Earlier text: Romish MissionDavid did. His circumstances were indeed unfavorable. A crown was upon his head. The care of a kingdom pressed him. He might have said, “I have no time.” But he prayed. He prayed much. Prayer formed one of his most influential habits. What proofs and illustrations abound in those wonderful writings—the Psalms. How touching, earnest, often sublime, were his cries unto God! Daniel did. He was indeed a statesman and courtier. He lived in the midst of idolaters. To them his religion was offensive. The king bade him not to pray unto the Lord. If he did, it was at mortal peril. The great men of Babylon conspired to make this very thing the means of his ruin. Still he prayed. He did it, not ostentatiously, but without concealment. His religious principle was stronger than his fear of men. Three times a day he kneeled, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as aforetime. St. Paul did. It was the first pulse and expression of his new life in Christ. “Behold, he prayeth!” said the Spirit. The fact was the surpassing but conclusive proof of his spiritual change. From being Saul the persecutor, it was thus shown he had become Paul the saint. However, after that event, his life was one of prayer, as well as heroic labor; of prayer for himself, for his countrymen, for the Gentile world, for the blood-bought church. Holier, more intense, sublimer aspirations probably never ascended from a soul on this side of Heaven. Our Lord Jesus Christ did. This is a most impressive truth. It ought to be pondered by all who do not pray. The Saviour was perfect. He was divine. He had no sins to be forgiven. There were in him no evil passions to be subdued. He was subject to no temptations that he could not resist. He was assailed by no enemy whom he could not conquer. He had life in himself. He had creative power. He had infinite merit. But he prayed. He prayed earnestly, and with his disciples. Cold mountains, and the midnight air,
Witnessed the fervor of his prayer. Yes; David, Daniel, St. Paul, our Lord Jesus Christ, all prayed. The prophets and the saints were men of prayer. Even God, made man, prayed for you. Do you pray?—Advocate and Journal. THE organs of the Roman Catholic hierarchy are teaching us how they would act, only give them the power in this country. The Tablet says of the Papists, that “they have as much right to keep them (Protestants) out of their land as to keep out the plague of cholera.” The suggestion that a persecuting Catholic ought not to complain of Protestant persecution is declared to be “completely without reason;” for it is a very different thing when the Catholic Church persecutes and when any of the sects presume to do so. “Protestant persecution means sectarian tyranny—it is the highest impudence of tyranny and conceit. But Catholic ‘persecution’—to use the word popularly—is the ‘legislating for God.’” In apologizing for the murder of a Protestant in Mexico who had been guilty of the heinous crime of reading the Bible to his countrymen, it says: “Lynch law is a barbarous remedy, and is not confined to Mexico, and if it could ever be justifiable, it is when in a country devoted to the Catholic faith, a blaspheming infidel (Protestant) having become interested in the Bible, proceeds to interest his neighbors.”—American Protestant. [Extract from a letter by Dr. J. P. Newman.] “THERE are in China native asylums for orphans and widows, for the aged and for the sick. But these asylums do not antedate Christianity in China. There is evidence that the gospel was preached there in the first century, and Christianity has twice been the religion of the Empire, once under the Nestorians of the Greek Church, from the seventh to the fourteenth century, and again under the Roman Catholics from the fourteenth to the eighteenth century, that is, during these times the reigning royal family accepted the Christian religion. The native charitable institutions are limited to the relief of the most pressing necessities, while our asylums for the deaf and dumb and for the insane are not known in Pagan China. And prisoners are there treated like beasts. In fact, the Chinese take better care of beasts than they do of these. Take their asylum for animals at Yung Si, wherein are all kinds, and in large numbers. The Chinese are in advance of Huxley, for they believe that such animals will be men in the next world.” THINK about yourself; about what you want, what you like, what respect people ought to pay you, what people think of you, and then to you nothing will be pure. You will spoil every thing you touch; you will make sin and misery for yourself out of everything which God sends you; you will be as wretched as you choose on earth or in Heaven either. In Heaven either, I say. For that proud, greedy, selfish, self-seeking spirit would turn Heaven into hell. It did turn Heaven into hell for the great devil himself. It was by pride, by seeking his own glory (so, at least, wise men say) that he fell from Heaven to hell. He was not content to give up his own will and do God's will, like the other angels. He was not content to serve God and rejoice in God's glory. He would be a master himself, and set up for himself, and rejoice in his own glory; and so, when he wanted to make a private heaven of his own, he found that he had made a hell. When he wanted a little god for himself, he lost the life of the true God, to lose which is eternal death. And why? Because his heart was not pure, clean, honest, simple, unselfish. Therefore he saw God no more, and learned to hate Him whose name is Love.