GENESEE EVANGELIST.—WhoIe No. 729.
Iferttg.
LINES .. j-...--;
wsoisrsDotf ssrAiuraro niOM iai ohtjmh iron which ibx
was tiaar cojthictad. ;
And 1 must weep.; theie*r* that gush
From out the heftrtj bo hand may stay;
The thrilling inemdriiS that
Upon my soul, will-have their way.
The tendrils of my heartaiebouhd,
Oh, churoh 'hejoved 1 . jbloae jtbithee
Seems, that it* fiifflie, if unwound,
Bleeding, caA clasp no other tree. .
What priceless blessings I have proved,
. Listening the worda-our pastor taught;
All eloquent with truth'and love,
' Ahdfreighted withthe wealth of thought.
. Whqn for our babes we fain would crave,
'; v OTatmy gpirft’aWWeetbaptUmr
i .tilslip* the Wordtof blesstngigave,
His hand performed the holy chrism*
When weeping o’er our dead, we’ve bowed
With hearts all crushed bbneath the blow;
His gentle hand, tt)e balm hath poured
Into our bitter cup of wo.
Heueinber well the heavy rod,
And well the pastor’s words so mild;
“ God is a covenant-keeping God,
The covenant hands are round thy child.”
Long may your arms, dear church, bo'thrown
Bound this loved pastor of your choice;
And long his mild benignant tones ' ‘
Your waiting ears and hearts rejoice.
And when are broke the golden bowls,
And all the silver cords are riven;
May you, a band of ransomed souls,
A church'triumphant, 1 meet In heaven.
E.B.H.
flbttmpon&tnce.
INFLUENCE OFMYTHOIOGY AND CHBIS
TIANITYON POETRY.
BY WILLIAM 0. WINSLOW.
: Mythology was to ancient poetry what Christi
anity is to modern. Religion, the vital spark of
human nature, is an element of genuine poetry.
Henoe the mythic religion of yore was to anoient.
poetry wh%t, Christianity -.;;£bc/|ny
thologjofthwheatheniSuniversaHyackiKiwledged
to have originated from made primarily
to the Jews. Under its influence, poetry was
corrupted, and lost its divine impress, though stil),
retaining its fire and sublimity. And it was the
fire anfi Bublimity resulting from a$ obscure reve
lation, wrought by a disturbed fancy into extrava
gant wildness, and conjured into forms-most cap- ;
tivating to a sensual taste.
It would appear then, that so far as the avowed
object of poetry is concerned, which is to please
the taste and gratify the imagination, the influence
of the heathen Mythology was more propitious
than that of the Jewish religion. The lofty con
ceptions obtained frotn a divine revelation were in
through a distorted medium, he exhibited them
in an aspeot gratifying to a natural love of the
marvellous; he was at liberty to .alter, multiply
and combine in a manner best suited to the pre
vailing taste. Thus Mythology helped the poet,
and the poet helped Mythology. .Assuming : that
the Supreme Being; was an object beyond imagj
nation and description, the poet placed him above
all human concern, made him too elevated for
terrestrial affqirsj ; and oreated a. multitude of sub
ordinate gods and goddesses, with numerous attend
ants of various forms, who visited the habitations
of men, and presided over their destiny. This
gave the poet free rein to all the powers of ima
gination and description. At his service were
gods and demi-gods; he clothed them with forms
and passions, half human and half divine; he gave
them supreme power over the affairs of men; and
they haunted mountains, groves and temples. He
peopled the dark woods with imaginaiy beings of
beauty and deformity; waters were enchanted,
mountain tops and oaves became- the oranles
future. All this was a mighty advantage to the
poet.
Christianity reveals the only living and trne
God. Hence it strips the poet of all this machi
nety. When he has occasion to refer to a divine
agent, he must refer to this same being whose at
tributes are clearly revealed, and beyond the work
of a free imagination. No attempt at a poetic re
presentation of Jehovah, by an uninspired pen,
has ever been successful. Even Milton failed in
his attempt, as every pure taste feels, when he
ventured upon a description of that Being who is
transoendently above the reach of even his sub
limcst flight. Poetry, to accomplish its purpose,
must embellish, eolor, and adorn the subject de
scribed beyond itself. The mind is disappointed
and disgusted, when imagination describes the
Deity in such a manner. Whenever the pen at-
L tempts to exhibit God, and the sublime realities
I of judgment, heaven and hell, a few bold and
I general strokes, leaving the reader’s imagination,
I to supply the rest, are in better taste, and are
Lmorc powerful in effeofc,than the finished paint-
Bing of the poet.
■. Christianity, like philosophy, knows and defines
■ facts as they are. Mythology exaggerates them.
■ The one operates in daylight, when it can adou-
I- irately apply its axioms and deflßitions. Ond draw
I the limits of human knowledge. The other revels
I in obsourities of twilight, amidst glimmerings and
[ occasional flashes only. PerfectJight defeats its
I purpose, Hence the influence of Christianity On
poetry onuses the mind to see clearly, and that of
Mythology to see obscurely. Some of the earliest
and loftiest. effusions which the world has pro
duced, were found among the anoient Jews. Their
bards, burning with the fire df saerod enthusiasm,
struck their lyres to notes of spiritual and unri
valled sublimity. Some of . the books of the Old
Testament, rescued from destruction by the pro
vidence of God, and transmitted to us, are illus
trious specimens of doubtless, numerous, unknown
productions of Hebrew poetry nowiost to the
world. But when Christianity rose "ih noonday
effulgence upon the world—wbentyfftetiSttd wi
dows were lost in realities, andthe'sdblitae rdyS
teries of redemption, and Messiah's* kingdom wefe
disclosed, the language of poetry was converted
into that of simple and engaging truth. The ob
jects of the Christian revelation are few, simple,
, sublime, and clearly revealed. Those Of the hea
then Mythology are numerous, complex, and ob
scurely seen. The heathen poet could always
gratify the passion of love and vanity, and at the
same time enlist the marvellous knd mystic. Me
ascribed every phenomenon in ! nature to- the ’ im
mediate agency of one of his gods. : •'
But the Christian religion has swept this ma
chinery away. Poetry and religion how go hand
in hand. ‘ While the heathen, religion is now a
myth, the Christian poet, to obviate the difficulty
to'which he'is thus subjected, resorts to Mytho
logy, where he oanfeast the imagination, and de
light the fancy. Chaucer, Dry den, Shakßpeare;
Milton-and-Pope, owe much of their poetic.'charac
ter to the heathen-Mythology. Cowper.is an ex
ample of exquisite taste; and delicate sentiment,
with little of the fine frenzy or poetie fire; and the
same is .also true of White. . Byron I oraked .toge
ther materials from ievery system and religion, and
blended-them with the fruits of his wild imagina
tion. ■■■; .■ . -
The Ghriatiah ireligion has poured light upon
the .mind, enlarged the boundaries of knowledge,
Und)likeiphiloSQphy,:enoroaehed'npon,the;limits
of pbriafy. But poetiy .is not dehtinediito mltii
matelyfailfrom: the earth, or find : mo-reception
with the refined philosopher and the Christian.
