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OJTE LORD, ONE FAITH, ONE BAPTISM” EPHE8IAN8 IV: 5. COLUMBIA, S. C., WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 1871 SERIES OLD SERIES, VOL. V.-NO. 124. saved without Christ. You never can be adjudged to hove a good moral character without the imputed righteousness of Christ. Tli© only Bible ground of acceptance with God as righteous in his sight, is the imputed righteousness of Christ received by faith. You must believe unto righteousness. “With the heart mau believeth unto righteousness.” Have you got faith in Christ f—that faith which receives and rests upon him alone for salvatiou t If you have, why, then, you* have the great essential thing—yon have eternal life npw in yon, ami are perfectly secure of all other things necessary to its fall development and faturc fruition. “He that believeth ahull be saved.” But bow do you know that yon have faith 1 Are jest like *Bunyan’s man, “my heart tells me so”! But our heart often tells lies. “The heart is deceitful above all things.” Even the testimony of onr own conscious ness, in this matter, need to be-back ©d by strong collateral testimony. Our faith must be shown by our works. “Faith without works is dead, being alone.” Here I may remark, it Is a fact worthy of note that all those things which verify our faith, go also to complete our character—to make us a perfect inan in Christ Jesus, Some times, even the Christian may lack some of those things. Indeed, it is possible for a true Christian to lack most of those things which complete Christian character. ns ail example of the sympathy of which we speak; “Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep uot thy law.” Have yon got this sympathy with Christ, with his cause, with righteousness f Or is it So that you can see these woful defections—see Christ dishonored, da religion slanderously carries lured by the practice of those who profess it—amt fed uo sorrow. CtiU you look upou the mortal sickness of your bruthreu, and fed uo solic itude. W hen you see Uie “leprosy iu sight deciier than the skin,* and ness to mao—your life a pet-petu.-d hymn of praise to your Father in bearvti. an inspired apostle and a learned man,’yet be needed help—help to preach as be “ought to preach.” To the Tbcsaulonisjns, he writes: "Brethren, pray for; ns, that the Word of the Lord may have free the steps of tbeir departure; from faith to unbelief.. The road did not lie through Bible study or inward communing with God, but ran, as might be anticipated, over quite an other track. We have bad personal friends who gradually drifted from their moorings into the ocean of skepticism. But in every case the drilling was preceded by a decay of piety and neglect of God’s word. They gave the temper uu advantage by forsaking the closet and losing the strength that springs from a daily experience of the divine life iu the ul. They had no suffi cient defence against his severe as saults, and wen- driven from a safe anchorage. As the experience of conversion opens Mind eyes and gives an to night into God’s word which delivers from skepticism, so the continued experience of tiiq Christian life ren ders one impregnable to unbelief. If the heart leans to God as the needle to the pole, the head will And no trouble iu his Word. Keep the In-art right, in a devout spiritual frame, and one will be proof against tlu< assault* of unbelief. The soul will cry with Peter, “Lord, to whom Khali we go f Thou hast the words of eternal life.” —Christian Era. Kadi family should take a religious p4|*r Amt, ami a political paper afterwards, if aide. J3^UBLI8HKI> ery wednes, &ude%mille; Ilat observation tekcUcA ns that the reverse is the case. The jK>litical is A rat, second, and sometimes third—three political It is just ss much the duty of the members of tbs church to help their minister to preseh, as tt hi, perchance, bis to preach. The read er may exsiaim. “Well! well f this is a new doctrine to me. I know that it is the duty of each mem her, aa far as they may be able, to help support their minister; (ml helping him to (ireaeii is going be yood anything I bad thought of. I had thought V we paid our mfti later Just shat we promised him, that we had done all that was our duty to do far him, and that H was his duty to do mli the preach* tug. 1 suppoar, though, that the writer dons not moan to help the learned, the aide, and the gifted, but ths opposite class. I don’t see bow it would be possible far u* to help our mi sister preach; and be does not need it, if we could. All acknowledge him to be an able divine and a thorough scholar. He does sot need help to ; reach." reshape another one asyw, “Well, 1 wish wa could help our minister prearh. I think be needs help; his l*vurhtng is so dull aud