Vol. VIII. So. 3.—Whole So. 367. LINES ON THE DEATH CP SAMUEL E. THOKN, 124th BEO., P. V., WHO DIED AT CHANCELLOIfVILLE ON THE 9IH OP The writer, a surgeon in aNew York Regiment, ia a note to the relatives in this city, dated Warren ton, Va., July 30th, says; I have written some Verses in regard to Samuel’s death, and I ask permission to burden you with them. It may seem strange to you that a “ cold hearted army-surgeon,’’ as we are termed, should write versa. I disclaim the above title, for lam but aboy-surgeon, and my sympathetic days and poeti cal years have not yet passed by. All day the battle raged, In wood, and field, and glen: The live-long day a storm oflead Pell thick among our men; And bugle-note, and cannons’ roar, And muskets’ peal of death, Floated from early morn till eve Upon the war-fiends’ breath. The sunlight came bnt dimly through The war-cloud resting there, As if to hid* the scene of blood From spirits pure of air; Bnt where it fell it glinted, And flashed on gleaming steel, As to and fro the foemen press, As drunk with blood they reel. The live-long day the battle raged, And still at set of sun The tnmnlt of the conflict seems As though but just begun. Gun answers gun, peal answers peal, And.shout, and yell, and groan, Blend in one horrid discord In one discordant moan. The forest, field and woodland, The valley, hill and plain, . Are lighted by the torch of death— Are plowed by iron rain. From right to left, the flash and flame And murderous missiles fly, And many a soul each moment seeks “A home beyond the sky.” The moon arose, and brilliantly A flood of light she shed Upon the surging masses -there, And softly on the dead But still the bloody conflict raged, ‘ And far into the night, From rifle-pit and abattis Arose the sounds of fight; But slower now and fainter Its .thunders rend the air, Till silence once more throws her veil O’er dead and living there. And faint, and tired, and hungry, The foemen lay them down, To rest their faint and weairy limbs, Upon the bloody ground. In thickest of the conflict, Where the bullets fastest fell, Darkening the air in rapid flight, Where burst the deadly shell, Where rebel columns bravely charged, But to be backward hurled By loyal steel that gathered round Our glorious flag unfurled, There, fighting bravely all the day, Unmoved by thought of fear, Stood, facing death on every side, A youthful volunteer. From early morn till set of sun, And far into the night, Unharmed he stood, and kept his post—. The foremost in the fight. At last the fight was over, And the weary laid them down, But he beside a cmfirade knelt To staunch a bleeding wound. All day he stood amid the .hail Oflead and iron there, Unscathed by solid shot and shell. Or aught that filled the air; But now, as o’er his friend he bent, And tried so sooth his pain, A random shell came bursting through, And dashed him to the plain. At length the sun again arose, And calmly o’er the plain Looked down on mangled bodies— Looked down on hosts of slain. Now, o’er the fields of carnage, there, With eager haste, we go To render all the aid we oan To wounded, friend and foe; To give to those Who, yesterday, Their life's blood freely gave For holiest cause man ever died, — To give a soldier’s grave. And one among the many braves Who thus had* fallen here, Was he of whom I just have told, The youthful yoluuteer. Calmly he lay beside his friend, With not a single trace Of struggle with grim death, or pain Upon Bis youthful face. He seemed to sleep so quietly, He’d laid him there to rest; A smile was on his face; his hands Were clasped upon his breast. A paper, neatly folded, In bis fingers stiff and cold He held: we read—“ Please forward, To my mother weak and old.” We gently took it from his hand, And read with glistening eye; He had prepared for death, and bade His friends a last good-bye. A RETBOSPECTIVE VIEW. It is the habit of the world to regard the pe riod of youth as the time of greatest happiness and brightest sunshine. Those who have passed its bounds look back to it as a time of freedom from care and responsibility—of light hearts and buoyant spirits. They remember how mind and heart rebounded from the pressure of disappoint ment or anxiety, and how readily a new pleasure was found to fill the place of one taken away. Enjoyment, too, flowed from so much more tri fling sources; and the whole being was so much more ready to receive and retain it than in af ter years. Yet the question may well arise, is all this better than what later years bring to the Christian? With these later years como real trials. Sorrows, changes, disappointments, re sponsibilities are sent, heavier and sadder by far than any of earlier life, and there is not the same buoyancy to rise above, or spirit.to combat them. 111 health, perhaps, comes to drag down mind as well as body, and physical suffering may at times enervate the whole being. And now, on looking back at the period youth, what says the heart which is united to its Saviour in living faith ? That heart will surely say that the expe rience of maturer life has brought far more peace and true happiness than ever youth could know. Exhilarating enjoyment, or great elevation of spirits may not be common. The blood flows more tranquilly and the step is less rapid but better than eager step and quick blood, is the quiet, steady, onward movement that betokens a heart at peace with God, chastened by a Father s gentle discipline, and waiting! always on His blessed will. This peace is better, far better