{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_49659/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_49659","id":"gutenberg_49659","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/49659","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Biographies","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Free Methodist Church of North America","Osborne, Zenas"],"text":"\u250c\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2510\n  \u2502                                                                \u2502\n  \u2502                      Transcriber\u2019s Notes                       \u2502\n  \u2502                                                                \u2502\n  \u2502                                                                \u2502\n  \u2502  The cover image was provided by the transcriber and is placed \u2502\n  \u2502  in the public domain.                                         \u2502\n  \u2502                                                                \u2502\n  \u2502  The INDEX at the end of the book is in the form of a table of \u2502\n  \u2502  CONTENTS, and has been so labeled and moved to the front of   \u2502\n  \u2502  the book following the Preface.                               \u2502\n  \u2502                                                                \u2502\n  \u2502  Punctuation has been standardized.                            \u2502\n  \u2502                                                                \u2502\n  \u2502  Characters in small caps have been replaced by all caps.      \u2502\n  \u2502                                                                \u2502\n  \u2502  Non-printable characteristics have been given the following   \u2502\n  \u2502  transliteration:                                              \u2502\n  \u2502      Italic text: --> _text_                                   \u2502\n  \u2502                                                                \u2502\n  \u2502  This book was written in a period when many words had         \u2502\n  \u2502  not become standardized in their spelling. Words may have     \u2502\n  \u2502  multiple spelling variations or inconsistent hyphenation in   \u2502\n  \u2502  the text. These have been left unchanged unless indicated     \u2502\n  \u2502  with a Transcriber\u2019s Note.                                    \u2502\n  \u2502                                                                \u2502\n  \u2502  Scripture notation was shown in multiple formats. These have  \u2502\n  \u2502  been standardized into a single format.                       \u2502\n  \u2502                                                                \u2502\n  \u2502  Transcriber\u2019s Notes are used when making corrections to the   \u2502\n  \u2502  text or to provide additional information for the modern      \u2502\n  \u2502  reader. These notes are not identified in the text, but have  \u2502\n  \u2502  been accumulated in a single section at the end of the book.  \u2502\n  \u2502                                                                \u2502\n  \u2514\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2500\u2518\n\n\n\n\n                        \u201cBORN OF THE SPIRIT.\u201d\n\n                                 OR\n\n                     GEMS FROM THE BOOK OF LIFE.\n\n\n                                  A\n                       MIRACULOUS CONVERSION.\n\n\n                              THRILLING\n               MANIFESTATIONS OF THE ALMIGHTY\u2019S POWER.\n\n\n               _To Save the Sick, Feed the Hungry, and\n                         Clothe the Naked._\n\n\n                      OUR GOD IS UNCHANGEABLE.\n\n                   ARE THE DAYS OF MIRACLES PAST?\n\n                       ANSWERED BY THE AUTHOR,\n\n                         REV. ZENAS OSBORNE.\n\n                       WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY\n\n                   ELDER MOSES NATHANIEL DOWNING.\n\n\n            \u201cWe use great plainness of speech.\u201d--_Paul._\n\n         \u201cAnd the common people heard Him gladly.\u201d--_Mark._\n\n\n                       SARATOGA SPRINGS, N. Y.\n                         JOHN JOHNSON & CO.\n                                1888.\n\n\n\n\n                   Entered according to the act of\n                     Congress in the year 1888,\n                       BY REV. ZENAS OSBORNE,\n                        In the office of the\n                       Librarian of Congress,\n                        at Washington, D. C.\n\n\n\n\n                            INTRODUCTION.\n\n\nOne of the specialties of this age is book-making. This argues\ndemand. This demand, especially in the realm of morals and religion\nis based, partly on the prevalence of erroneous theories and the\nimportance of their refutation; partly on the necessity that renewed\nand increased emphasis be given to the word of God; partly on the\nexistence of what is called \u201cadvanced thought,\u201d and partly on the\nfact of a great reading public. Then let the good work go on. The\nservants of sin and error are busy and persistent in pushing their\nproductions to the front. Let the sons of \u201cgrace and truth\u201d magnify\ntheir office, and \u201chold forth the Word of Life.\u201d The demand for good\nand useful books will increase as long as error increases, as long as\ntruth and the Church of Christ are antagonized.\n\nOf all human interest that of the soul is paramount. The truth\nwhich leads to its possession is priceless. The vehicles of truth\nare various and many. Truth is the enemy and exterminator of error,\nand when harnessed for war it pursues and overtakes its foe, and\nvictorious, it shines the brighter, and is the more appreciated\nby the contests through which its laurels are won. \u201cThe words of\nthe wise are as goods, and as nails fastened by the masters of\nassemblies.\u201d The preservation of their words is a sacred boon to\nthe world.\n\nThe author of \u201cBorn of the Spirit,\u201d or \u201cGems from the Book of Life,\u201d\nhas hit on a taking title for his book, and without doubt, the\ncareful and thoughtful reader will find that it is fully justified\nby the subject matter of its pages. It is with great pleasure I\nintroduce Mr. OSBORNE to the reader. I have known him nearly thirty\nyears, and have been associated with him in the work of God in the\nSusquehanna Annual Conference of the F. M. Church over twenty years.\nHe is known to be an able minister of the Lord Jesus Christ. He has\na religious experience. He has been \u201cborn again, not of blood, nor\nof the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.\u201d The\nmany years he has spent in the Gospel ministry and his deep Christian\nexperience have not only enabled him to gather many \u201cGems from the\nBook of Life,\u201d but also have qualified him to speak with no uncertain\nsound on the topics treated in his book.\n\nThe arrangement of the work is admirable, being in short chapters,\neach one complete in itself. May it have a wide sale, not only\nthroughout the denomination of his choice, but also in thousands of\nhomes in the \u201cregions beyond.\u201d And wherever it goes may it demolish\nerror, encourage Christian faith, inspire Christian zeal, intensify\nChristian love; and may the author, having grown gray and nearly worn\nout in the service of Christ, find at the resurrection of the just\nnot only that he is counted among that redeemed throng, but also that\nhis \u201cBorn of the Spirit,\u201d his \u201cGems from the Book of Life,\u201d has, by\nthe blessing of God, added a multitude to that count.\n\n                                                 M. N. DOWNING.\n\nBINGHAMTON, N. Y., April 24, 1888.\n\n\n\n\n                             DEDICATION.\n\n\nTo the memory of her who became my companion when we first set sail\non the domestic voyage of life, and who for seventeen years, by her\namiability, Christian integrity, and faithfulness as a wife and\nmother, made home earth\u2019s Paradise; and subsequently to her who for\nnearly twenty-five years has stood so heroically with me in the joys,\nsorrows, toils and sufferings consequent upon an itinerant\u2019s life;\nand to the dear children given to us by these sacred relations, who\nnow, as the infirmities of this uncertain life are coming upon us\nwith sure and certain tread, manifest in the silvery locks, furrowed\ncheeks, bedimmed vision--all indicating that our sun is rapidly\ndescending the western slope, so tenderly care for us in bearing the\nburdens of life, and lovingly provide for our comfort, is this work\nsacredly dedicated by\n\n                                                    THE AUTHOR.\n\n\n\n\n                              PREFACE.