The Lutheran visitor. (Columbia, S.C.) 1869-1904, January 23, 1874, Image 1
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•me*UUo* and fellowship u* draw H
| Md tbs heart lb at tries to be
P” rf * ft «H IU Wllt.raS Will fittd i
W It CM Mm b* safe to lira t.
rxKitradlctlec «t oiM of (he law* of
Visitor
Rude 4 Idler, Editors.
1^7, f-M: -y' : ' '■■■'■ 1 - f
"OHE LORD, OKE FAITH, Oil BAPTISE.
•ZPHESIAVS IV: 5.
r ' t < i'rifrflT ,
Terms: $2.00 a Tew.
Series, vol 6-no. is.
COLUMBIA, S. FRIDAY. JAM ARY
23. 1874
Di n SFRTPS vm c vn erro
(CM*”*]
I** no evidenoe In
to support the
baptism was admmis-
i among the early
■ext examine the
connected with
[ytea applied to baptism,
they snpport the
immersion. Up
m, tit, apo,
Af
in fbouded arga
of their theory,
they will bear
(impartial examination,
primary meaning of en
kgl tdiaotaa red ia a finer;
irtioo it is correctly
Tbufc "“The tower
fiamm»(take xiii: 14); en,
band of God,” (Rom.
ft is said (Matt. \ii: 6)
“were baptized of
jth) is Jordan.” Af
I bare been an equally
and we tiink
lire of the actual
to the Baptist the
that John staod
when he baptized;
does not follow
more than m
Bethlehem
other place,
bare
edge;
ease are we justifiable
[that he immersod. The
settles the question of
I proximity to the water,
I (be mode of administration
nothing whatever to do.
i how Is ei» translated in other
«f Scripture! Mark says
“John did baptize (en) in
bnt will our oppo-
^wkt that the subjects were
Its the wilderness—plunged
Lob* |p • 3) *«*•« • on*
l all me country a^out (peri)
preaching the baptism of
if aud John e^ys (i: 28)
|%m things were done in
hiabara beyond (pron) Jor
“ad that “John also was
(en) in JEnan, near to
Bat this prepanition, in
iMBeetions, evidently has no
to the mode of baptism,
is Jordanan plies sub
mb Jordan, then what in the
of baptizing “beyond Jor*
ring “in BethaWa,” and
! “is the wilderness V
Ike preposition er is also
teadered Kith, indicative of
thf which a thing it performed.
• ®•It, Is correctly rendered
“i indeed baptize yoi (ev en)
“•ter* The same translation
'teains place in othei connec
"Thoa shatt love tie Lord
I® 1 * (**) vith (not in) all thy
Ifaaj with all tty soui,
jW vith all thy mind.’ (Matt.
: &) “If the salt haveajst hit
I'm Uni) Kith (not t» what
6 seasoned V (Matt, r: 13.)
examples, and ethers,
that the prepetition
designates the means
^•tilingis done; andhence,
‘“wffrwatei^Miitt.iii: 11)
I that water is the itaana by
k *i ordinance is ad mi mitered;
*h«s aot’tbe most diatait adit
***• node of using or apply-
%aio, this little word i, u*-d
^•pi/jr the agency by wkich a
’•olfeeted. Hence, it is writ*
** i: 5): “Ye shall be bq>-
W by the Holy Gboa.”
1 Promise refers to the com mi-
Holy Spirit, it is oi-
*>at en affords no evident,
°r immersing—bat h
*€*lnst it, inasmuch as the
^teseant has more affinity tt
^than to plunging
. hi a limikr r*
passive, inert element, in which the
apostles were plunged. Just as they
plunge a man in water ; bat this is
«* absurd as anything w hioh we can
conceive, and ia nls> utterly fatal to
the sense of the passage.
Ws couelade then that the parti*
cle en has no bearing in oonme-
«ou with ita uss iu the Scriptures
relative to baptism, favoring sub*
mersion ; but, on the other hand, ita
weight, whatever it might be, when
rightly understood and translated,
is cast op the st# of affhsion or
sprinkling.
