Earlier text: PREPARE YE THE WAYQUESTIONS FOR ILLINOIS.
By R. F. Andrews; G. W. Collord
As the time draws near, we become more and more anxious in regard to our Conference and Camp-meeting. Brethren and sisters, one and all, scattered over the Conference field, allow us to place before you the following 1. What on earth is so valuable as the favor of God? 2. How is this favor to be obtained, or retained, except through the “means of grace”? 3. Do not Mal. 3:16, and Heb. 10:25, prove it to be the duty of the “remnant” church to assemble for public worship; and so be blessed of God? 4. Is it not a sad fact that, among us, as a people, those who neglect this manifest duty sustain an inestimable loss? 5. Is it not the blest testimony of all those who obey this reasonable requirement of the Lord, that the joys and benefits derived from waiting upon the Lord in a public capacity far exceed all the expense of funds, strength and time, thus used? 6. Where do we enjoy privileges that equal those proffered us at our yearly gatherings? 7. If you fail to be at our forthcoming Camp-meeting, what will have been the hindering cause? We repeat: What will keep you from this great soul-feast? When you know that the Master has said, “Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together,” dare you say, The providence of God kept me away? Will some of you not rather confess that it was your worldly spirit that bound you at home? 8. If you come to the meeting you may sway a good influence over our young and inexperienced brethren and sisters residing in this part of the State. If you bring your friends they may be converted. Can you stay at home and be clear on this point? 9. No, friends, no! May we not confidently hope for a manifestation of faithful duties at your hands? 10. Who will be faithful? Rather, who will not render faithfulness to God and his cause? Conference Committee, be faithful. Camp-meeting Committee, be faithful. T. & M. Society officers, be faithful. Elders, deacons, clerks, treasurers, all, be faithful. Bring all the needed documents to the meeting. Shall we soon meet to enjoy a fruitful season in the presence of our Lord? COME PREPARED.
By G. W. Colcord
As it is to be held late in the season, those intending to come to the Waldron, Ill., Camp-meeting, should come fully prepared. Bring plenty of clothes and a good supply of bedding, such as straw-ticks, warm covers, &c. Bring an extra supply for the destitute. However, don’t be afraid to come because the meeting is to be held late in the season. There are a number of quite good buildings on the ground, which will prove a great blessing should it be cold. We shall have some stoves on the ground. We shall offer a supply of good, cheap food to those who come. Come, be comfortable, be thankful, be good; and may we all receive a lasting benefit. G. W. COLCORD. Lord Byron on the Bible's Mysteries
LORD BYRON, whose writings, in the main, are in such conflict with the pure morality and spirituality of the Bible, never penned truer lines than when, speaking of the Bible, he wrote:— “Within this awful volume lies
The mystery of mysteries.
Oh, happiest they of human race
To whom our God has given grace
To hear, to read, to fear, to pray,
To lift the latch and force the way;
But better had they ne’er been born
Who read to doubt, or read to scorn.” NORTH-WESTERN KANSAS.
