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ONE LORD. ONE FAITH, ONE BAPTI8M"—EPHE8IAN8 IV: 5.
NEW SERIES, VOL. 3 —NO. 26.
COLOMBIA, S.C.. FRIDAY, MARCH 3,* 1871.
OLD SERIES, VOL. V.~
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All remittance* and «
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Rev. A. R.
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Religi
God’s Hud in P
five linen,
tayable in
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cations to
D.D.,
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' CT '^ J - '
Revolutions.
\ '-1 \
Thepteseut unsettle 1 sti^te of Eu
rope will occupy the a tentiou of the
press and the iiolitical rqckl fur gome
to come. Foruu * eohventions,
boandaries aud treatie t will be over-
feaokd, the history of t iu psist evoked
as a guide for the fu □ ire, and w hat
has been made prophet e of what w ill
be. Euroi»ean monan hs will estab
lish things on a perm merit basis iu
their estimation, and arrange the re
lative status of the greater hnd lesser
^wers. : |
’ On the other hand, Ihe people will
’make calculations of Iheiir own, and
radical leaders laugh pt the fancied
permanence of the P
g signiftcantly
inake will oj
itself. In al
doubtless, will
tteretl, and great sa,
led. Both the know
nown qualities will
i and carefully « tia^atetl
But there is one t kig that the
statesmen, who contrt l the deis^uy
of cations, an^ the pj ess, that pro
fesses to understand Oie ! i»olicy of
Europe and forecast pi >1mblc events
turd complications in tl e future, nev-
1 er mention. They n sfrer intimate
Hhat God has anyth in j* id do in all
these mutations. Eve y mouarch or
i statesman has a poTie; except Him.
All these upheavings ir society, these
mighty battle fields a id change of
dynasties, are simply jaman events,
affecting orily haman|plAps. Eng-
policy in the last* Kussia’s
gns on Turkey, an keenly ecm-
«2«1 aud clearly p >rtrayed, but
Empire,
hat [the next
beneath the
there may
hutch truth
nnt|y exhibit-
hit^ the un
gravely con-
1 jod’s designs are not
;pe Surprised to see iu
One would
le editorials
yf the daily press, all fawns to the
peat plan of God to i lake all these
; Events and changes w o :k‘ directly to
i the Spread of gospel tn tit,'the extt*n-
ion of Christ’s Kingdo u. The King
gs is left out in a posting gov-
Kor when tin *, reteult clcar-
7 reveals what that de ilgu was, is it
■eferred to. From the ip Studied si-
ence on the subject, c ijo i would be
ed to believe that th sj looked ou
he earth as an old cloc £, Which Go«l
l»ad wound up once for 911, iiiul then
mt it in the hands of n nu to kee|> in
■epair and tinker as le fiked j He
‘ever interfered with i S machinery,
Ook no interest iu it4 movemehts.
pulpit and the r
^ke an entirely di
ther It is seen or
insist on the exis
and that it is
in harmony \vitl| fit.
utterances are re
&°od religions sentime
mind
view.
, they
of God’s
8tloirt to
Though
<fd as very
still there
: p no statesmanship in tliein.
It is very pious to talk about all
jhese changes and mq|hr$bns l>eing
m God’s providence, nlare wheels in
y* machinery workiugptifc the prob-
of tlie earth’s redim ptiou; but
•Statements shonli’bhkept dnt
<»binet meetings 'md couven-
|i called to delilie ■‘ate on the
of a continent. . tod yet the
areful student of lii^ ory can see
ij! ,(X ^ in 'every stage o tiationat de-
^ elopment. Reshlte i -ached after
®nch pains-taking, and rhich seemed
Improve to be only s ops in carry
S out a design of wh ;h they had
l 1 ®* dreamed. Scheme Set on foot
commercial]gain, res arches made
the cause j>f scieno , tiie daring
i°, Ventures traveierA seeking
• fame, or to gratify a restless
curiosity, are begun and ended with*
outpace thiukiugof God, aud yet they
ai*e all *e*n to work directiy towanU
eiurying out his great design to send
tbevioapel over the earth. Science '
itjoices over diseovertea op tlmj
Auuirou, or cxplomlioun in Africa,
or truths dug out of auvient ruins,
but sees only material good as the |
result Tell the meu who exhaust
their clergies anti risk life in such
labors, that they are working di
l-eotly Cur God aud the Gospel of his
fciou, aud they would.be astouishetl,
or amused.
