ettrrtspiiturs.
ANTHER sjoBATH AT CAPE MAY.
DEAR. WITOR :—The hotels and cot
tages him 4 all been crowded to their
etfaspoi capacity for a week past. It i s
sa iplifit Congress Hall is seating one
city) sand at its table, Columbia seven
hundred, United States four hundred
and fifty, and all the other houses in pro
portion. Today fully one thousand visi
tors left the island, but the down trains
are still heavily laden.
The churches were well filled yester
day, and so was the beach. It is be
lieved that if services were held early,
as by the Episcopalians, so as to close in
time for the eleven o'clock bath, the num-,
• her of worshippers would be • doubled.
It would be worth a trial.
The Saturday paper ,and numerous
posters at the hotels, and along the side
walks, announced that the renowned
Dishop Simpson would Preach in , the
,:Methodist church on the Sabbath ; and
as we had never heard 'him except on
the platform, we reiolved to go. Half
an hour before service the church was
'well filled, and' by half-past ten the build
ing was packed.
The familiar hymn, " 0, where shall'
Test be found ?" was joined in by the
Whole congregation standing, after which
the. Bishop led in an earnest prayer,
closing with the Lord's Prayer, in which •
the audience joined audibly.
The Bishop is a tall, large-boned man,
with. considerable of a stoop in. hie .
shoulders, and with' nothing in his man
ner or voice to •indicate his greatness.
His delivery is quite deliberate, bat he
becomes' more animated as he proceeds.
He has a tender heart, being easily
moved himself, and moving his audience
with him, as frequent pathetic allusions
crowd into his mind. The text was in
2 Sings, vi. 17—" Lord, open his eyes
that 'he may see"—the young man to
Whom Elisha wished the Lord to show
the surrounding chariots and horsemen
, eft fire when they were besieged in
.Dothan.
The realm of the unseen is far great,
er and more important than the seen.
This thought was illustrated with great
fullness by allusions to the wind, to
electricity, to height, and the telescope,
to, death with epidemic frown sweeping
the land., and to the manner in which
- thought moves society, rules thrones
and empires.
, The superierity of the unseen over
the seen was dwelt upon. How thought
compels the ocean to obedience, and
talks underneath its hitherto unfathomed
depths from continent to continent.
We are said to see what we discover
by reason. Elisha wanted the young
3111143 to have assurance of the great de
signs of Providence toward Israel.
Homer saw his heroes on the plains of
Troy, and sang his grand Epic, which
has been sounding through the centu
ries ever since his day.
To see the unseen is faith. At the
grave we see the body lie in the earth,
.but by faith we see the soul wafted far
beyond the blue of heaven, and hear
the harp of another saint singing around
God's throne.
Is it more, of a miracle for God to
send a ray of faith across the space be
tween our souls and Himself, than to
send, a ray of light from a distant star to
our earth y
The Bishop then gave a sublime pic
turing of what the young man saw
when God opened his eyes—the moun
tains around Dothan filled with God's
armies in flaming chariots drawn by
steeds of flame ; but he spoiled it all, to
our mind, by asserting that the young
man saw them only by eye of faith ;
that it was not a really miraculous ap
pearance. He also went further to rob
the narrative of its , beauty, by saying
that the blindness with which 'rod smote
the Syrian soldiers was not real blind-
ness, but merely a sort of mental or
spiritual blindness, and that when their
eyes were opened again in the streets of
Samaria, it was not a real, miraculous
opening, but merely an ability to appre
ciate their situation in the armed city,
which ability had been hitherto with
held.
The text, " Lord open his eyes that
he may see," is a prayer for all of us.
We stand at the verge of a boundless
ocean, without a boat to cross. We
leave this clay tenement, but we have
no house in heaven. 0, that God
would, open the eyes of all of us that we
may, see our true position I Then fol
lowed close and earnest appeals to all
classes of the Congregation, asking whe
ther the Lord had ever opened their eyes,
which must havAgone to the heart of
every bearer ; but want of space forbids
our following farther.
At the close of the sermon the Bishop
stated that the church needed repairs
sadly, and Elome $2500 to $3OOO ,must
be raised te meet the expense; that' it
was proposed to raise $lOOO this morn
ing ; that if the congregation would keep
their seats but a few moments, the mat•
ter Could be attended to. "Would tbe
pastor appoint a brother for each aisle,
'to take a list of subscribers ?" Then
commenced ,what
,more resembled an
auction than anything else. " Who
givt) $1 00 ?" After a long pause,
" Will any brother hand in his name
for $lOO ?" Another pause. " We
don't wish is press the matter; but
if the brethren will please speak
I 'without delay, precious time will be
saved. Who will give $lOO,-?" Pause.
