DUKE 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 DIVINITY SCHOOL 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 C-ift of 
 Mrs. Holland Holt on 
 
CI 
 
 *.-. „ Mm 
 
 Rev. F. L. REID, D. D. 
 
i 
 
 
 "^J 
 
 

 ^V ^£UV 
 
LIFE, 
 Sermons and Speeches 
 
 OP 
 
 REV. NUMA F. REID, D. D., 
 
 LATE OF THE 
 
 NORTH CAROLINA CONFERENCE 
 
 BY HIS SONS, 
 
 Jas. W. Reid and Frank L. Reid. 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 
 E. J. HALE & SON, PUBLISHERS, 
 Murray Street. 
 
 1874. 
 
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1874, by 
 
 Jas. W. Reid and Frank L. Reid, 
 
 in the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. 
 All rights reserved. 
 
Jiv. S, 
 
 T. : - 
 
 TO TEE MEMBERS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 North Carolina Conference 
 
 OP THE 
 
 METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH SOUTH, 
 
 To which honored body our ancestors have held connec- 
 tion, without intermission, for the past sixty years, 
 
 By the Editors. 
 
 58402'? 
 
PREFACE 
 
 Yarious reasons induce men to publish books. Solicited by 
 friends, who, in connection with the immediate family of 
 our Father, were desirous of preserving his Sermons and 
 writings in permanent form, and thereby perpetuate the good 
 results of his Ministry, the Editors have given this volume to 
 the public. 
 
 The Biography published herein was prepared by Rev. 
 Jno. W. Lewis, of the North Carolina Conference, whose 
 ability, and long intimate friendship and association with 
 Dr. Reid, eminently qualified him for this duty. 
 
 With two exceptions, the Sermons and Speeches incorporated 
 in this book were not prepared by their author with a view to 
 publication, and as the editors have very accurately followed the 
 original incomplete drafts, the discourses may lack that rhetor- 
 ical and philological finish which would have characterized 
 them had. Dr. Reid designed them for the press. 
 
 The net proceeds realized from the sale of this work will be 
 applied to the education of Dr. Reid's younger children. 
 
 The Editors. 
 
 Wentworth, K C. Sept 21. 1874. 
 
 584087 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Preface 7 
 
 Biographical Sketch of Rev. N. F. Reid, D. D 9 
 
 The Pastorate 109 
 
 The M. E. Church South 135 
 
 Fear God rather than Man 150 
 
 A Nation's True Source of Happiness 165 
 
 Purity of Heart 176 
 
 The Resurrection 193 
 
 The Lord's Supper 205 
 
 The Spiritual Warfare 218 
 
 Following the Multitude 231 
 
 Baptism — Sermon 1 240 
 
 Baptism — Sermon II 269 
 
 The Drawing of Christ 286 
 
 Giving the Heart to God 295 
 
 Almost a Christian 318 
 
 The Mystery of Spiritual Things 325 
 
 Glorying in the Cross 339 
 
 The Triumph and Reward of the Christian 356 
 
 The Falling of the Walls of Jericho 369 
 
 Thanksgiving Day 382 
 
 Living to God 390 
 
 The Reward of Well Doing 400 
 
 Those that are Christ's have His Spirit 410 
 
 All Things Work Together for Good 419 
 
 The Anointing of the Saviour 429 
 
 A Season to Everything 446 
 
 Sowing and Reaping 455 
 
 The World Passeth Away 467 
 
 Missionary Address 475 
 
 Sabbath School Address 490 
 
 Masonic Oration 502 
 
 Appendix — Sketch by Rev. Dr. Deems , 531 
 
Biographical Sketch 
 
 OF 
 
 Hey. f MA FLETCHER p, D. D., 
 
 WHO WAS 
 
 TWENTY-SIX YEARS A METHODIST PREACHER, 
 
 AND 
 
 TWENTY-TWO YEARS A MEMBER OF THE N. C. CONFERENCE. 
 By Rev. J^O. W. LEWIS, 
 
 OF THE N. C. CONFERENCE. 
 
 In a country where there are no hereditary 
 castes in society ; where nature, culture, and 
 grace issue the only patents of nobility, the 
 subject of pedigree can never become one of para- 
 mount importance. Nevertheless, when an indi- 
 vidual rises to any considerable degree of distinc- 
 tion amongst us, we find ourselves inquiring, 
 What was his origin ? Who were his progenitors, 
 and to what family does he belong I Nor is the 
 inquiry, in a moral point of view, destitute of 
 reason. Upon these things depend, in a great 
 degree, the first elements of character and true 
 excellence. Human virtue is not necessarily he- 
 reditary ; yet we naturally look for some corre- 
 sponding traits of character between the father 
 
10 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 and the son. We usually expect a fair scion from 
 an excellent stock. In no other point of view is 
 the question of genealogy of any weight, for no 
 earthly distinctions can ennoble the morally vile 
 and dissolute. 
 
 The above remarks apply to the subject of this 
 sketch. His ancestors occupied a respectable 
 position in the middle walks of life, and were 
 remarkable only for virtue, honesty, and their de- 
 votion to religion. And yet his talents, his vir- 
 tues, his energy, and, above all, his deep and fer- 
 vent piety, harmonized all his faculties, and raised 
 him to an eminence, and secured to him an influ- 
 ence, which very few persons possess. We trust 
 that his example may emulate many to aspire to 
 similar excellence. When we view the interest 
 of life in its moral and intellectual aspects, parent- 
 age and early education are worthy of our atten- 
 tion. The child is the man in miniature, both mor- 
 ally and intellectually, as well as pl^sically ; and 
 whatever helps to direct the mind or energies of 
 the child will be potent in forming the character 
 of the coming man, either for good or evil, for 
 happiness or misery. 
 
 Numa Fletcher Reid was born in Rockingham 
 County, North Carolina, on the 3d day of July, 
 in the year 1825. He was the second son of the 
 Rev. James Reid, of the North Carolina Confer- 
 ence, and Martha Reid, daughter of Rev. George 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 11 
 
 R. Edwards. His grand-parents, both paternal 
 and maternal, were pious and devoted members 
 of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His grand- 
 father, Bluford Reid, and wife, resided near the 
 Red House in Caswell County, N. 0., and were 
 among the first members of the Methodist Church 
 in that section. They both lived to advanced age, 
 and continued to adorn their Christian profession 
 as long as they lived. Bluford Reid attained the 
 age of ninety-seven years, and died a few years 
 ago at the residence of his youngest son, Bluford 
 W. Reid, near Hillsdale, in Guilford County, 1ST. 
 C. He died in full hope of a glorious immortality ; 
 his virtuous life and sincere piety are worthy the 
 imitation of his descendants. His grand-father 
 Edwards, and wife, Catharine Simmons, were 
 members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 
 Mecklenburg County, Va., in. the early days of 
 Methodism. They removed to Rockingham 
 County, N". C, about sixty-five years ago, and 
 settled a few miles south of Dan River, near 
 Mount Carmel Church, where their bones rest 
 quietly in the old family graveyard, with many of 
 those of their descendants. Rev. George R. Ed- 
 wards, with Rev. Ira Ellis, Sterling Ruffin, father 
 of the late Chief Justice Ruffin, of North Carolina, 
 John Morehead, father of the late Governor More- 
 head, Hon. James T. Morehead, and Porter Guer- 
 rant, succeeded in building up Mount Carmel 
 
12 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 Church, which has connected with its history 
 many reminiscences of early Methodism. 
 
 This old church Was the place of holding camp 
 meetings in other times, and many scores and 
 hundreds of souls have been converted there. 
 It was at this sacred place that Rev. Gr. R. Ed- 
 wards and his Wife held their membership until 
 called by the Master from the Church militant to 
 the Church triumphant. N. F. Reid descended 
 from pious stock ; his parents and grand-parents 
 were all devoted members of the Methodist Epis- 
 copal Church. Is it, therefore, any wonder that 
 he should have become a Methodist preacher ? 
 
 Rev. James Reid, the father of N. F. Reid, was 
 the eldest son of Bluford Reicl. He was born in 
 Caswell County, N. C, April 5th, 1795, where he 
 received his early training. His educational op- 
 portunities were quite limited, as was the case 
 generally, in the time of his youth, with those who 
 were raised in the middle walks of life. 
 
 The course of education in the neighborhood 
 schools consisted in spelling, reading, writing and 
 arithmetic, to a very limited extent ; the children 
 in the rural districts attended these schools three 
 or four months in the year, and the balance of the 
 year they were usually employed in domestic la- 
 bor. James Reid spent his time, when not in 
 school, laboring on the farm or in the shop, with 
 his father, working at the wheelwright trade. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 13 
 
 His pious parents watched over his morals, and 
 taught him to ' ' remember his Creator in the days 
 of his vouth," and his heart was early awakened 
 to a sense of his lost condition, and he felt him- 
 self a sinner, and the necessity of regenerating 
 grace. He sought the Lord with full purpose of 
 heart, and soon realized His power to saye. 
 
 He was then prepared to say, " ! Lord, I will 
 praise thee, for although thou wast angry with me, 
 thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortest 
 me." He early connected himself with the Metho- 
 dist Episcopal Church, and ayailed himself of all 
 its privileges ; the one which he most esteemed, 
 was class meeting. He was accustomed to attend 
 the ministry of some of the soul-stirring pioneers 
 of Methodism, and no doubt that it was through 
 their instrumentality he caught the sacred flame 
 of heavenly zeal which rendered his early minis- 
 try so effective. He soon commenced exercisiu°; 
 his gifts in public prayer and exhortation. In 
 the early days of Methodism the male members 
 of the Church generally prayed in public, and not 
 unfrequently females exercised their gifts in pub- 
 lic prayer. In those times the Methodist Church 
 had a much larger proportion of active, working 
 members than at the present day. The Church 
 now needs a baptism of the Holy Ghost to stir 
 up the souls of its members to become workers 
 for the Lord. May God send it ! 
 
14 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 Young Eeid's soul was soon impressed to warn 
 his fellow-men to flee the wrath to come. Many 
 of the early Methodist preachers were called from 
 the plow handles, from the workshops, or from the 
 counting-rooms, to the Ministry ; and so impres- 
 sive was the call that they found no rest until they 
 went forth, trusting in the great Head of the Church, 
 in the discharge of their obligations to God ; and 
 uneducated as most of these men were, they 
 trusted in God, and used the means of grace, and 
 availed themselves of every opportunity to gain 
 knowledge ; and the Lord honored their ministry 
 with the conversion of souls, and many of them 
 soon became able ministers of the Xew Testament. 
 James Reid was licensed to preach, and joined 
 the travelling connection in the Virginia Confer- 
 ence, in the year 1815. He went forth with a 
 burning zeal for the Cause of God ; he felt the 
 worth of souls at heart ; and the Lord put the 
 seal of approbation on his ministry by the con- 
 version of sinners. It was in the year 1819, 
 nearly as far back as memory runneth, that the 
 writer of this sketch first saw him ; he was then 
 in charge of Salisbury Circuit, with a young 
 preacher by the name of Robertson for his helper ; 
 then in the vigor of youth, full of zeal for the 
 cause of God, he went forth stirring up the 
 churches ; the word of God run and was glorified 
 in the conversion of sinners ; the Lord gave him 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 15 
 
 many seals to his ministry that year. He con- 
 tinued to itinerate, receiving his appointments 
 from the seaboard to the Blue Ridge. In the 
 year 1821-2, he travelled Guilford Circuit, and 
 while on this Circuit, which embraced Guilford 
 and Rockingham Counties, he was married to 
 Martha Edwards, third daughter of Rev. Geo. R. 
 Edwards, of Rockingham County, X. C. At the time 
 of his marriage it was the custom for the itiner- 
 ant ministers to locate at the ensuing conference 
 after their marriage, and to abandon the itineracy. 
 This custom grew out of the force of circum- 
 stances, one of which was the want of provision 
 for the support of the preacher's family, and 
 another was, that many of the old preachers, such 
 as Bishop Asbury, Philip Bruce, Jesse Lee, and 
 many other leading members of the Conference, 
 were unmarried men ; and a prejudice grew up in 
 the Church against married preachers. But such 
 was the zeal and moral courage of James Reid, 
 that having once put his hand to the plow, he de- 
 termined not to look back, but continued to itin- 
 erate notwithstanding the prejudice and opposi- 
 tion to married preachers, when there did not ex- 
 ceed in number a half dozen married preachers in 
 the Virginia Conference. He continued to take 
 his appointments from one annual Conference to 
 the next; and no doubt by the force of his character 
 and example, did much to break down the opposi- 
 
16 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 tion to married preachers in the Conference. He 
 continued effective in the itinerant work for fifty- 
 eight years, and never failed to answer to the call 
 of his name for fifty-eight annual meetings. He 
 filled his appointments with great acceptability as 
 circuit preacher and pastor. Through his instru- 
 mentality many hundreds of souls were brought 
 to Christ, and saved by grace. Perhaps the 
 most successful years of his ministry were spent 
 on Pittsboro 7 , Koanoke and Tar Elver Circuits. 
 Rev. James Reid was married the second time 
 about the year 1857. He married Mrs. Nancy 
 Kelly, of Franklin County, N. C. She was left 
 a widow, and still lives in solitude at her former 
 residence at Midway, waiting for her change to 
 come ; may she be comforted by Him who pro- 
 mises to be a husband to the widow. He was 
 elected in the year 1872 to the office of Superin- 
 tendent of Public Instruction in North Carolina. 
 This office had generally been filled by a minister 
 of the Gospel in this State, and also in other 
 States. He was conscientious in taking this ap- 
 pointment ; he did not regard it as political, but 
 simply as a ministerial office ; he had fully con- 
 sidered the matter, and regarded the duties of the 
 office as adapted to his feelings. Having for 
 several years filled the appointment of Agent for 
 Sabbath Schools in his Conference, and having 
 done this without an}^ pecuniary compensation, he 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 17 
 
 now needed a situation that would afford him a 
 support, and as this office was not incompatible 
 with his calling as a minister of the gospel, he 
 consented to have his name put in nomination for 
 it ; he was favorably known throughout the State. 
 He did not canvass the State by visiting the dif- 
 ferent counties, he made no speeches, but simply 
 permitted his name to be put in nomination ; he 
 was elected, but died before the time to enter upon 
 the duties of the office. 
 
 He travelled extensively during the long career 
 of his itinerant life ; and filled different appoint- 
 ments, such as Circuit Preacher, Presiding Elder, 
 College Agent, Missionary to the colored people, 
 and Sabbath School Agent. He continued in ac- 
 tive service until the last day of his life. He at 
 once ceased to work and to live. He raised a 
 family of nine children, and survived them all, 
 except two — X. F. Eeid, and Charles A. Eeid, 
 his youngest child, who is now the only surviving 
 member of the family, and resides in Savannah, 
 Georgia, His excellent wife, the mother of his 
 children, passed away to her heavenly home a 
 score of years before him. His wife, his three 
 daughters and five sons all died of lung disease ; 
 but it is a consoling thought that they all died in 
 peace ; and with only one exception, that of his 
 surviving son, compose an undivided family in our 
 Father's house above. Brother James Eeid died 
 
18 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 in Greensboro', at the house of Rev. N. H. D. Wil- 
 son, D. D., where he received the kindest atten- 
 tions of an interesting family. He died suddenly 
 in the month of October, 1872. No one saw him 
 die ; he had retired about 4 o'clock in the after- 
 noon to repose awhile in view of taking the cars 
 in the night for his home ; in a short while after 
 he retired a servant went into his room and found 
 him dead. He seemed to have expired without a 
 struggle or a groan ; just fell asleep in Jesus. His 
 funeral services were conducted in Greensboro' by 
 Rev. J. A. Cunninggim and Rev. Wm. Barringer ; 
 and also on the next day in Louisburg, N. C, by 
 Rev. 0. J. Brent. He was interred by the side of 
 his sainted wife and two sons, in the presence of a 
 large concourse of people. At the ensuing An- 
 nual Conference, held in Fayetteville, N. C, there 
 was a memorial service held for him, and a funeral 
 sermon delivered by Rev. Wm. Closs, D. I). 
 The Rev. Dr. Wilson, by request of friends, 
 had prepared a memorial sermon, but was taken 
 very ill on the night previous to the Memorial 
 Service, and was not able to perform the duty. 
 Thus passed away the senior member of the N. C. 
 Conference. The following Memoir was read and 
 adopted by the Conference : 
 
 MEMOIR OF REV. JAMES REID. 
 
 A father in Israel hath fallen. He who had for 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 19 
 
 many years headed the roll of our Conference, 
 has gone to the Conference of the Redeemed ; he- 
 was worthy to lead, and he died as becometh a 
 leader. James Reid was born in Caswell County, 
 N. C, April the 5th, 1795 ; he received a plain 
 English education, such as was usual at that time 
 in that section of the country. His parents were 
 pious, and the home influence favorable to the de- 
 velopment of manhoods best form. In early life 
 he embraced religion, and joined the Methodist 
 Episcopal Church. The call to preach was during 
 his boyhood, and in early youth he commenced 
 the work. He joined the Virginia Conference in 
 1815, and was appointed to Bertie Circuit. His 
 work was then as follows : 1816, Roanoke ; 1817, 
 Suffolk and Princess Anne ; 1818, Washington and 
 Swift Creek ; 1819, Salisbury ; 1820, Mecklen- 
 burg ; 1821-2, Guilford ; 1823-4, Franklin ; 1825, 
 Iredell ; 1826, Bedford ; 1827, Buckingham ; 
 1828, Amherst; 1829, Franklin; 1830-1, Haw 
 River ; 1832, Tar River ; 1833-6, Presiding El- 
 der of Newbera District ; 1837-40, Salisbury 
 District ; 1841-3, Agent for G-reensboro' Female 
 College ; 1844-7, Presiding Elder on Washington 
 District; 1848-9, Caswell Circuit; 1850, Person 
 Circuit ; 1851, Wilmington District ; 1852-3, Pre- 
 siding Elder on Raleigh District ; 1854-8, Raleigh 
 African Mission ; 1859-60, Tar River ; 1861-2, 
 Nashville ; 1863-4, Henderson ; 1865, Warren ; 
 1866, Presiding Elder on Newbern District ; 
 
20 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 1867-72, Agent for Sunday Schools. It will be 
 seen that he gave nearly 58 years to the active 
 work of the ministry, not the pleasant work of 
 stations, but mostly to Circuits and Districts, very 
 large and laborious. In April, 1822, he was hap- 
 pily married to Martha Edwards of Rockingham 
 County, an amiable young lady, and a devoted 
 Christian, well adapted, by character, education, 
 and disposition, to be the wife of a self-sacrificing 
 Methodist preacher. At that time there were few 
 married travelling preachers in the Yirginia Con- 
 ference. In those days married preachers were 
 not popular, and nearly all who married located ; 
 but James Reid and his family lived on such pay 
 as was given him, and endured all manner of 
 hardships, and still the man of God never fal- 
 tered. He was an able Minister of the Gospel, 
 preached in the " power and demonstration of the 
 Spirit," and was wise in winning souls to Christ 
 with wisdom from above. 
 
 While enduring the toils and privations of the 
 ministry, he also shared its honors. In 1832 he 
 was elected, and served as a delegate in the 
 General Conference which met that year in Phil- 
 adelphia, and in matters of Church polity and 
 direction he ranked with such men as James Pat- 
 terson, H. G. Leigh, Brock, and Doub. 
 
 Brother Reid was twice married ; his first wife 
 and seven of his children passed away to the 
 Spirit land before him ; his second wife was Mrs. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 21 
 
 Kelly, who still survives him. He was a warm- 
 hearted, .able supporter of all the great enterprises 
 of the Church. With his small salary he managed 
 to give his children a good education, and he did 
 much to promote the cause of education in our 
 Church and the State generally ; he was not 
 only an active, faithful trustee of our colleges, 
 but supported them in every way with eminent 
 ability. He was one of those clear-thinking, 
 prudent working men who make their mark 
 upon the times. He was one of the fathers in 
 the North Carolina Conference, preeminently a 
 man of ability and weight among citizens, and a 
 man of God in the Church. By him was much 
 contributed to make us what we are. In the 
 summer of 1872 he was elected Superintendent 
 of Public Instruction for the State of North Car- 
 olina, but died before the time of entering upon 
 the duties of his office. Brother Reid died sud- 
 denly at the residence of Rev. N. H. D. Wilson, 
 in Greensboro', N. C, Nov. 8th, 1872. For some 
 time his health had been declining, but he had 
 often said he was ready, that he had been long in 
 the vineyard below, and was waiting to be carried 
 to his Father's house. He leaves a bereaved 
 widow, two sons, several grand-children and other 
 relations, and the members of the Conference, to 
 mourn his loss. 
 
 Wm. Closs, ) r 
 
 N. H. D. Wilson, ( Lom ' 
 
22 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 We have already stated that Numa F. Reid 
 was the second son of the Rev. James Reid of 
 the North Carolina Conference. 
 
 His eldest brother was G-eorge Wesley Reid, a 
 young man of highly cultivated mind and affable 
 manners ; he was a Christian gentleman, a fine 
 looking person, and an eloquent speaker. It was 
 seldom, if ever, our privilege to listen to a finer 
 declaimer than Wesley Reid. After he left 
 Emory and Henry College, where he was a 
 student three years under the tutorage of Rev. 
 Dr. Collins, Rev. Dr. Wiley and Professor Long- 
 ley, he devoted his remaining years to teaching ; 
 had he lived he would likely have entered the 
 ministry. His career was brief. After spending 
 a scholastic year teaching on Mattamuskeet, Hyde 
 County, N. C, a pulmonary disease began to de- 
 velop itself in his system. He had returned to 
 his school in the latter part of the summer and 
 spent a few months in teaching, when he felt it 
 necessary to repair to the up country in order to 
 recruit his health ; after reaching his friends his 
 health continued to decline until cold weather, 
 when he was compelled to take his room, and in a 
 short time died in great peace. 
 
 Numa Fletcher Reid was remarkable in child- 
 hood for his unyielding integrity ; when but two 
 or three years old he gave unmistakeable evidence 
 of a strong character ; his will- was so determined 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 23 
 
 and his temper so inflexible that pis mother often 
 corrected him until her affections would gush forth 
 into tears of sympathy ; his will was so strong that 
 even when a child he would never yield until 
 driven from the last defence. While he possessed 
 a strong will he was also remarkable for his genial 
 affection and his attachment to home, and espe- 
 cially to his mother ; these qualities continued to 
 increase during his life ; he regarded his mother 
 as the best woman in the world, and always spoke 
 of her as the best of mothers. And ever after she 
 was dead and had gone to her home in heaven, 
 his thoughts and affections lingered around her 
 memory. He regarded the words, "Mother, 
 Home, and Heaven," the sweetest and most 
 lovely words in our language. Nearly the last 
 word he uttered on earth was " mother." In life's 
 last struggle he turned his eyes upon his son, and 
 said : " Frank, I will see your mother and my 
 mother." During his childhood, like most boys, 
 he was fond o" toys and other childish amuse- 
 ments, and was inclined to be mischievous, but 
 was never wicked. His pious parents taught him 
 the fear of the Lord, and the first principles of 
 religion as set forth in the Church Catechism. 
 With the advantage of such religious training his 
 mind soon began to develop itself. 
 
 He was sent to school at the early age of six 
 or seven vears. His first teacher in the district 
 
24 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 or neighborhood school was Augustus Fears, a 
 pious local preacher in the Methodist Episcopal 
 Church. He afterwards had for his teacher Wil- 
 liam Smith, who, by his great severity, excited 
 his fears so much as to give him a great distaste 
 for school, and at one time he managed to hurt his 
 toe on purpose to stay away from school. It was 
 the practice of Mr. Smith to have all the children 
 who could spell, form once each day into a general 
 class, to learn the spelling lesson commonly called 
 the "heart" lesson. They were all seated togeth- 
 er, and required to spell in concert with an aud- 
 ible voice, while he, as an overseer, would walk 
 the floor with birch in hand. It was on one of 
 these occasions that little Numa and another chap 
 concluded to have some innocent amusement, by 
 contributing the sound of their voices to swell the 
 tumult, without using any specific words. This 
 went on to their satisfaction and delight, until his 
 pedagogueship, passing round, perceived that they 
 were only carrying the tune, without the words ; 
 and the first intimation they had of being detected 
 in their fun was the force of the master's birch 
 across their shoulders. " This," said Dr.Eeid to 
 a friend two years ago, "made an impression upon 
 my mind that I could never forget." It is prob- 
 able that most men have had similar experiences 
 in their schoolboy days. 
 
 The subject of this sketch spent a considerable 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 25 
 
 portion of his boyhood clays in the neighborhood 
 schools, and made very great proficiency in the 
 rudiments of an English education. He, with his 
 eldest brother, Wesley Reid, and his uncle, Ben- 
 jamin S. Edwards, were sent to school, in view of 
 securing a preparation for college. During the 
 period of time in which he was receiving his pri- 
 mary training, his biographer knew but little of his 
 history, except that he was possessed of a frail 
 and delicate constitution. He grew up with a 
 slender and fragile body, and was never able to 
 endure great hardships. He always required the 
 delicate attention of a little child ; and but for the 
 vigilant care and attention his parents paid to his 
 health, he never could have attained to the age of 
 manhood. The great care taken of delicate chil- 
 dren accounts for the fact that so many of them 
 are raised to mature age, while so many healthy 
 and robust children die young. 
 
 The development of his moral character was 
 carefully watched by his devoted parents. They 
 used every precaution to guard his youthful heart 
 against the snares of vice and folly ; they well 
 knew the dangers concealed along the slippery 
 pathway of youth, and the great importance of 
 the maxim of the wise man, Solomon, "Train up 
 a child in the way he should go, and when he is 
 old he will not depart from it," not to use every 
 means in their power to secure the religious train- 
 
26 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 ing of their children ; and when kind words and 
 persuasive arguments failed to bend the stubborn 
 will of the child, they did not spare the rod, being 
 fully persuaded that "he who spareth the rod 
 spoileth the child.' 7 Little Fletcher was early 
 taught the fear of the Lord, and the necessity of 
 praying to Him, an important lesson which cannot 
 be learned too early : "Remember now thy Creator 
 in the days of thy youth." He, like the youthful 
 Timothy, "knew the Holy Scriptures from a child; 7 ' 
 and learned to attach so much importance to prayer 
 that he was heard to remark in the latter part of 
 his life: "That his experience had proved to him 
 that prayer was as beneficial to his body as to his 
 soul, and that without prayer his body would not 
 have lasted till his thirtieth year. Young Reid 
 was naturally possessed of a clear, discriminating 
 mind, with great powers of analysis, and, conse- 
 quently, made great proficiency in his studies. 
 His mind developed itself rapidly, so that he was 
 generally in advance of the boys of his own age 
 in his literary attainments. He was put to school 
 very young, and learned rapidly. His mind was 
 developed much faster than his body, so much so 
 that he appeared precocious. 
 
 In the year 1838, at the age of thirteen years, 
 he entered Emory and Henry College. This was 
 about the time that the College Faculty was or- 
 ganized ; it consisted of Rev. Charles A. Collins, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 27 
 
 President, and E. E. Wiley and Edmund Longley, 
 professors, with one tutor. He was a member of 
 one of the first classes organized in the college. 
 He was quite small for his age, and this, in con- 
 nection with his literary attainments, commended 
 him to the favorable consideration of the faculty, 
 and gave him influence among the students. His 
 correct deportment during the six consecutive 
 sessions he was in college secured him the appro- 
 bation of his instructors and the respect of his fel- 
 low students. 
 
 His college life was pleasant ; he had for his 
 room-mates his brother, Wesley Reid, and his 
 uncle, Benjamin S. Edwards, the youngest brother 
 of his sainted mother, both of whom died more 
 than twenty years ago. He continued a student 
 in Emoiy and Henry College three years, but left 
 the institution without graduating, though he had 
 accomplished most of the academic course of stud}". 
 He was a hard student at College, and continued 
 to be such to the end of life. He learned while 
 in college how to discipline his mind to study, and 
 thereby laid the foundation of his future eminence 
 as a minister of the Gospel. He there learned to 
 know the scholar's resources and their use ; clear 
 comprehension of men, of opinions and tendencies, 
 to see quickly and clearl}', to discriminate wisely, 
 and to argue with directness and force. His 
 mental faculties were wonderfully developed by 
 
28 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 his collegiate training, and no doubt that his future 
 greatness was the result of his early educational 
 advantages. 
 
 While in college his good conduct, his close ap- 
 plication to his studies, his virtuous habits and 
 his gentlemanly deportment, commended him to 
 the esteem of all who knew him. He was a prom- 
 ising young man, and while in school bid fair to 
 take high rank in society. The expectations of 
 his friends have been fully realized by the high 
 position he has occupied in his various relations 
 to society. When he left his Alma Mater he car- 
 ried with him the highest regards of the faculty, 
 and the good will and kind affections of his fellow 
 students. President Wiley writes as follows : 
 "When he was ivith us, he was a youth of good 
 promise. I have met him but few times since in 
 General Conference. My last interview with him 
 was, I think, at General Conference in Memphis. 
 I always had a high admiration of his qualities as 
 a Christian gentleman, and of his abilities as an 
 effective speaker, and especially as an extraordi- 
 nary preacher of the Gospel." 
 
 At the tender age of sixteen he left the college 
 halls to go out and commence the battle of active 
 life. He returned to his father's house at Thomp- 
 sonville, Rockingham County, N. C, to mingle 
 with relatives and friends for a short time before 
 entering upon the occupation which he had chosen 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 29 
 
 — that of teaching school. His time was pleasantly 
 spent for a few weeks in visiting his friends and 
 in attending social parties with the young people 
 during his holiday. This was truly a jubilee to 
 his young and buoyant heart. His festive days 
 passed rapidly away, and he was soon to enter 
 upon new duties and to assume new responsibil- 
 ities. 
 
 In his seventeenth } r ear he commenced a school 
 in Thompsonville, N. C. This was the village in 
 which his father's family resided. His school was 
 a mixed school, made up of boys and girls, and 
 some of them his seniors. Rev. James H. Brent 
 was one of his pupils, as, also, his own little sisters 
 and brothers. This scholastic year was one of 
 great anxiety to him ; he was young and inex- 
 perienced in the management of schools, but with 
 his strong will and energetic nature he soon ex- 
 hibited considerable executive ability. He suc- 
 ceeded in the management of the school to the en- 
 tire satisfaction of his employers. It was during 
 this year that he attended the great camp meeting 
 at Mount Carmel, in company with his father's 
 family. This camp meeting was in the pastoral 
 charge of the sainted John Rich ; Rev. Samuel S. 
 Bryant was the Presiding Elder. There were a 
 great many preachers in attendance at this meet- 
 ing, and all of them seemed to be filled with the 
 power of the Holy Ghost. On the first evening. 
 
30 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 at the first service, Divine power came upon the 
 congregation. Christians got happy, and sinners 
 were awakened. The work went on, increasing 
 in interest from day to day ; the word was preached 
 in great power and demonstration of the Spirit. 
 The work of awakening and conversion continued 
 to increase among the people, until it was ascer- 
 tained that more than one hundred and fifty souls 
 had been happily converted to God. 
 
 This meeting more resembled the day of Pente- 
 cost than any other scene ever witnessed by the 
 writer. The young, the old, male and female, 
 rich and poor, white and colored, all partook of 
 the gracious influence of the Holy Spirit ; in the 
 language of one of old, "The rich and the poor 
 met together, and God was the maker of them all." 
 
 Among the converts at the great Carmel camp 
 meeting was the subject of this sketch. It was here 
 that Numa Fletcher Reid was happily converted 
 to God, with his brother Wesley, his two sisters, 
 Ann and Mary, and James H. Brent, one of his 
 students, who afterwards became an able minister 
 of the gospel in the Methodist Episcopal Church 
 South. These have all kept the faith, finished 
 their course, and have died in peace ; they all 
 died in the bloom of youth except the subject of 
 this sketch. He conferred not with flesh and 
 blood, but immediately connected himself with 
 the Methodist Church, and continued to be a 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 31 
 
 prominent and useful member of it to the clay of 
 his death. It was in the year 1843 that he was 
 converted to God, and joined the Church, having 
 just entered his eighteenth year. He went from 
 the camp meeting with a heart full of love to God 
 and all mankind, to resume the duties of his 
 school. He was now better prepared to meet his 
 obligations than he was before his conversion to 
 God. With the love of God shed abroad in his 
 heart he was greatly delighted with the duties of 
 religion, such as attending the ministration of the 
 Word, the social prayer meetings, and the class 
 meetings. The revival flame spread all around 
 the Rockingham Circuit ; it reached the church at 
 Lowe's Chapel, near Thompsonville, and many 
 precious souls were converted there, and gathered 
 into the Church. Young Reid entered fully into 
 the spirit of the work, and rendered active ser- 
 vice in carrying it on ; it was a gracious season, 
 long to be remembered. Many of the subjects of 
 this revival have long since been transferred from 
 the Church militant on earth to the Church 
 triumphant in glory. 
 
 At the end of this year his school at Thomp- 
 sonville closed. He spent several weeks of vaca- 
 tion ; during his holidays he visited many of his 
 friends, and had a pleasant time ; but such was 
 his energetic nature that he could not be long 
 contented without some useful employment. In 
 
32 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 the year 1844 lie taught a school at Salem Church, 
 near Reidsville, Rockingham County. He boarded 
 at the house of his esteemed uncle, F. James 
 Meador, a Christian gentleman of excellent char- 
 acter for honesty and virtue, and of deep piety. 
 The example of this good man had a most salu- 
 tary influence upon the mind and. conduct of 
 young Reid ; in after life he often spoke of the 
 excellent qualities of his Uncle Meador. This 
 good man passed away to the spirit land a few 
 years before him. He spent his time pleasantly 
 in this interesting family. He discharged his 
 duties in this school to the satisfaction of his 
 patrons. After the close of his school at Salem, 
 in company with one of his fellow students, he 
 made a visit to his Alma Mater, Emory and Henry 
 College ; it was the time of commencement, and it 
 was a heartfelt pleasure to pay his respects to his 
 revered preceptors, and to mingle again with his 
 fellow students in the sacred halls of learning, 
 where he had spent so many happy days. On 
 his return to Rockingham County, N. C, he en- 
 tered into copartnership with Franklin L. Harris, 
 a fellow student, and a graduate of Emory and 
 Henry College, to carry on an academy in the 
 town of Wentworth, N. C. 
 
 The Wentworth Academy opened in the early 
 part of the year 1845, with flattering prospects. 
 It consisted of a male and female department, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 33 
 
 under the joint supervision of N. F. Reid and 
 Franklin L. Harris. They were assisted by one 
 competent female teacher. The school soon num- 
 bered between fifty and sixty pupils ; it was a 
 decided success in every particular. 
 
 Many of the students made good proficiency in 
 their studies. At the close of the scholastic year, 
 Mr. Reid and Mr. Harris dissolved their copartner- 
 ship by mutual consent. The Wentworth Academy 
 had taken such hold on the community, and had 
 become so popular, that the citizens earnestly solic- 
 ited Mr. Reid to carry it on as sole proprietor ; this 
 was quite an undertaking to one so young, having 
 just turned his nineteenth year. In the year 1846 
 the subject of this sketch carried on the Wentworth 
 Academy, in both the male and female depart- 
 ments, assisted by one female teacher. B} r his in- 
 domitable energy and his executive skill, he man- 
 aged the school so well that it gradually continued 
 to increase in popularity. He was firm in his ad- 
 ministration of discipline, and consequently had 
 very little trouble in the management of school ; 
 he commanded both the reverence and respect of 
 his pupils. He exhibited in his deportment so 
 many excellent qualities that he soon wielded an 
 influence in the community unparalleled for one of 
 his age. He was frequently applied to by the citi- 
 zens for counsel or advice in matters of difficulty. 
 His having commenced his public career so young. 
 
 3 
 
34 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 and having been thrown on his own resources so 
 early in life, greatly strengthened his character, 
 and enabled him in more mature age to have so 
 much sagacity in managing and settling difficulties 
 between contending parties ; he has from his youth 
 been entitled to the blessing of the peace-maker. 
 
 Having become settled in his purpose to spend 
 his whole life in useful pursuits, and as he was now 
 approaching the age of manhood, and soon to be 
 called upon to exercise the functions of a freeman, 
 in the body politic, he determined to marry, and 
 settle himself. In pursuance of this purpose, he 
 was married on the 11th of August, 1846, to Miss 
 Ann E. Wright, eldest daughter of James and 
 Ella Wright, of Wentworth, N. C, a few days after 
 he was twenty-one years old. 
 
 Some of the wisest and best men have advocated 
 early marriages as best calculated to promote both 
 the happiness and usefulness of mankind. It is 
 highly probable that the early marriage of Numa 
 F. Eeid contributed to his extensive usefulness in 
 life. His wife lived to be the mother of eight 
 children — four sons, and four daughters ; all of 
 them are now living except the first born — a nice 
 little girl, who died before she was two years old. 
 This bereavement, in connection with the death of 
 his brother Wesley Eeid, no doubt had the salu- 
 tary effect to detach his affections from the crea- 
 ture, and fix them more firmly upon his Creator. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 35 
 
 As his school progressed and gained influence 
 in the surrounding neighborhoods, many of his 
 friends sought to avail themselves of its advan- 
 tages by boarding their children in the town. He, 
 therefore, fitted up an establishment for house- 
 keeping, with an arrangement for boarding pupils; 
 and in this, found his wife to be a true helpmeet in 
 the management of his domestic affairs. There 
 are still living useful men and women, now heads 
 of families and useful members of society, who 
 were once his pupils and boarders in his family ; 
 they will never forget his kind attentions and 
 good advice. He had a kind heart, full of sym- 
 pathy for his fellow creatures, ever ready to ad- 
 minister to suffering humanity. He passed through 
 his second year in Wentworth Academy with 
 credit to himself and with profit to his pupils. 
 
 About the close of his second year in Went- 
 worth Academy he joined the Fraternity of Free 
 Masons, and took great delight in the workings 
 of the order. Soon after he was raised to the sub- 
 lime degree of a Master Mason, he was elected 
 and installed to office in the Lodge at Wentworth, 
 and continued to fill the subordinate offices of the 
 lodge until he was chosen Worshipful Master. 
 He continued to fill the office of Worshipful Mas- 
 ter for a number of years with credit to himself 
 and profit to the Order. He understood well the 
 principles and workings of Masonry, and fulfilled 
 
36 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 its obligations. He was a bright Mason, and con- 
 tinned to take a deep interest in the order to the 
 close of his life. While he was the Master of his 
 lodge he did not allow immoral or unmasonic con- 
 duct in a member to pass uncorrected, but used 
 every available means to reform the delinquent 
 brother, and if these all failed to bring about the 
 desired reformation, he would then execute the 
 laws of the order rigidly. He frequently repre- 
 sented his lodge in the Grand Lodge of the 
 State, and also filled one of the offices of the 
 Grand Lodge. He delivered an address at the 
 Centennial Anniversary of the Grand Lodge of 
 North Carolina, which was regarded by many 
 as the ablest effort of his life. He regarded Free 
 Masonry as one of the noblest charitable institu- 
 tions on earth ; a good institution to live with ; its 
 obligations require its members to discharge their 
 obligations to God, to their country and to their 
 fellow creatures. It dispenses charity to the 
 needy, it cares for and administers to the sick 
 while they live, it closes their eyes when the}' die, 
 deposits their mortal remains in the charael house 
 with the honors of the Order. It goes thus far 
 and no farther. The religion of the Lord Jesus 
 passes the soul through the portals of the skies to 
 glory. Free Masonry turns from the scene of sor- 
 row to administer comfort to the widow and the 
 orphan. The Grand Lodge of North Carolina 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 37 
 
 paid a beautiful tribute to the character of Numa 
 F. Reid, which the reader will see in the closing 
 part of this sketch. 
 
 Mr. Reid entered upon his third year's labor in 
 Wentworth Academy in the year 1847, with re- 
 newed purpose and energy. He had been for 
 some time an official member of the Church, and 
 took an active part in the official business of the 
 quarterly Conferences and of the finances of the 
 Circuit. He felt moved upon, as he believed, by 
 the Holy Spirit, to preach the Gospel, and with 
 this impression resting upon his mind, he con- 
 ferred not with flesh and blood but applied at once 
 for a permit from the Church ; and the quarterly 
 Conference of the Wentworth Circuit, after due 
 examinations of his qualifications, licensed him to 
 exercise his gifts as a local preacher in the M. E. 
 Church South. 
 
 This was the turning point in his history for his 
 future greatness and usefulness as a minister of 
 the Gospel. He at once commenced his ministry, 
 sometimes assisting the preacher in charge of the 
 circuit at his protracted meetings, and frequently 
 filling appointments of his own. The people 
 flocked to hear him, and the Lord put the seal of 
 approbation upon his ministry by the awakening 
 and conversion of souls. He passed through this 
 year teaching through the week, and preaching on 
 the Sabbath ; the people became more interested 
 
38 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 in his ministry as they continued to hear him. 
 At the end of his scholastic year the citizens in- 
 sisted that he should keep up the school in Went- 
 worth, and he gave his consent to teach another 
 year. 
 
 After a short vacation he entered upon his 
 fourth and last year's labor in the Wentworth 
 Academy. This year, 1848, ended his days of 
 school teaching. He did not feel as much in- 
 terest in teaching this year as formerly ; his mind 
 was drawn out in another direction. He felt a 
 burning zeal at heart to be fully engaged in the 
 work of the ministry ; he had a severe conflict ; 
 his sense of duty and the impulses of his con- 
 science urged him to give himself fully to the 
 ministry ; while he knew that some of his dearest 
 friends were opposed to his entering the itin- 
 eracy, and another of the learned professions 
 offered him a better field for worldly distinction 
 and a better support, but he chose rather to suffer 
 reproach, and hardship, and poverty in this life, 
 and have a good conscience and the hope of ever- 
 lasting life, than to enjoy the emoluments and 
 riches of the world. How few are willing to 
 trust the Lord and walk by faith ; they want to 
 see the result ; they want to walk by sight, not 
 willing to rely on the promises of our Heavenly 
 Father for their reward in the world to come. 
 They seek present good. The writer of this 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 39 
 
 sketch often conversed .with him during this year 
 about entering fully into the work of the ministry, 
 and after many conversations, and fully investi- 
 gating the whole subject, it was agreed upon in 
 confidence to consult the Presiding Elder of the 
 District on the propriety of leaving the Went- 
 worth Circuit to be supplied, and to employ him 
 to take charge of it the ensuing year. This plan 
 was not even made known to the Presiding Elder 
 until a very short time before the meeting of the 
 Annual Conference, he having already spoken to 
 the writer to take charge of the said Circuit the en- 
 suing year. The subject of our sketch continued 
 to teach through the week and to preach on 
 Sabbath until the close of his scholastic year, 
 which ended his career as a school teacher. 
 
 At the ensuing Annual Conference Wentworth 
 Circuit was left to be supplied with Rev. Numa 
 F. Reid for the year 1849. He entered at once 
 upon his work in this new relation as pastor, 
 which was destined, as his subsequent history has 
 proven, to be a glorious success. He made rapid 
 improvement in the ministry, and constantly in- 
 creased in usefulness and popularity among the 
 people ; great good was accomplished through his 
 instrumentality this year. He was well received 
 on every part of the circuit, and applied himself 
 diligently to his work ; he attended to his pastoral 
 duties more like an experienced preacher than one 
 
40 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 just entering upon the work. He was a close 
 student — not only applying himself to the study of 
 books, but he also studied men and character- 
 His mind developed itself rapidly ; he made satis- 
 factory improvement in his pulpit efforts, and soon 
 became a workman "not to be ashamed." He 
 was not only popular with the members of his 
 own Church, but he was much beloved by the 
 members of other denominations. 
 
 It has been stated already that he left college 
 before he graduated, but had gone through nearly 
 all the academic course. He continued by close 
 application to improve his education until he had 
 become a ripe scholar ; and about this time the 
 Faculty and Trustees of Randolph Macon College 
 conferred on him the honorary degree of Master 
 of Arts, and never did they confer this degree on 
 one more worthy to receive it. His labors on 
 Wentworth Circuit were greatly blessed to the 
 edification and building up of the church ; and as 
 the year drew towards its close the people mani- 
 fested considerable anxiety for his return to the 
 Circuit another year ; and at the next Annual Con- 
 ference the Presiding Elder of the District request- 
 ed the Bishop to employ him to take charge of the 
 Wentworth Circuit again. 
 
 In the year 1850 he entered upon his labors 
 with renewed zeal and energy on the Wentworth 
 Circuit, He was most cordially received by the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 41 
 
 church, and by the people outside of the church ; 
 he was a success in his work. He held an inter- 
 esting camp meeting this year near the town of 
 Madison, which resulted in the conversion of a 
 number of souls, and quite a number of accessions 
 to the Church. He held protracted meetings at 
 nearly all of his appointments, which resulted in 
 great good ; many souls were converted and added 
 to the Lord. His ministry was a great blessing 
 to the people of vVentworth Circuit, and as the 
 year began to draw to a close the people regretted 
 having to part with him. He had fully deter- 
 mined to offer himself to the Conference to join 
 the travelling connection. At the close of this 
 year the Conference held its annual meeting in 
 the town of Salisbury, N. C. At this Conference 
 he was ordained a Deacon, and admitted on trial 
 into the travelling connection. 
 
 He w r as this year appointed to Tar River Cir- 
 cuit. This circuit embraced the town of Louis- 
 burg. On his return from Conference to his family 
 he had his itinerant zeal tested. His wife and her 
 friends consented very reluctantly for him to take 
 his family away to live among strangers, and for 
 himself to be absent from home a large portion of 
 his time ; but while his heart was much affected 
 by his surroundings, he felt that he had put his 
 hand to the plow, and to look back would be dis- 
 astrous. 
 
 3* 
 
42 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 The winter of this year was unusually cold and 
 drear about the time that the preachers of the 
 North Carolina Conference were making arrange- 
 ments to remove to their new charges. The 
 streams were locked up with ice and the landscape 
 clad with snow. Such was the unpropitious season 
 for our young itinerant to remove his family to his 
 new charge, one hundred miles by private con- 
 veyance, over rough roads, and in the midst of 
 winter. Encouraged by the promise of the Master, 
 "Lo! I am with you alway," he addressed himself 
 to his journey, and, after a few days of rough travel 
 and toil with his helpless little family, he found 
 himself comfortably domiciled in the parsonage in 
 the town of Louisburg, N. C, in the midst of as 
 refined, whole souled, warm hearted a Methodist 
 community as can be found anywhere in the 
 bounds of the N. C. Conference. Our young 
 itinerant felt himself at once in the midst of true 
 friends and brethren beloved, who seemed to vie 
 with each other in acts of kindness to render their 
 new preacher and his family comfortable. His 
 heart was cheered and his zeal inflamed to put 
 forth his best efforts to render himself useful in 
 his charge. 
 
 Many a poor itinerant minister has had the 
 ardor of his zeal so chilled by the indifference he 
 has met on his arrival in his charge, as to so crip- 
 ple his energies that he has not been able to rally 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 43 
 
 his resources for usefulness throughout the year, 
 and has become so discouraged as to accomplish 
 but little good ; whereas, by a different course of 
 conduct on the part of the people toward him, he 
 might have been useful, and might have proved to 
 be a blessing to the people, and the people a bless- 
 ing to him. 
 
 It was with considerable misgivings that he com- 
 menced his labors on Tar River Circuit in the 
 year 1852. He feared that he would not be able 
 to meet the expectations of the people on account 
 of his want of experience in the ministry; but 
 when he became better acquainted with the tem- 
 per and disposition of the people his apprehensions 
 all subsided. They had an affectionate regard 
 for him ; they took him by the hand to help him 
 on ; they showed him great respect and treated 
 him with the utmost kindness. This stimulated 
 him to labor with more zeal and earnestness, that 
 he might be useful to them and deserve their kind 
 attentions. 
 
 The Lord greatly blessed his labors this year in 
 building up the Church, and in the advancement of 
 the Redeemer's Kingdom. He had many seals to 
 his ministry this year — he saw the pleasure of the 
 Lord prosper in his hands. But, alas ! in the midst 
 of his prosperity and usefulness his family circle 
 was visited by death, and two of his sisters passed 
 away from this terrene abode to the spirit land. 
 
44 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 Miss Ann Reid, the eldest sister of Rev. N. F. 
 Reid, died in the early part of this year, after 
 lingering for a long time with pulmonary eon- 
 sumption. In compliance with her earnest desire 
 her father concluded to remove his family from 
 Thompson ville to Louisburg, N. C, in order to be 
 more conveniently situated to his work, which was 
 that of Presiding Elder on the Wilmington Dis- 
 trict, and to have the society of his son, Rev. N. 
 F. Reid, and his family. He accordingly made 
 his arrangements, and set out with his family, 
 removing across the country by private convey- 
 ance. On the second day of the journey they had 
 reached Hillsboro', nearly half the distance to 
 Louisburg, when they found that Ann was rapidly 
 sinking into the embrace of death. They called 
 in at the house of a friend, and she soon fell asleep 
 in Jesus. She died in a very short time after 
 they had stopped. She was a lovely and amiable 
 young lady, of a highly cultivated mind, and sweet 
 disposition. She was a Christian, and died in 
 peace with Glod, and with all mankind. After 
 locating in the town of Louisburg, Miss Julia Reid 
 was placed in school in the academy of Mr. A. 
 Ray. She was a young lady of extraordinary 
 promise — the very picture of good health. She 
 continued for two or three months to attend the 
 school and make satisfactory proficiency in her 
 studies, until she began to complain of feebleness, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 45 
 
 and exhibit symptoms of consumption. The dis- 
 ease developed itself rapidly. She died about the 
 1st of November, a few days before the meeting 
 of the North Carolina Annual Conference in the 
 town of Louisburg. She died in great peace. 
 This dispensation of Providence greatly affected 
 the heart and feelings of Eev. N. F. Eeid. For a 
 time gloom and despondency overshadowed his 
 mind, but the grace of God was sufficient for him. 
 Like one of old he could say, "The Lord gave, 
 and the Lord hath taken away, and blessed be the 
 name of the Lord." 
 
 It has been stated already, that the North Caro- 
 lina Conference was convened this year in the 
 town of Louisburg. Such was the popularity of 
 the subject of this sketch that a general wish from 
 all parts of the Circuit came up to Conference for 
 his return. At the close of Conference his name 
 was read out for Tar Eiver Circuit for the second 
 year. Soon after Conference adjourned he visited 
 his friends in the county of Rockingham, and spent 
 a few days of recreation, visiting his old neigh- 
 bors. He was much devoted to his friends, and 
 entertained a high regard for his kindred. He 
 has often remarked that wherever he knew that 
 the blood of his ancestors ran through the veins of 
 an individual, it mattered not how obscure that 
 person might be, he felt an affection and tender 
 regard for him. 
 
46 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 Having spent his short vacation pleasantly with 
 his friends, he returned to his parsonage home in 
 Louisburg, greatly benefitted and built up in his 
 physical nature, to commence his labors for an- 
 other year. He commenced his work in the year 
 1853 under very favorable circumstances. Having 
 Grod's blessing resting upon him, and being in 
 favor with the people of his charge, he looked for 
 prosperity and success in his work, nor did he 
 look in vain, for the Lord poured out His spirit 
 upon him, and he had a prosperous time. His 
 people regarded him as a preacher of extraordi- 
 nary ability. He continued to be a close student, 
 and had his mind well stored with useful know- 
 ledge — had the scholar's ability to apply it. He 
 was now approaching the culminating point in his 
 ministerial greatness. He was popular with his 
 own members and with the members of other 
 churches, and especially was he popular with the 
 young men of the community. 
 
 In addition to his great pulpit abilities, he was 
 a Christian gentleman ; he possessed a good social 
 nature, polished manners and a fine address— few 
 men possess as many excellent qualities as he did. 
 He was associated with gentlemen in the different 
 learned professions, and connected with several 
 benevolent societies. He was a member of several 
 temperance organizations, and frequently deliv- 
 ered temperance addresses. He was a devoted 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 47 
 
 friend of education, and frequently delivered edu- 
 cational addresses. He was also a member of the 
 Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and a Royal 
 Arch Mason. He was a good platform speaker 
 and an excellent debater. It is questionable 
 whether any other man in North Carolina ever 
 contributed as much to promote the cause of re- 
 ligion, benevolence and education in so short a 
 time. Since the commencement of his public 
 career his life had been one of great activity and 
 usefulness, always laboring to do good. Few 
 men had more admirers, was more nattered, and 
 yet exhibited less vanity than he did. He gave 
 God all the glory for whatever good was accom- 
 plished through his instrumentality. 
 
 His second year on Tar River Circuit was more 
 pleasant and successful than the first ; he made 
 himself a great many friends outside of the 
 Church, and had a strong hold on the affections of 
 the people generally. In the early part of this 
 year he was called upon to pass through another 
 sad dispensation of Providence, by the death of 
 his only surviving sister, Miss Mary Reid. She, 
 also, was a young lady of very great promise, and 
 possessed of many excellent qualities ; she was in 
 the bloom of youth, and apparently in good 
 health, with a good physical constitution. She 
 attended the funeral of her younger sister, and 
 rode in a carriage with the writer and his family 
 
48 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 from the funeral ; she appeared to be overwhelmed 
 with grief, and was inconsolable ; said that she 
 could submit to the dispensation of Providence, 
 because it was right, but that she felt sail ; and 
 that there was an impression upon her mind that 
 she would soon die. From that time her mind 
 was overshadowed with a melancholy gloom. She 
 was troubled with a cough, and soon had symp- 
 toms of consumption. She lingered for six or 
 eight weeks, and died in peace. She was a Chris- 
 tian. The subject of this biography was deeply 
 impressed by the death of this devoted sister. 
 He had already been troubled with foreboding 
 fears of consumption, and now for awhile was 
 despondent and gloomy ; but by "trampling under 
 foot that enthusiastic doctrine, that we are not to 
 do good unless our hearts be free to it," he con- 
 tinued to prosecute his work in the ministry and 
 received consolation in his own soul from the 
 precious truths he preached to others. He con- 
 tinued to do the work of a minister of the Gospel 
 with an eye single to the glory of God, and was 
 successful in winning souls to Christ. As the year 
 was drawing toward its close, the church on Tar 
 Eiver Circuit, as well as the people generally, 
 were sorry to part from him. Had the rule ex- 
 tending the pastorate then been in existence, the 
 people would have complained if he had not been 
 returned to them another year. He felt that he 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 49 
 
 must tear himself away from many true and 
 cleyoted friends ; but he consoled himself with 
 the promise of the Master, "Lo ! I am with you." 
 The North Carolina Conference was held this year 
 in the City of Raleigh. At this session he 
 received Elder's Orders, and was appointed to 
 Front Street Station, in the City of Wilmington, 
 which was then the largest station in the Confer- 
 ence, and considered to be the most critical to fill, 
 owing to some difficulties growing out of the 
 transfer of territory from the South Carolina to 
 the North Carolina Conference. 
 
 From the Conference in Raleigh he returned to 
 Louisburg, to make arrangements to remoye his 
 family to his new charge in Wilmington. Al- 
 though he had a considerable distance to moye, 
 he did not have to travel by private conveyance, 
 making tedious rides over bad roads, but travelled 
 by railway, and in one day reached the end of his 
 journey. His family was soon comfortably domi- 
 ciled in the parsonage of Front Street Station, on 
 a lot adjoining the church. He was at once ready 
 to enter upon his arduous pastoral duties ; but he 
 felt a heavy weight of responsibility resting upon 
 him. The Front Street charge numbered about 
 400 white and 1200 colored members, making 
 heavy work for the pastor. As he was unaccus- 
 tomed to Station work, and of a feeble constitution, 
 with poor health, no wonder that he felt himself 
 
50 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 insufficient to perform the task before Mm. He 
 looked to Him for assistance who sa} r s, " Lo, I am 
 with you to the end of the world,' 7 and felt his 
 heart greatly strengthened for the work before 
 him. By his pulpit efforts he soon won the 
 admiration of his hearers ; and by his zeal and 
 devotion in the pastoral work he gained the affec- 
 tions of the members of his charge. His preach- 
 ing was wonderfully blessed to the edification of 
 his congregation ; he would occasionally throw all 
 the energies of his soul into a discourse, and have 
 all his hearers in raptures of joy and admiration. 
 Had his physical abilities been equal to his 
 mental and spiritual capacities, he might have 
 accomplished incomparable good in the city of 
 Wilmington this year. The humidity of the at- 
 mosphere had such a depressing influence on his 
 system in midsummer that he was compelled to 
 repair to the up country in order to recuperate 
 his health. While up the country he made a visit 
 to the writer at Roxboro', N. C, and attended a 
 quarterly meeting in company with his father, 
 who was at that time Presiding Elder of the Dis- 
 trict. He occupied the pulpit on Sabbath after- 
 noon and preached to a large and intelligent con- 
 gregation. His subject was "the Cross of Christ." 
 He presented the truth with great force and power, 
 and uttered such peals of eloquence as seldom 
 falls to the lot of mortal man to hear ; the whole 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 51 
 
 congregation, white and colored, were over- 
 whelmed by the power of his eloquence. 
 
 That sermon made a deep and lasting im- 
 pression upon the minds and hearts of the people ; 
 and although more than a score of years have 
 elapsed since that sermon was delivered, it is still 
 remembered by many of the people around 
 Bailey's Chapel. He spent a profitable year in 
 Wilmington ; it passed off pleasantly, and he was 
 greatly attached to the Front Street congregation. 
 His constitution not being adapted to the climate 
 of the low lands, it was thought by his friends 
 that it would be better for him to have an appoint- 
 ment higher up the country. The Annual Con- 
 ference was held this year in the town of Pitts- 
 boro', N. C. ; Bishop G-. F. Pierce presided at this 
 Conference, and here the subject of this sketch 
 first became acquainted with him, and they were 
 ever afterwards intimate friends. At this Con- 
 ference he began to take an active part in the de- 
 liberations of the body, and was sometimes placed 
 on important committees, and participated in its 
 debates. He argued with great force and fairness, 
 and soon became one of the best debaters and one 
 of the most influential members of the Conference. 
 He was appointed to Ealeigh City to take charge 
 of the Edenton Street Church for the year 1855. 
 He went from the Pittsboro' Conference to enter 
 upon his work in the City of Raleigh, the seat of 
 
52 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 government for the State of North Carolina. He 
 would there necessarily come in contact with some 
 of the leading men and best intellects of the State, 
 and was, therefore, stimulated to avail himself of 
 the best means for his intellectual improvement. 
 
 He was successful in the prosecution of his pas- 
 toral duties in his new charge, and secured the 
 friendship and good opinions of the people. In 
 the course of this winter he was bereaved of one 
 of his young brothers, Benjamin E. Eeid, who 
 died of pneumonia, being predisposed to con- 
 sumption. He was a sprightly youth of about ten 
 years old, with an amiable disposition and an 
 affectionate heart. He died in peace, and was 
 taken from this world to his heavenly home. His 
 mother's health was rapidly declining. She had 
 already unmistakable symptoms of pulmonary 
 consumption. He frequently visited her and gave 
 her the most affectionate attentions ; he loved his 
 mother with the deepest devotion. 
 
 She declined rapidly until about midsummer, 
 when her eyes were closed in death ; she sweetly 
 slept in Jesus ; her end was peaceful. She was 
 faithful in all the relations of life ; she was an 
 affectionate wife, a kind mother, a good neighbor, 
 and a devoted Christian. The death of his mother 
 was the hardest trial he had been called to pass 
 through in all his bereavements. Six of his 
 dearest friends and one of his own children had 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 53 
 
 died in the course of eight years. Three sisters, 
 two brothers and his sainted mother had, one 
 after another, passed away in so short a space of 
 time ; he felt grieved, indeed, but he had the as- 
 surance that they all died in peace. He consoled 
 himself, that while he had fewer ties to bind his 
 affections to earth, he had more cords to draw 
 his soul to heaven. His ecclesiastical year in 
 Raleigh was a success ; his intercourse with the 
 people of his charge was pleasant — they anticipa- 
 ted his wants, and supplied them promptly ; they 
 gave him a decent support, and as the year drew 
 to a close they manifested great anxiety for him 
 to return another year, and this anxiety was 
 mutual. 
 
 The Conference met this year in the city of 
 Wilmington. It was a pleasure to Mr. Reid to 
 meet his brethren again in Conference, and mingle 
 again with the members of his former charge. 
 His warm heart swelled with gratitude to God 
 while he met the brethren of Wilmington. He 
 took a lively interest in the business of the Con- 
 ference, both in Committee and on the Conference 
 floor. This was a delightful session. Our last 
 Conference was memorable for the stirring up of 
 strife and difficulties. This year we had peace and 
 harmony. Mr. Reid was returned to the City of 
 Raleigh for the year 1856 to take charge of Eden- 
 ton Street Church. 
 
54 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 Soon after the adjournment of Conference lie 
 returned to his charge, and entered at once upon 
 the prosecution of his duties with renewed 
 energy. His popularity continued to increase, 
 and he was frequently called upon to deliver ad- 
 dresses on education at school commencements, and 
 also to address the people at Temperance and 
 Masonic celebrations. He had already reached 
 a high degree of distinction as a public speaker. 
 
 He was an able preacher, a good pastor, and a 
 wise counsellor ; he possessed the happy art of 
 reconciling difficulties between parties at variance, 
 and seldom ever failed, in his administration of 
 discipline, to restore the delinquent member to 
 the confidence of the Church. Under his judi- 
 cious management the Edenton Street Church 
 prospered both financially and spiritually ; and 
 he had a stronger hold on the affections of the 
 people at the close of the second year than at the 
 first. 
 
 The North Carolina Conference met this year in 
 the town of Greensboro 7 . The session was one of 
 interest. It was at this session that Trinity Col- 
 lege was transferred to the North Carolina Con- 
 ference, to be managed as a Church institution. 
 Rev. Numa F. Reid took a prominent part in 
 transacting the business of the Conference ; and 
 he was appointed to take charge of the Greens- 
 boro' Station for the year 1857. Soon after the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 55 
 
 close of Conference he removed his family to the 
 town of Greensboro', and occupied a rented house 
 for his parsonage. It was early in January this 
 year that the great snow fell ; it was a terrible 
 storm in which a great many persons froze to 
 death. This was soon after he had settled his 
 family in Greensboro', and he no doubt injured 
 his health by walking through the deep snow, 
 looking after some of the destitute members of his 
 charge. The country was so blockaded by snow 
 for several weeks, that travelling by private con- 
 veyance was impracticable. As the spring opened 
 he applied himself to the discharge of his pastoral 
 duties, and proved to be a great blessing to the 
 Methodist congregation in Greensboro'. At this 
 time Greensboro' Female College had reached the 
 zenith of its greatest prosperity and usefulness; 
 with a full corps of professors and teachers, under 
 the presidency of Eev. T. M. Jones, it was well 
 patronized. Rev. N. F. Reid labored faithfully 
 this year to build up Christianity and Methodism 
 in Greensboro'. By a faithful discharge of all his 
 duties, both in the pulpit and in the families of 
 his charge, he proved himself to be a workman 
 in his Master's vineyard. He also labored faith- 
 fully to build up the educational interests of the 
 Church. No pastor had ever before him taken so 
 much interest in the faculty and the pupils of 
 Greensboro' Female College. The College com- 
 
56 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 munity and the Methodist congregation in Greens- 
 boro' both ardently desired his return another 
 year, but they were to be disappointed. 
 
 The ensuing Conference was held in the town 
 of Goldsboro', N. 0., and it was a session of con- 
 siderable excitement and interest, on account of 
 some difficulties which had agitated the Conference 
 for several years. The subject of this sketch had 
 now become an active and influential member, and 
 took a deep interest in the business of the Confer- 
 ence ; and was elected one of the delegates to the 
 General Conference to be held the next May in 
 Nashville, Tenn. 
 
 At this session he was appointed by Bishop 
 Pierce Presiding Elder of the Salisbury District ; 
 and now he was to assume new responsibilities, 
 but his resources were equal to the emergency ; he 
 possessed unusual ability as a preacher, and also 
 extraordinary executive talents. 
 
 Soon after Conference adjourned he moved his 
 family to the district parsonage at Olin, pursuant 
 to entering upon the discharge of his duties in his 
 new and responsible position. The following is 
 an extract from the first entry in his Diary: 
 "Friday, January 1st, 1858. — This morning I 
 went from Olin to Salisbury to hold the first quar- 
 terly meeting on the District. Spent the night at 
 Brother Overman's with brother P. S. Moran, 
 Station preacher. Saturday, 2d, I preached, and, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 57 
 
 after preaching, held my first Quarterly Confer- 
 ence ; preached again Sunday morning, adminis- 
 tered the Sacrament and preached again at night ; 
 house crowded ; had a profitable time." He thus 
 commenced his work as Presiding Elder of Salis- 
 bury District, His journal shows that he closed 
 his first round on his District on the 21st of March — 
 having travelled several hundred miles, and held 
 eleven quarterly meetings, since the first of Janu- 
 ary. He generally preached three times, held 
 quarterly Conference, and administered the Sacra- 
 ment, at each quarterly meeting. His congrega- 
 tions were large, and his preaching was well cal- 
 culated to edify Christians and awaken sinners. 
 After performing nearly a half round more on his 
 District, he set out in the latter part of April for 
 the General Conference, which was to convene in 
 Nashville, Tenn., on the first day of May. He 
 went by the way of Wentworth and Greensboro', 
 where he spent a few pleasant clays with his breth- 
 ren and friends. In company with several other 
 delegates he took the cars for the seat of the Gen- 
 eral Conference, and reached the city of Nash- 
 ville in time to answer to his name at the open- 
 ing session of the Conference. He had the pleas- 
 ure of meeting many of the leading ministers of 
 the Church, and also of uniting with them in the 
 transaction of the business, in the highest ecclesi- 
 astical convocation of the Church, and its onlv 
 
58 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 legislative body. He soon became acquainted 
 with Methodist polity and legislation, and was an 
 efficient member of the Conference. He was con- 
 servative in his views of Methodism, and, conse- 
 quently, opposed whatever had a tendency to inno- 
 vation, or a change of the organic law of the 
 Church. His discriminating mind, his sound heart, 
 and his thorough knowledge of Methodist juris- 
 prudence, rendered him a safe legislator for the 
 denomination. The superior intelligence of the 
 members of the General Conference, and the great 
 harmony that prevailed among them during the 
 session, increased his devotion to Methodism, and 
 inspired him with confidence in its future success. 
 He felt the deepest interest in all the measures 
 that passed in review before the Conference for 
 the good of the Church. 
 
 At the close of the General Conference he re- 
 turned to his work on his District, and, after filling 
 his appointments through the month of June, he 
 went from a quarterly meeting at Love's Church 
 on Forsythe Circuit, on the fourth day of July, to 
 Greensboro', on his way to Louisburg, to visit his 
 sick brother, who had been lingering for some time 
 with pulmonary consumption. He took the train 
 at five o'clock at Greensboro' and reached Ea- 
 leigh at nine o'clock, and was there met by his 
 father and his two brothers, and learned from 
 them that his brother, Samuel Reid, had died in 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 59 
 
 great peace on the 27th of June. He was thus 
 bereaved of another brother. This brother was a 
 beautiful, interesting youth ; his education was in 
 a state of forwardness, ready to enter college. 
 He possessed fine gifts, and was an excellent de- 
 claimer for one of his age ; but notwithstanding 
 his good promise, he was cut down in the bloom 
 of youth before he had passed the middle of his 
 teens. This shock fell heavily upon Mr. Reid — 
 to be bereaved of this dear brother, so lovely 
 and so promising. How sad to lose in so short a 
 time six out of eight brothers and sisters. After 
 spending a few days with his aged father and his 
 two young brothers, he returned to his District, 
 and pursued his appointments, holding a quarterly 
 meeting ev^ry week until the first week in August, 
 when his camp meeting appointments commenced. 
 He held a camp meeting nearly every week through 
 August, September, and half through October. 
 These meetings were a heavy draft upon his ph}"- 
 sical strength ; preaching in the open air by day 
 and night, losing sleep, and making long rides 
 over rough mountain roads, had a deleterious 
 effect upon his slender frame and feeble constitu- 
 tion. But the Lord was with him, and gave him 
 many seals to his ministry. 
 
 He performed a faithful year's work, and only 
 lost one appointment through the year where he 
 was expected, and that one he failed to reach in 
 
60 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 consequence of a heavy snow storm which con- 
 tinued all day and through the night, The N. C. 
 Annual Conference met this year (1858) in the 
 city of Newbern, and after rather an exciting ses- 
 sion, in which he took an active part, he received 
 his appointment the second time as Presiding El- 
 der on Salisbury District for the year 1859. 
 
 Soon after Conference adjourned he returned to 
 his parsonage home, at Olin, to spend a short 
 time with his family in the drear cold months of 
 December and January, in order to recruit his 
 health and improve his mind for the work of 
 another year. He makes the following entry in 
 his diary on the 31st of December: "This is the 
 last day of 1858 ; it is quite rainy and gloomy. I 
 thank the Lord that he has brought me, under 
 circumstances of so much mercy, to see the close 
 of another } T ear. I am now in my thirty-fourth 
 year, fifteen years in the Church, and have been 
 trying to preach eleven years. As I grow older, 
 I want to grow in grace. At the close of this, 
 and at the beginning of another year, I consecrate 
 myself afresh to God." On the first day of Jan- 
 uary, 1859, we find the following entry in his 
 Diary: "This is a bright and pleasant day. 
 May the Lord bless me this year for Jesus' sake ; 
 make me useful, enable me to grow better, and 
 wiser, and preserve my healih and life through 
 this year." 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 61 
 
 He commenced to hold his quarterly meetings 
 this year on the second Sabbath in January, and 
 filled his appointments promptly throughout the 
 year. His labors were arduous for one of so 
 frail a constitution ; long rides, rough roads, 
 holding camp meetings through the months of 
 August, September and October ; preaching day 
 and night in the open air. 
 
 In addition to his District work, he was a 
 trustee of Trinity College, and of Greensboro' 
 Female College, which called him away from 
 his District to attend the meetings of the board 
 and the annual commencements. He accom- 
 plished his year's work, and had the satisfaction 
 to see the pleasure of the Lord prosper in his 
 hands. He had many seals to his ministry this 
 year on Salisbury District. 
 
 The North Carolina Conference held its annual 
 meeting in the town of Beaufort, on the sea 
 board. He took the train in Salisbury, and 
 reached the seat of Conference next day in the 
 afternoon. He acted a conspicuous part in the 
 sessions of Conference. In addition to his duties 
 as Presiding Elder, he was Chairman of the Com- 
 mittee on Education, and wrote the report em- 
 bracing the educational interests of the Church, 
 and presented it to the Conference. He was this 
 year appointed Presiding Elder on Greensboro' 
 District. This appointment was better adapted 
 
62 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 to his delicate constitution, and more convenient 
 to his work as trustee of the Colleges. 
 
 He left the seat of Conference on the 22d of 
 December — the Conference having adjourned on 
 the previous night — and went directly to Went- 
 worth, where he had left his family, and com- 
 menced his arrangements for the ensuing year. 
 He rented a house in Wentworth, where he set- 
 tled his family, so as to be in readiness for his 
 work on the District. We find the following 
 entry in his journal on the last day of the year 
 1859: "The year has passed away. God has 
 been good to me this year. I have done but 
 little for Him ; my sins are many, yet I look to 
 Jesus for pardon. ' Bless the Lord, ! my soul, 
 and all that is within me, bless His holy name.' " 
 January 1st, he makes the following entry: "I 
 consecrate myself afresh to God ; by his grace, I 
 acknowledge my sins. I am thankful for God's 
 great mercies to me. I pray that he may pre- 
 serve me through another year, and help me to 
 grow wiser and better, and make me more use- 
 ful." On the 7th of January he commenced his 
 first round on his new District ; and held his first 
 quarterly meeting in Greensboro'. He was 
 kindly received by the people throughout the 
 District, and had before him an interesting field 
 for usefulness ; and he entered upon his work 
 with a hearty good will. This proved to be one 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 63 
 
 of the most successful years of his ministry ; his 
 preaching was in great power and demonstration 
 of the spirit. It was a year of great prosperity 
 on the District, and in a number of the charges 
 there were overwhelming revivals of religion, and 
 many souls were gathered into the fold of Christ. 
 He was an efficient Presiding Elder ; he was 
 wise in council, and attended to all the interests 
 of the Church in his District, and rendered timely 
 aid in raising the subscription to build the Meth- 
 odist church in Thomasville. 
 
 On the 22d of July, 1860, at the quarterly 
 meeting for the Davidson Circuit at Ebenezer, 
 three miles north of Lexington, he dedicated the 
 new house of worship, and made the following 
 entry in his journal : "I preached at 11 o'clock 
 and dedicated a new house of worship. The 
 warmest day I ever tried to preach. Administered 
 the sacrament, and preached again at night." 
 The year passed away pleasantly to him ; he was 
 abundant in labors, had long rides, preached 
 often, and with great earnestness and power ; 
 and his labor of love in the Lord was not in 
 vain ; it was greatly blessed in the building up 
 of the Church in his charge. 
 
 This year was famous in the history of the 
 country for political strife, the clashing interests 
 of different sections of the States already began 
 to threaten the dissolution of the Federal Union. 
 
64 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 Mr. Reid, and the ministers of the North Carolina 
 Conference, deported themselves with propriety 
 and discretion ; they kept themselves aloof from 
 politics, and applied themselves to their calling 
 as ministers of Christ, and the work of saving 
 souls. At the close of this ecclesiastical year 
 the North Carolina Conference held its annual 
 session in the town of Salisbury. There was 
 present a full attendance of the members, and 
 the venerable Bishop Paine presided. Mr. Peid 
 contributed his full share of labor in carrying 
 through the business of the Conference, and was 
 again appointed Presiding Elder of Greensboro' 
 District. 
 
 After the adjournment of Conference he re- 
 turned to his home at Wentworth, to spend a 
 few da} r s with his family, and to rest and prepare 
 for another year's work. On Sunday the 16th of 
 December, he made the following entry in his 
 diar} r : "I spend this Sabbath at home; have 
 not spent a Sabbath at home since last winter." 
 
 He commenced holding quarterly meetings 
 for his second year on Greensboro' District, on 
 the 22d of December, and on the 31st made the 
 following entry in his journal : "This is the last 
 day of the year 1860. The Lord has been gra- 
 cious and good to me this year. I mourn over 
 my sins and shortcomings. I confess them and 
 pray the good Lord to pardon me." Last year 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 65 
 
 Mr. Reid was visited with a sad dispensation of 
 Providence in the death of his brother, Richard 
 Reid. He died with consumption. He was a 
 Christian, and died in peace ; he left behind him 
 a young widow to mourn her loss, but not as 
 those who have no hope, for her loss was his 
 infinite gain. 
 
 Out of a family of six brothers and three sis- 
 ters seven are dead — Rev. N. F. Reid, and his 
 youngest brother, Charles A. Reid, only survive. 
 How mysterious are the providences of God. 
 They are inscrutable. He saith, "What I do 
 now ye know not, but ye shall know hereafter." 
 Mr. Reid addressed himself to his work this year 
 with zeal, and energy. 
 
 The political strife which had agitated the 
 country for nearty two years, had already cul- 
 minated, and the result w r as civil war between 
 the North and the South, of our own beloved 
 country. The minds of our people were dis- 
 tracted with the confusion and tumult of war. 
 The ministers of the gospel continued to fill their 
 various charges, except a few of them who had 
 gone as chaplains to the army. Many of the 
 literary institutions of the country were closed, 
 and the business of the country was very much 
 interrupted. The growing of cotton and tobacco 
 in the South was soon to be dispensed with, and 
 great efforts were put forth to raise supplies for 
 
 4* 
 
66 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 the array aiid for the people at home. Thou- 
 sands upon thousands of the best able bodied 
 men had already volunteered and gone into the 
 army, to fall hy the hands of an unnatural enemy, 
 or to fall victims to disease. The distress and 
 the ruin brought upon our country was unparal- 
 leled in its history. The public mind was agi- 
 tated to an unusual degree of restlessness. 
 
 The year 1861, Mr. Reicl's second year on 
 Greensboro' District, was one of great excite- 
 ment throughout the country. The civil war was 
 now fully inaugurated ; it was a time of confusion 
 and strife ; but he still continued to prosecute 
 his work on Greensboro' District, and constantry 
 devoted himself to the cause of God. He won 
 the hearts ol the people, until he was now one of 
 the most influential preachers of his denomination 
 in the State. This year the North Carolina Con- 
 ference was held in the town of Louisburg ; the 
 session was short, the business was transacted 
 with great despatch. It was the year to elect 
 delegates to the General Conference ; and he 
 was elected a delegate on the first ballot at the 
 head of the delegation, having received every 
 vote polled, except one. He had reached the 
 summit of popularity among the members of the 
 Conference. All hough he was the youngest mem- 
 ber elected to the General Conference, he led the 
 delegation. His great popularity in the Confer- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 67 
 
 ence was the result of his superior talents, his 
 Christian politeness, his deep piety, his sterling 
 integrity, and his constantly hiding himself be- 
 hind the Cross of Christ. His leading purpose 
 was to get good and to do good. He was ap- 
 pointed again Presiding Elder on the Greens- 
 boro' District. He returned to his charge after 
 Conference, and in due time commenced his first 
 round of quarterly meeting appointments. The 
 war continued to rage with unabated fury, and a 
 great mairf more men were compelled to go into 
 the army as soldiers. The Southern ports were 
 so blockaded that the Southern people had but 
 very little correspondence with the world out- 
 side. Our missionaries in China were so cut off 
 from the Church at home that it could not com- 
 municate with them. And some portions of the 
 Southern States were overrun by the enem} r , so 
 that the General Conference of the Methodist 
 Episcopal Church South could not hold its 
 quadrennial meeting agreeable to appointment. 
 The ministers, however, were attentive to their 
 work, in their several circuits and stations, and 
 none more so than Mr. Reid, the Presiding Elder 
 of Greensboro' District. He filled all his ap- 
 pointments promptly, and labored with great 
 acceptability among the ministers and people of 
 his charge. He sympathized with the poor fam- 
 ilies of the absent soldiers, and did all in his 
 
68 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 power to alleviate their sufferings. He labored 
 fervently in word and doctrine, and did not 
 shrink from making sacrifices for the cause of 
 God. He had the worth of souls at heart, and 
 was one of the most efficient ministers in the 
 Church. Through all the perilous times of the 
 war his devotion and zeal to the cause of his 
 Divine Master showed no abatement ; he moved 
 steadily on in the pathway of duty, fulfilling his 
 ministry until the close of the Conference year. 
 By his wise counsel he made himself useful in 
 settling difficulties which often sprang up among 
 his neighbors, and sometimes among members of 
 the Church. He was famous as a peacemaker ; 
 he has often been known to take hold of parties 
 at variance, and by his sagacity and wisdom, so 
 manage as to reconcile them to each other, and 
 thereby entitle himself to the blessing of the 
 peacemaker. He was a man of extraordinary 
 force of character. 
 
 The North Carolina Conference met in the 
 year 1862 in the city of Raleigh. The business 
 was transacted rapidly, as it was thought to be 
 impracticable to have the members of the Con- 
 ference quartered on any community any longer 
 than the shortest time in which the business 
 could be disposed of. Mr. Eeid was appointed 
 for the fourth year Presiding Elder on Greens- 
 boro' District. He returned to his work in due 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 69 
 
 time, and filled his regular quarterly meeting ap- 
 pointments, and helped the preachers in their 
 work whenever it was practicable for him to do 
 so ; he wielded a powerful influence for good, and 
 could always command large congregations. He 
 discharged his duties faithfully, and as his fourth 
 year on the District was approaching its close 
 the people began to regret being separated from 
 him. 
 
 The ensuing session of the Conference was held 
 in the town of Greensboro', in 1863. The war 
 was still raging, and the session was short. Mr. 
 Reid was an active member of this Conference. 
 He was appointed Presiding Elder on the Raleigh 
 District. This was an interesting appointment 
 for him ; it embraced the city of Raleigh, where 
 he had spent two years of his ministry, and Tar 
 River Circuit, where his father resided, and sev- 
 eral other interesting places. He spent a short 
 time with his family in Wentworth before enter- 
 ing upon the discharge of his duties in this new 
 field. His family still continued to live in the 
 town of Wentworth, but he was prompt to fill his 
 appointments and did his work well. He ex- 
 erted a salutary influence for good all over the 
 District ; his ministry was listened to by all 
 classes of people with the profoundest interest; 
 the intellectual and educated, the ignorant and 
 the illiterate, the young and the old, the white 
 
70 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 and the colored, were all edified and delighted 
 with his ministry ; few ministers of the gospel 
 could present truth with the clearness and force 
 that he could, and then there was an unction and 
 pathos in his preaching that seldom failed to take 
 hold of the hearts of his hearers. He was an 
 able expounder of God's word, and in his pulpit 
 ministrations always had something new and at- 
 tractive. He was an able minister of Jesus 
 Christ, "rightly dividing the words of truth, giv- 
 ing to each one his portion in due season." He 
 never seemed to aim at any display of language, 
 but generally clothed great thoughts with the 
 simplest words ; his eloquence was not a nourish 
 of beautiful words and elegant language, but it 
 was the eloquence of the soul. He always im- 
 pressed the minds and hearts of his hearers with 
 the greatness of his theme. His preaching was 
 not of the character to tickle the fancy, but to 
 affect the heart ; it was famous to build up and 
 establish believers in the doctrines of Christ. He 
 directed the weak in faith to the Cross of Christ, 
 and His power to save. While his ministry was 
 salutary to encourage and build up believers 
 and comfort the mourners in Zion, he could also 
 show the sinner the exceeding sinfulness of sin, 
 and the base ingratitude of the carnal mind, and 
 the righteousness and the justice of G-od in the 
 punishment of the perseveringly impenitent. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 71 
 
 While he excelled as a pulpit orator, he was 
 equally successful as a platform speaker and a 
 debater. He generally took a reasonable, com- 
 mon sense view, and met his antagonist fairly 
 and treated him respectfully, not with ridicule, 
 but with fair argument and truth ; nor did he 
 allow his mind to be biased, but always acknow- 
 ledged the truth wherever he saw it. 
 
 At the Greensboro' Conference Mr. Reid was 
 placed on two important committees — one on the 
 army, and the other on education. When the 
 Committee on Education presented their report, 
 after considerable discussions, that part of the 
 report referring to Trinity College was referred 
 to a special committee, consisting of B. Craven, 
 N. F. Reid and N. H. D. Wilson. On a motion 
 to adopt the report of this special committee a 
 very interesting debate was sprung upon the 
 Conference. The question in debate was argued 
 by some of the ablest debaters of the Conference, 
 and in the course of this debate Mr. Reid made 
 an overwhelming speech in vindication of Trinity 
 College, which was regarded by a great many of 
 the spectators present as one of the ablest efforts 
 of his life. This speech is still remembered by 
 maii}^ of the citizens in the vicinity of Greens- 
 boro'. 
 
 The war raged vehemently this year. All the 
 available forces of the South were brought into 
 
72 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 service. The ministers had a great deal of 
 work to perform, looking after their flocks at 
 home, while many of them had gone as chaplains 
 to the arm} T . The pastors looked after the 
 Church through all these dark times of strife, 
 and no one was more active and faithful than Mr. 
 Eeid in looking after and administering to the dis- 
 tressed families of the absent soldiers. At the 
 close of this year the North Carolina Conference 
 met in the town of Mocksville, N. C. Bishop 
 Early, who, agreeable to the Episcopal plan of 
 visitation, was to preside over the North Caro- 
 lina Conference this } T ear, was confined in Lynch- 
 burg, Ya., with sickness, and appointed Rev. D. 
 B. Nicholson to preside over the Conference. 
 The business of the session was transacted with 
 care and deliberation. Mr. Reid was an active 
 member of the body and bore a conspicuous part 
 in the transaction of its business. He was returned 
 to Raleigh District as the Presiding Elder for the 
 year 1865. 
 
 Mr. Reid filled one round of appointments on 
 his District when the Federal army of the West 
 entered North Carolina ; the last considerable 
 battle was fought at Bentonsville. The Federal 
 army penetrated the interior of the State, and all 
 was confusion for six or eight weeks, so that the 
 ministers did not regularly attend their appoint- 
 ments. The surrender of Johnston's army took 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 73 
 
 place in April, 1865, which ended the war. As 
 soon as practicable after the surrender, Mr. Reid 
 resumed his ministry on his District, and con- 
 tinued to prosecute his work faithfully to the end 
 of the year. In the course of the winter he re- 
 moved his family and settled them in Thomas- 
 ville, having purchased property there. The 
 North Carolina Conference was held this year in 
 the city of Raleigh. Mr. Reid was appointed 
 again to the Raleigh District as Presiding Elder 
 for the year 1866. At this Conference there was 
 an election held for seven delegates to attend the 
 General Conference, and Mr. Reid again received 
 the highest vote — having received all the votes 
 cast except three. This shows how highly he 
 was esteemed by his brethren of the Conference. 
 He went to his District soon after the adjourn- 
 ment of Conference, and filled one round of ap- 
 pointments prior to the General Conference, 
 which met in the city of New Orleans the first 
 of April. He took his seat in the General Con- 
 ference at the opening of the session, but he was 
 suffering from fatigue, and from the effects of 
 cold contracted on his journey. He was also 
 affected by the humidity of the atmosphere in 
 New Orleans, and grew worse, until he consid- 
 ered himself quite sick, and after the first week 
 obtained leave of absence and returned home. 
 On reaching his native climate he soon began to 
 
74 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 improve, and in the course of a few weeks he had 
 entirely recovered his health. At the Annual 
 Commencement of the University of North Caro- 
 lina at Chapel Hill, this year, the Academic 
 Senate conferred upon Mr. Reid the degree of 
 Doctor of Divinity, and perhaps they never 
 conferred this degree on one better qualified to 
 receive it. Dr. Reid passed the remainder of 
 the 3 r ear — 1866 — in the discharge of the duties of 
 the District. 
 
