smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1874

-ett4 't 1 t't


The Baptist Union has an argu
ment in favor of "open communion,P
written by an eminent Baptist min
ister," from which we quote:


When we are singing the sweet
words of Cowper, Watts, Wesley,
and Newton, and sending up our
hearts devotion upon the wings of
those beautiful hymns which they
composed for the church, we cannot
entertain a doubt as to the genuine
ness of their love for Christ, or the
purity of that spiritual atmosphere
which they breathed. No one could
make us believe that these devout
souls entertained less regard for the
authority of our divine Master than
we do ourselves.


That they were in an error in re-
spect to the matter of baptism, |
have not the shadow of a doubt; but
that they were sincere and honest in
their intentions and in their desires
to do Gods will, there is just as lit
tie reason to question. The worst
that can be said of them is, that
they were not in situation to ena-
BILE them to see the subject of bap-
tism just in our light.


The inconsistency of the close
communionist is seen in the fact that
he insists that such men shall, never
theless, be treated just as if they had
knowingly and willfully defed the
law of God and the authority Of
Christ. He assumes that there is no
difference between willful rebellion
against known law and an involun-
tary mistake in the Interpretation of
a statute-a principle which no gov
ernment would tolerate, and which
can never be justified by any appeal
to law and justice.
Year: 1874

Some persons need to be convert
ed over again once or twice a year.
They are SO impulsive, yield so read
ilY to the influence of circumstances
surrounding them, and have SO little
Of real religious stamina in their
makeup, that as soon as they are in
range oftheir besetting, or easily
circomstaHced," sin, they yield to the
temptation and are overwhelmed in
doubt and distress. Then, when the
revival season returns, they as readi-
ly yield to the heavenly influence of
that occasion and are soon happy
again in the Lord. If they should
happen to be called away from earth
in one of their joyful seasons, their
friends would no doubt rejoice that
they had gone straight to heaven.


But is there not a much better
way to live? Is is not far better to be
governed by religious principle, than
by impulse, or the influence of ones
surroundings? What every Chris
tian needs, under all circumstances,
is to be faithful to his God. Stand
fast on what is right. Do nothing
that is wrong. Pray to God to give
you help. Trust in His promise to
hear prayer. "Steadfast and unmov-
able, always abOunding in the work
of the Lord, forasmuch as We know
that your labor is not in vain in the
Lord. '-IacJfc Christian Ad0o-
cute.
Year: 1874

may feel at home in the house of God
1t is our duty, as Christians, to win
those whom we meet, to Christ by


all means in our power. We owe
it to them as a matter Of politeness


This will tend to increase the con-
gregation and fill up the Church.
Dwindling audiences have been ell
larged by such means. In some chur-
ches there are han1shaking commit


tees, whose business it is to see all


strangers, speak to them and invite
them to come again. But it seems to
us that every member of the Church
ought to feel it was his duty, if poss-
ible, to greet those who come into
the congregation for the first time,
and let it be known that thy are
heartily welcomed. Many of our
churches are but partially filled be-
cause very little effort is made to
draw them to the house of God.
There should be a drawing church
as well as drawing minister. The
Gospel should go after and seek men,
if they will not come after the gospel.
All Christians should feel it their duty
not only to invite the irreligious to
the house of worship, but also to
treat them with cordiality and kind
ness when they do come. This may
induce them to come.-Pied. Press.
Year: 1874




Some Sabbaths since the preacher


entered the pulpit unusually moved


Of the Spirit, and proclaimed in thrill


ing speech the truth as in Christ.