\n\n\nMy reasons for writing and publishing this book are:\n\n1--I believe that the Lord wanted me to. The burden has been on my\nheart for years to do this very thing.\n\n2--I have a great desire to perpetuate the glory of God for the\nmiraculous power displayed in saving one, who had been so great a\nsinner as me, and for so many years in the toil and conflict of\nlife, leading me beside the still waters, and into green pastures;\ndelivering me out of the hand of my enemies, and all their\nexpectation again and again; bringing re-enforcements when it seemed\nthat all supplies were cut off.\n\n3--On several occasions for miraculous deliverance from drowning,\nwhen others perished, and for the preservation of life on other\noccasions, when nearly kicked to death by vicious horses, and badly\nbruised by them.\n\n4--Living on the old battle ground, where so many battles were fought\nbetween \u201cThe Buffalo Regency\u201d on one side, and God\u2019s militant host\non the other, and being so well acquainted with both sides, and the\nquestions involved, which resulted in the formation of the Free\nMethodist Church, and in the order of Providence I was making the\nRev. John E. Robie a call when the Buffalo Regency met in council,\nand determined upon the expulsion of all that endorsed Methodism\nclean and clear; and then, on the other side, I was often present at\nBro. Amos Hard\u2019s when councils of war met, and determined to stand by\nthe \u201cold landmarks,\u201d however much it might cost them.\n\nTruly, there were giants in those days. A nobler class of saints\nnever wore a martyr\u2019s crown than those of the old Genesee Conference.\nTheir memory is still precious.\n\n5--To encourage precious souls that have taken the narrow way, that\nhave left old associations that had in days gone by been as dear\nto them as life, but for conscience sake and the glory of God, had\nforsaken all and cast their lot in with the unpretentious, whose aim\nand object is to do all the good possible to the souls and bodies of\nmen, and gain the skies at last. And to persuade those who really\ndesire to be just what God designed we should be, and want all the\nlight and help possible to do likewise, cast their lot in with the\nfew, if the Holy Spirit leads you in that direction. It pays richly\nto follow the _Pillar_ of fire, even though it may lead in peculiar\nways. It is the safe way.\n\nEvery article written in this book has been, we humbly trust, the\npromptings of the Spirit for the salvation of souls and the building\nup of the Redeemer\u2019s Kingdom.\n\n6--It has been frequently stated that the days of miracles are past,\nand that we are not to expect any very great displays of God\u2019s saving\npower in these days of light and culture; but these expressions\nare not in harmony with a thus saith the Lord and experience. My\nconversion was just as marvelous as St. Paul\u2019s, and what I have\npassed through, and have seen of God\u2019s power on others for more than\nthirty years, has been just as miraculous as the healing of the lame\nman at the beautiful gate, or the man that was blind, whom Jesus\ntouched, \u201cand lo, he saw men as trees walking.\u201d\n\n_That double cure_ mentioned in this volume was just as great a\nmarvel as the expelling of the legion of devils from the men of\n\u201cGadara.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n                              CONTENTS.\n\n\nCHAP.  TITLE\n\n       Introduction\n\n       Dedication\n\n       Preface\n\n   1.  A Translation\n\n   2.  I Wanted to Swear\n\n   3.  About My Tobacco\n\n   4.  The Plague of Narcotics\n\n   5.  A Call to the Ministry\n\n   6.  A Particular Providence\n\n   7.  A Peculiar People\n\n   8.  The Free Methodist Church a Necessity\n\n   9.  Dreams, Presentiments\n\n  10.  Healing Faith\n\n  11.  A Double Cure\n\n  12.  Justification\n\n  13.  A Direct Route\n\n  14.  Rest, But Not Loiter\n\n  15.  A Living Sacrifice\n\n  16.  The Law And The Gospel\n\n  17.  Keep The Sabbath Day Holy\n\n  18.  Your Fruit Unto Holiness\n\n  19.  Without Natural Affection\n\n  20.  Sowing And Reaping\n\n  21.  To Actual Settlers\n\n  22.  The Widow\u2019s Mite\n\n  23.  Are We Drifting\n\n  24.  Pap\n\n  25.  Victory\n\n  26.  Lock Up\n\n  27.  A Success\n\n  28.  They Might Be A Success\n\n  29.  Fear, Or The Scare-crow Devil\n\n  30.  Trust\n\n  31.  Seeing Eye To Eye\n\n  32.  The Edge Off\n\n  33.  The Old Salt Lick\n\n  34.  Be Positive\n\n  35.  The Dead Line\n\n  36.  Pump Logs\n\n  37.  The End\n\n  38.  Conclusion\n\n\n\n\n                                 I.\n\n                           A TRANSLATION.\n\n\n            \u201cOnce I wandered in the maze of error,\n               In the downward road;\n             Oft my soul was filled with fear and terror\n               When I thought of God.\n             Jesus saw me rushing on to ruin,\n               Offered pardoning grace;\n             And I left the way I was pursuing,\n               Turned and saw his face.\n\n             CHORUS--\n                 Now I feel my sins forgiven,\n                   Through th\u2019 atoning blood,\n                 And I have a blessed hope of heaven,\n                   Glory be to God.\n\n             I am glad I ever found the Saviour,\n               Now I\u2019m fully blest;\n             There are pleasures in His pardoning favor,\n               Joy, and peace, and rest.\n             I\u2019m standing on the holy mountain,\n               Near Salvation\u2019s pool,\n             And the waters from the bursting fountain\n               Cheer my thirsty soul.\n\n             I\u2019ve left earth\u2019s vain and fleeting pleasures,\n               Bade them all adieu;\n             And I\u2019m seeking now for heavenly treasures,\n               Lasting, pure and true.\n             Glittering toys of time, farewell forever;\n               To you I\u2019ll not bow;\n             I will leave my blessed Jesus never;\n               He\u2019s my portion now.\n\n             I will tell Salvation\u2019s pleasing story,\n               While I live below,\n             And I\u2019ll try to spread my Saviour\u2019s glory,\n               Everywhere I go.\n             When the word is from the Master given,\n               \u2018Child, from toiling cease,\u2019\n             I expect to find a home in heaven,\n               Home of endless peace.\u201d\n\nWhen young, I was \u201ctrained up in the nurture and admonition of the\nLord.\u201d Well do I recollect some of the first lessons taught me by my\nparents--such as \u201cOur Father which art in heaven,\u201d and \u201cNow I lay\nme down to sleep,\u201d and others of a like character. These were in\nthe morn of life, printed upon memory\u2019s tablet. I always believed\nthere was a divine reality in the religion of Jesus Christ. I do not\nrecollect a long time when the Spirit of God did not strive with me,\nand often powerfully; so that frequently I felt that I was the chief\nof sinners. I would often resolve to seek the Lord, and when the\ntime came I would procrastinate for a more convenient season. Thus I\ngrieved my heavenly Father for thirty-two long years.\n\nI wonder that God spared my unprofitable life so long. My father was\na lover of the truth, as it is in Christ Jesus. He had great respect\nfor the Sabbath--hence the children were not allowed to play and\nfrolic about on the Lord\u2019s Day. I praise God for these early, godly\nimpressions. Well do I recollect, when a very small child, sitting in\nmy little chair, and singing with my father these beautiful lines,\n\u201cO, how happy are they who their Saviour obey,\u201d etc.\n\nAt the age of eight I went with my father to a quarterly meeting,\nheld in a barn. While the saints were upon their knees in prayer, I\nwas upon my knees calling upon the name of the Lord. I felt something\ngoing through me like lightning, producing a heavenly sweetness;\nalso that I had suddenly been put in possession of wings, for I felt\nlike flying. As I look back upon this scene, I have no doubt but\nthat God\u2019s blessing was upon me on that occasion. I was frequently\nunder such deep conviction of sin that I could not sleep nights.\nThese seasons of deep conviction continued with me until I was\nconverted to God. After these seasons of conviction I became more\nhardened in sin. On several occasions I was brought near to death by\ndisease, drowning, and in other ways. If being delivered from the\njaws of death in a variety of ways is evidence of our election, then\nI am elected, for I have been thus delivered. I praise God that our\nelection has a different foundation--even JESUS CHRIST--the Saviour\nof men.