—Kingsley's Sermons. Sine, “without,” and cera, “wax” from these two Latin words is sincerity derived. It means pure honey after it is extracted from the substance which surrounds it. I gather this from De Sales, a pious French writer, who has given us such treasures of thought in his works. I had never analyzed this word. It has a new and more beautiful meaning to me from this time. If one says of a person, “He or she is sincere,” I feel that the individual is to be trusted; that the character is free from all duplicity, is frank, earnest, pure, artless. How blessed to find such a soul! May we not all attain to this sincerity? Is it not possible by God’s grace? All things are possible with God. It is so happy to feel that God loves us, and that men trust us.—Christian Banner. Missionary Work.
By Stephen Nelson Haskell
WHAT is it to possess a missionary spirit? and what is it to perform missionary labor? These questions are of vital importance to the members of the Tract and Missionary Societies. To hear some talk of missionary work, one might infer that it was all comprehended in going to some far-off land and laboring among the heathen, or in sending a few periodicals to some remote region; while others think if they go from house to house and promiscuously leave tracts, they have done a great work. The devil would be pleased with any idea that would put far from us that daily, self-denying, wearing labor which has an immediate effect upon the salvation of those with whom we daily associate. The natural heart is inclined to evade anything that requires a crucifixion of itself, and reaches out for some high-sounding work. There are thousands of imaginary missionaries; they are found throughout all the country. There are some among Seventh-day Adventists, who are like some would-be ministers that have failed in every other calling, and that have the reputation of being shiftless among those who know them best, and, as a last resort, have a call to preach. I have seen some so burdened with missionary work that they thought they never could be free until their whole time was devoted to traveling as colporteurs, or something of that kind; but their past life was such that those who were best acquainted with them had but little or no confidence in them. They could have no influence for good over those in their immediate neighborhood. The church where they live, if there be any, would wither and die under their influence; and it would be a relief to it were they to leave it. Such men are mistaken in their calling. The mother that can so bind her household to her own heart, and by a living connection with Heaven connect them to the Lamb of God with grace divine, possesses a true missionary spirit. It is this spirit alone which can benefit our fellow-men. That brother whose influence has encouraged his brethren, helped the desponding, reclaimed the backslider, visited and relieved the distressed and afflicted, can be safely encouraged to extend his influence in other communities and fields. “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much.” The same spirit that actuated him at home at his own fireside, in his church, will actuate him abroad. Christ exemplified the true missionary spirit. It was not a step to exaltation that brought him to this earth, but humility. “He humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross,” and “made himself of no reputation.” The great apostle to the Gentiles, in speaking of himself and his former position and advantages, says, “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ, yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” He further states, “I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” Paul did not feel that others were under obligation to him, but that he was “debtor to the Greek, and to the Barbarian; both to the wise, and to the unwise.” His personal interest was lost in laboring for the salvation of those for whom Christ died. The true missionary spirit does not seek for display, but to quietly labor for others. It will covet wearing labor, if by it others can be benefited. It burns upon the altar of the human heart, and those who are the nearest related will feel most of its sacred flame. The tract work should be carried out with this missionary spirit. Without this it becomes a form. It will show itself in a thousand ways, reaching out beyond its own limits, while the work in its own immediate vicinity is sadly neglected. Our