Saints and sinners deeply felt the


power of the Word The Angle


was down il the pool, stirring the


waters. No sooner had the minister


taken his seat, after announcing one


of Charles Wesley's charming selec-


tions as the closing hymn, than an


ambitious quartette in the gallery


hitched a fidgety, fully, operatic tune


to the precious words of the sacred


bard, while rolling and tossing in


marvellous convulsions, the leaders


beat the air as though frightened by


the Witch of Endor. Under this
merciless, profane musical treatment
the patient congregation closed book
in astonishment that this solemn
hour of deep religious reflection
should be thus sacriJigiously trifed
with by the delegated singing author
ity of the Church. This is nought
but numbering spiritual things in
the Church of God. 1t is the result
of the successful stategy of the Evil
One in controlling the rehearsal meet
ing, that he might on Sunday morn
ing destroy the influence of the SER
mon. Under this process the con-
gregation stood dumb before God,
when prayerful praise should have
been upon every lip We have no
objection to choirs when the tunes
selected are in harmony with the ex-
ercises and the spirit Of the day, and
when the people, or most of them,
from familiarity with the selection,
can unite in singing the same. But
if, for the sake of singing new tunes,
religious impressions are to be sacri-
feed, we say away with choirs and
all this trained professional skill, and
give us the tried and consecrated
hymns and tunes our fathers loved
SO well to sing.


In the time of the Reformation,
Cardinal Cajetan said, "Lutber con-
quered us by his songs" And how
true is it, that the melting pathos of
Wesleyan ministrelsy rolled death
notes around the fabric of High |
Church Journalism, and unsealed mil
lions Of lips in praising God. Ifnew
tunes and melodies are used, let them
be sensible and spiritual, not dissipa-
Ting and repulsive. To circumvent
-he abuses Of this singing monopoly,
md thus get rid of what is becoming
l positive nuisance, let a congrega-
ion singing choir be established and
in each Church, conduct
ID by Christian man in Christian
way. Have singing leader to lead
he whole congregation, as is the case
low in many of the largest churches
n Europe and in the North, then
Year: 1874

Writing on this subject III the ,Seo1-
tlay School Idea, Mr.. Hart says:


I do not agree with Or. Tying aud


some other high authorities, that the
minister should be the acting super


intendent of the Sunday School. The
amount of work to be done is too


much, and it would lead in almost
every case either to a neglect of the
school, or of a lowering of the stan


dard of the pulpit performances


AT the same time | most fully be-


lieve, that the minister should be the
chief animating soul~of the school


The superintendent should be his
righthand man, his counsellor and
co-worker in all his plans for sowing
the seed III the hearts of the young
of his charge. The minister should
spend not less, certainly, than half
an hour in his school every Sunday.


He should know ali that is going on
in it. He should know every teach
er and every scholar by face and by
name, and what influences are at
work in each department and in eve
ry class, and he should find the
means to make his own influence
felt in every movement of the school
Every scholar and every teacher
should feel that the pastor is cogni-
zant of his or her doings in the school
NOT, of course, by any system of
espionage, but simply by the fact of
his constant and pervading presence.
The school, in short, should be
thought of and spoken of as his.


Our Sunday School will become
what they should be, and will accom-
plish the mighty results which they
are capable Of, when our pastors
come fully up to the work, and not
before. Some of our writers seem
to be under the apprehension, that
the Sunday School work is in danger
from the interference of ministers.
They speak of it as work peculiar
to laymen-one in which clerical in
terposition would be a sort of intru-
sion and impertinence. Such notions
are utterly alien to every idea that l
have formed OF this work. fat times
! have been disposed to utter sharp
criticism upon ministers in regard to
the Sunday School work, it has been
for their Indifference, not for over
do not think it de-
sirable. ordinarily, for the pastor to I
superintend the school. There is not |
one minister in thousand that has |
the physical strength to do so. A
man needs to go into the pulpit with |
bis energies fresh and in tull vigor.
Ii he rises to preach after exhausting
himself mentally and bodily in the
school-room, and with his voice hus-
KY by use. he would be doing a seri-
ous wrong.


No pastor who is wise will med
lie with the small details of the
'chool-room. Ifa superintendent is
70 get along comfortably and effici-
sntly, he needs to enjoy largely the
of those above him as well
IS those below him.