(d) The advocates of immersion
adduce, in aappor* of their theory,
Mark It 9: “Jesus was baptised by
John (fit) is Jordan. 1 * Bnt Wt It
be borne it mind that the Greek
particles are frequently seed, tbs
one for the other, and this teat will
be of littlo etrength to their argn
meut. In the following verse we
read: “And straightway ascending
(not “ont off but mpo t ) from the
water,» etc. And the same form ia
used in the corresponding peasage
in Matt, ill: lfi. Bat whilst oar
English translation reads, “owl of the
water,” any ooe who ia at all ac
quainted with Greek knows this
translation is wrong, aad that it
ahor.ld be rendered, “from the water.”
Then if our Lord ascended, not “oaf
off but “from the water,” we eon
elude that tit (Mark i: 9) would
be correctly translated si or by. Ac
cordingly, we have no evidence that
Jesus was in the water at all, much
less that He was immersed. We
conclude, therefore, that the baptism
ef our Lord by no means prearmt* a
ds»ar case of immersion.
(t) Acts viii: 38, is adduced in
evidence of immersion. “And they
west down both (tit) into the
water, both Philip and the eunuch. ’
The baro declaration of their
“info the water,” as our English m
sion rands, ta regarded as eottrlusive
evidence of the immersion of the
eunuch. But if this text afford*
such evidence as this, then the logi
cal inference must be that Philip
*m iww««<l *»!•-* ■ t.M> iuk«r w«»m»
down both into the water, b*»(k Philip
and the nfasdk” This argument
therefore proves too mocb, and con
sequentlv proves nothing favorable
that the water in this case was «ufl| JW flw:
ciatilly deep for the purpose of total
immersion # *
CfJ Tkni place where the eunuch The Mosaic Institutes were
was baptised is evident* to the case signed to fashion a iee* tor
that ho probably was not immersed.
It wae most probably a barren waste
—a desert proper j but to Aad a body
of water in such a place saffirieet
for total immersion would he strange
indeed.
The narrative aaya they nat
tp* t* uder—to ome water. Bel
bow mwah f Tbe praaooa H cams
tiwuse has a diminutive tease; aad
why My that not V* Ita sigufiewtioa
beret Aad If so, then we weald
Md, -they came to a Utile water.”
And when the eaaaeh saw it he «t
claimed Horn ndra—“IrfisM water f*
He dues not Indeed say lew mark,
bat seams *urprld*itod pleased to
And any water in inch a plane.
Bo tor then as aa argument eaa be
baaed upon the literal terms pm
ployed la the New Testament ta dee
ignatc baptism, wt coaclade that
they do not afford the alighteat proof
that It was administered by immer
•loo. ■ ’ j
(XV da
otodmase and worship of God.
Feuded upon the dorMfr of the
Iriviae Unify, they totty ffisogomed
thin to the sepeemacy si His aa
ihonty as Uwgtver sod King as
as la the peetortlaa d Hia am
tare as aa ot^eet ef
tbU Christianity la the
JiHlaiam, the
of the one at
sthtv. We sigaaltoe at
toM at iImm
—^ aaasrm
to the words at
•erj lit, ito
to (hr
ti
tow m to be worn as a
tweeo tbe ayaa ” making as oat as
tha attracts of His ktofMiif It Is
easy to show the ground If this re*
qutreaseot under every form to wbkb
rsflftoa may he dispensed.
I. Tiers it m Uw of sffttiriin he
* *• ©'■wwsirw
gtheoed by
bis af
as coming from the hand of
dad i amd thus we shook! all tern
to mrive thorn They mast neoaa
•srtty come, nod when they come,
thsy mwar be boras; bat they can
eelv be borae with ■uhniitatooB, aa to
Is a aad night; bwtTLaa fa of*
withnat God Is aa awful oad
O how I pity that poor crest a re. laid
tbs bad af languishing, toll of
It is
ilttrr
Selections.
Hidssmkg tka Tteto"
That to, “baying ap the opportu
nity.” la this swam the worde nm-
vey pertinent lemums tor tha begin
mnf of ssattof year.
