The Christian index and southern Baptist. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1881-1892, March 17, 1881, Image 1

The Christian index and southern Baptist., March 17, 1881, Image 1

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Newspaper Page Text> Ts Mr w < UMlSir. ■ w VOL. 59. Table of Contents. First Page—Alabama Department: The “Pinoh’ r of Sermons ; Tramp Preachers; State News; The Religious Press. Second Page—Correspondence : Jottings By the Way—J. M.G. Medlock ; Letter From Angnsta; To the Columbus Association; Sunday-school Convention ; Letter From Fort Worth; Resolutions of Bethel Church. The Sunday-school: Leeson For March 27th, —Preaching the Kingdom. Missions ary Department. From the Seminary; etc. Third Page—Children’s Corner: Suppose— Poetry ; Daisy’s Dolls; Lily’s Question; etc. Fourth Page—Editorials: Pilate’s Hands; Miraculous Cures; The Ecclesiastical Cat erpillar, Offensive Truth; Georgia Bsptist News. Fifth Page—Secular Editorials: News Para graphs ; Literary Notes and Comments; “The Origin of Man;" Georgia News. Sixth Page—The Household: Strength For To-day—Poetry; Hallie’s Way of Send ing a Valentine; Diphtheria and Yellow Fever; Cold Feet. Obituaries. Seventh Page—The Farmer’s Index: Cab bage-Collards; Cotton—Free Labor—Fer tilizers; Small Notes; An Evil In The Land. Eighth Page—Florida Department: Wm. H. Thornton, M.Dj Rev. J. F. B. Mays; From Missionary Hogue; Rev. Napoleon A. Bailey ; Acknowledgements; Interest ing Letter; Publisher's Department; Tales of Three Cities. Alabama Department. HY SAMUEL HENDERSON. THE "PINCH" OF Many years ago, when weM| young in the ministry, WMf est, most gifted and 1 we ever P in <• ij&x. tion of When we come to gregations ought to um distinctly that we many able sermons in other have we all heard which, failing hero were practically lost to everybody. The 1 thoughts may be just, the style fault less, the arrangement discreet, but what is all this worth if it fails to cut its way to the heart and make a per manent lodgment of the truth there! That preaching that inspires admira tion for the minister, and satisfies the audience with themselves, will never convert the world. Rowland Hill had a quaint saying, that “the kind of preaching needed is that which would drive the people into their pews and nail them to their seats as if the very devil was after them.’’ We are persuaded that the reason why so many able ministers fail of ac complishing anything worthy of their capacities is, that they never studied the art of putting “hooks and eyes” into their sermons, so as to make them stick where they sent them. They are so highly polished, so smooth, that they glide over the minds and hearts of the people and leave no impression. What they need is some sharp angles that will cause them to penetrate the quick, and inspire each man to say, in his deepest consciousness, “that preach er means me 1” How much more im . portant is it for a preacher to be useful than to be popular; and yet how many sacrifice their usefulness to their popu larity 1 The effect of a whole sermon is sacrificed to a fine trope! The following circumstance will il lustrate what we aim to establish per haps better than a mere argument. It occurred about twenty-five years ago, and our intimate acquaintance with all the parties justifies us in referring to it. They have now all passed away. We will call them William, James and Reuben. William was a young minis ter of the highest culture, and singu larly gifted, and was the pastor of. the church to which James belonged, and James was quite proud of his pastor. Reuben was an old minister, without much culture, but had a great deal of good common sense, and was, withal, rather quaint and blunt. William had only been settled a short time in his pastorate, and James, who happened to fall in at Reuben’s house to spend a night, was quite anxious to get his opinion of his young pastor. After supper they sat down by the fire to in dulge an evening’s conversation. James approached the old brother a little cau tiously by asking his opinion of several SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST. of Alabama. other preachers in the surrounding country, and finally came to his own pastor. “Well, brother Reuben," said he, “and what do you think of my pastor!” “Well," said Reuben, “preachers are like unto cooks. Brother William is one of our best cooks. He has every variety, and it is well done and proper ly seasoned. And then, when he sets the table, every plate and dish is ar ranged exactly right, ffobody can beat him in all these respects. But when we all sit down to the table, he never helps my plate.” No doubt the reader understands what the old brother meant by his quaint figure—that the young pastor failed in “rightly dividing the word of truth, giving to each one his portion in his season.” There is an aptitude in this respect which all the books, the Colleges and Seminaries in the world cannot supply. Whether this aptitude is the result of natural temperament, or whether it comes of that deep piety which lies at the base of all ministerial success, or is the result of both (as we suspect,) it is the most important element in the character of a Gospel minister. A deep and thorough acquaintance with the phases of our fallen humanity—its sub tleties, its subterfuges, the multiform labyrinths of its deceitfulnessjis, next the Bible, the in t ™WBBI^T