Viil. VI, No. 13.—Whole No. 282.
sZ2 *©■
SABBATH IN THE COUNTRY
The croaking wagon’s in the shed:
The busy flail is heard no more;
The horse is littered down and fed,
The harness hangs above his head,
Tho whip behind the door.
His leathern gloves and hooked hill
To-day the woodman throws aside;
The blacksmith’s fiery forge is still,
The wooden wheel of the old mill
Sleeps in the mill-dam wide.
The miller's boat is anchored where,
Far out, the water 1111 m sleep;
You see their shadows mirrored there,
The broad white flowers reflected clear,
Within the mill-pond deep.
The harrow’s in the garden shed,
Iloe, rake, and spade are put away:
Un weeded stands the onion bed,
The gardener from his work hath fled;
’Tis holy Sabbath day.
Upon the wall the white oat deeps,
By which the churn and milk-pans lie;
A drowsy watch the house dog keeps,
And scarcely from his dull eye peeps
Upon the passer-by.
And sweetly over hill and dale
The silvery sounding church bells ring;
Across tho moor And down the dale
They come and go, and on the gale l
Their Sabbath tidingsfling.
From where the white-washed Sabbath school
Peeps out between the poplars dim,
Which ever throw their shadows pool
Far out upon the rushy pool,
You hear the Sabbath hymn.
From farm and field, and grange grown gray,
From woodland walks and winding ways,
The old and young, the grave and gay,
Unto the old church Pome to pray,
And sing God’s holy praise. — Anon,
JOHI Q. ADAMS AS A STATESMAN.
BY WM. M. CORNELL, M. n. —BEAD BEFORE THE NEW
ENGLAND SOCIETY OF PHILADELPHIA.
[continued,]
In 188fi, Mr. : Adams was nominated! in
the newspapers as a candidate for Represent
utive to Congress. When asked if he would
consent to he a candidate, he replied, “ It must
first be seeft whether the people of the district
will invite me to- represent them. I shall
not ask their votes. I wish them to act at
their pleasure.” In the month of November,
lie was elected their Representative. He r
took his seat in the House in December,
1831. Upon this occasion, Mr. Clay asked
him “Howhe felt at turning hay again, abd
going into the House of IlepresentatifM,
and observed that he would find his situation
very laborious.” Mr. A. replied, “ I wall
know this, but labor I shall 1 not refuse, so
long as my hand, my eyetL and my brain do
not desert me.”: '
No sooner did Mr. A. take his seat in the
House than he announced to his constituents
that “He should hold himself hound in alle
giance to no party, whether sectional or po
litical.” Ten years afterwards, he had oc
casion to explain to his fellow-citizens his
policy and feelings at this period. “ I
thought this independence of party was a
duty imposed upon me by my peculiar posi
tion, I had spent the greater part of my
life in the service of the whole nation, and
had been honored by their highest trust.
My duty of fidelity, of affection, and of
gratitude to the whole was not merely inse
parable from, but identical with, that which
was due from me to my own Commonwealth.
The internal conflict between slavery and
freedom had been, and still was, scarcely
perceptible in the national councils. The
Missouri Compromise had laid it asleep, it
was hoped, forever. I entered Congress
without one sentiment of discrimination be
tween the interests of the North and the
South; and my first aet, as a membnr of the
House, was on presenting fifteen petitions
from Pennsylvania for the abolition of sla
very in the District of Columbia ; to declare,
while moving their reference to the Commit-'
tee of the District, that I was not prepared
to support the measure myself, and that I
should not. I was not then a sectional par
tizun, and I never have been.”
This is a part of his address to his consti
tuents at a meeting in Braintree, September
17th, 1842, which the writer heard,
On the 7th of January, 1887, Mr. A. of
fered to present the petition of one hundred
«nd fifty women for the abolition of slavery
in the District of Columbia.; Mr.Glascock,
"f Georgia, objected to its reception; This
was the first objection ever made to a peti
tion being received by .Congress. Mr- A.
s »id “That the proposition not to receive a
petition, was directly in the face of the con .
stitntion. He hoped |;he people of this, cofin
{'■y would he spared the mortification, the in
justice, and the wrong that such petitions
should not be received. It was, indeed, true
•hat all discussion, all freedom of speech,
all freedom of the press, had been, Within
dit' last twelve months, violently assailed in
!11| y form in which the liberties of the peo
ple could be attacked. He considered these
attacks as outrages on the constitution of the
country and the freedom of the people, as
as they went. But the proposition that
’l"-' petitions should not be received, went
° ne stop further."
His remarks were strong, and there was
« r|, at confusion; brit the petition was finally
t'weived. This was,, properly, the opening
H the flood-gates of Wrath which, from that
'Kv to this, have operated as a tempest b'e-
J"'«n the North and the South. Mr. Adams
lla 'l espoused this cause. He was in, the
and lie was not the man to relinquish
right in consequence of being brow
•u'ntcn.' • : ••
() u the 18th of January, 1837, the House
i Representatives passed a Resolution— one
'""’ti'ed and tlurty-nine ayes to sixty-nine
nays—That all petitions relating to sla
without being printed or referred, shall
K ' hill on the table, and no action shall he
l,; "l t1,m, 0n .”