I"Facher. Miller has authorized me to
say that he will give $lOO. Who will
give another ?" Long pause. After
I=ll
several, additional appeals, ' it was an
nounced t hat' the proprietor of one of the
largest hotels had authorized the Bishop
to put down $lOO for him. These were
the only $lOO subscriptions. The same
appeals; eight or ten in ; number, were
made for $5O subscriptions, only one of
which was obtained. Then they came
down to $25, and five names were ob
tained from the audience, amid a dozen or
more appeals, with long pauses between.
They then called for $lO subscriptions,
of 'which eleien were obtained ; then
for $5B and any smaller sum. Twelve
$5B were got and , a good many sls
and $2B. After every subscription the
Bishop promitlyresponded "thank you."
Most of the smaller amounts were re
ported merely as, it cash," no name being
given It now,giew late, twenty minutes
before one o'clock, and the people, having
long been quite restless, were pushing
out among chairs and benches, notwith
standing the *frequent urgings from the
pulpit to remain but a little longer. The
baskets were ordered round to take , up
What had not been called out, and the
doiology was started,. when half the
audience were making their way out.
The remark oft repeated among the
crowd in passing out was: "What a
pity to spoil the effect of the sermon by
such a scene!"
The afternoon was the occasion of a
•
grand children's jubilee in the concert
room of "Congress Hall. Fifteenjmudred
people, most of them children, crowded
the room, and as many more went away
unable to gain admittance. Beautiful
Sabbath-school hymns were sung, under
the leadership of Mr. Thomas Rawlings,
of Philadelphia. An address was de
livered by George W. Mears, of Phila
delphia, bringing out the value of the reli
gion of Christ in life, at death, and at
the judgment, and illustrating it by sev
eral forcible and interesting incidents. ;
Then came the feature of the day—an
illustrated sermon by Rev. E. M. Long,
fortherly of Norristown, now of Philadel
phia, on the text: " A man shall be an
hiding-place from the , wind and a covert
from the tempest." A beautifully-paint
ed panorama was made to pass before
the audience, each picture assisting the
speaker in enforcing his subject. The
various hiding-places of sinners were
dwelt upon, and their uselessness fully
portrayed to eye and ear together.
We have seldom seen an audience of
young and old more closely interested
than was this one in Mr. Long's ser
mon, and the good it is calculated to do,
by the strong impression made, by one
sense assisting the other, must be very
considerable.
Rev. Mr. McClellan, of Philadelphia,
made the closing address. The whole
was ably presided over by. Mr. John
Wanemaker, merchant of this city. The
impression everywhere seemed to be
that more good was accomplished, and
deeper and more lasting impressions
were made, than by the open-air meet
ings last year, which were much less re
ligious in character.
The morning prayer-meeting is still
kept up, proving interesting and instruc
tive 'Who attend. The numbers
vary from thirty to, fifty.
We have never seen a watering place
so largely~ patronized by the Jews as
this has 'been this season. - They are a
class of people having money, which
they love to enjoy apparently. They
dress with much display, and figure so
largely at the hops, and join so eagerly
in the amusement, that they are the sub
jects of constant remark. They all
know each,other, and seem to enjoy dis
playing their wealth and accomplish
ments to the Gentile sojourners. We
are told.that at some of the hops more
than one-third of: the company were
'well=dressed Jewesses and Jews. The
way my which they " dwell apart" from
the rest of the company, carries us back;
in thought, to the days of Balsam the
son of Beor. G. W. M.
eerie MAY, August 6,' 1866.
THE INQUIRER, MR. TANG
The case of this man was noticed in
a previous letter, under date of May 5,
'and already some new light has been
shed upon it. But do not misunder
stand. It is light which rather shows
more fully the difficulty of the case. Mr.
Tang states that he has been grievously
persecuted by his neighbors for refusing
to pay the customary fees in support of
idolatry. They came in a crowd to his
house, raved, railed and stormed at him,
dashed his furniture about, made his wife
and children cry, and declared that be
must pay the fees or leave the place.
