Home and Foreign Journal, July 1868

¥ ,г PREACH THE GOSPEL TO EVERY CREATURE.” _ •• FEED FOREIGN JORRME MY LAMBS.*” “MY PEOPLE ARE DESTROYED FOR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE.” Vol 1— New Series. RICHMOND, VA., JULY, 1868. Number 3. PubUshed jVr9ntlily by tbe three Boards jfljf §$№ & TERMS: . . - . - . - . 30 centa. "" ‘ to one P«*>n . . 10 00 ' jSS*S** l’ ono r»™>" . 15 00 . ..л» ЛЬ «““*««• loml irail pmnloK. Iibimmnln "“ (Jl hr nil tlio Boont*. «.« «ell яд the ehorthc* оГ the South. Bv 1 h * м.ечс re rhall he fthie to bring before our people the enrlieet lafor- ’ ' v ''Jvr on the preat objf<U contemplate! bj tbe Southern IbiptUt Cbn- r^jun lotrodoHntt it into their cburche* will lx* able than to make with the whole missionary enterprise, and secure mere •«bfrjylL^rftistritb the largeet possible list, and the money encIo*e*L st eer ri»k. in rostal orders, regirt «т*1 letters, or checks on Ifc« А*» Fordo* JorE^%u Richmond. To. ' Our Terms. In resuming thc issue of our little monthly paper, , [иус pnt the price down as low as the interest of ! .ilf ceverol Boards will justify. The other mission- ! ir_ prganizntions of the land expend large sums over . I iiid above their subscriptions, in conducting and cir- I .„laiiag tlieir periodicals. In the present state of | ,jie finances, we must for the present aim to make .«r paper, a? nearly as possible, self-sustaining. At чипе future time, it may be in our power to diminish ihe subscription price, by appropriations for printing hr each Board. IVo now beg the friends of Sunday Schools, and of Missions, to exert themselves by sc- , Tiring and forwarding, at an early period, as many -Tibsoribets as possible. Our little Paper. We are receiving many tokens of approval. With¬ out donbt the Journal will steadily promote the inter¬ ests of all the Boards of tire Convention. Nor will the piety and efficiency of each member fail to receive astimulns by a careful reading of its columns. ‘It soar wish to bring it into every family of the South. Who will Operate for us? Any friend of missions, or of Sunday Schools, is nereby authorized to act for the Board, by receiving -rabscribers to the Journal. The money may be sent bv mail to this city. The Children are at "Work. — fAdittlo-boy-gCHd4.u-4-tTCentv2Qaiu<y;<>f-new.subscri-- Who arc the Blest. They who have kept their sympathies awake. And scattered good for more than custom's sake- Stcndfast and tender in the hoar of need Gentle in thought, benevolent in deed; ’ Whose looks have power to make dissensions i •Л.КГ . ministers, and the instruction I whom the Saviour’s command had been (riven, and upon to their children and to Sunday- , whoso single efforts the salvation of the whole world munition the mmnnhtin present state of many com- depended. It should bo tbe constant aim of minis- The rem«lv tbr *1 " SU,fa.nt,“,b- wrrcc<- , , !crs Л0 «wake such a feeling of personal responsibility • - y - lor tlle present inefficiency of the] in the ’hearts of all the members of their churches. . й*.'/ л 04 Whose smiles nre pleasant, and whose words are" peace V *J' ^ T)ie>- who have lived ns harmless ns the dove, . ^ •,«. Tnnnt.n.r _ С а it. ■> I * 1 Christians give school scholars. church is ' A ш me ш me ncarts ot all tnc members ot tlicir churches, let him that IlC ЬД0С °f, K2S?at,®ns “And jin no way'can they so effectually promote the welfare the bride l^1’ Sa^ 9oni,c: , Tl,c Spins and • of their churches, and the extension of the Redccm- rin o ” u'i Com.°» and ,0‘ 1,,m ‘bat hearetk, say'.cr’s Kingdom. — J. J. Brantley. Comol; . J|en private Christians all become preadi- if a ot righteousness; and pmycrfully*wntch*for op- 1 fcr < irtunities to speak' a word to every companion, the Tl.« . L. Come." ers portunities to speak- a word to every companion, the conversion of the world will proceed with electric rapidity . \\ hen church members arc all “lively stones the progress on the Lord’s temple will aston- 1 r , . ish the beholder. 