VERSE 46. Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshiped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odors unto him. 47. The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret. 48. Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon. 49. Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.
We have dwelt quite at length on the interpretation of the dream, which Daniel made known to the Chaldean monarch. From this we must now recall our minds to the palace of Nebuchadnezzar, and to Daniel as he stands in the presence of the king, having made known to him the dream and the interpretation thereof, while the courtiers, and the baffled soothsayers, and astrologers, wait around in silent awe and wonder.
It might be expected that a youthful monarch, raised to the highest earthly throne, and in the full flush of uninterrupted success, would scarcely brook to be told that his kingdom, which he designed to last forever, and doubtless fondly hoped would so last, was to be overthrown by another people. Yet Daniel plainly and boldly made known this fact to the king; and the king so far from being offended, fell upon his face before the prophet of God, and offered him worship. Daniel doubtless immediately countermanded the orders which the king issued to pay him divine honors. That Daniel had some communication with the king which is not here recorded is evident from verse 47: “The king answered unto Daniel,” &c. And it may be still further inferred that Daniel labored to turn the king’s feelings of reverence from himself to the God of Heaven, inasmuch as the king replies, “Of a truth it is that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings.”
Then the king made Daniel a great man. There are two things which in this life are specially considered to make a man great, and both these Daniel received from the king. 1. Riches. A man is considered great if he is a man of wealth; and we read that the king gave him many and great gifts. 2. Power. If in conjunction with riches, a man has power, certainly in popular estimation he is considered a great man; and this was bestowed upon Daniel in abundant measure. He was made ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.
Thus speedily and abundantly did Daniel begin to be rewarded for his fidelity to his own conscience, and the requirements of God. So great was Balaam’s desire for the presents of a certain heathen king, that he endeavored to obtain them in spite of the Lord’s expressed will to the contrary, and thus signally failed. Daniel did not act with a view to obtaining these presents; yet by maintaining his integrity with the Lord, they were given abundantly into his hands. His advancement, both with respect to wealth and power, was a matter of no small moment with him, as it enabled him to be of benefit to his fellow-countrymen less favored than himself in their long captivity.
Daniel did not become bewildered nor intoxicated by his signal victory and his wonderful advancement. He first remembers the three who were companions with him in anxiety respecting the king’s matter; and as they had helped him with their prayers, he determines that they shall share with him in his honors. At his request, they were placed over the affairs of Babylon; while Daniel himself sat in the gate of the king. The gate was the place where councils were held, and matters of chief moment were deliberated upon. The record is a simple declaration that Daniel became chief counselor to the king.
THE PEOPLE OF THE EARTH.
By John Nevins Andrews
“The number who have lived upon the earth since the creation has been estimated at about 27,000,000,000,000,000. This sum when divided by 27,864,000, the number of square miles, gives 1,314,522,086 to a square rod, and 5 to a square foot. Suppose a square rod capable of being divided into 11 graves, each grave would contain 100 persons; so that the whole earth has been one hundred times dug over to bury its inhabitants, supposing they had been equally distributed. Were the bodies lain upon the surface, they would cover the land to the depth of one hundred feet.”—Phrenological Journal, April, 1869.
REMARKS. The foregoing is worthy of notice inasmuch as it is in substance the argument most generally used to disprove the resurrection of the dead. The reputation of the Phrenological Journal makes this article worthy of attention.
The writer says that it has been estimated that 27,000,000,000,000,000 of human beings have lived upon the earth. He gives no data for the estimate. Let us look into the matter. According to the Bible the human family has existed about 6000 years. Even geologists who assign an incalculable period to our earth’s existence, and to that of the lower order of beings, do not claim that man has existed for a longer period than the Bible allows. We may then fairly fix the period of man’s existence at 6000 years. If we assign the space of 80 years to a generation, which is about the present average, but which is far less than the time from father to son in the antediluvian and patriarchal ages, it will give us 200 generations for the whole period.
