The Lutheran visitor. (Columbia, S.C.) 1869-1904, January 11, 1871, Image 1
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-