Earlier text: Medical Testimony in Favor of the Remedial Use of WaterThe Great Revival Here.
By R. F. Cottrell
Not a revival that will convert the world, but one that is destined to gather out a few—the little flock—and prepare them for translation at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is not like the expected revival that is to bring millions, yea, all the world, into allegiance to God, which is so fondly dreamed of by so many at the present day—a revival which has no promise in the word of God, and stands only in tradition and imagination. On the contrary, the revival of which I speak, was promised by the Spirit of inspiration, nearly eighteen hundred years ago, and this promise was left on record for our instruction and guidance, who live in the time of its fulfillment. It is found in Rev. xiv, 9–12, and, being promised by Him who cannot lie, and is able also to perform all his promises, it is sure to be fulfilled. It is not the awakening of a drowsy church, which falls asleep again within a month, nor the addition of numbers to the confusion of sectarianism, by making converts, that, as a stream cannot rise higher than its fountain, prove no better than those who convert them. But it is the revival of genuine Christianity, a coming up to the standard of truth and holiness. It is not the product of mere impulse—an edifice reared upon the sand of blind feeling, but its foundation is laid upon the rock of truth, and consequently, the superstructure is righteousness and true holiness. 'Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth.' It is the revival of long-neglected and down-trodden truth—'the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus'—without which no real, permanent good can be accomplished for this generation—this degenerate race, with the Bible within their reach, exalted to Heaven in point of privilege, but sunken lower than the grave in moral corruption and degradation. Even the Christians themselves of this generation, need conversion as truly as common sinners; and their want of consecration to God, and a willingness to receive and obey Bible truth, when pressed home upon the understanding, is the greatest obstacle in the way of the conversion of those that are without. And this church of Sardis, having long been dead while having a name to live, has passed over to sojourn in Laodicea, where she fancies herself rich and increased in goods, and in need of nothing, while she is poor, and miserable, and wretched, and blind, and naked. The professed church is asleep; but in her sleep she dreams of doing good, and hopes even for the conversion of the whole world. Her standard of piety and holiness is low, and her standard of truth is lower still, if possible. She is following the traditions of antichrist, preferring the commandments of men, to the commandments of God, and the fables of the heathen world, to the plainly revealed teachings of the Scriptures of truth. She refuses to be converted to God herself, and yet talks of converting the world. There is no hope for her as a body; for corrupt combinations of men never reform themselves. The only remedy for the living members is, to forsake the dead and putrified body. 'We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed; forsake her.' All one has to do by way of forsaking a corrupt church, is to receive and obey the truth, as we find it in the 'commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.' They will soon find themselves excluded; for there is no agreement between the temple of God and idols. God foresaw the present state of things. He foresaw that the mass of the nominal church would not recover from the great apostasy, headed by the church of Rome, and for this reason he prepared the three messages of Rev. xiv, 6–12, for the purpose of gathering out his people and preparing them for the coming of the Son of man. In his great benevolence, God determined to enlighten men, that they might have the means of recovering from the Roman apostasy. For this purpose he prepared the Reformation for Luther's time, and with it determined to send the Bible in the language of the people. And while papists, aware of their innovations and corruptions of the Bible, only justified by assumed power and right to legislate for God, would have kept the Bible from the common people; Protestants, with a truly commendable zeal, have been busily engaged in giving the Bible to every nation in their own language, thus unwittingly circulating their own condemnation, in following the traditions of the church of Rome, instead of the explicit teachings of that Word which they esteemed so highly. But it is the controlling and directing providence of God, that has given the Bible to the world, so that the poorest may have it; and this has been done to prepare the way for the last revival—the closing up of the work of the reformation—a work intended to bring out and entirely separate a people from all the corruptions of Romanism, and fit them for translation, without death, at the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ. The prophetic message of Rev. xiv, 9–12, is perfectly fitted for this work. It contains a most solemn warning, accompanied by the most fearful threatening of impending wrath, against the worship of the beast, or, in other words, against following the traditions of the Roman church. On the other hand, the effect predicted as the result of this warning, is that the people of God who heed the warning, 'keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.' This is a point in the reformation that had not been reached before; and, in fact, would not have been reached, had not God provided this special message for this very purpose. No people can be said, in truth, to keep the commandments of God, unless they keep all the commandments which he spoke with his own mouth and gave in his own hand-writing. If we fail in one precept, we are guilty of sin, either ignorantly or knowingly. And as this is the last merciful warning, prior to the coming of the Son of man upon the great white cloud, verse 14, it must be evident to all, that the commandments101 of God are contrasted with the work of the papacy, that power that should, according to prophecy, 'think to change times and laws,' Dan. vii, 25, and that boasts that it has changed the time in God's Sabbath law, the fourth commandment, 'a change for which,' to use the language of the chosen champions of the papacy, 'there is no Scriptural authority.' The solemn message from Heaven is here, and is doing its fearful work. The best evidence that this declaration is the truth, is that the message was foretold in prophecy, and that it is now being proclaimed in the order of the prophecy, and is doing a work precisely corresponding to that described, namely, bringing to light the dark work of the papacy, as foretold in the word of God, and developing a people that keep more commandments of God than other religionists, namely, all the ten commandments, as God gave them in person. The great revival is here. It will seem little, however, to those who remain in unbelief, and are expecting the world will be converted through the influence of a church so fallen and degenerate and distracted by factions, and so unwilling to hear God's word themselves. But still it is a great revival; because it is the revival of primitive faith and practice, and because it will sanctify God's peculiar people, and prepare them to be translated to Heaven without seeing death. Lift Up the Voice of Warning.