(, e the Oth of February, Mr. Adams
H:i|< 'd that he held in his hand a paper, on
before presenting it, he wished- to
1,11 •' the decision of the Speaker. It pur
to come from slaves, and he wished
to know if it was consistent With the rules of
the House that such a paper should be. pre
sented? Mr. Adams then took his seat!.
The House was greatly excited.. ; The slave
holders expressed their astonishment at such
a proposition. One member said, “It was
an infraction of the laws of the House, and
ought to be severely punished.” Another
said, “It was a violation of the dignity of
the House, and ought to be taken and burnt;
Waddy Thompson, of South Carolina, offered
a resolution, that the Hon. John Quincy
Adams has been guilty of gross disrespect
to the House, and that he be instantly
brought to the bat to receive the severe cen
sure of the Speaker. Charles E. Ravines,
of Georgia, and Dixon H. Lewis, of Ala
bama, followed, apparently in great heat,
and each offering resolutions, or modifying
the one already offered, the purport of which
was that Mr. Adams be severely censured or
expelled.
Four long days did the House ’do battle
valiantly over tins petitipn from slaves; and
during all that time the old Nestor sat quiet
ly in his seat, not opening his mouth. Well
did he know how firmly he had them in Mb
grasp, and that when the time came he would
scatter their resolutions of four tb the
four winds Of heaven in four minutes. At
length he rose. That shrill voice, which could
penetrate to the. greatest distance, rang; out;
!■ Mr. Speaker, for what am I to be censured
or expelled?” “For offering that infamous
relation,” rang out a dozen voices. '“Mr;
Speaker, I haven’t offered any petition.; I
only asked the Speaker if it came within the
rules of this House; to present a petition
from slaves. The petition is in my desk, if
I had offered’ it, it would have been in the
hands of the Speaker.”*
Then in a strain of irony and burning sar
casm, he proceeded to tell them how they
must modify .their resolution of „ censure,
“Nor have I said what the prayer of the pe
tition was. One of your proposed’resolu
tions says it is for the abolition of slavery".
The gentleman must amend his’ resolution;
for if the House Should hear: this petition;
they would find it very much the reverse of
what this resolution calls it ; and if the other
gentleman from Alabama wishes to bring me
to the bar of tbe House for censure, lie must
alter his resolution, for he says it is for at
tempting to offer a petition for the abolition
of slavery; whereas the petitioners pray that
slavery should not be abolished. Thus; Mr.
Speaker, the petition prays for just what the
authors of these resolutions wish to accom
plish.” ; . shus, never were men,.more com
pletely. |oiled, .qnd never the.: declaration
of Solomon more clearly proved, “He that
answereth a matter before he hearetb it is a
lbni.fr ! - rTf. -.-''H; ." .
During this discussion, Mr. Thompson; of
South Carolina, said, “ The conduct of .Mr,
A« was.a proper subject of;'inquiry by the
grand jury of the District .ofColumbia,; and
: a like* ease,r he woulA be proceeded
against in South Carolina.” V
To this language, Mr. A.,replied, “If this
is true—if a member is there made amena
ble to the grand jury for words spoken in
debate —I thank God I am not a citizen of
South Carolina! Snch a threat; when
brought before the’isforld; woulff. excite no
thing but contempt and amusement.” After
a debate of four days—one of the sharpest
and most exciting ever held in. the House of
twenty votes Lcould.be
found, indirectly and remotely, to censure,
so complete and triumphant was Mr. Adams’
vindication of his cause. 1
The paper was doubtless sent to ’him by
some slaveholder to see if he would present
it, and he turned the whole force of it
against them. Never was more shrewdness
manifested by any living man. He knew all
those four days what he would do.. , ~v ,
[to BE CONTINUED.]
A NESTORIAN DEACON.
“Is any thing too hard for the Lord?”
Contemplate a single case of conversion;
and to select a clear one, which- our feeble
faith might perhaps pronounce a hard one,
we will recur to that of Deacon .Gewergis,
the mountain evangelist, who was as bad a
man before his conversion as, he was gbod
afterward —a noted" thief and robber, who
-had even there earned a fearful eminences in
every evil path. It would be difficult to tell
what prompted that man—-yet doubtless it
was the finger of God—to bring his two
daughters down from the wild mountains and
place them in our female seminary. A few
months afterward.the father came, again to
visit his daughters. As the Lord ordered,
he came at a very interesting period of a
revival in that seminary, himself and his
companions all bristling with deadly weapons,
according to the usage of their native moun
tains. Finding his: daughters, with many
others in the school, deeply moved and
weeping under conviction of their sins, he,
too, was moved, but at .first in a very differ
ent way. Amoflg his sarcastic taunts was
this, With many others which are stereotyped
in that land of- metaphors: “Are your
■grandfathers all dead,- that you are thus
•weeping and; taking on?” Miss Fisk,- the
principal of the . seminary, observing bis
course, addressed to him a few words, of re
monstrance and ,of solemn warning in regard
to his own condition. Her words were a
barbed arrow to his heart. Soon, trembling
and weeping, he requested of her a place to
pray. : Miss Fisk, at first suspecting him of
playing a. double part, put him off, fearing
that be might Steal exposed articles if al
lowed to occupy a room. But his importu
nity prevailed, and in his closet, on his knees
before God, he found pardon and salvation
before leaving the place. And there has not,
perhaps, been a more sudden and marvelous
transformation of character since Saul be
came Paul on his way to Damascus. Even
his native roughness of manners, under the
softening power of divine grace, soon disap
peared, and he became a living model of a
truly bland and courteous Christian gentle
man.
