V
Is.
S0C1AT. RUMPUS IX ItlCIIMOXI).
Stirred Up by r.ffort of a Colored Knight to
tilt With thr Whiter.
Itichtuonil Bjccial: Tliere lin been a lent
liere all tiny, mid it is entertained hy ninny
to-nlglit, that the race question will over
hlwulow everything else in connection with
the Knights ol Labor question. The pro
eelnreot the tleleRfttes of District 111, lust
night, in initis to ft theatre, nnrrhntiiiiK n
sent for their colored delegate, along with
tlio-.e Tor the whites and taking him in
with them, would then have resulted in a
conflict tinder ordinary circumstances.
Hut the white citizens waived their dip
pleasure for the lime in the hope that the
thing would not be repented. This morn
ing, however, it was announced that the
..nmeproect'dure would bofollowed to-night
and indignation began to rise, l'or many
yearn it linn been the custom to con line the
blacks to the gallery or upper part at tho
theatres in Richmond, -and ho strict has it
been followed out that no troublo has
arisen from the rights of colored peoplo at
public entertainment. Theatre managers
or lessecH are required, in assuming the
control of play houses here, to enter into a
written agreement to the effect that colored
persons nlmll not be allowed seats in the
body of the house. So this afternoon the
manager of the Mozart neademy received a
letter from 8. 11. Paul, chairman of the
finance commit tee of the Mozart associa
tion, culling attention to the fact that Inst
night thecontractunder which theacadomy
was mnmiged had been violated, inasmuch
as n colored man hnd been permitted to sit
in the main portion of the house. Col.
Paul said:
' The contract provides that persons of
tho Caucasian race shall alone lie admitted
to any part of tho houseexcept the gallery,
and that is cleaily defined in said contract
to be what your advertisements called the
balcony Under the circumstances which
so unexpectedly arose last night, and in
which you took tho advice of the hall com
mittee, I think your, action was judicious.
Hut ns they' forewarn you of a systematic
effort. to force you to a course which would
prejudice the interests you represent, in vio
lation of tho contract of your lease, 1 shall
be compelled to reportnuy recurrence of an
infringement of the lease."
With this contract drawn upon him, and
tho announcement that to-night there
would bo a repetition of Inst night's pro
ceedings, by the delegates of Xo. 4 SI, staring
him in t lie face, tho imiunger of theMoznrt
was in a dilemma. His only tvlternativo
was to call upon the chief of police for ns
aistanco, which he did and then assured his
patrons that he would enforce tho spirit of
his lease. Maj. Poe, tho chief. dini!nos6d
tho forebodings ns serious and' during thoJ
afternoon called at the armory,- whom tho
Knights of Labor convention is in session,
to see Mr. Powdorly, for tho purpose of in
ducing him to persuade tho delegates to de
sist in their determination to attend the
theatre to-nightuud take their colored del
egate with them. A reporter saw .Maj. Poe
immediately after his mission was finished.
"I did not hco Mr. Powderly," said Maj.
Poe, who is a far, seeing oflicer, "but Mi-.
Hayes of tho executive hoard won deputized
to consult with me. It wns assumed that
all possible wmdd bo done to prevent tho
delegate from New York visiting either of
tho theatres.
Maj. Poo very poin tedly and lucidly ex
plained the customs of the people of Rich
mond in social matters, showing where tho
blacks were treated as thoy should bo, in
accordance with tho universal custom, and
the necessity, from a local view, of main
taining that custom, nnd concluded by say
ing that the best educated, tho most cul
tured and tiie wealthiest citizens were the
ones that intended to maintain these cus
toms, and to maintain thenv to the last.
That they wouhHio ntt hot heat res to-nicht
to chnllengo tho right of the colored dele
gate tc occupy seats with tho wjiites, and
that instead of u riot it would be a revolu
tion an uprising to maintain a popular
princiiJc. Thelendersof district 4S learned
very soon after tho convention adjourned
that extra precaution would be taken by
the police authorities to check them, and
they held a consultation. Thoir renson
ings are not known. It wns ascertained
that nil tlioindit of visiting the Mozart
academy of music wns abandoned, and no
police precautious wore takon there.