He declined to do either, and,quoted the
treaties against them. But 'he finally
agreed to pay his landlord additional
rent, and thus the fees are probably
paid over. Whether the renter or the
rentee in such a case is responsible for
the sin of feeing the idols, is a case in
casuistry which you and your readers
may. decide. Mr. Tang adds \that the
effect of this persecution has been to
break up his school, so far, at least, that
be cannot fulfil the engagement to gather
one of tea. scholars or more. All these
statements of his are believed to be
mainly, if not literally, correct.
And now comes the test which it was
hoped would prove him either a sincere
or a false inquirer. His te-hwong (em
ployment) is lost. What will he do?
For myself, I cherished still the thought of
helping him in his sore distress, as wisdom
might, from time to time, dictate. Yet
he did a curious thing one morning,
which
_has almost barred the way of
every kindly intention. He came, un-
THE AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN,
LETTER FROM CHINA.
observed, and posted on my study door
post and on Main Street Chapel the fol
lowing sententious effusion. It savors
strongly of the innendo or pasquinade,
but some of its terms are very enigmati
cal: ~A . charity dressed in the name
only ! Investigate the real and follow
out the manifestations. Think of celes
tial doctrine as lofty. Dependence on
human strength, how can that effect re
formation? Alas! alas! for the dead.
Resign life, come swiftly to death! Ah!
hell is indeed imminent! Though. the
Holy Spirit -renews, repentance comes
too late, 'By rigid adherence to one
idea (mode) how can the doctrine spread ?
As occasion demands, bend to it. Thus
virtues gain completeness."
- You must ' not hastily conchide that
the odd mixture of ideas just given
marks a diseased or unbalanced intellect.
They are cast in the form of a distich.
And though to us, they seem like a seri--
comic production,fto the Chinese they
are fair.speeimens .of poetic license. But
what must we think of Mr. Tang in the
light of his posted effusions? Is he a
knave, or is he groping his way to the
light in this strange style 2.. His first
sentence ,is not nedessarily a sarcastic
bit. It may be taken as a persuasive to
true charity, or, in i s connection with
what follows, as exp easing a hope that
we will not seem as though we had a
false 'or unintelligent 'charity in judging
of him and his circuthstances. Some of
the native Christians, moreover, still
cherish hopes for his salvation. An
aged Christian, in speaking of what he
had so boldly done, remarked that an
earnest inquirer would naturally be out
spoken, and that a mere heathen and
hypocrite would express himself more
cautiously. Another experienced native,
in a recent monthly concert, gave it as
his opinion that many inquirers, who in
the end become Christians, are apt at
the outset to cherish selfish motives.
Perhaps he spoke from experience as
well as observation. At any rate, his
remark is valuable as a hint to those
whose solemn duty it is to deal with in
quiring minds. Increasing light pati
ently communicated and the renewing
grace of the Spirit pierce often the
thick mists of selfishness, and disclose to
the poor groveller the substantial wealth
of salvation. `
And so this poor man, about whom
I have written, may yet come out all
right, and become a star in the Saviour's
crown. Much allowance must be made
for him. He is feeble in health, in im
poverished circumstances, and has a de
pendent family. He evidently does not
suppose that anything he has done ne
cessarily cuts him a from our sympa
thies. For he continues to attend our
religious meetings and has, of his own
accord, prayed in the meeting held for
prayer and conference. The blessed
Jesus never quenched the smoking flax.
He patiently bore with the .perverse
even. He fed the multitudes who lis
tened to his instructions. We, cannot
work miracles to feed China's poor, fam
ishing multitudes, but through grace and
wisdom from above, it is our glorious
privilege and distinction to do what we
can for the bodies and souls of some of
them. C. C. B
Full Caen, May 15, 1866.
"DID THE JEWS REALLY CRUCIFY
JESUS?"
A pamphlet has been published under
this title, by the Rabbi Philippson,
well
known among the Jews, in which he
endeavors to prove that the Jews could
not be charged with the crucifixion of
Jesus. He contends that on purely
political grounds, and without the co
operation of the Jews, Pilate condemned
Jesus, as one of the;many pretended Mes
siahs who at that time appeared. At
most, he affirms, a single Jew might have
informed against Him, or a disciple might
have betrayed Min.