lifeless. The church grows eold under it. and siunetw seem to be hardened. O, yea, 1 wish we could help him to have more animation and lift- in his preaching. We believe him to be a good man. nod one that desires to do good ; but, then, I dou’t sew bow we ran help lnm to premh; the idea looks very altsurd to me." Perhaps it does, my broth er, but I rejoice that you think your minister needs help, and that you have sm-h a ready will to help, if J OO f-QUid. As absurd as the idea may seem to he to you, aevertbe less, \oa ran help .roar minbter to preach ; and when I tell you how, 1 shall expert you to do it. It is dcm«- ia two way s ; but it is equally your duty to help in both ways. The first, by giving your minister an ample support, so that his mind aboil he freed faun worldly canr* aud anxieties; ami it will also make him ftvl that you appreciate his labors. Then be will not feel •-ramped, but will feel fare ami easy among you ; it will be a stimulus to bis seal ami energy ; it will in spire that degree of adf mqtect and self eonAdeuce. which is essential to Kiicoeas in all important umlertak mgs. A poor, stinted salary, which is sure to be attended with curres- |M»mltng iodiffereoer, will dry np the spirit of any preacher. He feels that bis labors are not appreciated; that be has lint little sympathy from his church; he is crumped in his fading*; be is defected aud dis- hearteued; be earnestly desires to build up Uh- church and win souls to Christ;- he prays aud labors to rise above the influence of these things, which weighs bis spirits down; but. alas! the ascent is too steep tuid rugged for the strength of humanity. At times he ascends a little; but inevitably lie is soon east down again. Ah, poor man, he needs freedom. There is a bur den upon him ; be is bowed under it, s burden placed upon him by the pewnriousuess ami cold selfish ness of his flock, for whom he is expending bis time, his talents, ami his very life. Sow, btvtbren, open your hearts and your hands, and take off this weight, and aee if year minister doesn’t preach like a* new man, and you will then know, as- that yon have helped him pdfieni lit the family, and uo religious pdper to give sutMtautiiil (bod to the mind. J n feeding our families at ths le, we do not feed them on trsali, unwholesome food, which muses the body to degenerate and become w^ukly, sickly, deathly I But we faid them on suitstantisl food, to give the greatest «tcgree of health auil strength. Shall we nut give ■■i. equal amount of cars to the liefdfh and vigor of the intellect anil morals! Visit a family and jou will soon dep-nume its training; content* deli fund from un reasonable and w-ieked men” To the Romans, be writes: “Now, t.besesch you, breth j reu, for the Isird Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Bpirit, that y® strive together with me in your prayers to God for me.” Now, tf tbe prayers of chrisUfitis could help l*aul preach, aud if .their prayer* were necessary to enable him to |irem-h efficiently, as be ought to {•reach; aud if, through their pray-] era, the Word of the I xml might j havs ft*e cxiurac and be glorified, amt Paul and his <wmpauiou* be] saved from “uuraaaoaabls and wick ed men,” aud men not having the natural gifts of Paul, uped the pray-; era of Christian* much more; “that utterance may bo givdu unto them,* that they also may oped their tuoatiin baldly, to make known tbe mystery of the gospelthen lt^ip your min inter to preach . “as ;l*e ought to, preai-h,” by your supiitiostiou* and prayer*. And if your minister is dull, or becomes doll and lifeless, | and umtiu-resting in Ids preaching, thru, metnlien of the] church, try , to take blame n)k>n yourselves, and down upou your km*** at once, ami with earnest, fervent (supplications { iVinows of Minis ieal Student*— i Who fail to remi u of their sulwc Charged l*‘ r ftU1 « iflpf* entered on without tin* first um 8.10 the buti payment < sovkrtisiku (i jc hirh of coin ....... S® ,'i.A • •••*■ ® W - IS — '0 00 nt» of three *qi «re* and Hit of JO per i eiit., off upwards, 80 p -r cent., I upwards. 40 \ er oenti. niiimn ami npi Aids, ,V> t-dticted fiosi t le akov^ L more than fi re line A, pit words, pt»; able is »nd communication* to t. R. RUDE. boots costing om dollar each I This is bat a very small price far totsjbstusl food. J*L They have a freahmre which does not alwsy a attack to books. The religious journal cornea every week, new and fresh. We begin to look for It towards tbe time of iu ap pro.wii • ith a ken flfri irfacffiii appetite. We read it daring the wee| two or three times perhaps, la Kp.ire time which sonld otherwise b»v«J bet'ii thrown sway; whether hi the *beat of summer resting, or depth of winter warming by the rosy firs, time Is actually saved anil knowledge hi {KNiitively gained. The amount of reading matter thus eoushmed in the onunte of n year hy tbe !harde*t woikiug mas, would astonish him if prewtitrd fo him in book form on New Year’s day, if he •boned, be toM that this was added to his daily labor. . 