THE present is a most favorable time to herald far and near the proclamation of the soon coming of the Son of man. Facts are urging themselves upon the attention of the people, to which they cannot shut their eyes. Men will listen to the voice of transpiring events: for it is not often that facts are accused of having turned Millerites. People may close their ears to an exposition of the prophecies; but they cannot shut their eyes to the startling signs of the present time. And it is a noticeable fact, as in the paragraph below, that these things are, by some means, suggestive to the public mind of the doctrine of the second coming of Christ. Now while their attention is aroused to these developments, let us labor to show them that these things are but the counterpart of the prophecies and that everything is working together to herald the great day of the Lord which is just upon us. And while we do this, let us also labor more earnestly ourselves to be ready. The following, clipped from a late paper, is but a specimen of the utterances that are drawn from the public journalists of the day, in view of the fearful prevalence and increase of crime. "THE fruits of war are now dropping into the northern lap. Murders, robberies, arsons, rapes, fights, and such little hellish pleasantries are growing vastly popular all over the North. Crime is on the increase. People are hungry for blood. The land is filling up with thieves, murderers, robbers and prostitutes. Rank, thrifty, and bloody weeds are growing up about the doors of churches. Ministers of Christ have talked politics so long that true Christianity is in need of watchers and more careful nursing than ever before. Men have been from home so long that fireside and family-altar restraints are irksome. Papers are rich in local items written in blood. Men extra lock their doors. Honest women look closer about them on the street, and hasten home earlier in the evening. Blows and words come together, while weapons for attack and defense are fashionable. God only knows what is in store for us. We are told that the coming of Christ will do away with all crimes and unhappiness on this earth. This would be a good time for Christ to appear; for wickedness is in the ascendancy." WM. C. GAGE
By Wm. C. Gage
Popular Errors and Their Fruits. No. 3.