\n\nAt the age of twenty, I agreed with some of my associates to go\nforward to the mourners\u2019 seat for prayers, as the preacher had said\nthat the next night would close the meetings unless there should be\na move among the sinners. We did not want the meetings to close,\nneither did we mean to get religion at that time. I loved to attend\nreligious meetings, not because it was _right_, but to _see_ and be\nseen, and to enjoy the society of kindred spirits. The night arrived\nin which we had agreed to make a move, to prevent the meetings from\nbeing broken up. Meetings had been run for several weeks, without any\napparent success, until _the_ night in which we had agreed to move.\nAfter preaching, the invitation was given to any wishing religion.\nOne of the company went forward, and then another. I thought of my\nword; I had agreed to go. It was an awful moment with me. I thought\nthat we were trifling with the Almighty. I would have given worlds,\nif I could, to be out of the scrape. I shook from head to foot, like\nBelshazzar of old. I was completely covered with sweat, so terribly\nwas I exercised. The company had all gone; I was left. I started;\nhad all I could do to get to the seat. God overruled this for His\nglory. Some twenty-five went forward that night. The meetings went on\nwith power and profit. Many were converted to God. My condition was\npainful in the extreme. For several days after this I seemed to be\non the boundary line between the two worlds, and about to be ushered\ninto the everlasting burnings. Whenever I closed my eyes to sleep\nI seemed to be surrounded by the damned in hell. O, what a view I\nhad of the lost! How I seemed to hear the wailings of despair, and\nrealized that this was the doom of the wicked. After this I became\nmore wicked than before. I was a complete adept in wickedness. I\nhad been free from all parental restraint from the time I was about\ntwelve years old. I mingled in all kinds of society; hence I had an\nexcellent opportunity for learning much of the evil that exists at\nthe present day. I learned too much.\n\nI wonder that God did not cut me off in my sins, after grieving his\nspirit so long. _He is not willing that any should perish._ I had\nfelt for several years that I should not have the strivings of the\nSpirit but once more, and then, if I did not yield, I should be left\nto myself, abandoned of God.\n\nOn the fifth of February, 1857, God met me in the road. These words\ncame with great force to my mind: \u201cChoose you this day whom ye will\nserve. _Come, decide the matter now._ If you mean to serve the devil\nthe remainder of your life, say so right _here_. Have this matter\n_settled forever_. If you mean to give yourself to God, do it _now_!\nThis is the time.\u201d\n\nThese were awful moments to me. \u201cChoose you this day whom ye will\nserve.\u201d I was pressed to a decision. My immortal spirit seemed to\nbalance between heaven and hell. Heaven, with all that is lovely,\njoys immortal forever at God\u2019s right hand, seemed to be clearly\npresented on the one hand; and the damnation of hell on the other.\n_Which will you have?_ I resolved from that time, henceforth and\nforever, to seek after and serve God with all my redeemed powers.\nThat evening I erected a family altar, and commenced calling upon the\nname of the Lord. The next morning I thanked God for keeping me and\nmine through the night; and when seated around the table I thanked\nGod for the food prepared for us. This was really a great cross. I\nhad _vowed_ to God, the residue of my life should be spent in His\nservice. I continued to seek the Lord by doing everything I thought a\nChristian ought to do. I made it a specialty to get religion. I cried\nunto the Lord with all my heart, and the more I prayed the worse I\nfelt. For three days and nights I was wrestling with God in prayer. I\nconfessed my sins. I did all that I could. After continuing in this\nway for about three days, it occurred to me that there was no mercy\nfor me. I had sinned away the day of grace. These were truly awful\nmoments to me. No hope! No mercy! No salvation! Right here the spirit\nwhispered to my aching heart, \u201cBelieve in the Lord Jesus Christ and\nthou shalt be saved;\u201d and blessed be God, right here I was enabled\nto believe that Jesus Christ was my Saviour. My weight of guilt was\ngone. Joy and peace filled my heart. Old things had passed away, and\nbehold! _all_ things had become new. I sprang to my feet and praised\nGod aloud! At this point in my experience, my feelings are well\ndescribed in those beautiful lines of Dr. Hunter:\n\n              Sinking and panting, as for breath,\n                I knew not help was near me,\n              And cried, \u201cO, save me, Lord, from death!\n                Immortal Jesus, hear me!\u201d\n\n              Then, quick as thought, I felt Him mine,\n                My Saviour stood before me!\n              I saw his brightness round me shine,\n                  And shouted, Glory! Glory!\n\n                Oh, sacred hour! Oh, hallowed spot!\n                  Where love divine first found me;\n                Wherever falls my distant lot,\n                  My heart shall linger round thee!\n\n                And when from earth I rise to soar\n                  Up to my home in heaven,\n                Down will I cast my eyes once more,\n                  Where first I was forgiven.\n\n\n\n\n                                 II.\n\n                         I WANTED TO SWEAR;\n\n           OR, HOW I KNEW THE DOCTRINE OF ENTIRE HOLINESS,\n                AS TAUGHT BY JOHN WESLEY TO BE TRUE.\n\n\nMy conversion to God was as clear as the sun at noon-day; \u201cOld things\npassed away and _all_ things became new.\u201d As I looked out the next\nmorning upon the fields and woods, all seemed to be praising God. My\nsoul was completely ravished with his love. I had been \u201ctranslated\nfrom the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of God\u2019s dear Son.\u201d I\nwas emphatically a new creature in Christ Jesus; all the aspirations\nof my soul were changed. I wanted to tell everybody what the blessed\nJesus had done for me; I felt like crying continually, \u201c_Behold the\nLamb!_\u201d God helped me to tell the story of the cross, which kept the\nfire burning within--Glory to God! \u201cAs I came to Zion, songs and\neverlasting joy was upon my head,\u201d and in my heart. For days\n\n            \u201cNot a cloud did arise to darken my skies,\n             Or hide one moment, my Lord from my eyes.\u201d\n                   \u201cAnd I could not believe\n                    That I ever should grieve,\n                 That I ever should suffer again.\u201d\n\nI thought that I never should have any more bad feelings; I expected\nto rejoice evermore. This state of things continued about three\nweeks; when at family prayer in the evening I was very much blessed.\n\u201cHeaven came down my soul to greet, and glory crowned the mercy\nseat.\u201d I was praising God with a heart overflowing with love, when\nsuddenly my _jaws closed_; I wanted to continue praising God, but\ncould not; my jaws were set together like a steel trap; _they would\nnot open_. I thought it would be some relief if my wife or sister\nwould pray. I tried to turn around to see why they did not, but could\nnot; I was immovably fixed on my knees. I began to wonder _what\nwas the matter_. The devil told me it was a _paralytic_ stroke. I\nsaid, \u201cYes, I guess it is;\u201d then darkness came upon me. I did not\nfeel quite as well after that. The next accusation was I had got\na fit of _apoplexy_, to which I said, \u201cYes, I guess I have;\u201d then\ndarkness spread over me afresh. _He_ said that I was a fit subject\nfor apoplexy, and probably I was very near my end, as they generally\ndied with the third fit. I consented to all he said as true, and\nbefore this passed off I was feeling bad, _all through ignorance\nand unbelief_. I do not know how long I remained in this helpless\ncondition, but when I came out I felt that I had been shocked with\na heavy battery. While in this condition I was in full possession\nof every faculty of the mind, and remember distinctly all that\noccurred. I was a disbeliever in the power of the Holy Ghost to slay\npeople, notwithstanding I had been accustomed to seeing such things\nfrom youth, but really believed it to be mesmerism or excitement.\nAfter I came out of this it occurred to me that perhaps what I had\njust experienced was the power of the Holy Ghost; and if so, I had\ndone wrong. I went immediately to have the matter settled. I told\nmy father that I wanted to be right, and if what I had just passed\nthrough was the effect of the Holy Ghost, let it come on me in the\nsame way again. I felt it coming as before; and _he_ that said it was\na fit of apoplexy, now said, \u201cLook out, it will kill you.