There is-aohord hi #he human soul which will al
ways vibrate to its touch; and philosophy will
sometimes pause, .and suspend the active energies
ofithemind/and the pursuitsiof; life, when that
chord trembles In unison with the hidden wires of
the human heart. ' 1 k .
. Hamilton College, April ,10th, 1860.
LETTER FROM SYRTA.
.. Mr. Geo. W. Hears, Corresponding Secretary
of the S, S. Missionary Society, of the Tfestern
Church, has received two letters from Mr. and
Mrs. Benton, missionaries of the A. B. 0. F. M.,
at Bhamdun, Mt. Lebanon, which he has kindly
placed at our disposal. We make the following
extracts from Mr. Benton’s letter. That of Mrs.
B. shall appear in our next:
Dear Brother in Christ:— Your fraternal
letter, and words of sympathy, and encouragement,
we appreciate most highly, and most
Separated from our native land, and from alinost
all intercourse with our beloved associates, yp>ur
letters to us are as islands in the ocean, .oases.in
the great desert of life, social fountains of , mutual
pleasure and friendship, in the renewing strength
of which we can advance invigorated and prepared
for missionary duty. . .. . . ..*i, . . <
The past year, 1859, has witnessed some progress
•of .qur mission iu Syria. But as a mission we are
still : at work upon the great foundations of the
enterprise, engaged in the translation of the Bible
from the original Greek., to the Arabic language';
in the preparation ,and publication of books, the
establishment and supervision oftbe primary
schools, and the two Seminaries for training native
helpers and pastors.
Iu connexion with this station, previous to
Augustlst, twelve sohools .had been opened during
thejjast year; and fifteen other schools, supported
by funds collected in Scotland, being located in
our. neighborhood,.were offered to omr supervision.
of the Druses, were gathered into these schools, and
taught in the first rudiments of knowledge, and
pf the Christian religion. The appearance of
hostilities between the Christians and Druzeß in
the month of August, suspended most of these
schools for a time. Some have more recently
been. resumed. Their .tendency is. to prevent or
remove the causes of animosity and war, and in
troduce knowledge and peace, and good will among
these wild mountaineers. It was an argument
with the Brazes lastsummer not to fight, because
if they,did, the.inissionaries wouldstqp the schools
for the educatiep. of their cfiildran. Audi a™ of
opinion, that if no schools had been opened, there
might have .been much more bloodshed and war.
It is a new thing which we now hear, that among
the Brazes, pne is sayipg' tp anptl»er * You are. a
Christian—you are, a. Protestant. Yesterday a
friend informed me, that as this remark was
addressed hi him, he replied, If I am a Christian,
»ive thanks to God j but you must b,e, changed before
you can become one. Several of this Class—eemh
Christians at least,- —have asked for Christian or
dinances during,the,past year.
In the Zahleh ease and our expulsion thence
in May last, we have found a more satisfactory
result than we dared at first to anticipate. By
reasop of the very unsettled stete of. Syria, and
the consequent injuries unredressed, which several
Americans had suffered, and the communication
of these facts to Washington, our Ambassador at
Constantinople was advised from the department of
state, to visit Syria, and ascertain the facts, and if
possible, adjust and terminate all these difficulties.
Accordingly he came, accompanied with his family,
his lady, two daughters, spn ; and brother, and was
greatly prospered in every. ease, at Beirut, Damas
cus, Zahleh, Jaffa, &c. In his visit to Zahleh, a
deputation, designated for this purpose, sought the
pardon and oblivion of their unworthy act in our
expulsion. The Ambassador replied, that much
as his feelings might dictate the granting of their
request, as the Representative of the United States
Government, he could know nothing of pardon,
but must demand full satisfaction. Their request
however, aoknowledging their outrage, and often
repeating their assurances, that ho such violence
and outrage of our rights and treaties should evir
be committed hereafter, allowed me, as ; chief
prosecutor in the case to Suggest, if it might please
. his excellency, that the farther prosecution of the
case might be abandoned. And this suggestion
was permitted to prevail.
Was it not better in a missionary point of view
to forgive ten thousand people, than to convict
and punish half a dozen rioters and disturbers of
the peace, and win the way for the gospel there 7
" I am happy Iso learn that you have taken up the
"history of the Syrian “mission from the beginning
in your preparation for the Monthly Concert.
- It is more than 40 years since our first mis
sionaries left Boston, and upwards of TO persons
have been connected with the mission, sent out
from the United States; about-one-third of whom
have entered, as wo trust, into the heavenly rest.
