The Lutheran visitor. (Columbia, S.C.) 1869-1904, April 26, 1872, Image 1
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~C., March 1,1872.
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W SERIKS. VOL. 4.—N0. 33.
"ONE LORD. ONE FAITH, ONE BAPTI8M"-EPHE8IAN8 IV: 5
COLUMBIA, S.C., FRIDAY. APRIL 20. 1872.
OLD SERIES. VOL. V.--N0. 189,
Religious.
For the Lutheran Visitor.
Ifcon Feriuadeit Me to be a
Christian
,*
eA
m
with
rtis was an expression made by
I It is not the Ian.
God. We are not to snp-
at Pe regards any one as
a christiau. His word recog
t two classes—saints and
righteous and the wick-
boooever is not lor me. is
ne* There is no middle
Whatever positiou a man
he must either be the fr^ud
,v of Christ according to the
of his word. He may
a fair character in the rati
of the world, and approach
the gate of heaves, bat
want of one single decisive
may make an eternal ship-
of his salvation,
that yotug inau walking along
in all the vigor and cheer-
of yooth. He knows no
care; be is in the midst of
r and plenty. The world is
all around bin. He has no
ts of to-morrow, much less
world to oome. l oexpected-
meets a fhuerul procession,
the badges of mourning;
and silent walk of moorn-
torns and follows them to
yard. There hears the
and sees the tears of weeping
He looks into the gaping
and sees the coffin let down,
the rattling clods rum-
npon it After the fanenU
are over he returns to his
a sad and heavy heart,
reflects that he may soon pass
a similar scene. He repairs
and tries to pray. He poors
heart and weepe bitter tears
; be is almost a Christian,
step might bring him to
vionr. At that moment there
at his door. A friend calls
him. He wipes away his
drives away his serious 1
; smothers bis feelings, anil
them from bis unconscious
They walk out together,
a short time lie is in the ball
or at tbe card table, or at the
shop! Now must this young
be lost! Must he go to ruin
wtyi heaven is almost in sight—
vhli be had almost a glimpse of
Paulwe, and was just ready to step
inti t!
'0P case of Lord Littletou, the
, is to tbe point here. It is
**4 i that on one occasion be was
erwbeltned by a sense of his
that be resolved to kneel down
room aud implore God’s par
mercy. He arose from his
let down his window curtain,
t moment a band of music
along the street. His atten-
was diverted; his serious im-
P**M»on8 left him, aid on his dying
acknowledged that he never
near the kingdom of heaven
that occasion, j
t »|to be lost under such circum-
when the band was just
to grasp the crown df fadeless
; when the lip was just ready
of the banquet of the Iamb!
it be ! Yes, there is only oue
of salvation. That way is
marked out, and the eom-
(Whl is, “Walk ye in it." “Except
Man be born again! be can not see
tb«kingdom of Heaven.*
Franke.
m +< .4-. ■
Workers we Need.—What
Thi OsasUat la Christianity
Some time since 1 read an article
m the iViacwton hrr teu - y entitled
“The Variable and the Constant iu
Christiau Apology.* It set me to
tbiuking about the “constant* things
of Christianity; aud A found a good
muuy things to comfort aud stay me
iu the uiidai of the si^ieuiug uncer
tainty of theoe disjointed times. H
may be tbe same things wltiuh com
forted roe way eomfort others, la
hope that ll may be so, 1 will write
dowu a lew of the things that 1
thought about.
m. with all its
guilt, aud .«Pl
ain! ill heaven and
with peace—bis active
the mi) men tenons cones of eternal
lift; his sympathy and love stronger
than death j his inlrrerntou, the
chief canoe of stability ta grace, are
all constant things in Christianity —
things that no power in the universe
can make other than what they era,
or less constantly potent to save.
V. All tbe
I
Tuna rswisimv, caaaiMi iTT *si» 41.
lUXWli III
Their are timer who dewy Uac pus
•ibitity of miracle*, derlariag God
la nature, nature »• God. Others
twfer tbrm to a higher law, and
think there are brings of Mifretsul
intelligence who can look spun this
world and other worlds, sad from a
wkler range than wo command da
agreement suggest* ooUmUon. AH
these records show the authenticity of
Christ’* miracles. If we conkl mm
moa Mart or Lake they nook! clear
up every discrepancy in • moment.