tract workers should commence at home, and the influence should extend out as the ripple around a stone thrown into the smooth surface of water. If our home influence is not productive of good, it is safe to conclude that something is wrong in us. A large field is open before us. Our cities should be canvassed, and reading matter judiciously distributed. Seaport cities present additional advantages. No vessel should leave our ports without a supply of our reading matter. It is surprising to see the eagerness with which seamen often take our publications. Individuals following the seas have been known to embrace the Sabbath. A short time since, two sea captains arrived in Providence observing the seventh day. Some one had furnished them with publications. Probably there is no Conference of its size, which presents greater advantages in this respect than New England. Such cities as Boston and Providence could thus use thousands of old Reviews, Reformers, and SIGNS of THE TIMES. This work in many instances is sadly neglected. There are homes and libraries for seamen that would gratefully accept our reading matter. In such places, if a proper interest was taken in the missionary work, there would be a market for all of our old denominational papers. The Review Office has cart loads of such papers, which it is furnishing to new fields like Virginia; and with which it is ready to help in the missionary work wherever needed. When out at sea, hundreds and perhaps thousands of miles from home, sailors are not very particular if the paper is not the latest issue. Many a wayward son has been reclaimed by reading under such circumstances. I love the missionary cause, and am thankful that our influence is as extensively felt as it is by efforts with our reading matter. But we must possess a home missionary spirit if we would have the prospering hand of God with us. We should study the different avenues for the truth within our individual influence. Public effort without personal, practical experience, will always be defective, and in the end will cause more harm than good. “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” S. N. HASKELL. Papers for Ships.
By John Norton Loughborough
What Bro. Haskell says in his article concerning placing reading matter on ships visiting our ports, is worthy of careful perusal, and demands of us immediate action. There is no one port in the United States where there are better facilities offered for placing reading matter on ships than in San Francisco. Sometimes there are as many as fifty ships at once lying at anchor in the bay, waiting for cargoes, besides the regular lines. These ships go to all parts of the world, and we should place on them seeds of truth to be borne to every land. The San Francisco church has done something in this direction already. You will observe in the report of T. and M. labor for last year, published in the SIGNS of Oct. 12, that 62 ships were visited. This ship visiting was all done by the San Francisco church. And when we read to them Bro. Haskell's article which mentions two sea captains who lately sailed into Providence, R. I., Sabbath-keepers, being converted to this truth by reading matter which some one had given them, it caused tears of joy to be shed by the San Francisco brethren, and they made new resolves to do more missionary labor on ships. Some may ask why the brethren in San Francisco have not made greater efforts in this direction if they have had such excellent opportunities. They did not think it much use to visit ships, unless they had reading matter to put on them. San Francisco with 200,000 inhabitants of every nationality, is a grand field for missionary work, even on land, to say nothing of the ships sailing to and from its harbor. The church in San Francisco has done as large an amount of T. and M. work in proportion to its means as any church in the State, and it is waking up to make still greater efforts. To carry on the missionary work by land is about all its members can afford means to do with their other calls. They will gladly do the work of placing on ships all the reading matter on present truth that may be furnished to them for this purpose. The subject has already been considered by the Oakland church, and $35.00 has been raised here to assist them in the ship branch of their missionary work. Although Oakland itself is situated on the bay, the harbor is really on the San Francisco side, which gives that church easy access to the ships. We, here in Oakland, are deeply interested in this matter. I, as an individual, feel the importance of this matter $5.00 for this quarter and wish to do as much more each quarter of this fiscal year. We wish to know who else in our State feels an interest in this work. Those who do can send in their donations all the way from $1.00 to $25.00, as they are able to do, and are willing to accept their reward in the joy of meeting sailors saved in God's everlasting kingdom by their instrumentality. Some brethren living in the country