Rev. J. Wortabet, M. D., who has been located
at Hasbeiya for several years, has taken his release
‘from the service of the mission. He is nowin
'England in the employment of the Turkish mis
sions Aid Society. Of this society of British
Christians contributing for the service in support
of the missions conducted by American mission
aries, you are' doubtless informed. How pleasant
is this’exhibititfn of the unity of those who sustain
foreign missionaries; and of the English and Ame
rican nations! In good old England and in this
anoient Phenieia; -u|>on Mount Lebanon and in
your beautifhl city of brotherly love, our work, our
hopes, our objects and aspirations, are one, that we
PffijADELPHIAi THCKSfAT MAI 3, 1860,
may witness ther manifestation and: Coming of
the kingdom of God.- .
It will delight the friends of missions throughout
the world, to learn .that the Lord has greatly pros
pered the word and means of instruction and grace
upop Mount Lebanon during the past few years.
The evidences of this prosperity now appear in the
new members from different places, admitted to the
Evangelical churches, and. in the increased num
ber of candidates still seeking for admission; in
the more regular attendance and deeper interest
and solemnity of our Sabbath audiences, and of
the women’s Bible class; in the multiplication- of
our primary -and. Sabbath schools, and a more. ear-,
nest demand for the preaching of the gospel
through these most. highly approved instrument
talities; and in the visible approximation of those
in different communities WtejjKaveicoDtipued ffflr
ano
ther, and in so entire alienation from God.
. . The indications of Divine -Providence appear in
a remarkable manner to coincide with these pros
perous events to>.encourage our faith and hope in
God for the promised evangelization of Syria.
Why is a royal carriage road, at the estimated ex
pense of three millions of francs, just now made
te pass as a new ray of ; light over this sacred moun
tain ? Why|s; Zahleh now opened by the joint
action,of the Ottoman and the -United States’ go
vernments to American missionaries for the first
time? The expulsion, of myself and family, in
May last, from;that capital p£ the mountain, must
and willj-turnsout for the- furtherance of the gos
pel. God overrules the wrath of man and the
violence of war, as well as employs the love of his
people for the advancement of pur great Redeem
er’s kingdom upon, the earth. He employs the
most insignificant and. contemptible means for the
accomplishment-of his eternal purpose,- It is a
privilege to suffer in behalf of Christ, and our
sufferings may be our most impressive proclama
tion of the truth andgraeeofGod. . . .
In conclusion, dear brother, I would anew ex
press my thanks for your; salutations {and sympa
thies,^and fraternal 'correspondence.
The Lord from heaven prosper, and bless, all
the .teachers and members of your Sabbath school
enterprise. How much I would love to address
them, and speak of this.ancient land, of the Bible;
and ,!! I ever come tq the United States, I shall
Want to come right to Philadelphia, and to see
you all. Remember us .to all those classes; in
cluding the infant class; which have so generously
contributed, even to the..humblest child, who,has
learned to make any sacrifice or self-denial for
Christ. The question is not how much we must,
but how much we may be allowed to give and do
for Him who gave himself for us.
Ever yours, in Christian love,
> -■ Wm. A. Benton. ■
Bhamdun, Mount Lebanon, 14th February, 1860.,
THERESURRECTIONBODY
. The ensuing extract is taken from that very
interesting and, remarkable book, entitled “ The
Stars and the Angels,” which has just been re
_ published in this country by Messrs. W- S. & A.
Martien, of Philadelphia. ,
The Spiritual Body.
“All flesh is not the same flesh; but there is
one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts,
another of fishes, and another.' of -birds. ;;
“There is a natural body, qnd there te a.spirit
ual body.
“ HoWbeit, that was not first which is spiritual,
'bht that whieh is natural; and afterward that whieh
is spiritual.” 1 Cor. xv. 39, 44, 46. - I
Such is the information given us by an inspired
.write? regarding,the relations of the natural and
the spiritual body. The whole passage (l Cor. xv.)
is worthy of a most careful examination; we have
extracted three verses, whieh--more distinctly bear
a scientific value. -
From them we are warranted in inferring, first,
that the human body has two distinct modifications
—the natural and the spiritual states—both of
them normal, and yet so different, that our know
ledge of the one gives us littlehelptifi uuderstand
ing:the qualities and functions of the other. We
.may also infer,, from the 46th verse, that there is
an order of development in the two states. ’ The
first, which is the natural (or soul) state, is capa
ble of having the second; or spiritual state; fieve
loped from if; -the second,-or spiritual state, has
also this peculiarity, that while it is incapable of
originating either,itself or the natural state,,it te
capable of being developed as a more advanced
and more perfect inode of existence? These state
ments which wehstye quoted, bear very much the
character of scientific propositions.
Haying ascertained that, the spiritual body has
a normal character, so that its functions are not to
be regarded as miraculous, we turn to other parts
of Scripture to ascertain what those functions are.
The resurrection body of Christ te the only
human body, in.its,spiritual state,<whose functions
are exhibited ;to us in Scripture; but there are
passages which link that nature, not only witli the
future resurrection bodies of the saints, but :also
With the spiritual bodies of the angels :
“But now is'Ohrist'-risen- from the- dead, and
become the first-fruits of;them that:slept.” 1 Cor.
xv. 20. ,
“ And as we have borne the image of the earthy,
we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.”
,• ; 'i:
v *VBoloved,-jpow. are we the .sons of God; and it
doth not yet appear whatwe shall be; but we .know
that,, when he shall appear, we shall be like him;
*f6r : we shali see hini as he is.” 1 John iifc -2.
“'For oar conversation is in heaven; from
whence also we look for the .Saviour, the Lord
Jesus Christ; who ahali ehange our vile body,
that it may he fashioned like unto, His glorious
body.” Phil. iii. 20,21.' , i!?
These passages prove that Christ’s spiritu il
body is a typB and specimen of the bodies of th e
saints a| the resurrection. The following pessag ;s
prave that the bodies of the .saints at the resurrec
tion will be like the angels of God: “ , P
“For in the resarreetioh they neither marry
nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of
God in heaven 2” Matt. xxii. 30. . i
“ When they shall rise from the dead, they
neither marry nor are given in marriage, but .areas
the angels which are in heaven.” Mark xii. 25.
