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ONE LOUD, ONE FAITH. ONE BAFTI8M”—EPHE8IAN8 IV: 5. COLUMBIA. 8. C WEDNESDAY. JANUARY 11. 1871 OLD SERIES, VOfi. V.—NO. 123 that although be caused much suffer lug union gut the followers of Jean*, and succeeded, by moans of trickery, bribes and threats,*in inducing not a few to ai>rat*tise, like himself, from the one, true frith, hia efforts, ujmn the whole, were nevertheless over ruled by Him who promises ever to be with and bless His cause and people, to the ftirthenmce of our holy religion, whilst by hia early death the frail fabric of Paganism which he sought to erect was denial - ished at a single Wow, Oho of h(s cherished designs, in particular, by the accomplishment of which he, doubtless, h6|ied to achieve for himself great glory, and bring contusion ii|M>n Wdievers in the go* pel, was so signally and singularly thwarted, and the historian's brief ac count of it.conveys a comforting les son so similar to that suggested by the incideut given above, that we can not forbear adding it, Juliau, just as the Pagans* before him, was not very unfavorably dis- l>osed towards Judaism and the Jews. He regarded the God of the Old Tee tauieut as ‘‘the great Architect and Ruler of the whole visible world, whom the Pagans also worslti}ied under different names.’' He protest ed, indeed,-to the Jews that he wor shiped the God of Abraham their father more as Abraham did than did they. “Since, then,he entertained a high respect for the Jewish wor ship,” says Neander, as being, also, u an ancient national institution, be conceived the wish to restore the Temple at Jerusalem, as a splendid memorial of his reign; iu doing which he, |ierhaps, hoped also that he should be able to defeat the }>ropbecy of Je sus, although this had already beeu fully accomplished, liee.\|tended vast sums upon this object; but the work which had been undertaken with so tuueh tabor did not sdeeved. Volumes of fire, bursting forth from the Sub terranean -vaults which hail I wen o;>ened, destroy ad the unfinished la bors, and frightened the workmen. Although this may have proceeded from natural causes, \yet might it be a warning rebuke to the Emperor, that no hntnau will could re-buiUl what hail otioo been destroyed by a divine judguieuU” By these two iutereetiug facts we have “fresh light shed uj>oo the im perishable tdinaoe of the Holy Scripture.” We are newly assured by them that the Word of the Lord shall not (kiss away; that it can neither lie banished from the earth, nor iu oue jot or tittle fail, or prove false. So weajsiu formed against it cun prosper. GEOFFREY GLEANER. For the Lutheran Visitor. Islands in ths Sea of Reading. SMImmmmm A holy life is iimdo up of Mnall things of the hour, hinI not Uie great things of the agf.—Bomar. Vessels of hum I crate draught may go up the tributary streams, of pub lic thought, w here others of heavier touuage could never reach.— H**kop Mr limine. We suv not that the lieanty of 8cri|>tiir<* ever did, or ever can con vert a soul. The loaves, not the dowers, of the tree of life, are for the healing of the nut ions; but surely the flowers have often tiist fascinated the eye of,the wanderer, and led him nrar to cat and li\< (iMK (UljiHun. : True humility prompts true char ity; and tin* flowers which hide be neath the grass their delicate colors, are those which emit the most fragrant, perfume.—Adolph* Mound, I). IK Should all the shower* of heaven alight on the lofty aioustain, they rest not there. They hasten from its buireu top to bless the valley with verdurp. What the shower* are to the valley, grace is to the lowly souL—Hmith'e lecture*. The liar vest storm fs always the shortest, and all tribulation*, how ever numerous or severe, are left at the threshold ed heaven. The waves of this world’s troubled sea scarcely kite the shores of eternity. —/>r. Camming. i. In the Ksenrisl where Hpsnish princes live, they have wisely planed a Cemetery, where their ashes ami glory shall sleep, and onr kings must walk over their gmndsires' heads to take the ero vn—Jeremy Taylor. * 1 • * He who waits to dri a great <leal of good at once, will never do any thing—Ih\ John*mm. You have passed all through Uul conda, and have carried off nothing, except perchance some little dia mond which may have stuck to the w ’Hrkir * sole of your shoe.—ft. p. Kmwik, D.D. Providence Is like a curious piece of arras, marie up of a thousand shreds, which siufte we know not whst to make of, but j»at together they present b* with a beautiful bUtory.—Flmrrt I wUl account no siu little, since there is not the least but works the death of the soul. It is all oue whether 1 be drowned near the shore or iu the midst of the new. —Biskip Hall. No merchant trades with such certainty as (lie praying saint.