\u201d I sprang\nto my feet and _cried_ to the Lord to stay his hand. It seemed to\nme that I could not live under the pressure, under that weight of\nlove that God was letting down into my soul and on my body. I went\nto bed, but not to sleep. The accuser was after me; he told me that\nmy duty was very plain. \u201cEver since God converted you, you have been\ncontinually asking Him to bless you; it has come very near killing\nyou, and will if you continue in this way; _now_ you must ask God\n_not_ to bless you.\u201d I very soon learned that these suggestions\nwere from the devil; and that to be the Lord\u2019s entire, to follow\nthe Lamb whithersoever he would lead us, was to place ourselves in\ndirect opposition to the mass of those that profess the religion of\nJesus Christ. I began to realize that the religion of Jesus Christ\n_was peculiar_; unlike the world; and if I saved my soul, I must\nbe peculiar. The question came with force: _Are you willing to be\npeculiar for God?_ My spirit seemed to be willing, but the flesh\nrebelled. I thought much of my good name. Now I saw, that to be\na _real_ child of God, was to suffer and bear reproach. O, how I\nwrithed in agony. What! to have my good name cast out as evil, _to\nbe misunderstood_, considered as _filth_, rejected of men. Here was\n_dying_; this was _painful_, to bring all my powers to submit to the\nwill of God. I thought, when I was converted that I had given all to\nhim; but here was something that I did not see at that time. I had\ncommenced a pilgrimage, and had no disposition to go back. I had left\n_Sodom_, and still the command was ringing in my ears, \u201c_Escape for\nthy life, look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain;\nescape to the mountain lest thou be consumed_.\u201d As the light was\nshining upon me, _and the way_, and after much wrestling in prayer,\nnot only my will responded to the will of God, but I could say all\nthrough me--\n\n                    \u201cLord, obediently I\u2019ll go,\n                     Gladly leaving all below.\u201d\n\nAfter this my peace flowed like a river.\n\n                    \u201cJesus all the day long\n                     Was my joy and my song.\u201d\n\nI lived in a heavenly atmosphere, far above the common walks of life.\nGlory to God and the Lamb forever! for a salvation that has _life_\nand _peace_ and _joy in the Holy Ghost_, amen! and amen! The fire\nburns while I write--bless the Lord! I believed that Jesus saved me\nfrom _all_ my sins. I did not understand the nature of inbred sin. I\nhad felt nothing but love to God and all mankind. _The roots of old\ndepravity had not yet been disturbed, hence I did not believe they\nexisted._ I was soon to be tested upon this point.\n\nSoon after my conversion I had placed in my hands several works on\nholiness: Wesley, Wallace, Foster, and Mrs. Palmer. On examining\nthese books I felt that I had got in the _first_ blessing all they\nclaimed for the _second_. I was soon to learn that justification,\nthough clear and positive, _did not remove the roots of bitterness_,\nthe remains of the carnal mind.\n\nAbout four weeks after my conversion, one cold day in March, I wanted\nto move a stove of the Clinton air-tight pattern from one room to\nanother with the fire in it, just as we were using it, as it was\ncold, and the only stove we had up. I laid my plans, and commenced\nthe job in earnest. I succeeded in getting the pipe in position and\nthe stove moved, but now came the tug of war. The pipe would not\ngo together as I expected. I had been feeling remarkably good, but\nsuddenly my feelings underwent a tremendous change; I seemed to be\nall on fire; and like Mount Vesuvius, just ready to belch forth fire\nand lava. You ask, dear reader, what was the matter? Why, my pipe\nwould not go together; and besides, I pinched my fingers, the smoke\nfilled my eyes, and yet the pipe would not unite. Again and again I\npinched my fingers and smoked my eyes until it seemed to me that I\nshould _burst_ if I did not curse and swear with all my might. I set\nmy jaws together like a steel trap, lest I should give vent to the\n_smoke_ that raged within. I finished my job, and away I went, to\nwhere no eye but God could see me. I fell on my face and cried for\nmercy. This element in my heart gave me more pain than anything I had\never met with. O, how I loathed myself. I saw clearly the nature of\nmy _disease_. Old depravity was at the bottom of all this difficulty.\nThe tree had been cut down, but the roots were all there.\n\nDear reader, these roots may not have affected you just as they did\nme; but if you are not _sanctified wholly_, they are there, in the\nheart and will, when the hot breath of Apolyon comes upon you, strive\nfor the supremacy. This experience brought clearly to my mind, the\ndoctrine of _sanctification_ as taught by John Wesley. I commenced in\nearnest the study of the Bible, to learn God\u2019s will in this matter.\nI found it full of holiness. I saw that it was not only my privilege\nto be made holy in this life, but a _positive_ command: \u201c_Be ye holy,\nfor I am holy._\u201d My conviction for this blessing was deep, clear,\npungent and abiding. O, how my soul cried out after a clean heart. I\nsaid that if the religion of Jesus Christ did not take out all sin\nfrom the heart, it was a failure.\n\nBlessed be God! I have proved that Jesus Christ can save to the\nuttermost. In fifty-eight, at a camp-meeting in Bergen, N. Y., I was\nenabled to give myself fully to God, and to claim Jesus Christ as\nmy full and complete Saviour. O, how I felt the blood washing and\ncleansing my heart, from all the remains of the carnal mind. When\nthe blessing came I was lost to all surrounding objects; but what\ncommunion I had with the Father and with the Son, and with the Holy\nGhost. Light shone all through me. I could see every part of my moral\nbeing; and O! how clean and pure; _those roots_ were gone. My soul\ncried out--\n\n               \u201c\u2019Tis done, Thou dost this moment save,\n                  With full salvation bless,\n                Redemption in Thy blood I have,\n                  And spotless love and peace.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n                                III.\n\n                          ABOUT MY TOBACCO.\n\n\nFor years prior to my conversion to God, I had firmly believed\nthat \u201cstrait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto\nlife, and few there be that find it.\u201d The consecration to be made\nin order to receive the grace of God and eternal life seemed to me\nto include every thing: all we think, speak or do. To meet this\ndemand, my business relations had to be given up. I had used tobacco\nabout twelve years; but in making my consecration to God I left\nthis out. It had never occurred to me that it was wicked to use it;\nin fact, I had never heard or read that it was. I had associated\nwith the Methodists from my youth up, and knew that her preachers,\nclass-leaders and stewards used it; and having an exalted opinion of\nthem, had come to look upon the practice as harmless. And yet it did\nseem to me that preachers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ ought to be\nclean and pure. God the Holy Ghost, let me see, the first time I used\nit after my conversion, that it was wrong for me to use it. As I put\nthe filthy stuff in my mouth, the Holy Spirit said, \u201cWhat do you do\nthat for?\u201d This came with such force that I was very much startled. I\nreplied that I used it for the dyspepsia. The Spirit said, \u201cYou have\nno dyspepsia; and if you had, tobacco would not cure it; it rather\ncreates it.\u201d\n\nI then tried to hunt up other reasons for using it, as the Spirit\nof God continued to press the question, \u201cWhat do you use it for?\u201d\nBut all my reasons were completely upset by the clear reasoning of\nconscience and the Holy Ghost. I now perceived that God was trying\nto teach me the way of life more perfectly. He said, \u201cYou have given\nyourself to me, to be mine entirely.\u201d I said, \u201cYea, Lord, all is\nthine.\u201d \u201cYour body is a temple for the Holy Ghost; you are to be\ntemperate in all things; nothing must enter it that defileth; tobacco\ndefileth it. All you possess belongs to God--your money, your time,\ntalents--all are his, and must be used for His glory; hence you\ncannot spend your money for tobacco.\u201d\n\nA great many ways were pointed out to me in which I could glorify God\nin a proper use of what He had given to me, instead of an investment\nworse than useless. Every time that I used it after my conversion,\nuntil I wholly abandoned it, this same controversy was kept up.\nIn reading the Bible I found it condemned the practice. I became\nsatisfied that I had got to abandon either the one or the other--my\ntobacco or Jesus Christ. I could not remain justified and defile\nmyself with it.