It is further remarkable that this Nesto
rian deacon, almost from the hour - of his
conversion, adopted 1 Paul; as his Christian
model. The idea of doing so was quite ori
ginal with him. Having found the. pearl of
great price, he at once resolved, in God’s
strength, to spend his life in publishing the
glad tidings. And conferring not with flesh
and blood, he started at once to fulfil that
■high purpose, and faithfully and zealously
pm-sued it to the end of bis
versing the wild Assyrian mountains in their
PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY NOVEMBER, 28, 1861,
length and breadth, proclaiming Christ and
him crucified to . all.-whom. he. met—nothing
daunted, though often reviled, abused,
threatened, and even beaten. Thus did this
good soldier of Jesus Christ perform the
work of an evangelist, without stipulation or
remuneration, till his family were at length
known to be in deep want, when the small
Christian village of Seir .adopted him as
their; mountain missionary,' paying to .him
regularbr the avails of their monthly con
cert, which, in,their, poverty, amounted to
about four dollars per month.
Deacon Gewergis overworked, and the re
sult at length was a violent brain fever, of
which he died. . As is common, in that dis
ease, he was delirious ;-but it was affectingly
interesting to Hsten to him, even inhisdeli
rious hours. He reiterated, at the top of
lus voice, almost incessantly, the . single
phrase,, “Free grace j free grace! free
grace .’’—an,utterance which carried with it.
a moral sublimity seldom equalled, especial
ly in the recollection that free;grace had
been with himso emphatically the sole
foundation of his confidence, that he was’
pardoned and washed, made, a; child of God
and an heir of heaven; that free, grace had,
for many years, been the burden of his.mes-,
sage to perishing thousands; and that that
same free grace was now the ground of his
earnest longing to depart and he with Christ,
which for him was'far better.' When the dis
ease had spent its force his reason returned;
and, like "the calm sunset after a storm
peaceful; jbyous, and triumphant—he fell
sweetly asleep in Jesus.— Dr. J. Perkins.
[FROM THE BANNER OF THE COVENANT.]
HE MUSI! REIGN
Why do the heathen rage, and tbe people ima
gine a vain thing ? The kings of the earthset them
selves, and. their rulers take counsel together against
the Lora, and against his anointed, saying: .“Let as
break their bands asunder, and east away their cords
from us.
V Re. that gitteth .in the. heavens .shall laugh, the
Lordshafl have them in,derision. Then shall he
speak to them in his wrath, ; and-vex them in his sOre
1 ' Hayn I sctjiay king upon my holy
hill of Zion —I will declare the decree; the Lord
hath said to me, “Thou art my son; this day have
I begotten thee. Ask of me and I will give thee the
heathen for _thine inheritance, and .the .uttermost
parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt
dash them m,pieces like a-potter’s vessel,”
. Be toss few, therefore, oye kings: be instruct
weye judges of tbe earth. Serve the Lord with
fear, and rejoice with-trembling. Kiss the Son lest
he be angry, and ye perish .from the why, when his
wrath is kindled but h - litte Blessed are all they
that put their trust in him.— Psalm ir.
' The Bible proves itself to be the utterance
of the , .Governor of Earth, not less by the re
cord of his extraordinary interpositions in
former days,; than by its announcement of
the morallaws by which'He stillLrules the
world, denouncing, ruin against rebellious na
tions and promising prosperity as the .reward
of. obedienek, .The-world’s history-of the, de
cline and . fsH iof sinful nations, and tbe
broad fact of the existence of the blessings
of a Christian civilization are heaven’s attes
tations to the edicts of the -Rible.;, The seb
.ohd Psalm is onfe of these edicts thus- coun
tersigned by history and observation. Against
God’s Holy Child, Jesus, whom he hath
anointed Bang of the people of Ju
dea and the rulers of the, njighty Roman
Empire rebelled. They, refused; the Gospel
of salvation which he presented to them,
slew him and persecuted his church—Acts
iv: 25. But God raised him from the dead,
extended his church in spite of their-opposi
tion, placed him on the .throne of heaven,
put the iron sceptre of Omnipotence into his
hand, broke, down: the Jewish nation under
its terrific blows, drove them out fugitives
oyer tbe earth, and so shattered'the power of
imperial Rome that,, neither the publicist
perusing ,the map of the Did, World; nor the
traveler, wandering amid, the, ruined palaces
of the ; Csesars, can now .discover aught save
the shivered and scattered potsherds of its
irreparable ruin. The thunder of this threat
ening, and the scathing. bolts of that ruin,
are alike undeniably utterances from heaven
—the word and the work of the ruler of hea
ven. , , " • , ' rs
. The Psalm treats of the behavior of the
representatives of nations in their conduct of
public affairs in disregard of, and opposition
to, the Lord Jesus Christ, They are desig
nated by their official titles of kings, princes,
rulers, judges. Their private conduct is not
here censured, hut their behavior in their
public meetings or in' their Senate chambers.