 The Annual Conference was held this year in 
 the town of Fayette ville, N". C. The writer was 
 not in attendance at this Conference, on account of 
 affliction — the only one he has failed to attend 
 since he has been a member. Dr. Reid often spoke 
 of this Conference as the most pleasant aud the 
 most profitable one that he had ever attended. 
 He was now in the midst of his useful career ; 
 his influence in the Church and among the people 
 had reached the culminating point. He was 
 doing more for his Church and for the cause of 
 education than any other man within the bounds 
 of the North Carolina Conference. He was ap- 
 pointed Presiding Elder on Greensboro' District. 
 This appointment was given him as an accommo- 
 dation, as he was living in the midst of this 
 District, and the people in it would prefer him to 
 any other man. He commenced his work early 
 this year, and attended to every part of it 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 75 
 
 promptly. He was exceedingly anxious to see 
 the work of rebuilding G-reensboro' Female Col- 
 lege commenced, and continued to work ear- 
 nestly until he got a plan devised and inaugu- 
 rated for the completion of the building. 
 
 At the end of the year 1867 the North Caro- 
 lina Conference held its annual session in the city 
 of Wilmington. This was an interesting Confer- 
 ence. Dr. Reid was reappointed Presiding 
 Elder of G-reensboro' District. He prosecuted 
 his labors successfully. The whole District was 
 visited with a gracious revival of religion, and 
 the Presiding Elder exerted a good and salutary 
 influence to promote this glorious revival, and 
 many souls were added to the Lord this year 
 within the bounds of his District. The District 
 Conference system was now fully inaugurated in 
 our bounds, and Dr. Reid took a deep interest in 
 its success. This year his District was visited 
 by Bishop Pierce, who preached the commence- 
 ment sermon at Trinity College, and preached 
 also at Thomasville, Winston, Germanton, Madi- 
 son, and held the District Conference at Leaks- 
 ville. Dr. Reid was a devoted friend and an 
 admirer of the Bishop. This he regarded as one 
 of the most pleasant years of his ministry ; it 
 was truly a success. The next Annual Confer- 
 ence was held in the town of Statesville, N. C; 
 Bishop Wightman presided. There were pres- 
 
76 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 ent at this Conference several distinguished vis- 
 itors. It was a pleasant time to Dr. Reid, and 
 he performed his full share of work in transacting 
 the Conference business. He was appointed to 
 Greensboro' District for 1869. He commenced 
 his work in due time and continued to perforin it 
 with an eye single to the glory of God. This 
 year the District Conference was held in the 
 town of Thomasville, where Dr. Reid resided. 
 There was a full attendance of members, and he 
 presided over the Conference with great ability, 
 to the edification and satisfaction of all. The in- 
 terests of the Church in his District were care- 
 fully considered, and an hour of the Conference 
 was devoted to the interest of Greensboro' Fe- 
 male College. He had undertaken to raise ten 
 thousand dollars to rebuild it. He pleaded its 
 cause with earnest eloquence, and continued so 
 to do on all suitable occasions. In the course of 
 this summer he and the writer attended the 
 Fayetteville District Conference at Oak Grove, 
 in Randolph County, where he was received as a 
 distinguished visitor, and contributed greatly to 
 the interest of the Conference ; but, on returning 
 home he found his wife laboring under a severe 
 affliction of the head, and had nearly lost the 
 sight of both of her eyes. He watched by her 
 sick couch with the tenderest regard for several 
 months, until he considered her recoverv as 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 77 
 
 almost certain — she had partially recovered her 
 sight; but, alas! his hopes were only to be dis- 
 appointed. She suddenly grew worse, and in 
 her severe paroxysms her mind became insane, 
 and after lingering two or three days she died, 
 unexpectedly to her friends. She was a professor 
 of religion, and a member of the Methodist Epis- 
 copal Church South. Her sufferings had been 
 severe, but now she rests from all her afflictions 
 and troubles, "where sickness and sorrow, pain 
 and death, are felt and feared no more." Her 
 funeral was preached by the Eev. Dr. Craven, 
 and her mortal remains were committed to the 
 earth in the cemetery in Thomasville, but, since 
 the death of Dr. Reid she has been disinterred 
 and removed to Wentworth, and buried by the 
 side of her husband, in the grave yard at the 
 Methodist Church. Of all the afflictive provi- 
 dences which had come upon Dr. Reid, the death 
 of his wife was the severest. His frail system 
 was nearly prostrated b} T the shock. The blow 
 was almost too heavy for him, but the good Lord 
 who can temper the wind to the shorn lamb, had 
 compassion upon him, and showed him that His 
 grace was sufficient for him. He found Him to 
 be a present help in time of need. After this 
 ordeal of God's afflictive providence he was more 
 than ever devoted to the work of the ministry. 
 He felt less attached to earth, and his soul was 
 
to BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 drawn nearer to his heavenly Father. As soon 
 as he rallied from the affliction which had thus 
 come upon him, he addressed himself to the work 
 of the ministry with unabated ardor. 
 
 At the close of this year the Annual Confer- 
 ence was held in the city of Newbern ; Bishop 
 Doggett presided. Among the distinguished vis- 
 itors at this session were Dr. Bedford, the Book 
 Agent, and the Rev. Dr. Munsey. Dr. Reid was 
 domiciled with these brethren, and spent his time 
 most pleasant!} 7 . On Sabbath afternoon, at this 
 Conference, he delivered a Sabbath school ad- 
 dress, which was well conceived and happily 
 prepared for the occasion. It was an able pro- 
 duction. Dr. Reid was again elected a delegate 
 to the General Conference by the highest vote. 
 The whole number of votes cast was eighty-live, 
 and he received eighty. He had led the delega- 
 tion at three successive quadrennial elections, re- 
 ceiving all the votes cast the first time except 
 one, all the second time except three, and all the 
 third time except five, having thus received 
 the highest regard of his brethren three several 
 times, extending through the space of twelve 
 years. The honors thus conferred upon him by 
 the Church had a tendency to drive him to the 
 Cross. His great popularity was the result of 
 his moral worth. He was not a selfish man ; he 
 bad a warm and liberal heart. When considered 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 79 
 
 as a Christian minister, and as a gentleman in all 
 the relations of life, he will be regarded as one of 
 the noblest of his race. Bishop Doggett returned 
 him as Presiding Elder to the Greensboro' Dis- 
 trict for the year 1870. He returned to his home 
 in Thomasville at the close of the Conference, and 
 spent a short time with his children, but com- 
 menced his quarterly meetings early, so as to 
 make a round and a half on his District before 
 the General Conference. He continued to fill 
 his appointments faithfull}' until the last week in 
 April, when he set out for Memphis, Tenn., the 
 seat of the General Conference. He called, on 
 his way, to see his uncle, Samuel C. Edwards, in 
 Lee County, Mississippi. He spent the Sabbath 
 with his friends there, and preached at Palmetto 
 Church. It was the greatest pleasure he could 
 have on earth to spend a day or two with h:s 
 favorite uncle. On Monday morning he went to 
 the depot to take the train, en route for the Gen- 
 eral Conference, and met Bishop Paine and his 
 daughter. He reached Memphis in time to par- 
 ticipate in the opening service of the Conference. 
 He was appointed on the Committee on Episco- 
 pacy. He performed his full share of work dur- 
 ing the session of the General Conference, and 
 spent his time pleasantty and profitably, but was 
 glad when the Conference adjourned, so that he 
 could return home to his children. He was gen- 
 
80 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 erally much debilitated by the toils of such long 
 journeys as the one just performed ; but we find 
 him in a few days on his District filling his ap- 
 pointments, and also attending the Board of 
 Trustees at the Trinity College Commencement, 
 performing a full share of the trustees' work ; and 
 then again, soon after commencement, we find 
 him at Greensboro' as President of the Board 
 appointed by the Conference to devise plans and 
 means to rebuild the Greensboro' Female College. 
 He labored hard with persistent perseverance to 
 raise from its ruins this time-honored institution, 
 and but for his timely efforts it would not have 
 been so soon completed. He was the leading 
 spirit in this enterprise, along with the sainted 
 Barringer and a few others. Dr. Reid and Rev. 
 W. Barringer were brought in sight of its com- 
 pletion, but died before its halls were opened for 
 the reception of students. While he was prom- 
 inent in most of the educational enterprises of 
 his Conference, he took the lead in rebuilding 
 Greensboro' Female College. He labored faith- 
 fully for two or three 3 T ears to get up an influence 
 among the brethren to accomplish this enterprise, 
 when but very few of his brethren regarded the 
 object for which he so persistently toiled, as at 
 all practicable ; and had he relaxed his efforts 
 the enterprise would in all probability have 
 been a failure ; but he continued to urge the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 81 
 
 Church to lay hold of it until other friends of 
 female education came to the rescue. 
 
 At the close of this year the Conference held its 
 annual meeting in the town of Greensboro'. The 
 session was mide more interesting by the mem- 
 bers from the transferred territory meeting with 
 us. They made quite an accession to our ranks, 
 and the increase of members made an increase of 
 business in the Conference. Dr. Reid, as usual, 
 was one of the leading spirits in transacting the 
 business of the Conference. Having filled out 
 four years on G-reensboro' District, he was ap- 
 pointed to labor next year on Raleigh District as 
 Presiding Elder. Soon after Conference ad- 
 journed he went to his new field of labor, and 
 was most cordially received by the people. He 
 entered upon the performance of his duties with 
 a free good will, and performed his work faith- 
 fully, and was wise in winning souls to Christ. 
 He was a universal favorite on the Raleigh Dis- 
 trict, and his ministry had awakened verj- great 
 interest among the people. At the end of this 
 year the Conference held its session in the city of 
 Charlotte, N. C. The attendance was full. 
 Bishop Paine presided. Dr. Reid's duties were 
 onerous at this Conference, and the weather was 
 rough. He was up late at night in the Bishop's 
 Council. He got but little sleep, and contracted 
 a severe cold, from which he never fully re- 
 
82 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 covered. In the course of last Fall he was in- 
 vited to preach the dedication sermon in the new 
 Methodist Church at Pelham. He made one of 
 his happiest pulpit efforts. He held the vast 
 multitude of people spell-bound for one hour. 
 From the Charlotte Conference he was appointed 
 again to the Raleigh District. 
 
 He came home from Conference quite unwell 
 with cold and fever, and was confined to his room 
 for several weeks. He was not able to com- 
 mence his labors en the District until the open- 
 ing of the Spring, and was then quite feeble. He 
 filled only two or three appointments on Raleigh 
 District, and then by mutual consent he and 
 Rev. W. H. Bobbitt, Presiding Elder of Greens- 
 boro' District, were changed by Bishop Paine. 
 His health seemed to improve gradually, so that 
 he could fill most of his appointments. He at- 
 tended to his duties as President of the Board of 
 Trustees of Greensboro' Female College, and also 
 as trustee of Trinity College. He used all such 
 means for the recovery of his health as were 
 thought to be advisable. He had visited the springs 
 the year before at Piedmont, and after his return 
 he procured the water from Rockbridge Alum 
 Springs and used it freely. He took a good deal 
 of exercise on horseback, when he was able to 
 do so. As the Summer advanced he seemed to 
 improve. On the 3d of October, 1872, he was 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 83 
 
 married to Miss Sallie E. Wright, sister of his 
 former wife. He continued to fill his appoint- 
 ments whenever he was able, and preached with 
 power. Some time in the month of October he 
 attended a quarterly meeting at Ruffm Depot, 
 and on Sunday dedicated the new Methodist 
 Church at that place. He preached an able ser- 
 mon to a vast concourse of people. The word 
 preached took effect upon the hearts of the peo- 
 ple, and he kept up the meeting in connection 
 with the writer through the week. He preached 
 every day and with great power and holy 
 unction. Sinners were converted through his 
 ministry and brought into the Church. After 
 preaching through this whole week he called at 
 Jamestown on Saturday and Sunday on his way 
 home, and held a quarterly meeting. On the 
 9th clay of November following his dear father, 
 Rev. James Reid, died suddenly at the house of 
 Rev. Dr. Wilson, in Greensboro'. This was 
 another severe shock upon his frail constitution. 
 He repaired to Greensboro' as soon as he could 
 after he received the sad intelligence, and in 
 company with the writer attended the remains to 
 Louisburg, where they were deposited by the 
 grave of his sainted wife. He was sad as he re- 
 turned to his home. On his arrival he found 
 himself much debilitated. After this he filled no 
 more appointments until Conference. He went 
 
84 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 round with the writer by the way of Louisburg, 
 to look after his father's affairs, and from thence 
 to Fayetteville, the seat of the Annual Confer- 
 ence. It was a fatiguing journe} r , and the last 
 session of the Conference that he ever attended. 
 He was domiciled a mile and a half from the 
 Church where the Conference sessions were held, 
 which was too much fatigue for his weak consti- 
 tution and poor health. Bishop Paine presided 
 at this Conference, and it was altogether an in- 
 teresting session. Dr. Reid took a deep interest 
 in the business of the Conference, but seemed to 
 be sad. He was returned to Greensboro' Dis- 
 trict. He returned home after Conference, and 
 remained in doors prett}^ much through the Win- 
 ter. He did not attempt to preach but few times. 
 As the Spring approached he grew worse. He 
 went to Greensboro' and back one day in the 
 month of March. After this trip to Greensboro' 
 he did not go out much except to take short rides 
 for exercise. He would read some and write 
 letters on business, and wrote a few articles for 
 the Raleigli Christian Advocate. His son, Rev. 
 Frank L. Reid, visited him about the last of 
 March, and continued with him from that time 
 until his death, except to go occasionally and fill 
 an appointment and return as soon as practicable. 
 He could still walk about the house and ride a 
 little for exercise. Some time after the middle of 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 85 
 
 April, by the advice of his son and the writer, he 
 made a visit to his wife's relatives in Wentworth. 
 His friends thought that the trip would benefit 
 him. He went down on the train with his wife 
 and his youngest child and a servant. His son 
 Frank had gone down the day previous in order 
 to meet him at the depot with a carriage to con- 
 vey him to Wentworth. It was a beautiful April 
 day, but the journey fatigued him ; he felt gloomy, 
 and was never as well afterward as he was before. 
 He met his old family physician, Dr. John R. 
 Raine, who encouraged him, and for a short time 
 he seemed to rally and improve a little, but it was 
 only temporary. He soon grew worse, and con- 
 tinued to decline gradually, and concluded not to 
 return to Thomasville ; and sent his son, Frank 
 L. Reid, to remove his effects out of his former 
 dwelling house, which he had surrendered to the 
 party from whom he had bought it. He con- 
 tinued to try remedies for his recovery, but gra- 
 dually declined and became weaker until the 4th 
 of June, when he became fully convinced that he 
 would die. After having given up all hopes of 
 recovery he fully resigned himself into the hands 
 of his adorable Redeemer, and was in ecstasies of 
 joy as long as he lived. Like the great Apostle 
 of the Gentiles, he felt that he had "fought the 
 good fight, and had finished his course in peace. * ; 
 He despatched to his children and to the writer 
 
86 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 to come, but he died before they could reach him. 
 He was conscious to the last, and exulted in pros- 
 pect of soon crossing the last river. As long as 
 he could speak he bore testimony that all was 
 well. He died without a struggle on Friday, the 
 6th of June, at 8 o'clock, A. M. G-ocl bless his 
 memory — "though dead, he yet speaketh." Many 
 of the precious truths he uttered while living 
 are treasured up in the memory of the friends 
 he has left behind him. May they continue to 
 profit by them and become wiser unto salvation, 
 until the} T can hail him on the other shore. May 
 the Providence which took him away be sanctified 
 to the good of his surviving friends ; may that God 
 who is a husband to the widow and a father to the 
 orphan take care of his bereaved family. He 
 leaves a widow and eight children — five sons and 
 three daughters — to mourn their loss ; but, thank 
 God, they do not mourn as those who have no 
 hope. They are well assured that their loss is 
 his gain. May they all meet him in heaven. 
 
 His funeral was preached on Sunday, June 8th, 
 1873, in the Methodist Church at Wentworth, 
 N. C, by Rev. B. Craven, D. D., from 2 Samuel, 
 iii. chap., 38 verse : "Know ye not that there is a 
 prince and a great man fallen this da} r in Israel?" 
 before a very large congregation. He was buried 
 with the Church service — the Masonic fraternity 
 being in attendance. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 87 
 
 The following sketch of the last two months of 
 the life, and illness, and death of Rev. Nuraa F. 
 Reid, was written by his second son, Rev. Frank 
 L. Reid, to a relative : 
 
 "In March, the last of the month, hearing of 
 m} T father's declining health from himself and 
 others, I went to see him, and found him very 
 low spirited. I spent two weeks with him, and 
 when my time came to return to my work he 
 urged me to stay, until I finally persuaded him 
 to go with me to Rockingham. He was then fully 
 convinced that he had consumption and would 
 shortly die, and so expressed himself to me pri- 
 vately. To convince him to the contrary I pro- 
 posed to get Dr. Thomas to examine his lungs, to 
 which he agreed. The examination took place. 
 The doctor assured him his lungs were as sound 
 as mine, after examining us both together. This 
 relieved his mind to a great extent. Finally, I 
 persuaded him to go to Rockingham, which he did 
 about the 1st of April, with his wife, Lizzie and 
 myself. When we reached Wentworth he told 
 them he had come there to die. I was then rid- 
 ing with him eight or ten miles every daj r . He 
 tried every remedy to relieve himself, and strug- 
 gled as hard as any man could to get well, and 
 said if he could just get well he thought he could 
 preach better than he ever did in his life ; but he 
 seemed to get no better, and, as we thought then, 
 
88 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 no worse. He tried to divert his mind by dic- 
 tating for me to write for the papers and in assist- 
 ing me in getting up my sermons, but he could 
 not hold out long at a time. He went out on the 
 street to try to interest himself, but to no avail. 
 He often spoke of death, and shouted and wept. 
 Several times I had to restrain him. Often he 
 expressed himself full}' and freely to me as per- 
 fectly ready to die. The only thing was the sus- 
 pense, the uncertainty of his health, until, finally, 
 on the 4th of June, after I had assisted him to 
 rise, and after he had eaten a little breakfast, he 
 took off his clothes, took his bed, and seemed to 
 give up every hold he had on the world. He 
 paid but little attention to any one or anything 
 about him. I on that day wrote for all the 
 children. It was on Wednesday. That night he 
 rested well. Thursday he was quiet and inatten- 
 tive all day. His will was written by him early 
 Thursday morning. Thursday night, at 7 o'clock, 
 Dr. Raine called to see him, and told me, when I 
 followed him out, to let him rest, not to sit up with 
 him at all, that he had no idea that he would die 
 under three weeks. When I returned he told me 
 to go to bed, and if he did not rest well he would 
 send for me, which I did, and he went to sleep. 
 About 11 o'clock he awoke and sent for me. I 
 went in and found him panting, perfectly wet 
 with perspiration, and he told me that he thought 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 89 
 
 he was dying. I told him no, he was too warm, 
 and took a little cover off, and he seemed to get 
 over it. He then had his will witnessed, and 
 then he commenced to shout and talk. He asked 
 me if I didn't love Jesus. I requested him to get 
 quiet. He then told me if I would blow out the 
 lamp he would go to sleep. He told me to go to 
 bed also. I put the lamp out in the passage and 
 slipped back and took my seat by his bedside. 
 I soon discovered that his eyes were a little 
 glazed, and my stepmother seeing it told him she 
 thought he was dying. He said no, not then, but 
 he was going to die. I then asked him if all was 
 right ; he answered that it was ; then I called up 
 his sermon on death, and he remembered it — re- 
 membered his idea that death was like going to 
 sleep to the Christian — gradually passing off, not 
 knowing exactly when. I asked him if he had 
 any message for the children ; he said, ' none, ex- 
 cept tell them all to meet me in heaven.' Little 
 Lizzie came in, crawled up and kissed him, and 
 started off; he drew her up to him and kissed her 
 again. He then recognized several who came in, 
 but after a while he failed to remember some of 
 his friends. I then leaned over him and asked 
 him if he knew me, and with a beautiful smile 
 wreathing his face he said, " why, know you, 
 Frank?' He then asked me to sing. I tried, but 
 could not. Rev. Mr. Norman came in a few mo- 
 
90 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 merits after, and sang and prayed. I think his 
 last distinct words were, ' I will see your mother 
 and my mother. 7 He passed off quietly, without 
 a struggle, and but one gasp. I could hardly tell 
 when he breathed his last breath. He first com- 
 menced dying about midnight, and breathed his 
 last at five minutes before 8 o'clock, A- M." 
 
 The following is an extract from the funeral 
 sermon of Dr. Reid, preached by Rev. B. Craven, 
 D. D., LL. D., from 2 Samuel iii. 38 : "Know you 
 not that there is a prince and a great man fallen 
 this day in Israel ?" 
 
 " A prince and a great man has fallen, and this 
 immense multitude has assembled to honor him 
 with a royal burial. As a citizen in the State, a 
 Minister in the Church, and a rounded, complete 
 man in all social offices and duties, llev. N. F. 
 Reid, D. D., was truly a prince and really a great 
 man. I knew him as I have known no other man; 
 we have thought and worked together in prosper- 
 ity and adversity. In healthful, joyous life I have 
 seen his sanctified ambition, his mental grasp and 
 fulness, his hopefulness that made others hope 
 and toil on, and his eve of genius that kindled 
 with soul fire in times of great effort. When dis- 
 ease was upon him, when pain tortured, and en- 
 ergy was feeble, he was still the same noble man, 
 still had the same large unselfish views, and in a 
 remarkable manner showed that greatness of faith 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 91 
 
 that rises above all powers of earth. He had 
 acute comprehensive power of observation ; he 
 understood, arranged and classified facts quickly 
 and clearly ; he read men and events with a cor- 
 rectness of perception, and drew his conclusions 
 from all so fairly and truthfully, that no man 
 could complain of injustice. Dr. Reid was a 
 scholar in the highest and best sense of the term. 
 His information was extensive on nearly all sub- 
 jects, and his mind was disciplined and developed 
 to the greatest comprehension and execution. 
 But his greatness, his practical importance in 
 affairs, and his eminent usefulness, were best seen 
 and most felt in the discharge of his daily duties. 
 In the Annual Conference, on the District, or in 
 the Station, he demonstrated the real importance 
 of a great mind and a warm Christian heart. He 
 did all his work well, without fear and without 
 partiality. He was kind in his judgment of all 
 men, liberal to his opponents, and fair to his 
 friends. He never entered into any plan or 
 combination to promote his own interest or to 
 retard the advancement of any other person ; but 
 with conscientious fairness and Christian integrity 
 aided all and injured none. He was a great and 
 good man. His name and fame are dear to the 
 whole State. Thousands to-day feel that one of 
 the principal men of the State and of the Church 
 has fallen, and sadness is felt in many homes and 
 
92 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 churches he never saw, and by multitudes with 
 whom he was not personally acquainted. Few 
 men are so thoroughly good, so equally great, and 
 so generally beloved ; and few have left so much 
 good to perpetuate their remembrance, and so 
 little evil to darken their fame. With this great 
 congregation, representing all classes, and from 
 all parts of the country, I unite in mourning the 
 death of our beloved brother." 
 
 The following is an extract of an obituary no- 
 tice of the late Eev. N. F. Reid, D. D., written by 
 Rev. 0. M. Pepper : 
 
 "The Rev. N. F. Reid, D. D., departed this life 
 June 6th, 1873, at Wentworth, N. C. He was 
 born 3d of July, 1825, and became a member of 
 the Church in 1842. He entered the N. 0. Con- 
 ference in the year 1850, having travelled the 
 Wentworth Circuit two years as a supply. His 
 first pastoral charge after joining Conference was 
 the Tar River Circuit. He was subsequently 
 stationed in Wilmington, Raleigh and Greens- 
 boro'. For sixteen years he filled the office of 
 Presiding Elder — having travelled the Salisbury, 
 Greensboro' and Raleigh Districts. He was four 
 times elected to General Conference, and three 
 times received the highest vote that was given. 
 He was the fostering patron of all our Church 
 enterprises, having been the prime mover in the 
 magnificent enterprise of rebuilding Greensboro' 
 Female College. No man in North Carolina Con- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 93 
 
 ference wielded an influence so extensive as did 
 he; no man perhaps in our State has so impressed 
 the public mind, and nowhere was his influence 
 greater than in Thomasville, where he has resided 
 for the last seven years. It is not needful that I 
 should speak of his talents, of his pulpit or execu- 
 tive ability. He was too well known to need 
 eulogy. As one who was intimate with him for 
 years, and to whom he spoke of almost all his 
 matters, I will say that for purit}^ and integrity 
 I have not seen his superior. I knew him well, 
 and I am sure he was one of the best men T ever 
 knew ; and as he lived so he died. Frequently 
 during his illness he spoke of his preparations for 
 the change, and gave us evidence that, the golden 
 grain was ripening for the sickle and the heavenly 
 garner. It is to his friends a gratifying fact that 
 he died almost without a struggle— went off" just 
 as if he was going to sleep. Thus passed away 
 in triumph one of our greatest men ; one whose 
 memory we shall fondly cherish, and w T ho will be 
 embalmed in thousands of hearts. In the early 
 morn, when the dew still stood in pearly drops 
 upon the grass and flowers, the spirit of our be- 
 loved brother left its clay tenement in ruins, and 
 winged its hallowed flight, escorted by angels, 
 back to the bosom of God." 
 
 The Greensboro' District Conference, held at 
 Ruffin, June 29th, 1873, passed the following reso- 
 lutions by an unanimous rising vote : 
 
94 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 Whereas, An Allwise and Gracious Providence 
 has removed our beloved and lamented Presiding 
 Elder, Rev. N. F. Reid, D. D. ; therefore, 
 
 Resolved, 1st, That while we bow with submis- 
 sion to the will of Him who does all things well, 
 believing that He can bury His workmen and 
 carry on His work ; yet we feel most sensibly the 
 stroke which has taken from us our brother, coun- 
 sellor, leader and friend. 
 
 Resolved, 2d. That in the death of Dr. Reid we 
 have lost one of our greatest, wisest and best 
 men, and one of our ablest Presiding Elders. 
 
 Resolved, 3d, That we will cherish a fond re- 
 membrance of his virtues, and strive to follow 
 him as he followed Christ, that like him we may 
 pass away in peace and triumph, and that we may 
 join him again on the other shore, and renew the 
 association which was so pleasant here, and was 
 interrupted by death. 
 
 Resolved, tth, That we tender to his bereaved 
 family our heartfelt sympathy, assuring them of 
 the deep interest we feel in them, and that we 
 will by prayer and by effort do what we can for 
 their present and future good. 
 
 Resolved, 6th, That a copy of these resolutions 
 be sent to his family, and to the Raleigh Christian 
 Advocate for publication. 
 
 C. H. Phillips, ) 
 
 J. A. Cunninggim, >- Committee. 
 
 C. M. Pepper. ) 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 95 
 
 The following resolutions were passed by the 
 Board of Trustees of G-reensboro' Female College, 
 at a meeting held in Greensboro', June 14th, 
 1873: 
 
 Whereas, Since the last meeting of the Board, 
 Rev. N. F. Reid, D. D., has passed away from 
 this world by a seemingly premature yet triumph- 
 ant Christian death ; therefore, 
 
 Resolved — 
 
 1st, That Dr. Reid was one of the most efficient 
 and zealous friends of Greensboro' Female Col- 
 lege ; wise in council and faithful to all the best 
 interests of the College. 
 
 2d, That the death of Dr. Reid is a great loss 
 to the Church and to the State, but especially is 
 the loss great to this College ; he was thoroughly 
 identified with it and cherished it with the warm- 
 est affection. 
 
 3c?, That while we bow submissively to the will 
 of Him that doeth all things well, yet we deplore 
 the death that has deprived us of a beloved Chris- 
 tian minister and an efficient President of our 
 Board. 
 
 \ih, That a copy of these resolutions be sent to 
 the family of our deceased brother, and also to the 
 Advocate for publication. 
 
 B. Craven, ) 
 
 T. M. Jones, >• Committee. 
 
 C. P. Mendenhall, ) 
 
96 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 The Committee on Memoirs presented the fol- 
 lowing, which was adopted by the North Carolina 
 Conference, at its session in Goldsboro', N. C, 
 December 15, 1873: 
 
 "rev. numa f. reid, d. d. 
 
 " Nuraa F. Reid was born in Rockingham 
 County, N. C, July 3, 1825. His parents were 
 Rev. James Reid, of sainted memory in the North 
 Carolina Conference, and Martha Reid, daughter 
 of Rev. George R. Edwards. 
 
 "N. F. Reid was the second of nine children, 
 and survived all of them but one. When a boy 
 he was remarkable for unyielding integrity, genial 
 affection, and attachment to home, and especially 
 to his mother ; nor did these amiable qualities 
 cease with childhood, but became stronger and 
 still more beautiful as they adorned graceful, 
 gifted, useful manhood. In early life his edu- 
 cational advantages were confined to the small 
 public and private schools common in that section 
 of the country. At the age of thirteen he entered 
 Emory and Henry College, where he remained 
 three years. He left the institution without grad- 
 uating, though he had accomplished most of the 
 academic course of study. He was a hard stu- 
 dent at college, and so continued to the end of his 
 life. He was eminently a scholar in mental dis- 
 cipline, mental development, knowledge of the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 97 
 
 scholar's resources and their use, clear conception 
 of systems of thought, and an unusual comprehen- 
 sion of men, opinions and tendencies. He saw 
 quickly and clearly, discriminated wisely, argued 
 with directness and force, and rarely on any occa- 
 sion was wanting in information, arrangement of 
 ideas, or facility of expression. Mentally he was 
 a greater man than the work he did, and his works 
 are worthy any man or any Church. Physically 
 he was delicate from childhood, was often pre- 
 vented from protracted study or great efforts, 
 and never experimentally knew or enjoyed the 
 immense advantage of vigorous, mind-sustaining 
 health. His body was never at all equal to his 
 soul's wants and needs ; and many a sermon did 
 he preach and many a duty perform on the 
 Conference floor, when nothing but indomitable 
 energy kept him from confinement in bed. He 
 once said that experience had proved to him that 
 prayer was as beneficial to his body as to his soul, 
 and without prayer his body would not have last- 
 ed till his thirtieth year. 
 
 At the age of seventeen he commenced a school 
 at Thompson ville, in Rockingham County, Rev. 
 James H. Brent being at that time one of his 
 pupils. Afterward he taught at Salem Church, 
 near Reidsville, and in 1846, in connection with 
 Mr. F. L. Harris, he opened an academy at 
 Wentworth. Mr. Harris withdrew at the end of 
 
98 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 the first year, but the school was continued four 
 years by Dr. Reid with great success. During 
 this period he had some inclination to study law, 
 and was strongly urged thereto by gentlemen of 
 the bar residing in that county who knew him, 
 and predicted that he would attain great distinc- 
 tion in that profession. While teaching at Went- 
 worth he received the degree of Master of Arts 
 from Randolph Macon College, and in 1866 the 
 University of North Carolina bestowed upon 
 him unanimously the degree of Doctor of Divin- 
 ity. These and other honors he appreciated 
 becomingly, sustained nobly, and wielded all for 
 the glory of God. 
 
 In 1847 he was licensed to preach, and trav- 
 elled Wentworth Circuit two years as a supply. 
 In 1851 he joined the North Carolina Conference 
 at Salisbury, was ordained deacon the same year, 
 and elder in 1853. The labors of his ministry 
 were as follows : 1852-'53, Tar River Circuit ; 
 1854, Front Street, Wilmington; 1855-'56, Ra- 
 leigh Station ; 1857, Greensboro' Station ; 1858- 
 '59, Presiding Elder on Salisbury District ; 1860- 
 '61-'62-'63, Presiding Elder on Greensboro' 
 District ; 1864-'65-'66-'67, Presiding Elder on 
 Raleigh District ; 1868-'69-'70-'7l, Presiding 
 Elder on Greensboro' District ; 1872, he was 
 appointed Presiding Elder of Raleigh District, 
 but his health becoming greatly impaired, with 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 99 
 
 the consent of the Bishop, he exchanged work 
 the next year with Eev. Wm. H. Bobbitt on 
 Greensboro' District, and continued on that 
 District till his death. He was four times 
 elected to General Conference, and three times 
 headed the list of delegates. 
 
 In 1846 he was married to Ann Eliza Wright, 
 oldest daughter of James Wright, Esq., of Went- 
 worth. Eight children were born to him — seven 
 are still living. His wife died April 15th, 1869. 
 He was married a second time, September 3d, 
 1872, to Sallie L. Wright, sister of his first wife. 
 
 In all the relations of life he was a model man, 
 and everywhere by his actions fully and forcibly 
 commended the gospel which he preached. As a 
 preacher he preached the Gospel with learning 
 for the understanding, with los-ic to convince, and 
 with a divine unction to move the heart. As a 
 presiding officer he was courteous though decided, 
 looking carefully after all the interests of the 
 Church, and was eminently successful in always 
 having them in good condition. As a member of 
 Conference he was genial, diligent in business, 
 and fair to all. In social life he was lively and 
 pleasant, somewhat fond of well polished repartee, 
 but was never known to use or countenance 
 rough jesting or coarse allusions. 
 
 He was in an especial manner interested in our 
 educational enterprises, and was connected with 
 
100 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 every movement made for their establishment. 
 He was a trustee both of Trinity College and 
 of Greensboro' Female College ; he attended all 
 meetings, and was a chief man in devising and 
 maturing plans. To Dr. Reid, more than any 
 other man, is Greensboro' Female College in- 
 debted for its existence. In all respects all our 
 colleges owe much to Dr. Reid — he loved them 
 and labored for their good. Our Advocates, 
 through all their varied fortunes, he sustained by 
 speeches before the Conference and the public, 
 by contributions to their columns, and financial 
 help from his own resources. He firmly be- 
 lieved in sustaining all Conference enterprises — 
 his motto being that we live for the Church and 
 our families, the two being identified in all their 
 interests. 
 
 He was an honored member of the Masonic 
 Fraternity, had much influence among Masons, 
 and was greatly respected by them. One of the 
 finest productions of his life was his address at 
 the Centennial Anniversary of the Grand Lodge 
 of North Carolina. 
 
 Such were some of the virtues of our deceased 
 brother. Not many such men, so gifted and so 
 useful to the Church and public, are given to any 
 one age of history. 
 
 At Charlotte Conference, 1871, he contracted a 
 cold, from which he never finally recovered. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 101 
 
 At the close of the last Conference his health 
 was greatly injured by fresh cold. He attended 
 his appointments till February, and struggled 
 hard to continue on, but could not. He then pro- 
 posed to the brethren to resign his District, but 
 they dissuaded him from that step. In March he 
 told the writer of this that his work was done. 
 He said, "I should like to preach a few more 
 times ; I would call for penitents every time I 
 preached. I could tell the people better about 
 eternal things. I am waiting by the river, and 
 feel and know the reality of what I have loved 
 and preached. If I never go to Conference again, 
 tell the brethren I loved them better and still 
 better at the last, and bid them good-bye till we 
 meet in Heaven. 
 
 He continued still able to walk about the house 
 till June 4th, when he was confined to his bed, 
 and lingered there till 8 o'clock Friday morning, 
 June 6th, when he died peacefully and triumph- 
 antly. For the last two days he rejoiced almost 
 continually ; his mind was clear and his faith 
 strong. He told them not to give him stimulants, 
 he wanted to face death with an unclouded mind 
 and a Christian's faith. His last words were, 
 " Frank, I shall see your mother and my mother." 
 
 His funeral was preached at Wentworth on the 
 next Sabbath before such a multitude as has not 
 often assembled in any State. All the people 
 loved Dr. Reid. His fame and good works are in 
 
102 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 all Churches, and his memory is a rich legacy to the 
 whole country. 
 
 B. Craven", ] 
 
 Ira F. Wyche, 1 n 
 
 A. W. Mangum, \ Cornmtftee. 
 
 J. A. CUNNINGGIM. J 
 
 The Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accept- 
 ed Masons of North Carolina, December 1st, 2d, 
 3d, and 4th, A. L. 5873, makes the following 
 entry in their Journal in Grand Master John 
 Nicholas Annual Address : 
 
 " During the year another member of our noble 
 Order, Rev. Numa F. Reid, D. D., Past Grand 
 Chaplain of this Grand Lodge, has gone from labor 
 to rest. It is seldom that one who dies takes from 
 the world so much of promise and of hope ; sel- 
 dom that the soul departed leaves in its works 
 and influence so much of promise and of power, 
 to still bring cheer and blessings to the world. 
 He passed through this life like one of God's con- 
 secrated noblemen. His brethren cherished him ; 
 the lowly and the great alike esteemed him ; 
 society at large applauded him ; the Church de- 
 lighted to honor and trust him ; even death was 
 but the chariot of his immortality, and he left in 
 life and death the strongest evidence that his work 
 was accepted by the Great Master, and rewarded 
 with the glorious crown of eternal life ; living 
 and dying, he showed at once the beauty, the 
 nobility and the wisdom of righteousness. We 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 103 
 
 weep over his fall. We rejoice over Ms everlast- 
 ing triumph." 
 
 A. W. Mangum, from the Special Committee on 
 Memoirs, submitted the following report, which 
 was read and adopted : 
 
 "Kev. Numa F. Eeid, D.D., has also finished 
 his labors, and has gone to the land of reward 
 and rest. He was a beloved and distinguished 
 Past Grand Chaplain. The words of fervent 
 and admiring commendation which were spoken 
 of him through life by our fraternity, were ever 
 echoed loud and clear throughout the broad 
 sphere of his acquaintance, by the tongues of all 
 persons who have wisdom to discover, and integ- 
 rity to appreciate and commend talent, eloquence, 
 principle and righteousness. He was regarded 
 a great man by great men. He was regarded a 
 good man by the best of men." 
 
 The following inscription was inserted on a 
 memorial page of the Grand Lodge proceedings : 
 
 "INSCRIBED TO THE MEMORY 
 
 OF 
 
 Past Grand Chaplain of the Grand Lodge of 
 NORTH CAROLINA. 
 
 Born 3d of July, 1825. 
 Lied 6th of June. 1873. 
 
 AN ELOQUENT PROCLAIMER OF THE GOSPEL, RICHLY ENDOWED WITH 
 
 THE QUALITIES OF A NOBLE CHARACTER, HE LIVED AND 
 
 DIED AS ONE OF GOD'S CONSECRATED NOBLEMEN." 
 
104 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 The following extract is from a Memorial Ser- 
 mon preached before the N. C. Conference at 
 Goldsboro', N. 0., Dec. 15th, 1873, by Rev. N.H. 
 D. Wilson, D.D.: 
 
 "My acquaintance with Brother Reid com- 
 menced when we were both young men. I had 
 just entered the ministry, and he had not yet 
 begun to preach. His father's house was on 
 my way to the first Circuit I travelled. By invi- 
 tation I made it my home, and a most pleasant 
 one it was. No small item in the pleasure of my 
 occasional visits there was the presence and asso- 
 ciations of "Wesley" and "Fletcher," as the 
 boys were familiarly called by their venerable 
 father. Wesley, the eldest son, gifted and lovely, 
 fell in early manhood. I wept for him as for a 
 brother. But he was ready, and left us a pre- 
 cious testimony of his acceptance with his Saviour. 
 Fletcher, beyond the prospect of opening man- 
 hood, survived nearly thirty years. Through all 
 that time I knew him. Much of it he was my in- 
 timate friend and associate. Our work in the 
 Church has been blended and intermingled. At 
 one time he was in my District ; at another I was 
 in his. For years we lived neighbors. I knew 
 him well ; I loved him tenderly. 
 
 Brother Reid was young when he was con- 
 verted ; young when he was called to the minis- 
 try. He began his work when so young, and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 105 
 
 worked so industriously that, although he died 
 under the age of fifty, he had done the work of a 
 long life. 
 
 From the first, as a preacher, he was highly 
 gifted. His very hesitancy as a speaker gave a 
 deeper interest in the sparkling gems of thought, 
 that his first sermons threw upon the minds and 
 hearts of his hearers. As a minister he rose with 
 a rapidity almost astonishing to his best and most 
 familiar friends. In a few years he stood forth as 
 a member of our Conference, with the acknow- 
 ledged ability to fill any position in our work, and 
 fill it with the very highest measure of accept- 
 ability. Circuits, Stations, Districts called for his 
 services, and he met the call with the unqualified 
 and most hearty approval of all whom he served. 
 While all the time filling appointments in ' ' the 
 regular work," his watchful eye, earnest heart, 
 and active hand were upon our educational and 
 other interests that look to the success of Chris- 
 tianity in general and Methodism in particular. 
 He lost sight of none of these, but labored for 
 them all. As a preacher he studied the Scrip- 
 tures "daily" and closely, and then expounded 
 them to his hearers, applying their truths to the 
 hearts and consciences of all who listened to him. 
 His sermons were clear, incisive, strong, and often 
 there was a depth of sympathy and fulness of 
 pathos that reached and melted all hearts. Again, 
 
106 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 he would, with almost matchless power, warn the 
 sinner ; or, in beauty and grandeur of thought 
 and language, lift his hearers to a contemplation 
 of the glories of the upper temple. The propel- 
 ling power upon his heart as he preached seemed 
 to be an equal blending of the two feelings of the 
 Apostle, " the love of Christ constraineth us," and 
 " Woe is me if I preach not the Gospel." He 
 loved to preach, and he was afraid to do anything 
 else. He was prompt to forego tempting offers 
 of worldly position, and was emphatically "a 
 man of one work." 
 
 Dr. Reid was a good man. With a sensitive 
 nature that was quick to feel the slightest touch, 
 such was the purity of his motives, the correct- 
 ness of his principles, the clearness of his discrim- 
 ination along the line of uprightness, and the 
 depth of his conviction that a man should strive 
 always to do right, that his practical life was daily 
 in beautiful harmony with his preaching. Even 
 in his feebleness, the very nerves of his wasting 
 body made music to the piety of his soul. He 
 preached experimental religion, and enjoyed it. 
 The influence and witness of the Holy Spirit was 
 one of his favorite themes, because its light, and 
 life, and love were upon his own soul. Life's sor- 
 rows were a burden to him, but he " cast his bur- 
 den upon the Lord," and out of the experimental 
 fact that he was sustained in every trial, he 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 107 
 
 poured consolation into the hearts of the afflicted 
 up to almost the very hour of his death. 
 
 When death came, our beloved brother met it 
 with calm resignation. He had hoped to labor 
 longer in the Lord's vineyard, and be permitted 
 to train his younger children, as he had the elder 
 ones, for Christ ; but a wise Providence decided 
 that his work was done. Leaving his blessing 
 upon his family and the Church, in peaceful con- 
 fidence he passed away. His morning opened 
 with cloudless light — noon shone with meridian 
 splendor — a serene sunset soon followed. The 
 spring of his life had sweet and beautiful flowers 
 — the summer and autumn were laden with fruit 
 — the winter never came. The Christian warrior 
 "fought the good fight, finished his course, kept 
 the faith," and gained the final victor}^ in sight of 
 the "crown of righteousness which the Lord, the 
 Righteous Judge, shall give him in that day.' 7 
 
 The foregoing extracts of memorial sermons, of 
 obituary notices, and resolutions of respect, of 
 different bodies, etc., are a few selections from a 
 great many of a similar character. We have in 
 possession a great many newspaper editorials, 
 and also resolutions passed by various quarterly 
 meeting Conferences, and subordinate Masonic 
 lodges, as expressions of their high regard and 
 affection for Dr. Reid ; but the writer considers 
 the foregoing extracts a sufficient expression of 
 
108 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 the high estimate placed upon him by the public 
 generally. It is questionable whether the public 
 mind in North Carolina has been so deeply im- 
 pressed by the life and death of any other man as 
 it was by that of Rev. Numa F. Reid, D. D. He 
 will continue to live in the memory and affections 
 of the people of the present generation in North 
 Carolina. " He spent his life in doing good, 
 blessed the world while living, and died regretted 
 by all." 
 
\S OF I|EV. f MA F, p, D, D, 
 
 ©he WuUnU. 
 
 (DELIVERED BEFORE THE N. C. CONFERENCE, AT ITS SESSION 
 IN WILMINGTON, N. O, 1867.)— Eds. 
 " He thai goeth forth and iveepeih, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come 
 again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with Mm." — Psalms, cxxvi, 6. 
 
 The author of this Psalm, whoever he was, a 
 fact not certainly known, alludes to the Israelites 
 in their captivity and return from it ; applies to 
 them the figure of the husbandman sowing and 
 reaping. Without stopping to define the precise 
 signification of the text in its application to them, 
 I, in imitation of illustrious examples, embracing 
 even the Saviour himself, apply the figure em- 
 ployed in the text to the preachers of the gospel, 
 going forth with the word of life as seed, sowing 
 in sorrow and tears, and finally from their labors 
 reaping a harvest of joy and rejoicing. With 
 this application the theme of the discourse from 
 the text is, The Gospel Preacher, his work and 
 reward. 
 
 The first thing brought to our attention in con- 
 sidering the character of the preacher of the 
 
110 SERMONS. 
 
 Gospel is the manner of his introduction into the 
 office: "No man taketh this honor unto himself, 
 but he that is called of God, as was Aaron," is 
 equally true of the preacher as it was of the 
 priests. God calls, sets apart and sanctifies him 
 for this work by the Holy Spirit — not miracu- 
 lously by voice, or vision, or dream, but in- 
 wardly moves and impresses and qualifies him, 
 as he in the first instance moved him by His 
 Spirit to repentance, regenerated him and then 
 witnessed to it by His spirit. So in like manner 
 God moves a man to this work and witnesses to 
 this moving or call. Many doubtless mistake it, 
 who are not called. As all regenerated persons 
 are moved to do good, some fall into the error of 
 supposing the way of doing most good by them 
 is to preach ; but he who is called never mistakes 
 it. The sensations of a man upon whom God 
 lays his great hand and into whose spiritual ear 
 the still small voice whispers "follow me," are 
 strange and peculiar, felt and appreciated only 
 by those who have realized it. He feels the 
 power of which the Apostle speaks working in 
 him mightily. By his union with Christ in regen- 
 eration, he beo*an to live the life of Christ, but 
 when appointed and moved inwardly to become 
 an ambassador for Christ, the spirit of the Master 
 in higher measure fell upon him — something of 
 the spirit that flamed in the heart of the Son of 
 
THE PASTORATE. Ill 
 
 Glod when about to set out on his mission to this 
 sin stricken world. The spirit falls upon him and 
 enwraps him — takes him through the passion of 
 the Saviour — " I am crucified with Christ." Led 
 by the spirit he lies down with Jesus in the man- 
 ger, that he may receive the requisite humility, 
 tarries with him all night long in the garden for 
 the lesson of submission, stands by his side on 
 the mountain tops to learn how to resist tempta- 
 tion, is with him amidst the clashing swords at 
 his capture for the needful courage, bears with 
 him his cross through the streets of Jerusalem 
 that he may become practiced in toil — finally, 
 goes with him upon the cross, that, amidst the 
 agonies of the death hour, he may receive from 
 his breaking heart the spirit of self-sacrifice. 
 Here, hanging by his side he feels his death pang 
 — his dying wail is articulated through the cham- 
 bers of his soul, his death throb pulsates through 
 his own stricken heart, and when the dying G-od 
 cries, "It is finished!" he breaks forth, "woe is 
 me if I preach not the gospel." " He is also cru- 
 cified unto the world and the world unto him." 
 Here is the reason of his not counting his life 
 even dear unto himself. Thus the laying on of 
 hands and the presentation of his parchment are 
 but a small part of his induction into this office ; 
 these are marely the counterpart of the in- 
 ward anointinor and the commission written with 
 
112 SERMONS. 
 
 fire on his heart. When he is thus set apart and 
 inducted into this office he becomes elevated in 
 all the elements of genuine manhood. His ca- 
 pacity is enlarged, his brain actually seems to be 
 expanded, his judgment becomes more strong and 
 vigorous, his prudence is strengthened, his kind- 
 ness, gentleness and cleverness in every respect 
 seem to become more conspicuous and active. 
 No wonder the life he lives is the life of Christ, 
 and he becomes fashioned like his great exemplar. 
 This it is that makes preachers as a class better 
 than other men, and this it is that makes the 
 world expect and require them to be so. Thus 
 qualified and commissioned, with Bible in hand, 
 the world is the field. In delineating the charac- 
 ter of the preacher of the Gospel I know not how 
 better to do than to draw from the pattern given 
 us in the lives of the Apostles. We have in 
 them the genuine type. The words pastor, cler- 
 gyman, rector, minister, in the modern accepta- 
 tion at least, do not express it. A representa- 
 tion of one of these might give you a nice picture, 
 but not a copy of the original. This would be 
 like going into a gallery of art and selecting the 
 finest face without reference to the resemblance. 
 Preacher-herald is the word. "Go ye into all 
 the world and preach the gospel to every crea- 
 ture." This is the commission. Anything that 
 contracts that, perverts it. The chief preacher, 
 
THE PASTORATE. 113 
 
 the old converted Pharisee and Apostle to the 
 G-entiles, is the best pattern. " Follow me as I 
 follow Christ" and his character is exhibited in 
 his language as he went following him, crying, 
 "G-od forbid that I should glory save in the Cross 
 of our Lord Jesus Christ." "Yea, doubtless, I 
 count all things but loss for the excellency of the 
 knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord." "I am de- 
 termined not to know anything among you save 
 Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." We have the 
 same type reproduced in the Methodist itinerants 
 of a century ago. They, forsaking houses and 
 lands, home and kindred, took their lives in their 
 hands, and, astride the saddle-bags and ponies, 
 went like a flame of fire through this country, 
 thanking God that they were not born to live 
 always, showing themselves to be the genuine 
 article out of which martyrs are made. I tell 
 you, my brethren, they reproduced the times and 
 scenes of the apostolic age, as well as the type of 
 character, save the inspiration. They governed 
 the Church and fed the flock, too — cared for it. 
 They did not wait for parsonages, nor carpeted 
 aisles, nor painted slips, nor orchestra, nor bells ; 
 a few forks, and poles, and branches of leaves to 
 break away the sun was quite chapel enough for 
 them. They flung themselves into the living 
 tides of population ; the highways and hedges 
 were their parishes — the chambers of the sick, 
 
 6* 
 
114 SERMONS. 
 
 the hovels of the poor, the cells of the prisoners 
 resounded with their prayers, and songs, and ex- 
 hortations. They struck at vice with a giant 
 hand everywhere, and, backed by the power of 
 God, started an influence that revolutionized this 
 continent, rekindled fires upon Church altars that 
 had long ago died out, called into living a health}^ 
 moral sentiment in the public mind, laid, by their 
 heroism, both by precept and example, a substra- 
 tum of moral power that acts to-day, as little as 
 most men may think of it, as one of the greatest 
 conserving influences of this country. God bless 
 the memory of our fathers and breathe their spirit 
 on us ! The most sacred walks on this continent 
 are their circuit paths, the holiest spots are the 
 repositories where they have been laid in their 
 last sleep, the loveliest flowers seen by mortals 
 are those that bloom above their graves, symbols 
 of their brighter glory. And when in this 
 country they are done building monuments to its 
 heroes and patriots, if full justice is done to all 
 who helped to lay the foundation of all the na- 
 tional splendor we once enjoyed, and I trust may 
 again, a shaft equal in magnificence to any will 
 appear, bearing this inscription : "To the found- 
 ers and propagators of Methodism in America." 
 
 Thus far, my brethren, I have photographed 
 what I have conceived to be the outline of the 
 gospel preacher. The incompleteness of the pic- 
 
THE PASTORATE. 115 
 
 ture, I trust, in some measure at least, will be 
 supplied in considering his work and reward. 
 We come now, in the next place, to notice his 
 work. And I remark first, it is his work to 
 preach, not read his sermons. No man ever 
 made a first class orator who read. Truth cometh 
 by hearing, and hearing by the word of God, and 
 this by the mouth of the preacher. Preaching is 
 the grand instrumentality in propagating Chris- 
 tianity. I had rather rely on preaching the pure, 
 unadulterated word, in order to produce and pro- 
 mote a religious revival, than all other means be- 
 sides, and if the world is ever brought to Christ 
 it must be by what is termed revivals. Revivals 
 make the Church grow and spread. Preaching 
 Christ crucified, not poetry, nor history, nor 
 science, only as they serve to adorn, illustrate and 
 attract ; preaching the word is his great and chief 
 reliance who would successfully execute his office. 
 The word is "the sword of the spirit" and 
 wielded with faith will cut its way even to the 
 dividing asunder the soul and spirit — the joints 
 and marrow. The preacher stands upon the 
 walls, God's watchman— his work is heraldic, his 
 is God's mouth, through him God issues His edicts 
 and orders, through him issues His proclamations 
 of- amnesty and pardon, His warnings and en- 
 treaties. God speaks to men in no other way 
 now and will not until His angel shall sound the 
 last trump. 
 
116 SERMONS. 
 
 His work is also pastoral. He is the shepherd 
 of the spiritual flock. It is his duty as such, first, 
 to govern the Church. He is appointed an over- 
 seer by the Holy Ghost, and the Church is ex- 
 horted by the Apostle to ' ' Eemember them who 
 have the rule over you — who have spoken unto 
 you the word of God." Further, in the same 
 epistle, referring to the same, he says : "Obey 
 them that have the rule over you and submit 
 yourselves, for they watch for your souls." The 
 constitution is formed' — the legislation is all en- 
 acted — now no one, it seems, ought to doubt from 
 the teaching that the provisional arrangement for 
 enforcing this legislation is devolved upon the 
 preacher. 
 
 They may call to their aid laymen as they may 
 deem it prudent and necessary. I shall not stop 
 here to argue these points, but assume them. 
 Some are silly enough to prate about democracy, 
 and aristocracy, and monarchy as applied to 
 churches. It is mere cant — clap-trap. No one 
 but a clerical demagogue will do it. The Church 
 of God is a Theocracy, as every intelligent theo- 
 logian knows. Christ is the Head of it. The 
 preachers stand in His place in the visible Church 
 to enforce by the sanction of His authority the 
 legislation already enacted. 
 
 Care taking is also involved in the pastoral 
 office. " Feed my sheep " is the command. It is 
 
THE PASTORATE. 117 
 
 his duty to guard and protect the Church. Not- 
 withstanding his chief work is to preach, yet he 
 is to do this also, or he fails, though he could 
 preach like an angel. The Apostles have set the 
 example of going from "house to house." It is 
 our duty to follow it. Look after the weak, nurse 
 the babes in Christ, exhort, comfort, instruct and 
 reprove personally. Men lose sight of their re- 
 sponsibility in the mass. They need to be singled 
 out. Some stray and are to be hunted up. The 
 ninety and nine are to be left for a season for this 
 purpose. G-o into the houses of the people if you 
 would succeed — sinners as well as saints. Rest 
 assured if you do not your ministry will be a 
 failure. Your preaching may keep down open 
 complaint. You may, by your intelligence and 
 social qualities, maintain your popularity with 
 your leading men, whom you visit as a matter of 
 convenience. You and your stewards, by good 
 financial tact, may get up the salary, and there 
 may be a spasmodic sort of revival at the pro- 
 tracted meeting, but if you are a stranger to your 
 members, have not been in their houses, there is 
 nothing more sure than that your ministry is a 
 failure. Your Churches are going down slowly 
 but surely. Nothing conceals the fact, but that 
 you are moved about from time to time. I have 
 been in a position for the last ten years to see 
 this. The people tell me this of a certain class 
 
118 SERMONS. 
 
 of men generally — "He is a good man, fine 
 preacher, but he don't visit the people ; we need 
 a pastor." I tell you, my brethren, with all the 
 changes and improvements in our economy, here 
 lies the seat of our disease, here is where the 
 remedy needs to be applied. Gro after them, is 
 what is needed — even to the highways, hunt them 
 up. Why, there is a modern idea creeping into 
 our practice that we are to put ourselves on the 
 etiquette of the world, and wait even to be in- 
 vited. How absurd ! Suppose a father should 
 wait for an erring son to invite him to look after 
 him? Suppose Christ, the chief shepherd, had 
 waited to be invited before He came to this 
 world that slew Him for coming? We are no 
 better than He. The disciple is not above his 
 Lord. We need not try to be more polite and 
 genteel than He was. We are to save men ; not 
 only to suffer slight and insult, but die even, if 
 thereby they may be kept out of hell, and then 
 we shall fall far short of doing a tithe of what 
 Christ has done for us. 
 
 It is a work of conflict, and requires courage. 
 The doctrines he preaches and practices are dia- 
 metrically opposed to the doctrines and practices 
 of the world. He finds himself on the threshhold 
 in antagonism with everything pretty much about 
 him. Christ said, "I came not to send peace but 
 a sword." Especially now is courage required. 
 
THE PASTORATE. 119 
 
 One of the greatest discounts on the ministry of 
 Christ at the present time is its popularity with 
 the world. Christ says, "because ye are not of 
 the world, but I have chosen you out of the 
 world, therefore the world hateth you." Who 
 hateth preachers now ? Who is persecuted from 
 city to city ? Crowds wait on the ministry every- 
 where ; the newspapers praise them with the same 
 breath that they do the performances of the forum, 
 or opera, or circus. The world and the ministry 
 seem to be on the finest terms. Who has brought 
 about this armistice ? It all grows out of a lack 
 of courage. I know some towns and neighbor- 
 hoods where the devil has every preacher in the 
 place at bay. He has his drinking saloons, and 
 gambling hells, and houses of ill-fame, all in full 
 blast, patronized and supported by the men of 
 wealth, gilded over with fashion and kept in 
 countenance by public favor. Vice, whenever 
 popularized, goes untouched in the sacred desk. 
 The meanwhile the pulpit is occupied mainly in 
 splitting hairs over themes, the establishment or 
 overthrow of which does not a whit disturb the 
 equanimity of anybody, when sin. in the guise 
 of wealth, or fashion, or family, has crept into the 
 Church of G-od, is given a place undisturbed. 
 Now in the midst of this state of things, genuine 
 courage is needed to enforce discipline in the 
 Church and break this truce with the world. It 
 
120 SERMONS. 
 
 requires courage to wrestle with principalities 
 and powers and spiritual wickedness in high 
 places. It requires nerve to lay the wager of 
 battle with the world, to fire on its flag, to storm 
 its strong-holds. What we need now is every- 
 where an independent, manly, outspoken pulpit. 
 We need everywhere genuine, old-fashioned or- 
 thodox pluck; that's the word. Not that kind 
 of courage that fires from a bomb-proof, that 
 stands up as long as the way for retreat is kept 
 open, but that old-fashioned, apostolical pluck that 
 marches out into the open field and grapples with 
 the foe in a hand to hand fight — that asks no 
 quarter and gives none, that stakes its hopes for 
 time as well as eternity upon the promise, " Lo ! 
 I am with you always, even to the end ;" that 
 can go to the man who lives in sin and pays most 
 to his support and tell him he is a hypocrite ; that 
 can march through the streets of these modern 
 Ninevehs and cry, "yet forty days," &c; that can 
 stand upon the curb-stones and the steps of public 
 buildings and thunder the anathemas of God's 
 law into the ear of vice — raise mobs after them. 
 This is the kind of courage that taketh the vic- 
 tory. I tell you the world is never going to 
 yield to a band of cowards. She will never sur- 
 render her sword to men who retreat on the first 
 display of its glittering edge. I repeat, the work 
 of a preacher of the Gospel is one of conflict and 
 requires courage. 
 
THE PASTORATE. 121 
 
 It is an intellectual work. The whole scheme 
 of redemption came through human brains and 
 must reissue through human brains. Faith com- 
 eth by hearing, and hearing by the mouth and 
 mind of the preacher. There is much in God's 
 word that is assumed. The facts are simply 
 stated. Many of them need to be explained and 
 supported by argument- — are liable to miscon- 
 struction and objection without it. Instead of 
 giving all these explanations and arguing out at 
 length every assumption through the instrumen- 
 talities employed for revelation, God has chosen 
 simply to lay down the text of the argument and 
 has instituted his ministry for the purpose of ex- 
 plaining and maintaining his assumptions. He 
 has given the preacher whom he calls to the 
 work, mind for it. He calls and sanctifies men 
 of intellectual capacity for this business — no other 
 class of men is equal to it. God never did call a 
 man to preach that did not have the brains to do 
 the work, and it is time for us to quit that inter- 
 pretation, commonly placed upon it, "that He 
 has chosen the foolish things of this world to con- 
 found the wise." It is the weak and foolish, so 
 called, used in the sense of the terms ' ' foolishness 
 of preaching." Preaching Christ crucified was 
 foolishness to the Greeks, but the power of God 
 to the believer. There is not an instance on 
 record where God chose even a moderate man to 
 
122 SERMONS. 
 
 do anything or represent him in any department. 
 True there were not many wise men after the 
 flesh, not many noble men, not many philosophers, 
 not many of royal blood. Many were unlearned 
 in worldly wisdom, but this lack was more than 
 counterbalanced by natural endowment. If He 
 wanted history written, He selected for the pur- 
 pose a man that could weave facts together in 
 story, and delineate events and character in such 
 life-like pictures that they will live through all 
 time. If He wanted his praise hymned in verse, 
 He appoiuted the finest poetic genius to the task. 
 If He wanted a prophet to lift the curtain and un- 
 fold future events, He laid hold upon old seers 
 that one would almost think might have done 
 respectably at the business without inspiration. 
 If He wanted an argument, he selected the best 
 logician to make it. If He wanted preachers, 
 though He choose fishermen and tentmakers, yet, 
 gracious heavens, what meu they were! Brains 
 are needed now to preach the G-ospel. Brains in 
 which the bolt is to be forged with which G-od 
 breaks the sinner's heart. Brains from which hot 
 shot is to be thrown into the intrenchments of the 
 devil, and chain shot of logic to the sweeping down 
 of the phalanxes of intellectual opposition. And 
 the work requires that the mind be kept in constant 
 working order. Old truths are to be brought out 
 in new dress, the time-honored fundamental doc- 
 
THE PASTORATE. 123 
 
 trines are to be presented in attractive style — 
 style apace with the progress of the age. The 
 preacher who hath not respect to this will soon find 
 himself inefficient. The preacher who preaches 
 the same old sermons in the same old-fashioned 
 way, uses the same old skeletons and notes he did 
 fifteen or twenty years ago, without any alteration, 
 is like a man who goes into battle with an old 
 field-piece that has been lying in the arsenal be- 
 tween the wars, with saltpetre all caked in the 
 pan or in the muzzle, all foul with rust in the 
 bore ; it may make a thundering noise when fired, 
 but no enemy lies dead on the field from that 
 piece, you may be sure. To be efficient, a preach- 
 er must keep the rust off his brain — mould his old 
 lead over— throw his old gun away — get a new 
 one — use improved arms. What would you think 
 of a lawyer who would use his old briefs in arguing 
 his new cases, or a physician who would use his 
 old prescriptions of twenty years ago to meet the 
 new types of diseases of to-day ? We hear it 
 sometimes stated in the council of a man of this 
 class that he is a capital man — safe, prudent, fine 
 sense, and of great success in former years ; yet 
 the best circuits don't want him. It becomes dif- 
 ficult to provide for him. He is not worn out, but 
 is about to rust out. That old material that he is 
 using is very good indeed, but it has had its day. 
 The people are familiar with it. His stock of ser- 
 
124 SERMONS. 
 
 mons is out of fashion, stale, dry, dead, and the 
 people want something new, fresh. Not a new 
 doctrine, but new clothes for it to wear. God 
 seems to have constituted us thus, and He minis- 
 ters Himself to this peculiarity of ours in painting 
 the sky with new hues and fresh tints evening and 
 morning, in constantly regarnishing the heavens, 
 in rerobing the earth each year in a new dress, 
 after folding and laying away in oblivion each 
 autumn the richest vestures. Turn your eye down 
 to Georgia. What is it that gives that old man of 
 four score all the freshness of youth? Nothing 
 but that he reads, and writes, and thinks on like a 
 youth. By the dint of study and application he 
 has overleaped the boundary separating his gene- 
 ration from this, and after burying his colleagues 
 he flings himself into the arena of the rising race 
 and holds his place in the foremost rank. Let the 
 example of Lovick Pierce inspire all our hearts 
 with intellectual zeal and energy, which shall re- 
 juvenate us and glow on as brightly in us as in 
 him until our task is done. It is quite a mistake 
 that what suits one age will suit another. The 
 devil is constantly changing his plans, shifting his 
 mode of attacks, altering his defences, getting up 
 new arguments answering ours. 
 
 There is another mistake quite prevalent, 
 equally erroneous, that the judgment is con- 
 vinced, and all that is necessary to move men 
 
THE PASTORATE. 125 
 
 to repentance is to excite their emotional na- 
 ture. It is all a mistake that this or any other 
 is the hortatory age, when a song will answer 
 as well as a sermon, when a pathetic story is equal 
 to two good arguments, when a man can be sung 
 into the Church or floated into the kingdom of 
 heaven on a wave of tears. I tell you the great 
 trouble is cast on the intellect. The will refuses 
 the proper means of informing the intellect ; the 
 judgment, consequently, is warped by false mo- 
 tives, and the conscience is kept all the time mak- 
 ing wrong decisions from a want of a correct state- 
 ment of all the facts — approving, when it should 
 and would condemn, if correctly informed. The 
 conscience in every case is all right, and will al- 
 ways decide right, if the facts are given to it cor- 
 rectly. This is not done. Here lies the difficulty 
 with all men. You make a man cry under such 
 circumstances with a pathetic story simply, and 
 he is decidedly damaged ; his very tears blind his 
 conscience, for he represents to it that crying is 
 something. Here is the field in which the preach- 
 er may lay himself out intellectually to his full 
 length and rise to his full height. Here is enough 
 work for him to do — to cut his way into the court 
 of conscience by the sword of the Spirit, by the 
 edge of an irresistible logic untie gordian knots of 
 sophistry b} r which the entrance-way is netted ; 
 clear the passages to the inner court and lead in 
 
126 SERMONS. 
 
 the light ; thrust the witnesses into the presence 
 of the judge as the attorney for heaven's common- 
 wealth ; let the judgment see that the will is per- 
 verse, refusing the means of correct information, 
 and in this way palms a cheat off on the con- 
 science. Here is the field. I know that men do 
 not now nor ever have needed to be convinced 
 that there is a God ; that there will be a judgment ; 
 that there is a heaven or a hell ; that it is better 
 to be in heaven than in hell. Any fool knows 
 this. But they need to be shown that they are 
 not going to heaven. Most men expect to go to 
 heaven as confidently as any of us. They are 
 living in a vain show ; have palliated their cases ; 
 put in special pleas to their consciences, until they 
 have come to think that their way leads to heaven, 
 or that they will at least get into the way that 
 leads there before they die ; that just now the}^ 
 are doing about as well as could be done under 
 the circumstances. I repeat, here is the field for 
 intellectual work for the preacher. Let the sin- 
 ner's judgment be correctly informed, arouse his 
 conscience, appeal his case properly to it, get the 
 voice of its condemnation thundered into his ear, 
 and he will not walk on quiet paths until his feet 
 are turned to the testimonies of the Lord. 
 
 Again, it is an intellectual work, in that the 
 preacher is to go into G-od's treasury and bring 
 out things new and old. He is to take the historic 
 
THE PASTORATE. 127 
 
 example -which God himself has selected from the 
 lives of all his Saints, and has put on record, and 
 make it live again before the eye of Faith. He 
 is to take up the arguments that underlie the be- 
 liefs of his people, and reforge and relink them. 
 He is to take the harp and lyre of the inspired old 
 bard, and rechant the poetry and song of Heaven 
 in the ear of hope. More than this : by what is 
 known he is to rise to the unknown, take the 
 lines of thought connecting the visible with the 
 invisible, and ascending some Pisgah's top and 
 straining the eye of faith afar, he is to catch 
 glimpses of the Heavenly Canaan, and repicture 
 them on Spiritual canvass for the edification and 
 confirmation of God's elect. More than this : he 
 is to take the Pilgrims themselves upon the sum- 
 mits of the Delectable Mountains — mountains of 
 electrified thought, and holding the perspective 
 glass steadily to their eyes, let them see the 
 golden gates and towering spires of the celestial 
 city, and at least some of the glory of the place. 
 In a word, it is the highest intellectual work, in 
 that it is the grandest task essayed by the intel- 
 lect to teach men how to live and be happy, how 
 to die and depart in peace, and standing at the 
 dreaded tomb, flash the light of God's promises 
 across the dark valley. 
 
 Again, it is a progressive work. In the natural 
 world, the law of generation, growth, and fructifi- 
 
128 SERMONS. 
 
 cation governs everything. The bread of your 
 morning's meal was a few months ago peeping up 
 beneath the clod, a tender sprout. The shade 
 tree stretching its branches above your windows, 
 and cooling the air in its bowery chambers before 
 turning it into your parlors, a short time ago was 
 a tender shrub you cultivated with care and solici- 
 tude. These strong men a short time ago were 
 laughing or crying in their cradles, as the case 
 was ; then they were tossing the ball or following 
 the hoop ; then poring over their books ; — now see 
 what they are. So in science. Take language. 
 At first how few words expressed all the ideas men 
 had ; now there are hundreds of tongues, thous- 
 ands of dialects, and tens of thousands of words 
 expressing the nicest shades of thought, fit for 
 converse, for eloquence, and song. Take also the 
 science of astronomy. At first it could not be de- 
 termined whether the earth was round or flat ; 
 whether it revolved around the sun or the sun 
 around the earth. Now the astronomer is as 
 familiar with the paths of the heavenly bodies as 
 he is with the walks of his own yard or garden. 
 Even the rudest comet that returns at all in its 
 wild flight, cannot conceal the time of its coming, 
 and such is the perfection to which the science has 
 been carried that even now, after the heavens 
 have been swept for centuries by the keenest eyes 
 of observation, ever and anon new worlds are dis- 
 
THE PASTORATE. 
 
 129 
 
 covered whose distant spheres seem to tremble 
 upon the very verge of infinity itself, and whose 
 distant orbits seem to constitute the very bounda- 
 ries of space. Our globe itself furnishes a most 
 striking illustration c of this principle. At first it 
 was a ball of molten liquid matter. Radiating its 
 heat, it cooled gradually;' a crust formed ; then ani- 
 mals and plants ; then it became a fit abode for 
 man ; the evidence of all which it bears written on 
 granite in its own bosom. The process has gone 
 on until now it flies through its orbit bearing upon 
 its surface oceans and seas, lakes and rivers, 
 islands and continents, cities and hamlets — a mag- 
 nificent orb, teeming with life and sparkling with 
 beauty. 
 
 So Christianity is a growth. At first God 
 sowed it in the promise, "The seed of the 
 woman shall bruise the serpent's head." It was 
 sown time and again under the ceremonial law ; 
 reaped amid the types and symbols of the Jewish 
 code, and finally the harvest in the old dispensa- 
 tion was gathered at the table in the same night in 
 which He was betrayed. The seed was then 
 resown on Calvary, was enriched by the blood of 
 a dying G-od, struck its roots deep in the hearts of 
 humanity. Its leaf has opened in every age, and 
 almost every clime. It has been sown and resown. 
 There has not been an hour since the first seed 
 time, that it has not been growing, growing. Men 
 
 7 
 
130 SERMONS. 
 
 sometimes think truth is retrograding- — that Chris- 
 tianity is waning in the world. It is quite a mis- 
 take. That that men call decay — decline — is but 
 the Autumn and Winter of its germination. Men 
 lose sight of it then. Garner full after garner 
 full of wheat is thrown from the hand and covered 
 with the harrow. Men lose sight of it ; it looks 
 as if labor, seed and all were gone. But after 
 awhile the Spring ray unlocks the fastenings of 
 the forests, and dissolves their grasp ; the warm 
 shower moistens the tender root, and genial 
 breaths invite it up. Presently the spreading 
 acres are carpeted with green, and in due time the 
 golden harvest invites the reaper's sickle. Men 
 lose sight of truth as we do of the sunshine and 
 shower of yesterday ; we fail to recognize them in 
 the bursting bud and expanding flower of to-day. 
 It needs, therefore, just what we have had, ever 
 and anon, some colossal minds, as Luther, Knox, 
 Wesley, shooting up like pillars of fire to consti- 
 tute light houses on the coasts of the empire of 
 truth. Germination and growth is the grand law 
 of the Christian system ; progress — development 
 — its grand characteristic. 
 
 Spiritual truths sown in intellectual fields cen- 
 turies ago are bursting into the full harvest in this 
 age. John Wesley sowed in the coal pits, in the 
 lanes of the cities, in Georgia on this continent, 
 and the two millions of communicants that kneel 
 
THE PASTORATE. 131 
 
 at Methodist altars to-day are a part of the crop 
 from this sowing. Martin Luther, on the 31st 
 day of October, 1817, nailed upon the door of the 
 Church at Wittemburg, ninety-five theses against 
 the doctrine of indulgence, and the present Pope 
 is reeling under the blow struck by the great Re- 
 former on that day. Theories are constantly ex- 
 ploding, and systems thought to be well established 
 are upheaved by revolution, and new ideas and 
 theories come up. Time is the grand developer of 
 truth, and every hour is but the birth-time of some 
 phase of it. The history of the world, when it 
 comes rightly to be understood, is but a history of 
 the war between truth and falsehood — and all 
 truth centres in Christianity — between reality and 
 semblance. All this noise in the world, these 
 revolutions and explosions, this flowing of blood, 
 falling of tears, shouting and sighs, printing of 
 books, sweeping the heavens with magnifying 
 tubes, disemboweling the earth, talking with elec- 
 tric accent, are but the heraldic notes of the on- 
 ward march of truth to ultimate triumph, and 
 when truth triumphs Christ shall reign. 
 
 Look out upon the harvest waving ; the corn 
 begins already to come in the ear. Christian 
 truth never was held so clearly by the masses as 
 now. There never was on the earth at any one time 
 so many men that knew what Christianity is as 
 there are to-day. It is the mustard seed growing 
 
132 SERMONS. 
 
 into a great tree, beneath the branches of which 
 men are coming to sit. If it appears barren to 
 any, it may be the last winter of its disrobing. 
 The next spring time may be the immediate har- 
 binger of the grand final harvest. Your work, 
 my brethren, is to make it grow, make it spread, 
 make it yield. Every sermon you preach, ac- 
 cepted of God, is but a bud on this tree, the 
 germ of the coming fruit. Every prayer you 
 offer is but an embryo leaf covering that bud. 
 Every hymn } t ou sing is but the flower that pre- 
 cedes the fruit. Every tear you shed is but the 
 dewdrop in its cup. Every sigh you heave is 
 but the atmosphere for maturing it. No wonder 
 it grows. All the devils in hell and all their 
 agents on earth can't stop it now. It will be a 
 wonder if it does not soon fling its shadow over 
 the whole earth. 
 
 Now for his reward. A few words are suffi- 
 cient for this. "Shall, doubtless, come again with 
 rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." Shall 
 come to rest and luxuriate, bringing the fruit of 
 his toil along. Has he aspirations? Does he 
 love fame — distinction? It is all right ; only let 
 him keep it elevated. He may be brimfull of it 
 if he will only give it its true object. Does he 
 long for rest, cessation from toil? Does he wish 
 to exchange his weeping for rejoicing? Does he 
 want a home, a house ? Let him sow now in vales 
 
THE PASTORATE. 133 
 
 with tears — sow in cabins — let handfuls be sown 
 in the abodes of misery — stock the highway fur- 
 rows, try some year the rock, scatter it in palaces, 
 and " in due season he shall reap if he faint not." 
 When the great harvest comes ; when the reapers 
 descend ; when the pomp of this world shall pale 
 before the second coming ; when the waning 
 splendor of the crumbling thrones of earth shall 
 be brought in contrast with that which shall de- 
 scend from above ; "when victors' wreaths and 
 monarchs' gems " shall be overshadowed by 
 crowns that outglitter a universe of suns ; when 
 the men who have gone down under the drum- 
 roll and cannon's boom, whose death draped em- 
 pires in mourning, shall wake up from beneath 
 their monuments of brass and marble, astounded 
 and amazed to find them, as they are, toppling and 
 falling symbols of their folly and testimonials of 
 their perverted aspiration ;- — Oh, then he, and you, 
 and all God's preachers, shall come rejoicing, 
 bringing your sheaves with you. Then will be 
 seen what is the true good. That will be your 
 time. You are the men of importance then. 
 That will be the time when you will figure. I had 
 rather be one of you then, even the humblest, I 
 am sure, than he who has gained the whole world. 
 Let us go forward, if we can, to the scene. There 
 see an old yoke-fellow in the gospel ; I have 
 seen him before, heard him preach, was but little 
 
134 SERMONS. 
 
 impressed ; saw him die, passed his tomb, read 
 the inscription — it was a plain stone, smoothed 
 and sculptured by unskilful hands — it read : 
 " In memory of Rev. John Faithful. He was a 
 plain, unassuming man, limited in education, 
 but of good native talent ; holy and devoted to 
 his work ; the widow's friend and orphan's bene- 
 factor ; he sowed in tears and died in peace." 
 There he is, see ! who are those by his side ? wo- 
 men and children ? They look like sheaves ; now 
 they are changing into stars and are being set in 
 a crown. What a crown ! My God, is it not a 
 good time for him ! There are others there we 
 know. Hezekiah Leigh, Compton, Brane, Rich, 
 Bumpass, Brent, Nesbit, Newby, Nicholson. They 
 all have their sheaves with them, and there are 
 their crowns, and harps, and palms, and they 
 are all singing " Worthy is the Lamb that died," 
 "Redeeming love — all for love of us." Ah, my 
 brethren, if I am so fortunate as to be numbered 
 in that company, I tell you what I intend to say, 
 if no one else says it first — the first lull that 
 comes in the song I intend to say : — 
 
 " Angels assist our mighty joys, 
 
 Strike all your harps of gold, 
 But when you raise your highest notes, 
 
 His love can ne'er be told." 
 
THE M. E. CHURCH SOUTH. 135 
 
 ®he ffi, (&. &h\m\x j^mttft. 
 
 " If I forget thee, Jerusalem, let my right hind forget her cunning. If 
 I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I 
 prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy." — Psalms, cxxxvii. 5, 6. 
 
 Jerusalem is used by the inspired writer as a 
 type, a symbol of the Church, militant and tri- 
 umphant. The attachment of the Jew to Jerusa- 
 lem, both in her prosperity and adversity, fitly 
 represents the devotion of the Christian to the 
 Church of Christ. The strong expression of at- 
 tachment and preference in the hour of adversity 
 in the text, is very strikingly typical of the devo- 
 tion of a true Southern Methodist to that branch 
 of the Christian Church founded under Grod by 
 his fathers. 
 
 With this application of the text, the first point 
 I raise is, that the memories of the past in con- 
 nection with the M. E. Church South tend con- 
 stantly to strengthen and keep alive our attach- 
 ment and devotion to her. The M. E. Church 
 South dates her origin as a distinct ecclesiastical 
 organization to the Convention which assembled 
 in Louisville in the year 1845, composed of dele- 
 gates from all the Southern Conferences of the 
 slaveholding States, except Maryland and Dela- 
 ware. It is thought by many that we should en- 
 
136 SERMONS. 
 
 deavor to forget this part of our history, as by 
 this act the M. E. Church South set the example 
 and paved the way to the attempt to dissolve the 
 political union of the country, and there are to be 
 found those who have undertaken to attach much 
 of the blame of our recent national struggle to the 
 M. E. Church South. Now, I wish briefly to call 
 attention to the facts of history in her connection 
 with this subject, and it will appear that instead 
 of occasion to wish to forget, blot out the record, 
 every act of the M. E. Church South reflects 
 credit and honor upon her as a branch of the 
 Christian Church, and not only will the enlight- 
 ened judgment of posterity so pronounce, but all 
 who will now take the pains to impartially review 
 the facts will so adjudge. What are those facts? 
 Of course I shall not go into details. In 1780, 
 when there were only twenty-four preachers who 
 agreed to sit in Conference on the original plan 
 as Methodists, they commenced to legislate on 
 the question of slavery. They required travel- 
 ling preachers who held slaves to free them, de- 
 claring slavery to be contrary to "the laws of 
 God, and man, and nature." They condemned 
 laymen who owned slaves, and advised them to 
 free them. This was the character of the first 
 movement on the subject. They soon found this 
 subject to be a perplexing, dangerous and trouble- 
 some one. It brought them in conflict with the 
 
THE M. E. CHURCH SOUTH. 137 
 
 laws of the whole country, for slavery then ex- 
 isted in nearly every State or colony. The} 7 , 
 consequently, soon found it necessary to suspend 
 and change their enactments, to live at all as a 
 Church. So they took the ground that where the 
 laws of a State did not permit emancipation they 
 would not require it. This was the ground taken 
 in 1784 — reiterated in 1796, and again in 1800. 
 In 1808 the General Conference, finding the sub- 
 ject of slaveholding among the laymen entirely 
 unmanageable, abolished all rules in reference to 
 it, leaving it with the Annual Conferences to reg- 
 ulate the matter by their own action. But again, 
 in 1816, the General Conference declared all 
 slaveholders ineligible to any official station in 
 the Church in any State in which emancipation 
 was allowed, and the manumitted slave permitted 
 to enjoy freedom, but in States where emancipa- 
 tion was not permitted this rule should be inop- 
 erative. This principle was recognized in 1836 
 to 1840. In the address of the General Confer- 
 ence of 1840 to the British Wesleyan Conference, 
 the following language is used on this subject : 
 "It is impossible to frame a rule on slavery 
 proper for all our people in all the States alike. 
 But our Church is extended through all the States, 
 and as it would be wrong and unscriptural to 
 enact rules of discipline in opposition to the con- 
 stitution and laws of the State, on this subject, so, 
 
138 SERMONS. 
 
 also, it would not be equitable to confound the 
 position of our ministers and people with respect 
 to the moral question which slavery involves." 
 
 Now it will be observed, that the South from 
 the beginning yielded everything, went to the 
 greatest extremes to satisfy the anti-slavery men. 
 It does not appear that they opposed emancipa- 
 tion when proposed, and I doubt not that if the 
 laws had allowed, the Methodist Church would 
 have been an anti-slavery Church. Emancipation 
 was undertaken at one time under the superin- 
 tendency of the venerable Dr. Coke, and it was 
 found to be so impracticable and ruinous that Dr. 
 Coke himself abandoned it. I tell you from the 
 history of the Church the anti-slavery men had it 
 their own wa} r , and when they rescinded, it was 
 on account of the laws and sentiment of the coun- 
 try, which were beyond their control. The men 
 of the South were willing to sacrifice everything 
 on the altar of the Church. 
 
 Again, it will be observed, that the Conferences 
 of the Church for sixty years — from 1788 to 1844 
 — had recognized the principle that manumission 
 was impracticable when the laws of the State did 
 not allow it ; that antagonism with the powers that 
 be was unscriptural. This was the position of the 
 Church, I repeat, for sixty years prior to 1844 — 
 the South accepting this, and acting upon it. The 
 General Conference assembled in New York in 
 
THE M. E. CHURCH SOUTH. 139 
 
 May, 1844. Au appeal case was brought from 
 Baltimore. A man by the name of Harding had 
 been suspended for not manumitting his slaves. 
 Harding lived in Maryland — and Maryland did 
 not allow emancipation. The General Conference, 
 right in the face of sixty years' practice and sixty 
 years' legislation, confirmed the action of the Bal- 
 timore Conference, and left the appellant suspen- 
 ded. The Rev. Mr. Collins, the representative of 
 the Baltimore Conference, denounced the laws of 
 his State, and declared that they did not regard 
 nor would be governed by such legislation. The 
 Southern delegates bore this, though they were 
 uneasy and apprehensive, yet there is no evidence 
 that they would not have borne this for the sake of 
 the peace of the Church. But they did not stop 
 at this. They opened their batteries on Bishop 
 Andrew, and waged the war on the South through 
 him. He married a lady who owned some slaves. 
 They demanded that he should free them — though 
 the laws of his State, Georgia, expressly forbade 
 it. In the face of sixty years' legislation, in the 
 face of the prohibition of the laws of Georgia, 
 they demanded that he should cease to be 
 Bishop, or free those negroes. This was the 
 only point against him. All testified to the pu- 
 rity of his character and the efficiency and 
 faithfulness of his life in the discharge of the 
 duties of his office. The conservative men 
 
140 SERMONS. 
 
 North joined with the South to compromise. 
 The whole South seemed conservative— aston- 
 ishing ! The Southern men seemed especially 
 sustained by the grace of God. They loved 
 the Church — they loved the peace of the 
 Church. Let Dr. Stephen Olin, the greatest man 
 of the North, aye, of the whole Church, who 
 lived and voted with the North, testify as to this. 
 In a powerful speech on the floor of the General 
 Conference, he said : "If they concede what the 
 Northern brethren wish — if they concede that 
 holding slaves is incompatible with holding their 
 ministry, they may as well go to the Rocky 
 Mountains as to their own sunny plains. The 
 people would not bear it. They feel shut up to 
 their principles on this point. They love the 
 cause, and would serve God in their work. I 
 believe there is not a man among them that 
 would not make every sacrifice, and even die if 
 thereby he could heal the division." Our men 
 answered that they were ready to make any con- 
 cession or compromise that would not destroy the 
 Church in the South — that if division should 
 come it should be forced upon them. The fanat- 
 ical majority would hear nothing. They had laid 
 down the programme, and they intended to carry 
 it out. Many of them when they came to the 
 yawning chasm took fright and would, if they 
 could, have drawn back, but they had raised 
 
TEE M. E. CHURCH SOUTH. 141 
 
 a storm at home which they could not, if 
 they would, control, and they pushed the 
 movement on to consummation. They declared 
 that Bishop Andrew should not exercise his 
 office until he did what the laws of his State 
 forbade him to do. That was the amount of 
 their action. Dr. Capers, in behalf of the 
 South, still loth to separate altogether, proposed 
 to change the government of the Church so as to 
 have two General Conferences, but having an ec- 
 clesiastical union that would enable them to work 
 in harmonious relations. This proposition was 
 referred to a committee of nine, and the commit- 
 tee was instructed finally to report a plan for an 
 amicable and honorable separation and an equit- 
 able division of Church property. Under this 
 plan of separation the Southern Conferences called 
 the Convention of Louisville in 1845. In 1846 
 the first Southern General Conference was held 
 in Petersburg, Va. A fraternal messenger, Rev. 
 Dr. Pierce, was appointed to visit the Northern 
 General Conference, and offer friendly greetings 
 and proffer Christian fellowship. They were so 
 enraged against us that they refused to receive 
 him or recognize him in any way — would not 
 even let him preach in their pulpits ; they further 
 refused to divide the property as they had agreed 
 to do. We had to force them to this through the 
 Supreme Court, It is just to say that the North- 
 
142 SERMONS. 
 
 ern Bishops recognized the plan of separation, and 
 tried to carry it out. Bishop Morris, now the 
 oldest Bishop of the Northern Church, declared in 
 September, 1845, that if the plan of separation 
 had been carried out in good faith and Christian 
 feeling it would scarcely have been felt more than 
 the division of an Annual Conference. 
 