1 oner bought Maripiley’s History of England hound in oi|e volume. An obi Indy said. In • MftonkftmMfrt, “Wb« n wHl yon When, after the weary voyage th:it I first Biade across the ocean, sick and loathsome, I arose one morning and went upon the deck, holding on, crawling, thinking I was but a worm, I smelt in the air some strange smell. Sfal I said to the captain, “what is that odor T” “It is the laud breeze off Ireland.” I *meit the turf, I smelt the leaves, and all my sickness departed from me; my eyes, grew bright, my non n* o was gone. The thought of the nearness of the loud came to me. Aud when, afar oft, I saw the dim line of land, joy came and gave me le-alth, and from that moment, I hod neither sickn- new trouble; I was coming nearer to tbe land. Oh! is there not for you, old man, an«l for yon, wearied mother, a land breeze blowing off from heaven, Matting to yott some of its sweet ness t Behold, the garden of the lord is not far away. I know from the air. Behold the joy of home. I b* I not hear the children’s shout t The air is fall of music to our silent thought. Oh, bow full of music when our journey is almost done, and we stand upon the bound and precinct of that blessed land! Hold on to your faith. Believe more firm ly. Take hold by prayer and by faith. Away with troubles and buf feting*. Be happy; you are saved. Iu a few hours, visions of God and all the realities of the eternal world shall be yonrs, and yon shall be saved with an everlasting salva balling tbe couduct of others who they are—going Or, perhaps it would be bettor to say, that they possess so small a measure of many of those things which complete Chris tian character, that they are almost inappreciable, aud can scarcely be said to give character at all; nor can they give any good qnd solid gronnd of hope that they have a saving faith. In regard, therefore, to some oac or other of these things, we may be lacking either in part or in whole. “Giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtueand tp virtue, knowl edge; and to knowledge-, ti*n»|a-r- ance; and to temperance, patience ; ami to patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity,” &c. What have you got, then, of the things that belong to Christian char acter T III. Have you got a manly degree of self-denial f are quite aa good away track to ancient times sod rooting amongst the rubbish of a past age, aud turning up everything ugly they uan find, and gloating over it, as a treasure, and holdiug it up to blacken the character, anti wouud the feelings, aud imirair the influence of ttnr\ icing friends or followers, of some mau that God has long ago received into glory—I can not but wonder, . in there a Christianity fie supplied rar their si certainly important i©w what {hew lack. dWhat lack IJ yet F to alL Every wise |t daily, andl daily pyerned by tie dis ci it will lead ihim. fa you got! ; I can flat you lack] . until you have god The riis the wants ] tf yonr The man wrhc asked bad no reference to gibus—to honstis, and nju, and herds, and of servants, oi| great and. silver, o« high t dr ‘ large attaiumen ts is&oui, or any; pther 1 donsideratiousi which Sensuality, and dwarf iure. He wan ed to Blight gain “< terual oes my moral latme is,: view of the| case, j«jl got, that i| any tfe? elevation of your I 4tbat procarefl eter- s|yon for itt. Have off inoral char: cter ! fjljgood thing. S It is off can not ent< r into it3bmt a goo<14—nay, sc 1, moral chalacter. w brjcetii abomiilation, \)Ut\¥ a lie shall ever ' pnt it will ii>t do mural character. and West, &U Night .u!te- ^ 9) dluWWH Unbelief 1 not tell y I know v question c moral oat! this quest worldly p< lands, an< great retii store of Uitgb Mdh r. iu his early manhood, wa* on avowed unbelicMcr. II* felt a kind of pride in caliiqg himself a skeptic, lie said that Home of the cardinal doctrine* of tin) Bible were odious to the reason w Lrh God hod given him, and ought to be n^cctcd. Au inutionul religion wa* on insult to tin* lleity it profe*ap«l| to worship. Iu later years hi* faith without doubt or reserve it; and the very doctrj thought irrational, lie foil harmony with God** uut| ture aud providence. lie took great delight up the profound teaihiug If any man will com© after m©, let him deny, him self,” says Christ, fkdf-denial was on© of the distinctive features of tli© Saviour. “Though he was rich, for our sakee he became poor.” Self denial is oue of the most distinctive features of true Christianity. That christiauity which gives np nothing which the flesh loves—is