A large synod of olllcers were sent to the
Richmond theatre this evening. This is
the oldest playhouse in Richmond; a place
where Booth, itouiface, Raymond and
other renowned actors have won fame and
is attended by tho highest class of citizens,
The "Stranglers of Paris" wns on the
boards. II. II. Mortimer, a South Caro
linian by birth, istl.o manager, while Frank
A. leunchill, who was an nido to Gon. Syd
ney Johnson, is a star of the compnny.
As soon ns theso gentlemen learned that
the disturbance was being transferred to
their house they at once proclaimed thoir
determination to co-opera to in suppressing
(lie execution ol any design to scat colored
men in thohoiisc. Whon Mai. Poo informed
Manager Mortimer that the house had best
be closed for tho night, the latter said :
"No, there is no uso for that; let the neo
pie como in, and if a colored man enters
the nuilitiirium, l will ring down tuo cur
tain, announce that there will be no per
formance and til the people to go to the
box-oflice and get their money."
At 7 o'clock several hundred peoplo wcro
crowding around in front of tho building.
At 8 o'clock tho streets wcro blocked with
men, thcro being few ladies in sight, and tho
excitement ran high. There wero earnest
inquiries for tho "forty-niners" nnd colored
delegates. A more earnest concourse of
people never n8S"inbled anywhere than on
the outside of the Richmond theatre. Thoy
belonged to the best families of the city,
and it is presumed that most of thorn "era
armed to defend their principles. When
the curtain was rung up not seventy-five
persons were in tho house Tho excitement
hud ruined the business of the night. Fif
teen privato policemen, headed by Mnj.Poo
and three captains occupied seats in tin
orilie-lra circle, while a number of privates
and ollirers patrolled tho sidewalks on the
outside nnd kept back tho excited popu
lace. A rattlo-brained whito man,
warmed by liquor, mounted u box
ill front of the theatre and called
to tho I Inck men to assert their rigliU
and enter the thenter. Ho was promptly
arrosted and marched off to the station
house, hundreds of people hooting :ut him
as he was carried away. Tho excitement
was at fever heat, and the slightest disturb
ance would have set lire to the timber-box
of the excited popular indignation, nnd pre
cipitated trouble. Hut thodelegatrsof I)ia.
trict 4i), with the colored member, Terrell,
did not put in an nppearance. and gradual
ly the threatening aspectof nffnirsdied out.
It is believed at this writing, 10 p. m
thnt the very firm stnnd by the citizens will
prevent further trouhlo during the conven
lion, nnd thnt this is tho end of it. The
locnl ftowspapors very generally comment
m the roloi fine affair, nnd deprecate its
.Mstenco. Tho Whig will av to-morrow
'The color line issue is ope' of the most
important oi,e. to ho considered, and is one
which will stir up more feeling than any
other ami uiny, perhaps, lead to trouble.
Public sftitimenM si rung iwa'pst the ac
tion of the New York assembly, in pushing
the negro into the Mozart ncadeiny, and
tunny knights living here are strong in de
nunciation of the procetfdlng."
The St. to, this evening, expresses itself
in this firm language: "Those Knights of
Labor dolegates who attempt to Interfere
with the soiiul customs of Richmond are
making a most unpardonable mistake. To
say the least, the presence of a colored del
'gate in the auditorium of the Mozart
academy of music last night, during a
dramntic performance, wns an outrage on
a large majority of our citizens, which can
not be too severely condemned. We have
nothing to sny concerning the custom thnt
obtains in Washington. Philadelphia. New
York. Chicago, and other northern cities.
In Richmond the usages touching the social
pqunlity In question must beobserved. and
this we sny most emphatically."
-I.V ACTIVE VOT.CASO.
Snn Francisco dispatch: A letter pub
lished in the Bulletin, under dato of Ko
diak, Alaska, September 10, snys tUtit tho
volcanic peak of Pabloff mountain, 300
miles southwest of thnt place, on tho
Alnski peninsula, is in eruption. Slight
falls of volcanic dust, resembling emery
powder, hnvo been observed. Captain
Curry, of tho schooner Kodiak, reports
that on August 1U. when a hundred miles
from the volcano, the vessel was enveloped
in n dark cloud. Tho darkness was so
great that lamps wero kept burning from
10 a. m. till 2 p. in. At the same timo n
black dust iell upon the deck to a dept'i of
Bevcral inches. Captain Abbey, of the
steamer Corwin, who arrived here August
21. also brought samples of du-.t, and ro
ported having heard a 'noiso like thunder
while passing near tho volcanic region. No
enrthquakeshocks have been reported thus
far in connection with tho outbreak.
