The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-03-06 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES.

Sir,—[ have, from time to time, in my lengthened
correspondence through your columns, endeavoured to
show how much there is always going on in the world,
which either men do not know or do not notice. Events,
as well as things, must attain a certain size and assume a
certain aspect before they will attract attention, and win
a place among the notabilities of the age. The shrub is
passed unheeded, until it can clothe itself in flowers ; it is
only when " the battle of life" is won that the errand boy-
of half a century ago is invested with power, or with,
perchance, the gol len chain of office, and sways the civic
sceptre. A principle must overturn the institutions of
falsehood, and reflect itself in the vivid convictions of
millions, before it can be inaugurated on the historic page,
or gain a recognition of its rightful honours. It 18 work
not doing—but done; consummation—not progress; not
the slow preparatory process of vegetation, but the fruit
and flowers; conquest and triattph rather'than conflict;
which men would rather apPreciate and aPplaud.
And yet, in reference to by far the greatest number of
all events, there is the strongest concentration of moral
grandeur around their beginning. It was over " the
plate where the young child lay," that the star of glory
rested, and it was to celebrate the " commencement,"
not the finishing, of our redemption, that Heaven opened
its palaces, and poured forth its jubilant hosts. The
gratulations ofilur angel brothers were not reserved till
the fabric of creation should have completed its purpose,
but as soon as its foundations were fastened, "the morning
stars sang together, and the sons of God shouted for joy."
It is natural for man, who cannot see very far before him,
and who is more disposed to observe what is presented to
his senses, than to seek out what is partially concealed, to
honour with his exclusive regard those movements which
have grown to grandeur and influence—overlooking those
noiseless forces, those silent but powerful fermentations,
which have not yet made their way to the surface. . ..But
God, who sees all, and whose eye takes in the sweep of
centuries, often honours small things more than great.
Let us look round again at this busy world ; if we look
wisely, we shall descry its vanguard of progress. We
shall not find it in those conspicuous places, to which the
multitude directs its gaze, and before which mankind
are offering their daily homage. But we shall see it, if we
look for it, nevertheless. Our attention will be arrested

by no serried phalanx, no dazzling uniform—the members

of the advanced posts of civilisation are united, but their
unity is spiritual, consisting in no showy resemblance of
dress and weapons, bat in sameness of motive and endea-
vour. They will be found in no one sphere of social
No rank, however exalted, or however lowly, is the privi-
leged recruiting ground for this corps of brave and loyal
men. It consists of mechanics of every description,
statesmen, professional men, poets ; thinkers and doers of
. .

all grades of society, who, fired by pure motives, are
doing their part in the groat scheme of Providence, and
are aiming, not merely to perpetuate the past, but to
make the past an introduction to a more glorious
fnture. The men who are in search for their country's
good, and their own good, will be found in the
study, the workshop, the warehouse, the engine room,
the dockyard, the forest, and the mine. Inventing,
plodding, digging, hewing, building,—they are all at work
at substantially the same thing ; all tending, whether
intentionally or not, to make a way for the race towards
that state of blessedness which the prophetic pages place
before their mental eye. This is not a work of matter

only; its foundations mugt rest on mind. If the heart of
man remains unchanged; if selfishness, worldliness, and
_ _

impurity remain enthroned within him, all hope of true
progress is without foundation. If piety does not ulti-
mately divide empire with science; if to intelligence we
do not add fervent lovP to our Creator, and an earnest

desire to follow out His will, permanent progress in
individuals or communities is an empty dream. Hence,
those men are amongst the noblest of this great vanguard
of progress—this hope, happily not a forlorn one, of the
future—who are seeking in the only true way, by a heart-
felt dependence on the Divine assistance, to overturn the
dominion of vice within themselves, to escape from the
tyranny of their own passions, to exalt and refine their
own moral natui e, and to promote by example and effort
the cause of religion, that religion which is man's highest
privilege and birthright, which is at once the cause of the
people and the cause of God.
And should we not always bear these truths in.mind
when we know full well that the doorway. to eternity is