The misconduct of the people here denounced
is chiefly that of lending their support to the
ungodliness of their rulers; thereby enab
ling them to carry out their decrees, and so
becoming partakers of their crime and pun
ishment; And: the duty.to which they are
exhorted is not merely, the private and per
sonal religion of the. closet and the church,
but a public national Christian religion. The
kings and judges of the earth, as the repre
sentatives of the nation, are commanded to
Serve the Son of God with fear, arid'give him
the kiss of homage, corresponding to our. mo
dern oath of allegiance—ori pain of national
destruction. Let us then setife iri. pur minds,
the weighty truth which forms the burden of
this--Psalm— t-unchristian. nations, shall
PEKISH. i:
The significance of. this threateriing is by
no imeans exhausted -by the destruction of
the unchristian nations of Asia or Europe.
Moral law is Restricted :to>its* locality. The
.empire of the. Lord. Christ is hot founded by
oceans, or confined to the continents of the
'Old World. His authority is not restricted
to those who choose to submit to liis sway.
Allvnen, in. every relation of life, andiri every
nation, are his subjects. ‘ The heathen, no
less than the Christian people, are his inher
itance ; and the uttermost parts of the earth
are his possession. His laws never become
obsolete, nor will he cease to enforce them
till he hath put all his enemies under his feet..
We have a-vision of the results of the great
revolution on which the world is now enter
ing, and in whose vortex our nation is now
involved, in the XIX Chapter of. the Apoca
lypse; arid there we behold Messiah appear
ing to execute the 1 judgments denounced
•against unchristian nations in this Psalm—
“l saw heaven opened,, and behold a white
horse, and He that sat on him was called
Faithful , and True, and In righteousness He
doth judge and make war. His eyes .were as
a flame of fire, 'and on His head were many
Crowns; and He had a name written that no
man knew but He himself. And He was*
-clothed in a vesture dipped in blood, and. His:
name, is called: the Word of God. And out:
of His mouth :goeth a ,sharp; sword, that with
it He should smite the nations, and He shall
rale them with a rod of iron, and He tread
eth-the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath
of Almighty Grod.” The’same hands which
decided the fate pf Rome and of Jerusalem,
now holds the destiny of Washington. His
iron sceptre is how lifted to smife our ungodly
nation. I R. P.
HOTS TO SABBATH SCHOOL TEACHERS.
The Price of a : classin a cer
tain Sabbath-school was exceedingly inatten
tive and disorderly. Its teacher was regular
in attendance, earnest , 4n. manner, and
anxious to do good. But her most earnest,
appeals,, her best illustrations, seemed to fail
in making the. lesson interesting,, and the
pupils continued to trifle" 5 add iiraste'. their
tiike. Sabbath" after sabb4|j| 3 'K
One day the regular teAcffier 'was detained
at home. ; :A friend‘took her place. To the
surprise of every one inthe-neighborhood of
the inattentive class, it was* fdr
transformed.' No more attentive circle am
the r00m... Every eye fixed upon the*face of
the .stranger,, , jjp responsive -to hers.
What could be the secret ?
It, was .iny lot, shortly after, to .meet the
successful teacher at as vice-princi
pal of one of our Ward' #6hbols. In the
course of Conversation ah allusriOh'was made f
to her class upon theSabbafK referred to.»
She had been greatly pleased, with it, and
was at a loss to know why ithe,pupils; should
have maintained; better order with her than
they accustomed .to.. ,i. ‘ ‘ Butj said .she,,
“in .governing my pupils, I Have usually
found that & look went farther than a word.”
Is it bring
a restless-child duly, .than to
assail.hiip with reproof?
, :The Teachbr -mfsiPbay. —The . teacher
who would bo successful ip, his,; great work
must “pray without •eeis|ng,” i / A teacher
may ,be a child of may Be well ac
quainted with the'Script#qs • he may feel a
yearning affection towardl the eßildreh of
his class; he may L address “them ’iti tHe'sim
.plest words,-and in the most engaging man
ner ; and yet the more diligent > he.is, and
the more care he takeS in preparing his Sab
bath lessons, the more profoundly will he
feel that something beyqnAhis.qiflmts.is ne
cessary to ensure, bis .success. , The Spirit of
God is needed to make the instructions of
the teacher effectual to the tephversidh of the
children; and that Spirit GBd will give in
answer' to your believingj fervent; ahd per
severing prayers. In proportion to the spirit
of prayer, will be the amount of success.