Was it ever known that awn prae
tired fraud sad falsehood for the
sake of piety and benevolence T If
a man cea believe that, hr can swal
low all the miracle*
Tbs Preaching that flees Good
What the Apostle calls the “tool-
ishnee* of preaching* is a menus
appuiutod of God to save souls, aud
ministers of the Gospel have iVir
<ommission directly from Him. To
deliver his message so as to attract
aud save souk should be the preach
er's great aim. The turn}dost, and
•luce a law of mil
the work!
other*, that
Rome who dewy the truth of mini most straight for ward presents turn of
dee inform ne that the raising of it must be the most effective, for the
our
more
soil
IB !
At
tior
arches need most is a class of
ve toilers who work for
from the sheer love they bear
Spasmodic piety—that bents
revival seasons, and blaze for
•eeks like a bontire—is coui-
® 0B ^ottgh. It is as cheap, too, as
* mavingg^ which boys burn in
te- We pastors grow weary
y 1 There is a type of godliness
of Caleb, who “followed
e Iord fully,” which •every pastor
in as a w i»er))etual least.*
^lfcSf 8taiD8 1 ,at are he
akfctiL t * 1< * l>ra ^ er n,et ‘ tiu K H on raii^v
aud even when the spiritual
J^ere is cold as tjie wintry
Itr m ^kokt. T^iy cau swiiii “up
ai,d against strong currents
*j^hLes8. They do; not make
ucb noi8e during their meek, uu
lives, but when they are
iow we miss them !
his Bible as impaired by
with falleu humanity—was, as a
whole, a coosuul thing. U comes
to us as a remedial scheme, pro pus
iug to be a perfect remedy for all
the terrible disorders of fallon hu
mauity, claiming our aoco|>tsAM.v and
confidence for that purpose, it it
be not evidently couetaat, bow can
we accept it! how can we ooalide in
it! The. laws which govern our
intellectual nature demand n convic
tion of constancy and competency
both, as a ground of coohlfwe.
That couvictiou must be the result
of evklonce or exparteam*. If ehria*
tianity has not obviows, evident con
stancy—if it be not evidently divine
and immutable—it can not command
oar confidence. *
II. Bnt I asked myself tbe quea
tion, what do yea include in the
comprehensive idea of Christianity
to which you affix the attribute of
constancy T I include in it, as the
first great thing, the purpose of God
to save sinners bye Jeoas Christ.
This is the thing the Apostle con
templates as tbe foundation of all
Christian blessing*. Eph. 1: 3, 4.—
“Blessed be tbe God sod Esther of
Lord Jeans Christ, who hath
with all spirito*l btesniugs
in Christ Jeans: According ss be
bath chosen os in him, before tbe
foundation «jf the world, that we
should be holy and without blame
before him in love.* That “cbuoaiug
us in him* is tbs first great thing of
Christianity. . It is the beginning.
There is where ctorintiauitv begin*.
It is a poo that tkimg God batkls the
whole supenirariore of salvation by
gnu*'. All the blew*lags of grace,
with which he ever blesses anybody,
are according to that thing—“ac
cording as he hath chosen us is"
Christ Jesus. This is a constant
thing. The foondatiou of God stand*
etli sore, having this fouadsliau,
tbe Lord knoweth them that are
bis.* The constancy of that thing
is guaranteed by the whole moral
character of God, and by his physi
cal power.
III. 1 include iu the gvotvsi idea
of ebristinuity tbe plan of salvation.
By the plan of salvation 1 mean the
way or method by which God has
ordained to effect salvation. That
way is. heaven or eternal life is to be
merited by good works. Hell in to
be escaped by a sufficient atonement.