have said to me, “You have the people to work upon down there at Oakland and San Francisco.” Yes; we have multitudes of people here, but the work is one, and some of our people in other parts of the State, we doubt not, will be willing to lift in this matter. Let any who wish an interest in the San Francisco ship work send their donations immediately to Eld. J. N. Loughborough, Oakland, Cal., and we will see that reading matter is placed on out-sailing ships, to the credit of the district from which said money comes. Reading what Bro. Haskell says of sailors out at sea not being very particular whether the paper they read is a late issue or not, called to mind a paragraph in the sea-faring life of our beloved Bro. Captain Bates, which I will here quote:— “To further encourage the crew to read, and inform their minds, we proposed to issue a paper twice a week, namely, Tuesday and Friday mornings, during the voyage. Before sailing, I had prepared a stock of books, with the latest newspapers, also the last volume of an interesting religious weekly paper published in Boston, called ‘Zion’s Herald.’ We began our issue with the first number of the volume, requiring the return of the last number before issuing the next: this we placed under the volume, to be received again at the end of six months. “The novel idea of a semi-weekly paper at sea, interested the crew very much, and when the first number came forth again, and they began to read the volume, I heard nothing said with regard to their ever having seen it before. Their interest in the paper continued throughout the entire voyage. During their forenoon watch below, I used frequently to walk forward, unobserved, and listen to hear some one of them reading aloud from their morning paper, and to hear their remarks thereon.” It occurs to me that in this ship work there is a fine opening to make a useful disposition of the back numbers of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES, by placing them on ships for the use of sailors. J. N. L. Our Health Almanac.
By James White
OUR FAMILY Health Almanac for 1877 is being rushed through the press as fast as possible. Application is made to print a very large edition for California; but our presses cannot do the work. It will, however, be printed at the Office of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES at Oakland, Cal. All orders for our Almanac to be circulated in the Pacific Coast States and Territories should be forwarded to SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, California. Price, postage paid, 10 cents. Our Almanac has been prepared by the able, careful, and critical hand of Dr. Kellogg, and is well printed on fine stock. It is an honor to our Health Institute as a production from the Physician-in-chief, and speaks well for our publishing house as a specimen of the printing art. This work should be widely circulated as it is an almanac free from the corrupting influence of comic pictures and vulgar stories, and also free from deceptive advertisements of poisonous medicines which curse the world. Our almanac is the very best publication we can first circulate to open the minds of the people to the great health question, as it contains a select amount of health reading unexceptionable to the common reader. The Tract and Missionary Societies can circulate more than 150,000 copies of our Almanacs east of the Rocky Mountains without embarrassing their treasuries. Eld. B. L. Whitney, President of the Tract Society in the State of New York, has sent his order, and if other States order amounts corresponding in membership to the Empire State, more than 150,000 of our Almanacs will be taken by the T. and M. workers. The sums corresponding to membership are as follows:— New York, 10,000; Michigan, 50,000; Iowa, 19,000; Wisconsin, 18,000; Minnesota, 12,000; Ohio, 7,000; New England, 6,000; Kansas, 6,000; Illinois, 6,000; Indiana, 5,000; Vermont, 5,000; Missouri, 5,000; Maine, 4,000; Virginia, 1,000; Texas, 1,000; Total, 155,000. Some of these will overrun the number stated, while some may fall short. In addition to these amounts, individuals are taking lots in which pages of advertisements are inserted of their local business, such as merchants, mechanics, &c., &c. J. W. ONLY a drop in a bucket,
But every drop will tell:
The bucket would soon be empty,
Without the drops in the well. Only a poor little penny,
It was all I had to give;
But as pennies make the dollars
It may help some cause to live. A few little bits of ribbon,
And some toys; they were not new,
But they made the sick child happy,
Which has made me happy, too. Only some outgrown garments;
They were all I had to spare;
But they'll help to clothe the needy,
And the poor are everywhere. A word now and then, of comfort,
That cost me nothing to say;
But the poor old man died happy;
And it helped him on the way. God loveth the cheerful giver,
Though the gift be poor and small;
What doth he think of his children
When they never give at all. “Terpsichorean” and “Dramatic.”