\n\nNow came the giving up process. I resolved to do it gradually, lest\nI should be made sick, for the tempter told me that would be the\nresult. I then threw away my box, and carried what tobacco I had\ndown cellar, determined not to use it but three times a day, and\nthus by a gradual process work a cure. I soon wanted a chew. Down\ncellar I went and took the weed; it never seemed to taste quite so\ngood before; so self suggested the idea of putting a little in my\npocket; I might want a little very much; so I put a little in my\npocket; and thus I continued to do until my tobacco was all gone; and\ninstead of carrying it in a box, or in one pocket, I had it in nearly\nevery pocket about me. Oh, how mean I felt when I was brought to a\nrealization of my bondage to such a filthy habit. It had wound its\nslimy folds about me so long that I seemed to be completely within\nits power.\n\nBut here I resolved to try the strength and power of grace divine.\nI now determined to be a free man; sink or swim, survive or perish,\nliving or dying, I meant to have the victory over this habit. I got\ndown before God in the dust, told him all about my weakness, and\nabout my miserable habit, and cried, \u201cO Lord, deliver me from this\nfilthy, wicked, intemperate habit, for Jesus\u2019 sake. Amen.\u201d\n\nBlessed be God, help came. I got the victory. Oh, glory to God and\nthe Lamb forever and ever. Every band was severed; I was free, and\nblessed be God, I have walked at liberty ever since. I have never\nhad the least desire to use the weed since I was delivered from my\nbondage to filth. Since then I can sing--\n\n                    \u201cNow I am from bondage free,\n                      Every chain is riven;\n                    Jesus makes me free indeed,\n                      Just as free as heaven.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n                                 IV.\n\n                      THE PLAGUE OF NARCOTICS.\n\n\nA part of this article is from the pen of Dr. Talmage. He said that\nAmerica had some as bad plagues as those of Egypt, and characterized\nnarcotics as follows:\n\n\u201cIn all ages the world has sought out some flower or herb or weed\nto stimulate, to alleviate, or to compose its griefs. A drink\ncalled nepenthe calmed the nerves of Greeks and Egyptians. Theben\nwomen knew how to compound it. Nepenthe passed away and next came\nhasheesh, manufactured from Indian hemp. Whole nations have been\nstimulated, narcotized, and made imbecile with the use of accursed\nhasheesh. Visions are conjured up gorgeous and magnificent beyond\nall description, but it finally drags down body, mind and soul. I\nknew one of the most brilliant men of this city (Philadelphia) taken\ncaptive by this drug. Friends tried in vain to save him. First body\ngave way, then his mind. He became a raving maniac, blaspheming God\ninto a starless eternity.\n\nOPIUM is the scourge of nations.\u201d\n\nIn 1861 we used 109,000 pounds. In 1887 not far from 1,000,000\npounds. At the present--1888--we have, beyond doubt, more than\n1,000,000 opium consumers. That is appalling! Don\u2019t think that those\nare merely barbaric Asiatics.\n\nSAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE, after conquering the world, was conquered\nby opium. There are thousands, more women than men, who are being\nbound body, mind and soul by this terrific drug. There is a great\nmystery about some families. You don\u2019t know why they don\u2019t get along.\nThe opium habit is stealthy, deceitful, deathful. You can cure one\nhundred drunkards where you can cure one opium eater.\n\nHave you just begun to use it for the assuagement of physical\ndistress? I beg of you stop! The pleasures at the start will not pay\nfor the horrors at the end.\n\nMORPHIA is a blessing from God for the relief of pain, but it was\nnever intended to be prolonged for years.\n\nStatistics show that there are opium eaters in this country exceeding\na million. With some hydrate of chloral is taking the place of opium.\n\nBARON LIEBIG knows that one chemist in Germany makes half a ton of\nhydrate of chloral a week. There are multitudes taken down with this\ndrug. _Look out for hydrate of chloral!_ You never heard a sermon\nagainst opium, but it seems to me there ought to be ten thousand\npulpits turned into a quickening flame, thundering Zion\u2019s warning\nagainst this black narcotic.\n\nYou all know what botanists describe as NICOTIANA. You know it\nas the inspiring, elevating, emparadising, nerve-shattering,\ndyspepsia-breeding, health-destroying tobacco. I shall not be\noffensively personal on this subject, for you nearly all use it. You\nsay that God made it, and it is good. Yes, it is good to kill moths,\nto kill ticks on sheep, to strangle all kinds of vermin, to fumigate\npestiferous places. You say God created it for some particular use.\nYes, so He did henbane, and nux vomica, and copperas, and belladona,\nand all those poisons.\n\nYou say men live to be old who use it. Yes, in the sense that the man\nlasted well who was pickled. Smokers are turned into smoked livers.\nYou should advise your children to abstain from it, because the whole\nmedical fraternity of the United States and Great Britain pronounced\nit the cause of wide-spread ill-health. Drs. Agnew, Hamilton,\nWoodward--the whole medical fraternity, Allopathic, Homeopathic,\nHydropathic and Eclectic denounce it. The use of tobacco tends to\ndrunkenness. It creates unnatural thirst. The way that leads down to\na drunkard\u2019s grave and a drunkard\u2019s hell is strewn thick with tobacco\nleaves. _That man is not thoroughly converted who has not only got\nhis heart clean, but got his mouth clean also._\n\nBEN. FRANKLIN said he never saw a well man in the exercise of common\nsense who would say that tobacco did him any good.\n\nTHOMAS JEFFERSON argued against the culture of tobacco.\n\nHORACE GREELEY said: \u201cIt is a burning stench.\u201d\n\nDANIEL WEBSTER said: \u201cLet those men who smoke go to the horse shed.\u201d\n\nOne reason why there are so many victims to the tobacco habit is\nbecause so many ministers smoke and chew. They smoke until they have\nbronchitis, and then the dear people must send them to Europe. I\ncan name three eminent clergymen who died of cancer in the mouth,\nan evil caused by their tobacco. There has been many a clergyman\nwhose tombstone was covered up with eulogy, who ought to have had an\ninscription, \u201cKilled by too much Cavendish.\u201d Some smoke until the\nroom is blue, their spirits are blue, the world is blue. The American\nclergymen who are indulging in the habit should repent. How can a\nman preach repentance when he indulges in such a habit. I have known\n_Presbyteries and General Assemblies and General Synods_ where there\nwas a room set apart for ministers to smoke in.\n\nIt is time we had an anti-tobacco reform in the _Presbyterian_, the\n_Baptist_, and the _Congregational_ churches.\u201d\n\nThank God there is one church, the FREE METHODIST, that has a pure\nministry. _They_ are not defiled by \u201c_narcotics_.\u201d None are received\ninto the Free Methodist Church that use tobacco in any way, in the\nministry or laity.\n\n\n\n\n                                 V.\n\n                       A CALL TO THE MINISTRY.\n\n\nThe Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is a system of\ninstruction. It contemplates the instruction of the ignorant until\nthe whole world shall be enlightened; until the knowledge of Christ\nshall cover the whole earth as the waters cover the sea. It makes\nprovision for having this instruction perpetuated. God provides for\nevery department of this stupendous work of bringing this wicked\nworld back from her revolt to Christ and God. To this end the\nministry were appointed. Under the old dispensation God appointed men\nto preach and teach. They were termed prophets. They spake as they\nwere moved upon by the Holy Ghost. Enoch was a preacher. He taught\nthe doctrine of a general judgment, the resurrection of the dead, and\na just retribution for our conduct in this life.\n\nHe taught the duty of repentance of all wrong deeds. He enforced\nhis preaching by a godly life. \u201cHe walked with God!\u201d \u201cGod spared\nnot the old world, but saved Noah, the eighth person, a preacher\nof righteousness.\u201d In these far off ages they were blessed with\nteachers. Abraham was a preacher of righteousness in his day. Other\npatriarchs said of him: \u201cTouch not mine anointed, and do my prophets\nno harm.\u201d Samuel, Elijah and Elisha were of that number that taught\nthe people.