a fool!
to be laughed at, and yet held in
utter contempt. t
Thousands of our kardmined taon
ay are squandered amid such guilty,
uujtroiiubL aaaociatioua, while our
ekwrrkm tongwmk /or /wads, our places
of the dead from neglect, our homes
of orphans—many of them children
of fathers w ho died for ns, our homes,
and rtmsfry—for the comforts and
ecuesaanea of life. Be ashamed, O
Christian, w ho plead* for these guilty
When we read tfea simple truths of ^ * f m ‘bferSai* an* fiu
ib. LiMr, arid *<»mpare oat daily C harch hors upon earth; let us look
walk with iU holy prrmpU. how
yoa was glad , bat II was whsu ont
Ward trials bad abahwo tbe son) to
Its vary rewire, then there ohm from
him “grare to help ta turns cd owed ”
H# who would *y mpaifeive
... a — —a M — ■ t» a, a stAoum
fvioMi vP wp in«i
There to a bard and
»nii .ji-ti a In aa wt a MalMsa wa* hakmifiis
MPMMMi Iw "i"■Mr*m YfrefiIII™
requires ta tie saflewed down W«
aetenresoa the Haltoath, after having pass fey snlforiwf gnyty. aaaefeaaty.
alt the week been perplexed with a
Ifeounaad dtflfoultto* af life ? Da
they go to have their pevplssities
* er ® j°«o, has always been kept ; sheep were some old sod feeble one*.
nhttLjk* c ^ urclt °f Ood, from its They could not walk much. If the
j***tot history to the present time, j way was miry or steep, they eonld
hardly go along. So the shepherd*
would come and put their cloak*
under tbeir bodies. Just behind their
fore legs, and help them along. They
treated them with great gentleness
and care. Jnst so “the good Sbep
bent has pity on the weak, and
gently helps them along.” He nevet
leaves nor forsakes them “His rod
and bis staff comfort them ” He
leads all his sheep into his fold for
safety. He leads them out that they
may find pasture. If little boy* and
girls art wise, they will desire above
all thing* to belong to Christ’s flock.
I hope all of you will commit to
memory the twenty.third Psalm It
is beautifol. “The Lord is my *hep
herd; I shall not want.”— Afar l>r.
Ptumer.
*3fl -iAJLfc ;n tu.i.
not be seriously questioned.
* im Portance of this duty is not
J? ar *»«l upon the high authority
and its nniversal prac-
. ®y the pious in every age, but
Rs happy effect*.
Certainly that family is more
TV to preserve harmony am! order
the daily labor is begun and
wlth prayer.
‘^ Places the head of a family
^ he ought to stand, as giving
*_, exarn Pl® and encouragement to
°^ r a, wl piety.
The influence on the minds
r *srni rW | Where fam *ly devotion is
l observed, impressions are
^ °«sand times made which will
(^ 8 ^ e * r fotore destiny, both in
IjU ®tornity. Inspiration has
t 4y „ ’ “Train up a child in the
hi* u be 8hoald «°* aud w hen he
he will not depart from it.”
this f° uclude ’ Those who neglect
seem to fall under tbe
of
When we are alone we have oar
thoughts to watch, in tfee family
o«r tempers, and in company oar
tongues.
tbeir sorrow* simI rettove I heir per
plexities f Do they not go lo feed
on thing* easily digested, rather
than to reaeive a mass of oomasffi
cated food? They go to get wo#
thing to *trwngtbeo their good reao
tattoos and comfort their weary
souls Christian* go there to hear inability to enter into diflfcrattiea of
of Christ aod tfee gforiso id feto great tfeoagfet which marks tfea mind to
solvation, sad they want sire to which aU tfeiag* have been perorated
preach as thoagh they mean what saperfriafly, aod which has saver
sot ta craettfi tot* aufreHagty, jaat
fewwaa #0.^* fe >: sbji*m' am fesaafl atesWHmW'
a* mM® refil
lug fe. We wowsd asaa fey omt looks
and oar abrupt esprsaston* without
iatrodtag It, t raom we fears not
been taught tfea dstkacy, aad tfee
tact, aod tfea gemtlsaaaa which oan
oaly ha tsarnod fey tfee wooadiug of
oor own *e<tatb4M«toa There to a
haughty feeling ia aprif blares * fetch
has never been oa tfea verge of foil
that requires humbling There to aa
they say, with the powor and do
mooslraliou of tfea .Spirit No ass
can preach for eterotiy who doe* aot
tfens declare the truth of feto Master.
It to a solemn thing to declare tfea
counsel* of God to dyiag men—to fee
tfee messenger* of marey to tfee not
es*** sad tfee jifisooer*. It to aa
important trust committed to oar
core, to cry aloud and spore not, to
giva to each their portion in due
•ooson. Each minister of tfea gospel
to cfeargsd with o massage af awfol
weight to every todtvtdoal, sad fe#
afeoald deliver It carefully, solemnly
—being all tfee time oa tfee watch
that fee may not add
very fur *tort do ws mare, of an
"upright walk and con vernation,*
and of putting oa tfee whole armor
of God, that we may tie aide to stand
against tfee wiles of the Devil.