er - a i n * n ß there will be more to learn from his own heart than is to be found in all his books. The knowledge that he is commissioned to impart is the know ledge that can only be effective as it passes through the heart. It is in a “good and honest heart” that the good seed of the kingdom must fall, before it will spring up and bear its approp riate fruit. The sum of what we would say is, that sermons that accomplish the end contemplated must come at the people as “a sharp two-edged sword,” that will cut its way “into the thoughts and intents of the heart,” reaching those moral monsters which have long lain hidden there, under which the man is being “fitted for destruction.” They should literally force men to the last alternative of self-convicted pen itents, “the faith of the Gospel.” We care not what else a sermon may be in the elegance and finish of its style, in the force of its logic, in the profundity of its thoughts, and what the world calls the eloquence of its delivery, if it fails in this, ft fails in the one point that will justify us in calling it a Gos pel sermon. Preachers! reserve your power for the “pinch!” Baptist REFLECTon.-Some one, per haps our old friend Dr. Mat. Hillsman, one of its present editors, has sent us the last two issues of this paper, the organ we suppose we can say, of the Baptists of Tennessee, printed at Nash ville. We know nothing of it, except having seen an occasional copy, under the former regime, but as at present conducted, under the editorial manage ment of Dr. Montgomery and Dr. Huisman, it is one of our best papers. Its columns are filled with articles of decided ability, mostly original. Dr. M. wields the pen of a ready writer— sprightly, incisive and able. Dr. H., always“level-headed,’’contributes much to the solid worth of the paper, in the range and practical bearing of his ar ticles. It deserves the highest success which the denomination can give it in the State of which it is the organ. By the way, as to dropping certain patronymics, of quite recent origin, “old” though they claim to be, to which reference is made in the last issue of THE FRANKLIN STEAM PRINTING HOUSE. ATLANTA, GEORGIA, THURSDAY, IM ARCH 17, 1881. the Reflector, and at the instance of , other papers, we on)y say, it is quite difficult to drop whit one never picked up. We were never a great adept in decyphering “old landmarks,” though somewhat wedded to a certain kind of “water-marks.” At least on proper oc casions we always desire “much water.” The suggestion, however, is wise, and will do good if carried out. One “Shiboleth" is enough to pronounce at Joppa or Jordan to secure a proper passport. “TRAMP" PREACHERS. We suppose every profession and calling has its “dead-beats,” its “hang ers-on,” its “trampsand we regret to say that the Gospel ministry is not an exception. As far back as we can rec ollect, “impostors” would now and then turn up in this sacred calling, and cre ate, for the time, a little local sensation. But more recently this evil is becoming more serious. There have been two or three of these “tramps" who, at short intervals, hive followed each other’s tracks our country. One of them very arrj gantly, and without consultinjMßkfl or people, announced preach at one of the the privilege of hour of We have enough to be a fflß strangers iiboflVfl ■ acters in their fockels inM , “letters of introduction and dation” from “distinguished ministSNß The handwriting of these letters quit™ frequently betrays the deception. Definitions.—We know the reader will excuse the following comical defi nitions ; the first two selected from a “Review of Moore’s Diarythe last we quote from memory, having seen it more than thirty years ago, quoted in the “Southern Review Dr. Currie was once teased by a frivolous lady to tell her the precise meaning of the word idea, about which she said she had been reading in some metaphysical work, but could not un derstand it. “Idea, madam? Idea? Why, it is the feminine of idiot, and means a fe male fool!” Somewhat similar was the witty defi nition of “Dogmatism,” by Douglas Jerrold: “Dogmatism? Dogmatism? Why, it’s of course puppyism arrived at full maturity!” Goethe, the great German poet, was once impertinently asked the meaning of experience. His answer was suffi ciently exhaustive, and came up to Solomon’s proverb, “answer a fool ac cording to his folly.” “Experience?” said the poet, “Expe rience? Why, Experience is what an experienced man experiences in expe riencing his experience!” Reader, it is sometimes a little haz ardous to wind up some men. You may get more than you bargain for. We carry some scars on our memory yet from some of those social encoun ters. We always try to measure a man before indulging an idle curiosity. —We regret to learn from Brother J. H. Williams, that his aged father, Elder H. A. Williams, was seriously injured by a fall from a building, in Calhoun county, February 25th. He fell a distance of twenty-five feet, but no bones were broken. His many friends in South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama, will be glad to learn that he is improving slowly and will, it is hoped, soon be on his feet again. STATE NEWS. —Rev. B. F. Riley is preparing a history of Conecuh county. —Rev. Bruce Harris will leave Dadeville, and make Rome, Ga. (J his home. —There are on the regular lists of pupils of the different schools in Troy 817 white children. The school for colored children has an attendance of lij'i children. —Barber county ns discussing the question as to whether a new jail shall be built. The court house is at Clay ton, but Eufaula wants the jail. —An important law passed during the session of the Legislature just closed, is one taking the supervision of the collection of the poll tax from the aud itor and placing ii;with the superin tendent of education. The law regu lates and prescribes the duties of the assessor in their duties as t<Tthis is to Nfl J ' KWf B .