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9576104316141!ery..l56nces178IS120h....I54, 17.... 595213. ... 4S.... 60......SO8184122129ir....l27lydenlSl1841518.......2133Eev.44....'. 5959SO104S....305.....114121122122....126...155.. .1801831861861114Sif... 3682"83.....]'^148....149378THE-AJSHD Gf-03LIDE3Sr T?.-rT-r.-TnVOL. XLI. JANUARY, 1881. No. 1AN APPEAL TO YOUTH.^Y EEV. B. T.ROBEBTS.''Remember now thy Creator in the days of thyyouth."—Bed. xii, 1.Children are naturally inquisitive.At an early age they beginto inquire about God. But as theyadvance in years and in ivickedness,they cease their investigations intothe nature and attributes of tbatmajestic Being who is of " purereyes than to behold iniquity," atidwho cannot look upon sin with allowanceor approbation.Sinners, old and young, are forgetfulof God. Not that they neverthink of him, for God, in his infinitemercy, forces himself attimes upon their attention. Butthey dismiss him from theirthoughts as soon as. possible as anunwelcome intruder. He speaks inthe muttering thunder, and as pealafter peal, and flash after flash,strike upon the outward senses ofthe sinner, he trembles at this slightputting forth of the finger of thepower of the Almighty. But theclouds retire, the sun shines forth,the alarm felt is attributed to weaknessof the nerves, and God is banshedagain from • the mind. Attimes they recollect God, but do notremember him.They forget to worship God,This duty is enjoined by nature herself.They forget to obey him, they followtheir own inclinations or the fashionsof the day in preference.Forgetfulness of God is a greatsin. He so accounts it. " Of theRock that begat thee thou art unmindful,and hast forgotten Godthat formed thee. And when theLord saw it, he abhorred them, becauseof the provoking of his sons,,and of his daughters. And he said,I t(Hll hide my face from them, Iwill see livhat their end shall be; forthey are a very froward generation,children in whom is no faith."—Deut.xxxii, 18-20. " The wicked shallbe turned into hell, and all the nationsthat forget God."—Psa. ix, 17."Now consider this, .ye that forgetGod, least I tear you in pieces, andthere be none1, 32. .to deliver."—Psa.I. To remember God is to thinkof him, to believe in him, to worshiphim, to obey him, and, in brief, toconsecrate ourselves unreservedlyand forever to his service. It is toseek him, implore him for the par-

AN APPEAL TO rOUTH.Diflicult as is the work of selfsubjugation,and bringing thesesinful hearts into harmony with God,and fitting them for heaven, it isless difficult in youth, than it •wiB.ever be again.3. It will save you from thosevices and crimes which will stampwith infamy your character, andrender your salvation extremely improbableif not impossible.At a revival of religion a fewyears since, a young man found hisway to the House of God, and anarrow of the Abnighty found wayto his heart. When the invitationwas given, he went to tbe altar, andexpressed a desire to flee from thewrath to come. On retiring fromthe church, he was rallied by hisyoung associates, who ridiculed hisseriousness, and endeavored successfuUyto dissuade him from becominga Christian. He became uneasy,left college, obtained a midshipman'swarrant, and went to sea. Ina short time be organized a conspiracyand formed a plan to mutiny,pnt to death the ofiicers, and takepossession of the ship. The planwas discovered, he was tried by acourt martial, and the son of SecretarySpencer, a distinguished memberof the Cabinet at Washington,was put to an ignominious death.gamblers' table, and the haunts ofdebauchery, and to meet these expensesskilfully purloining fromtheir employers' till. Yonth is confident.But you should leam fromthe experience of others. Let theirfatal career prove a warning.4. You can be much more usefulby embracing religion when' young.The idea of usefulness shonld entel'largely into your plans for life. Settleit then, .that he is most usefulwho ai4s most in peopling heaven.Some of these young men onghtto be preparing for the ministry,whoare not yet even converted. Some,who are living to no purpose, spendingall their earnings, onght to belaying by, that they may aid insending the Gospel to the heathen.If God has endowed us with talents,we ought not to bury them inthe earth, in living for the world,but devote them to his service. Ifonr abilities are less than others', weonght to cultivate them the morecarefully, and employ thein the moreassiduously in the service of ourCreator.Says Dr. Olin: " What victoriesmight we not anticjipate, what enlargementsfor Zion, could thewhole host of our young men be inducedto gird . themselves withstrength, and enter upon the whiteningfield to which they are called,with something like the primitiveYouth become corrupt and abandonedat a much earlier age thanformerly. In our cities and villages spirit of Christianity. It would bebut few young men remain moral, as the birth of a new dispensation.unless they are decided Christians. They who are ready to perish wouldCould you watch many of them, revive again, and all the islands ofwho put on the outward garb of morality,as God watches them, you is weli famished with ideas. Whatthe sea would rejoice. The churchwould see some whom you least suspect,at the drinking-saloon, the them. She wants an army ofshe now wants is agents to executeyouth.

THB EAKNEST CHHISTIANlarge-minded and large-hearted, anddeeply baptized into the sayingSpirit."Those who have been most usefulwere converted young. JonathanEdwards, converted when a youth,entered the ministry at the age ofnineteen. Whitefield was convertedat seventeen and began to preach attwenty-one. The- Wesleys wereconverted young, and devoted themselvesfrom their youth, to God.5. If you do not embrace religionwhen young, the probability is thatyou never wiU. The great mass ofChristians now in the church gavethemselves to God in youth. Menwho have been most largely instrumentalin the conversion of souls,have remarked that the youth constitutedby far the greater part ofthe subjects of revivals. God says,"I love them that love me ; and theythat seek me early shaU find me."—Prov. viii, 17. " Whom shall heteach knowledge ? and whom shall hemake to understand doctrine ? Themthat are weand from the milk anddrawn from the breastt'." — Isa.xxviii, 9.6. You wUl be the happier to alleternity for embracing religionwhen young." For the son of. man shall comein the glory of his Father, with hisangels; and then he shaU rewardevery man according to his works."—Matt, xvi, 27."And they that be wise shaUshine as the brightness of the firmament,and they that turn many torighteousness-as the stars forever."—Dan. xii, 3.(I) By embracing religion whenyonng and then remaining faithfultill death, your good works 'wiU bemuch more abundant than theycould be if you deferred the workof Balvation till later in life.(2) You can turn now to righteousness.7. The liability to die in youth isanother reason for seeking Godearly." Leaves bave their times to fall,And flowers to wither at the north wind'sbreath.And stars to set—^but allThou hast all seasons for thine own,0 death!We know when moons sliall wane.When summer birds from far shall cross thesea.When autumn's hue shall tinge the golden grain.Bat who shall teach us when to looK forthee S""Death pays no respect to age orstation. His relentless hand wUlsoon strike the fatal blow.A NEW SBEMON OE AN OLD.—St. Paul teaeheth the art of heavenlythrift—how to make a new sermonof an old. " Many," saith he," walk, of whom I have told yon oftenand now tell you weeping, thatthey are enemies to the cross ofChrist." Formerly he had told itwith his tongne, but now. with histears ; formerly he taught it withhis words, but now with his weeping.Thus Slew afiections make anold sermon new. May I not, by thesame proportion, make an old prayernew ? Lord, thus long have I offeredmy prayer dry unto thee, now.Lord, I ofiei- it wet. Then wilt thonown some new addition therein,when, though the sacrifice be thesame, yet the dressing of it is different,being steeped in his tears whobringeth it unto thee.—Thos. Fuller.—As every lord giveth a certainlivery to his servants. Charity is thevery livery of Christ. Oar Saviour,who is the Lord ab«ve all lords,would have his servants known bytheir badge, which is love.

A CHRISTIAN'S REWARD.BT EEV. J. A. GBEENE."Behold, we have forsaken all, and foUowedthee ; what ahall we have, therefore ?"—Matt, xix,27.I. " We have forsaken aU." Thissaying clearly unfolds the true characterof Christ's disciples, andteaches us what constitutes the kingdomof heaven. Christ tells us" the kingdom of heaven is like untoa treasure, hidden in a field ; thewhich when a man hath found behideth, and for joy thereof goethand selletb all that he hath, andbuyeth that field." '.' And again, itis like unto a merchant-man seekinggoodly pearls, who, when he hadfound one of great price, went andsold aU that he had, and bought it."Consequently, whosoever would obtainthe hidden treasures of graceand glory, must go and do likewise.If one would' find the 'pearl ofgreat price, he must in a Scripturaleense, sell aU that he hath in orderto obtain it, for this is the prieeplaced npon it. If we have but onetalent, give it to God in consecration,and the pearl is ours. If Godhas given us ten, it will cost us thewhole to obtain the hidden treasure.•" Whosoever he be of you that forsakethnot aU that he hath, he cannotbe my disciple." The early dis-•ciples knew full weU what it meantto count the cost and pay the price.When to take upon them the nameof Christian, amounted to the samein the sight of the world as becomingthe filth and off-scouring of allthings; when to be known as a followerof Christ was about the samexts signing their own death-warrant;they knew what Peter meant whenhe said : " We have forsaken aU."Would to God that more of Christ'smodem disciples knew what itmeant, for it implies as mueh to-dayas it did in the days of the apostles.-Although in this age those bearingthe name of Christian are aUowed aA CHBISTIAN'S REWARD. 9good reputation from the world, yetthese who do " live godly in ChristJesus, suffer persecution."" He that saith he abideth in him,ought himself also so to walk, evenas he walked." If we would beChrist's disciples we must seek whathe sought, which was in every instanceand under all circumstancesthe glory of the Father ; and mustforsake what he forsook, all selfishmotives and indulgences, sinfulpractices and ungodly associations.1. " Sinful practices." If any one isengaged in any Ulegitimate pursuit,to become a foUower of Christ heinust abandon it at once. For instance,if for the sake of filthy lucreone has dealt out to his feUowsthe beverage of hell, he must closeihis doors, empty the contents ofhis kegs, and cease to do the.devil'swork, even if it costs himhis home, his bread, or his life; ifit takes off right limbs or plucks outright eyes. " For it is more profitablefor thee that one of thy membersshould perish, and not that thywhole body should be cast intobeU." The command is, " Let thewicked forsake his way." AU sin,of whatever description, must befaithfully renounced, as utterly inconsistentwith Christian discipleship.The impenitent dinner lives afterthe flesh, according to the course of •this world, fulfilling the desires ofthe flesh- and of the mind. The followersof Christ mortify the deedsof the body, and walk not after theflesh, but after the Spirit. They renounceevery vicious habit, andfreely sacrifice upon the altar ofconscience and truth, all that is injuriousto soul or body.2. " Ungodly associations." Thedisciples of Christ obey the injunction," Come out from among them,and be ye separate." They realizethe truth of Christ's statement tothe apostles, " The world wUl lovehis own; but because ye are not ofthe world, butl have chosen you out