To “redeem the tiam” la to make
the best sad waeewt wee of e«rb ;
event in ortr life sa It tr*a*ptree; it
l« to titer berg* omrit duty as t« wmiu, I
whether it lie greet or small, whether
it attract the ntte»t«o» at the world
ef ear
Kbps not daly
lytog salty between all
tocalties through ahkh
off into each other aad
tod edbet. Thought,
tends by it* t»W U fi H<rtk
the glow we etpertrtic*.
and tonkng, when It to
temla to cry ataliae in
sstbm of the will;
result la embodied la
an. Which etsuds both
•ratntlve of the w h.4«,
in this way tha U«A i
and (Msreetvee. a eoweptomaan dels
may be more attractive than the hid*
den crons bearing. Y at on if throw gh
this “baying up of opportunity * os
, Itofftthm then svstle i
.r.niml «. or b. k.».. m\J »UO |wl ^ ll ». „
o«k^l ennubongij n ■ Ml ** —- ——fc .. ,_s i
njsss e*»*l through iIh*
spiritual beta ft I
within tha eonl. and
i t rfi lit
«.««)> « tlH- -MThMI h.,. . |bn|
■Out (b.l silt ,-cum . Urg, proAt, (orth m
•su a pure and gcMsI . horartor be tfcr ^
wisb, fi»e illustrotion, to ho !
come a charitable mss Mow can
you obtain o charitable temper, a
frame of mind that always pats the
best rssatrsetiwi upon the enndort
by any i G**f* mtpetmmey
net mate Itdymd, a* trvlf #i felt.
Had friend to
his pf'oe, to pat tots Ms band a
•attobte remedy to rwtoe him ap, or
to afford him even a hula help; bat I
frity from my heart, a thousand times
mow, the miserable wrotoh that lies
bwnod with the cords of attktiou,
aad straggtlflg with disease, without
nay eeaae af a divine Providence,
without acknowledging that it la the
epi ritual h*»d wf Clad, and whn never cnee to
Him Who alone can haul aad can
anvsk.
Christian, tt is yoar privilege, aa
dor all the sorrows which ion are
nallrd to bear, to look ap, and any,
“th# lawd reigneth, clowds and dark ]
dtlrrmi-1 *tom are r«mad about Ilka; right
d j e»*o*nr** sod judgment are the hab<
e tot»o« af Rte thrown.” It to traa yam 1
top** ant develop the whole of the
j divine pis*, yet yoa ana hear your
teat Nanny, nnd any, “It to good tor
me to he afflicted *
When God scads a rcoas, U tor
it
of react tom
» « • * .* *»...«•
they thus ummsom*. they
mere Aactaatiag and
emotisMUt, hat ere stereotyped
m 1,
pt our grvu’e to take it «p and to follow him.
thrive Mo enable each to am H w.sely,
band lest it be aa|w*dltabto; to tmsr it
H patieatli, lest tt be intolerable
... .m Theie we see «iod*s auger against
that by ton. ami Ifts tore towards ilte child,
ha * If it he light, lot ns not alight it; if
u, ,, issiw'tr'.* jmt/teuru JJ»MJp
t'.tn M a b*nl.n*.l bttrX ( Mi b> to
into dt*|deanrd nt Kits pleasure la a sign
anewt eb me«tt* at owr character ^ a'rebofluiua will. May oar fwayer
be that of Archtnahop Teaataoa, “O
t» he Lord, give to me. Thy child, what to
He to proper, whatever It may he I dare
1 ear Kmg by the dowhle right now at J tod aek either crosses or c**efbrte.
of motion, I only present myself before Thee; I
(mi of war sllewteorw He open my heart to Thee. Behold my
Mtoti requires aa open sohmtsefcm to hta. owita, which I am Igaoraat of a»4
you can control an impaiaa to rt*lt M thortty. This is the more just, [ da ncooedtag to Thy merry. Kail to
rale a friend** conduct, and, instead, Mfir# ^ .baft g ^ ^ b<* baa <* h«nl, depraaa me or raiar me ap.
a«n And aasaothtag to proton Hera ^ tapnlmm of hta I Thy purpose* witJtool
yoa saw at leoat heap ademee where'. , *ad the world atonal ae dtojtatowiag them; I oftor atyasKT ll
there My he ao goad to he said. *|to« t lt ||«,m ran it be otherwise sarriheej I abandon myaalf to
Thus row will acquire la time a ahar- than that God shoald he tenloas of I have ao awsre nay desire hat to ac
(table temper Bach -bnyta* ap of H to pretugalive, when It to every
appartauitv* will be wnttee in yoov ***** profanely rhaltoage*! aad
character, just aa each day’s son „hatiesialy dented I If the heart be
•hiae end eaoh atght’e dewy enetoeee nmlnlotd by the power af Ilia gram,
tie paramount obligate* la to eaa
There to no eepevtal refovnney t« ft** pwblirty before men the loyalty
these words to Christian ectlvttv. * which to toll, sad to disavow tbe ia-
Many a Christian means to he aaefnl, eorrvrthMt ia which It hm! prei loaeiy
•Ighs over the little He areomptleh**, been Imldtcnled.