We are t«ld “to have oor loin*
girt about with troth, aad having on
the breastplate of righteousness, to
fee shod with the preparation of tbe
gospel, aod above all, taking the
shield of faith, the helmet of aolva
Uoo. aad tfee s«ord of the Bpirit,
that wa may lc strong in the Lord,
and lo the power of hi* might *
The danger* and temptation* that
beset the disciple* of tfee lari io
Tsui's day, extol to an alarming
extent ia oor own. Crowding thick
aod fast upon us, are tfee powers of
dark tie**, m the form of refined
*• soiiisemenU such a* tfee theatre, the
°f opera, tha hall room and card party,
ba j as well as those far lest so, such as
the wiue dub, billiard and liquor
asJoon* aod that curse to society —
the rireu*? Each and all are con
reded fey the werM, as well a* the
church, to fctfoag to the world, and
a* decidedly worldly; yet their bale
fnl influence to fast creeping into the
church, white they find many watm
and stout defender* among professing
Christians, who bare failed to put on
the whole anaor of God, sod still
fieri** their besetting sin*. Tbe tore
of many a soldier of the croa* raxes
cold, in these «vit times that teat the
true Christian, and many members of
that Church, “that Chriat so loved,
as to give himsetf for it, that be
might preoaot it to himself a gforso«m
church, not baviog spot, or wrinkle,
or any such thing; bat should be
holy sod without blemish”—are aid
ing and abetting these device* to its
grievous injury, and the encourage
meat of iu enemies.
One may ba a Christian, and occa
sionally be overcoare of the tempter
and frequent such places; yet it
experienced tfee horror of feshag tfee
k» of doubt crushing beneath the
m... . .
vWw%*
remOni ^ —i dfc fHiih ^i<n air mhsmsi a ^ ty* os —
Tnerosorw, u j oo s*ptre to ue s son
of roosoistioo— if yoa would par
take af tfee priestly gift of sympathy
. if tnH VtKlid IVMIf h. I r S : f. m 1 w.
***““* S 11 ffi kfififi *<^^01*» *• » W
i aud common niece nontoiitkxi into
hr Tt if v mi vmild rises
through the intereourae of dally life
urftfe the de! ret# tact which never
inflicts polo—If to that most scute
of haama ailments, mental doubt,
yoa ore ever to gtvw
shows o faulty Christian sentiment,
bring* reproach oo tbe church and
piovea a stumbling block to many.
Though tfea cotiacieooe aod tbe world
may condemn yet such Christians
may aod often do excare themselves
upon tfee plea, “that there to so koras
to it; simply o rweraatkoe, and ooa
needs recreation; God created all
thing* for man’s enjoyment.” ButO
moo, O woman, where to yoar ac
countability for tfee way in which yon
oar or abuse them? aod bow roads
thy Bible ? “Tbay that are Chriat'ls
have crucified the flesh with the af
vnu mass os rontawi to psy in* price
of tfea costly edoeotfoe like him, fertioos aod luata* “If wo lire io
tempted. tfea Bpirit, let a* also walk lo the
well to oor steps, that others seeing
them may take courage. Let us re
solve to love aud honor Him more,
who hath loved us aud washed ua iu
Hi* own most precious blood.—A*. C.
f *#■ sniiuferkit m
uL # 000^0^1
Shooting cs tha Wing.
How to reach individuals with di
rect appeal* of a religious kind is
not sti easy problem. If all who
dcaire benefit attended the public
means of grace, so that the preacher
might at least speak in their pres
euce, even then his words would
not certainly be heard, much less
felt.
As a teacher as well as preacher,
often taking occasion to ask persons
Just from church what tbe preacher
ha* said, I have been suissed to find
many unable to auswer intelligently.
Either tbe preaching is above their
capacities, or it i* dull, or it has no
advantage with tbe hearer from a
predisposing love of religious truth.
It is certain, multitudes fail to get
much |Hsr»otial religious impulse from
the pulpit. Terhaps we do not
“preach the word* iu all simplicity,
and tliu# the service may have be
come with people a mere religious
decency, and not a personal interest
of the most pressing sort.
I do not pretend to aay why it is,
but merely to say it ia so.
Granting that there were a deeper
iutcrcst in the class referred to, as to
pnblic worship, then we fear there
is, we know there is a necessity of
some further and different labor to
roach tiMj* desired result. Truth, like
an arrow or a rifle ball, needs to hit
the mark.