10 THE EARNEST CHKISTIAN.of the world, therefore the world. hateth you." Those who are of theworld are companions of the wicked,are actuated by the same principles,and are governed by the samemaxims ; but when grace intervenes,the ties which once bound the nowregenerated man to sinners are broken." He renounces the hiddenthings of dishonesty, and has nofellowship with the unfruitful worksof darkness."Although Christ does not forbidevery kind of intercourse with thewicked, yet he teaches bis subjectsthe evU and danger of making themconstant companions or intimatefriends. " Be not unequally yokedtogether, with unbelievers." " Whosoever,therefore, will be a friend ofthe world, is the enemy of God."Hence like Moses, Christ's followerschoose to suffer iaffliction with thepeople of God; like David, theybecome companions of them thatfear the Lord, and their delight iswith the excellent of the earth.n. "And followed thee." Not onlydid the apostles forsake all, but theyfoUowed Jesus. The Word tells usthat as we have received Christ, sowe are to walk in him. There aremany who make a start toward thekingdom of heaven, and at firstforsake all, but by failing to followChrist, they are overtaken and fall a,prey to the enemy of souls. Theapostlesnot only forsook their fishingnets, and the seat at the receiptof custom, but they followed Christboth to prison and to death. So weare to follow him. "All haU reproachand sorrow, if Jesus leads methere," is the language of everychild of God.His disciples follow him as theirteacher. " He speaks as ne'ver manspake." " His word is spirit andlife, and is able to save the soul."His disciples listen to his voice byperusing his Word, and by obeyingthe dictates of the Spirit, " Hearye him."ni. "What shall we have, therefore?"Whatever motive in Peter'sheart prompted this question, Christkindly gave an expUcit answer, andin the context we read, "Every onethat hath forsaken houses, or brethren,or sisters, or father, or mother,or wife, or children, or lands, formy sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlastingHfe." Hence, we see Christ amplyrewards his followers for all the servicethey bestow. May the Lordhelp those who are doubting, andmurmuring over their trials, to lookup and by faith grasp this promise.As I think of this it causes my soulto "mount up with wings as eagles,"and causes me. to feel that I shaUrun and not be weary, and walk andnot faint, and I would proclaim toall, " In my Father's house are manymansions." "I go to prepare a placefor yon."Mansions, crowns, robes, palms, aseat with him upon his throne, thepromise of having part in the firstresurrection, and best of all, eternallife promised to those who forsakeall and follow Christ. Can we notafford to accept of this offer, andclose the contact with the world ?" Will ye also be his disciples ?"This promise being made to thosewho forsake all, implies that onlythose shall receive the fulfillment ofit; consequently those who do not"tear the dearest idol from theirhearts, and worship only him," shallinherit eternal deatb.The question which ought to concernus most is, " Have we forsakenaU ?" Have we renounced the world,,with all covetous desires of the same?or does a love of the dollar dampenour zeal for God, or lessen our lovfefor Christ and soule ? K the propertyof Christians was wholly consecratedto God, would his cause gobeggingas it now does ? Andwould not the ministry receive a-more comfortable support? If theministryhad greater confidence in.the promises of God, and wouldlook to him instead of the church1

alone for support, would he notsend along the ravens with aportion of meat, when churchmembersrefnse to carry it ? Let usremember this promise, and pray asdid the ancient apostles, "Increaaeour faith." Dear reader, how doyou follow Christ ? Are you walkingin the way of his commandments,and following him fnlly, orare you trying to serve him with adivided heart ? If so, can you notnow make the consecration complete?Let tbe enemies of Christ repentand believe; let them forsake alland follow him, that by so doingthey may inberit eternal life. Butlet the saints rejoice ; let them followon to know the Lord ; let themretum and come again to Zion withsongs and everlasting joy upon theirheads."—Until we lose our proud delightin conquering, shall we be ablereally to conquer.—Hope never hurt any one—never yet interfered with duty; nay,always struggles to the performanceof dnty, gives courage and clears thejudgment.—Lord, I discover an arrant lazinessinmy soul. Por when I beginto read a chapter in myBible, beforeI begin to read it, I look where itendeth. And if it endeth not onthe same side, I cannot keep myhands from turning over the leaf tbmeasure the length thereof on theother side; if it swells to manyverses, I begin to grudge. Surelymy heart is not rightly affected.Were I truly hungry after healtenlyfood, I would not complain of meat.Scourge, Lord, this laziness out ofmy soul ; make the reading of thyword not a penance, but a pleasureunto me. Teach me that, as amongmany heaps of gold, all being equallypure, that is the best which is thebiggest, so I may esteem tbat chapterthe best, that is the longest.—Thos. FulUr.UNHOLY DESIRES. 11UNHOLY DESIRES.The evil thoughts and feelings ofthe heart must all be banished inorder to perfect hoUness. God willallow no unholy desires, np uncleanthoughts, no worldly feeUngs, in hisholy mansions. FeUow-believer,take this matter to heart. Are youli-ving like the crowd? Do youparticipate in the follies and vanitiesof the world ?—you are not separatedto God, and in that state ofof mind cannot enter heaven. "Nothingtbat defileth shall enter there."However you may say peace to yoursoul, if e'vil lusts are within you,if you are hankeringi after worldlyenjoyments, you are not sanctified,not tit for heaven. Can God changehis nature? Will belay aside hisholiness to become like sinners ?Impossible. His natnre and waysare unchangeable. We praise Godfor this. We rejoice that he isinfinitely holy. To be happy wemust be holy like Himself. This issettled law of the universe. Sinhath torment. Sin is hell itself Ifyou really desire happiness, be holy,like a holy God. HoUness givespeace, rest, joy. Everlasting thanksto God for the way of holiness inChrist. Cast away every hindrance,every besetting sin, and be holy untoGod. I heard.a professing Christiansay, lately, in a corrupt world Ukethis it was impossible to be holy.But, said I, "Christ has overcomethe world ; don't donbt His Almightypower, trust him fnlly ; Hesaves from every hindrance, from allsin." Wonderful, indeed, aboveall comprehensian, is Christ's cleansingblood. Try it, prove it, makefull test of it, thatyou may escapeetemal sin in hell, and be amongthe pure, holy, loving, happyspirits with Christ Jesus, King ofkings. Lord of lords, in heaven.—Wm-ds of Faith.^r*-^,—Sorrow is a summons to comeup higher in Christian character.

13 THE EABNEST CHBISTIAN.SERVICE. NOT SERVICES.BT KBV. T. MONOD, op PARIS, FBANCE."The calling of assemblies I cannot away with."—las. i : 13.God speaks of the meetings ofHis people, the new moon, sacrificesand Sabbaths, as an offense unto Him.The "multitude" of them wearies,and He asks to what purpose areaU these busy, frequent, yet emptyservices. Do not mistake servicefor services ! Many think religionflourishes if services are well attended.But unless we are wUling andobedient, our, " fat things" willnot make us fat. They wUl ratherharm us. This is a solemn thought.The real question, is, what I am goingto do for God's service ? Here i? afather who says to his son, "Go,work to-day in my vineyard." Whenevening comes, and the son returnshome, the father says, "What haveyon been doing to-day ?" "Oh ! Ihave been getting up, -washing,dressing, and breakfasting." "Thatis all right. What next.?" "Takinga walk, coming home, and takinglunch." "Indeed ! and what next?""Having a good dinner and preparingfora good night's rest." "Well,"the father would say, "but whathave .you done in my service?"Paul says, "Ye serve the LordChrist," Your vocation is the mainpart of your service for Him, providedyon are in the place where Hewould have you be. If you are notclear about that point, be sure andinquire of Him.In a well-ordered house there aremany servants, and, if one tried todo another's work, there would beconfusion. Do your work and do itfaithfully. If God has special andoccasional service, beyond this'. Hewonld direct yon to it.Again remember what the apostlesays about service in Rom. xii: 11:"Not slothful in bnsiness, fervent inspirit, serving the Lord"—fervent,that is, quite hot, boiling. Youmight as weU try to run a locomotivewithont steam as try to serve theLord without fervor. How shaU yonget it ? You can get it in a measurefrom the influence ot those whothemselves are warm in God's service.Do not be afraid ofthem. Gonear them. Catch fire from such asSamnel Rutherford, whose volumereminds me of a contrivance theyhad before matches were invented.I remember it, though I was thenbut a very small boy. It was a kindof bottle, containing some mixture,into which you dipped the match,and it immediately took fire. Theseletters of Rutherford's are just likethat. When you feel dull, lukewarm,cold, read one or two of thoseletters, and provided your heart issincere, see if it does not set you onfire. But we have better than that.We have Rutherford's Master. Thereare the words of Christ, and theSpirit of Christ. The central sourceof holy zeal, of buming love, isthere. The Lord says, "If any manserve Me, let him follow Me."—Johnxii: 26. That is tbe way to befervent. If you want to serve Him";keep close to Him all the time. Iunderstand that verse much betterever since I read in the Book ofKings that Elisha went after Elijahand ministered unto him —I Kingsxix: 21.Again, be wiUing to do what ishumble, what seems useless, if Heso direct. It is a great trial ofpatience. Moses tended sheep 'fortyyears. God did not care so muchabout sheep as He did about tbemaking of Moses. Christ was thirtyyeaiji^old when he began his pubUcministry. God's chief difficultywith us is, not filling, but emptyingus ; not edifying or building up, asit is pulling us down. In our armywhen a man is wounded, they takehim at once out of the ranks andput him in the rear to take care ofhim. He is not fit for the fightingtill his wonnds are healed. Not so inthe Lord's armv. There the faint are

in the heat of the battle, snd tfaewounded lead the van-guard. Lookat the history ofthe church, and youwiU see that most, if not aU, of thosewhom God as employed in a signalmanner for his glory, have been, inone way or another, among themost afflicted of men either in heartor in body, sometimes in both.Therefore, do not be afraid of suffering.Do not think that suffering interfereswith service. On the contrary,ithelps it on. Wlien, therefore, we offerour prayer to God, and ask Him totake us and make us, do not let usforget to pnt up another petitionbetween these two, and asks Himalso to break us. That is a shortand comprehensible prayer: "Takeme ! break me!" God, answeringthat prayer, can do something withus. While we inscribe on our bannerthe beautiful motto, Fbxelsior,let us write Humilior upon ourheart.The work of God is mostly hiddenworkjfuUy known tO Him,known partlyto those who are the immediate objectsof it,scarcely known to ourselvesI am afraid, nowadays, there is agreat deal too much speaking abontthe work done or doing. We havehardly begun some service, but wetnust blow the trumpet, aud let everybody hear of it. I have sometimesthought how well the apostles got onwithout newspapers—and the workwas done all the same ! Some onewill say the times are altered. Surelythey are, and it would be ratherabsurd to pretend that we shouldnot make use of the press. Wewant information concerning theLord's work ; it instructs, e^fies,and stimulates us, but we must notcourt pnbUcity. We mnst not thinkit is of importance that everythingdone and said shonld be noisedabroad, or that the absence of pub-Ucity, of sympathy even,can interferewith the vitaUty and success of awork truly done for God. Amongthe astonishments of the last daywiU be that of seeing, coming outSBBVICB, NOT SERVICES. 13from all sorts of nooks and comers,people whose names were unknown,and to whom God wiU say, "Friend,come np higher."Finally, if we are thus doing God'swork fervently, humbly, patiently,though obscurely, looking to Himalone, we, Uke onr Master, wUl finishthe work that He was given us to do.Only as we abide in Christ, can we beable to complete our work. Meremachinery and outward activity areof no account -witbout this daUydwelUng in, and drawing from.Him. Then onr service and ourservices wiU be acceptable. Let meclose with the beautiful lines of onewhose name has been mentioned,and who used the rare gifts of a tmepoet of the Master's glory—"Now the long and toilsome dutystone by stone to carve and bring ;Afterward the perfect beautyOf the palace of the King."—Homiletic Monthly.; i< » »KEPT BT THE POWEE OF GOD.—If we would be kept by God's power,we must yield to his power. Hewho would be kept from any sinmust consent to abandon all sin. Noman can be allowed to select thesins which he wUl abandon. Noman can be aUowed to choose tofoUow the sin which he counts respectable,and expect to be keptfrom the sins which he esteemeddisgraceful There are many menwho wonld be glad to be kept frojnsome disreputable sin, but they areunwiUing to turn from all iniquity.They who put themselves into Go»d'shands for keeping, submit soul,body, wUl, and everything theyhave and are to the divine keeping ;and to them the promise is made,"submit yonrselves to God, resistthe devU, and he wUl flee from you."Man must have a master. If hefvUl not yield to God, he must yieldto Satan. It is only when he. hasaccepted the Lord as his Head andKing that he is safe nnder his protectionfrom the wrath and.fory ofthe adversary.—77ie Voice.