bat really «k«es alwi<iwt mdhtag, he- 3. The jdeas are pm to (hrtor as
cause he fUlts to “bay up oppnrtoui fffe torraa/ reward It wH an ap poaaible promise, when as an earnest
tj” as It present* Htoetf. Christ Isa 1 pear la beavea when they shall shine ] student, poor and pctmtteee, yet sax
Ions, bejuad words to express, to
to ianugrtioo. And baeide* thin,
their going “into the wafer” IM not nf tber*f Manifestly
constitute the act of baptism. dwgle art of th- wtM ;
But the original text does not *MI yowreeff into a charttaide |
prove that Philip sad the eunnch W Bat you eaa stula what ?«* rmleaiptton a* wet
went farther than to the margin of i by “baying ap
the water, ffto to odor, translated, **"* present tbemaMvea
“tkto the water,” may, with equal
correctness, be rendered, “to the
water.” A few examples will eatab
lish this point Acts xxvt: 14: “And
when we were all fallen (eto) to tbe
earth”—not into the earth.” John
xi: 38: “Jeans cocneth {tit) to tbe
grave”—-not into it; for a stone, we
are told, “lay upon It,” which Jeans
afterward commanded to ba taken
away. John xx : $-4; “Peter there * •* written in the tints of the A«»wer
fore went forth, end that other disci
pie, and came (efr) to the sepal
ebre. 8o they ran IsHh together,
and the other disciple did outran
PeteT, and came first {tit) to tbe
sepulchre... .yet went he not fa*—
(on mentoi fit eyltken). If tit nor
essarily means into, then we mast ’ Work moat l<e door jaet as any other 11 Merer as the Mars la HN crow a.
read t “The other disciple came tala I work—one thing at e time; amd the > It so, this should ha made caaapfcMH
the sepulchre, yet went he not. Into* j lit I to pieces of work meat ha attend «*a apoe earth It to nngeaeroas to
ete., which is too aboard to be eater ed to as much a* the greater «*an claim the honor which is Impltod ia
tainetl. • Tlierefore, fit to mneymion Ton deal re to help in mavenlaf the the aae without retidcriag the hoai-
incsins to the sepokhre, and tit teyn wnrM ; then arch to do yoar doty as age which to Iwvulved In the other.
geyn means to the emrtk, tit to odor 1 fl.sl given yon opportunity to ttowe They whn nre t« sHste la the dlgnt
may mean to the tenter, and that both 1 Imwiedlateiy shoot yow, year ehil ttoa af the Ihi'totr*! cxaltstma, are
Philip and the eunuch went to the Iren, yoar friends. y«*r nefghtowa hound In gmtcfnl rectprcMraitoa to
margin of the water. This to true Christian uscfblaesa, not take upon themselves an equal share
linmeraioaiats, however, say that waiting Am name signal nrcaelaa af | la Hit hamWlBll wi, By the name
“they both came ap (elj oat of merice, bat making tbe a»aet of path must tbe nM-mtwrs aeeead, attk
the water,” implying that they had each, even the smallest, oppnWaaitv theti Head, from the crone to the
previously been »a the water. We that ia presented. When the ehrto crown.
