Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1890-03-13

TisCS OF tAc Oiu CCA0Hl- IL WIS
a solemn occasion. The sixth
chapter Of Acts was read as q
guide 20 our conduct, and a ser
mon preached on It, setting forth
the nigh honor OF the c5ee and
the serious and sacred duties of
Stephen and Parmeuas.
We were much impressed W ID
the spiritual aspect Of The Office
and we're persuaded that the do
ties were light. and on the whole
delightful. Moreover at the
close ofthe ceremony the elders
congratulated US upon the popu
llarity Of cur election, and We
thought it a pretty fne thing to
be deaesns We have been dis
appointed. and studying the sto
~ OF Stephen with q more per
sOnal interest, we think the com
parisoa il not altogether favora
ole TO us &C the present day, and
that modern Stephens have
much 10 contend with that does
not appear in the experience of
him of the Acts
The elders ii;erslly withdrew
after ouF election, and we sup
pose nave given themselves
continually to prayerr-thOugb
they have done very little of il
10 the prayer meeting
jerks aud [. after trying it or,
concluded that while there was
much solemnity in the election,
the duties are strictly secular.
aud that while our great exem
plar was full Of the Holy Ghost
rs Is highly important that a.
Stephen CT the nineteenth cen
tury should be full of business
as well, and that in choosing
deacons it is we'll 10 consider
other qualifications than ex-
IRENE piety ami gray hairs. So
We proceeded To run the thing
ON business pTincipais-got Ep
some printed matter without
any Scripture quotations, and
notified subscribers when they
were in arrears, but that didn't
seem TO work well Some OF the
good people wanted the church
TO run along smoothly without
any unpleasant refereBcetOsu such
worldly matters as dollars and
cents. We beto0k ourselves
again to the sixth chapter OF
Acts and discovered some OF
the discrepancies Of the Situa
ton and disadvantages under
which we were labOiing.
1t seems that Stephen "did
great wonders and miracles
among the people," aud that
they we're not able to resis.
the wisdom and the spirit by
which he SPakei They have
resisted jerks and me from the
very start, though we have done
our best TO raise the sRbscrip
ton "a a reasonably safe figure,
and the Only circumstance ap
preaching q miracle was on the
part OF jerks, to whom = man
came and voluntarily raised his
subscription.
We had been careful not to
neglect the Widows" as We had
I observed that the widows are.
in proportion to their means,
our mest liberal subscribers,
especially those vho had to earn
their daily bread by sewing
But tEeie was something back
of al this. We ceuld not lind
any reference in this chapter e
a subscription list. nor how Ste
phen aud his fellow deacons
sPeat several DAYS every wear
IN getting the Greeks and He
brews 10 subscribe, and rs MACY
days each month ia get;lngthen
to pay what they bad subserib
ed, IN order to keep the "a.
from bein. turned OF and tbs
minister from resigning.
La fact the Bi1le don't sax
one word abOat how they raised
the money; bgt there seemed to
be always plenty of il there. and
all they had TO do was TO dis
barse It wisely and 10 the salts.
faction of the Greeks. Great
Scott What a picnic To be a
deacon IN those days, IL had
never troubled jerks and re
hon TO disbuFse it-how to get
II was the rub; and We doubt,
had our case been like theirs. ii
our twelve had withdrawn In or
deTtO give themselves eOutinn
ally TO prayer and turn the
widows over 10 jerks aud me.
And yet it is interesting some
times to listen TO = whole string
Uf family affairs when We cal! to
dua d delinquent. They detail
their financial emharrassments
to MS as though We could pay
the preacher with excuses and
keep the church warm with
promises Some think that il Is
the deacoh's business and not
their own tEat we come to re
mind them of, and that they Go
the deacon "a personal fayor In
paying their subscription; aud
some are even SO silly as 10 get
mad, when IN the considerations
discharge of an unpleasant dutv