 This is a succinct history, impartial and true, 
 of the division of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
 Whilst all regretted then, and do now, the necessity 
 for division, does anybody see anything connected 
 with it that should cause a Southern Methodist to 
 blush, or mantle his face with shame ? Nay, 
 verily. On the contrary, we cannot contemplate 
 the noble bearing, the Christian patience, the spirit 
 of yielding manifested by the Southern delegates, 
 without the highest satisfaction. They behaved 
 themselves like true men of God. The Southern 
 fire seemed to be fed by the oil of God's grace. 
 It is a thing to be remembered. From that time 
 the Southern Methodist Church went forward in a 
 career of increased prosperity. The whole South 
 was opened to her ; with warm hearts the rice and 
 cotton plantations were put under her spiritual 
 care ; master and slave were instructed in their 
 duties; our missionary contributions were doubled; 
 God smiled upon the Church ; all went well until 
 the war. We have suffered in common with all 
 our countrymen. The Northern Church has been 
 
THE M. E. CHURCH SOUTH. 143 
 
 watching us with an evil eye ever since the hour 
 of our separation. When she saw us prostrated 
 she came down upon us like the bird of prey. A 
 plan was inaugurated to take possession of our 
 property as the army advanced ; and when the 
 war closed they were fully up to time in the wake 
 of the victorious army, threatening to hang eccle- 
 siastically our leaders, and send our laymen to the 
 mourner's bench for having owned slaves, and re- 
 ceive them only when they should come to them 
 through sackcloth and ashes. And they are now 
 operating a regularly organized plan for the disin- 
 tegration and overthrow of the Southern Method- 
 ist Church. We are poor and they are rich, and 
 through temptations to our poverty tliey hope 
 now to succeed. There are some striking points 
 of analogy between our condition and the captive 
 Jew. We have no heart for singing the songs re- 
 quired of us. The Jew hung his harp upon the 
 willow. Nothing so calls up the precious memo- 
 ries of the past as the echoes of its songs. The 
 very moment he touches its chords the melodies 
 of the courts of his home awoke in his soul ; the 
 home where he played and grew to manhood, and 
 cherished his hopes, now lost, was repictured in 
 his memory. The graves of his ancestors where 
 he had wept and prayed, now trod by stranger 
 feet, rose in melancholy review. He had no heart 
 for home songs. His heart was for sighs. His 
 
144 SERMONS. 
 
 music was not that of the bird of Jove when he 
 soars far above the clouds and pours out his 
 shouts of freedom on the ambient air, as he 
 mounts upon bold, free pinion, but that of the 
 imprisoned eagle, who stands gazing through the 
 bars with drooping wing and plaintive cry, longs 
 to cut his native air and go back to his mountain 
 home. Much of this feeling is ours. We are not 
 captives away from home, but our enemies are 
 treading down and despoiling our homes before 
 our gaze. They do not, it is true, require us to 
 sing the Lord's song in a strange land, but do re- 
 quire us to sing a strange song in our own land. 
 But, thank God, the integrity of the true Southern 
 Methodist is above all price. It is that of the 
 sterling old Jew. Before we will be hired, though 
 we are poor and need money, to sing a strange 
 song in our desolated and stricken land, we will 
 hang our harps upon our native pines and palmet- 
 tos, and betake ourselves to vows of fidelity and 
 prayers to Israel's God to turn our captivity into 
 freedom. 
 
 There is nothing connected with this whole 
 question of division, of which to be ashamed, or 
 that we should wish to forget. We claim to be 
 equal sharers in the cherished memories which 
 cluster around American Methodism. The sancti- 
 fied fame of Wesley is equally ours — of Asbury, of 
 McKendree, of Lee, of all who shone in the galax} r 
 
THE M. E. CHURCH SOUTH. 145 
 
 of illustrious Methodist names. Our children are 
 called by these names, and so the places where 
 we worship our God. The memories of the bright 
 achievements of heroic toil in pushing the con- 
 quests of the Cross into every hamlet and village, 
 into the palaces of the rich, and cabins of the poor, 
 and tent of the pioneer, the waste places, the by- 
 ways and highways of all the land, are ours. The 
 memories connected with the use of means em- 
 ployed, the God-honored love feast, the old stir- 
 ring class meeting that awoke and aroused the 
 heart like an electric shock, the camp meeting, 
 with sounding trump and echoing shout, and peni- 
 tential cries — its tents and altars and straw — are 
 ours. We visit these old classic and consecrated 
 spots, the log-bodied, clap-boarded Church stands 
 in some old grove, or near some gurgling spring, 
 as sentinels guarding its treasury of hallowed 
 memories ; near by are the remaining forks that 
 supported the arbor, and the broken rail of the 
 altar where our fathers wept and prayed. As we 
 stand and gaze upon these sacred relics of the 
 past, the song and shout and trumpet tones of the 
 preacher seem hardly as yet to have died out. 
 These keep alive our devotion to our Church. As 
 long as you can keep alive in the memory of a man 
 the paternal roof, he will not forget the domestic 
 altar. Keep fresh and green in his memory the 
 graves of his ancestors, and their virtues and 
 
146 SERMONS. 
 
 counsels will not be forgotten. Before a youth is 
 lost finally and forever, all trace of a mother's 
 love and prayers must be obliterated from his 
 soul. And if we forget not the past of our Church, 
 we shall never lack devotion to her. 
 
 The past at least is secure. Now for the future. 
 " If I prefer not Jemsalem," etc. We must make 
 the right kind of history for those who are to come 
 after us, if we would be remembered as we remem- 
 ber. We cannot better do this than to preserve 
 and develop the genius of our Church in the past. 
 
 In propagating Christianity in the world, two 
 prominent ideas take precedence of all others — 
 the power and the form of religious creeds do but 
 little. Who fails to be struck with the little im- 
 portance attached to creeds by Christ and his 
 Apostles ? When he commissioned his disciples 
 he did not place in their hands articles of faith 
 that were to be used by them as tests of disciple- 
 ship, did not say to them you must baptize in this 
 mode or that ; that you must select out a few who 
 are to be the elect • that the line of succession by 
 human haucls must be kept unbroken or the 
 stream of salvation would cease to flow ; but, " go 
 into all the world, to every creature ; freely you 
 have received, freely give.'' Tell the world that 
 whosoever out of every tribe and tongue that be- 
 lieveth that Jesus is the Christ, and is born of 
 the Spirit, and keeps His commandments and per- 
 
THE M. E. CHURCH SOUTH. 147 
 
 feels holiness, shall be saved. This is manifestly 
 the gist of the whole thing. This is an epitome 
 of the whole Gospel. John Wesley gave it dis- 
 tinct form and embodiment when he preached 
 regeneration by faith alone, and a knowledge of 
 it by the witness of the Spirit and the extent of 
 it, sanctiiication, freedom from sin. This is the 
 power of religion. The Methodist Church em- 
 bodies a divine universal sentiment, and not a 
 creed or doctrine. This sentiment finds an echo 
 in the heart of humanity. Martin Luther caught 
 it from the apostolic age across the darkness and 
 deadness of ten centuries, and proclaimed salva- 
 tion by faith alone. The Roman Catholic Church 
 has the form and provides a substitute for it in 
 her ritualism. The great contest going on in the 
 religious world in this country now lies, and will 
 hereafter be chiefly, between the Methodist and 
 Catholic Churches. All churches founded upon 
 dogmas will untimately fail. The history of 
 the various sects which from time to time have 
 sprung up in the Church fullv attests this. Cal- 
 vinism, the most profoundly intellectual scheme 
 ever devised by the brain of man, has wonder- 
 fully moved the intellectual world, but has failed 
 completely to evangelize it. One illustration is 
 sufficient. In Paris, in the time of St. Bartholo- 
 mew, Calvinism was equal, or nearly so, both in 
 members and power to the Catholic Church ; 
 
148 SERMONS. 
 
 there see now only two small and feeble Calvin- 
 istic Churches. In this country Calvinism is 
 hardly preached. If any Church will put itself 
 squarely upon it you may go to work on its epi- 
 taph. We see (his in the decline of the old 
 Primitive Baptist Church, No headway is made 
 by any Protestant denomination only as it puts 
 itself upon the grand idea of a gospel spirituality, 
 a divine spiritual life in the soul. Episcopalian- 
 ism, and all that family of protestants holding to 
 the dogma of Apostolical succession, remains a 
 little handful. Strip it of its social power, the 
 influence of fashion, and it would wilt and die, 
 expire in the arms of Eoman Catholic ritualism. 
 Learning, wealth, ministerial accomplishments, 
 genius and eloquence all sanctified are good, vast 
 helps ; creeds do not hurt if kept in the proper 
 place. But religion of the heart, the power of 
 godliness in the soul, is the grand motive power. 
 Methodism is one ideaed on that subject. She 
 has the thirty-nine articles abridged by Mr. 
 Wesley, it is true, but the great masses of Meth- 
 odists don't even know it. What is his spirit ? 
 What is his life ? How docs he die ? These are 
 the questions she asks. This is Methodist the- 
 ology. Consequently we cannot get along with- 
 out leligion. Let a Methodist man lose his 
 religious enjoyment and see how quickly he is 
 gone. His foundation is removed — the base on 
 
THE M. E. CHURCH SOUTH. 149 
 
 which he is built is taken away. So with a soci- 
 ety. Let it lose its spirituality and how soon it 
 declines, for the same reason! Other denomina- 
 tions may rely on their creeds, and training, and 
 discipline, for a time, but we collapse without 
 religion. Furthermore, we cannot get along 
 without revivals. Getting persons into the 
 Church one at a time does not meet the wants of 
 the multitude. There are too many people in 
 the world for that. The process is too slow to 
 meet the case of the perishing masses. We must 
 keep it up as it started, with pentecostial acces- 
 sions. We can never get along without a 
 mourners' bench. We should never become 
 ashamed of it. Men should mourn over and on 
 account of their sins, mourn because they have 
 stirred up God's wrath against them, mourn over 
 their follies. All agree to this. Then let the 
 mourners' bench be forever a fixed fact in Meth- 
 odism. I tell you there is dust and ashes about 
 the entrance into the kingdom. I don't object to 
 straw. The King himself thought a straw bed 
 good enough for him to be born in. He has 
 ennobled humility — has hallowed dust and sack- 
 cloth as He has gilded the tomb by the splendors 
 of His resurrection glory. It is grand to go in 
 His ways, to tread in His footsteps, to lie in His 
 bed, whether in the manger or in the tomb. We 
 should never want to be above our Lord. I re- 
 
150 SERMONS. 
 
 peat, we need constantly, Gospel, heaven and 
 revivals in the Church. It is the genius of our 
 Church as it is the genius of the Gospel. We 
 learn all this by the recollection of the past, and 
 the remembrance of it should inspire vigor and 
 vitality into all our movements. Then, all aglow 
 with spiritual life, we should go out on our high 
 mission. The Northern Methodists are forget- 
 ting the past and turning aside to politics. We 
 will have to do her work in a great part. We 
 must nationalize our Church and spread it over 
 the whole country and the whole world, and if 
 we will only go forward in the light of the past, 
 standing by our old landmarks and trusting in 
 God as a Church, we can push the conquests of 
 the Cross to the ends of the world. 
 
 &mx $>o& §Mm titan §t»w. 
 
 " And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: 
 but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." 
 —Matt, x, 28. 
 
 St. Luke, in the twelfth chapter and fourth 
 and fifth verses, repeats the same injunction, 
 though in language a little different yet in sub- 
 stance the same: "Be not afraid of them that 
 kill the body, and after that have no more that 
 they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye 
 
FEAR GOD RATHER THAN MAN. 151 
 
 shall fear : Fear Him which, after He hath killed, 
 hath power to east into hell; yea, I say unto you, 
 fear Him." God, for wise and noble purposes, has 
 engrafted upon the human heart the principle of 
 fear. If it is properly developed and cultivated, 
 it is as noble as any passion that attaches to our 
 natures. I know there prevails a sort of preju- 
 dice against this passion, and men are inclined to 
 acknowledge themselves under the influence of 
 almost any other sooner than fear. We hear 
 individuals sometimes, in a braggadocio way, 
 boast of never having felt fear — boast of not 
 knowing what it is to fear, and imagine that it is 
 of some consequence to them if they can make 
 the impression that they neither fear God nor 
 regard man. All this, however, may be set 
 down as idle cant, as intended simply for effect. 
 I undertake to assert that, as a general rule, men 
 are more universally and continuously operated 
 upon by fear than by any other passion. Very 
 few in direct personal contact with their fellows 
 fear physical hurt, yet thousands and thousands 
 go cringing and wincing through life, lose many 
 a quiet, happy hour by night and by day through 
 fear of influences. And we undertake farther to 
 assert, that the greatest object of fear to man is 
 his fellow man. God may be held up as an ob- 
 ject of terror to the evil doer ; hell, with its 
 blinding glare and black smoke, and the grave 
 
152 SERMONS. 
 
 with its shadows and gloom, these may at times 
 awaken in his mind emotions of fear, but they 
 are soon dismissed. Not so as to his fellow. 
 Whether he is in his shop, or counting room, or 
 office, or on the street, the fear of man is contin- 
 ually before his eyes. This fear is felt to a 
 greater or less extent by all. It is found to 
 exist in all ranks and grades of society. There 
 are influences which the politician fears, influ- 
 ences which the lawyer fears, influences which 
 the auctioneer, the tradesman, the minister, and 
 even the members of Christ's Church, fear. 
 
 As in the examination of our text we wish 
 only to examine the fear which affects man's re- 
 ligious character and condition, we will dismiss 
 from consideration that fear which operates upon 
 him in his worldly relations and success, except 
 in so far as it may bear upon his religious char- 
 acter ; and in doing so we dismiss all the charac- 
 ters we have introduced, except the ministers 
 and members of Christ's Church. We shall in- 
 troduce them, however, again in their characters 
 as sinners against Grod. 
 
 This man-fearing spirit enters the pulpit and 
 becomes one of the greatest paralyzers — the 
 mightiest incubus that hangs upon the sacred 
 desk. I believe that at the present time it is 
 crippling the efficiency of the pulpit more than 
 any other cause. Instead of preaching the plain 
 
FEAR GOD RATHER THAN MAN. 153 
 
 word of truth, declaring the whole counsels of 
 God, giving to each his portion in due season, 
 there seems a disposition to falter through fear of 
 offending ; hence, " a daubing with nntempered 
 mortar." How frequently in this way does the 
 minister permit many, who wait on his ministry 
 and look to him for guidance, to pass through his 
 hands to perdition. Let me illustrate the 
 thought. Mow often do we find that, if the min- 
 ister has members in his church who are intem- 
 perate, who, by their excess in drinking, are 
 bringing upon themselves and their families ruin 
 and woe, and disgrace upon the cause of Christ, 
 instead of lifting over them a voice of warning ; 
 instead of thundering in their ears the curse pro- 
 nounced by G-od upon the drunkard ; instead of 
 declaring to them that the spirits of alcohol will 
 quench the spirit of G-od, he lets them go on 
 quietly to hell, lest he offend them ! 
 
 Again, if he sees his members bowing down at 
 the shrine of wealth, with their whole soul ab- 
 sorbed with making, and getting, and hoarding up 
 money, he will not preach against covetousness, 
 and avarice, and the love of gold, the root of all 
 evil, choosing to let them go on to hell rather 
 than run the risk of offending them ! If pride 
 creeps into the Church, and he sees his members 
 becoming vain and gay, wearing proud looks and 
 haughty airs, losing the spirit of humility, and, 
 
154 SERMONS. 
 
 consequently, the spirit of Christ, sparkling with 
 rings, and bracelets, and diamonds, and lace, he 
 is afraid to preach against pride, that he sees is 
 sapping their spiritual life, lest he give offence ! 
 God deliver us from this fear ! As long as we 
 stand on the walls to sound the alarm, we pray 
 God to keep us from giving an uncertain sound 
 when we see the sword coming ! It is all a mis- 
 take, too, about giving offence. If the minister 
 will show that it is because he fears God, and 
 earnestly desires their salvation — that he is 
 prompted only by a desire to do them good — his 
 people will like him all the better. 
 
 Ministers are not only affected by this man- 
 fearing spirit, but it affects the laity. One 
 brother sees another going astray, indulging in 
 sin, and, through fear of offending him, he will not 
 counsel with and admonish him of his error. It 
 is frequently the case that members of the Church, 
 in their intercourse with the world, instead of 
 bringing to bear upon sinners the influence of 
 pious examples and holy, godly conversations, 
 rebuking sin, and speaking a word for Jesus, are 
 almost ashamed to own that they know Him, 
 much less that they are His disciples ;. not that 
 they are afraid of personal hurt, as was the case 
 at the time the injunction of the text was given, 
 but lest they may lose some of the esteem of sin- 
 ners. Through this spirit of fear the Christian 
 
FEAR GOD RATHER THAN MAN. 155 
 
 parent is led to neglect his family worship, if a 
 stranger should be present ; and if his soul be- 
 comes happy at church under the influence of 
 God's word and spirit, and he feels like shouting 
 and praising God, he is afraid to do so, lest some 
 blockhead should laugh at him. How often is it 
 the case that the member, whilst the minister is 
 preaching, instead of lifting his soul to God in 
 earnest prayer that the word, the truth, like a 
 two-edged sword, may cut its way to the sinner's 
 heart, and bring him cowering at the foot of 
 the Cross, is cringing lest the minister may say 
 something that will not set so well upon the ears 
 of some, or make some blunder in language or 
 rhetoric ? Away with this man-fearing spirit ! 
 Yes, I say, away with it ! I'll fight it, and I 
 would have the Church fight it, until it is fought 
 back, and hides its face in perdition, whence it 
 comes. 
 
 Again, this man-fearing spirit affects not only 
 the proper discharge of duty, and thereby pro- 
 duces a diseased and disordered internal state, 
 but it cripples the energies of the Church in its 
 aggressive movements, producing a wincing and 
 shrinking from worldly influence. When a stand 
 is to be taken for God, when a position is to be 
 assumed, when the light of the Church is to be 
 set upon a question — the question frequently gov- 
 erning action instead of looking into the law of 
 
156 SERMONS. 
 
 G-od, ascertaining His will, and unflinchingly ad- 
 hering to it — the question too often is, what will 
 public opinion think of this? What will the 
 world say of us? Shall we not lose onr influ- 
 ence ? Shall we not lose caste ? And in this 
 way there is a conforming to the world and a 
 losing sight of the injunction of the Apostle : 
 " And be not conformed to this world ; but be ye 
 transformed by the renewing of your mind, that 
 ye mn,y prove what is that good, and acceptable, 
 and perfect will of G-od." 
 
 This spirit not only affects ministers and mem- 
 bers of Christ's Church — becoming a great barrier 
 and hindrance to them in the discharge of their 
 duties — but it is felt more strongly and powerfully 
 by the sinner, and it keeps thousands from the 
 Cross. 
 
 We now have the subject before us, the evil 
 against which we are guarded in the text, in some 
 of its effects presented us; we now draw one pro- 
 position from the text — that God rather than man 
 is to be feared. We propose to sustain this pro- 
 position by offering reasons why we should not 
 fear man, in contrast with reasons why we should 
 fear G-od: "Fear not them which kill the body, 
 but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear 
 Him which is able to destroy both soul and body 
 in hell." 
 
 First, then, we should nut fear man rather than 
 
FEAR GOP RATHER THAN MAN. 157 
 
 God, for the utmost that man can do is to kill the 
 body. This implies not only that he may kill the 
 body, but that he may strip us of all worldly 
 good, temporal enjoyments, which implies the de- 
 privation of reputation, of property and of life. 
 Now, let us take up each separately. Grant that 
 he can take away your reputation, your character, 
 your good name. If it is done because you fear 
 God rather than man, is there to be found in this 
 loss of reputation a reason sufficient to influence 
 our fears ? What is the loss of reputation ? 
 Though man with the world may render our 
 names odious, yet he cannot take away our in- 
 tegrity. Though by falsehood and slander he 
 may spot our character in the eyes of men, he 
 cannot blacken our consciences. And it seems 
 to me that it is preferable to have a good name 
 with God than with men, when one can only be 
 enjoyed at the sacrifice of the other. The praise 
 of man and the applause of the populace will 
 answer for the moment of excitement, but it re- 
 quires the approbation of God for the hour of 
 retirement and solitude. Hosaimas from human 
 tongues may do for life, but it requires the smile 
 of heaven for death. The great Apostle to the 
 Gentiles was put to an ignominious death in Eome 
 by the public authorities, was disgraced in public 
 esteem. But what cared he for that? Is he any 
 the worse now by it, think ye? Nay, verily. He 
 
158 SERMONS. 
 
 might well endure the execrations and anathemas 
 of an excited and infuriated populace for a few 
 hours, if it is the prelude of welcoming shouts and 
 salutations of saints and angels. He might well 
 endure the club upon his head and the whip upon 
 his back, if it is the initiatory ceremony of his re- 
 ceiving a crown and white robe. It seems to me 
 that it is preferable to be in good standing with 
 God, and even have the curses of man, than to have 
 our praise on every human lip and the frown of 
 God continually upon us. Again, suppose man 
 may take away not only our reputation but our 
 property also, would this constitute a reason why 
 we should fear him rather than God ? The world 
 has fallen into a very great mistake in supposing 
 that property is essential to happiness. If we 
 have it, and properly use it, it adds much to our 
 comfort here. I condemn no man for seeking in 
 an honorable way to obtain all he can, provided 
 he will make a proper use of it after he obtains 
 it. Christ says: "Lay not up for yourselves 
 treasures on earth." His meaning is that we 
 shall not simply, only, lay up treasures on earth. 
 But the proposition I lay down is that property 
 is not so connected with and essential to our hap- 
 piness as that we cannot be happy without it, as 
 that we cannot part with it and be happy ; and 
 our observation supports this proposition. The 
 happiest people I ever saw were about the poorest 
 
FEAR GOD RATHER THAN MAN. 159 
 
 people I ever saw. The Scriptures also support 
 this proposition: "And every one that hath for- 
 saken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or 
 mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My 
 name's sake, shall receive a hundred fold, and 
 shall inherit everlasting life." 
 
 But, again, suppose that man may take away 
 not only our reputation and property, but even 
 our life ; and is this even a reason why we should 
 fear him rather than God? We hold life dear, I 
 know. We cling to it with a tenacity not easily 
 broken. We give our property, our all, for life. 
 Thousands will part with integrity for it. But if 
 we fear God rather than man, what is it to die? 
 Have you ever thought how quickly it is over? 
 How long does it take a man to die? Suppose it 
 was the embodiment of all suffering, clothe it with 
 everything that is horrible, and dreadful, and ap- 
 palling, and it lasts but a little while — it is soon 
 over. What is temporaldeath compared to eter- 
 nal death? The reason drawn, therefore, from 
 man's power to inflict death upon us, is as much 
 less than the reason why we should rather fear 
 God, as temporal death is less than eternal death. 
 
 We have now taken the strongest view of what 
 man can do to us; and in view of the worst afflic- 
 tions which he can bring upon us, we can see no 
 good reason why he should be feared rather than 
 God. But the little reason that does appear is 
 
160 SERMONS. 
 
 entirely destroyed when it is recollected that man 
 cannot do any of these things to us — cannot take 
 away our reputation, our property, or our life, 
 unless God will permit him to do it; and God will 
 not permit him to do it unless it is for our good 
 that it should be done. Let us look at this a little. 
 This is a point of vast interest to him who fears 
 God rather than man. It is of great interest if 
 we can sustain this position. The word of God 
 does sustain it. Kot even a sparrow, we are 
 taught, falleth to the ground without His notice. 
 With Him are the issues of life and death. He 
 upholds all things by the word of His power, and 
 all things shall work together for good to them 
 that love God. Reason also sustains the posi- 
 tion. God is omnipresent' — everywhere. He is 
 everywhere in His omnipotent character. He is 
 everywhere then at the same time, exerting su- 
 perior power to every other power. Are these 
 propositions true? The conclusion, then, is plain 
 and irresistible, that no power of man or devils 
 can be exerted at any time in any place without 
 the permission of God's superior and overruling 
 omnipotence. Here is our security. "What is it 
 but this that protects the character of the minister 
 of Jesus Christ ? Do you suppose the devil is so 
 fair that he would not make a lie to destroy the 
 character of the man of God? Do you suppose 
 there are no wicked men on earth, his agents, 
 
FEAR GOD RATHER THAN MAN. 161 
 
 who would originate a slander to blast the char- 
 acter of God's ministers? Our security is not 
 with them. It is with God. God will not let his 
 atmosphere bear the slander. He withers and 
 dries it up on the lips of those who would take it 
 up. He will not let it lodge in the hearts of those 
 who otherwise would chew it as a sweet morsel 
 under their tongues. Not only so with the sincere 
 minister, but every one who fears God. He will 
 not permit your reputation to be destroyed, your 
 property to be taken, your life to be sacrificed, 
 unless it is for your good. Aye, the slanderer 
 may whet his tongue and cherish his passion in 
 his soul, but the venom he spits will not even 
 cling to your garments. The tradesman, your 
 enemy, may invite your custom away, but God 
 will turn other custom into your shop. God will 
 niLike your business prosper. The robber and in- 
 cendiary may walk round your dwelling, their 
 assassin eyes may glare in the light of your win- 
 dows, but the doors and windows cannot be forced, 
 nor will his matches blaze unseen by some passer 
 by, until God's power withdraws, and permits it 
 for your good. 
 
 If the reasons are as represented, and the views 
 presented correct — and we submit them to your 
 judgment for decision — is it not a matter of some 
 surprise that men should fear man at all, and espe- 
 cially that a man who fears God should fear man ? 
 
 8* 
 
162 SERMONS. 
 
 Now these reasons address themselves to the un- 
 derstanding of the sinner as well as the Christian, 
 for the sinner is such because he does not fear 
 God ; and if the views and reasons presented con- 
 firm the Christian in his position, that he will fear 
 God rather than man, they should incite the sin- 
 ner to aspire to the same position. 
 
 So much for the reasons why we should not fear 
 man. Now let us examine some of the reasons why 
 we should fear God, by looking to what he can do 
 to us. He can do all that man can do against us. 
 He can destroy our bodies — he can strip us of our 
 reputation, he can take away our property, he can 
 take away our life. If here his power to affect us 
 ended, if God could do no more than this, we 
 might have some difficulty in deciding which to 
 fear more, but right here commences the differ- 
 ence. In the very next step of our investigation 
 God's superiority begins to rise. Whilst man 
 cannot injure us unless God permits it, God can 
 work against us and man cannot hinder. If God 
 chooses to touch our reputation, strike down our 
 character, man's praise and applause would be 
 like sickly flowers cast upon a decaying corpse ; 
 if God should choose to strip us of our prosperity, 
 man cannot stay the pestilence that would sweep 
 it. If God lays us upon a bed of sickness and 
 death, man cannot, with all his arts and ingenuity 
 and effort, raise us up. If God bleaches the cheek 
 
FEAR GOD RATHER THAN MAN. 163 
 
 with the death pallor, man cannot conceal it with 
 the flush of health. If G-od draws the fire from 
 the eye, man has no power to light it again. But 
 all this seems to constitute so small a reason why 
 God is to be feared rather than man, that it ap- 
 pears not to be taken into the account in the text ; 
 it is not offered nor urged. The reason alleged 
 here is " able to destroy both soul and body in 
 hell," and man cannot prevent it. We have seen 
 that if we fear God he can interpose and prevent 
 man's worst punishments ; not so with man. If we 
 fear man and not G-od, when God comes to do his 
 utmost upon us, man is powerless to prevent it. 
 When the sentence, "depart," is pronounced, 
 man has no power to countermand it ; when the 
 line of march is taken, man cannot stay the tread ; 
 nay, when in hell you lift up your eyes in tor- 
 ment, man cannot even cool your parched tongue 
 with a drop of water. What is the worst that 
 God can do ? Destroy both soul and body in hell. 
 What is that? Let God define it — the place 
 " where the worm dieth not and the fire is not 
 quenched." " Where the smoke of the torment 
 ascendeth up for ever and ever " — the place of 
 everlasting punishment. Think of it in compari- 
 son with man's punishments. It is not necessary 
 to decide the kind, the nature of the punishment — 
 only do not forget one feature, that it is everlast- 
 ing, unending. Think of it. Pleasures derived 
 
164 SERMONS. 
 
 otherwise than from God, eternally indulged and 
 enjoyed, would at last become loathesome. If we 
 were compelled forever to gaze upon beautiful 
 pictures and delightful scenery, the time would 
 come when we should tire, and, compelled to gaze 
 on, then the time would come when we should be 
 disgusted and loathe it. If we were doomed 
 eternally to have the shouts of applause poured 
 upon our ears, or to roll in wealth and luxury 
 and fashion, the time would come when the ear 
 would become wearied, and the heart grow sick 
 and tired. Think of eternal punishment, then, 
 however light; think of its never ending. How 
 could we endure everlasting punishment ? 
 
 Carry along in your reflection another thought, 
 as a reason why God is to be feared rather than 
 man — that what he shall inflict, whether it is fire, 
 flame, or smoke, will be the utmost he can do. 
 This conclusion is drawn from the apposition in 
 which the latter clause of the text stands to the 
 former. The killing of the body is said to be all 
 that man can do ; the inference then, from the re- 
 lation which these two clauses bear to each other, 
 is, that the destroying of both soul and body in 
 hell is the utmost that God can do. It may be 
 said, that annihilation of the soul — destroying its 
 existence — would be greater. It might be the 
 exercise of greater power, but not of greater 
 punishment, for, so soon as the soul ceased to 
 
a nation's true source of happiness. 165 
 
 exist, the punishment would cease. The de- 
 struction of the soul and body therefore, in hell, 
 is God's utmost punishment. Great God, how 
 terrible is thy power ! Think of it ! God shall 
 marshal the strength of his omnipotence, and 
 spend it in your punishment. The Almighty 
 arm that holds up the universe will be brought 
 down in its crushing weight upon your soul. 
 God will hold your soul in one hand and forever 
 smite it with the other. When your soul almost 
 reaches the point of annihilation, He will impart 
 life to it that it may not die, but suffer on forever 
 and ever. We begin to understand what the 
 Apostle meant when he said : "God out of Christ 
 is a consuming fire." 
 
 ^ §tation'£ Snti £mtt of gapping, 
 
 (DEDICATORY SERMON PREACHED DURING THE LATE 
 
 WAR.)— Eds. 
 " Happy is that people whose God is (he Lord." — Psalms, cxliv, 15. 
 
 Every man is born with a religion. He wakes 
 to consciousness with the conviction that he did 
 not originate or create himself, that he cannot 
 sustain his own existence, and that he is passing 
 irresistibly to an unknown future state. This 
 conviction produces in him a sense of depend- 
 ence. To the Being or Power that gave him life, 
 
166 SERMONS. 
 
 and sustains it, lie, by instinct, looks up, and wor- 
 ships Him. For all that is good which He be- 
 stows he feels obliged, for all that is evil to which 
 he is subjected he is inclined to propitiate Him. 
 This principle in a man, when developed, is his 
 religon, and the character of it will depend upon 
 his education. If he be taught that the sun is 
 this great originating, sustaining or governing 
 cause or power, he will look up to and worship 
 the sun. If he be taught that stocks and stones, 
 carved by human hands and consecrated by 
 priestly rituals, represent this great cause, he 
 will worship them. If he be taught that all 
 things, including himself, happened by chance, 
 he will look up to and worship chance ; or if he 
 be taught that the Grod of the Bible, the Father 
 of our Lord Jesus Christ, is that great cause and 
 power, he will acknowledge and worship Him ; 
 and of all these worshippers my text states that 
 he, or that people, is happy or blessed whose 
 God is the Lord — the Lord made known in the 
 Bible. 
 
 As an appropriate theme on an occasion like 
 the present, the opening and consecrating of a 
 house of worship to G-od the Lord, I propose to 
 shape the meaning and truth of the text, and see, 
 if possible, how far the declaration is exemplified 
 in the history and the condition of the people of 
 this country. In doing so, the first step I take is 
 
a nation's true source of happiness. 167 
 
 to inquire into what is meant by the "phrase 
 " whose God is the Lord." It may and does 
 occur that individuals, as well as peoples, some- 
 times profess that their God is the Lord, and 
 proclaim in his favor, whose God is not the Lord, 
 in the sense of the text. It is possible that a 
 people may acknowledge God's authority and 
 rule outwardly, and at the same time obey their 
 own behests ; a people may professedly rever- 
 ence His Sabbath, and commit abominable wick- 
 edness on other days ; a people may build ele- 
 gant houses of worship, with arched ceilings, 
 with painted slips and cushioned pews, and car- 
 peted aisles, with splendid orchestra and beauti- 
 ful chancel, and yet there may never appear 
 amidst the worship the shekinah on the cloud 
 above the mercy seat. They may crowd the 
 pavemants and vestibules with their presence, on 
 popular occasions of worship, and yet never visit 
 the widow and the fatherless. Motives other 
 than those that spring from love and consecra- 
 tion to God, may produce all those virtuous 
 actions seen in that people whose God is really 
 the Lord. Those people, many of them, whose 
 God was not the Lord, give us instances of this. 
 The outward virtues of many of them, few Chris- 
 tians excel and few equal. Look at the virtues 
 and patience of most of the old philosophers, and 
 the integrity, and virtue, and almost Christian 
 
168 SERMONS. 
 
 grace, of many of the old classic statesmen. Think 
 of the chastity of Scipio, the liberality of Augus- 
 tus, the severity of Cato, the integrity of Fabricus 
 Tully, who behaved himself with so much virtue 
 and resolution in favor of his country against Clo- 
 clius and Catiline, tells frankly his motive, and 
 gives us a key to the motive of them all. He 
 says, that if he had not grown up from his youth 
 with the persuasion that nothing was earnestly 
 to be desired but praise and honor, he never 
 would have exposed himself to the enmities and 
 dangers he underwent in his country's defence. 
 
 The truth of my assumption is manifested in 
 the lives of the people of the Church of Rome. 
 No people are more clear and emphatic that God 
 is the Lord, no people more strict and exact in 
 their obedience to the teachings of the Church, 
 more punctual in their worship, and of very many 
 of them it may be said in truth, that few, if any, 
 excel them in virtuous lives. Yet the Pope 
 and his whole system is declared to be Anti- 
 Christ, the Child of Perdition, the Man of Sin. 
 
 The most striking proof, however, of the truth 
 of my assumption, is exhibited in the lives of the 
 Pharisees. What could be done outwardly that 
 these men did not do ? They were frequent in 
 prayer, gave alms, were exact in their tithing. 
 They sat in the seat of Moses, and taught so well 
 that Christ, on one occasion, charged His disci- 
 
a nation's true source of happiness. 169 
 
 pies that whatever they taught they should ob- 
 serve and do. In a word, they had gained such a 
 reputation for piety, that it was a common say- 
 ing among the Jews, that if only two persons in 
 the world were saved one of them would he a 
 Pharisee; and yet they did all this that they 
 might be talked of and admired. They prayed, 
 but it was standing in the streets, with a desire far 
 greater to be seen here below than to be heard 
 above ; they gave alms, but it was with trumpets 
 and proclamations. They were strict and exact 
 in the performance of all their outward duties, 
 and yet our Saviour said that, unless the right- 
 eousness of His disciples exceeded the righteous- 
 ness of the Pharisees, they could in no case en- 
 ter into His heavenly kingdom. 
 
 The question arises as to what people may be 
 classed with those whose God is the Lord; and I 
 remark, that those whose rulers are God-fearing 
 and God-serving men may be classed as such. 
 We are taught that when the righteous reign the 
 people rejoice, but when the wicked rule the peo- 
 ple mourn. That people, therefore, who set over 
 them and continue in office, rulers, and governors, 
 and legislators who break God's laws and trample 
 His authority under foot and blaspheme His 
 name, cannot and ought not to be classed as a 
 people whose God is the Lord. And they must 
 not only have righteous rulers but they must be 
 
170 SERMONS. 
 
 righteous themselves. There must be a general 
 compliance with G-ocVs law as revealed in His 
 word — a practice of the doctrines contained there- 
 in ; not simply an outward performance of the re- 
 quirements of His revealed will, but the genius, 
 the spirit, the tempers, the tone of the hearts of 
 the people must be in harmony with that will. 
 The intellect, and spirit, and body of the people 
 must be sanctified and consecrated to God the 
 Lord. Not every single one but the masses. 
 When this spirit pervades a people, then they re- 
 cognize the fact that they all have the same origin 
 and the same destiny. Then they practice sin- 
 cerity with each other, every man speaks the 
 truth with his neighbor — then they are just to 
 each other and to all other peoples, rendering to 
 all their dues — "tribute to whom tribute is due, 
 custom to whom custom is due, fear to whom fear 
 is due, honor to whom honor is due, and whatso- 
 ever they would that men should do unto them 
 they do even the same unto them." They are 
 animated with charity which prompts them to aid 
 each other and give up private interests for the 
 public good. Such a people's God is the Lord, 
 and they are said, in my text, to be happy. 
 
 The next step I take is to show how such a 
 people is happy. First, they are happy because 
 their faith and practice constantly tend to pro- 
 mote good order and peace amongst them. In 
 
a nation's true source of happiness. 171 
 
 the second great commandment — "thou shalt love 
 thy neighbor as thyself" — which such a people 
 constantly obey, the doctrines of justice, fraternity 
 and equality are inculcated; and these, when prac- 
 ticed, promote good order and peace, and render 
 any people happy. I think we have had enough, 
 as a people, to appreciate that peace is happiness 
 to any people. We arc in the condition to feel 
 that that people is happy that enjoys peace, 
 though they may lack almost everything else. 
 
 Secondly, such a people is happy, because they 
 not only enjoy peace, but practicing the doctrines 
 which prohibit slothfulness in business and enjoin 
 the duty of making provision for each household, 
 prosperity and plenty abound. Thriving towns 
 and villages grow up all through the land ; statety 
 mansions and neat cottages dot every farm ; wav- 
 ing harvests court the summer breeze and crown 
 the autumnal year ; sleek cattle and lowing herds 
 lounge about stuffed stalls, and full garners put 
 want at defiance. Their sails, too, whiten every 
 sea, and their healthful commerce throws into 
 their lap the wealth of other lands. 
 
 Thirdly, such a people is happy because they 
 become elevated amongst peoples — exalted in the 
 earth. " Righteousness exalteth a nation." The 
 more a people follow the spirit of religion, the 
 more will they cherish, and foster, and develop, all 
 the elements that make up a great nation. The 
 
172 SERMONS. 
 
 liberal arts and sciences, learning in all its va- 
 ried forms, jurisprudence, commerce, the mechan- 
 ical arts, will flourish. The history of the past, 
 in all ages, furnishes us with ample proof of this. 
 Not only the people who acknowledge the Lord 
 as their God, but the heathen, who approximate 
 it, furnish us with proof. In turning the page 
 of the historian we stop, amidst the darkness 
 and ignorance that overspread the earth in the 
 earlier ages of the world, to wonder at and ad- 
 mire the progress made in civilization and the 
 arts by the Egyptian people. We see them, 
 forming a focus of illumination, radiating light 
 and imparting instruction to all neighboring na- 
 tions in the arts and sciences, instructing and 
 enlightening the Greeks,, and they in turn the 
 Eomans, and they the nations that they con- 
 quered or colonized, so that even the light of 
 Egyptian lore, and the splendor of Egyptian glory, 
 falling over the interlapsing centuries, dawn upon 
 the minds of men at this day. The secret of 
 their remarkable civilization, of their singular 
 progress in the arts, of their varied and exten- 
 sive learning, of their wealth and prosperity as a 
 people, is found in the harmony and agreement 
 in their teachings and practices with that of the 
 people whose God is the Lord. In their civil 
 polity we find them inculcating a benevolence so 
 extensive that he who refused to relieve the 
 
a nation's true source of happiness. 173 
 
 wretched when in his power was put to death — a 
 justice so impartial that their judges were sworn 
 never to do anything against their own conscien- 
 ces, though a sovereign should command it — an 
 aversion so great to bad princes as to deny them 
 funeral rites ; an estimate of human life which 
 taught that their houses were ruins in which they 
 lodged, as it were, only for a night, and their sep- 
 ulchres were habitations in which they abided for 
 ages ; hence their embalming. Their amusements 
 even were of such a nature as to strengthen their 
 bodies and improve their minds. They had such 
 a sacred reverence for their obligations that a 
 borrower of money had to pledge the body of a 
 parent as security. In a word, such was their wis- 
 dom that it is mentioned in the Scriptures as an 
 element of renown of Moses, that he was learned 
 in it. 
 
 We come on down still later, and our attention 
 is arrested by the magnificence of the Persian 
 Empire, as evidenced by the distinguished place 
 of honor she occupied in ancient history. The 
 secret of her greatness is seen when we find that 
 it was the custom of that people to teach their 
 children virtue as other nations taught them let- 
 ters. They also taught that falsehood was the 
 meanest and most disgraceful of all crimes. They 
 exercised a noble generosity in conferring favors 
 on those they conquered, and obligating them- 
 
174 SERMONS. 
 
 selves to publish the virtues of their greatest 
 enemies. They religiously recorded noble and 
 virtuous actions, and transmitted them to pos- 
 terity in public registers. They put their rulers 
 when young in the hands of the wisest and best 
 statesmen, to be taught their worship, to speak 
 the truth and practice equity, to subdue voluptu- 
 ousness, and become inspired with a manly cour- 
 age. In this is to be found the secret of their 
 elevation among the nations of the earth. The 
 same truth is exemplified in the history of the 
 Greeks, the Medes, the Assyrians, the Eomans. 
 In truth, every people or society that has ap- 
 proached the system of the true religion, h as in 
 the same ratio become exalted in the earth. 
 
 Finally, that people is happy whose God is the 
 Lord, because they are under the especial care 
 and protection of Providence. As God has an 
 especial care and providence over each individual 
 who serves Him, so He has an especial providence 
 over each nation that serves Him, and as He uses 
 His providences as chastisements to individuals in 
 order that they may be corrected, so He uses them 
 as chastisements to nations, in order to call them 
 back when they are disposed to leave or forget 
 Him. 
 
 Now, in conclusion, let us see how this teach- 
 ing is exemplified in the history and condi- 
 tion of this country and people. It will not be 
 
a nation's true source of happiness. 175 
 
 denied that this people has been a people whose 
 God was the Lord, and it may be said now that 
 our God is the Lord, and we should acknowledge 
 His chastisements as well as His blessings. Look 
 at the history of this country. No people have 
 been more evidently blest and raised up by God, 
 save the Jewish people. Look at the early strug- 
 gles of our country, what our ancestors had to 
 contend with, and tell me what was it that gave 
 them success ? Then look how God has been 
 with the nation, blessing it. He never gave to 
 any nation such intellect to guide it, such pros- 
 perity, and peace, and wealth, and plenty. Now, 
 how have we as a people used all these things ? 
 We grew proud, became money worshippers, were 
 carried away with fashion and extravagance, 
 rolled in wealth, and luxury, and dissipation ; be- 
 came formal in our religion, rejected the means 
 instituted of Heaven, and relied on human helps, 
 such as fine houses of worship, rich members and 
 eloquent preachers, until God has laid his hand 
 upon us, rolled upon us a tide of war and blood- 
 shed, clothed our land in mourning, in order that 
 he may call us back to him. I think I can see 
 the hand of God in it all, calling us away from 
 our sins, back to him ; it is one of his chastise- 
 ments. A few years ago our granaries were full 
 and running over, now they are empty. Why is 
 this? We grew fat and kicked against God, and 
 
176 SERMONS. 
 
 happy will we be if, as a people, we hear this 
 voice of God, and return unto Him who is our 
 Lord. 
 
 •uritj} *rf §tfavt 
 
 " BLssed are the pure in heart, for they shill see God." — Matthew, v, 8. 
 
 The text is the benediction of the Sou of G-od 
 himself, pronounced upon a defined class — the 
 pure in heart. In taking it up for the lesson of 
 this hour, and for this occasion, it would not be 
 untextual to discourse to 3^011 upon the doctrine 
 of sanctification, as I have done on other occa- 
 sions with it as my theme. I propose, however, 
 not to do so at this time, only in so far as to de- 
 fine simply what is meant by purity of heart, 
 making the consequence of its possession, seeing 
 God, the burden of our theme at present. 
 
 The heart in its natural state is declared in the 
 Scriptures to be corrupt. The Saviour himself 
 likens it to a cage of unclean birds, to a waited 
 sepulchre. Out of it proceed murders, adulter- 
 ies, thefts and all uncleanness. In the atonement 
 of Christ, provision is made for pardon, and, also, 
 for cleansing the heart from the pollution of sin. 
 Though sin be as scarlet it shall become as wool, 
 though red like crimson it shall become whiter 
 than snow. His blood cleanseth from all sin ; a 
 
PURITY OF HEART. 177 
 
 fountain lias been opened up in the house of 
 David for all sin and uncleanness, so that all 
 may have created in them a clean heart, and re- 
 newed within them a right spirit. 
 
 This teaching is verified in the experiences of 
 men. Any interpretation of the Scriptures that 
 does not involve the doctrine of total defilement 
 by sin, and complete, perfect purification from it 
 by the blood of atonement, is a false construction 
 of them, and are erroneous interpretations of 
 them. Man by the atonement is not justified 
 from his sins, but is cleansed from them by the 
 washing of regeneration. Any system that docs 
 not contain this in its thoroughness and complete- 
 ness is false, and deceptive, and ruinous. He is 
 not freed from the susceptibility to temptation 
 and the liability to yield to it and sin again, and 
 never will be until his probation ends. Just the 
 susceptibility to tempt, and the liability to sin 
 that was in Adam before he transgressed. The 
 line of distinction should be kept clearly drawn 
 between this state and the state in which some 
 are pleased to say the roots and seeds of bitter- 
 ness and sin are left in the heart. I am not 
 going now to argue this point, but simply call at- 
 tention to it by stating it. Purity of heart, 
 therefore, I define to be an inward change and 
 renovation of the heart, by the infusion of such a 
 principle into it as naturally suits and complies 
 
 9 
 
178 SERMONS. 
 
 with whatever is pure, holy, and commanded of 
 God. The thought is pure. The first step and 
 advance of the soul is into thought ; the second 
 into desire, and desires issue out of the will, in 
 which is located the seat, and scene, and source 
 of virtue and vice. "As a man thinketh in his 
 heart," by his heart, under the influence of his 
 desire, that takes its coloring from his will, " so 
 is he." The thought directed on an impure ob- 
 ject is uncorrupted until it is seconded by the 
 desire, and the desire demurs at once if the will, 
 out of which it proceeds, has been brought under 
 the purifying influence of the atonement ; and by 
 God's grace being given — in answer to the inter- 
 cession of Christ, and the prayer of the agent — 
 the fountain of the heart is kept pure and the 
 object is passed without contamination. If, when 
 the thought is directed to an impure object, the 
 desire is in harmony with the object, because the 
 will is corrupt and in its motion gives out after 
 impure things, giving birth to desires that are in 
 harmony with impure objects, then sin is the re- 
 sult. St. James says, every man is tempted 
 when he is drawn away by his own lusts, desires, 
 and enticed ; then when lust, desire hath con- 
 ceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin when it is 
 finished bringeth forth death. Right here, I may 
 remark, is to be found the kernel of all the 
 creeds of the theologians ; here in a nutshell is an 
 
PURITY OF HEART. 179 
 
 embodiment of the principles out of which have 
 sprung all the contrarieties and contradictions of 
 the various systems erected from the teachings 
 of the Bible. The solution of them all is to be 
 found in the effect of the atonement, in all its 
 agencies and appliances upon the will in affect- 
 ing it, and regulating and ruling it in its emo- 
 tions and choices, as the germ out of which spring 
 the desires, which desires control the thoughts, 
 which fructify into deeds, and all these combined 
 make the character of the moral agent, and 
 whether it be good or bad will depend upon the 
 fact whether the will is subdued and brought 
 under the influence of the atonement. I do not 
 propose to enter the fields of controversy which 
 open out from this standpoint, and have come to 
 be boundless, seemingly, in their ever widening 
 limits. I have endeavored to get out this defini- 
 tion in order to show the full truth of the Sa- 
 viour's meaning in the text. This definition, 
 which I think is correct, being borne out in the 
 declaration of God's word, shows the seat of 
 purity or impurity to be in the will, shows the 
 connection between the desires, the emotional 
 nature and the thought — the intellectual nature, — 
 and prepares the way for our theme, the manner 
 of seeing God, by the pure in heart. 
 
 I. — Then a pure heart puts an eye to man's 
 intellect, so that he sees God in His relations to 
 
180 SERMONS. 
 
 this planet and the human race. Jesus Christ — 
 God manifested in the flesh, crucified — is the rea- 
 son for the creation of this planet, the philosophy 
 of this world. All things were created by Him 
 and for Him. This earth was made to erect His 
 Cross upon it. Take down His Cross, remove it, 
 and take away whatever attaches to it, obliterate 
 every trace of it, and all the philosophers of the 
 world cannot tell what this planet was made for, 
 what man was made for, whence we came and 
 whither we are going. In His Cross centers all 
 terrestrial truth. It is the embodiment of all 
 truth. God did not see this planet disconnected 
 with His Cross. He does not now look upon it 
 except through the Cross. It was no afterthought 
 that the atonement was provided to meet an un- 
 foreseen emergency or contingency. The Lamb 
 was slain from the foundation of the world. 
 God made the sun to shine upon it, the moon 
 and the stars, binds it in its orbit, sends it on its 
 path, to the achievements and triumphs of the 
 principles and doctrines bound up in the Cross. 
 The moment the ends designed through the Cross 
 in its connection with this planet are accomplished, 
 the existing state of things will cease ; this earth 
 and all things in it and on it will be put by the 
 great hand of God in the refining crucible of the 
 last conflagration, to be refined and refitted for 
 the new phase of things, whatever that may be, 
 
PURITY OF HEART. 181 
 
 which follows this grand consummation of all 
 things. The science of mind and the science of 
 matter, therefore, embodying all human wisdom, 
 stand of necessity ultimately connected with the 
 Cross, and all lead to and terminate in it when 
 followed out to their ultimate sequences. This 
 being true, I show how a pure heart puts an eye 
 to the intellect, so that it sees God in His rela- 
 tions to this planet and the human race. This 
 will more clearly appear by first showing how an 
 impure heart blinds the eye of the intellect. 
 When the thought moves on the line of truth and 
 perceives it terminating in God, through Jesus 
 Christ, ending in Him and radiating from Him, 
 the carnal mind, which is enmity against God, 
 has its antagonism at once stirred, the mists and 
 vapors of prejudice rise and overspread the mind, 
 and obscure the mental vision. This is illustrated 
 in our experience with each other. If a man 
 hates another, whenever his name is mentioned, 
 his merits discussed, his acts referred to, the an- 
 tagonism of the man influences his heart against 
 him, and his prejudice so clouds his mind that he 
 can see no good in him, attaches sinister motives 
 to him in any good that he does ; his judgment is 
 warped by the passions of his heart, his intellect 
 is clouded by his prejudices; so precisely, only in 
 greater degree, with the carnal mind towards 
 God. This may account for the fact that all the 
 
182 SERMONS. 
 
 great discoveries in science have been made by 
 Christian philosophers. I do not remember a 
 single instance of the discovery of any grand 
 truth, or law, or principle, by an atheist. This 
 may and does account, too, for the absurdities of 
 infidels in regard to revealed truth. Men of great 
 natural endowments and fine culture, capable of 
 fine analysis of abstract and remote principles 
 of truth, when in tracing it it terminates in 
 God, become intellectually confused, blind and 
 absurd. Take the case of Hume. He was na- 
 turally of colossal mind, was highly cultivated, a 
 fine logician, a philosopher. We must allow that 
 he was sincere. He and his friends would claim 
 that. Now, there is no way to account for his 
 false logic in his argument against the miracles, 
 the fallacy of which a tyro might detect, except 
 on the ground of his heart's antagonism to Christ, 
 which blinded his intellectual eye with the mists 
 of prejudice. So with Voltaire, the most brilliant 
 genius, of varied learning, the head and front of 
 infidelity. Men of royal blood and princes re- 
 garded it an honor to be numbered among his 
 companions. Yet in his philosophical writings 
 he perpetrates the greatest absurdities against 
 the Christian religion. His heart seems to flame 
 like a furnace whenever he, in following truth, 
 comes in sight of God — the smoke of the bottom- 
 less pit would not more effectually obscure his 
 
PURITY OF HEART. 183 
 
 mental vision. So with all that class of men. 
 And so to a great extent with men who assent 
 mentally to the truth of religion, but have impure 
 hearts. This is the source of their blunders. The 
 mind connected with an impure heart never can 
 act with freedom, untrammelled, never can reach 
 the loftiest heights of truth, and scan it with clear- 
 ness of perception. The intellect needs the flame 
 of a pure heart to weld the links of the chain that 
 binds it to the core of the rock of truth. It needs 
 that the Holy Ghost shall erect its throne in the 
 heart to God — shall lay its fiery, purifying hand 
 upon the lusts of the flesh, that it kindle its 
 hearthstone fires in the chamber of the passions 
 to warm and vivify them ; then the heart, all aglow 
 with heavenly flame, sheds its softening and mel- 
 lowing light upon the intellect, and then the in- 
 tellect, gazing through an atmosphere purified by 
 the flashes of pentecostial fire, grasps truth with 
 a clearness a little short of inspiration — follows 
 its luminous track through the hidden labyrinths 
 of science — tracing nature through all her secret 
 wanderings up to nature's God — sees God in all 
 His works — sees Him smile in every flower that 
 blooms — feels His breath in every invigorating 
 breeze — hears His voice in every morning carol 
 and vesper hymn — sees His power in the heaving 
 seas and the towering mountains, His goodness in 
 adapting all to the wants of His creatures— sees 
 
184 SERMONS. 
 
 that it is all for Christ ; and he looks up and in 
 the vast vault he sees the foot of the Throne of 
 Gocl in all those shining orbs — he sees them as 
 sentinels of the brighter glory afar off; and when 
 he has looked into that volume, then he looks into 
 this, and sees the imprint of the former impressed 
 upon the latter. By the same mystery investing 
 each he sees that He "who made the one is the 
 author of the other. 
 
 II. — A pure heart puts an eye to a man's faith, 
 so that he is enabled to see God b}^ faith. We 
 are constructed on the faith principle; we live by 
 faith ; we eat and drink by faith, and sleep by 
 faith; we do everything by faith. This is a grand 
 principle implanted within us. Our surroundings 
 so far as they relate to us are adjusted to this 
 principle. Eeligious faith, faith that saves, is an 
 assent of the mind and an embrace of the heart. 
 "With the heart man believeth unto righteous- 
 ness." The mind, stopped of its antagonism by a 
 pure heart, as we have shown, perceives the 
 truth of God's word and assents to it. Then, in 
 conjunction with a pure heart, it goes a step far- 
 ther. This conjunction of a pure heart and assent- 
 ing intellect forms a sort of double spiritual lens 
 through which the soul sees God by the power of 
 an apprehending faith. The light of God's spirit 
 falls upon the lens which a pure heart puts to 
 the eye of a man's faith, and he sees God spirit- 
 
PURITY OF HEART. 185 
 
 ually with an e} T e of faith. "Faith is the evidence 
 of things not seen." The natural man receiveth 
 not the things of the Spirit of God, neither know- 
 eth them ; they are spiritually discerned. The 
 spirit of God receiveth of the things of Jesus 
 Christ, and showeth them unto us. As when we 
 look upon the landscape with the natural eye a 
 scene of beauty is presented in the blended forms 
 and colors ; we then put to the eye the tubes, and 
 distinctly see the crags, the trees, the flowers, the 
 fruits on the stem. We look out upon the ocean 
 as far as the eye can reach. Its sheets of w r ater, 
 with white caps and rolling billows, stretch far 
 out before us, mingling sea and sky. We put the 
 tube to the eye, and there is the towering mast, 
 the spreading sail, and the crew pacing the deck. 
 We gaze up into the heavens ; the planets and 
 the nearer stars hang out their crystal lights to 
 the natural eye as they deck the black brow of 
 night. We put the tube to the eye, and new 
 worlds come into view — worlds whose distant 
 spheres seem to tremble on the very verge of in- 
 finity itself. So with the eye of the intellect ; we 
 look upon the works of God, and see Him in His 
 wisdom, and power, and goodness — -see Him in 
 His word — the same imprint of authorship on His 
 word that we observed on His works, and our intel- 
 lectual admiration is excited. But when the heart 
 is made pure by the washing of regeneration, it 
 
 9* 
 
186 SERMONS. 
 
 puts a tube, combining the lens of a believing 
 heart with an assenting mind, to the eye of our 
 faith, and enables us to penetrate the outer sur- 
 face and go into the regions that lie out of sight 
 to the natural eye, and get a view of God in His 
 relations, by faith, as we saw Him not before. 
 
 There is the natural or material world and the 
 spiritual — I refer not now to that which lies be- 
 yond this state of existence. There is a spiritual 
 life here contradistinguished from the natural life ; 
 a spiritual world hereabout, within reach of us, 
 called the Kingdom of Heaven, here — we may 
 call it the vestibule of the celestial temple. In 
 this spiritual world the sun of righteousness is its 
 light ; the Holy Spirit is its grand reflector. The 
 eye which a pure heart puts to faith alone enables 
 us to see this light and behold spiritual things in 
 this kingdom of grace. The natural man receiveth 
 not the things of the spirit of G-od — they are fool- 
 ishness unto him ; neither knoweth them, for 
 they are spiritually discerned. Faith is the evi- 
 dence of things not seen. The spirit taketh of the 
 things of Jesus Christ and showeth them unto us. 
 The prophet and the apostles got the loftiest view 
 of God in his spiritual relations to humanity that 
 mortals ever enjoyed. Paul, you remember, on 
 one occasion was caught up to what he called 
 the third heaven ; whether he was in the body or 
 out of the body he could not tell, he was so ex- 
 
PURITY OF HEART. 187 
 
 cited by what lie saw, and he heard things that 
 were not lawful for man to utter. The extent of 
 the unfolding of spiritual things to the mind under 
 divine inspiration I do not undertake to define. 
 It was far above human conception ; it was the 
 imparting to it of something of the power of the 
 mind of the Eternal, by which it could not only 
 grasp and understand God in his spiritual relation 
 to humanity, but foresee and foretell future events. 
 Every person born of the spirit, made a new crea- 
 ture, has given him a new, pure heart ; is intro- 
 duced into this kingdom of grace, and sees Glod 
 by an eye of faith as he never saw him before — 
 sees Glod revealed in Jesus Christ as his personal 
 Saviour. No conclusion of logic, no metaphysical 
 analysis, no flight of fancy nor adventure of poetic 
 genius can put a man into this kingdom. It is 
 above philosophy — metaphysics ; it lies beyond 
 the wing of imagination. Entrance into it dis- 
 cards all the rules and canons of the philosophers ; 
 and yet the humblest individual, the most unlet- 
 tered peasant, the most ignorant African, may, by 
 the washing of regeneration, come into it alike 
 with the scholar and philosopher, and gets to see 
 G-od in his kingdom of grace as well and as clearly. 
 They are spiritually discerned ; sees Him revealed 
 in Christ as his personal Saviour. With the eye of 
 his intellect he saw Him as the Saviour of the world 
 — saw the testimonies that supported His claim — 
 
188 SERMONS. 
 
 saw the beauty of His life as He lived without sin 
 — saw the wisdom and purity of His doctrines, ad- 
 mired the grandeur of the spectacle which He pre- 
 sented as an innocent sufferer, for His enemies — 
 saw Him as He was parted from His disciples and 
 wrapped in a chariot of cloud, was shouted back 
 to heaven by a triumphal ode. 
 
 All this comes within the range of the intellec- 
 tual eye ; but when an additional lens is put to the 
 eye of faith he sees Him living for Mm, suffering 
 for Mm, dying for Mm. He is brought in spirit- 
 ual contact so sensibly that he feels as if he had 
 looked into His face, heard Him speak, seen Him 
 smile, taken Him by the hand. His very name 
 becomes dear to him. Can yon account for the in- 
 terest awakened by the mention of His name ? 
 How the heart clings to it — hopes in it ? Can we 
 feel so about any other name ? We revere the 
 memories of our dead heroes. The name of Wash- 
 ington, or Lee, or Jackson, stirs our patriotic 
 emotions, but the name of Jesus touches a chord 
 in our hearts that no other name can reach. It is 
 different from all other names. The man who 
 has attained this purity of heart has reached a 
 spiritual eminence from which he not only sees 
 God, but sees Him in a different light from those 
 who stand at the base of that eminence. The dif- 
 ference in the clearness and distinctness of the 
 view is as great as the difference in the view of 
 
PURITY OF HEART. 189 
 
 the man who stands upon the top of the mountain 
 and the one who stands at its base. If he is in 
 prosperity he sees God in it all ; not like the 
 man who stands at the base, whose vision is ob- 
 structed and who attributes his success to chance, 
 good luck, or his own ingenuity. From the top of 
 the eminence he has reached the man who is pure 
 in heart, can see the hand of God in it all. 
 He sees the hand of God leading out the clouds 
 and emptying the genial shower upon the earth. 
 He sees God in the waving harvest and hears him 
 in the cracking corn. He sees Him in his increas- 
 ing wealth, and in the flush of health that glows 
 on his cheek, and it makes him happy, blessed, to 
 thank God for his benefits. 
 
 If he is in adversity he sees the hand of God 
 in it, and is enabled to kiss the rod that smites 
 him. If clouds of adversity, dark and lowering, 
 gather in his sky, he sees upon them what no 
 one else sees, a bow of light mantling their dark 
 crest, because there is no cloud so black and 
 dark to him that it does not reflect the smile of 
 God. Should those clouds ever be ungirted and 
 the tempests let loose upon him, should the 
 blighting winds of adversity blow upon him, he 
 holds his head erect amidst the storm, for he sees 
 that the same breath that strikes down the flower 
 of affection by his side, or blasts his earthly pros- 
 pects, fills the sail of his bark to waft him to the 
 
190 SERMONS. 
 
 port of bliss ; the wave that breaks over his head 
 leaves one less between him and the haven of 
 rest, and, tossed upon the bounding sea of life, 
 as the needle points to the pole, so, looking to 
 Jesus his heart trembles to the star of Bethlehem, 
 giving direction to his course. 
 
 Finally, the pure in heart shall see G-od face to 
 face in the world to come. Here "we see through 
 a glass darkly ; there, face to face.' 7 What a grand 
 thought is here unfolded in the text, "Shall see 
 God !" Think of it ! This mysterious Eternal 
 Being has been about us ever since we have had 
 an existence ; His arm, unseen, has been under 
 us to support us ; His hand has been over us to 
 shield us ; we have seen His footprints upon the 
 landscape, felt His breath in the breeze, heard 
 His voice rolling along the heavens. He has 
 even come into our souls, but the time is coming 
 when the veil which obstructs our vision shall be 
 burst asunder, and we shall see His face. Oh, 
 my soul, what an exciting and transporting hour 
 that will be ! Think of it ! When my mind has 
 dwelt upon the hour of my dissolution, this has 
 been the overwhelming thought. In that hour 
 the pain of death is not felt ; compared to this, 
 the shadows of the grave are nothing. The 
 dreariness, and darkness, and stillness of the 
 tomb are lost in the grand, absorbing thought of 
 seeing God. Seeing God ! I would like to see 
 
PURITY OF HEART. 191 
 
 an angel. I would like to handle his harp, and 
 wave his palm, and see him fly. This would be 
 grand, but how much grander to see God ! God 
 who sifts the very thoughts of men ; God who 
 fills heaven with light. Oh, who can realize it ? 
 There are two incidents on record which impart 
 to us some faint idea of this seeing of God. You 
 remember when Christ was transfigured on the 
 mount ; when He partially assumed His true 
 character, His face, we are told, did shine as the 
 sun, and His raiment was white as snow, and the 
 glory of His person burst through His garments, 
 and a bright cloud overshadowed Him. Peter was 
 so overcome by the sight, so overwhelmed and 
 overpowered by the glory of His presence, that it 
 seemed for the time to deprive him of his reason. 
 In perfect ecstasy he shouted : "Lord, it is a good 
 thing to be here. Let us make three tabernacles 
 — one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for 
 Elias." He did not know what he was talking 
 about ; he wanted to remain and live there in all 
 that glory. The other instance was the mani- 
 festation of the glory of God to Moses on the 
 mount. Under the direction of God he had gone 
 up on Mt. Sinai to receive the law. He was up 
 there forty days and forty nights, amidst the 
 lightning and thundering that shook the whole 
 mountain. He had heard the voice of God talk- 
 ing in the storm, and he had seen the brightness 
 
192 SERMONS. 
 
 of His glory skirting the clouds, and his curiosity 
 was so much excited that he wanted to see God ; 
 to look upon Him ; and he asked God to let him 
 see Him. God told him that this could not be ; 
 that no man could look upon Him and live, but, 
 He was willing to go as far as He could in grati- 
 fying his wishes, so He took Moses and put him 
 in the cleft of a rock and covered him with His 
 hand, and as He passed by He let him see the 
 hinder part of the shadow of His glory, and it 
 had such an effect on Moses that when he came 
 down from the Mount his face shone so brightly 
 that he had to put a veil over his face so that the 
 children of Israel could come near enough to hear 
 him talk. This gives us a faint idea of what it 
 will be to see God face to face. If it had such 
 an effect on Peter to stand off and look upon the 
 transforming glory of God ; if it had such an effect 
 on Moses, to get under a cleft of the rock and 
 see the hinder part of the glory of God pass by, 
 oh, what will it be when these bodies of ours are 
 so changed as that we can stand before the throne 
 and look into the face of the living God ! "Blessed 
 are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." 
 See him here by the eye of faith, and in heaven 
 face to face. 
 
THE RESURRECTION. 193 
 
 ©lw Witmxttdiou. 
 
 " Knowing that lie which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise us up also 
 ly Jesus." — 2 Cor. iv. 14. 
 
 "But some will say, Ecw are the dead raised vp? and with what ledy 
 do they come V — 1 Cor. xv. 35. 
 
 No system makes provision for the body after 
 death, I believe, save the Christian system. A 
 fine old theory was once taught by the classic 
 heathen to this effect: that God was the soul of 
 the world, and that the soul of man was an ex- 
 cerpted part of God, that it was separated from 
 him for a time to be reunited again by infusion 
 at death. They illustrated their theory by a bot- 
 tle filled with sea water and thrown upon the 
 bosom of the sea. The water in the bottle is sep- 
 arated from the water in the sea until by contact 
 the bottle is broken and then a reunion takes 
 place ; the water in the bottle becomes lost in the 
 waves of the sea ; so the soul in death is re- 
 united to and is lost in God. No provision is 
 made in this theory for the body. So with all 
 other theories and systems. It is the glory and 
 peculiarity of the Christian system to teach the 
 resurrection of the body. The resurrection of 
 the body is indissolubly connected with and is 
 a consequence of the resurrection of Christ, and 
 upon His resurrection is made to depend the 
 
194 SERMONS. 
 
 truth of the whole system of Christianity. 
 Hence, in making out and establishing the doc- 
 trine of the resurrection, and to establish the 
 truths of Christianity, it is only necessary to 
 prove the resurrection of Christ. And since 
 His resurrection holds such important connec- 
 tion to the whole system which He taught, it is 
 necessary to establish the fact beyond all doubt. 
 " For if Christ be not raised from the dead, then 
 is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain." 
 I am glad that the proof is furnished in propor- 
 tionate magnitude with the subject. 
 
 Now, it is agreed by all parties, that Christ 
 lived at the time it is alleged that He did. Pro- 
 fane historians speak of Him. It is also agreed 
 that He was put to death. Infidels admit this. 
 It is also agreed that He was missing from the 
 tomb in which He was laid, on the third morning. 
 No dispute about that. The great point in dis- 
 pute, the great matter of contention, is the man- 
 ner of His departure. The enemies of Christ 
 have labored long and hard to prove that He was 
 taken away from the tomb by human contrivance, 
 for they very well understand, that if they over- 
 turn the doctrine of His resurrection the whole 
 system falls to naught. 
 
 Now, there were three ways only in which He 
 could have left that tomb — He was either taken 
 away by His enemies, or by His friends, or by His 
 
THE RESURRECTION. 195 
 
 own power as God He arose. If we show that He 
 was not taken away by His enemies, or His 
 friends, then it follows that He arose. His ene- 
 mies did not take Him away — they say they did 
 not — but charge His friends with having stolen 
 the body. Besides, as proof conclusive, if they 
 had taken Him away they would have produced 
 the body in the prosecution of the Apostles, to 
 have convicted them of falsehood when they 
 preached that He had risen. They would have 
 gloried in an opportunity of that character. This, 
 however, was not on any occasion done. 
 
 Yery well ; we allege that his friends did not 
 steal Him away. The only evidence that they 
 did, is the testimony of the soldiers who guarded 
 the tomb — and that testimony refutes itself. 
 They said that whilst they slept His disciples 
 came and stole Him away. I am not going to 
 dwell long upon their testimony. You are familiar 
 with the argument for its refutation. It has fre- 
 quently been put to you in this wise : they were 
 either asleep or awake. If asleep, how did they 
 know who stole Him away ? or that He was stolen 
 away at all? Suppose a witness shall testify in 
 open court that an occurrence took place whilst 
 he was asleep. Why, he would be hissed out of 
 court. They were not asleep, then, if they could 
 testify that He was stolen ; and, if they were 
 awake, why did they allow it? Is it a probable 
 
196 SERMONS. 
 
 story that sixty armed men could be overpowered 
 "by a little band of disciples unarmed, and a few 
 women ; yes, a few women, for when mercy had 
 forsaken the court, and pity had fled from the 
 bosom of the High Priesthood, and all men 
 turned against Him — there were a few women 
 who dared to feel, and weep, and lament loudly, as 
 the sufferer passed by on His way to Calvary, 
 and stood mourning at the Cross and at His 
 grave. I repeat, is it probable that this dis- 
 pirited little band and a few women could- have 
 taken by force the body from the guard ? As an 
 evidence that no importance was attached to the 
 testimony of these soldiers, they were never in- 
 troduced in any prosecution against the disciples 
 as testimony. And right here I notice a remark 
 of Gamaliel. When they had the disciples on 
 trial, upon one occasion, after looking at the tes- 
 timony — having heard this story of the soldiers, 
 doubtless — he told them they had better let those 
 men alone ; that if it be of God they could not 
 overthrow it, and if of men, it would come to 
 naught. We come forward here, in this nine- 
 teenth century, on the anniversary of his resur- 
 rection, to claim the benefit of his argument. 
 
 It has not come to naught, nor is it at all likely 
 to do so. We bring the millions of its advocates. 
 We bring its engines and presses — its halls of let- 
 ters. We briug the echo of her giant tread and 
 
THE RESURRECTION. 197 
 
 claim that it is not likely to come to naught, for 
 she begins to step like a giant now. 
 
 The proof, then, that his disciples did not 
 steal Him away, is conclusive, and we have the 
 right, by all the rules of reasoning, to claim, as 
 the conclusion of this argument, that the third 
 manner specified — that He arose by the power of 
 G-od — was the manner in which He left the tomb. 
 But, we go a step further, and bring forward cor- 
 roborating and sustaining proof, so that the least 
 shadow of doubt may be taken away, if still left 
 surrounding the subject. We have the direct, 
 plain, consistent testimony of the disciples that 
 He did arise. We have seen the character of 
 the testimony against his resurrection, and what- 
 ever value it possesses, as we have seen, is the 
 evidence it furnishes of the truth of that it is in- 
 tended to overthrow. 
 
 We propose to test the evidence of His disci- 
 ples ; and, before entering upon this branch of 
 the subject, it would be well, perhaps, to notice 
 Hume's celebrated argument that has sent con- 
 sternation to the hearts of some and caused a 
 chuckle of supposed triumph with the skeptic. 
 It is this : ' ' Human testimony is a kind of evi- 
 dence more likely to be false than that a miracle 
 should occur ; the evidence on which the Christ- 
 ian miracles are believed is human testimony ; 
 therefore, the evidence on which the Christian 
 
198 SERMONS. 
 
 miracles are believed is more likely to be false than 
 that a miracle should occur f in other words, we 
 have more reason to expect that a witness should 
 lie than that a miracle should occur, as it comes 
 under our observation that witnesses do lie and 
 it never has been observed by us that a miracle 
 has occurred. Now the fallacy of this argument 
 is easily detected, and it lies in the first premise — 
 "Human testimony is a kind of evidence more 
 likely to be false than a miracle to be true." 
 Admit that, then the conclusion would inevitably 
 follow ; for the second premise is that the evidence 
 upon which the Christian miracles are believed, is 
 human testimony. But we deny the truth of the 
 first premise. All testimony is not more likely to 
 be false than a miracle to occur. If he had said 
 some human testimouy or even the testimony of 
 most persons was more likely to be false than a 
 miracle to be true, then we would have granted it ; 
 but his conclusion would not have followed, unless 
 he could have shown that the evidence upon which 
 the Christian miracles are believed is that kind of 
 testimony. This he very well knew. We there- 
 fore, in attacking his argument, attack his first 
 premise, and show that it is untrue — that all tes- 
 timony (for this is implied, unless the term be 
 qualified) is more likely to be false than a miracle to 
 be true ; and we do so by showing that the testi- 
 mony of the disciples of Christ, touching His 
 
THE RESURRECTION. 199 
 
 resurrection, is the kind of testimony that is more 
 likely to be true than the evidences of a miracle 
 witnessed by our own eyes. 
 
 First, they give a plain, simple account of the 
 matter, without expression of astonishment, with- 
 out attempting to account for it, each in his own 
 way. They do not all state it in the same lan- 
 guage. This is in its favor. 
 
 In the second place, they were incredulous 
 themselves. When they saw Him tamely submit 
 they all forsook Him, and Peter cursed, and 
 swore he did not know Him. They thought, 
 doubtless, they were imposed upon — or allow it 
 was fear, and it makes the point still stronger ; 
 would they have ever espoused His cause again if 
 they had not indubitable evidence that He had 
 arisen ? Would they have run the risk ? What 
 had they to gain by it — wealth, place, power ? He 
 is dead. Was it natural that they would have 
 espoused His cause ? If I were the rankest infi- 
 del on earth, did not at all believe that Christ 
 arose, I should be compelled to believe, under all 
 the circumstances, that the disciples thought hon- 
 estly that He did. Yery well, just allow that they 
 were honest, and it is an easy matter to show that 
 they could not be mistaken. They saw Him, con- 
 versed with Him and handled Him. He appeared 
 to Mary Magdalene at the sepulchre on the morn- 
 ing He arose, then the same day to three or four 
 
200 SERMONS. 
 
 other women on their way from the sepulchre. 
 That evening to CLeopas and another disciple on 
 their way to Emmaus. Soon after to Simon Peter, 
 then to ten of His disciples in Jerusalem. On the 
 next Sabbath after His resurrection He appeared 
 to the eleven. Again, He appeared to the eleven 
 apart in a mountain. On several other occasions 
 they saw Him. You remember the first time He 
 appeared to the disciples collectively. Thomas 
 was absent. When they met with him, they tell 
 him, "sure enough, Thomas, contrary to our ap- 
 prehension, He has arisen ; we saw Him and 
 talked with Him." Thomas declares he will not 
 believe unless he has the most unmistakable 
 proof. The next time He appears Thomas is pres- 
 ent. The Saviour knew what he had said, and I 
 suppose called him, "Come here, Thomas — put 
 your fingers in the prints of the nails — thrust 
 your hand in my side, and be not faithless, but 
 believing." 
 
 Was Thomas mistaken? If honest, he could 
 not have been mistaken. Ah, but perhaps some 
 will say, it was imagination — they were looking out 
 for something of the kind, and it was imagina- 
 tion. With the same argument I can prove that 
 everything and anything is imagination. These 
 benches, this pulpit, and you, are all beings imagi- 
 nary. He finally appeared to more than five 
 hundred— could all of these have been mistaken ? 
 
THE RESURRECTION. 201 
 
 Again, they commenced preaching right in Jeru- 
 salem ; went to Rome also, into Greece, too ; did 
 not go into some obscure, ignorant community. 
 As they went they told them they would give 
 proof such as they could realize. Told them, now 
 if you do not believe, fetch out your dead, and 
 we will put life into them ; bring hither your 
 blind, and we will turn upoa those sightless balls 
 the light of Heaven ; let the lame be brought, and 
 they shall leap as an hart ; fetch the dumb, and 
 we will make them sing. All this was done and 
 admitted. Again, Christ had said, if I go away the 
 comforter will come. I will pour out my spirit. 
 And whilst these men were preaching, on the day of 
 Pentecost, Christ and the resurrection, the prom- 
 ise was fulfilled, as the Holy Grhost like a sheet of 
 flame fell upon them, and cloven tongues of fire 
 sat upon them, and they began to speak in divers 
 tongues — in the language of every nation repre- 
 sented there on that occasion. 
 
 Take all these proofs, and much additional 
 might be given ; take these and connect them with 
 the argument first drawn, as corroborating testi- 
 mony, and it puts the fact of our Saviour's resur- 
 rection beyond all doubt, for these proofs show 
 that the testimony of the disciples is the kind of 
 testimony that is more likely to be true than 
 false. 
 
 We now approach the second brand} of our 
 
 10 
 
202 SERMONS. 
 
 subject — our resurrection. It requires but little 
 labor to establish this, for it follows as a conse- 
 quence of Christ's resurrection. Allow that he 
 arose, and this is an admission that we shall rise. 
 "If the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from 
 the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ 
 from the dead shall also quicken your mortal 
 bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you." This 
 is admitted. But the question occurs as to the 
 manner of our resurrection. Some man will say, 
 " how are the dead raised up? And with what 
 bodies do they come ?" We answer, that the 
 same bodies laid in the grave are to be the bodies 
 raised. There are objections to this, I know, and 
 these objections have been answered by some 
 theologians with hypotheses that it will not be 
 the same body, but that our bodies contain the 
 germ of the new spiritual body, and this thing is 
 supported by this teaching : ' ' That which thou 
 sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, 
 but bare grain, it may chance of wheat or some 
 other grain," etc. Now, if this be true, there is no 
 resurrection, but in one sense a new creation. 
 We deposit a grain of wheat in the soil ; who 
 thinks of calling the stalk, and blade, and ear, a 
 resurrection of the grain ? But in the face of all 
 objection, we rest our faith in the resurrection of 
 the identical body upon the manner of Christ's 
 resurrection. The explicit teaching is that His is 
 
THE RESURRECTION. 203 
 
 a type of ours — that as He arose, so shall we arise. 
 " It does not appear what we shall be, but when 
 He shall appear we shall be like Him " — our bodies 
 shall be fashioned like unto His glorious body. 
 How did He come up ? With the same body. 
 How did they know ? By the same features, the 
 prints of the nails, and the spear. 
 
 This body He carried with Him; He did not drop 
 it ; it was never found. As far as they could see, 
 He went up with it. When shall this be ? At 
 the last day. I expect to know you in the same 
 way the disciples knew Christ, When the human 
 race shall have accomplished their day ; when the 
 high purposes for which God created man and 
 placed him upon earth shall have been accom- 
 plished, then the Lord, the Judge, shall descend 
 from heaven with a shout, to call the genera- 
 tions of earth to the grand reckoning. And, my 
 friends, I have thought it shall be the grandest 
 and sublimest spectacle the earth shall behold. 
 Ah, my friends, it was a grand sight, I know, for 
 angels to witness, when the earth, spoken from 
 naught, started out on her first journeying 
 through the heavens, as she flew, mystically, 
 sparkling and brilliant, in her untried path. The 
 morning stars sang and the sons of God shouted for 
 joy ; but when Christ shall come with his shining- 
 train, his approach shall be heralded by the trum- 
 pet voice of the great archangel, and, as its swell- 
 
204 SERMONS. 
 
 ing tones shall come booming over the air, calling 
 a halt to earth, its echo shall be heard low down 
 in the grave ; and whilst the earth shall tremble 
 from her sudden arrest, the little particles of dust 
 shall begin to stir themselves and each seek out 
 its fellow ; bone, spiritualized, shall come to its 
 fellow bone. Christ shall, in imitation of the first 
 life-giving act to man, breathe upon earth and the 
 sea, and the teeming millions of the dead, ani- 
 mated, shall come flocking to the surface in the 
 twinkling of an eye. I have thought it would be 
 a grand sight in that hour to take a position near 
 some old family graveyard, or church burying 
 ground or cemetery, where parents and children 
 have slept side by side in silence for ages ; grand 
 to witness whole families coming up together — to 
 witness the recognitions and greetings. I gaze, 
 and as I gaze my soul catches strange fire. I see 
 the old saint just up from his dusty bed ; standing 
 on the brink of his grave, looking back into its 
 disappointed mouth, he raises the shout over it, 
 "0, grave! where is thy victory?" and, as his 
 shout reverberates through the earth, others 
 catch it up. Then rises the swelling chorus, ac- 
 companied by the notes of angels, with swept 
 harps : " Thanks be to God, which giveth us the 
 victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 
 
 But there is another resurrection. There is a 
 resurrection of damnation. What sort of robes 
 shall they wear ? God save us from it ! Amen. 
 
TITE lord's SUrPER. 205 
 
 Sfce HwA'0 gwypx. 
 
 "For even Christ, our passover, is sacrificed for us; therefore let us keep 
 the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and ivicked- 
 ness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." — 1 Cor., v. 7, 8. 
 
 You perceive that the sacrament of the Lord's 
 Supper is the theme of the text. As such we 
 have three things taught in it : 
 
 I. Christ crucified is the true passover, of which 
 the Jewish was a type. 
 
 II. That it is the duty of all who believe in 
 Christ as a sacrifice for sin to keep the Christian 
 passover or feast, in remembrance of this fact. 
 