\n\nThe Christian dispensation had in its very beginning teachers\nappointed directly by divine authority. Take one text among many:\nEph. 4:11-13. \u201cAnd he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some\nevangelists, and some teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for\nthe work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.\u201d\n\nAgain: \u201cGo ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every\ncreature; and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the\nworld.\u201d\n\nGod has ordained that by a holy ministry the Gospel shall be\npreached, and the world brought back to Christ. Thus far the call\nto the ministry has been stated by way of preface. God makes choice\nof His own laborers for this, the grandest of all positions in this\nlife, preaching the Gospel. We cannot take this responsibility upon\nourselves, if we do we are simply hirelings, as is the case, we fear,\nwith too many that occupy the sacred desk.\n\nMany, I have no doubt, have been called to the pulpit by their\nparents. They have looked upon the ministry as an exalted and an\nhonorable position, and have entertained an all-absorbing desire\nthat their boy should preach the Gospel. They may have been pious\nand devout people, but have made a very common mistake of supposing\ntheir desire to be the voice of the Spirit calling their boy to the\nministry. In order to meet the obligations of the ministry, what\nGod requires, and what the people demand, the call to this high and\nholy position _must_ come from God. In these days of compromise and\ncorruption there are too many pulpits, instead of being a light-house\nerected upon a dangerous coast, to warn the mariner of their imminent\ndanger, giving an uncertain sound.\n\nGod\u2019s ministers have all been called into the ministry. They have\nnot taken it upon themselves. It has come to them like an awful\nnight-mare in the still hours of the night; when about their daily\ncares; sleeping or waking; journeying by land or sea; among friends\nor foes; whether suffering from poverty or abounding in wealth;\nwoe is me if I preach not the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus\nChrist. This will look like a stupendous job, almost like an\ninsurmountable task to the person truly called of God to preach the\nunsearchable riches of Christ. At the same time they will feel, O,\nhow poorly qualified I am for such an undertaking. And the more they\nlook at themselves the greater the burden seems to grow. To be an\nembassador of the Lord Jesus Christ, chosen of Him, commissioned\nto treat with a rebel government, those in open rebellion to His\ndivine majesty, is higher honor than was ever bestowed upon any\nother mortal. The crowned heads of this world might well envy\nthe very smallest man or woman that wears the royal diadem that\nChrist puts on the brow of His servants. To me, there was always a\nsacredness connected with the ministry of Christ. From my earliest\nrecollection I have looked upon the minister of God as occupying\nthe very highest position and receiving the highest honor awarded\nto any of earth\u2019s subjects; and how men thus called, can come down\nfrom so high and holy a calling to mingling in the rottenness of\nthe day, is a profound mystery to me, and how men can consent to be\nput in a semi-nude state, cable-towed, hoodwinked, and then take\nupon themselves obligations too horrible for humanity, and by those\nprofessedly called to be a minister of Christ, to me is certainly\nincomprehensible.\n\nThe Master says, \u201cYe cannot serve God and mammon.\u201d When God calls a\nman to preach it embraces all there is of the individual, with all\npossible development: mental, moral and physical; so that the man\nof God will improve every chance of doing good and of getting good,\nincluding hard study for the development of the mind; practicing\nthe laws of health for the development of our being for greater\nefficiency in the Master\u2019s service.\n\nThe word of the Lord is: \u201cStudy to show thyself approved unto God.\u201d\nSuccess comes on this line of action. I believe that the minister\nshould study and write as though the whole thing depended on this for\nsuccess; and then he should pray as though everything depended on\nprayer; and when he gets into the pulpit he should trust alone in God\nthe Holy Ghost as though entire success depended on help from above.\nOn this line the stream of salvation will flow into the pulpit and\ninto the pew, and the results will be the salvation of precious souls\nand the sanctifying of believers. Glory to God. Amen.\n\nWe are to glorify Him with our physical powers, as these belong to\nHim. Hence, we will carefully study ourselves, the laws that govern\nour own being, eat and drink, labor and rest so as to produce the\ngreatest development for His glory.\n\nThe mission of the minister of Christ is of the utmost importance,\nbecause it has to do with those that must live forever with God\nand angels and the redeemed of earth in the world that is to come,\nor with those that reject Christ and everything that is good, and\ntogether are cast out into outer darkness, where the flames of their\ntorment will ascend up for ever and ever. And then to think that a\nsingle word, or look, may change the destiny of a soul! Well might\nthe apostle exclaim, \u201cAnd who is sufficient for these things?\u201d The\nGospel must be proclaimed with great tenderness of spirit, and in\ndeep love for the souls of those that are in their sins; love that\nis all aflame for the perishing. A minister should keep as near the\nhead of the church as possible. He should pattern after the Master in\nsimplicity, in naturalness, in literalness, in appropriateness and\nin holiness. As He is in the world, _so are we_, so clean and pure;\nmorally speaking, the minister should be transparent--Christ shining\nout in all his ways--looking, speaking, doing the right thing at the\nright time and in the right manner. Speaking as one that must give an\naccount in that day for words uttered. Looking like one that has been\nwith Christ and learned of Him. How often a word from the man of God\nhas been like the pouring of oil on the troubled sea. A man called\nto minister in holy things must remember that he is a peacemaker. In\nalmost every place there is a marvelous chance to stir up strife.\nThis must be avoided. \u201cStudy to show thyself approved,\u201d says the\napostle. Appropriateness is an essential element in the minister of\nGod. A congregation of idiots could not appreciate a discourse on\nmoral philosophy. Neither would a mass of unsaved men and women enjoy\na sermon on entire holiness!\n\nMuch labor has been lost, and the work greatly retarded, because\nof unwise action. Words, style, or the manner in which it has been\npresented, has been so presented, that opposition has been aroused,\nand the work of soul-saving has been greatly hindered, if not\nentirely destroyed.\n\nA great many have been driven from the penitents\u2019 altar because of\nunkind treatment at the altar. They were sinners, to be sure, and\ncame to the altar as such; and in their great distress of mind,\nbefore God had a chance to do much for them, some unwise person\nwould, in commanding tones, ask them to pull off their feathers,\ngold, or something attached to their person. This would have been\nproper at the right time, but the hammer came down before the iron\nwas hot. The results were in these cases they flew off in a tangent,\nmad. The blacksmith knows about how hot his iron must be to work and\nweld; precisely so with human hearts; they must be under the direct\nrays of the Holy Ghost and kept there until made tender, then it can\nbe worked. Glory to God! Brother, don\u2019t try to work cold iron--the\niron of cold hearts. It will be in every case a failure. Keep\nbaptized with the Holy Ghost and fire. This has been your great need\nin the past. As you go forth to labor in God\u2019s vineyard, go with the\nbaptism of power, love and the Holy Ghost. On this line, success will\ncome.\n\nDoubtless some are called to the ministry early in life. Samuel was\ncalled to the prophetic office when but a lad. It has been stated\nby a great many that labored long as embassadors of our Lord Jesus\nChrist, that very early in life they felt an undefinable impression\nresting upon them, and at times this impression would be very strong,\nthat some time in the near future, they would have to preach the\ngospel.\n\nThis was the condition of your humble servant. Early in life he felt\nthat that would be his employment in after years. Of all the innocent\namusements of childhood, what he called preaching to other children,\nto the chairs placed in the order of a congregation, or to a field of\npumpkins, (for he would often do that) was to him greater diversion\nthan any other kind of amusement.