— Borne prayers, indeed, have a fougvr voyage than others, but Uien they retuni with s i icher lading at last. —Umruall. Faith withost w orks is like a bird without wings, who, though she may Fly and by a change hi his position occurred, and be was thrown upon the general publie in his employ* men1 Hit Mbits became at first social, then occasionally intemperate, and his manner tmeotne insolent and overbearing, ill* popularity detained. HI* expenses torreaaed and bis means Christ'S bauds. Dear reader! if you have not done it, go, oh 1 go at onoe, and commit your soul to Christ.— Bee. Dr. Jphn Hell. Tbs Church Prsysr Meeting l>r. Nelson, ia the N. Y. KmmfeUtt la aa article on prayer meetings, thns appeals to church member*: I. You can mot afford to neglect the church prayer meeting. It is abundantly testified by the moat happy and useful Christians, that they need at tassl one prayer mart iag between every two Hubbatha. to Ckristias Integrity. Sinners believe to Christian perfec tion. The least infraction of moral law is seised upon and magnified into ii crime, and serves as a specious pretext for them to revile religion and excuse their own rejection of its blessings. Of coarse such an excuse is as unreasonable as it is illogical, yet ft can not be denied that too i* i many Christians give the world ocea- ►fon to reproach them* cause. When s sinner sees a Christian taking advantage of his neighbor in a com mental transaction, he loses coofi- c " demo in that man’s religion, and boldly throws it into the minister's ft«f. \yban a sinner sees a steward retailing intoxicating spirits, his opinion lowered. IS PUBLISH D r WEDNE BT A firm and steady adberance to our proper place, in defrnse of Christ and liberty, without turning either to the right hand or left, going straight forward to do the work of evangelists, “ta the cause of Chris tian frith and" works," is the only rightfh! course for as to pursue. It would be a sad mistake to court the favor of those called orthodox by any language but that which most pain frilly conveys the frith we really hold. We desire their fellowship and affection, Iwt only on equal term*. Still greater would be the mistake and the sin to lower the Christian standard for the sake of attaching those who can not submit themselves to" the gospel claims of Jests Christ It is sometimes thought that the way to reach world ly men, and to command our preach ing, is to meet them half way ; to preach doctrines that do not require too much frith, and air not strict «m«>ngh to arouse their fears. No blunder could be greater than that. Faithfulness to Christ is the way to the Mutter’s heart. Irreligious men are not attracted by skepticisms and denials, but rather aruused or disgusted. In the midst of their »u« and neglect to God they have *mar*»nou£h to know that the fault is not in ('hrist's gospel, but in their own w ay wanlueas and guilt. If they come to their religious life at*all. they ask for a Ssvionr in whom they can trust. % In one of our Western cities the attempt was made to estab liah a religions society upon what was called the broadest possible foundation, and a covenant was prr- I mi red in which no alltudou to God was made. Tlie attention of the “clergyman” was called to' the omis sion, and be explained it by saying that there were a great many infl dels and atheists in the community whom he wished to reach ! Instead of conciliating them, they laughed him to acorn. Among “philosopher*, so called," such refinements and eva sions of truth, to nae no stronger terms, may answer, and ministers in their studies, who know little of the workT« throbbing, suffering heart, may imagine that the speculative difficulties which trouble them are the same which keep men from righteousness and truth. But when we come to the working day world, neither s religion without God nor a Christianity without Christ will do. This is the final explanation of the discouraging reports from so many of our churches. All over the West era States, where the call for liberal Christianity has been so often heard, little bond* of earnest men and women have gathered, with even hope of success, and for a time the cause of ('lilist and liberty has prom ised well, but too often it has ended in dullness and dtaay, aud death. I could name many instances of this, and more that will soon be added to the list. And why f Because ueither gospel preaching nor Chris tian instructions have been the agen cies employed. Dispensing with the ehristian ordinances, with prayer meetings aud instructions to the young, speaking of Jesus Christ as seldom as possible, and never, by any chance, calling Him Lord or Master, the pulpit ha* sunk into insignificance and the pews into emptioeas. Young men who had been educated for the ministry, with out ever having professed