1 ' , undr, s of our best ministers spend tlicir lives We hear much of new plans to reach the unevm- ! chcorfu.,,L as Pastors, on salaries they would l»y no gelized and lowest classes of society. Conventions I "'p ’’S *o receive ш mere worldly pur- are held, from time to time, to plan new kinds of ma- ' I^Vvcn ° ’ • ,ululcrst.00<1>— fan<1 thc chinery to preach thc truth to thc ignorant and dc- - - ‘ f tl,c forci"n The- Pastoral Work. j Tho pastoral office is of divine appointment, and . . . „„„„„ лисите rs nre an •• i.v-,.h. ' sns*n‘11- a vcrT Pcc,d‘?r relation to the sanctified na- 1 stones,” thc progress on' thc Lord’s temple will aston- j »”ГС ,°f ,ma,u„ Wh? ,,ns '!ot «*" ‘bis, and felt it? | Teachers of truth, nml ministers of 1otv_ Love for all moral power, «til mental prace — Love for thc humblest of the human race — Lore for thc tranquil joy that virtue brings — Lovo for the Giver of nil goodly things; True followers of that eoul-cxnlting plan, Which Christ laid down to bless and govern man They who can calmly linger nt thc last. Survey thc future nod recall thc past. And with that hope which triumphs over pain, Feel well assured they have not lived in vain;. - Then wait in peace tlicir hour of final rc3t; The««c only can bo numbered with thc blest. Now. .1. i ,r„ .v i.'lmi •• fto le . :iib> Ьэтэ •■**••4 V .no* Vo ' I no 1 ■s)‘k '.Xfll ir.m Ьегз — another Is at work, aud he is imping to secure ■me hnndrcd names. Our Brethren in the Ministry. graded class that is found in both city and country. Tiiis is tlio true plan. Let every master teach his servants, every mistress her maids, and every em¬ ployer his hands, and the heathenish substratum of society will soon be “taught the truth as it is in Jesus.” We hear much of the coldness of die church. This is the true remedy. It is as true in spiritual matters as in temporal. “Trust in the Lord and do good: so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.” Tho saying of the wise king is also peculiarly applicable to this subject. “There is that scattereth and yet increascth; and there is that withholdcth more than is meet, lrut ittendeth topov- ‘ ” “The liberal soul shall be made fat, and lie .... — - -v - o~ missionary work;} — it lias a peculiar sanctity, seeming nearer to thc person and work of the Redeemer than any other office or worky — higher, better in the best- sense, and far more influential than tlmt of ‘readers,’ or mere | licentiates.’ Nothing equals it. It is a great power in thc church. {i A Worthy Example. Brother McNeil, of Wilksboro’, N. C-, writes us that he lias adopted thc plan of securing contribu¬ tions from his churches every three months — :for thc mission cause. erty. . ; that watcrcth shall be watered also himself.” If tlie church members should be home missionar ries, the church itself should be a theological semina- ry. This truth is too often forgotten. Many seem to think that the church is a theatre to which dicy at¬ tend that pious and tender sensations may be excited, instca 1 of a Temple to the Most High, which is to be entered with reverence and humble gratitude. Thc minister is looked upon as an actor, who is to play upon the sensibilities, and not as a teacher sent from God. The church is the divine school for mankind, and, its, duty is not .done till all its members can fully ^nnswor-tlioasar^ofithmdratisgsed pinner, “NVliat-mnst I Eearful Statistics. I The following from a Raleigh paper may well Star¬ tle the considerate mind, especially, when in contrast to thc vast sums spent for intoxicating drinks, is placed the comparatively small amount contributed by Christians for benevolent purposes: Thc New York Tribune computes that the whole cost of liquors annually made and sold in thc United States, that is whiskey cither in pure or derivative state, is about §500,000,000. In the consumption of this liquor, 00,000 lives arc yearly destroyed, 100,000 mcii'and women are sent to prison, and 200,000 chil- dre-iiare bequeathed to the poor-houses and charitable , duty unless all its members arc “ready always to give : an answer to every one that nsketli them a reason of I the hope that is in them.” nnswor-u«iaravoiitnraliwise»cy^smn<ir,Jtj>Vliat.must ujjpijure исциеашси iu uie poor-nouses anu cnaruauic I do to be saved?” The eliurcL has neglected 'ТЕГ rinEjfutionei— Tniaddition,.300..murdcre and ,400 sui- Will they not help us to bring our little sheet into j .ill the families to which thev minister. ! God’s Plan for Missions. Wc copy from the Christian Observer the following к rajigestive of a train of thought which may well, in this day, be entertained by all our churches. The Car of Juggernaut. It is kuown that in India on religious festival oc- cisions, in