., brother cremationl We have
Year: 1874

Secret sin turks in the soul like
some scent in the air, whose source
may be deep in the earth below, or
be high in the air above. IL may
dwell in the bosom of the zephyr,
or in the strains of sacred vespers.
Year: 1874

ABEAUTIFUL PRAYER.-A poor
Irish woman asked a wealthy lady,
the owner of a beautiful flower gar
den in Detroit, for flower or two
to put on the coffin of her dead child.


The good lady invited her to be
seated, and very shortly brought a
magnificent cross and wreath. The
afflicted one was overcome, and as
soon as she was ablo 10 express her.
self she said most fervently, "May
our blessed Redeemer meet you at
the gate of Heaven with crown Of
flowers more beautiful than these"
A most touching prayer, in which
many will join the afflicted mother.
Year: 1874

OF the call for careful and repeat
ed study Of lesson by the teacher,
even though it is one he has previ-
ously taught, the learned bishop of
Exeter gives a good example from
bis experience, while Head Master of
Rugby. He says:


During the many years l was a
teacher, do not think it happened
once in half year that l went into
the school, without having previous
ly studied the lessons which / had to
teach. 1t was not only necessary in
such instruction as / had to give, but
it is necessary in all really good in
stuction; and if you get Sunday
School teachers to view the matter
in that light, and first study them
selves what they have to teach, then
| think the Sunday School teaching
will become much more valuable
and instructive.
Year: 1874

TEACHERS need two things: they
need teaching spirit and they need
a teachable spirit. They need to
learn, as well as to teach. You know
that, when the apple in autumn is
fully ripe and has altogether ceased
to grow, then is the time to pluck
it, or it will soon rot. When teach
er has ceased to learn, that is just
the moment when he ought to cease
to teach
Year: 1874

Heroes are frequently met with, even
in these degenerate days. Here is case
in which the principal actor certainly de-
serves honor at the hands OF his fellow
men: AT the fall Of bridge on the North
ern Central Railroad, near Cockeysvile,
last week. the locomotive engineer, Jack
Purdy, discovered, when on the bridge,
that the structure was giving way. An
ordinary man would have instantly be-
come panic stricken. and probably sprung
from the locomotive to save his own life,
leaving the engine to fall back upon the
passenger cars it was drawing, to crush
many people in the water below. But
Jack Purdy proved his capacity to com
prehend and conquer great danger. In
stantiy he understood the necessity of get
ting his engine off the bridge before it
went down, and quick as thought he open
ed the throttle-valve as wide as it could
be pulled, when the engine, like goaded
steed. sprang forward, breaking from the
coupling by which the train was attached
to ii, the powerful machine being thrown
forward from the rail with momentum
producing shock sufficient to close the
valve. and thus stop the locomotive when
1t was out of danger, as suddenly as it
had been started. But the moment of
peril'was over. The brave engineer, firm
ly grasping his throttle-yalve, was found
bleeding proiusely from cuts received by
the crash. vet not seriously wounded. He
had saved the lives OF many people by his
prompt act of heroism; and as he stood
on his ''ioot-board' his position was as
noble as that ever occupied by F'arragut
when lashed TO the top of a mast. Sheri-
dan rolling back column of fire, or Sher-
man contending with storm of lead.
Year: 1874

TRUE TO THE CHARACTER.-The Bid
detord Democrat tells the following story
at the expense of Col. d. of the 3Oti Mass.
Regiment. The Colonel was West Point-
er and strict diseipIinarian. but was given
little to strong drink. Riding down
past some new recruits fiom the Granite
State one day.he thought one Of the men
did not give very artistic salute. and so
dismouptins from his horse he said to the
Soldier: Now you take my place and
will take yours. You ride of little way
and then come back aud will show you
how to salute an officer" The private
mounted the horse and rode of. The Col
onel waited some time but seeing nothing
of his mau. finally concluded he was sold
and repaired TO his quarters. Some time
during the night no little hustle was Great
ec by the priyate's return considerably
more than half-seas oyer. The Colonel
rusned out oil his tent and shouted who
in h-ll are your" II am Colonel D."
was the response. Colonel d. be id,
why, you're drunk" We'll, l shouldn't
be Colonel D. if wasn't"
Year: 1874

Worship your heroes from afar; contact
withers them.