\n\nAt the age of fifteen I was standing near State street bridge,\nAlbany, N. Y., a couple of officers were conveying a crazy man from\nthe cars to the steamboat, as they were going down the river to\nHudson with him. The crazy man caught hold of one of the chains used\nto draw up a portion of the bridge to let vessels through, screaming\nand making a great ado. This drew the attention of the people, as\nmany were crossing, it being car time, so that in a moment the draw\npart of the bridge was literally covered. It was estimated that some\nthree hundred, besides three horses, were on this part of the bridge.\nI moved along on to the bridge to see what the matter was. No sooner\nhad I reached the highest point on the bridge, than it broke off on\nboth sides, letting this mass of humanity suddenly into the water. I\nwas suddenly hurled into the river with the rest. I had to swim some\nsix to ten rods before I found anything that I could cling to. I came\nto a small boat into which I climbed, then onto a canal boat and went\nback where I could see that crowd of people struggling and screaming\nfor life. This was an awful sight. Groups of men, from one to six\nor more were making a desperate effort for life. Without a moment\u2019s\nwarning they were put in this awful condition, and now, eternity\nwas staring them in the face. Presently the dead and dying were all\naround me. The thought came: \u201c_Why was not I drowned with the rest?_\u201d\nfor some forty had passed suddenly into eternity. This answer came to\nthe inquiry, \u201cI have saved you to preach my gospel.\u201d\n\nAfter years of wandering in sin, and man\u2019s estate had been reached,\nwith family cares and responsibilities, I erected a family altar,\nsought and found the pearl of great price; and with this new\nexperience came a strong and an abiding conviction that I must preach\nthe Gospel. In whatever direction I would try to turn my attention,\nthis thought would loom up above all others, \u201c_Preach my Gospel_.\u201d\nI had but little conception of the awful responsibility connected\nwith the ministry. And yet I had some idea of the vastness of the\nwork, and in looking at myself it did seem to me that I never could\nattain unto the ideality of the work as I then viewed it. I was\ntimid, ignorant, culture limited. Can God qualify me for this exalted\nposition? These were serious considerations. The call was as clear to\nme as the sun at noonday. Notwithstanding the clearness of the call\nby the Spirit, I was often making bargains with the Lord, as Gideon\ndid. He would ask for a wet fleece, and the fleece would be wet. And\nthen for a dry fleece, and the fleece would be dry.\n\nIn the beginning of my ministry I would say to the Lord something\nlike this: O Lord, if Thou hast called me to preach Thy Word, give\nme a soul to-day, as evidence that I am called to preach. Asking for\nevidence of this character continued for several years; and I would\nsay to the glory of God, that on these occasions souls were always\nsaved. Though the enemy would often say: \u201cThat is no evidence, for\nthese have been prayed for by these old saints for years. They were\nsaved through the instrumentality of these gray-haired saints.\u201d For\nthe time it would trouble me quite a little, so I would continue to\nask for evidences.\n\nEvery one truly called of God to preach His Gospel, understand some\nof the many obstacles to be overcome before he reaches the holy of\nholies, where, under a clear sky, with his eye on the Judgment, and\nthe condition of the lost before him, he can proclaim the everlasting\nGospel to perishing humanity, with the Holy Ghost sent down from\nheaven. One of the greatest barriers to my entering upon the\nministry, was my dear companion. While she was a dear, good woman,\nshe could not bear the idea of her husband becoming a preacher; and\nwould on all occasions when she thought the subject was going to be\nintroduced, talk discouragement, and say to her husband, \u201cI think\nthat you would make a good class-leader but not a preacher.\u201d I was\nmarvelously attached to my wife, because of her intrinsic merits;\nhence, her views of his duty to his family, to God and His church\nwere very great obstacles to surmount.\n\nThe time came when, according to my vows, I must leave all and follow\nChrist, or lose my religion. What could be done! A field was opened,\nmy services were wanted. Wife refuses to go; with light around the\ncross but a heavy burden on my soul, I took my leave of the dear\nhome; yea, the dearest spot on earth, for there had nothing but love\ndwelt in that family circle. Parents and children were passionately\ndevoted to each other.\n\nI found myself very much at home in the work of the ministry. After\nan absence of six weeks I returned home, hoping that my wife had\nchanged her mind, and would accompany me to my field of labor. In\nthis I was disappointed. She was just as unwilling to go then as at\nthe first. I returned to my circuit with a heavy heart. I felt that I\nwas in God\u2019s order, so I asked the Lord to let my dear companion see\nit as in the light of eternity. After the elapse of another six weeks\nI returned for the same purpose, and with the same results as above\nstated.\n\nI succeeded in getting her at this second visit home, to go with\nBrother and Sister Roberts to a camp-meeting which was coming off at\nAckron, N. Y., and I returned to my circuit. Eternity alone can tell\nthe soul burden and mental conflict during these days.\n\nThe camp-meeting had not been running many days before a fearful\ncyclone made its appearance. The sky put on her fearful robes of\nthunder and lightning, with other sounds of a dismal character.\nDarkness spread over the encampment. Nature was in strange commotion.\nAlarm and terror was manifested by nearly all that were at that\nencampment. As the storm came nearer and nearer, with the awful roar\nof destruction, suddenly an appearance, like an elephant\u2019s trunk,\ndropped down from the clouds above and swung around the circle of\ntents, throwing down seventy-five good-sized trees. Wife and a\nBaptist sister were washing dishes in the Buffalo tent. They were\ngiving each other their experience. Said the Baptist sister: \u201cIf I\nshould die this moment, I\u2019m saved.\u201d No sooner had she said that than\na tree nearly two feet in diameter was blown down from the inside of\nthe circle of tents, going directly over the Buffalo tent, crushing\nit down, and with it the Baptist sister. All that saved the dear\nwife from the same fate was our little two-year old girl, hearing\nthe noise of the storm, went to the tent door to see what the matter\nwas, the mother going in great haste after her, escaped having the\ntree fall upon her. It was a narrow escape. There was only a step at\nthat time between her soul and death. The Baptist sister was killed\ninstantly. She had no sooner declared that she was ready to die, than\nshe was ushered into eternity! How important it is to always be ready.\n\nThis awful scene caused many to turn pale with alarm for their future\ncondition. Eternity seemed so near. Every one on the ground felt the\nimportance of being saved, having a clean heart. They did not need\nmuch urging to commence the work in right good earnest. Among the\nmany that were made wise by this awful storm and were at the altar\nseeking, in the very depths of humility, the blessing of perfect\nlove, was my dear wife. She, with others, did not seek in vain. She\nfound the blessing. She went down on the line of confession, and was\nmightily resurrected to a state of heart purity, by a living faith in\nthe Almighty power of Christ to save. It was stated to me by those\nthat were present, that the whole camp-ground shook when she struck\nthe Rock! _Glory to God!_\n\nAt this time I was at a camp-meeting in another part of the state\nhelping Bro. William Cooley. Hearing of the great blessing that my\nwife had received, I concluded that it would not be necessary for me\nto take another long trip, to go home to see if I could not persuade\nher to come with me, but that she would immediately pack up and move\non to the big circuit with me, which, thank God, she did. But O, how\nchanged! I had emphatically a new wife. I had always thought her the\nbest woman on earth; now I knew that she was. We then saw eye to eye\nin the great work to which God had called us. And O, how precious the\ncommunion we had with each other and the Lord, during her brief stay\non earth after this occurrence. In less than two years she peacefully\npassed away to be forever with the Lord.