ever open, and never has there been a moment, for ages
past, when it could be said, "There is no spirit now on its
last journey." That pathway, it should be borne in mind
again, never lacks a traveller. No road can be so beate-
As the tramp of one footstep dies away, anon,
heard following up in close succession. All of w' .et" is
read in history, and the myriads who have left ,Mrit tve
on its pages, have passed through that my- -flu reeord
and gone out into the unbounded plains t' lions arch,
outside. To the end of time this wilt ,Aftt stretch away
cidracyuitirrof
ourtlte
inevitable is the setting of the sun. - on. Not more
air evtherey
planets. The crowds we meet.
W.
.o.ffitB of business, and their
great allies, amidst their 50-
on to 4' the silent waiting
dreams of pl,sasure, are m
hall where Adam meet
-.oth.'"Withhinhgis children." With such
serious tl'Aughts as
these I_tun brought to my next topic
of disce,seloed, ei-
whom ere h our eartraly pastors—those clergymen
hive to look op to for, example spiritual g
on' e. "and. advic • •
, in order that we may 'be prepared for
great change chat awaits us.
Now, Sir, aL:lO$l7 tae, reverently, and with every degree
ottpirit=iiicarttiousness and justice, at the same time
with Garnestness, to endeavour to find out whether
slavery does not thrust • itself even into that hallowed
sanctuary—the church. Do the high dignitaries of our
church, who enjoy their plurality of livings, and who are
continually reminding us from their pulpits of the sinful-
ness in making the money-god all powerful, ever for a
moment dive deep into the recesses pf their own hearts,
and ever try to convince themselves how " example" is
more regarded, generally speaking, than precept ? Many
of them, it pains me to say, do not so far act up to their high
and sacred calling ; for, in many instances, we see they are
equally as fond of enjoying the " loaves and fishes" of this
world as we poor gentiles are ourselves. And how fre-
quently do we see this strange analogy of things too often
exemplified by those who so ardently and spiritually
remind us that they are the true and legitimate- repre-
sentatives bf the Saviour ? How often do we find a country
rector enjoying his thousand, or I may rather say his
thousands a year, independent of his tithes, and which
tithes he takes good care to exact from the poor farmer
to the very uttermost—that tenth part of his produce
which, by manual labour and the sweat of his brow, the
hard working slaving labourer, after bearing a large
amount of expenses -laid out in fertilising his land, in
paying his rent, in supporting himself and wife, and very
likely—as may often be the case—in supporting a family
of children, has found it to be but too difficult to keep his
head above the waves of adversity. Again, we find other
rectors, residents of our large towns, holding a prominent
positionin the church, and whose stipends are considerable
for a sinecure-sort-of-duty which they have to perform,
grasping at the fees, as they generally do, and
which, if not duly forthcoming, somebody is made
to smart for it. But it must be conceded, after
all, there are very many clergymen who are an ornament,
in every sense of the word, to the church, who reveal and
expound to us, Sunday by Sunday, the inestimable and
valued truths of scripture, and who, though they may
oftentimes fail in enforcing upon us that due appreciation
of their principles pertaining to God's holy ordinances and
rituals of his sanctuary, yet, let it be remembered, if we
wilfully close our ears to such divine admonitions offered
to us, and profit not withal, the fault rests with ourselves.
Many there may be, on the contrary, who reap valuable
instruction by the teachings of the minister, and who.
by faith and sincerity in their religious calling "let their
light so shine before men " that their acts and deeds may
be so far held up in the estimation of the world, as to be
initiated and appreciated. Does it not behove us then, in
seeking after heavenly pursuits to study well the private,
as well as the public, character, of every clergyman who
has charge of his flock; to form opinions equally as much
from what he does as from what he says ; to find nut if
he lives well—that is in a spiritual sense of the word—as
well as talks well. It is most important that we should
look into such essential matters as these, and weigh them
over carefully in our minds. We have a right to do so,
and which belongs to us as a privilege, if we desire to
follow in the good path. " Even a child is known by its
doings," and why then should not a minister be known by
his works? There are shadows resting on the future which
every thoughtful mind must deeply feel, though we do not
expect to have pourtrayed before us what part of the
everlasting universe we are to occupy ; what scenes will
surround us; what will be our modes of perception,
thought, and mutual intercourse ; what will be the form and
order of society; what will be our particular employments;
how existence will be varied through unending years ;
how life wilt continue ever new, fresh, and juvenescent ;
these, and all such other intricate questions we do not
desire the minister to speculate upon, as such questions
are at present, and always will be in this sublunary world,
unanswerable. Therefore, infinitely just, wise, and holy
reasons are there for the reserve maintained. But
we ought to know there is a path of glorious life ;
through what scenes it winds ; what prospects it will
disclose; to what sublime elevation it may lead; to what
point of exalted creatureship and union with the Deity it
will bring the pilgrim ; how he will walk along it ; how God
will lead him, speak to him, felicitate him, exactly—we do
not know, neither can any expounder of the Gospel
enlighten us upon this revelation. Although these things
may be a great mystery to us, yet it is the ditty of every
clergyman by his moral conduct and studious knowledge of
the scriptures, to shew us " the path of life." Truly this
hope should be worth more than the tongue can tell, though
it may only bring forth a faint shadow of the difference
between the light and gladness of a good hope, and
the gloom and utter wretchedness of no hope at all.
Let us look a little further into the duties of a Christian
minister. We all know that such duties are of a multi-
tudinous kind—both great and varied. It is not only by
the strict observance in attending, Sabbath by Sabbath,
the Holy Sanctuary. to which he may belong, and therei
hold communion with his regular congregation, that his
mission has been accomplished; he has yet, I think, a higher
duty to perform, and one which is most imperative upon,
him as a disciple of Christ, that of ",going into the high.
ways and bringing sinners to repentance." But lam
afraid many of our clericals are too lethargic in such mat-
ters of vital importance, and only too eager. as we often
find it to be the case, in extending their philanthropy
abroad—that they are too prone to assist those who are
strangers to them rather than labour in the good work at