In order to arrive at this conclusion,
the author is compelled to employ the
aid of that negative modern critic, David
Steauss, (for he rejects Renan, not with
out reason, as .a superficial rationalist,)
and represent the Gospels as incredible,
partial and fabulous. It seems to have
escaped him that, in the application of
his argument, the entire existence and
history of Christianity in the first and
second centuries is declared to be a
myth. And then, as to the assertion
which the author regards as historic
and worthy of belicf,ll3 at a disciple of
Christ betrayed him, or a single Jew
informed against him, does he not derive
this conclusion from those same Gospels
which he, with Strauss, rejects as utterly
incredible ?
The Talmudists, indeed, who in their
polemic fables do not attempt to shield
the Jews from the charge of having con
demned the Lord, are
,more reliable
critics than the modern Rabbi, who does
not understand the faith and the spirit of
his own ancestors. Surely the. Jews
ought to defend the historic truths of
the Gospels against the shallowness of
the modern critic ; for if the Gosgels'ate
untrue, then theip own history and liter
ature must be a gigantic lie.
Mr. Philippson deceives himself if be
imagines that, by this attempt to remove
from the shoulders of the Jews :the guilt
of 'the crucifixion, he will augment the'
tolerance of Christendom toward them,
for the charity with which they. ought to
be regarded falls to their lot in considera
tion of their fearful mistakes. The
modern materialist will hardly merit this
charity. The peculiarity of the Jewish
popular mind appears in this, that it
most manifest itself either in a Saul or
a Paul. A Rabbi appears much be4er
in the Sanhedrim than as a disciple of
THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 1866.
David Strauss and Bruno Bauer. Men
will entertain far more charity and re
spect for the former than for the latter.
gatai.
BEECHES. Royal Truths. By Henry Ward
Beecher. Boston : Ticknor & Fields.
16m0., pp. 324. For sale by J. B. Lippin
cott & Co., Philadelphia.
This volume was compiled in Eng
land from Mr. Beecher's published ser
mons, and issued by Strahan, without
knowledge of the author, who first heard
of it from a clergyman in Wales. Ar
riving afterward, half incredulous, in
London, he hunted up the book, and
found it even as'he had been told. Six
editions had already been published in
1862. None need wonder at this. Mr.
Beecher's best thoughts are of the sort
that will bear detached presentation.
And all the public knows and keenly
relishes their beauty, their clearness,
their naturalness, their truth. The
genius of Henry' Ward Beecher, not as
a deep reasoner, or as an orator of
grand, impassioned eloquence, but as a
gifted seer of the relations Of abstract
and religious truth to the common facts
of external life and nature, and as copi
ously endowed with powers of expres
sion, is indisputable. We regard every
one of his books, chiefly such as the pre
sent, as additions to the readable and
wholesome literature of the time. There
is a complete index to the thoughts, and
an excellent portrait.
BRoww. Spare Hours. By John Brown,
M.D. Second Series. Boston: Ticknor
& Fields. 16m0., pp. 426. For sale by J.
B. Lippincott & Co., Philadelphia.
This is a volume of most miscellane
ous character, comprising pieces upon
literary characters, such as John Leech,
a famous comic illustrator in Punch,
and Thackeray, upon striking points of
natural scenery, upon dogs, books,
dreams, and health. It has taken a
wide sweep to gather up the materials
for the volume,*and they are very un
equal. . Yet much of them is genuine
precious metal. The lively gossiping
style, not concealing a strong, warm
and, tender heart, the prevailing sound
sense and good judgment, and the real
practical value of what is said about
'HEALTH, must win readers, especially
among those who have already made
acquaintance of the author of Raab and
His Friends. The versatility of the wri
ter's gifts and his unfailing freshness
and good humor are indeed something
remarkable, and make it a pleasure and
a recreation to read almost anything he
has written. The book is dedicated to
the memory of Abraham Lincoln.
FIELD. History of the Atlantic Telegraph.
By Henry M. Field, D.D. New York:
Charles Scribner & Co. 12m0., pp. 364.
For sale by Smith, English & Co., Phila
delphia.
The story now may be told, for the
great work is done. The details of
early experiments and early failures, for
which the public generally would other
wise have cared little, now take the
form of advancing steps in a great and
successful struggle for one of the very
highest ends of practical Science in this
wonderful age. Dr. Field has told the
story of his brother's long toils and
final achievement in a very unpretend
ing way, perliaps with more plainness
than those who know the capacities of his
pen would have expected. Often, perhaps
too often, it is in / the mere form of a very
good newspaper report, fresh, stirring,
but without the completeness and satis
factoriness 'which a literary monument
of such a work should be. Still, it is a
faithful record, over parts of which the
reader must pause with breathless in
terest, and the public is deeply indebted
to the author . for giving us facts, which
his relations to the hero of the enter
prise commend as in the highest degree
trustworthy and important. The book
should not have been without a portrait
of the manager.