H umtiwH not whether one he V
sceptic or not, he may believe the
Bible a fable and Christ au iinpos >
tor; yet, if he claims ordinary sa- ;
gaeity, truthfulness aud knowh‘dge
of history, he can not ignore the
effect of th© GotqH‘1 revelation in
moulding society, fixiug the doctrine
of human rights, and shaping Human >
governments. And yet, when aud j
where is it* recognized out of the
Church T It underlies and overtops
every thing, but is left out of political
calculations altogether. Th© great
central fact of humanity, it is yet
wholly overlooked. One would be
suprised to see it hold a prominent
place in a convention of the great
national pow’ers. 'And yet, what
would there be extraordinary in all
this! Tme, Christ’s kingdom is not
of this world, but the world is a part
of it. , “‘God rules over all,” i» a
Simple thet: but, so far as it has any
influence on national adjustments,
or the plans and policies of statea
men, it has no existence. It is piety
to add, ‘‘blessed for evermorebut
it is supreme folly to ignore the
former, fur it is constantly thrust iu
our faces, aud proved over ami over
again. Still it is tlodged with a
pertinacity and ingenuity that are
amazing. Statesmen acknow letlge
the political effect of a change of
government in Sjiaiu, but consider
the fact that Jt makes the Bible free,
a mere casual incident They con
ft'-sa that the unification of Italy will
produce a gre;d change in khirpyt^
and is jrTuost important event, but
that it allows the Gosjiel to be freely
preached, is a subordinate matter.
That miMX should suddenly b©
reduoed to a tkx*oml-da.*s jiower, ami
Prussia become a great empire, are
momentous events, and pregnant
with results of the gravest magni
tude; but that Protestantism should
ajl at once overshadow Roiuanism,
*s .
w a minor incident. They put Un
less for the greater, the means for.tbe
end. They wee only human ambi
tion or far-rearhiug diplomacy work
ing towards material, worldly ends,
and what gut* towards building up
God's k^igdom, arc mere overflows
that they can not avoid, and give
little attention to. They, revere©
the whole arrangement, never dream
iug that the overturning of thrones,
the disappearance of dynasties, and
all the mutations and changes that
«xx;upy their whole attention, are
themselves the mere overflows iu th©
carrying out of God's plan. Yet to
act, uot ou this belief, but on tins
great fact, does not coin© within the
range of statesmanship. It is left to
th© Christian, as belonging s**J* lv to
reiigiiflfc If the latter believe* that
kings are yet to b© nursing fathers,
and queens nursing mothers to the
church, it does n% harm. Still, it
would be simply superstition to suy
that the discovery of gold iu Califor
nia, and the rising of a grout Stati
on the Pacific coast, fc wen* not so
much to increase ouj- wealth and
enlarge oar««power and swell our
greatuess, as to knock down the
walls of China, ami do more than all
direct efforts put togctlier for the
lust fifty yeitrs, t« bring its millions
under the iuflueure of the Gos-
Tlie great, terrible fact, -that
though man has been 'cxjs-riuu-uting
siu.C© the world began, to establisli
lasting governments,' ne has failed
in every instance—will remain one,
until human governments and plans
come within those of God, and take
that subordinate place that boiougs
X ¥ Ob,
1 ^
to them.-
tuervrr.
SpeAk fob Cubist.—Every word
we speak for Christ is jxmring oi! on
the fires of gwre ia our own heart, I
and will make them bum with an
ardor other wi*e uukuown. The chiis
tian will find, that while, before he
commenced ttiis cbtjysc, be had a ■
thousand questionings and diflfleul-
ties, after he has done so, bt will
.scarcely have au hour's trouble with
himself. The truth seuug b> be this ;
Christ is so"Kind ana miexactiug a I
master, that he will not let his ser- ’
rants fight two bottles at on©ef if
they Will take the swoid aad go iuto
the enemy’s camp, he will keep the
citadel tor them; if they wul b©
.apout his business, he will set their
hearts entirely at rest.