 III. The manner in which it should be done ; 
 and, in conclusion, we notice the effect of its 
 proper observance. 
 
 We proceed to take up the first thing taught — 
 that Christ crucified is the true passover. This 
 is based upon the first clause of the text, ' ' For 
 even Christ, our passover, is sacrificed for us." 
 In the twelfth chapter of Exodus we have a mi- 
 nute, specific account of the Jewish passover. 
 The Jews had been in Egypt several hundred 
 years, and when at length they desired, under 
 God's promise and direction, to go to the prom- 
 ised Canaan, the Egyptian rulers held on to them 
 with tenacious grasp. These rulers knew, that if 
 
200 SERMONS. 
 
 they permitted them to go, Egypt would suffer a 
 loss of many of her best citizens. Their revenue 
 would be greatly decreased and the country de- 
 prived of much of its numerical strength, as there 
 were more than six hundred thousand men, be- 
 sides the women and children. But God. sym- 
 pathizing with their down-trodden condition, see- 
 ing that they were burdened, and taxed, and 
 oppressed, and remembering his covenant, sent 
 Moses to deliver them. Various scourges were 
 sent upon the land, and plagues in divers ways — 
 plagues of locusts, of frogs, of lice, of darkness — 
 but still, Pharaoh's heart being hardened, he re- 
 fused to let them go. G-od determined to visit 
 him and his people with one more plague — the 
 death of all the first born of man and beast. God 
 accordingly had the Israelites apprised of his 
 purpose, and had directions given them, by fol- 
 lowing which they might escape the effects of the 
 plague. They were to take a lamb and kill it, 
 take the blood and sprinkle it upon their door 
 posts, and then remain within their houses, with 
 all their families, on the night of the plague, so 
 that when the destroying angel should sweep over 
 the land, slaying all the first born, when he came 
 to a dwelling having blood sprinkled on the door 
 post he would, according to instructions given 
 him, pass over the dwelling (hence the term pass- 
 over), leaving the first born unharmed. Thus 
 
the lord's supper. 207 
 
 they might escape ; without it they could not, for 
 wherever this blood was not found on the door 
 post, whether Jewish dwelling or Egyptian, the 
 first born perished. We may well suppose that 
 the shock was tremendous. Stillness pervaded the 
 unsuspecting land ; the stars in silence looked 
 down as on previous nights ; the Eg} r ptians had 
 retired to rest ; the night bird had finished his 
 hymn and dropped his head in slumber on his 
 breast. The destroying angel starts out on his 
 mission, the rustle of his wings not heard as he 
 sweeps over their dwellings. Suddenly an alarm 
 is given. In every house the lights are raised, 
 the families are aroused. Moses tells us there 
 was a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, 
 such as was never the like, and shall never be 
 again. Mourning, and wailing, and lamentation 
 were heard in the house of the king as well as the 
 humblest hovel, for there was not a house where 
 there was not one dead. It had the desired effect. 
 The king consented that they might go. That 
 night he sent for Moses and Aaron, told them to 
 go, to be in a hurry about it, to take his servants 
 and flocks, and asked him to pray for him that the 
 curse might be stayed. All the other plagues 
 had failed. This was typical and effectual. The 
 Israelites, under the direction of God through 
 Moses, instituted a solemn feast, called the Feast 
 of the Passover, in commemoration of this deliv- 
 
208 SERMONS. 
 
 erance, and it was instituted to be kept np annu- 
 ally throughout their dispensation. There is a 
 grandeur and beauty investing the rites and cere- 
 monies of the old dispensation "which we fail to 
 perceive, unless we use seme care to give ihem a 
 thorough examination, and such is their symbolic 
 character that a thorough knowledge of them is 
 found to be almost indispensable in thoroughly 
 comprehending and understanding the great doc- 
 trines of the gospel. 
 
 On the evening before the feast of the Passover 
 men were sent out to herald the time of the annual 
 feast. Signal fires were kindled upon the high 
 mountains, until the signals announcing the ap- 
 proach of the feast blazed all over the land. On 
 the next morning vast crowds would press into 
 Jerusalem, and the lambs were slain. Christ, in 
 obedience to the laws and ceremonies, which he 
 expressly told them he came not to destroy but 
 to fulfil, just before his crucifixion, celebrated the 
 Passover with his disciples. And on that night 
 he changed it, for it would be no longer necessary 
 to sacrifice a lamb as a type of that sacrifice which 
 he knew would have taken place before the next 
 annual feast. So after he had eaten of the Pass- 
 over, "in the same night in which he was be- 
 trayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks 
 he brake it and said : Take, eat ; this is my body 
 which is broken for you ; this do in remembrance 
 
the lord's supper. 209 
 
 of me. After the same manner also he took the 
 cup, when he had supped, saying : This cup is the 
 new testament in my blood ; this do ye as oft as 
 ye drink it in remembrance of me. For as often 
 as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye do show 
 the Lord's death till he come." Thus by Christ 
 himself this simple, and beautiful, and appropriate 
 ceremony called His Supper was substituted for 
 the Jewish Passover. As the Jews partook of 
 theirs so we partake of ours. 
 
 We now take up the second proposition con- 
 tained in the text : That it is the duty of all who 
 believe in Christ as a sacrifice for sin to keep this 
 feast, to partake of this sacrament. ' ' Therefore 
 let us keep the feast." The first argument we 
 offer in support of this proposition is drawn from 
 the nature of the old Passover in its binding force 
 upon the Jews. It was obligatory upon them to 
 keep the feast of the Passover throughout their 
 generation, for Moses commanded them that they 
 should observe this for an ordinance for them and 
 their sons forever ; and whosoever failed to do so 
 should be cut off from the congregation of Israel. 
 
 As the Lord's Supper is a substitute for the 
 Passover, we argue that its observance is as bind- 
 ing upon the Christian as the Passover was upon 
 the Jew ; as, being a substitute, it should hold the 
 same connection in all its obligations and in every- 
 thing appertaining to it with the Christian in the 
 
 10* 
 
210 SERMONS. 
 
 new dispensation that the Passover did with the 
 Jew in the old dispensation. Farther, that this 
 sacrament was not confined simply to the Apos- 
 tles, but is binding in its observance upon all 
 Christians, is put beyond all doubt in the 1st 
 Epistle to Cor. xi., 23d to 26th verses: "For," 
 says Paul, "I have received of the Lord that 
 which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord 
 Jesus in the same night in which he was betrayed 
 took bread, and when he had given thanks he 
 brake it, and said : Take, eat ; this is my body 
 which is broken for you ; this do in remembrance 
 of me. For as oft as ye shall eat this bread and 
 drink this cup ye do show forth the Lord's death 
 till he come." But it is not necessary to pursue 
 this line of argument further. Very few believers 
 in Christ neglect the Lord's Supper on the ground 
 that it is not binding upon them to observe it ; 
 but many do neglect — fail to keep the feast — for 
 other reasons, some of which we propose to notice 
 in urging the observance of this sacrament. One 
 class says, I do not keep the feast because I feel 
 so unworthy that I dare not approach the table. 
 I have known many of the very best Christians to 
 stay away from the table from time to time on this 
 account. Because they feel unworthy they are 
 afraid that they will partake unworthily. Now, 
 what a mistake this is! That is the very way 
 you ought to feel. That very feeling is an evi- 
 
THE LORD'S SUPPER. 211 
 
 deuce of your qualification to commune, for we 
 are taught that when we have done the best we 
 can we are unprofitable servants. If you pos- 
 sessed the opposite feeling, and, like the proud 
 Pharisee, came thanking God that you were better 
 than other people, I should say then you ought to 
 stay away; but if you can come, like the poor 
 Publican, crying, "God be merciful to me, a sin- 
 ner," you shall go away profited. Another who 
 stays away says, "I can't commune, because there 
 is one or will be one at the table in whom I have 
 no confidence. I am confident he is a hypocrite, 
 a mean fellow." Many stay away from no other 
 cause. When and where did you receive a com- 
 mission to attend to such cases? If there should 
 be such an one there as you suppose, my word for 
 it, Glod will attend to his case without your assist- 
 ance. I recollected, and so do you, that at the 
 very time this feast was instituted there was one 
 that supped who was a traitor ; and when the 
 disciples were informed of it, did they get up and 
 leave the table — refuse to celebrate with such an 
 one? Not at all ; but, on the contrary, their 
 anxious inquiry was, "Lord, is it I that am un- 
 worthy?" "Am I the traitor?" That should be 
 your only inquiry. "Am I unworthy? am I a 
 hypocrite — a mean fellow?" See that your heart 
 is right, and do not expect to be excused from the 
 performance of a duty because of the unfaithful- 
 
212 SERMONS. 
 
 ness of another. Again, there are others who 
 habitually neglect to keep this feast, and have no 
 particular reason for doing so than that their lives 
 are such and the state of their heart is such that 
 they feel they ought not to commune. We call 
 these nominal professors. Now, of all classes, 
 they occupy the most critical, the most dangerous 
 ground. They pray very seldom, rarely ever 
 read the Scriptures, and when the table of the Lord 
 is spread, and the invitation given, they get up 
 and turn their backs upon it. When I see this, I 
 think of the poor Egyptian who had no blood on 
 his door posts. I think if the destroying angel 
 should sweep over the Church, there would be a 
 dead man, a dead woman. Your case, if such be 
 present to-day, I repeat, is critical. It will not 
 do for you to come to the feast in your present 
 state, because, if you do, you eat and drink un- 
 worthily, and "he that eateth and drinketh un- 
 worthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to him- 
 self." And it will not do for you to go away 
 without communing, thus insulting God in the 
 public sanctuary, by telling Christ, when he says, 
 "do this in remembrance of me," openly that you 
 will not, by turning your back upon the table, 
 and in this manner heaping up wrath to yourself 
 against the day of wrath. What then, you are 
 ready to ask, are you to do? "What can I do?" 
 I would to God that this cry would come up deep 
 
the lord's supper. 213 
 
 from your hearts. I would tell you what to do, 
 and it would be this : begin now to pray and con- 
 fess your sins ; begin now to resolve to lead new 
 lives ; call now upon God for pardon and a fit- 
 ness to commune. Ask God now for earnest, 
 honest hearts to do His will. If you come re- 
 penting and confessing, you may come and be 
 welcome. Let us. therefore, keep the feast, 
 all of us. 
 
 We now come to speak of the manner in 
 which it should be done. First, we should 
 partake of this feast understandingly. We 
 should not over-estimate so as to magnify it 
 into an importance equal to the victim it re- 
 presents. The Catholic and Greek think that 
 at the time the priest consecrates the elements, 
 the bread and wine are changed into the iden- 
 tical body and blood of Christ. A short argu- 
 ment here to show its fallacy. To state this to 
 an intelligent audience is a sufficient refutation. 
 Others go to the other extreme, and under-esti- 
 mate it ; think that it is nothing more than mere 
 bread and wine, attach no importance to the con- 
 secration. Christ says : " Lo ! I am with you." 
 He is present, not in his flesh and blood, yet he 
 is present and his presence gives importance and 
 merit to the wine and bread. He is present in 
 divinity, and his presence sanctifies it, makes it a 
 means of grace as well as a commemorative rite. 
 
214 SERMONS. 
 
 Having correct views we should keep it in a 
 proper manner. " Not with old leaven, nor the 
 leaven of malice and wickedness." Leaven stands 
 for sin here ; not with sin, with the sin of malice 
 or wickedness, but with sincerity and truth. If 
 a man comes with an honest heart, honest pur- 
 poses and desires, he will always keep the feast 
 in a proper manner. 
 
 In conclusion, we notice the effects result- 
 ing from keeping this feast in a proper man- 
 ner. First, it begets and strengthens our love. 
 When we remember the amazing love which 
 prompted G-od to give His Son to die for us ; 
 when our minds, taking the direction which the 
 bread and wine give, run back upon the suf- 
 ferings of the Saviour ; when we see Him in the 
 garden, lying upon the cold ground with His locks 
 all wet with the dew of night ; read an account of 
 His deep agony for us, we see great drops of 
 bloody sweat issuing from the pores, and hear His 
 plaintive cry, "Father, if it be possible let this 
 cup pass," the cup of our woe, the cup of our sin, 
 "if it be possible, let this cup pass ; but not my 
 will, thine be done." When we remember the 
 throes of His bosom, and the intensity of His suf- 
 fering as He hung upon the Cross, with His flesh 
 all twitching and smarting, when we remember 
 the putting forth of His mighty power, the extent 
 of His almighty energy in bearing the curse for 
 
the lord's supper. 215 
 
 us ; power and energy in endurance of suffering 
 and pain which shook the earth to its centre, 
 split the rocks, shook the dead out of their death 
 slumbers and beds of dust, sent a deep gloom 
 through the heavens, which eclipsed the sun, and 
 amidst it all, as hell and earth combined to do 
 their worst upon him, taunted and mocked, hear 
 Him as amidst it all He turns His eyes to heaven, 
 and from His bleeding, breaking heart He cries : 
 "Father, forgive! 7 ' Oh! who can hear and not 
 love such a Saviour ? Who can take these em- 
 blems and not in the depth of his innermost soul 
 love ? Why, some seem to think it is a diffi- 
 cult thing, to love the Saviour, to love God. I 
 declare it is astonishing that we can keep from 
 it. How soon does our neighbor win our esteem 
 by kind offices, and when he rescues us from de- 
 struction by pulling us drowning from the stream, 
 or bears us in his arms from our dwelling wrapped 
 in flames, he is held in perpetual love and remem- 
 brance. He that would come to our dungeon and 
 put our chains on his own wrists and ankles, who 
 would mount the scaffold by our side and offer his 
 own neck for the halter, bidding us go free, go to 
 our family, and home, and friends, would receive 
 from us a consecration of ourselves to him and 
 his interests, and a devotion bounded only by 
 the extent of our capacity. Such a friend is the 
 Saviour ; his hands were offered, his side was 
 
216 SERMONS. 
 
 presented, his life given up, not that we might be 
 saved from a comji and winding sheet, the worm 
 of the grave, but saved from hell — " where the 
 worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched." 
 Yerily, we do remember all these things on 
 an occasion like this, and our love is increased. 
 
 Again, an effect produced by the observance of 
 this feast is, that it teaches us to keep always, and 
 perpetuate, the great doctrine of salvation by the 
 death of Christ ; for whenever the table of the 
 Lord is spread, Christ's death is published and 
 sealed upon the hearts of those who witness it 
 with extraordinary spiritual power. And what- 
 ever tends to this should be sacredly observed ; 
 for let this great doctrine be kept alive — kept in 
 view, and though all things else be forgotten, 
 though the most splendid productions of genius 
 should perish, and monuments reared to human 
 greatness razed to the ground — though all the ten 
 thousand memories of the past that cluster around 
 the mind like ministering messengers of solace 
 should fade and depart ; though all science should 
 be uprooted and exploded ; though civil, and 
 domestic, and pecuniary pestilence should sweep 
 over the earth, and leave not a vestige of human 
 pride — if the Cross stood erect, untouched ; if the 
 blood of Christ lost not its efficacy, and if it were 
 remembered amidst it all, man could be happy in 
 the hope of Heaven, and as he should walk this 
 
the lord's supper. 217 
 
 wide and trackless waste he could sing the pil- 
 grims' song, and bend his steps forward toward the 
 pilgrims' rest. By communing — keeping this 
 feast, we keep it alive, perpetuate it. When that 
 father leaves his little boy at his seat, and comes 
 here to partake of these emblems, a deep impres- 
 sion is made upon that little fellow's mind as to 
 the importance of this thing, by the trickling tear 
 and heaving bosom of his father. That mother 
 asked by her little daughter why is this, why take 
 the bread ? And when told that it is to remem- 
 ber Jesus by, it is thus written upon the child's 
 heart, and the memory of Christ lives on from age 
 to age. 
 
 It keeps alive, bright and brilliant, our antici- 
 pations of Heaven. As the Jewish Passover was 
 changed into this, so this shall be changed into a 
 higher feast, and Christ Himself, in all His glory, 
 shall serve us. Then let us come to-day around 
 the table, remembering our Saviour ; let us come, 
 repenting our sins, and consecrating ourselves 
 afresh to the service of God. 
 
 "Millions of souls, in glory now 
 Were fed and feasted here, 
 And millions more, still on the way, 
 Around the board appear. 
 
 " All things are ready ; come away, 
 Nor weak excuses frame ; 
 Crowd to your places at the feast, 
 And bless the Founder's name." 
 
218 SERMONS. 
 
 ®fc# $t fxxitml Wwim. 
 
 (FUNERAL SERMON OP COL. SAMUEL H. BOYD, 45TH REGI- 
 MENT, N. 0. TROOPS, PREACHED AT WENTWORTH, N. C, 
 JULY 31 ST, 1864.— Eds.) 
 
 " For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal." — 2 Cor., x, 4. 
 
 "For by faith ye stand.'" — 2 Cor., i. 24. 
 
 After that God had brought order out of chaos, 
 had lifted the mist from creation, had set the sun 
 in the heavens, the moon and the stars, had 
 brought out of the earth plants and trees, had 
 created the animal race, He made man in His 
 own image ; of course in His spiritual image, for 
 God has no bodily shape ; He set him over the 
 works of His hands. His spirit was and is like 
 God. It thinks, perceives, wills, judges, remem- 
 bers, and appreciates justice, truth, mercy, purity, 
 the beautiful, the grand and the sublime. As 
 such, He gave him the power of choice between 
 good and evil, and held and still holds him respon- 
 sible for his conduct. He made a good and beau- 
 tiful world, and placed man in it. For the effect 
 of his disobedience, which He foresaw, He provi- 
 ded a remedy. It was not an after-thought with 
 God. The plan for his rescue, and the rescue of 
 his race, was all provided and arranged beforehand. 
 It is a grand scheme, not constructed to meet the 
 wants of one man only, and for a particular age 
 
THE SPIRITUAL WARFARE. 219 
 
 and a certain locality, but to meet the wants of an 
 entire race, and every age, and for the whole 
 globe. The system was gradually unfolded. The 
 light of it fell faintly upon the minds of the first 
 pair, in the first ray that by anticipation gleamed 
 from the Cross. Their first born realized some- 
 thing of its light as they erected altars and 
 brought forward their gifts. As time rolled on it 
 was unfolded hy the sacrificial worship, in types 
 and shadows, and symbols. The Prophets, point- 
 ing the tube which God put to the eye, through 
 the shadowy vista of coming events, caught 
 glimpses of its grand developments. Then in the 
 fullness of time, the Sun of Righteousness, full- 
 orbed, radiant with the hope of the world, rose 
 upon the Cross. The grand pivot upon which the 
 whole scheme turns is faith. The Sacraments of 
 Baptism, and the Lord's Supper ; the Apostle- 
 ship, the means of grace, prayer, fasting, repent- 
 ance, pardon, praise, motives drawn from Heaven 
 and hell, all rest upon faith. Without faith, take 
 it away, strike it from the system, and the whole 
 plan, embracing the patriarchs, the prophets, the 
 priests, the apostles, the teachers, pupils and sub- 
 jects, would be as a huge piece of machinery with 
 no motive power, a vast ship with compact bulk, 
 powerful engine, boiler and smoke stack, wheels 
 and paddles, with no steam. Faith is its motive 
 power. Faith is the spark which, struck, sends 
 
220 SERMONS. 
 
 life, vitality and vigor through the whole and all 
 its parts, so to speak, through all its nerves, and 
 sinews, and muscles, and members, and means and 
 agencies. " Through faith, we understand that 
 the worlds were framed by the word of God. 
 By faith, Abel offered unto God a more excellent 
 sacrifice than Cain. By faith, Enoch was transla- 
 ted. By faith, Abraham when he was tried, offered 
 up Isaac. By faith, Moses, when he was come to 
 years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's 
 daughter. By faith, the walls of Jericho fell 
 down after they were compassed about seven days. 
 And what shall I say more ? For the time would 
 fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of 
 Samson, and of Jephtha ; of David also, and 
 Samuel, and of the Prophets ; who through faith 
 subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, ob- 
 tained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 
 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge 
 of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, 
 waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies 
 of the Aliens." Heb. xi. 
 
 By faith every man repents — is justified. By 
 faith he fights and conquers all his spiritual 
 foes. To this view of the subject you are in- 
 vited this morning. This feature of the subject 
 constitutes the theme for the hour's meditation. 
 What is faith ? An assent of the mind to the 
 truth of the Christian religion, and an embrace of 
 
THE SPIRITUAL WARFARE. 221 
 
 it with the affections. We speak of the mind, 
 the soul, the spirit, the heart. We speak of the 
 intellect as located in the brain ; of the affections 
 as seated in the heart. These terms are used only 
 for classification. I know but two elements 
 composing human nature — body and spirit. 
 The former is material and perishes, the latter 
 is immaterial and indestructible. The Scrip- 
 tures, I know, speak also of soul, mind and spirit, 
 but is in the same sense as explained. Now the 
 evidences supporting the truth of the Christian 
 religion address the intellect, and, when pre- 
 sented, the mind weighs the proofs, and, by a law 
 of its nature, concludes upon the truth of the 
 system. This a man can no more prevent 
 than when he puts two and two together in his 
 mind he can prevent the conclusion, four being 
 the result. This is mental conviction, or assent, 
 or faith. The evidences of God's love in the 
 death of His Son, the gift of the Holy Ghost, 
 His long suffering and forbearance, and crowning 
 our lives with ten thousand blessings, address the 
 heart, the emotional nature, and excite in us a 
 reciprocal affection. We love God because He 
 first loves us. By a law of our nature acts of 
 kindness excite in us tenderness, regard and es- 
 teem. This assent of the mind, and admiration 
 or esteem of the affections, accompanied with 
 ceasing to do evil, and learning to do well, is 
 
222 SERMONS. 
 
 taken for faith. But there are distempers of the 
 mind and affections, appetites of the heart, that 
 have never been destroyed. These are not sub- 
 ject to the law of God, nor can they be — they are 
 at enmity against God. All these must be cruci- 
 fied and the man must be born of the Spirit. The 
 spirit of Christ, like a refining fire, must consume 
 them, and the spirit of the man comes out of this 
 process corrected, purified, a new creature in 
 Christ Jesus ; old things pass away and all things 
 are new. Now all the part a man performs in 
 this is the exercise of the -power God gives to 
 all, to use the means, to confess his sins, resolve 
 to forsake them, pray, read God's word, look up 
 to Him, ask for forgiveness, for a new life, and the 
 laws in the spiritual world will work out these 
 results as surely as the operation of laws in the 
 natural world produce their results. Many of us 
 have an idea that something extraordinary must 
 be done by the individual seeking this faith. 
 We get him to this point and set on him with ex- 
 hortations to cast himself upon Christ, to venture 
 upon Him, the very thing he cannot do. But sup- 
 pose he holds himself to this, asks pardon, con- 
 fesses, resolves to sin no more, holds himself to 
 that, and no more and no less, God will do the 
 balance ; the result will take place. Just as if 
 you take flax and a glass and concentrate the rays of 
 the sun in a focus upon it. Hold the concentrated 
 
THE SPIRITUAL WARFARE. 223 
 
 rajs steadily upon the flax, and by the inevitable 
 results of the laws of nature the flax will take 
 fire. Just so when the sinner holds himself in 
 this position ; the electric spark will fall from 
 heaven upon his spirit ; that faith which gives him 
 connection with Christ, whereby the life of Christ 
 is imparted unto him, will be given. Christ's life 
 becomes his life. The Apostle says, " the life 
 which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith 
 of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Him- 
 self for me." Christ's strength becomes his 
 strength. "I can do all things through Christ, 
 which strengtheneth me." Christ's wisdom and 
 righteousness become his wisdom and righteous- 
 ness. By faith, which thus unites us to Christ, 
 we stand, we conquer. 
 
 I proceed in the next step to consider the en- 
 emies we have to fight, I am to-day preaching 
 the funeral of a soldier, and such is the analogy 
 between his and the Christian's career that I would, 
 as the Apostle has done, take his life, his con- 
 flicts, his perils, his triumphs, as symbols of the 
 life, conflicts, perils and triumphs of the spir- 
 itual warrior. I would take his word as the 
 type of the sword of the spirit, the word of 
 God, which he wields by faith, which pierces even 
 to the dividing asunder. I would take his 
 breastwork as emblematic of the breastplate of 
 righteousness, which he wears by faith, and his 
 
224 SERMONS. 
 
 laurels as symbolic of the crown which the con- 
 queror, through Christ, will ultimately wear. 
 But who are his enemies ? Who are they ? 
 The Devil is at the head of all the forces 
 that oppose him. That there is a devil we 
 are clearly taught both in the Scriptures 
 and by our experience. He goes about as 
 a roaring lion — a lion whose palate is thirsty 
 for blood, whose eye burns in watching for 
 a victim. His origin we know not, except 
 that he was hurled over the battlements for rais- 
 ing a rebellion in the realms of light. He does 
 not possess omnipotence, but certainly possesses 
 great power. He is prince of the power of the 
 air. and his power in the earth, though not defi- 
 nitely to be determined, yet we know that it is 
 very great. He does not possess omniscience, 
 and Dr. Clarke says he deserves no great reputa- 
 tion for wisdom, but, be that as it may, whether 
 he knows how to choose the best end or not, 
 when he does choose he certainly has the greatest 
 skill in adapting the means to its accomplishment ; 
 and whatever else he is ignorant of, he certainly 
 understands the human heart well, and, espe- 
 cially, all its weak points. He has not omnipres- 
 ence, but is everywhere represented by a faithful 
 proxy. He is at the head of the principalities, 
 and powers, and spiritual wickedness in high 
 places. He has regiments, and brigades, and 
 
THE SPIRITUAL WARFARE. 225 
 
 divisions, and corps of devils and evil spirits who 
 go under his orders in solid column or on picket, 
 as scouts, as spies, and as raiders. There were 
 legions of them in the time of Christ, and no ac- 
 count that any have ever died. I never yet 
 have heard of devils dying. The Devil has ban- 
 ners, too. When he wheels his columns on the 
 weak and demoralized, and the faint-hearted, he 
 hoists a black flag — gives no quarter. When he 
 would entice, he lifts up a banner of beautiful, 
 variegated colors. When he would beguile he 
 unfnrls a white flag, comes clothed as an angel of 
 light. We have no account that he ever sleeps 
 or tires. In addition to all this he seems to have 
 some sort of control over the pleasures, and hon- 
 ors, and riches of this world. When tempting 
 the Saviour on the Mount, you remember, he told 
 Him he would give all these things to Him if He 
 would fall down and worship him, and Christ did 
 not dispute his power to do it. He does confer 
 wealth upon his votaries. They have more than 
 heart can wish, their eyes stand out with fatness. 
 He uses all this as bribes. Then, in addition 
 still, he has friends and sympathizers, aiders 
 and abettors, in the man's own bosom, in his ap- 
 petites, and lusts, and principles. These par- 
 ties, if I may so call the passions and appe- 
 tites, act in concert with him, communicate with 
 him, are all the time advocating a compromise, 
 
 11 
 
226 SERMONS. 
 
 want to come to terms, say it is no use to fight, 
 for man will be whipped any way in the end, run 
 oyer, subjugated, and possibly annihilated. And 
 they go even further than that, they desire and 
 express that it is better to be under the Devil's 
 government ; do not want the man, Christ Jesus, 
 to reign over them, so that while the fight is rag- 
 iug without, a perfect stoim of civil strife is rag- 
 ing within. These are the hosts marshalled 
 against him. This is the character of his ene- 
 mies. A shrewd, strategic, artful, cunning Devil, 
 with vast powers, almost omnipotent, all the 
 world opened to him, vast resources, and all the 
 world sympathizing with him. Now, if the in- 
 domitable heroes of the South — and I make this 
 political allusion and preach this kind of sermon 
 to-day as fit and appropriate as a funeral sermon 
 of a Southern soldier, who sleeps quietly behind 
 me in a soldier's grave— if, I say, the indomitable 
 heroes of the South, appealing to God for the rec- 
 titude of their cause, with all the odds against 
 them, against enemies abroad and enemies at 
 home, present to us an object of admiration, as, 
 through cold, and wet, and hunger, and want, 
 they stand in their ranks, and follow their flag ; 
 if we watch them as breathless they are lost in 
 the smoke of battle, and stand ready when they 
 emerge to crown them with laurels and drown 
 them with huzzas, and, if they fall, gather them 
 
THE SPIRITUAL WARFARE. 227 
 
 in our arms and lay them down in some sacred 
 spot, where we can erect the marble and train 
 the beautiful flowers, and perpetuate their mem- 
 ory, and if they triumph, vote them swords, and 
 put them in places of power, and make triumphal 
 arches and crown them with laurels ; I say, if this 
 scene is so much to be admired and rewarded, 
 the spectacle which the spiritual warrior presents 
 rises in sublimity far above it. With calm, clear 
 eye he surveys the serried ranks of the contending 
 hosts, and lifts up his standard of resistance. 
 His sign is the Cross, his flag a banner stained 
 with blood, his battle cry is life ! Eternal life ! 
 The great Captain of his salvation issues the or- 
 ders ; here they are in God's great book of mili- 
 tary tactics — the Bible. The angels sent forth to 
 minister unto him, an heir of salvation, gather 
 about him in solid column. The campaign opens 
 around Mt. Calvary. The trench in which he lies 
 is the cleft side of his commander-in-chief. He 
 fights chiefly upon his knees, and tying down flat 
 in the dust of humility. He fights not in his own 
 strength, he is not sufficient, even to think aright, 
 but through Christ strengthening him he con- 
 quers. There is not much noise. There is more 
 noise of Jews and persecutors, and casting his 
 name out as evil, than any other kind. His walk 
 is in the vale of humiliation. As he receives 
 Christ by faith, so he walks. The contest is 
 
228 SERMONS. 
 
 waged over every inch of ground, in the dis- 
 charge of all his personal duties — duties to 
 his family, to his neighbor, to his country, and 
 to the Church ; everywhere, and at all times, 
 the war rages with fury. We lose sight of him 
 in the smoke of the battle. Now the hour for his 
 triumph approaches ; having done all, he stands — 
 by faith he stands. His foes are scattered like 
 chaff before the wind ; the devil, foiled, defeated, 
 cowering behind him ; his legions retreated to 
 their infernal den ; the world, with its power to 
 charm and please by its glitter and splendor, has 
 faded ; fame and honor bow their heads with 
 withered laurels ; avarice lies behind him in his 
 track, choked and suffocated ; pride is stretched 
 out and covered with dust ; malice bleeds, pierced 
 with a dart ; envy turns a glazed eye to the light 
 of heaven ; love of the world and its pleasures 
 lies bleeding at every pore. View him, after 
 thirty, or forty, or fifty struggles, in the splen- 
 dors of his victory. He has had many tears. 
 Many a time when the practice which was per- 
 mitted on Job was applied to him — when his 
 hearthstone was left desolate, when his tender 
 babes faded and dropped on his bosom, when his 
 property was swept away, and his good name 
 cast out as evil — has he sat clown and covered 
 his face in sorrow ; many a time has he wished 
 the conflict ended — the cruel war over ; many a 
 
THE SPIRITUAL WARFARE. 229 
 
 time has he longed for that rest that remaineth 
 to the people of God. But on the bosom of the 
 dark clouds that perturbed his mind and hung 
 about his path he has never failed, though faintly 
 at times, to catch a glimpse of the bow spanning 
 their folds, which was ever to him the evidence 
 of things not seen. Above the noise, and din, 
 and roar of the conflict — the smoke, and dust, and 
 sweat of the light — the faintness and weariness 
 of mind — the voice of his Commander was always 
 heard, beckoning him on to the prize, " be faith- 
 ful until death, and then the crown." His faith 
 at times has wavered ; he has doubted. Like 
 Bunyan's pilgrims on the summits of the delect- 
 able mountains, when they arrived in sight of the 
 celestial city, they turned the perspective-glass 
 upon it, and their minds were so affected by the 
 terrible vision they had that their hands shook 
 so they could not look steadily through the in- 
 strument ; but they thought they saw something 
 like the gate and some of the glory of the place. 
 Such has been his mood at times in attempting to 
 gaze in the same direction ; a deep haze seems to 
 have settled over the golden pinnacles and gates 
 of pearl ; for a moment he doubted whether what 
 others had declared the} T had seen, and what he 
 thought he had seen himself, was anything more 
 than a gorgeous vision in the clouds, and faith 
 was no longer " the substance of things hoped for 
 
230 SERMONS. 
 
 and the evidence of things not seen." But it is 
 all over now. His triumph is complete ; he re- 
 tires from the field, and he goes home to receive 
 his reward. If the splendor of his triumph ex- 
 ceeds that of the soldier, the magnificence of the 
 reward and the fruit of his victory rise corres- 
 pondingly higher. G-od honors him. The same 
 voice that spoke the worlds from naught, com- 
 manded, and it stood fast ; that brought out the 
 morning stars and sons of God in grand concert 
 over the splendors of the new creation, will pro- 
 nounce the plaudit, "Well done, good and faith- 
 ful servant. 7 '" The omnipotent hand that stretched 
 out the heavens like a curtain ; that makes the 
 clouds his chariots, and walks upon the wings of 
 the wind ; that flung the sun from His fingers, 
 and sent it blazing and sparkling through the 
 heavens, flooding the world with light and heat ; 
 that laid in the bowels of the earth the shining 
 metals — the diamond and the amethyst ; that 
 paved the paths of his own feet in the sea with 
 pearls — that same hand is to construct the crown 
 that is to be placed upon his head. That taste, 
 infinite in its perfection, that painted the rose, 
 and put the delicate tints upon the violet and 
 lily, that garnished the heavens and robed the 
 landscape, is to weave the chaplet that binds his 
 brow. The infinite musical talent that taught 
 the morning stars their songs, and the sons of 
 
FOLLOWING THE MULTITUDE. 231 
 
 G-od their shouts ; that has seat a vein of music 
 through all nature ; that has taught the birds 
 their morning carols and vesper hymns, is to 
 compose the triumphal ode for his coronation. 
 
 J ottwwg t\w puttttmle. 
 
 (WRITTEN DURING THE LATE WAR.— Eds.) 
 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil." — Exodus, xxiii, 2. 
 
 There are two things assumed in the text. 
 First, that the multitude, the vast majority of 
 mankind, do evil ; second, that we are inclined to 
 follow them to do evil. It is a part of the busi- 
 ness of the preacher set apart by the Holy Spirit 
 for the office of the ministry, to prove some things 
 which are assumed by inspiration. There is not, 
 however, very great need of proof of these assump- 
 tions, particularly the first. I shall not undertake 
 therefore to offer much testimony in their support. 
 Look around you for the evidence of the truth of 
 the first, that the multitude do evil. Where is 
 the multitude to-day ? In what direction are 
 they walking ? What engages them ? What wick- 
 edness, profanity, drunkenness, Sabbath-breaking, 
 lying, cheating, stealing, money-worshipping, for- 
 getting of Grod, indifference to the obligations 
 they are under to Him, disregard of His com- 
 
232 SERMONS. 
 
 mauds! Where is the multitude, and how many 
 are doing good? How many are concerned and 
 careful to train their families for God ? How 
 many are engaged in acts of systematic benev- 
 olence and charity? How many are concerned 
 for the spread of the Gospel, the conversion of the 
 world, the institutions of the Church? How many 
 are interested in the Sabbath school? In all these 
 things the multitude feel not much interest. They 
 leave them to the few who have not as yet bowed 
 the knee to Baal ; but as for themselves they are 
 making haste to do evil ; with a zeal worthy of a 
 holy cause they are striving to do that which God 
 and experience pronounce evil. It is of no use to 
 refer to the past for proof of this assumption — to 
 the inhabitants before the flood, to Sodom and Go- 
 morrah, the races of the past generations, nor to 
 other lands or isles ; here in our own land we 
 have the saddest proof. Wickedness, evil, walks 
 abroad at noonday, and with unblushing face her 
 worshippers gather around her in adoring homage; 
 so that by opening our ej^es and looking around 
 us we have full proof of the first assumption. It 
 is a sad fact that the greater part of mankind are 
 so lost to all gratitude and affection that they are 
 not only doing the evil presented, but are in 
 search of more evil to do. It is no wonder that 
 we are afflicted as a people with war and want ; it 
 is no wonder that in answer to the sins which cry 
 
FOLLOWING THE MULTITUDE. 233 
 
 to heaven, God is now answering back with fire, 
 and sword, and shell, and the breath of pestilence. 
 It is very plain that a large majority of our people 
 are forgetting God. Instead of assembling around 
 the altars of God, uniting their prayers and efforts 
 to push forward the conquests of the Eedeemer, 
 they are carried away with greed for gain and are 
 going in a multitude to do evil. 
 
 Notwithstanding it is contrary to reason that 
 any man should prefer error to truth, and wrong 
 to right, and evil to good, yet the second assump- 
 tion in the text is also true, that we are inclined 
 to go with the multitude to commit all this abom- 
 inable wickedness. The proof I offer in support 
 of this assumption is as follows : 
 
 First, if we have the carnal mind in us, or the 
 remains of it, we have the same principle in us 
 which prompts the multitude to do evil. "The 
 carnal mind is enmity against God ; is not subject 
 to the law of God; neither, indeed, can it be." It 
 loves evil, sin, wickedness; is as prone to it as the 
 sparks to fly upward. It drinketh it in as the ox 
 doth water. It has a distaste for whatever is good 
 — right in the sight of God. 
 
 Secondly, we are inclined to go with the mul- 
 titude to do evil, because we value their good 
 opinion, and desire very much to have the appro- 
 bation of the multitude. Most persons have very 
 few passions stronger than this: the love of human 
 
 11* 
 
234 SERMONS. 
 
 applause, human approbation. Very few persons 
 can brook public disapprobation. The meanest 
 man in all the community becomes perfectly mis- 
 erable if he is greeted with a frown upon the face 
 of every one he meets. Having a disposition to 
 do evil, and by so doing we lose nothing of the 
 respect of the multitude, but rather stand in better 
 credit with them, we are not only inclined to do 
 evil, but it is the hardest, most difficult thing, to 
 go with the few and do good. I see here a rea- 
 son why Grod pities a poor, miserable sinner. 
 With an evil nature, and his fellows around him 
 doing evil, and talking evil, and popularizing it, a 
 tide of influence flows around him that is well cal- 
 culated to bear him away, a current sets in upon 
 him as resistless almost as the mountain torrent, a' 
 charm as fascinating as that kindled by the eye of 
 the serpent upon the brain and heart of the help- 
 less bird, fastens upon his soul; and if he does not 
 lift up his hands in the midst of the current and 
 cry for help, if he does not take his eye off the 
 accursed thing, and fix it upon the Cross, soon 
 with rapid strides his feet are with the many in 
 the broad road that leads to hell. 
 
 Thirdly, we are inclined to go with the multi- 
 tude to evil, because it appears to be the way of 
 most profit to us. To serve mammon — to buy, and 
 sell, and get gain — to increase in riches, and honor, 
 and fame — to be in a position to say "soul, thou 
 
FOLLOWING THE MULTITUDE. 235 
 
 hast much goods laid up for many years, take 
 thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry"- — to have 
 houses, and lands, and barns, and cattle, and 
 halls, and bowers, and parks, and lawns — seems 
 to be better, more certain, than laying up treasure 
 where moth and rust do not corrupt. The one 
 appears tangible, the other is a matter of faith 
 without sight ; the one is present, the other pros- 
 pective. And it appears to be to our interest to 
 go with the multitude in securing the present good 
 even to the neglect of future good. In this we 
 have a striking exemplification of that declaration 
 of Holy Writ, that "there is a way which seemeth 
 right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways 
 of death." 
 
 So much then for the truth of the assumptions of 
 the text. Now I propose to urge obedience to the 
 injunction of the text, by calling attention to some 
 reasons Avhy we should not follow the multitude 
 to do evil. In the first place, God, who has the 
 rightful authority, commands us not to do it. 
 The potter has power over the clay. God has the 
 right to command us to do what He chooses, and 
 forbid our doing what He will. No sane man 
 makes an issue about this. Men may dispute 
 whether or not a thing is the command of God, 
 whether or not what professes to be an injunction 
 from God really emanates from Him, but no in- 
 telligent man stultifies himself so much as to deny 
 
236 SERMONS. 
 
 God's right to lay whatever injunction He may 
 please to lay upon us. The highest authority and 
 the strongest reason for obedience to any com- 
 mand, is that it issues from God, whether it ac- 
 cords with our methods of thought, or modes of 
 reasoning, or not. The first and greatest reason, 
 then, why we should obey the injunction of the 
 text, is, that it issues from God. 
 
 The injunction is not only the command of God, 
 but obedience to it may be urged from the follow- 
 ing reasons : First, that which is wrong in an 
 individual, is wrong in a multitude of individuals. 
 Though every person in the world should do a 
 thins; which is wrong, that would not make it 
 right. The multitude cannot sanctify evil, and 
 render it good ; and yet there are a great many 
 people who have this idea. They have no other 
 standard for their conduct. If it is the way of 
 the world, the fashion, the common practice, if the 
 multitude do it, it is sufficient for them. This is 
 exemplified in the extortion now practiced upon 
 the country. How many have reference to what 
 a thing is worth in selling ? Speculators buy up 
 the necessaries of life, and hold them at the high- 
 est prices — two or three hundred per cent. — others 
 follow the example, and good men are found in 
 market practicing extortion, grinding down the 
 poor under the plea that they are entitled to the 
 same that others get, when the multitude, by trick 
 
FOLLOWING THE MULTITUDE. 237 
 
 and stratagem, get up these fabulous prices. And 
 there are many who really think this is right, 
 because the multitude do it. Who asks conscience 
 whether it is right to sell merchandise at two or 
 three hundred per cent. ? Who asks conscience 
 whether it is right to sell corn at ten dollars per 
 barrel? The question, "what is the highest fig- 
 ure ?" is put to the market man, instead of con- 
 science, under the conviction that it is right. 
 Now it may be just for a man to ask the highest 
 price, and take it, but is it merciful ? A man has 
 not only to be just, but he is to be merciful. God 
 could demand from you your life, and damn you 
 in hell, without regard to the fact as to whether it 
 would be a very comfortable thing for you, but 
 would it be merciful in Him to do so without giv- 
 ing you time and opportunity to repent ? How 
 can any man expect mercy from God when he 
 shows none to his fellow man? "With what 
 measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you 
 again." The point I am endeavoring to make is 
 this, that that which is wrong can never be con- 
 verted into right, that that which is evil can never 
 be converted into that which is good, though every 
 man on the face of this earth practiced it. And 
 yet there are thousands of persons who lay aside 
 God's word, and the counsels of the wise and 
 good, and the dictates of conscience, and govern 
 themselves in their, conduct by the opinions, and 
 practices of the multitude. There are many 
 
238 SERMONS. 
 
 people that pass for decent, respectable people, 
 who would steal if the multitude did it, and they 
 would regard it right. This is their standard of 
 right and wrong. 
 
 Again, you should not go with the multitude to 
 do evil, because the consequences of evil doing 
 cannot be mitigated at all, but will rather be 
 aggravated, by having a multitude of companions. 
 There is an old saying, that " misery loves com- 
 pany," but we have pretty good authority for say- 
 ing that hell's misery is aggravated by company. 
 You remember the rich man in hell tried to get 
 Lazarus to come and dip his linger in water and 
 cool his tongue, and when Abraham would not 
 send Lazarus to his relief he tried to get him to 
 send him to live brethren, which he had here in 
 this world, and warn them not to come to that 
 place of torment. I reckon it does not relieve a 
 man in the bottomless pit to hear his brother or 
 friend gnashing his teeth about his ears. I guess 
 the scream of one's neighbor is not very pleasant 
 music to him, when his own heart is tearing itself 
 with groanings which it cannot utter. It is the 
 multitude that makes the thunder of the wail that 
 reverberates along the sides of the pit. As the 
 voices of the one hundred and forty and four 
 thousand, and the innumerable company which 
 no man could number, swell the song of the 
 angels, and heighten the melody of Heaven ; as 
 the smiles of the myriads of the redeemed, with 
 
FOLLOWING THE MULTITUDE. 23 3 
 
 waving palms, thrill the soul of the participant, 
 so the wails, and groans, and clanking chains of 
 the lost augment and aggravate the misery in 
 hell. 
 
 Finally, you should not go with the multi- 
 tude to do evil, because, sooner or later, the pen- 
 alty annexed to evil doing will inevitably over- 
 take you. As an individual, it is impossible that 
 you can escape. You may escape for a long time ; 
 you may prosper, and nourish, and increase in 
 riches ; you may live to be old and enjoy fine 
 health ; your eyes may stand out in fatness ; you 
 may even forget that there are such things as sor- 
 row, and sickness and disappointments in the 
 world ; but evil days will certainly come, when 
 you will say, I have no pleasure in them. He 
 presents a sad spectacle, who has spent the morn- 
 ing and noon of his life in health and prosperity, 
 and when the evening comes on drags out a few 
 miserable years in pain and disease, following the 
 shade in the morning and evening, with swollen 
 and fevered limbs, changing from bed to pallet 
 and lounge, regretting his ill-spent life, loathing 
 his ill-gotten gains, because they cannot minister 
 to his pleasure. Or, if it comes not in a lingering 
 form, you are taken with a stroke when a great 
 ransom cannot deliver thee. You remember the 
 Psalmist said, when he saw the prosperity of the 
 wicked, "his feet well nigh slipped, his steps 
 were almost gone," until he went into the sanctu- 
 
240 SERMONS. 
 
 ary ; then lie understood their end ; then he saw 
 that they were set in slippery places, that they 
 were cast clown into destruction, that they were 
 brought into desolation as in a moment, that they 
 were utterly consumed with terrors. In some 
 form, at some time, it is to become a fact in your 
 history, that here in this life you, in a measure, 
 suffer the consequences of evil doing, as the 
 Psalmist plainly teaches, and as the word of God 
 teaches, in many places. In the world to come the 
 consequences of evil doing will be fully visited 
 upon you. The penalty surely comes. Then you 
 who are following the multitude, you who are do- 
 ing wrong because many others are doing so, let 
 me impress upon you the injunction of the text, 
 " Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil." 
 
 japttew.— jJmMtt !♦ 
 
 (The pamphlet alluded to in the two following Sermons teas circulated in the 
 Salisbury District while Dr. Reid was Presiding Elder of the same, 
 and ivas entitled " Reasons for Becoming a Baptist" by R<.v. S. Rem- 
 ington, published and circulated by the American Baptist Publication 
 Society of Philadelphia. — Eds.) 
 
 " One Lord, one Faith, one Baptism." — Ephesians, iv, 5. 
 
 I propose to-day taking the subject of baptism 
 for presentation, consequently dismiss from pres- 
 ent consideration the two first members of the 
 text, " One Lord, one faith." It has always 
 
BAPTISM. — SEEMON 1. 241 
 
 been to me, since I was a boy, a matter of as- 
 tonishment that this sacrament, baptism, should 
 be the occasion of so much controversy and 
 quarrelling, that it should be magnified into so 
 much importance by certain parties ; magnified 
 so much above the Lord's Supper, aye, even 
 above the Cross. But it results from a species of 
 religious fanaticism which has ever and anon 
 manifested itself since the institution of the 
 Church. If I had time I could bring up the his- 
 tory of the Church, and exhibit the old fanatical 
 issues which w T ere successively dividing and cor- 
 rupting the Church, and the similarity between 
 those old issues and this issue on baptism would 
 show it to be one of the same family, of the same 
 nature, going off with the shadow, and neglecting 
 the substance. It is astonishing into what error 
 and into what ridiculous notions religious fanati- 
 cism will lead men when unchecked. 
 
 Because the Methodists have been compara- 
 tively silent on the subject of baptism in this por- 
 tion of the country, many conclude that we have 
 surrendered the question, that we are afraid to 
 meet it, are afraid of controversy. Because we 
 have thought it best to preach Christ crucified, to 
 inculcate the doctrines of experimental religion, 
 teach and insist upon practical holiness, instead 
 of crying li water, water ," continually in our ser- 
 mons ; because we have thought it best to figh< 
 
242 SERMONS. 
 
 the devil instead of fighting our sister Churches, 
 we are charged with being afraid of controversy. 
 Afraid of controversy ! Why, the Methodist 
 Church was born amidst agitation; her infancy 
 was rocked in the throes of controversy. She 
 struck her roots in the soil and lifted her giant 
 arms in the heavens amidst the peltings of oppo- 
 sition, growing in a little more than a century 
 from a little handful that met Mr. Wesley once a 
 week, to hundreds and hundreds of thousands. 
 With the sword of truth, the word of God, our 
 fathers fought the way of our Church to her pres- 
 ent position of influence, and their sons have been 
 trained to emulate their illustrious example when 
 the cause of truth demands it. Afraid of con- 
 trovers}^ ! I tell you the reason why the Metho- 
 dist Church has laid aside the weapons of contro- 
 versy : it is because she has achieved her triumph, 
 she has won the field, she has vanquished her foes 
 pretty nearly upon all the main doctrines involved 
 in the contest. There is a little guerrilla warfare 
 now and then, a little shooting from hiding places, 
 but where is the orthodox Church in the land that 
 does not preach the doctrines for which the Meth- 
 odist Church fought — salvation by faith exhibited 
 by works, a free salvation for all, a knowledge of 
 sins forgiven, the witness of the spirit, holiness in 
 order to gain heaven. Having gotten these very 
 Churches right on the main essential doctrines, 
 
BAPTISM. SERMOX 1. 243 
 
 they are adopting our modes and methods — 
 building arbors, holding camp meetings, working 
 to get up revivals, and telling men they must 
 strive if they enter in at the straight gate. Hav- 
 ing gotten them right on these, our Church has 
 thought it best not to waste her energies on what 
 she conceives to be non-essential, such as the dif- 
 ference between baptizing a man in water and 
 with water ; and so long as other Churches hold 
 these non-essential points in their own churches 
 we have no objection ; but when they go beyond 
 their own bounds, and undertake to interrupt our 
 Church — try to sow the seeds of discontent, en- 
 deavor to interrupt the peace of our members, 
 then there is cause for controversy on a non- 
 essential point, to paralyze its power of mischief- 
 making. And if we are compelled to it — dragged 
 into it — we are rendered the more hopeful by our 
 past success, that we, as a Church, shall be able 
 to set them right on this as we have done on 
 other subjects. I am going to deal plainly — call 
 things by their proper names. I do not, of 
 course, expect to investigate this subject minutely 
 or thoroughly. I have not time to do this in a 
 sermon ; but, by adapting my method to the 
 humblest capacity, my plan is to endeavor to 
 give you the pith of the arguments. And I wish 
 here now to state, that for all good Baptists I 
 have profound respect and Christian love ; and 
 
244 SERMONS. 
 
 if anything shall fall from my lips that may be 
 regarded as severe and cutting, I do not intend 
 that for good, pious Baptists. 
 
 I now proceed to call your attention to the 
 nature of baptism and its design. Water bap- 
 tism is designed to represent the baptism of the 
 Holy Ghost, and is, consequently, the sign of re- 
 generation, or the new birth. Proof — Acts x, 
 43 : " To him gave all the prophets witness," &c. 
 John iii, 5-7 : "Jesus answered, Verily, verily 
 I say unto thee, except a man be born of water, 
 and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the king- 
 dom of God. That which is born of the flesh is 
 flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. 
 Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born 
 again." 1 John, v, 7: "For there are Three 
 that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, 
 and the Holy Ghost," &c. Gal. iii, 27-29 : "For 
 as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, 
 have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor 
 Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is 
 neither male nor female : for ye are all one in 
 Christ Jesus ; and if ye be Christ's, then are ye 
 Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the 
 promise." As a sign it is the initiatory rite into 
 the Church. "Go, teach all nations, baptizing 
 them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy 
 Ghost." " Whosoever believeth and is baptized, 
 shall be saved." Here is a precious little docu- 
 
BAPTISM. SERMON 1. 245 
 
 ment that is circulated by the sanction and 
 authority of Baptists, and it admits this, and says 
 all are agreed that it should be administered to 
 the same subject but once. It is also a confirm- 
 ing sign or seal. 
 
 I propose this morning to discuss the mode of 
 the administration of baptism. My proposition is 
 that the mode in which water is applied, or used, 
 in this sacrament is not essential. We sprinkle, 
 pour water upon, or immerse the candidate in 
 water. And just here, I may as well notice that 
 my text is used against us. " One Lord, one 
 faith, one baptism." We are charged with having 
 three baptisms. Some people are simple enough 
 to think that because we baptize in three ways, 
 we have three baptisms, and of course are wrong, 
 because the text says "one bajrtism." We have 
 only one baptism, but three ways or modes of 
 administering it ; not three baptisms, but three 
 ways of administering one baptism. Let me illus- 
 trate. Three persons are travelling — one is in 
 a carriage, another on horseback, and the other 
 on foot. Is it not one and the same thing; that 
 all three are doing, travelling? They are not 
 doing three different things, but they are doing 
 the same thing in three different ways, or by 
 three different methods. We have, therefore, 
 one baptism, but administer it in three different 
 ways, as each individual prefers, being " fully 
 
246 SERMONS. 
 
 persuaded in his own mind." And we do this 
 because the mode is not essential. In showing 
 that the mode is not essential we shall show that 
 immersion is not the only mode, but that pouring 
 and sprinkling are equally Scriptural and right, 
 and I will go farther and say, that sprinkling and 
 pouring are more Scriptural, for I hesitate not to 
 say that there is not recorded in the Bible a 
 clear case of immersion; but even if there were 
 recorded clear cases of immersion it would not 
 alter my position. There are three arguments 
 which I might offer to prove that immersion is 
 not the only mode of baptism, but I propose only 
 to offer the arguments drawn from Scripture, at 
 this time. 
 
 I prefer to take the Scriptural argument. I 
 propose to show by the teachings of inspiration 
 that immersion is not the exclusive mode. Now, 
 if I show that it is taught in the Scriptures that 
 any one person was baptized by any other 
 method than immersion, then I show that immer- 
 sion is not the only Scriptural mode. 
 
 The first case which I present is the baptism 
 of the Apostle Paul. He was most clearly and 
 evidently not immersed. "And Ananias went 
 his way, and entered into the house ; and putting 
 his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, 
 even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way 
 as thou earnest, hath sent me, that thou mightest 
 
BAPTISM. SERMON 1. 247 
 
 receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy 
 Ghost. And immediately there fell from his 
 eyes as if it had been scales : and he received 
 sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized " — 
 Acts, ix, 17, 18. The Greek word used is " an- 
 astas" — stood up, and was baptized. It is so 
 translated in Mark, xiv, 60: "And the high 
 priest stood up (anastas) in the midst and asked 
 Jesus," &c. It is so translated in many in- 
 stances. "And he came to Nazareth where he 
 had been brought up : and as his custom was, he 
 went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and 
 stood up (anaste) for to read." — Luke, iv, 1G. 
 " And there stood up (anastas) one of them 
 named Agabus," &c. — Acts, xi, 28. Now then, 
 what is the conclusive rendering of "and he stood 
 up and was baptized?" It is clear that the mode 
 in this case was not immersion. 
 
 The second case is that of the Philippian 
 jailor. We will read the history. " And, when 
 they had laid many stripes upon them (that is 
 Paul and Silas) they cast them into prison, 
 charging the jailor to keep them safely ; who 
 having received such a charge, thrust them into 
 the inner prison and made their feet fast in the 
 stocks." — Acts, xvi, 23, 24. The inspired writer 
 then goes on to tell how Paul and Silas prayed 
 and sang, and how the prison shook, and, when 
 the doors were opened by the shaking, the jailor 
 
248 SERMONS. 
 
 drew his sword and was about to kill himself, 
 but Paul told him they were all there, aud he 
 then sprang into the prison where they were — 
 in the inner prison — brought them out of the inner 
 prison into the outer prison, and there he washed 
 their stripes, and there he was baptized, and 
 then he took them into the house, or the apart- 
 ment of the prison in which he lived. Was there 
 likely a baptismal font there ? I guess the 
 jailor and the migistrates would hardly keep one, 
 as the} r did not believe in it, but were bitter 
 enemies of the whole thing. But our Baptist 
 friends, hard pressed, are driven to the necessity 
 of drawing on their imagination, and supply a 
 part of the history not in the record and not re- 
 concilable to it. They say that Paul and Silas 
 took the jailor and his family off and baptized 
 them and then returned. Why, then, does Paul 
 refuse even to go out of the house when word is 
 sent to him to depart in peace ? No, he says, let 
 them come and fetch us out. If he had been off 
 from the prison hunting for a lake or pond it 
 would be nothing but downright hypocrisy in 
 him to pretend that he would not go out of the 
 jail until they took him out. This, then, is an- 
 other perfectly clear case where baptism was 
 administered some other way than by immersion. 
 The third case is that of Cornelius, which we 
 find in Acts, tenth chapter. Cornelius, warned 
 
BAPTISM.— SERMON 1. 249 
 
 of God by an angel, sent for Peter, and waiting 
 for him, called together his kinsmen and near 
 friends, and as Peter was coming in Cornelias 
 fell down at his feet, and Peter made him get up, 
 and then Peter preached to them and the Holy 
 Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. 
 Then says Peter, there in the house — there is 
 no hint that they left or that there was any de- 
 lay — " Can any man forbid ivater, that these 
 should not be baptized which have received the 
 Holy Ghost, as well as we ?" and the inference 
 that they were then and there baptized. 
 
 The fourth case is that of the Israelites. Now 
 let us get the facts as related Irv Moses. " And 
 the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea 
 upon the dry ground, and the waters were a wall 
 unto them on their right hand, and on their left." 
 — Exodus, xiv, 22. Again we read : "And the 
 waters returned and covered the chariots, and the 
 horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came 
 into the sea after them ; there remained not so 
 much as one of them. But the children of Israel 
 walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea, 
 and the waters were a wall unto them on their 
 right hand and on their left " — Exodus, xiv, 28 
 29. Paul says : " By faith they passed through 
 the Red Sea as by dry land ; which the Egyp- . 
 tians essaying to do were drowned." Heb., xi, 
 29. Now, Paul says again : "Moreover, breth- 
 
 12 
 
250 SERMONS. 
 
 ren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how 
 that all our fathers were under the cloud ; and 
 all passed through the sea and were all baptized 
 unto Moses in the cloud, and in the sea.' 7 I Cor., 
 x, 1, 2. Now, if the history is true they were 
 not immersed, for they passed on dry land — dry 
 ground, and the idea that six hundred thousand 
 men, besides women and children, were dipped — 
 immersed on dry ground is simply ridiculous. 
 Let the Psalmist tell us how they were baptized. 
 " The waters saw thee, 0, God, the* waters saw 
 thee ; they were afraid : the depths also were 
 troubled. The clouds poured out water ; the 
 skies sent out a sound ; thine arrows also went 
 abroad." — Psalms, lxxvii, 16, 17. Here God 
 performs the rite and explains the mode unmis- 
 takably. Here are four distinct instances in 
 which baptism was administered otherwise than 
 by immersion, and right here we might rest the 
 case ; no matter how many instances might be 
 shown of immersion, these four, to say nothing 
 about others, will forever prove that immersion 
 is not the only mode. But it is alleged that 
 Christ was immersed, and we are to follow 
 Christ, with Him go down under the water ; and 
 with this the Baptists have made more proselytes 
 than with any other argument. They say, "read 
 the third chapter of Matthew and learn there 
 your duty." This is their strong point. This 
 
BAPTISM. SERMON 1. 251 
 
 little pamphlet, " Reasons for becoming a Bap- 
 tist," states it thus, on page 18 : 
 
 " From the whole, my conclusions were that 
 Christ was baptized under the gospel dispensa- 
 tion ; not as a Jewish priest ; not unto repent- 
 ance — for He had no sin to repent of — but as 
 our great Teacher and Exemplar of practical obe- 
 dience ; ratifying the ordinance by sealing it 
 with His own example, that all His Church 
 should follow His steps. I can see it in no other 
 light." 
 
 "Christ was baptized under the gospel dispen- 
 sation, not as a Jewish priest." The}', the Bap- 
 tists, say that Christ has only instituted one 
 Church, and we are to follow His example. Now, 
 I undertake to show that John's baptism was not 
 Christian baptism — that Christ, consequently, was 
 not baptized with Christian baptism, and never in- 
 tended that His baptism should be an example to 
 us ; but, on the contrary, He was set apart, in- 
 troduced into His priestly office by the washing 
 applied by John. I reckon that it will be agreed 
 to that John's baptism and all his services in the 
 Church preceded and were preparatory to the 
 Christian dispensation. The Scriptures emphat- 
 ically state it : " Behold, I will send my messen- 
 ger and he shall prepare the way before me." — 
 Mai., iii, 1. John said, when he appeared, that 
 he was not the Christ, but that he was sent before 
 
252 SERMONS. 
 
 Him. "This is he that was spoken of by the 
 prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying 
 in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the 
 Lord, make His paths straight." His manner of 
 preaching was not that of a gospel minister. He 
 did not preach a crucified, and buried, and arisen, 
 and ascended Saviour — he simply preached a 
 kingdom at hand, and that was what he baptized for 
 — to prepare the way for the Christian baptism. 
 Hear this, "that He (that is Christ), might be 
 made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come, 
 baptizing with water." "He that cometh after 
 me will baptize you with the Holy Ghost and 
 with fire." The character and epithets applied 
 to John show that he never was considered a min- 
 ister of the Christian dispensation. Hear Zacha- 
 rias, quoted by St. Luke, i, 76 : " And thou, child, 
 shalt be called the prophet of the Highest, for 
 thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to pre- 
 pare His ways." Eefer to Matthew, xi, 7, 8, 9. 
 " What went ye out into the wilderness to see? 
 A reed shaken with the wind ? But what went 
 ye out for to see ? A man clothed in soft raiment ? 
 behold, they that wear soft clothing are in king's 
 houses. But what went ye out for to see ? A 
 prophet? yea, I say unto } r ou and more than a 
 prophet. For this is he of whom it is written, " Be- 
 hold, I send my messenger before thy face, which 
 shall prepare the way before thee." John was 
 
BAPTISM. SERMON 1. 253 
 
 not only a prophet, but superior to all the pro- 
 phets, and yet was inferior to the least in the king- 
 dom of heaven, John was not a preacher in the 
 Christian dispensation, for his commission was dif- 
 ferent. The commission in the Christian dispen- 
 sation is, "Go into all the world;" "Go, teach all 
 nations.' 7 John's commission was, "Go not into 
 the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the 
 Samaritans enter ye not, but go rather to the lost 
 sheep of the house of Israel." His baptism was 
 not called Christian baptism, but was called 
 "John's baptism." And now, if anything more 
 is wanting, the whole matter is put to rest — for- 
 ever settled — by the fact that John's disciples 
 were rebaptized by Paul's direction. Refer to 
 Acts, xix, and read: "And it came to pass, that 
 while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed 
 through the upper coasts, came to Ephesus ; and 
 finding certain disciples he said unto them, have ye 
 received the Holy Ghost since ye believed ? And 
 they said unto him, we have not so much as heard 
 whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said 
 unto them, unto what then were ye baptized? 
 And they said, unto John's baptism. Then said 
 Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of 
 repentance, saying unto the people that they 
 should believe on Him which should come after 
 him, that is, on Christ Jesus. "When they heard this 
 they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 
 
254 SERMONS. 
 
 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them the 
 Holy Ghost came on them, and they spake with 
 tongues and prophesied. And all the men were 
 about twelve." 
 
 "Reasons for becoming a Baptist," in speaking 
 of this, says: "These persons were undoubtedly 
 rebaptized. But why? Was it because of any 
 imperfection in John's baptism ? I think not. 
 But the whole passage implies that they had been 
 baptized irregularly." 
 
 Baptized irregularly! Where is the proof of 
 this ? Who did it ? John ? Where is there any 
 evidence that any one else baptized with John's 
 baptism but John himself? If anybody baptized 
 them irregularly it was John himself. 
 
 Again, no one will pretend that John baptized 
 in the name of the Trinity. All agree that this is 
 essential to Christian baptism. All this shows 
 that John's baptism was not Christian baptism. 
 In the very nature of things the Christian dis- 
 pensation could not commence until the old dis- 
 pensation was abolished by the death of Christ. 
 "The Passover was observed until Christ insti- 
 tuted the Lord's Supper. The temple service was 
 hallowed until the veil was rent asunder by His 
 death. The Jewish Sabbath was observed until 
 He arose on the third day." Robt. Hall, the 
 great Baptist of England, the great author of the 
 Baptist Church, admits in his works, vol. I, page 
 
BAPTISM. SERMON 1. 255 
 
 372: "No rite celebrated during the ministry of 
 John is entitled to a place among Christian sacra- 
 ments." This is his language. 
 
 Having seen that Christ's baptism was not 
 Christian baptism, the question arises, for what 
 vas He baptized? His baptism was consecration 
 to the office of High Priest. Now, the proof of 
 this. First, "He was born a Jew, was circum- 
 cised, lived and died a member of the Jewish 
 society." This will not be denied. Second, He 
 was G-od's High Priest, "called of God as was 
 Aaron." This little pamphlet says that Christ 
 was not baptized as a Jewish priest. I refer to 
 this now to show by the argument of the Apostle 
 that He was G-od's High Priest, and how He was 
 appointed, and also to expose the use the author 
 makes of his quotations. Read the following from 
 Heb., vii, 14-24 : "For it is evident that our Lord 
 sprang out of Juda ; of which tribe Moses spake 
 nothing concerning priesthood. And it is yet far 
 more evident, for that after the similitude of Mel- 
 chisedec there ariseth another Priest, who is made 
 not after the law of a carnal commandment, but 
 after the power of an endless life. For He testi- 
 fieth, thou art a priest forever after the order of 
 Melchisedec. For there is verily a disannulling 
 of the commandment going before, for the weak- 
 ness and unprofitableness thereof; for the law 
 made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a 
 
256 SERMONS. 
 
 better hope did, by the which we draw nigh unto 
 God. And inasmuch as not without an oath He 
 was made Priest : (for those priests were made 
 without an oath ; but this with an oath, by Him 
 that said unto Him, the Lord sware, and will not 
 repent, Thou art a Priest forever after the order 
 of Melchiscdec): by so much was Jesus mafle 
 surety of a better testament. And they .truly 
 were many priests, because they were not suffered - 
 to continue by reason of death ; but this Man, be- 
 cause He continueth ever, hath an unchangeable 
 priesthood." 
 
 The Apostle is showing how He was made a 
 priest, though He was not sprung from Aaron or 
 Levi, upon whom the priesthood was settled. 
 Now this man's argument here in "Reasons for 
 becoming a Baptist" shows, if it shows anything 
 at all, that Christ was not a priest at all, and 
 could not be, because He sprang from another 
 tribe. The Apostle. is showing how he could be 
 and was chosen of God, and this man takes por- 
 tions of his argument and makes him contradict 
 himself. If he had read it all, or quoted it all, it 
 would have appeared quite differently. Third,.:, 
 the Jewish law required that none should be 
 High Priests until they were thirty years of age, 
 were washed or baptized with water, and anoint- 
 ed with holy oil. Read Lev., viii,- 1-6: "-And 
 the Lord spake unto Moses, saying: Take Aaron 
 
BAPTISM.— SERMON 1. 257 
 
 and his sons with him, and the garments, and the 
 anointing oil, and a bullock for the sin-offering, 
 and two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread ; 
 and gather thou all the congregation together 
 unto the door of the tabernacle of the congrega- 
 tion. And Moses did as the Lord commanded 
 him ; and the assembly was gathered together 
 unto the door of the tabernacle of the congrega- 
 tion. And Moses said unto the congregation, 
 This is the thing which the Lord commanded to 
 be done. And Moses brought Aaron and his 
 sons, and washed them with water." Also Num., 
 iv, 1-3: "And the Lord spake unto Moses and 
 
 : unto Aaron, saying : Take the sum of the sons of 
 Kohath from araono; the sons of Levi, after their 
 families, by the house of their fathers; from thirty 
 years old and upward, even until fifty years old, 
 all that enter into the host, to do the work in the 
 tabernacle of the congregation." No one disputes 
 this. Baptists agree to it. Now, I show that 
 Christ answered to these requirements. St. Luke, 
 iii, 23, says: "And Jesus himself began to be 
 
 ; about thirty years of age." Immediately after 
 His baptism He was anointed with the Holy 
 Ghost, typified by the holy oil. Read Acts, x, 
 37, 38: "That word, I say, you know, which was 
 published throughout all Judea, and began from 
 
 • (ratflee7 after the baptism which John preached; 
 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the 
 
 12* 
 
258 SERMONS. 
 
 Holy G-host and with power ; who went about 
 doing good, and healing all that were oppressed 
 of the devil, for God was with Him." 
 
 If anything is now lacking to prove that that 
 was the object of His baptism, let Christ Himself 
 give the finishing stroke, which puts it beyond all 
 doubt. Read Matt., xxi, 23-27 : "And when He 
 was come into the temple the chief priests and the 
 elders of the people came unto Him as He was 
 teaching, and said: By what authority doest Thou 
 these things? and who gave Thee this authority? 
 And Jesus answered and said unto them : I also 
 will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me I in 
 likewise will tell you by what authority I do these 
 things. The baptism of John, whence was it? 
 from heaven, or of men ? And they reasoned 
 with themselves, saying, if we shall say from 
 heaven, He will say unto us, why did ye not then 
 believe him? But if we shall say of men, we 
 fear the people ; for all hold John as a prophet. 
 And they answered Jesus and said, we cannot 
 tell. And he said unto them, neither tell I you 
 by what authority I do these things." 
 
 Here we see Him in the exercise of His office, 
 regulating the service of the temple, correcting 
 misconduct among its officers, which priests alone 
 had a right to do. They demanded of Him His 
 authority for doing it. Hear His reply: '"The 
 baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, 
 
BAPTISM. SERMON 1. 259 
 
 or of men?" John had the right, being of the 
 Aaronic order ; and having consecrated Him He 
 was here in the exercise of His office. "Reasons 
 for becoming a Baptist" says, page 16: "The 
 term righteousness denotes practical obedience." 
 Obedience to what? to the law? Why, He had 
 been circumcised. Now being made a high priest, 
 He must be washed or baptized and keep the 
 Passover, etc., and thus fulfil all righteousness. 
 
 Now, I submit if this is not the fair conclusion 
 from all the facts ? In the absence of all this, one 
 reason of itself would be sufficient to show that 
 He did not intend His should be an example. 
 He waited until He was thirty years of age ; and 
 if we follow His example, we must wait until we 
 are thirty years of age to be baptized. If, then, 
 He were baptized for the high priesthood, the 
 strong inference is that He was not immersed by 
 John, but washed, as John's tribe was accustomed 
 to do when consecrating a priest. Here is the 
 mode specific, Num., viii, 5-7: "And the Lord 
 spake unto Moses, saying : Take the Levites from 
 among the children of Israel, and cleanse them. 
 And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse 
 them : Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and 
 let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash 
 their clothes, and so make themselves clean." 
 Also Ex., xxix. 4: "And Aaron and his sons 
 thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle 
 
260 SERMONS. 
 
 of the congregation, and shalt wash them with 
 water." This is just what John did. Baptized 
 Him with, not under, water; not at the door of 
 the tabernacle, but at Jordan, in open space; be- 
 cause he was to be high priest not only for the 
 Jews, but for all the world. All these facts con- 
 strained the great, fair minded Baptist, Robert 
 Hall, to admit what we contend for. He says, 
 page 372, vol. i., of his works: "He (Christ) was 
 inaugurated into His office (the priesthood) at His 
 baptism, till which period he remained in the 
 obscurity of private life." And if he was an 
 example, why not baptize him as the first one ? 
 John's disciples were baptized before He was. 
 They were baptized unto repentance. Christ 
 could not be baptized unto repentance, for He 
 was without sin, and the irresistible conclusion is 
 that He was set apart for the high priesthood in 
 His baptism. Christ instituted Christian baptism 
 himself afterwards, as He did the Lord's Supper, 
 and that is the baptism He wants us to follow. 
 Those who think they must follow Christ in His 
 baptism, ought also to follow Him in being cir- 
 cumcised, in keeping the passover, in fasting forty 
 days and forty nights, in washing his disciples' 
 feet, etc. 
 
 But, say the Baptists, what does the Apostle 
 mean in writing to the Romans, vi, 3,4: " Know 
 ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into 
 
BAPTISM. SERMON 1. 261 
 
 Jesus Christ, were baptized into His death ? 
 Therefore we are buried with Him b} T baptism 
 into death ; that like as Christ was raised up 
 from the dead by the glory of the Father, even 
 so we also should walk in newness of life ?" Bap- 
 tism is here used as a sign to represent the death, 
 burial, and resurrection of Christ, and as the 
 dead are put down into the grave, the baptized 
 ought to be put down into the water. This is 
 what the Baptists say. " Reasons for becoming a 
 Baptist " thus states it, on page 24 : "I consider 
 that a careful examination of this passage estab- 
 lishes the following : 1. That baptism is here 
 used as a metaphor, by which to represent the 
 death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. 2. Of 
 the Christian's death to sin, and resurrection to 
 spiritual life." I shall undertake to show that it 
 is only used to represent "the Christian's death 
 to sin, and resurrection to spiritual life." I have 
 not time to discuss all the points involved in this 
 controversy, so I have selected the strongest 
 points. This passage in connection with Christ's 
 baptism, is one of the strongest holds of exclu- 
 sive immersionists, and if I can show that this 
 passage avails nothing for them, they go to the 
 wall the second time. 
 
 In the first place, the Lord's Supper was insti- 
 tuted to show forth his death until he come again. 
 Now He would not add another sacrament, to 
 
262 SERMONS. 
 
 show forth the same thing. Again, putting a can- 
 didate under water, does not represent his death, 
 because He was put upon the Cross in the air 
 when he died ; neither can it represent his burial, 
 because he was laid in a sepulchre above ground ■ 
 neither does it represent an ordinary burial, for 
 plunging a man under and jerking him out is not 
 like a burial, but if you would lay him down and 
 sprinkle or pour water upon him, there might be 
 a slight resemblance. Again, if it had been a 
 sign, surely the disciples of Christ would have 
 known it. They certainly did not so understand 
 it, for they wondered what the rising from the 
 dead should mean ; if baptism was a sign they 
 were administering it every day, and certainly 
 ought to have understood it. Again, the "Romans, 
 to whom the Apostle was writing, when he used 
 the figure, would not have understood it, for they 
 did not bury their dead at all. They burned 
 their dead bodies and preserved the ashes. 
 But allow that the Apostle meant it in a spiritual 
 sense, as the death of sin in the soul, the burning 
 up of the dross of sin, and the purifying of the 
 soul by the fire of the Holy Ghost, and then the 
 figure, borrowed from their method of preserving 
 their dead bodies, becomes very striking. Again, 
 Christ clearly, and positively, and emphatically 
 says, it is not a sign of his death, burial and re- 
 surrection. Now hear Him, and if you respect His 
 
BAPTISM. — SERMON I. 203 
 
 words — if you believe His words, insist no more 
 that it does represent His death, burial, and re- 
 surrection. Read Matt, xii, 39, 40: "But He 
 answered and said to them, an evil and adulter- 
 ous generation seeketh after a sign ; and there 
 shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the 
 Prophet Jonas : For as Jonas was three days 
 and three nights in the whale's belly, so shall the 
 Son of man be three days and three nights in the 
 heart of the earth." Here Christ settles the 
 question himself, in His own language. 
 
 Having shown that it cannot refer to Christ's 
 death, burial and resurrection, it is not necessary 
 to spend much time in showing that it refers to 
 our death to sin, and resurrection to spiritual life. 
 Baptists admit this, as I have shown in the quo- 
 tation from one of their authors. How is this 
 done ? Read 1 Cor., xii, 13 : " For by one Spirit 
 are we all baptized into one body, whether we be 
 Jews or G-entiles, whether we be bond or free; and 
 have been all made to drink into one Spirit." 
 It refers, then, to our spiritual resurrection to life, 
 our spiritual birth, our spiritual baptism. Then 
 I turn the argument of the Baptists upon them. 
 They say, arguing that it refers to His death, 
 burial, and resurrection, it ought to be harmoni- 
 ous with the mode of issuing water ; ought, as 
 far as possible, to represent a death, burial, and 
 resurrection — the thing referred to. Now, we 
 
264 SERMONS. 
 
 have it that it does not and cannot refer to Christ's 
 death, burial, and resurrection, but it refers to 
 the death of sin in the soul — the death of the 
 carnal mind, produced by the regenerating influ- 
 ence of the Holy Spirit. Very well, then the 
 mode of issuing water to represent that, should 
 be harmonious, should agree with the manner 
 in which that thing is done, according to 
 their own mode of reasoning. How is that 
 done ? How, in other words, is the soul 
 baptized with the Holy Ghost ? As this was 
 done, so John and the Apostles baptized with 
 water. " I, indeed, baptize you with water unto 
 repentance ; but He that cometh after me is 
 mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy 
 to bear ; He shall baptize you with the Holy 
 Ghost, and with fire." To prepare, by represen- 
 tation, His way — to prepare for the baptism of the 
 Holy Ghost, " I am come baptizing with water." 
 How, I repeat, was and is the soul baptized with 
 the Holy Ghost ? Whenever reference is made 
 specially to the baptism of the Holy Ghost, 
 immersion is never once expressed, or implied, but, 
 on the contrary, the baptism of the Holy Ghost 
 is specifically a baptism of pouring or sprinkling. 
 Now the proof of this, Joel, ii, 28, 29 : " And it 
 shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out 
 my Spirit upon all flesh ; and your sons and your 
 daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall 
 
BAPTISM. SERMON 1. 265 
 
 dream dreams, your young men shall see visions : 
 And also upon the servants and upon the hand- 
 maids in those days will I pour out my Spirit," 
 John, referring to Christ, who should fulfill this 
 prophecy, declares, "He shall baptize you with 
 the Holy Ghost and with fire." Then Jesus ex- 
 plains the meaning of John, and confirms the 
 prophecy of Joel, Acts i, 5 : " For John truly 
 baptized with water ; but ye shall be baptized 
 with the Holy Ghost not man} T days hence." 
 And now, in fulfillment of this saying of Christ, 
 Luke tells us, Acts ii, 3, 4: "And there ap- 
 peared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, 
 and it sat upon each of them : And they were 
 all filled with the Holy Ghost." And then Peter 
 explains the whole matter, in Acts ii, 16, 18: 
 "But this is that which was spoken by the Prophet 
 Joel. And it shall come to pass in the last days, 
 saith God, I will pour out of M} T Spirit upon all 
 flesh : and } T our sons and your daughters shall 
 prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, 
 and your old men shall dream dreams : And on 
 My servants, and on My hand-maidens, I will 
 pour out in those days of My Spirit ; and they 
 shall prophesy." Then, after explaining John's 
 baptism, he goes on to say, Acts, xi, 15, 16 : 
 "And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell 
 on them, as on us at the beginning. Then remem- 
 bered I the word of the Lord, how that He said, 
 
266 SERMONS. 
 
 •John indeed baptized with water ; but ye shall 
 be baptized with the Holy Ghost." How then 
 was it? Fell on them, sat on them, was poured 
 out on them. Then that is the way water ought 
 to be used. Hear Isaiah lii, 15 : " So shall He 
 sprinkle many nations." If we understand this 
 literally — referring to water baptism — it settles 
 the question as to the mode, but the Baptists say 
 we must understand it in a spiritual sense. Then 
 it settles the mode of spiritual baptism, and, of 
 course, settles the question. Once more, read 
 Ezekiel, xxxvi, 24, 25: "For I will take you 
 from among the heathen, and gather you out of 
 all countries, and will bring you into your own 
 land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon yon, 
 and ye shall be clean ; from all your filthiness, 
 and from all your idols will I cleanse you." 
 
 "Very well," perhaps some Baptist is ready to 
 say, "allow that we give up all these points, then 
 the original Greek word settles the question, for 
 its primary meaning is to immerse." " Reasons 
 for becoming a Baptist" says, page 6: "My 
 next business was to obtain the meaning of the 
 word baptizo, as translated by Greek lexicograph- 
 ers. I obtained the testimony of no less than 
 twenty-three, all of whom agree that its primary 
 meaning is ' to immerse, plunge, dip, over- 
 whelm ;" and a few of them give as a remote 
 meaning, ' to wash, lave, or tinge.' " It is admit- 
 
BAPTISM. SERMON" 1. 267 
 
 ted that it means to wash, to pour, to sprinkle, 
 but is claimed that its first meaning is to im- 
 merse, in classic literature. What did tbe 
 classic writers know about the Christian sacra- 
 ment of baptism ? Nothing at all, never used 
 it in reference to it. The original classic Greek 
 is not the Greek in which the New Testament 
 was written. It was written in the later Greek 
 as spoken by the foreigners of the Hebrew stock 
 after the disuse of the ancient Hebrew in Pales- 
 tine, and the irruption of the Western conquerors. 
 The Jews adopted the Greek language from ne- 
 cessity. It was the spoken language of ordinary 
 life they learned. They spoke it as foreigners, 
 and used it in relation to things on which the an- 
 cient classics never wrote or spoke. Now, you 
 can see how they would use a word which came 
 the nearest expressing what they meant. As 
 this word was used in the sense of wash, to 
 cleanse by washing, even by the classic authors, 
 in that sense they used it, as it better expressed 
 their meaning than any word that had exclusive 
 reference to the manner in which the thing was 
 done. Even allow that the primary meaning in 
 the classics is to dip (which I do not, I contend 
 and assert that its main meaning in the classics is 
 to wash), then we are not to be held to the pri- 
 mary meaning, for this was not the rule which 
 governed the Apostles. I will give you an ex- 
 
268 SERMONS. 
 
 ample or two to show that the primary meaning 
 of words was departed from. " Except a man 
 be born of water and of the Spirit," &c. — John, 
 iii, 5. The primary meaning of the original word 
 used here for spirit — pneurna — is wind. " For the 
 Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither 
 angel, nor spirit." Pneuma — the primary mean- 
 ing of which is wind — is here again used for spirit. 
 Nomas originally meant a song — soon became to 
 mean a law, because the first laws of all nations, 
 according to Plato, were written in verse. In 
 view of these facts and in view of the use we have 
 shown that the Apostles made of this word, no 
 matter what the primary meaning, it does not 
 mean immerse every time, for we have shown 
 that it has been used in connection with baptisms 
 where there was no immersion. Again, if this 
 word so clearly means immerse, why change it — 
 why translate it baptize ? 
 
 Finally, our own reason convinces us that the 
 mode is not essential. If the mode was essential, 
 Christ, who was so particular— even gave a form 
 of prayer — certainly would not have left it an 
 open question. Again, it is impossible to prac- 
 tice immersion in some latitudes, and with the 
 sick, and it is unreasonable because it involves 
 the Baptists in unreasonable and absurd posi- 
 tions. We have not time now to go over the 
 whole ground, and we propose to deliver another 
 discourse on the subject of baptism. 
 
BAPTISM. SERMON 2. 269 
 
 §ajrttew. — jformott 2. 
 
 " One Lord, one Faith, one Baptism." — Ephesians, iv, 5. 
 
 In the preceding discourse we discussed the 
 mode of baptism. I propose in this to show who 
 are proper subjects of baptism. The main issue 
 we approach at once, which is infant baptism — 
 Pedobaptists affirming that they are proper sub- 
 jects of baptism, and Baptists denying that they 
 are. In maintaining the title of infants to bap- 
 tism, I shall offer arguments drawn from only two 
 sources : From the Scriptures, and from reason. 
 I leave out the argument from the Fathers, as 
 I have not time to notice all. 
 
 First, we propose to show from the Scriptures, 
 clearly and conclusively, that infants are proper 
 subjects of baptism. Right here we are asked to 
 show a positive command that children shall be 
 baptized, "a thus saith the Lord, for it." We 
 shall do that or its equivalent before we have r?n- 
 ished this branch of the argument ; but allow 
 that we could not, then infants ought to be bap- 
 tized until the Baptists can show a positive com- 
 mand that they should not. Infants were taken 
 into the Church by the positive injunction and 
 command of God in the old dispensation, in the 
 covenant made to Abraham and renewed and 
 
270 SERMONS. 
 
 confirmed to Moses, and fulfilled and completed 
 by our Lord Jesus Christ ; these covenants are 
 all one, the Church is all one, both in the old dis- 
 pensation and the new. Xow, I say it devolves 
 upon the Baptists to show when and where, and 
 by whom, infants were put out of the Church of 
 God. Who did this but the Baptists? Who 
 had authority to do it ? It was not done by 
 Christ, I am sure, for He took them in His arms 
 and blessed them, and said, ''Suffer little children 
 to come unto me for of such is the Kingdom of 
 Heaven." The Baptists say they shall not go ; 
 that they are not of the Kingdom of Heaven 
 — the Church. It was not done by the Apostles, 
 for they said the promise is unto you and your 
 children, and if so, they ought to be baptized. 
 But this is the way that those who are opposed 
 to infant baptism meet the issue : they say that 
 the Jewish Church and the Christian Church are 
 not one, that Christ instituted a new Church, and 
 that the Jewish Church was only intended to last 
 until the coming of Christ. They do not like to 
 take this position I know, but they are driven to 
 it, or they feel and know that they are compelled 
 to admit infant baptism. I want to state the 
 issue fairly and distinctly. G-od forbid that I 
 should endeavor to carry any point by inuendo 
 or trick. We affirm that the Jewish Church 
 under the old dispensation, and the Christian 
 
BAPTISM. SERMON 2. 271 
 
 Church under the new dispensation, are the same 
 Church. The Baptists deny this. If we can 
 maintain this position, then the Baptists must sur- 
 render the question, or show that the children 
 have, by express precept, been excluded from the 
 Church in the Christian dispensation, for they 
 were certainly included in the old. 
 
 Now let us turn to Genesis, xii, 1-7 : "Now 
 the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of 
 thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy 
 father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee : 
 and I will make of thee a great nation, and I 
 will bless thee, and make thy name great ; and 
 thou shalt be a .blessing : and I will bless them 
 that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee : 
 and in thee shall all families of the earth be 
 blessed. So Abram departed, as the Lord had 
 spoken unto him, and Lot went with him : and 
 Abram was seventy and five years old when he 
 departed out of Haran. And Abram took Sarai 
 his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their 
 substance that they had gathered, and the souls 
 that they had gotten in Haran ; and they went 
 forth to go into the land of Canaan ; and into the 
 land of Canaan they came. And Abram passed 
 through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto 
 the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was 
 then in the land. And the Lord appeared 
 unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give 
 
272 SERMONS. 
 
 this land : and there bnilded he an altar unto the 
 Lord, who appeared unto him." 
 