MOENS. English Travelers and Italian Bri
gands: A Narrative of Capture and Cap
tivity. By W. J. C. Moans. With a Map
and Several Illustrations. New York :
Harper & Bros. 12m0., pp. 355. For
sale by J. B. Lippincott & Co., Philada,
A book of great and novel interest.
He who has been in the snare of the
fowler, whose hand has been in the
lion's mouth and who has escaped, has
some peculiar experiences to relate,
which all are eager to hear in propor
tion to their unwillingness to share them.
The writer of this volume is one of two
Englishmen, whose capture and deten
tion among the Italian brigands last
summer, as all remember, attracted much
attention in the old world and the new.
He here gives us a very minute and inter
esting account of his life during the
three or four months of his captivity,
together with the journal of his wife for
the same period, describing the efforts
made for his release. The public has,
perhaps, never before , had such a com
plete inside view of the wild phase of
Italian life. It is to be hoped that the
new Government will show itself more
able and disposed to cope with the great
evil of brigandage than has hitherto
been the case, the contrast with the
policy of the Bourbon government being
much in favor of the latter.
HARRINGTON. Inside: A Chronicle of Se
cession. By Gerge F. Harrington.. With
Illustrations by Thomas Nast. New York:
Harper & Bros., Bvo.,pp. 223. For sale
by J. B. Lippincott &Co., Philada.
This is a republication; from Harpers'
Weekly, of a powerful work of fiction,
presenting, as the title indicates, the fea
tures of the secession movement from a
domestic and interior point of view. It
is most skilfully done. Nowhere can
there he found a completer view of the
effect of the secession movement upon
the various types of character, male and
female, legal, ministerial and commer
cial, Union and rebel, such as might be
found in almost any Southern village.
The manner in which rebel hopes are
kept alive by maufactured or " doctored"
news is capitally exhibited. We need
scarcely add, that the tone of the book
is wholly Union, the secession move
ment being shown up. in its worst light,
not so much by argument, as by the re
velation of its effects upon individuals.
The atthor informs us that it was
entirely written within the pale of the
secession, and that it had often to be
scrupulously concealed for its own and
the writer's safety. Many spirited, and
some rather stupid, illustrations enhance
its interest.
STUDIES IN THE BOOK OF PSALMS.—
Messrs. J. B. Lippincott & Co. have
issued specimen sheets of a work with
this title, by Dr. W. S. Flamer. It will
be very extensive, comprising 1200 Bvo.
pages, and will include a practical as
well as eritical commentary. There are
nineteen ' Doctrinal and Practical Re
marks" on the First Psalm, covering
nearly five immense pages, in which the
well-known ability and versatility- of the
author appears. The externals are really
luxurious.
TALES OF THE LIVING AGE.—Kate
Coventry : An Autobiography. From
Fraser's Magazine. First issued in Ameri
ca in Littell's Living Age. Boston : Lit
tell, Son & Co. Price, 38 cents.
MAGAZINES AND PAMPHLETS
THE WESTMINSTER REVIEW, July, 1866.
American Edition. Re-publication of the
London, Edinburgh, North British, and
Westminster Quarterly Reviews—Con
tents : Tenant-right in Ireland; Brigand
age; Ecce Homo; The Origin of Language;
The Legendary Lore of Ireland; Italy, Ve
nice, and Austria; Chaucer—his Position,
Life, and Influence; Felix Holt, the Radi
cal; Contemporary Literature. New York :
The Leonard Scott Publishing Company.
For sale by W. B. Zieber, Philadelphia.
BLACKWOOD'S EDINBURGH MAGAZINE,
July, 1866. American Edition.—Con
tents : Nina Balatka : The Story of a
Maiden of Prague, Part I.; The Princi
ples and Issues of the American Struggle;
Sir Brook Fossbrooke, Part XIV.; West
minster School, Part I.; The Panic in the
City; Felix Holt, the Radical; Cornelius
O'Dowd upon Men and Women, and Other
Things
.in General, Part XXIV.; What
shall we do for Coal; The Collapse. New
York : The Leonard Scott Publishing
Company. For sale by W. B. Zieber,
Philadelphia.