faith in Ghriig, and unable to profess it, with a general good purpose, and with a vague impression that the whole community would be anxiously wait ing to hear their gospel of deliver sure, bum come to those Western outposts with great expectations to leave them with great chagrin. And why f Because th«y bare had noth ing to nay of their own which was permanently worth hearing, and they could not aav “Than safth the Lord.” They hare worked bravely from their own brains to spin the spider web of ethical instruction and meta physics, until it has proved too weak to hold tlw attention of their hearers, and then, haring no deeper treasury to draw from, have given up in dnqsdr, ledving their fields of work not only unimproved, bat unfit for subsequent culture, as if the life and heart had been taken from the soil. I hare ween it so often, that T am heart sick at the sight If we would gain Christian success we most send missionaries who believe in Christ Send men who love Him and would die for fffrn, as their Saviour and friend, mid ws shall soon see the difference of result—Ret. 0. W. El made found means to attack him. His growing debts gave him much trouble and obliged him to resort to many mean shifts. He lost his posi tion. The form to which he brtonk himself did not suable him to recur, er bis ground. He wras obliged to quit it It might have been thought mscti a scries of hamiUation* would have humbled him, and taught him better things < Hut whether it was so or nut, you way judge yrben I tell you that before iiuttttng his charged per annnui *.00 w are cntei jd mi the sub without th > first payment r V ’ ^ ' i * or xdvkk risiuo t (one inch < f column ): whole week. The most happy and narftil pastors ace equally ready to testify that those who habitually attend the prayer mecttog, give them the beat wvideoee of being edified by tbs tiabhath services, sod of enjoying a steady sod re liable growth ia grace. They ate moat valuable helps to the pastor, and helps to oue another. The Christian Mhmhp of those who weekly look ia each other’s faces, and stag fiMutttur hymns together, and hear together the pastor's most familiar “talks.” and listen to the faithfril testimonies of veteran dis ripie* and the feHeciag utterances of young owe verts, and pray together iu affectionate remembrance* of cacti other’s wants, and trials and joys, is of steward and church is The Christian should be stiidly konemt in all his basinere dealings—liberal with what God has given him—prompt in attendance on his public dories—in practice illus trating principle. In order to do this be must be keenly alive to the rospnoita^o position he occupies. He must feel that his own eternal wel- tarv depends on his doing right— even to every jot and tittle of the law. He must fed that he is sur- ropu.led with a cloud of witnesses, aud that his neglect of duty or vifarv y a tion 6f jurinciple may occasion tb^ ‘‘ ' ' loss of some soul. The ethics of interest must yield to the higher ethics of fait!—%be man must be *> lost in the Christian, aud the Chris tian’s single aim be duty. We \ ) not too much deplore aud cry against the loosepesa in morals character ising tod many modern , church- members. Iu mauy places it is the secret of failure to convert sinners. Wherever it exists, it is a dark spot iu our esrtitcheou—ami should be a source of shame. Christians ought to be eh unions, and they will then appear IHe Christians. Then they » Ul value more highly the interest of eternity thau the interest of time; then they will think more of adoring the spirit than the body ; then they will couaider as far more becoming the crows of virtne than 'swinging chignons or costly jewels. Then iniquity would stand dumb before the moral beauty of the Bride of Christ.—Ifer. A A. Bteri. <er cent., of 0 per cent., 40 per cent., upwsrtl*, 80 m tha shore n firh lines, earth, yet if she live till the workl cuds, site will never fly to heaven.— Owen 'EeUtham. Many wish that the rive may be felled, who hope to gather chips by the jail.—Full**. There never yet was a tempest but drove the believer’s hark nearer heave*—Ckmrmue*. Anger is not to be utterly rooted out of our ground and east away, bat transplanted. A gurdeoer does well to grub dp thorns in his garden. There they would hinder good herim from growing; but he does well to plant those thorns in his hedges; there they keep hod neighbors from entering.