irm wit''- •*“*•
Lather on Personal IbAinam
dr.l Holtnew
.lohn xiv. 25. 99. Thin le a very
consoling paseag©. Hs (the Holy
Ghost) will ©ome U> you and abide
with yon forsw. Mark i Ttmt < 'hrls
tendom has the promts© that the
Holy Spirit will Always be with her:»
ami not this alone, but that he will
teach and guide her to the laat day,
na we confess: I believe in the Holy
Ghost, and ia th© Holy < hristi.iu
charrb. Iiy this is teatitted, that the
Holy Ghost is with GhriatetMlom, and
makes her holy; namely, through
the word and the •©%< r»n»*nt. where
by he tuwnrd|f pesinom feith and
knowledge of Christ. These are
the instrnmeuts and means through
which be eonstaiitly purifies and |
(Utnctifles Christemlom: hence she h*
culled holy before God, uot on ae
count of what we ooreelves do or are
in ourselves, but boeana© the Holy
Spirit is given unto oa. These are
uot to In* de»|»iaed nor reacted. For
they are the means through which
the i-bristhtu ©hnn:It ia produced atul
preserved by the Holy b|iint, ami
then-fore ah© is, awl is called holy;
Utliough the> are comtaou and up
l>ear uuugutiicatiL, and are poawssrd
by rnauy, who alutse them and de
rive heresy iroui them, or have only
outward respect for them, whiir, in
heart, they are fltiso to them. Aad
os this proud*© is so lath* regard'd,
it comes to bs so despised, that men
think the Holy Hpii it is ap in hea\«-n,
ami we her© below mu.4 of oursclres
obtain his prescui© by our life and
works, if we would Iteeotne holy.
Ucuoe meu inveuted moutcry, sim!
said : - This ia a holy order. Ihee
are hol> father*." And yet they
uutde the matter so uncertain that
uo ou© could or darvd, oa hi* part,
to regard himself holy. This hi now
a loose Slid rottcu foiimlatmu. and a
vain boast, to call tbe order holy,
and yet uo on© person, if they should
all come together, can say, “1 am
holy r What a diabaliral kind of
holy order this is! A holy order
which makes no person holy! Oi
what service are they, then, except
to utter vain boast* am! to hinder
and keep men from acknowledging
and mg tb© true heitneaa wldch |
the liol> Ghost gives f
But the Christian ran, with truth
and reason, exult: I believe in the
Holy Ghost, who Makes me ami uli
believers holy. Therefore, 1 have a
holy order, not of Ht Kiaorasrus,
but of 4’bnst. wh*> makes ms holy
through bis word ami aaeraiaent.
God forbid, any these people of
monkish holiness, that I shoukl be
ao i*ohl; l am a poor stutter. Very
well, Uen go, run tn !tom«s •Immse
leni, or throngh all orders and ©has
ters, and see bow holy you will'
become. But this is saitl also, lie
cause if you were yourself holy, you
would uo( u**e«l the lioly Ghost; ImiI j
precisely becuu*© we are all sinner* :
ami impure in oumelves, tiiereforcj
must tiie Holy Ghost perform bin
work iu us. He gives us Christ’s
word ami baptisio, aud his power ia
addition, not only that wv may lie iu |
a holy ortler, but that we may also
be personally holy—but in this way
that you shall suy, Not from myself
aui 1 holy, but through the tdood of
Christ, by wlm h I am sprinkled, yea,;
washt*d in bupti*ui, that ia, through
his giMqiel, wbidi is daily prooouweed
over me. Tlieretore, such fsoimb,
IhU-, and nhaineful humility is uot
to be praised, that on nccouut oi thy
sins thou shouhlst not be holy, fur
this would be to deny Christ, and
baptinm, and the ehristiau church,
(wherein we come together with the
go*p«‘i to baptism and iMcnimeut.) ia
holy and has the lioly Hpint.
Consequently, we must disringuuih.
There are two kinds of holiness; or
being holy may he understood in
two ways. f j First, of and through
oursaive*. Bitch H» flint of the mo
iMxtir orders sml *M lf-ele©te<l clergy.
Tliis h holiness only in word ami
name ? but tn its ground false and
lying, ami before God nothing latt
sin ami stench. For in os and out
of ns grow nothing hut nnhoUrn-ts
and imparity. Be be a barefooted
or any other monk or work monger,
he is a condemned sinner, aeeording
to his birth feont Adam. Therefore, ;
I wW! neither from mywelf or for
rtly sake, nor from any man know
myself or boost of holincos; hut for *
this reason I t»»n hofy^ thftt writhoot ■
undonbtlng fkifh ami nnswerviug f
conscience I ©an say: Though I am
a siwnef, Christ is holy, with hi*
baptism, word, sacrament, and Holy
Spirit. This Is the only true hodness
which is given ns of God.