iI••uOPEN-AIRTHE EARNEST CHRISTIAN.PREACHING.The almost universal abandonmentby Christian ministers of openair preaching is, perhaps, the most• incomprehensible feature of theChristianity of the present day. Ifthe influence ofthe evU one can shutChrist's preachers ont of streets,squares and parks, there are vacantlots in many convenient places whichmight be hired for a trifle. If tbenoontide sun is too powerful, a tentmay be provided, or there arebeautiful summer evenings. At allevents, it is not hotter here than inPalestine, where Christ and theApostles preached in the open-air.If it rains sometimes here it rainsmuch oftener in Scotland, wherethere has been an immense amountof open-air preaching first and last.If the open-air preacher is liable tomolestation,so were Whitefield, Wesley,and the Apostles, who countednot their Uves dear to them that theymight win souls. If some lungs areweak are not others strong? andare we any worse off in this respectthan former generations, and othernations? Perhaps the very worstway to reach unrepenting sinners isto shut the preacher up withinwalls.fourAs some people deprecate outdoorpreaching, it may be necessaryto ask what the teaching of God'sword.is on the subject. Has openairpreaching been sanctioned orpracticed by the Master himself?Can we point to any examples inScripture of those wbo were calledto preach the gospel, doing so in theopen-air. Those who have theslightest acquaintance with tbeWordof God, understand that in the OldTestament, as weU as in tbe New,open-air preaching is both enjoinedand exemplified ?Oar Divine Master preached on amountain side, "and seeing the multitudesHe went up into a mountain,and He opened His mouth andtaught them." He preached by thesea-shore, in boats, and on thestreets of Capernaum. Di* He notpreach in the Temple and in theSynagogues ofthe Jews ? Tes, but,less is recorded of His sermons onthose occasions. Is the servantgreater than his Lord? If theMaster preached in the open-air, soought the servant; nothing shouldbe degrading to him, which theMaster established by His example.We ought to get all we can into thechurches, and go into the streets andlanes of the cities, and into thehighways and hedges, and preachChrist there. The great Apostleto the Gentiles was celebrated as anopen-air preacher; the first Gentileconvert to Christianity in Europewas under his preachins; "by a riverside." We find him on Mars Hill,almost in the center of the city ofAthens, where he condemned theidolatries of the city, and urged thepeople to' seek and serve Jehovahas the only living and true God.God has greatly owned the faithfulpreaching ofthe gospel, in thestreets, lanes, highways and hedges.We can find evidence of this inthe history of the Church, in everyage. Who has hot either read orheard of its success in modern times ?George Whitefield was abundant inlabors in the open-air. In GreatBritain and Ireland, as well as inAmerica, he preached to thousandsof earnest listeners. In Scotland,he addressed as many as 30,000 people,and multitudes were awakenedand brought to the Saviour throughhis instrumentality. He had tosuffer persecution, as those will haveto do, more or less, who thus takeup the cross. Some went so far asto say that "the wark at Cambuslangwas a wark o' the devil."Whitefield, in writing to a friendm regard to his first visit to Edinburgh,said, "I preach twice daily,and expound at private houses atnight ; and am employed in speakingto souls under distress a greatpart of the day. Every morning

Time went on. Other investmentswere lost or reduced in value, butthis gift to tbe poor proved to be aloan to the Lord, and was retumedprincipal and interest, coming, too,at an opportune time. "The goodman willguide his affairs with discretion,"yet there are tiroes whenthe Master calls for acts of faithwhich transcend the bounds of ordinarypradence.—Exchange.—^Envy is usuallysighted than love.THE POWEB OF PRATER, 15I have a constant levee of wounded THE POWER OF PRAYER.souls. I have a lecture in the fields,attended not only by the commonpeople ; but persons of great rank.'-Wesley, Fletcher and the Haldaneswere greatly blessed in theThere are doubtless few personawho have not sometime in their Uveshad, either in their personal experienceor that of their immediate associates,"open-air. Dr. McDonald, "the apostleevidence that that there is aof the Highlands," preached tomany thousands of people ; sometimesGod who hears and answers prayer.Many a man who does not prayten and fifteen thousand habitually, can remember the timepeople gathered 'to hear the gospel when he did pray in the hour of hisat his Ups, and there are not a few extremity, and did not pray in vain.still alive who can testify that it But there are many of the Lord's. was under his preaching they were dear chUdren to whom God hasbrought to Christ.—Selected. proved himself again and again aprayer-hearing and a prayer-answeringGod. In the years that are goneLENDING TO THE LOBD.—^A tewyears after the late civil war a by, when "adversity has assaUedChristian man received a letter from them, when sorrows have come upona friend engaged among the Preedpeople,stating the urgent impor­them, and when every other refngethem, when poverty has oppressedtance of securing a place for a school hasfaUed, they have fled for helpaind meeting in a certain neighborhood.The sum required was large have found his grace sufficient, andto Him who b mighty to save, andfor the proposed giver, quite beyond his arm strong to redeem and victoriousto deliver. But with manywhat he conld spare from his income.The purchase of more land of those who have thus tasted thatthan was required for the school the Lord is gracious, and havepremises was proposed as some proved his power to hear and answersecurity. On reading the letter the pra;per, this matter of answered prayeris,- to-day, a sacred memorywords of the Saviour, "give to himthat asketh thee,'' were strongly rather than a present fact. Forbronght to the mind of the party some reason, if they bave not ceasedreceiving it.. It was a test not only to-believe in a prayer-hearing God,of prudence but of faith, and in responseto what appeared the Master's proof. Their prayers have becomethey have failed to put him to the-wHl, the sum was sent, with the formal, and if they would seek instancesof answers to their prayers,direction that if it could ever bereturned, well; if not, it was given they are obliged to go far back, insteadof gathering them np by theto the cause.way-side as they pass.morequick-It is well to remember all the waythat God led us, in the years goneby. It is better still to know thathe leads ns now, and that to usis fulfiUed the gracious word, "TheLord shaU guide ttiee continually."It is well to rpmeraber and to knowwho it was that took us from thehorrible pit and the miry clay; itis better stUl to know that he stiUestablishes our g(»ngs, and that hisnew song has never died upon ourUps.

16 THB EARNEST CHRISTIAN.O man of God, make haste to CLEARING ONE'S SELF.prove the power of prayer. Be encouragedby the invitations of Him A lew days ago, a very uncommonscene was witnessed at thewho tanght us that we "ought alwaysto pray and not to faint ;" opening of the Passaic County,who himself made his life of pilgrimage,pre-eminently a life of prayer; prominent and respected members(N. J.) Court. One of the mostand who hath taught us in his word of the bar, a man who, like the lateto come boldly to the throne of Horace Binney of Philadelphia, hadgrace, that we may obtain merey made it a rule not to undertakeand find grace to help in time of cases in which there was apparentneed.even a shadow of fraud or injusticeHave, we yet leamed the value of on the part of his client, made athis privilege of prayer ? - Do we motion to address the Court upon a •know how to prize our opportunity personal matter. Being told by theof entering into the presence of the judge to proceed, he said :King of kings ? Have, we learned "It has been my misfortune tohow tenderly he invites us and how commit a grievous offense againstgraciously he receives his children ? this Court, and as the offense wasAnd shall we not henceforth, by the committed in public it is no morelove we bear to him, and the love than right that I should ask forgivenessin public. Some time ago Iwhich he was bome to us ; by tbeneeds whieh press us and the joys was retained as coansel in a case inthat await us, make haste to carry which the recovery of certain sumsevery woe and every want and lay of money was sought. The plaintiffit at the mercy-seat ? If in everything,by prayer and supplication and the case was brought beforewas a gentleman from New York,with thanksgiving, we do let our your Honor in Bergen County,requests be made known to Goa, when holding court at Hackensack.then the peace that passeth knowledgeshall keep our hearts through to be collected was one of $1,000 forAmong the items of money soughtJesns Christ. Let us accept the drawing a will. • The wUl was adivine invitation, and prove in our small one, and the. charge was cer­daily and hourly experience thatGod hears and answers prayer.—Common People.—Witb every exertion the bestman can do only a moderate amountof good; but it seems in the powerof the most contemptible individualto do incalculable mischief.tainly exorbitant. My better judgmenttold me it was wrong, but Iwas self-wiUed, and began the suit.I will not so far accuse myself as tosay that I intended to recover thewhole $1,000 ; no, I thought thejury might allow a fair compensation.But I shonld ' not havebrought the- suit. In this I didwrong, and for this humbly—The very thing which some crave forgiveness. I thereby offendedthe Court, the Law and God, thecall fanaticism, is no other thanheart religion; in other .words,source of aU law, and I want to" righteousness, peace and joy ."in confess my faults so that I may bethe Holy Ghost. These must be forgiven. Again, I have at timesfelt or they have no being. AU not taken the rulings of this courttherefore who condemn inward feelingsin the gross, leave no placewith the grace and obedience tbeydeserved, and for this I crave pardon."either for joy or*«love in religion;and consequently reduce it to a Such a confession of error, neverdead, dry carcass.before heard - in that court-room,

18 THE EAHNEST CHBISTIAN.as pride, covetousness, deceit, anger,intemperance, and what the flesh,isheir to. And they are just asanxious to retain these thOms intheir hearts, as Paul was to havethe thorn in the flesh removed ; forif they would beseech the Lord, thesame as Paul did, they would havebetter success than he had. For,instead of a benefit to them as thethom in the flesh was to Paul, theyare a curse to them; it causes theirruin and destruction. And how dothey honor, pride and exalt themselves,when they imagine they knowa great deal. And such persons areincUned to oppose the doctrine ofholiness, and use this text for theirdefence. The advice which is properto such, is this: Search theScriptures, and do not select certainpassages, and cast the rest away.—Gospel Banner.PRESUMPTION.A yonng German countess, whoUved about a hundred years ago,was a noted unbeUever, and especiallyopposed to the doctrine of theresurrection. She died when aboutthirty years of age, and before herdeath gave orders that her graveshould be covered with a soUd slabof granite ; that around it shouldbe placed square blocks of stone, andthat the comers should be fastenedto each other and to the granite slabby heavy iron clamps. Upon thecovering this inscription was placed:"This bnrial place, purchased to alleternity, must never be opened."All that human power could do toprevent any change in that gravewas done, but a Uttle seed sprouted,and a Utile shoot found its way betweenthe side stone and the upperslab, and grew there, slowly butsteadily forcing its way untU theiron clamps were torn asunder, andthe granite Ud -was raised, and isnow resting upon the trunk of thetree which is large and flourishing.The people of Hanover regard italmost witb. superstition, and speakin lowest tones of the wicked countess; and it is natnral they shonld ;for as I stood beside that grave inthe old churchyard, it certainly impressedme more deeply than I canexpress.• ^ « » iINTENSITY OF MORALCONVICTIONSBT EKV. E. P.-MAEVIN.First fix it in your mind thatmoral convictions are reaUties, andnot fictions. Some things in themselvesare true and right, and othersfalse and wrong, and we are boundto beUeve and act accordingly.Moral distinctions are not left to ourcaprice, whim or pleasure. Thinkingand caUing black white does notmake it so, and calling it by its rightname, black, is no violation of heaven-borncharity. The charity of indifferenceto moral convictions iscounterfeit and treasonable.> Why wUl not those who advise aUberal creed, Uberal preaching,, anda liberal Christianity, also, in consistency,approve a liberal set ofschool-books for our chUdren; forexample, a " liberal arithmetic " forthe counting-house, by which youmay reckon as you please, and a liberalsystem of ethicsj by which youmay do as you please ?What are ,we to think of professedministers of Christ, who fiatter andfeUowship bold and wicked blasphemers,like R. J. IngersoU, andutter at no time anything severerthan that " they take a rather onesidedview of Christianity."Christ called men who opposedthe truth, " vipers," and " childrenof the devU."Paul met a far less guilty opponentthan CoL IngersoU, on theisland of Cyprus, and being fiUed-with the Holy Ghost, he fixed hiseyes upon him and said, " O, fuU ofaU subtlety and all mischief, thouchUd of the devU, thou enemy of aU