HAVING noticed some of the evil effects of the doctrine of immortal soulism, and the errors growing out of it, we propose to refer briefly to another erroneous belief, equally popular and quite as unscriptural, if not fully as mischievous in its tendency, namely Trinitarianism. By this expression we mean the doctrine that the Father, Son and Spirit are united in one and the same person, making Christ the very and eternal God. We call it belief, although we question very much whether any one ever did really believe anything which the human mind cannot comprehend. The principal evil caused by this belief, is the popular form of infidelity known as Unitarianism. Perhaps some may object to this, that the two doctrines are completely antagonistic, and therefore in no way related to each other. This is all true, but it should be borne in mind that the proneness of our race is to run to extremes. When the evils of a false position are apparent to the mind, there is a dangerous tendency to rush as far from it as possible into the other extreme, instead of taking position on safe medium ground. Thus it is in the present case. Some who cannot endorse the doctrine of the trinity, go to the other extreme, and utterly deny the divinity of Christ. Having gone so far, they are ready to doubt his miracles, and the inspiration of his utterances, and finally to look upon the Bible as little or no better than any other book. That trinitarianism is thus responsible for much of this unbelief must be apparent to those who are not themselves unwilling to reason from cause to effect. Another result of this doctrine is a serious difficulty in the question of the atonement. If Christ and the Father constitute only one person, and Christ died for our race, the death of God is thereby involved, and consequently a denial of his immortality; and, worse than all this, the unavoidable conclusion, that for the period of time in which Christ lay in the tomb, the universe had no God to uphold and govern it. To be sure, this is evaded, as a noted American D. D. confesses, "by a dodge," in which it is asserted that only the human part of Christ died. But this does not help the matter in the least, for if that were true, then we have only a human offering or sacrifice, and we might as well take sides with the Unitarian at once, in denying the divine atonement. With such confusion as this is to represent Christianity, it is no wonder that the heathen get a degraded idea of God, as evinced in the reply of the Chinaman to the Jew, who was reviling his nationality. Thinking to retort upon him as severely as possible he replied: "Ah! me know you; you kill the Melican man's God." How much better it would be to accept the doctrine of the distinct individuality and personality of the Father and the Son, confessing them "one" in heart, mind and purpose, and thus avoid the jargon of confusion always attendant upon erroneous doctrine. Another error, even more generally endorsed than any of the foregoing, is the doctrine of the atonement on the cross. This also furnishes another support for Unitarianism. The Scriptures plainly teach that Christ died for all men. Now if his death on the cross was the atonement, then the sins of all men are atoned for, and all will be saved. The conclusion is unavoidable, and we deny the doctrine of the atonement on the cross, not because it leads to this belief, but because it is scripturally untrue, and then as an incentive for proclaiming its falsity we have the fact that it is a strong pillar for a destructive error. Inconveniences in Obeying God.
By A. S. Hutchins
It is ever well to count the cost of serving the Lord, before enlisting in his service. Otherwise when temptations and trials come, we may sink in discouragement. But to suffer inconveniences to deter us from obeying God's holy word, is certainly extremely unwise. Yet many often enumerate real and supposed inconveniences in the way, and urge those as an excuse for their disobedience, to what they acknowledge to be the lawful claims of the Most High upon them. Especially is the above true, with reference to the observance of the Bible Sabbath. We are aware that to make a change in this direction, to observe the Sabbath agreeably to the fourth commandment, is often attended with inconveniences in the family and in business affairs, and not unfrequently results in a breaking up of former associations, and connections with churches, &c. But are all these things combined, of sufficient magnitude to justify us in a course of disobedience in this life, or to acquit us in the judgment of the great day? Think, O, think of this, dear reader. But did Jesus the dearly-beloved Son of God, suffer no inconveniences in the provision of the plan of salvation for fallen man? Was it convenient for him to leave the glory he had with the Father, and come down to this dark, fallen, sinful world and die, the just for the unjust? Was it convenient for him to be despised and rejected, to fast and hunger, to mourn and weep, and to be tempted of the Devil; to travel destitute of a place to lay his head, while the birds of the air had nests, and the foxes had holes? to sweat as it were great drops blood? to be betrayed, forsaken, and denied? to be scourged, spit upon, and smitten? to wear the cruel crown of thorns? to be condemned, nailed to the cross, and in the most dreadful agony, groan, thirst, bleed, and die, that you and I might live? Blessed be God the Father, he who was once dead, "now reigns on high," and kindly and urgently invites us to suffer with him, that we may reign with him, beyond these scenes of confusion, sorrow, and death, in a world of unspeakable blessedness, crowned with glory, immortality, and life eternal. "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." 1 Cor. ii, 9, 10. "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." Rom. viii, 16, 17. "For I reckon," says the suffering, fasting, hungering, whipped, stoned, ship-wrecked, and imprisoned apostle, "I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us." Says Peter, "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy." 1 Pet. iv, 12, 13. Roxbury, Vt. Aug. 14, 1865. Meetings in Michigan.