The more His. servants owp God, the more
will He. own them. ;, ' 41i - T ., ( s-
Pray, then, without ceasing. Go to the
Lord before you begin your : work, .that He
may qnableyou to do it well;' return with it.to
the Lord, when it is dope, Jojleeic *a Blessing
'4hd success.,
children on God’s Behalf/forget not to plead
with God on their hbhalf. Ask wisdom td
■Win souls soids'for your hire;' Let not
yoiir prayers be hut earnest,■ ; Let
them not be confined to the. school, but carry
them; to your r retirement, and offer them, with
believing in, your moments of
intimate communion with Gqd., : , Give your
class a daily place in yqur supplications, add
plead fob them* ofre By' dhe. * Bring each par
ticular Case' bdforc your heavenly : >Fatherl
There is* nctthing 'like Trayiugf ihdividuaslly
for iyoTU? scholars.; It ■ is : far more • endearing,
and we are sure it is far more; effectual;,
Study, p>H^sclio
lars.'" 'Study ;tHem l %£ meiribdrs ’’of tt : class,
study them, as individuals, study their , habits
and circumstances, tHeir /tempers and 'weak
nesses, their wants and sins. This is per
haps one of the first pieces of advice which
T should like to give to thb young and inex
perienced School teacher; and that, hot only
because I think the duty necessary in itself,
but also, because I think it is one'tbo much
neglected among us. In preparing our les-'
sons we study, our Bibles, study .them dili
gently and carefully j; we study our catechism,;
.we study books of reference and-books, of il
lustration; but those to whom the lesson is
taught, we study very little, if at all. Of
their peculiarities of thought and feeling, of
‘their temptations ‘and trials, we know little
if anything. In such a case, how can we
expect to succeed —how can we give strength;
iwhere we know nothingsof . the .weakness; or
ihelp where we know nothing, of the want —
how can we expect to influence where we, know
so little of the motiyes of .action, to arouse a
conscience whose wounds we do, not under
stand, or touch a heart to whose feelings we
have no key; and how often, in point of fact,
do we see the most skilful, , most earhest, and
devoted Sabbath School teachers fail alto
gether in these respects—-how■ often do;;wc
see a lesson,..which seems to us most interest
ing, touching, and beautiful, fall quite tame
and ineffective on the little scholars for whom
4t '
[fOr xm£ axfoxcA* pbbsbtifeßiiif. ]' ■’ ‘ : '
.
. NUMBER SEVEN. : -1i-
EXODUS. .
The Cocost.—Continued.
I have presented;'in the foregoing’articles,
testimony in relation to the Locust, suffi
ciently varied and minute, to illustrate a
large number of passages in both the Old and
the New Testaments.^
. Some of the most eloquen t portions of the;
prophecies allude to this insect, and could
be properly understood only by reference to
itfe natural history, ■ It is specially interest
ing to the reader, indeed, I should; say to
the searcher of the Scriptures, to know that
in the' there occur nine
radieallyfiifferehf for the Locust.
Each of these names, anidhg the tTewS’c indi
cated -a special . characteristic of this insect,
and in several passages a,regard ?to this in
dication . greatly enhances .the force, of tbe
.passage. . Thus (1,) arbeh, .signifying “num
ber,” is a term used in the ..original" Scrip
tures as,the appellation of the locust. * Sow
turn tojud. Vi: 5; vii: 12. Ps, cv: 34: jer.
xlvi: 2& ;kli 14. Jodi 1: 6. ”NaEum’iif :T5,
in each of these verses the locust, of grass
hopper of the East, is referred to as the >ar-
BEH, because Of their multitude.
Again, . Gob is another ..appellation . tiri
:Amos. vii: 1. Nahum iii: 17, signifying: “to
emerge from, the earth,” and this is the spe
cial trait of the locust’s nature, to which the;
writer would" in those passages direct atten-
tion. It was alluded to by writers many
centuries ago, see Aristotle 1. 5,; Hist. 28,
and Pliny the Naturalist 1. ii, 29. ■
. Again, (B), Gazam, “to out clean.” This
is the appellation in Joel 1:4; ii: 25.; Amos
iv: -9.
4. Hagab, “to veil ,” because of the.dark
ening of the sun in ’their, flights. Joel ii: 20.
5. Hanamal, “frost” because of the ap
pearance of every herß ..after ’ they had left
it. * Ps. Ixxviii': 47.’ v 1 = ; ;
>6. Hash,, “to consume” Theyi.werc
called' the consumers in Deut. xxyiii: ; 38 ;
Nahum in : 16. Ps. Ixxviii :;46., Isaiah;
xxxiii: 4. ' . > . ,
7. Haegal, “P? be long” from thcir long
lines when on flight r Lev. xi : 22. ,T w
8. YfLBK, '“ fo lick pp,” evidently from
winch
theyreSted. Numb, xxii :4. Kings xviii: 20.'
9. Tselatzab, “ cymbals or little bells ”'
referring to the sound in flying, of which
the very word itself is an imitation., Deut.-
xxviii:42.
Now, - let the ; Bible student in .reading
these passagessremember what we, have said,
of the special appellations for the locust and
their .signification, and more of force and
Beauty Will he found associated' ytith eheh?
passage, than could possibly result from uh- :
derstanding simply “ Locust or Grasshop
per,” &s me only Signification of the term
wherever it occurs. >•'•■ ' • ; ' ,
Belvidere, A 7. J. , , H. S.
BECAUSE OF SWEARING THE, LAND
MOURNITH
The public. sentiment of this nation-and the
Scriptures of. th.e old Testament unite, in sup-'
port of the deelaration tflat the present war
is the fruit of our sins; .
Good men everywhere, agree that we have
justly merited this chastisement, and all men,
good and tacitly'admit ;tße same. ’
i! The; Proclamation: :of 3the -President,' ap4
pointing a day of humiliation and prayer,;
was; therefore . virtually vox populi, the echo
of public sentiment, .and the echo of Provi-,
denee,. summoning us to inquiry and confes
sion,! 'There are sins against the State which
it,is the duty of Congress to fertet;oß.t, and
if necessary, to send for persons and papers.