The present generation is estimated at about 1,000,000,000. Now if we allow that every generation from Adam till the present time has had as many as are now alive, it will give us 200,000,000,000. This must be too large, both as to the number of generations, and the number assigned each generation. But lest some should think it too small, let us double it, and place the number of human beings at 400,000,000,000. The reader can see the grounds of this calculation, and that it is not mere guess work. It is evident that this computation must far exceed the actual number that have lived. But the Phrenological Journal says that 67,500 times as many persons have lived! That is, when we have allowed 200 generations to the 6000 years, which is a large estimate, and have allowed each generation to consist of as many persons as the present, i. e., to consist of 1,000,000,000 of people, which is of course vastly more than many generations have numbered, and then to shut the mouths of cavillers have doubled the number, making it 400,000,000,000, then the Phrenological Journal asserts that there have been sixty-seven thousand five hundred times as many persons as our estimate allows! Such a statement is perfectly preposterous. The writer next tells us that there are 27,864,000 square miles of land upon the surface of the earth; and that if we divide the 27,000,000,000,000,000 of inhabitants by this number of square miles it will give us 1,314,522,086 to a square rod, and five to a square foot. The writer is guilty of an important misstatement or blunder in fixing the square miles of land upon the earth at 27,864,000 square miles. Johnson’s Large Family Atlas, under the head of Physical Geography, page 6, states that there are 44,000,000 square miles of land in the northern hemisphere, and, 16,000,000 in the southern, making a total of 60,000,000, or over twice the amount this writer allows. Then he makes also a gross blunder in simple division, there being, if we take his own figures, only about three-fourths as many persons to a square mile as he assigns to a square rod! His further statement that if each square rod could contain 11 graves, then the ground must have been dug over 100 times, shows how little thought this writer gave to his statement. If there have been as he says, 1,314,522,086 to each square rod, and if each square rod should hold 11 graves, then the earth instead of being dug over 100 times for the burial of its inhabitants117it has been dug over 119,502,008 times! That is to say, it has been dug over about one hundred and twenty millions of times! Such absurd, contradictory and foolish blunders are only worthy of exposure because that many persons who wish to have the thing just as this writer states it, will receive the statement without looking into it at all.
Should the writer assert that it is the error of the printer, and not his own false statement that gives so vast a number (1,314,522,086) to each square rod, as he afterward reduces the number to 1100, let us accept the defense. We must then conclude that he meant to say that there were 1,314,522,086 to the square mile instead of saying as he does that there were this number to the square rod. But even this is a blunder, as his own data would give 968,992,248 or about three-fourths the number he assigns to a square mile. And if we divide this by 102,400, the number of square rods in a square mile, it gives 9462 to a square rod. So that whatever we do with his first calculation of 1,314,522,086 to a square rod we cannot bring out his last one right, which assigns 1100 to a square rod. Instead of this we have from his data 9462 to each rod.
There is no excuse for this wretched blundering. The writer in one short paragraph makes out first that there have been 1,314,522,086, to a square rod; and second, that there have been 1100 to a square rod. These statements are not only utterly discordant, but neither of them can be deduced from his own data. He says that there have been five persons to each square foot of land upon the earth. But this agrees with neither of his two statements as to the number to a square rod; for if there have been 1,314,522,086, to a rod, there have been 4,828,302 to a foot; and if there have been 1100 to a square rod, it gives four to a square foot. This exposure of the blunders and misstatements of this writer, is made merely for the purpose of showing the reader the untrustworthy character of the statements.
Now let us look at the data and see if we cannot make a calculation more worthy of the confidence of reasonable men. We have seen that 200 generations, each equal to the present, gives us 200,000,000,000 of inhabitants. This doubled gives us 400,000,000,000. There are 60,000,000 of square miles, or 6,144,000,000,000 of square rods. This gives us 15 square rods for the grave of each man. This is a reasonable and just calculation only that it manifestly makes the inhabitants of earth far more than they can possibly have been.
J. N. ANDREWS.
Note from Bro. Myers.
By S. Myers
DEAR BRETHREN: It is possible some of you would like to hear from us in our distant home. Last summer and fall I held a number of meetings in this vicinity, and tried to present the present truth to the people. Some became interested, and began to investigate. The fore part of January, Bro. J. Bartlett, of Harrison Co., Iowa, came to Decatur and delivered a partial course of lectures. The result is, a few have commenced to keep the Lord's Sabbath, and the way is opened for further labor and greater good. We still hope that the truth will take deep root in Nebraska, and bring forth fruit to the glory of God.
We, as a family, are still striving to overcome the besetments of our own evil natures, and to live up to present light. We find it a constant struggle, and that it requires patience and perseverance.
S. MYERS.
DECISION.