INTENSITY OF MOBAL CONVICTIONS. 19righteoTisness, wilt thou not cease to that which is evil; cleave to thatpervert the right ways ot the whieh is good." Here are the twoLord?"—Aets xiu, 10. If error is strongest words. "Abhor," hateharmless, truth is worthless. We from yonr inmost soul, loathe, forsake,eschew, abominate. " Cleave,"are commanded to preach the Wordas positively revealed, and not our adhere to, link to, join, espouse. Abhorthe one as a horrid and deadlyown " latest thoughts," or some finehuman theories, to please iteliingears.monster, and cleave to the other asa beloved frrend. The two are coupledMoral distinctions are founded intogether. If yon do one, you" the eterual fitness of things," and will also do the other. Accordingthey are defined and proclaimed tous, by the moral rules of the universe.to the laws of nature, if you lovetruth and right you will hate errorThey are as real as the exist­and wrong with corresponding in­ence of the soul itself, as thought, tensity.feeling, pleasure, pain, or even material'things. They are as real as the one is as mnch a virtne of holi­A good lover is a good hater, andthe difference between the character ness as the other. " Ye that fearof God and Satan, or heaven and the Lord hate evil," is a divine command..It is as much your duty toheU.Our conceptions may indeed sometiinesbe confused or feeble, but this sin as to love hoUness, to hate im­hate evil as to love virtue,—to batedoes not affect the objective reaUty. purity, drunkenness and dishonesty,The eye may be color-blind, but as to love the opposites.color remains a reality, and so men When a pastor asked a candidatemay be conscience-seared, but still for admission to the church, " Doright is right and wrong is wrong. you love Jesus?" a Scotch elderGod pronounces curses upon those suddenly put in the interjection,"Dowho seek to confuse moral convictions." Woe unto them that call Christianity stimulates, intensifiesy ou hate sin ?"evU, good, and good, evil; that put and strengthens all our moral powers,and makes man strong and cour­darkness for Ught and light fordarkness; that put bitter for sweet, ageous. If teaches us to strive,and sweet for bitter."—Isa. v, 20. fight and agonize.Again, we should realize that When we read of the meek andthese moral distinctions are of tremendousimportance. They consti­Christianity a pale, colorless, blood­lowly virtues, we are apt to thinktute the great difference between less, weakly and pusiUanimousmen and devUs.thing ; but this is a capital mistake.They constitute the basis of aU This is a one-sided view. It bmlds upreligions, and of the great " conflict characters that can love -with a tendernessof ages." Moral evU is essentiaUypassing the love of woman,the worst thing in the universe, and but that can also hate with almostand moral good is the best. The introductionthe vigor and intensity of Satan.of moral evil has chang­Read Christ's awful woes and hised Paradise into a groaning creation. sweet invitations blended in the" Sin, when it hath conceived, bringetheleventh of Matthew.forth death. The distinction Christ calls and commands ns asbetween truth and error, right and a military captain, to whom we arewrong, is then as important as that bound by the sacred " sacrarnentum"like the Roman miUtary oath.between woe and weal eternal-God hates error and wrong with He does not say, " If ye love me,infinite hatred, aud loves truth andright with infinite love. "Abhor* Sit and sing yonrself away,To everlasting bliss;"'

20 THE EABNEST CHBISTIAN.but, " If ye love me, keep my commandments."Tenderness andstrength shonld be blended as in thecharacter of Christ, Paul, JohnEoiox and Martin Luther. "The disciplewhom Jesus loved," was certainlya very affectionate and tender-heartedman, but it is a mistaketo regard him as a weak and aneffeminate man, destitute of strongconvictions. Witness his fiery zealto " call down fire from heaven"upon a certain. viUage that rejectedthe truth.The Bible model for our imitation,is a man of intense moral convictions,bright thoughts, burningemotions, who can love the sinnerwith divine compassion, but hatethe sin with intense and supremehatred. God's •wrath against evil,bums to the lowest heU, but hislove for a lost world is,'' Higher than the highest heaveu;Beeper than the deepest sea."We should abhor evil even in personswho are ever so highly exaltedin society, church, state, literatureand art. Purple and fine linen andthe incense of popular adulation,should not blind our moral sense,nor abate the intensity of our convictionsagainst evil.Before we join the " maddenedcrowd " in praise of the most popularnoveUst and the most popularactress of to-day, let us pause andconsider, that both of them are openand shameless sinners .against theseventh commandment.We all need this intensity of morial convictions to anchor us to trnthand right, amid the almost resistlessdrift of error and wrong. We needit to produce convictions upon othersin gospel services. And it is forthe church to touch and quicken thetorpid conscience of the world, withthe sanctions of divine truth andthe power of the Holy Ghost.• » « • - - ——I will Usten to any one's convictions; but pray keep your doubts toyourself; I have plenty of my own.JOYFULNESS AND USEFUL­NESS.Above all things, see to it thatyonr souls are happy in the Lord.Other things may press npon you;the Lord's work even may have urgentclaims upon your attention ;but I deliberately repeat, it is ofsupreme paramount importance thatyou should seek to make this themost important 'business of yonrlife. This has been, my firm andsettled conviction for the last fiveand thirty days. For the first fouryears after my conversion I knewnot its vast importance; but now,after much experience, I especiaUycommend this point to the notice ofmy younger brothers and sisters inChrist. The secret of aU true,effectual service is joy in God, a^dhaving experimental acqaintance andfellowship •with God himself. Butin what way shall we attain to tbissettled happiness of sonl ? Howshall we leara tp enjoy God ? howobtain such all-sufficient, soul-satisfyingportion of bim that shall enableus to let go the things of this world,as vain and worthless in comparison?I answer, this, happiness is to beobtained through the study of theHoly Scriptures. God has thereinrevealed himself unto us in the faceof Jesns Christ; In the Scriptures,by the power of the Holy Ghost, hemakes himself known unto oursouls. Remember, it ia not a Godof our own thoughts or our ovmimaginations that we need to beacquainted •with; bnt the God of theBible, our Father, who has given theblessed Jesus to die for ns. Himshould we seek intimately to know,according to the revelation he hasmade of himself in his own preciousword.— George Muller.«-»-lv^—The trouble •with our praying isnot so much that we do not prayenough or have not faith enough, astbat we all want to be on God'sways and means committee.

EXPERIENCEOP MES. LIBBIEDAVENPOET.I enjoy the consciousness ofa soulat peace with God—that integrityboth of heart and life, that enablesme to enjoy his presence and favorin which is fulness of joy. I cannotattend the pubUc means of graceand enjoy communion with God'speople, yet throngh THE EAENESTCHBISTIAN and Free Methodist, Ihave to day received a crumb frommy Master's table, whUe readingthe U'ving testimonies of those whogive the trumpet no " uncertainsound." I have truly felt " Blessedare the people who know the joyfulsound." I am proving that the boltsand bars of circumstances cannotcontrol'• The thought, the freedom of the soul."The most precious and constantmeans of grace, within the reach ofevery child of God (communionwith God), keeps my sotd peacefuland happy amid the storms andtrials of life. I realize it is as mnchmy duty and privilege to Uve a holy,humble, consistent Christian Ufe, asat any time in all the past; andthat the work of grace wUl not bedone tUl I obtain the crown. I haveread of "starvation circuits," butthe land in which I dwell, is" A land of com and wine and oil.Favored witb God's peculiar smileWith every blessing blest."In my Lord, I find boundless resourcesof saving grace.He is made unto me righteousness,sanctification and redemption.I am proving that the effects ofrighteousness are quietness and assuranceforever. 1 am upheld bythe same righteous, omnipotentarms that move the world.. IshaU hold fast the professionof 'my faith •without wavering,EXPEBIBNeB. 21knowing that he is faithful whohas promised. At bome or abroad,in the city or •wUdemess, in sicknessor health, U-ving or dying, anywhere,everywhere and always, 1 am devotedto those principles of truthand righteonsness that were implantedin my soul when the glory of theLord shone round me, and he accomplishedthis work of savinggraee in my souL No toil, no privations,no suffering shaU deter myon'ward progress. The cross •withits reproach and its glory, is minenow. Heaven with its imperishablejoys shall be mine also.THE BIBLE.—Take the Bibleaway, and what a mockery is humanphUosophy! I once met athoughtful scholar who told me thatforyears he had read every bookwhich assailed the reUgion of JesusChrist. He said that he shouldhave become an infidel if it had notbeen for three things :" First, I am a man. I am goingsomewhere. T am to-night, a daynearer the grave than last night.I have read aU that they can tellme. There is not one soUtary rayof Ught upon the darkness. TheyshaU not .take away the only guideand leave me stone blind."Secondly, I had a mother! Isaw her go down into the dark valleywhere I am going, and she leanednpon an unseen arm as calmlyas a child goes to sleep upon thebreast of a mother. I know thatwas not a dream." Thirdly," he said with tears inhis eyes, " I have three motherlessdaughters. They have no protectorbut myself. I would ratherkiU them, tlian leave them in thissinfnl world, if you could blot outfrom it all the teachings of the GospeL—The-Voice.Seek not so much to know thyenemies as thy friends; for where oneman has fallen by foes, a hnndredhave been ruined by acquaintances.—The stars give us a Ught thatis not their own, so do Christiansreflect the light of Jesus who is theLight of the world.