■ There are sins against God, the investiga
tion of which must be made, if made at all*
by the: conscience: of the individual. j;:
. In military affairs, men are tried by Court-:
martial. Jfor the trial of moral dehnquen
eies,; there, are two courts, the Court of Con
science,, and-the Court of the King;a jßencff,
from which’there is no appeal. Conscience
concedes—-nay! stoutly maintains—that our
Sms have* brought on this disastrous war, and
thb old Testament,' which is ho less than the
decision. ’Of : the I ’Supreme Court, furnishes
smiplAibfiiaiahorujioni of thiafitostim(my*v.fep..
muchnf that aneient record is occupied with
.the history of wars which were attributed to
the people’s sins. ,
is.proper.then to inquire what particu
lar sins f 'have been .prominent in ;enacting
this Bloody tragedy, which has opened “upon
us withln the. last few months, - '
And in contributing in aid of our in
quiries, 1 shall place profane oaths in the
frontrank of the vast army of our national sins,
t.j L do but note in passing, that such oaths
are.- vulgar, senseless, and devoid: of self-re r
spect, but; insist with' pertinacity that. they
■are exceedingly sinful in.the sight of God.—
Evangelist. . • .
THE RELIGIOUS WORLD ABROAD.
There is unquestionably a decided abate
ment . of interest in matters of religion
■throughout i the entire-Christian- I world,. as
compared with the state of: things a year or
eighteen months ago. The great gatherings
in Scotland and the North. of Ireland, the
tokens of revival evident under the preach
ing of such men as Richard Weaver in Eng
land, and' Mr. Radcliff in Paris,’ the stir in
Germany, so portentous and promising at
the time of the revival in the orphan house
of Elbeifeld,. the .interest which attended the
first introduction., of,, .religious liberty into
Italy,,together.. with„the .Tinqe
vMly kriu the’SahdwichTslattds, - have 1 nearly
all disappeared or, are of much diminished
power and interest. , The agitations which
we have .now .to chronicle are, in large part,
political in their character; such as the
movements in favor of religious liberty in
Austria, or the great struggle on the per
plexing question of the; temporal, authority
of the Pope. These,, however, : are: of the
highest importance and bear directly . and
manifestly upon the future, , progress, of
.Christ’s,Kingdom., among,men. . . ....
v GrBaT BRITAIN.
'* GhaiigeS, the nature of which we have riot
been'fuily made awaTe of, in the educational
; systeriS. of ’the United Kiirigdom, are causing
great; agitation. The: fear Is expressed that
the'religious character of the teachers will
be.overlooked in the new .system. ; Tbe min
istry, of the .Established Churches seem most
decided, in, .jfisappro.val of the proposed
changes. ......
"'"Mr.I JlfachaugM,' so well "known ‘in coririec
tiori witfvliis fatibnqlistiq leaching in Liven
pool} 'has 1 retired” froni' the' ririnistry of the
Establishe’d Church, on account of the change
iri his views; In a farewell address to his
congregation, he said ;~-4‘ One thing only is
-clear,...that my duty, as a conscientious
Christian Englishman, is to resign my min
istry and its emoluments and its dignity.
This I must do if I am to retain my self-re
spect. What is to follow I know not. I
shah take my place among the . laymen of
England’s Established Church.” Rational
ism is' bad hnough, but the dishonesty of
those who cling to it and the emoluments of
the church together, as is the case with
many in the Church of England, is. far
worse. Mr. Mapnaught is at least an,honest
man. • .
The Congregational fJnion have a fund of
twenty-two thousand p'ourids,.called the Pas
tors’ Retiring Fund, which 'they began to
rise last yeaE ; The dividends are about six
hundred pounds a year.
1 Chanting of the Psalms. —ln Dr; Alexan
der’s congregation, Edinburgh, which has
long had the advantage of thorough framing
in the science and practice of sacred music,
the prose ‘ Psalms are to be chantedby the
whole congregation, and, the service of praise
be thus, made a more prominent feature of
public worship than has. been usual in our
Scotch congregations.
Effects -of the Evangelical Alliance.-^ The
Paris correspondent of the News of the
Churches, -writes Oct. 18,1861 Switze
rland and the Genevan Conference have ab
sorbed almost all the thoughts of our Pro
testant world during the past month. Re
freshed, rejoiced,, fired with Christian love,
the members of the Evangelical Alliance
have returned'full of thankfulness for bless-!
ings received and blessings in prospect; for
such a manifestation of life, at such a period,,
apd -in such a place, must necessarily have
results wherever the tidings, are carried.
Where the unity of brethren is manifested,
there the Lord commands his blessing, even
life for evermore. Surely such a festival has'
notrejoiced French Protestantism since the
: '
V GERMANY.
Tketweidy-fifth anniversary of Dr. Plied
nef’s benevolent institutions at Kaiserswerth
; was celebrated September 14th. Sisters
who were trained at K. are now laboring in
fifty-three hospitals. The labor of the dea
connesses among the poor has been greatly
blessed. , Refuges : fqr servant ,girls out of
i.jfi^,m i %gp ; .toi^.KiayO'-. ; b^!i*' ! dpenecl.s, in,
tnaf of Berlin 2000: have found shelter in
Seven years. 906 female teachers have
bhen'trained, and a new field for evangelical
efforts has been opened by this branch of the
service in the East.' Great good;has already
been, accomplished by the deaconnesses in,
Jerusalem,Constantino,pie, Alexandria, ;Bey
rput ,and}Sp i y rna - Twenty-six independent
institutions have grown out of the success of
the work. *The Queen of Prussia sent a
liberal present totHe inStifution. The Syrian
committee in Berlinsent a loaf bf bread
with the “ Break ithy bread to
the hungry;” and, when broken, it was
found to contain four hundred pounds.