reply, however, tbnt id is often tian church has attained to this 4. Tkt rkarck ia urge aged for the
used Mini ply to denote the point from Msodanl, the work of the l*wd will prupapeftoo of the truth. Bbe mast
«thick motion it made This is tvl go oo apace 1 therefore be pert urinated *■ her vlei
dent irom tbe follow iug pasnages of Another thing to to be home to Me Iona a poo the earth, with bar
Scripture. John vi: 33: “Howbeit mind—sod there to la H a special ministry, her aacramesli and her
there came other boats {ek) from * warning as we lay oar plans for ua diealpIlAa, as lbs living evangelist to
other year—sit opi*»rtnolty mice »o*t
«M*i|4iah Thy will.*
Car. Thy Bread Upon the Waten
of tbe Journal
••per, speaking ia behalf of
dependent oa church aid,
A
aad Mean
students
says;
There to many a young man to day
ia Martin LatbeiV condition and
THieriae.” Acts vti: 3: “Get thee
(#k) from thy kindred.” Rom. vii;
rimthtr rendering of 24; “Who shall deliver me (ek)
y>owtion in ^ 4,lte ♦ 1 “Jesus from the body of this death T It to
“V by the Spirit into the therefore consistent with the general
is Itise of the prepoeitions ek and
! *M I
la Matt, iv: X, by
^aonymnu*. Whilst other
might be given, these
( d to show that en to
*** rt * i the efficient cause of a
”1* luck cases is correctly
Baptists, however,
. * Allowing notable version
, 5: WJI ®bn truly immersed
m JeshaI1 ^ immersed in
^ ^ Arturo
to make them
k T ^ theory of baptism,
v»rtaucc with tbe rules
The Baptist ver-
the Holy Gbost as a
m in this passage to read, “They
rent down both to the water,* ami
riehen they were come up from tbe
rater.”
Furthermore, it should he re mem
bvred that the same declaration is
nude of both Philip and the ettnoeh,
ootoerning their going to and taming
frm the water; nod the logical in-
ferine# is that one waa deeper to tbe
wawr than (he other. And since, In
popular language, a man Is said to
he to wafer, Miongh it be ad Mure
that; an inch deep about bia feet, it
preach the Gospel among all nation*,
is gone for ever! Himflar opportani 1 Tbe truth which God reveals be
lies may occur, bat that ooe, with kegs to men, Uke Ike sunlight aad
all tbe possibilities involved la tbe the afar; aad it to grieo as a sacred
improving of it, hi beyond recovery, depoeit to Ills church, that like the
Tbe above ef oar pest experience le Mr aad tbe light It My be as msi
strewn with tbe wracks of lost op
port nut ties There were opportuni
ties of advancement In personal kotl
ness, opportunities of set rice In tbe
kingdom of oar Lord; bat we let
them slip, aad they return oarer t
Their memory makes ita sad, for
"Of all sad ward* *»f touaas or two.
Theraddeet are fkree— tt might !ar« hues.”
Hhaii we not, in this new year,
consider ear opj*Mrtuoiito* ae more
tkaa ewer eecred 1 They are indeed
worth more than eoontleAs riches.
Let ae “bay ap each opportunity,*
i for it ia
veraaily diffused Every soul tadshi
ed to it for pareoaai ealratem le
bound to be saraetalaA with every
other like seal la this work of props
gaud ism; aad a grieveas wraog ia
indicted wpaa a suffering world when
this service to withhold.
It to a sad mistake to suppose that,
Iters mm religion lies at taet between
the seal aad (led. If My be secretly
j... LL..L -L.. m ii'l t m FiaM bbS iSk K*YtWsl
aPWwajpiPOTi ml 1BWWPW"!' BiTfy'wBWI,
Whoever attempts it wfB Hve at boat
— I kffha Bush tn mwasaBs
n fnpjiiin iiii. i Bffff will mi m men
a case a large amount of
his stodies, be wandered
throagh tbe streets of Eisenach,
seeking honorable help and the ful
Ailment of tbe l»rd*s promise of his
4 -dally bread*—who was made glad
by the warm sympathy and ready
help of the wife of Conrad <V»tta.
whom the “ChroaMea of Riscnach*
call “fie puma Hkm*amit$" ffbe pities
tbe young man. Her husband, with
like sympathy, takes him Into the
family and provides for his pressing
wants, as also those of some time to
come.
“Happy times for tbe young man !*
•sys IVAobigne. “Luther always
looked book to them with emotion;
and a eon of Conrad having gone
many years after to aiady at Wit ten
barg, when the poor scholar of Else
each had become tbe learned teacher
of bto age, be joyfolly received him
at his table aad undsr his root He
wished to repay in part to the eon
what be bad received from the father
and mother.