By Chas. F. Stevens
I SPENT the first two Sabbaths in July with the Pioneer church, in Osborn Co. At this place three were baptized, and five united with the church. On account of some unruly spirits, this church has suffered much in the past, and has passed through many trials; but at the present time there appears to be a better degree of union. At our last meeting, after baptism, we celebrated the ordinances. The good Spirit of the Lord was in our midst, and all present felt that it was good to humble ourselves before God. I commenced meetings at Salem, Jewell Co., the 15th. As this is a farming community, and as it was just in the time of wheat harvest, we held meetings every alternate evening, and two on Sundays. I closed meetings here Sept. 4. We had a good attendance and some opposition. Just as I had closed meeting one evening, after speaking on the subject of spiritualism, a woman came forward to the stand and demanded the privilege of being heard. She claimed that the spirit of the woman of Endor had come all the way from the realms of glory, to speak to the people through her, in vindication of the spirit’s character, which she claimed had been defamed that evening. She began by saying she believed every word of the Bible; just then another woman in the congregation came up, and, looking her in the eye, told her she lied; for she had heard her say that she did not believe the Bible. Speaker No. 1 tried to go on by repeating that she believed the Bible, every word of it; but she was again met by speaker No. 2 with the statement that she had lied, and sundry other statements not very flattering. This was such plain talk that the spirit just from the realms of glory abandoned the attempt to vindicate her character before that audience. Spiritualism has been gaining quite a hold here, but the better part of the community are getting their eyes open, and are determined to show it no countenance. The larger part of those who attended these meetings admit the truthfulness of our positions, and quite a number commenced to keep the Sabbath; but some could not stand the opposition of their former brethren and ministers, who were ready to denounce this message as the work of the devil, but dared not try to prove it so by the Bible. Four or five continue keeping the Sabbath. These, with the few scattered brethren and sisters in this vicinity, will try to keep up Sabbath meetings and Bible-class. Two were baptized. Most of the non-professors admit that we have the truth, and say if they are ever Christians they will have to keep the Sabbath. This class of people took up a collection among themselves, at the close of the meeting, nine of them paying one dollar each. This they handed me with a request that I would return and hold more meetings when convenient. May God help them to be Christians before it is too late. I go from here to Smith Center, the county seat of Smith Co. Meetings will commence Wednesday evening, the 6th inst. If there are any who especially desire help in this part of the State, let them write me at the above-named place, immediately, before I return to my home in Elk Co. THE MAINE CONFERENCE.
By J. B. Goodrich; Timothy Bryant
The S. D. Adventists of Maine held their tenth annual Conference on the camp-ground in Richmond, Aug. 31, 1876. Conference called to order by the President at 9 o’clock A. M.; prayer by Eld. C. A. Washburn. The following churches were represented by delegates: South Norridgewock, Deering, Woodstock, Hartland, Brunswick, Somerset Mills, Bradford, and Oakfield. Voted, That W. R. Clark represent the Cambridge Sabbath-keepers, and that Bro. S. J. Hersum represent the Canaan church. Voted, That the church at Somerset Mills be received into the Conference, and also the churches at Oakfield, Linneus, and Bradford. Voted, That Bro. White, Smith, Washburn, and all other brethren in good standing in their respective churches, be invited to take part in the deliberations of this Conference. Voted, That our Swedish brethren in New Sweden be taken under the watchcare of this Conference. Voted, That the Sabbath-keepers of North Windham be taken under the watchcare of the Conference. The minutes of the last Conference were called for, read, and approved. It was voted that the various committees be appointed by the President, whereupon the following were appointed: Nominating Committee, A. W. Low, J. A. Davis, S. J. Hersum; Auditing Committee, T. S. Emery, J. A. Davis, R. T. Hobbs, C. R. Davis, J. F. Carlton, and