LITTELL'S LIVING AGE, No. 1159, Aug.
18, 1866.—Littell, Son & Co., Boston.
Weekly; 64 pp., Bvo. Price, $B.
CERTIFICATE OF SABBA T H•S CH 0O L
MEMBERSHIP.-A very large and hand
some lithographed Certificate, suitable for
framing, has been published by J. C. G-a-r
-rigues & Co., of this city.
TEMPERANCE AND THE WINE QUES
TIoN.---A sermon published in the Presby
terian Church, Fredonia, N. Y. By Rev.
Edwin S. Wright, D.D., pastor.
MINUTES OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH [O. S.]
in the United States of America. With
an Appendix. A.D., 1866. Vol. XVIII.
Philadelphia. Presbyterian Board of Pub
lication. Price, 75 cents.
THE WESTERN PULPIT; a Monthly
Theological Miscellany. Edited by Drs.
Haven, Bannister, R. W. Patterson, Ev
erts, Elliott and Bishop. Rev. R. F.
Shinn, Publisher, Chicago. Monthly;
pp. 32, small Bvo. Price, $1.25 per
annum.
LITERAMT INTELLIGENCE.
THE FRENCH EMPRESS I tas presented
to the Imperial Library of Paris a large
Bible, in two vols., of the Thirteenth Cen
tury, recently brought from Arabia. It is
written on vellum, contains many valuable
marginal notes, is illustrated in a very cu
rious and exquisite manner, and is, alto
gether, a splendid-specimen of old works of
this kind.
THE SEVENTH VOLUME of M. Gui
zot's " Memoirs" will not be published
until next year. It carries the narrative of
the historian's political career up to the 20th
of February, 1848, the eve of the Revo
lution. M. Guizot's correspondence will
be published after his decease. His let
ters are believed to be of the greatest inte
rest, among them being no fewer than
1200 letters from Louis Philippe upon
every event of importance which took
place between 1840 and 1848.
THE JULY NUMBER of The Dublin Re
view has an excellent article on " The Ne
gro in Africa and the' West Indies," in
which the writer shows that emancipation
in the West Indies has proved an immense
benefit to the colonies, and that thc real
cause of the distress which the Islanders
experienced after the passing of that mea
sure was not the abolition of slavery, but
free trade.
A SHORT , METHOD WITH AN INFIDEL.
The Christian Index, gives an incident
which illustrates the .value of Chtian
consistency in particular, on all occMons.
The writer of the anecdote was one f sev
eral gentlemen—among them a law r and
an editor of some note—who wer quar
tered for a night in the same roo at a
country tavern. Before retiring o rest,
the editor introduced a dispute on he sub
ject of religion, by avowing his isbelief
in and contempt for its doctrines. He in
dulged in a lengthened display o I his bit
]
terness and folly, with but an ccasional
reply from the lawyer, until " e latter
commenced preparations for r ,by with
drawing to his bedside and kneeling in
prayer. An instant hush All on the
scene,. An audible rebuke rom heaven
could scarcely, it seemed' ha e interrupted
the current of blasphemy th more Bur
-1
prise_ .and awe. Little ' was; said further;
but the retiring of l ompany of trav
elers was a seasoi :chless solemnity
long to be reme; by every one of
them.
isattantouo.
WHAT MINISTERS SHOULD SEEK FOR.
We will suppose, now, that a pastor is
permanently and usefully settled over an
affectionate people, and that his life and
health are continued to the common age o f
man. What are to be the results of his
labors? Are these results worth livin g
for? And in prospect of them, may a n
intelligent, pions, conscientious young
man be justified in choosing the .ministry
as his profession and • devoting his life to
its sacred duties ? These are very serious
questions—well worth the consideration of
every pastor, and of all who are anticipat•
ing the pastoral work.
In the circumstances supposed, a pastor
may not'expect riches, at least as the frui t
of his ministerial labors; but he may ex
pect for himself and family the comfort s
and conveniences of life. Ministers are
sometimes charged . with preaching for
money, and with fattening, growing rich
upon the earnings of their people. B u t
this charge, I need hardly say, is as un.
fotinded and foolish as it is malicious. I
have been extensively acquainted with pas_
tors and ministers for a long course of
years, and I never yet saw -a minister, or
heard of one, who became rich on his salary.