\Vlb>p, collected, witty BL 1 - ,ii - Bririinl labor for tlie than s:v Ho: 1,100 Bktjg ’issbßWtlis ; and on a second shall be fined not less than ’hundred nor more than five hun ‘Wred dollars, and sentenced to hard la bor for the county for not lees than one nor more than two years, and for each subsequent conviction shall be fined and sentenced as for the second The Religious Press. Increase of Baptists.—The Na tional Baptist has the following to say in regard to the increase of our de nomination in the United States du ring the year 1880: We have more than once had occasion to point out the significance of the figures by which the progress ot the Baptists in this country is represented. Large figures are not easily fully conceived of—such as the grand total of the increase of the Baptists in 1880. It is reported to be 163 293. It is a sort of indefinite large number, which leaves : on many minds a very vague and indistinct i impression. But let us break it up into frag ments which can be more readily grasped by the imagination. This large number for the year means a daily average addition of 447 members to our churches, or the addi tion each week of 3,129 members. If, at the close of some one day, we were to be told that 447 members had been added to our 1 churches during its passing hours, it would seem a marked day. Or if every pastor were I to announce on some Lord’s Day morning, that during the proceeding week 3 129 had been added to our numbers, many would think it a week of special in-gathenng. Yet these are the averages for every day and ev ery week of the year 1880. Think of it—the equivalent of one large church every day; seven each week; thirty each month; and three hundred and sixty-five in the year. What a gathering of means of future power! ’ And what demand lor that carelul training which will alone avail to make it, under God, most effective for good to men, and glo ry to him! Has this enormous increase of 163,- 293 done us good or has it done us harm? We are in doubt. If the new recruits were all regenerate persons, our doubts would be removed and we should have no language in which to i express our ecstatic joy. If they were , all unregenerate, our doubts would al so disappear, and our grief would be unutterable. The truth doubtless lies between .the extremes. But en the whole, has our denominational strength been increased, or has it been dimin- THE CHRISTIAN HERALD, of Tennessee. ished? We do not know. One thing we do know ; and that is that a very large proportion of those now called Baptists are such only in name. If the 163,293 are like these, the cause of Christ has been injured by their addi tion to the churches, and the injury is shared by the deluded persons them selves, and also by those who deluded them. Aco respondent of one of our exchanges gives the following:—“Many years ago I heard a discourse delivered by a sopMwhat noted revivalist which was so full of anec dotes that a German Professor who was present inquired of the preacherafter service if the sermon to which he had jnst listened was a fair specimen of his preaching. The minister replied that it was; at the same time requesting the reason of his asking this question. ‘Why,’ said the German *1 do not call that preaching at all. Story telling is not preaching. Your discourse was a lit tle more than an hour in length; and in that time, by actual count, you told twenty-sev en anecdotes.’ Being a witness of this scene, while of course I could not approve of the blunt method adopted, by the Professor in administering reproof, the maxim itself, ‘Story-telling is not preaching,” made an indelible impression on my mind, which was not without its influence on my own pulpit habits.” Add the Index thinks that pulpit anecdotes ought to be, 1. Very few. 2. veto short. clearly to the poimt a, not be weh /l- distinctiort®W l *a<’f and That the two races may exist the same Jaws and political institutions is demonstrated as a present fact, and we wish it may always be so. It is clear to us that God has not intended that the world should become mulatto or quadroon, nor that the white race should surrender its domination of Christian civili zation to the black. To educate, to Chris ize, and by every means to elsvate, are the duties of the present hour, and we heartily honor all who, in a spirit of benevolence, and in the love of God, are doing this work. If it were desirable, still it is impossible to get rid of the negro. We must accept the situation, and do what is possible towards making him a Christian man, and an intel ligent and useful citizen. Besides the pub lic school, the greatest need of the negro youth is the inculcation of habits of indus try. Besides being taught to read and write, he is in urgent need of being taught to work. —N. 0. Christian Advocete. And all this we think is wise. The facts are upon us; the negroes are here; and the