* s ‘ I* iw > * at* he ' *•
Therefore, learn from this text
how and where y oil are to seek the J
Uolj Spirit: not up kbor© th© clouds,
but then© where (Tutsi points him
out when Uo ssy*: ‘The Fstlii r will
send tlx: Holy CTuart, who shall
teach you all things and bring all
thing* to your ram^SpncO what
soever I ihave said tlUto yoll. ,, Tbero
Cow*, he most uot M tusln Shove, but
he sent down to Christians; aud he
who would find and obtain him mu*t
not Htam! gaping up, a* tf he soarod
above lb,, departed natnta, apostles,
martyrs, and virgin* Hut he is heir
below ou earth, just as Christendom
U on earth. For where it la, ther©
is be to be also at all times and
eternally j and * ©n wqaeutly is con
nected with the office and govern
pient of Chriotemloiu, vf word and
*u©rauirtit, that where it is th«we
if the Holy Spirit, and whoever
receives it receives him.* Through
this be operates, enlightens the heart, 1
gives the knowledge of Christ, that
is, faith, and, consequently, (Him
being sinner* he makes meu pure
ami holy.
This is our coin foe am! orndhlencc
that we can ourtaiuly aud with goml
reason exult and say; W© an* holy,
aud auMWig each other Indy bn-Um-u;
hero at Wittenberg, J<-rusalem, Rome,
and wherever holy baptism aud tho
g«M»pel are, eou regard each other as
God*# saint*. Although w© are yet
anuers »u«l have many infirmities
of flesh ami Ulood, yet if w« cliog
to Christ and deprn t u|mhi his Imp
Usui and blood be will cover np oar
sin and impurity, ami cause os to be
am ounted puna and Jioly before God.
Behold, In this wgjr «e are to regard
and honor tlu ©hristmn ©bunh, and
remote fh© filth w,‘tli which those
I wive br4aulird hst who have sp
plied this name only to departed
sools, aud to their nob and order*,
who, while they must nay in the
faith, “I believe In a holy Christian
rliurvh, th« rooimoaloti or ouign-ga
r««ni uf taints,*' yet think they dare
not Xml can not «*) this of suy
firing prihm. *. *
But if Wti .if* tJkrwuliws property
-» lu.lv eliurch, we most no more
doubt that we are holy than we most
doubt that we are bsjdised aud that
Christ’s blood is Him! for na If yon
believe thin, you mutt also confess
yottreelf as holy. For it is, indeed,
the Holy flliu4 who h**to«ft upon
yon Christ add hi* holme**— work*
faith in > on. It ts imleed true that
tbe Holy Kpirit lets Christian* oecu
Mun.»Br err, stumlde and fall, and
lets sin remain; xml does it even
for thi» reason, that we may not
have eotoplareocj it) ourselvca, as
if we were of ouraelves holy, bat
that w© innr teeru what we are, and
:n»m whom we have holiness; else
we wonhl beromr pn>o«l and rash.
[Lsilrris Boris.
Halt.plyicg Prtxchsrs.
Pisfruor Park thus eonrlmles an
article in the .latinary number of the
RiNkrthtro Norm :
“How dull we multiply (he num
ber of preachers t By a better life
In thoue who ure already pmu her*;
not iu preo4*h« r* of that other land,
bm of this laud ; uot hi the preach
era of Ofir rinrtlham Slat©*, but of
the State in which we live; not In
the {ireaebera of that other sect,' but
in na -4n every preacher himself, ft
is tbi* rarnentneus in oar oflk-e, not
merely await ©filer u.iportant fur the
art* and wlriicca, for th© army and
the navy. for court* nod legislature*,,
for the republic; hut as an ©dire
netdfinl for that which are spedh cd
sb often that we are apt to tear the
meaning of our « ar*b*—tbe eternal
welfare ui the individual sonl. It
Is this spiritual etithiishuun which
is needful for even interpreting these
simple Wonts of our Redeemer:—
‘This harveat’^the mysterious liar
rvst of the* roses of tibarou, th© trees
of the IdKri—Ha pfcnteuM*— who
can msMore Its Muns aud dorabit-
ily f—‘bat the lalwrer*’—how rare
u refluemeut in the .work of these
lulw>nvw—*are few.’ It is this godly
miiul, wytiqnuluzuig witli tin- mind
of Jesus, and forming the first,
second, mid third iwcsutiws for adopt
ing his mettMxi of supplying oar
want of mtwisters: ‘Pray ye, there
fore’—and with prayer rdher devices,
will succeed; without prayer, will
fail, and without a self-sacrificing
spirit we oan not pray—‘ts the Lord
of th# harvest, that be will send’—
ter do not send—‘laborers'—arbat a
ma>*sty iu sne-h laborers, csdled of
God—‘into hi* harvest,’ for H is not
our harvest; for Him earth ia the
IjrmBa, and the felines* thereoffor
*ti»© boas* of Israel is the vineyard
of the Lord, ami the men ot Judah
Preaching th* Oospsl ts tbe Poor.