than great and lively enjoyment. It is lasting, growing, never failing. It “flows like a river,” directly from the source and fountain of all joy—the throne of God and of the Lamb. It can only be obtained by the experience of a Christian life taken home to the heart from year to year, and viewed as sent by God for this blessed end. In weariness it leads to Jesus’ feet, there to lay the butden down, and find rest for the soul—in disappoint ment it points to where there is “fullness of joy”—in sorrow and change it speaks of the land where death is not, and where the inhabitants “go no more out forever;” and in the approach of death it says, “ Fear not, I will be with thee; I have redeemed thee.” All this blessed experience youth can seldom call its own. • It is better, even had we the choice, to leave youth behind, and go on to learn these precious lessons in our Master's school, than to linger still in the play-ground of thoughtless en joyment. ; X. OUR CORRESPONDENT IN THE NORTH WEST. A Trip Around the Lakes—Mackinaw—De troit—Buffalo—Erie— Waterford — Chris tian Loyalty—The Duties of the Followers of Christ in Pennsylvania. Editor of Presbyterian On the morning of July 28th, your correspond ent found himself on the screw steamer Galena, bound on a trip around the lakes.' Many Eas# eon people do not understand what is involved in this. To those unacquainted with the series of wonderful lakes that stretch nearly half way ac cross the continent, it would seem a trifle—a ride from Chicago to Buffalo. But when they are informed that it requires more than half the number of days that are expended in going to Europe, the gain some idea of its magnitude. And when they learn that there are places where the voyager is entirely out of sight of land, they will understand how vast are these internal oceans that bear the enormous commerce of the West upon their bosoms. MACKINAW. The first point of special interest to the travel ler is Mackinaw, It ib situated upon a small is land that lifts itself up more than one hundred feet from the surface of the water. Here is a fort, which was built many years since as a de fence against the Indians, but which has been reoently used as a prison for rebels. Among others, Generals Buckner and Tilghman were confined here; The former ia now Burnside’s opponent in Eastern Tennessee, the latter was killed in one of the battles which resulted in the fall of Vicksburg. On reaching Mackinaw, we found quite a fleet of steamers lying at the dock, and the streets of the little town were swarming with people. One of the large Lake Superior steamers was on her way down to Chieago, with nearly three hundred passengers. Other steamers, hound East and West, had arrived there about the same time, and the living freight was emptied on the shore. Mingling with these were a number of Indians who had come across from the peninsula to dis pose of their wares and trinkets. It was curious to witness their stoical indifference^o the prying curiosity of the white people. One group that I noticed upon the beach, consisting of two men and their wives and children, went forward with their preparations for the night with as much indifference as though they were in the depths of the forest, unseen by! hundreds of eyes. DETROIT—GENERAL CASS. i The captain of our steamer kindly stopped at Detroit long, enough to give the passengers an opportunity to. see something of the city. A few of us found our way up to the residence of Gene ral Cass. His home is an unpretending wooden edifice , that looks not unlike a country farm house. Three years ago, your correspondent would not have cared to, turn aside to see the resi dence of this venerable man. He is one of that class of party-leaders, who, by their base conni vances, with Southern politicians, have brought upon this country the evils that now afflict it. But he has, in a measure, purged himself from dishonor, by. coming out so manfully for the Union. Unlike Buchanan and Pierce, he holds a place in the respect of his countrymen. BUFFALO, Buffalo looks somewhat as it did twenty years ago. The harbor was filled with vessels, and the wharves were crowded with pegple. The future of this city seemed to be cast under a cloud, a few years since. So many new avenues of com munication. with the West were opened, that Buffalo dwindled in importance. But its pros pects are growing brighter again. Your correspondent was glad to find the Pres byterian Church so well manned with able and faithful ministers, and giving signs,of so much prosperity, Dr. Clark is a worthy successor of Dr. Thompson. Dr. Smith holds a rank second to no other among the clergy in Western New York. Dr. Heacock, whose people are just com pleting a large and beautiful house of worship, is one of the few prophets that have honor in their own country, Buffalo is his birth place, and there he has always lived; and it is not an exaggeration to say that no man stands higher in the estimation of his fellow-citizens. Dr. Lard still is found in the pulpit of the Central Church, and it will make glad the hearts of loyal men to know that he Occupies no doubtful position on the question of putting down the rebellion. Dr. Chester, who has taken charge of a seminary in the city, supplies the pulpit of the Delaware Street Church. It was gratifying to learn that Buffalo had shared in the good work that the Jmrd has been doing in that region of country. ERlE—n ew CHURCH. At Erie, your correspondent found a new house of worship which the First Presbyterian Church