By John Nevins Andrews
Wherever success is possible, the man who is determined to win at any cost will surely succeed. Nay, he will succeed in many cases where it even seems that there is no possible chance of success. Obstacles give way before the man who is determined that they shall not check his progress. He will even convert them into helps for the accomplishment of his purpose. Decision of character makes a man mighty among common men. The same noble element makes a Christian, who has it in his character, eminent among Christians. He is the man that nothing can daunt. He will not turn out of the path for fear of lions. He means to win the kingdom of God and the crown of life. He never loses sight of the object. He counts nothing too dear to be sacrificed for its accomplishment. He thinks nothing accomplished so long as something still remains to be done. He subjects his conduct to the most rigid scrutiny. He determines that self-love shall not cause him to think his case better than it is. He knows that to live to God he must die to self. He fixes the firm purpose that self shall be crucified. And when sharp trials do, with keen anguish, drive the nails into his flesh, he holds still. The burdens, trials, crosses and afflictions of the way he feels as deeply as other men; sometimes even more than they, but they seem to him as so many nothings, so fixed is his purpose to gain the kingdom, and so vast and infinite to him does the final reward appear. To spend a long life filled with labors and sacrifices is to him like bearing a light affliction only for a little moment. For he sees the far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, and he counts everything else as nothing if he may only win that.
He never says, I will endure so much, but if it require still more of toil and suffering, I cannot go further. Far from this. He says, rather, I have gone too far and suffered too much not to go clear through and win the last victory. I have set out to win the prize. Come joy, or come sorrow, I never will relinquish the purpose. He does not ask to find the easiest way; but the surest and most direct course. He does not desire to ascertain how many small sins he can cherish, or how many non-essential duties he can neglect. He asks, rather, how he can follow the Lord fully, without a single deviation to the right hand or to the left. He knows that to be saved, he must live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Others may take a different course, but this is the only one that will answer for him. He means every night to pitch his tent a day's march nearer the city of God. He means that every step shall count. He means that every battle shall be a victory. Nay, should he from the subtlety of the foe suffer defeat, he will snatch victory from defeat. Such a man never can be conquered. He will hold on his way and grow stronger and stronger. He will go on from strength to strength, till he shall at last appear in Zion before God. This is the kind of Christian to whom the Master shall say, “Well done.” Reader, are you such a Christian as this?
J. N. ANDREWS.
REPORT FROM IOWA.
By George I. Butler
My last report closed with the meeting at West Union, Feb. 7. Our next meeting was at Laporte City, commencing Thursday evening, and continuing over Sunday. The weather was very unpropitious, the rain pouring down, and the water being quite high, yet our congregations were nearly as large as could well be accommodated in a private house; notwithstanding two other meetings were being held at the same time. Several took part with us besides the members of the church. Some of our meetings were very solemn indeed. There seems to be a fair prospect that good may be done here in the future by a course of lectures, if our people get them a house of worship in which to hold them. I thought our meetings were as encouraging as any I ever attended there before, and that a spirit of humility and union was rather increasing. But there is great chance for improvement yet.
Elder Brinkerhoff, since my last report, has come out fully before that community as a Universalist, and preached several times, giving his reasons for his change of sentiments.
We held, in all, twelve meetings in Marion. Sabbath and Sunday they were held in the court-house. I cannot say that any great results were accomplished, but trust the minds of all present were solemnized, and the duties of the present hour better understood than before. There seemed to be a cloud hanging over the meetings all through; the cause of which I could not tell. There were but few in besides the members, as the going was very bad. Bro. Mitchell kindly brought me on my way to my other appointments.
At Iowa City I met a room full, mostly of those not believers in our faith. They gave good attention to the word spoken. At Pilot Grove our meetings commenced Sabbath evening, and continued till Tuesday evening, in all, ten in number. It was my endeavor to preach the truth pointedly, but I could hardly tell whether any good was accomplished or not. There has been so much preaching at this place by those who were better qualified to arouse and instruct, that it was of course not expected that the meetings I should hold would have any perceptible effect. But I did what I could, and trust that no harm was done. It was rather discouraging that none were up from Washington. However, the going was rather bad, which was thought to be a sufficient excuse. This church has had much light, which has not been fully lived up to by all. On the whole, this meeting could not be called a very brilliant success.