“ The children of this world marry, abd are given
in marriage: j
“ But they which shall be accounted;worthy |to
obtain, that world, and the resurrection from the
dead, neither marry.nor are given in.inarriage:
“Neither can they die any more; for they are
equal unto the angels (coayyeXot, ■) and are the
children ofGod, being the children of the resur
rection.” Luke xx. 34, 36*
This statement te profusely illustrated in Scrip
ture history, where we will find a complete corre
spondence between the appearapee and functions of
the spiritual bodies' of angels and the spiritual body
of the Lord Jesus Christ.
1. The spiritual body.te a body possessing flesh
and bones, capable: of. being seen, heard, and
handled, and of assimilating both animal and vege
table food.
Such, in the first place, was Christ’s spiritual
body, as appears' from :.the (following -.passage;- to
which allusion has already beedinade in a previous
chapter : “ Behold myhandiand my feet, that
it is I myself: Handle me,'andsee; for a spirit
hath not flesh and bones, as ye /eg me have. And
when he had thus spoken, M'showed them his
hands and his*feet. And white they yet believed
not for joy, and wondered, htesijid unto them, Have
ye here any meat ? And him a-piece of
a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And lie took
it, and did eat before them.” 'Luke xxiv. 39-43.'
The appeal whioh Christ 'made to their bodily
senses,' and especially to their seeingkim eatbefore
them, gives a validity to tlfe, testimony of the
senses in all. other -there is a doubt re
garding the’ materiality of tbe bodies of angels,
thore especially if it be hccothpariied with the oh
servation "of the person bating.'* -Two itistahces;
therefore—those of the three:shgels in Mamre, and
the two angels in Sodom,, ea,tikg..the flesh of the
hid with the unleavened bread,, etc .—form a com
plete counterpart to this ptjs&age in the life of
‘ * ,
elTtiwilltW bbServcd'thajJdpf‘*Tiofd • aseferts-'the
fact that his body had really Seah: and bones, as its
appearance indicated. He c|oes notsay,blood, also;
but it ib, perhaps, refining top, mueh to ; suppose
that the blood was not then. Paul, indeed, says
that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of
God; but when placed alotlj side of our Lord’s as
sertion that he had flesh and bones, we are forced
to,the conclusion that Pop! imeant .not: the flesh
and blood of the spiritual doot, but the flesh and
blood of the mortal body; because he adds,
“ neither doth corruption inherit incorrtiptiOn.”
1 Gor. xv. 50. •• j ■'- ■ - ' :
.2. The spiritual body is -pefesessed; of the power
of rising from the ground in opposition to the force
of gravitation; of existing In regions where there
is little or no atmosphere, and'passing with great
rapidity from one star to another.
In regard to our Lord’s resurrection body,-we
findithis faculty exhibited at. the tithe of his ascen
sion from the Mount of Olivfes: '
“ So, then, after the Lord had spoken unto them,
he was received up into heaVen, and sat on the
right hand of God.” Markkvi. 19.
“ And he led. them out as fdr as to Bethany; and
he lifted up his bands, and. blessed them. And it
came to pass, while he blessed;#fem, he was parted
from them, .and .carried up'fnfcpjheaven,” Luke
xxiv. 50, 51. •’" ‘
9.- “ And when he had spoken these things,
while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud
received him out of th§ir sigl^ ? .. ; r . ,
.10.-“ And,, white they looked steadfastly toward
heaven as he went up, beholm stood by
them in white apparel; >}-> ’- i:
11. “ Which : also said, TJejljm n »9.f GjtUlee, why
stand ye gazing up into heaven ? This same Jesus,
which is taken up from you into heaven,'Shall so
come in like manner, as ye Save .seen him goiintq
heaven.” '.'Acts,i.:. ;. . ivr;. /■.
That the resurrection bodies of the saints will
be possessed of this power,is proved, not only by
the general promise of their'likeness to Christ, but
by direct statement: ='■ )- 1 -- : • > :
“Then-We. which are: alivesand remain, shalhbe
caught up together withf/hcm in _ clouds, to
meet the. Lord in the air.” 1 Thess. iv. 17.
We are hot to suppose, however,'that this faculty
of the spiritual body implies the’ absence of gravi
tation; 'for without gravitation we-should not be
able to walk, stand, or sifc-r’alkpf which both Christ
and , the angels were able to. do- How this faculty
will be possessed, we of knowing.
It isone. peculiar. |o the -kwHlMto'JbaaTraad’iiafia:
of its nature, we. need, not attempt to speculate on
the: subject .further. tha& to'knpWrtbat the fact is
certain.
That the angels are possessed of this faculty is
proved by the very circumstance of their visiting
'the earth and returning from! it. The : angel that
appeared to Manoah and his Wife, ascended in the
Jjame of the.altar nearly in the same manner as our
Lord ascended from the Mount of Olives (Judges
xiii. 20;) aud Gabriel being commanded to fly
swiftly, arrived'at the time of the everiing saerifice,
: on the-day set apart by Danief. for-humiliation and
■prayer. (Daniel ix. 21.) 1 . ■ - -r * :
3. The spiritual body has (lie power of passing
through solid substances, anJ'appearing or disap
pearing at pleasure. 1
The three angels that appeared to Abraham in
‘Mamre; did not approach gradually frhm a distance,
.as two of them did that samej evening to Lot, but
suddenly stood by him as he sat, in the tent door,
at mid-day. .. j ,
The angel that hppeared io GidOon, w 0 first
seen Sitting under an oak; which was in ■ Ophrah
(Judges vi. 11;) but after the interview he sud
denly went out of his sight., / verse 21. >
The angel Gabriel appealed, to Zacharias ashe
was offering incense in His coming
and his departure must have been concealed. ‘ '
Theaugelthatrescued Peter from prison must
have passed through.the walls hr gates of the prison
in .ord,er-'to reaph .him. . : Aetsjxii, ,7.