But an msu cau neither do good
works whereby to “enter into life,"
uor make aq atonement for bis sin*,
that would have it possible for him
todiv* alter it, the plan is Jesus
Christ, lising legally identified with
mau by the choosing referred to
above, and fitted out with a human
nature for that purpose* did the good
works, aud made the atonement
necessary; aud uow mau hi to gain
heaven—uot merit it—by “believiug
on Jesus Christ,” which is sobotau
ttally bis electiug or voting for Jesus
ty ore constant things. This indeed PI I i
iwn not b» Mbw.ur TV *“* <*« »
petal loss of Im- 1 s m ratal urns that »rr "* " ^ * * 1> ®***thiug moostesos • Mir-
! I Itawb W fSM), « ^ —
God mole it ,.ud iwm.jtr.1 U | ^ wiral n( T«.«l
uU ^ make them iu»t whal thee are It l *° U,, “ 1
rhwnl ”»> “> *J- ta, » *“■« -T
ty. "The* eh*U hwe IV lewd thy 1 ,
tied* V TV rrtMh... riMla, 1. r«,wrl to IV etrdlUht v A
bM.ne. God IV (V <““■*> »>••• *«U
of .11 tk» K s himI ... IV ,k * <* «(Vr. w fro* In.
tV dr|.'.iV>l of 4iotl 10, "* “ • rl “ r *> »“'• *“■» **“
,,, n,, n.whrm of <kv °* ut * tn 111 > T *»*d M w VI) rail
doctrine. * Krwy existing
n jmrf he played him
self; that hr pot oo grave clothes
and was pot olive in the grave or
tomb, to which Christ coming, sup
posing him dcad, expresses his grief
Lazarus, hearing steps, comes forth
alive, and lo! they publish it abroad
Go»| ad docs not need any overlaying
of argument or rhetoric to make it
attractive. Naturally religion has
the strongest hold upon humanity.
U is the subject. like death, it line
s common interest for all of Adam’s
race, hot unlike death it roaches be
makes a doctrine a revelation of
doty | and that durtrini eon not be
changed whilst the re)allow remains I
unchanged It is held that every
thing moral is a urban gen Me. The
moral law Is brkl to he ImmataMe
because it la moral. Kcerv Latrine
w I
is moral—to moral law, intended to
rale tbe frith and practice of man.
and therefore con not‘bnt be con
stout. One of the meet perrtcos
revels t ions of the Hi Me K “Fbr?
ever, O Lonl, thy word ta wrfthd
in heaven." This tdr* of the
stam y or iuimotoMHty of alt 4 red** J
doctrines is the rromrn of tbe
warning in the Iftth and Itrii v
of the last chapter of Kevetatmn
VI. The oiler of eternal lifr
frllen man Is s constant thing,
the end which it proposes—sail atioii;
In the menus b> nhkh that end is
to be gained—tfo righteonsncwi «»f
Jeans Christ; ini in the cundiUuns
that Christ performed a miracle sad >ond the bound of lifo and links us
raised Laasrss from the dead, tf vitii the llirane of God. The modest,
the alternative in regard to those «»«•* unlettered wretch that breathes
miracles is so !m|*iasiMr, then Jeans has an instinct of his immortality
is God and the disciples are true 1 aud craves some light on the path
men. The Christ that Kenan pic beyood the grave,
tores no artist woold take for a Bo much of the proacbsrk work
model. TV qocstion is naked, How thru is already done for him
did thusr magicians withstand Mo iu the fact that the transcendent
sea f They withstood turn for a importance of his subject is umver-
time. TV Lord made the land leap uaUy felt and acknowledged as ap-
with animal lift* and the dust moved pealing to uiau’a deepest wants and
alive. A miracle! nr lured the exciting bis highest hopes—the woo-
water to blood and the magicians der is that more is not effected, that
dkl oo with their cochantmenU, bat ] «wo ***' women in Christian lauds
it was by sow* limited and delegated ' *it so moved and the Gospel remains
power. Each of these times Moses ‘hid* to them.
tokl what he was going lo do.' w hst ws need is more simpliciry
, Coo Id they not have got a pailful or •« the polpit. and more sympathy
with the relation Iwtseeu {m6 t It was an easy amt ‘ the msKsea. Ottr
Riun ws an- able to get such aa in
sftelK-nblr ooluctai that wo aio
aiUiag to nsk oar lixsa fur it. la
the rxiatrocr of miradea then need
r # '
aot be any infringement of cause
and effect; three need not br an in
I vr mission of the uidmary methods
when there i* a new cansr and effect.