By Joseph Bates
BRO. WHITE: Our last report of meetings was from Monterey, July 28. Sabbath, July 29, held two profitable meetings with the church and people in Allegan. Sabbath, Aug. 5th, Quarterly, and also Monthly Meetings for Allegan Co., were at the district school-house in Pine Creek. The house, with few exceptions, was well filled with Sabbath-keepers, whose testimonies were deeply interesting, evincing a strong desire to press onward in the third angel's message. Our meetings on first-day, were at the usual place of worship in Otsego, and closed with the celebration of the ordinances. Sister R. Leighton of Otsego, who, within a few weeks has been so unexpectedly restored from distressing pain and agonies of death, in answer to prayer, also attended all the meetings, giving her cheering testimony and praising the Lord for what he had done. Bro. Kenfield took me from Kalamazoo to Brady, Aug. 8. Here we held one evening meeting with a small company. August 9 and 10, visited the members of the church in Parkville, St. Jo. Co., and held two evening meetings with them. The last one by far the most interesting. The church is laboring under discouragements, because of some of their prominent members changing their locations. Seldom a male member with them in their evening prayer meetings. We hope that some good brother, well engaged in the cause, will be induced to locate in the village and help them. August 11-13, held four meetings with the church in Colon. Brethren and sisters from Burlington, Burr Oak and Parkville came, and with them Bro. J. H. Waggoner, who took part with us in the meetings, also sister Byington from Union City. Our meetings on the Sabbath were interesting and free, with some confessions, and closed with the ordinances of the Lord's house. The day was regarded as a day of fasting and prayer by a good portion of the brethren present. For Sunday morning, the appointment was, first, for prayer and conference, second, preaching at the usual hour. The first meeting commenced at half past nine, and continued to rise in interest accompanied with the good Spirit of the Lord, and continued over four hours. It was truly a refreshing from the presence of the Lord. Praise his holy name. Near the close of the meeting, sister D., who lived thirteen miles away from the meeting, where there were no Sabbath-keepers arose and confessed that she came to this meeting feeling that it was no use to try to serve the Lord any longer, (see Mal. iii, 13-15), and finally decided to ask her dismissal from the church. But now how changed her feelings, as she felt and witnessed the Spirit of the Lord operating in the meeting. Oh she would not leave this people now for any consideration whatever. In the evening we held a meeting in Bro. Langdon's neighborhood in Mendon, twelve miles from Colon. Bro. Waggoner accompanied me, and we presented to a listening and interesting congregation, the perpetuity of God's holy law. Monday evening, Aug. 14, held another meeting with the scattered few in Brady. Am now going to spend the Sabbath with the church in Watson, Allegan Co., which closes our last appointment in the western district.
JOSEPH BATES.
Monterey, Aug. 18th, 1865. Titles Cannot Ease a Wounded Spirit
“A title of honor will no more abate the torments of conscience than it doth mitigate Beelzebub's torments to be styled prince of the devils. You may as well seek to cure a wound in your body by applying a plaster to your garment, as seek to ease a wounded spirit by all the treasures, pleasures, and enjoyments of this world.” — Ezekiel Hopkins. Not long since we saw an advertisement with the above heading, in a daily paper. A description of the missing youngster was given, and a reward offered for his restoration to his parents. We subsequently learned that the boy had been on a spree with some other precocious bloods, and after exhausting the money he purloined from his mother's purse, returned of himself, like the prodigal to his father's home. His parents were rejoiced at his safe return, and flattered themselves that he was found. We differed from them. From what we know of the matter, we think the boy is still lost. In fact, he was lost before his parents missed him. He is now more than a dozen years old, and yet has been allowed by his fond and wealthy parents to roam the streets by day or night, to run to fires, smoke cigars till they no longer make him sick, loaf around grocery stores, and come in and out when he pleased. That boy has been "long lost," and so have thousands of others in our large cities, albeit they attend their meals regularly, and do their sleeping at home. Their bodies may be found any day until they go off on a spree, but where are the boys? Where is the innocence, and ductile spirit of boyhood and youth? Lost! All the advertising in the world will not bring these back. Only correct parental control will drag them from the dark and slimy labyrinths in which they are now wandering, and place them on the sunny road of virtue which leads through pleasant lands. Boys are to be the men of the land, and we need to have them good men, but we shall have no lack of rowdies and thieves, so long as boys of twelve summers are allowed to be roaming the streets after dark. The palace of Herod stands on a table of land, on the very summit of the hill, overlooking every part of the surrounding country; and such were the exceeding softness and beauty of the scene, even under the wilderness and waste of Arab cultivation, that the city seemed smiling in the midst of her desolation. All around was a beautiful valley, watered by running streams and covered with a rich carpet of grass, sprinkled like an open book before me, a boundary of fruitful mountains, the vine and the olive rising in terraces to their very summits; there, day after day, the haughty Herod had sat in his royal