{ One of th© evidences of the divinity
of tlie gospel, as stated by th© Havtonr
himself, to that It is preached to the
poor. Th© poor are honorably men
turned in both the Old and New
Testament*. They constitute the
great majority of onr race. They
have the same right lo the gospel
as other Hasses. It was intended
for them as well m others. It is
adapted to them, and they have
•qweial need of its consolations and
Hupport*. Ko ©hrisrian can then
doubt that is the doty of the church
to preseh the gospel to the poor.
Any clitinTi that foils of this, neg
lect* what it is specially commuiHled
to do; and sooner or later its can
dtesttek will lie removed out of its
idaccw
Home church©* are more faithful,
or, at least, more stieeeonfol, in
bringing religion* knowhslge to The
poor than other*. Nor Is H the lea*
orthodox that have been most defi
©teat in this dnty. Tbe Roman
GatbolirCbueHi does reach the poor.
With all her jwrrnreionH of God>
truth and ohaervanoes, she does
gather to her bosom all, evea the
lowest and moat abject, of I’o|M»h
enuutriea. Let her hare her due.
It would be well if ProtCMtawts
wo«M follow her example in this
respect. The Cfcueeb of Hoot tend,
from the day* of John Knox down
to recent time*, taught the troth tn
the whole jwopte, and to no country
eotild be ft Hind a people more Intel
Irctuxl. tiwg© moral, more reiigfoas,
more energHic, than th© Scotch
The Chsreh of Ragland has, la a
great measure, foiled in preaching
the gtuqwl to tbs poor. The most of
what has hero dupe in that nouotn
for the ifumsNi has U«ea done by
In lYntaia, tbe poor
afiivtaaily readhtei by all
tha Mtuistratteas of the chureh than
ta say other IYotewtaat tead. The
law requires, and Oh* law Is enforced,
that every one born iu the tend
fasrept of Jtewieh pareuta) shall sot
only profess but be taught tbcGhrfw
Mm rehgfoa. Whatever repulsion
we may feel to s Mtate Church end
to this compulsory profession of
chri«t1»«tt>, still it is true that the
onmttxai |ieo|ile throng the churches
of IVasste. siwl the tiersnsns are
well instracted in the element* of
reNgfoos kaow ledge.
In this country, the work uf even
geh/stiou is out ta the hands of the
Rtate, or of any one denomination
Tbe duty^ biading upon all deuom
inationt, and ft may be wHI to in
quire how they have "performed it.
KpireopatiattS ami f'nitari.ws ad
dress themsHve* shuost exclusively
to the IntHligent and wealthy : liap
tiris and Lmheratt* havn nothing to
boaat of In this regard; Methodists,
more than si! other* hare preached
the gospel to tbe poor. Wesley com
atemwd hi# ministry by preaching
to the loaner rlaase*. and he organ
bsetl and put lu operation a sy stem
iu which great prominence was given
to this object. Ilia follower* iu this
country and to this day have carried
oat his plan, Mid the inflococe that
ha* Iren brought to bear upon the
m%mn and th© good that has been
©tfected a«MM9g th. m by the Metho
diet* is inealctilahie. Hot what shall
we say of Presbyterian# f We vrlHi
we could write that they are pre
eminent for their foithfolnees and
iMfceews in this work. But we are
constrained to say that tbe Presby
ter fou Chureh is not the chtrreh for
tlie |hkw in this country. We do not
mean that the masses arc entirety
negtetted, ur that much lias not Iwen
done ia particular laoMlire; but we
do mean to say that they are not
folly reached. Nor is this for tbe
want of ehristiau arol or Uherality
mi the part either of ministers or
puople. But tbe fault ts in our
system, which does not make ade
quate provision for the religion*
instruction (4 th# |>oor. Presby
terians ©arty adopted In this country,
ami have always adhered to th©
principle, that, as s general role, a
minister should look for hisaupport
to the particular congregation to
which he preaches. This, in a single
sentence, is th© caas© of that Presby
terian inefficiency which tbe intel
ligent among ns see and deplore, and
which is attributed to a hundred
snare©*, bat seldom to the right one.