A. R. Merriman; Committee on Resolutions, U. Smith, R. S. Webber, and J. E. Baker; Committee on Credentials and Licenses, Geo. W. Barker; Wm. Morton, and Edward Lobdell. Adjourned to call of the chairman. Monday, at 6 o’clock A. M., the second session was opened with prayer by Eld. U. Smith. The Nominating Committee presented the names of the following brethren as officers of the Conference for the coming year: For President, J. B. Goodrich, Hartland; Secretary, Timothy Bryant, North Jay; Treasurer, Samuel F. Grant, Hartland; Executive Committee, J. B. Goodrich, Hartland, Geo. W. Barker, So. Norridgewock, Wm. Morton, Deering. The Committee on Credentials and Licenses recommended that Eld. J. B. Goodrich receive credentials, and that Bro. R. S. Webber be ordained and receive credentials. The ordination service was performed in the forenoon, after a discourse by Eld. James White, who gave the right hand of fellowship and the charge. Bro. Samuel J. Hersum received license. Adjourned to call of chairman. The Conference convened at 2 P. M.; prayer by Eld. R. S. Webber. The chairman was authorized to appoint the Camp-meeting Committee. Report of the Committee on Resolutions was as follows:— Resolved, 1. That we hereby express our gratitude for the favorable circumstances that have attended this, our seventh annual camp-meeting. 2. That we hereby record our renewed devotion to the cause of present truth, and our increasing confidence in its future prosperity and final triumph. 3. That the rapid extension of the work of spreading the truth in this and other countries is a matter of great encouragement to us, and that we hail it with joy as the strongest evidence of the nearness of the advent of our Lord. 4. That we hereby express our thanks to the General Conference for the help rendered us at this meeting, especially for the presence and earnest labors of Bro. and Sr. White. On motion of Bro. W. R. Clark, this resolution was amended by inserting the name of Bro. U. Smith. 5. That we hereby tender to Eld. J. B. Goodrich our thanks for his faithful labors as President of the Conference during the past year; and to him and Bro. R. S. Webber for services during the present meeting. 6. That we consider the progress made by the truth among the Swedes in this State, almost exclusively by the printed page, as an open door inviting further efforts; and we earnestly request the General Conference to furnish help for this field, if possible. 7. That we are grateful to God for the general union that has prevailed in our Conference the past year, and for the tokens of his favor in the advancement of the work. The following is the report of the treasurer of the Maine State Conference of S. D. Adventists, for the year ending Sept. 5, 1876:— Amount in treasury at commencement of year, $12.84
Received during year, $871.35
Total, $884.19 Secretary’s report: No. of churches, 13; No. of church members, 238; No. of Sabbath-keepers not yet united to any church, 140; No. paying s. b., 153; No. of Sabbath-school scholars, 150; amount of s. b. pledged to the Conference, $794.50. A VOICE FROM NEBRASKA.
By Agnes Lucas
I long for the time of our Nebraska Camp-meeting. I expect to see a general rally; for I believe the Adventists of this State are anxious for just such a meeting. I think a great degree of good may be accomplished at this gathering; and the question is, How can we do the most? I believe we can get many of our unconverted friends to go to the meeting with us, and perhaps while there they will become convinced of the present truth. And let us carry our tracts and papers; for no doubt we shall have opportunity to scatter the precious seed of truth in many directions among those who know it not. How truthfully a sister has said, “Our present strength is in our publications.” We can scarcely realize what they are doing. Let us all lift up our voices together, in prayer to God, that he may especially bless the cause in the West. And we know that if we ask any good thing, not doubting, we shall have the petitions we ask. And when we come together, let it be with our hearts full of prayer that the Lord will strengthen us for the duties before us. Let us also pray the Lord to send us more ministerial labor the coming year, that the work may spread through this part of the vineyard. I am anxious that these truths may be sounded throughout the State of Nebraska, and I know I am not alone in this desire. Hooper, Neb., Sept. 10, 1876. THE BIBLE IN ONE HUNDRED LANGUAGES.
By G. W. A.