problem of life between the ra *ces must be solved, and solved by us. Regarding the subject in the light of mere expediency, it is impossible for us to know what to do; no human wis dom is adequate to the occasion. Re garding the subject in the light of du ty, the way is much clearer. The ne groes are human beings; they are our near neighbors; they are our fellow citizens. What is-our duty to all men? What is our duty to those nearest us? What is our duty to those who live under the same government? In the light of the New Testament there is no difficulty in answering these questions. When we follow the teachings of God’s word we are sure to do right; and when we do right, we are sure to do that which is expedient. So the pros pect brightens. As to the miscegen ation question, that need not trouble us; that will settle itself. A few men fanatical and half crazy, may try to or ganize and legislate the races into an amalgam, but very few of them if any, will be found willing to practice what they preach. Men cannot reason themselves into a disregard of their own instincts. Nature made the ra ces what they are, and so they will re main. As to the few men who are try ing to join together what God has put asunder (not in their own persons however, their doctrine is always for other people and not for themselves) perhaps they will get tired of their task after awhile, and (abandon it Whether they do or not, things will move on just the same. There will always be a race of negroes, and there will always be a race of white people; and our duty is simply to make the re lations between these races such as the New Testament enjoins. Men pray for holiness as if it were some thing entirely apart from their every-day life, something that had nothing at all to do with their conduct in their domestic, social and business relations.—Sunday-school Times. Three words of the above short ex tract we wish to repeat, the words do mestic, social, business. A religion which does not exhibit itself palpably in all three of these departments is worthless. This “secret communion of the heart with God” which some men speak of, if it makes no outward manifestation of itself, is a delusion. A man’s domestic life, his social life, his business life, all bis life must show the marks of the Spirit. While the Presbyterian church demands of its ministersand elders adherence to the “standards,” i. e., the Confession of Faith, and the Form of Government, it receives in to its membership every one who desires it and who can give credible evidence of piety. It makes the conditions of church Member ship no different from the conditions of sal vation. —Illustrated Christian Weekly. We have not so understood our Pres- k.byterian brethren. Would they re- Beive a Quaker into their church! fßhAAthey receive any one no matter the evidence of bis pi never received bnpti.-ur. claimed to be bap- : really true that with the? of church membershu , ■tadjaihe conditions <>i ■ * Say vWotherday that religious pape: ve-y a-el'. ” Mwructor, but that as a polib worthless, so he had or- paper stopped, that he might take organ of his political party. Sure- K' that brother’s heart was wedded to the Jpnammon of this world.—Evangelist. I As a political guide, the Index is worthless, and so we intend it shall re main. Just before the Presidential election a good many of our religious exchanges were very pronounced in their political utterances. They are more quiet now, but when the next election draws near, we fear that they will fall from grace again. The Index will forever put in its protest against such desecration of the Lord’s col umns. A minister of long and varied experience once said, near the close of a long life: “If any church puts the work of missions in a corner, the Lord will put that church in a comer.” There is no doubt of the fact that those churches which are most liberal in sending the gospel to others, are the church es that enjoy the highest degree of prosperi ty at home.—Evangelist. In what way does the missionary effort benefit a church? It would take a long time to answer this question fully and in detail; but we may say in a word that such effort expands the heart. What a world of blessing it in cludes! In what way does the want of such effort injure people? Avoiding details let us say in brief, it shrivels the heart. What a world of horror is included in this expression,—a shriv eled heart! The man or woman who lives on artifi cial excitements will be good for nothing in things that require steady effort or real en thusiasm. The soul loses its living power when it is stimulated by that which is not true.— United Presbyterian Business is a steady thing, and so is religion. Both require steady work every day, and close attention all the time. Any thing less than this will end in partial or total failure. We suspect that the Baptist polity, the principle of Independence, of individual re sponsibility, while it has some inconven iences, yet brings out the capacity of indi viduals as nothing else does.—National Baptist. All right so far as it goes, but we should use a much stronger word than suspect. If any one doubts whether alcohol is not ofteh unwisely prescribed by , physicians, he may find matter for re i flection in the fact that a throat and ear hospital in London treated 4,496 patients, during a year, with marked ' success, and spent for stimulants only . one shilling. NO. 11.