“Never did Lather feel ashamed
of tbe time when, prweeed by hunger,
he sorrowfrilty begged the bread
necessary for tbe aopport of life and
tbe oootiaaaaee of his studies »
D’AaMgae odds: “It was when
memory reverted to the Christian
woman who bad supplied him with
bread when every* one else lepnlaed
him. that be ottered this memorable
•aytagt “There it
than the heart of a _
Oh, for aa Ursula and Conrad hi
I
BeUgtatf DeprsotaL
Til health is a frequent cause of
religious depression. The body ia
more than the jiouae in which the
eoul dwells It embraces the organs
through which the soul acts. Bee
thoven himself could not produce
sweet music from an organ out of
tone; and the purest aud beat soul
oftrai suffers beoaoas it plays ou a
a»oet discordant instrument By long
labor and insufficient food and ex
•rriaa the blood becomes deterio
rated, the nerves enervated, the
brain iteelf diseased. T»»ea tbe soul
from tha nmciious of
Tbe suflhrar need* medicine
net counsel; a pbyhiciau, not a min
frter j no kind of religious exorcise,
only rest
After weeks of exhausting tail, in
which, perehsnoa, the soul has been
wrought up le the higfaeet pitoh of
excitement, a crows long expected is
past, sod tha exhausted and over*
worked laborer ta loand at night ia a
condition of ooaumuglcd waaknoas,
wearitMias and excttomevit, aomewhat
aosloguas to that winch ha suffers
who has stimulated himself by the
use of alcohol. Ho can not pray ;
he can not read tk« Bible; he can
form ne thought of God; ha eaa
s carcely exclude thoughts of worldly
conccra or even wicked imaginations.
His mind is ruddariees aud drifts.
He mm to himself to have lost all
hold et God and all hope oi heaven,
“"hat <aa I do f* he cries JLfol
Go to sleep. Itccupeiwto tha over
taxed nerves; restore tbe equilibrium
of (he exhausted body.
I*reier is a mmoiLuJ exercise j uad
there are times whew the mind is in
capable of a«y exorcise, when to
•hwff » * ohhv sacred duty than to
watch and pray . If, at night, 1 take
my ehtkl into my lap to talk to him
of truth and daty, and bia weary
bead droojts and drops upon uiy
shoulder, do I chide him! No I 1
lay him down to his sleep, and re
serve my coaforenrc for another sea
son. And when my rnuid refutes to
t&h iJ'mwtk'.JteUtcu m
chide ma, nor do 1 chide himself.
“Sleep, my child.* he says to us;
“we will talk another time.”
Tha Trsyw: Ksetisg.
How came it to paas that three
thousand were converted oo the day
atL Pentecost f He! not the meeting
for prayer, oi which mention is made
in Acts i: 14, when it to said. “These
all conUutmd with ooe accord in
prayer and supplication * a close
rvMinertion.with the glorious results
of thi? day f Undoubtedly it had.
Bat what wax there iu that meeting
of ooe hundred aad twenty disciples
to exert an influence to the ?onver
stoo of three thousand individuals !
Whence had it that power t It waa
a pray er meeting, profotmedly a pray
er meeting, a meeting of Christians
t<* express their dependence ou God ;
unitedly to call on Him for hia
blessing ; to plead His promise aud
wait for the tuifUlmeut of it. These
are the efficient meetings in which
Christians meet and agree to ask of
God. 1 wonder they do not value
tlotn more. To the prayer meeting
Christians owuie to exercise the high
privilege of intercession for others,
to do good and lo communicate, to
act the more “blessed partwhere
a*, to mevling* of another kind, they
go for tbe pnrpoee of receiving ^ood.
Yet it to to be feared Christians valm?
no mev* tings so III tie as prayer meet
ing*. But tha influence of that
meeting of a hundred and twenty
was not owing entirely to its being a
prayer meeting. There was tnneb
by which it was distinguished from
ordinary pmyee meetings. The men
tion of th<Mo peculiarities may be of
service. It may provoke imitation
In some cliurchea.
1. All tbe church attended that
prayer meeting. “These all contin
ued,”&C. There was but one hun
dred and twanty disciples, and they
veto ell present. How different it is
now! They who meet may agree
among tbemaelve* for an outpouring
of the Spirit, but it la after all but
tha agreement of a minority of the
church. The majority by their ab
sence dissent from the request.
2. Aa all attended, of course the
men attended aa well as the women.