.i iro.u.i.v suicinns.
St. Louis dispatch: Mrs. Craig Alexan
der, the wife of a formerly very wealthy
commission merchant nnd a man of great
local prominence socially, committed sui
cide at G o'clock this morning by jumping
from the roof oJ her son-in-law's house,
No. ;i.:ti" Liudcll avenue. Mr. Alexander
failed in business some time ngo and after
wards became insane and was sont to nn
nsyhim. Mrs. Alexander becamo despond
ent nnd often expressed her desire to die,
as she had nothing more to live'for. Her
condition becamo so precarious that she
was placed under tho euro of a physician,
but she continued steadily to fail in health.
Yesterday she went to vln.it her hunbn.nd
at the asylum, but his condition would not
permit of her seeing him, and she returned
homo apparently hopelessly despondent.
Fnrly this morning a servant noticed her
walking nervously backward and forward
in her room, but no one else being nstirshe
made no mention oT the fact. Soon after
wards a milkman saw her appear on tho
roof, walk unhesitatingly to the edge, and
jump off. The full killed her instantly.
KCAXAI)A IMS UPOX A "HOXAXXA."
Ottavn special: Canada has just hit
upon a "bonunza" in tho way of a copper
mine. Tio Canadian'Americnn Copper
compnny 1ms hit upon ono of tho most re
markablo copper-bearing areas, it is said,
in the world, at Sndbu.y Junction on tho
Canadian Pacific. It is remnrkablo be
cause tho ore is so near ttio surface as to
form what nro practically littlo copper
mountains, lising to a height of over ono
hundred Jeet above theprevailinglevel, nnd
extending 'to a broken range for nearly
eight miles. The Canadian Pacific railway
has constructed n siding from tho Algona
line, and within tin last four days between
lliiity nnd forty cars, containing an nggre
rnte of some fiOO to (100 tons of ore, hnvo
been sent to New York. Montreal capital
ists, who have visited the mine, declare it
is tho largest area in tho world and with
the highest percentage of pure copper that
lias ever boon discovered. Tho mines tiro
ow nen by Ohio capitalists, who have 120
men taking out ItOO tons of ore daily, and
the company is erecting 500 houses for tho
iniiieiH who will bo added to tho present
force when the dwellings are completed.
WAR CORRESPONDENTS.
The Position Thoy Held nurliiu the
"Wnr ol tho Jtelielllon.
Newspaper corresjMindents, as the war for
the suppesslon of- tiie rebellion progressed,
found their position growing: more and more
unpleasant. Generals who demonstrated
their consciousness of their own Incompetency,
and tho parasites who blossomed on their
stalls in the glittering blazonry of glided but
tons and dazzling shoulder-straps wero accus
tomed, however, to dl.-gulse their Incompe
tency and failures by attributing- them to
newspapers and nrmy correspondents. They
had as often suceeeded In deluding lift public
upon this subject us thoy had failed in dis
charging their duties, being reduced to the
necessity of palliating their own unsatisfac
tory conduct and their mismanagement, abuse
of thu press seemed to them the most plausible
mode of escaj-x from the disagreeable position
In which they had found themselves. It was
a noticablo fact that the only generals In this
war who warred upon tho "newspapers were
those who had acquired unenviable or odorous
distinction lit campaigning o'r Held operations.
Hut it was a still more conspicuous fact that
hi most Instances in which they arraigned
army correspondents their accusations were of
a personal character. They did not charge
that correspondents had exposed their plans
to tho rebels, or that they had "given aid dl
rect'y or indirectly to the enemy," but they
whined because their management and their
personal conduct was unfavorable
or disparagingly criticised. The
allegation is true, uud in represent
ing facts In this connection correspondents
discharged tho duties which they were ex
pected by the public to perform. There Is no
process of reasoning which will satisfy intelli
gent persons that exposures of incompetence
or neglect can Injure the public service, while
It Is demonstrable that In the long run it
promoti s the cause in which tho coun
try is engaged, by leading to the d spla'o
inent of olllcers from command which they
ure unlit to exercise. Military commanders
are public officer.. As such their conduct Is
open to criticism, and the press must not bo
muzzled or suppressed for the statement of
facts which do not harm tho cause of the
people, or lor tlio expression ot convictions
liitM-d tljxm such facts. JJtn: l'eih'ij J'oure, in
lloiton Jludget.