One of the very many interesting things at the Centennial Exhibition, is the Pavilion of the Pennsylvania Bible Society. In this building is shown the word of God in one hundred languages. Just think! what an interesting exhibit of the Bible that must be! The Society has prepared for the great Exhibition a neat little volume of fifty pages, in which is printed, in one hundred and sixty languages, that precious verse, “FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE.” John 3:16. This little book of itself is a rare polyglott treasure. In this collection it will be seen that in ninety-nine languages the English character is used. Many of these, however, have variously accented letters, and some peculiar characters that we do not employ. In thirteen languages the German type is used. Six employ the famous Arabic. Five languages use the queer Russian character, and five others are in Sanskrit. In four languages the Greek letter is used. Three use the Burman style of type, three others are in Armenian, three are in Ethiopic, and still other three are in Chinese. In the Syriac, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, and Cree styles of characters, there are two versions each. There is one each in the Hebrew, Irish, Georgian, Orissa, Japanese, Coptic, and the Cherokee characters. This makes twenty-five different styles of alphabets that are used in printing this interesting little polyglott. Nine of these read just opposite to the English method, that is, from right to left, as the Hebrew, Arabic, Sanskrit, and others. Two, the Japanese and Chinese, read from the top to the bottom of the page, in single lines. The styles of character used in several of them are singular indeed. The exhibit of the Scriptures at the Centennial shows the blessed results of the joint work of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and of the American Bible Society. The former was first organized in 1804, and at the close of its seventy-first year, in 1875, it had published and put into circulation, seventy-four million copies of the Bible and parts of the Bible, in above two hundred languages and dialects. To do this, it has expended about forty million dollars. The American Bible Society was organized in 1816, and up to the present time, being the sixtieth year of its existence, it has printed over thirty-three million Bibles and Testaments, and Bible portions, at a cost of over seventeen million dollars. These noble societies have translated and printed the Scriptures, and circulated them in nearly every quarter and section of the globe. They have their agents and colporteurs and Bible depots in every part of Europe and America. And besides this, through their instrumentality and Christian efforts, most of the native population of Asia, Africa, and Australasia, and of the islands of the sea, can hear and read in their own barbarous tongues the wonderful works of God. To carry forward the great work, the British and American Bible Societies are constantly employing their printing presses in New York, London, Oxford, and Cambridge, besides others also in Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Cologne, Vienna, Rome, Madrid, Lisbon, Copenhagen, Stockholm, St.103Petersburg, Constantinople, Beyrout, Bombay, Madras, Calcutta, Shanghai, Cape Town, Sydney, and other centers of activity. In the building of the Pennsylvania Bible Society near the Exhibition, may be seen a valuable collection of Bibles, in the various languages and dialects of the world, showing what has been done in the last four centuries, since the invention of printing. One shelf is filled with a series of bi-lingual volumes, showing on the same page the English Scriptures combined with German, French, Italian, Spanish, etc. Three shelves are wholly devoted to the languages of Europe, one to those of Africa, and three to those of Asia. One entire shelf is filled with specimens of the numerous versions printed in the various Chinese dialects. The Scriptures in the multitudinous dialects of the Pacific Isles fill one entire shelf. On another is a series of translations made for the aborigines of America. It may be interesting here to state that in the Book Department in the Centennial Exhibition may be seen the veritable copy of the Bible which was owned and used by Martin Luther, the great reformer! It is a small, common-looking book, lying in a case, and labeled, “Martin Luther’s Bible!” What an interesting relic! During the time that the Bible Societies have been in existence, the Christian scholars of the world have produced not far from two hundred and fifty versions of the Bible, or parts of the Bible. And probably two hundred languages and dialects have thus for the first time been enriched with the literature of God’s holy word. Many of them, indeed, were by this means, for the first time, reduced to writing. It is said that few persons appreciate the great difficulty of translating the Scriptures from Hebrew and Greek into languages which have not previously been pervaded and moulded by Christian thought. It took Dr. Eli Smith and Dr. Van Dyck sixteen years to translate the Bible into Arabic. Dr. Schauffler was fourteen years in making the Osmanlee version. Dr. Schereschewsky was fifteen years in rendering the Old Testament into the Mandarin Colloquial. Dr. Williamson and Dr. Riggs have labored nearly forty years on their Dakota version, and one of them estimates that he has spent on an average full thirty minutes on each verse he has translated. These cases are illustrations of the great amount of labor spent by Christian missionaries on making new versions of the Scriptures. May the blessing of the God of truth rest upon the Bible Societies, and others, who are making his word intelligible to the inhabitants of the “dark corners of the earth.” Swerve not to right nor left
