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About Christian herald. (Portland ;) 1882-18?? | View Entire Issue (June 15, 1883)
C ETTI I S'T I A. KT KENTUCKY DEPARTMENT . . e ■ . CONDUCTED BY J. W. CALDWELL. All matter intended for thia department should be sent to J. W. Caldwell, West Union, Owen Co., Kentucky. We wish to correspond with every preacher in Kentucky in refereuee to the circulation cf the H erald , and contributions to its columns. Send for terms. ¿tysttemaöf Rélîgîüu. yet they are the visible evidences of our devotion and loyalty to heaven. To point to the one chief diff’er- ence between the ceremonies of men and the commands of God. Men’s ceremonies have a general tendency to draw our attention f i oin spiritual impwnnuiiiilu aiud’ fasten it upon themselves, the forms while God’s commands have nothing especially attractive in the very act; but tend to elevate and strengthen us spiritually. In other words, the acts we are commanded to perform by our Father are not attractive in themselves—abstract ly considered. Apart from God they have no charms. In the two preceding articles an effort was made to indicate briefly - 7 that it is the inevitable fate of every religious movement to become systematic, and consequently formal. ——Order is heAVéh's firaT'lawT'and is essential to success. Business sys tem is indispensable to success in business. But system alone will not suffice. „If. we ahoaHdispense.. with either, let system go, and tions within themselves and in ad work be done nevertheless. miring them wo lose tho spiritual The danger is not in system blessing, and thus become mere merely, but is in losing the vitality formalists. of religion. When forms become This is the great weakness in stereotyped and we have them for Christianity, and until we learn to their own sake, the essential life of always have an eye-single to the our profession is gone. A man may edification of the spiiitual man, we so analyze his sermons and system- will be inefficient in the service of ize them till their power is lost. our Lord. \ - „ So with,, ,QUI^ worship. A highly Wealth. arranged system of worship soon loses its vitality. Many churches Few have a clear idea of what with wealth, good social standing, wealth is. There is real wealth, culture, fine houses, select choirs, fictitious. wealth, and floating and educated ministers, arc almost wealth, but little permanent wealth. powerless for good. The preaching, The most popular definition of singing, reading and playing are wealth is abundance, quantity. according to the most approved Quantity, in some measure, is abso- system. The tone, gesture, accent, utely necessary. Another absolute modulation,*volume, and pitch and essential, is quality. A man may ... time must be in keeping with the lave a title deed to 1,000,000 acres most approved systems of those of land ; this is quantity sufficient; arts. For be it ever so stoutly de mt if it is located in a sterile plain nied, these are arts. —the pine plains of Canada, or In view of these facts we need Dano Estacado of Texas, for in constantly to turn our serious at- stance, he has no wealth. But if it tention to the spiritual realities of is in the alluvial plains of the west, our religion, We want to more or the Ohio and Mississippi valleys, fully realize the personal and real the quality is good and thus he presence of our Lord at all times has two essentials to wealth. (The and under all circumstances. This sand plains are supposed not to grand principle underlying all re have any mineral value.) ligious life and growth is above and This is natural wealth. While beyond all form, rite or ceremony. this is natural in itself, it may not It is in keeping with the eternal be a source of wealth to its owner. principles of man and God. Realiz It may not be in the market; it ing and acting upon this fact we may not be salable because of de -live above aft thosecteniehlsof Jis-- fect of title; or war or pestilence cord and disunion which largely may make it of no value. Thus the afflict and divide the religious law may and will create a value, world. We may walk with God and the taxes,, collected each year on the condition that we love him. will be a source of poverty—a drain And if we love him we will keep upon the exchequer of the owner. his commandments. Or the owner may not be compe Let not any one conclude, that tent to dispose of the land at its any attempt is madh to undervalue reat value, and what would be a the commands of God. While they source of ten mellion dollars to one, are abused and neglected by many, may only be a source of 1,000,000 :'x HERALD to another. A. may utilize the $1,000,000 and make it quite remunerative—a source of comfort and profit. B. may be burdened and it may be a source of poverty to him. What is pover ty or a burden to one is wealth to another. With some, wealth con- thesame opportunities are worthless. One man is wealthy with a trade, for it is the source of getting food, rai ment and other comforts of life. Another is wealthy with a farm ; and agriculture is the source qf life and comfort. From this we find that utility is necessary to wealth. By utility we mean capabilities of being used important part of wealth. Indeed it seems to bo the leading idea of wealth. It implies both quantity aud quality. Any thing is not useful, unless the quan tity is ample, and the quality, good. If I am well supplied with the usSfuPartieles and commodities of life, I am wealthy. That is, if I have such as 1 require for my gen eral comfort. J. II. Beasley has returned from South Kentucky to New Castle, his old home. He intends to evange lize. J. D. Houston, Boston Station, reports Belleview church in a pros perous condition. Their new house is nearing- eempletien^^-------------- Judge Allen, of Nashville, Tenn., had all the gambling implements, captured by the police, burnt, under superintendance of the Grand Jury. The ^Poultry is one of the best poultry journals published in the South. It is a 16 page monthly, at 50 cents a year. It has agricultural and dairy departments. Published at Cuckoo, Va. The Atlantic Missionary has ta ken up its abode at Cuckoo,Va., and comes out improved and en larged. We congratulate the Mis sionary on itssuccess, end bespeak for it a liberal support. I Some one has sent Bro. Croath fi ve. dflllaralor . ajl . article - that ap------- [teared-in the Review. That is one Ego. .-If which is reasonably satis man in a thousand. Whether the fied, Or has cause to be so, wealth is act is “sound” or “apostolic” we certain. leave Bro. C, to decide. - Contentment is the flower and l^fpiness, the fruit, golden and Prince Bismarck is in declining ' luscius, of true wealth. This is the health, and his physicians declare true aim of all human effort. Hap that he must lay aside all state piness in the pureuit and in the cares, or the result will be fatal. If possession. This is the royal life, he would not trouble himself about the high road to glory. German emigration to America, he would doubtless have better health. J Notes and Comments. You should write to Bro. Neal ~ Lexington, May 11th, 5 additions. for specimens of the Worker, the —H. M. Ayres. only temperance paper published in Ky. It is a wide awake, and fear Milburn, May 8th, 34 additions. less advocate of prohibition. W. A. Gibson. Friends of the cause should circulate it in large quantities. Address the Danville, May 7th, 1 confession. Worker, Louisville, Ky. —S. W. Crutcher. We think, it incumbent upon Middleton, April 18th, 23 addi preachers to make the circulation of tions.—B. H. Cox. our papers, tracts and books a speciality. We need not become Glasgow, May 14th, twenty-one too dignified fur this good work. additions.—T, Al. Alyres _ - When otrr human pride prevents us _r. from engaging in every good word W. F. Howe has just closed a and work, we sin wilfully. meeting at New Liberty.- The Rescue announces its friend Vanceburg, May 15th, J. S. Myres ship for, and cooperation with all held a meeting at Olive Branch, movements tonding toward the Ind., with 3 additions. prohibition of the manufacture and sale of intoxicants. There is too Now if Bro. Errett will fold the much sectarianism in the temperance Standard once inore, we will like ranks. This must die, ere the it still better, uood as it is. cause succeeds.