A DRAMATIC and musical entertainment, for the benefit of St. Paul's Episcopal Church (Western Addition), will be given at Central Hall to-morrow evening. Mrs. C. H. Blinn (Nellie Holbrook) and several others have volunteered. The ladies of the St. John's Episcopal Church will give a musical and terpsichorean festival in College Hall (Oakland), to-morrow evening.—Bulletin, Nov. 1st. Thus the kingdom of Christ is to be established in the world! The Greeks and Romans, with their heathen civilization, suppressed the drama by legal enactments, believing that it corrupted the morals of society. But, then, they may have had puritanical ideas. Paul, the patron saint of the Church in the “Western Addition,” would, doubtless, have been more liberal in his opinions—especially if he had enjoyed the refining influences of our civilization. How saintly he would have appeared in the “dress circle” with an opera glass at his eye during the play! And all for the promotion of the Church which Jesus bought with his precious blood! Dancing parties, too, are pressed into service to hasten the conquest of the nations to the cross! John, the beloved disciple on whose breast Jesus leaned at the Supper, is the patron Saint of that body of meek and lowly followers of the Master, who give terpsichorean festivals as “an object to an end!” How inspiring the thought that he, who died a martyr on Patmos, now in the realms of light and glory, looks down lovingly on the brothers and sisters in College Hall, panting and heated, waltzing the cash out of the pockets of pleasure seeking sinners! It is certainly shrewd “to become all things to all men,” to get some money. The above is from the California Christian Advocate. It is a good beginning. Now if the Advocate will go on and expose and denounce the festivals and questionable methods of getting money, which find so great favor even in the Methodist Church, it will do good service to the cause of Christian morals. The Law of Veracity is Violated:
1. When we state as true what we do not know to be true. 2. When we intentionally produce a false impression. 3. When we find that we have, though undesignedly, conveyed a false impression, and do not hasten to correct it. 4. When we state a matter in the least degree different from the shape it has in our own minds. 5. When in the statement of what may be true in fact, we purposely omit any circumstances which are necessary to a correct apprehension of the truth. 6. When we exaggerate or extenuate any of these circumstances. 7. When we purposely arrange the facts of a true representation in such a manner as to deceive. 8. When, with intention to deceive, we accompany a statement with a look of the eye, a tone of the voice, a motion of the head, or anything which may influence the mind and conduce to a false impression. 9. When we answer a question evasively, so as to deceive, under the secret pretence that the inquirer has no right to know the truth. 10. When by word or act we create an expectation which we do not intend to fulfill. 11. When we create an expectation which, though we intend to fulfill it, we afterwards fail to fulfill, without due care to explain the cause of the failure. 12. When we do not fulfill a promise in every respect precisely as we supposed the promisee understood it. 13. When we fulfill a contract or a promise in every particular, except as to time, and make no effort, show no disposition, to give early notice that the delay was unavoidable.—Watchman and Reflector. A Paragraph for Each Day.
1—If thou wouldst find much favor and peace with God and man, be very low in thine own eyes. Forgive thyself little, and others much.—Leighton. 2—In all thy actions think God sees thee; and in all His actions labor to see Him.—Quarles. 3—It is only imperfection that complains of what is imperfect. The more perfect we are, the more gentle and quiet we become towards the defects of others.—Fenelon. 4—Meditation is the soul's perspective glass, whereby, in her long removes, she discerneth God, as if he were near at hand.—Feltham. 5—The do-nothingness of Christians is the bane of the church. Live with respect to business and society as you do the church, and there will soon be neither shop nor store, nor will there be a fireside to invite you to its comforts. 6—There is a third silent party to all our bargains. The nature and soul of things takes on itself guaranty of the fulfillment of every contract, so that honest service cannot come to loss. If you serve an ungrateful master, serve him the more. Put God in your debt. Every stroke shall be repaid. The longer the payment is withholden, the better for you, for compound interest on compound interest is the rate and usage of this exchequer. 7—There is no kind of vocation, no degree either spiritual or temporal, no estate and condition of life, which can lack this excellent virtue—Christian patience. For, as it is some time day, some time night, other whiles cold and frosty winter, other whiles pleasant and lusty summer, and other whiles springtide, so the life of man and woman is mingled of sweet and sour things. It hath commodities and pleasures, and it hath griefs and displeasures. There be things which delight and refresh us, and there be as many things which molest, sting, and vex us. For who is there living, either temporal or spiritual, who can truly report that he hath had continual health and prosperity, without any storm of adversity? Wherefore patience is necessary unto all sorts of men.—Sel. RELIGIOUS NEWS AND NOTES.