We came on to Mt. Pleasant over the roughest roads that I ever saw, I think, and arrived safely after a very tedious ride. Had four meetings with the church. As the weather was very cold and boisterous all the church were not out, so our meetings were not full. But as bad as the weather and going were, two of the brethren from Brighton were there, who had walked over twenty miles; and another brother, who is investigating our faith, came nearly twenty miles, to hear his first Advent sermon. The zeal of these seemed to be a rebuke to those living within a few miles, who were not out. Our meetings are rather more spiritual, I thought, than those I had before had with this church, though perhaps this is not saying a great deal. This church has been passing through trials for the last few years, but I hope things are working in some respects favorably. But a great work needs to be done here before this church is “as a city set upon a hill, whose light cannot be hid.”
Our meetings commenced at Brighton Tuesday evening, and continued till Sunday night, in all, ten meetings. Some few are drawing back, but most are still as strong in the truth as ever. They have kept up three meetings a week this winter, and all say their meetings have been good. They number at present 44, on the church book, and some others are favorable. I judged there were twice as many present at the meeting on the Sabbath as there were at any other of our churches in the State. Several were here from Washington, Mt. Pleasant and Paris, where Bro. Cornell has been laboring this winter. There is still a great work to be done for this church, but they seem to be teachable, anxious to learn, and zealous. I believe there is a foundation here for a good church. I feel a deep interest in their prosperity, and shall try to watch over them and instruct them in the ways of the Lord.
Upon the whole these meetings that I have reported have not seemed to accomplish very much that can be discerned by outward observation, but I hope some good has been done. At any rate I feel like still laboring on with earnestness for the success of the truth.
GEO. I. BUTLER.
Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, March 16, 1869.
Returning Good for Evil
A SINGULAR action of the sanctified Christian is, that he renders the greatest good for the greatest evil.
The Love of God.
By JOS. CLARKE.
Nothing is more desirable in the universe of God, than to gain the affection and love of our Creator.
To a little child, what is there so satisfying and sweet as the love of its parents? and what is so terrible to the little one as the withdrawal of a parent's love and favor? So with the child of God. Without the evidence within of God's love and favor, life becomes a dreary desert.
To live so as to have the continued evidence within of acceptance and favor with our Heavenly Father, is the great object and motive of life, that is, to him who sets a proper value upon the favor and love of God.
How then shall we best exert ourselves, that we may obtain this great, this priceless favor—the love of God?
It has been truly said by a great and good man, that “you might as easily kindle a fire in the midst of the ocean, as to cause the love of God to glow in the heart of the wicked man.”
The Scriptures tell us that the thought of wickedness is sin; and it is clear from Scripture that God will have no fellowship with evil. On this ground it is clear that wickedness is the great cause of the withdrawal of the love of God from the human heart.
To obtain his love we see at once it becomes indispensably necessary to expel evil from the heart; not merely its manifestation, but its very existence in the heart; for as the love of God must exist in the heart previous to any outward manifestation of the same, so the love of sin exists previous to its outward manifestations; and before God's love can be permanently located in the heart, the very love of sin must be uprooted to make room for it. How to uproot this love of sin we refer the reader to a prayerful and candid study of God's word, and hope he will subject his own heart most unsparingly to its tests. JOS. CLARKE.
THE CHURCH IN LAPEER.
By H. S. Gurney; Hiram Perkes; W. W. Lockwood
As the deep trials which the Lapeer church have been suffering for many years are more or less extensively known, it may not be out of place for us, as a committee, called to assist in the investigation of a long list of grave charges brought in against the elders of that church, to make a report through the REVIEW.
It appears that the first and leading cause of trial has ever been through the influence of Geo. Wright, who was for a number of years a member of this church, and although he has long since apostatized and gone over to the first-day Adventists, yet he has some sympathizers, prominent among whom is one Mr. Demill, who it appears has long been in trial and under censure in the church, and was finally expelled about the first of December last, consequent upon which there were preferred against the elder, Bro. Higley, nine charges for dishonesty, and four for slander. They spared no effort nor pains. They had written to different parties in this State, and Iowa, and have made extensive inquiries through the town where the accused has lived for more than twenty-five years, and called upon some of our bitterest opponents, to assist them in making and sustaining charges.
A careful and thorough investigation commenced evening after the Sabbath, and continued until late Tuesday night, making three day, and four evening, sessions, in which the committee gave the broadest opportunity to secure a full, free and satisfactory investigation; and yet they failed to sustain even one of their charges; while in the defense, two of the darkest charges were rolled back upon the accusers.