The spiritual body of -Christ was possessed • of
the same power. : A careful examination of the
history will show that thebodj of : Christ came out
from' the sepulchre before th£ angel rolled away
the stone. The. angel descended from heaven,
and rolled away the ,stone, to show, that he was
risen, not to release him from .captivity, " ,
At Emmaus, after discovering himself to them
in the breaking of bread, it is said that he vanished
out of their sight. " (Luke Xxivißl.) ‘‘ The same
■day, at evening- also, being. J]i e Arst day of the
week, when the doors were shut where the diseiples
were assembled for (ear of the jews,, came Jesus,
and stood in the midst, and satth unto them, Peace
be unto you.”- (John xx. 19.) “ And after eight
days, again his disciples vVeiU within, -and Thomas
■with them. Then came Jesus* the,doors being
shut, and stood in ,the midst, and said, Peace be
.unto you.” Verse 26. ' 1 .
, Taking into consideration the manner in which
these incidents' are related,'sqd the circumstances
with the®Vwe that these
actions of- our Lord’s spiritual body, were, strictly
speaking, - miraculous; .they w§re natural, and
characteristic, of the body whidh he now possessed.
True miracles are never wrought, except for the
purpose of proving something not previously re
wealed; and when the .miracle has. been wrought,
the proof is so complete that no dodbt can remain
in any candid mind. If these .extraordinary powers
now exhibited in Christ’s' spiritual 'body were
miraculous, they could prove'nothing that was not
’known 'before. The. only thing to he proved at
this time was the-reality, the power, and the glory
of the resurrection body. But so far from these
wonders being calculated to prove the reality of
His resurrection, they .produced, the very opposite
impression; for the disciples imagined that they
saw a spirit, and not : a-material body. It was even
necessary for him to draw their attention to the
grosser qualities of matter—“ Handle me and see,”
said he; “ for a spirit hath not fiesh and bones, as
ye see me have.” This shows where their doubts
really lay, and if any miracle had been needed to
convince them, it would not ‘be such .iniraclesias:
coming: through walls, and appearing and’ disap
pearing from their sight- ,Eb would, 'no. doubt,
desire that his disciples shou|d_,have sensible evi
dence of the superior power find glory of the re
surrection body, which’they. themselves were to
possess, and -no-idea wonld : have>been. conveyed by
Paul s language, when, he said- that our bodies are
to be fashioned like unto His glorious body, if the
only natural acts of that body were nothing differ
ent from those of the bodies which they already
possessed—eating, speaking, walking, and being
handled. If our bodies, which are sown in weak
ness are to be raised in power, what illustration
would Christ’s resurrec%n body give of that power,
if their actions were not according to its ordinary
and natural capabilities ?
'What a glorious < prospect does this present of
• the fnture state of the blessed! The whole universe
..of crea.tion is thrown open to us, and we are made
capable of knowing and enjoying: it in the service
and communion,of, our Father, i^,Crealor,; ; .
THE ACADEMY OF HATUEAL SCIENCES
The following interesting and truthful descrip
tion of this Institution, is, from the pen of a mem
ber of the Bible Class' connected with the ‘Firsf;
Church of Manayunk, under the crire of Ttev.’ A.!.'
Culver. If grew out of a visit of the class to the
Academy which took place on Easter Monday.
Besides cothniittee-rooms, library and other et
cetera/ the building contains two oblong, lofty, spa
cious and well lighted: halls, one above the .other,
and surrounded with three tiers of galleries each,
along which you pass to. inspect the almost num
berless treasures of the place.
The upper hall is devoted chiefly to orriitho
logy;. the lower to zoology; ibut the. floors of. both:
together with theinneti sides of .the.galleries, are
®v®!W e di:hy iatapdg containing .Jpoggapdfl- rippn
thousands of niineralogical, geological,,and coh
chologicai speCini'ens, besides a tolerable arid ex
ceedingly interesting sprinkling of entomological
and ichthyological 'curiosities. - >
; , ; : To the; general observer,..the; chief attraction is
the ornithological department. Incredible, as ,it
ipay appear, this section contains’ no fewer than
thirty thousand birds I—the largest and most va
luable collection, it is believed, 1 iff the whole world.
And . no, wonder:; for ‘every exploring ■ expedition
sent out, from these shores seems to furnish its
quota to the already magnificent collection. ,
Iff febt, during the visit in question, the writer
of-this saw Several specimens; but newly recbived,
awaiting the process of stuffing, arid the usual
identifieationjsud arrangement "aftertheirkind.”
Qf course, in one necessarily brief and rapid
examination, the spectator is Jikely fo.be rather
bewildered thri.ii Satisfied. To write 11 30,000”
is exceedingly easy; and the unit-rind four Ci
phers present no very .formidable obstacle to'the
general-reader; [bnt, invest “these dry bones "of
numerical notation with all tbe known varieties
of. form, and function, and pinmage,
have an aggregate that is qybrwhetoing. '
i All that youAriffe 1 seeri—rill that you ever—
arid‘many that ,you; we^er-i-f-expected. to see, are
.there. . From the eagle .and ostrich,.to the hum
ming-bird and wren;. the sanguinary vulture;
the huge condor of Sooth America; the owls of
unspeakable solemnity rind unconquerable spite;
stilted' troops of the spindle-shanked - variety;
whole: battalions: of ; twittering v and flattering
.nonrentities, that flash, ,and ‘gleam, and glitter
with the peerless radiance and beauty of some
far-off realm of fadeless loveliness and light
“Beyond the sunset, and the baths
• ' i Of all .the western stars
and brighter than all, and more beautiful than
-all, of unimagined elegance of form and deli
cacy. of ti.nt, is the bird of Paradise, with his
sainfly mantle of soft, silken, silvery floss, .floa.t
ing downward on either side.