—The old South Church is saved at last, at an expense of about a dollar a brick. Now it remains to be seen whether Boston is a half million dollars better than before! —After January, 1877, the Bishops of the M. E. Church will have to depend for their support upon the societies under their charge, instead of upon the General Conference as heretofore. —From Boston we hear that the work of putting up the Moody and Sankey building, which seemed to linger, is to be pushed along in earnest by the committee in charge. The meetings commence about the first of January. —The missionary work among the Jews, of all missions undertaken by the Protestant Church, seems to be the most unsatisfactory, inasmuch that some of the churches have ceased from all special efforts directed to the Jews as a class. —The Baptist Theological Seminary of Chicago is to be removed to Morgan Park, a suburb of the city, about thirteen miles southward. By the removal, the seminary will have far more room, and escape from some of its embarrassments by the sale of its city property. —There is a marked contrast between the condition of China and Japan as reflected in the current news. While the Japanese are making progress in railroad building and naval armaments, the Chinese are disturbed by domestic strife. Japan is undoubtedly many strides in advance of the Flowery Land. —Rev. J. W. Henry, who went out to the Society Islands to preach the gospel, was threatened with imprisonment or worse if he attempted to preach, and was obliged to return. The islands being under the control of France, the French priests have power there. —What a woman can do in the way of missionary work is shown in the growth of Christianity at Cesarea, where the work for the past twenty-two years has been largely under the care of Mrs. Farnsworth of the American Board’s Mission. In the time mentioned, a little band of Christians numbering thirty has increased to a community of 25,000. —The government of the Canadian Dominion has issued orders interdicting the running of trains on Sunday. Both passenger and freight trains are stopped. Special trains, under unusual emergencies, may run, but not without direct permission of the government. Through trains from Quebec, reaching Halifax and St. John early on Sunday morning, are allowed.—Cal. Chr. Advocate. —The billiard tables recently introduced into the gymnasium of Princeton College have been removed by the trustees notwithstanding the opposition of the President, Dr. McCosh. Strange to say, it was discovered that the entire effect of these billiard tables in the College was different from what had been expected. Two new billiard halls had been opened in Princeton since license had been given to the students to engage in this game, and the students were beginning to visit the neighboring towns for this purpose. —The number of Protestants in France is estimated by Rev. Edward Hitchcock, pastor of the American Chapel in Paris, at 800,000. Last year Bible societies, Sunday-school societies, and missionary societies spent $400,000 in France. A few centuries ago Protestantism largely prevailed in France; but the papists holding the reins of the government, martyred many of the saints, and drove many others to foreign countries, thus paving the way for infidelity and the “reign of terror,” which were connected with the French Revolution. —At the recent Synod of Philadelphia a very lively discussion came up on the question of sustaining the Lackawanna Presbytery in disapproving of immersion as a form of baptism. Rev. J. H. Clark had been the offending pastor in the case, and he appealed to Synod to reverse Presbytery’s action. Synod, however, was sustained by a majority of one, so that it stands on record that immersion is “contrary to the usages and principles of the Presbyterian Church, as calculated to mar the harmony of the individual church, and to lead to the neglect of an ordinance dear to the church.” —Portugal is more liberal than Spain in her treatment of Protestants, though the Catholic religion is the prevailing one. It seems that in the Lisbon cemetery some one had railed in the “heretics” corner, which was not warranted by law. The Journal de Commercio took up the matter, and the municipal council was compelled to order the removal of the railing. This was a bitter pill for the Catholics. Their spite found vent in a pastoral letter from the Patriarch, in which he declared that the admission of heretics into consecrated ground had profaned it, and hereafter every grave dug for a Catholic must receive a separate consecration. —A very interesting communion service was held at the Chinese Church, corner of Sacramento and Stockton streets, San Francisco, Sunday evening, Oct. 22. Five young men, Chinese, received the ordinance of baptism. Several of the teachers remained to witness the ceremony; with this exception, every seat was filled with Chinese, a good number of whom partook of the communion, and also a few Chinese women. Dr. Loomis officiated. . . . . . . Sunday, Oct. 15th, a Presbyterian Church of fourteen members was organized at Pleasanton. On a recent Sunday a Presbyterian Church was organized in Arizona. Thirteen members formed the organization.—Occident. —The Week of Prayer, for many years generally observed in all parts of the world, at the suggestion of the British Evangelical Alliance, begins Sunday, Jan. 7. Subjects:
Sunday, Sermons—Christian fellowship.