22 THE EABNEST CHBISTIAN.OUB VOWS.BT CHRISTIANA.No one ever yet truly entered theservice of the Lord without makingvows of aUegiance to his new master.God will not pardon a sinner,nor entirely sanctify a believer, unlesssuch an one will promise to Uveto him alone. He makes a covenantwith the soul, and the soul mustmake one with him. Just so longas we keep our part of this coveriant,just so long we receive the favorof God, and retain a sense ofpeace and communion with him ;and just as surely as we break ourvows, we forfeit this favor audbreak off this happy intercoursewith him.While our vows all mean loyaltyto the Lord, they have differentforms, and though they may be saidor sung, yet they are made to Godand consequently bind us to a fulfillment;for what a fearful thing tomake promises to the Lord of heavenand earth, and break them. Yetthis is what many are doing.It is no new occurrence; back-sliddenIsrael began it of old, and peoplewho say they have been fullyjustified from the guilt of sin, andsaved from its power, are doing itto-day all through the land, in allthe churches.Some break their vows becausethey are not strong enongh, spirituaUy,to resist temptations thai presson every side; some break them ignorantly,and others knowingly and•wUlingly, who seem, from their subsequentcourse, to have reserved tothemselves the privilege of keepingor breaking them, just as theychoose.This class forms one of the mosttroublesome elements with whichthe church has to deal; they seemimpervious to the most convincingarguments, deaf to the most earnestexhortations, and blind to the factthat they are standing stumbling-'stones in the way of those who areacquainted with the history of theups' and downs of their reUgiouslife. Their brethren do not knowwhere to find them; they are notalways even; in the Wednesdayevening prayer-meeting, they maybe on the mountain top, singing," This poor, faithless world shall all go;Forever I turn from it now;For none but my Jesus I'll know,Recorded on high is my vow."But in Friday night class theyhave no testimony to the preciousnessof Jesus, nor to his keepingpower, not even an " Amen " passestheir lips, and they camiot rejoicewith those who are being blessed.What is the matter? They neglectedor refused to watch and pray;went back to the world in some matter,or sought something besideJesus.There is rto hope that they •will doany good in the cause of religionnor be saved in eternity, until theydeeply feel the claims of God andtheir personal responsibility. Whoare those most prized among ourbrethren and sisters? Those whoare steadfast, immoveable; alwaysabounding in the work of theLord ; of whose Christian sympathywe are always sure, and whosetheme is invariably, " salvation."Examine, as thoroughly as we caninto tbe secret of their steadfastness,and We find they are always saying," Thine would I live—thine would I die ;Be thine through ail eternitv;The vow is past beyond repeal,. And now I set the solemn seal."And their daily prayer is :" Do thou assist a feeble wonnThe great engagement to perform ;'Thy grace can full assistance lend.And on that grace I dare depend."Such people carry with them thesweet perfume of a life loyal toChrist, and their very presencespeaks of the glorious possibility" ofkeeping all our boly vows, and ofUving"Above the world and sin.With heart made pure and garments white,And Christ enthroned within."X

" When thou vowest a vow untoGod, defer not to pay it ; for hehath no pleasure ih fools: pay thatwhich thou hast vowed. Better isit that thon shouldest not vow, thanthat thou shouldest vow and notpay."—Eccl. v, 4-5.»-•-•THE REVISED BIBLE.BT BEV. E. GILBEET.The Bible revision, now nearlycompleted, and soon to be pubUshed,is a matter of deep interest toevery earnest Christian. If Godhas given a revelation to man, it isour interest and imperative duty topresent it correctly to the Englishspeaking world. It is now five hundredyears since Wyckliffe madethe first translation of the Bible intoEnglish. Since then, severaltranslations and revisions have beenmade. Our present Bible appearedtwo hundred and seventy-nine yearsago. So great are the changes in theEnglish language, that if no translation,or revision, had been madesince Wyckliffe's, the Bible wouldbe as difficult to read as so muchGreek or Latin. Even since ourpresent revision was made, our languagehas undergone ' so manychanges that many syntactical errorsabound ; and many words havebecome either wholly obsolete, orchanged in meaning. Dr. Websterhas truly said, that when, in thelapse of time, grammatical changesand alterations in the sense of wordsaffect the meaning of the Bible, itreaUy, so far, ceases to be the Wordof God.As in the forest, Uving trees producenew branches, and some Umbsdie and drop off ; so, a living langnageis perpetuaUy receiving newwords, or changing or modifying definitions.As the original Hebrew,Chaldee, and Greek, are dead languages,the Bible in these languagescan not be changed ; bnt the EnglishBible must be changed whenTHE BEVISBD BIBLE. 23custom changes the English; or,otherwise, it ceases to be a tme moralphotograph of God's Word.I am fully persuaded that the earnestChristians of the Free MethodistChurch, and aU others, havenothing to fear in regard to the newrevision. When our revision wasmade. Biblical criticism was in itsinfancy. Since then many old Greek,and some Hebrew manuscripts, havebeen found and coUated. Mann-"scripts, versions, and various readingsbave been compared, so that thefoundation is nearly'perfect for acorrect revision.When our version was made, twohundred and seventy-nine years ago,'the Protestant world was mainly Cal-•vinistic. The forty-seven translatorswere all Calvinists, and very naturally,as Dr.Clark says, " they leanedtocTmuoh" toward their creed, in ourversion. The translators all belongedto one church—the Church ofEngland, and at that time the statechurch was' thoroughly Calvinistic.It is true that the Chureh of Englandstill prints the seventeenth article;but Arminianism has made apretty cleaa sweep in that church.The following, from the pen of Dr.Schaff,—President of the AmericanBible Revision Committee—waspublished about two years since:I. ,Origtn and Organization.—The Anglo-American Bible Revisionmovement now in progress is thefirst international and inter-denominationaleffort in the history of theBible. It took its origin, very properly,in the convocation of Canterbury(the cradle of Anglo-SaxonChristendom), May 6,1870, by theappointment oi a committee oteminent biblical scholars and dignitariesof the Chnrch of England,with power to revise the authorizedEnglish version of 16II for pubUcuse, and to associate with themrepresentativebibUcal scholars ofother Christian denominations usingthat version. The English committeeis divided into two companies,

24 THE EABNBST CHBISTIAN.one for the Old Testament, and one Committee are Drs. Woolsey, Lee,.for the New, and holds monthly Green, Dwight, Thayer, Krauth,meetings in the Deanery of Westminster,London.Strong, Osgood, Aiken, Abbott,Crosby, Mead, Day, Kendrick,In 1872 an American committee Chambers, De Witt, Hare, Packard,.was appointed by in^vitation of the Chase, Burr, Short, Riddle, Washburn,Schaff. Nearly all of theBritish revisers, to co-operate withthem in their work. This" committee American members are ProfessorsofHebrew or Greek exegesis in theis Ukewise selected from differentdenominations apd divided into two principal theological seminaries incompanies, which meet once a the Eastern States. Some have diedTnonth, for several days, in tbe Bible during the progress of the work,.^House at New York. Both committeesare virtually one organiza­and Charles Hodge. Dr. Van Dyck,viz., Drs. Hackett, Taylor, Lewistion, with the same principles and of Beirut, the Arabic translator ofobjects, and in constant correspondenceber.Acommitteeof finance, consist­the Bible, is a corresponding mem­• The EngUsh companies transmit, ing of well-known Christian laymenfrom time to time, confidential copies (Hon. Nathan Bishop, Andrew L.of their, revision to the American Taylor, Hon. Wm. E. Dodge, NormanWhite and others) and minis­companies ; the American companiesdo the same ; a second revision followson the part of both commit­Storrs, Dyer, Anderson), assists inters (Rev. Drs. Adams, Potter,tees, with a view to harmonize the raising founds for the necessarytwo revisions. If any differences expenses.should remain, a committee of conference•wiU probably be appointed, American enterprise is to bring KingHL The olject oi this Angloorthe differences •will be indicated James's version up to the presentin an appendix or preface. When state of the English language, withoutchanging the idiom and vocab­finished, tbe revision •wUl be publishedas the joint work of. both committees,by the University Presses of biblical scholarship, which hasulary, and to the present standardof Oxford and Cambridge, and submittedto the churches and Bible 1611, especially the last thirty years,made very great advances sincesocieties for their action. When in textual criticism, Greek andadopted by them, the revised EngUsh Hebrew phUology, in bibUcal'geography,and archseology. It is notBible •wiU become-public property,like King James's version.the intention to furnish a new versionII. Composition.—^The two committeesembrace eighty-two mem­succeed,) but a conservative revision(which is not needed, and would notbers. Among these are many of the of the received version so deservedlybest biblical scholars and commentatorsof all the leading Protestant Bible is to read like the old, and theesteemed in all churches. The newdenominations in Great Britain and sacred asssociations connected •withthe United States. Not a few of it are not to be disturbed ; but withinthese limits all necessary andthem are well known by their works,in Europe and America. W'e mentionArchbishop Trench, Bishop ments on wbich the best scholars aredesirable corrections and improve­ElUcottjDean Stanley,Drs Lightfoot, agreed will be introduced ; a good. Wescott, Hort, Perowne, Scrivener,version is to be made better ;.Angus, Gotch, W. L. -Alexander, a clear and accurate versionMoulton, MUligan, D. Brown, Davidson,ofthe English Committee. The est and purest text is to be followed;clearer and more accurate ;'the old­active members of the Americanerrors, obscurities, and inconeisten-

oies are to be removed ; uniformityin rendering Hebrew and Greekwords and proper names to besought. In one word the revision isto give, in idiomatic English, thenearest possible equivalent for theoriginal Word of God as it camefrom the inspired organs of theHoly Ghost. It aims to be the bestversion possible in the nineteenth•century, as King James's versionwas the best which could be made inthe seventeenth century.IV. The principles of the revision,AS adopted at the outset, are chiefly•the following :1. To introduce as few alterationsAS possible in the text of the author^ized version consistent •with faithfulness.(Faithfulness to the original,whieh is the first duty of a translator,requires a great many changes,though mostly of an un-essential-character.)2. To limit, as far as possible, the•expression of such alterations to thelanguage of the "authorized or•earlier versions. (So far as I re-•coUect, only one new word has beenintroduced in the New Testament.)3. Each company to go twice overthe portion to be revised, onceprovisionally, the second time finally.4. That the text to be adoptedbe that for which the evidence is•decidedly preponderating ; and thatwhen the text so adopted differsfrom that from which the authorizedversion was made, the alterationbe indicated in the margin.5. To make or retain no changein the text, on the second finalre^vision by each company, excepttwo-thirds of those present approveof the same; but on the first revi-•sionto decide by simple majorities.6. To revise the headings of chapters,pages, paragraphs, italics, andpunctuation.If these principles are faithfully-carried out —as they have been thusfar,— the people need not apprehend-any dangerous innovations. NoTHE BEVISBD BIBLB. 35article of faith, no moral precept,will be disturbed, no sectarianviews will be introduced. The re-•vision will so nearly resemble thepresent version, that the mass ofreaders and hearers •will scarcelyperceive the difference ; while acarefnl comparison will show slightimprovements in every chapter andalmost in every verse. The onlyserious difficulty may arise from achange of text in a few instanceswhere the overwhelming evidenceof the oldest manuscript make achange necessary, and perhaps alsofrom the omission of italics, thepoetic and sectional arrangement,and the change "of headings of chapters,which, however, are no part ofthe Word of God, and may behandled •with greater freedom. Ofcourse, some will regard the re^visionas too conservative, others astoo radical; but it will be foundultimately to occupy the wisemedium between the extreme viewson this subject. It will meet withopposition, like every new thing,but it will come out of the conflicttriumphant in a short time. Thechnrches •will have either to adoptthis Anglo-American Bible, or dismissthe subject of a joint revisionfor a whole generation, and leave it -,to unauthorized preachers ariS tosectarian enterprise. There neverhas been such a favorable, providentialcombination of representative,able and sound biblical scholars,from all evangeUcal churches, andthe twA great nations speaking theEngUsh language, for such a holywork of our common Christianity.It muat and will succeed.V. Progress.—It was calculatedat the beginning of the work thatthe revision would be completed inten years of uninterrupted labor.More tban half —and by' far themost diflicult half— of the work isdone, and it is probable that theNew Testament, at least, will bepublished in 1880, just five hundredyears after John Wycliffe finished.