When a new |*er«oo u burn into the
world hr doss not interfore with
those alrwodj them- As abmdntoly
new rreatioa in the world
interfere
things already created. We ssarrt
that miracles sir s Csllhlui reount of
fret* that actually
of the clearest aOthroUciti
validity, lien a a sonrty bound
togrthei by oar mnowi Urltef that
aflket* the views uni Suaduct of all
tu | l*rlonging to it' t they abandon
lO *!*■* .L.lui. — -—* ilk. Op I
lee; they had
of
of
prearben
bat, ol
did
srrpt-nts h»ve their aadieoce not merely
to per* ■■ “dying sinoers" whom they yearn
aud craft; 10 save from God's wrath, bat as
tell what fellow men. a* brethren. What a
fur
ho waa ts psrform in the idagor of' |*ower went with the Roman's words,
u.
They i when be cried oat In the forum: “1
* too am a man." -There is something
the her, they mold mil do
ware at their wits end
“TV finger of God M in this." I j »■ G»ts broad and
believe the
of leperdei
They were aot mtrack- worker*. Mir
performed to prove the
cisul wrought tricks >
of haUts and
their telirt is aartive to
holier U«e* *ud self dialing
and it raise* them above lie
drath itself. It »s the puwet of (*ud
of salvation—receiving amt testing u||tu Ovation « htmt-Jesus t* the
on ( hrvst alone (»t xal\‘t is cow Head of the Church, apd the Utw ol' ^^ «ho did U ^Ml mit *
fnhR*hflnw*Hy ffM, IfH ll^ throbs and lmats tbrowgh ^ ^ put to death God wold eork^ We
all her Bx uiU-tx This belief is the 1
ikm of a
roeogni
humanity that
tV circle of a man's
audience ^Hke the electric current.
It need not he outspoken in words;
constant. “Ho every one that thirst
etli. come ye to the waters, am! he
that hath no money, conn, yea,
couie. boy wine and milk without
nonr) ami without prio-," Is the
ever not standing proclamation of
Grace. This is **th«* everlaatlng Go*
pel. Some by Ibr angel of th*- one
uant athwkrt the heavens, to be
•ii sri ■H-Miirrx ibw uriin I*
mightiest power ta the world, how
ever weak U may br compared with
«hs| it might be. There is a |
dertnl uaaaimity m the brlief i
life and death of Jrw» < 'hrist.
Thm wbu bcileve it are called
Christian*. Men have held thi* frith
with great i-insstans in ages past ;
they have died for it; and
preached to them that dwell upon {Ur> ^.4^ fre it; and men lira
the earth, and to even nation, and ; 0 day prepared to die lor it, if seed
kingdom, ami tongue, and people "~ ^ Ws ask, Whme is tV origin of
8rw. xiv: ff. It U the wsc l« the ^ mighty frith? The owe big,
inhabitant* of Europe, A«.i*. Africa, j^dpabk, treamndmis fart ia, the
and tV inlands of tV sea. that it In Hon of trial dal U;tfmH,sVdidr
to u*. It is the sunn now—oflhnug Bridge the centuries. Your fathers
the same salvation—tbe same plan ^ suKher^ behaved it, aad their
of salvation the same condition* of alH ] .^bers Vlirveff it; and
sahstioii, and with all the •inccitlv m ,gg ean tu back to the first
.no troth ,h.t It Aid right, ^ „ (to.l th.
tion* ago. records telling the same story. We
VII. The peace of Jeans l hnst, find them breaking bread and drink
oue of tV glorious things at chns mg wine at the Lord** Supper as we
tianity, ia a constant thing. “My do today. In the firm century they
peace I give unto you." Tbe |teaee bad no doubt about it, and it has
of Jesus Christ is a *tal« ol reruu gnor on from criitnry to century
ciliatioo between Go*l and all be 1
lie vers. Between Gml and all be
lievers t lie re is friendship—oonuuu
on
with no break in tV link. At that
1
time DM) were obedient to the
faith, and they were men of Irani
All
our employments are to be
ited to God. Bueiness may
«» holy as prayer/ The
***** should never
de it from devoti
>n can not be ca
p'ment, there must be some-
[wrong iu tnc character of the
pi »,}ci. 1 ur
>r attempt to
otipn. If our
irried iuto onr
l 1
nion—free ('ominuoion—fellowship., iog, geuius ami power.