 In G-enesis, xvii, 1-14, God renews the cov- 
 enant. Read it — -"And when Abrain was ninety 
 years old and nine, the Lord appeared to 
 Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty 
 God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And 
 I will make my covenant between me and thee, 
 and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram 
 fell on his face : and God talked with him, saying, 
 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and 
 thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither 
 shall thy name any more be called Abram ; but 
 thy name shall be Abraham ;„ for a father of 
 many nations have I made thee. And I will 
 make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make na- 
 tions of thee ; and kings shall come out of thee. 
 And I will establish my covenant between me 
 and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their gen- 
 erations, for an everlasting covenant : to be a 
 God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And 
 I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, 
 the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land 
 of Canaan, for an everlasting possession ; and I 
 will be their God. And God said unto Abra- 
 ham, Thou shalt keep my covenant, therefore, 
 thou, and thy seed after thee, in their genera- 
 tions. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, 
 between me and you, and thy seed after thee : 
 
BAPTISM. SERMON 2. 273 
 
 Every man-child, among you shall be circumcised. 
 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your fore- 
 skin ; and it shall be a token of the covenant be- 
 twixt me and you. And he that is eight days old 
 shall be circumcised among } T ou, every man-child 
 in your generations, he that is born in the house, 
 or bought with money of any stranger, which is 
 not of th^y seed. He that is born in thy house, 
 and he that is bought with thy money, must needs 
 be circumcised : and my covenant shall be in 
 your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the 
 uncircumcised man-child, whose flesh of his fore- 
 skin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off 
 from his people ; he hath broken my covenant." 
 
 And in Genesis, xxii, 15-18, he blesses him 
 again : " And the angel of the Lord called unto 
 Abraham out of heaven the second time, and 
 said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for 
 because thou hast done this thing, and hast not 
 withheld thy son, thine only son : That in bless- 
 ing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will 
 multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and 
 as the sand which is upon the sea-shore ; and 
 thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies ; 
 and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth 
 be blessed ; because thou hast obeyed my voice." 
 
 Now, it is clear that in this covenant children 
 were embraced ; this was the institution of the 
 Church under the old dispensation. It was re- 
 
 13 
 
274 SERMONS. 
 
 newed unto Moses, This will not be disputed. 
 Paul represents them as eating and drinking of 
 the Spiritual Rock, which was Christ Jesus : 
 " Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should 
 be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under 
 the cloud, and all passed through the sea ; and 
 were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and 
 in the sea ; and did all eat the same spiritual 
 meat ; and did all drink the same spiritual 
 drink : (for they drank of that spiritual Rock 
 that followed them : and that Rock was Christ.") 
 — 1 Cor., x, 1-4. 
 
 Stephen calls this same Church, "the Church 
 in the Wilderness." It will not be disputed that 
 this Church existed in every age until the coming 
 of Christ. Well then, now, when and where did 
 Christ destroy this Church and institute a new 
 one ? The proof of it cannot be produced ; but, 
 on the contrary, proof, clear and explicit, can be 
 produced that He did not destroy the old Church ; 
 that it did not run out, and that He did not in- 
 stitute a new Church. Paul, in his epistle to 
 the Galatians, says, that the Church which God 
 instituted with Abraham, was not destroyed by 
 the giving of the law to Moses : "Now to Abra- 
 ham and his seed were the promises made. He 
 saith not, And to seeds, as of many ; but as of 
 one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. And 
 this I say, That the covenant, that was confirmed 
 
BAPTISM. SERMON 2. 275 
 
 before of God in Christ, the law, which was four 
 hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, 
 that it should make the promise of none effect. 
 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more 
 of promise : but God gave it to Abraham by 
 promise. Wherefore then serveth the law ? It 
 was added because of transgressions, till the seed 
 should come to whom the promise was made ; 
 and it was ordained b} 7 angels in the hand of a 
 mediator." — Gal., iii, 16-19. Then he goes on 
 arguing to show how, as the giving of the law did 
 not annul the covenant, but was a continuation 
 of it, so the Christian Church is the fulfillment of 
 the Abrahamic covenant, the completion of the 
 Old Testament Church : " For ye are all the 
 children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as 
 many of you as have been baptized into Christ, 
 have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor 
 Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is 
 neither male nor female : for ye are all one in 
 Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are 
 ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the 
 promise."— Gal, iii, 26-29. 
 
 Can anything be plainer? Again, read in this 
 connection the fourth chapter of Romans. Again, 
 Paul says, iu writing to the Ephesians, ii, 14-16 : 
 "For he is our peace, who hath made both one. 
 and hath broken down the middle wall of parti- 
 tion between us ; having abolished in his flesh 
 
276 SERMONS. 
 
 the enmity, even the law of commandments con- 
 tained in ordinances ; for to make in himself of 
 twain one new man, so making peace ; and that 
 he might reconcile both unto God in one body 
 by the Cross." Thus he introduces the Jewish 
 Church and the Christian Church all into one ; the 
 rending of the veil of the temple represented the 
 breaking down of the wall of partition. Again, 
 in the same epistle, 19, 20, he says - n " Now, 
 therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreign- 
 ers, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the 
 household of God ; and are built upon the foun- 
 dation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ 
 himself being the chief corner stone." All these 
 prove that the "household," "the body," "the 
 commonwealth," are not completed until the 
 Christian Church is constituted. It is repre- 
 sented that the Jews, who accepted Christ, did 
 not change their Church relation when they en- 
 tered into the Christian Church. They merely 
 passed from the rudiments, the first principles, 
 the ceremonial law, by embracing Christ who 
 fulfilled it. The ceremonial law was the parti- 
 tion wall. The breaking down of this wall was 
 simply an enlargement of this Church. The 
 Gentiles are represented as being afar off, aliens, 
 strangers, and as being brought nigh and made 
 fellow-citizens with the saints. As the Jews 
 never left their Church, thev were never de- 
 
BAPTISM. SERMON 2. 277 
 
 prived of their privileges, and as they had 
 their children in the Church under the old 
 dispensation, they continued with their chil- 
 dren under the new. Who can doubt this ? 
 
 We offer still further proof. Let Christ 
 himself testify. Take his parable of the la- 
 borers in the vineyard, found in Matt. xxi. 
 Here Christ represents the kingdom of heaven — 
 the Church militant and triumphant, which He 
 was setting up — as like unto a vineyard. The 
 householder plants, hedges it, digs a wine-press, 
 builds a tower, and goes into a far country. 
 When the time of the fruit draws near, he sends 
 his servants, and the husbandmen beat, and stone, 
 and kill him. He then sends other servants, and 
 they do unto them likewise ; and, last, he sends 
 his son, and they kill him. Who doubts but that 
 He is teaching that the Church, which He insti- 
 tuted with Abraham, and renewed unto Moses, 
 and continued to the day of Christ, was what was 
 represented by the vineyard? God planted it in 
 the day of Abraham, hedged it in the wilderness, 
 and, in the fullness of time, sent His Son to bless 
 it, whom they wickedly slew. Is any one so 
 blind they cannot see that that is what is meant ? 
 The proud, blind, wicked chief priest and Phari- 
 sees perceived it, for it is said so in the conclu- 
 sion of the parable. When He asked them what 
 ought to be done to those who had killed the 
 
278 SERMONS. 
 
 servants and the only son, they told Him they 
 ought to be destroyed and the vineyard taken 
 from them. Christ then said unto them, " There- 
 fore, I say unto you, the kingdom of God (the 
 Church) shall be taken from you, and given to a 
 nation (the Gentiles), bringing forth the fruits 
 thereof." — Matt, xxi, 43. Again, the Apostle 
 writing to the Romans, xi, 18: "But if thou 
 boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root 
 thee." The two Churches, according to this 
 figure (for He speaks here of the Church), are as 
 much one as the root and trunk are one in the 
 same tree. Again, "For if thou wert cut out of 
 the olive-tree which is wild by nature, and wert 
 graffed contrary to nature into a good olive-tree ; 
 how much more shall these, which be the natural 
 branches, be graffed into their own olive-tree." — 
 Rom. xi, 24. 
 
 Our Baptist friends admit that the Old Testa- 
 ment Church is here meant ; and if so, then it is 
 all the same Church ; and as children were ad- 
 mitted into the Old Testament Church, they are 
 to be admitted into the New Testament Church, 
 unless it can be shown that they are by express 
 precept excluded. When we are asked for a 
 positive precept for the baptism of infants, we 
 reply, give us a positive precept for the exclusion 
 of them from it. Here we might stop the case ; 
 for it is admitted that if it is all the same Church, 
 
BAPTISM. SERMOX 2. 279 
 
 children are now, as they were of old, members 
 of it ; and, if members, they ought to be bap- 
 tized. 
 
 But we go farther, to show that children, being 
 members of the Christian Church, are entitled to 
 baptism, as children under the old dispensation 
 were entitled to circumcision by the express 
 command of God. Now, I undertake to show 
 that baptism was substituted for circumcision ; 
 then that puts the matter beyond all sort of 
 doubt. Circumcision was the initiatory rite into 
 the Jewish Church. This will not be contro- 
 verted. Baptism is the initiatory rite into the 
 Christian Church : " Go teach all nations, bap- 
 tizing them," &c. " Go ye into all the world, 
 preach my gospel to every creature, baptizing 
 them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy 
 Ghost." "Except a man be born of water and 
 of the spirit," &c. "He that believeth and is 
 baptized shall be saved." 
 
 Circumcision was a sign and seal to God's 
 covenant with Abraham in the institution of the 
 Church under the old dispensation; baptism is the 
 sign and seal to the same covenant fulfilled in 
 Christ. Can any man doubt this ? ' ' Reasons for 
 becoming a Baptist" admits that it is a sign, and 
 now I show that it is a seal, and stands in the 
 room of circumcision — performs, so to speak, the 
 same function in the Christian Church that cir- 
 
280 SERMONS. 
 
 cumcision did in the Jewish Church. Here is the 
 positive proof, Col., ii, 10-12: "And ye are com- 
 plete in Him, which is the head of all principality 
 and power; in whcm also ye are circumcised with 
 Ihe circumcision made without hands, in putting 
 off the body of the sins of the flesh by the cir- 
 cumcision of Christ ; buried with Him in baptism, 
 wherein also ye are risen with Him through the 
 faith of the operation of God, who hath raised 
 Him from the dead." 
 
 What is that? Hear it. Let the Apostle finish 
 it. "Buried with Him in baptism." Can any- 
 thing be clearer? Then, again : "For as many of 
 you as have been baptized into Christ (received 
 Christ's circumcision — that is what it means) have 
 put on Christ." If ye are Christ's by putting Him 
 on by baptism, which is expressly declared to be 
 His circumcision, then are ye Abraham's seed and 
 heirs according to the promise. 
 
 Now, we have shown that the old and new are 
 both the same Church, and we have conclusively 
 shown that baptism is substituted for circumcision. 
 I have now only to show what Peter taught, to 
 make out the case so plain that it does seem to 
 me astonishing that there ever should have been 
 a mistake. Peter plainly commands them to bap- 
 tize their children, in view of this which I have 
 presented- — that it is all the same Church — that 
 circumcision, the sign and seal in the old dispen- 
 
BAPTISM. SERMON 2. 281 
 
 satioii, was applied to children. Peter, enforcing 
 the sign and seal of the Christian Church — the 
 substitute baptism — says, Acts, ii, 38, 39: "Re- 
 pent, and be baptized every one of you in the 
 name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins ; 
 and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 
 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, 
 and to all that are afar off, even as many as the 
 Lord our God shall call." 
 
 See the striking similarity between the two. In 
 Genesis in the covenant made it reads "to thee 
 and thy seed," and they were circumcised. Peter 
 says, "to you and your children," and, no doubt, 
 they were baptized. 
 
 In view of all this, take the commission the 
 Apostles are sent out with. They were Jews — 
 knew children were members of the Jewish 
 Church — knew both to be the same Church and 
 baptism to be substituted in the place of circum- 
 cision. Christ says unto them: "Go teach all 
 nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, 
 and Son, and Holy Ghost." How would they 
 understand this? Would they not understand 
 children to be meant by all nations? Abraham 
 was to be the father of many nations — under the 
 Abrahamic covenant children were included — 
 circumcised ; and when these nations of which he 
 was father are brought in and baptized, would not 
 the Apostles understand the children to be inclucl- 
 
 13* 
 
282 SERMONS. 
 
 eel, unless they were told expressly by Christ to 
 exclude children? I say, would they not under- 
 stand that children were to have the seal of the 
 Christian dispensation applied to them as the seal 
 of the Jewish dispensation was applied? Most 
 unquestionably they would. No wonder Peter 
 says: "Be baptized every one of you, for the 
 promise is unto you and your children." How 
 would they understand it? Talk about a positive 
 precept to baptize children ! Wh}^, the Apostles 
 never thought about asking if children must be 
 baptized. Yes, they understood the children to 
 be included ; and as they went out teaching, and 
 preaching, and baptizing them, they baptized their 
 children also. Now, I show you that they did 
 this. I will give you the cases. The jailor's 
 family were baptized — "he and all his house" — 
 that is the language. Lydia and her household — 
 her family — were baptized. Crispus believed on 
 the Lord with all his house, and they were bap- 
 tized. The household of Stephanas. "I baptized 
 also the house of Stephanas," says Paul. Cor- 
 nelius, with his family and kinsmen, was baptized. 
 The Baptists say there were no children in these 
 families. How do they know so much? Is it not 
 a little singular that there should be no children 
 in them. Take five families in any neighbor- 
 hood, and we very seldom find them without any 
 children. 
 
BAPTISM. SERMON 2. 
 
 283 
 
 Let me sum up this scriptural argument. It is 
 all the same Church ; baptism is substituted as a 
 sign and seal in the place of circumcision, and 
 the Apostles commissioned and sent out baptizing 
 children — whole families. 
 
 Finally, I offer the argument from reason. 
 The doctrine of infant baptism is not only taught 
 in the Scriptures, and not only shown to be the 
 practice of the Apostles by the testimony of the 
 Fathers, but it accords with reason. It is reason- 
 able — it is not nonsensical, as some of our Bap- 
 tist brethren seem to think. They are disposed 
 to ridicule it— call it " baby sprinkling." If it is 
 unreasonable to baptize children, it was unrea- 
 sonable to circumcise them. I reckon if our Bap- 
 tist friends had lived in that day, when they 
 brought forward their children to circumcise them 
 by (rod's positive command, they would, with a 
 sneer, have called it baby circumcision. 
 
 But it is alleged, that it is unreasonable to bap- 
 tize infants, because they cannot comprehend its 
 nature, cannot understand its meaning, and yet 
 these very men, after sayiug this, to show off 
 what they suppose a little wit, say that the child 
 knows that it is wrong, for they will cry. I 
 would not notice a little thing of this sort, but to 
 show the inconsistency of some men who gravely 
 state such things, as preachers of the gospel. In- 
 fants could no more comprehend circumcision than 
 
284 SERMONS. 
 
 they can baptism, yet it was never deemed un- 
 reasonable, because God ordered it. 
 
 Again, all allow, Baptists and all (except a few 
 who have the effrontery to teach that infants are 
 damned, and all such ought to have a guardian 
 appointed for them), that infants dying in infancy 
 are saved. The question then occurs, how are 
 they saved ? The reply is palpable — they are 
 saved by the blood of Christ ; there is no other 
 wajf. " There is none other name under Heaven 
 given among men, whereby we must be saved," 
 but the name of Jesus. His blood cleanseth 
 from all sin. Very well, this is the way that 
 grown people are sav,ed — by the atonement of 
 Christ, by the washing of regeneration. There 
 are not two ways. Christ says, " I am the way," 
 those who climb up any other way are thieves 
 and robbers. There is not one way to save 
 grown people and another to save children. If 
 so, what way is it ? Who died for children if 
 Christ did not ? when and where ? Now, then, 
 if all are saved by Christ they are saved in the 
 same way. He is the head, and all saved, 
 whether grown people or children, are His mem- 
 bers. He is the vine, and all saved, whether 
 grown people or children, are His branches. 
 Can this be denied? Will any deny it? Then 
 if you baptize grown people as a sign and seal of 
 this union to Christ, and participation in God's 
 covenant fulfilled, why not baptize children for 
 
BAPTISM. SERMON 2. 285 
 
 the same reason, for they have this union, and, 
 consequently, the benefit of this covenant, for if 
 they are united to Christ thus they are members of 
 His Church, and for this reason Christ said of 
 them, " of such is the Kingdom of Heaven." 
 Will any one pretend to allow even that this 
 refers to the Kingdom of Glory — that any adult 
 or infant can get into Heaven without passing- 
 through Christ's Kingdom on earth? If so, then 
 it is possible to be saved, independent of the 
 Church, and of the atonement, and the means of 
 grace, instituted in connection therewith, and the 
 Apostle is mistaken when He says, "As in Adam 
 all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." 
 He ought to have said, even so in Christ all grown 
 people shall be made alive — children some other way. 
 
 But it is said, it is unreasonable to baptize in- 
 fants, because they cannot believe, and Christ 
 says, " He that believeth, and is baptized, shall 
 be saved." The same mode of reasoning- will 
 show that they cannot be saved, because they 
 cannot believe, for the conclusion of this sentence 
 is, " He that believeth not, shall be damned." 
 
 I give below a remarkable passage from this little 
 book, "Reasons for becoming a Baptist," page 
 31 : "But query — are infants the proper subjects 
 of the Kingdom of Glory? If so, they are holy, 
 and of course the doctrine of human depravity 
 cannot be true. But we all believe that infants 
 are unholy, and as such they are not fit for 
 
286 SERMONS. 
 
 Heaven, and can no more be admitted into that 
 holy place than we, without a change of heart. 
 Therefore infants, with the nature with which they 
 were born into this world, are not the proper sub- 
 jects of the heavenly world." At the bottom of 
 the page he gives the following note : " Still I 
 believe that all who die in infancy are saved. 
 But not because they are naturally holy. I trust 
 that through the infinite benevolence of G-od, as 
 they have never actually sinned, so the merits of 
 Jesus will be unconditionally applied to regen- 
 erate and save them." How are they saved 
 without faith ? The Apostle says, Rom., v, 18 : 
 " Therefore, as by the offence of one judgment 
 came upon all men to condemnation ; even so by 
 the righteousness of one the free gift came upon 
 all men unto justification of life." If they are 
 affected by the fall of Adam, without a knowledge 
 of Him, to that extent they are relieved by the 
 death of Christ, without a knowledge of Christ. 
 
 ®tte ^vaivtwg of ttvtet. 
 
 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.' 
 John, xii, 32. 
 
 There prevailed in the heathen world a theory, 
 or rather a fable, that the god of the universe, 
 whom they called Jupiter, had a golden chain, 
 which he could at any time let down and draw 
 
THE DRAWING OF CHRIST. 287 
 
 the world and all its inhabitants to himself. 
 Cowper gives this translation to that passage in 
 the Iliad which refers to this theory, in which 
 Homer represents Jupiter as speaking : 
 
 " But if I, willing to exert my power, 
 The earth itself, itself the sea and you, 
 Will lift with ease together, and will wind 
 The chain around the spiry summit sharp 
 Of the Olympian, that all things upheaved 
 Shall hang in the mid heaven." 
 
 By this chain they intended to teach the con- 
 nection between the Creator and the creature — 
 the connection between heaven and earth — some- 
 times termed the chain of causes and effects. We 
 shall undertake to show to-day that this idea, 
 which obtained in the darkened mind of the 
 heathen, was not meaningless. In exhibiting 
 the doctrines of the text, we shall undertake to 
 show that Christ, lifted upon the Cross, is the 
 great golden chain which draws the human race 
 to Himself, and, through Himself, binds them to 
 G-od the Father ; that its golden links have en- 
 twined the heart of every man born into the 
 world ; that Christ lifted up is, so to speak, the 
 great magnet in the spiritual universe ; touching 
 by its influence, and turning the spirit of every 
 man to G-od, the Creator and source of all things. 
 
 To avoid mistake, it is proper for us first to 
 define what is meant by drawing all men unto Him. 
 I am aware that this declaration of the Saviour is 
 
288 SERMONS. 
 
 used in support of the doctrine of universal, uncon- 
 ditional salvation ; but if it is made valuable in 
 support of this theory, it seems to me that its ad- 
 vocates must put a strained construction upon the 
 term draw. We understand that a man may be 
 drawn to Christ, aud not irresistibly drawn ; that 
 this drawing may be so resisted that there are 
 those who will not come unto Him that they may 
 have life, for there are some who do always resist 
 the Holy Ghost. It is not my purpose, however, 
 to make an argument upon this point ; but simply 
 to define that the term draw means to influence 
 all men by His word and spirit ; and where the 
 word has not gone, by His spirit alone, so that 
 all who yield to this influence secure to them- 
 selves salvation. 
 
 We now start out in our undertaking with this 
 proposition, that Christ, lifted up upon the Cross, 
 has been, and is, and will be, the great attraction 
 of all men. In this undertaking, we select, as the 
 place for our investigation, the Cross ; as it was 
 set up, not at the beginning, nor at the ending, 
 but rather in the middle ;. so that, as far as posi- 
 tion is concerned, our standpoint will be central. 
 Standing under the shadow of (he Cross, we have 
 only to look backward into the past, and forward 
 into the future, to see that Christ crucified " is 
 the desire of all nations.." It is important to the 
 maintenance of this proposition that the doctrine 
 
THE DRAWING OF CHRIST. 289 
 
 of (he universality of the Holy Spirit's operation 
 and influence be established, to show that He 
 performs His office independent of the preached 
 or written word. The particular and peculiar 
 relation which each person in the Trinity sustains 
 to the plan of redemption is clearly defined in the 
 Scriptures. The Father projected the plan, the 
 Son executed it, and it is the peculiar office of the 
 Hoty Ghost to develop it upon us — to apply it. 
 Without this the whole plan would do no good. 
 The first argument, therefore, which I now offer 
 to show the universality of the Holy Spirit's in- 
 fluence, is drawn from the universality of the 
 plan. All men are affected by the fall — all men 
 are relieved by the crucifixion ; the free gift 
 has come upon all men to justification ; where 
 sin abounded, grace did much more abound. 
 We infer from this that the remedy is commen- 
 surate with the evil sustained ; that those who were 
 affected by the fall of Adam, without a knowledge 
 of Adam, might be, and are, relieved by the 
 death of Christ, without a knowledge of Christ. 
 Yery well ; as the Holy Spirit is the great devel- 
 oper — applyer of the plan — and without Him 
 there is no development or application, we con- 
 clude that He operates upon the hearts of all 
 affected by the fall ; and as all our race are affect- 
 ed by it, then He operates upon all our race, 
 though ignorant of the incarnation of God. The 
 
290 SERMONS. 
 
 point I wish to make is this, that every human 
 soul born into the world is drawn to him, not 
 irresistibly, but, if yielded to, savingly. Just so 
 far as they, without their own agency or know- 
 ledge, are affected by Adam's fall, they are re- 
 lieved just to the same extent by Christ's obe- 
 dience and death, and if they use the best light 
 they have and the best means within their reach, 
 they may ultimately be saved. G-od does not 
 require an impossibility of any man, and to 
 require more of them would be to require an im- 
 possibility of them ; and this idea of companion- 
 ship, of union between man and Grocl, so universal, 
 is but the drawing of Christ by his Spirit. 
 
 Aa;am, all nations have inculcated the idea of 
 sacrifice. The great idea of pouring out blood 
 — of offering it in their worship — lias been upon 
 the mind and heart of all nations. When flocks 
 have been offered, the choicest have been taken • 
 when human sacrifices, the same rule was ob- 
 served. In the Moloch worship of the Phoeni- 
 cians the choicest children of the noblest houses 
 were thrown into the glowing arms of the idol. 
 Among other worshippers the king was often sac- 
 rificed for the sins of the people. Whence this 
 idea of human sacrifice ? Cresar observed of the 
 human sacrifices of the G-auls, that they were 
 deeply persuaded that only the life of man was a 
 fit redemption for man. Does there not seem to 
 
THE DRAWING OF CHRIST. 291 
 
 be in this the idea inculcated by the Apostles that 
 the blood of bulls and goats could not take away 
 sin? Again, in Greek tragedy there is a striking- 
 fact unfolded. We see a curse cling to a family 
 from generation to generation, until, finally, it was 
 poured upon the least guilty. Again, what meant 
 that favorite saying of Socrates that he exercised 
 still the craft of his mother — his mission on earth 
 was the helping of souls to a birth by a helping 
 to a birth the conceptions which were struggling 
 there. Does this not significantly point to that 
 saying, " Ye must be born again ?" What meant 
 that motto written over their temples, "Know 
 thyself?" What did they design by knowing 
 one's self, but to restrain and correct what was 
 wrong ? Was not this a preparation afar off for 
 a higher motto, "Repent ye?" for out of self- 
 knowledge nothing but self-loathing could grow. 
 
 Standing by the Cross and looking back upon 
 the past, we have seen that its attractive power 
 was felt by all who preceded it. From that point 
 we turn to the future, and we see the same attract- 
 ive influence leading back the desires, and aspira- 
 tions, and hopes of all who have succeeded it. Facts 
 similar to those noticed as exhibited in heathen 
 worlds prior to the crucifixion are now, and have 
 been since that period, exhibited in the history 
 of all heathen nations, and if we had time we 
 could particularize — we could array the facts. 
 
292 SERMONS. 
 
 The spirit of God is upon the nations, drawing 
 their hearts and preparing them for an acceptance 
 of Christ. Though the spirit of God, as we have 
 shown, operated upon and moved the hearts of all 
 men to Christ, before the general outpouring of 
 the spirit, yet since that time of which Christ 
 spoke when he said, " It shall come to pass in the 
 last day, I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh," 
 the influences of the spirit have been greater, and 
 clearer, and more intense than before. All men 
 are drawn unto him, especially when the Gospel 
 is preached. We see that there is a mysterious 
 secret influence upon every man's heart, which 
 turns it to Christ lifted up, and to those who yield 
 to this drawing there is an especial spiritual pre- 
 sentation of Christ lifted upon the Cross. Though 
 the Cross itself has been taken down and worms 
 have eaten it, though the grave in which He lay 
 has been filled with earth and sand by the rains 
 of heaven, yet, coming to Him for salvation, the 
 Holy Spirit presents Him still on Calvary's sum- 
 mit to the spiritual eye. We see Him bend in 
 the mid-heaven and hear Him cry. 
 
 It is interesting to stand by the Cross and wit- 
 ness its influence, its drawing, even in the light 
 which we now possess ; but, ah ! my friends, how 
 grand and enrapturing would be the contempla- 
 tion if the curtain which obscures our vision was 
 rent asunder, if the veil was torn off our mind 
 
THE DRAWING OF CHRIST. 293 
 
 arid we could see it as it is. We should see, as 
 He hangs upon the Cross, that there is a signifi- 
 cance in the very outstretching of His arms. 
 With one hand we should see Him, though pierced 
 and bleeding, grasping the nations before the 
 flood, and with the other taking hold of the na- 
 tions of the nineteenth century, and drawing 
 them in His dying embrace ; He holds them on His 
 beating, throbbing, breaking heart, and cries, 
 "Father, forgive them." We should see in the 
 lioiit of the diverging rays emanating from the 
 Cross, one part falling back over the past and the 
 other part over the future ; we should see the 
 touched heart of the human race 'turned and point- 
 ing to the pierced side and streaming blood as the 
 centre of its hopes — as the needle pointing to the 
 pole. Looking back over the past, we should see 
 the eye of the old patriarch, straining through 
 the tube which the prophets presented to him, 
 fired with faith and kindled with hope as he 
 catches a glimpse of the dying Saviour. Then, 
 turning to the future, we should see the heart of 
 the modern saint, glowing with an assurance of 
 faith as the words which dropped from His dying 
 lips fall upon his ear. Standing under the Cross, 
 we should see the incense from off the altar of the 
 heathen worship of antiquity, meeting, and min- 
 gling, and rising together with the voice of prayer 
 and praise and thanksgiving which come from 
 
294 SERMONS. 
 
 the Gospel sanctuaries of modern times. We 
 should see that here the groans, and sighs, 
 and wails of earth meet and are soothed 
 and hushed. We should hear amidst the patter- 
 ing of His blood, melody as sweet and as soft as 
 angels' music, as through this medium flows the 
 Father's promises and assurances that man, if he 
 will believe, shall not perish, but have everlasting 
 life. 
 
 We should then begin to have some conception 
 of the extent of His meaning when He says, "And 
 I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all 
 men unto me." But if we stopped here we should 
 not know all He means by drawing men to Him. 
 If we would know fully its import we should take 
 a higher position, ascend with our ascended 
 Lord, stand by His side as He intercedes, and see 
 Him draw all men to Him. He draws them 
 from a fiery hell that skirts our world. Some re- 
 sist, others yield ; He draws them — they come 
 to Calvary, fall under the shadow of His Cross, 
 drop down in death and sleep on His arm, and 
 when the last saved sinner shall fall to sleep on 
 His arm He will raise that arm and fold them to 
 His bosom in Heaven. 
 
GIVING THE HEART TO GOD. 295 
 
 living flu §emt to ©ol 
 
 (BACCALAUREATE SERMON DELIVERED AT EMORY HENRY 
 
 COLLEGE, VA., JUNE 6th, 1869.)— Eds. 
 
 " My son, give me thine heart." — Proverbs, xxiii, 26. 
 
 I trust, young gentlemen, that you are come to 
 the discharge of the obligations of this hour with 
 a proper appreciation of its responsibilities. 
 That you are here this morning, not simply for an 
 exhibition or entertainment, but whilst preparing 
 for and participating in the duties that befit you 
 for the present life, you stop to take a lesson for 
 eternity. Most fortunate, indeed, is he who 
 comes to understand the philosophies of both 
 worlds, and arranges to honor the drafts made 
 upon him from each. There is a conviction upon 
 every man's mind that he is a debtor to his Cre- 
 ator. That some return should be made for the 
 endowments and blessings bestowed and enjoyed. 
 The Pagan feels this as well as he who has the 
 revealed will of God ; the latter, however, only 
 rises to a just conception of this claim, as it is 
 impossible to know its character unless God tell 
 us what it is. All the claim that God makes for 
 all that He has done for us, for each of you — that 
 which will liquidate and pay in full all demands — 
 is set forth in my text, understanding the inspired 
 
296 SERMONS. 
 
 writer to speak for God: " My son, give me thine 
 heart." 
 
 I waive all metaphysical definitions, as they are 
 not needed here. I follow the example of the 
 great Teacher Himself in the use of these terms, 
 on this occasion, as spiritual truth is to be taught 
 and not philosophy ; and, consequently, I employ 
 them in the sense in which they are commonly 
 received, and not in a technical sense ; and yet I 
 would not intimate that there is a conflict be- 
 tween the two ; the hair-splitting distinctions of 
 the one are omitted in the other. The first step 
 I take in defining what is meant by giving God 
 the heart — -and I know not better how to do it — 
 is to draw the distinction between giving the body 
 to God and giving the heart, and between giving 
 the intellect and giving the heart. Morality is 
 giving the body to God. I use this term in its 
 common acceptation, for in its highest sense it 
 involves the state of the heart, as no man can be 
 said to be thoroughly moral whose heart is im- 
 pure, however strict and unblamable his prac- 
 tice. Morality, as commonly understood, as re- 
 ferring to the outward conformity to the moral 
 law, is the bringing the body in subjection to the 
 revealed will of God. He who does not lie, but al- 
 ways speaks truth, gives his tongue to God. He 
 who eats and drinks temperately gives his palajte 
 and stomach to God. He who observes the Sab- 
 
GIVING THE HEART TO GOD. 297 
 
 bath day by resting from labor thereon, gives 
 his hands and muscles to God, and so with any 
 member of the body. This we term physical reli- 
 gion, and is its lowest form ; but, still, is better 
 than none. 
 
 A man should be moral if he will not be pious. 
 It is better for him and better for society. But 
 so far as meeting the demand of God, it falls far 
 short of it. "Whosoever shall keep the whole 
 law, and yet offend in one point, is guilty of all." 
 
 Sell out, give to the poor and follow me, is only 
 another form of demand for the heart. Again, 
 mental assent to the truth of religion, and intel- 
 lectual admiration for it, constitute giving the in- 
 tellect to God. The evidences of the truth of 
 Christianity are conclusive, and by their force, 
 compel mental assent. In addition to this, there 
 is much in revealed religion which addresses 
 itself specially to the intellect, and excites intel- 
 lectual admiration ; and this admiration is often, 
 particularly by the educated, taken for the love 
 of a regenerated heart. I know no mistake into 
 which educated, cultivated minds are more liable 
 to fall, as by culture the capacity to appreciate 
 the excellencies and beauties of revealed truth 
 is increased and intensified, so that much that is 
 altogether overlooked by others affords them 
 very high pleasure and satisfaction. In this rev- 
 elation from God there is much valuable history 
 
 14 
 
298 SERMONS. 
 
 nowhere else to be found. The history of the 
 creation of the world and the origin of our race, 
 as here recorded b} r Moses, is the only satisfac- 
 tory account any where to be found of these two 
 most important events to us. 
 
 Theories, it is true, have been written and 
 ingeniously argued ; speculations, subtle and 
 learned, have been indulged and set forth, but 
 none of them have proven to be of much more 
 worth than the old fabulous account given us by 
 the classic heathen. This, however, carries with 
 it the air of truth and authority. It is unlike 
 anything else of the kind. It does not rust with 
 age, nor explode by the touch of science. It 
 comes with no flourish, no pageant of heraldry — 
 just such a record as we would suppose God 
 Almighty would dictate. 
 
 No intelligent mind fails to be struck with the 
 beauty of the style, the simplicity of the lan- 
 guage employed, and the grandeur of the descrip- 
 tion. In the first sentence of the account there 
 is a high compliment paid to man's intelligence. 
 It seems to have been presumed that, with the 
 brains God had given him, with skies above him 
 and earth beneath him, with mountains towering, 
 and oceans booming around him, all bearing the 
 marks of design and wisdom, it was not necessary 
 to tell him who God was. These tell him this. 
 How beautifully and elegantly the history opens. 
 
GIVING THE HEART TO GOD. 299 
 
 " In the beginning God created the heaven and 
 the earth." We have there given a plain, natu- 
 ral account of the establishment of order and law 
 in the elements in and around the globe ; and 
 lastly, man, who was placed over the works of His 
 hands, endowed in a little less degree only than 
 the angels. As a historical account in the 
 phases adverted to, it addresses itself to the intel- 
 lect, and excites intellectual admiration. Then 
 we have interspersed all along the finest speci- 
 mens of history anywhere to be found. Take the 
 story of Joseph. We have become so familiar 
 with it that we often overlook its merit. That 
 story, stripped of its spiritual connection and sig- 
 nificance, would live as a specimen of biographi- 
 cal composition as long as there is a pulsation of 
 humanity to beat responsive to the glowing and 
 life-like portrait. As we read it. giving reign to 
 our fancy and emotion, we are by the power of 
 genius made to live in the midst of the very 
 scenes depicted. We find ourselves standing with 
 the boys, as they are conspiring to get rid of the 
 envied brother ; we boil with indignation at their 
 baseness and meanness — our indignation is turned 
 into grief when we see the tear of the tricked 
 old father, as he looks upon the coat rent and 
 stained with blood. We follow Joseph in his 
 journey to his new home and master ! Watch 
 him with feelings of intense interest, as the noble 
 
300 SERMONS. 
 
 traits of his character are developed under the 
 tests to which he is subjected ; with feelings of 
 pride, contemplate his high position, won step by 
 step by his sterling integrity. Our interest in 
 the story heightens as we see his brethren coming 
 to his counter to buy corn. We feel, and can 
 but sympathize with their perplexity and trouble, 
 as they are forced to return home without Simeon, 
 leaving him as a pledge of their faith. We are 
 touched by the struggle of the father between 
 famine and giving up another son, the youngest, 
 and when he is to be detained, Ave can hear Reu- 
 ben pleading with the stranger merchant, to take 
 him and send Benjamin back ; and when at last 
 Joseph could endure it no longer, overpowered 
 by his emotion, gives way, and making himself 
 known to his brethren, falls upon the neck of 
 Benjamin, and Benjamin clasps him in his 
 arms, we, lost to the present, find ourselves hang- 
 ing in their embrace, and mingling our tears with 
 theirs. And thus, on to the end of the history. 
 The style is graphic, life-like, masterly in its pen- 
 cilings and paintings. Take the story of Ruth. 
 Where is there to be found in all the productions 
 of uninspired genius, a biographical gem equal to it 
 in beauty — so natural, such a fine heart picture ? 
 And then, too, the eloquence and sublimity of the 
 book of Job is unsurpassed. Take up the pro- 
 ductions of any or all the ancient historians — 
 
GIVING THE HEART TO GOD. 301 
 
 Herodotus, Xenophon, or any of the Latins ; or 
 those of modern times — Gibbon, Hume, Scott, 
 Macaulay or Bancroft ; select their finest pas- 
 sages, lay them side by side with these produc- 
 tions, and their superior merit, as literary produc- 
 tions simply, becomes at once apparent to all 
 unbiased minds. The Bible itself is a sublime 
 history — not of this world nor of man, but an 
 abstract from the history of God ; not a his- 
 tory of God complete — God has other history, 
 written in other volumes ; written in other 
 tongues, other dialects ; written long before the 
 morning stars sang together, and the sons of God 
 shouted over the splendors of this creation. This 
 simply delineates his relation to humanity — 
 records his dealings with man, and as such — as 
 one of the volumes in the grand autobiography of 
 the Eternal — is the most singular book in the 
 world ; is marvellously magnificent ; superb in its 
 splendor and excellencies as a history, and as such 
 addresses itself to the intellect and excites intel- 
 lectual admiration. Then again we have here the 
 finest poetry. God made David as great a poet as 
 Milton, endowed Isaiah as richly with genius as 
 Homer ; and these men- uninspired, could have 
 produced as good poetry as Milton or Homer. 
 No wonder, then, David sang so sweetly when his 
 harp was swept by the breath of inspiration. No 
 wonder Isaiah soared so loftily and towered so 
 
302 SERMONS. 
 
 majestically as he struck off in a bold heroic meas- 
 ure the visions of the future caught through the 
 tube God put to his eye when his lips and heart 
 were filled with heavenly flames. True, when 
 reaching the immortal epic of Milton, we take 
 bold wings and mount into the regions of the sub- 
 lime ; but Israel's bard, with his divine afflatus, 
 lifts the soul into an elysium, that seems to lie on 
 the very borders of the third Heaven. True, all 
 the heroic is stirred within us by the notes of the 
 Iliad ; but Isaiah fans the soul with an intellectual 
 aspiration that leads it up, and back on the Eternal 
 himself. Then we have the very finest specimens 
 of logic. Take Paul's defence of himself before 
 Agrippa. We have given us here, I take it, only 
 a synopsis of it; would that we had it in full. 
 He lays carefully his premises ; reminds the 
 king of the writings of the prophets ; tells him 
 the fulfillment did not occur in a corner, and then 
 comes on his conclusion with such convincing 
 effect that he not only carries the judgment of 
 Agrippa, but overwhelms his emotional nature ; 
 for the time sweeps away his prejudices, as is 
 evidenced by the extorted exclamation : "Almost 
 thou persuadest me to be a Christian." It was a 
 grand spectacle that, as well as intellectual treat, 
 as the noble old orator stood forth in his chains, 
 emphasizing with his iron-bound wrists the utter- 
 ances of an unfettered mind and soul with such 
 
GIVIXG THE HEART TO GOD. 303 
 
 sledge hammer logic as not only put bis in- 
 nocency beyond disputation, but came well nigh 
 setting up the kingdom of G-od in the prejudiced 
 and distempered soul of the prince. If it were 
 ever possible, this was one of the times when it 
 would have been done by might and power of 
 human mind. Where in any defence or forensic 
 feat by the astute and profound orators of an- 
 tiquity or of modern times — of Burke, or Sheri- 
 dan, or Hamilton, or Wirt, or Webster — is there 
 to be found anything to equal it. And then if 
 you want logic in a blaze — the sword that cuts all 
 knots, wreathed in flowers, take Christ's Sermon 
 on the Mount ; in which he unfolded the great 
 doctrines that underlie the faith and hope of the 
 world, enforcing them by the power of the most 
 conclusive logic, adorned with all the beauties of 
 the purest rhetoric. All this poetry, and logic, 
 and rhetoric, addresses itself to the intellect and 
 excites intellectual admiration. 
 
 Again, the striking accord between the two 
 revelations God has made of Himself — the 
 manifestations of nature and His written word 
 — addresses itself to the intellect. Whether 
 we take the pick and go down into the earth, 
 or the tube and sweep the heavens, we find 
 no fact revealed in the one that contradicts any 
 statement contained in the other ; there is perfect 
 harmony and agreement. The same mystery too 
 
304 SERMONS. 
 
 that invests the one invests the other, and shows 
 a common origin. We look upon the heaving 
 seas, with their currents and tides, binding with 
 these watery chains the continents together; upon 
 the atmosphere, with its circuits of winds, the 
 counterpart of these ocean streams; upon the tow- 
 ering mountains, the vast furnaces of the earth's 
 internal fires ; and above us the shining worlds 
 that crown the sky and deck the dark brow of 
 night; and we see that the same God who stretched 
 out the heavens as a curtain and stationed all these 
 stars on the front of His throne, as sentinels of the 
 brighter glory afar off; that the same God who 
 digged the pits of the seas and filled them with 
 waves ; that piled rock upon rock until these 
 mountain shafts pierce the heavens ; that painted 
 the landscape and put the delicate tints upon the 
 lily; is the same God who has placed in our hands 
 this Eevelation. His mystical impress upon the 
 one is stamped upon the other. The one has been 
 scanned and investigated, and those who have 
 gone farthest in these researches in tracing nature 
 through her secret wanderings, have come back 
 from their explorations with the confession that 
 they have merely gathered a few pebbles upon the 
 shore, whilst the vast ocean of knowledge lay out 
 before them. So this Revelation, after it has 
 been placed in the crucible of the best brains 
 God ever put in mortal heads for analysis and 
 
- 
 
 GIVING THE HEART TO GOD. 305 
 
 test, and after these men, learned and profound, 
 have come to the task of inquiry not only with 
 minds endowed naturally, but with minds illumi- 
 nated by the spirit of God for the task, in answer 
 to prayer, and after they have pored over these 
 letters, and words, and pages, and after they have 
 gone down into the ruins of God's hidden treas- 
 ures buried under these dead tongues, when their 
 utmost mental power has been expended, they 
 have arisen from the exhaustion of their labors 
 with the exclamation: "Oh! the depth of the 
 riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God 
 lying beyond our grasp." All this excites intel- 
 lectual admiration, and our educated men pore 
 over these things in the libaries, and sit in our 
 sanctuaries, and look upon these wonderful dis- 
 plays of wisdom and goodness as they are unfold- 
 ed to them, weep and cry over the eloquence, and 
 poetry, and rhetoric, and accord of science with 
 revealed truth, and conclude surely they are 
 Christians ; that they have given their hearts to 
 God, they have so much admiration for the sys- 
 tem ; they take connection with the Church and 
 outwardly conform to its requirements, submit to 
 its rites and ordinances. The whole drift of the 
 religious current is in this direction now. Rest- 
 ing in form and admiration — a decent exterior — 
 the whole tendency of the present age is to ritual- 
 ism — to compromise with God, by giving the body 
 
 14* 
 
306 SERMONS. 
 
 and the intellect. Whilst this may be good as far 
 as it goes — good for this life — good for society — 
 makes you genteel, yet it falls below the demand 
 God makes. God requires the heart. Here is 
 the seat of His enemy and yours. The devil 
 erects his throne in the heart. He governs the 
 body and intellect by viceroys. He rules in per- 
 son in the heart. In the heart he holds his court. 
 Before the door of the heart his sentinels pace 
 and keep guard, and, like a strong man armed, 
 keepeth his palace and goods in peace. He rules 
 in the heart, and through the heart, the will, 
 the judgment, the intellect, the conscience ; he 
 rules by controlling the passions, the appetites, 
 the lusts. Now God, in bringing a man in 
 subjection to himself, stops not until He pushes 
 His conquest into the very citadel. He makes 
 no compromise by accepting the body or the 
 intellect. He comes to every rebellious son 
 with the proclamation, "Give me the heart" — 
 nothing less ; the heart — the affections. Who- 
 ever has the heart has all. God don't want 
 the approval of your judgment accompanied by 
 hatred of your heart ; not conformity to His 
 rules, with, an internal antagonism to them. He 
 will form no alliance with the devil in possess- 
 ing and governing you. He comes claiming you 
 as his subject enslaved. He excites you to revolt 
 against the usurper who sits enthroned in your 
 
GIVING THE HEART TO GOD. 307 
 
 affections. He comes as a deliverer. He promises 
 to aid by breaking his sceptre, by routing his 
 forces. He comes a deliverer ; He comes, too, 
 with the power of a spiritual resurrection, for we 
 are not only subjugated and enslaved, but we are 
 spiritually dead. He touches the heart with re- 
 surrective power, raises it as a dead corpse, mys 
 aside its napkin, strips off its winding-sheet, 
 breathes a second time into the nostrils, and the 
 first breath of the resurrected soul, the first inspi- 
 ration, is the love of God, that purifies the heart 
 and fits it up as a temple for the Holy Ghost. 
 Then the mild sceptre of the Prince of Peace be- 
 gins to wave over the passions, the appetites, the 
 desires. You then not only admire God, but love 
 Him, and the life you have is the life of God. 
 This is giving the heart to God. I come to urge 
 upon you compliance with the injunction of the 
 text by the several following reasons : 
 
 1 . A pure heart, such as God will make of it, is 
 essential to a clear perception of truth ; conse- 
 quently, it is especially the interest of every edu- 
 cated person, whose avowed purpose is develop- 
 ing and training his intellect, to be able to dis- 
 cover truth more readily and clearly in all the 
 departments of learning, to comply with this in- 
 junction. Christ is not only the maker of this 
 world and all things in it, but He is the philoso- 
 phy of it — the reason for it. It was no after- 
 
308 SERMONS. 
 
 thought with God to provide the atonement. This 
 world was not made simply to reflect the sun's 
 light, bear on its bosom trees, and plants, and 
 flowers, and fruits. It was made for the grand 
 theatre upon which God should erect the Cross 
 and display His love. Remove the Cross, take 
 away its light as a solvent of the n^stery which 
 veils our existence here in our diversified expe- 
 riences, and our existence hereafter, and the world 
 has no significance whatever. All the philoso- 
 phers that ever lived in it are incapable of giving 
 a satisfactory answer to themselves even why it 
 was made, and can't tell what business they or 
 any of us have here ; and all they could get up 
 would be only an apology for being found here at 
 all. Christ, consequently, by the very nature of 
 things, is the Truth, as he declares himself to be, 
 the great Central Truth, on which all truth in 
 science converges, and from which all truth radi- 
 ates. Take them up. When astronomy comes 
 to be thoroughly written up, in full accordance 
 with the first lesson, will be a recital of the issu- 
 ing of planetary and stellar worlds from His 
 hands and the arranging of them by His power in 
 their orbits for their grand circuits; and the closing 
 chapter for mortals, doubtless, will not be the 
 account of the discovery of some far off twinkling 
 planet, through human tubes, recounting its vast 
 distances and revolutions, but an account of the 
 
GIVING THE HEART TO GOD. 309 
 
 visitation of glorified saints to these splendid orbs, 
 under the lead of the Great Teacher Himself, 
 tubes and calculating sheets all thrown aside. 
 All this struggle of mind in the world in this de- 
 partment ends in that, when this science is com- 
 pleted. The first chapter in geology now recounts 
 the gathering of the elements of the globe into a 
 liquid ball under the power of His voice ; the 
 concluding one, after reciting the process of 
 change and development, giving a full descrip- 
 tion, doubtless, will be a description of the closing- 
 epoch of the last period, in which shall occur 
 its transformation into the new earth, environed 
 by the new heaven, for the final abode of the just 
 made perfect. Philosophy, Avhen completed, in 
 the final review chapter will trace, in synopsis, 
 the development and manifestations of mind, from 
 its germ in the breath of God in Eden to the 
 loftiest expansion in the realms of the eternal 
 state. And language, too, the art by which mind 
 communes with mind, progressing from a few 
 names and words to hundreds of dialects now, 
 will, at the last, end and blend with the tongues 
 of angels. Now the carnal mind — heart — is at en- 
 mity against God, opposed to all truth that leads 
 on Christ ; and the point I make is this : in order 
 to get the clearest perception of truth, the com- 
 pletion of the work you have commenced, and for 
 which your course here, just now finished, is cle- 
 
310 SERMONS. 
 
 signed to fit yon, it is necessary to have a pure 
 heart. The heart governs the intellect — guides 
 it, sways it. "Asa man thinketh in his heart, 
 by his heart, so is he." If the heart be impure, 
 its noxious vapors, arising from polluted sense 
 and passion, stirred by its antagonism to truth, 
 obscures the intellectual vision, warps the judg- 
 ment, clouds the mind, covers it with mists that 
 hinder perception. This is evidenced by exam- 
 ples from some of the most powerful intellects. 
 Take the case of Hume — most highly gifted, 
 learned — colossal in mental power. In his cele- 
 brated argument against miracles we have all that 
 we need for an illustration. He would claim that 
 he was sincere, and it is at least charitable to 
 allow it. How, then, are we to account for his 
 false syllogism that has, perhaps, clone more to 
 damage the cause of Christ than half of all that has 
 been written besides ? His mind was beclouded 
 by the impurities and prejudices of his heart. So 
 with the whole catalogue of skeptical philoso- 
 phers. This will also account for the blindness 
 and blunders of those who even acknowledge 
 Christ theoretically but deny him practically — 
 whose judgment is in favor of Christianity, but 
 whose hearts are in antagonism to it. The mind, 
 connected with an impure heart, never can act 
 with freedom untrammeled, never can reach the 
 lofty heights and scan truth in the departments of 
 
GIVING THE HEART TO GOD. 3 LI 
 
 human learning with that clearness of perception 
 that it could, and would, with a pure heart. 
 
 The intellect needs the flame of a pure heart to 
 weld the links of the chain that binds it to the 
 core of the rock of truth. It needs that 'the Holy 
 Spirit erects its throne in the heart to govern it 
 • — kindles its hearthstone fires in the chambers of 
 the passions to warm it ; it needs that the Holy 
 Ghost shall lay its fiery, purifying hana on the 
 lusts of the flesh ; then the heart, all aglow with 
 heavenly flame, flings its softening and mellowing 
 light upon the intellect, and then the intellect, 
 shooting its rays afar into, and across the shad- 
 ows that envelop science, grasps truth with an 
 energy, and clearness, and power, a little short 
 only of inspiration. 
 
 2. Again, a compliance with the injunction of 
 the text, is the royal road to happiness. With- 
 out purity of heart no man can be happy — with it 
 all may be. By training and culture a man may 
 do much to balance the points in his character, 
 and school himself into habits of contentment, 
 but no man can be essentially happy whose con- 
 science condemns him, when he appears at its bar. 
 Many who, withholding their hearts from God, 
 yet are thought to be happy, are simply fugitives 
 from their consciences, and their only chance for 
 a moment's peace is to keep clear of it ; then the 
 vast majority of men are all their lives skulking 
 
312 SERMONS. 
 
 and biding away from it. Great mistakes are 
 made as to what constitutes happiness. Poor 
 people, as they see the rich reveling in luxury, 
 living in superb palaces, climbing marble steps, 
 sleeping on down and linen, sailing in coaches, 
 attended by liveried servants, think if they had 
 all these splendid things their happiness would be 
 complete. Whilst on the other hand the rich, as 
 they pas^ the cottage of the poor, with its air of 
 contentment, the beautiful vine twining above the 
 door, with neatness and tidiness within, would 
 give all their wealth to possess what seems to 
 them the quiet and happiness of that humble 
 home. People of low estate think those in 
 position — in office and power — are happy ; and 
 those in place envy the happiness of those out of 
 place ; the unlettered think that the learned, 
 and wise, and gifted, are happy, and they in turn 
 think ignorance is bliss. Some say of happiness, 
 " lo ! here," others say, " lo ! there." All these 
 are mistaken. Every man has the key in his 
 hand that will unlock the door of its temple. The 
 source of happiness lies within every man ; the 
 natural product, the fruit of a pure heart, is happi- 
 ness. A man who has a pure heart cannot be 
 made essentially miserable. His happiness does 
 not depend upon external circumstances. He is 
 not happy because he is rich or poor, because he 
 lives in a palace or a cabin, because he is sick or 
 
GIVING THE HEART TO GOD. 313 
 
 well, because he is in life or death ; but having a 
 conscience void of offence towards God and man, 
 he is at peace with himself. Every passion, and 
 appetite, and principle within, takes a tongue 
 and speaks in accents of peace to him. Quiet 
 reigns within. When the elements are all at war 
 without, his sky overcast with cloud, his last 
 earthly hope cut off, his last dime gone, his last 
 friend proven false and forsaken him, he then 
 thanks God there is one sacred spot, one hal- 
 lowed retreat into which he can take refuge— the 
 precincts of a pure heart. Here he is safe and at 
 ease. The outer works may be taken, the war- 
 ring elements may sweep up to the very gates of 
 the heart, but the citadel remains intact. He 
 communes with himself and takes companionship 
 with the Holy Ghost, who has taken his heart for 
 a temple. He is happy just like and for the same 
 reason God is happy. What makes God happy ? 
 Does anybody suppose that God is happy because 
 He is rich in worlds, because angels cast their 
 crowns at His feet and shout His praise in rap- 
 turous applause, because intelligent mortals kneel 
 at His footstool and adore and worship ? These 
 all doubtless add to His glory. But the time was 
 when none of these existed — when there was 
 naught but God, as He is the only uncreated 
 being or thing. Does anybody suppose that 
 then He was not essentially happy ? And if all 
 
314 
 
 SERMONS. 
 
 these created intelligences were annihilated, all 
 this vast universe blotted out, all these shining 
 worlds swept out of the heavens, all the harps of 
 the angelic choirs' crushed ; does anyone suppose 
 that then God would not be essentially happy ? 
 Certainly not. Why? Because He is perfect 
 and pure. Harmony reigns in His attributes, 
 there is accord in all the elements of His nature,' 
 there is no obstruction or hindrance to the eternal 
 laws of His being, no chafing, no collision, no un- 
 rest, no disquiet in the great heart of the Eternal. 
 The man who has a heart most like God's, most 
 nearly approximates His happiness. Give the 
 heart to God and He will put it in accord with 
 His own ; He will attune it to the melody of the 
 music of Heaven. 
 
 3. Finally, you should yield compliance with 
 the injunction of the text, because the highest as- 
 piration of humanity is met in God. The strong- 
 est passion of our nature is the love of applause, 
 esteem, approbation. This is seen as well in the 
 first development of childhood, as the little inno- 
 cent throws his rattle on the carpet, and looks up 
 for the applause of its parent, as in the last mani- 
 festation of manhood as the stricken hero falls 
 shrouded in battle flags, and covered with smoke 
 and dust. There is something in us that prompts 
 us to look out of ourselves, to live with reference 
 to others. The highest earthly pleasure enjoyed 
 
GIVING THE HEART TO GOD. 315 
 
 by us is the complacency we feel, from a know- 
 ledge of the esteem in which we are held on ac- 
 count of some good or perfection in us, real or 
 imaginary. This principle is implanted in our 
 nature. We can no more prevent it than we can 
 remove from our eye its affinity for light. Grocl 
 has o-iven it to us for wise and noble purposes, 
 for a motive power to action. The love of glory, 
 renown, applause. The love of money is sec- 
 ondary. Men love money to secure the gratifica- 
 tion of this passion. Money magnifies them in 
 the esteem of their fellows. This is what they 
 desire. I have no quarrel to make with the in- 
 stinct of our nature when properly directed — di- 
 rected to the proper object. There are those in 
 the world who allow it to ripen into an unsancti- 
 fied ambition, which leads them to trample upon 
 innocency and virtue to gratify it, whose path to 
 place, and power, and renown is marked by fraud, 
 and ashes, and blood, and tears. These deserve 
 the execration of mankind. But I have no dis- 
 position to tear the well-earned laurel from the 
 brow of any mortal. I do not feel that that is my 
 prerogative, as it certainly would not be my 
 pleasure, if able to do so, to overturn the monu- 
 ments of brass and marble erected to perpetuate 
 the memory of the triumphs of genius. It is 
 well, it is elevating, to act so as to bring down 
 upon us the plaudits of our race, if our conduct 
 
316 SERMONS. 
 
 be ou a line to secure the approbation, the re- 
 nown, of heaven. The Apostle tells us that the 
 glory of man is of some worth — worth as much as 
 the flower of the grass. This has some value. It 
 pleases the eye, adorns the landscape, and distils 
 a drop of honey for some toiling bee. Let human 
 approbation be straight on a line with God's ap- 
 proval, then the former will be the flower and the 
 latter the fruit. The point I make is this, that 
 there is a heaven-implanted principle within us that 
 keeps us all the time looking out for a smile, and 
 that it is never gratified until it meets the smile 
 of God. It is this principle, passion, or instinct, 
 that causes all this restlessness in the world, this 
 running to and fro, all this effort for wealth, and 
 place, and power, and all this attempt to shine in 
 the world. Most men do not understand it — do 
 not rightly interpret it. Many a man after he 
 has toiled, and labored, and succeeded, gotten 
 great, praise, pleasure, sits down in his house, 
 still restless, disgusted, dissatisfied, lashes him- 
 self in his bed all the night long, from side to 
 side. If he only knew what it was. That it 
 was the longing of the heart after God. When 
 God cast us upon this earth we rebounded. He has 
 left on us a touch of heavenly magnetism as we 
 issued from His hands, that set us moving for 
 elevation. We begin earth with a cry, we begin 
 heaven with an anthem ; we commence acting in 
 
GIVING THE HEART TO GOD. 317 
 
 the grand drama of life with a toy, we begin 
 above with a harp ; we open onr eyes below un- 
 der the smile of flesh, above under the smile of 
 the Eternal Spirit, brighter than a universe of 
 suns. This principle, this instinct, this aspira- 
 tion, of which I have been speaking, links the two 
 spheres together. It connects the cry with the 
 anthem, the toy with the harp, the smile of God 
 with that of onr mother. It is the golden clasp 
 that binds the heart of humanity with the bosom 
 of God. It is the drawing of Christ which 
 springs from the lifting him up. It gives hu- 
 manity an upward tendency, a drift heavenward. 
 We are away from home in an unconquered 
 clime, we feel it constantly. Nothing satisfies us 
 long here. Like the eagle caught and imprisoned, 
 with drooping wing and plaintive cry he gazes 
 through the bars of his cage heavenward. For a 
 time he seems to be content, as he satisfies his 
 hunger, or listens to the notes of some passing 
 bird ; then again, the old instinct is aroused and 
 he lifts his cry again and longs to cut his native 
 air and go back to his mountain crags. Or, like 
 the vine that intertwines itself around the tree- 
 trunk, as it turns off its beautiful leaf and un- 
 folds its flower to catch the dewdrop and sun- 
 light, it seems to be content, but by and by it 
 rises to the top of the trunk, and there its ten- 
 drils are reaching above and after some other 
 
318 SERMONS. 
 
 object still higher, upon which it may fasten and 
 lift itself up. So with the human spirit, the im- 
 mortal that is within us. Give wealth, place, 
 honor, earthly pleasure, and for a time we feel 
 satisfied, but we soon extract from all this the 
 power to gratify and satisfy, and then the ten- 
 drils of our hearts, our affections, are reaching 
 out and up for something else. Then it is, if 
 with the heart we can and will only lay hold of 
 Christ, whom God has put out from the skies, 
 fasten our affections upon Him, they can entwine 
 themselves around Him and rise higher and 
 higher, higher and higher, until the flower that 
 blooms on earth shall drop its fruit in Heaven. 
 
 §Umo£i ix ®\\xhtiim. 
 
 " Almost thou persuadest me to he a Christian" — Acts, xxvi, 28. 
 
 Such is the nature of the soul that truth affects 
 it more powerfully than anything which is pre- 
 sented to it. See the effect produced on the 
 mind of the student ; what excitement is raised in 
 the mind, as in the solution of a problem he ad- 
 vances, step by step, to the conclusion ! What 
 unbounded excitement and admiration are pro- 
 duced in the mind of the philosopher as some new 
 truth is discovered in science ! Who can tell the 
 
ALMOST A CHRISTIAN. 319 
 
 measure of the effect upon Newton, how his pulse 
 bounded, as, watching in his garden the fall of an 
 apple, the grand truth of gravity flashed upon 
 his mind ? So with every man ; truth always af- 
 fects us, we are swayed by it, we yield to it. In 
 proportion to its greatness will be the effect, 
 greater or less. This influence, which truth ex- 
 erts upon our souls, is accounted for in the fact 
 that God is truth, and our souls emanate from 
 God; He gave them, and hence is revealed to us 
 the reason why truth lives and must live forever, 
 whilst error perishes. And herein is revealed to 
 us the reason why the Gospel of the Son of God 
 has not been and can never be crushed out of the 
 world. 
 
 These reflections are suggested by the facts 
 recorded in this chapter by the Apostles. Here 
 we have set before us a remarkable instance of 
 the powerful effects of Gospel truth. Agrippa, 
 under its presentation, with all his prejudices 
 and antipathies, was almost persuaded to em- 
 brace it — to be a Christian. There are those be- 
 fore me this morning who are almost persuaded 
 to be Christians. To such I shall address my- 
 self. We lay down this proposition, and shall 
 undertake to show its truth, that the state of 
 that individual, who is almost persuaded to be a 
 Christian but not altogether, involves a crisis in 
 his spiritual history that renders his condition 
 fearfully dangerous. 
 
320 SERMONS. 
 
 We undertake to show first how this state is 
 produced; and, doing so, the truth of my proposi- 
 tion will be in part exhibited. First, then, we 
 remark that the testimony which supports the 
 truth of the revelation made through Christ is 
 such as to induce a disposition on your part to 
 accept Him as your Saviour. In the case of 
 Agrippa it was so. He was born and educated 
 amongst the Jews; he was acquainted with the 
 teachings of the Old Testament Scriptures ; he 
 believed them ; and when Paul stood before 
 him, making his defence, he so clearly exhibited 
 to Agrippa's mind Christ as the antitype of all 
 the t} r pes and shadows of the Jewish ceremonials. 
 so clearly set forth Christ as the fulfillment of the 
 prophecies pointing to a Messiah, that Agrippa 
 could not resist it. He appealed to him: "King 
 Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know 
 that thou believest." He then goes on to call his 
 attention to the life of Christ, to His miracles, par- 
 ticularly to His resurrection. Why should it be 
 thought a thing incredible ? Now, these same 
 proofs have produced a similar effect upon your 
 mind. They have been presented to you, you 
 have looked to them, examined them, and they 
 have driven away the mists of unbelief. You 
 feel that no man can examine these proofs im- 
 partially, which support the claims of the Chris- 
 tian religion, without being convinced of its truth. 
 
ALMOST A CHRISTIAN. 321 
 
 You feel that these are facts and circumstances 
 connected with the system which could not exist 
 if religion were false; these bring to the mind the 
 conviction as clearly as the proofs of a problem 
 in mathematics show the rules to be true by 
 which the conclusion is reached. And from the 
 nature of the soul, of which we have spoken in 
 setting out, the truth induces an admiration and 
 a disposition to embrace it. The reason, and the 
 only reason, why any are infidels is because they 
 have never seen the great truth of Christianity. 
 They examine only the theories that conceal its 
 truth. An ignorant man does not believe in as- 
 tronomy. Why? He has never had unfolded to 
 his mind the great truth contained in the science; 
 he is ignorant of its proofs; he knows nothing of 
 the calculations by which the principles of the 
 science are clearly and satisfactorily demonstra- 
 ted. By the truths presented to your minds, 
 which sustain the claims of Christ, jon are 
 almost persuaded to be Christians. 
 
 Again, we remark that the recital of Christian 
 experience in the conversion of the soul has had 
 a powerful influence in bringing you into your 
 present state of mind — almost persuaded to be 
 Christians. 
 
 Paul spoke out on this occasion his experience. 
 Told Agrippa how he was converted ; told him 
 that he knew that he had been a great persecutor 
 
 15 
 
322 SERMONS. 
 
 of Christians ; that at the time of his conversion 
 he was on his way to Damascus for that purpose. 
 "But at mid-clay, oh! king, I saw a light from 
 heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining 
 around about me." He then went on to tell him 
 as near as he could the nature of the change 
 which had taken place in him. Agrippa was 
 greatly affected by this. He knew Paul was not 
 a fool ; that he was an educated, intelligent man ; 
 that he was not likely to be imposed upon ; that 
 he was honest in his statements. This greatly 
 moved and affected his heart. So it is with you. 
 Your present state, the strong disposition to be- 
 come Christians Avhich you feel, has been greatly 
 induced by the recital of the experience of those 
 in whom your confidence is unshaken. Your 
 friend, your husband, your wife, your children, 
 stand up as witnesses before you. They tell you 
 that they have tasted and seen that the Lord is 
 good, that they have peace with God, and that it 
 takes away fear of death and dread of judgment — 
 that there is a power and reality in the religion 
 of Jesus — that they have experienced a change, 
 and you see it in their conversation and life; you 
 talked with them before their conversion, you 
 knew what their views and feelings were then — 
 they agreed, perhaps, with you. Now they say 
 they are changed. They have no motive to be 
 untrue any more than you have. You know they 
 
ALMOST A CHRISTIAN. 323 
 
 are honest — the tear that steals from their eye 
 tells you that they are sincere. You do not think 
 they can be mistaken. And coming in its force 
 upon your soul, it has excited in you a strong 
 disposition to try it too. You are almost per- 
 suaded to become Christians. 
 
 Again, we remark that this state in which you 
 find yourself is produced by the general conclu- 
 sion which you draw from these facts. You have 
 reasoned thus in your mind : If the great doc- 
 trines of Christianity be true; if the way of the 
 transgressor is hard ; if the wicked are troubled 
 here, and pass away at last from earth under a 
 cloud, with the frown of God resting upon their 
 dying hour, and in eternity are cast into hell fire, 
 "where the worm dieth not and the fire is not 
 quenched;" on the other hand, if the good, the 
 righteous, are happy in life, triumphant in death, 
 and blest forever in the world to come ; if to 
 enter into the kingdom of God, and escape hell, 
 it is necessary to be born again; if all this be 
 true, and you feel it is so, your heart says it is 
 your highest interest to become Christians. With 
 this general conclusion resting upon your mind 
 you are led to undervalue the pleasures derived 
 from the fashions,, the pageant, the honors, the 
 wealth of the world, and the great question comes 
 to your heart, "what will it profit me if I gain 
 the whole world and lose my own soul?" 
 
324 SERMONS. 
 
 Again, we remark that in addition to all this, and 
 in connection with it, your present state is produc- 
 ed by the influence of the Holy Spirit, "the light 
 that lighteth every man's mind that cometh into 
 the world." The Holy Spirit is persuading you 
 to become Christians. It is His power that gives 
 strength to the proofs, that gives efficacy and in- 
 fluence to Christian experience, that holds before 
 your spiritual vision the pleasures of religion, and 
 at the same time has arrayed before you the emp- 
 tiness of earthly good and the terrors of the pit. 
 
 God, the Hohr Spirit, is standing at the door 
 of thy heart. He is softly touching thy spirit 
 and awakening in your bosom that disposition you 
 feel to yield yourselves to Christ. 
 
 Xow, with these influences bearing upon you, 
 you would immediately become Christians if there 
 were not counteracting influences at work. These 
 opposite, warring principles have produced your 
 present state. The same devil that told our first 
 parents that they would not die, at the very time 
 when the proofs of religion are taking effect upon 
 you, is whispering doubts into your ear, infusing 
 the poison of unbelief, making you feel at times 
 that perhaps, after all. this change of which the 
 Christian speaks is animal excitement, enthusi- 
 asm. He insists upon it that the pleasures of the 
 world at the present are more valuable to you — 
 will make you happier than the pleasures of reli- 
 
THE MYSTERY OF SPIRITUAL THINGS. 325 
 
 gion. He contends with the influences of God's 
 Spirit, and } t ou are thus made undecided — a fear- 
 ful crisis with you — trembling between God and 
 the devil, heaven and hell, on the middle of the 
 beam, and soon you will walk upon one end or 
 the other. The great question will soon be set- 
 tled, and your soul will be forever saved or for- 
 ever lost. The Spirit of God is now especially 
 poured out ; it is a season of refreshing, and the 
 crisis is upon you. Oh ! what a spectacle of in- 
 terest you now present ! A night's decision may 
 now fix all well for eternity. Perhaps on these 
 few minutes hang the eternal destiny of your 
 soul. Then let me urge you to be not only al- 
 most, but altogether, persuaded to be Christians. 
 
 ®fo P^tcrtj ^f SSpwitoat Siting*. 
 
 (FUNERAL SERMON OF CAPT. JOHN H. BOYD, CO. "L," 21st 
 
 REGIMENT N. C TROOPS, PREACHED AT WE.NT- 
 
 WORTH, N. C, OCTOBER 23d, 1861.— Eds.) 
 
 " For now we see through a glass, darkly; but, then, face to face." — 1 
 Cor., xiii, 12. 
 
 Man, in his connection with scenes and objects 
 which surround him, and in his relation to his 
 God, appears the strangest and most mysterious 
 of all God's works. We look above us in the 
 
326 SERMONS. 
 
 scale of being to the next higher order, the an- 
 gels, and, although our knowledge of them is so 
 limited as scarcely to be called knowledge at all, 
 yet really there does not appear so much mystery 
 overhanging their being and their relation to God. 
 We look below us to the next lower order of be- 
 ings in the descending scale, and the mystery in- 
 vesting their being seems not half so great. They 
 seem to be unconscious, unintelligent beings, 
 whose existence is confined to this life. They 
 perish and pass away after having served their 
 purpose here. Both of these orders seem to be 
 in their native element, fulfilling the purpose for 
 which God designed them. Man seems out of his 
 element, not in his proper sphere, away from 
 home and struggling to return — his return depend- 
 ing upon a thousand contingencies. He seems 
 not to belong to earth, and yet he is not in heaven. 
 When w T e undertake to fathom the mystery by 
 sight, or analyze it by reason, we are confounded 
 and amazed, and even when we bring ourselves 
 in the light of revelation, " we see through a glass 
 darkly." One of the world's wisest philosophers, 
 after he had reached the highest attainments of 
 learning and science, said that he felt himself as 
 having gathered a few pebbles on the shore whilst 
 the vast ocean of knowledge was before. 
 
 We might entertain you this morning perhaps 
 — with how much profit I would not say — by dis- 
 
THE MYSTERY OF SPIRITUAL THINGS. 327 
 
 coursing upon the mystery which invests the 
 physical universe of God ; by calling your atten- 
 tion to the obscurity of our vision in looking upon 
 the objects surrounding us in this vast universe ; 
 but as I desire to present purely a spiritual les- 
 son, I shall endeavor, in treating of the mystery 
 which overhangs our being, to confine myself to 
 that which bears particularly upon our spiritual 
 character in our relation to God, as this was 
 clearly the reference of the Apostle. For con- 
 venience in treating the subject, we have drawn 
 two propositions from the text, viz : 
 
 First, whilst our sight is obscure and limited in 
 time, yet it is satisfactory and sufficient for our 
 condition below, and renders us happy. 
 
 Second, that the clear vision which will be re- 
 vealed above, when we come face to face with 
 God, will fill the soul with ecstasy and glory. 
 
 It is not in our power to speak confidently and 
 with certainty of the character and extent of 
 man's vision before the fall — whether he saw 
 clearly or obscurely. The history of that first 
 state is short, and the description of it vague and 
 meagre ; yet there seems to have been something 
 grand and glorious in the primeval state. Man's 
 close and intimate connection with God, his fami- 
 liar intercourse with heaven, fills us with wonder 
 in its contemplation ; but a veil is drawn over 
 Eden itself — obscurity covers it — and but little 
 
328 SERMONS. 
 
 is left to tell of her former grandeur. It is to us 
 like the ruins of some proud old city, whose monu- 
 ments are crumbled, whose arches are crushed ; 
 and all that remains to tell of its former glory 
 is, here and there to be found the head of a statue, 
 a faded painting, a prostrate column, or a carved 
 stone. Nor is it for us to say in how far man's 
 ignorance and blindness would have been relieved 
 by eating of the tree of life, from which he was 
 guarded by a flaming sword ; to what extent his 
 knowledge would have been revived and restored 
 in connection with his earthly immortality, if he 
 had been permitted to eat of the tree of life ; but 
 we know enough to say, that after the transgres- 
 sion he saw not at all. When the light of the Eter- 
 nal Spirit was stricken by the stroke of G-od's 
 power from his soul, a cloud of midnight black- 
 ness overspread his mind and heart, obscured and 
 obstructed his spiritual sight ; and had not the 
 spirit which enlightens every man's mind that 
 cometh into the world, and a revelation from 
 God been given him, it could not be said of us 
 to-day that we even " see through a glass darkly." 
 As the promises and prophecies were uttered, 
 they sent, as it were, twilight rays athwart the 
 gloom of man's spiritual sky, until the book of 
 revelations was completed ; and since that time, 
 this book has stood out in the spiritual heavens 
 like a shaded lamp, casting its light upon our 
 
THE MYSTERY OF SPIRITUAL THIXGS. 329 
 
 darkened minds, and enabling ns to see spiritual 
 things as the natural eye would behold natural 
 objects through a darkened glass. 
 
 No one has ever pretended that there is no 
 mystery connected with spiritual things. " With- 
 out controversy, great is the mystery of godli- 
 ness." Yet the point we wish to make is, that 
 we have a sufficient knowledge for us here. We 
 know natural things only in part, yet our know- 
 ledge of them is satisfactory. We cannot com- 
 prehend the growth even of a little leaf perfectly, 
 yet we know enough to satisfy the mind ; so with 
 spiritual things in our relation to God. We 
 know God and the relations we sustain to Him 
 only in part. What a mystery invests His cha- 
 racter ! God! The very biggest idea that can 
 be taken into the mind. Think of His attributes. 
 Man! how mysterious is his nature: his body 
 fashioned from clay, his spirit generated in the 
 breath of God. How few words express all that 
 we know of God and ourselves ; and how many 
 it would require, we feel, to express all that is 
 unknown ? See this relation. At first God and 
 man were on terms of intimacy and friendship. 
 In an evil hour man eats an apple forbidden ; he 
 is cursed and driven from Eden — a strange curse 
 too was that, a blessing being mingled in it, out- 
 weighing the curse. For four thousand years 
 darkness overspread the earth, sin abounded 
 
 15* 
 
330 SERMONS. 
 
 more and more, crimes of the deepest dye pol- 
 luted and corrupted all forms of society, and cried 
 aloud to heaven, until at length God poured upon 
 the earth a deluge of water to wash it of its pollu- 
 tion. After the lapse of about four thousand years, 
 one night, in a little town of Juclea, an infant was 
 born under most remarkable circumstances. 
 There was nothing singular in his appearance, 
 nothing unusual in his birth ; it was rather an 
 odd place to open his mortal eye upon the light 
 of this earth ; very lowly, in a manger — the 
 house of cattle. There was a press and crowd in 
 town that night, and not one half dozen knew or 
 suspected any significance in that event. As 
 the} T passed by they thought it a queer place to 
 be born in, and, no doubt, thought it was some 
 poor outcast ; and yet it seemed that God had to 
 lay His hand upon heaven to restrain it. The 
 heralds commissioned and sent to announce the 
 fact, did not simply proclaim a Saviour born in 
 Bethlehem, but poured out their angel hearts 
 in a burst of joy : " Glory to God in the highest ; 
 on earth peace, and good will to man." As 
 the strange, unearthly shout ringing on the 
 night air falls upon the ear of the shepherds, they 
 start up amazed, abandon their flocks to re- 
 peat the story of their visit. A sensation was 
 produced for the time which reached even the 
 King, and caused him to perpetrate the meanest 
 
THE MYSTERY OF SPIRITUAL THINGS. 331 
 
 and most cowardly act that is recorded anywhere 
 on the pages of the world's history. There is 
 nothing comparable to the meanness of slaying 
 thousands of helpless, innocent children to reach 
 one more innocent than all. But the sensation 
 dies out, things become quiet, he is lost sight of, 
 grows up in years like others, works with his 
 father at his trade. When twelve years of age 
 he happens to be in the temple, and takes a turn 
 at disputation with the lawyers and doctors, con- 
 futes and confounds them, but is carried away by 
 his parents, and nothing more is heard from him 
 until the Preacher of Repentance, clothed with 
 camel's hair, and feeding on locusts and wild 
 honey, began to cry in the wilderness, " Prepare 
 the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight," 
 there is coming after me one the latchet of whose 
 shoes I am not worthy to unloose. He was washed 
 at Jordan for the priestly office, instead of at the 
 door of the temple, went up and down through the 
 country teaching and doing wonderful things. He 
 finally yields to be roughly handled, and is put 
 to death. There is nothing remarkable or myste- 
 rious in putting a human being to death, but it is 
 strange that just as He dies the earth trembles, 
 and for three hours darkness shrouded the world, 
 and the whole heavens put on the drapery of 
 mourning. Oh! 'tis mysterious, this dying of the 
 Son of G-od ! It thrills the universe. Hear him 
 
332 SERMONS. 
 
 cry, " My G-od, my God, why liast thou forsaken 
 me ?" 
 
 " Hark how he groans, while nature shakes, 
 And earth's strong pillars bend; 
 The temple's veil in sunder breaks, 
 The solid marbles rend/' 
 
 His dying wail will reverberate through, the 
 coming centuries, down to the last syllable of re- 
 corded time. It was an hour of contest, an hour 
 of trial. The hopes of a cursed race, a perishing 
 world, and the promises of the offended Lawgiver, 
 lay in the balances. When he hung upon the 
 Cross, with one hand He took hold upon the throne 
 of God, and bared His side to His sword of justice, 
 and with the other He grasped man and rung His 
 plaintive cry in the ear of God, and amidst the 
 thunder of God's wrath and the wail of man ? s 
 supplication He dropped His head on His bosom 
 and died. What unfathomable mystery in all 
 this, and how darkly in the light of God's reve- 
 lation do we see it. How mysterious the great 
 connection given us to Christ through His death, 
 and through Christ to God. He is the vine and 
 we are the branches. The obscurity which covers 
 this has given rise to infidelic ridicule. The infi- 
 del in a spirit of ridicule says, "that God fell out 
 with man just because he tasted an apple, and 
 would not be reconciled until He wreaked His ven- 
 geance upon His own Son, when He immediately 
 got over His passion, and was willing to make 
 
THE MYSTERY OF SPIRITUAL THIXGS. 3oo 
 
 friends with man. 17 Why is this misrepresenta- 
 tion ? They do not even see it darkly, urged on 
 by a spirit of malice. " The natural man dis- 
 cerneth not the things of the Spirit of God." 
 The regenerated man sees that God being just, the 
 penalty of His violated law must be borne, and 
 God tells him in His word that the arrangement 
 was made through His son, and that now He can be 
 just, and yet justify those that believe on His Son; 
 and though he sees it darkly, cannot fully under- 
 stand the precise nature of the satisfaction, can- 
 not see how it is that blood which ran down from 
 this victim over eighteen hundred years ago 
 should avail for him, yet he can understand that 
 when he approaches God in the name of Christ, 
 when he pleads that blood, when he catches up 
 His death cry in his lips and repeats it, looking 
 toward Heaven — the clamors of his conscience 
 are hushed, his trouble passes awa}', he becomes 
 quiet, feels pleasant, an answer of peace is given 
 to his disturbed heart as clear and as satisfactory 
 as if an angel stood out in the heavens, crying to 
 the elements of his agitated bosom, "Peace, be 
 still." How it is that the strongman armed keep- 
 ing his palace is cast out, and Christ takes up his 
 abode in his soul ; how his soul, torn, and bruised, 
 and polluted, becomes so refined as to reflect the 
 image of Christ — how he is able to crucify his 
 flesh, and control his appetites and passions ; how 
 
334 SERMONS. 
 
 the great Comforter, the Holy Spirit, testifies with 
 his spirit, warms his bosom and cheers his heart, 
 are all mysterious — he sees them darkly, yet sat- 
 isfactorily. His knowledge is as satisfactory, and 
 he may and does rely upon it as confidently, as he 
 does upon his knowledge of any physical fact. 
 
 Again, obscurity covers the means of grace 
 instituted of God by which this connection is pre- 
 served. Fasting, and prayer, and alms-giving, 
 and visiting the sick, and those in prison • and 
 the sacraments — baptism and the Lord's Supper, 
 for these are means of grace as well as signs and 
 seals — how these influence his connection with 
 God, he sees darkly. Take the sacrament of the 
 Lord's Supper for instance. The table is spread, 
 the prayer of faith consecrates the symbols of the 
 broken body and shed blood of Jesus. What 
 good, asks infidelity, does a little bread and wine 
 do ? It sees it not at all. How the good is done 
 the Christian may not be enabled clearly to see, 
 yet if he stays away he feels that his heart grows 
 harder, his hope of Heaven becomes weaker, and 
 through the promptings of the Spirit, he comes to 
 the table weak, and feeling unworthy even wet- 
 ting the railings of the altar with his tears, bow- 
 ing, he receives the emblems of bread and wine, 
 and though he sees the connection between the 
 two darkly, yet he feels that Christ's words are 
 true — "I am with you," and bless God ! when he 
 
THE MYSTERY OF SPIRITUAL THINGS. 335 
 
 keeps the commandment of Christ he feels better 
 by it, As he turns away and bows at his seat 
 in prayer, the hidden manna, like the clews of 
 heaven, seems to have been distilled softly in his 
 soul, and he is all melted down in tenderness, and 
 repentance, and faith. 
 
 His connection with the death and resur- 
 rection of Christ is also mysterious to him. 
 When his setting sun is casting its scattered rays 
 feebly o'er his path, when his sands are all well 
 nigh run out, when the shadows of the dark 
 valley are falling upon his soul, how it is that 
 then the death of Jesus, which occurred eighteen 
 centuries ago, can influence his death ; how it is 
 that the echo of the earthquake that proclaimed 
 His power, whe"n He got up and walked out of 
 Joseph's new tomb, has crept over the bosom of 
 interlapsing centuries, and is heard resounding 
 in his own grave, silencing and putting to awe 
 the powers of death ami the tomb ; how the 
 strong grasp with which He wrenched the bars of 
 death and the manacles which he cast around 
 Him, as He struggled up victoriously from that 
 tomb, so pulled out the sting of the great mon- 
 ster, that he can only lie now in his own grave 
 and hiss without power to harm ; how the words 
 which Jesus spoke to Mary on that morning, as 
 she was stooping down over His sepulchre, pour- 
 ing her tears into it, strangely affects his heart — 
 
336 SERMONS. 
 
 is all mysterious to him ; lie sees all this darkly ; 
 yet, as the shadows rising from the grave are 
 cast upon his soul, and the ground begins to 
 sound hollow under his feet, there is something 
 within him that cheers his heart — that seems to 
 say in familiar tones, " Fear not, it is I." " Be- 
 cause I live, yon shall live also." "lam the re- 
 surrection and the life." And riding above his 
 last enemy, in the power of Christ's might, he 
 catches up the victorious shout of the Apostle : 
 " Thanks be unto God. who giveth us the victory 
 through our Lord Jesus Christ." 
 
 Since God has been pleased to make a revela- 
 tion to man, it is asked why did he not unfold 
 fully to man's understanding a clear perception 
 of all these things ? Two reasons will be suffi- 
 cient to meet fully this inquiry. Had he re- 
 moved all mystery there would have been no 
 such thing as faith. Faith is "the evidence of 
 things not seen." The grand cardinal feature in 
 the great scheme of redemption would thus have 
 been destroyed ; man's free agency would have 
 been interrupted if He had put him to walking 
 by sight ; and a new plan of atonement would 
 necessarily have to be provided. The second 
 reply is, that God could not explain the mystery 
 which overhangs man's beino; without un veiling 
 eternity, and this would be in effect equal to 
 annihilating time by introducing eternity into it. 
 
THE MYSTERY OF SPIRITUAL THINGS. 33*7 
 
 Has not a train of thought started in the mind ; 
 the idea was at first clear, we pursued it step by 
 step, degree by degree, until it passed out of our 
 reach, connecting itself with a principle which 
 was beyond our comprehension, and we stopped, 
 utterly incapable of tracing it further. What 
 is this but catching up the train of thought 
 connected with things we know in part, lying- 
 in time, and pursuing it until it connects with 
 those things wdiich we know not till we know as 
 we are known, till "we see face to face?'' The 
 view we are holding up may be illustrated by 
 the flight of a swift-winged eagle that mounts 
 up before us ; as he spreads his wings and 
 bends his pinions he appears a majestic bird, 
 standing out on the air. We follow him in his 
 bold flight as he shoots up; gradually he lessens 
 in bulk till naught is seen but the glitter of the 
 sunlight upon his wing 7 and his scream faintly 
 falls upon the ear to tell us that he has passed 
 into another element. Now, does it not seem 
 best and wisest to shed upon man's relation to 
 God just as much light as is necessary to meet 
 his wants here whilst in a state of probation, and 
 then for a full and thorough revelation take him 
 to eternity, where he can see face to face? 
 
 We come, finally, to briefly notice the second 
 proposition, that when we see clearly face to 
 face it will fill us with ecstasy and glory. It 
 
338 SERMONS. 
 
 does not require much to be said on this 
 proposition. As we have been examining the 
 nature of our vision here, we have in imagina- 
 tion caught glimpses of the effect of the nature 
 of our vision hereafter. All along;; in the ex- 
 animation, eternity, which lies just beyond the 
 limit of time, has seemed a great, magnificent 
 palace — time its outer porch. Standing by the 
 door — the grave — that leads into its courts, as 
 one after another passes, we almost catch from 
 the pallid lip the music that echoes from its walls, 
 and from the death-struck eye the light that 
 flashes in its halls. After a while the messenger 
 will come to invite us to enter; then "face to 
 face" we shall see. Think of it! Think of the 
 time when these eyes that have wept shall open 
 in heaven; when the melody of heaven shall first 
 fall upon these ears. How sweet, who can tell! 
 When these hands that have so often ached shall 
 strike the first note on the harp given us. Think 
 of it! Seeing "face to face." Think of seeing 
 an angel, touching his golden wing, hearing him 
 sing, handling his harp, seeing him fly. Think of 
 seeing Jesus face to face. God face to face. Oh! 
 my God, how true it is that "eye hath not seen, 
 nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart 
 of man, the things which God hath prepared for 
 them that love Him." 
 