One night a thoughtless boy was
leaving the church, unmoved by the
discourse, but hi* godlv uncle laid
his hand ou his shoulder with the
intention to ask him to go to Christ,
but his emotion allowed him only to
ejaculate bis nephew’s uame. That
broken ejaculation led him to Christ
and into the ministry. 1 speak only
of tbe ontward instrumentality.
I was once visiting “pastorally”
certain families with my venerable
colleague, one of the most successful
pastors, the late Dr. Barnabas King,
ot Bockaway. He was then au old
mao, and I suppose, at least, io the
forty fifth year of his ministry. In
the last family we visited that day,
we met a lady who had long been a
devoted Christian, and as we rose
from our knees, and were about to
leave, she said to Dr. King. “Do you
remember visiting the Pigeon Hill
neighborhood one stormy day forty
years ago F The pastor remembered
it well, and also in what discourage
meut he had kept the appointment,
announced from tbe pulpit tbe pre
vious Sabbath, aa was his custom.
“Well,” said tbe lady, “that was a
great dsy in my life. I was a giddy,
wicked girl, and had declared that
you should not have a chance to talk
to sse. That evening you took tea
where I was Bring, god I had to go
into the room where yoa were orated
with the riders. 1 *M*ed ta aod was
flitting oat, whoa yon said, ‘And ore
yoa going to neglect yonr soul’s sal
vation T That was all, for I ran out
of the room; but that arrow hit the
mark, and I am a Christian because
3*ou raid that sentence then and
there!”
I speak again only of the human
instrumentality, but that arrow shot
at her did what a pulpit broadside
had failed to do.
Borne years ago au interesting but
godless young man was riding in the
cars southward, an invalid in the
Tain search for health. A Christian
man seated near him became deeply
Interested m him, and on leaving
the cars ventured to place in his
hands either a tract or a blank leaf
on w hich were the words, “Are you
a Christian V How casual, how tri
fling, tbe coincidence of two travel
er* thus coming near together with
out speaking, and no attempt at a
religious impulse possible except
those four words written on a leaf!
And yet that little agency won that
soul to Christ, ss was discovered,
through a published inquiry some
mouths after, from the grateful
friends of the dead invalid, for tbe
faithful man who “shot a bow at a
venture.”
We are never to speak slightingly
of tbe preaching of the word. It is
a great power, the greatest on earth;
but if I were asked for another great
force, not to supplant bat to supple
ment the first, I would mention this
force, the private, penmai appeal to
ktartitawrtefited %wr^anoot^owix
and wideawake Christian fidelity
may approve. It is the chance shot,
or the taking the bird on the wing,
or tbe labor to save sonls “out ot
season.”
Tbe human heart has a tremen
dous aversion to evangelical tnxth.
It is as shy as a mountain partridge
is to the hunter, and it will not do to
wait until the bird shall light on a
limb iu plain sight, and we can “get
a rest,” before we shook We mast
fire w hen w« can, even if the bird be
on the wiug, and trust Him for help
who cau give it, to send the shot
home.
We mast be ready in the shop, at
the street corner, in the lecture-room,
in tba casual meeting, at any time or
place, to give the impulse of a word,
a sou tence from tbe Scripture, or a
tender invitation to Christ, with the
prayer to God to make it to do what
it was meant to do. In this way al
most the entire field of society would
be covered by very potent influences,
warning and wiuning souls that oth
erwise might para into another world
uuwarned and unwon. Such shoot
ing must bring down much game.—
Christian Banner.
'The Sabbath.
There is one weapou which the
enemy has employed to destroy
Christianity and to drive it from tbe
world, which has never been employ
ed but with signal success. It is
the attempt to corrupt the Christian
Sabbath, to make it a day of festivi
ty, to cause Christians to feel that its
sacred and rigid obligation has
ceased, to induce them on that day
to mingle in the scenes of pleasure
or the exciting plans of ambition, to
make them feel that they may pur
sue their journeys by land and
water, by tha steamboat and the
railway, regardless of the command
of God; and this has done, and will
continue to do, what no argument,
no sophistry, no imperial power has
been able to accomplish. The “Book
of Sports” did more to destroy chris
tianity than all the tea persecutions
of the Roman Emperors: and the
views of the Seoona Charles and his
Court about the Lord’s day tended
more to drive religion from the
Bristish nation than all the fires
that were enkindled by Mary. Paris
has no Sabbath, and that fact has
done more to banish Christianity
than all the writings of Voltaire:
and Vienna has no Sabbath, and
hat fact does more to annihilate re-
I
igion than ever did the scepticism
of Frederick. Tarn the Sabbath
into a day of sports >nd pastimes,
of military reviews, and of pan
tomimee and theatrical exhibitions,
and not an infidel anywhere would
care a forthing about the tomes of
Volney or Voltaire, about tbe scep
ticism of Hume, the sneers of Gib
bon, or tbe scurrility of Paine —
British American I*rc9byterian.