had erected for tlieir honored pastor, the Rev Dr. Lyon. It is one of the most beautiful and complete edifices anywhere to be found. As an evidence of the prosperity of that congrega tion under the long and faithful pastorate of Dr. Lyon, it was an object of especial attractiveness September 3d, 1863. PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1863. - -• > • Ji ■ • - —■ ■ - to your correspondent. It was owing partly to the influence of this model pastor and minister of Jesus Christ, that his mind was turned to wards the ministry. The Presbyterian Church of Waterford, under the earnest preaching of Rev.T. T. Bradford, holds steadiiy on its way. Since the labors of this brother commenced, the church edifice has been greatly improved, and there have been added to the membership men and women of sterling worth and tried integrity. It was here that that godly man, the Rev. Pierce Chamberlain, spent many years of his ministry. And it is not an exaggeration to say that his name is spoken with the deepest reverence by. the people in that community. After sitting se veral years under his ministry, the testimony of your correspondent is that he was the most pray erful and Baintly man he ever knew. ‘PIETY AND COPPERHEADISM, A RARE CON- JUNCTION. There is one impression that this trip and in tercourse with Christian people have made upon my mind, which I desire to mention. It is the almost entire unanimity amomg the followers of Christ, in their sympathies for the government in this hour of trial. Christians are, almost to a man, loyal. I did not meet with more than two who did not heartily and earnestly sustain the administration in all its measures to put down the rebellion. I do not know a minister of the Gospel who is not heart and soul in sympathy with Mr. Lincoln. This fact is especially encou raging. And it is also encouraging that Chris tians of all denominations, except the Romanists, stand shoulder to shoulder for the country. Such a thing as a Christian copperhead is almost un known. And it is this influence, under God, that will save the country. Wicked men, like Governor Seymour and Vallandigham, may plot treason, and hold out a helping hand to the rebels in arms, but their efforts will prove una vailing. The church of Christ, under the lead ership of God himself, will prove too strong for them. APPEAL TO CHRISTIANS IN PENNSYLVANIA. It was peculiarly gratifying to your correspond ent to find, Christians in the old Keystone State so thoroughly imbued with patriotic sentiments. And he wishes to say to them that they have a special work to do now. While their brethren are fighting traitors abroad, they are bound to defeat the efforts of men, who, at home, sympa thize with traitors, and who are endeavoring to get the control of the State government into their hands. Christian men and women of Pennsyl vania ! there is a great and solemn responsibility resting upon you. The election of a governor in your State that sympathizes with that bad man, Horatio Seymour, will peril the good cause. Hear a word of exhortation from the prairies of the West. Buckle on the harness and work! Never suffer the old commonwealth to be disho honored by a traitor or a sympathizer with trai tors in the chair of the chief magistrate.! PRAIRIE MATTERS. Chicago, September Bth, 1863, The Frost -has excited the feelings of our farmers and citizens more than even the war. It fell in streaks, destroying garden vegetables, tobacco, and sorghum, and checking the progress of corn, tut not very materially injuring the crop. It is to be regarded as a warning, rather than a stroke. God has been reading our news papers with great displeasure at their spirit of boasting over the resources of the nation. He has been punishing us to bring the nation to hu miliation and repentance; instead of which we proclaim that we don’t feel the strokes he has in flicted. Our crops never were more abundant, our streets more crowded, our stores busier; pearls and carriages and silks, sell like wheat, and our places of amusement cannot contain the crowds of merry pleasure-seekers. “I hearkened and heard, but no man repented of his wicked ness.” The desolated villages are far away— the victims of the war are buried in the swamps of the Chickohcminy or of the Mississippi—the widows and orphans do not appear much in pub lic. Why, we would never know that we are at war hut for the tax gatherer, and we are well able to pay him. “ The United States can stand it for years to come.” But now God shakes the sword over the root and marrow of our strength, and shows us that if we will not humble ourselves he can humble us. These August frosts, at this crisis, are no common meteorological phenomenon. They are piophets speaking in a still small voice, warnings of possible failures of crops —famine, bankruptcy, inability to feed and pay our armies, failure and disgrace. God lifts the rod and says, “ Beware!" Our Common Schools open to-day after the long vacation. What an excitement among the little Americans who constitute the majority of the great people 1 What a preparation of hats and caps and shawls, collecting of readers and spellers and geographies, sharpening of slate pencils,; or dunning for cents to by them. Then the eagerness to be ready in time, the rush to the school, the gathering, crowds around the doors, the expected bell, the steady line of boys and girls pouring in to the designated places, and the conspicuous forms of a score of parents, loom ing, like giants, above the sea of