For fear nor frown;
Neither to right nor left,
For hope nor crown;
Not thine to change the road,
Not thine to ease the load,
Chosen of God. Freighted with good and ill
Cometh life's day;
O’er mead and mountain wild
Lieth thy way;
Wounds and brave joy of fight,
Both hath the fray. Stay not for good nor ill;
March in the light;
Swerve not from stone nor steep
Leftward nor right;
Reck not of wound nor joy,
Strike with thy might. Which were the happier
Thou canst not know;
Thick in the tree of thorns
Sweetest flowers blow;
Out of the field of death,
Rich harvests grow. Whither God sendeth thee
Press thou still on;
Turn not to right nor left,
Let the world frown,
Near, though thou see it not,
Waiteth thy crown. NORTH PACIFIC MISSION,
By I. D. Van Horn
WE have just closed our tent-meeting in Salem, and have taken down the tent. The weather is so unfavorable and the nights are so cold that we have decided not to pitch it again this season. Although the tent is down, yet our work is not done in this place. We have rented a meeting-house, and shall continue to hold meetings every Sabbath and first-day, and prayer-meetings in the week. More than thirty have decided to keep the Sabbath, and more than that number are convinced of duty in that direction. We shall try to perfect the work here, and form a church. This will take time, and we have decided to do this before going to another place. Salem, O., Sept. 5, 1876. The meeting at this place closed Aug. 28. The ordinances were celebrated; four were baptized, and one united with the church. Bro. T. H. Wakeman was ordained elder, and Bro. Peter More, deacon. Systematic Benevolence was raised from $160 to $270. Several who do not pledge pay the tenth, which will raise their s. B. still more. The records of this church are kept neat and clean, as all should be, and so that they give an intelligible account of all business done by the church. Love and harmony prevail among all the brethren. This is a small town in Brown Co., on the St. Joe and Denver City railroad, fifty miles west of St. Joe. By request of Bro. Wagor, I spoke at this place, in the Congregationalist church, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, Aug. 29, 30. I think this would be a good place in which to give a course of lectures. This church was organized in 1864, by Eld. Chaffee, but on account of the grasshoppers and drought, all but six have moved away. We did all we could for them. We celebrated the ordinances, and ordained Bro. R. D. Tiron elder of the church. Their s. B. is $52.28. Here, as well as at Palermo, union and love prevail among the members, and if they will only do as the Lord has commanded them by his prophet, Mal. 3:10, he will continue to bless them; for this he has promised in the 10th and 11th verses. He is able and willing. Brethren, do we believe the Lord? Will we take him at his word? He says, Prove me. Who will do it? will you? I have been busy since camp-meeting, preaching on Sabbath and Sunday, and the rest of the time in preparing a little home in Arkansas. I have been frequently called to the bedside of my afflicted mother, who has been a great sufferer for two years, and is now near her end. THE PEOPLE OF GOD ARE ONE.
By H. L. Hastings
THE people of God are one. 1. They are of one fallen race. There is no aristocracy here; all are the children of him who was of the earth, earthy; all are full of sin and prone to evil. 2. They are one in actual transgression; for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. All were rebels; all ruined; all lost. 3. They were one in guilt and condemnation. The wages of sin is death, and the law of God condemned, and the sword of wrath waited to destroy them all. None were free from the guilt, none exempt from the common doom that overhung a guilty race. 4. They are one by a common redemption through the blood of Him who died for them on the cross. One ransom price was paid for them all; for they were not redeemed by corruptible things, as silver and gold, but by the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot. A common ruin involved them, a common redemption delivers them. 5. They are one in the conviction of sin by the power of the Holy Ghost. It convinces the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. Every Christian has felt its power, and has seen himself sinful, guilty, lost, under the preaching of God’s word and the illumination of his Spirit. 