palace; and, looking out upon all these beauties, his heart had become hardened with prosperity; here, among those still towering columns, the proud monarch had made a supper for "his lords, and high captains, and chief estates of Galilee;" here the daughter of Herodias, Herod's brother's wife, "danced before him, and the proud king promised, with an oath, to give her whatsoever she asked, even to the half of his kingdom." And while the feast was going on, the "head of John the Baptist was brought in a charger and given to the damsel." And Herod has gone, and Herodias, Herod's brother's wife has gone, and "the lords, and the high captains, and the chief estates of Galilee" are gone: but the ruins of the palaces in which they feasted are still here; the mountains and valleys which beheld their revels, are here; and, oh! what a comment upon the vanity of worldly greatness! A Fellah was turning his plough on one of the columns. I was sitting on a broken capital under a fig tree by its side, and I asked him what were the ruins that we saw; and while his oxen were quietly cropping the grass that grew among the fragments of the marble floor, he told me that they were the ruins of the palace of a king, he believed of the Christians; and while pilgrims from every quarter of the world turn aside from their path to do homage in the prison of his beheaded victim, the Arab who was driving his plough among the columns of his palace, knew not the name of the haughty Herod. Even at this distance of time, I look back with a feeling of uncommon interest upon my ramble among those ruins, talking with the Arab ploughman of the king who built it, leaning against a column which, perhaps, had often supported the haughty Herod, and looking out from this scene of desolation and ruin upon the most beautiful country in the Holy Land. Extracts from the Works of Fletcher.
The operative belief of the truth, and the operative belief of a lie, are the two roots that produce all our good and all our bad actions. Our internal and (when we do not play the hypocrite,) our external works are always exactly like our faith: our actions being as much produced by our faith, as our pulses are by the beating of our heart. No plant can grow without its root, and no moral action can spring into existence without its principle. When we do not dissemble, our principle of action is our prevalent persuasion—our predominant belief: a cordial, practical belief of the truth and rejection of a lie, being always the principle of a good action; and a cordial, practical belief of a lie and rejection of the truth, being always the principle of a bad action. That good works can have no origin but the belief of the truth, will appear indubitable, if we trace them back to their source. To fear, love, and obey God, are undoubtedly good works; but can I do them, without believing the truth—i. e. without believing that God is; that he is to be feared, loved, and obeyed; and that it is my duty or privilege so to do? Again, that bad works can have no other origin but the belief of a lie, will also appear evident, if we follow them to their spring. To neglect and disobey God are certainly bad works; but can we do them without believing a lie? Without being more or less persuaded, that, although it may not be our duty, yet upon the whole, in our present circumstances, it will be for our advantage or credit, to neglect God, and to swim with the stream? To convert or pervert a man, you need only change his principle of action; his predominant practical belief of a damnable lie, or of a saving truth. For if the spring is new, so undoubtedly will be the streams. If you have a new tree, you will infallibly have new fruit. If the rudder is truly turned, the ship will certainly take a new course. Truth is the heavenly seed that produces living faith? and living faith is the heavenly root that produces good works. Truth and faith, therefore, are at the bottom of every good work. To suppose them absent from a good work, is to suppose that a good work can be void of sincerity and truth, and, of course, void of goodness. And is not this supposing a glaring absurdity? On the other hand, a lie is the hellish seed that produces unbelief; and unbelief is the hellish root that produces bad works. A lie and unbelief are,103 then, at the bottom of every bad work. To suppose them absent from a bad work, is to suppose that a bad work can be wrought in faith and in truth, which is as impossible as to do a good work in malice and wickedness. If every internal good work, (suppose a sincere operative desire to love my enemy for God's sake,) necessarily springs from a good principle, that is, from true faith, it follows, that so long as I consistently continue in the same disposition, my principle of action is good; and I am (so far) a good man, according to the standard of one or another of the gospel dispensations. On the other hand, if any one inward bad work, (suppose a malicious desire to hurt my neighbor,) springs from a bad principle, it follows also, that so long as I continue in that bad disposition, whatever degree of sanctity I may pretend to, my principle of action is bad; I am a wicked man of the pharisaic or of the antinomian order.—To conclude: As our pulses all over the body exactly answer to the beating of our heart, so our inward works, that is, our thoughts, desires, schemes, and tempers, exactly answer to our faith, or principle of action. As by suppressing the beating of the heart, you may stop all the pulses; so, by suppressing the act of faith, you may put a stop to all good works. On the other hand, as by cutting the main arteries, you may put an end to the motion of the heart; so, by suppressing the good motions caused by faith, you may put an end to the life of faith, and destroy the new creature in Christ Jesus. Doings of the Minn. State Conference.