GLORYING IN THE CROSS. 339 
 
 ^tovjjMjj iu the (Stow. 
 
 (ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE "METHODTST PULPIT 
 
 SOUTH."— Eds.) 
 
 1 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus 
 
 Christ."— Gal. vi, 14. 
 
 There is an expression similar to this in the 
 Epistle to the Philippians. The Apostle, writ- 
 ing to them on the same subject, closes one of his 
 arguments with the declaration: "Yea, doubtless, 
 and I count all things but loss for the excellency 
 of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord." 
 We are liable to mistake the sense of the Apostle 
 in the use of these strong expressions, unless we 
 use some care to ascertain his true meaning. 
 We are not to understand him that, abstractly 
 considered, he regarded everything as worthless. 
 By no means. His history and writings show 
 that he placed a proper estimate upon the neces- 
 saries and conveniences of life; that he valued 
 highly his friendships ; that he prized learning 
 and everything calculated to enhance our happi- 
 ness here; but when any or all of these were com- 
 pared with the excellency of the knowledge of 
 Christ, or contrasted with the benefits of the 
 Cross of the Redeemer, they dwindled into in- 
 significance. 
 
 In meeting the obligations of this hour we pro- 
 
340 SERMONS. 
 
 pose taking np the theme of the Apostle, and 
 shall undertake to present the Cross of Christ in 
 its power, and attractiveness, and blessing, as the 
 object above all others which demands the highest 
 place in the affections of every man. In doing so 
 we shall also endeavor to follow the spirit of the 
 text by contrasting the Cross with the objects 
 connected with and limited to this life, which 
 constitute the chief glory of a large majority of 
 our race. 
 
 Though happiness is the end proposed by each, 
 no matter what may be the occupation or profes- 
 sion, or if none at all, yet it is a melancholy truth 
 that the vast majority of mankind are in the road 
 that leads directly from its attainment. Deluded 
 by sin, they are following the dictates of their 
 carnal appetites, and as they are cursed and 
 thrown into confusion, it is easy to see that they 
 are unsafe guides, and in the end will prove ruin- 
 ous to their hopes ; for under their influence they 
 form attachments to things which soon perish and 
 pass away. Thus the million bow at the shrine of 
 wealth, glory in gain, thinking it will confer hap- 
 piness. Money is the great Diana now. Money 
 is the watchword by which the sentinels are 
 passed to positions of honor, trust and emolu- 
 ment. If there is ever a time when Mammon 
 holds more undisputed sway than at another, that 
 time is the present. Individuals of every class, 
 
GLORYING IN THE CROSS. 341 
 
 and grade, and profession, and sex, almost, are 
 brought under its influence, so as to be swayed 
 by it to a greater or less extent. The ruling sen- 
 timent of the age seems to be that money-getting 
 should constitute the chief concern of life. What 
 a strange infatuation ! An individual may bend 
 all his energies in the pursuit of wealth, and at 
 last become disappointed in its acquisition. How 
 blank and terribly embarrassing must his condi- 
 tion be, who, after consecrating his time, and 
 talent, and physical energies, at the shrine of 
 Mammon, is despised and rejected by his G-od! 
 But allow that he is successful, how easily do 
 riches "make themselves wings" and fly away! 
 Grant even that he is not only successful, but re- 
 tains his wealth, how poor, how wretchedly des- 
 titute — aye, we would repeat, if thereby we can 
 make it more emphatic, how wretchedly destitute is 
 he who comes down to the grave, at the close of his 
 earthly career, possessed with no other treasure 
 than his world's goods! Out of all his vast pos- 
 sessions he can use only enough to buy a wooden 
 box or metallic case; then, dressed in his best suit 
 of clothes, he is wrapped in a linen sheet and hid 
 from the gaze of his fellows. This little even he 
 cannot carry with him through the grave ; for, 
 mingling with his dust, when his body is called 
 away by the trump of Grod, it stays behind as fuel 
 in the general conflagration of all things. Wealth 
 
342 SERMONS. 
 
 is proper enough, sought and obtained and used 
 properly, but should not hold the highest place 
 in the affections of any. 
 
 Under the influence of the same appetites, an- 
 other class glories in fame. Catching up the roll, 
 and running over the names of renowned warriors, 
 and statesmen, and philosophers, and poets, and 
 orators, and scholars, an intense desire prompts 
 them to write theirs on the shining list. The as- 
 pirations of many do not rise, perhaps, so high as 
 this, but the principle is the same in all ; fame is 
 their god. We have found some of this class who 
 did not enjoy more than a neighborhood notoriety 
 as devout worshippers at its shrine as was ever 
 Wellington or Napoleon. What is fame? A 
 bubble that glitters awhile in the sunlight, then 
 bursts and is gone forever ! It dies away like the 
 "voices of morning bells on the air." If we 
 would know its worth, let us turn the pages of the 
 past. W^e read of one Amnion's son, who came 
 forth in the majesty of his strength ; the smoke 
 and dust roll into the heavens from the wheels of 
 his triumphal car as he sweeps the plains of Tyre 
 and Gaza, Phoenicia and Egypt. We are awe- 
 struck and amazed as we see him stopping at the 
 temple of Jupiter Amnion, and, by a mysterious 
 rite of his own invention, lay aside his humanity 
 and assume divinity. On he shoots, like a thun- 
 derbolt, through Persia and India, successive vie- 
 
GLORYING IN THE CROSS. 343 
 
 tories marking his bloody way, until he stands 
 upon the sea shore, weeping for more worlds to 
 conquer. 
 
 And, after all, the pretended god died drunk in 
 Babylon ! 
 
 We read also of the Carthagenian general and 
 Roman usurper ; the one, after a splendid career, 
 perishing by his own hand ; the other, in the act 
 of consummating his highest hope, falling by the 
 hand of the assassin. 
 
 Coming on down to later times, the ear is salu- 
 ted with " Vive I 'Empereur /" Not a breath stirs 
 but is loaded with praise to the Corsican lieuten- 
 ant. His sun scarcely clears the horizon ere it 
 is blazing in its meridian. All Europe is lighted 
 up by the splendor of his genius, and the Anglo- 
 Saxon holds his breath in terror as he sees the 
 thrones of" his neighbors, hallowed b} r the sacred 
 memories of ages, crumbling to dust beneath the 
 giant tread of the man of destiny. Yet his sun 
 went down as suddenly in cloud and darkness as 
 it had arisen in brilliancy and hope. He died in 
 banishment and bonds, an outcast ! 
 
 In these examples is seen the worth of fame, 
 when enjoyed in its greatest measure. They have 
 a name renowned, but it is cursed by humanity. 
 They are remembered, and are immortal ; so is 
 the plague. Could we call their ghosts from the 
 spirit land, and take their testimony as to the 
 
344 SERMONS. 
 
 value of fame, as they should stand before us 
 wrapped in the vestments of the dark world they 
 inhabit, with souls well scorched with unquench- 
 able fires, we venture that testimony would be 
 this : "All the glory of man is as the flower of 
 grass." 
 
 Under the same influence another class glories 
 in pleasure. What an ephemeral flower is world- 
 ly pleasure! Truly, it is "but for a season." 
 When passed, it always leaves an "aching void" 
 behind, and often, even in its enjoyment the cup 
 of bliss is broken upon our lips, and by a single 
 thought our pleasures die. 
 
 These three— wealth, fame, pleasure — consti- 
 tute, as some one has said, the world's trinity. 
 These are the objects in which worldly-minded men 
 glory. Your observation and experience will 
 witness whether we have correctly represented 
 them ; if so, we would have you carry the estima- 
 tion in which they are now held with you, whilst 
 we hold up the Cross of Christ and invite you to 
 look upon it ; and we trust that when our reflec- 
 tions are ended we shall all be prepared to join 
 the Apostle in the prayer of the text. 
 
 The first feature in the Cross — of course the 
 doctrines of the Cross are meant ; the merit of the 
 victim, and not the instrument itself — which we 
 present, is its elevating influence upon individuals 
 and nations. 
 
GLORYING IN THE CROSS. 345 
 
 Man, since the fall, has had a downward ten- 
 dency. The promptings of his fallen nature, as 
 already intimated, lead him into inconceivable dif- 
 ficulty and trouble. Every step he takes in- 
 creases the distance between himself and his God, 
 and tends to consummate his humiliation and 
 abasement. The Cross counteracts this influence. 
 It calls to him ; tells him of his noble birth ; points 
 him to his high destiny ; exhorts him to retrace 
 his steps. In a word, it elevates him morally, 
 mentally, socially, and exalts him to a high and 
 holy communion with his God. Turn to a page 
 in your observation, and you see this truth illus- 
 trated. Do you not remember to have seen a 
 wayward son leaving his father's house, or the 
 bosom of his owu family, frequenting the haunts 
 of vice and dissipation ; descending, step by step, 
 until he reached the lowest depths of poverty, 
 shame and disgrace ? Just as, in his abandon- 
 ment and wretchedness, he was chasing from his 
 heart the last lingering symptom of good feeling, 
 cursing away the influence of a pious mother's 
 prayers, which tarried with him when all things 
 else had well nigh departed — you saw some mes- 
 senger of the Cross take him gently by the arm 
 and whisper in his ear a word of hope and recov- 
 ery. He told him there was yet a chance for 
 him ; bade him rise, in the name of Jesus, and be 
 a man. He started up, resolved to make one last 
 
 16 
 
346 SERMONS. 
 
 effort to return. He threw his eye, as directed, 
 upon the Cross. His strength increased. At last 
 he reached forth his hand, trembling from de- 
 bauch, and grasped it ; and in a moment he stood 
 erect. Soundness was restored to him ; a new 
 song was put into his mouth — ' ' Even praise unto 
 our God " — decent clothes were substituted for 
 his tattered garments, and, a devout worshipper, 
 he came to occupy a place in the sanctuary of 
 God, and was introduced again into society, a 
 worthy, respectable citizen. Though all this oc- 
 curred years ago, yet, as you visit him in his com- 
 fortable, happy home, kneel with him at the sa- 
 cramental table, and lift your voice with his in the 
 song of praise, you now, more confidently than 
 then, expect to meet him in heaven. This is but 
 one instance of the thousands that are occurring 
 all over Christendom iii which the power of the 
 Cross transforms cruel tyrants into affectionate 
 husbands, rebellious children into obedient sons, 
 drunken sots into intelligent citizens, and fiends 
 almost into pious saints. 
 
 The elevating influence which the Cross exerts 
 upon individuals it also exerts upon communi- 
 ties and nations. When the love of Christ con- 
 straineth not a people, corrupt passion becomes 
 their guide in all things. Thus they become in- 
 volved in the same evil consequences, find the 
 same degradation, to which the individual is re- 
 
GLORYING IN THE CROSS. 347 
 
 duced. The Gospel, from its peculiar self-per- 
 petuating principle, prompts its votaries to un- 
 dertake in their behalf. Soon we see the mis- 
 sionary tearing himself — for he loves as we do — 
 from the embrace of home and country, embark- 
 ing upon the "dark blue sea,' 7 and under the pro- 
 tection of that God who put it into his heart 
 to go, he sets his foot in safety upon heathen 
 soil. He erects the Cross, flings to the breeze 
 his banner, stained all over with precious blood, 
 then kindly approaches the deluded worshipper, 
 as he is bowed before his dumb idol, tells him of 
 the one true and living God, whom alone he is to 
 worship ; tells him that all his fellows are his 
 brethren, descended from the same stock, sub- 
 ject to the same ills and sorrows, and heirs of 
 the same promises and hopes ; tells him of man's 
 fallen state, assures him of the remedy ; bids 
 him look upon the Cross and rise to a higher life. 
 The idolator's heart, touched by the Holy Spirit 
 that " lighteth every man that cometh into the 
 world," turns to that Cross as the needle to the 
 pole, and quitting his senseless worship, he con- 
 secrates himself to the service of the most high 
 God. One after another follows his example. A 
 new and glorious era begins to dawn upon that 
 people, as the " day-spring from on high" throws 
 His light across their spiritual sky. As they 
 begin the work of cultivating true morality and 
 
348 SERMONS. 
 
 religion, they commence remodelling their laws ; 
 they begin in earnest the culture of the arts and 
 sciences. The work of civilization goes on under 
 the appliances of the Gospel, until in commerce, 
 in science, in laws, the new born nation takes her 
 position side by side with the enlightened nations 
 of the earth. 
 
 One ray, emanating from the Cross, has kissed 
 the black, hideous cheek of Africa, and has 
 thrown a smile over the face of that dark, be- 
 nighted land. The little republic sitting upon 
 the sea-shore, reflecting its borrowed light, 
 heightens the hope inspired by the Prophet, that 
 "Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto 
 G-od," and that the songs of Zion, with their 
 accompaniments, the ploughman's merry laugh, 
 and the rattle of the steam car, shall resound in 
 the jungle, where now is only heard the yell of 
 the savage, the hiss of the serpent, and the roar 
 of the lion. 
 
 If we would witness the most wonderful dis- 
 play of the elevating influence of the Cross, na- 
 tionally, we have only to turn to our own repub- 
 lic. What has given us the proud and enviable 
 elevation as a nation which we enjoy ? What 
 constitutes us the free and happy people we are ? 
 The response comes from millions of happy lips, 
 that it is the inculcation and practice of the great 
 doctrines of Christianity — justice, equality, and 
 
GLORYING IN THE CROSS. 349 
 
 fraternity. The late distinguished Calhoun, in 
 his " Disquisition on Government," teaches that 
 men are influenced by only two principles in their 
 actions — selfishness and benevolence, or self-in- 
 terest and the interest they feel in others. That 
 selfishness being much stronger than benevo- 
 lence, the end of all proper legislation is to check 
 the former and promote the latter. If benevo- 
 lence were the stronger principle, then it would be 
 necessary to reverse legislation, so as to promote 
 selfishness and check benevolence. That gov- 
 ernment, therefore, he alleges, which produces 
 by its legislative enactments an equilibrium be- 
 tween these two principles, compelling each of its 
 subjects to act with as much regard for the inter- 
 ests of others as his own, is a perfect govern- 
 ment. Now, in following the great statesman to 
 his conclusion, and endeavoring as a nation to 
 carry out the doctrine taught in all our legisla- 
 tion, where do we find ourselves standing ? Upon 
 the second great commandment of Christ, "Thou 
 shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." This is the 
 secret of our success in all our struggles to be 
 free, and to rise to a commanding position as a 
 people. This is the sap to the tree of liberty, 
 which causes it to strike its roots deep into the 
 soil, and throw out its great arms, covered with 
 evidences of health and substantial growth. The 
 doctrines of the Gospel have not only elevated 
 
350 SERMONS. 
 
 us, but they preserve us iu our elevation and 
 progress. The corner stone of our republic rests 
 securely beneath the rage of party strifes and fa- 
 naticism, not because it was laid with pomp, or is 
 guarded with bristling bayonets, but because it 
 was laid with prayers and tears upon the Cross 
 of Christ. But recently we have had an exem- 
 plification of our true preservative principle. 
 When, a few years ago, that dark cloud gath- 
 ered in our political atmosphere, flinging its 
 black shadows over the whole land, threatening 
 in its fury, if ungirted, to tear in shreds our flag, 
 and rend in fragments our glorious Union, what 
 was it but the honesty, the Christian integrity of 
 the masses, the pure G-ospel temper and spirit of 
 the convocations of the people, North and South, 
 that sounded the knell to demagogues and fanat- 
 ics ? Remove from our nation the influence of 
 the Cross, and there are now exciting causes 
 abroad that would make our rivers run red with 
 blood, and bleach our plains with the bones of 
 our bravest and best citizens. 
 
 The truth of the position we have assumed is 
 more strikingly manifest by contrasting our con- 
 dition with that of unfortunate, downtrodden 
 France. God has blessed France with the ele- 
 ments of a great nation — she has the physical 
 element ; she has the intellectual element ; she 
 has bravery and courage enough for anything : 
 
GLORYING IN THE CROSS. 351 
 
 but she lacks the religious element ; she is cursed 
 with infidelity ; and on this account her masses 
 are ignorant and enslaved ; and, as a general 
 thing, she has to keep them abroad, murdering her 
 neighbors, to prevent them from butchering each 
 other at home. Let a pure Christianity be given 
 to the French, and they would soon break their 
 chains and put themselves upon the platform upon 
 which we now stand. We should glory, therefore, 
 in the Cross, on account of its elevating influence. 
 Again, we should glory in the Cross, because 
 it is the manifestation of a peculiar exercise of power 
 by God in meeting the wants of our spiritual nature. 
 The Apostle calls the crucifixion of Christ " The 
 power of G-od." It has been truly said : 
 
 " 'Twas great to speak the world from naught, 
 'Twas greater to redeem." 
 
 It required an exercise of power altogether 
 different in the one case from that exerted in the 
 other. In the act of creation, G-od spread out 
 the heavens as a curtain ; He digged out the pit of 
 the sea and filled it with waves ; He piled mound 
 upon mound, and rock upon rock, until the moun- 
 tains pierced the clouds, but all this was done by 
 the strength of His voice. " He spake, and it was 
 done, He commanded, and it stood fast." When 
 man even stood before Him, fashioned from the 
 clay, He simply breathed upon him, and he began 
 to live ; but when by his disobedience, he sunk 
 
352 SERMONS. 
 
 down into spiritual death, God could not, without 
 an infraction of His justice, breathe him again to 
 life. Though God could flino- from His fingers a 
 blazing sun, and send him shining and sparkling 
 on his path ; though He could by the strength of 
 His voice crown the sky with shining worlds, and 
 by a wave of His hand pencil their orbits through 
 space ; yet it was not enough that He sit upon His 
 throne and point out the way of redemption. If 
 there was a way, it was necessary that God Him- 
 self come down and press the path with His own 
 feet. This He did. Christ said, when upon 
 earth, "He that hath seen me hath seen the 
 Father.' ' Coming thus in person, when He had 
 thoroughly explained, taught, and enforced his 
 doctrines, He submitted to be lifted upon the Cross. 
 Then it was that He brought into exercise His 
 omnipotence, in bearing '"our sins in His own 
 body on the tree/' When he cried " My God ! 
 My God ! why hast thou forsaken me ?" such was 
 the effort put forth by Him, that the influence of 
 the act was felt co-extensive with His very exist- 
 ence. God was touched, and through every avenue, 
 and vein, and fibre of the universe, the power of 
 the influence of this act went thrilling along ; for 
 wherever God was, there the sensation was felt. 
 No wonder the earth reeled, and rocked, and 
 trembled, and the rocks were split ; no wonder 
 the graves heaved forth their dead ; no wonder 
 
GLORYING IN THE CROSS. 353 
 
 the sun covered his face in darkness. Here we 
 witness an act performed by God, which rises in 
 grandeur and sublimity above all the displays of 
 His power. There seems to be a significance in 
 the very outstretching of His hands. With one 
 He holds up the principles of His government — 
 lifts them high above the touch of violence or 
 injury ; with the other, though pierced and bleed- 
 ing it is, He grasps the millions of the human 
 race, and, holding them upon His throbbing 
 heart, cries: "Father! forgive." And as the, 
 blood trickles down His side, we behold the 
 sublimest of all spectacles — "Mercy and truth 
 are met together, righteousness and peace have 
 kissed each other." Ever since that time, God 
 can " be just, and the justifier of him which be- 
 lieveth in Jesus." 
 
 There was, at the same time, a power exerted, 
 the effects of which are not visible to the natural 
 e} r e — a secret power, springing from the Cross, 
 which sent itself back to the commencement of 
 time, mysteriously imparting virtue to all the 
 altars of sacrifice which had been fired in hope of 
 "the promise;" and also sending itself forward 
 to the latest period, thus stretching itself across 
 the generations of man. from the eternity of the 
 past to the eternity of the future. The Apostle 
 calls it, "The power of God unto salvation." It 
 is in our atmosphere, it is in our sanctuaries, it 
 
 16* 
 
354 SERMONS. 
 
 is in our closets, it is in our " mouth and heart," 
 and, upon confession of the crucified Saviour, it 
 is developed upon us by the Holy G-host, in 
 raising our dead souls from the death of sin to a 
 life of " righteousness, peace and joy." 
 
 Finally, we should glory in the Cross, because 
 it is our only hope in the hour of death. Dis- 
 guise it as we may, there is a mysterious in- 
 fluence beyond the power of our resistance, bear- 
 ing us rapidly to another state of being. Our 
 life is but "a vapor, that appeareth for a little 
 time, and then vanisheth away." Our fathers — 
 where are they ? They have fallen asleep upon 
 our bosoms, and we have taken them in the arms 
 of affection and laid them down in their beds of 
 dust. Soon our children will perform the same 
 kind office for us. 
 
 " Like leaves on trees the race of man is found — 
 Now green in youth, now withering on the ground ; 
 Another race the following spring supplies ; 
 They fall successive, and successive rise. 
 So generations in their course decay — 
 So flourish these, when those are passed away." 
 
 When the time of our change shall come, then 
 the Cross is our only hope; for when the shadows 
 rising from the grave are dimming our sight, 
 when the silver cord is being loosed, when the 
 turbid waters are rolling at our feet — then it 
 breaks 
 
 " The shock blind Nature cannot shun, 
 And lands thought smoothly on the farther shore." 
 
GLORYING IN THE CROSS. 355 
 
 In that hour, the light of the Cross falling into 
 the tomb scatters its darkness, and opens to the 
 spiritual eye the path of triumph, trod by the 
 rising Saviour ; and clinging to His Cross, and 
 listening to His encouraging voice, we feel that 
 we have reached the perfection of human nature, 
 in knowing death and not fearing it ; for, passing 
 his gate in defiant and triumphant tone, we can 
 cry, " death, where is thy sting ; grave, 
 where is thy victory ?" What a grand thing it 
 is, that when kind friends, and our dearest ones, 
 are unable to administer relief or solace ; when 
 the pride, and pomp, and pageant of earth sicken 
 rather than soothe ; when the heart fails to pro- 
 pel the life-current, and is becoming still and 
 cold ; what a grand thing it is that we can cast 
 ourselves upon a great beating heart, whose 
 mighty pulsations, in flowing out to the farthest 
 limits of the universe, sending life and sustaining 
 power to all things, just at that moment throb 
 through our souls, thaw away the death-chill, and 
 warm us into eternal life. 
 
 God grant that we may all be prepared, now 
 and ever, to join the Apostle in the sentiment of 
 the text ; and may the time speedily come on, 
 when every human lip, from a thorough convic- 
 tion of its worth and excellence, shall repeat : 
 " God forbid that I should glory, save in the 
 Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ." 
 
356 SERMONS. 
 
 !fe Sritttttpfc m& §wm& jof tint (BbtirtJau. 
 
 " To Him that overcometh will I give to eat of the Tree of Life, which is in 
 the midst of the paradise of God." — Rev. ii, 7. 
 
 The text is the conclusion of the letter which 
 John was commanded to write to the angel or min- 
 ister of the Church at Ephesus. We find a simi- 
 lar conclusion to each of the letters written to the 
 seven Churches of Asia. These Churches were 
 Representative Churches. The doctrines taught, 
 the instructions given, the reproofs administered, 
 the promises addressed, were intended to be per- 
 manent, standing in their character, as applicable 
 to all successors in all after ages of the world. 
 These Churches were patterns and examples, 
 illustrating Christian experience, and the method 
 of God's dealings with Christians, not only in 
 Church organization, but also in their individual 
 relation and experience. Therefore, we are to 
 receive the doctrines taught them for our instruc- 
 tion, the reproofs for our profit, and the promises 
 for our edification and encouragement. Viewed 
 in this light, the text comes with peculiar encour- 
 agement to the contending, struggling, spiritual 
 combatant. In addressing it to you for this pur- 
 pose, this morning, I shall attempt first to point 
 out the obstacle or obstacles to be overcome in 
 
TRIUMPH AND REWARD OF THE CHRISTIAN. 357 
 
 order to the enjoyment of the benefit promised. 
 And then I shall undertake to explain something 
 of the nature of this benefit, represented figura- 
 tively by the fruit of the tree of life. 
 
 First then, as to the obstacles to be overcome. 
 "We are placed here in a state of probation. We 
 are represented as warring a warfare — fighting a 
 good fight. So much like a battle of iron, and steel, 
 and lead is it, that all the implements used in such 
 warfare are used figuratively to represent the 
 weapons with which we fight. The prize for 
 which this contest is waged, the end to be at- 
 tained, is eternal life. Now, whatever opposes 
 this end, whatever comes between us and this 
 prize as a let or hindrance to its possession, is the 
 enemy to be engaged, the obstacle to be overcome; 
 all the influences which oppose, the enemies which 
 attack you, the obstacles and barriers to be over- 
 come, may be embodied under one name and per- 
 sonage — the devil. He is called the prince of the 
 power of the air. The Apostle says, " we wres- 
 tle not with flesh and blood, but with principali- 
 ties, with powers, against the rulers of the dark- 
 ness of this world, with spiritual wickedness in 
 high places." Again, he exhorts us "to put on 
 the whole armor of G-od, that ye may be able to 
 stand against the wiles of the devil." I do not 
 stop here to prove the origin of the devil ; or to 
 delineate the peculiarities of his individual char- 
 
358 SERMONS. 
 
 acter. These are subjects of speculation, to a 
 great extent. I do not know that much, if any- 
 practical good, would result from a clear and ex- 
 plicit revelation upon these points. This is re- 
 vealed to us, not only in the word of G-od, but in 
 our own experience, that there is a devil — shrewd, 
 keen, active; our great and terrible adversary, 
 constantly striving to work our ruin. Dr. Clarke 
 says that the devil is not very wise. I suppose 
 he bases his opinion on his act of folly in rebel- 
 ling in heaven, and in that it is true. But in 
 everything else there is the most wonderful method 
 in his folly. Whether he understands how to 
 choose the right end or not, may be doubtful, but 
 having chosen the end, he has no rival in skillfully 
 adopting the means for its accomplishment ; and 
 there is one thing very certain : of whatever else 
 lie may be ignorant, he is perfectly well acquainted 
 with human nature. He knows the human heart 
 as well, almost, as if he had formed it. He knows 
 its strength and its weakness. He is especially 
 familiar with the weak point in every man's char- 
 acter. Then again, in a certain sense he is omni- 
 present ; not personally, but by his agents. For 
 as angels are ministering spirits, I take it that 
 since there are legions of devils or evil spirits, 
 they act as agents for Satan. We are indeed- 
 taught this. Then, again, he has, within a certain 
 limit, the control of the world — its wealth, its 
 
TRIUMPH AND REWARD OF THE CHRISTIAN. 359 
 
 honors, and its pleasures. Now think, having 
 access to the heart, with his arts, his wiles, his 
 flattering, his power to captivate and deceive, what 
 a dangerous enemy he is to us. Like a lion roar- 
 ing — ah ! only a thousand times more so in dan- 
 ger. A lion even, whose tongue has once tasted 
 of human blood, as he lies crouched in ambush 
 beside the path, having an eye of fire, with soft 
 velvet foot gently pushing aside the long grass 
 that obstructs his view, as he lies in wait for the 
 passer by, is a thousand times less dangerous and 
 deadly. He only kills the body, if successful in 
 his spring. The first weapon, and the strongest, 
 which the devil uses against you in preventing 
 your embrace of Christianity, is the opinion of 
 the world in regard to religion. A distinc- 
 tion is to be drawn here between the opinion of 
 the world and public opinion ; otherwise my as- 
 sertion would not be true, for public opinion in 
 this country favors Christianity, for the very ob- 
 vious reason that public opinion is controlled by 
 Christian sentiment. 
 
 By the opinion of the world, I mean the opin- 
 ion of the rejecters of religion. Christ has drawn 
 the distinction in his address to his disciples : "If 
 ye were of the world — the world would love its 
 own, but because ye are not of the world, but I 
 have chosen you out of the world." 
 
 These wicked rejecters of Christ are all con- 
 
360 S1EMONS. 
 
 trolled by their father, the devil — led by him cap- 
 tive at his will. Now, of course, the devil has set 
 up in the mind and heart of all such persons a 
 very poor opinion of religion — this opinion is not 
 always manifested in words, but perhaps more 
 frequently in acts. It is a sort of feeling that re- 
 ligion is a whim, a weakness, a fanaticism; that it 
 will do very well for old women and young peo- 
 ple — will not hurt them, at least. But this weep- 
 ing and crying about the altars of religion — all 
 this strictness about the Sabbath day — this refus- 
 ing to indulge a little wine with friends, and cards, 
 and such, is all a weakness, is unmanly and cow- 
 ardly — proceeding from the ghost of future pun- 
 ishments, manufactured from disordered brains. 
 This opinion manifests itself in various ways — in 
 sneers, and jeers, and jests, and winks, and is put 
 in the way by the devil as the most difficult and 
 insurmountable barrier to be overcome. Now, I 
 know that as strong a weapon as the devil uses, 
 against the young particularly, is the pleas- 
 ures and honors of the world. He takes 
 them as it were upon some temple, and shows 
 them all these things, and promises these to 
 them if they will serve him, and tells them that in 
 becoming Christians they part with all these and 
 become melancholy and mopy. But it is not so 
 difficult to undeceive them, when the laurels fade 
 so easily, and in the midst of scenes of gaiety and 
 
TRIUMPH AND REWARD OF THE CHRISTIAN. 361 
 
 festivity they so often feel disquiet, and witness 
 the vanity and deceitfulness of earth ; it is not so 
 hard a task to convince them that he is an arch 
 deceiver. But it is exceedingly hard and diffi- 
 cult to break the force of the opinion of the world. 
 It is the hardest thing to break this opinion. 
 Many a man, after he has seen in the Cross a 
 remedy for the plague of his heart, has stayed 
 away through the force of this opinion. Many a 
 man to-day stands hugging his chains in the dun- 
 geon of sin, sighing for freedom, lying down at 
 night with disquiet and fearful apprehension, 
 simply because he fears that if he asks to be free 
 his fellow captive and convict will make mouths 
 at him. Many a man has even gone to hell be- 
 cause he was afraid some blockhead would laugh 
 at him for wanting to go to heaven. That young 
 man out there in that slip, who, when he goes to 
 his room from the counter, or desk, or shop, or 
 office, remembers the instruction of a pious moth- 
 er, and when he seeks his pillow, almost feels, 
 night after night, the gentle pressure of her con- 
 secrating hand, would be religious if he were not 
 ashamed to confess Christ before men. He has 
 felt and now feels that the pleasures of sin are 
 but for a season — fleeting, unsubstantial ; that 
 the fashions, dress, pomp of sinful life, sparkling 
 with diamonds, and lace, and purple, are vanity 
 and show, a breaking bubble, that will leave him 
 
362 SERMONS. 
 
 stripped and naked in hell after a while. For 
 the value of all these things he would not stay- 
 away, but by his side or across the aisle sits his 
 friend, hardened in sin. If a tiger stood at the 
 door of his pew it would not more effectually stop 
 him in taking a position on the Lord's side than 
 the sneer and scoffing look which he knows would 
 be turned upon him. As proof, I need only call 
 your attention to one fact : See how sinners flock 
 to the Cross when, in seasons of refreshing, they 
 say one to another, " let us go !" After the 
 Cross is reached the devil renews his attacks. 
 His assaults are much more vigorous and deter- 
 mined. As a general rule he first tries to cause 
 doubt ,and then to induce the Christian to give 
 up all hope and effort. Failing in this, he will 
 get him, if he can, to doubt the truth of religion 
 anyhow, suggesting that may be, after all, it is not 
 true. Who has not felt this and wished for some 
 clearer, plainer proofs? Failing here, he contents 
 him with his present state ; lulls him into a 
 false security ; gets him at ease in Zion ; tells 
 him that justification and regeneration are 
 enough ; that this going on to perfection and ho- 
 liness is a vague, mysterious something, not un- 
 derstood nor agreed upon ; that the truth is, it 
 is not necessary to be always praying and think- 
 ing about religion ; that the things of life have to 
 be cured for some ; that all this self-denial is not 
 
TKIUMPH AND REWARD OF THE CHRISTIAN. 363 
 
 required ; and thus lie keeps the eyes of thousands 
 of Christians blinded. 
 
 But the mightiest exertion of his power 
 and skill is reserved for what is manifested 
 in his assault on the will. It is not every 
 Christian eye that he can blind, nor is it true 
 that the majority of Christians who neglect duty 
 and commit sin, do it blindly. Though the 
 Christian is taught right at the threshhold to 
 pray. "Thy will be done," and pray continually, 
 "Thy will be done," yet it is the hardest thing in 
 life to do. The devil constantly, by some mys- 
 terious means, puts strength into his obstinate 
 will. G-od has made us peculiar beings ; He has 
 put strange fire into our souls. We think, we 
 plan, we execute ; and with the devil at our el- 
 bow, we are constantly feeling that we can take 
 care of ourselves. It is the hardest thing in the 
 world for us to do — to give up all control of our 
 actions, our words, our thoughts, our desires, 
 our property, our families, our life — simply be- 
 cause the devil interposes. It is the greatest 
 mystery in the economy of grace. The Trinity 
 is a mystery, the relief furnished by the shed- 
 ding of the blood of the Son of G-od is mystery. 
 But it does seem to me that this rises above all 
 others. See! The judgment is clear in its deci- 
 sion that we should yield ourselves servants, to 
 obey Christ ; conscience with its sensitiveness 
 
364 SERMONS. 
 
 puts its seal of approval to the decision that it is 
 right; our experience teaches us that it is our in- 
 terest to do so. The judgment of all Christians 
 accords with ours in the testimony, and the deci- 
 sion of every conscience agrees with ours, and 
 all experience concludes and corroborates our 
 own. The Holy Spirit countersigns all this tes- 
 timony, and comes and woos and draws us ; and 
 yet the devil, in some manner, and by some 
 means, so drugs the will with strange poison that, 
 in the face of all this, we disobey Christ. Though 
 all these witnesses convince us, beyond the 
 shadow of a doubt, that the honors which Christ 
 confers are satisfying, undying and eternal, yet 
 the devil has us to set them aside and puts us 
 after the honors of the world. Though now, as I 
 can see from your faces that you feel that treasure 
 in heaven is a thousand times better than treas- 
 ure on earth ; though now, whilst sitting together 
 in God's sanctuary, with the judgment, and con- 
 science, and experience, and the Holy Grhost, 
 sounding their appeals in your spiritual ear, you 
 feel that the riches of grace in Christ, the unfad- 
 ing inheritance, shall engage your attention and 
 affection mostly in the future, yet to-morrow 
 morning, when the silence and solemnity of the 
 Sabbath shall have passed, you will open your 
 stores or shops, and look after the per cent., and 
 reach as far for a dime, with as much forgetful- 
 
TRIUMPH AXD REWARD OF THE CHRISTIAN. 365 
 
 ness of God, as ever, or watch your bank stock, 
 or chase a little paper to get to shave it, as if 
 there was no day of reckoning coming. Oh ! how 
 can you be saved ? In this view we see, my 
 brother, the strength of the expression of Christ : 
 "Strait is the gate and narrow is the way which 
 leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it ;" 
 and another expression, authorized by Him, " if 
 the righteous scarcely are saved, where shall the 
 ungodly and the sinner appear ?" 
 
 The contest is hard, is fearful. Truly is it said 
 that " he that rulethhis own spirit is greater than 
 he that taketh a city." If a window could be 
 placed in the bosom, and each contending passion 
 and principle could assume form and shape, we 
 should see no more hardly and hotly contested 
 conflict. We should see the will putting at defi- 
 ance the devil ; rising, as it were, above a thous- 
 and bayonets, and balls, and pikes ; shutting its 
 eye to the most bewitching and fascinating scene ; 
 putting its fingers in its ears and pressing to the 
 Cross against its retreating foes, crying, "Life! 
 eternal life !" Here is heroism. We read of he- 
 roes of a hundred battles — here is one of a thous- 
 and thousand. I know that there is a mistake in 
 the world. Men think that he who comes from 
 the field of carnage covered with dust and sweat, 
 with garments rolled in blood and temples bound 
 with laurel, is the true hero. Not so. The Duke 
 
366 SERM0KS. 
 
 of Wellington was not half such a man as John 
 "Wesley, for Wesley conquered the* spirit of am- 
 bition that ruled the Duke. If we can rule our 
 own spirits, my brethren ; if we can get the mas- 
 tery over our own wills, we are safe. Here is the 
 stronghold of the devil ; in the will he intrenches 
 himself. Let this be attacked and carried. Break 
 down and crush him out of this citadel, and then 
 we can scatter and overcome his allies and forces 
 without difficulty. 
 
 Now, I wish to call your attention to the 
 manner in which this victory is achieved. It 
 is expressed in these words, "By faith ye 
 stand." This faith gives us union with Christ. 
 He then lives in us and we in Him ; His life is 
 our life, and, consequently, His strength is our 
 strength ; and, through Christ strengthening us, 
 we can do all things. In the second place, this 
 faith engages the assistance of the Spirit in our 
 behalf. It is through the Spirit that the deeds 
 of the flesh are mortified. Bom. viii, 13: "The 
 Spirit worketh in us." Phil, ii, 13 : " The Spirit 
 living, reigning in the heart, leads us into all 
 truth." Third, faith helps believers by giving to 
 them the power of applying God's promises. 
 God saves none but through Christ ; Christ gives 
 by the Spirit ; the Spirit by and through the 
 promises. 
 
 Now I call vour attention to the reward of the 
 
TKIUMPH AND REWARD OF THE CHRISTIAN. 367 
 
 struggle — "Shall eat of the tree of life." It is 
 gathered partly below. The soldier needs rations 
 and cheer whilst battling. It is arranged to 
 be given. The leaves of this tree fall for the 
 "healing of the nations. 1 ' You have observed 
 that in presenting the doctrines I have not taken 
 the detail, the minutiae, but have endeavored to 
 select the cardinal, central, general principles at 
 each point, which will embody all. The obstacle 
 to be overcome, as noticed, is the opinion of the 
 world, which will embrace all the rest, That, 
 with the Christian, is his own will. The means 
 for achieving the victory have been presented by 
 Faith. And now, in selecting a term that will 
 come nearest expressing all, and embodying in 
 its meaning the sum of the blessings of salvation 
 in this life, I take the word peace, and for the life 
 to come, knowledge. The fruit of the tree that 
 drops on earth, and is gathered by hands of flesh, 
 is peace. The reward in this life of our struggle 
 and triumph is peace. Who is to estimate it ? 
 Where is the language that expresses the depth, 
 and length, and width of its meaning? Peace 
 with God — "justified by faith." Peace with 
 God ! Ah ! if God smile on the soul, what else 
 dare frown? If He be for us, no man can be 
 against us. Peace with God! The Christian, in 
 battling with his great adversary, the devil, has 
 struggled up above the influence of flesh and 
 
368 SERMOWS. 
 
 earth, until he has reached a position from which 
 he looks down with calmness and complacency 
 upon the warring elements beneath. Clouds, dark 
 and threatening, may peer above the horizon, 
 flinging their black shadows across the earth, but 
 he feels no disturbance. From his position he 
 looks up, and a smile kindled upon the very face 
 of the Almighty lights up his spiritual sky. The 
 deep-toned thunders of G-od"s wrath may roll 
 along the moral heavens, but he is unalarmed; 
 they roll not for him. Wrecks of human pride, 
 and ambition, and hope, may cover the earth, but 
 he is undismayed. His treasure is in heaven — 
 he has peace with G-ocl. He has, also, peace with 
 his fellow. Xo quarrel, no enmity, no heartburn- 
 ing — blessing and blest of all — peace with him- 
 self. Neither G-od, who is greater than his heart, 
 nor his own heart, condemns. Conscience, sitting 
 upon her throne in the bosom, speaks in constant 
 words of approval. Every passion and appetite 
 lift up their voice in accents of peace. He arises 
 in the morning with sweet remembrance of pleas- 
 ant dreams. The sun. as he tears from his face 
 his veil of forest and mist, greets him with a kiss 
 of peace. The lark, as he shoots up to meet and 
 welcome its return, shouts in his ear the victory 
 of peace. The landscape, the beautiful flowers, 
 the laughing rill, the silvery cloud, sailing along 
 the mountain side, joins each in the chorus to the 
 
THE FALLING OF THE WALLS OF JERICHO. 369 
 
 song of Peace. At noon, in the midst of his daily 
 toil, his peace flows like a river, and at night, 
 kneeling in prayer, he commits his sonl to GJ-od, 
 seeks his pillow, and shuts his eyes in slumber, 
 unconcerned whether he will awake in this or a 
 brighter world. 
 
 ®he «gattm0 of the %lte af f ericfta. 
 
 " So the people shouted when the ^n'esfc blew with the trumpets : and it 
 came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people 
 shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went 
 up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city." 
 
 Josh, vi, 20. 
 
 Jericho was a strong city, a beautiful city, 
 called the city of palm trees. The gates were 
 closed, the men of valor were shut in, did not 
 show themselves. It was besieged. That was 
 one of the queerest spectacles ever presented in 
 military operations. The soldiers, and priests, 
 and populace attacking the first city in the Prom- 
 ised Land. By God's direction they marched 
 around the city once a day for six days, in silence. 
 On the seventh day they marched around seven 
 times ; on the seventh round the priests blew the 
 trumpets, and the people shouted with a great 
 shout, and the walls fell right down and they took 
 the city. This incident is typical in its nature. 
 
 n 
 
370 • SERMONS. 
 
 The manner of the taking of this city symbolizes 
 the manner of setting np and propagating Chris- 
 tianity in all ages of the world, symbolizes the 
 manner of the destruction of the kingdom of the 
 devil. At the sounding of the trumpets and the 
 shouting of the people the walls fell, foreshadow- 
 ing and illustrating the truth of the declaration, 
 in operating the means of grace, that " it is not 
 by might nor by power, but by My spirit, saith 
 the Lord." 
 
 It was not the blowing of the trumpets nor the 
 shouting of the people that brought down the 
 walls ; yet if the trumpets had not been blown 
 and the people had not shouted, after God direct- 
 ed it to be done, the walls would not have fallen. 
 I do not desire to urge this in defence of religious 
 shouting. I may stop, however, to remark, that 
 whilst there has been much objection made to it 
 and a good deal of contention about it, it is neither 
 unscriptural nor senseless. Extravagant mani- 
 festations, excessive and extreme exhibition of 
 feeling, are both unnatural and unscriptural; but a 
 natural expression of inward peace and joy under 
 proper circumstances is both scriptural and na- 
 tural. When we are pleased we smile; when we 
 are merry we laugh; when we are rejoiced we 
 shout. A shout is the consummation of a smile. 
 The boy shouts in his sport, the wine-bibber over 
 his glass, the politician at the polls, the soldier 
 
THE FALLING OF THE WALLS OF JERICHO. 371 
 
 over his victory, and the Christian over his spirit- 
 ual triumphs. Not every boy will shout when 
 delighted, nor every politician when successful, 
 nor every soldier when triumphant, nor every 
 Christian when rejoiced. It is perfectly natural 
 for some persons to shout when conscious of peace 
 with G-od, and I have always thought it strange 
 that they should be complained at. I have come 
 to regard it thus, that it is not the shouting that 
 is offensive, but the thing which produces it. It 
 proceeds from a professed knowledge of sins for- 
 given and an experimental sense of God's in- 
 dwelling presence in the soul. Persons who 
 think themselves religious have not this expe- 
 rience, and conclude that those who have it, have 
 not, and rail out against them. It cannot be the 
 shouting. Who has any prejudice against or ob- 
 jects to the boy -shouting after hoop or over his 
 top? Who ever heard of anybody objecting to 
 the shouting of the politician, except the opposi- 
 tion ? All join the soldier in his shout of victory. 
 So all who believe in the cause which produces it, 
 approve Christian shouting. I may remark fur- 
 ther in this connection, that the genuine shout 
 of the sincerely pious tends to advance Christ's 
 cause. The shout at the polls inspires the hearts 
 of the candidate's friends — the shout that runs 
 along the lines as the enemy begins to waver 
 nerves the heart and strengthens the arm of the 
 
372 SERMONS. 
 
 soldier, and often perches victory upon his ban- 
 ners — so at the shouting of the pious, (rod causes 
 the wall which the sinner has built around his 
 heart to tumble down. The devil has been con- 
 fused by a shout many a time, when the most 
 skillful have been beaten by him in argument. I 
 would to God that the good old days of shouting 
 would return upon the Church. So much, then, 
 for shouting. 
 
 I draw this proposition from the incident re- 
 cited in the text, that the means instituted by 
 God, though simple, are sufficient for success in 
 propagating Christianity. In propagating Chris- 
 tianity the plan of operation is different, and we 
 are required to act from different considerations 
 from those that actuate us in worldly affairs. 
 We are to walk, and work, and fight by faith, 
 and not by sight. Here is found the grand pe- 
 culiar feature of the Christian system. Whilst 
 we use the means appointed, it is faith that God 
 will work through these means that gives the vic- 
 tory. The Apostle says: '"By faith the walls of 
 Jericho fell down after they were compassed about 
 seven clays." God has appointed certain means, 
 plain and simple, for the accomplishment and 
 development of the plan of salvation; and in order 
 to success, it is only necessary to use those means 
 with the belief that they are sufficient. Back of 
 all these means, and instrumentalities, and efforts 
 
THE FALLING OF THE WALLS OF JERICHO. 373 
 
 of our own, the Holy Spirit is placed to give suc- 
 cess. "It is not by might nor by power, but by 
 my Spirit, saitli the Lord." Faith is the link that 
 connects the means and the Holy Spirit. It is 
 the channel through which the Holy Spirit comes 
 to our aid. 
 
 In becoming a Christian the individual pro- 
 poses two things. First, his own salvation, and, 
 secondty, the salvation of his fellows. In secur- 
 ing his own salvation he must only use the means 
 appointed. These are sufficient. He must pray, 
 search the Scriptures, hear God's word preached 
 — "faith cometh by hearing" — visit the sick, 
 clothe the naked ; have faith in them — this links 
 them to the Holy Spirit, and the work is done. 
 This faith is regarded as a great mystery — some 
 peculiar something that is unearthly. Not at all 
 is it so. Every man has the principle of it in him. 
 Every man acts upon it every day. Men sow, 
 and plant, and reap by it; embark in merchan- 
 dise ; engage in speculation ; expend money in 
 qualifying themselves for professions and differ- 
 ent departments of business. You embark in 
 business, venture your capital in it, because you 
 have confidence in your own ability to manage it. 
 You have faith in your tact, and skill, and judg- 
 ment. So in religion ; we are to have faith in 
 the means which God has appointed. If you 
 have as much faith in God as you have in your- 
 
374 SERMONS. 
 
 selves, it will save you. Ah, but you say, you 
 can't see how praying, and reading, and hearing 
 the preaching of God's word, has any connection 
 with cleansing the heart. Faith opens the spirit- 
 ual eye to it. It is "the evidence of things not 
 seen." I reckon it was right difficult for men to 
 see how shouting and sounding a trumpet caused 
 a solid wall to tumble and fall. All a man has 
 to do is with sincerity and honesty to follow the 
 prescription — begin and then God begins — draw 
 nigh and then God draws nigh. He need not 
 stop to ask any questions, but let him build the 
 altar, lay the sacrifice upon it, and God will send 
 down the fire and consume it. 
 
 The great difficulty with us, we feel that the 
 means appointed are insufficient, and we wish to 
 strengthen them a little, and this always causes 
 failure. There must be an exact compliance with 
 the terms — no departure from them, no addition 
 to or subtraction from them. Everything must 
 be done as directed — nothing more or less. See 
 how exact God is. He refused Moses an entrance 
 into the promised land because he smote the rock 
 twice with his rod, instead of speaking to it, as 
 directed. 
 
 After a man is converted — regenerated — then 
 he goes on to perfection by the use of the 
 means — simply a trust in their efficacy. Here I 
 notice two extremes. First, a trust in God with- 
 
THE FALLING OF THE WALLS OF JERICHO. 375 
 
 out the use of tbe means ; and secondly, a use of 
 the means without trust in God. The first class 
 embraces those persons who have a blind super- 
 stitious trust ; who, instead of using the means, 
 vainly imagine that God will do everything for 
 them, and in His own way crown them with suc- 
 cess. The second class embraces those who 
 attach more importance to the use of means than 
 to a trust in God ; such think that much depends 
 upon themselves. This latter class is much the 
 larger. Christians trust to themselves too much — 
 rely too much upon instrumentalities of their 
 own appointing. In their worldly affairs this is 
 more apparent. In the maintenance of their 
 families such Christians rely almost exclusively 
 on their own skill and exertions. As proof of this, 
 they feel that their business would suffer if they 
 should close their shop or store to attend the 
 week service in the sanctuary, or evening lecture. 
 They withhold their substance from the Lord, 
 thinking they lose just the amount they contrib- 
 ute, as though the Lord was dishonest — not pay- 
 ing interest. Thus it is in all their spiritual ex- 
 ercises ; there is a want of trust in the means, and 
 hence all this lifelessness, want of power and 
 deadness in the service of God. Then again, 
 there are those who can rely upon the means insti- 
 tuted very well in prosperity, but cannot do so 
 in adversity. They can trust God very well in 
 
376 SEEMONS. 
 
 the day time, but not in the night ; in sunshine but 
 not in storm. Such trust in G-ocl only a part of 
 the time, and with only a portion of the heart. 
 
 Again, a trust in and reliance upon the means 
 which God has instituted is only necessary to se- 
 cure success to Christians in their associated 
 capacity. I know these means are simple, very 
 plain, and, in the eyes of the world, mean. 
 Christ's entrance into the world was quite unos- 
 tentatious — no pomp, no pageant attending it. 
 He passed His minority in obscurity ; when He 
 entered upon His ministry He surrounded Him- 
 self with no noble, splendid, glittering attend- 
 ants ; a plain man, clad in ordinary dress, going 
 about doing good, was He. And of His ambas- 
 sadors He said, " For ye see your calling, breth- 
 ren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, 
 not many mighty, not many noble, are called, 
 but God hath chosen the foolish things of the 
 world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen 
 the weak things of the world to confound the things 
 which are mighty." He chose those fishermen, 
 and tentmakers, and sent them out, poor, yes, with- 
 out scrip and with but one coat; told them to pray, 
 and taught them how to do it ; take the word of 
 God and search the Scriptures, read these chap- 
 ters and verses ; take a little bread and wine and 
 represent my death and passion, in remembrance 
 of me ; take a little water and apply it as a sign 
 
THE FALLING OF THE WALLS OF JERICHO. 377 
 
 of inward washing ; proclaim redemption in my 
 name to every creature, and lo, I am with, you 
 always, even to the end. This to human eyes, for 
 the conquest of the world, seemed hopeless. But 
 it was and is just such a process as walking 
 around a walled city and blowing trumpets and 
 shouting. The introduction of the kingdom of 
 redemption was astonishingly simple and plain ; 
 the means also. Take one for illustration and 
 look closely, and this will suffice for the whole. 
 Take the sacrament of the Lord's supper, as we 
 are to partake of it presently. How simple and 
 unostentatious, and what striking accord is it with 
 all the other means which God has instituted ! 
 What is it — its design ? "This do in remembrance 
 of me." It is to keep alive the memory of His 
 death. It is His monument. Though simple, it 
 is sufficient to accomplish the end designed in it. 
 Men build monuments of stone and brass to per- 
 petuate the memory of the deeds of the brave 
 and the heroic; to keep alive and fresh the memo- 
 ries of the pious and virtuous ; and I like it. I 
 like to see the monument lifting up its broad 
 front into the heavens, and with its lofty shaft 
 piercing the clouds. I like to read the inscrip- 
 tions upon its sides. It is just and wise, it ele- 
 vates our common humanity. Now this sacra- 
 ment is Christ's monument. No splendidly pol- 
 ished stones put together, no burnished brass, no 
 
 11* 
 
378 SERMONS. 
 
 inscriptions in blazing capitals, bnt a table, a 
 vessel for the wine, which any hand may press 
 from the grape ; bread which any housewife may 
 prepare, and a white napkin. It is moveable, 
 may be taken down and put up, may with ease 
 and facility be constructed in all climes and in 
 any age. It is like the salvation it symbolizes, 
 it is not costly in gold. Earthly monuments 
 sometimes linger for means to complete them, 
 but there is no church so poor that is not able 
 to erect this monument. Though simple, I de- 
 clare it is grand and sublime in its simplicity. 
 Men who walk by sight, though, wish to know 
 how this can accomplish the end. " What good 
 does a little bread and wine do ?" they ask. "It 
 is useless. The memory of His death could be 
 kept alive without it, and there are other means 
 of grace sufficient." The eye of faith only sees 
 it. It would not amount to much if Christ did 
 not manifest himself in the sacrament, and keep 
 His promise too, " I am with you." The Holy 
 Spirit develops His atonement upon us in it, and 
 this power is kept and communicated from gen- 
 eration to generation. See the father as he 
 leaves his little boy at the seat and comes to this 
 sacrament. As he bows at the altar what is it 
 that makes his great frame shake ? What fills 
 him with such emotion ? Why those tears ? Thus 
 it accomplishes its object, and yet it is so simple, 
 
THE FALLING OF THE WALLS OF JERICHO. 379 
 
 but in striking accord with all the means used. 
 Men cannot see how these means are sufficient to 
 accomplish the end. Neither could they see how 
 they could make the walls fall by blowing trum- 
 pets and shouting ; but as the walls fell, so, by 
 using the means, Christianity spread with a rap- 
 idity beyond all precedent, and continued to do 
 so until those who controlled it undertook to 
 mend the means. In these latter days there 
 seems to be a spirit to mend these means. There 
 is a growing spirit to add to and strengthen the 
 instrumentalities, to attach a little pomp, make it 
 attractive. Many act as if they thought a fine 
 house, splendidly painted pews, arched galleries, 
 and shaded windows, and carpeted aisles, and 
 glittering steeples, were essential to the success 
 of God's Church. These good natured people 
 are much more concerned to have these things 
 than to have a flame of pure, holy, humble, self- 
 denying, cross-bearing piety, burning upon the 
 altar. In their eyes the glitter and tinsel of the 
 dome is of much more consequence than the 
 brightness of the shekinah upon the cloud resting 
 over the mercy seat. The tone of the bell and 
 music of the orchestra are looked to with more 
 interest than that melody of the soul that is in 
 unison and accord with the redeemed and angels' 
 harps. Thus it is that wealth is sought after and 
 the rich are pressed to enter Christian commu- 
 
380 SERMONS. 
 
 nions, with a zeal that makes an honest Christian's 
 face tingle. Why, in a church in my own know- 
 ledge, in a church meeting when the state of things 
 was being deplored, a pious brother urged the ne- 
 cessity of more piety for success, and another mem- 
 ber arose and said they needed more wealth — 
 more wealthy members. This is the feeling of 
 many who do not express it. See how it is. Let 
 a rich man or lady indicate an inclination to join 
 the church, and just see how they are petted, 
 and caressed, and nursed, but a poor man is 
 hardly noticed ; very often he will be in the 
 church and his probation almost ended before 
 this class of persons know that he has even joined. 
 Now, my brethren, all this sort of thing is a mis- 
 take, it is wrong, it is trusting too much to human 
 instrumentalities, and it is antagonistic to the 
 spirit of the Gospel. God regards not the rich 
 more than the poor, for they are all the work of 
 His hands. "Hath not G-od chosen the poor of 
 this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the King- 
 dom ?" There is no objection to fine churches, if 
 a fervid piety glows on the hearts of the mem- 
 bers ; no objection to rich people, if they bring 
 with their wealth a sanctified heart — and without 
 this they are a curse to any church, for they al- 
 ways have most influence and that influence is 
 against piety, unless they are pious ; hence Bishop 
 Asbury's prayer in the first house dedicated to 
 God. ' 
 
THE FALLING OF THE WALLS OF JERICHO. 381 
 
 Again, we see this tendency to trust in human 
 instrumentalities in the great stress laid upon 
 and the importance attached to the educational 
 enterprises of the age, in their connection with 
 the Church. It is getting to be the feeling that 
 every town and village must have a church 
 school or the Church will go down ; our children 
 must be educated into the Church, convicted by 
 the power of letters, rather than by the fire of the 
 Holy Ghost. We have no objection to education 
 — to schools. They are all proper and right, and 
 we warmly support them, but we must keep dis- 
 tinctly confined their proper position. We must 
 break down that disposition that is constantly 
 inclining us to attach an undue importance to edu- 
 cation. We should not in the least allow that 
 trust which should be placed in God and in the 
 use of the simple means which he has instituted, 
 to be transferred to schools and colleges, making 
 them primary when they should be secondary. 
 
 The great lesson we derive from what has been 
 said, and which we wish to impress upon your 
 hearts and minds is, that in order io success we 
 need only to trust in God in the use of the means 
 which He has appointed. No matter how simple 
 they may be, we must remember that the king- 
 dom of Christ comes not with observation ; was 
 not introduced into the world with external show, 
 and pomp, and splendor, but lives and marches on 
 
382 BERM0NS. 
 
 steadily without it. Christ did not press into His 
 service wealth, or worldly wisdom, or the patron- 
 age of power ; He might have clone it, He might 
 have come with sword, and cannon, and spear, and 
 horses, and chariots, dressed in glittering robes, 
 and followed by flashing armies ; but He came 
 humbly, instituted a few simple means that all 
 may use, and trusting in God in the use of them, 
 success is certain. Whenever, in obedience to 
 God's command, the trumpets are blown, and the 
 people shout, the walls will tumble down. 
 
 (THIS SERMON WAS PREACHED BEFORE THE LATE WAR, 
 IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE HARPER'S FERRY INSUR- 
 RECTION.— Eds.) 
 
 " Enter into His gates with Thanksgiving." — Ps., c, 4. 
 
 This day has been set apart by the Executive 
 of the State as a day of general Thanksgiving to 
 God for His mercy and blessings. Our whole 
 people are called upon to quit for awhile their 
 vocations, and turn their thoughts and affections 
 in gratitude to the Great Giver of all our bless- 
 ings, the source from whence is all our help. 
 
 In the Jewish ceremonials, under the old dis- 
 pensation, worship was divided into different kinds, 
 
THANKSGIVING DAT. 383 
 
 and offerings, suitable and appropriate to the act 
 of worship, were made. There were the peace 
 offering, the sin offering, and the thank offering. 
 In their worship of Thanksgiving the first fruits 
 of the year, and the first fruits of the flock, in 
 profuseness, with great pomp and ceremony, were 
 offered to God as expressions of their gratitude 
 for His care, and compassion, and blessings. They 
 felt to be as binding upon them, and as important 
 to observe their Thanksgiving worship, as to make 
 sin offerings. It should be a source of deep mor- 
 tification to all who acknowledge dependence 
 upon God, that no more importance is attached to 
 Thanksgiving worship in this age of Christendom. 
 It is to be deeply regretted that all our worship 
 looks mainly to the propitiating God's favor — de- 
 precating His wrath, and imploring His blessings, 
 without having mingled with it, to a sufficient 
 extent, the great element of gratitude and Thanks- 
 giving. We can only account for it in that prone- 
 ness in the human heart to foster, in prosperity, 
 a spirit of self-exaltation and forgetfulness of G-od. 
 We are inclined that there is quite too much truth 
 in that quaint saying of St. Bernard ; that " free- 
 dom from suffering is the mother of self-confidence 
 and carelessness, the poison of piety, the moth of 
 holiness." If we are afflicted or unblest, we re- 
 sort to worship as our remedy, but if blessings 
 come there is quite too much disposition in us to 
 
384 SERMONS. 
 
 feel that it is nothing more than we have a right 
 to expect. This to me appears a strong evidence 
 of the depravity of the human heart, that nations, 
 as well as individuals, as a general rule, who have 
 been greatly blessed and prosperous, become for- 
 getful of the source of their blessings. There is 
 too much selfishness in our worship. When we 
 are prosperous we do not feel the need of help ; 
 and when adversity and affliction come upon us 
 we turn our hearts to wisdom, and seek help in 
 the strong arm of Jehovah, because we cannot 
 help ourselves. This sort of worship proceeds on 
 the principle that prompts the swine to look up 
 when the acorns cease to fall. But there are 
 exceptions, my friends, to this general rule, and 
 that which presents itself to my mind as one of 
 the sublimest pictures upon which we may look, 
 is a nation or community of individuals who, 
 when they enjoy great prosperity, to whom God's 
 goodness is abundantly shown, are properly exer- 
 cised thereby, are led to repentance, and are 
 found pouring out their hearts in Thanksgiving 
 and praise. We imagine no picture more sublime 
 could be presented to the gaze of angels, than a 
 nation gathered around its altars, mingling its 
 songs of Thanksgiving with the songs and notes of 
 gratitude of the angels in Heaven. Such is your 
 work, my hearers, this day. The exhortation of 
 the Psalmist you have heeded ; " Enter into His 
 gates with Thanksgiving." 
 
THANKSGIVING DAY. 385 
 
 The reason assigned for Thanksgiving, is God's 
 goodness to us, and in order that our gratitude to 
 God may be more deeply awakened, and our 
 Thanksgiving more warmly poured forth, let us 
 recount some of the evidences of His goodness to 
 us. First, then, the very location we occupy as 
 a people on the globe should be a source of 
 Thanksgiving to us. Truly the lines have fallen 
 to us in pleasant places. Born, not amongst the 
 cold, barren, moss-covered rocks, where the moun- 
 tains and hills sit with their garments of snow 
 tightly drawn around them forever, where our 
 ingenuity would be constantly taxed to avoid 
 freezing to death ; nor amidst the hot, arid 
 sands of the Torrid Zone, where every wind 
 that should blow upon us would come laden 
 with miasma, ozone and putrefaction ; but in 
 the midst of the most pleasant of all climates 
 — the temperate zone — where the cold winds, 
 laden with hoar frosts from the north, mingling 
 with the hot, sultry breezes of the south, are tem- 
 pered and rendered the mildest, and most pleasant 
 and healthful of any place on earth. This com- 
 mingling of atmosphere is a fit emblem to repre- 
 sent the blending, upon our latitude, of all the 
 gifts and blessings with which God has crowned 
 the earth. We have hill and dale blended 
 together, rivers and creeks, gushing springs and 
 gurgling rills ; the black, rich soil of the south 
 
386 SERMONS. 
 
 refined and purified by the granite soil of the 
 north ; grains and fruits of almost every kind. 
 Thus the position we occupy, as to location on 
 the face of the globe, should be a source of contin- 
 ual Thanksgiving and gratitude to us. 
 
 Again, our religious and political blessings con- 
 stitute matter of Thanksgiving to God. I have 
 united the two, because of their close union and 
 alliance. The founders of our government sought 
 a refuge from religious persecution, and in their 
 first agreement upon rules for their government, 
 they breathed into their laws the principles of 
 religious freedom, justice, equality, and fraternity; 
 and, by the blessings of God, our civil and reli- 
 gious institutions stand forth to-day the wonder 
 and admiration of the world. We hold in pro- 
 found veneration the memory of our illustrious 
 revolutionary heroes, who shook off the yoke of 
 British oppression, who struck down the " one 
 man power," and struck out the bold theory 
 that every citzen is a sovereign, and laid the 
 foundation of our free institutions broad and deep. 
 While we thus properly venerate their memory, 
 we should never forget that the God of battles, 
 whom we this day worship, turned the bullet from 
 the heart of him who guided the weak and 
 wearied and broken little band to final triumph ; 
 that He manifestly presided in the first councils 
 of this nation ; that whilst the heroes, whose 
 
THANKSGIVING DAY. 387 
 
 memories wg cherish, planted the tree of liberty, 
 and watered it with their blood and tears, this 
 same God — the God of peace as well as of battles 
 — sent down upon its blossoms the dew of heaven, 
 and touched its boughs with golden fruit, as the 
 increase which we now pluck and eat ; and to-day 
 as a nation we sit beneath it, refreshed by its 
 shade and nourished by its fruits, each enjoying 
 the largest amount of personal liberty, each pro- 
 tected in his rights, which is the end of all legis- 
 lation ; with our places of power and distinction 
 open, not to wealth or title, but to merit ; not to 
 a few, but to all, even the humblest. For this 
 inestimable blessing of religious and civil liberty 
 our Thanksgiving should go up heartily to Al- 
 mighty God. At the same time, we should not 
 forget, that whilst the greatest protection is given 
 to religious liberty, that all that is religious in 
 its character is cherished and promoted, so that 
 God is worshipped and acknowledged universally 
 in our nation. Christianity throughout all our 
 land, in its greatest purity, with its richest bless- 
 ings, is taught and practiced. We should not 
 forget that the pure principles of the gospel of 
 Christ give permanency and stability to our civil 
 institutions ; and, remembering this, we should 
 not forget to offer up our gratitude and Thanks- 
 giving to Almighty God for these blessings. 
 At this particular time we should thank God 
 
388 SERMONS. 
 
 for our preservation from civil broil, and discord, 
 and bloodshed. The hand of God has evidently- 
 been holding the destiny of our nation, as mani- 
 fested by His acts of special providence. Here 
 is the sheet anchor of our hope. As already in- 
 timated, God thundered, and shook, and triumph- 
 ed for us in our Revolutionary struggle. He fas- 
 tened the last link that bound us together in our 
 Federal Union. His special agency has been mani- 
 festly marked in preserving us amidst more than 
 one fearful crisis. When clouds, thick and black, 
 have gathered in our political atmosphere, boiling 
 with sectional passion, and thundering with loud 
 peals of discord and civil strife, His voice has 
 been heard above the storm, crying, "Peace, be 
 still." What but this turned aside the stroke 
 recently aimed at our peace ? Lying on the di- 
 viding line between the North and South, we see 
 a whole town unsuspectingly retiring to their 
 beds to sleep, their servants domiciled in their 
 bed chambers, and on their premises, with pikes 
 ready made to their hands, having the control of 
 their locks and bolts. Under these favorable 
 circumstances two score of men — armed men at 
 that — reveal themselves from under cover of the 
 black plot- — and God only knows how many were 
 concealed who fled upon the first intimation of 
 failure ; they seize the arsenal, with hundreds of 
 weapons more than they can use, and, having 
 
THANKSGIVING DAY. 389 
 
 seized it, they appeal to the slave to strike for 
 liberty and aggrandizement — the strongest ap- 
 peal possible to the human heart. It does seem, 
 with all these circumstances in their favor, they 
 would have succeeded ; but, look at the result. 
 Only three or four of our citizens killed, and 
 nearly a dozen of the insurgents killed outright, 
 with six others since condemned to a felon's 
 death, and a few only escaped. Here we can 
 and should recognize the hand of God, and to 
 Him, for these especial blessings in preserving 
 peace and life, our gratitude and Thanksgiving 
 should go up. 
 
 Finally, we have many blessings for which to 
 offer our Thanksgiving on this day. Our educa- 
 tional advantages are unsurpassed. Every facil- 
 ity for intellectual improvement and the develop- 
 ment of the mind is enjoyed by us. Academies, 
 and colleges, and seminaries stand thick all over 
 our land, with open halls. Nor is this education 
 confined to the few, but it is brought down within 
 reach of the masses. Churches of Ood, too, lift 
 their spires and ring their inviting bells in every 
 village and hamlet ; scattered, too, they are in 
 quiet groves, so that the devout worshipper may 
 assemble with the people of Grocl on every hill 
 and in every vale, and hear the story of the Cross 
 and catch from the altars of GJ-od kindlings of His 
 love. Then, as we come to-day in His sanctuary, 
 
390 SERMONS. 
 
 let our hearts swell and throb with emotions of 
 gratitude and love ; let fresh incense rise from 
 our altars ; let us " enter into His gates with 
 Thanksgiving and into His courts with praise, be 
 thankful unto Him and bless His name. 77 
 
 living to $oft. 
 
 "For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself." 
 
 Kom. xiv, 7. 
 
 The Greek writers used the phrase which the 
 Apostle has adopted here, and which is translated 
 "liveth to himself," to signify acting according 
 to one's own judgment or one's own opinion. 
 His teaching here is that none of us must do this, 
 but rather act according to God's judgment and 
 opinion ; or, in other words, we must endeavor to 
 please God by doing His will and not our own. 
 In view of the responsibility of each to God, we 
 also understand the Apostle to teach, that such is 
 our connection with each other, that we do not 
 and cannot live independently ; that our connec- 
 tional relations are such that we necessarily exer- 
 cise an influence over each other for weal or woe, 
 not only by our lives, but also by our deaths. 
 "None of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth 
 to himself." Common ties bind us together, and 
 these connect with the cable that binds us to God. 
 
LIVING TO GOD. 391 
 
 We look over the face of the country, and at the 
 first glance the evidences seem to conflict with 
 the statement of the Apostle. Each man seems 
 to be forming his own plans, bending his energies 
 upon his own occupations without reference at all 
 to the occupation or pursuit of his neighbor ; and, 
 therefore, seems to be living to himself. If we 
 stop here in our investigation, it would be partial 
 and imperfect. He who has no other view of 
 his actions and obligations than this, and no other 
 knowledge of the nature of communities and so- 
 ciety, has examined this subject very slightly, or 
 to very little purpose. G-ocl has made us social 
 beings. We naturally herd together in society. 
 Our interests, consequently, both temporal and 
 spiritual, are so interwoven, interlapped, that we 
 are naturally dependent upon each other ; hence 
 there is not, and cannot be, any plan, however 
 personal or private in its conception, that, in its 
 accomplishment, will not reach out into the com- 
 munity to a greater or less extent, and connect 
 itself, directly or indirectly with plans of others. 
 Take an illustration which bears exclusively 
 upon temporal interests. The agriculturist, per- 
 haps the most independent character in our midst, 
 and who may be said to come nearest living to 
 himself, is, by his most abstract and personal 
 plans, connected with the great world of trade 
 and commerce. The seeds he scatters in his fur- 
 
392 SERMONS. 
 
 rows, the golden harvests which he gathers into 
 his barns, are given in exchange for merchandise 
 essential to his comfort, which he does not and 
 cannot produce on his farm. But it may be 
 alleged that if a man choose he may separate him- 
 self from society, adopt the life of a hermit, and 
 live to himself. If one man may, all may ; and 
 if all may not, neither may one do it ; for our 
 obligations, so far as we are enabled to under- 
 stand them, are equally binding. The tendency 
 and inevitable effect of this thing would be to 
 break down society, destroy government, blot 
 out the light of civilization and evangelization, 
 and convert our fair world into a wilderness and 
 desert. There can be but one sentiment, there- 
 fore, in regard to it. From the influence which 
 arises from action, either good or pernicious, no 
 man can withdraw himself from society and live 
 in seclusion without affecting society ; and, there- 
 fore, in becoming a hermit, the influence of the 
 act, inclining others to adopt the same course, or 
 causing them to look with disgust upon it, pre- 
 cludes the idea of living to himself. 
 
 Even allow that he could separate himself from 
 society without the effect we have noticed, he can 
 never separate himself from God; for if he takes 
 the wings of the morning and flies to the utter- 
 most parts of the earth, God is even there, and 
 his obligation to God cannot be bi;oken by it. 
 
LIVING TO GOD. 393 
 
 G-od. has assigned to each a part to perform ; He 
 has made it obligatory upon all to bear each 
 other's burdens, and no man by any act of his 
 own can throw off this obligation. If a man, 
 then, who puts himself in a care or in solitude, 
 lives not to himself, how much less does he do it 
 who moves in the social world. How great is the 
 influence which each man casts upon the side of 
 good or evil day after day by his actions. This 
 is a fearful reflection. Society is composed of 
 elements — each man is a constituent part — and 
 as his character is good or bad. just to that ex- 
 tent will that society be good or bad of which he 
 is an ingredient. In this way every man becomes 
 a focus from which radiates influences that spread 
 themselves through society ; and the influence 
 which each individual sends out is either of a 
 purifying or corrupting character. When the 
 state of things is bad in a community; when vice 
 is reigning triumphant, desolating our country ; 
 when sin and wickedness stalk abroad in the 
 light of day unblushingly; when the multitude is 
 always ready to do evil: when the broad road 
 that leads down to hell is thronged with all 
 classes, and ages, and conditions, it behooves each 
 one whose heart is not hardened and whose con- 
 science is not hushed, to pause and inquire in how 
 far he or she contributes to this state of things. 
 Perhaps you will find, if you are not increasing 
 
 13 
 
394 SERMONS. 
 
 by example, you are permitting by failing to 
 bring to bear upon it your influence as a check. 
 
 But we have on this occasion to speak particu- 
 larly of the Christian. He liveth not to himself 
 nor clieth to himself. He has the weight of the 
 foregoing considerations bearing upon him with 
 equal force, and in addition the binding power of 
 God's word and commandments, which he has by 
 solemn vow taken upon himself. He acknow- 
 ledges that he is God's steward, that he is not his 
 own, that he is bought with a price, and that 
 therefore he is to glorify God in his body and 
 spirit, which are His, "for whether we live we 
 live unto the Lord, and whether we die we die 
 unto the Lord." Now, in view of these facts, and 
 in the face of his acceptance of them by a solemn 
 pledge to a faithful performance of them, how 
 can the Christian think of living to himself — of 
 having plans, or schemes, or arrangements, that 
 do not look to the glory of God or the advance- 
 ment of his cause ? How can he use his time, his 
 talents, or his money, without having reference to 
 God ? God requires that you must provide for 
 yourself and household. He allows you to use 
 enough of what means he has entrusted to your 
 care for this purpose. He requires you to devote 
 enough of your time and talents which he has 
 given you, to make you comfortable, and those 
 dependent upon you. But remember that you 
 
LIVING TO GOD. 395 
 
 are by no means to live to yourself. You are 
 His, and He is going to reward you well for it ; 
 but if you choose to draw back and live for the 
 devil, you will get what pay the devil gives, and 
 God's eternal curse for want of faithfulness to 
 Him. 
 
 But let us look to this subject a little more par- 
 ticularly. In what way does or may the Chris- 
 tian live to the Lord? First, by giving proper 
 direction to his influence. Every Christian has 
 his influence, from the highest stations down to 
 the humblest, and this influence is exerted for or 
 against the Lord, in whatever circle he moves. 
 In the domestic circle this influence, if he be a 
 father or mother, is unbounded. Parents have no 
 choice in this matter. Whether they will or no, 
 their conduct affects the destiny of their families. 
 Their outgoing and their incoming either brings 
 peace, and blessings, and good, or it mars and 
 corrupts it. This is not all. The influence aris- 
 ing from the domestic circle is not temporary, but 
 the material upon which this influence operates is 
 eternal. Every father and mother, whether they 
 will or no, is giving an impress which time will 
 not efface. They are sowing seed, too, that will 
 produce more than one crop — seeds that, germin- 
 ating in the hearts of their immediate offspring, 
 will be found in after years reproducing crops 
 upon the hearts of generations yet unborn, away 
 
396 SERMONS. 
 
 down in future. It is a fearful thought for the 
 parent, that so much of the formation of the des- 
 tiny of his children is in his own hands. The 
 Christian lives to the Lord hj constantly watch- 
 ing, and exerting his influence in training his 
 family in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. 
 Again, he lives to the Lord by giving his influ- 
 ence, as a member of Christ's Church, a proper 
 direction. As a member of Christ's mystical 
 bod}^ on earth, every Christian has his influence. 
 Some Christians conclude that because they are 
 poor, or obscure in social life, have limited tal- 
 ents, that they are not of much account, have 
 little or no influence. This is a mistake. It 
 should be remembered that in this system it is 
 not the highest marks that shine the brightest ; 
 those that get down the lowest in humility serve 
 as the best reflectors. A man may get so high as 
 to be above the light, but humbling himself the 
 light is sure to fall upon him, and if it falls it 
 will be sure to be reflected. The least tap in 
 machinery, too, is essential to the proper and 
 complete working of machinery, as well as the 
 huge bolt that binds the parts together. It may 
 not exert so great an influence, but the influence 
 it does exert is as essential. The heart of the 
 humblest Christian uplifted to God in prayer, 
 earnest, faithful prayer, will especially call down 
 God's blessings and turn God's haud to work for 
 
LIVING TO GOD. 397 
 
 His Church, as well as the prayer of the great 
 heart of the prince in Israel. This, however, 
 does not lessen the importance to be attached to 
 the influence of the more prominent and leading 
 members of the Church. You live to the Lord in 
 that in everything, if you are true to Him, you 
 illustrate what He says may be accomplished by 
 the power of the Holy Spirit, through faith in 
 Christ. The Lord says that the heart can by 
 faith in Christ be changed, that the carnal appe- 
 tites and passions may be, by the Holy Spirit, 
 conquered and driven from the heart, that tem- 
 perance may be substituted for intemperance, 
 patience for murmuring, love for malice, and 
 whilst He declares this in His word, you stand 
 out before the world as a proof of it, as a living 
 witness. Now take care ! How cautious and 
 careful you should be on this account, for it is in 
 your power to do immense mischief to the cause 
 of the Lord. See how you may do it. The 
 world is taught that the spirit of anger, and mal= 
 ice, and evil-speaking, and intemperance, and 
 dishonesty in trade and bargaining, can all be 
 taken away by the cleansing influence of the 
 blood of Christ ; you profess to the world that 
 you have felt that influence, and at the same time 
 show that these things have not been taken away 
 from you. Now, the injury to be done by you, 
 is making the impression upon the minds of those 
 
398 SERMONS. 
 
 who do not understand these things, whose hearts 
 are blinded by sin, that God's word is false, that 
 it has no such power. They overlook the fact 
 that you are the one that is false. If you under- 
 take to live for God, then, be very watchful and 
 careful lest you do Him greater injury than good, 
 by being unfaithful yourself. 
 
 Illustrating the truth of God's word, however, 
 you become the light of the world. Striving to 
 enter in at the strait gate, adorning your life 
 with graces and virtues of a holy living, you live 
 not to yourself, for, whilst you tread in the foot- 
 steps of the Saviour, you reflect back upon the 
 path of duty ; you have too the light of his exam- 
 ple ; thus discovering the way, you stand as a 
 beacon to point out the course to others through 
 the wilderness to the heavenly Canaan. Take 
 care, therefore, to keep your light shining in the 
 right place. If you would live to the Lord — if 
 you would by your influence turn men to Christ — 
 always keep your light beaming out from behind 
 the Cross. 
 
 Whilst no man liveth to himself, no man dieth 
 to himself. The Lord is God of the dead as well 
 as of the living. One of the great fundamental 
 doctrines of the Gospel is the triumph of Christ- 
 ianity over death. Death is a terror to us all. 
 It shocks our nerves. There is something about 
 it that renders it appalling. We find ourselves 
 
LIVING TO GOD. 399 
 
 secretly wishing that there was no dark valley 
 and shadow; not that we would stay here always, 
 but that we might walk from earth upon the 
 heavenly soil, or pass from one habitation to an- 
 other without submitting to death and its attend- 
 ing circumstances ; that we might step across the 
 grave instead of lying down in it. But to gain 
 heaven we must all die. The Christian must die, 
 but his death amounts only to going through the 
 form. 
 
 " Faith, builds a bridge across the gulf of death, 
 To break the shock blind nature cannot shun ; 
 And lands the soul smoothly on the farther shore." 
 
 And the Christian dies not to himself, in that he 
 illustrates this great truth. His life furnishes 
 testimony to a part of the teaching, and his death, 
 before our enraptured gaze, furnishes proof sub- 
 lime and convincing to the balance. He dies 
 alone, it is true, in one sense of the word. We go 
 with him as far as we can— we bend over the 
 coffin, pressing up to the very gates, but he dies 
 alone ; but not to himself. The smile that lights 
 up his pale face, is evidence for the truth of God, 
 like that which was furnished by the flashing 
 countenance of Lazarus, as, with his grave clothes 
 and napkin, he starts out of his death-bed at the 
 bidding of the Saviour. The soft and gentle 
 beaming of his death-struck eye furnishes proof of 
 God's word, akin to that which was given by the 
 
400 SERMONS. 
 
 eyes of Bartimeus. The last sweet words from 
 his dying lips say in melody sweet as the music 
 of heaven, "Yea, though I walk through the val- 
 ley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil : 
 for Thou art with me ; Thy rod and Thy staff they 
 comfort me." 
 
 M* §wm& of *M §ol»0. 
 
 " And let tis not be weary in well doing ; for in due season we skaU rea$, 
 if we faint not." — Gal., vi, 9. 
 
 Paul, in writing to Timothy, after exhorting 
 him to reprove, rebuke and exhort with all long 
 suffering, said, that the time would come when 
 the Church would endure sound doctrine — that is, 
 the plain, pointed preaching of the word of truth. 
 Whether that time has come with you we will see 
 presently. In the reflections we shall submit we 
 are actuated alone by a sense of duty and your 
 good. Nothing harsh shall escape my lips, because 
 it is not in my feelings, and yet I feel at the same 
 time that I have only the fear of God before me, 
 and not the fear of man in any degree whatever. 
 With prayer and trust in God let us proceed. 
 
 ' ' Man is as prone to evil as the sparks to fly 
 upwards." As the excited, unthinking horse rushes 
 into battle, as the ox drinketh up the water, 
 
THE REWARD OF WELL DOING. 401 
 
 as the ship glides before the wind, so man flows 
 into the current of evil, that soon bears him off 
 into the unfathomable sea of vice and wickedness. 
 The secret, the key, which unlocks the mystery of 
 his conduct in the face of acknowledged sin is, 
 that there is a sort of momentary pleasure to the 
 carnal heart in doing evil. But it should never 
 be forgotten that the pleasures of sin are but for 
 a season. With this strong, natural predilection to 
 sin, it requires constant effort — effort amounting 
 to a struggle — to breast the current, to rise above 
 this influence and do well. And unless the heart 
 be renewed — its carnality destroyed, and oppo- 
 site principles and desires be inwrought in the soul, 
 it is utterly useless for an individual, though he 
 may have through the spirit some desire excited 
 to do good, to hope to be able to cease to do evil, 
 and learn to do well. God's especial, gracious 
 aid must be secured. But if he has so far com- 
 plied with God's requirements as to seek and ob- 
 tain regeneration, and continues obediently seek- 
 ing, through the means of grace instituted, aid 
 from God's Holy Spirit, he may continue in well 
 doing to the end without becoming weary. " Let 
 us not be weary in well doing." 
 
 Let us here define what is meant bj^ well doing. 
 We understand the phrase as synonymous with 
 working righteousness, which embraces all our 
 personal and relative duties as embodied in the 
 
 IS* 
 
402 SERMONS. 
 
 gospel. A man may be said to be doing well, at 
 least to a certain extent, who is discharging his 
 personal duties. What are some of these? Let 
 us enumerate — and now, brethren, go along with 
 me in enumerating, compare yourself, contrast 
 your actions with the rule laid down. If you 
 want to be benefited, take them up one by one, 
 and see how you are discharging them — not how 
 your brother is discharging them, but how you 
 are. Thou art the man to whom I am talking, and 
 not thy brother. 
 
 First, the searching of the Scriptures is one of 
 your personal duties. I am not going to stop to 
 show the importance of searching them, to recount 
 the benefits arising from it. This would be need- 
 less. I simply give you the command of the 
 Saviour; "Search the Scriptures." How have 
 you discharged this duty ? How many chapters 
 did you read the last week, the last month or the 
 last year ? How did you read what you did 
 read ? Did } r ou read it as a task, without atten- 
 tion, without understanding, without prayer? I 
 submit the question, are you doing well in this 
 respect ? 
 
 Prayer is one of your personal duties. The 
 command is, pray always — that is, have the spirit 
 of prayer constantly. Enter into your closet and 
 shut the door, and pray to your Father, who is in 
 secret. Do you faithfully discharge this duty? 
 
THE REWARD OF WELL DOING. 403 
 
 Now be honest with yourselves, how often do you 
 pray in the day? once, twice, or three times? 
 ^Daniel opened his window towards Jerusalem, and 
 prayed three times a day. Am I addressing at 
 this time one professing Christian who neglects 
 this duty ? If so, how entirely gone is your com- 
 fort, how dark and darker every day is becoming 
 your future prospect. It is impossible that you 
 can be a Christian, do well, without being fre- 
 quent and earnest in prayer. 
 
 Another important personal duty is to regulate 
 your thoughts and conversations. Do you hate 
 vain thoughts ? Is your conversation in Heaven ? 
 Or is it mostly light and trifling and worldly, such 
 as tends neither to the glory of God nor the 
 salvation of anybody. How many sinners have- 
 been cut to the heart by words uttered from your 
 lips ? How many words have you ever spoken 
 designing this effect? Are you doing well here ? 
 
 Agaiu, do you meet your class ? I have rarely 
 ever seen a Methodist who would not acknow- 
 ledge the personal benefit of class meetings. All 
 acknowledge this, yet, when were you at a class 
 meeting last ? 
 