6. They are one in conversion to God; in being born again to a new and better life; in being made new creatures in Christ Jesus, from whom old things are passed away, and to whom all things have become new; in hating the things they once loved, in loving the things they once despised. 7. They are one in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Because they are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into their hearts, whereby they cry, “Abba Father.” This Spirit is one Spirit in all the church; and if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his; and in all the children of God it bears the same blessed fruits of love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance, against which there is no law. “I believe in the Holy Ghost,” is the voice of every Christian, and this is not merely the repetition of an ancient creed, but the testimony to a present and universal experience among the people of God. For by one Spirit have they all been baptized into one body, and are all one in Christ Jesus. 8. They are one in labor. People speak of the rivalries and the quarrels of Christians, but often these are simply the result of honest zeal, modified by circumstances around them. Set two men to hoeing on a small plot of ground, and they will interfere with each other. On the New England hills, where stones are so plenty and soil is so scarce, boys will sometimes steal earth from the next row to make their own corn hills respectable in size. But you set each of those boys out in the middle of the western prairie, where he can have all the soil he wants to dig, and there is no quarrel then. So churches sometimes get too close to each other, and there is friction. But their work is one. Let them scatter and find room to labor freely. Let there be twenty hands in a shop, all busy as they can be, and there is peace; but let half of them have nothing to do but to talk politics and trade jackknives, and they will probably quarrel before noon. Set the machinery in motion, and let the work drive them, and all is harmony again. So the work of the church is one work. In preaching the gospel, in feeding the hungry, in clothing the naked, in enlightening the ignorant, and lifting up the lowly, Christians labor unitedly. Infidelity never built a hospital or an asylum. Christianity has founded them all, and the schools and charities that bless the world to-day are but illustrations of the united labor of God’s people, who are one. 9. The people of God are one in essential faith. They differ in opinions, in thoughts, in guesses, in whims; but in their confidence in the living God, the loving Saviour, and the abiding word, they are one. On this bed rock of “faith that worketh by love,” they stand together. Men say, “We believe differently on certain points.” You do not believe at all on most of them. Your confidence never rises to the dignity of faith—the faith that saves, the faith that purifies the heart. You agree in ten things that you know about, and believe you disagree about five things which you guess at. Are you not one? 10. We are one in prayer. When Christians argue, they differ; when they pray, they unite. Around one common altar they lift united cries to God; and, no matter whose voice leads the worship, all the people say amen. One spirit inspires the petitions of those who pray always in the Holy Ghost; and with one heart and one mind they supplicate the mercy of the Most High. 11. They are one in praise and song. Differ as they may, they all unite here. Toplady had one class of opinions, and Wesley another; and they wrote some harsh and bitter things, it may be; but now their friends get together, and over their graves one sings,— “Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in thee,” and all join the strain with united voices; and another strikes up,— “Jesus, lover of my soul, Let me to thy bosom fly,” and every voice blends gloriously in the song. Standing the other day by the grave of John Wesley, in City Road Chapel yard, and plucking the foliage growing there, I rejoiced in the truth which he declared; and just across the way, in Bunhill fields, I stood beside the grave of Watts and sung his hymn:— “How long shall death, the tyrant, reign, And triumph o’er the just?” and I thought that his faith, so sweetly sung, was my faith, and the faith of all the church of the living God. Standing in the same old pulpit in which Bunyan preached when in London, I prayed to the same God whom he adored, and published the same salvation which he proclaimed; and while at every turn I saw tokens of the substantial unity of the people of the Lord, I could most heartily adopt the sturdy old pilgrim’s words: “Since you desire to know by what name I would be called, I desire to be and hope I am, a Christian; and I desire God should count me worthy to be called a Christian, a believer, or any such name which is sanctified by the Holy Ghost. But as for those factious titles of Anabaptists, Independents, Presbyterians, and the like, I believe they came neither from Jerusalem nor Antioch, but rather from hell and Babylon; for they naturally tend to divisions, and we may know them by their fruits.” 