THE Fifth Annual Session of the Minnesota Conference, was convened at Deerfield, July 30, according to appointment. Opened by prayer. Moved, by Eld. Sanborn that we invite all brethren present in good standing with any of our organized churches, to take part in the proceedings of this session. Carried. The doings of the last session were read by the Secretary, and accepted by the Conference. Treasurer's Report presented and accepted by vote. Ministers' reports were called for. Brn. Morse, Bostwick, and Allen responded, giving written reports which were accepted. The Chair now appointed Brn. Sanborn, Bostwick, and Grant as a committee on the nomination of officers for the year ensuing. The Chair also selected as auditing committee, the following brethren: H. Grant, Wm. Merry, Elias Sanford, H. Patch, I. C. Woodbury, E. W. Darling. Adjourned session opened by prayer by Bro. Bostwick. The committee on nomination of officers not being ready to report, the subject of credentials for ministers was taken up. Bro. Bostwick's credentials were renewed. Bro. Allen was referred to the Gen. Conf. Committee. F. W. Morse licensed to labor in new fields. Written reports from the four churches comprising our Conference were presented, showing the following condition in relation to membership, funds &c. : |
Members. |
S. B. Funds. |
|---|
| Enterprise, |
11 |
$60 00 |
| Pleasant Grove, |
31 |
175 29 |
| Orinoco, |
44 |
162 64 |
| Deerfield, |
60 |
149 86 |
| Total, |
146 |
$587 79 |
An evening session was held for settlement with ministers, and the closing transactions of the session. The committee on nomination of officers presented the names of the following brethren: Conference Committee, Jno. Bostwick, Wm. Merry, H. F. Lashier. Secretary, E. W. Darling. Treasurer, W. I. Gibson. The nominations were unanimously ratified. It was moved and carried that we recommend to brethren the necessity of taking letters of commendation on moving to the vicinity of other churches. Moved, That the doings of this Conference be published in the Review. Carried. W. M. ALLEN, Chairman.
F. W. MORSE, Secretary. Sweet Rest in Heaven.
By Mary J. Cottrell
I AM weary, very weary
Of even friendship's smile,
For oft concealed beneath it
I've found the tempter's guile.
I long to see the morning
I long to rest at home,
I long to hear the welcome,
"My weary tried ones come."
For though hopes here are riven,
There is sweet rest in Heaven. But shall I hear that welcome,
Will it to me be given?
Shall I that home inherit,
That glorious home in Heaven?
My heart, hear'st thou the question?
The answer lies with thee,
If thou wouldst gain bright Heaven
Watch, fight, and ever pray.
Deep trials here are given,
But there's sweet rest in Heaven. Thou'rt weak! ah yes I know it,
But Jesus Christ is strong,
His grace will be sufficient—
The conflict is not long;
Soon, soon it will be over,
And if I faithful prove,
I'll never more be weary,
But rest with Christ above.
The promise sure is given,
There is sweet rest in Heaven.
MARY J. COTTRELL.