honor of their God Juggernaut — an im¬ mense ear containing their God is drawn by hundreds of his devotees, and it is deemed an act of extreme piety to fall beneath the ponderous wheels and be The progress of the spiritual kingdom of God is crushed to death. The following is a description of very slow. The population of thc globe increases i one of their ceremonials of idolatry, furnished by a ranch more rapidly than the number of those who worship God in spirit and in truth. If we consider the number in thc better classes, who make no pro- fesion of religion, or who deny their profession by a practical atheism, and remember the large number in the lower social ranks, who the Christianity of our spectator: “Again thc Brahmins shouted, and men beat gongs on the car; again the mob pulled, and thc huge fabric was dragged forward a few yards. It stopped sud¬ denly, and thc crowd seemed seized with a fit of mad¬ time doe, not reach, and also consider the vist myri- s« eagerly were they rushing forward to peer ■ds who have never hoard the Gospel, wo must doubt «nd«r tllc of the car A great cry was set whether the ratio of the pious to the ungodly is as «Pi we pusl.cdforwardwit tlm r^ttolookbcncat h iaige now as it was in the davs of Constantine the car‘ Bch,ad d tllerc .Ia- .UP°a * 10 Sr0.,llld a P°?r Great - I old woman, with thin wrinkled limbs and gray hair. The reason of tl.is slow growth - - — hcr face almost crushed into thc earth, and' her foot cidcs are committed, and the expense connected with these events is §200,000. It is estimated that one in ever}- fifteen persons in thc State of New York is sub¬ stantially made a pauper by drunkenness. Eight hun¬ dred thousand baskets of champagne more than arc produced in all the champagne districts of Europe are drank in this country. Where do these come from? Madeira is made by passing the oil of whiskey through carbon. Vinegar, beet-root, sulphuric acid, and copperas, are used to make port wine. New York city alone, says thc Tribune, anmiallv manufactures wines to the value of §8,000,000. What is thc result? Thc report of the New York State Inebriate Asylum contains one answer. Here is thc record of applications: — Cltrcj-mcn, . 30 Judges, . 8 Merchants, . '. . . . 340 rhysicinns, . 220 Gentlemen, . 240 Rich Men’s Daughters . 1.300 _ „ _ _ 0. ..... is a plain one. ГЬе Christianity of tlie present age relies too much ■<d a sacerdotal class. The proclamation of thc Gos¬ pel is left to tlie ministry; and tlie private' members "i> account cither of their modesty or indifference, have excused themselves from the duty of pressing !he Gospel on those who need its forgiveness. Chris-' . , , - - j - .ia™ appear to have .forgotten thatGdd hath made j Ыд bo\vcls wcrc crusllcd out, u= ali “kings and priests unto God ;” and that unless | “i _ ,, _ ,..„„-^..1.0,1 „-Dl, l,wi cut nearly off. She writhed feebly in her dying ago¬ ny, and thc Brahmins coolly looked down upon her, •with heavy, leaden faces, while thc crowd still peered beneath tlie car and cried out that there were more. Upon a closer inspection wc saw beneath thc front wheels one man, a strong black whiskered inan, lying lie was turned over -eon^ Christ before men, neither will He confess ^ “ЙЙ ”***?♦“ beyond him was a second man, likewise crushed to ™°,; death — tlm imyt ef l.imW.ty ™ t.-ipc,! fr^rn the wretch as if with a sponge. I lie crowd stood lor a long time looking on at this miserable tragedy, and then they dragged the car back over tlie bodies of thc two dead men. ■-by. The converts instead of trying “to teach r|thers, also,” arc content to be mere unproductive 4 aits, as it were, mere inert stones in tbe church. The '■OBsequcncc is, that thc church grows by arithmetical l/royresaion. The population of thc world increases ш s.n entirely different ratio, by geometrical progres - j non. All persons bom into the world in due course; 't time bring others into tlio world, and all these by ■he yciv nature of man belong to tlie kingdom of v‘b ‘ he kingdom of light increases by arithmetical t‘roJression, thc kingdom of darlcness by geometrical ■’rogression. God’s kingdom grows in the ratio of 2, 8, 10, 12, 14: Satan’s kingdom as thc series 2, *> 8» 1C, 32, G4, 128. Tiie longer, therefore, the pre- •ent state of indifference on the partof private Chris- hans continues, the farther and more rapidly