God is tbe believers friend, aud the
believer ia God’s friend. They have
friendly ami endearing intercourse
with oue another. “Being justified
by faith we have |**a«r with God
through our land Jean- I’hrist."
This |»eaue is a constant thing of
Christianity. Wherever true ebris
tianity is, and pusssaae* tbe mind
and heart of mau. there will be n
Christ as bis federal uiau and repre- s**n*w* ol peace. I nder its offiemting
sedative. Further, it is a port of
tbe plau that those whom Christ is
to save, being “dead iu trespaases
aud sins," must be quickened or re
generated; aud this must be done
by tbe word and spirit of God; and
as the regenerate man has not bis
way in himself, and cau neither of
himself grow iu grace, nor even cou
tiuue in it at all, he is “to* be kept
by tbe power of God through faith
unto salvation." This is God's plau
of salvation. It is coustant. It
has never bceu changed. Every
body that has ever been saved has
been saved by this plan. Adaui
was saved by it, if saved at all. By
it, every son aud daughter of Adam
that is now iu heaven, has been
saved. By it will 8e saved every
one that ever will be saved, “There
is no other name under heaven
giveu among men, whereby we must
be saved." t .
IV. The provisions of grace are
things included in tbe general idea beantiffclly exproffiflff his faith:
of Christianity that are constant, sus has promised to carry tbe lamia
Christ aud bis mediatorship are cou- in his anus, and us I am only a little
stant tbiugs. That part of his tnedi- boy it will be easier tor Jeans to
atonal work which is done—bis coitv me."
4, gi vmtatui v t. ^ *k.,'* •**•* * c
power tbe man looks up and says,
“my Father, thou art tbe guide of
my yooth.** If we sometime* lose
our sense of peace with God, It is
uot because Christianity has not al
ways pence with it, lot because we
bave not always living Christianity
with us. “My (icoee I give nnto
yon : not as tbe world giveth give
1 onto you." The gift* and favor of
the world are fickle and inconstant;
fhrial’s gifts are all constant.
Do not all these glorious troths re
commend Christianity as a constant
fountain of comfort and strength f
Onglit not tbe inconstancy of all
earthly tbiugs to urge us to accept
and fondly cherish Christianity!
The God of Christianity is constant.
The man Christ Jesus of Christianity
is constant. Christianity is constant.
Why has it so little favor with mail!
K. A. K.
A CffTLDto Faith.—A child thus
t'knst died and rose agatu. and
upou those who crucified him the
disciple* charged home the foul
crime of murder, declaring them
worse than rvgtrtdcs—deienk*—and
tho*e fact* have been woveu into so
rial life and into all things. When
God weaves lie a eaves woll. These
things cau sever be destroyed from
tbe woof ot Iile till yon horn the
globe. That tbcau miracle*—fecdiug
the multitude of hungry men, rais
ing the dead, Christ himself rising
from the dead should have been
received and believed, can only be
explained on the ground of undents
bte troth aud irrefragable testimony.
If the miracle* were collaaioa, craft
aud imposture, would they have
been approved by ('hrist himselft
Conkl He, a good man and true, go
so low as that f Is Jeans of Naza
reth merely man or God, to be be
lieved! Tbe question ia reduced to
that. The character of Jeaus and
the truth of miracles rise or fall
together. If wrought by him and
his diaeipks as proof of his divinity,
they are to be believed; if not, they
are on imposture and mankind the
dupes t If true, Jeans is the Havioor
of tbe world! There is no being in
bistory ot whom there ooukl be
maintained tbe perfection of charac
ter that we find in Jeans Christ in
all parity, holiness and troth I Is
la* to be aligmatised with false
hood ami the Apostle* to he held
divinity of tk KeieUuon. If a j H* speakers eye, and tbe tones of
«u wrought oootrary to the \ hi* voice will pot him in sympathy
with bis hearer*, i too mm * whin.