Unchristian as the whole affair has been on the part of the accusers, we believe and hope that under the overruling of the Lord, it will prove a very great blessing to the church, it having exposed a great amount of tattling and backbiting, which is one of the most effectual ways that the adversary has of destroying our churches. He knows that it will separate very near friends.
From the spirited testimonies and confessions that were borne at the close of the meeting, we believe that a large majority of the church are in union with their elder in trying to rise and keep pace with the message of the third angel, which the following resolution quite unanimously adopted near the close of this investigation, will show.
“Resolved: That on reviewing the past history of this church, and considering our present difficulties, we feel it our duty to confess that we have not followed our Lord’s directions given in Matt. xviii, given especially for our good, and for the peace and prosperity of the church of Christ; and that we feel that our sin in this respect has greatly increased our trials, especially with Bro. Higley, and has stood in the way of a proper understanding of our trials; has been and is a source of wounding the cause, and justly merits the displeasure of God, and calls for confession, humility, and repentance on our part. And we take this opportunity to confess to Bro. Higley as a brother, and to God as our Judge, that we have sinned, and pledge ourselves to try to come up to duty from this time forward.”
Bro. Higley said that he wished to be numbered among those who voted for that resolution.
The darkest and most cruel of all is, that a part of the disaffected persons were not satisfied in trying to destroy a brother’s influence here, where he is known.
They signed a letter of defamation, and sent it to Nora, Ill., where Bro. Higley expects to move in a few weeks, poisoning the minds of community in advance of his arrival there, thus destroying his influence and usefulness, and making the cause to suffer and bleed in that part of the great harvest field.
From the circumstances in this case we feel called upon and esteem it a privilege to testify that from the long acquaintance which we have had with Bro. Higley, we believe he is moving in the light of the third angel’s message, and that for the past ten years Bro. and Sr. Higley have been burden-bearers, large burden-bearers, in the Lapeer church. And we can confidently recommend them to the confidence and watch care of the friends of the cause in Illinois, hoping that the Lord will overrule the dark designs of their enemies, and open a field of usefulness before them.
H. S. GURNEY, Memphis,
HIRAM PERKES, Rochester,
W. W. LOCKWOOD, Holly, } Committee.
P. S. I never saw a more solemn and impressive work than was manifest during the trial. It seemed that the angels were present to record for the Judgment. And the greatest care was used to move impartially in the investigation. Although, as stated, the charges could not be sustained, yet Bro. Higley, in common with others, stood ready to confess that he had, amidst a pressure of circumstances, not always moved right. Perhaps but few would have done better under the same circumstances. It was very apparent that in the trial, testimony was forced, even from outsiders. I never was more forcibly reminded of Job, before his friends. We were very much cheered in the end, when Bro. Higley’s son, Walter, melted before the Lord, with humble confessions and firm resolutions to serve the Lord more faithfully. Others followed in the same spirit. Thus the efforts were crowned with the blessing of God.
H. S. GURNEY.
REPORT FROM BRO. BLANCHARD.
By H. C. Blanchard
My last report ended January 24, 1869. Tuesday, the 26th, commenced a protracted meeting in Princeville, and continued till March 7. We held some forty meetings. The church, I trust, was benefited. Three made a start with us and united with the church. Last Sunday we cut the ice, and baptized some.
Bro. B. F. Merritt and C. H. Bliss assisted some in the preaching. The weather, the most of the time, was very unfavorable, and the opposition strong. A good many have publicly acknowledged the seventh day as the only Bible Sabbath, but whether they will keep it, the future will tell.
Sunday evening, March 7, I gave my farewell discourse to the friends in Princeville. I spoke from 2 Cor. xiii, 11. A large congregation was out to hear. In comparing the history and faith of St. Paul, with Seventh-day Adventists', I found the following similarity:
1. Paul believed that man was mortal, and that immortality was something to be obtained by well-doing. In speaking of man, he says, “This mortal must put on immortality.” He also says, “By patient continuance in well-doing, seek for glory and honor and immortality.”
2. He believed in the destruction of the wicked. He says, “Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction, from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.”
3. He did not think faith made void the law; but was of the opinion that it would establish the law. Rom. iii, 31. He thought it was holy, just, and good; Rom. vii, 12; and that persons who did not obey it were in possession of the carnal mind. See Rom. viii, 7.
4. He was a believer in the second personal advent of our Lord to this earth. He says, “For the Lord himself, shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first.”