will Sa- ;ms kingdom outstrip the church. The practical operation in the most Christian coun¬ ties is about as follows: In the United States there 4 not more than one minister to every thousand per- •003. The labors of a pastor will not on an average produce more than ten conversions in a year, and du- ^og.tiie year three church members will probably die. Hu ring the first year, seven will be added to the num¬ ber of church members, but by the natural laws of in- (as statistic? declare them,) about thirty will be soiled by birth to the empire of Satan. The next Now 1 live: ... P*‘r77 But of re-night — lo morrow — know I not. Oh, well for me, when I can 1еатс in у Jot All unto God: ’ To him my faithful service give, Anil through his Spirit's strength • ■! ' Prepare for my account st length. • See thc (lower, r ! Which full of brightness in thc morning shone; ' В doth no longer wave the stock upon When evening comes. * So lasts man’s glory bnt an hour. And canst thou, soul, thus waste n yw Л life tlmt tlicth in such haste? . i' i-i.IiySr Stand thou clear . .. . From earth! Hero is thy struggle; yonder, rest.' ' • Up, up, my soul! press forward! heaven is be3ti^r^,J„ Now hasten home! Let earth seem distant, heaven more near. ; AL 4./ How soon tills life doth fly! ’ , , How soon comes that which shall not die! '* _ . Never delay ”'id ‘‘J’F To do thc duty which thc hour brings, ^ f ,» Whether it bo in great or smaller things:’ For who doth know What lie shall do tho coming day? This moment is for tlicc; Thc next, perhaps, thon wilt not see. ■ 1ГУЛ '7 t I'x't ^ ’ 1-.ЯВ , Father of all, So let thy warning, “Watch!’’ be not in vainj,r • _ Let my soul hear л And dully answer to thc call, ' vi?;7 Then sudden death shall be But a quick step to life and thee. Might of Individuality. — Speaking of indi¬ vidual effort, remarked a Christian layman, suggests a thought: Thc sun is limited in its influence of light and heat upon thc earth; but through the me¬ dium of a lens, its rays maybe concentrated so as to produce intense brightness and heat.. What thc lens is to thc natural sun, thc Christian should bo to the Sun of Righteousness — thc concentrator of the rays of thc love of Jesus, through him as the medium should he reflected on other minds and hearts, and cause thc flames of love to kindle and burn with divine ardor. Even the little word in season spoken by the Chris¬ tian is often the medium through which the soul is set all on fire with the Jove of Jesus. One of nature’s poets lias beautifully described the power of individ¬ ual acts and things in tho following language: “A nameless man amid tlie crowd That throng tho daily mart. Let- fall a word of hope and love, - * Unstudied from the heart. A whisper on tho tumult thrown, A transitory breath, It raised a brother from the dust, •' And saved a sonl from death. О germ! О fount! О word of love ! О thought at randojn cast! Ye were bnt little nt the first, ' But mighty at the last.” A Passion for Souls. An eminent servant of God, now gone to his re¬ ward, used to speak of having “a passion for souls.” Now men have a passion for many of the perishable objects of earth; for fame, for glory, for riches, for Sileasure, for literature, for science and art, but how cw, alas! have a passion for soul s._ But, thank God, tliertrliavcdivcd men who -Itad.. this 'Intense., love for souls. Paul had such a passion. The dcvotciTmTn? ister of Christ in Scotland, McChcync, had this pas¬ sion; for it was declared of his preaching by a plain but godly woman, “O, lie preached as if lie was a dying to have you converted.” The faithful mission¬ ary of. the cross who leaves the comforts and socie¬ ties of the land of his birth, and treads thc sands of Africa, or thc frozen snows of Greenland for thc gos¬ pel’s sake, has a passion for souls. And, last though not humblest, tlie real, true, faithful Sabbath School teacher, wlio in all weathers comes up to teach his little class of Sunday School scholars, and to lead them to Jesus, has a passion for souls. O, that we might all have it! Social Value of Preaching. Without unduly mngrifying roy offico ns n minister of the Gospel, I may boldly, and 'without fear of contradiction, affirm that one truly faithful and zealous preacher of God’s Won!, to whatever section of Christ's church ho may belong, docs more to check thc progress