26 THE EABNEST OHBISTIAN.the first' complete version of \he mous. Fifty years hence, peopleHoly Scriptures in the English language.the new re^vision, in favor—through•will wonder tbat any one opposedAn issue of the Inter-Ocean, Chicago,gives the foUowing statement •vinistic version of King James.prejudice—of tbe antiquated, Calregardingthe forthcoming revision :"We have had a nnmber of inquiriesrecently in regard to the revisedHAVE YOU HELPED AN V ?edition of the New Testament, andAn excellent Christian girl seemedreply generally to these questions :much startled and surprised when IThat the American Bible Revisionasked her the question, " How manyCommittee have completed the revisionof the English version of thehave you led to Christ since youwere converted ? She replied sheNew Testament, and have transmittedthe result of their labors to Eng­did not know of any one, and seemedto think it was hardly to be expectedland, The British Committee meetthat she could do anything in thatthis month (November) for final action,and the University presses ofway.Oxford and Cambridge are expected Is the case exceptional ? Let meto issue tbe revised New Testament ask my Christian reader. How manyin February, 1881. The Old Testamentwilf be pnbUshed two or three introduced to Christ ?have you reason to believe you haveyears after. The American revisers Does God mean only to save ourhave given their time and labor to souls ? Does He not also in sa^vingthe work without compensation. us mean through us to save someThe necessary expenses Jiave been one else ? Are we not to be lightsprovided for by voluntary contributions.The Rev. Dr. PhiUp Schaff There are those around abontin the world ?is the chairman of the American each of us whom we can reach morecommittee."'effectively than any one else. ShaUwe not try? And if we faU shallIn our opinion, this revised Biblewe not try again ? and again ? Jnstwill make an epoch in the historyin proportion as we are thus .in earnestin telling to "those around,of the Christian church. The oldversion, made by only one church,what a dear Savionr we have found,under Calvinistic auspices, antiquatedby time, and based on a very im­•will our joy and gladness increase.perfect original text, mnst and willIs there not some one to whombe superseded by a re^vision made byyou can speak to-day 2 Remember bymany leamed men, in differentputting off this matter in the past youchurches; a revision of many years'have lost many precious • opportunities,and therefore make a break andlabor, based on a critical originaltext, done in accordance •with approvedrules of translation and re­Let us be up and doing—the nightdo it now.vision, and carefuUy conformed to cometh when no man can work.—the itsus loquendi, or present state of Christian Companion.the English language. The first obtainableNew Testament revisionwUl probably be imported from Oxfordand Cambridge, England. Wetrust, also, that immediate steps wUlbe taken to publish it also in theUnited States. Doubtless, manypresses will be needed, and tbe demand•will be great, the sales enor­—Stay' not untU you are told ofopportunities to do good—inquireafter them.—rAs a man who as been on ajourney quickens his steps as he isnearinghis home, so does the angeLsaint feel more in haste as he getsnear his journey's end.

KNOWLEDGE.No degree of speculative knowledgeof things of religion, is anycertain sign of true piety. Whateverclear notions a man may haveof the attributes of God, and doctrinesof the Trinity, the natnre ofthe two covenants, the economy ofthe persons of the Trinity, and thepart which each person has in theaffair of man's redemption; if hecan discourse ever so excellently ofChrist, and the way of salvation byhim, and the admirable methods ofdivine wisdom, and the harmony ofthe various attributes of God in thatway; if he can talk ever so clearlyand exactly of the method of thejustification of the sinner, and ofthe nature of conversion, and theoperation of the Spirit of God in applyingthe redemption of Christ;gi^ving good distinctions, happilysol^ving difficulties and answeringobjections, in a manner tendinggreatly to the enUghtening of theignorant, to the edification oi thechurch of God, and the convictionof gainsayers, and the great increaseof light in the world; if he hasmore knowledge of this sort thanhundreds of true saints of an ordinaryeducation, and most divines,yet all is no certain evidence of auydegree of saving grace in the breast.KNOWLEDGE; 37kind of knowledge, from that speculativeunderstanding which thede^vil has to so great a degree. It•will also be aUowed, that the spiritual,saving knowledge of God anddivine things, greatly promotesspeculative knowledge, as it engagesthe mind in its search into things ofthis kind, and -much assists to a distinctunderstanding of them; 'sothat, other things being eqnal, theytbat have spiritual kuowledge, aremuch more likely than others tohave a good doctrinal acquaintancewith things of religion, but yet suchacquaintance may be no distinguishingcharacteristic of true saints.—Edioards.•• WHO SPAHINGLY SOWETH."One wept tbat his harvest was small.With little of fruit or of grain ;While his neighbor, with barns ranningo'er,Still followed the fall freighted wain." How much didst thon BOW ? " I said" Friend."" A handful of wheat less ormore. "" And didst tbou expect broad acres wouldbendTo thy sickle from auch scanty store t"Who sparingly soweth, mast lookFor little of fruit or of grain ;'Tis only the bountiful sower can reapIt is true, the Scripture oftenspeaks of knowledge of divine A bountifulharvest again.things, as what is peculiar to true A lesson, I said, to thee. Soul,saints; as in John, xvii, 3—"This For harvest time soon will be here ;is life etemal, that they might know Sow with bountifal hand lest thoa weepthee, the only tme God, and Jesns at last,Christ, whom thou hast sent." " No When the Lord of the harvest drawsman knoweth the Son but the Father; neither knoweth any man the— -Wateh lower.near,Father save the Son, and he towhomsoever the Son will reveal —"Whoso trusteth in the Lord,hun,"—Matt, xi, 27. "They that happy is he. Ye that keep theknow thy name •will put their trnst law, happy are ye. If ye bein thee."—Ps. ix, 10. "I connt aU reproached for the name of Christ,things but loss, for the exceUency of happy are ye. Behold ! we conntthe knowledge of Christ Jeaus, my them happy which endure.' K yeLord."—Phil, ui, 8. But then we know these things, happy are ye ifmust understand it is a different | ye do them.

38 THE EABNEST CHBISTIAN."I FEAR GOD."Never was the saying that "thefear of the Lord is the begiilning of•wisdom" more forcibly illustratedthan in the life of Joseph, the belovedson of the patriarch Jacob.The singular purity of his life,his integrity of character, his resistanceof temptation, have throughthe ages been a source of wonder andadmiration to those famiUar with hishistory. What was the hiddensource of his moral strength ? is anatural and important query. Thatquestion is fully answered in thecaption of this article, it being hisown solution of the problem: "IfearGod." The conviction which filled hisheart was that the eye of the God ofJacob, was always on him and hisear attent to his words. • He believedin the justice of God to punish sinas weU as to reward virtue ; andthis moved his fear as truly • as itexcited his loving jonfidence. Thuswhen that great temptation in thehouse of the captain of the guard ofPharaoh, the continuous, dailysoUcitation of Potiphar's wife cameupon him, what was it which constitutedhis power of resistance ? Allhuman considerations said, Yield ;—sensuous gratification ; the gratifyi-igof his mistress, the fear ofprovoking her displeasure—all thesesaid. Yield. But conscience said :"Hew can I do this great wickednessand sin against God ? It wasenough ; temptation's power wasbroken and its chains of steel wereas scorched tow ; he went from herpresence in conscious rectitude.True, he had aroused a fiend whichwas to pursue him with relentlessfury until "his feet were hurt withfetters and he was laid in iron."But God was •with him in the "dungeon,and his hour of triumph cameat last, and he emerged from thatdungeon to sit next the throne andbind Egypt's princes at his pleasure,and teach her senators wisdom. Andmore than that ; the honr at lastcame when his envious and cruelbrethren who had conspired hisdeath and left him to .die in the pit inwhich there was no water, and thenhad sold him a slave into Egypt,were completely in his power and athis mercy. What now shall hinderhim from being avenged for such awrong ? Only one thing restrains theavenging blow : "This do and live,for I fear God," and they are safe."Hearken unto, me," then, "yechildren, and I will teach you thefear of the Lord. What man is hethat desireth life, and loveth manydays, that he may see good ? Keepthy tongue from e'vil, and thy Upsfrom speaking guUe. Depart from,evil, and do good, seek peace, andpursue it. The eyes of the Lord areupon the righteous, and his ears areopen unto their cry. The face of theLord is against thein that do evU,to cut off the remembrance of themfrom the earth."Never was there mofe need of tbeinculcation of this lesson on old andyoung, than at the psesent time,whUe the fear of God is so nearlyextinct in the world. What is theroot of all licentiousness, the blasphemyand cursing, the peijury, thedisobedience to parents, dishonestinsolvency, defalcations, forgeries,truce-breaking, gambling, disregardof law, and a thousand other crimes,against both hnman and divine law ?It is because "there is no fear of Godbefore their eyes." The so-called"liberal" preaching of the day discardsall idea of fear of such a goodbeing as they say God is. And solong and persistently have thesesentiments been reiterated that evenso-called "orthodox" pulpits andpens have almost been hushed tosUence in reference to the "terrorsof the Lord," and few are to be foundwho dare speak boldly the terriblethreatenings of God's holy word;—theatenings which are sure sooner orlater to be executed to their fullextent on those who incur them.Until a change in this respect shall

PBEE GBACE.be manifested by both pnlpit andpress, vainly shall the wail of ademoralized society go up beforeGod from all quarters of the earth.Nothing short of the fear of Godoan restrain the mad passions andlusts of men. The arresting of theattention by the fear of God wUl leadmen to feel the need of, or . to seek4ifter a Saviour to rescue them fromthe consequences of sin.—Messiah'sHerald.••-»-••FREE GRACE.The way for a man to know thathe has grace, is not to try himselfby fallible signs, but intuitively tolook into himself and see grace. Athousand signs of grace •will notprove that a man has grace. ThereiB no sign of grace to be dependedupon but grace itself; for everythingbut grace a hypocrite mayhave. Thus the way for a man toknow that he has grace is not tojudge himself by the degree andmeasure of his reUgious frames andaffections, or the height of his attainments,but by the special natnreof them. For as there is not anyone grace but the hypocrite mayhave its counterfeit, so hypocritesmay rise as high in their religion asany true beUever does in his. WasElijah the prophet zealous for thename and worship of the true God,and against false religion ? So wasJehu. And he appeared as. full ofzeal, and more courageous, and didgreater exploits. There was scarce amore zealous saint than Elijah, inall Old Testament times; but yetJehu, that hypocrite, made' a muchgreater show and noise, seemed tobe fuller of zeal and courage, andactually did greater exploits, settingaside the miracles God •wrought byEUjah. (1 King, chaps, xviii andiix; 2 Kings, chaps, ix and x.)And we do not read of one s«int, inaU the Bible, that fasted in a constantway, t^wice every week, as thepharisee did. (Luke xviiL) Andthere is not one saint in aU the Biblethat ever did, externally andvisibly, any higher acts of self-denialthan to g^ve all his goods to feedthe poor, and his body to be burnt,and yet St. Paul intimates thata man may do so and stiU have nograce in bis heart. I Cor. xui, 3.It is no certain evidence, therefore,that a man is a good man, becausehe has a great deal of reUgion,more than the worst, and fullas much as the best; yea, more thanany in all the country, yea, or in alltbe whole world. For in Jehu'stime, there was not, perhaps, for awhile, one like him upon the face ofthe whole earth. A man, therefore,can not know that he is a good manby the degree of his reUgion ; butonly from the special nature of it.—Bellamy.•-•-• —OTHER MBN'S SINS.—Churchesbecome partakers of the sins of anindividual member, when these sinsare occasioned by a general neglectof brotherly watchfulness and reproof,and when they are toleratedby the church in consequence of aneglect of church discipUne. Whenthis is the case, tbe sins of an individualbecome the sins of the wholechurch. This is evident from Christ'sepistles to the seven churches ofAsia. He commends the Ephesianchurch becanse they could not bearthem that were e'vil,while he severelyreproves and threatens otherchurches for tolerating among themthose things which he abhorred. Ina similar manner, St. Paul rebukedthe Corinthian chnrch, for neglectingto excommunicate one of theirmembers, who was guilty of a notoriousoffence; and charges them toput away that •wicked person. Tothese remarks we may add, that everymember of a chnrch makes himselfa partaker of the known sins ofhis feUow members, when he neglectsto bear testimony againsttheir sins, and to use proper meansto bring them to repentance.—Pay-