Lilliputians, remind us that the great world is contained within a little world blessedly ignorant of the price of gold or the fate of crops. The teacher makes a brief address to the chil dren, welcomimg them back and greeting the new comers; and, directing tlieir miuds to the God who preserved them, invites them tbv|ive a song of praise. They read the begining of the fifth chapter of Matthew in alternate verses by the teacher and the whole school, and all raise their voices together in offering the Lord’s Pray er. Brief and simple, but most impressive and powerful exercises. Let us never consent to the banishment of the Bible and prayer from Our public schools. The daily habit of worshipping God and reading his word in our schools -is of more power for the safety of the life of the na tion than the army of the Potomac. Our com mon schools are the real foundations of the re public. Let every Christian parent defend and nurture them to the utmost; and then supple ment in the family, the church, and the Mission Sabbath School, that full religious training which they do not afford, but which must be, given to Young America to fit him for Rod’s service. The letter of the secretary of the American Missionary Association, .published in your paper of the 15th of August, has elicited several res ponses. The North-West Freedmen’s Aid Com mittee, auxiliary to that society; is organised, and will send you their circular next week. We hope to send several teachers to Vicksburg and Port Hudson about the Ist of October.. The Noon Meeting still keeps up its num bers and interest, Stnujgera find their way to it from, all parts of the land and from Europe, and frequently cheer us with words of encourage ment. The prayer-mee*tings in Camp Douglass were- very promisingly attended by some hun dreds of persons, many of whom asked for Bibles. A judicious of the Scriptures is now going on among them. They are very hungry for religious papers. Thp rush of, sympathizers was so great as to nefielsitate a closing of the camp against visitors; but, doubtless, some regu lation will be made, permitting the access of the delegates of the Christian Commission. A let ter from Chaplain Thobas, lying sick at the rooms of the Christian Commission, at Steven son, Alabama, requested prayer for the Noon Meeting there, carried on. for a week with in creasing interest. A .missionary lady, Mrs. Newton, fram Burmah, reports that the Karens there, supposing every white man a Christian, so importuned the English officers to teach them the way of life, that, unable to attend to the bu siness of their departments, one of them offered to pay a missionary to accompany him, and preaeh Chrst to them. Christ’s.kingdom is comiug. LETTER FROM INDIA. EATE DECISION TO THE BIGHTS OF HINDOO My Dear Brother Mears : v I send you a number of “ The Indian Refor mer” reporting .a redent judicial judgment severely prejudicial to the interests and rights of young Hindoos, who become convinced of the truth and seek to profess their faith in Christ. We had fondly hoped the day for such “judg ments” had long since! gone by. It is more than twenty years since . Sir Erskine Perry of the Bombay- High Court, delivered a similar judgment, and since then opposite decisions have been given, in repeated instances, both in Bombay and Madras. The case which came before Sir Erskine Perry was.that of Shriput Sheshadri, a young convert under the teaching of the Scotch Free Church Mission. Shriput was not quite six teen (16,) the age of a young man’s majority by Hindoo law. Sir Erskine took advantage of this fact to disregard the entreaties of the Missionaries and ShripuPs mo'st sacred rights, and forced him back' into • the- power of his bigoted father. Shriput was a Brahman, and had broken caste; but his father hoped to secure influence and favor with his fellow priests, and get him restored, to easte. With this view he took him to Benares, and the principal shrines and sacred places of India, spending some two years at great expense in making Shriput do penance, but all in vain. The Brahmans would not restore him, and Shriput is still an outcast,-broken in hopes and spirit, ruined there is reason to fear, both for time and eternity. Surely this disastrous issue should have its influence on all British officers in the decision of similar cases. Doubtless it has on some, for I do not recall such an un righteous decision from that time to this. The name of Sir Erskine Perry, and now of Sir Mordaunt Wells, will ■ long hold an unenviable notoriety among the British Judges of India. This case of Hem. Nath Bose, seems to be one of most ingenuous and spontaneous convic tion of the truth; and how any British Judge could be so Hindooised as to disallow the rights of conscience to such an intelligent young convert, and force him back into the power of his superstitious father, is extremely hard to understand. It was ably argued by the counsel for the convert that, 21 being the age of one’s majority in Europe,-and 16 in India, and 14 being the age of discretion in Europe when a young man is allowed to choose for himself in matters of conscience; 10 years and 8 months must be the corresponding period of discretion in India; and consequently that Hem Nath Bose, being 15 years and 2 months old, should he allowed to act according to his own enlight ened conscience in ; the present case. Sir Mordaunt Wells forcibly set aside this reason ing, and constrained the young man’s conscience by forcing him back into the power of his father. To one who at