Mahy mf the other presents were very taste
ful and gratifying, and the whole festival
passed oyer in such a spirit that .the institu
tion .may commence a new course of labor,
with increasing vigor.
-'■■ The regular organization of the churches
in East Prussia is making rapid progress.
The provincial synods are, to be introduced
by degrees, so soon as the individual congre
gations .have elected a court of elders.
These, elections are in many parishes finished,
and the courts themselves are working very
well. The irifluence of the Prussian Upper
Consistory, and of the Minister of the Crown,
is most beneficially brought to bear on many
of the parishes which-are as yet unacquaint
ed with the representative system. One must
admire and bless God for the wisdom, the
energy, and .the perseverance of the highest
eeelesiastical authorities, .in making use of
the fittest elements which the parishes con
tain for advancing the spiritual life of the
congregation, and at the same time'giving a
steady character to the system. It is to be
feared that the Presbyterian- system of
church government in Baden will be a mere
handing over all church matters to a species
of town-council elected by the community,
without any reference to their attachment to
the church or to the gospel. Li Prussia, on
the contrary, the aim is kept .prominently
‘ forward to nave men of faith, of living faith
and pure morals, and sincere ' attachment to
the church, Sitting in’ the church Courts.
~The ■ Patent of .the Austrian Emperor of
April Bth, lB6i, purporting to grant reli
.gious liberty and equality to about half a
million of bis German Protestant subjects in
CSrhia, Tyrol; Saltsbiirg, Bohemia, Silesia,
Moravia, and Upper and Lower Austrias. It is
based uponthe 16th Article of the Germanic
Confederation which ,reads thus: “ The pre
vailing -diversities of .opinion among Chris
tians of .different sects shall be no ground of
distinction in the enjoyment of municipal
and political rights in the countries and dis
tricts of the German Alliance.”
Serious doubts and objections have been
raised against the Patent by-tbe Romanists
in some parts'of 'the Empire. As early as
April 17th, at the Tyrolese diet, at the in
istigation of a Romish bishop, it.was resolved
■that only the Catholic: Church ; could cele
brate, public, -worship, ; in the Tyrol; and that
the. forming of churches of other denomina
tions could not be allowed. Bonfires were
.hindled on the hills of Tyrol in rejoicing
oyer, this action! Mcclesiastieal freedom:
i. e., the power to organize and freely govern
their own churches; is professedly granted
to the Protestants in the Patent. There re
main,' however, some regulations on the sub
ject. of mixed, marriages (between Romanists
, and Protestants,) which, are favorable to the
-iformer, and the . reseryation,,to the . State of
)he control over education; but the grand
defect of . the ordinance is, the claim made in
the last clause,,* to the imperial right of
hominaiibg the President and Cbiiheilldfs Of
the 5 'Supreme -Consistory of the Empire.
This is unsparingly condemned by the N. Mo.
iMirchmzexbwng as inconsistent .with the
.presbyterial form of ; church government,;
. which i.t is expected, and, indeed, .with some
particularity,; ordained, that the churches;will
assume. f Meverfheless. thq patent .i§ a. most
remarkable advance, as may , pe* seen,by file
following from the iMkprfM M thih cify:
, “ The Butheransand Calvinists now have
equil rights with; the " Catholics* id ‘civilaijd
political affairs, and these- -aim 1 solemnly
secured by law. Instead of being designated
as ‘Mon-Catholics,’ whichniit them off from
many important rights, they are now desig
fnated as ‘ Evangelical,’ and have; all the
privileges of , a recognized ecclesiastical or
ganization ;by the side of the Established
Oatholie Church. , They may have their own
churches, schools and colleges; enjoy their
own worship and use their own Bibles and de
votional books without let or hindrance. All
these are privileges which heretofore were
.either-forbidden or greatly restricted. The
Catholic Church is expressly charged not to
oppress Protestant congregations, or to in
; duce them to become perverts by compulsion
or by trickery—which happened bo fre
quently before.” ■ ' '
,Ths;Svmj& Mvangeliegl Conference, a body
has. .had but a brief, existence, and
which includes widely diverse shades of be
lief, met in Basle, May 28 and 29. They
heard reports of a committee appointed to
prepare 'a Grerrhah versi&n'bf the Bible for
common use in the : Cantons.- 1 Specimens of
their work which is a revision of Buther’s
Bible were exhibited, and met nearly a
unanimous .Mee.sui-es were taken
tOj proyide, the „ spiritual wants, qf the
Protestants dispersed among the .Catholic
Cantons. ’• '
GEIESEE ETIIGELIST.— Whole No. 810.
FRANCE.
The Evangelical Church of Laden appears
about to fall into the hands of the rational
ists, under the lead of the distinguished theo
logian of that school. Dr. Schenkel. Au
thority having, been given to, revise the old
Constitution which has existed ever since
the Union (forty years,) the Rationalists
succeeded in utterly doing away with it, and
in substituting another, based upon that of
Oldenburg (eight years old and notoriously
defective,) with subordinate reference to the
ancient and tried Westphalian—Rhenish.