‘ And in the 'midst of these, And as'a foil to
these, you stumble occasionrilly ori some uncouth,
dun, ragged little rascal, the tolerated “Topsy”
of the brilliant assemblage, a mere splash of un
gainly limbs and rumpled feathers, quite true
to nature, but apparently fixed up anyhow, arid
of no particular account to any body. "
- With such attractions around you,-only the
strident, with a personal “craze ” in that diree
eleveri thousand species of shellf, with the mi
nerals, rocks,,' beetles, star-fish, polypi, «&c., al
ready alluded to as occupying the several tables
ranged along the galleries, and across the floor
of the upper hall. . : - : ’ ;
• Pew things in *the lower hall arrest the at
tention more strongly than the polar bear, shot,
it appears, by some of Dr. Kane’s party. He
is a lump of a fellow,'seven-feet in longitude, if
be is an : ineh, and bulky iri proportion; and
weighed, at thedame of his eapture, only sixtebn
hundred pounds. He would seem a tolerable
match for his forty-second cousin, the .Bengal
tiger, whose skeleton is seen on the opposite
side of the room. " " • ' '’ -
; The skeleton department is peculiarly rich,
and affords rare facilities to the amateur in Com
parative Anatomy. Here, deservedly promi
nent, is the fossil skeleton of the Irish elk.
Never talk again of antlers after that! On the
skull' of that "huge pre-Adamite,” tile Masto
don, it is hardly possible to look without some
thing of awe.
Not spot the. Egyptian.mummies, round the
c.orner, to your left. They are siinply disgust
ing; and this deponent would give one hearty
and unanimous vote to have them incontinently
bundled off to somewhere Underground,
v In the gallery, immediately above the cases
of . skeletons, the enthusiastic phrenologist will
find himself “in clover.” It is a literal Golgo
tha, with 'human skulls in any quantity, and of
every type. '!
The collections of fishes, reptiles, and the hut-'
terflyhrojod, are amopg the largest in the world.
The Jitter are not ..shown, to. visitors, but are
kept for study and away from the light-expo
sure to which would soon bleach them sufficiently
to render them valueless; Of-the* former, the
nucleus was a private collection, presented
somewhere about 1824,’ by Lucien Bonaparte.
As compared with others, the Mammals are
in the minority; but even this department is ra
pidly filling up. .
The monkey family fully compensates in hi
deousness what iti may be lacking -in numbers.
His high mightiness, Don Chimpanzee, is grin
ning; at yon .with the same horrible leer, that
greeted your first incursion into the domain of
hatnral history. Otherwise than grotesque, a
monkey couldn't be,- if he would; but there are
scamps in this collection, that seem hprhdestined
to the gallows. . You leave them wjllingly to
admire their feline lurry neighbors, that fairly
tempt you to pass your ungloved palm along
their shiny coats. • . .
' It may not be generally known that the Aca
demy, which is located in Broad Street, is open
to visitors on Tuesdaya and Fridays,.from one
o’clock till subset, and . that the admission is by
'ticket, procured gratis (pom any of the mem
bers. The Secretary, Dr. Fisher, is an obliging
and intelligent guide, who proved, in. a brief
address tq the class, his .ability.to ■ supply all
needful information,;and to vindicate the inti
mate and. durable connection existing between
Natural Science and Evangelical Religion.
MINISTERIAL POPULARITY.
There are two kinds of this popularity. One
is founded rather upon ability in the pulpit, in
thdngreat congregation; the other upon pastoral
faithfu|ness out of it, from house to house. Per
haps we should say there is a third kind, or rather
a balanced union of the two, but such exact union
may be too scarce to deserve attention. One or
the other a.litUe predominates in the case of al
most every preacher. Now, the point aimed at
by this brief article, is the respectful submission
to the ministerial reader’s good sense, of the fact
that, of the two kinds alluded to, the least im
posing, the apt-to-be-undervalued kind, “from
house to house,” is the preferable; and that..in
the preacher’s aim to be balanced, the care had
better be to secure to the humbler side any devia
tion from equipoise. A preacher’s position for
pulpit eloquence is accorded more by the hearers’
heads than hearts; but that for pastoral intimacy
and faithfulness while visiting from house to house,
is granted rather by their hearts. Heart attractions
are of much the more worth—they are more ef
fectively manageable; and, in connexion with pe
culiarpoints of human nature, learned'from visit
ing the . people, as they cannot be learned from
bool?s, they facilitate a rapid rising in spiritual
power, if notin fruitless popularity among “itch
ing ears/' . ;
There is a manifest course for the safety of a
preacher’s 'own*soul, as well as for the souls of his
hearers. Visiting walks are; safer’ and more use
ful ;than pulpit climbings, notwithstanding any of
Satan’s illusive suggestions to worldly ambition.
Let us take heed.
Christian'Advocate and Journal.
OUTLIVING QBE USEFULNESS.
: A recent number of the New York Observer
has-.an excellent article on this subject, and one
well calculated to dispel the gloom.which some
times in .sickness, weariness or old age, depresses
the heart of the . Christian,’and makes him cry,
“0 Lord! why are thy chariot wheels so lona in
coming?” v : b
. in .fgct, the true, humble, devoted Christian
,ilever ou|li ves his usefulness. Is he a.minister of
the gbspfel ? ' He may be with disease ;
he may be laid aside from the active’ servich of
the sanctuary. Decrepitude, old age, second child
hood even may be bis lot; but amid. all these, he
raay.be useful:: .“Ifhey also serve who only stand
and wait.” God is often served as fully by the
patience, faith and childlike trust of his people
in him at such’times, as by more active and, to
human appearance, effective labors. That patience
and trust more fully illustrate the faith of the
and often lead sinners to Christ who have
resisted the most earnest and impassioned appeals.
Is it a private Christian who fears to outlive
his usefulness? Such a one has usually in health
labored for his Master’s cause with zeal and ener
gy; 'bnt .now he is laid aside?--protracted sick
ness, paralysis, or old age, have prevented his com
pleting the plans he had projected, or continuing
the work in wbieh his heart was so much interested.
