The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-03-18
For the National Era.
ISSUES OF LIFE:
DOING GOOD AMI, MAKING A LIVING.


DOING GOOD AMI, MAKING A LIVING. 4
~ By favor Of the Editr MS old friend thus address,
hs Public.
Philadelphia Bible, Tract and Periodical Office,
14OO Chestnut street, March 2, 1858.
DEAR DocroR: thank you for publishing
my first letter, and pr oceed with the second.
1t is no new thing for Ministers of the Gosp,'
to take part in secular affairs: some, of choice
others, by constraint-- l pity the former, an
sympathize with the after. What 80 silly a
to prefer substitute for the Gospel Whsi
so sad as to be checked in the study and &C
vancemeut of the Gospel ITSELF
As to constraint, its occasions are various
personal, domestic soc'al-as want of qualif
cations, of subsistence, of position. Now, 1 an
chiefly concerned with one which may be e1
pressed by fidelity to duty, the sense of honor
the force of conscience, the spirit of Christ, tn
love of God, or any other phrase defining tn
great Joy of conscious and eternal identifcatio
with the true, right, and good. The living four
tains of this JOY are too precious to be scale
up for the sake of access to the sources of GU,
ward and temporal advantage. Therefore th
constraint to engage in common toll, to avoi
this result.
Persons 80 constrained may be distinguishes
by qualities which would command place an
means, if they could only>consent to the popQ
lar forms connected with them. They woul
consent, if they could. They cherish all chat
ity towards those who do consent, regret to b
separated from them, would rejoice to he I'M
ted with them, and sometimes feel as thoug
death were better than isolation. Still, the
| cannot consent. By Providential deter mins
ton, they find themselves constitutional an,
conditional idealists: perceptive and appreci
alive of principles, essential to the progress O
redemption, which require for their practice
development and proper influence some chang.
and Improvement of forms. In their judgment
the Objectionable forms around them perpetu
ate false principles and prevent the prevalence
of true ones. This is enough. AS Witnesse
of what ought to be and must be, they are, fo
the time-Nonconformi This is not vii
fulness. 1t ia simple honesty. Of course, t.
some extent they must share the sufferings O
nonconformists. St. Stephen did not ask tn.
Jews, Which of the priests, elders, doctors, law
yers, scribes, or other classes of hereditary O,
successional conformists, have not your father.
prosecuted ?-but, he challenged them thus
(Which of the prophets have not your father;
persecuted?" Conservatives, generally, far,
we'll enough: "and men will praise thee whe,
thou doest we'll to myself" But, the advance
men, the orient hilltop watchers, with then
backs to the gloom and their brows to the glory
non conformers, reformers, and transformers
these are they who are prosecuted, when per
secution is in fashion; and neglected of men
until exalted of God, when persecution is mo-
in fashion. So st. Paul suffered for noncon
formity. he would have died for either Jew,
or Gentiles; and yet, as he belonged to neither
who among them would have supplied hit
need? When not In prison, writing letters te
illuminate the ages, he daily interchanged hi,
trade and apostolate - sitting down to make
tents, and rising up to proclaim "the blessed
and only Potentate, the King of kings, and LORD
of lords, who only hath Immortality, dwelling
in the light which no man can approach unto
whom no man hath seen, nor can see : to whom
be honor and power everlasting, Amen" AND
so, passing countless intermediate instances
Bunyan, in Bedford jail spent part of his time
in tagging laces and part in cheering the prog
ress Of millions of pilgrims from the City O
Destruction to the Heavenly Jerusalem.
But, must not forget my special object
to give some account of the second part of my
plan, the Ministry of the Press, the Publication
Department.
Thank God that / can thus introduce it
In these days, if Minister must intermit voca
action, he need not make tents, tag laces, or DE-
| anything merely manual. If health fail, anG
he cannot preach the Gospel, he may print it
or, if he cannot tire by preaching it, he MAJ
live by printing it, or, if he cannot live by eithe'
| preaching or printing it alone, he may live BY
both preaching and printing it and, finally, BY
both preaching and printing it, he may do ia,
| more good than he could by preaching it only
| Proposing and answering four questions,
hope to say all the subject and occasion require
What am 1 publishing-P Why? Why now
and, With ,ohat helpP
l. WHAT am 1 publishing? Nothing, o
course, contrary to Bible Christianity. Al
wealth were poverty, and all fame, infamy, a,
a bride to do this. Profound Experience as
sures me that life were worse than worthless
but for Bible Christianity. Therefore, cling
to the Bible, and follow Providence; publish
ing the BIBLE ITSELF: BIBLE TRAcTs tn,
BIBLE TIMES: the STUDENTS MEMORANDUM OF
THE New TESTAMENT: the BIBLE CHRISTIAN
| Pocket DIARY: SToCKToN's Book AND jour
| NAL: the BLESSING, &c. Some of these publ
cations have an interesting history connecte,
with them, and involve principles controllin,
some of the chief controversies which now agi
| tate society. could wish there were room i,
your columns for greater justice to these topics
| Persons who desire to learu more than l her
state, can address me personally. Meantime
presenting that little more variety will do tn
ERA" no harm, tthus continue. See
| The BIBLE ITSELF. This / am publishing i
a peculiar form: Contemplating, with life an
success, various other forms. Without CAREFUL
tracing this matter to its origin, one suggest
i've occasion may be mentioned. Years ago, m
attention was arrested by certain remarks, i
relation to the Iaspired Writer'S, occurring i
Ctarke's Succession Of Sacred Literature.
For instance: JOSHUA" 1t has not been trans
lated into Euglish by itself" MIcAH-" N
edition in Engliaa printed sepQrQkeLu ~ a.