Th© evil is not in onr Gulvinistse
doctrine*, or in aar Presbyterian
government, or in oar educated
ministry, but in th© want of a right
scriptural phm by which to operate.
W# have done much for domestic
missum* in the agricultural districts,
aud many of th© uneaml for in largo
cities have been reached by city
inifMtonN and chapel*. Bat we do
not have a system that Is feasible
nud gcnaral—applicable to the whole
church, gathering up tfo widely
diffused talent and benevolence and
zmij and oonaentrmthig them with
all their fore© upon the work of
preaching th© gospel to the poor.
JSTo local cborob, however intelligent
or reakms or wealthy, that segre
gates itself from others, supporting
its own iNistor and caring for the
floor in its immediate neighborhood,
and that ©limed* its main strength
in this home work, coo have th©
ideasing of th© Master or f&ly de
velop© the grace of its members.
What the Presbyterian Church has
don© for the niasaes in this country
has been in spite of its plan of every
<‘burcli supporting its own ministry,
aid not as the result of its ofieration.
The hiteliigent seal and charity of
both tnwiMtors ami |>eopI© would ran
over into th© region beyond, though
there wiu no channel opened out
through which they would naturally
flow. The j»oor can not support
their own preachers; if the gospel
is brought to them, it must be by
those who derive their support from
some other Hource. This support
should be furnished by the church
at large.
We will have more to say of this
matter, which is in the highest sense
a ‘qweaeot troth, 9 and involving the
very life of our Presbyterian Church
and the beet interests of millions
of souls. W© claim no originality
for what is here written, but have
derived ft mainly from an article in
the January number of the Princeton
fierier, by Ih\ Hodge, which most
excellent article is a reproduction
from the writings of I>r. Chalmers—
J. O. L-, in mdjffcru* and Index.
How a Good Work Grew.
It was in the early twilight of a
wintry* morning iu 1825, that the
ageut of the Tract .Society, then ex-
i*thig at Boston, entered tbe store
of Arthur Tnppac, silk merchant in
Peart street. New York, to confer
as to uniting the several Tract So-
<*1©tie*, of this country, in - one na
tional institution. Tbe prayer* and
non use! of oilier* were enlisted; four
gentlemen gave 140.000, to which
$15,000 more were added to erect
a building in New 'York where it
might tronaart it* business.
Hath meu as the Her. l)rW Mil
uor, Knox, Eduards, Spring, Som-
tnen and Bntnmerfield enlisted in
it | -the Society was organised, aud
the work was begun without a dol
lar in hand to rapport its benevolent
design. Its founder* put their own
shoakiers to the work, in labor* and
contribution*: tbe Christian commu
nity aaw that a blowing was in it,
nod gave such a vigorous co-oper
ation, that in eleven years it hod
eleven hundred branches and aox-
Mferiea, which paid to the Society
that year #49,000. It had then is-
sued 50 volumes, 750 smaller book*
and tracts, and ita receipts exceeded
$100,000. In tbe earlier years, im
bibing the spirit of Harlan Page,
the effort was, by soul-saving labors
in tract visitation, to reach ©very
ammible soul iu oar own laud, or
among tbe heathen. Then came the
special outpouring of the Spirit in
1831, followed by effort© to in taxi ace
the Society’s evangelical volume#
into every family, north, south, east
and west. , Rev. l>r. Phuner at the
Sooth, Seely Wood iu the North and
West, and afterwards Rev. Mr. Cook,
Secretary, and others labored in this
volume circulation with heroic, un
tiring energy and success; the col
porteur system wa* introduced in
which hundreds of laborers drew out
the co-operation of iiastors and peo
ple till multitudes were reached and
blessed. Mr. Jonathan Cross, labor
ing in the Southern States, especial
ly among the neglected millions of
the great Alleghany range, reported
four thou*ainl souls added to the
church in Uiohc States within a sin
gle year, mainly in connection with
tlie Society’* labors. AU thi* was
done by drawing ont voluntary Chris
tian oo-operation, not only in giviug,
but tn persoual distributions and la
bors for the salvation*of men, thus
strengthening the hands of all faith
fu! {tastora, and extending the Gos
pel for and wide in tbe existing mor
al desolations. p >/
Be great was the interest awaken
ed in the churches generally, that
rite sbntribnrion* distinctly desig
nated for oolportage and received
into the Society’s treasury hare ex
ceeded $680,000. <C-
The nahre than $3,500,000 contrib
uted to tbe American Tract Society
by thirty thousand life director* and
P
life members and others, ha* been
given for the express purpose of car
rying on this great spiritual work
for the glory of Christ in the salva
tion of men at home and abroad. To
this great end all ita energies most
ever be sacredly devoted, aad the
cordial and prayerful co-operation of
all the friends of Zion is earnestly
invoked.