all understands the numerous end formidable obstacles to the . pro gress of the 'Gospel in this'dark land, such'an unrighteous decision by a British Judge seems a strange excess of interference on the part of a so-called Christian Government, which pro fesses Strict neutrality. Presbyterian, Can we account for such decisions on any other hypothesis than that the Judges in question have a strangely unkind feeling towards the Gospel, or the missionaries who preach it, which leads them to pervert justice for the sole purpose of opposing them ? Does not this feeling become clearly manifest in the contempt Sir Mordaunt Wells shows for the missionaries in the present case ? “ What are the rights of missionaries ? Nothing,” his Lordship exclaims. Just here was his fatal error. It is not the rights of missionaries that are involved, but the rights of the convert. Dr. Duff, in the present case, urged no rights of himself or of his brethren, but the rights of the convert; and how can we avoid the plain inference that, with the unrighteous motive of thwarting the missionaries and the Gospel, Sir Mordaunt Wells deliberately deprived Hem Nath Bose of his sacred rights of conscience, and thus perverted justice. But we must not be impatient. God can overrule even such a case for the interests of His own Kingdom of glory. Our India public is somewhat excited by a fresh report of the capture of that notorious rebel, “Nana Sahib.” Our prints deem the the report sufficiently reliable to issue the news CONVERTS. in extras, one of which I send you. You will receive it with some grains of allowance till better attested, though for the interests of humanity the world over, we would devoutly rejoice to see the “Nana Sahibs” of both India and our own dear country brought to. speedy and merited punishment. ' In our mission work, the Lord is hot leaving us wholly without tokens of His favor. True, we have our trials Our hearts have recently been severely grieved by one of our inquirers going back to Hindooism. He was a Oosavi, who received the truth gladly for a time—even broke caste; and seemed near the Kingdom, but ; Satan desired to have him and prevailed. Another inquirer however, has shown a better spirit, and after some nine months’ probation, was baptized at our recent communion season and added to our little church. We are a feeble band, but the Lord is our refuge and strength, and it is a comfort to know that We share in the sympathy and prayers of those who love His cause. In the service and hopes of the Gospel, Yours sincerely, R. G. WffiDEß. Kolapoor, India, July 20A 1863. STOP! STOP!! “ Stop what ? Stop thief ?” “ No, no 1 Stop my paper.” “ Why stop your paper, my friend ?” “ Just because they publish some things that I dislike, and exclude from their columns some things that I like.” “ Come now, Mr. Correspondent, as I feel a leetle Mondayish this nice Monday morning, and unfit for heavier work, I want to have a little palaver with you. “ Suppose you take for a seat that deal box in the corner, covered with hypocritical chintz, to make people believe it is a very nice lounge, and I occupy the only chair my poor study af fords; ■ and suppose, further, that for your name and my name we substitute X and Y, as alge braists do for unknown quantities; we can hold our palaver incog., and nobody be able to find out the ‘great unknown ’ characters whose wis dom sheds such radiance on the public mind. Y.—“ Now, X, let ns have it out. Why have you written to our editor to stop your pa per?” X. —“ For several very good reasons, one of which is that I am at liberty to do what I will with my own.” Y. —“ A very good reason it would be, if you had any thing of your own. But I deny that any thing possessed by you is your own in such a sense as to make it a matter of indifference in what you may employ it, or whether you em ploy it at all. If you wish it to be inferred that the two dollars subscription which you pay for your paper are so far your own that you are not accountable to the Giver for the use of them, I deny your position in toto. Don’t scratch the back of your head, man ! Yon cannot null the answer out thence.” ,X. —“Well now, Y, I think you are rather hard on a poor fellow; but the fact is, I don’t like his doctoring at all. It don’t suit me, no how.” Y.—“ His doctrine, I suppose you mean. Well, I confess I don’t always think it suits myself exactly, although, at times, it ‘ shoots ’ me in rather a tender place. If he were to la bor in order to suit you or me, he must neces sarily offend some one else; and I suppose you would consider that person very shabby if he were to stop bis paper for an article, the publi cation of which gave you pleasure. At it again—pulling the hair out of, yo.ur poll!” X. —“Yes, and I’ll pull every hair out, if I like, for all you! Isn’t my hair my own, and can’t I do as I please with it ?” Y. —“Gently now, X; don’t get into a pas sion. Keep cool, for I hare not done with you yet.” X—“ Well I don’t like his politics, and that’s another reason.” Y.—“ Very possibly, indeed. Perhaps he does not like yours. Has he ever tried to in jure you on any ground ?” * X. —“Me? I don’t know that he has. Nei ther have I tried to injure Y. —“Out with it, man ! rather I should say, don’t let it out. You were very hear telling a lie, my brother, for you have tried to injure him.” X—"Me? How? When?” Y.