I have known a few rich ministers; but,
their riches have been acquired, uniformly,
in some other way. It isis. on this. ground
that I feel authorized to say, confidently,
the settled pastor has no right to expect
riches, at least aslhe result of his ministe
rial labors.
But though he may not expect wealth—
unless he inherit it, or
.acquire it in some
way aside from his ministry—he may ex
pect, he has a right. to expect, his share of
the comforts and conveniences of life. If
he faithfully and devotedly preaches the
Goipel, he may reasonably expect that he
shall live of the Gospel. If he ministers
to his people in spiritual things, he has a
right to partake of their carnal things. If
he devotes himself to his appropriate work,
they will not let him suffer. Much less
will his Divine Master permit him to suf
fer. Accordingly, . (although, as I have
said, evangelical ministers have little
wealth,) there is probably less suffering
among them from palpable poverty than
in the same number of any other class or
profession. What the Psalmist said in his
day, may, in general, be said of good minis
ters now : " I have been young, and now am
old; yet have I not seen the righteous for-
saken, nor his seed begging bread."
Again : faithful pastors have no reason
to expect much worldly honor ; but they
may. expect honors and influence of a
vastly higher and more desirable character.
Wordly honors they are not to expect, be
cause, in the first place, they are not world
ly men. They are not in the path of promo
tion ; not in the way to secure honors of
this nature. Or, if they were, and were
devotedly pious and faithful as Christians,
it is not at all likely that the worlti would
honor them. If a holy angel was to be
come incarnate, and appear as a man among
men on the earth, he would not be likely
to be promoted
He
seats of worldly honer
and power. He would not seek such pro
motion, nor would he be enough a favorite
with worldly men to induce them to bestow
it. Said our Saviour to his disciples : "If
ye were of the world, the world would love
its own; but because ye are not of the
world, but I have chosen you out of the
world, therefore the world hateth you?'
But it is of little account to the faithful
minister of Christ that the honors of the
world are not before him. He has higher
honors in prospect—those which come not
from man, but from God only. The honor
of being an accredited servant of the Lord
Jesus Christ; an ambassador of the King
of kings; of acting under a commission
from Him, and of gathering souls into His
kingdom ;—these are honors in his estima
tion vastly beyond any that this world can
bestow. Then if he is faithful, he may
expect a degree of influence—Christian
influence—among men, as great as he could,
on the whole, desire. His learning, his
wisdom, .his holy character, his consistent
example, his sacred office, bis kindness to
all men, whether friends or enemies, his un
wearied efforts to do good,—these all com
bine to give him an influence—an influence
of the best and most salutary kind;
strong as any good man will ever covet
as strong as can safely be trusted to hi
hand.—Rev. E. Pond, D.D.
MAMMON-WORSHIP,
Do you remember that old Scythian cw
torn, when the head of a house died—hoe
he was dressed in his fittest dress, and set It
his chariot, and carried about to his filen&
houses, and each of them placed him at
table's head, and feasted in his presence!
Suppose it were offered to you in plait
words, as it is offered to you in dire facts
that you should gain this Scythian hoot
gradually, while you yet thought yourse
alive. Suppose the offer were this: Yot
shall die slowly; your blood shall dail!
grow cold, your flesh petrify, your heat
beat at last only as a rusted group of itt!
valves; your life shall fade from you, W I
sink through the earth into the iee
Caine.; but day by day your body shall
dressed more gaily, and set in higho
chariots, and have more orders on its bred
—crowns on its head, if you will. Mel
shall bow low before it, stare and shall
round it, crowd after it up and down thl
i
streets, build palaces for it, feast with t
their table's head all the night long; .1 . 0 6
soul.shall stay enough within it to kat 4
what they do, and feel the weight of
. tit
golden dress on its shoulders, and the it
row of the crown-edge on the skull- 0
more. Would you take the offer, verbal!!
made by the death-angel ? Would tt;
meanest among you take it, think yob
Yet, practically and verily, we grasp at 1 "
every one of us, in a . measure; many of
grasp at it in its fulness of horror. Ev l .
man accepts it who desires to advance 1:
life without knowing what life is ; 1,
means only that he is to get more hereto;
and more footmen, and more fortune, a,'
more public honors, and—not mor e . perSto:,
soul. He only is advancing life wh y
heart is getting softer, whose bloodwa.r
whose -brain quicker, whose s piri t is
er
tering into living peace.—Buskan.