hare a common orgin, a common
He i* the name | Mood, common passions, common
God. Nature aad mau are the same, want* and a common destiny. Lri
Hot w« have Jeaus Chnd aud hi* os love one another. listen to me,
iu*Ltuuuu*s and wc do not need the • "inner saved by grace and longing
(•roof uf mirarisw. for your salvation. Hear the old
Let each one iff you seek to be
utMkd of the validity of your on
aptnUud Ufr. Be sure that the mir
adr of spiritual iuterveoUou has
taken place ia yon and that yon
have here renewed by the Holy
Ghost. Ik sore yon are no whited
sepulchre, frit without, bat fool
within. Got youi own torch lighted
before yon think of kindling a light
la other people. If yon have bat a
farthing rash and it ia lit, you may
art somebody on fire with ik Yon
must bs clear in yonr own heart 000
vhhkmu tf yon would lead others to
('hrist. Doubt of our own salvation
and of onr Honour is like a dry rot.
Go forth, firm aa a rock and firm
aa a man whom (ml as stain*, sod
you bare a power that shall move
the world. Tin* religion once turned
the world tqaude down and it will
again. Much depends on the sac
of this undertaking. Ask your-
atory over aad over again—ye must
lie born again. There most be two
birth* fur oar rone and one death,
or if only one birth, there will be
two deaths.
A ministry te the nmnare will al
ways reach and control the masses.
Fine charrbea and impressive forms
and magnificent ceremonies will at
tract and amuse, bat it will be only
for awhile. There most be a living
power in the pulpit. An earnest
sympathetic preacher who feels that
the whole work! is kin, will have
tkouMada oUodiDK round bin. in
the open air banging on hi* words,
while the finished pulpit orator is
jireacbiug to empty benches. The
“magnetic power" which has been
attributed to each men ss Spurgeon,
( Vdlyer, Beeeher. find in some degree
to tbe Alexanders, father and
to many other great
living and dead, was the
Scripture
“lie shall iii as a refiner and pun
fter of silver." Why sit ? The pro
ooss of purifying silver is one of
great delicacy, There is a critical
moment, in which the silver reaches
a certain state, when it moat instant
ly be removed from the fire. The
refiner must sit, must watch, must
give all bis powers of attention.
Tims does Jesns sit. There is not
a single believer over whom he does
nut watch lovingly, earnestly, nu
oensiiigly. Each trial, each teiapta
tion, he suffer* to continue loop
enough to accomplish its object, and
uo longer. We are indeed east into
the furnace; but even there we are
safe. Never does our refiner fail to
seize upon tbe right moment to re
move ns, purified, better prepared
for tbe Master's service.
u lArim§ than.* Christ, the fouu
datiou of a spiritual temple eternal
in tbe heavens, a living stone: we
who come to him likewise living
Stones, fitted, built iuto this gioriou *
temple. Yet. oft-times, how severe
the process.
The rough stone is not fit for a
place in a grand building. It must
be squared, smoothed, polished, nice
ly . adapted to its position. The
builder brings down his hammer
without mercy. It woold seetn as if
be was going to break it to atoms.
But be knows the strength of the
material. He kows the nature of
his work. These rough corners, this
useless mass must be removed. He
spares no vkdeoce necessary. The
end is never lost sight of, aud the
means are adapted to that Hid. .is
the stone assumes shape, he jim
ceeds more gently; he applies the
chisel with more and more esse. The
finishing touches are put on with the
greatest caution. The rough mass,
thus transformed aad prepared, be
comes fit for a place in a magnifi
cent temple.
80 God deals with us. He takes
os from the quarry. His blows fell
hard and in quick snocesskHi. We
tremble, we shrink, we pour forth
onr com plaints, we otter our cries of
distress f*All thy billows pass over
me." But be knows our frame. He
knows whst will destroy us, and
whst is necessary to awaken ns to a
sense 0€ our real condition. We are
carnal; we most become spiritual.
We are sinful; we must become
holy. We are dead; but He knows
how to make us live to grow to his
own likeness. Under the severest
discipline, when our prospects are
blighted, when riches take to them
selves wings, when pain, and sorrow,
and trouble oome upon us, realizing
in whose hands we are, we may
comfort ourselvef with tbe thought,
that he is preparing us for a place in
tbe temple above.—America* .Ve*
sender.
mrlves whether it shall be a stugie 1 <*fiuct of a certain heartiness and
light on a solitary peak, or kindle a cordiality toward* men which they
fire on other mountain tops sod light
uH the valley* bet sera. Be honest.
rarm**t and tharuugb in you pre|>a
ration and in vonr work.—.V. 1*. ffi
•rrrer. . t
Christ Unvaried
A Spanish srtiRt was o ot* etn
ployed to paint “The Last ^tapper."