—"By stopping your paper. You know that the publication of a paper involves a great expense. There are rent, wages, paper, type, ink, presses, and many things of which you and I know nothing, to be provided and paid for. You knew that withdrawing your subscription would injure him to the exact amount of that subscription. Did you not secretly wish it was more, in order that the injury might be greater ? Now don’t bite your nails, my good brother; or bite them to the quick, if it will do you any good. But stay, I have not done with you yet-” X. —“ To be plain with you, I don’t like some of his doctoring, and he has inserted too much of what I do not like lately.” Y. —“ Myself and others don’t like some things either, and think he has inserted too much of them. Had we not all better stop our papers—l mean all on each side of every vexed question, and then where, will be our denomi national organ ? He can look to those only for support in carrying on his enterprise who agree in some great leading principles, and who agree to differ on other topics. You remind me very strongly of a man of whom I read when a school boy, Procrustes by name.” A:-—"Do I ? Pray how do I resemble him ?” Y.—“ He had a favorite bedstead, just the right length for a man, he thought. He used to catch travellers, as the story goes, tie them to his bedstead, and cut them short if they were too long for it, or stretch them out to the length of it if they were too short.” X. —“Well, Elder,! can get bigger papers for the same money.” ' Y. —“ I know you can—widely circulated political papers; but I thought you complained of too much politics ? I know also that you can get large papers with a large circulation “be cause they covertly pander to the corrupt pas sions ana inclinations of youth; debauch their minds, deprave their morals, and ruin them for this world and the nqxfc. But tell me, honestly, can you get a paper, for the same , amount of money per annum, containing the same amount of general information, together with so much of a purely moral and religious nature, and which comes so near to your own sentiments in religious matters—one which you are not afraid to hand to your children ?’ X—“ Well, Elder, you tell me to answer honestly. To be honest, then, I—l—l—(Again scratches his poll and bites his poor innocent nails!) —I cannot!” Y. —“ Then why stop your paper I” X “ Because I was a fool, Elder, and that is the truth 1” \Exeunt ambo. ] Wisdom is better than gold. COULDN’T DO ENOUGH FOE CHRIST. In the same village in. Ohio where I was brought up, there lived, when I was a school boy, a young man, a tomb-stone letterer by trade, with whom, as his workshop was near my father’s house, I easily formed an ac quaintance, and to whom by daily intercourse I beeame strongly attached. He was of a kind, frank, genial disposition, and hismanner and con versation was winping. He was a cheerful, jovi al companion, and a warm, steadfast friend. For years we were thrown together constantly, and having a liking for each other, our love for one another grew with our intimacy. About the time I left him for college, he quit his trade; and while 1 was pursuing,my studies, he was employed by a manufacturer as a- traveling agent in the Southern States, we did not meet again for a long time, and I lost trace of him. Years passed, and the passing years wrought changes.. Near the end of my college course, old things passed away, and all things became; new to me. I sought and found the Lord Jesus Christ. I devoted my life to the Saviour’s service, and chose to be a preacher of the gos pel. Shortly after leaving the college I entered a theological school in one of our cities. At the end of, two .years I was licensed to preach. Immediately i commenced ministering to a con gregation in one of the towns of Pennsylvania, and in this work spent the five months of that summer vacation. In the autumn I returned to my studies in the city. One day, not long after my return, when walking on the street, I noticed before me some one whom I took .to he my friend and companion. I called to him, speaking his name. I was not mistaken. He stopped, turned round, saw my face, and recog nized me instantly. After mutual expressions of pleasure at our unexpected meeting, he ac companied me to my room. We reviewed in conversation the years that had intervened since we had separated, and recalled many of the joys of our more hoyish days. While we chatted an hour or two until the cars were about to start on whieh he left the city, I dis covered that he had changed for the worse. As he was about to go, our conversation turned upon the subject of religion, and he sobn gave me to understand that he was an infidel. It pained me sorely when, as I was about to give him for a present a copy of the New Testament he told me that he did not prize that book as I did, and hardly ever read it. I talked with him kindly about his error and his sin. I rea soned with him, showed Mm his ignorance, his unreasonableness, and his folly. I tried to point out to him the better way. He began to feel the force of the truth, and his foundation was shaken. As I spoke to him of Christ, and of the change that had taken place in me, and urged him to consider and to be honest, to read the Bible, and ask God for light and salvation, the tears stood in his eves, and he said to me, “If I felt as you do, I couldn’t do enough for Christ.” What he said reproved me. Does it reprove you, Christian reader ? Sabbath-school teacher, does it reprove you? Is it true that Christ has saved you ? Did the Saviour indeed pour out his blood on the Cross for you ? , And are you constrained by his love as you ought to be ? Can you do enough for Christ ? Are you holding anything back from God?