■Has he then outlived his usefulness? By no
moans.; . The long years of feeble health which
?P°?P ac 'tat Amos Lawrence for active business,
were the happiest and most useful of his life; the
year of agony which Dr. Nathaniel Kendrick en
dured Ore his Master called him to the sanctuary
above; was not only marked by more signal dis
plays iof the Divine love in his soul thau lie bad
ever’before experienced, but bis patience and trust
in God were’ the’ means of leading many to Christ.
The last years of many an eminent saint, when
■H;the strong, men bowed themselves," and ithe
grinders ceased because they Were feW'—when
even the mind, once so vigorous and capable of
such wondrous effovts, bad lost its vigor in the
craziness of its tabernacle, have yet been full of
■usefulness. Though the logical powers have gone;
itheapersuasiveteloquence ceased, the comprehen
sive grasp of the intellect failed, yet the love which
vivified and glorified all, remains—and love is not
ouly stronger than disease, weakness and death,
but it is stronger than death itself. The Apostle
John never so fully displayed his Christian cha
racter, never so effectually won souls to the Master,
as when, w.ith all the infirmities of a hundred
years upon him, borne in the arms of his affection
ate disciples to the assembly of the saints, he could
only stretch forth his withered'hands and say,
“Little children, love one another,”
MOURNING DRESS,,
The practice of putting on sombre garments,
as'an‘exhibition of grief'fqr the death of friends,
Tha£‘those who
attract notice by their singularity. Twenty-five
or thirty years ago; an attempt was made by some
excellent clergymen and other leaders of public
opinion to subvert this custom, and with some
success. But the change did not last long, and
the practice of putting on mourning is now as ge
neral as ever before. But there are really very
serious objections to it. ;
It is often a heavj burden upon the bereaved.
Mourning garments are.more expensive than
others, and when the head of the family is cut off,
it is a severe tax upon the diminished resources
of the household to.add to the expenses of sick
ness, and burial an entire outfit of . black for the
family. With those to .whom the expense is not
an important consideration, the confusion and in
congruity of turning the house of death into a
milliner’s shop, and.breaking up the hours which
should be 1 sacred to solace and grief by talk of
.dress, is exceedingly unpleasant to the bereaved.
Besides, what is the significance of a mourning
dress? It is’’worn to express grief; but is it ne
cessary to parade our grief before the world ? And
is grief the only feeling of- the Christian’ over the
.grave of,the departed? Yet we put nothing upon
our, garments, to signify Christian faith, hope and
consolation.. ..It is only a dreary waste : of black,
expressive of unmixed, hopeless, inconsolable sor
row: 5 ’ ’For this reason, if would seem that if we
are to wear any peculiar costume to signify that we
have be'en. bereaved,'unmitigated black is most in
appropriate, and fails entirely to express the emo
tions with which the Christian contemplates the
death of a friend. Custom requires of a man only
the wearing of a “weed” of crape about the hat
—why should mot .some similar emblem of sorrow
answer every purpose in the dress of woman ? A
.band.of crape, perhaps, scraps the bonnet—a cloud
of black laee resting upon and half covering the
more cheerful .colors bf the trimming ? “ Deep
mourning,” as it is’called,. does hot express the
Christian view of death. It is, in fact, too dismal
and hopeless for any form that has ever been taken
..by, the religious element. It is of evil tendency
by continually reminding the mourner of his sor
row, and iiever suggesting hope or consolation.
Why then -should it'be worn ? The > heart does
uotneed .to aggravate its grief, by continual me
mentoes of it, and the truly bereaved never desire
to make an ostentatious display of their sorrow;
on what account then ban the wearing of mourning
be justified?
PASTORAL VISITING.
John-Wesley said: “By repeated experiments,
■we learn that, though a mad preach like an angel,
he will peither collect nor preserve a society which
is coilected, without visiting them from house to
house.” ■ A writer in an exchange says; “ One
hundred' years' of Methodistic labors, sufferings,
.and successes, have;greatly addedtothe strength
•of the reniark.’’ .
And yet the well-nigh unanimous testimony of
accredited writers’on the subject is, that the pulpit
is the chief source of the preacher’s usefulness.
■For weakness or indolence there, running about
"from house to house is a poor substitute. The old
est settled minister in this city, a man who for half
a century has stood with ever growing influence
and power at the head of an important charge, has
confided his social intercourse with his flock almost
wholly to occasions -of* sickness or bereavement.
-We by no means undervalue pastoral visitation.;
but it is idle to attempt to make its place superior,
or even equal to that of pulpit labor. To do that,
would be to oppose the experience, not of one hun
dred, but df fifteen times one hundred years. *
JOHN ADAMS.
“The elder Adams was the son of a worthy
cobbler.” : ■' •
It was,, owing to the very fact of his
humble parentage that the elder Adams became
what he was. 1 have never seen the following
story in print,but if legitimately d&cended to
me by oral tradition, having been told my great
grandfather by “ the pious Deacon Adams, of the
town of Braintree,” himself: .
The Deacon, during a temporary absence, had
set John to cutting out the . “uppers” for some
shoes; hilt—like the Chinaman, who, in making a
'pair df J breedheslTom 'a ;^attera“fuf dished by some
prudent captain, had faithfully copied the patches
VOL. IY.- -NO. 30.—Whole No. 201.
Christian Intelligencer.
which his wife had put in the seat of the old ones,
John had embellished every “upper” he had cut,
with the three-cornered hole by which the patterns
had hung cm .their accustomed nail, “I saw,”
the Deacon,„“l couldn’t make a shoemaker,
of him, so X fput Jitm to Ic&TYivng jpTOLTiscript.
Knowing the scriptures.
While it is certain, and should always be kept
prominently before the mind, that mere knowledge
does not make a man religious, we fear that-many,
running into the other extreme, underrate the
importance of knowledge.. There is much said
in many of the periodicals of the day that would
almost justify the conclusion attributed to the Ro
manists, that “Ignoranee is the mother of devo
tion.” Some continually decry doctrinal discus
sions as unfit for any but the schoolmen-.