The wealth of the soul is measured by
how much it can feel; its poverty by how
little.


The quivering flesh, though torture torn.
may live; but souls once deeply wounded,
heal no more.


1t Is not the greatness of mans means
that makes him independent so much as
the smallness Of his wants.


Moderation Is the insensble companion
OF wisdom. but with it genius has not even
nodding acquaintance.


To lie about a man never hurts him. but
to tell the truth about him sometimes does
Year: 1874


He left load OF anthracite
In mont OF poor widows door,
When the deep snow, frozen and white,
Wrapped street and square, mountain and II


That was his deed;


He did 1t well.


"What was his creedl"


l cannot tell
Blessed "in his basket and his store"
In sitting down and rising up;
When more he got, he gave the more,
Withholding not the crust and cup.


He took the lead


In each good task.


"What was his creed!"


did not ask
His charity was like the snow,
Soft, white, and sileni in its fall,
Not like the noisy winds that blow
From shiyering trees the leaves a pail


For flower and weed.


Dropping below.


What was his creed?"


The poor may know.
He had great faith in loayes Of bread,
For hungry people, young and old.
And hope inspired, kind words he said
To those be sheltered from the cold.


For We must feed


What was Bis ereedf"


cannot say.
In works he did not put his trust,
His faith in words he never writ;
He loved 10 share his cup and crust
With all mankind who needed IL,


In time OF need


a friend was he.


''What was his creed?"


He told not me.
He put his trust in heaven. and he
Worked well with hand and head;
And what he gave in charity
sweetened his sleep nj daily bread


Let US take heed,


For life Is brief.


"What was his creedf"


what his belief"
Year: 1874

An eccentric old fellow WHO hyeq
alongside of a graveyard was asked
if it was not an unpleasant location.
@No' said he, y never iiped places
in my life with set Of neighbors
who minded their own business So
sttiitdny as they de-"
Year: 1874

Returning from an enjoyable trip to the
country, accompanied by a lady friend, we
had the misfortune to lose the train arriving
at the depot just in time to see it moving
off; whcreupon my friend, with an agility
which might have delighted me under other
circumstances, riSkcd her life by attempting
to Spring on the steps Of the rear car per-
haps her leap might layc ended successfully;
perhaps life or limb been endangered; but
| frustrated the rash attempt, and edited
her with moral lecture concerning the sui
eide while we awaited the next train. |
think most people will agree with me in
thinking that it is better to lose twenty
minutes, or even half an hour, than risk o
life yet we everywhere read of people who
run these fearful risks, too often unsuccess-
fully. Very recently Il distinguished gradu-
ate Of Il Virginia university wanted to de-
post a letter in the poSt-oftice on the other
side Of a railroad track. A locomotive was
approaching; he thought he could cross
before the ponderous engine could come
along. lie miScalcu.ated the speed In
another moment he was ii shapcleSs mass.
Had he waited two mnutes--half Il minute
the train would have passed along, and he
could have deposited his letter. y young
lady wished to show her friends how easily
she could cross in front of a locomotive she
did cross, but her streaming dress caught in
the passing wheels, !rawing her back under
its crushing weight. One day young wife
looked from her chamber window and saw
her husband leave the cars, which daily
passed her home. she ran down stairs to
greet him at the door, but when she reached
it, he was not there. She thought he was
playing her little trick she called for him
playfully, but there was no answer. She
saw crowd of men approach the gate, open
it, come up the path with her dead husband.
lie did alight from the cars and safely step
upon the platform before the station.
There was train in an opposite direction;
he thought he had plenty of time to cross in
front of it, and did cross except by one sin
gle inch; the wheel struck the heel of his
boot, wheeled him round under the cars,
and all was over; one minute longer, and
he could have crossed with the locomotive
behind him. Limbs are broken, lives are
lost every year, in any large city, by at
tempting to cross in front of moving horses
or vehicles And all this foahardy daring
that few moments of time may DO saved
Year: 1874