The radical defect of this new and hetero
geneous arrangement, is the latitudinarian
principle by which a respectable moral cha
racter merely, and not Evangelical faith, is
made a sufficient qualification for member
ship or for holding office in the Church.
There is nothing by which a drunkard or an
adulterer even, could -be excluded from the
communion-table. The General Synod met
June sth, and continued its sessions until
the 12th of July, being principally occupied
with dissensions on the new Constitution.
The Grand Duke Frederick delivered an ad
dress at the. opening, in favour of this instru
ment, for which it was soon evident there
was a decisive majority in the body. In this
majority were such names as Hitzig, Rothe,
and Schenkel. The names of the minority
are not familiar toms; they should be known,
however, as they made a noble stand for the
truth: Fink, Hamm, Haeusser, Heintz,
Gnebcner, Muehlbaeuier, Riehm. Hundes
hagen was defeated by a stratagem of the
other party. As soon as the new constitu
tion Was enacted, an- order, which had been
prepared in full anticipation of this result,
was issued, sweeping away everything esta
blished under the old Constitution, including
even appqintments/or life under Frederick's
own hand. The existing pastoral relations
are, however,.graciously exempted from this
sweeping change indicative of the rapacity
of this successful party for power and place.
Pastor Harms, the Lutheran, in an article
on this remarkable man and his multiplied
labors, says:
“He is known over Europe, not only for
his life of trust in God, and the remarkable
success which bas attended his missionary
labors, but likewise for bis powerful ministry
which attracts multitudes even from remote
countries, to bear his awakening sermons.
Some years ago, Harms built a mission ship
oh faith, and when it was finished, every dol
lar had been paid. This ship makes its re
gular trips to Africa, where he has establish
ed missions among the, negroes, and is a most
important helper in his work. The Annual
report of his operations for 1860, is a deeply
interesting production, and gives- an insight
into the inner life of this remarkable man.
With paid agencies and the modern begging
system, he will ,have nothing whatever to do.
His whole Work is carried forward by simple
faith in God: Strange as it may seem to
some, he is never without the necessary means
of support. Last year the sum of 40,000
thalers was voluntarily sent to him from dif
ferent parts of the worid I The proceeds of
his Monthly Missionary-and his published
sermons alone amounted to more than 9000
thalers, Lx addition to the donations in
money; a prodigious quantity of provisions,
groceries, and clothing was given, among
which we notice, 928 pair stockings, 652
shirts, 55 pieces of linen, and thousands of
other articles; The expenses of the Mission
and Seminary with more than thirty stu
dents, the repairs of the mission ship, and
the passage and support of his numerous
missionaries, with their stations, churches
and schools, cost but 86,500 thalers—leav
ing a balance in the treasury this year also,
as in all other previous years!
A friend, who spent some weeks at Her
mansburg, describes Harms as a weakly mm
and a constant sufferer. When he comes out
to preach, he. often supports himself by the
altar or the pulpit, and yet he performs an
amount of mental and physical labor suffi
cient to break down the most powerful con
stitution. How he lives and labors on from
year to year is a mystery. The complicated
affairs of his paper; seminary, missions and
correspondence, rest most exclusively on him,
and yet in addition to these, .he has the care
of a parish of several thousand souls, and
preaches and catechises almost, daily with the
greatest fidelity and with unexampled suc
cess. The seeds of his ministry are manifest
to all. The voice of prayer and praise is
beard in every dwelling after nightfall—and
our informant often paused at the door of the
villages to hearken to the devotions within.
Religion is the life, the joy, the very busi
ness of the inhabitants. In their feelings
there is nothing extreme or fanatical, and
nothing mechanical, sensuous or- sentimental,
hut all partake of the healthy and vigorous
type of religion in, the best days of the Lu
theran Church. Harms is not less decided
in his faith than 5 he is in every thing else, and
in preaching’it, cares as little for the opinions
of prince or-kaiser, as of his humblest pea
sants. :
MY CHURCH.
“Mamma, can’t I go to my church this
afternoon?”
( “ Whatis your church?” inquired her mo
ther, somewhat Wondering.
“ Oh! don’t you knows mamma, where we
go; wheu we don’t have Sabbath school ?”
! And then her mother knew it was the
. monthly meeting in the church, for catechiz
ing, to which the child had reference, for she
had sent her to a Sabbath school nearer
than the one . connected with their own
church.
“ Would you father go there than go to
church with papa and mamma ?”
“ Oh, yes,” replied the child, “ because I
can’t fell what papa’s minister says, but our
minister only talks to us, and I like to go. ”
Ah ! how; many of Christ’s ministers, like
Christ’s apostles, forget that Jesus is waiting
to lay His-hand of blessing on little children,
that to them also is the word of salvation
sent. He that said to Peter, “Feed My
sheep,” said also, “Feed My lambs.”
M IRISH BOY’S LOVE. FORKS EYE MY.
In a school inilreland, one- boy- struck an
other, and when' he was-about to he punish
ed, the injured.hoy begged for hj.s pardon,
f - The iqaatejj asked, “•Why dp. you wish to
keep. hbftvfijQin being flogged?.”
;The hay replied, “I have read in the Mew
Testament that, opr Bord Jesus Christ said
that we should forgive our enemies; and
therefore. I forgive him, and heg he may not
lie punished for my sake,”