12. The people of God are one in sorrow, in suffering, in persecution, in affliction, in death. When one member suffers, all suffer; when one rejoices, all rejoice. One Shepherd leads through the dark valley, and one voice from Heaven whispers over their pallid forms and silent tombs, “Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord.” Lovely and pleasant in their lives, in their deaths they are not divided. 13. They are one in hope and expectation. They may see now as in a glass darkly, and their eyes may fail to pierce some of the mists that hang around them; but in the grand realities of eternity they are one. They look for one kingdom, one crown, one glory, one reward, in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming. And, finally, they are one in resurrection and eternal life. They shall put on immortality together; they shall be like Christ, their living Lord; they shall be victorious over death and hell, and shall sing one song of endless triumph in the paradise of God. And with all these great, grand, glorious elements of unity and strength, shall we be told that Christians differ about tweedledum and tweedle-dee? Shall we listen to Christians who say we cannot be united? Why, you are united, and how are you going to help yourselves? Our union is a fact; Christ prayed and bled for it; the Holy Spirit sealed it; and we rejoice in it. Do you separate yourself? How can you? If the foot or the hand say, “I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? Let us, then, accept the fact of our unity. It is not a union through each other with Christ, but it is a union with each other through Christ. My hands are not united because they clasp each other—I may clasp a dead man’s hand—but they are united because they are joined to one central head and heart, and soul, and pervaded by one spirit of life. The branches of a tree are not one because they interlace above, nor are they separate because, when they are swayed by the wind, they clash and chafe against one another. Their union is in the central root to which each branch is joined—by which they live, and from which their life is fed. So the people of God are one in their Head and Lord; one in his love, his grace, his peace, his power, his suffering, his death, his resurrection, his glory. And many of the differences and dissensions that disturb the unity of God’s people are purely imaginary, or are the result of mere misapprehension. You have heard of Dr. Chalmers and Dr. Stewart, who once met in the streets of Edinburgh, and fell into an argument about something or other; and for a long discussion about something that nobody understands, give me two wiry Scotsmen! Well, they argued and argued, and could not agree, till, their time being exhausted, Dr. Chalmers said,— “You will find my views on the subject very well put in a little tract entitled ‘Difficulties in the Way of Believing.’” “Why,” said Dr. Stewart, with amazement, “I wrote that tract myself!” Half of our differences will disappear when things are once stated as they should be. While in the heat of street debate, we neither understand the faith of others, nor correctly express our own. It is time to put away these childish things, and come down to the plain, sober truths of the gospel. Said Luther, “I preach in plain language that the common people can understand; and if I know Hebrew and Greek, I reserve them for our learned meetings where we discuss such subtleties and such profundities that God himself, I know, must marvel at us!” The way of life is plain, and while we walk this way and point others to it, we shall be one, as Christ desired. But when we strive about words, and contend about trifles, we do the devil’s work, and hinder those for whom the Saviour died. The Duke of Wellington once stood by a battery that was hurling shot and death into a thicket where a body of soldiers were posted. “Pretty well aimed, captain,” said he, “but no more of it; that’s our own forty-second.” Ah! is not the eye of the Captain of our salvation to-day on many a battery which is doing just the same deadly work on men that he has posted to hold the fort till he shall come? Let us save our powder and shot to fight the devil—close up the ranks, and advance the whole line in battle array. I noticed, years ago, when regiments were going to war, that all had some distinctive mark, some stripe, or belt, or epaulette, or cockade, or red pantaloons, or something of the kind to distinguish them. And these things did very well for dress parade and general muster, and sham fights; but when they came to real warfare, every cross belt was a mark for a bullet to find their hearts; every cockade helped to guide the sharpshooters to hit their heads; every man wearing red pantaloons was likely to get shot in the legs; and every bit of brass or lace was only a mark to invite the death-dealing bolt. And soon they laid these things all aside; so that a major general would hide his stars, and donning a slouched hat and a teamster’s blouse, go quietly about his business and escape the dreaded bullets. And I noticed when those soldiers came marching home battle-scarred, bronzed, and weather-beaten, with their war-stained raiment and bullet-riddled