of vice anil crime, to promote obedience to law, to aid the advancement of individual virtue, and to maintain social order, than n hundred political, moral, and phi¬ losophical essays, *or than tho utterance of thc strictest views of justice, or tlie severest inflictions cf judgment. It is thus that the beautiful imagery of tho Prophet is realized, “ Instead of the thorn shall come np the fir tree,” and those who were cncc their country's terror and disgrace, become its ornaments and defense. Bliud is that country, and wrelchcd must it be, where thc worth of a faithful preacher is not known, till the want of this the • friend of humanity is proclaimed by the abonndings of iniquity, the. prevalence of strife, confusion, and every evil work. Thc pulpit — and let It not be considered as a vain boast — next to the Bible, which it is intended to explain and enforce, is tho stron¬ gest pillar of human society; It is tho great break-water that keeps back tlio mighty surgings of ungodliness, nnd preserves tho land from an inundation of ruin; it is that which alone con be depended upon nmid tho revolutions of human .'(fairs and the clash of human passions, to preserve to the monarch his crown, to thc noble bis Ьопогз, to the rich man tlie enjoyment of bis wealth, and to tho workman, the reward of his labor. What lover of his species, then, must not uphold the ministry of thc Word — an institution which, for eighteen centuries, has taught the poor to suffer wont, thc ntllicted in patience to possess their souls, the anxious, lo he careful for nothing, and thc fenrful to hope in God? — tiev. J. A. James. Ministerial Usefulness. The ministry of Christ is a sacred vocation — none Tiie minister is not to Something: to Think of. The time has long gone by when Baptists needed to be taught that the missionary spirit is a prominent and essential feature of the Christian character, and that missionary work is an imperative duty, solemnly enjoined upon all who bear thc name of Christ, by j thc parting command of their great King. But while 1 instruction may no longer be needed, in reference to , this great department of duty, to remove doubts, and | to convince thc unbelieving, while thc command oi 1 more holy and responsible, Zion’s King “Go vc into all thc world and preach j please himself. “Usefulness” must be Ins motto, the cosnel to everv creature,” is recognized by all as .With this single idea, lie is to study and arrange all bindiiic on a4 alike, it is to be feared that two fre- Ins preaching. His Sundays and his week days are qucntlv, too commonlv, the recognition of this great to elaborate and work out this idea. It is a very oblication is nothing 'more than a mere intellectual high compliment to a gospel minister not when you preemption, instead of a deep, pervading/erimi? of per- ; say lie is a brilliant preacher, out lie is the useful pas- sonal rcsponsibi/ily. Christians do not realize, do not . tor. And he shall bnt prove himself sent of God . ’ who excels in doxvnnght and positive usetulncss to his people. It is more nol>le-to lead sinners to Jesus, than to attract the astonishment of the hearers by brilliant powers of oratory. feel as they ought, that upon every individual Chris¬ tian rests the obligation to sacrifice and labor, as well as to pray for tbe salvation of his . fellow-men an obligation which he cannot, evade, cannot neglect, God’s Plan. Never complain of your birth, your training, your employment, your hardships, never fancy that you could he something, if only you had a different lot and sphere assigned you. God understands his own plan a great deal better than you-do. Tlie^ very thmg that you most deprecate as fatal limitations or ob¬ structions, are probably wliat you most want. AVliat you call hindrance, obstacles, .discouragements, are probably God’s opportunities; and it is. nothing now that a patient should dislike his medicines, or any proof that they arc poisons. Interior of Africa. Rev. С. C. HofTman, of Cape Palmas, after a resi¬ dence of many years in Liberia, wrote: — . “As vou go interior the country increases»! oca - tv qnd fertility, and I am inclined to think in • also. At a distance of thirty miles you get ^ among beautiful hills, and at seventy they nsc almost to >no tains. Game abounds, deer and »ild g«“^ birds; and fish arc plentiful in thc nversand strea