 Another personal duty is to attend the commu- 
 nion. Do you regularly commune, or do you 
 absent yourself from the Lord's Table ? When 
 a member of the Church deliberately turns his 
 back on the Lord's Table, Christ is hurt in the 
 house of His friends, His wounds bleed afresh, it 
 
404 SERMONS. 
 
 is in effect saying, telling Christ to His face, and 
 publicly too, I will not obey Thy command, "Do 
 this in remembrance of Me." If you are sin- 
 cerely endeavoring to reach Heaven, you are 
 qualified to come, and no excuse will exonerate 
 you. Doing well, implies a discharge of all these 
 duties ; but this is not all. These are exclu- 
 sively personal, and look only to yourselves. 
 There are relative duties — duties which you owe 
 to others, equally as binding, without the discharge 
 of which you cannot be said to be doing well ; 
 such as visiting the sick and the distressed. St. 
 James says, " pure religion, and undenled before 
 God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless 
 and widows in their affliction ;" opening the 
 bowels of your compassion towards your brother 
 as he hath need ; casting your influence always on 
 the side of the Lord ; always attending the sanc- 
 tuary of God, if possible, glad when they say, 
 come, let us go up to the house of the Lord ; erect- 
 ing the family altar ; pointing your children and 
 servants to the Lamb of God that taketh away the 
 sins of the world ; instructing them in the ways of 
 religion, and throwing around that instruction 
 the weight and sanctity of a father's or mother's 
 care and authority. Well doing implies all these 
 things, and the exhortation of the text is : let us 
 not w r eary in discharging them. 
 
 The time was when you discharged them with 
 alacrity and delight ; when reading God's Word 
 
THE REWARD OF WELL DOKfl. 405 
 
 was a feast to your soul ; when prayer was your 
 "vital breath, your native air;" when your 
 thoughts were elevated and full of heaven ; when 
 the class room was sought with eagerness ; when 
 at the table of the Lord the soul seemed to feed 
 on Christ indeed as its hidden manna ; when with 
 holy pleasure you entered the chamber of the 
 sick, bathed the aching brow, and pointed to the 
 clime above where no sickness is ; when you 
 gathered your family around the humble altar 
 you had reared to God, and trained them in His 
 nurture and admonition ; when your pastor 
 always felt assured that you were sick, or by 
 some cause beyond } T our control kept away, when 
 your seat in the house of God was vacant. Oh ! 
 you did run well for awhile — who did hinder you? 
 It is worth while for us, as Christians, to think of 
 these things. You do think of them. In the 
 honest hour of life, when alone and communing 
 with your own heart, the Spirit of God, your 
 friend, comes, and turning your thoughts back 
 upon your vows, your once high and holy pur- 
 poses, then pointing to the future, the flaming 
 bar of the judgment, the spark is struck anew on 
 your soul ; holy aspiration, though feeble, is 
 kindled afresh, and faint and weary, on some cold, 
 dark spot in your experience, you cry : 
 
 ." Where is the blessedness I knew 
 When first I saw the Lord ? 
 Where is the soul-refreshing view 
 Of Jesus and His Word?" 
 
406 SERMONS. 
 
 The question now presents itself with cogency, 
 and we would press it upon your consideration : 
 Why is this ? How is this ? What strange in- 
 fatuation is this that comes over the soul, that 
 leads man to act so directly in opposition to all 
 the dictates of a sense of duty ? Bring upon his 
 heart every hour the conviction that he is living 
 in the neglect of duty ; that God's disapprobation 
 is visited upon him ; that his enjoyments are 
 gone, and utter the great command in his ears : 
 " Work while it is day, for the night cometh 
 when no man can work," and still he folds his 
 arms upon his bosom and cries, " A little more 
 sleep, a little more slumber, a little more folding 
 of the hands to sleep." Like a man who is dying 
 with cold, who is almost frozen ; whose sensibility 
 is numbed ; over whose blood the death-chill is 
 creeping, and sleepiness, the sure harbinger of 
 death, like an atmosphere of lead, rests upon his 
 frame ; although the conviction is resting upon his 
 mind that his life depends upon exertion, yet he 
 quietly sits down upon the snow and perishes. 
 W r hy, my brother, as I would shake you out of 
 your slumber to save your natural life, much 
 more would I arouse you, if I could, from this 
 spiritual slumber into which you are falling,, to 
 save your spiritual life. I would, with the ap- 
 pliances of truth, take hold of your spiritual 
 frame and shake the slumber off your soul. Give 
 
THE REWARD OF WELL DOING. 407 
 
 me your ear and 1 will sound in it, if I can, in 
 trumpet tones : " Why stand ye here all the day 
 idle?" 
 
 Let us now inquire into the cause of your be- 
 coming weary in well doing. It may be summed 
 up in one sentence. There is no need of nice 
 discrimination, of abstruse reasoning ; one sen- 
 tence will express it, and I would send it as 
 with a battery in blazing capitals upon your 
 heart. Weary in well doing — cause, neglect of 
 duty. It is a plain case, a child can understand 
 it. When neglect of duty commences, the supply 
 of grace begins to diminish, and without the as- 
 sistance of grace, as I remarked in the outset, we 
 cannot do well. God has instituted means of 
 grace to be used by us, as conditions upon which 
 He will confer help ; when we cease to use these 
 means the divine help ceases to flow to us, just 
 in proportion as we neglect the means — the con- 
 ditions. When you ceased to read the Scrip- 
 tures, the grace that was communicated through 
 that as a means was withheld. When you ceased 
 to pray, you cut off another source of help. So 
 with all the rest. Just as many means of grace 
 as you have neglected, just so many sources of 
 grace }^ou have dried up, and in this way have 
 brought upon yourself that state of weariness in 
 well doing. Now, let me appeal to you ; of 
 course those who are not weary in well doing- 
 will not feel the force of what has been said ; let 
 
408 SERMONS. 
 
 me appeal to that oue who has gone farthest in 
 neglect of duty — if there still lingers in your 
 heart an aspiration for heaven, if a spark of the 
 hallowed flame glows still, though feebly, then 
 come to the altars of God and let it be kindled 
 afresh to-day ; come with an humble heart and 
 say : " Father, I have sinned against heaven and 
 in Thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called 
 Thy son." Come thus and God will meet you, 
 fall on your neck, and even kiss you. 
 
 We come now in the last place to notice the 
 incentive to well doing set forth in the text: " in 
 due season we shall reap, if we faint not." We 
 do not serve God for naught. Well doing is 
 here represented as sowing seed that will yield a 
 crop. Life is represented as a harvest field. 
 "Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also 
 reap ; he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh 
 reap corruption, but he that soweth to the Spirit 
 shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." The 
 field upon which the seeds are sown is divided 
 into two divisions, earth and heaven. As you 
 scatter your seeds some drop upon earth, and, 
 watered by the dews of God's grace, and warmed 
 by the genial rays of his love, spring up imme- 
 diately and you reap here. The poet means this 
 when he says : 
 
 " The hill of Zion yields 
 A thousand sacred sweets, 
 Before we reach the heavenly fields, 
 Or walk the golden streets." 
 
THE REWARD OF WELL DOING. 409 
 
 As you sow, others are borne on the wings, as 
 it were, of God's messengers and dropped on the 
 heavenly soil. Whilst you are sowing and reap- 
 ing below, these are germinating and springing to 
 a harvest above. Sow, then, in the morning thy 
 seed, and at evening withhold not thy hand, and 
 in due season you shall reap. Sow by searching 
 the Scriptures, and at once you reap treasures of 
 wisdom and comfort. Sow in the closet, and at 
 once you reap supplies of grace to help in time 
 of need. Sow in the class room, and you reap a 
 renewal of spiritual strength. Sow in the tears 
 of the poor heart-broken widow and orphan, by 
 mingling your tears with theirs, and you reap 
 their prayers of faith offered to God with a warm 
 heart for you. Sow in the sick man's chamber, 
 and from his death-struck eye, as you wait 
 around his bed, heavenly light shall gleam on 
 your soul, and from his quivering, pallid lip you 
 shall reap strengthening to your hopes of heaven. 
 Sow around the table of the Lord, when spread 
 before you, and at once you reap the love that 
 glowed upon the great heart of the Saviour. 
 
 But, my friends, this is reversing somewhat 
 the order of husbandry. The agriculturist reaps 
 and then gleans, but this is gleaning first and 
 reaping afterwards. When the harvest, the 
 gleaning on earth, is over, and the summer of 
 life is ended, you shall be saved ; if you have 
 
410 SERMONS. 
 
 sown in well- doing you shall pass away to take 
 part in the grand harvest above, where everlast- 
 ing life is the crop. Ah ! my brethren, it will 
 be a grand thing, a grand sight when your feet 
 touch the margin of that great harvest field that 
 shall stretch out interminably before your eye. 
 I would like to see it, The light of God's smile 
 shall rest upon your brow, the breath of God's 
 approving voice shall be your atmosphere as you 
 put your golden sickle into it, and as the rich 
 fruit shall fall upon your bosom before your 
 glittering blade, you shall lift up your voice in 
 the grand harvest song, " unto Him that loved 
 us, washed us from our sins in His own blood, 
 and made us kings and priests unto G-od and 
 His Father, to Him be glory and dominion for- 
 ever and ever " — and there shall come the swell- 
 ing chorus from a thousand thousand hearts : 
 "Allelujah! salvation, and glory, and honor, and 
 power unto the Lord our G-od." 
 
 ®tee that aw (SStefet^ haw p* j^jwit 
 
 " Now, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His." 
 
 Rom. viii, 9. 
 
 The grand characteristic of the Christian reli- 
 gion is that it strikes right at the heart. Before 
 it undertakes to regulate the life, rule the con- 
 
THOSE THAT ARE CHRIST'S HAVE HIS SPIRIT. 411 
 
 duct, it corrects the heart. Here it begins its 
 work. We are taught that we must be born 
 again. "Except a man be born of water and of 
 the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of 
 God." John taught that Christ should baptize 
 with the Holy G-host as with fire, and we are fur- 
 ther taught that we are sanctified by the Spirit — 
 cleansed by the Spirit ; hence, if a man would 
 know his relation to Christ, let him know the 
 condition of his heart. If he would know whether 
 he is an heir of salvation, and a joint heir with 
 Christ, let him not look to the number of prayers 
 he has offered, the good deeds he has performed, 
 the uprightness of his conduct, but to the state of 
 his heart ; for no matter how closely he may ob- 
 serve the forms of religion, how unexceptionable 
 his life, if he has not the Spirit of Christ he is 
 none of His. The Holy Spirit is here called by 
 the Apostle the Spirit of Christ, as if he had said, 
 if any man have not the Holy Spirit dwelling in 
 his heart as its temple, enlightening the mind, 
 cleansing the soul, purifying and sanctifying the 
 affections, he is not a disciple of Christ ; or, to 
 express it in still more simple and comprehensive 
 form, if any man have not the spirit, the mind, 
 the temper, the disposition of Christ, he is none 
 of his. Here we have set forth, in clear, unmis- 
 takable terms, the test of true discipleship. 
 
 The proposition contained in this text, there- 
 
412 SERMONS. 
 
 fore, to which we invite your attention, is this : 
 In order to inherit eternal life with Christ we 
 must have our minds and hearts transformed into 
 the spirit, and temper, and disposition of Christ. 
 Christ is an example for our lives, our conduct. 
 He dwelt upon the earth, suffered evil, endured 
 persecution and temptation, that He might, by 
 example, teach us how to live. But this is not 
 all : He was, and He is set forth as the pattern into 
 the likeness of which we must be spiritually fash- 
 ioned. We are not only required to be like Him 
 in conduct, in behavior, but also in temper and 
 disposition. We look upon Christ's external con- 
 duct, see Him going about doing good, without sin, 
 blameless in all his life, and we are captivated 
 by the loveliness of His character, and feel up- 
 rising in us a disposition to conform our conduct 
 to His. But whilst this example is captivating, 
 let us go further. Let us look at that spiritual 
 image which He presents, into which we must be 
 transformed before we can fully imitate Him in 
 our behavior, before we can truly be His and in- 
 herit eternal life. 
 
 No spectacle can be exhibited so sublime, so 
 pure, so ennobling, so elevating, so enrapturing, 
 as the spiritual image which Christ presents. 
 Such is its power that, yielding our hearts to the 
 influence of the Holy Spirit, as Ave gaze upon it 
 with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory 
 
THOSE THAT ARE CHRIST'S HAVE HIS SPIRIT. 413 
 
 of the Lord, we are changed into the same image, 
 from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the 
 Lord. Under the applying power of the Holy 
 Spirit, like a refiner's fire, it purges away our 
 carnality. 
 
 Now let us take up some of the features of this 
 spiritual image or picture. The first which stands 
 out prominently is humility. See, He who thought 
 it not robbery to be equal with God, made Him- 
 self of no reputation, and took upon Him the form 
 of a servant, and took up His bed in a manger, 
 with no wealth, nor worldly power, nor influence, 
 nor patronage, nor pageant. The humility He 
 possessed, humbled under a sense of human woe 
 and weakness, sustained in that humility by the 
 divinity of His nature, lay low in the sight of the 
 Father, and of angels, and of men. Did He blush 
 when His admirers looked for the first time upon 
 Him, when the wise men saluted Him? He was 
 an infant, but He knew He was an infant God. 
 What an exhibition of humility ! — the strongest 
 blow ever struck at pride. Now, in order to be 
 His, we must be willing to get down with Him in 
 His humiliation, for unless we have His spirit of 
 humility we are none of His. " God resisteth the 
 proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." 
 "Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased, 
 and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." 
 That individual who has an unreasonable conceit 
 
414 SERMONS. 
 
 of his or her own superiority in talents, beauty, 
 wealth, accomplishments, rank, or elevation in 
 office, which manifests itself generally in lofty 
 airs, and often in contempt of others, has not the 
 Spirit of Christ, and, consequently, is none of His. 
 Now, let a man look upon Christ in His sublime 
 humility, see His greatness, equal with God in 
 power, and glory, and wisdom, and yet he gets 
 down in a manger for man. This thought seems 
 to me to be enough to shame away a poor, 
 weak, frail, sinful man's pride. It seems to me 
 if he would gaze upon Christ and think of himself, 
 he would shrink away from his great pretensions, 
 sneak down from his high place of pride, and be 
 right glad to hide in the dust. 
 
 As we gaze upon this spiritual image, a lovely 
 group presents itself strikingly in the picture. 
 We see meekness, patience and forgiveness ; or, 
 to express it differently, gentleness, submission 
 to the divine will, suffering provocation or evil 
 with a calm, unruffled temper, and praying 
 and pardoning His offenders. The first is suffi- 
 ciently set forth in one act of His. When 
 the weight of man's guilt was pressing Him 
 sorely, when God's wrath was being hotly 
 poured out upon Him, insomuch that it wrung 
 from His lips the prayer, "Father, if Thou be 
 willing, remove this cup from Me," His sub- 
 mission was set forth in those other words, 
 
THOSE THAT ARE CHRIST'S HAVE HIS SPIRIT. 415 
 
 "nevertheless, not My will, but Thine, be done." 
 Here we see the snbliniest submission to the 
 divine will without complaint and with gentle- 
 ness. The second is clearly manifested amidst 
 the evils and injuries inflicted upon Him. He 
 was mocked and spit upon, His jaws were slapped, 
 His back was beaten, and He was finally led as a 
 lamb to the slaughter ; and He endured it all pa- 
 tiently, and resisted not. He was reviled, but 
 He reviled not again; He was slandered, but He 
 sued not; He was stricken, but struck not back 
 again. The third is strikingly exhibited on the 
 Cross. When they were putting Him to death, 
 shouting in scorn and derision around Him, wet- 
 ting His parched, quivering lips with gall and 
 vinegar, He uttered the prayer, "Father, for- 
 give them, they know not what they do." Now, 
 if a man would know whether he is Christ's — a 
 true disciple — let him see whether these graces 
 cluster around his own heart. When God strikes 
 in His providence, lays the hand of affliction 
 heavily upon him, snatches away his loved ones, 
 sweeps away his property, wrecks his health, 
 unless he can adopt the language of Christ, "not 
 my will, but Thine, be done," he has not His 
 spirit and is none of His. When he is badly 
 treated by evil disposed persons, when they mock 
 him, and persecute him, and point the linger of 
 scorn at him, can he bear it patiently wilhout 
 
416 SERMONS. 
 
 resentment? Can he keep from recompensing 
 evil for evil? Can lie overcome evil with good? 
 Some of our hot-blooded Christians in these latter 
 times are strangers to this principle. They return 
 railing for railing, evil for evil, and good only for 
 good. Let me declare unto you the whole law, 
 however severe it may be, and however much 
 you may feel condemned by it, unless you have 
 the spirit of Christ in this respect you are none of 
 His. When you are offended against can you 
 forgive ? Some say they can forgive, but they 
 can't forget; and I always set it clown when I 
 hear people make this remark that they have not 
 forgiven. There is a lingering spirit of unfor- 
 giveness away down there in the heart that 
 prompts the utterance of this expression. Now, 
 if you mean by this that as a matter of memory 
 you cannot forget an injur}" or offence, very well, 
 for we cannot make ourselves forget things of this 
 kind — that is, we cannot keep the mind from re- 
 taining a memory of it; but it is generally the 
 case that this saying means more than a mere re- 
 tention of the fact in memory, it generally means 
 that we have not quite forgiven. We are to 
 expect forgiveness only as we forgive, and our 
 Saviour has taught us to pray for that kind of 
 forgiveness ; and we are not onl} r to forgive our- 
 selves, but if we have His spirit, we are even to 
 pray the Father to forgive them. If we have this 
 spirit then we are His. 
 
THOSE THAT ARE CHRI3TS HAVE HIS SPIRIT. 417 
 
 Again, as we gaze upon this spiritual picture 
 love presents itself. Unless we love like Christ 
 we are none of His. See how He loved, not only 
 His friends, but His enemies. His great mission 
 on earth was in obedience to the prompting of 
 the great love of His heart; and at every step He 
 took, in every act, we see His love. Love humil- 
 iated Him and carried Him down into the stable 
 manger; love carried Him to the widow's cottage 
 to comfort her ; love carried Him to the grave of 
 Lazarus and gushed tears from His eyes ; love 
 rolled Him in bloody sweat on the ground ; love 
 carried Him to Calvary, and so much of it did He 
 have in His nature that He breathes there a prayer 
 for those who kill Him ; and such a burning love 
 for dying sinners did He have, that while there 
 suspended on the Cross, amid all the groans and 
 agonies of His death hour, rocked in the very 
 throes of the death struggle, He forgot His own 
 sufferings long enough to promise the dying thief 
 by His side a residence in heaven. "Greater 
 love hath no man than this." 
 
 Now, if we are Christ's, we have His spirit in 
 this particular. In order that we have the spirit 
 of Christ, we must lay our hearts upon the great 
 beating heart of Christ and have them quickened 
 by the love that pulsates in the bosom of a 
 Saviour. The great requisition made on the 
 Christian is to love God with all the heart, soul, 
 
 19 
 
418 SERMONS. 
 
 mind and strength, and to love his neighbor as 
 himself. Have yon this spirit ? Do you love 
 God thus ? Do you love your neighbor as your- 
 self? Do you love your enemies? If not, you 
 have not the spirit of Christ. "Ah, but," says 
 one, "we can't love our neighbors as ourselves." 
 The reason is, we love ourselves too much — our 
 hearts are so full of self that we have not room 
 for either God or our neighbor. The great thing 
 for us to do is to get self out of our hearts — love 
 ourselves less, and then we can love God and our 
 neighbor more. It would be impossible for many 
 of us to love God or our neighbors as we love 
 ourselves, simply because we love ourselves too 
 much. Crowd self out of your heart, and then 
 you will have more room for God and your neigh- 
 bor. And as to loving our enemies, it seems to 
 be a principle with us to hate them; we seem, 
 many of us, to take a special delight in hating 
 them. When such is the case we have not the 
 spirit of Christ. Love must break, and tender, 
 and melt our hearts, or we are none of His. "If 
 any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none 
 of His." 
 
ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD. 419 
 
 gM mmp Wm% M^tlux tix Sx»ort. 
 
 "And we know that all things ivork together for good to them that love 
 God." — Rom., viii, 28. 
 
 Ancient philosophers taught the doctrine that 
 private and individual interests were to be sacri- 
 ficed for the good of all men. The opinion now 
 obtains, and we hear it frequently inculcated in 
 worldly polity, that the interests of the few must 
 often necessarily be sacrificed for the good of the 
 many. Human legislation is frequently based 
 upon this doctrine, and thereby private and in- 
 dividual interests are often sacrificed for the 
 good of the mass. 
 
 This is the result of the weakness and imper- 
 fection of human knowledge. Man is imperfect 
 himself, and consequently any system of govern- 
 ment which originates within him must also be 
 imperfect. Not so in God's government. This 
 doctrine finds no lodgment in His providential 
 administration of our affairs. Whilst He is car- 
 rying on the general system of all things to its 
 proper perfection, the interests, both general and 
 private, of all, from the highest to the lowest, 
 from the most renowned to the obscurest, is 
 guarded, and all things are overruled, so as not 
 to interfere, so far as God is concerned as the 
 
420 SERMONS. 
 
 great administrator of the universe, with attain- 
 ment of felicity by each if he will. So far from 
 sacrificing in any way and to any extent the 
 private and individual interests of any, on the 
 contrary, the private and individual interests of 
 each who love Him and serve Him, He especially 
 guards and causes all things to conspire to the 
 promotion of their good, but in every case so 
 as not to conspire to the detriment of those who 
 do not love Him, for His tender mercies are 
 over all His works. 
 
 The text is a strong assurance, and needs to be 
 well considered in order to a proper understand- 
 ing of it. In elaborating its teaching, I call your 
 attention first to the characters designated in it 
 — " those that love God." The Apostle evi- 
 dently intended to teach a distinction in the care 
 and interest felt and exercised by God towards 
 those that love Him, and those who do not. That 
 Avhilst there is a general superintendence over 
 all His works, there is an especial providence ex- 
 ercised by Him over those who love Him. Who 
 are they? Many profess to love God, and in- 
 deed it would be difficult to find any who would 
 avow hatred to Him. Many say Lord ! Lord ! 
 but professions, apart from practice, are nothing 
 with God. It is even better not to vow than 
 to vow and not pay the vow. The test given in 
 God's word by which all who love Him may be 
 
ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD. 421 
 
 designated or known, is the keeping of His com- 
 mandments. " If ye love Me ye will keep My com- 
 mandments.'' It is as natural and as easy to one 
 who loves God and has the spirit of Christ to do 
 God's will, as it is to one who loves the devil and 
 has his spirit, to do the devil's will. Therefore, 
 if we would know who they are that love God, 
 whether we may put ourselves under the assur- 
 ance of the text, here is the test : " By their 
 fruits ye shall know them." In order to do the 
 will of God — keep His commandments — the car- 
 nal mind must be destroyed, for this is enmity 
 against God, not subject to His laws ; then a 
 growth in grace must be sought, until all the 
 Christian virtues and graces, faith, virtue, know- 
 ledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly 
 kindness, and charity, and love are engrafted upon 
 the soul. When this is done or is sought, then they 
 love God. Thus the feelings, and aspirations, and 
 hopes wrested from the devil and taken off the 
 world are centred in God as the great and only 
 proper object of undivided affection. God the 
 Creator, God the Preserver, God the Redeemer 
 stands preeminent in their thoughts, and aims, 
 and purposes. 
 
 With their hearts touched with this divine and 
 heavenly influence, as the needle points steadily 
 and continually to the pole, so they as constantly 
 and unwaveringly tarn to God as the great spir- 
 
422 SERMONS. 
 
 itual magnet. If new doctrines or ideas, new 
 plans or schemes, worldly enterprises and gains, 
 are presented, taking up God's commandments, 
 the eye of faith runs along the path of duty, and 
 stops not till it reaches God, and brings them all 
 to the test,, and if opposed to Him, or if they con- 
 flict with duty, they turn away from them with a 
 shudder. I know it is a mystery that a man 
 should love Him whom we have not seen ; that 
 he should love a Spirit, that in the invisible, 
 eternal Spirit he should find all that the heart 
 desires or wishes — " great is the mystery of God- 
 liness." 
 
 Now, I do not wish to speak slightly of any 
 man's pretensions. I do not wish to discourage 
 any one ; but if there is a professing Christiau 
 here to-day, who does not answer to the defini- 
 tion, he has no right to put himself under the as- 
 surance of the text ; and if he be excluded from 
 this, for the same reason he is excluded from all 
 the promises and assurances elsewhere in the word 
 of God, and if he were brought to an account to- 
 day he would be cut off. No matter how long he 
 has been in the Church, the longer without this 
 attainment the worse for him ; no matter how 
 loud his professions, the louder without this at- 
 tainment, the heavier his condemnation ; no mat- 
 ter how great his desires for this attainment, the 
 stronger without, the greater his pain in being 
 
ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD. 423 
 
 cut off. For this reason we make the point : you 
 had better apply the test now whilst there is hope 
 of reform, than have it applied when there will be 
 no such hope. But those who answer to this 
 definition may draw large comfort from the assur- 
 ance of the text, for " to them all things work to- 
 gether for good." 
 
 The next step we take is to define what is 
 meant by the term good. Men have very differ- 
 ent notions of what constitutes good. With a 
 large majority, in estimating it their thoughts are 
 confined exclusively to this life, and they esti- 
 mate only that which works to the promotion of 
 earthly good. They regard it, that it is good to 
 be rich, and conclude that the text is true only 
 when all things work together to make a man 
 rich. Some regard worldly honors, fame, as the 
 o-ood to be desired, and then it is true onlv as all 
 things work together to elevate the individual in 
 human esteem. Here is the source from whence 
 arises so much error. In this mistaken view may 
 be found the reason why this text appears so 
 contradictory to human experience, and is gene- 
 rally so difficult of belief. Now, if our existence 
 terminated with this life, if it were all of life to 
 live here and all of death to die, then these views 
 would be true and our text conflict with human 
 experience. But the present life is the most in- 
 considerable part of our existence, a little space 
 
424 SEEMONS. 
 
 cut off from eternity, in which we pass a few fleet- 
 ing years of probation and preparation for exist- 
 ence proper. The present considered in itself 
 cannot be called existence at all. We are in an 
 uncongenial clime ; our experience proves to us 
 every day that there is not to be found here that 
 that suits or satisfies long at the time. 
 
 See the exile far away from his home. He 
 may be pleased and entertained for a time by the 
 novelty of the scenery by which he is surrounded. 
 For a time he may sit delighted as he watches the 
 fall of the cascade and listens to the music of its 
 waters, mingling with the songs of sweet singing 
 voices. He may be for a while satisfied as he 
 gathers the occasional diamond and collects the 
 rich ore into his tent ; but he becomes at last sa- 
 tiated with these things, and his mind and heart 
 turns to his home ; stretching far away over the 
 waters that divide them he longs to clasp the 
 hands of loved ones, and put himself in their em- 
 brace. See the eagle caught from his mountain 
 home. For a time he feeds on food to others 
 given, and listens a while with contented air to 
 the songs of the lark, but soon he turns his eye 
 to his ethereal home and longs to cut his native 
 air. 
 
 So 'tis with man in this life. He may be en- 
 gaged and entertained for a time with hoarding 
 wealth, perhaps until he is old ; but, becoming sa- 
 
ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD. 425 
 
 tiated, at last he rises from amidst his coffers, his 
 fields and factories, and sighs for something he 
 has not. For a time the shouts of applause may 
 sound pleasant music in his ears, but the soul, 
 tired and sickened, at last longs for music struck 
 in a higher and purer note than this. Ah ! my 
 friends, think of it what you may, the true good, 
 the chief good, lies above and beyond this earth. 
 
 The testimony of dying lips — gathered from 
 death-beds and chambers, the witnessing voice of 
 those with wrinkled brow and silvered locks, cor- 
 roborate the teaching, and will sooner or later fix 
 the stern conviction on every heart, that happi- 
 ness, felicity, is only to be found in God, in Heaven, 
 in bliss undying — for these only are commensurate 
 with the soul. 
 
 Now, to those who love God and seek in Him 
 their good, happiness, all things work together 
 for good. There are many persons who agree in 
 the views we have presented all along up to this 
 point ; who are ready to consent that health, 
 prosperity, and success work for good, but are at 
 a loss to see how sickness and adversity do. 
 They think there is so much more evil than good 
 in the world. This is all a mistake. There is 
 more good than evil, more light than darkness, 
 more sunshine than cloud, more health than dis- 
 ease, more competence than poverty, more joy 
 than sorrow, more smiles than tears, more life than 
 
 19* 
 
426 SERMONS. 
 
 death. The reason why there seems to be more 
 evil than good is, that no chastening seemeth good 
 at the time. We admit that health and pros- 
 perity, if properly regarded, work for good to 
 them that love God, but not as effectually. The 
 test to which G-od brings the righteous man is se- 
 verer in health and prosperity, than in adversity. 
 He is exposed to the hazard of becoming proud 
 and self-sufficient and forgetting God. On the 
 other hand, whilst the test is severe, it is not so 
 great. Let a man have the hand of disease laid on 
 him, and he begins to think the teaching is true ; 
 that life is sure enough a vapor. Let misfortune 
 smite on his estate, and the conviction deepens 
 in his mind that in Heaven only moth and rust 
 do not corrupt. Let the foul breath of slander 
 blast his fair name, and his thoughts at once turn 
 to the skies "where the wicked cease from troub- 
 ling." These things, if he be properly exercised 
 by them, break his hold, prevent a tenacious 
 grasp upon the perishable things of life, cause 
 him properly to estimate them, and keep his 
 mind turned upon the chief good. And in this 
 way his afflictions " work for him a far more ex- 
 ceeding and eternal weight of glory." So also 
 with nations. When they are permitted to pros- 
 per in peace, it works for their good, if they use 
 the blessings aright. When called upon to pass 
 through war, and strife, and bloodshed, they 
 
ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD. 427 
 
 work for them good. Many are ready to ask how 
 can this war work for our good. We have been 
 vain and proud — we are miserable sinners, we 
 have run after mammon, we have forgotten God. 
 As God can lock up the lightning and hissing hail 
 in the bosom of the dark, stormy cloud, and arch 
 its black fold with the bow of peace, converting 
 it into a thing of beauty and grandeur as it hangs 
 upon the horizon, so God can arch and beautify 
 the dark cloud of war that hangs in our sky, and 
 bless it to our good. In this view of the case we 
 are not surprised to find the Apostle declaring 
 that he gloried in tribulation, for it worked for 
 his good — it worketh patience, and patience ex- 
 perience, etc. 
 
 But the Apostle says all things, everything in 
 this vast universe. The sun as he flies in the 
 heavens dispenses his light and heat ; the shades 
 of night gather around his couch to minister to 
 his slumbers ; the dews and showers fall to re- 
 fresh him, and give the full corn in the ear, if it 
 is best that he have abundance, otherwise 
 drought withers the blade ; the lightnings that 
 flash in the air work its purification, if it is best 
 he should have health, otherwise the winds come 
 loaded with miasma or ozone ; his flocks and 
 herds increase and spread out on the hills, if it is 
 for his good, otherwise his pastures are untrod ; 
 if it is for his good his children, like young 
 
428 SERMONS. 
 
 olives, cluster around the parent stalk, gladden 
 his heart and cheer his household, otherwise they 
 drop on his bosom like autumn leaves, and die. 
 All things work for his good, life and death. 
 When he is old, it has been best for him to be- 
 come old — death works for his good — meeting him 
 as he has wandered upon the edge of life, with 
 withered cheeks and palsied frame, limbs aching 
 and form bending over his staff, afraid of that 
 which is high, death meeting him, takes him in his 
 embrace; though cold, he lies down with him in a 
 bed of earth, and holds him on his bosom — until 
 he has turned to ashes ; after all it is but a refin- 
 ing process through which he passes, and thus 
 that bed becomes a gate through which he is ad- 
 mitted to the chief good — all things in the natu- 
 ral, the mental, and the spiritual world work for 
 good. 
 
 But mark the language of the text — all things 
 work together. In many things it would be diffi- 
 cult to see how they worked for good taken sepa- 
 rately, but taken in connection with other things, 
 we then see them as links in the great chain of 
 causes, producing or bringing about this end — 
 happiness. Prosperity and adversity taken sepa- 
 rately would work evil instead of good — the former 
 would make us proud, the latter would drive us to 
 despair ; but taken together, they work for good. 
 Death could not be regarded as working for good 
 
THE ANOINTING OF THE SAVIOUR. 429 
 
 if life worked not with death. But as, when death 
 strikes the body — tears it to pieces, turns it to 
 ashes — life conies to rebuild, fit it together again, 
 and quicken; both working together, they change 
 it from a mortal body to an immortal one, and 
 thus work for good. Heaven and hell work 
 together for good. Hell sends up the fumes of 
 its smoke to warn us to flee the wrath to come. 
 If hell worked alone we would be scared and 
 driven away from God with the conviction that 
 He was unkind and cruel, but as hell works, 
 Heaven pours the swelling tide of its music upon 
 our ears, throws open its gates of pearls, and 
 beckons us to come up to walk the gold-paved 
 streets with harp, and palm, and crown, and robe. 
 Thus " all things work together for good to them 
 that love God." 
 
 (DELIVERED BEFORE THE GRADUATING CLASS OF OXFORD 
 FEMALE COLLEGE, MAY 23d, 1871.— Eds.) 
 
 " TJien took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and 
 anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped Ms feet with her hair ; and the house 
 was filled with the odor of the ointment." — John xii, 3. 
 
 I trust that it is not simply in compliance with 
 custom that on the occasion of this literary festi- 
 val we come at this hour to take a lesson for eter- 
 
 \ 
 
430 SERMONS. 
 
 nity. The part assigned me by the authorities of 
 this institution is to give this lesson. In doing 
 so I take it that I am not expected, nor is it de- 
 sired of me, to discourse to } r ou of history, or 
 poetry, or science, but to speak to you of Jesus, 
 of piety and heaven. I shall, in submitting this 
 lesson, studiously avoid anything that may even 
 have the appearance of an attempt at a display 
 of learning. It is my purpose to preach to you 
 the Gospel. The act of Mary recited in this his- 
 torical sketch furnishes us with the theme, as it 
 embodies and sets forth the essential elements of 
 Christian character. These elements I propose 
 to present to you in three propositions, based 
 upon the text, viz : 
 
 1. Every Christian woman has inwrought in 
 her heart the spirit of genuine humility, and this 
 beautifies her character and makes her happy. 
 This proposition is based upon the phrase, "and 
 wiped his feet with her hair." 
 
 2. Every Christian woman possessed with this 
 spirit of humility has also the spirit to consecrate 
 her all to Christ, and finds in the end that she 
 will gain and not lose by it. This proposition is 
 based upon the words, "Then took Mary a pound 
 of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anoint- 
 ed the feet of Jesus." It was all she had. 
 
 3. The character of those who in humility con- 
 secrate themselves to Christ, produces and leaves 
 
THE ANOINTING OF THE SAVIOUR. 431 
 
 an impress for good upon the age in which they 
 live. This proposition we base upon the last 
 clause in the text, " and the house was filled with 
 the odor of the ointment." 
 
 We proceed now to take up the first proposi- 
 tion. Mary loved Christ. His acts of kindness 
 had endeared Him to her. The raising of her 
 brother from the dead convinced her, beyond a 
 doubt, that He was what He professed to be— the 
 Son of G-od, the Saviour of the world. As such 
 she embraced Him, and found that he not only 
 had power to raise from physical death, but 
 power to raise from spiritual death. Choosing as 
 she did the good part, the power of the new life, 
 which passed upon her by faith in Him as her 
 Saviour, struck from her bosom pride, and 
 brought her in humility down at the feet of Jesus. 
 Was ever such an instance of humility given ? 
 She was a young lady, at least unmarried. We 
 must presume that she had the ordinary care of 
 her person. We may suppose that she cultivated 
 her hair, with which God ornaments woman ; 
 it would have been very unnatural if she did not. 
 Yet such was her strong spirit of humility, in- 
 wrought through the love of the Saviour, that she 
 gets down at His feet and wipes them with her 
 hair. The same spirit of humility which she pos- 
 sessed and manifested is found now pervading 
 every heart upon which glows the love of Christ. 
 
432 SERMONS. 
 
 Pride and love of Christ do not go together ; they 
 are antagonistic ; the one will root ont the other. 
 They are each cardinal elements in the hearts 
 where they exist. As pride is the grand ruling 
 element in the carnal heart, so humility, the first 
 fruit of love to Christ, is the grand ruling element 
 in the spiritual heart. They do not strike hands 
 together in alliance in any heart. When one en- 
 ters the other departs. The truth of these decla- 
 rations is illustrated in the experience of all gen- 
 uine Christians. Follow the man in his experi- 
 ence who is brought savingly to a knowledge and 
 love of Christ. For a long time the pride of his 
 heart kept him away from the Saviour, kept him 
 from making an effort to seek him. He was 
 ashamed to let the world see him crying and 
 weeping around the altar of religion, though he 
 felt the need of a Saviour, for when death and 
 the judgment rose up before him he was terror- 
 stricken and affected. Though he saw a charm in 
 the name of Jesus, and felt an attraction in His 
 Cross, yet his proud heart revolted at all that hu- 
 miliation. But when he yielded at length, and 
 with repentance and tears sought the forgiveness 
 of God, the very last thing with which he parted 
 when he crossed the line which brought him from 
 the kingdom of guilt and sin into the kingdom of 
 grace and pardon, was pride. It clung to him 
 and worried him. It held on to his skirts as he 
 
THE ANOINTING OF THE SAVIOUR. 433 
 
 stood, with raised foot, even to step into the king- 
 dom. Pride, an unwillingness to yield to the 
 conviction that he was helpless and dependent, 
 kept him trying to the very last to help himself. 
 Though it could never blind him to the fact that 
 he was poor, and needy, and starving spiritually, 
 yet it kept him feeling out otherwise for help than 
 coming right down at the foot of the Cross and 
 acknowledging before God, with heart as well as 
 the lip, that He must save him or he would per- 
 ish. As soon as he could, by grace, wrench pride 
 from his heart, he dropped at the feet of Jesus, 
 powerless, willing to do anything and be anything, 
 that he might receive Christ ; then he was justi- 
 fied and regenerated. The first great impulse 
 that throbbed in his heart, as the light of Christ's 
 love broke upon his soul, and revealed to him his 
 true nature and something of the nature of God, 
 was the spirit of humility. As the black cloud of 
 his sins rolled away before the smile of the 
 Father, and in its thick darkness he saw how 
 great had been his guilt, how impure, how blind 
 and ignorant he had been, and how pure, and 
 good, and high, and great is the Lord, his soul 
 filled with amazement that God should have con- 
 descended to have noticed him, and he feels it his 
 high honor to gather up the crumbs that fall from 
 His table, and from that hour until the present, 
 as he walked the fields of His spiritual kingdom, 
 
434 SERMONS. 
 
 he scanned His character by the light of His spirit, 
 drank deeper of the knowledge of G-od, and his 
 own self-abasement has increased. 
 
 Let us look a little to the history of this prin- 
 ciple which marks so prominently the character 
 of the true lovers of Jesus. It underlies, as its 
 foundation, the whole plan of salvation. Man in 
 his primeval state possessed it, but the devil, the 
 leader of the fallen angels, by his deceptive arts 
 and flattery, infused the poison of pride into his 
 heart; this expelled humility, and he fell. We 
 are sprung from him "whose guilty fall corrupts 
 his race and taints us all." Now, when Christ 
 undertook to repair the injuries of the fall, the 
 first blow is stricken by Him at this pride, the 
 cause of all sin past, all pain, all woe to come. 
 He did not with His right hand tear this prin- 
 ciple out of the heart of man. This He might 
 have done if He had not made man a free agent. 
 Divesting Himself of His own greatness, and 
 grandeur, and glory He had with the Father, He 
 brought to bear upon man the great force of ex- 
 ample, the shining example of a Grod humbling 
 Himself even to a bed in a manger, taking the 
 form of a servant upon Him, and submitting to 
 the deepest humiliation, that He might woo man 
 to come down from his high place of pride and 
 rebellion, and back to his primeval state of hu- 
 mility. The example does not stop here. Christ 
 
THE ANOINTING OF THE SAVIOUR. 435 
 
 kept Himself down in that vale, the vale of humi- 
 lity, until the work was finished, complete ; then 
 He prayed the Father: "Now, oh! Father, glorify 
 Thy Son," and the Father sent a chariot from 
 heaven, accompanied by a shining retinue of an- 
 gels that shonted Him back in triumph. Now, in 
 following our great exemplar, the first step to be 
 taken by } t ou, my } T oung friends, is to get the 
 spirit of humility that was in Him — is to humble 
 your hearts — is to get down with Him in His hu- 
 miliation. God resists the proud. You cannot 
 make one successful advance unless you strike 
 right at the pride that is in your heart. When 
 you have flung it from you, you drop on the bosom 
 of the Saviour and are accepted. As He kept 
 Himself in the vale of humility until He had fin- 
 ished the plan, so you must keep } r ourselves down 
 in humility until the development of the plan is 
 fullv accomplished upon you. If you keep down 
 then, the blood of the Cross drops constantly upon 
 your heart to wash it of its impurity. If you keep 
 down in humility, the glow of Christ's humiliation 
 warms your soul. If you walk humbly before 
 G-od, the light that streams along the path where 
 Jesus trod lights your way as it fell before the 
 tracks He has left behind. If you keep down in 
 the vale of humility, you catch the echo of the 
 words which Jesus spoke for the encouragement 
 of His saints. But exalt yourself, put yourself 
 
436 SERMONS. 
 
 on the pinnacle of wealth, or fashion, or fame 
 and you put yourselves out of the kingdom of 
 Christ — you put yourselves above its hallowing, 
 sanctifying, soothing influences ; and, the saddest 
 of all, in the end you shall be abased. Ah, my 
 young friends, there is something about this thing 
 of getting down with Christ that makes the soul 
 happy. It carries it back to its old native ele- 
 ment. As it were, it turns upon its ear the music 
 of God's approving voice, which sounds like the 
 melody of Eclen. It is a sort of getting down 
 that we may get up- — a stooping to catch a gaze 
 upon the Saviour that enraptures the soul, for the 
 example stops not with the end of your probation. 
 As the Father when the plan was finished glori- 
 fied the Son, so the Son when your probation is 
 ended will glorify you. "He that humbleth him- 
 self shall be exalted" — exalted to be sons of God 
 and heirs of eternal salvation. 
 
 We now take up the second proposition. Those 
 who in the spirit of humility love Christ are will- 
 ing to consecrate their all to Him, and find in 
 the end that they gain by it. Mary had one 
 pound of ointment of spikenard. It was very 
 costly, and all she had. She put it all upon 
 His feet. So the Christian woman or man, when 
 they humble their hearts in obedience to the will 
 of God, tasting that the Lord is good, and feel- 
 ing the powers of the world to come, they take 
 
THE ANOINTING OF THE SAVIOUR. 437 
 
 their talents, their time, their substance, and lay 
 them down at the feet of Jesus. And after 
 the Christian has done this, like Paul when he 
 was stricken down by the light, of the glory of 
 Christ on his way to Damascus, he exclaims : 
 "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do? Speak, 
 Lord, Thy servant heareth. Now, I am going 
 to do just what You tell me, just what You 
 tell me in jour word, and through your spirit, I 
 intend to do. If it is to sell all I have and give 
 to the poor, if it is to leave father, and mother, 
 and wife, and children, and house, and lands, to 
 serve Thee, I will do it." Why does he do this, 
 why talk so, why thus tempered? Because he 
 loves Christ. It is not that he does not love 
 father or mother, but he loves Christ better ; not 
 that he loves his wife and little ones less, but he 
 loves Christ more. Said a heroic martyr on his 
 way to the stake, when asked if he did not love 
 his wife and little ones that were weeping by his 
 side, "Love them? Yes; if all the world were 
 gold and at m} r disposal I would give it all for 
 the satisfaction of living with them, yet in com- 
 parison with Christ I love them not." The Chris- 
 tian feels that if he were ever required to do this, 
 he would never be forsaken nor his seed ever 
 have to beg bread. He feels that if he were re- 
 quired to do this, in the end he would make a 
 good bargain, for the stipulation is, that in this 
 
438 SERMONS. 
 
 life he is to have an hundred fold and in the 
 world to come life everlasting. Here is grand 
 bargaining for you. There is none of that small, 
 low bidding at the counters of heaven, attempting 
 to jew down to the lowest prices by which the 
 riches of the kingdom of grace may be purchased; 
 none of that small bartering a little scrap of your 
 time Sunday to his service, for His great Sab- 
 bath of rest ; none of that picayune business of 
 putting in a few shillings or dollars a year to the 
 cause of Christ, and that with mouthing and 
 grumbling ; it is not at all after that manner. It 
 is making a grand bargain with Christ, which con- 
 secrates all to Him, looking into eternity for its 
 consummation. With his soul rendered grateful, 
 generous, noble and honest, by the love of the 
 Saviour shed abroad in it, he reasons thus : Christ 
 gave himself for me when I was a bankrupt, 
 ruined, insolvent. He then left His Father's 
 house for me ; He ventured His all for my salva- 
 tion; surely I can venture my all for Him. I 
 only hold it in trust from Him anyhow. This is 
 a bargain in exchange in which the Christian dose 
 not lose anything. What is a pound of ointment ? 
 What is a few acres of soil, even if he had a right 
 to it, cursed with thorns and thistles, compared 
 with mansions in the Father's house and a title 
 in fee simple to the boundless fields of the heav- 
 enly Canaan ? What is the time of his life if he 
 
THE ANOINTING OF THE SAVIOUR. 439 
 
 gives it all to Christ's service, compared with an 
 eternal lifetime of song, and praise, and happi- 
 ness ? What are a few bags of gold that ma} r 
 turn to ashes in his clutched hands, compared 
 with treasures that fade not away, where moth 
 and rust do not corrupt ? Of what worth is the 
 emerald, the pearl, the diamond of earth, com- 
 pared with a crown of life that shall outgiitter 
 the sun ? 
 
 We now take up the last proposition: the char- 
 acter of those who in humility consecrate them- 
 selves to Christ, produces and leaves an impress 
 for good on the age in which they live. Mary's 
 offering to Christ filled the house with the odor 
 of the ointment. St. Matthew reports that Christ 
 said of her act, "wheresoever this Gospel is 
 preached in the whole world, there shall also this, 
 that this woman hath done, be told for a memo- 
 rial of her." We are witnesses to the truth of 
 Christ's declaration. No one reads or hears this 
 Gospel without being impressed with this exam- 
 ple of deep humility and consecration to Christ. 
 Eighteen hundred years ago and more it occurred, 
 and yet it comes to us with all the freshness of 
 yesterday. It stands out, back through the lapse 
 of the dark ages that intervene, as a lone beauti- 
 ful flower on the desert waste, sending to our 
 times the odor of its perfume, or like a small, 
 twinkling star that afar off decks the brow of 
 
440 SERMONS. 
 
 night, sending to us through seas of mist and 
 vapor its feeble, though clear and mellow light, 
 over millions of miles of space. So with those, 
 whether in high or low estate, who venture and 
 consecrate themselves and their all wholly to 
 Christ. The influence of their good deeds will 
 spread itself in power, like leaven, through all 
 the circles in which they move, and wave after 
 wave of influence for good is started by them on 
 the sea of life that widens as generation succeeds 
 generation, and extends and reaches out in the 
 future until they break on the shores of eternity. 
 And now, young ladies, you will indulge me 
 in a few remarks specially to } T ou, and I have 
 done. In view of the great responsibility which 
 rests upon you, by the influence you may exert 
 upon the weal or woe of our common country, re- 
 solve to rise up fully to the performance of your 
 part in the great work of life. Your place is a 
 high one in the scale of being, your sphere is 
 brilliant and glorious. Whilst you may by your 
 own efforts elevate yourselves to high position in 
 society, remember that with all the accomplish- 
 ments, and learning, and wealth, and honor 
 which the world can confer upon you, your char- 
 acter will be incomplete, your great mission can 
 never be accomplished, you will still fall be- 
 low your high destiny, if you lack one thing. 
 Shall I tell you what that is? Will you 
 
THE ANOINTING OF THE SAVIOUR. 441 
 
 allow me to use this occasion to hold up the 
 crowning glory of woman ? It is Christian char- 
 acter. Without it in the end all her earthly 
 glory fades. And, above all, remember that the 
 Christian woman not only trusts in, but works for 
 Jesus. Mary wiped his feet herself — did not have 
 a servant to clo it. The idea is too prevalent 
 that men alone must work, must preach, must 
 teach, open missions and schools. Woman shifts 
 too much of the responsibility on the opposite sex. 
 The harvest whitens before her, and she fails to 
 put in the golden sickle, waiting for the stronger 
 muscle. True, it is man's duty to go foremost in 
 the great enterprises of the world, but it is 
 woman's duty to move closely by his side. It is 
 not all of woman's business in this world to get 
 educated, to make music, and paint, and study 
 fashions, and get married, and superintend the 
 nursery. True, she is not to go on the stump, 
 or in the forum, or in the pulpit ; but whilst 
 her husband declares the message of love and 
 mercy from the sacred desk, she is to stand 
 at the altar to extend its benefits ; whilst 
 he visits the sick in the practice of the healing 
 art, she is to follow him with the basket 
 of charity and words of comfort to the poor and 
 suffering ; and thus in every department of life, 
 she is to strengthen his hands under the influence 
 of his labor; and if she has no husband, then she 
 
 20 
 
442 SERMONS. 
 
 is the more free to usefulness. And here I take 
 occasion to render what I consider a great tribute 
 to that class of women who choose not to marry. 
 Mary belonged to that class. They are by the 
 unwitting contemptuously called " old maids." 
 Many young ladies fall into the great mistake that 
 no greater curse could befall them than to be 
 doomed to old maidenhood. It is the embodi- 
 ment of all their fears, the plague of their dreams. 
 It is a very great mistake. I know of no class 
 of persons so entitled to honor and respect, and 
 from whom it is so unjustly withheld. They are 
 indeed servants of the public. If the sick are to 
 be attended, they are pressed into service. If a 
 class in Sunday school is to be taught, they teach 
 it. If money is to be raised for benevolence, 
 they take around the subscription paper. They 
 live for others, work for others, their life is one 
 of self-sacrifice and toil to make others happy. I 
 stand here to-day in this presence, and feel great 
 pleasure in pronouncing this eulogy, so well de- 
 served, upon them. They are to be honored and 
 envied far above many thousands of their sex who 
 are ill-matched, hitched on to the car of unappre- 
 ciating men by the bonds of wedlock. And when, 
 like Mary, they consecrate themselves in humility 
 to Christ, they furnish us with shining examples, 
 live beautified and beatified in devotion to Christ 
 and His service. How surpassingly beautiful is 
 
THE ANOINTING OF THE SAVIOUR. 443 
 
 the picture of a good woman, whose life is that of 
 a public benefactress ! How it commands the 
 reverence and respect of all classes of men ! A 
 gentleman in company with the Superintendent 
 was visiting a mission district in the city of New 
 York. They entered an apartment where a 
 young lady was teaching a class of reformed men, 
 rescued from the paths of vice and sin. The 
 young lady had charge of them, a very large class, 
 alone. The gentleman asked the Superintendent 
 if he was not afraid to leave her alone with those 
 rough men. " Sir," said, he, " every one of those 
 men would die for her if need be, and if any one 
 should offer her an indignity he would not get out 
 of that room with his life. They reverence her 
 as an angel of mercy." • These are the queens of 
 earth of Glod's own crowning. 
 
 Remember, young ladies, that the highest source 
 of happiness to a mortal is the consciousness of 
 doing good. The highest source of happiness to 
 God is His consciousness of doing good. The 
 illimitable and unfathomable mind of the Eternal 
 is filled with pleasure by this consciousness. And 
 the vast and unlimited universe is impressed and 
 filled with the evidence of His goodness, as the 
 odor of the ointment filled the whole house. 
 The impress of His goodness is fixed upon every- 
 thing that appears around us, and transpires about 
 us. It is printed upon every leaf and every 
 
444 SERMONS. 
 
 flower, upon every wind and every wave. It 
 glitters in the dewdrop, and beams forth in the 
 rainbow. Evening and morning are lighted up by 
 His smile. The clouds, like great ships, plough 
 the air, and drop down their freights of fatness. 
 And what appears to the eye is insignificant, com- 
 pared with the impress of His goodness through- 
 out the vast universe. "The heavens declare 
 the glory of Glod, and the firmament showeth His 
 handiwork." So with the humbly pious, those 
 who, like God, do good, go through their earthly 
 probation visiting the sick, clothing the naked, 
 feeding "the hungry, pouring oil into the spirits 
 that are wounded, fill their own minds with pleas- 
 ure, as the odor of the ointment filled that house, 
 and they impress the age and generation in which 
 they live with their goodness. One pious, hum- 
 ble, consecrated young lady fills the whole col- 
 lege with the impress of her good deeds, and when 
 she passes away from its halls she is remembered, 
 and revered, and quoted in her example. "The 
 name of the wicked shall rot, bat the memory of 
 the just is precious." Here is the path to all the 
 earthly immortality that is worthy of our aspira- 
 tions. When I die I would rather have a plain, 
 simple stone placed at my grave, bearing truthfully 
 the inscription, "He spent his life in doing good, 
 blessed the world while living, and died regretted 
 by all," than to have a towering monument of 
 
THE ANOINTING OF THE SAVIOUR. 445 
 
 marble and brass emblazoned with deeds of con- 
 quest. When I die I would rather have all the 
 poor children and orphans of my vicinit} r , whose 
 feet I had shod, and whose persons I had clothed, 
 come to my funeral and weep at my grave, than to 
 have the booming of cannon and the waving of 
 banners. 
 
 Then, in conclusion, let me say, young ladies, 
 consecrate in humility your all to Christ. Take 
 Him as the pattern of your life, and go about 
 doing good. Ameliorate the condition of your 
 race; labor to advance the cause and kingdom of 
 Christ; fail not to put your mark upon the age in 
 which you live; let each of your hearts be touched 
 with the fire of love from off the altars of heaven; 
 cast away all pride and formality; speak words of 
 hope to the despondent; take the hand of orphan- 
 age, and lead it through the difficult and hazard- 
 ous paths of this pilgrimage; tend in the chambers 
 of the sick ; stand at the portal of the tomb and 
 flash the light of God's promises over the shadows 
 that rise from the grave; and when you die you 
 will live in the hearts of your survivors. This is 
 the road that leads to immortality on earth, and 
 ends with immortality in heaven. 
 
446 SERMONS. 
 
 & Jto<M tor ffimijthiwj. 
 
 " To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the 
 heaven." — Eccl., iii. 1. 
 
 The inspired writer goes on to say, there is "a 
 time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant 
 and a time to pluck up that which is planted ; a 
 time to kill and a time to heal; a time to break 
 down and a time to build up," etc. In the eighth 
 chapter of this same book, "a wise man's heart 
 discerneth both time and judgment, because to 
 every purpose there is time and judgment." We 
 draw this proposition from the text, that there is a 
 season of grace allotted to every man for salva- 
 tion, which, if neglected, he perishes without hope. 
 This truth is exhibited in the natural world. 
 Those creatures which are actuated only by a 
 principle of instinct, which are unblest with rea- 
 son, have set times and do their work in certain 
 seasons. The bird builds its nest and the bee 
 gathers its honey in summer ; and if, through any 
 accident, the bird does not build or the bee gather 
 not its honey in the proper season, they are pre- 
 vented from doing so in winter because of the 
 cold. Jeremiah, with this idea, no doubt, in his 
 mind, says : " Yea, the stork in the heavens 
 knoweth her appointed times, and the turtle, and 
 
A SEASON TO EVERYTHING. 447 
 
 the crane, and the swallow observe the time of 
 their coming ; but my people know not the judg- 
 ment of the Lord." Flowers have seasons of bud 
 and bloom and seasons of decay. There is a sea- 
 son in which the trees dress themselves in rich 
 foliage, and a season in which they cast it at their 
 feet. There are times, and seasons, and bounds, 
 and limits, fixed to everything in the natural 
 world. God has said to the ocean, in marking 
 its boundaries: "Thus far shalt thou go, and no 
 farther." We find man also, in his relations to 
 the natural world, bound and compelled to be 
 governed by times and seasons in providing for 
 the wants of his body. There is a time for him 
 to plant, and a time to reap; a time to sow, and a 
 time to gather into barns; and if he neglect these 
 times his physical wants go unsupplied. In trade 
 the same thing is observable. There seems to be 
 in bargaining some lucky, auspicious time, which, 
 if let slip or overlooked, the price fails or the 
 thing fails — it becomes too late, the nick of time 
 passes. Now. all this comes under our observa- 
 tion every day. I am not now addressing a single 
 individual, who will not testify from his observa- 
 tion and experience the truth of these things. 
 We all see it and feel it. Now, this thing of act- 
 ing at the time, seizing the favorable opportunity 
 in order to success, is not only observable in 
 trade and speculation, but man's success in every 
 
448 SERMONS. 
 
 department of life depends upon it. This truth 
 called forth the celebrated saying of the great 
 Shakespeare, who understood men and things, the 
 workings of nature, better than any man that 
 ever lived. Says he: "There is a tide in the 
 affairs of men, which, taken at its flood, will waft 
 to fortune and to fame." 
 
 Farther than this, we find that these times and 
 seasons are not only connected with his transac- 
 tions and success, but are fixed upon his physical 
 system. There is a season of youth ; if the du- 
 ties and advantages of that season be neglected, 
 the injury can never be repaired. There is a 
 season of manhood, when the nerves are steady 
 and the muscles strong ; if the work of manhood 
 be not performed, it cannot be accomplished when 
 the nerves become unsteady and the muscles lose 
 their strength. There is a season of old age, when 
 "those that look out of the windows be darkened, 
 and the grinders cease, because they are few." 
 There is a season of death. Man has his ap- 
 pointed time, his bounds beyond which he cannot 
 pass. Now, if these things be true, and the truth 
 of them our senses will not permit us to doubt 
 for a moment, reasoning from analogy, supposing 
 God has appointed the same order as to times 
 and seasons in the spiritual world, would we not 
 reasonably come to the conclusion that there are 
 set times, a season appointed, in which man may 
 
A SEASON TO EVERYTHING. 449 
 
 attend to his spiritual interests, which if neg- 
 lected puts it out of his power to secure his sal- 
 vation ? 
 
 I know that this analogous reasoning is not in 
 itself conclusive, and we do not rely alone upon 
 it for the maintenance of our proposition, but 
 simply offer it as a strong support ; and that it 
 may be brought more forcibty before your mind 
 we will sum it up. If the bee has its time to 
 gather honey, and, neglecting it, cannot gather 
 for the cold ; if flowers and trees have seasons of 
 leaf and nakedness ; if man, in his relations to the 
 natural world, is bound and compelled by times 
 and seasons in what he does ; if this is true in 
 providing for his physical wants — bounds set to 
 his natural life — do not these facts strongly favor 
 and sustain the conclusion of the proposition, that 
 there is a season of grace allotted to every man, 
 which, if neglected, he perishes ? 
 
 Thus much for the argument drawn from rea- 
 soning from analogy. We now proceed to sus- 
 tain the truth of the proposition from the teach- 
 ings of God's word, and we think it can be shown, 
 beyond all controversy, to be true. May God 
 help us to feel very solemn in its consideration. 
 May God help us, both saint and sinner, to feel of 
 what awful interest to us is the sustaining of this 
 proposition. If it is true that every man has his 
 season of grace, a set time for the securing of his 
 
 20* 
 
450 SERMONS. 
 
 soul's salvation, and that such is the nature of 
 the plan of grace and salvation that if he neg- 
 lects it his chance for heaven is gone, his doom is 
 sealed — I say if this is true, every man ought to 
 know it. It ought to be written in letters of fire 
 on every man's heart. May God help us to make 
 you see it and feel it this night. Oh, for the 
 presence of God, and the light and fire of the 
 Holy Ghost, as we look this question in the face, 
 and put ourselves in the scales ! 
 
 Now, all agree that it is the influence and 
 agency of the Holy Spirit applying the merit of 
 Christ's death to us that brings us into a state of 
 salvation, and that without the Spirit helping us 
 we are lost, If, therefore, this Spirit should 
 never be given to a man, there can possibly be no 
 hope of his salvation ; but no man will ever per- 
 ish on this account, for the Spirit is given to 
 eveiy man, enlightens every man's mind that 
 cometh into the world. If this Spirit shall be 
 withdrawn from the heart after it is bestowed, 
 man's doom is as certain as though it were never 
 given. This is the part to which we direct your 
 attention, and we proceed in this examination 
 with the following strong quotation from inspira- 
 tion : " My Spirit shall not always strive with 
 man." We expect to sustain our proposition by 
 showing that there are fixed times and seasons in 
 which the help of the Spirit is extended to the 
 
A SEASON TO EVERYTHING. 451 
 
 soul ; that that help extends to a striving with 
 the spirit of man to induce it to yield to God, and 
 that if it shall be resisted, and those times and 
 seasons neglected, it quits the heart, and the dam- 
 nation of the sinner is sealed. Now, if we can 
 show one case in which the Spirit of God has been 
 withdrawn after resistance and provocation, God's 
 justice — as He is no respecter of persons — com- 
 mits him to the withdrawal of His Spirit from all 
 who have been equally guilty of obstinate resist- 
 ance and striving against the Spirit, or guilty to 
 an equal extent with that case. The first is 
 found in Psalms, xcv, 10: "Forty years long was 
 I grieved with this generation, and said it is a 
 people that do err in their hearts, and they have 
 not known My ways : unto whom I sware in My 
 wrath that they shall not enter into My rest." 
 Here is a clear case in which there was a season 
 allotted, a definite time allowed, in which they 
 might have secured the favor of God. Forty 
 j^ears long, says God. For forty years God 
 waited with them. We have another point 
 equally as clearly taught, that during that whole 
 time the Spirit of God was striving with them. 
 God says, I was grieved with this generation for 
 forty years, My Spirit was slighted and resisted. 
 I was grieved. We have another point exhibited 
 in this case, that after they had resisted God's 
 Spirit forty years — their allotted time — He took 
 
452 SERMONS. 
 
 from them His Spirit, for He swore they should 
 not enter into His rest. " Unto whom I sware in 
 My wrath that they shall not enter into My rest." 
 
 Take another case, Luke xix, 42. Addressing 
 the Jews, our Saviour said: "If thou hadst 
 known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the 
 things which belong unto thy peace ; but now 
 they are hid from thine eyes." Now, we have 
 these three points clearly taught in this case. 
 First, that they had an allotted time — a fixed 
 season. "If thou hadst known in this thy day." 
 Secondly, that they neglected them— resisted the 
 Spirit. And, thirdly, that the Spirit withdrew 
 from them and left them in blindness and igno- 
 rance — " but now they are hid from thine eyes." 
 
 Again, the Apostle says, in Hebrews, iii, 7, 8 : 
 "To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not 
 your hearts." Here he says, to-day. What does 
 this mean ? He limiteth a certain clay, meaning 
 simply that there is a certain time in which the 
 voice of the Spirit is heard, and, if not obeyed, 
 after that limited day the heart is hardened by the 
 withdrawal of that Spirit. I do not pretend, 
 nor do I wish the impression made, that it is 
 taught that a certain day of a man's life is ap- 
 pointed to him to yield to the Spirit, but that the 
 season allotted him extends through many days, 
 and perhaps months are represented here by a 
 day, and, as we think, appropriately and striking- 
 
A SEASON TO EVERYTHING. 453 
 
 ly represented in several particulars. Its short- 
 ness is represented by the shortness of a day. A 
 day is soon passed and gone. How quickly is the 
 season of grace to the soul departed, though it ex- 
 tends through thirty, or forty, or three score 
 years. A day represents the time of a man's pro- 
 bation by its being followed by night. When the 
 day or season of grace is over, a dark, and gloomy, 
 and eternal night shuts in upon the soul. 
 
 Now, take these cases cited, clear and explicit 
 as they are, and connect them with such teaching 
 as "Quench not the Spirit;"' "Grieve not the 
 Holy Spirit of God ;" " Ye do always resist the 
 Holy Ghost ;" " My Spirit shall not always strive 
 with man ;" and does it not make it plain, and 
 clear, and palpable — aye, does it not put it be- 
 yond all doubt, that there is a point, a limit, be- 
 yond which if a man go there is no returning ? 
 a season which, if spent in idleness, in resistance 
 to the Spirit, there is no repairing the injury? 
 Then take this Scriptural proof and connect it 
 with the experience of those who have testified in 
 a dying hour, that it was too late for them, that 
 they had lived out their clay of grace, and that the 
 Spirit had left their hearts. How many dying 
 testimonials have we to the truthfulness of the 
 proposition of the text ? Many of you have seen 
 and heard them. 
 
 Then take this Scriptural proof, sustained by 
 
454 SERMONS. 
 
 the experience of those from whom the Spirit has 
 been withdrawn, and connect it with argument 
 drawn from the times and seasons fixed upon all 
 things in the natural world, and can we resist the 
 conviction that, as God has put a season upon 
 everything, and a limit to our natural life, that 
 He has also limited the clays of the striving of the 
 Spirit with our souls ? Great God ! what terror 
 should this conviction send to the soul of that man 
 or woman who has been resisting the Spirit of 
 God all their life, neglecting their day of grace ! 
 Think of it ! Your day of grace has a beginning 
 and an ending. How much of your day of grace 
 is spent? The grace which has been lavished 
 upon you, and which you have been wasting and 
 squandering, is a fixed allowance. How much of 
 it have you spent? How much of it is left? 
 When it is all spent and gone, then there is no 
 more for you. God will never extend it or con- 
 tract it — never increase or diminish it. For God's 
 sake, and for your own soul's sake, stop right 
 where you are ! The very next sin, the resist- 
 ance of the Spirit, through this appeal, may sepa- 
 rate your soul and the Spirit of God forever. 
 
SOWING AND REAPING. 455 
 
 >0wwg m& §m\nn$. 
 
 " Be not deceived ; God is not mocked: for ichatsoever a man soiveth, that 
 shall he also reap. 
 
 For he that soiveth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption ; but he that 
 soiveth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting." — Gal., vi. 7, 8. 
 
 The Christian system bears upon it the marks 
 of infinite wisdom. It is founded in reason, and 
 is, therefore, reasonable in all its demands, and 
 laws, and principles, and promises, and threaten- 
 ings, and rewards, and punishments. It is per- 
 fectly apparent to the most casual observer, that 
 in the physical world the laws by which all things 
 were created and are regulated are founded in rea- 
 son — marked with infinite wisdom. Every rock, 
 and twig, and leaf, and bloom, and fruit, and 
 wave, and wind, bears its impress. There is an 
 aptness, and fitness, and interlinking, and inter- 
 weaving of all things by the law of causes and 
 effects ; and all reducible to and in strict accord- 
 ance with reason, appreciable by and in harmony 
 with the workings of our intellects. So in religion, 
 the same good, sound philosophy pervades it in all 
 its points. There is not a single principle inculca- 
 ted that is not in strict accordance with reason; not 
 a single threatening, that is in the heart, either in 
 kind or extent, immaterial ; not a single promise 
 given of present or future good, that is not based 
 
456 SERMONS. 
 
 upon the soundest philosophy ; not a reward or 
 punishment bestowed but what it is the rational 
 philosophic working out of these spiritual laws, 
 as assuredly and certainly as, when the sun ap- 
 pears in the heavens as the cause, light is pro- 
 duced as the effect. Many persons have an idea 
 that religion is mysterious, something that is 
 manufactured in heaven, and is bestowed and 
 distributed on mortals on conditions capricious, 
 as a matter of freak or fancy of Jehovah, or 
 if not bestowed in this manner, may be taken 
 or put off as a garment at will and pleasure. 
 It is all a mistake. Christian character in 
 all its elements, in its beauty and symme- 
 try, in its blessings and benefits, both in time 
 and eternity, is the growth and perfection of 
 principles. As in the natural world, so soon 
 as we open eyes on the light of heaven and 
 begin to breathe the atmosphere, our physical 
 systems, under the operation of natural laws, 
 begin to grow, and develop, and tend to ma- 
 turity, so our spiritual constitutions, under the 
 operations of spiritual law, begin — especially 
 when the line of accountability is crossed — to 
 grow and ultimately ripen into characters capable 
 of bliss, or fitted for destruction. As the seed 
 deposited in the earth, under the influence of the 
 atmosphere, and soil, and sun, and shower, will 
 germinate, and grow, and mature, and produce a 
 
SOWING AND REAPING. 457 
 
 multiplied crop of its kind, so the seeds of truth 
 or error, of proper or false training, dropped on 
 the heart, sown in the spiritual world, will pro- 
 duce crops of their kind. These reflections in- 
 troduce the text, the fundamental doctrine of 
 which is that every man shall finally receive of 
 God reward or punishment, not only in kind but 
 in degree for his works. Hence the lesson we 
 learn from the text is that we make our own 
 characters, and that our state or condition of hap- 
 piness in time and eternity is dependent upon our 
 own conduct. We may deceive ourselves and 
 our followers as to this doctrine and lesson, but 
 cannot deceive God, for He is not mocked, can- 
 not be deceived ; we can no more prevent the 
 operation of the doctrine of the text than we can 
 cause grass to grow on thorns, and figs on this- 
 tles. The world is the field, embracing our intel- 
 lects, our hearts, our bodies, our social and do- 
 mestic, civil and political relations. Our proba- 
 tion from the cradle to the tomb is the seed time. 
 Truth and error are the seeds. The Spirit of 
 God is the sun, shedding his constant ray, and 
 God's grace is the dew that falls. The spirit of 
 evil is the counteracting pow r er. Upon this scene 
 man, possessed with immortality, comes to begin, 
 and shape, and work out his eternal destiny. He 
 comes not by his own choice, but despite of him 
 he is here with these surroundings, and must go 
 
458 SERMONS. 
 
 through. He presents a sublime spectacle when 
 properly regarded and appreciated, exciting the 
 intensest interest. Unlike the beast or bird, or 
 any inanimate thing, however beautiful, or at- 
 tractive, or sparkling, he has the power of will 
 and choice. He bears upon him the impress 
 of the eternal God ; like Him, he thinks, reasons, 
 concludes, plans. In the flashing of his eye there 
 is an intelligence akin to infinite wisdom ; on his 
 tongue is a language a little inferior to the dia- 
 lects of angels. Upon his heart glows an aspira- 
 tion akin to that that flames on the bosom of the 
 sons of G-od. Oh ! 'tis a grand spectacle he pre- 
 sents in the sight of earth and heaven ! We 
 bend over his cradle, listen to his unintelligible 
 prattle, or catch his plaintive cry. He appears 
 an insio-nificant thing;. A short time aoro he was 
 nothing, had no existence. Now the period shall 
 never arrive when he shall cease to be. A short 
 time ago he had no sensation, no intelligence. 
 The time will never come when he will know as 
 little as he does now. Those hands so small, so 
 tender, so soft, will eventually sweep a harp in 
 heaven or wear chains in hell. God and angels 
 look on the spectacle with interest. It may be 
 in a cabin, he may lie upon a rag. Until he 
 reaches the line of accountability, his destiny is 
 to a great extent in the hands of those whose 
 duty it is to train him in the way he should go. 
 
SOWING AND REAPING. 459 
 
 When he passes this line, then every hour he lives, 
 every act he performs, every word he speaks, 
 every thought he indulges, is making destiny of 
 his character. The progression is rapid. There 
 is progression in everything. In the intellectual 
 world it is quite marked. Take the intellect in 
 this one development, its improvement and per- 
 fecting the human language. Language, it is true, 
 was, in its elementary form, the gift of God, but 
 how meagre. Now, notwithstanding the shocks 
 and interruptions, at intervals, who fails to be 
 struck with the progression of intellect in this 
 department, as manifested by the various lan- 
 guages and dialects now written, and spoken, and 
 sung ? So with science — at first men did not 
 know whether the earth was round or flat, 
 whether the clouds came from the moon or the 
 fixed stars ; they hardly knew the nature of any- 
 thing. Now the veil has been stripped from the 
 objects that surround us, and nature seems to 
 have made man her confidant, rendering up her 
 secrets to his keeping. So in political science, 
 there has been and will be the same progression. 
 This progression is noticed more particularly in 
 individual development. At first the individual 
 was hardly capable of turning over a single 
 thought in the mind ; after awhile he reasons 
 more acutely ; the judgment grows stronger 
 and stronger ; so the memory, so the perception, 
 
460 SERMONS. 
 
 so the will. The same progression is seen in 
 physical development. That boy a few years ago 
 was in the cradle ; that man was on the field fly- 
 ing his kite, or following his hoop, or spinning 
 his top. Everything in the natural world is 
 marked with the same law of progression. That 
 green carpet that greets the eye was a few weeks 
 ago in a seminal state. That beautiful shade tree, 
 flinging its shadow about your steps, and catch- 
 ing to cool the air before it turns into your cham- 
 ber, was, a short time ago, a shrub you watched 
 with tender care. That tall oak in your forest, 
 stretching up its giant arms in defiance of the 
 storm, was a few years ago an acorn. So with 
 the moral, spiritual man. The same progression 
 constantly goes on for weal or woe. The indi- 
 vidual who rejects Christ, sets aside His laws, 
 practices vice, or even pursues an ungodly course, 
 sows to the flesh, is rapidly maturing a charac- 
 ter by the same law of progession. A few years 
 ago his character was just assuming shape. Now 
 his will, turned against God, is strong ; his love 
 of the world, the all powerful passion of his 
 bosom, increases every da} T , his distaste to reli- 
 gion increases in the same ratio to his love of vice. 
 Mercy ! how it flames into a great passion. He 
 is stronger in his sinful nature than last year, 
 than last month, than last week, than last hour. 
 While he is sitting hearing me, resisting, he is 
 
SOWING AND REAPING. 461 
 
 growing, getting stronger and stronger in all the 
 elements that constitute such a character as God 
 will damn in hell. Oh, what a fearful thought ! 
 When he goes home and lies down at night without 
 prayer, with thought of business crowding his 
 mind, and love of the world flaming his heart, he 
 will be stronger than when he arose this morning, 
 but not so strong as he will be to-morrow, or the 
 next week or year. Oh ! what a giant he will be- 
 come after a while. What giants some of these 
 men are now. No wonder that they can sit out 
 the strongest appeal unmoved. No wonder so 
 few persons become Christians after twenty years 
 of age, and still fewer after they are thirty, and 
 scarcely any one after they are forty or more 
 years. 
 
 Again, there is not only growth in principles, 
 and habits, and appetites, and desires, and a 
 maturing into fruit of all these, but the progres- 
 sion is in the ratio of the multiplication and in- 
 crease of seeds as far as it is possible to represent 
 a spiritual thing by a natural. A single grain of 
 corn produces not one grain only, but several 
 hundred. A handful of barley will produce 
 hundreds of handsful ; a single acorn will pro- 
 duce a tree that bears bushels. So one seed of 
 error, falsehood, sin, will produce a luxuriant 
 crop of its kind. He that soweth sparingly, 
 shall reap sparingly. Every oath sworn will pro- 
 
462 SERMONS. 
 
 duce its crop of oaths. Every lie told will pro- 
 duce its crop of lies. Every glass drunk will 
 produce its crop of glasses ; every card thrown 
 will produce its crop of games. As the exercise 
 of the power to resist good influences is exerted, 
 the power to do evil increases in the same ratio. 
 Oh ! what a harvest of sin, of evil, of woe, of 
 corruption, is springing up around — if by any 
 means you could see it, rank, luxuriant. On the 
 other band, seeds of a different character multiply 
 in the same ratio. One seed of truth dropped on 
 the heart brings also an abundant crop of its kind. 
 One good act generates a hundred — a word fitly 
 spoken causes the party addressed to speak a 
 score, and they in turn speak hundreds. Every 
 smile that lights the face produces a crop of smiles. 
 Like a pebble dropped into a lake, a wave starts 
 and moves its neighboring water, and this in turn 
 that is next, and thus the influence spreads in its 
 widening circle, until the water, before motionless 
 on the shore, leaps into the face of the lily that 
 stoops on its edge. He that soweth good deeds, 
 words, principles, shall reap a crop of like kind. 
 John Wesley sowed a century and a quarter ago 
 in the streets and lanes of London, and in the 
 mines of Kingswood, and this spire shooting up 
 above us, this beautiful chapel, this nice, elegant 
 congregation, with eye turned to the oracles of 
 God, and hearts pointing to the Cross — in connec- 
 
SOWING AND REAPING. 463 
 
 tion with the six or eight millions gathered in the 
 sanctuary to-day in this country, and the millions 
 in other lands, and on the sides of the sea, and 
 the enkindled, glowing flame upon the altar of 
 other churches — constitute but the third or fourth 
 crop, counting by generations, from the original 
 sowing. Contrast the two characters as they are 
 thus exhibited in the text. Take the individual 
 who sows to the flesh. He arrives at accounta- 
 bility. His mind is on a balance between the two 
 contrary forces which produce an equilibrium. 
 For a time his will is like the swinging of the 
 beam, first up and then down. He acts — decides 
 with trepidation. He is horrified with crime. 
 He resolves to recover his feet, just beginning to 
 turn from the path of rectitude, of life. He re- 
 pents, but continues in the path of sin and vice, 
 sows to the flesh, indulges his appetites, desires, 
 follows the leading of his perverse heart ; after 
 awhile he is not troubled so much about his con- 
 duct ; thinks seldom of its consequences — step 
 by step, degree by degree, he progresses. At 
 first indulging in occasional profanity ; now he is 
 a street swearer — with mouth all polluted with 
 oaths and obscenity. At first he played draughts 
 or dominoes — throwing an occasional card ; now he 
 is a regular attendant at the gambling saloon. At 
 first a glass of wine, now he is a reeling, bloated 
 drunkard. Or perhaps he has shunned these in ex- 
 
464 SERMON'S. 
 
 cessive measures, and his progression in wicked- 
 ness lias assumed some other form. Maintaining a 
 decent exterior, he has sought wealth, bowed at 
 the shrine of mammon. The love of the world 
 has now overridden and borne down everything 
 else; or perhaps honor, and his unscrupulous am- 
 bition, prompts him to sacrifice everything for 
 promotion and emolument. Observe him when 
 his harvest comes — his crop ripens. If he has 
 sowed to his appetite, see him on a cold winter 
 night, with garments all tattered and torn, loafing 
 about the streets or lounging about the steps of 
 some low rum house ; or follow him to his cabin, 
 and see his beggared family ; this is his harvest. 
 Or if gaming, see him as he stakes his last penny, 
 and reaps fits of despair and wildest despondency. 
 If wealth, as he stands upon his broad acres, or 
 counts his gold, his heart makes him the more 
 miserable. Follow him up to the close of his pro- 
 bation, where the seeds he has scattered through 
 a life of sin and sensual gratification are all fully 
 matured — when his evil principles, desires, appe- 
 tites, deeds, words, and thoughts, have all ma- 
 tured, and he thrusts in the sickle to reap. What 
 a crop ! It is not designated by the various 
 names that might be applied — a crop of wealth, 
 of worldly honor, or pleasure, or a matured 
 evil nature — but all its ingredients, gathered 
 together, husbanded and garnered, is called corrup- 
 
SOWING AND REAPING. 465 
 
 tion — corruption. By its very nature in dissolv- 
 ing, it purifies — it turns to dust, to ashes. 
 And this is not all, it corrupts the husbandman 
 it taints his soul — it pollutes it — G-od loathes him 
 in his corrupt state. Corrupting, and being cor- 
 ruption, it fails to gratify the appetites and lusts 
 which have produced it. See him on the brink 
 of the grave ; his sun of life has passed down the 
 heavens and is fast withdrawing his beams. A light 
 is struck into his soul which wakes the flickering 
 of his expiring hope — shows him, as the sudden 
 flash which comes out from the bosom of the dark 
 storm cloud discovers to us the objects about us, 
 what he is, and was, and is to be, and what he 
 might have been; reveals to him in his departing 
 hour the nature of the harvest he is reaping. 
 Oh! what a picture he presents! see, he clutches 
 his bedclothes, pushes the wall! see his fright- 
 ened stare as he reaps the harvest his own hands 
 have sown. All this, too, is on this side the 
 grave; and though awful to contemplate, yet it is 
 only a gleaning compared to the real harvest of 
 woe, of corruption, he reaps in hell. The oaths 
 he utters are chaste compared with the horrid 
 cursings of the infernal pit; the tear that stands 
 in his eye now is a glittering dew-drop compared 
 with the scalding drops that shall fall from his 
 eyes in hell; the cry that breaks from his lips 
 now is melody compared to his wail and scream 
 
 21 
 
466 SERMONS. 
 
 when damned; the cravirjgs of disease, and dis 
 tempered appetites, and passions, are pleasant 
 compared to the gnawing and biting of the worm 
 that dieth not. 
 
 But we will look upon that picture no longer. 
 "He that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit 
 reap life everlasting ;" reap everything the op- 
 posite of corruption. See him as he goes from 
 the Cross to the crown, sowing and reaping ; 
 his path rises up behind him like a belt of 
 verdure. He sows in good deeds; he "sows 
 in the morning and the evening, by the waters 
 and on the highways;" everywhere the golden 
 harvests of his blessed deeds spread the fields 
 with gold. He stills the widow's wail and 
 stops the orphan's cry; he dispenses charity, and 
 on his right and left a crop of happy homes and 
 smiling faces greet him. The shadows at the last 
 thicken and close around, and he, too, comes 
 down to the brink of the grave. A light breaks 
 over his soul, but it is the silver sheen that comes 
 flashing from the courts of glory. He is as peace- 
 ful and happy as a summer zephyr. He is about 
 " to reap life, life everlasting.' 7 The last sigh has 
 heaved his bosom, the last ache has been felt, the 
 last groan uttered ; and as he falls asleep in the 
 arms of Jesus, 
 
 " The angel reapers then descend,.' 
 And heaven sings 'Harvest Home I'" 
 
THE WORLD PASSETH AWAY. 467 
 
 (FUNERAL SERMON OF MRS. MARGARET G. BRUTON, WIFE 
 OF REY. D. R. BRUTON OF THE N. C. CONFERENCE, 
 PREACHED AT THOMASYILLE, N. C, OCT. 22, 1S64.— Eds.) 
 
 " And the world passeth a/way, and the lust thereof; but lie that doeth the 
 will of God abideth for -ever ." — I John ii, 17. 
 
 Ill the context God and the world are set forth 
 as objects of affection in contrast. The Apostle 
 insists that God should be loved rather than the 
 world, and the text is the summing up of the 
 reason: "And the world passeth away and the 
 lust thereof; but he that doeth the will of God 
 abideth forever.'' In elaborating this reason I 
 shall undertake to show that God is the true ob- 
 ject of affection, by showing why the world should 
 not be loved in contrast with the reasons why 
 God should be loved. The first reason I offer is 
 drawn generally from the text and context, which 
 is this : to love the wtfrlcl is a perversion of our 
 moral nature, and destructive of the end of our 
 being; but to love God develops in us the highest 
 perfection of our nature. 
 
 The soul is infinite ; the world is finite — is not 
 commensurate with the capacity of the soul — has 
 not in it the elements to meet its wants and to 
 gratify its desires. It is not necessary to adduce 
 proof of this assumption. The experiences of all 
 
468 SERMONS. 
 
 men in all ages of the world attest this truth. 
 We need, therefore, no stronger reason than this, 
 that the world was not designed by oar Creator 
 as the highest object of our affections. If so, he 
 would have put into it elements sufficient to meet 
 the wants of our nature, which He had created. 
 If all this be conceded, and there will certainly 
 be no issue about assumptions that are even trite, 
 then to love the world is a perversion of our moral 
 nature — is to do violence to the laws governing 
 our spiritual being, and, consequent^, must be 
 destructive of the end of that being. The laws 
 governing man's spiritual constitution are as dis- 
 tinct and as well defined as the laws governing 
 his physical or intellectual nature, or the natural 
 laws of the universe ; and the perversion, or sus- 
 pension, or violation of one of these laws govern- 
 ing his spiritual nature will produce the same dis- 
 tinctive effect on his spiritual man that a violation 
 of a,ny of the physical or natural laws will pro- 
 duce in the physical, intellectual, or natural 
 world. Suppose one cardinal law of a planet, 
 its centripetal force, should be broken, it would 
 at once fty heedlessly through space, carrying 
 ruin and wreck in its path. Suppose in the phy- 
 sical man the functions of the heart should be 
 impaired in some way, its influence would be felt 
 all through the physical system. So in the spirit- 
 ual constitution ; if the grand law of its being, 
 
THE WORLD PASSETH AWAY. 469 
 
 which is, as Christ Himself declared, that we shall 
 love God with all the heart, with all the soul, and 
 with all the mind ; if this law be broken, dis- 
 cord, confusion, spiritual ruin, and death ensue. 
 Hence , the Scriptures represent the soul in that 
 state, as the troubled sea casting up continually 
 mire and dirt. The whole man feels the shock — 
 the moral, the intellectual and even the physical 
 man. This perversion of his moral nature occurs, 
 at least in part, this way. The world being less 
 than the soul, to grasp it necessarily contracts it, 
 and this contracting process weakens, cripples 
 and finally destroys the faculties of the mind and 
 heart. Take a liberal man, and let him take 
 hold of the world with his affections, make it his 
 God, and it will sap and dry up the fountain of 
 his liberality. Take an educated, intellectual 
 man, and let him take hold of the world, and his 
 intellect becomes dwarfed. On the contrary, a 
 man who takes God as the object of affection, his 
 heart and mind, in taking hold of Him, are con- 
 stantly expanded to grasp Him, and he becomes 
 constantly more liberal, and generous, and noble- 
 hearted ; more intellectual. The effect may be 
 illustrated by the difference in the effect from 
 reading a cookery book and " Milton's Paradise 
 Lost." The effect of loving the world is to keep 
 a man down to the earth, make him earthy, de- 
 grade his affections, and contract his soul. To 
 
470 SERMONS. 
 
 love God elevates him, elevates his affections, 
 expands his soul; and as the planet, obeying the 
 laws of its nature, twinkles and glitters as it 
 glides evenly along its orbit, declaring the glory 
 of G-od; or as the physical man, when all the laws 
 of health are observed, develops itself into per- 
 fect symmetry and healthiness ; or as the mind, 
 when all the laws of intellect are obeyed, comes 
 out in its strongest mould to guide and govern 
 the world, so the spiritual man, when the grand 
 law of its nature is kept inviolate, measures up 
 to its highest perfection. 
 