•liII30 THB EABNEBT CHBISTIAN.EDITORIAL.PENTECOST. •The disciples did not need the baptismof the Holy Spirit which theyreceived at Pentecost to heal them ofbacksUdings. They were not backsUdden.Their spiritual conditionwas never better than it was afterthe ascension of our Lord. Therewere no dissensions among them tobe healed. No spurit of envy hadbeen manifested in unkind thrusts atone another. One did not stay awayfrom meetings because anothei went,or keep silent when there, beeausesome one whom he did not like, led inprayer. They were all with one accordin one place. Peter was not shut outbeeause he had denied the Lord, andcursed and swore. His bitter repentance,accepted of God, had restoredhim to the confidence of the brethren.Christ had said to him, '•^Feedmy lambs"—" Feed my sheep." Promthe heart of Thomas all doubts hadbeen removed. A more orthodox,united assembly of Christians wasnever seen.These disciples were charged with themost important mission ever entrustedto mortals. The world was asleepin the arms of the wicked oue, it wastheir's to awaken them: it.wa^s walkingin darkness to eternal night, itwas their's to turn them to the lightof salvation; it was sitting in thevery shadow of death, it was their'sto open before tbem the gates of eternallife.Why did riot these disciples, thuscommissioned, whose work was somuch needed, begin their mission ?They were not waiting to completetheir education. They had been •withthe Master from the beginning of hisministry, and were weU instructed inthe things of the kingdom. Theywere not sent to study humau philosophyor the words of worldly wisdom.Nor were they waiting for the "developmentof their characters." Whatthey needed to move the world fromits Old superstitions to the li^eing God,was something that does not comemerely •with lapse of days, or fromforce of circnmstances. It was somethingthat schools cannot impart : aninfluence that godly li-ving alone cannever give.When Christ commanded them togo out and disciple all nations, headded: " But tarry ye in Uie city ofJemsalem, until ye be endued withpowei- from on high."—Lnke xsdv, 49.For this, then, were tbey waiting.They undoubtedly had an indefiniteidea as to what this power would be.But they felt confident that when,they received it they would kuow it.For this they waited, and prayed, andbelieved. At last it came, in its over-•whelming influence, upon themselves.It was felt at once by others, andthree thousand souls were convertedin a day.This great revival was a pattern forthe churoh in all ages. Reduced or enlargedas the pattern may be, itshould stUl be followed. And themore closely it is followed, the m'oreglorious will be the results.A formal church may have a formal,fashionable revival, •without this baptismof the Spirit. The Phariseeswere without the Spirit—but theyhad zeal, and they made converts.But our Savionr said to the Phariseesot their, converts, " They are two-foldmore the children of heU than yourselves."So the converts of a fashionable,formal church are stUl more formaland fashionable.But a Holy Ghost revival, in whichmen and women are bom of the Spirit,and become new creatures, is quiteanother thing. This always begins, asdidthe work on Pentecost, •with theoutpouring of the Spirit on God'*people. If they-wiU not humble themselvesand get baptized •with the Spirit,an interest may be excited and sinnersmay be awakened, but the work•will not go much farther. The preach-

ing may be in power; but the churchforms an effectual barricade betweenthe pulpit and sinners.This is the reason why it is ofteneasier to promote a revival in a ehurchthat is openly and avowedly backslidden,than in one that is united,Uving •without reproach and enjoyingthe confidence of the community.The members feel that they are"increased in goods and have needof notlung." They almost resent anyintimation that they are in want of abaptism of the Spirit. " They areready to work, and ready for thework." This is their feeling. Theycannotbe moved. Their stereotypedprayers and exhortations kiU everything. But they_ do not know it.They think they are doing well, butthe fanlt is with the preacher, or •withsome one else.But if professors break down, andget the Spirit, sinners will be convicted.If confessions are honest andgo to the bottom, they secure confidenceat once. I have seen a congregationall broken down and meltedto tears under the confession of aman, a professed Christian in whomup to that moment no one who knewhim had any confidence., If all that was necessary to securethe salvation of sinners, was to convincethem of the truth of Christianity,then holy living alone inight besnfflcient. But they must be stirred,aroused, excited, awakened beforethey WiU eonfess their sins and seekthe Lord.If then yoa want a re^vival, seek tohave a Pentecost. Get that and therevival will tollow. Let God's ministersand his professed people get baptizedwith the Holy Ghost and sinnerswill be converted. Long-standiagprejudices will give way in an instant,and those who seeined verynnlikely to be the subjects of grace,•WiU be made to rejoice 'with the joyWonders •wUl be ac­of salvation.complished.EDITOBLAL. 31PERSECUTION.Wheh anything annoying is said toyou or abont yon becanse of yoursingularity for Christ's sake, you mustcount it persecution, as it reaUy is.Do not be disheartened by it.Though it may come from your nearestfriend, do not let it move you.Though they may profess to be realChristians, do not listen to them ifthey would have yon walk contraryto-the Gospel. If you were oftheworld, the world and worldly professorswould love you. But if yonrlife is a reproof to them, they •will retaliateby reproaching you. The simpledevotion of your life to Christ,,makes them constantly uneasy intheir devotion to the world, and theyseek to make you sliare their uneasinessuntu they can procure peace forthemselves, by compelling you toconform to the world.There are then, two most weightyreasons why yon should stand firm,no matter how persecution rages.Krst your own salvatiou demands it.If we suffer, we shall also reign loifhhim: if we deny him, by turning ourbacks upon his words, he also willdeny us.—2 Tim. ii, 13. If you arethen talked about, or thrown out ofemployment, or turned out of doorsfor Christ's sake, let it only lead younearerto him. . He wiU throw hisshield around you and bring youtlirough. Then stand firm.Second, for if you do, you wiU bemuch more likely to bring yourfriends who persecute you, to Christ,Some of them, already half persuaded,secretly hope that you will notyield to the pressure which they arehelping to bring to bear upon you,bnt remain true to the end. It is saidthat a Iioman Centurion, who stoodon guard as a Christian was beingbumed at the stake, witnessing theglory that fiUed the soul of the dyingman, stepped forth before his company and exclaimed, "'I also am aChristian."

1.1 \iuhThen do not yield in persecution'sfires. Bemember the words of onrLord. Blessed are ye, when men shallhaie you, and when they shall separateyou from their company, and shallreproach you, and east out your nameas evil, for the Son of man's sake.Sejoice ye in that day, and leap forjoy: for, behold, your reward is greatin heaven.—Luke vi, 33.• I »DR. BELLAMY.We give an extract in our presentnumber from this distingnished di-•vine. Though the work before us waspublished in England, he ' was fromConnecticut, a state which has giventhe world many able theologians. Hewas bom in 1719, He early showed awonderful aptitude for leaming. Hewas fitted for college at twelve yearsof age, and graduated when sixteen.At that period, the CongregationalChurch, insisted, perhap's even morestrongly than now, upon ha'ving athoroughly educated ministry. But"theological schools were of a laterorigin. The better method prevaUedof having the young men designedfor the ministry, after they had finishedtheir college course, study with•some godly minister who was actively•engaged in his' calling. This gavethem a better opportunity to improvedn piety, and in practical knowledge.It was Bellamy's good fortune to«tudy -with Jonathan Edwards, thenat the height of his usefulness. Heentered his family in 1733, when the•Great Revival was in progress. Thepreaching of Edwards was pungent,heart-searching, overwhelming; andhundreds were added to the church.President Edwards and Dr. Alexanderpreached their first sermons atnineteen, but Bellamy entered theTHE EABNEST CHBISTIAN.pulpit at eighteen. In 1740, he wa,ssettled as pastor, at Bethlehem, Ct., asmaU rural parish, where^he remainedfor nearly half a century.But his labors were by no meanseonflned to his pulpit. A wave of revivalinfluence spread at that timeover New England, and his calls topreach were many. Within two years,he preached about four hundred andfifty-eight times in two hundred andthirteen places.His preaching was -with power.'Wlien about twenty-three years ofage, coming home from a preachingtour, he wrote : "Am I right ? Is itpossible the Hojy Ghost so regardsme as, in connection "with my wordsand voice, to bring np a crowded congregationto tiieir feet, or prostratethem on the floor-with wailing or -withjoy inexpressible. I have seemed ableat such moinents to do anything Ipleased with an audience. Can it bethe work of the. Holy Spirit ? Is itpleasing to Christ, and unto salvation? I fear not."This last sentence was in accordance•with the religious fashion of thetimes. Then men, no matter whattheir reUgious attainments, spoke disparaginglyof their spiritual condition.Dr. Backus, also a very eminentminister, succeeded Dr. Bellamy. Itiasaid of a discriminating negro belongingto the church, that one dark nighthe was overtaken by Dr. Backus. Asthe negro did not know hipi in thedark. Dr. Backus asked him how heUked their new minister? "PrettyweU," he said, but not so .well as I didMassa BeUamy." " Why ?" " He nomake God look so big as Massa BeUamydid. Massa Bellamy, he makeGod so great."BROTHBR P. H. HALET, of Attiea,who is working at large this year,•writes us : " The Lord has been witbme in great power since Conference,saving souls in every meeting. I haveformed one class of nineteen. I havebeen at this place, Medway, Ind., oneweek. Ten have professed to be saved.Last night fourteen were at thealtar. The tobacco-god has taken awonderful faU at this place,"