— thr. /idsor. LINDEN. k payable in quarter, luiuuicatiuuft to TO. D.D.. it is smnetuues thought that pan ishmeat will subdue and reform, sad >»u»e unthinking people speak as if U would surely reform sinner* alter death. But In pmul of fool, it aAeo .makes them proud and malimoos to awu, and angry with God. Nothing bat (Hal’s grace solWns the heart and changes the nature. Afros or- pMfing this soudl “gaupowrder plot," it only rnmamed foe him to seek a iorwtgw land, wrhrch he did, bts hetp- leas frailly being aided in johung Jhtrn by some to srhum he kail hero k small annoyance and imstsa. ills sugudltnewa del not “pqjr." And these lines may be read i Visitor Away.” happened to I k< The Bible [ iu which we ue following b narrative, r from Hal ting that it Uny I of the | we fegiuded Iption for its additiou to mere, matter I its ti ns does afford to lark this. 3. Yoor pastor sod brethren nerel yon si the prayer mcetMig. Their comfort nod joy are inrompfep- without you. They know so well oigh \be dew to n% readers^ of this pa|>er, jt as worthy of transcri cuiaraM, because, in L >riBg interesting as a of fee , tiu-h an incideut % cmwiiu^ veiy M faruidiHi* another i!lus| truth, ?that “the Word forever." | 4^ ««l i • . -J and are mu nttraefed to this holy frllowrship. In no otlter wrwy nokl you an greatly euaonnige yoar |wstor and eomfurt vour brethren, os In .v » « giving them that weekly hour in hsbitaol attendance at the prayer meeting. Try it, try it moodily ft* oue year, and then you will be object worth all It cools, in the end f« standard by which you i Does it yield a return in proportion hverythiug—woridly aurrera to the outlay f But what re is tber» life should be a ;iuor and in explaining wNnt is dearer and aim • failnre. pier than the sxpfraathm ran tie My at^pwiutonoe with — mode T pvrr nearly twenty years.. I Now the Holy Scriptures, appeal wben be was the young an< tog to as on e%ery side of oor char-1 ^ushnud of a heauttfel wife, after that they may draw as to god of cultivated taste, ami fm lines*, assert that it “pays" It is |*w*t* af professional sarisi worth the outlay, *Niodtinessia proff house «aa a gem. lie bad told# for ail things, having promise |jfiaa-fo the world culture to of the life that now to, and of that .feusa anywhere. Ilia wife pn wbieh is to come." It is good for religion, and his own profre men ia this life; sad the root erne great reaper! for it, kept kti of it is true, namely, ungndlmran tin notire of a minister, is bod for this Hia It **dnes not rarely went to church, aud p fey" j jhvuufoU the mils of the a Young pmqiki have no means of Lfhfi ato|m of lua downward testing this. They ate not yet long through avd |-inm-hi| eoougii in the world. They amy ^ idtug, aud ! he frlai ghiss, I know it good deal of It by reading to describe; nor huger m hearing; but nothing impresses tiamir broken up, the |mhom im 40 much os (list which we hare (he character gone. Halil i i s«m for ourselves. Now wben peo (hat the foot intervfew he h pie cosse to middle Hfe, stiy forty, s miaister who often wans they have bail the opportunity of so* to offer for sale the on! at old Mr. Abercromlic lllxxivj (the father on ..jLbercroinbn-, who wk* Sgj pt,) and we speut j tl Together. , A gcutlcmaii j jgqasdiou vriiich puzzl d *feOmpai»y. Ifi was this: * Ml the New Testament* it had been destroyed at t u third century, could tile |»ve been recovercil fin ingn of the first thretl The question was novtj 1 fie one even hazarded! kaswer to the inquiry. u A||OBt two iMoutlns ineetiug I received an m breakluat with Lord ft David Dahryiupfe) newt During breakfast he It I recollected the curio* •hcatfetbe iK»ssilniity on the contents of the Ne\s frbm the writiuga of tiid cemturich. ‘I reiueiul4i and thought of it oftl bring able to form an | conjecture on the subject, jLui Lord II question quite an-onlci laste of my; airtU}nariaii| feturntog home, as 1 kill ray tog A I am quite aare that, pwrrally, those who uegtoct the pr^irimst, Instruction and Consolation. - " t Tliere is. I always feel, something defective in the creed, or something amiss in tin- spiritual health of any whom I believe to be children of God, when I bfiardhem speak in any de gree slightingly of reading the Word, and prayer at certain appointed sea sons. Are we then to wait for some inward rajivition to more us to bow the knee, or open the precious Word ? I know liy! feeling—and a saddening feeling it ia, too—when prayer-time comes, what it is to wish one’s self anywhere rather than to have, ac cording to present realization, to for mally bow the knee. Yet, how often, while pouring out the heart in bitter feeling, perhaps, before th# Lord—telling him how cold and dead we are—appealing to him as the Searcher of hearts, that be knows how we groan, being bur dened by such a condition—in a mo ment, in the most tender aud divine ly gracious way, he draws near, and logins to open his heart’s love to us, dropping upon the inward wounds of the spirit a little of that precious halm which the dear good Physician alone can prepare. We then say, “It is good to be here.” Agaiu, 6ow often, when called up on to visit a sick or cast-down broth er, » parley will goon