 The second reason I offer is elaborated from 
 the text. The world should not be the object of 
 our affection, rather Grod, because the world 
 passeth away and G-od does not pass away. 
 Passing away, decay and death, are written on all 
 things about us. The scenes of earth are con- 
 stantly shifting and changing. Its organizations, 
 political, scientific, social and domestic, are con- 
 stantly passing away. The years come and go, 
 building up and pulling down, raising and level- 
 ling. Autumn, with its sere and yellow leaf, is 
 blown away by the chilling blasts of winter, and 
 the spring sun takes the frost from the blast that 
 her flowers may blow in the sunlight, and her 
 flowers are pushed away by Summer's rich 
 fruits. Thus they come and go so rapidly that 
 one is upon us before we note the passing away 
 
THE WORLD PASSETH AWAY. 471 
 
 of the other. We are born and are men. and old 
 men, bending down to the dust before we wake 
 to the full reality of an earthly existence. I am 
 now in my fortieth year. I have been here and 
 there, the scenes and incidents have been so con- 
 stantly changing and passing away, that this 
 seems hardly the same world that it was when I 
 first waked to consciousness. The first thing I 
 remember in this life was the smiling face of a 
 kind, affectionate mother. Amongst the earliest 
 things impressed on my mind are the kind offices 
 she performed for me, and her tender sympathies. 
 Where is she now? Passed away! We remem- 
 ber (I will take you in, for the experience of one, 
 with slight variations, is the experience of us all) 
 the roof that sheltered us, the little bed in which 
 we slept, the sand in which we played, the apple 
 shade where we built the playhouse, and from 
 whose blossom we caught the butterfly ; the 
 meadow through which we roamed, and plucked, 
 and gathered the early flowers, the stream in 
 which we bathed and dropped the hook, the com- 
 panions of our childhood, our brothers, our sis- 
 ters, cousins, and the negro children too, whom we 
 found sharers of our sports; where are they now ? 
 These scenes and companions have passed away. 
 The} r stand away down in the beginning of our 
 earthly career, as green, bright spots whose light 
 gradually grows more dim as they recede from 
 
472 SERMONS. 
 
 us in the flying years. We visit these scenes, and 
 the decayed stock is all that is left of the spread- 
 ing tree; grass, and weeds, and briars, have grown 
 over the walks ; the meadow is given over to the 
 frogs for the spring serenade ; the old moss-cov- 
 ered roof is tottering to its fall ; the hearthstone, 
 around which we gathered to listen to recitals of 
 experience by our parents and their guests, is 
 now breaking with seams and cracks, a nest for 
 the crickets only. On an eminence in sight of 
 the house is the grave} T ard, where lie buried our 
 ancestors and those who were the companions of 
 our youth. The leaning headstones, bearing their 
 names, speak in a language that we do not mis- 
 take, that the world passeth away. She, whose 
 memory we are met to cherish, a short time ago 
 was born, then became a girl, then a young lady, 
 issuing from the halls of learning, with diploma 
 in hand; then presided over the seminary of this 
 place; then was led to the bridal altar, went from 
 the school room to the parsonage, and was just 
 beginning the great work of training her family, 
 and, in the midst of hope and promise, was struck 
 down and passed away from earth. We stand 
 to-day in the track of the desolation made by her 
 death and catch the sentiment of the lamented 
 Kirke White : 
 
 "Yes, 'twill be over soon. This sickly dream 
 Of life will vanish from my feverish brain ; 
 And death ray wearied spirit will redeem 
 From this wild region of unvaried pain." 
 
THE WORLD PASSETH AWAY. 473 
 
 This passing away attaches not only to indi- 
 viduals in their changing fortunes, but to commu- 
 nities, to states, to nations and empires. Where 
 now are the mighty empires of Egypt, Persia, 
 Assyria, Greece and Rome ? Where are their 
 ships and commerce ? Where are their hordes 
 of armies that marched to conquering and to con- 
 quest ? Where are the tongues of eloquence that 
 shook their senates and reverberated through their 
 halls and courts ? Where are the monuments of 
 their genius in the arts, in painting and sculp- 
 ture ? They are gone — passed away ! Even the 
 empires built upon their ruins, kingdoms whose 
 foundations were laid in their ashes, have long 
 since tumbled to dust. We are now rocked in 
 the throes of an expiring, passing empire, so that 
 we need not visit the seats of dead empires ; we 
 need not brush the dust from their relics, dig up 
 their crushed arches and broken columns, for proof 
 that nations, and whatever makes up nations, pass 
 away ; for we are eye witnesses to the fact, and 
 that they not only pass away, but they do so 
 with confusion and noise, and garments rolled in 
 blood. I offer this as the reason the world should 
 not be loved, in contrast with the reason why 
 God should be — that He never jwsses away. He 
 is always the same, yesterday, to-day, and for- 
 ever. He is the same in all His relations to us, 
 the same in His power to bless, to satisfy and 
 gratify the longing of the soul. The soul of man 
 
 21* 
 
474 SERMONS. 
 
 is immortal. The time was when it existed not ; 
 but once given, created of God, the time never 
 comes when it ceases to exist. It reasons, thinks, 
 judges, compares, and enjoys. These attributes 
 distinguish it from matter and show its suscepti- 
 bility of alliance and companionship with G-od — ■ 
 with Him who is eternal. In looking at the na- 
 ture of the soul and the nature of things about us, 
 we do not fail to be struck with the fact that here 
 the soul appears to be in an uncongenial clime, 
 surrounded by objects and scenes unsuited to 
 its nature. It pants for happiness, which it 
 cannot derive from this world. It wants some- 
 thing that is solid and enduring. It grasps, and 
 scarcely is the object possessed ere it is gone 
 again, reaching after something else. It hastens 
 from enterprise to enterprise, flies from object to 
 object, and in disappointment chafes and frets in 
 its prison of clay, beating the bars of flesh that 
 confine it, until it takes hold of God and learns 
 the lesson of the text. Then it learns that the 
 only way in which happiness may be secured is 
 by obedience to the will of God, which will direct 
 us to himself, the Eternal Being, whose attributes 
 are commensurate with the faculties of the soul, 
 as the object of our love and the source of our 
 joy. Then it learns that 
 
 " The world can never give 
 The bliss for which we sigh ; 
 'Tis not the whole of life to live, 
 Nor all of death to die." 
 
MISSIONARY ADDRESS. 475 
 
 (DELIVERED AT THE ANNIVERSARY OF TEE MISSIONARY 
 SOCIETY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA CONFERENCE AT RA- 
 LEIGH, N C, DEC, 1862.— Eds.) 
 
 Mr. President : 
 
 We are met to celebrate the anniversary of this 
 society. The exercises of this evening call up 
 pleasant reminiscences. The rolls of this society 
 present many names that are precious in our mem- 
 ories. We see now their faces as they appear 
 mingling in scenes similar to these. Many of 
 them have labored and passed away, others are 
 with us still. New names have been entered, and 
 we meet to water the seeds they scattered and to 
 sow afresh. It is an hour of interest. We come 
 to catch from the altar erected by our fathers 
 fresh fire to our zeal ; to exchange the word of 
 cheer and G-od speed ; to take counsel together 
 in a review of this great question and our connec- 
 tion with it, and to look not only to the past, to 
 what has been done, but to look forward to the 
 future, to what has to be done. We are not here 
 to put the Gospel up at auction, to be knocked 
 down to the highest bidder. It is not money so 
 much as proper views and right sentiments we 
 want. 
 ; : -^The idea of evangelizing the world is a grand 
 
476 MISSIONARY ADDRESS. 
 
 one. This "claiming the heathen for an inher- 
 itance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for a 
 possession," is bold and God-like. It very well 
 accords with speaking worlds from naught. 
 
 It is the grand idea of earth. It is the great 
 central truth from which all truth emanates, and 
 around which truth in every place will ultimately 
 cluster. It is the philosophy of this planet. In 
 it is to be found the reason for the world. With- 
 out it, man is an enigma and all things are mean- 
 ingless. God would not have made this earth, and 
 man, and flesh, and fish, and fowl, the towering 
 mountains, the roaring seas, the flowing streams, 
 the waving forests, but to illustrate His power, 
 and wisdom, and love, in redeeming a race when 
 fallen. Man is the instrument through which the 
 idea is to be perfected and the end consummated. 
 This grand scheme addresses itself first to the 
 preacher, whom God has called by His Spirit 
 and set apart and commissioned for the work of 
 spreading a knowledge of His truth. In the 
 name of God they are to go forward and lead 
 and control this stupendous movement. I fear 
 they have not in this era arisen to a full appre- 
 ciation of their connection with it. A few years- 
 ago I was struck with an article which appeared 
 in the Southern Literary Messenger, copied exten- 
 sively in the journals of the country, entitled 
 "The Inefficiency of the Pulpit." The author of 
 
MISSIONARY ADDRESS. 477 
 
 the article took the bold ground that the pulpit 
 accomplished less than the same time, and talents, 
 and learning, and wealth, and influence, exerted 
 in any other direction; and undertook to account 
 for it. He told what gentlemen of the legal pro- 
 fession accomplished, how much the politician did, 
 and the statesman. The argument was ingenious 
 and plausible, and was generall} T accepted as 
 true in sustaining the assumption. Nevertheless, 
 there were those who then and now dissent from 
 the view. Who can tell what the pulpit accom- 
 plishes ? Who can measure its work? He who 
 does it must have a measuring rod sufficient to 
 reach the greatest heights of the glory of the 
 redeemed, and long enough to touch the lowest 
 depths of the shame of the damned. He must 
 tell us what would be the effect upon the world of 
 a removal of the pulpit. He must tell us faith- 
 full} T of the opposition presented by the world, 
 the carnal mind, and the devil, with which the 
 pulpit contends, and over which it triumphs. To 
 compare the achievements of the pulpit to that of 
 the bar, or forum, or stump, is to compare natural 
 things with eternal; is like drawing a contrast be- 
 tween apples that turn to ashes and the fruit of 
 the tree that grows in the midst of the paradise 
 of God, or between the rivulet that evaporates 
 in the sunlight to the stream that makes glad the 
 city of God, or the sorrow of earth to the worm 
 
478 MISSIONARY ADDRESS. 
 
 that dietli not. The assumption is false, and the 
 writer shows himself not to be master of his 
 theme. But this much may and must be con- 
 ceded, that the pulpit, as the exponent and repre- 
 sentative of the Church of Christ, is not accom- 
 plishing what it should. Having the natural in- 
 tellect which it possesses, and the amount of 
 learning; having control of the press of Christen- 
 dom and the education of each generation as it 
 comes on in succession; wielding immense wealth 
 and almost unbounded influence; upheld by con- 
 stitutions and fostered by statutes; and, above all, 
 backed by the Holy Ghost, and cheered on and 
 sustained with the promise, "lo, I am with you 
 alwa} T ;" the world ought, notwithstanding the 
 opposition, vast and immeasurable though it be, 
 long ago to have been converted to the Cross, if 
 the pulpit had thoroughly and genuinely the 
 spirit of Christ. Will you have the proof? Get 
 out your commission. If we did not know, we 
 would hardly suspect its true character. We 
 would suppose, that instead of reading, "Go into 
 all the world and preach the Gospel to every 
 creature," it read, go home and preach the Gospel 
 to a few creatures. The preachers of Christen- 
 dom have been and are now crowding each other 
 for the inside track at home, instead of spreading 
 out and pressing the unbroken wilds of the fron- 
 tiers and pushing the conquests of the Redeemer's 
 
MISSIONARY ADDRESS. 479 
 
 kingdom into the heart of heathendom. Take a 
 map of the world. There are about one billion 
 of population. About three fourths of this vast 
 number never heard of Jesus, though He died 
 more than eighteen centuries ago. Look at Rus- 
 sia, extending from the Baltic to the Pacific, and 
 containing a population of about fifty-seven mil- 
 lions, and not a dozen missionaries in it. There 
 is China, with a population of about three hun- 
 dred millions, and not more than four or five 
 dozen missionaries. Then look at the countries 
 lying on the Indian Ocean : Siam, with two mil- 
 lions; Birmah, with eleven millions; Hindostan, 
 with one hundred and twenty millions, and not 
 one Christian teacher to the million; and there is 
 Persia, with eleven millions, and Arabia, with 
 twelve millions, and not until a few years ago a 
 single missionary; and Africa, with one hundred 
 and ten millions, and not a Christian teacher to 
 the million; and the isles of the sea mourn. Now 
 look at Christendom. The United States and 
 Confederate States, with about thirty millions, 
 and about twenty thousand preachers, and in 
 addition several thousand young men in training. 
 The same state of things in England, only more 
 crowded with preachers, and pretty nearly the 
 same throughout all Christendom. 
 
 Why, in some of our cities there is a preacher 
 to every thousand, and in many villages of a few 
 
480 MISSIONARY ADDRESS. 
 
 hundred inhabitants there are three or four 
 preachers of different denominations watching 
 and scheming against each other ; and these men, 
 with a commission in their hands to go into all the 
 world and preach the gospel to every creature. 
 It is absolutely ridiculous in the sight of high 
 Heaven. Partyism is the ruling spirit of the 
 hour. There is a greater spirit by far to build up 
 sects out of sects than there is to win the poor 
 heathen to Christ. The United States can this 
 day spare five thousand preachers at least to the 
 heathen. There are too many preachers and too 
 much preaching in this country. It has in some 
 measure lost its effect. It is diluted, and drawn 
 out, and spun out, until there is much of it that is 
 not much account for the purpose of saving souls. 
 Not too much assembling together and reading 
 God's word and prayer, but too much preaching, 
 fine preaching, eloquent preaching, and taking 
 preaching. It is astonishing what little gospel 
 truth it does actually require to give you a full 
 house. Now, Mr. President, we need some grand 
 movement on the part of G-od's preachers in 
 Christendom. We need a race of moral heroes, 
 a whole race of men of faith and ready for sacri- 
 fice, to throw themselves upon the bosom of hea- 
 thendom with flaming hearts and burning zeal. 
 Ah ! one is ready to say, how can they be sus- 
 tained ? — we have not the means, no banking 
 
MISSIONARY ADDRESS. 481 
 
 house upon which they can draw. God has inex- 
 haustible vaults of incorruptible treasure. The 
 only difficulty is, that his credit is not good at our 
 counters. His notes of promise are at too great 
 a discount to meet the case. It is faith that is 
 needed. It appears wild and fanatical. There is 
 a great deal in God's revealed plans that thus ap- 
 pears when viewed through human glasses and 
 brought to the standard of human calculation. 
 Men walk and work by sight. God has arranged 
 for His servants to do so by faith. But, after all, 
 this plan is not so quixotic as first appears, even 
 on the basis of human calculations. It seems 
 that any man whom God thinks is smart enough 
 to preach the gospel has sense enough to take care 
 of himself, even amongst heathen, particularly if 
 God will help by a few strokes of His especial 
 providence. Why, the common explorer can do 
 it ; the merchant can do it ; and why can't the 
 preacher ? Mr. President, we need a grand 
 movement, We must quit this bark-mill process, 
 treading the same round all the time. We must 
 quit this sailing all the time in sight of land. We 
 must cut loose our moorings and try the great 
 deep. We must quit consulting ease and comfort 
 so much. We must quit our ambition for emi- 
 nence and distinction in the sacred desk. We 
 must quit our calculations to the exact amount we 
 can make of the business of preaching. We must 
 
482 MISSIONARY ADDRESS. 
 
 have a revolution, and now is the time. The 
 thunder and roar of revolution is heard through 
 all the land. Who can tell but that its voice 
 is intended to awake us from our lethargy, 
 and arouse us to action? There is a mighty 
 upheaving just now of our social and political 
 systems. Who can tell but that God intends 
 through it to shake us from our foundations, 
 and set us adrift in the right direction ? Lord 
 God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob, if thou 
 art speaking, help us rightly to interpret thy ut- 
 terances ! Suppose these five thousand preach- 
 ers should gather in Boston, New York, Balti- 
 more, Richmond, Charleston and New Orleans, 
 baptized with the Holy Ghost and panting for the 
 world's redemption, I shouid have more faith in 
 its raising the blockade from Southern ports than 
 I have that England and France will ever do it. 
 What a grand spectacle, as they stand upon the 
 shores, lighted up by the rays of the Cross. 
 Hear them, " we have no purse or scrip, but we 
 have hands, we can make tents if need be. In 
 the name of Jesus and on the credit of Heaven we 
 go. Oh, thou Unseen, stand by us always, even 
 to the end, as promised." I tell you it would 
 arrest the attention of the civilized world. They 
 would begin to think we were in earnest about the 
 business we have in hand ; that we meant what 
 we said. It would shake the Church of God like 
 
MISSIONARY ADDRESS. 483 
 
 an earthquake. Hell would tremble and the devil 
 would be struck dumb, and hush his roaring before 
 the spectacle. 
 
 This grand scheme addresses itself also to the 
 laity. The preacher stands with the commission 
 in his hands and appeals to the Church : " I'll 
 go." It is the duty of the Church to send 
 him. I undertake here in this place to show that 
 the Church has not Christ's plan of evangelizing 
 the world, and that this robs her of her power. 
 We are taught that unless we have the spirit of 
 Christ we are none of His, we have none of His 
 power. What was His spirit ? He saved a lost 
 and ruined world. To save it he had the spirit to 
 surrender His glory, and whatever else He had with 
 the Father, and make Himself poor ; He had the 
 spirit to endure toil and hardships, and submit to 
 humiliation; He had the spirit to die, even, that the 
 end might be accomplished. Now here is a vast 
 majority of the world's population bound in dark- 
 ness and superstition. Has the Church the spirit 
 to make herself poor that they may be saved ? It 
 is said that it is not a parallel case ; that if Christ 
 had not become poor the world could not have 
 been saved ; but, on the other hand, the heathen 
 may be saved if they follow their best light, 
 though the G-ospel may not be sent to them. Al- 
 low that they are saved if they follow their best 
 light, which I believe is true, because all that any 
 
484 MISSIONARY ADDRESS. 
 
 can do is to do the best they know how. To re- 
 quire more than this is to require an impossibility, 
 which is absurd. Allow that they are saved 
 without the Gospel, the Church may be damned 
 with it for disobedience. Men's souls may perish 
 all around the Cross because the Church has lost 
 the spirit of the Master. It is patent to the ob- 
 servation of every Christian, that the large major- 
 ity of those who live in sight of the Cross and the 
 sound of the Gospel, perish. Why is this? Who 
 can doubt that it is attributable, in great measure, 
 to the disobedience of the Church to the highest 
 command of her great Head ? The question stands 
 thus, then : Has the Church the spirit to make 
 herself poor that she may save, not only the 
 heathen, but her own children ? Who doubts that 
 if the Church should do her whole duty in giving 
 of her substance to the world's evangelization, 
 should say to the preachers, "Now, for as many 
 of you as God calls to go, here is the money. 
 Give yourselves no uneasiness. Your bills shall 
 all be footed ;" and with prayer, warm and 
 glowing, should lay on the altar the sacrifice — 
 who doubts, I say, but that she would have ten- 
 fold more of power to save people at home ? The 
 zeal it would generate, the interest it would ex- 
 cite, the thought and talk it would arouse, would 
 set all this land in a blaze. 
 
 But this is not the worst of her case. She is 
 
MISSIONARY ADDRESS. 485 
 
 not required to make herself poor, but simply to 
 set apart a portion of the wealth with which G-od 
 entrusts her — a reasonable portion only. This I 
 undertake to show she refuses to do. Take the 
 Church embraced in the North Carolina Confer- 
 ence (and she is doing as much, and perhaps 
 more, than any other denomination). This Confer- 
 ence has had a separate, independent existence 
 for about twenty-five years. She has raised, as 
 an average, $5,000 annually for missions, which 
 would make $125,000 in twenty-five years for 
 this purpose. This comes from about $20,000,000 
 of wealth, so that the Methodist Church in the 
 North Carolina Conference has been making $20,- 
 000,000 pay $5,000 a year towards evangelizing 
 the world. This is a bold stroke for the world's 
 redemption ! and no other branch of the Church is 
 doing any more — some less. Ah, Mr. President, 
 many a long century of darkness is to rest upon 
 the bosom of the earth at this rate. Many, many 
 millions of souls unborn are to come and pass 
 away without light, for eighteen hundred years 
 and more have passed away, and the twilight of 
 the glorious era of the world's redemption is 
 scarcely seen gilding the horizon of the spiritual 
 sky ; and the hope of the heathen is that the whole 
 Church is to pay, with the slow improvement that 
 has marked the past, in the ratio of $5,000 annu- 
 ally for every $20,000,000 "until every knee 
 shall bow." 
 
486 MISSIONARY ADDRESS. 
 
 This is not all. Let us see how this sum is 
 contributed. I can truthfully state, and the 
 statement will accord with the experience of my 
 brethren, that the greater part of the money 
 I have collected for missions has been, in a meas- 
 ure, wrung from the Church. Now and then I 
 have met with a few having right views on the 
 subject, who have sought me out to contribute; 
 a few who did it as a duty, cheerfully, in the 
 spirit in which they gave me as a disciple my food 
 and entertainment ; but most generally it has been 
 done from the force of circumstances, because there 
 has been no way to get clear of it without criti- 
 cism. The scraps and crumbs of gains have been 
 given, and these even withheld if anything like a 
 plausible excuse was at hand. I will warrant 
 there are some respectable, wealthy Methodists 
 here to-night who have put themselves in a posi- 
 tion to hear the speeches and then dodge the col- 
 lection. God bless you, my dear brother, stand 
 up boldly and face the question like a man. We 
 don't want your money so much. I would rather 
 drop a right thought into your mind than take a 
 hundred dollars out of your pocket ; for when you 
 get to have right views, become to be impressed 
 with a right understanding of this question, then 
 your money will come. The point I make and 
 argue is, that the Church of Christ has not the 
 spirit of His plan of evangelizing the world. In- 
 
MISSIONARY ADDRESS. 487 
 
 stead of having the spirit to make herself poor, if 
 need be, to save the world, or even to offer a just 
 and reasonable portion of her wealth, she has too 
 much of the opposite spirit, the spirit to make her- 
 self rich and to save herself alone. She has too 
 much of the spirit to trust in horses and chariots, 
 and lift herself above mangers, and poor people, 
 and heathen people, and put herself along in 
 company with the rich, and learned, and great. 
 By the spirit of withholding her money and trust- 
 ing to human instrumentalities she is shorn of her 
 power. By failing to apprehend her true mission 
 on earth, and turning a deaf ear to Christ's com- 
 mand, " Go into all the world/' toil, labor, and 
 die, if need be, she becomes paralyzed in moral 
 power. This is seen in the efforts she does make 
 to evangelize the world. Her missionary sta- 
 tions languish, though they are well planned 
 and set. Her missionaries get sick, or die, or 
 come home. Those who stay stand amidst the 
 darkness that surrounds them like lone twink- 
 ling stars on the. black brow of night. They 
 look to the stupendous task before them, millions 
 and millions of people to be instructed, whom 
 they never can hope to reach, but little sympa- 
 thy and prayer at home. I reckon many a poor 
 missionary is glad when the summons comes to 
 call him from labor and toil to rest and re- 
 ward. 
 
488 MISSIONARY ADDRESS. 
 
 This lack of moral power is seen in connection 
 with the influence the Church exerts at home. 
 Hundreds who have tasted of the powers of the 
 world to come are found in all the walks of life, 
 away from her altars. She undertakes to rebuke 
 sin, and the voice she lifts goes unheeded. Cor- 
 ruption in government, and vice in every form in 
 society, put her authority at defiance, and walk 
 out in the light of heaven. The truth I am ut- 
 tering has been most wonderfully and signally 
 manifest for the last twent} T months. The Presi- 
 dent of this Confederacy^, as he had the right to 
 expect, thought that the Church could aid his 
 cause in turning back the tide of invasion thrown 
 upon our borders, and which threatens every- 
 thing dear and precious to us. He has from 
 time to time urged the Church to call upon her 
 God, who always defends the right. She has 
 done it. She has gone up to her sanctuaries on 
 the appointed clays. Men have prayed, women 
 have prayed and called aloud. Old men have 
 wept bitter tears in the sight of heaven; still the 
 cloud, dark and black, flinging its shadow across 
 every hearthstone, thickens ; no line of light ap- 
 pears at its base, no bow arches its black folds. 
 The blood of the flower of this land still in effu- 
 sion gushes. The demon of war, like ten thou- 
 sand thousand horse leeches, cries more loudly 
 for blood. The cries of widowhood and orphan- 
 
MISSIONARY ADDRESS. 489 
 
 age become more and more familiar. G-aunt 
 want, like a famishing wolf, approaches nearer 
 and still nearer the doors of tens of thousands 
 of families in this land, and there stands in the 
 future a terrible unseen, a dreaded unknown, 
 something no one can define ; and as the prayers 
 ascend, the heavens give down the sound of brass 
 and the earth is more and more like iron. Who 
 can longer doubt but that God has a controversy 
 with His Church — that He is angry with her? 
 Why, ten righteous persons would have saved 
 Sodom! Oh, my fellow laborers, my brethren, 
 my countrymen, it is a fearful thing to fall into 
 the hands of the living God ! In seeking the 
 cause, it is enough to know that His Church has 
 set at naught His hio-hest command. To this 
 source all other evils might be traced. God does 
 not intend that His authority shall forever be 
 disregarded, that His cause shall forever be 
 trampled in the dust. Now, as amongst the 
 preachers, so also, amongst the laity, we need a 
 revolution. And it will come. I am not an in- 
 spired prophet, but it will come. The darkness 
 of the hour is that which precedes the coming 
 dawn. There may be much more suffering. 
 Blood, and tears, and ashes, may be the heri- 
 tage of this generation, but if any one discerns 
 any light at all, it is the twilight of a glorious era 
 shortly to be ushered in. This baptism of blood 
 
490 SABBATH SCHOOL ADDRESS. 
 
 and fire means something more than appears 
 upon the surface. 
 
 " God moves in a mysterious way 
 His wonders to perform : 
 He plants His footsteps in the sea, 
 And rides upon the storm." 
 
 I trust that revolution is begun, and here at the 
 capital of the State, in the midst of the repre- 
 sentative men of the Church of this and other 
 denominations, is a good place and time to give 
 it an impetus. Let us all, by laying first our 
 hearts upon the Cross of Christ and then our 
 purses, in the midst of the thunder, and roar, and 
 wail of the storm that is shaking this continent, 
 let us lift up our cry. Roll on, thou mighty tide 
 that shall bear us in sight of land ! Swell up, ye 
 angry waves whose bosom shall bear us into the 
 desired haven ! And after awhile our great Cap- 
 tain will be heard crying in the silver tones of 
 that voice that has calmed tumults before, "Peace, 
 be still. 7 ' 
 
 (DELIVERED BEFORE THE N. C. CONFERENCE SUNDAY 
 SCHOOL SOCIETY, AT THE SESSION OF THE N. C. CONFER- 
 ENCE IN NEWBERN, N. C, IN 1869.— Eds.) 
 
 Mr. President: 
 
 We are here to promote the cause of Sab- 
 bath schools. Whatever tends to increased in- 
 
SABBATH SCHOOL ADDRESS. 491 
 
 terest on this subject is the proper subject, I 
 take it, for this occasion. I am pleased to serve 
 you, if I can do so in a manner to aid in accom- 
 plishing the end you have in view. The theme 
 of my discourse has not been furnished me, and 
 so I am left to tread the path of my own choos- 
 ing, to follow the line of thought of my own 
 suggesting. To aid in speaking and listening, I 
 announce as the theme of the remarks which I 
 shall submit: "The claims of the Sabbath school 
 upon the parent, the patriot, and the Christian." 
 
 There is an instinct in man, and beast, and 
 bird, that prompts the tenderest watchfulness 
 and care for offspring. The faintest cry of the 
 fledgling arouses all the maternal anxiety, and 
 the slightest attack from without calls forth the 
 grandest display of heroism. The wild beast of 
 the jungle, that snaps and snarls at all others, 
 grows loving, even to fondling and playfulness, 
 in the presence of its young. Even the tameless 
 and bilious hyena, when shut in its den with its 
 offspring, takes the spirit of maternal affection 
 and tenderness. This instinct in man becomes 
 intensified by reason, and, consequently, the 
 strongest law of our nature. There is nothing 
 in strength like a mother's affection for her 
 child ; no force can break it, no treatment can 
 wither it. The son may lift up his heel against 
 her; dead to all the instincts of virtue, he may 
 
/ 
 
 492 SABBATH SCHOOL ADDRESS. 
 
 contemn her authority, curse away the influence 
 other prayers and precepts; he may sink to the 
 lowest depths of infamy and crime, and she will 
 still follow him with the tenderest solicitude and 
 the profoundest anxiety. She will visit him in 
 prison, with breaking heart will hang around 
 the scaffold upon which he is executed, and beg 
 his body and bury it in her garden, and plant 
 flowers over his grave, and water them daily 
 with her tears. A little less only is a father's 
 care and affection. No more beautiful nor striking 
 picture is presented than that of the hard-fisted 
 father, who toils all the live-long clay, and sits 
 through the shadows of the lonely night, watch- 
 ing and rocking his sick and suffering babe. 
 Parents toil and work for their children; deny 
 themselves comfort, that they may gratify their 
 wants; clothe themselves scantily, that they may 
 decorate their persons; walk, that they may ride; 
 stay at home, that they may go abroad; night and 
 day economize; sow, dig, add acre to acre, dollar 
 to dollar ; in a word, live for them and die for 
 them. All this is but following the promptings 
 of instinct. We have no quarrel to make with 
 it. We can no more prevent its operation than 
 we can remove from the eye its affinity for light. 
 The point I wish to make is, that its operation 
 should be so enlarged in its scope, its aim, and 
 solicitude, as to take in the spiritual, the eternal 
 
SABBATH SCHOOL ADDRESS. 493 
 
 interests of posterity, as well as temporal good 
 and prosperity. If this were done, in a few gene- 
 rations the whole world would be brought to 
 Christ. And the point, further, which I wish to 
 make, is to suggest for the enlargement of the 
 operation of this principle, and thereby show the 
 claim of the Sabbath school upon the parent. 
 
 Two things are essential to the proper training 
 of children : faith in their parents, and submission 
 to their will. Faith is the grand law of life; it is 
 the pivot upon which our whole existence turns. 
 It is not necessary to enlarge upon this point. 
 We eat, sleep, work, talk, love, hate, fight and 
 keep the peace, by faith. We do all things we do, 
 and leave undone all things we do not do, by 
 faith. Our faith links us to the object of our be- 
 lief, and is the medium of the impartation, in a 
 greater or less degree, as it is the strength of the 
 nature, the life, and the principle of the object. 
 If we are connected with Christ by a living faith, 
 the life of Christ is communicated through it to 
 us, and His life is our life. So with every object 
 with which we are connected hj faith. If we be- 
 lieve in the devil, and are connected with him by 
 faith; the devil's life will be our life. Children 
 seek an object of faith by instinct. This prin- 
 ciple in their nature, as soon as they begin to 
 think and act, anchors itself in something or in 
 somebody. Virtuous, obedient children of vir- 
 
494 SABBATH SCHOOL ADDRESS. 
 
 tuous parents are such by the faith they have in 
 their parents. Wicked and vicious children of 
 wicked, vicious parents, are such by the faith they 
 have in their parents. And to the contrary, 
 wicked and vicious children of virtuous Christian 
 parents are such because they have no faith in 
 their parents. These parents have lived in such 
 a way as that their children have no faith in them. 
 The great point to be gained in training a child 
 is to win its confidence. If he believes in his 
 parent, he copies him externally and internally; 
 he follows his example and imbibes his senti- 
 ments. This confidence may be early won by a 
 consistent life, and by never disappointing his 
 expectations. Then, through this faith, it is an 
 easy mattter to subdue the will of the child to 
 the will of the parent — break it down in subjec- 
 tion to the will of the parent. 
 
 When this is done, it becomes an easy matter to 
 direct the faith of the child to G-od as the true 
 object of its exercise, and substitute G-od's will, 
 which is always in harmony with that of a pious 
 parent, as the grand law of obedience. And here 
 comes in the Sabbath School as a grand instru- 
 ment to aid the parent in giving the child's faith 
 this proper and final direction. By teaching the 
 child at home, by example and precept, the 
 foundation is laid, and then having him taught at 
 Church — in the Sabbath School — the work of com- 
 
SABBATH SCHOOL ADDRESS. 495 
 
 pletely moulding and wielding his mind and 
 heart is finished. It brings the seal and sanction 
 of the Church upon the home teaching. This 
 teaching of the Church has upon it the air of au- 
 thority and commission, which exerts a powerful 
 influence upon the child. There is concurrence 
 of sentiment between the teacher, the representa- 
 tive of the Church authority, and the parent, 
 brought to a focal point upon the heart of the 
 child, that seals forever the teaching. The ap- 
 pointed and sanctioned means of the sanctuary 
 are thus linked with paternal influence, and con- 
 stitute a cord to bind and hold the child in the 
 practice of virtue. The shekinah fire of G-od's 
 spiritual temple becomes blended with the flame 
 of the home altar, and glows on the heart to pu- 
 rify, as well as to throw its light upon child- 
 hood's path. Under this influence let the com- 
 mandments of G-ocl be wrapped up in the heart ; 
 let them strike their roots through and through 
 into the soul ; let them constitute the fundamen- 
 tal principles of character, the foundation upon 
 which the superstructure is reared, and no storm 
 that comes, no tempests that beat, can overthrow 
 it. The principles of G-od's law permeating the 
 heart will generate "the fear of God, which is the 
 beginning of wisdom." The power of the princi- 
 ples generating in the soul will root out and de- 
 stroy all converse principles. "The law of the 
 
496 SABBATH SCHOOL ADDRESS. 
 
 Lord is perfect, converting the soul." Those 
 persons who are found in the sinks of vice and 
 haunts of dissipation, in the jails and penitentia- 
 ries of the country, have never been taught the 
 fear of God. They are strangers to His law and 
 the influence it inspires. The pious parent, to 
 make sure work of the salvation of his child, 
 should bring to bear upon him the influence of 
 the Church, and this cannot in any way be so 
 effectually done as through the instrumentality of 
 the Sabbath School. The wicked, vicious parent, 
 who has chosen the path that leads to hell him- 
 self, unless he wishes his child to follow him to 
 the bottomless pit, should send him to the Sab- 
 bath School, that the anchorage of his faith in 
 himself, as a wicked parent, may be prevented. 
 
 The Sabbath School also has claims upon the 
 patriot of this country. Our government is a 
 government of sentiment. Public opinion is the 
 law of the land, constitutions and statutes not- 
 withstanding to the contrary. This truth has 
 but recently been thoroughly and indisputably 
 illustrated. Slaveiy was provided for and pro- 
 tected in the Constitution ; yet the public senti- 
 ment of a large majority of the States composing 
 the Federal Union was against it, and it fell in 
 the face of the Constitution. It is expressly pro- 
 vided in the Constitution that each State shall 
 regulate its own domestic affairs, yet the public 
 
SABBATH SCHOOL ADDRESS. 497 
 
 sentiment of a large majority of the States re- 
 quires that Congress shall determine the qualifi- 
 cations of the voter in certain States, upon do- 
 mestic State measures, and the reconstruction 
 measures are passed. It is provided in the Con- 
 stitution that no State shall pass any law impair- 
 ing the validity of a private contract, yet the 
 sentiment of the country requires it, and a retro- 
 spective homestead law is enacted. Now, I do 
 not express any opinion here as to the propriety 
 or the impropriety of these measures; whether it 
 is to inure to the public good or injury. It would 
 not be proper for me to do so here. It would be 
 in violation of the spirit and object of this meet- 
 ing. I recur to them simply and only to show 
 that the sentiment of the majority — the will, wish, 
 opinion of the people, is the law of the land. The 
 will of the people of this country sets up and 
 pulls down constitutions. This principle is the 
 corner stone upon which the Republic is founded. 
 This was the issue in the Revolutionary strug- 
 gle. The tax resisted was comparatively a 
 trifle. One of the sublimest spectacles of genu- 
 ine heroism was presented by that gallant band 
 of Revolutionary patriots in their struggle for 
 this principle ; for it they shivered and scorched 
 through seven long winters and summers. 
 
 At first, b}^ agreement, with almost universal 
 approval, restraints and limitations were placed 
 
 22* 
 
498 SABBATH SCHOOL ADDRESS. 
 
 upon the will of the people ; qualifications were 
 required in order to the exercise of the elective 
 franchise. The doctrines of Mr. Jefferson pre- 
 vailed, and these restraints, one after another, 
 have been removed, until the popular will, 
 expressed through the ballot box, without re- 
 striction as "to race, or color, or previous 
 condition," is the law of the land. There are 
 some people silly enough to think we are in im- 
 mediate clanger of a monarchy ; that Gen. Grant 
 could easily proclaim himself dictator and take 
 the reins of government in his own hands. We 
 are in danger of directly the converse of a mon- 
 archy. The whole tendency of political influence 
 is in the opposite direction. Gen. Grant owes his 
 present position to the fact that he put himself in 
 this current. If he undertook to stem it, it would 
 sweep him down. If he were to proclaim himself 
 dictator, I would not give the smallest denomina- 
 tion of greenbacks in my pocket for his head, ex- 
 cept to preserve it as a memento of the most dis- 
 tinguished man of the country. He has studied 
 history to little purpose who does not know that 
 revolutions do not go backwards, and that revo- 
 lutionists do not stem the popular current, but 
 throw themselves into it and swell it until it 
 breaks over its boundaries, overwhelming every- 
 thing, and then, seizing on to some portion of the 
 wreck, float off to some delectable island. Our 
 
SABBATH SCHOOL ADDRESS. 499 
 
 tendency is to anarchy, confusion. Thirty or 
 forty millions of souls governing themselves, and, 
 I fear, without wisdom and virtue enough to guide 
 the ship of State aright. Here is where the work 
 of the Sabbath School comes. Its work is to blend 
 virtue and intelligence rightly, and give tone, and 
 character, and the right direction, to public opin- 
 ion ; and the point I wish to make in this connec- 
 tion is, that, taking it solely in a political view, the 
 Sabbath School has a claim to the encouragement 
 and support of eveiy true patriot. If all the chil- 
 dren of to-day could be reared in the Sabbath 
 School, have the principles it teaches incorpo- 
 rated in their education, as a nation we would be 
 safe. Liber t} 7- asks no wall of bayonets for her 
 protection, no glittering array of spears for her 
 escort, no flashing swords to guard her courts ; 
 but she feels firmly seated on power when en- 
 throned in the hearts of a virtuous, enlightened, 
 Christianized people. 
 
 Finally, the Sabbath School has its claims upon 
 the Christian. The religious aspects of this coun- 
 try are of peculiar interest. The demoralization 
 is marked, and necessarily excites serious con- 
 cern. This demoralization, however, is only tem- 
 porary. With all the corruption, and fraud, and 
 vice which is manifest, there is underlying it a 
 substratum of old fashioned, orthodox honesty, 
 that is the preservative salt of the country, and 
 
500 SABBATH SCHOOL ADDRESS. 
 
 that will, in time, correct this state of things. 
 There is an oncoming struggle of higher import to 
 the Christian — one fraught with more interest to 
 the destiny of the nation than the one through 
 which we have passed. The issue is becoming 
 more and more apparent each year. It is the 
 issue between the form and power of religion — 
 between the shadow and the substance — between 
 the show of the thing and the thing itself. Ro- 
 manism — embracing Ritualism in all its forms — 
 wherever existing, represents and embodies the 
 former idea, and Protestantism — embracing all 
 advocates for the divine influence of truth, felt and 
 realized in the soul — represents the latter. The 
 former, intolerant and proscriptive, is grasping at 
 power in this land. A bishop is consecrated for 
 North Carolina. Schools of charity, without 
 money and without price, are open in the princi- 
 pal towns. The Pope has in training about three 
 hundred colored men for priests for the Southern 
 States. In Cincinnati, in New Orleans, New 
 York, St. Louis, and everywhere else where they 
 have sufficient strength, they are making war on 
 the public free schools of the country. They are 
 trying to get the instruction of the youth, as far as 
 possible, under their own control. The Ritualists 
 of the High Church party, and the Ritualists of 
 all the Protestant denominations (and there are 
 such in all) are in full sympathy with them, and 
 
SABBATH SCHOOL ADDRESS. 501 
 
 are onl} r abiding their time to throw off the mask 
 and assume their true and chosen position. 
 
 It is high time for all true Protestants to wake 
 up to the situation, realizing the true demand, 
 recognizing the dangerous foe. A man or a sect 
 comes along, discarding the doctrine of Christ's 
 divinity. Another comes, self-commissioned, ob- 
 literating all distinction between virtue and vice, 
 and extinguishing the flames of the bottomless pit. 
 Another, with its own revelation from the spirit 
 land, correcting all old ideas, rejecting even their 
 nomenclature. These are all fungus growths, 
 that will wither and die in the pure atmosphere 
 of truth. They lack brains, and prudence, and 
 virtue to support them. The great enemy of the 
 truth as it is Jesus, in this country, is Romanism. 
 Now, it is the duty of true Protestants, those who 
 agree in all the essentials, to come on terms of 
 perfect friendship. They should link their shields, 
 lock their hands, and stand shoulder to shoulder 
 in this great struggle. There should be no jars or 
 collisions here. It is all right to have different 
 denominations ; it is best. If it were best I would 
 be willing, so far as I am concerned, to turn it all 
 over into the hands of the Presbyterians, or the 
 Baptists, or any other Protestant denomination ; 
 but the Sabbath School is the ground upon which 
 all Protestants should meet. It is one of the 
 strongest links to bind denominations together. 
 
502 MASONIC ORATION". 
 
 The schools intermingle ; the prayers and the songs 
 of the children rise up together ; and, as Chris- 
 tians, we are brought nearer together by the in- 
 nocent intermingling of our offspring. Then the 
 Sabbath School claim upen the Christian is the 
 highest claim, in the fact that it involves the des- 
 tiny of the soul. The Sabbath School work is the 
 work of saving souls. Every young heart made 
 fit for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, every 
 soul led to the Cross, will be a star in the Chris- 
 tian's crown, and a note to swell the grand an- 
 them of praise that rolls up forever around the 
 throne of God. 
 
 \Um\u ©vatimt 
 
 (DELIVERED AT THE CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY OP THE 
 GRA.ND LODGE OP NORTH CAROLINA, A. P. & A. MASONS, 
 IN RALEIGH, N. C, JANUARY 14th, A. L. 5871, A. D. 1871. 
 —Eds.) 
 
 Most Worshipful Grand Master and Brethren : 
 
 The present is an age of anniversary and jubi- 
 lee. The genius of our people requires that days 
 shall be set apart, be consecrated as commemora- 
 tive clays — days hallowed by the memories of 
 events that mark the annals of the past, on which 
 there shall be a convocation of the masses, that 
 kindred spirits, having a common interest in these 
 
MASONIC ORATION. 503 
 
 events, may strike hands together in fraternal 
 reunion and reburnish the links of the chain 
 which binds them together in a common brother- 
 hood. Such is the present day, and this the 
 object that brings us together on the present 
 occasion. We come, my brethren, on this cen- 
 tennial day of our existence as an Order in North 
 Carolina, to make note, by solemn public act, of 
 this important fact in our history. We come on 
 this day to rekindle the fires upon our altars, to 
 revive our friendships, to bury our differences, 
 and as far as we may, to catch afresh, over the 
 lapse of a hundred years, the spirit of our fathers, 
 the founders of this mystic Order in our State. 
 I hail this day ! I greet you ! Let us exchange 
 mutual congratulations. 
 
 It would not, perhaps, be deemed inappropriate 
 to-day to pass in review the history of our Order. 
 I do not, however, propose to do this, only so far 
 as to keep myself in harmony with the spirit of 
 this occasion. The fact has not escaped the obser- 
 vation of any intelligent reader, that very little, 
 comparatively, has been written of Masonry. All 
 that is authentically historic of the Institution 
 would make up a very small volume. This is cer- 
 tainly not for lack of age. It dates an antiquity 
 of origin that runs far back into the centuries that 
 preceded the Christian era. It is not because it 
 has been confined to obscure and unimportant in- 
 
504 MASONIC ORATION. 
 
 dividuals, for it lias in all ages been patronized 
 and promoted by persons of the most consequence, 
 and of the highest distinction, of whom mention 
 is made in history. It is thus accounted for. It 
 has been a Grand Charity. Its spirit has been 
 benevolence — its deeds, beneficence- — its march 
 has been peaceful, unobtrusive — going on the prin- 
 ciple that the left hand shall not know what the 
 right hand doeth. Then, again, I think I shall 
 keep within the limits of truth, in asserting that 
 two-thirds of the history of this world is a record 
 of blood, or of intrigues and diplomacy that led 
 to the effusion of blood. No wonder, then, that 
 an Institution characterized as this is, should find 
 so little room on these blood-stained pages. That 
 its friends have not written its history more com- 
 plete, is to be accounted for from the fact, as all the 
 initiated know, that Masons are not much given to 
 writing — that its essential features are traditional, 
 and if I may be allowed to say so, it has ever incul- 
 cated a modesty which forbade going on the house- 
 tops to herald its deeds, or sounding a trumpet 
 before it on its missions of love. 
 
 A mere glance at what has been written, so as 
 to come from its origin down to its introduction 
 into the province of North Carolina, under the 
 charter we hold, one hundred years ago, is all 
 that I design at present. 
 
 Some of the ardent admirers of Masonry — 
 
MASONIC ORATION. 505 
 
 Anderson, Preston, and others— have claimed for 
 it an origin coeval with the world. "Others more 
 moderate find its origin in the religious mysteries 
 of the ancient world, and particularly in a sup- 
 posed branch of those religious associations formed 
 by the Architects of Tyre, who, under the name 
 of the Dionysiac Fraternity, constituted an asso- 
 ciation of builders, exclusively engaged in the 
 construction of temples arid other prominent edi- 
 fices in Asia Minor, and who were distinguished 
 b}^ secret signs and other modes of secret recog- 
 nition. 7 ' 
 
 The best Masonic authorities, however, concur 
 in dating its origin, as an association, in the erec- 
 tion of Solomon's Temple. I will not stop to re- 
 count the number engaged in the erection of that 
 magnificent edifice, nor the time employed, nor 
 indulge a description of its beauty and splendor. 
 After the completion of the Temple great numbers 
 of these Masons travelled into different parts of 
 the world, and engaged in the erection of temples 
 _and edifices of which we have account in history. 
 
 In the 416th year after the completion of the 
 Temple, Nebuchadnezzar with a powerful army, 
 after a long siege, entered Jerusalem, despoiled 
 the Temple, stole the holy vessels, removed the 
 famous pillars Jachin and Boaz, robbed the city 
 and the King's palace, overthrew the walls and 
 carried away thousands of the inhabitants into 
 
506 MASONIC ORATION. 
 
 captivity in Babylon. Masonic tradition informs 
 us that the Masons amongst these captives, many 
 of whom were the celebrated Giblemites, con- 
 trived to hold their secret Lodge meetings, and 
 taught their children the mysteries of Masonry 
 and the religion of their fathers. 
 
 They were held in bondage fifty two years, 
 when they were liberated by Cyrus, and fort} r 
 two thousand of them returned to Jerusalem, with 
 shoutings and praise. After this the fraternity 
 of travelling Masons passed into Greece, Rome, 
 Spain, and other countries, where their services 
 were employed in the erection of the famous edi- 
 fices for which the ancient world is so justly cele- 
 brated. Through these travelling craftsmen we 
 can see how the ideas of religious worship, sacri- 
 fice, and religious truth, and the historic facts of 
 the Old Testament, which are found to exist 
 amongst all heathens of the present day were 
 propagated. They travelled everywhere, and 
 everywhere carried with them these peculiarities. 
 
 In the year 715 before the Christian era, the 
 Roman Colleges of constructors were established 
 by Numa Pompilius; they were composed of men 
 learned in all the arts and trades necessary for 
 the execution of civil, religious, naval and hy- 
 draulic architecture, with their own laws and 
 judges, laws based on those of the Dionysian 
 Artificers, whose urvsteries had spread among 
 
MASONIC ORATION. 507 
 
 the principal people of the East. These Colleges 
 were in existence in the time of Julius Caesar, 
 who gave protection to the Jewish architects 
 who were mystic Masons, and admitted them to 
 these colleges, and they imparted to them a 
 knowledge of the Hebrew mysteries. Vitruvius 
 Pollio, the celebrated architect, mentions the bril- 
 liant state of the art in Rome at this period, and 
 speaks of its doctrines as veiled in allegories and 
 mysteries. 
 
 In the year 290, A. D., Carausius, Commander 
 of the Roman fleet, took possession of Britain and 
 declared himself Emperor. To conciliate the 
 Masonic fraternities, then wielding an immense 
 influence in the country, he restored their ancient 
 privileges, of which they had been deprived. 
 From that time they were called privileged or 
 Free Masons. 
 
 In the year 296 the City of York, in which 
 many Lodges of Free Masons were established, 
 was made the residence of Chlorus, his successor. 
 For several centuries very little note is taken of 
 the progress of the Order. 
 
 In 926 Athelstan, grandson of Alfred the Great, 
 having caused his son Edwin to be educated 
 in the art, appointed him Grand Master of Ma- 
 sons. Edwin summoned all the Masons to meet 
 him at York and to bring all the old manuscripts 
 and records. There he reorganized the Order. 
 Hence, the term Ancient York Masons. 
 
508 MASONIC ORATION. 
 
 For five or six centuries the Grand Lodge at 
 York exercised jurisdiction over England. 
 
 In the reign of George I, when the Institution 
 had to a great extent declined, in order to revive 
 it, the law requiring each member to be skilled 
 in some branch of mechanics was abolished. The 
 character of Masonry was by this act changed 
 from its operative to its speculative form, the 
 working tools of the operative being used em- 
 blematically to teach moral lessons. I think no 
 intelligent student of history will fail to detect a 
 decline in architecture from that date. Up to 
 that time the great and learned, princes and no- 
 blemen,., and men most cultivated in science, in 
 order to obtain membership in this mystic and 
 wonderful body of artisans, were required to be 
 practical operatives, not required to follow a 
 trade as a business, but to be sufficiently skilled 
 to do so if necessary. This dignified labor and 
 exalted the laborer. It especially magnified the 
 arts of architecture, and with the patronage be- 
 stowed by these distinguished persons, architect- 
 ure was carried to the high pitch of perfection it 
 attained in the ages preceding. Hence, those 
 splendid and magnificent temples, gates and tri- 
 umphal arches, bridges, amphitheatres, aque- 
 ducts, obelisks, monumental columns, baths, 
 mausoleums and sepulchres. There is not found 
 in the public places of the civilization of this day 
 
MASONIC ORATION. 509 
 
 anything scarcely of the kind, except the pre- 
 served mementoes of past grandeur, or feeble 
 imitations of it. No higher proof of this declara- 
 tion is needed than the unfinished and unsightly 
 monument to the memory of the Father of his 
 country, begun at the capital of our nation, the 
 vastest empire on the globe. If the Egyptians, 
 or Greeks, or Romans, had had such a hero, a 
 monumental pile of stone and brass would 
 have been reared that would have bid de- 
 fiance to the corroding touch of the passing cen- 
 turies. 
 
 In the year 1738, a schism occurred in the 
 Order. Some dissatisfied Masons separated from 
 the regular Lodges and declared themselves 
 " Ancient Masons," and established a Grand. 
 Lodge. They branded those they left with the 
 title of " Moderns." These two Grand Lodges 
 continued to exist, to the great scandal of Ma- 
 sons, until the year 1813, when by the united 
 efforts of the Duke of Sussex, Grand Master of 
 the "Moderns" and the Duke of Kent, Grand 
 Master of the " Ancients," the two Grand bodies 
 were united. 
 
 I have thus glanced at the history of Masonry, 
 tracing it into England as far down as the begin- 
 ning of this century, to prepare the way for the 
 notice of its introduction into North Carolina. 
 Just one hundred years ago to day, Jan. 14th, 
 
510 MASONIC ORATION". 
 
 1771, the following Charter was issued by the 
 command of the Grand Master of England : 
 
 Beaufort, G. M. 
 ( ) TO ALL AND EVERY our Right 
 
 ( j Worshipful and Loving Brethren. WE, 
 
 Henry Somerset, Duke of Beaufort, Marquis and 
 Earl of Worcester, Earl of Glamorgan, Yiscount 
 Grosmont, Baron Herbert, Lord of Ragland, 
 Chepston and Grower, Baron Beaufort of Caldeeol 
 Castle, Grand Master of the Most Ancient and 
 Honorable Society of Free and Accepted Masons, 
 Greeting : 
 
 KNOW YE THAT WE, of the great Trust 
 and Confidence reposed in our Right Worshipful 
 and well beloved Brother Joseph Montfort, 
 Esquire, of Halifax, in the Province of North 
 Carolina, in AMERICA, do hereby constitute 
 and appoint him the said JOSEPH MONT- 
 FORT, Provincial Grand Master of and for 
 AMERICA, with full power and Authority in 
 due form to make Masons and Constitute and 
 Regulate Lodges as Occasion may Require. And 
 also to do and execute all and every such other 
 acts and things appertaining to the said Office as 
 usually have been and ought to be done and exe- 
 cuted by other Provincial Grand Masters, he the 
 said JOSEPH MONTFORT taking special care 
 that all and every, the Members of every Lodge 
 he shall constitute, have been regularly made 
 
MASONIC ORATION. 511 
 
 Masons, and that they do observe, perform and 
 keep all and every the Eules, Orders and Regu- 
 lations contained in the Book of Constitutions 
 (except such as have been or may be repealed at 
 any Quarterly Communication or other general 
 meeting together), also with all such other Rules, 
 Orders, Regulations and Instructions as shall 
 from time to time be transmitted by us, or by the 
 Honorable CHARLES DILLON our Deputy, or 
 by any of our Successors, Grand Masters or their 
 Deputies for the time being. And we hereby 
 will and require you our said Provincial Grand 
 Master to cause four quarterly communications to 
 be held yearly, one whereof to be upon or as near 
 the feast day of Saint John the Baptist as con- 
 veniently may be, and that you promote on those 
 and all other occasions whatever may be for the 
 Honor and Advantage of Masonry, and the Benefit 
 of the Grand Charity, and that you yearly send 
 to us or our successor Grand Master an Account 
 in Writing of the proceedings therein, and also 
 of what Lodges you constitute, and when and 
 where held, with a list of the members thereof, 
 and copies of all such Rules, Orders, Regulations 
 as shall be made for the good Government of the 
 same, with whatever else you shall do by virtue 
 of these presents. And that you at the same 
 time remit to the Treasurer of the Society for the 
 time being at London, three pounds three shil- 
 
512 MASONIC ORATION. 
 
 lings sterling for ever} 7 Lodge you shall constitute, 
 for the use of the Grand Charity and other neces- 
 sary purposes. 
 
 Given at London, under our hand and seal of 
 Masonry, this 14th day of January, A. L. 5771, 
 A. D. 1771. 
 
 By the Grand Master's Command. 
 
 CHAS. DILLON D. G. M. 
 
 Witness : 
 
 JAS. HESELTINE, G. S. 
 
 A doubt in the minds of some has arisen as to 
 the precise date of the organization of the Grand 
 Lodge of North Carolina. It is quite proper that 
 I should lay before you on this occasion the facts. 
 
 The "Free Mason's Monitor," republished in the 
 year 1818, contains this statement : " The Grand 
 Lodge of North Carolina was first constituted by 
 virtue of a charter from the Grand Lodge of Scot- 
 land, A. D. 1771. It convened occasionally at 
 Newbern and Eclenton, at which latter place the 
 records were deposited previous to' the Kevolu- 
 tionary war. During the contest the records 
 were destroyed by the British army and the 
 meetings of the Grand Lodge suspended." 
 
 Mitchell, in his history of Masonry, says there 
 is no record of this in the proceedings of the 
 Grand Lodge of Scotland. He, however, states, 
 that in the year 1767 the Grand Lodge of Scot- 
 land granted a provisional commission to Col. 
 
MASONIC ORATION. 513 
 
 John Young, who had long acted as Deputy 
 Grand Master over all the Lodges in America 
 and the West Indies. 
 
 I think the mistake into which the " Monitor " 
 has fallen results from confounding the Grand 
 Lodge of Scotland with the Grand Lodge of 
 England, or rather the charter issued by order of 
 the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Eng- 
 land. Others, too, in this way have made the 
 same mistake. The only charter issued on the 
 14th day of Jan., 1771, is the one by the author- 
 ity of the Grand Master of England. Doubtless, 
 some Lodges were organized in North Carolina 
 about this time under warrant derived from other 
 sources than this charter. The disputes which 
 arose between some of them as to priority of 
 number, after the reorganization in 1787, indi- 
 cate this. Further, I find in the "Cyclopedia of 
 Masonry," by Macoy, this statement, taken from 
 the records of St. John's Grand Lodge at Boston, 
 Mass., Oct. 2d, 1767: "A Dispensation was made 
 out for the Eight Worshipful Thomas Cooper. 
 Master of Pitt County Lodge, in North Carolina, 
 constituting him Deputy Grand Master of that 
 Province. And he was commissioned with 
 power to congregate all the brethren, then resid- 
 ing, or who should afterward reside in said Prov- 
 ince, into one or more Lodges as he should think 
 fit, and in such place or places within the same as 
 
 23 
 
514 MASONIC ORATION. 
 
 should most redound to the benefit of Masonry." 
 The first Lodge established under this authority 
 was at Crown Point, in Pitt County. Some 
 Lodges, no doubt, were also established under 
 the warrant from Scotland. But I think, from 
 the best evidence we have on this subject, most 
 of the original Lodges formed in North Carolina 
 were organized under this English warrant. 
 Robert Williams, Grand Secretary of the Grand 
 Lodge in 1812, makes this statement, which in my 
 judgment settles the question. He says : "I for- 
 tunately received into my possession the Great 
 Charter under the sign manual, sealed with the 
 seal and impressed with the coat of arms of the 
 Duke of Beaufort, Grand Master of the Grand 
 Lodge of Ancient York Masons in England, dated 
 at London, the 14th day of January, A. D. 1771, 
 constituting and appointing Joseph Montfort, 
 Esq., then of Halifax, N. C, Provincial Grand 
 Master of America, authorizing and empowering 
 the said Joseph Montfort, as Provincial Grand 
 Master, to make, constitute and regulate Lodges 
 in his then Majesty's provinces of America. 
 This document is important in the history of Ma- 
 sonry in this State, as it shows in what manner 
 several of the oldest Lodges under our jurisdic- 
 tion obtained their authority. The Royal White 
 Hart Lodge, No. 2, in the town of Halifax, is one 
 deriving its original constitution from this source. 
 
MASONIC ORATION. 515 
 
 ' ' The great charter was preserved among the 
 archives of this Lodge in Halifax, and is claimed 
 by them, from whom the temporary possession was 
 obtained by me, accompanied with a promise to 
 return it. I have since addressed the Lodge re- 
 spectfully in my official capacity, soliciting this 
 instrument as proper to be deposited among our 
 grand archives, it being the original authority of 
 the craft in our State, and the foundation of 
 
 THAT JURISDICTION WHICH WE NOW EXERCISE. The 
 
 Lodges constituted under this charter in the regal 
 government of this country were mostly those 
 which, after the Revolutionary war, assembled 
 in Convention at the town of Tarboro', in A. L. 
 5787, and established the authority of which we 
 are now possessed." 
 
 In summing up these statements, the conclusion 
 is drawn that the Lodges deriving authority from 
 this English Charter composed mostly the Con- 
 vention that assembled in the town of Tarboro', 
 in 1787, and reorganized the Grand Lodge, 
 whose regular communications had been suspended 
 during the Revolutionary war. The preservation 
 of this charter, by those who were actors in that 
 Convention, and the testimony of Grand Secre- 
 tary Williams, who was a cotemporary with some 
 of those actors, is conclusive in my judgment. 
 This Convention of 1787 no doubt embraced the 
 Lodges formed under the warrant from Scotland, 
 
516 MASONIC ORATION. 
 
 and also those deriving their authority from St. 
 John's Grand Lodge at Boston. No matter from 
 what sources the Lodges composing this Conven- 
 tion in 1787 derived their authority, this fact 
 stands by the concurrence of all the authorities, 
 that the Convention simply reorganized the 
 Grand Lodge. 
 
 A Constitution and By-laws were adopted and 
 the following officers of the Grand Lodge elected : 
 
 Samuel Johnson, Grand Master. 
 
 Bichard Caswell, Deputy Grand Master. 
 
 Bichard Ellis, Senior Grand Warden. 
 
 Michal Bayne, Junior Grand Warden. 
 
 Abner Neale, Grand Treasurer. 
 
 James Glasgow, Grand Secretary. 
 
 The first communication of the Grand Lodge, 
 after its reorganization, was held in Hillsboro', 
 July 23, 1788. The Convention of the State was 
 then in session in that town, deliberating on the 
 acceptance or rejection of the Constitution of the 
 United States. North Carolina was then an inde- 
 pendent sovereignty — a nation herself. Many of 
 the members of this Convention were members of 
 the Grand Lodge. 
 
 In 1789 a communication was held in Fayette- 
 ville. The Legislature held its session there at 
 the same time, and also the Convention of the 
 State, which had not up to that time adopted the 
 
MASONIC ORATION". 517 
 
 Constitution of the United States. It did, how- 
 ever, do so at that sitting. 
 
 Amongst the names of those enrolled as first 
 connected with Masonry in this reorganization, 
 these are found on the records : Samuel Johnson, 
 Richard Caswell, Alexander Martin, W. R. Davie, 
 and Montfort Stokes — all of them Governors of 
 the State. Also, the names of Stephen Cabarrus, 
 Alexander Caldwell, Wm. Duffey, George L. Da- 
 vidson, Win. Polk, John Louis Taylor, and quite 
 a catalogue of other distinguished and illustrious 
 names. 
 
 Thus it is seen that the seeds of Masonic truth 
 were sown in North Carolina cotemporaneously 
 with the sowing the seeds of American freedom. 
 Those who know anything of the history of North 
 Carolina and the character of the men and their 
 deeds, whose names I have just recited, will see 
 that the men who struck the first blow for civil 
 and religious freedom on this continent — the men 
 who passed through the "times that tried men's 
 souls"— the men who, standing up in the face of 
 the whole world against the most appalling odds, 
 appealing to heaven to defend the right, declared 
 themselves freemen by the inheritance from God 
 and nature of the inalienable right to be so — the 
 men who constituted the government of the State 
 and then stood at the helm of the ship which they 
 had launched — the men who adorned the bar, the 
 
518 MASONIC ORATION. 
 
 bench, the forum — the men whose names, if they 
 do not get into the histories written by strangers, 
 get at least into their geographies, by being 
 stamped by appreciative descendants on the 
 counties and towns of the State, to be thus ren- 
 dered imperishable — were the men who laid the 
 foundation and built the superstructure of Ma- 
 sonry in North Carolina. We, to-day, after the 
 lapse of these long years, with feelings of reve- 
 rence for their memories, and pride in their noble 
 deeds, take occasion, in our Masonic character, 
 to make mention of their heroic virtues, and her- 
 ald to the world the fame to which they are so 
 eminently entitled. It falls not on their ear, for 
 through many a long winter and hot summer they 
 have "slept that sleep that knows no awaking," 
 but it will serve in some measure to rescue from 
 the threatened oblivion these bright examples of 
 heroism, and virtue, and charity, and cause them 
 to live again before our eyes, and those who are 
 to come after us, as ensamples worthy of all imi- 
 tation. 
 
 So much for the history of Masonry in its intro- 
 duction and early propagation in North Carolina. 
 It would be of great interest, to every Mason at 
 least, to review the progress of the institution, 
 which has been parallel with the development 
 and growth of the country. This, however, more 
 properly belongs to history than to an oration. 
 
MASONIC ORATION. 519 
 
 I propose to occupy the remainder of the time 
 allotted to me on this occasion in speaking of the 
 true mission of Masonry in its present speculative 
 form. 
 
 First, then, its mission is the relief of want and 
 woe. Suffering and sorrow are entailed upon our 
 race. Misery and want have been transmitted un- 
 impaired from generation to generation. Amidst 
 all the manifestations of corruption engendered 
 by the sin of our federal head, humanity, touched 
 by the spirit of G-od, displays some traits that 
 commend it even in the eye of angels. There is 
 a cord of sympathy, unbroken by sin, which binds 
 the human family together. Humanity feels the 
 pang of all her children's woes, and weeps when 
 her children are burdened with sorrow. A com- 
 mon sympathy impels us to provide redress and 
 remedy for ills that are a common heritage. 
 
 Out of this sympathy spring all efforts to 
 ameliorate the condition of the suffering — benevo- 
 lent societies of all kinds, asylums, mutual life 
 and fire insurance companies — looking to the aid 
 of the unfortunate and needy, by admitting them 
 to share with those who have plenty and to spare. 
 Masonry is the highest type and purest form that 
 this sympathy assumes, because it is based upon 
 the broad principle of Charity. Not benevolence 
 nor beneficence simply, but a step farther, a 
 degree higher — : Chamty. Odd Fellowship and 
 
520 MASONIC ORATION. 
 
 similar institutions, off-shoots of Masonry, are 
 benevolent institutions — are constructed on the 
 mutual aid principle. A common fund is raised 
 by contribution or taxation. From this fund the 
 unfortunate one of the association draws under 
 rules and restrictions as a eight. Masonry com- 
 mits its all into the common fund, and has no rule 
 in aiding but the broad, grand law of Charity. 
 It promises to help, aid and assist all Masons and 
 their families, the world over, and to the utmost 
 limit required, that does not injure ourself or 
 family. Here is high ground for the philanthro- 
 pist ! Too high for hunianitjr, it is borrowed 
 from Divinity. Acting upon this high principle, 
 she keeps an eye upon her suffering children and 
 goes without ostentation to their relief. Many a 
 billet of wood has been laid, by her hand, on the 
 hearth-stone of want, unseen by those who were 
 warmed and cheered. Many a time the decrease 
 in the widow's tub of meal has been almost as 
 mysteriously supplied by her as when done by 
 miraculous power. Many a time the tear has 
 been brushed from the sobbing cheek of sorrow, 
 when God and the holy Angels only took note of 
 it for future reward. And this, too, " the world 
 over!" This great lesson by some mysterious 
 process seems to have been taught in every clime 
 and in every tribe. Put me clown in destitution 
 and affliction amidst the wildest savages in the 
 
MASONIC ORATION". 521 
 
 deserts of Arabia, or hot sands of Africa, or even 
 the cold, bleak regions of the Arctic, or islands 
 of the sea, or the frontier of our own country, 
 and though I may not be able to comprehend one 
 vernacular word uttered by them, nor they any 
 word of the Anglo Saxon, yet give me the eye of 
 a Mason among them, and I have a dialect in the 
 grand hailing sign, which like the rod of Israel's 
 leader, that smote the rock, will bring from his 
 savage heart the gushing waters of Charity. Tis 
 strange this man has been taught in one school 
 where I have learned and where you have learned. 
 It is a pleasing and curious fact that we have a 
 dialect peculiar to the language of all nations and 
 tribes through which the tale of human woe and 
 want finds intelligible utterance — an idiom en- 
 grafted upon all languages, not by grammatical 
 rule, but by the law of Charity. 
 
 Again, it is the mission of Masonry to promote 
 conservatism in the world. Not political party 
 conservatism. Masonry keeps aloof from party 
 politics — meddles not with governmental affairs. 
 The history of the world does not furnish us a 
 single instance in which Masonry ever struck at 
 any government, or party, or sect. Masons as 
 citizens may have done so, but it has never been 
 done in the name of and by the authority of 
 Masonry. I mean this by the promotion of con- 
 servatism : There are to be found in every age 
 
 23* 
 
522 MASONIC ORATION. 
 
 and amongst all classes, persons who are what we 
 term one ideacl men. One idea embraced and fol- 
 lowed in the neglect or rejection of all other ideas 
 leads to extremes, and extremists become ultraists, 
 and nltraists become intolerant, and intolerance 
 leads to collision, and collision is revolution, 
 and such revolution ends most generally in 
 anarchy and confusion. On the other hand, 
 there is to be found always another class 
 called latitudinarians, who believe in all ideas, 
 promote all, patronize all, without regard to 
 truth or error. It is plain to see that this 
 leads to the same result in the end, though 
 by a different and opposite mode. Then there is 
 another class both in Church and State, and in the 
 departments of science, who endeavor to avoid 
 both extremes by keeping on the middle ground, 
 acting on the principle of proving all things and 
 holding fast that which is good. These are con- 
 servative men, wherever found, and are promo- 
 ters of peace and discoverers of truth. 
 
 It is too commonly the practice in this age for 
 men to make up their minds first on questions to 
 be considered and discussed, and then hunt up 
 evidence to fortify them in their conclusion. 
 Much of the ■ investigation of principles in search 
 of truth goes on this mode. It is also found that 
 men of this class have in them the spirit to look 
 upon all men and evidence opposed to their pre- 
 
MASONIC ORATION. 523 
 
 conceived opinions as enemies necessarily. In 
 addition, these men are great sticklers for terms, 
 one employing a term in one sense, and another 
 employing the same term in another sense. Nine- 
 tenths of the bitterness and error of the world 
 result from the ultraism of these extreme bigots, 
 who are always impatient with, and intolerant of, 
 each other. There are thousands of men in poli- 
 tics, in religion, in science, who have each other 
 by the ears and are feeling logically for the fifth 
 rib, that would be entirely agreed if they could 
 understand one another. Blinded by partisan 
 prejudice, they are fighting for the formula of the 
 idea, rather than the idea itself. If they would 
 just take a little breath and talk matters over 
 calmly, and with a view to know really what was 
 meant, they would in the shortest possible time 
 abandon their quarrel and agree on truth. 
 
 Masonry in her conservative spirit, in the dis- 
 charge of her high mission, lays her hand upon 
 these combatants and cries, "hold! you are 
 brethren. Leave all your strifes and disputes 
 outside the door and come forward around my 
 altars and I will make you acquainted with each 
 other. Come here in the spirit of amity and fra- 
 ternity and look each other in the face, and take 
 each other by the hand, and bow together before 
 one common Lord, and you will soon learn that 
 each is not such a monster as the other re- 
 
524 MASONIC ORATION. 
 
 garclecl him." It then takes the hand of the re- 
 publican and lays it in the hand of the democrat, 
 places the Armenian beside the Calvinist, the 
 immersionist along with the Apostolic secession- 
 ist, the Jew with the Greek — and as they go 
 forth in the march of life, with their loins girt 
 about with the lamb skin, all who see them are 
 constrained to say — "Behold how good and how 
 pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in 
 unity." When disputants are thus held in con- 
 cord and forbearance, truth has an easy triumph. 
 The conservatism of Masonry was signally 
 illustrated in the progress and termination of our 
 late national struggle. When the tides of pas- 
 sion ran high on both sides, when sectional hate 
 flamed in the heart of all classes, when the feet 
 of nearly every man were swift to shed blood, 
 when reproaches and bitter curses were breathed 
 forth on every hand, when the black cloud of war 
 hung in dark folds over the whole land, with no 
 ray of light traceable on it — there was a bright 
 form seen amidst the bloody scenes — it seemed to 
 be the form of an angel of mercy. It lifted its 
 voice of pity and commiseration amidst the wails 
 of the wounded and dying. It stood all night 
 long by the hospital bunk. It took the riddled 
 forms of brothers and laid them in their rude 
 coffins in their last sleep. It wrote home the sad 
 message. It knew no political distinction. It 
 
MASONIC ORATION. 525 
 
 had written for a motto, no North, no South, but 
 in modest capitals on the folds of its hand-flag 
 were seen the words — " Brotherly Love, Relief 
 and Truth." And when the last gun was fired — 
 when the brave and heroic soldiery flung down 
 their arms and sought their homes, the first hand 
 stretched out from the North to the South in her 
 despondency and gloom — in the sackcloth and 
 ashes in which she had clothed herself, was the 
 hand that gives the grip whereby one Mason 
 knows another in the darkness of national defeat 
 as well as in the light of national triumph. The 
 first document published in the North proposing 
 amity and reconciliation on the basis of magna- 
 nimity and equality, emanated from a Grand 
 Lodge of Masons. The first aid voted to the 
 South in her destitution was voted by a Northern 
 Grand Lodge. Masons North said to us : " We 
 are brethren, let us be friends. We are all frail 
 mortals, erring — let us forget the past and take 
 care for the future." It struck the heart of the 
 South as the first note of reunion — it was the 
 first bow of hope that arched the retiring cloud. 
 As little as the outside world may think of it, or 
 regard it, one of the greatest conserving influ- 
 ences of this country at the present time is to be 
 found in the conservatism of the 400,000 intelli- 
 gent Free Masons distributed from Maine to Cal- 
 ifornia. 
 
526 MASONIC ORATION. 
 
 Again, its mission is the promotion of morality. 
 It does not aspire to the office of Christianity. It 
 provides no atonement, consequently it cannot 
 change the heart. It says to bad men, " I can do 
 you no good, whilst you can do me much harm. 
 G-o first to the Cross, and then come by this way." 
 Its mission is confined to this world and the pres- 
 ent state. It labors to elevate man here, to im- 
 prove his condition, and minister to his happi- 
 ness here. It labors to smooth the rough pas- 
 sages in the journey of life — to pluck up the thorns 
 that grow in his path and plant beautiful flowers 
 in the stead thereof — to break and dissipate the 
 clouds that gather about his head, shrouding his 
 prospects with their shadows. It strives to beau- 
 tify and adorn his home with all the domestic vir- 
 tues, to kindle upon his hearthstone the fires of 
 cheerfulness and hope. It teaches him the les- 
 sons of sobriety and industry, of integrity and 
 courage. When prosperity is turned upon him, 
 it teaches him to restrain his pride and self-suffi- 
 ciency ; when adversity is his lot, it teaches him 
 the lesson of patience and hope. 
 
 Christianity does all this and more. It teaches 
 him to prepare, for a higher life, a future state, a 
 brighter world. When his final hour has come, 
 Masonry wipes the death sweat from his face, 
 closes his glazed eye with a fraternal finger, and, 
 taking him in the arms of affection, lays him down 
 
MASONIC ORATION. 527 
 
 gently in his bed of earth, raises a mound, 
 smoothes it down with the spade of the sexton, 
 plants a little flower to keep vigil at the sacred 
 spot, and then hurries back to look after the widow 
 and the orphan. It can go no farther — its mis- 
 sion ends with him here. 
 
 Christianity does all that and more. Where 
 Masonry lays him down Christianity takes him 
 up. Christianity meets him in the tomb, lights 
 up the halls of death and converts the otherwise 
 dark and cheerless grave into a brilliant saloon. 
 Tells him that the sepulchre is but his resting 
 place — his inn for the night, on the great journey. 
 That he simply stops here to change his dress of 
 flesh — that this is the robing room for the celes- 
 tial palace, where mortals adjust their toilet for 
 the grand reception at the " great supper." Well 
 may we imagine the high pleasure, aye, joy, when 
 Christianity, the usher, takes her golden key and 
 unlocks the farther door that opens on the vast 
 unknown. Fresh tides of light come streaming 
 from the upper sanctuary. She leads him over 
 the bridge that spans the river of death with 
 golden arch and silver rail, conducts him on and 
 points him upward, and leaves him not till she 
 leaves him throned and sceptred with harp and 
 palm. This is the end of her mission. 
 
 Christianity is the queen with sparkling coronet 
 lighting up this dark world with radiant smile. 
 
528 MASONIC ORATION. 
 
 Masonry is her maid of honor, serving in the 
 outer court distributing her benefits. Or to change 
 the figure — Christianity is the Temple with its 
 turrets and towers, its dome and arch. As it 
 rises in its beautiful proportions, attracting the 
 gaze and admiration of mankind by its beauty and 
 symmetry, it affords shelter and sustenance to all 
 who enter its courts and seek its altars. Masonry 
 is the scaffolding used by the builders, to be taken 
 down and removed when the building is comple- 
 ted. It is the outer porch, the steps that lead up 
 to her sanctuaries. All that Masonry asks is to 
 be permitted, without pretended merit, to hold up 
 the hands that shall raise and bear to its place the 
 capstone, and subordinate^ mingle her voice in 
 the shout of rejoicing over the completion of this 
 grand spiritual edifice. 
 
 Thus much for the mission of Masonry. If we 
 shall execute it, my brethren, with faithfulness, 
 and shall so teach our children, when we shall 
 have passed away they will do for us what we 
 are attempting to-day for those who have pre- 
 ceded us in the silent years that lie entombed in 
 the past. 
 
 In concluding the reflections of this hour, it 
 may not be amiss for one moment to run back in 
 thought one hundred years — walk around the 
 base of this noble fabric of ours — view its founda- 
 tion stones laid in the wilds of a new and opening 
 
MASONIC ORATION. 529 
 
 empire — dwell for a time amidst the scenes of 
 struggling hope and heroic resolve, take com- 
 panionship for a season with the highest types of 
 manhood, rock for a moment in the throes of a 
 revolution that gave birth to an empire of reli- 
 gious freedom, of science, and charity, and thus 
 catch a glow of inspiration that shall nerve our 
 courage, sanctify our ambition, fire our patriot- 
 ism, and expand our charity, so that we may be 
 the better fitted for the responsible duties of the 
 ordeal through which we have been passing, and 
 from which, I trust in God's name, we are now 
 emerging — that in the various departments of life 
 in which our hands are finding work to do, we 
 may be assisted by this day's duty and privilege 
 to transmit to those who are to live a hundred 
 years hence, with an increase in the legacy, the 
 blessed inheritance bequeathed us by our buried 
 but still remembered and revered centennial an- 
 cestors. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 SKETCH BY REV. DR. DEEMS. 
 
 [The following Sketch did not come to hand until much of the book was in 
 type, thus losing its place in the Biography. At the earnest desire of Rev. 
 Mr. Lewis it is put in an Appendix to this edition. — Publishers.] 
 
 Rev. John W. Lewis. 
 
 Rev. and Dear Sir: Although my intercourse 
 with Dr. Reid was not intimate, I had sufficient 
 opportunity to form an estimate of his character, 
 and willingly comply with your request to write a 
 few lines of recollections. 
 
 When I first saw " Fletcher Reid " — as he was 
 usually called in the North Carolina Conference, 
 more through affectionate regard than undue 
 familiarity — he was very slight in his physique, 
 and looked so frail that I feared he would not be 
 continued many years in the work of the Christian 
 ministry. Afterwards there was discovered a 
 wiry fibre in his constitution, which, with his great 
 will-force, enabled him to survive much labor. 
 The itinerant ministry gave him frequent changes, 
 and these assisted in prolonging his life. 
 
 He entered the Conference with many advan- 
 tages. His father was one of the oldest members, 
 and was a Presiding Elder, and generally popular 
 
532 APPENDIX. 
 
 with the laymen of the Church throughout North 
 Carolina and many portions of Virginia. His uncle, 
 yourself, sir, had been for many years a trusted 
 member of the Conference. Fletcher Eeid had 
 had educational advantages in advance of a great 
 majority of the members of the Conference. He 
 had a pleasing, gentlemanly, scholarly appearance 
 and manner, that were winning. He was, there- 
 fore, warmly received, and taken to a place in the 
 heart of the Conference, which I think he never 
 lost. 
 
 His father, the late Rev. James Reid, was an 
 old man when I first entered the ministry in 
 North Carolina. He had always shown me great 
 regard, and my feelings toward him were really 
 warm and kind. He had his peculiarities, so well 
 and universally known, that no impropriety can 
 be in alluding to them. He was very politic 
 in a most innocent way. He never sought to 
 hurt, but always preferred to surround all his 
 operations with a cloud of diplomacy, which was 
 very transparent to all outside, and exhibited his 
 genuine kind-heartedness, and sometimes really 
 assisted his native shrewdness without ever creat- 
 ing doubts of his goodness. 
 
 It was at the Salisbury Conference, 1851, that 
 Fletcher was admitted. At the General Confer- 
 ence of the Church in May, 1850, the North Caro- 
 lina Conference had applied for and obtained an 
 
APPENDIX. 533 
 
 extension of territory, which was made by cur- 
 tailing the bounds of the South Carolina Confer- 
 ence, at which the brethren in South Carolina 
 were naturally greatly moved ; and up to the 
 time of the Salisbury session they were making 
 movements which, if consummated, might deprive 
 the North Carolina Conference of all good of its 
 recent gain. Bishop Andrew was presiding. He 
 had formerly been a member of the South Carolina 
 Conference, and had naturally leaned against 
 North Carolina in the boundary discussion. He 
 was feared, and measures were taken to keep him 
 from embarrassing the North Carolina Conference. 
 A meeting was held in a hall connected with the 
 hotel. When I entered the room was well filled, 
 and a chair given me near the door. " Uncle 
 Reid," as Fletcher's father was affectionately 
 called by the ministers, had just taken the floor. 
 He was describing the situation in such language 
 as seemed most frank, but which was such as 
 left the hearer in profound doubt as to how Uncle 
 Reid regarded it. He closed by saying, "Mr. 
 Chairman, I'll tell you just what kind of resolu- 
 lution I want passed." Now, thought I, we shall 
 know which side he is on. He made an impres- 
 sive rhetorical pause, and looking around the 
 room, he brought his eyes back to the Chairman, 
 and waving his index finger, he said slowly, "I 
 want a resolution that shall be clear, forcible, and 
 to the point, but perfectly non-committal /" 
 
534 APPENDIX. 
 
 This characteristic stroke was too much for me, 
 and, in common with all present, I laughed oat- 
 right. At that moment I caught the eye of 
 Fletcher. He had colored a little while smiling, 
 but I thought his eye had fallen specially on me. 
 It made me very unhappy. I could not bear for 
 a moment that he should suppose that I could 
 treat his father with the slightest disrespect, and 
 yet an explanation would be awkward. 
 
 This continued to embarrass me in my inter- 
 course with Fletcher. It was a little thing, but 
 hurt like a mote in the eye. The relief was af- 
 forded by him, for which I always felt very grate- 
 ful. It came in this way. Several years after 
 the occurrence Fletcher and I were on a Com- 
 mittee, and he insisted that I should write the 
 report. When we met to prepare the matter, I 
 asked him to give me his views of the form our 
 recommendation to the Conference should take. 
 He looked at me quizzically. A kind and mis- 
 chievous light played over his face. He drew 
 himself up, and commencing to wave his index 
 finger, said, " I'll tell you the kind of resolution 
 to write : I want a resolution that shall be clear, 
 forcible, and to the point, but perfectly non- 
 committal ! " and broke into a roar of laughter. 
 I caught his hand, joining heartily in the hilarity, 
 and said, "Fletcher, you can't tell how much 
 that joke has relieved me." "I thought so," he 
 
APPENDIX. 535 
 
 replied, "and I have long desired to show you 
 that I took no offence at what occurred at Salis- 
 bury, although I could see you thought I did." 
 
 This simple story is told here at the request of 
 one of Dr. Reid's most loving friends, who be- 
 lieves, with me, that it sets the man in a very 
 beautiful light. From that time, so far as I 
 know, our mutual regard was never broken. We 
 greatly differed on many questions, but usually it 
 was more as to the methods of carrying forward 
 the Church, and in our estimate of certain men, 
 than in anything else. He was devoted and 
 faithful to the Church. His attendance upon the 
 General Conference of 1870 changed his views of 
 some things and some men, and it is pleasant to 
 record, that in our parting interview, not long 
 before he died, there was a delightful Christian 
 cordiality. When he left me I felt that if his life 
 were spared he would come into a position in 
 which he could be still more useful to the Church 
 of God. 
 
 His chief characteristic was a powerful per- 
 sonal magnetism. He would have made a most 
 able and successful politician. Even when he 
 was mistaken, and his rhetoric was broken and 
 his logic faulty, he could carry men to his side, 
 simply because he was on that side. He inherited 
 from his father a pathos which was very moving. 
 I have often said that "Uncle Reid " could stir 
 
536 APPENDIX. 
 
 me to tears by reading columns of Webster's Dic- 
 tionary. But Fletcher had acuteness, much taste, 
 prudence, and warm-heartedness, aud some schol- 
 arship. He was a man to be loved, and he was 
 loved. As it deserves to be, long will his name 
 be cherished in North Carolina. 
 
 I have not read any of the manuscripts of this 
 volume. Printed sermons usually fail to convey 
 a fair idea of the preacher. Dr. Reid ? s extraor- 
 dinarily expressive eye and sensitive mouth, his 
 pauses, his gestures, his flashes — these cannot 
 be reproduced in print, but this volume will hand 
 down to the children of his personal friends a 
 memorial of one of the most gifted, most loved, 
 and most mourned of the departed sons of North 
 Carolina. 
 
 Regretting that the pressure of my engage- 
 ments has postponed this sketch so long, and 
 trusting that the volume contains such matter as 
 that by it our friend, being dead, ma} r yet speak, 
 I am, 
 
 Faithfully your brother, 
 
 CHARLES F. DEEMS. 
 
 Church of the Strangers, New Tore:, 
 21th October, 1874. 
 

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