not willing to forego the dance, the games of chance, the pleasures of the theatre, or the gratification of those tastes, ap|»etites ami lusts which the dealt claims as its liberty ; that will not put the worst construction upou every word and act of tbooe it (lore not like. This ia the greatest of the three great distinctive Chris tian graces—“There remaineth these three, faith, hope and charity; but the greatest of these is charity.” Have you a manly measure, 1 menu tin- measure that the perfect man in Christ has, of this grace! When you think or talk about those who differ from you, do you think bitterly —think of all that is wrong and ugly, and ignore all that is good hi them ! When you talk about them, or write about them, is yoar tongue, aud pen, “full of sharp aud bitter words! Underneath the tongue ol the wicked Uiere lies the isiisou of the asp;” but Christ’s Christianity, |H-rforatea the bladder that holds that imhmoA, and expels it. Is*t us measure ourselves hy the standard of Christ’s christiauity, and then ask ourselves, “what lack I vet r We might enlarge; hut |ierhapa we have spun this thread long enough. Let us look at the Christianity we actually have iu the light of Bible Christianity, and we will find we lark many things—and lack them to an extent that impairs terribly the powpr of our religion to hire* and cheer us. When we would read in onr “roll” to assure us of sol- vatiou, these sad defects will be of flLdtiig fit her rcKgvnmi paper, and 1 look*, daring the year. 3d. Its moral effort. A short time ago at little piece was hearted—-The first downward step,” showing tbe effertiof father stopping his religious paper> This ia fat lowed, said the wrttef. hy failing to attend church regularly, by neglecting the prayer meeting, by omitting family worship, by ceasing to earn fur the religious in worldly w of those carnal minister td our onr moral nai know how‘ he lift*.” m t (1 lack ! In| tli what hard] y< way tends to moral natire 1 nal life, or fit j ob got J gc That is a 1 vet iu holdiug i of Geolo gy, and show ing that they confirmed the doctrine* of the Bible] In reviewing this part of his life, end supplanting his own experience by a wide observation of m©u, lie drew the inference that unbelief tqiriug* not from the heart. He had rejected Bitde troths l*ecnuse they rtv]uiie<l almolute submission to a sovereign, and he wished to he iude- |M-ml<-ut. He longtsl to be his own Saviour, instead of nccejUing one provided. His heart was opposed to God's will, and tbe authority of di vine teaching was irksome. When bis heart yielded, and God’s will beoume his law of lift*, the Bibk- was fall of light, and its teachings met all the wauts of Ills renewed nature. His observation of men continued the lesson of his own eirperience. He found unbelievers almost uni fannly ignorant of the Bitde and its teachings, cavilling at truths they did uot umlerstand. They did not read the Scriptures. They did not search for spiritual troth. They had uo inward sympathy with God’s moral government, bat wished to follow their own impulses unchecked by a divine law. Human nature is ever impeating the bosons of history, and the same fact noted by Hugh Miller is evident to-day Hi England and the United States. The skeptical writers of the age, men of fine gifts and 'generous culture, hare a most superficial knoVledge of the Bible, ami singular misapprehensions of its great doc trines. Any Sablvath school scholar may detect the blunders of Ben an in stating New Testament farts, and diseriminatiug members of a Bible olass will see that l>r. Holmes’ state ments of evangelical doctrines are always caricatures. Theodore tafeer and Francis Newman have given autobiographic*, detailing minutely Christ’s sake; that doles out it* charity and its tax to the kingdom grudgingly, and with dismal winn ings about my poverty, my fainily wants, my losses, the hard times, &c.,—is, to say the very least of it, vary defective—don’t look much like Christ’s Christianity, Can yon, do you habitually (lefty yourself for ( Irristiauity is essentially aggres sive, aud the business of Christ’s followers is, not » much to save it, us to scatter abroad tbe leaves of its tree of life, so as to be instrumental in saving the world by it Judaism was a testimony, but the gospel is leaven. We my see this in its very geograghical distribution. So we find it at Jerusalem, just before the dis pcnHon of Israel; then among the restless Greeks, with their colonies everywhere, and commercial trans actions everywhere; and a philo sophical influence over all realms of thought; and then iu Rome, the heart of tbe Old World. Then Brit ain and America—the centres of commerce—have become the chief depositaries of this saving light, just because it was not to be