A Fortunate Politician.
A Harrisburg correspondent of The J'itls
burgh (I'a.) JJltpatch says: "Gov. I'uttlsou
would be called exceptionally fortunate In his
political experience. He Is but little more
than half-way through his thirties and he has
had pretty near ten consecutive years of otllee
holdlng at a uniform salary of 10,000 u year.
He resigned the couiptrollcrshlp of Philadel
phia near the end of his second term of three
years to take the oath of ollice as governor, al
most four years ago. Ills otllclal life has not
been marked by any extravagant social fea
tures. During his administration as governor
two or three otllclal dinner parties a year, an
occasional extra plate or two for Immediate
friends, a couple of weeks at Uedford Springs
or at Atlantic City in the summer these
have been his extraordinary social expenses.
He Is a man of simple tastes, and would rath
er tramp along a mountalu trout steam in
pair of gum boots that cost $2.75 two years
before than lead the geruiau at Newport He
is still better satisfied when he can spend a
holiday afternoon riding about the country
roads on his big bay horse, and chatting
aliout the weather. Gov. 1'attlum does not
grudge the fair price of eiijuymeut; but he
knows the value of a dollar, uud takes good
care of all that come to hi purse. Now, how
much do you suppose be has left of the $100,
000 salary that he has drawn In the teu years I
A gentleman who Is very near to him, and
well acquainted with his a Hairs, lays that he
will go out of rolltlct, at the close of the year,
about (0,000 better off thau when he an
nounced Idmiolf for comptroller ten years
ago. His political expenses and contributions
In thote ten eari have amounted to about
M0.000.
MEXICAN GULF MONSTERS.
The Itnpncloits ;hnrlt and Ills levl
Visit.
'I ho Gulf of Mexico and ttalvosloi
tiny nil' botlt favorite resorts of man;
iiiftnbers of the shark family, some o
which attain largo m, there Itavin;
been fur exhibition at the SlietilY's of
lice for months the jaws of ono of thesi
monster-, annoil with three rows o
savngt' teeth, which, w lien opened
could ea-ily be placed over the shou'.
tier: of a largo man. Tho monster tc
which these sanguinary appendage!
pertained, measured, when in goot
health, seventeen feet from tip of not
to end of tail. Of the hundred dill'i r
ent species known, perhaps a half-doz
en inhabit these waters, and althougl
botlt formidable and repulsive in ap
pearanco tliere are no well nuthenti
cated instances since the settlement oi
the city of their having attaeketl man,
although they are both vora
cious and fearless when hungry
as tho following incident will show
Last summer, as the quaraiitim
steamer Ilygeia was coming in frott
outside the bar. a large school of pop
poises wero playing around the vessel,
when the engineer, "Hilly" Bristol,
opened lire on them with an old-fashioned
l.'i-caliber revolver, ami by a chanc'
shot killed one. The vessel was slopp
ed, the porpoise, which would weigh
several hundred pounds, seettred by a
stout !hho around the tail, and lef!
hanging over the ship's side, head
down in the water. Within a few
moments a hugo shark, probably
eighteen feet in length, made a rush for
the porpoise, and. although lired upon,
cut ii in twain, and then shortly after
made another rush for the remainder,
and bit it in two just above the tail,
which was left hanging, and made oil
despite the fact that two pistol shots
wero lirod into his head, without nnj
apparent cll'ect. On the last rush the
shark's head was well out of the water,
and when lired on was not mure thau
three or four feet from tho pistol's muz
zle. No small degreu of excitement wa
caused in the city during the latter pari
of Jul', lS8.r), by tho visit to tho Gull
shores of a school of lish known as tho
Ccihaloptcra vatnpyrus, or devil lisli,
one of which was captured and placet-,
on exhibition. The tish captured meas
ured eight feet in length, anil sixteor
feet four inches in breadth, and weighed
several thousand pound-:. A descrip
tion given at the timo was as followsi
"Head truncated in front and provided
w th a pointed, wing-like process sepa
rate from the pectoral tins, ami seem
ingly capable of independent motion.