Yea, every male member of the
church was present; they did not
leave It to the women to awstoin the
prayer meetings. That prayer meet
tog had not the aspect of many a
modern prayer meeting, to which ah
most all are women.
moot dietingnieb&’l
one
as the roost obscure. There were all
the apostles, and “Mary, tha motbsr
of Jesus,” and “hia brethton.* None
of them felt above being at a prayer
nulling. How is It now t
4. They were all agreed—“of owe
accord,” as it ia said. Not merely
agreed as touching what they should
ask, namely, tbe fulfillment of “the
promise of the Father/ 1 hat af ana
mind generally, aye, and af eat
heart They all loveff
They observed tbe
meut. Snob cordial anion among
Christians baa great power with Gad.
« film* 1 "” ,Xto * 18 °° r ”*’■
5. They pmarmd ia prayer.
“These all continued la prayer.”
First they stirred tneraaeivet S* to
take hold ea God, aad then said, ;
“We will net let Thee go except
Thou bless ua.” They met often tor
prayer, and all met, and they Ua-
tond mp »t tbe throw of Irik*. w “
Bat bow long did they continue ask
ing f Until they obtained, and then
they did but pass from the note of
{stayer to that of praise. They
•ought the Lord until he came. It
is time we all should do it They
were together holding meeting when
the Spirit descended. I think if alt
our church members would habitual
ly attend the prayer meetings, they
would not wait in vain for tbe prom
ise of tbe Father. How often we
hear it said, “It is nothing bat a
prayer meeting r Nothing but 1 I
should like to know what surpasses
a prayer meeting 1—Chrittian Omar-
Do What You Oaf.—Onr Lord
praised few when on earth, bnt He
commended one for doing something
which you and I can do: “She both
done what she could F* I often think
He praised her for that to enoourage
us all to do oar best. Men—hard,
Pharisee*—misunderstood and sneer
ed at poor Mary’s broken box of ala
baster ; but He for whom she broke
recognised, appreciated, and accept
ed the oblation! and still true as
evex^ is the parable of the broken
broken spirit; a broken and contrite
heart, O God, thou wilt not deepiee I*
Many a heart’s sweet fragrance, and
capacity for precious gifts and gracea,
would never have been known, but,
like Mary’a box, that heart was bro
ken for Christ Then tbe words
came home to it with a sweeter, di
viner naction. It had nothing else
to ofiv r, so it offered that—the sacri
fice of God which is a broken spirit;
aad that broken, contrite heart,
which man may ridicule, but thou,
O God, wilt not despise!
How TO CCLTIVATE A 8POUT OF
I v rav*r.—Let the mind and heart
w pervaded with tha conviction of
those great truths which oooatiUite
the Gospel—and being filled with a
spirit of troth, never to be shaken,
iu God as oar tendersst friend, we
shall always be ready to oome boldly
to tbe throne of grace, to find help
in time of need. We shall have that
sense of a Divine Prtoeaoo which
shall cause us to pray without oeaa-
ing, though our prayers will be often
only a throb of gratitude, or a sad-
deu aspiration of love, or the soul
falling down in humility mid bowing
itself before God. And then, too,
we slusli find a place aud a use for
times of prayer, and for a certain
degree of method and system in
prayer.
THREE Great Words.—A Chris
tian traveller tolls us that he saw the
following admonition printed on a
folio sheet in an inn in Savbo, and it
was found, he learned, in every
house in the district. “Understand
well the force of the words—a God,
a moment, an eternity, a God who
sees you; a moment which flies from
yon; an eternity which awaits yen;
a God whom yon serve so ill; a mo
ment of which you ao little profit;
an eternity which yon haaaard ae
rashly.”
How far most one wander from
God to be a “backslider 1” Tbe
church at Ephesus waa highly com
mended for its good work#, yet, said
tbe all-Searching Spirit, “I have
somewhat against thee because thou
hast left thy first love,” and “I will
remove toy candlestick out of his
place, except toon repent” Let these
thoughts prompt os to a rigid self-
examination.
The Grace of God.—The grace
of God in toe heart of man is a ten
der plant in a strange, unkindly soil;
and, therefore, can not well prosper
and grow without much care and
pains, and that of a skillful hand,
and which hath the power of oher-
the church attended as well j iahing it /