within: “AhP says something—either the flesh or the devil. Hr Im—“it is no use now, you sre in such a cold, miserable con dition yourself, that to go now would be to offer a stone to a hungry broth er, instead of carrying true bread! Walt till you feel a little more spirit ually-minded, and then go.” Yes, and often long and hard is the strug gle. Not its the tempter always on af those who would gladly attend, bat are aualrie by reason of tiaa- voidolde, providential hindrance*. These agfferfvrs hare, I am rare, a vague (reding of dMinqaeopy, as if thr> sere »«>t doing their psrt in the ebarrh fellow ship. Hence, w hen th# pastor speaks to them, they are hardly able to refrata from prumorfwjr t«» attend. Perhaps they only prom toe to “fry tu attend.” Is red that a BH-re evaatou f Do you really try t if u«»t, hare yoa not lied f Do wot cheat yourself * ith a mild name of a dreadfsliy wirfced thing. Really 1 suspect that some retell rs of this would go to the prayer meeting if they were not sfirmkl of being nos drained to apeak or lead in prayer.?.! would recoui«*eod to any sorb one to apeak frankly with his pastor, aud ask ptmtoiqn to attend with the iinderatotidltig that he aball wot he railed upou to take say part in the ex strums until he shall hare privately given bis consent to be thus railed upon. I do not think that any pastor would refrisc this. It to a great mistake to sapfmse that all who attend moat necessarily take audible part ia the eaernlsss. It to It a afefefiha ta sappaae foot silent attendants ore useless. T have •rat 1 nugut set to wfirk on the rafoous task as soon n possible.’ Pointing to a table co|'eml with papers^ be said, ‘Thera 13 have been Losy tlu‘SB.|two months, searchiiHr for chapter*, half clusters, and tiottifoes of the New rcstameut, •®d have marked dow n what I feuial aud where I found it, so that ray person may examine Mid see for himself I have actually discovered tiie whole Njew Testamqut, except ij hope* for earthly, ought to hr iSuiliUy cvrtoia that the rarthiy aid aot foil him. Bat you know laaaf cases ia whtah the saertoo of siu lisa pot iiakT for tiaw. Yoon taay bs sack a osar. Baa all to last. Thi* Ufr is thrown away. The uuxt IS aiqirnvwlsd for. Time has fa-d- Kteruity n cros thug apoo wMi Bit* devil’s prouiiaaa ora prows] He*, «pd you sever believad God’s \ and now God caife to jodgmrat 1 what "till >«*i dot who con help you t i These is Otis who coo save you ap«r. Go to him. Leara af him. l'at yoanudf a infer his gmdatese. IVnot him for alt that he fives him it aa able aud wtfliog to do- He is the fiavkmr—the Hon of God. * lie to “the holy and the just One.” infant# >' free# sod cordial grtejdnfp of the hands within eeoeh a* they went out were of th# grsafesfi to wtucti,) whidi iwtisticti j ®°aId discover them also, ^ed or I rid tlie trea.^i| Wonl where 1 Julian, tiu Emperor, aiM| the other Christ, u lto w Hfiicd to ex *o«pel from ihe, world, in have thought of; aud th Irnd, they aetpr could Hu mcoessfrd. But I am beginning to learn that such times are exactly the beet times to pay such visits; they may open with a communion iu sor row on account of the dark cloud; bat they usually close in sweet com muniba, as the precious love, blood, and salvation of the blessed Saviour, become the theme. Now me have sweet instruction conveyed to us in the words before ns, as we are led on to view them under such exercises. “To-morrow we die." What can tend to produce irpate the vex would qigh they re eflieoted behoves the Master would Ilk# to hare him say it, or samrthlng which he thinks if aHgtit do his brethren good to hear. But let every one jodg# for Himself, before God; and if oay tiiink it their privilege to hear n giO# liavift? Christian holy torn arils Gad, sad just Mm «« tiif thinking 0{ Die exiHdionts resoi to iQ hw effort § | to ujmiot tiie Redeejjucr, with teasing thohd efforts to rR *°toa- It mkia found, to the accoonif which Nt uf JsUau’spo^eutfou of some jto by him Le church » idea of heir final r tuniiug reef gives We may oat even forbid any on# to bates feieatly to th# aoags, “singing ami asoktog melody to their Marti,” without voices*, yot doubtless it is far bottor to bare sfl lift up their titoi is oat half of life* Are you hfifr to* Aril* Hod t Us mahas asm nghtom# m law, by the gift of his oqn nghtqnasnrss; sod he ms has ttoan holy ta rharaUtor by putting hto Spirit within tbatn, sad writiag fas lav ou their hearts. No life saa be a failure that has baas nt toffs erfhlly os the realization of this truth f Is it by the slothful, “Oh, it is no ose now, I am too fired, too cold, too fhll of perplexing care, too fhll of bitter ness and rebellion, because of oertain cross providences; or, I am too sad a backslider just now,” that we shall find profit by the merchandise of wis-