It was his object to throw all the
sublimity of khz art iuto tbe figure
and couoteuanch of the Lord Jesus;
but he pot on the table in the fore
ground some chased cups, the work
mau ship of which was exceedingly
beautiful. When his friends came
to see the picture on tbe easel, every
one said, “What beautifol caps!
“Ah r said he, “I have made a mis
take; these cups divert tbe eyes of
the spectator from the Lord, to
whom I wished to direct the atten
tion of the observer." Aud he forth
with took up his brush and blotted
them from tbe canvas, that the
strength and vigor of tbe chief ob
ject might he prominently seen and
observed. Thus all Christians should
feel their great stody to be Cfirst's
exaltation; and whatever is calcula
ted to hinder man from beholding
him in the glory of bis person and
works should be removed out of the
way! “God forbid that 1 should
glory, save in the cross of our Lord
.Jesus Christ."— British Worlcmut*.
. J
had the gift as it were of rmitting
a* they spoke. The greater the in
tellect in most cases the more mark-
<<d and spontaneous tbetr genial hu
iqanity. and the greater the fascina
tion they exert. V*
Macaulay has somewhere sdtd that
I mi re abst ractions fail to win tbe
multitude. The pore Theism of the
Jewish religion failed for ages to
make proselyte*. It was God mani
fest in the fiesh, walking and eating
with men, sharing their privations
and their joys; it w-as an Incarnate
Haviour. made like nnto us, to whom
men turn as to a brother. What the
church ueeds is a ministry not only
educated, qualified to teach aud
burning with seal to save souls,
but animated also with tbe spirit of
our Elder Brother, and loving men
as brothers and writh hearts big
euough to embrace tbe whole world.
—,V. C. JVrahyfcrm*.
“At the Start."—A good broth
er minister, who had one of the best
trained churches, and was one of
the most successful ministers in the
country, said that, whenever tbe
male head of a family entered the
church of which he was pastor, he
made it a point to secure the eatab-
lishment of family worship at the
very start—visiting the family for
the purpose, if necessary ; and so in
other matters of the same sort that
l have indicated. He pursued the
Anne and Br. South
It is related of Dr. Soutii, who
was chaplain in ordinary aad court
preacher to Queen Anue of England,
that after service on one occasion,
the Queeu was graciously pleased to
say to him: “Doctor, you have
preached an excellent seraou today.
1 wish you had taken time to make
it louger."
“May it please your Majesty," he
replied, “I wish I bad tokeu time to
make it shorter."
The remark of the Queeu and the'
reply of the preaoher were indicative
of the respective mental power aud
cultivation of each; hers, of the
immature judgment of an uuniformed
mind; his, the proof of the accom
plisbed scholar and skilful writer.
Boosts no great effort comparatively,
to write a long sermon, or a discur
si ve, rambling essay. Such a pro
due tion of the brain may be thrown
off at &8ingie heat; but to sift and
analyze the thought, aud to simplify
and condense the language so as to
bring it within the limits of twenty
or thirty minutes of time, or of two
columns of a public journal, require
much longer study. And It is study
that pays. It pays iu the pulpit,
and it pays in the press. Hie lights
in tbe oaaotuory of God should be
supplied with beaten oil, and Hie
busy public bave no time to throw
away on erode compositions in reli
gious journals. “Brevity is the soul
of wit*
as iniquitous knaves! ia the nar we ^ w ith God waj
rati.* of tb# g«^l. tb» diffwmw uuU go aowbtrt tlut ChciU wiU.rijht policy, and reaped the good
etimgtbrii thi- tcetiopw;. Perfect' oat go- 'biw.
The carpenters gimlet makes but
u small hole, but it enables him to
drive a great nail. May we not here
see a representation of those minor
depai tores from troth which prepare
the minds of meu for grievous errors,
and of those thoughts of sin which
open a way for tbe worst of crigtob ?
RjiyarfL iJuG \ q£ guaht T