Monday—Thanksgiving and confession.
Tuesday—Prayer: For the Holy Spirit on the Universal Church, Joel 2 : 28—for its deliverance from error and corruption, and its increase of faith, activity, holiness, and Christian charity.
Wednesday—Prayer for families—for the converted: for sons and daughters at school and college, and for those abroad; for any in sickness, trouble, or temptation; and for those who have been recently “added to the church.”
Thursday—Prayer for nations—for rulers, magistrates and statesmen; for philanthropic and benevolent institutions, for a pure literature, the spread of sound education among the people, and the maintenance of peace.
Friday—Prayer for Christian missions to the Jews and Gentiles; for Sunday-schools; and for the conversion of the world to Christ.
Saturday—Prayer for the observance of the Christian Sabbath; for the promotion of temperance; and for the safety of mariners.
Sunday—Sermons: One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, and Father of all.—Christian Union. A FEW years ago a gentleman in indigent circumstances died leaving two children, a son and a daughter. His brother, a bachelor, who is a wealthy merchant, owning a store on Broadway, where he has carried on a successful business for nearly thirty years, adopted these children and supported and educated them with parental care. The son is now in business, supporting himself. The daughter grew up a beautiful girl. She was well educated, accomplished and attractive, and had the advantage of traveling and whatever else wealth could bestow. About three years ago the young lady had a severe illness. When she was convalescent her physician ordered brandy given her regularly to assist in her recovery. About a year ago I was in the uncle’s store late in the afternoon, when this young lady came in so drunk that she could with difficulty walk. It was a shocking sight, and her uncle told me that from taking the brandy ordered by her physician the habit of using it had been fixed upon her, and he was at a loss to know what to do. Some two weeks after, I was in his store again in the morning. He appeared very much distressed, and I asked him what ailed him. He said his niece had been gone all night, and he did not know what had become of her. Presently a policeman came in and asked him if he had a niece, giving her name. He answered “Yes,” and with earnestness inquired if he knew where she was. The officer told him she was in a cell in the Tombs; that she had been found the night before in the streets so drunk that she could not give any account of herself, but in the morning had given her name and told with whom she lived. Her uncle, with much emotion exclaimed, “This is worse than death!” He accompanied the officer to the Tombs and took the young lady home. After consulting with me as to what was best to be done, it was concluded to send her to an inebriate asylum, to which she assented, expressing a strong desire to be cured of this terrible disease. She was accordingly sent to a neighboring asylum, where she remained several months. When she came home her uncle kindly received her and provided her with handsome apparel. A few days after she came into his store late in the afternoon intoxicated. He expostulated with her, when, in a fit of drunken fury, she snatched an elegant and costly bonnet from her head, and tore it in pieces, throwing the fragments at him, saying that she could do whatever she had a mind to. The next day she went away, and her friends do not know what has become of her. She may be in a drunkard’s grave, or—we will not pursue the subject. Another elegant woman is lost! This may be called an extreme case, but it is strictly and literally true. It is but one of many similar cases in this city, both among males and females. There is a fearful responsibility resting upon the medical profession, who, following the dogmas of an ignorant age, indiscriminately order the use of alcoholic stimulants.—N. Y. Daily Witness.