— S. S. Times. SEIZE THE ROPE. Three years ago a party of Ato, two gentle men and three ladies, crossed the Niagara river in a small boat, many miles above the falls. They were young and light hearted. They had. a merry passage, spent a happy hour on the Canada side, and then embarked for ther return. All went well until they neared the centre of the stream. Just then there came down upon them a fierce gale of wind, rushing down the mighty river. The boat shot forward. It was in the mad current The men plied their oars. They were strong ,and stalwart; bat a power stronger than theirs held them within that dark line of swiftly moving waters. They left the landing they aimed for behind them. They looked with speechless lips into each others white faces. They knew that they were going down with the current. The oarsmen strained every muscle. If they could only breast the current for a while, relief might come. One of the fragile oars snapped. One more hold gone. Never a word was spoken. Death and eternity stared them in the face. Upon one solitary oar and one single oarsman hung five precious lives. Surely, very surely they were going down with the dark current. Two of the five were Christians, and they give me the joyful assurance that when the first great terror was over, they fell back upon hope and faith, and that to them the near prospect of death was swallowed up in victory. Suddenly, when the hands of the oarsman were bleeding and torn, when the signal of dis tress had long fluttered in vain, and the agitation and alarm had sowed the seeds of death in one fragile frame, a little boat was seen coming cautiously towards them. It turned back. It durst not venture too near. Not a word from the, five. They seem very near Goct and eter nity. Another and stouter craft put off, rapidly at first, then very slowly. It must not come with in the power of the infuriated current. One moment paused. No nearer. A rope was uncoiled. “ Seize the rope,” shouted the boat’s crew. An eager hand caught .it. The stout craft shot rapidly off, and the rescued boat was drawn from the hurrying current Sinner, you too are drifting swiftly and sure ly down a subtile current. A noble craft comes to your rescue. A rope is flung out to you. It is Jesus the mighty Redeemer. Seize that rope, and escape the destruction which awaits you. x. n. a. THE SAVAGE SOLDIER. While the armies of the first Napoleon were marching through Germany, one of the regiments was quartered on the inhabitants of a village. Among the soldiers was one of a fierce aspect, his face covered by his long black beard, who seemed in his whole demeanor to personify the savage. The farmer upon whom he happened to be “billeted,” was terrified at the sight of him, and proposed to the commanding officer, that he would take two men in the place of one of such ferocious appearance. The offer was accepted, and the soldier taken to other houses; but the officer perceiving that everybody was afraid to take the frightful-looking man, told him to find a lodging for himself. Having been refused admittance everywhere, he arrived at the house of one of the few mem bers of the Moravian Society, who resided in the* village. This occured on the evening of their prayer meeting. The leader of this pious little band yras standing in his door : as the soldier passed more than once. At length he asked him on whom he was quartered. The soldier replied, that no one would take him in. The brother, though somewhat alarmed' by his fierce looks, showed him into his house. , At the appointed time the company assembled, a hymn, was sung, a portion of Scripture read; and prayer offered. The poor man was so deeply affected that he ex claimed Yon are a happy people : would to God I were like yon; but I hear none of these things. lam a poor wretch*uuul.niay be shot down in the next battle.” The brethren spoke kindly to him, and directed him to that Saviour who will east none out, not even the worst. - GENESEE EVANGELIST.-—Wwls Noi 904. By the kindness of his test, be was well cared for during the evening and night. Inthemorn ingtearly, he went to the farmer Who first re fused to receive him, and told hpw and where he had found comfortable quarters. The. farmer laughed at him; and on hearing the soldier s ac count of the meeting, said he was “ very welcome to join those wretched pietists,’’bat as for him self, he would never enter that house. “But you shall though,’’ said the rough soldier, feeling hurt by hearing his hospitable friend abused; “you shall attend this very evening at their worship, and I will come and fetch you.” He was as good as his -word. At the proper time he appeared at the farmer’s door, who terrified by his determined manner, accompanied him,"and to the surprise of all present, was found seated next to his conductor, who fairly mounted guard over him. ■ : And now the Lord’s time had come. The wrath, and fright of the poor farmer vanished, and touched by Divine power, the gospel of a crucified Saviour entered' his heart.' On arriv ing again at his home, he sought and found for giveness of sin Ahrough the atoning blood of Christ; and by his testimony his wife was awaked to a sense of her lost state by nature, and with prayer sought and obtained mercy. The change in'this man and his wife, created a great sensation in the village, and proved the means, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, of the conversion of many souls.