EDITOBIAL.ARCHBISHOP SECKER.THOSIAS SKCKEB was bom A. D.1696, in Nottinghamshire, Eng. Fromhis youth he was pious and studious,and at an early age he became famousfor his leaming. In 1733, hewas ordained deacon and soon afterpriest iri the Church of England. In1732, he was appointed chaplain tothe King, and in 1735 was appointedbishop of Bristol. In 1737, he wasconfirmed bishop of Oxford.In every position he occupiecj, hewas laborious, faithful and conscientious.It was said of him while bishop,that he enjoined no duty, he imposedno burden on those under hisjurisdiction whioh he had not formerlyundergone, or was not still ready,as far as became him, to undergo.He was himself that devout, discreet,disinterested, laborious, eonscientionspastor, which he -wished and exhortedevery clergyman in his diocese to bfi»come.'_Por twenty years he fiUed the seeof Oxford. Withont any seeking onhis part, he was, in 1758, appointedand confirmed Archbishop of Canterbury—thehighest position a snbjectcan occupy in the Church of England.StUl he was truly Uberal towardsall Christians. He says " Our inclinationis to Uve in friendship with aUProtestant churches. We assist andprotect those on tbe continent ofEurope as well as we are able. Weshow oor regard to that of Scotlandas often as we have an opportunity,and beUeve the members of it aresensible that we do. To those who(Mer from us in this part of the kingdom,we neither attempt nor •wishany injury; and we shall gladly giveproofs to every denomination ofChristians in our colonies, that weare friends to a toleration even of themost intolerant, as far as it is safe;and •willing that aU mankind shouldpossess aU the advantages, reUgionsand civU, which they can demandeither in law or reason. But 'with3Sthose wJio approach nearer to us infaith and brotherly love, we are desirousto cultivate, a freer communication,passing over all former disgusts,as we beg that they would. Ifwe give them any seeming cause ofcomplaint, we hope they wDl signify itin the most amicable manner. If theypublish it, we hope they •wiU preservefairness and temper. If they fail ineither, we must bear it with patience,,but be excused from replying. If any•writers on our side have been lesscool or less civil than they ought anddesigned to have been, we are sorryfor it, ahd exhort them to changetheirstyle if they •write again. Forit is the dnty of ail men, how muchsoever they differ in opinions, toagree in mutual good 'Will and kindbeha^viour."Having thus briefly introduced himto our readers, we shaU refresh themwith occasional extracts from hiswritings.^« »•REV. JOHN STANTON.It is a rare thing to flnd a man who,in all respects, is thoroughly honest.One •who not only in business is perfectlyupright, but in reUgious matterscarries out the convictions whichGod gives him, whatever persecutionsor reproaches it may bring uponhim- A man who moves forward foryears, from manhood to old age, inthe path to heaven, unswayed by interestor passion, ^and unmoved byworldly influenee.Suoh a man was the Rev. JohnStanton. He was characterized ineverything by sterUng integrity. Hewas a man of keen convictions ofright, and he could be depended uponto carry them out.He was a man of sound judgment,quick perception, and more than ordinaryabUity and inteUigence.John Stanton was bom in Melborn,England, in 1798, and emigrated tothis coimtry when about twenty-oneyears of age. He settled in Perry,

34 THE BABNEST CHBISTIAN.Wyoming Connty, N. Y., where helived most of the time until his death.He was converted in 1826, and soonafter experienced the blessing of hoUness. He was Ucensed to preach in1839, and the next year joined theGenesee Conference, in whioh he laboredfor one year, and then on accountof poor health, retired to hisfarm. He was afterwards ordaineddeacon, and elder, and continued topreach as occasions presented, as longas he was able. His last sermon waspreached less than a year before hisdeath.He was present during the trialswhich led to the formation of theFRBK METHODIST CHUBCH, and whenthat chureh was organized, he unitedwith it in 1863, and remained a worthymember of it untU his death. Hedied peacefuUy and triumphantly, the13th of Feb. 1880, in the eighty-secondyear of his age.HUMILITY.Do not let success cripple you. ItwiU, if-you allow the least pride tocome into your heart because of success.If you would have God exaltyon with continued success, you mustkeep humble. Beware how you speakboastingly of what God has donethrough your labors, Baxter says,•"We mnst study humility, andpreaoh humUity; and must we notalso possess ahd practice it ? A proudteacher of humility is at least a selfcondemningman. But many whoare very proud can blame it in others,and take no notice of it in themselves."It is not necessary to wear fineclothes and attract attention by yourappearance to be proud. The eaglethat soars above the mountains, findshis richest prey in the vaUeys. A personmay know he has little to beproud of, and yet be fuU of pride.A poor outcast who was dependenton charity to keep him from starvation,said to a company of saints, thepoorest of whom was in every respectfar above him, "I am so thankfulthat I came among this despised people."Whether we are rich or poor, whetherwe succeed or fail, whether .ignorantor leamed, -we are in danger ofpride. Let ns guard against it as Wewould guard against heU-flre. Aproud look the Lord hates. It is anabomination unto Him.LryBLT MEETises.—All our meetingsshould be lively. Where two orthree saints are met together in thename of Christ, he is •with them. Andwhere the Spirit of the Lord is, thereis Uberty. The people are free toobey the Lord. There is no dullnessnor deadness. Of Bramwell it is said,"FormaUty and stillness were hisdread: he •was afraid that they-would produce a sleepy and lukewarmspirit."^~*.«LITERARY NOTICES.The International Lesson Books for1881 are before us. The series comprisesa book for beginners, an IntermediateLesson Book, and a book forthe senior classes. The Siindaysshoolsthat use the InternationalLessons, can scarcely afford to be•without these valuable helps. Instudying the Bible, the best text isthe Bible, but such comments and illustrationsas are given in this seriesof books are needed to explain themeaning of terms, to give the geographicaland other explanations necessaryto a full understanding of thetext. These boolis give just such aidsas the scholar needs, in a ready,cheap and convenient form. Thevery low price, fifteen cents eaoh, putsthe books in '.the reach of everybody-"•Hie Lesson Commentary" forthe use of teachers, issued by thesame publishers, is a carefully editedcollection of the comments of the bestcommentators of the times on the

passages In hand. We notice Henry,Bames Alford, Geike'are freely quoted.It is a valuable collection froin manysources of the "richest thoughts ofthe deepest thinkers of all ages."Such a work can but be valuable to aSunday School teacher, to open tohis mind the subject.. By such meansmuch may be done to prepare well forthe Sabbath School, but such aidsshould not be allowed to take theplaee of the Holy Spirit, who is thetrue enlightener, -who can alone openthe truths of God's Word to thehearts of men. Pages 342. Boundin stamped muslin, price $1.25. Forsale by all book-seUers. The samepublishers put forth the holidaybooks, " OUT OF THB MOUTH OP THELlOIf," and " Mx SCHOOLFEIiOW VAIBownsBR." Price $1.25 each. Forsale by aU book-seUers, or addressthe publishers, Ira Bradley & Co.,163 Washington Street, Boston, Mass.COBBESPONDENCE. 35CORRESPONDENCE.C. A KNOX.CHADHCEY A, KNOX died of catarrhalcoDsamption at the residence of his onlydaughter in Paima Centre, N. Y., Dec.Sd, 1880, aged eighty years, one month,and twenty-tWo days. Brother Knox waaborn in the town of Blandford, BerkshireCounty, Mass., Oct. 11th, 1800. He movedwith his parents to Augusta, N. Y., in1813.'*He was married to Miss Lacy Rootof the same place in 1836. Soon after,they removed to Morrisville, Madison Co.,N. T. and he engaged in the mercantilebasiness. In the year 1830. he moved toParma Center, N. T. and carried on thesame basiness untU the year 1856, beingthen fifty-aix years of age. He then retiredfrom active business for the remainderof his life.He was converted to God at the age ofseventeen among the Congregationalists,but remained out of the ehurch for nineyears on account of some points of doctrinethen held by that charch. On higremoval to Morrisville he united withthat body of which he remained a memberup to the time of his removal toFrom, Death Unto Life. The reUgiousexperience of Rev. Mr. Haslam,the author of this volume, is full ofinterest. He was ordained by the Parma, He then joined the Presby teriansChnrch of England, when a young and remained a member for twelvejnan, -with no true idea of the meaningyears. There was then a division inof the passage, "Ye must be bom the chnrch, and almost half of its mem-again." After a ministry of some beifs, including himself, came out as Congregationalistsyears, in which he tanght a religionof forms and ritual, he became en­ and adopted the Oberlindoctrines and forma of church government.Ughtened and truly bom again.Bat in about tiiree years, the or­Prom that time, revivals of real religionganization was disbanded. Two yearsfollowed his ininistry. He was after he joined the M. E. Church undersent for by different clergymen to the administration of Bev. James Durham.•visit their parishes and preach for In 1860 he withdrew from that body, andthem. Revivals foUowed him. He in 1861 united with the Free Methodistmet with opposition and persecution, Charch, of which he remained a memberbut stood firm. The volume is very ap to the time of his death.interesting, as showing workings ofBrother Knox held the offices of Townthe Holy Spirit on the hearts of men.Clerk, Postmaster, Jnstice of the PeaceThe style is so simple and easy thatand School Inspector in the town of Parmaseveral years. •young as weU as old can read it withpleasure. We commend it to ourHe was a man of strong temperancereaders. For sale by all bookseUers.principles, alwaya opposed to the sale ofPrice, $1.33. Published by Appletonatrong drink, and when any one would& Co., New York.come along complaining that there was no

'111iplace to get refreshmeDtB, he would say, Iwill take you where you may be supplied,conducting them to his own house.He held aome of the most importantoffices in the Congregational and PresbyterianChurches, and in the MethodiatChnrch he held the office of Claas Leaderfor twenty-seven yeara. He held thisoffice in the Free Methodist Charch atthe time of hia death.He waa very punctual and systematicin all his business arrangements. Henever failed in having hia portion of thequarterage ready every quarter. He wasalwaya ready to do his share in aU thecharch finances, and solicited others todo the aame. He bore the burdens of lifecheerfully.Although deprived for aome yeara ofthe pablic means of grace on account ofUl-health, he never waa heard to complain,nor did he fail to bear his partof the burdens of the charch in all itadepartinenta.He was a friend to the poor and needy.He sent the EABiiBST CHBISTIAK to threeor four families.But hia work is done. Hia religiousexperience for the last few years hasbeen particularly bright. He aeemed ripeningfor Heaven. At a prayer meetingheld at his house about two weeks beforehe died, he was unusually happy, andmany remarked bow much Brother Knoxenjoyed the meeting.We lose in bini a godl« example, a trueand faithful leader, a tender and kmdfather. Hia whole Ohristian life has beenconaieteiit, and his death was calm andblessed. He went without a lingeringgroan, from hia home on earth to hishome in Heavtin.SisTRB Ksox was converted to Qod atthe age of fifteen, in the same revival asher huaband, under the labors of Rev. EliBurchaid. She was of Scotch descent,and partook strongly in her character, ofthe mental finnneaa and stern integrity ofthat people. In time of severe trial shewaa more thoughtful of the sufferings ofothera, than of her own. She bore uncomplainingly,reveraea in fortune, asher companion delighted to testify in lateryeara, ajwaya wearing smiles instead offrowna, and aeeking by strict economyand unceasing industry to make up all deficiencies.She delighted to welcome Uvher home, as alao did her husband, theministers of the Qospql. For thirty-aevenyears her hands ministered to his comfort.She joined the Free Methodiat Charchwith her husband in 1861, and remainedtrue to its principles up to her death, in1867. In her religious experience shewas clear, eapecially in her later yeara,and firm in her convictiona ot right. Herprudence and dearness of perceptionmade her a reliable friend in time of need.She was a peacemaker, and therefore a.valuable neighbor. It may truly be aaidof her, "The heart of her husband trustedin her. Her children ariae and callher bleased."LOVE-FEAST.J. A. SIMONSON.—I thank God for fulland free aalvation. I rejoice in the Godof my salvation. Hallelajah ! I can aaywith the Apostle. "lam crucified withChrist; nevertheless I live, yet aot I, butChriBt liveth in me, the hope of my glory."I am dead to ain and self, but alive-to Qod, glory to hia holy name ! My aoulia filled with glory and with God. Qlory tI wiah every one would come to the fullnes.sof Qod's eternal truth. Frienda,hasten the sacrifice and you shall enjoyfhe fullnesa of redeeming love. Glory toJeaus! Amen.SAMUEL BKOWW.—I sm always gladwhen the EABNEST CHRISTIAN comes. Itadvocates the true principles of the oldstyle of the Methodist doctrine, as JohnWesley taught them. It urges Us topresb our high calling in Christ JesuB,even to sanctification. I have been &member of the Methodist Church fiftyfiveyeara. I have been trymg to live aChristian life, and by the assistance andgrace of God, thiough Christ, I am determinedto hold out to the end of the lacu,for I think my time is abort here below.I ask your prayer, that I may have aastaininggrace.