. Our religion consists, in two things, .believing
and doing, Butbpwcan a man believe if he doea
not know? How can he receive that testimony
which he has never heard? Can a man trust
in a Saviour that has never been preached to him ?
Can a man have peace of conscience through the
blood of Christ wlien he, has never heard of the
crucifixion ? Can he soar heavenward on the
wings of hope if he has never heard of the New Je
rusalem ? Plainly no mab who is ignorant of the
great truths of our religion can be. strong in
faith, giving glory to God. ; “He that .cometh to
God must .believe that he is, and that he is a re
warder of them that diligently seek him.”
Equally important is knowledge of the Scrip
tures, if wu wish to live as a good disciple. How
can we perform duties of which we are ignorant?
Will a man keep the Sabbath who has never
heard of the commandments ? How can he ob
serve a sacrament if he knows nothing of its ap
pointment? Away then with the thought that
an ignoramus in biblical matters may be a giant
in piety. .
We perhaps think too little of the importance
of mere knowledge, no matter what may be the
department. The knowledge of the speculative
truth that the world is round has changed the
face of the world. The steam engine, with all its
influence upoh mankind, is due to the knowledgeof
a simple fact in science. The electric telegraph,
that spreads human thoughts on wings of light
ning across continents and seas is a similar in
stance. The truth that all men, as to natural
rights, are created equal, is shaking the proud
est thrones. So in the religious world, the
knowledge of the fact that Christ,died, the just
for the unjust, that he might bring us unto God,
is changing the hearts of millions, while such
principles as that expressed in the Golden Rale,
“ Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,
do ye even so to them,” aTe driving out war and
oppression, and eyery cruelty, and changing the
wilderness into the garden of the Lord.
No man’s piety can rise higher than his know
ledge. To know better than we do is possible and
common; to do better than we know is impossible.
Accordingly, the Scriptures continually urge the
importance of knowing the truth. “ With all thy
getting get understanding.” “Grow in grace,
and in the knowledge bf our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ." “That ve may Be filled with the
knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual
understanding, that ye; might walk worthy of the
Lord, unto all being fruitful in every
good work, and increasing in, the knowledge of
God.” , Fervent piety often utters the prayer,
Open tlioh mine eyes, that I may behold won
drous things out of thy law.”
ACT QUICKLY.
Whether you are a preacher or a church-mem
ber, be entreated to act speedily. In the kingdom
of graee, each year’s, nay, each month’s or week's
crop of effects is seed for the next brief period, and
the crop of that, in turn, seed for the next; one
counts for a thousand, two for ten thousand. What
a multiplied multiplication, is, alas ! overlooked by
the procrastinator ;. a multiplication notin regard
to simply wheat or dollars, but alas ! alas! precious,
ceaseless souls. Surely the professor of religion
who trifles.a way. hours, or even minutes, is on the
way to give solemn.accountto the Ancient of days.
Good soon done is more than doubly done. In
less than an hour another branch bf instrumental
ity, by another person, may shoot out of the first
branch. There will be increasingly multiplied
branchings off from person to person till the judg
ment moment. We charge each reader, as in the
Diyine presence, to find out his or her own prac
ticable modes,’not only for some usefulness, but
for the furthest possible usefulness, and then to act
with uncompromising speed. Now! now! The
Judge’s eye is upon us. When the last trumpet
sounds, let it not appear that a little lazy.b think
ing about the matter” for a week or, a day has
just prevented one great last crop of effects from
all former ones: • ‘ . ■
A PREACHER’S SELF-QUESTIONING.
Am I living to the greatest possible good pur
pose upon earth ? Have I enough holy ambition
to resolve, as did a certain preacher of the last
century, that supposing the economy of grace to
admit at no one time, upon earth, more than a sin
gle man to be;in all respects just what God would
have him, that then I be that very one? Am I
right unless aiming as high as possible ? If the
groat white throne should just now appear, could
my own common sense deem it appropriate for the
Judge to smile on me while I was conscious of
having knowingly aimed lower than I might? If
my own heart does not assure me—if, in my own
sight, I do not seem to be just right—am I right
in the sight of Him who knoweth all things?
When I attain to undoubted safety of my own soul
as a steward over ministerial gifts for winning
others, wilLnot my mind he cheerfully clear under
sudden suggestion of tests whether from a present
printed article, or the anticipated judgment-seat?
In view of the duty of greatest possible usefulness,
What is my safest course just now? Shall I for
get the .answer to this last question?
THE ANOINTING OF THE SPIRIT.
The first and chiefest preparation which should
be sought by those who are looking forward to
■the ministry, should he the anointing of the
Spirit. Discipline, learning, power of thought
and of expression, are noble things to use in Christ’s
service, and there is abundant scope for their ex
ercise in the work of the ministry; but the graces
resulting from the anointing of the Spirit, purity
of heart, aspirations for holiness, a spiritual appre
hension of the truth, power in prayer, the love of
Christ shed abroad in the soul as the governing
principle of action—these are still more important.
They are essential qualifications of a good minister
of Jesus Christ.
These are to be sought, labored for, diligently
and long. They will no more come spontaneously
to a man, than a knowledge of mathematics or of
languages will eouie spontaneously to a man,
J They must be sought.
Now and then a man seeks them as Henry
Martyn and Eobert Murray McCheyne sought
them,: and what power such men have with God
and with men! how the work of the Lord prospers
in their hands! If all who enter the ministry
would do so, the song of salvation would speedily
roll round the earth. Oh for the time when all
the ministers of Christ shall be anointed from on
high for their work —when they shall be full of
the Holy Ghost!
Credulity of Infidels —Charles the Second,
hearing Vossius, a celebrated free thinker, repeat
ing some incredible stones about the Chiuese, said,
“ This is'a Very strange’mau. He believes every
thing but the Bible!”
Christian Instructor.
Chr. Advocate and Journal.
S. S. Times.