These wings or horns, provided on
either side of the head, are two feet two
inches in length, triangular in shape,
resembling wings, making the trans
verse diameter of the lish greater (ban
the longitudinal, with tail included.
These pectorals, from tip to tip, meas
ure sixteen feet four inches, while the
body proper is only eight feet in length
and the tail about three and one-hall
feet. The jaws are at the end of tho
head, the lower the more advanced,
and tho transeverse diameter of the
mouth measures two feet ten inches.
The eyes are small and lateral, resem
bling those of an elephant, and are sit
uated on cither s:do of the protruding
wings, or frontal horns, and arc conse"
epiently about three feel apart. The
tail is enlongated iike a whiplash, arm
ed near the- root with a prominently'
serrated spinal protuberance. Th
teeth are small, numerous, Hat, ami ar
ranged in many rows. The mouth
when open could easily accommodate
Hour barrel. The nostrils are small,
and are situated near the angles of the
mouth, and openings, which are proba
bly the ears, are situated on the dorsal
aspect of the appendages of the head
behind the c-.es. Several largo linear
openings (live on each side) are in the
stomach. The skin is rough to the
touch, of a blackish brown, and the
belly white ami very shiny." Uttlvcs
ion Xcws.
Curiosities of Waste.
A peculiar class of book-hunters
haunt the large junk shops in .search ol
rare or odd books and tho populai
monthly magazines. These gentceJ
chiH'onieres, if they may bo culled such,
occasionally strike valuable finds in old
literature, which costs them at tho rate
of (i cents per pound. Another class
of buyers look tip the monthly parts of
magazines, and upon completing tho
set dispose of them, usually to the
Cornhill second-hand book-stores.
These buyers often tackle a pile of old
paper shift" that keeps them busy for a
week or longer, anil it is often tlio ense
that their labor is unrewarded. Thu
law of compensation seems to be :i
factor in the old junk business, for
mnny people get it good living from
other pcoplo'ri waste, and some oven
get rich out of it. Kveti old tin cans,
which wero formerly condemned a?
useless, ami millions of which hnvo
been planted in tho creation of tlio
Hack bay district of Boston, are now
utilized, and the metal sheet made from
them can be japanned, or tinned, or
galvanized, or treated in any way thai
tho material made from thu original
ore ih treated. Out of tho iron arc
made buttons, shoo-liicd ends, show
cards, telephones, electric lights and
letter boes, small ware, etc: There
are parties in Hoston who mako tho
collection of old tin, tin cuttings, and
oltl tin cans a regular business, and
make money out of it. Tho material is
sent to New York, where it is utilized. So
tho utilization of tin-plate cuttings anil
the recovery, of the tin has crown out oi
the same channel of scientific thought
and experiment thiit'lnnp ngo took tho
rags from the dunghill and converted
them into sheets of paper, Hoston
Herald.
Advice to a Young 3Iuu.
"What do you say to a lady whon
you nro nt a ball?" nskoil a young gon
tleiiian who went to a ball for the liitit
time.
Talk to her about her beauty," re
plied tlio friend who hail been thuru bo
fore. "Hut suppose she hasn't got nnv?"
"Tlwn talk to hot about thu iiglnn-si
of the other women who arc pn sent. -Texas
Mfitnii.
IN CHRIST NO CONDEMNATION-
PY ItrV. C. M. MU Rot uN, LONDON.
KXfJl. M. ,
'There is therefore now no condemna
tion to them which are in Christ Jesus,
who walk not idler the tlish, but after the
Spirit." Romans 8: 1.
You are well aware, dear friends,
that the divison into chapters has
only been made for convenience' sake,
an'' is not a matter of inspired
anangeincnt. I may add that it has
been clumsily made, and not with
careful thoughtfulness, but as roughly
as if a woodman had taken an axe
and chopped the book to pieces in a
hurry. It was a very unfortunate
thing that the axe dropped down just
here, so as to divide a passage which
ought to have been kept entire. We
once heard a friend say, "1 have got
out of the seventh of Romans into
the eighth.'' Nonsense, for they are
one. The field is not divided by
hedge or ditch.
Due apostle, after having said, "So
then with the mind 1 myself serve the
law of God ; but with the llesh the law
ol sin," goes on to say, without any
break, "There is therefore now no
condemnation to them which are in
Christ Jesus." The tact is, that be
lievers arc in a state ol conflict, but
not in a state oi condemnation ; and
that at the very time when the conflict
is hottest the believer is still justified.