preserved merely, but always be diffused. Are we then rising to the level of our opportunity ! Let us remember the so-called “dark ages,” the Abbot Columbia, the mfonk Augustine, and the thousands who rushed from the Irish cells and w£ttled huts on looc- ly isles; or the Romish priests, and knights, and scholars of the fifteenth century who followed Xavier to tbe East, or Nobrea to Paraguay: aud as we think of the zeal, and courage, mid sacrifice, and faith, and love of souls, and love of our Lord, if these were children of darkness, are we walking like children of the light T It is worthy a little serious considera tion whether our “clear views,” and committee*, and collections present, after a!!, so grand a spectacle or do so great a work as tbe brave and solemn enthusiasm of those great hearted men. L eternal Hfl more—a u “Nothing t| or loveth oi enter Henri r " trust Ij however g< to h*, as a nai life. < tt* teorh , for every one nil things kook of the •ii: 10.) ] have you r may be wa Lord’s ap|M>inting. Dream uot, in your o*n short-sighted wisdom, that, had you occupied some other or more prominent position; bad your talents' been greater, or worldly in flui-mc more extensive, you might have (fforifled your God iu a way which U at preseat denied to yo«. He can be served in tbe lowliest as well os in tbe most exalted stations. As tbe tiniest or smallest star in the world of nature reflects His glory as well as tbe giant mountain or blazing sun, so doe* he graciously own ami recognize the humblest effort of lowly love, no less than tbe uiudt lavish gifts which splendid au redly to preach. When a church gives their minister a competent rapport, they are vary sure to give him other tokens of lore aud kind regards, which will strengthen his hands for his work. The u«U way, and, 1 would ray, the greatest way, of helping your minister to preach, is by )*rarer* sod supplications. Yes, help him to preach hy your prayers. Paul, wxhortiug the Ephesian Christians to put 00 the whole armor of God, as the brat, and that which com plated ths panoply, says: “Pray ing always with all prayer rad sup plication ia the Spirit, and watch ing thereunto with all perseverance and supplication far all sainta; sod for me, that utterance may be grant, ed onto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to malm known the mystery of the I am an ambassador ia boods; that therein 1 may span* boldly will be grieved. When he sees the erase of Christ prospering—many being converted and added to the church, aud those that are in the church prayerful, aud zealous, and self-denying; sees them growing in grace, liecoming daily more pious and devoted °ot a sool-Lde: yoa are inflated >00 have si p< tad better revi flight of the I '“ORHDandmentH -talt love the tby heart, afi< l strengtl ith the notioi tet morality your evident t and second f the law, “ >rd thy God j soul, and arid thy neighl virtue,” &c. God our Maker, “re new us in the whole man after thine own image.” and holy; sees the church making headway against “the works of the devil,” putting down superstition, and error, -and prejudice, and bringing men into “the obedience of faith”—he is glad, wiflra h® w ‘ e8 brotherly love con tinuing, and cementing, aud beauti fying the church, he blesses God for it. When, on the other hand, be sees “the gates of Zion mourning, and her ways languishing because few come to her feests”—when he sees ignorance, and superstition, and error, and prejudice, and prayerloss- ucrh, and worldly-minded ness, and The Hecret of Happiue**, A negro in Virginia, who was reniarknbl* for hi* good sense and his knowledge of tbe SHsential truths of Christianity, and especially for his freedom of all gloomy fear* in regard to bis eternal state, was one* addressed in this wise? “You seem to be always com fortable in the hope of tbe gospel. I wish y<m could jell me bow yrail manage it, to keep so steadily in this biassed frame of mind.” “Why, mas sa,” he replied, “Ijmt fall fat om the promises, and I pray right ap f an answer that would do honor to tbe head and heart of a philosopher, and that contains it it the true secret of earthly happiness.’ "WIP; aud iM the light ot “Cntked *m every one I 'wifemeth not in all things wrl 111 lh e book Of tlal law.” Have God as mq< h, as unceasi ** the first-great command requt ave Y°o loved yc nr neighbor, j!°° r nei ghlH)r, tliff poor, dying ,eil » as mueh ab; the second mand require* %f \ And have riwnptied by tbat| dyc’ done for ** jour neigldwnuaii that ia wr n book of thd law f This just in ttie position he has see to aasifn yoa. “Let story Iff—'■IT says the apostle, “wherein he is cali ed, therein abide with Ood.” How ever limited your sphere, you may becocne a centre of holy influence* to Christ and 1 can not David affords