The troubles which SO often arise when a
man goes from the country Of his residence
to distant land for wife, seem to fall upon
princes no less than upon ordinary people.
The Duke of Edinburgh, also known as
Prince ALFRED, Queen VlcroRIA's second
son, is just beginning to learn the truth of
this matter. Instead Of marrying some nice
English girl as he probably might have done,
lie went off to Russia and married the
daughter of the Car. \ daughter of the
Gar is Grand-duchcsS, and ranks among
the highest of all the princesses Of the earth,
everywhere except in England. Fhe Eng
than those of any other country. So when
the Russian princess who has married Prince
ALFRED goes into society with an English
princess, she is required to take back scat,
thing which no Russian princess ever yet
did do, and which this particular Russian
princess, it seems, has notified all concerned
that she never will do. Her husband, as a
GOOD husband should, stands by her in this
determination. Hence there is much trouble
in tie royal drawing rooms, and English
society is fluttered from centre to circum-
ference.


The moral of all this is that Il young man
should not 90 off to distant countries in
search of wife, bat should marry one Of
the nice girls who are among the chief
glorics of the land in which he makcs his
home
Year: 1874

Controller Green makes an elaborate ex-
position of the movement of the City debt
during the three years in which he has held
his present office. With much that he says
we most heartily concur. But we must be
permitted to make one or two obser-
vations. & In the first place we do not
hold him responsible for all the bonds
that are issued or for applying the resources
of the City to the purposes for which they have
been and still are used. In the second place,
we most emphatically dissent from his state
ment that "the permanent obligations of the
" City have not increased one dollar" since he
took office. They have increased, in round
numbers, thirty million dollars.


The point of the criticisms which we have
made at brief intervals for the last three
years and half dating from the adjourn
ment of the Legislature of 1871, is that the
expenditures by issuing bonds at such rate
as to add ten millions year to the net amount
of the City debt is ruinOus. We maintain that the
ascertaned and acknowledged Indebtedness
of this City forty months ago was as great as 1t
should have been permitted, under any circum-
stances, to reach, and that the best course,
even at that time, would have been not to add
single dollar more to the debt, but to in
crease the taxes. If that policy had been adopted
does Controller Green imagine that the bOule-
ward, dock, aqueduct, park, bridge, and other
extravagances would have been permitted to
60 ONT That was our policy, and we are glad
that it is now finding more favor with the
Controller than we have previously observed
-, T. Jofi fn ha Leo
How, or when, or by whom the claims on the
City Treasury were contracted it is not at all
necessary to inquire The duty OF economy
and retrenchment is not the less duty because
our money has been filched from our pockets
instead of having been expended by our vol
uDtary act. That duty is neglected when
such an expenditure, for instance, as the State
tax for deficiencies is paid out of bonds in
stead of by tax on property. In spite of
all Mr.. Green's figures, 1t is not retrench


ment when ten millions year are temporarily
lifted from the taxpayers only to be added to
the permanent debt, and expenditures at the
rate of forty millions year are permitted to
90 on under rate of taxation which pro-
duces only thirty millions. That ten mil
lions of the forty were lost to the City
through the villany of its officials does
not alter the case. The money has to be raised
all the same, and is part of the City's ex-
penditures no less than the hard-earne salary
of MIR. Green himself. In our opinion, it
should be provided in the same way, namely,
by taxation. Not that we are radically and
utterly opposed to the contraction of indebt-
edness, but our debt is too big already and
was too big three years ago. Mr.. Green's
argument seems to us to sanction the fallacy
that because we have been cheated we ought
not to pay, or at least should not be called on
to suffer any inconvenience which posterity
can relieve us of. We do not agree with him.