The man who never strives against the
sin which dwelleth in him, who
indeed is not conscious ot any sin to
strive against, that is
Till. MAN WHO MAY QUESTION
whether he knows anything at all
about the spiritual life. He who has
no inward pain may well suspect that
he is abiding in death, abiding there
fore under constant condemnation ;
but that man who feels a daily striving
alter deliverance from evil, who is
panting, and pining, and longing, and
agonizing to become hcly even as
God is holy, he is the justified man.
Observe that the text is written in
the present tense. You wiU lose
much of its force and beauty il you
leave out that word "now" or regard
it as a mere term of argument. This
"now" shows how distinctly the state
ment of non-condemnation is consis
tent with that mingled experience of
the seventh chapter, which certain
good people do not appear to under
stand, livery child of God must
know this conflict if he knows himself.
Reading my text in that connection,
with an emphasis upon the "now,"
my heart sings for joy. With all my
watching, and warring yea, with all
my fears and tremblings yet will 1
rejoice in the Lord even now; for
"there is therefore now no condemna
tion to them which are in Christ
Jesus."
I. I would say, first ol all, that this
verse contains a refutation of.
Tin: skrit-nt's go'-pki,. '
"The serpent's gospel," said you,
"what is that? It is another name
for the gospel of modem thought
that gospel which casts a doubt upon
the threateningsof the law, and even
denies them altogether. Quote the
first lew words of the text, and stop
there, and this false gospel is before
you "There is therefore now no
condemnation." The serpent pro
mulgated this gospel in the Garden of
Eden when he said, "Ye shall not
surely die." With what greediness
our first parents received that highly
advanced teaching which contradict-,
ed the declaration of God "Ihou
shalt surely die!" The doctrine of
no punishment for any man is popular
at this day, and threatens to have
even greater sway in the future.
Generally it comes in the serpent's
favorite form of "honest doubt"
"Yea, hath God said?" Can it be
so? Is He not far too merciful ?
The denial of the penalty attached
to sin comes out in different ways,
but when put it into a nutshell it
amounts to this "There is therefore
now no condemnation to any man,
however he may live." Some teach
that you may live in sin, and die
impenitent, but it will not matter, for
at death there is an end of you ; the
soul is not immortal, men are only
cooking animals. Others tell us that
if you die unforgiven it will be a pity,
but you will.
comk uoi'ND in nur.TfMn,
after a purgatorial period you may
lake a little longer road, but you will
come to the same end in the course
of lime. The wrath of God and the
judgement to come are mere bug
bears, according to the teaching ol
our new apostles. This is the Gospel
according to Satan a gospel which
has already ruined thousands of souls,
and is now sealing up myriads in a
stony-hearted unbelief which enables
them to sin without iear.
Here is Paul's refutation of this
doctrine of a general amnesty
"There is therefore now no condem
nation to than which art in Chn'st
tsus." They would be condemned,
every one of them, if it had not been
that they are in Christ Jesus; and
there is nmu no condemnation to
them, solely because they are in
Christ Jesus. Their being in Christ
Jesus is the great method by which
alone they have escaped condenma
tion. II Paul had only stopped when
he had got as far as "there is now no
condemnation," every drunkard and
swearer and whoremonger would
have cried, "Bravo, apostle, that is
the gospel lor us ! Now you speak
1,1 KK A .MAN OK TIIOUfJIIT."
But Paul was too honest to court
popularity by pandering to man's
desire of lmmimiu in sin, lie be
lieved the terrible truth that the im
penitent sinner is under condemna
tion, and bciieung that truth, he
spoke it plainly. He did not deal
out comfort hand over head, catch it
who can ; but he puts it thus;
"There is therefore now no .undem
nation tot htm which ntt in Christ
Jtsttsr
It is a work of almighty and sov
ereign grace, to put men intr Christ
Jesus, by this method they escape
condemnation, but by no other. 1
understand Paul tacitly to tell us that
those who are not in Christ Jesus are
under condemnation ; and this is a
terrible truth, "He that believeth
not shall be damned" is ns much the
declaration of our Lord Jesus as that
other divine sentence, "He that be
lieveth and is bamized shall be saved."