He kept the seventh day. On a certain occasion he called the chief of the Jews together, Acts xxviii, 17, and boldly told them that he had committed nothing against the customs of our Fathers, which would have been false if he had not kept the seventh day, as the Fathers were in the custom of keeping that day, not the first.
Before his conversion he was a professor of religion, Acts xxvi, 5, and belonged to one of the popular churches, but when he embraced the unpopular religion of Jesus his former brethren were his worst enemies. Several times they would have killed him had it not been for the vigilance of the Roman soldiers. They laid very many grievous charges against him, but never accused him of violating the Sabbath, which is positive evidence that he kept it. Once when he was defending himself, Acts xxii, 23, they became so excited and mad at him that they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw up dust in the air. This was the kind of argument they used against Paul. Similar arguments are used by the Pharisees of the 19th century.
Thus we see, dear reader, Paul's history and ours is some alike. Oh! let us be faithful to God and his word. Though friends and relatives may turn against us, I do rejoice that I am permitted to suffer some shame and reproach for Jesus and the truth. I still desire the prayers of God's people.
H. C. BLANCHARD.
Chillicothe, Ill., March 14.
P. S. My P. O. address is Woodbourn, Macoupin Co., Ill., where I expect to locate my family in a few days.
H. C. B.
MEETINGS IN MICHIGAN.
By Joseph Bates
According to appointment I held a series of interesting meetings with the churches of Windsor, Charlotte, and Oneida, at Pottersville, Sabbath and Sunday, February 27 and 28, at the close of which, said churches held a business meeting to raise means to build them119a suitable house of worship at Pottersville, Eaton Co.
Spent two days in Oneida, visiting the scattered members of the church, and held one profitable meeting with them. After which, March 1, rode with Bro. and Sr. Dubois eighteen miles to Alaidon, where I joined Bro. Matteson who was still successfully winning souls to Christ. As they come to the knowledge and love of the precious truths connected with the third angel’s message, they zealously unite with those who have preceded them in piling up materials to build them a commodious and convenient house of worship. May the Lord strengthen and bless them to labor in his vineyard till the Master comes.
JOSEPH BATES.
Monterey, March 21, 1869.
REPORT FROM BRO. R. F. ANDREWS.
By R. F. Andrews
I HAVE just returned from Aledo, Mercer Co., Ill., after an absence of ten weeks. Held sixty meetings, and made about double that many visits.
We had to labor against bitter prejudice and determined opposition. The Methodists held a protracted meeting nearly all the time our meetings were in session. Every effort was made that could be, to keep the people away. And some of those who did come out to hear, and were convinced of the truth, and had determined to obey it, were labored with by some of the ministers of the place, and informed that it would “be greatly against their worldly interests to keep the seventh-day Sabbath.” These same ministers have no doubt told their congregations that it would profit them nothing if they should gain the whole world and lose their own souls. Why use such an argument as this to overthrow the claims of the Lord’s Sabbath? Evidently because it was the best they had, and one that weighs about as much as any other with the people of this worldly and covetous age.
Eld. Taylor, Methodist, preached four discourses, on four successive first-days, against the Lord’s Sabbath, and in favor of Sunday-keeping. At his first meeting I distributed one hundred and fifty copies of that excellent tract entitled, God’s Memorial. In his second discourse he attempted to review the tract, and told the people that if they thought best, he could have it printed. At his third meeting he brought forward two hundred copies of a tract purporting to be a review of “God’s Memorial,” written by Bro. White, which were distributed at the close of the meeting. I also had quite a good assortment of tracts at the meeting for distribution. Before the meeting broke up I told the people that all who wished for the tract that Eld. Taylor had reviewed, that I would be very happy to furnish them with it free, and requested them to take it along and sew it and the review together, and to put a paper cover over them, so that all who read one might have an opportunity of reading both. Many were thus taken. I trust that good may yet result from their distribution.
The zeal and determination that is manifested to turn away the people from the truth, is astonishing. Oh! that God may help his people to arouse themselves, to work with all their hearts while the day lasts; for it may soon be too late to work.