Ridgeway, N. Y. July 5, 1865 WHEN Robert Newton, the Wesleyan pulpit orator, married, he and his bride began the married life by retiring twice each day to pray with and for each other. This practice they kept up, when opportunity served, to the end of life. Mark the result! When an old man, Mr. Newton remarked: "In the course of a short time my wife and I shall celebrate the jubilee of our marriage; and I know not that during the fifty years of our union, an unkind look or an unkind word has ever passed between us." That was certainly a happy married life. What made it so? No doubt strong mutual affection, congeniality of tastes, habits, and pursuits had much to do with it; but did not religion have more? Did not that hour of daily prayer make the bond of peace so strong, that none of the manifold trials of a long public life could even strain it? Had religion been stricken from their lives, would not pride, vanity, or passion have grown into a power of discord in their hearts? Did such absolute peace ever reign undisturbed over the married life of any irreligious pair for half a century since the fall? Does it reign over the reader's married life? Is not the religious element needed in his married life to render it even tolerable? Consider the claims of religion, my reader, from this stand-point, and you will conclude that religion is needful not only for your present and eternal happiness, but also for your domestic enjoyment. A most astounding series of frauds and defalcations has been developed in New York within the past three weeks. First came the bank defalcation of Henry B. Jenkins, paying teller of the Phoenix Bank, who was assisted in his frauds by James H. Earl, book-keeper of the same institution. These men robbed the bank of $300,000 before the loss was suspected. The money was mostly spent in paying black-mail to persons who threatened to expose his connection with a prostitute into whose toils Jenkins had fallen, and with whom he lived; and large amounts were lost in stock gambling. Earl committed suicide soon after his arrest. Jenkins is in jail awaiting trial. Next came the defalcation of the junior partner of the well-known banking house of Morris Ketchum & Co. This was considered one of the wealthiest and most reliable private banking houses in New York. For some months the business of the concern has been in charge of Edwin B. Ketchum, son of the senior partner. This young man has been engaged in stock and gold gambling to the amount of millions of dollars, and, to cover losses, has abstracted and used bonds and other papers deposited with the bank; and has, also, committed forgeries to a fabulous amount by means of what are known as "gold checks," or certificates. The swindler has disappeared, and, as yet, not a trace of the direction in which he left can be obtained. He is supposed to have taken $60,000 in "greenbacks" with him. Four millions of dollars will not cover the losses to banks and private individuals by the swindling operations of this young man. Mr. Ketchum, sen., has made an assignment of all his property, to cover, as far as possible, the losses occasioned by his son's dishonesty. His property is valued at from two to two and a half millions of dollars. The shock of this "financial explosion" seemed for a while to stun the community. Men knew not whom to trust. Every class of stocks in market declined, while men's hearts failed as they wondered what would come next. Next came the case of another stock and gold gambler—a defaulter to the amount of $100,000 to $150,000. Then it was discovered that another bank-teller had stolen $100,000 from his employers. This amount was paid by his friends and bondsmen, and the matter hushed up. Finally, a freight conductor of the Erie R. R. has been detected in the perpetration of a series of robberies. The amount is not known, but it is ascertained that he took $3,000 in one day. Such events as the above, tell us in thunder tones the times in which we live. Spite of the boasted increase in light and knowledge, and consequent improvement in the moral tone of the world, we have every evidence that the world is becoming more and more corrupted. A Prayer for Help.
By L. E. Millne
And wilt thou, O my Father, hear?
A suppliant unto thee I cry;
I pour my sorrows in thine ear,
O help me, Father, from on high. Thy powerful arm can me uphold,
Though Satan's hosts around me roar,
O keep me safe within the fold,
Till storms are passed, and tempests o'er. The time of trouble's drawing near,
The dragon in great wrath comes down,
Be thou, O Lord, my dread and fear,
Till I at last receive the crown. Oh for that home beyond the sky,
I'll cheerful bear my sorrows here,
There Christ my Saviour reigns on high,
And his bright coming draweth near. A few more days of hate and scorn,
A few more days of pain and woe;
And then a bright immortal morn
Awaits poor pilgrims here below. READER, let us weigh ourselves in this balance, and see if we are entitled to this label: He is above a mean thing. He can not stoop to mean fraud. He invades no secrets in the keeping of another. He betrays no secrets confided to his own keeping. He never struts in borrowed plumage. He never takes selfish advantage of our mistakes. He uses no ignoble weapons in controversy. He never stabs in the dark. He is ashamed of innuendos. He is not one thing to a man's face and another behind his back. If by accident he comes in possession of his neighbor's counsels, he passes upon them an act of instant oblivion. He bears sealed packages without tampering with the wax. Papers not meant for his eye, whether they flutter at his window or lie open before him in unguarded exposure, are sacred to him. He professes no privacy of others, however the sentry sleeps. Bolts and bars, locks and keys, hedges and pickets, bonds and securities, notices to trespassers, are none of them for him. He may be trusted himself out of sight—near the thinnest partition—anywhere. He buys no office, he sells none, he intrigues for none. He would rather fail of his rights, than win them through dishonor. He will eat honest bread. He insults no man. He tramples on no sensitive feelings. If he have rebuke for another, he is straightforward, open, manly. In short, whatever he judges honorable, he practices toward every man.—Repository.