flags, they all wore one uniform—the regulation blue! Every rag of regimental finery was gone; they were soldiers of one army. And so, while sectarian uniforms may do for holiday service, yet in real warfare there is no uniform like the whole armor of God. A common peril unites, a common labor joins, both heart and hand. In the late war some western regiments almost quarrelled with others from the eastern part of the country; but when the battle hung trembling in the scales, and the jaws of death were closing around them, and these despised eastern men came to the rescue and saved them from destruction, they were brothers ever after. And so, if we plunge heartily into the fight of faith we shall find out who our friends are, and shall rejoice to be companions of all that fear God; shall say with Christ himself, “Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in Heaven, the same is my brother and sister and mother.”—H. L. Hastings. “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth.” Died, Aug. 27, 1876, of consumption, at Grove Hill, Page Co., Va., Mary Alexander, aged forty-one years, five months, and twenty-nine days. A few years ago this sister gave her heart to the Lord, and became a member of the United Brethren church. Although in feeble health, she attended two of our tent-meetings in New Market, which awakened a deep interest to hear more of these biblical truths; but the removal of the family to Grove Hill deprived her of this privilege. We were called to her bedside as she lingered upon the borders of the tomb to converse with her and speak words of comfort. The reading of the divine word, the voice of prayer, and the song of praise gave her the greatest delight. The stillness of the midnight watches was broken by her voice hymning the words:— “I’ll praise my Maker while I’ve breath;
I hope to praise him after death.” An aged, blind mother, who is left to miss her tender care a few more days, and affectionate sisters mourn her loss; but they are not without hope that “all is well” with Mary. The funeral services were conducted by Eld. Rondabush, U. B. minister, who gave an instructive discourse from Rev. 14:13, after which we followed with a few remarks, by request. E. S. Lane. Died, of typhoid fever, July 22, 1876, in Marion, Grant Co., Ind., Callie Fadely, daughter of Abraham and Susan Fadely, in the nineteenth year of her age. Her parents have lost an affectionate daughter, and with them her two sisters, her brother, and a large circle of relatives, mourn a common loss. Callie is missed at home, in the church, and also in the school-room; for she was an excellent teacher. But there is hope in her death. M. J. Mann. Died, of heart disease, at his residence near Altavista, Davies Co., Mo., Aug. 24, 1876, my father, Wm. Rogers, in the seventieth year of his age. Father tried to live so as to exemplify true Bible religion. He was one of the pioneer workers in the Disciple reformation, bearing many burdens and responsibilities till he embraced the truths of the third angel’s message sixteen years ago, since which time he has done much toward advancing the interests of the cause of truth throughout the country. The Sabbath, which he was one of the first in the State to receive, was a special theme with him. He had the esteem of a large circle of friends who, with us, mourn his loss, yet not without hope; for “blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth. Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.” J. H. Rogers. Died, of a slow fever, near Clarence, Iowa, Aug. 19, 1876, Bro. T. J. Bosworth, in the fifty-first year of his age. He had been a faithful Sabbath-keeper for about twelve years. For several years he had been the subject of much affliction, yet he was sustained in a good degree by faith and hope. He left with his friends a strong testimony that he rests in peace. Just before his departure, he tenderly embraced his wife and two little girls, earnestly requesting them to meet him in Heaven; and after bidding them a loving farewell, he gently fell asleep in Jesus. How true the words of the poet:— “The chamber where the good man meets his fate
Is privileged beyond the common walks
Of social life, quite in the verge of Heaven.” Funeral services by J. T. Mitchell.
J. Dorcas. The Eastern Question.
By The Methodist
ABDUL HAMID, another drunken idiot, is sultan, in place of Murad, who has been deposed. Three sultans in as many months! Servia seems to have been practically demolished at Alexinatz. Montenegro has been reported in better accord with Servia, and the six powers are consulting. Their consulting may come to something, if it be true, as seems probable, that Russian energy is coming to the help of the Slaves; for the next step may be a general war, or the ruin of the Turkish beast, as the only escape from war. The case may drag on, but a return to the old status looks impossible now. A suggestive article in the British Quarterly, for July, hints that Russian rule at Constantinople would be possible if England and France could agree about Egypt, the rest might be easy. It looks impossible to keep Turkey on her feet, but the attempt may be made.