Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-03-20
s DAILY APPEAI--TIURsDAY Y, MARCH


This chapter is evidently Messianic, while
much of it will apply to the righteous. Yet
it was evidently written by the Psalmist with
his prophetic eye upon he Messiah as one
upon whom all power should be bestowed,
from whom not only pestience aud disease
would flee, but Il e devils themselves would
cry out in despair luke viu, %. This power
his disciples, as we have already seen, so
that they could tread upon serpents and scor-
pions without receiving damage. (See Mark
xvi, Is, Luke x. 10. Acts xviii, 49, But
to say it Is to be understood as belonging
to the ministry now would be as
not now study, because Christ told the dis
cipes. Take ye no thought how or what
thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say,
for the Holy Ghost shall teach you IN the
same hour what We ought to say-(Luke xii,
~. As to the efficacy of prayer, there IS no
| dispute between US. Hezekiah prayed and
| God heard. 81 have heard thy prayer, !
have seen thy tears; behold, will heal
thee"-QI Kings Xxx, 2, 81 Is iah had de-
liyered the message and LEFT the sick man to
| his cogltations; he was saved without ex-
treme JUNCTION from priestly hands, because
of his faith IN God. Your next reference is
| to Asa, which all initiates against your po-
| sition. The prophet before his sickness had
| demonstrated with bin for having turned
away from Israel's God, whose 'eyes run to
| and fro throughout the whole earth, to show
| Himself strong in behalf Of chem whose heart
| is perfect toward Hun" But instead of re-
penting, Asa flew into a rage and put the
| seer IN prisonhouse because of this thing"
| The pan son was absent, you say; you see the
| cause. And he went to the physicians and
died" Who was to blame? He disregarded
| the preacher when in health, and the time
| had cJme when God would verify his declara-
ton, as seen III Proverbs i, 24-31: Because
l have called and ye refused. and
would none of my reproof, l also will laugh
at your calamity, / will meek when your fear
| cometh as desolation and your destruction as
the whirlwind." But do not the scriptures
| teach us 1.-THE prayer of faith shall save the
sick ?" Most assuredly, where previous con-
ditions are complied with and Gods will APP
proves. elf we ask according to His will
He heareth us''-(John V, IA. Non Sicut
ego uolo, Sed sicMt tn, was the prayer of Jesus.
The bible teaches US ''to everything there
is a season, and a time to every purpose
under heaven A time to heal and
time to die; and while it is called to day
harden not your hearts as IN the provocatIon,
in this day of temptation In the wilderness,
where your fathers tempted me, proved me,
and saw my works. "-(Heo. iii, 7-10J. As
for examples found in the scriptures of good
men fleeing from visitations of fearful
| scourges, in obedience to the voice of God,
| will cite few; my space will not allow
the quotations. The reader Is requested to
turn to the bible and read for himself Gen. j.,
9-15; Gen. xxxxvi, IA; | King xvii, 2 g.;
Matt. XIV, Is 20. 1t is unnecessary to null
tiply examples, for in the mouth OF two or
three witnesses, Jesus says shall every word
be established. And as selt-preservatiUn Is
the first law of nature, which even the brute
creation Instinctively obeys, l am lead
seriously to question the right OF any man to
rob flor the sake Of public sentiment) his
fapoilv of a life So indiSnpneahla n thar han
piness and we'll being. IF any provide not
for his own, and especially for those of his
own house, he has denied the faith and IS
WORSE than an lnfde!."- Timothy v, 8.
If it is done for the gospels sake, and in
obedience to the authority of Christ, then the
promise recorded in Matthew xviv, 20, is
theirs. But we have demonstrated the fact
that ministers officially can be of no more
service than any other good men in time of
yellow fever. Churches are closed, preach
ing suspended, and their congregations gone.
Having done this we appeal from the verdict
made up from false principles, to verdict
based upon reason, equity ard righteousness.
Here it might be well enough for me to say
none of my ministerial brethren knew any
thing of my previous letter until they saw it
published, nor of this. | have never heard
the subject mooted IN our pastors association
even; and it was purely prompted from a
sincere conviction that public sentiment as
| should not cry down good and true men who
dare to follow their own conscientious con-
vlctions In taking care of their wives and
little ones; and as | do not preach to those
who pay pew rent IN luxurl0usly furnished
churches, but my mission Is to the poor,
who worship in the little church around the
corner" on Mill and Fifth streets, hardly
able to take care of their own families, 1
reckon ought to be free to decide for my
self whether it will be my duty to remain or
go, should it be our misfortune to pass
through another such scourge. | do not say
| will leave, bat do say shall do what at
the time my conscience dictates to be done.
Say lot the verdict is already "seaAd and
irrevocable." Let us rather remember we
are al impulsjge, erring mortais. and are LA
BILE to form opinions from ancestral training
and preconceived notions. Paul was drip
ping with the blood of the saints, which pub
lie sentiment authorized, when on his way to
Damascus he was arrested by a miraculous
power from on high, saying, Saul, Saul,
| why persecutest thou me?" He tells US in
deed that he verify thought he ought to do
many things contrary to the name of Jesus
of Nazareth" MANY saints did / shut up in
prison, having received authority from the
| chief priests" 1t Is not safe to form an
opinion with the feeling of persisting in it
right or I0r0ng Sic seRtiO, sic sentiGni, will not
do for this age of investigation and progress.
A babe always turns to the light; would it
not be we'll if we were all children in this
particular? The old Puritanic notion that
ministers are scarcely mortals, and must be
doomed to long faces, dreaming voices and
live among the tombs. l have little charity
for. 1t has a tendency to clothe religion in
false colors; makes it a nun, all robed in
hoods of mourning, instead OF bright angel,
throwing a cheerful halo CT happiness
around the young, while to the aged it whis-
pers sat evening time 1t shall be light" Let
US agitate this question, as we'll as all others,
in which the public good is SO much involved.
Ministers are public servants in the gospel,
not out of it. And l do contend far,
honest, biblical investigation of this subject
is due them, without berating with bitter re-
proacb, unkind invectives. l can but hope
that the press, so potential in the formation
of public sentiment, will loan its influence
to right aud justice, pro bono pwblicO. For
beyond doubt it is
1.-THE mightIest of the mighty means
On which the arm OF progress leans,
Mans nobleSt mission TO advance,
His rights enforce his wrongs redress,
Mghtest OF mighty is the press"
W. II. BARKSDALE.