Our effort did not near accomplish what we desired, still we have reason to hope that the labor bestowed was not entirely lost. There was not a Sabbath-keeper in the place when we commenced our meeting. There are now about twenty that have decided, in the Lord’s strength, to walk in obedience to all the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, a number of whom never enlisted in the service of God before. God grant that they all may be faithful till the Master comes. I sold about $24.00 worth of our publications, besides distributing quite a number of tracts and small pamphlets free. I got eleven new subscribers for the REVIEW, and three for the Reformer. Bro. Harvey Morrison, of Marion Co., Iowa, assisted me much at this meeting. Our labor together was most agreeable. The dear friends in Aledo have a warm place in my heart. Oh! that they may so live that their lives may win others to the truth.
R. F. ANDREWS.
THE WAY TO HAVE A GOOD MINISTER.
PRAY FOR HIM. “Brethren,” says the apostle, “pray for us.” And if wishes were audible, such you would find is the earnest, the almost agonizing, wish of the heart of every minister. Pray, then, for your minister. He needs your prayers. His labors, responsibilities, anxieties, and perhaps his trials, are great, and all for you. He is sent to proclaim God’s truth; and he needs your prayers that he may do it successfully. With Paul he may say, “Pray for us, that the words of the Lord may have free course and be glorified.” Besides, he prays for you; yes, and for your families and children, and often with deep feeling, and perhaps with gushing tears, and therefore you should pray for him. Pray for him, and you will love him. “Pray for your enemy even,” says an old proverb, “and you will soon love him.” Much more if you pray for your minister—your best friend—you will love him. You will hear him too with interest, and hold him in high esteem, and be blessed by his ministry.
NEVER SPEAK OF HIS FAULTS.—He stands to you in a most sacred and tender relation, somewhat like that of the parent to the child, or the wife to the husband. And what would you think of the husband or the child that should be found speaking to others of the faults of his wife or parent? What would you think of his honor, his manliness, his obedience to God? From your inmost soul you would loathe and despise him, and justly too. And so with you, if you speak evil of your minister. Besides, God by his apostle tells you to “know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake.” And all this you can never do if you speak against them.
DELIGHT TO SPEAK WELL OF HIM. Not to himself, that is needless, but to others. Every one has some good qualities, and so has he. Of every one you can say something good, and so can you of him. Do so, and it will lead others to do the same. It will extend his influence for good. It will aid to make him a blessing to yourself and to all about you.
SUPPORT HIM LIBERALLY. “Let him that is taught in the word, communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.” This is God’s command, and those that disobey it suffer. Many a church has cursed itself by being mean to its minister. Let not this curse be yours. Pay your minister liberally and punctually. Thus his mind will be at rest, free from anxiety, and entirely given to his appropriate work—to laboring for your good.
ALWAYS MEET HIM WITH KINDNESS AND AFFECTION. He is a man, and will appreciate and prize your sympathies. So far from his being above them, they will help to make him happy; and the want, the absence of them will often send him to his study with the heartache—silent and uncomplaining it may be, but bleeding at the inmost soul. Would you shrink from inflicting a pang like this? Ever, then, meet him with a welcome smile, with a kind, encouraging, friendly word. It will warm his heart to a deep affection for yourself; will incite him to the greater effort for your good, and make him doubly willing to spend and be spent for you.
CALL UPON HIM. Not too often, for thus you may interrupt his studies, and waste his time; but at proper seasons. Some people never do this. They expect their minister to call and see them, but never think of calling to see him. Be not guilty of this neglect. Your minister, if a man of refined and sensitive feeling, will keenly feel it. An occasional and warm-hearted visit will cheer him, and aid him not a little to be useful. And now and then, as you visit him, take with you some little present, no matter for its value, that is of little consequence; but take it as a token of your kind remembrance and regard. Such courtesies will bind him to you with strong affection; and his affection it is all-important for you to possess.
EVER BE ATTENTIVE TO HIS TEACHINGS. If it is his to teach, it is yours to hear. Be then in your place every Sabbath—at every service—at every prayer-meeting. Thus you will encourage his heart and strengthen his hands, and thus only can you appreciate his many labors. And not only hear, but what you hear apply to yourself. Obey it. He will have “no greater joy than to see you walk in truth.”
Keep a copy of these rules. Read them at least every week, and often ask wherein you have sinned against them. If you are prone to break them, then read them every day, as you go to your closet, and pray God by his Spirit to enable you to keep them.
Observe these rules, and though by nature your minister may be far from what you would have him, still grace and your kindness will make him a good one. Disregard them, and though in fact you have an excellent minister, it will, to a certainty, make him a poor one to you.