As many as believe not in Christ
Jesus, and repent not of sin, have
before them at this moment, "a fear
ful looking for of judgement and of
fiery indignation." O sirs, 1 ; tell
you these things. It is as much as
my soul is worth to be silent about
them. If you think that I find any
pleasure in them you misjudge me.
I appe-1 to those who know me am
I morose ? Am 1 without tenderness?
ic it is because 1 love you that I
warn you. You shall not perish
through any flattering words of mine.
1 will be clear of your blood. If von
are not reconciled to God by the death
of His Son, you are His enemies, and
to be at enmity with God is to be
miserable ; it can not be otherwise.
1 low 1 wish you would feel this truth,
and be led by it to escape from the
wrath to come before yonder sun shall
again godon! God grant you may.
II. And now, secondly, we have
in the text a description of
tiii: iiuukvkr's msinoN
fit is " Christ tsts." What docs
that mean? 1 am not going into any
deep theological disquisitions ; I speak
very simple and with a view to prac
cal results. He that believes in the
Lord Jesus Christ is in Christ. By an
act of simple dependence upon Jesus he
realizes his position as being in Christ
By nature I am in myself, and in sin,
and I am, therefore, condemned ; but
when the grace of God awakens me
up to know my ruined state, then 1
fly to Christ. I trust alone in His
blood and righteousness, and He be
comes to me the cleft of the rock,
wherein I hide myself from the storm,
of vengeance justly due to me for my
many ofiences. Judge, then, my
hearer, whether you are in Christ.
Do you stand before God on your
own footing, or do you rest upon
Christ, and find your all in Him?
This is not an abstruse prob'em, but a
plain question.
And so I come, in closing, to
notice the
Aiisoi.unoN or Tin: iifi.if.vi:r :
"There is therefore no no Condon
nation to them which are in Christ
Jesus." What a grand sentence! I
call upon you to notice it. You may
have seen a well painted picture
called "Waiting for the Verdict."
What interest is displayed on every
face! What fear and trembling upon
the countenance of the prisoner! In
his wife and the friends around him
what anxtety is seen! "Waiting for
the Verdict" is a sad picture ; but
what another might be drawn of "The
Favorable Verdict Received," The
prisoner is acquitted ! Oh, what joy !
It is not possible to bring in a verdict
of "Not Guilty" for you and for me
lor we are undoubtedly guilty ; but
yet it is possible by the processes of
substitution and divine grace to bring
in a just verdict by which it is wit
nessed that "There is now no con
demnation." Notice, first, that this is a bold speech
"There is no condemnation." "But
you said just now that the thing you
would not that you did." Yes but
there is condemnation. The same
lips which made such a humble con
fession and revealed such a troule
sonie experience now assert positive
ly and joyfully "There is no condem
nation." Free grace makes men
speak bravely when their faith has a
clear view of Jesus. Though it is a
bold assertion, it is pi oven. When
ever a man has a "therefore" at the
back of what he has to say, he mav
say it with stammering. 1 There is
theiefore now no comdenination.
Paul is always a reasoner and a great
logician.' Here he seems to declare
his certainity. "What I saw I can
prove. I here is no condemnation to
them that are in Christ Jesus, and I
can prove it to a demonstration."
The devil says there is condemna
tion, and therefore he accuses us day
and night. He was a liar from the
beginning, and the father ol lies 1
Conscience sometimes censures us,
for even conscience itself needs to be
enlightened and to be purged from
dead works; but when, conscience
understand the plan of free grace,
and sees things in the light or truth,
it also bears witness, and the Spirit
of God bears witgess with it, that we
are the children of God. "No "
said the apostle, "there is no condem
nation.'' What a broad sweep these
wfcrds take I What
A JOVKUI. STATEMENT
it is! When Giant Despair's head
was cut off, Mr. Bunyan says that the
pilgrims danced ; and well they might.
Mr. Despondency and Miss Much
afraid took a turn, and even Ready-to-Halt
with his crutches must needs
join in. I warrant you he footed it
well. When he saw the monster's
head upon the pole he could not help
being merry. This text sticks the
giant's head up on the pole for us.
" There is therefore now no condem
nation." Oh, for the loud sounding
cymbals! Poor prodigal sinners have
fled to Jesus and hidden in Him, and
there is now no condemnation to
them. Poverty? Yes, but no con
demnation. Depression of spirit?