— Latrobe’s Letters. GLOEY OF THE WORLD. In a magnificent oration’ of Chrysostom sound thoughts are suggested, in the contem plation of that transitory glory which is the gift of wealth and fortune, and power, all which is destined to perish. “It is at this moment,” says the illustrious patriarch of Constantinople, addressing the court of his day, as corrupt as it was splendid—“it is at this moment, more than ever we are justified in saying with the wise man, ‘Yanity of vanities, all is vanity.’ Where is how the splendor of the consulate ? Where the brilliancy of lamps and torches? The feast of joyous assemblies ? Where are the crowns and magnificent ornaments ? Where the flattering reports of the city—the acclama tions of the circus—the adulations of thousands of spectators ? All have passed away 1 The wind by one blast has swept the leaves, and now they show to us a dead tree, tom from its roots—so violent has been the tempest. It lies a broken ruin. Where are the pretended friends—the swarm of parasites—the tables charged with luxury—the wine circulated during entire days—where the various refinements of feasting—the supple language of slaves ? What has become of them all? A dream of the night which vanishes with the day! A flower of Spring which fades in the summer!— a shade which passes!—a vapor which scatters I a bubble of water whieh bursts!—a spider’s web which is tom! ‘Yanity of vanities, all is vanity.’ Inscribe these words on your walls, on your vestments, on your palaces, on your streets, on your houses, on your windows, on your doors; inscribe them on your con sciences, in order that they may represent it incessantly to your thoughts'. Repeat them in the morning; repeat in the evening; and in the assemblies of fashion, let each repeat to his neighbor, “Yanity of vanities, all is vanity.’” WORK. FOR PASTORS. Talk as we may about the evils of the war through which we are passing, we shall proba bly never see a time when the demands are so extensive and urgent, and the opportunities so glorious, for labors for the soiils of men. The very vices of the camp, deplorable as they are, yet serve often to reveal to the soldier the des perate wickedness of his heart, and lead him sooner to Jesus than his home morality would have done; while the carnage of the battle-field, the loss Of comrades, or his own wounds, soften his heart, and render him a fit patient for the Physician of souls. But saying nothing of soldiers, we have a vast army of sufferers at home—widows, orphans, childless parents, and other desolate kindred, all needing and demanding sympathy, prayer, and kind service. Many of these are without God and without hope in the world, and are there fore especially to be pitied. What work is here for the ministem of Christ! What opportunity to lead stricken hearts to Him who was sent to “ heal the broken-hearted!” True, we are. not all or always fit for this delicate and difficult work of consolation. We may hurt in attempt ing to heal. Their wounds need a skilful and tender treatment, and we, to give it, need the spirit of Him who “ will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax.” But with this spirit we may safely visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction.— Examiner. PAUL’S PARTICULARITY IN MONEY MATTERS. Ethics, in the abstract, most persons know little of. But the ethics of money matters they understand thoroughly. This fact Paul seemed to be aware of, and henee was exceed ingly particular in all money transactions. And in this particular his example is worthy of imi tation. Paul kept out of debt. He never was dis trained for rent, or forced to pawn his furniture, or refused to go a certain road or particular streets lest he should meet a disagreeable cred itor who would dun him. All this is evident from Romans xii. 8, to which we refer our readers. Therefore, with what boldness he could preach the Gospel of his Master.. He could look every one of his hearers calmly in the eye, knowing not one of them, could accuse him of being in his debt. Had he been in debt to Fe lix, does any one suppose he could have made Felix tremble ?” Never 1 On the contrary, he would have trembled before Felix. We ask this question of our clerical readers, if any of them are so unfortunate as to be in debt. Can you preach boldly, as you ought to preach, if one of your creditors is before you ? If not, then your debts hinder the success of the Gospel of Christ. Think of it. HOW TO CONFESS. A little girl once gave her mother the follow ing note: ' ‘Dear Mother: It was I who lost your thimble; I was afraid to own it. I have felt unhappy since I told you I did’nt know. Mother will you forgive me ? I told it all to God: I prayed to him. From your sorry daughter, Hannah,’ This note, you see, made a confession of sin. For days and nights, perhaps, this child suffered under a sense of guiit— -it took away her comfort • until at last, no longer able to bear the burden, ,she came and acknowledged it. This teaches an important lesson, which you should ’early understand and act upon—-that when you have done wrong you will never have real peace of mind till you have confessed it. Apa a confession, to be worth anything, must spnng from real sorrow for the fault, and a de sire to do better in time to come. ‘Whoso con fesseth and forsaJceth his sins shall find mercy. . Life is like a,river which widens continually, and is never so broad or so deep as at its mouth, where it rolls into the ocean of eternity.
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