-Kf; r-te
Swallowimg the Bible.
A colporteur, who was traveling
through Ireland for the purpose of
circulating the word of God and
tracts, was one night hospitably en
tertained at the boose of a gentle-
man near the mountain* of Kerry.
On the following morning he and
hi* host, while looking together over
the wild and beautiful country around
them, observed a shepherd tending
some sheep at a little distance.
“There is Peter,” said the gentle
nan, pointing him out to the notice
of tbe colporteur, “he is one of the
shrewdest characters that we have
in the district*
This remark made the colporteur
curious to know something of the
shepherd, aud he soon after went to
where he was, entered iuto conversa
tion with him, and gave him a tract
in the Irish language.
Borne weeks passed, and he and
Peter met again.' The colporteur
inquired how he had liked the tract,
and Peter’s strange reply was, u l
have swallowed it!*
“Well, Peter, if I now give yon an
Irish Bible, will yon swallow that
also r
“Yea, sir; but I won’t be in your
honoris debt for it; JPU bay it from
you. What’s the price, sirt*
The colporteur replied, “The price
1 ask is this: when God shall strike
the light and love of it into your
heart, that yon will teach six men
like yourself to love the Bible.*' Pe
ter agreed to accept it on these
terms.
Some time went by, and the col
porteur, accompanied by an Eng
lishman, hod occasion to cross the
Kerry mountains. They set out on
this undertaking just as day began
to dawn. They had not proceeded
far when they saw a countryman ou
the way before them, and the colpor
teur recognized him at once as Peter,
who also knew him, and exclaimed,
“Is it you, sir! Your reverejoe is
welcome so early.”
" “Thank you, Peter; what are yon
doing here so early 7*
“I am doing what is honest, your
reverence. I am paying for the
book.*
“How is that F asked the colpor
teur.
“Come on, sir, and yon shall see.”
On they went, aud soon reached
the top of the mountain. I was now
broad daylight. Peter led them to
a haystack, and behind it were six
Roman Catholic men—far away from
the eye of their priest, who would
keep from them the word of life—
waiting for their friend Peter to teach
them to read it
Was it only the wooden cross,
which the Cyreniau was able to bear
after him, under which the Man of
Sorrows wearied and feinted f Was
there not in Gethsemane a weighty
cross, reaching from earth to heaven,
burdened with the sins of all people
and nations, which"a Father’s hand
was pressing down upon the should
ers of the Saviour so that he sweat
as it were great drops ,of blood, and
the still night air trembled with the
cry of his bitter agony f And again,
when the work of torture is com
pleted—no angel having bid the
knife be stayed, as in the case of
Isaac—there goes out with His life
the cry, “My God; my God, why
hast thou forsaken me f and He in
whom and through whom so much
has been promised sleeps iu the
tomb; and despairing disciples mur-
ranr, “We trusted it had
He
who should have redeemed Israel.’’
Faith whispers faintly to a few, “God
will provide.'’ And in the resurrec
tion, without which all prophecies,
and promises, and even the death or
Christ itself, would hare been of no
avail, through feith tbe cross tri
umphs.
There is a cross for every Christian
—something which rends flesh and
soul—and Jesus has said if we bear
it not after him we are not worthy
of him. But let us take up some
lighter thing in its stead and mag
nify it, nor shrink and falter when
the burden seems heavy the way
long. Boon feith will be lost in sigh t,
tears in praise, grief in joy, and
crosses will be exchanged fin; crowns.
Let «* not complain, nor claim merit
for cross-bearing, while discharg
ing duties which should be esteem
ed among onr most precious privi*
Utter? ■ >■