Yes, sometimes: but no condemna
tion. Infirmities and weaknesses,
and things to grieve over ? Yes,
plenty of them, but no condemnation.
"Oh,' conic, let us sing unto the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock
of our salvation !"
"All very well.'' say one, '-but we
should like
SOMK'l hlNO PRACTICAL."
Prartical ! this is the most practical
thing that ctei 7tas, because the
moment a man receives this assurance
into his soul his heart is won to his
loving Lord, and the neck of his sin
fulness is broken with a blow. There
never was, ay, nevei can be, a man
that has realized by the witness of the
Holy Ghost that he is free from con
demnation who will ever go to love
sin and live in it. While I am con
demned 1 say, "Well, if I am to be
sent to hell for my sin I may as well
be hung for a sheep as a lamb, and
therefore I will continue in sin, and
get what pleasure I can out of it."
Do you hot know how the guilty man
often feels, that since there is no hope
for him, he may as well harden his
heart, and enjoy himself ? A mouse
was caught in a trap, the other day,
by it tar, and the poor creature went
d eating the cheese. Many men
are doing the same ; they know that
they are guilty, and they dread their
punishment, but they go on nibbling
it their beloved sns. They remind
ne of the soldier in
TllK Oi l) CLASSIC STORY.
The army marched through a cer
tain country, and the commander m
;hief ordered that tliere should be no
plundering : not a man must touch a
lunch of grapes in going through the
vineyards, or he should die for his
disobedience. One soldier, tempted
:y a bunch of grapes, must necd3
duck it, and begin to eat it. He was
irought before the captain, who de
:lared that the law must be carried
Dtit, and the thief must die. He was
taker, out to die ; and though he knew
lis head would be cut off, he went on
:ating the grapes as he walked along.
comrade wondered that he should
lo this , but the condemned man
inswered that no one ought to grudge
lim his grapes for they cost him dear
.'iiough.
Such are the bravados of sinners.
The hearts ol wicked men are steeled,
rather than softened by a senae of
:ondemnation ; but once let the Holy
Spirit remove the burden of their
juilt, and they will be dissolved by
ove. Free pardon is a great con
pieror. The love of Jesus soon
nakes men turn from sin with burli
ng hatred. In the experience of free
;race you have something to work
loon ; you have put a new affection
nto the man. and it will drive out his
last affections. A life force is com
nunicated to him which will cause
nun to forsake his old ways and turn
.into the Lord. "I low do you know?"
iays one. I know by experience and
'jy observation. I could point you
3tit many specimens of the power of
Jivine grace in this assembly, but I
will not do so. If 1 were to say,
"Brothers and sisters, you who once
lived in sin but have escaped from it
through free grace and dying love,
stand up!' what an exceeding great
army would start to their feet ! Yes,
we know it is true, for the lips of
many witnesses declare it; they say,
"Jesus saved us from the worst of
sins, and made us His friends by His
free grace, and now we rejoice to
love and serve Him." So shall it be
with you, dear hearer, if you also be
lieve in Jesus. The text shall be true
of you also "There is therefore now no
condemnation to them that are in
Christ Jesus." God bless you !
Amen.
MISSIONS.
Miss Gordon Cummings says, that
one of the most genial men she met in
India was an American missionary a
steadfast, earnest worker who had
been for twelve years preaching in
Allahabad, but had no reason to be
lieve that in all that time he had made
a single genuine convert. It was sorly
disheartening, and yet he cheerlully
kept up his heart. Within the last ten
years the seed has sprung up and is
bringing forth fruit in a truly marvel
ous manner.
Facts upset all the assertions made
of the slow progress or non-progress
of Foreign Missionary work. 11883,
4,101 foreign missionary societies,
with 2908 missionaries, 2362 native
ministers and 769,201 native commu
nicants, had a gain in twelve months
of 127,149 communicants or 19.71
per cent. The converts candidate
for West Renfrewsjiire, at a pleasant
soiree in the building, formally hand
ed over to Dr. Htitton the title deeds
of a new mission hall erected in the
West-end of Paisley at a cost of near
ly $20 000, for the furthur prosecution
of missionary work '.n connection
with the Canaling deeper hold ol
Christian hearts in all the churches
and spscial objects draw out large
gifts."
Brooklyn, the city of churches con
tain- 3 000 saloons.
m