\n\nI relate this circumstance to show what things we have to overcome\nsometimes, in order to enter the ministry. And then, how strangely\nGod manages to bring us where our eyes may be opened to see just what\nhe wants us to see. It is well expressed by the poet:\n\n                \u201cGod moves in a mysterious way,\n                   His wonders to perform,\n                 He plants his footsteps in the sea,\n                   And rides upon the storm.\u201d\n\nMore than a quarter of a century has passed into eternity since most\nof the events narrated occurred; and in looking over the past, and\nthe way in which God led us into the ministry, the trials, conflicts,\nvictories, and the many times in which He has marvelously delivered\nus out of the hands of all our enemies, and brought to our aid\nreinforcements, and just the help needed, and just at the right time,\nour heart goes out in wonder, love and praise.\n\nThe promise of the Lord to me was: \u201cFor as much as ye know that your\nlabor is not in vain in the Lord.\u201d O, how comforting that Scripture\nhas been to me. When on hard fields of labor, and when it seemed\nas though very little if anything, accomplished, the above word of\nthe Lord would come to my heart with such an assurance, and in such\nsweetness that I have been made to rejoice in the goodness of the\nLord to me.\n\nWe are often placed in a position, allowing the world to judge, would\ncall it a tremendous defeat. But in obeying the voice of God there\nis no defeat. We may not always see just what we have done, the good\naccomplished. Perhaps it is best we should not. Spiritual pride might\nfind way into our heart and destroy us.\n\nThe command is, \u201cGo forward.\u201d We are not to stop to analyze results,\nin order to get at exact accomplishments, but move on, laboring\nwith all our might, and leaving results with God. In that day,\nand under the light of judgment fires, it will appear in all the\ngrandeur of eternal blessedness. \u201cYour labor is not in vain in the\nLord.\u201d What precious opportunities God has given us of laying up our\ntreasures on high. Look out in what direction you may, the fields\nare white already to harvest. Golden opportunities for doing good,\nand getting good, are constantly placed within our reach, and to be\nlike our divine Lord and Master, who went about doing good, so must\nwe, looking mainly for our reward in that day when He shall come to\nmake up His jewels. O how blessed to hear in that day, \u201cWell done!\u201d\nNotwithstanding the glittering crown that often seems so nigh to the\nChristian soldier, he feels as expressed in the following lines:\n\n              \u201cLet me stay; I fain would labor\n                 In the vineyard of the Lord;\n               For the fields are ready whitening,\n                 Jesus says so in His word.\n               Let me thrust the Spirit\u2019s cycle,\n                 In the fields already white;\n               Let me blow the Gospel trumpet;\n                 Let me do with all my might.\n\n               Let me stay and wear the armor\n                 That my Father doth supply;\n               Let me cheer the broken hearted,\n                 Help the pilgrim on his way.\n               Let me point the poor and needy\n                 To a boundless store of grace,\n               To a mansion in the heavens,\n                 Where the weary are at rest.\n\n               Let me stay and warn poor sinners\n                 Of the danger they are in,\n               While by Christ they\u2019re unprotected,\n                 Foes without and fears within;\n               Let me tell how Jesus loved them\n                 When he died upon the tree,\n               When he cried in grief and anguish,\n                 \u2018Why hast Thou forsaken me?\u2019\n\n               Let me stay a little longer,\n                 Gathering for the garner great,\n               Golden sheaves, oh, precious jewels,\n                 Stars in Jesus\u2019 crown complete.\n               Let me finish all my labor,\n                 Then my armor I\u2019ll lay down,\n               And with Jesus Christ, my Saviour,\n                 Ever wear a starry crown.\n\n               Then I\u2019ll range the fields of heaven,\n                 And with angels ever sing:\n               Hallelujah! glory! glory!\n                 Hallelujah to my King!\n               Then with white-robed seraphs worship\n                 Round the Father\u2019s great white throne;\n               Always crying, Thou art worthy!\n                 Oh my God, and Thou alone.\u201d\n\nI apprehend that the richest spot in heaven will be given to those\nthat have lived the nearest to Christ while on earth; that have been\ninstrumental in turning many from darkness to light; that have been\none with Him in the great work of human redemption; that have borne\nthe cross, labored incessantly to bring souls to Christ and build\nup His kingdom on earth. It may have been in poverty, amidst great\nsuffering, of physical ailments, in persecution; but the joy to such\non earth exceeds that of all others; and in the world to come, \u201cThey\nshall shine as the brightness of the firmament forever and ever.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n                                 VI.\n\n                       A PARTICULAR PROVIDENCE.\n\n\nHow cheering to the heart of a good man to believe that God, the\nInfinite, loves, and tenderly cares for all the creatures which He\nhath made, and that He daily provides for, and feeds, and clothes\nthe teeming millions of earth. How vast the conception that the\nAlmighty this morning provided food for and fed, one billion, and\nfive hundred million of human beings; and beside the fishes of the\nsea, and the birds of the air, and the cattle upon a thousand hills;\nand that this care commenced when the morning stars sang together for\njoy, and will continue through time, and to all eternity. He that\ncreated us is able to provide for all our needs, and to perpetuate\nour existence. It would be folly indeed, to suppose our Heavenly\nFather capable of creating us, but not able to sustain us. He that\npaints the lilies with rainbow tints, and covers the earth with its\ncarpet of green, can supply all our need in this world, and in the\nworld to come. Wherever in nature a real want is manifest, near by\nmay always be found the supply. \u201cMy God shall supply all your need.\u201d\nTo doubt His ability or willingness to do this, would be sinful. The\nsmallest speck in creation is not lost to sight, nor removed from His\ntenderest care. \u201cEven the very hairs of your head are all numbered.\u201d\n\u201cAnd if He so clothe and beautifies the grass of the field which\nto-day is, and to-morrow is cut down and cast into the oven, shall He\nnot much rather clothe you, oh, ye of little faith.\u201d\n\nHe sends rain and sunshine, stormy wind and hoar frost, heat and\ncold, the changing seasons, causing earth to bring forth her increase\nfor the sustenance of man and beast. Away back in by-gone ages,\ndoubtless, the creator of this vast universe provided, or made ample\nprovision for this earth and all its dependencies. I seriously doubt\nif a mistake was made or any need that might arise in any member of\nthe human family, but that was thoroughly considered and all needful\nsupplies provided for. \u201cBehold the fowls of the air, for they sow\nnot, neither do they reap nor gather into barns; yet your Heavenly\nFather feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?\u201d Why then\nso much suffering, famine, pestilence, war, murder, and the great\namount of evil arising from intemperance? These are all the results\nof sin, not the penalty for sin, but the legitimate fruit of sin;\nand God has provided a complete remedy for all the ills which flesh\nis suffering because of sin. Wherefore, He is able to save us to\nthe uttermost, and to present us faultless before His presence,\nwith exceeding joy. Suffering and need may be employed at times as\na corrective agency, and in all these things we should learn wisdom\nand abandon all wrong doing and learn to do well. We read of some\nthat were always learning, and never coming to the knowledge. Perhaps\nnearly all Christian men and women would endorse in a general way,\nGod\u2019s providential care over His children, but doubt His special\nprovidences. Nevertheless, He does hear and answer prayer for special\nblessings.\n\nWhen Peter was in prison prayer was offered for him, which God\nheard and answered, sending an angel to unlock prison doors,\ncalling Peter\u2019s attention to the fact that deliverance had come;\nand in obeying the command, his chains fell off, and those massive\ndoors, seemingly of their own accord, swung back, and he following\nhis guide, was a free man, walking at liberty. When Israel had\nbeen scourged for three years and six months by a severe drouth,\nElijah petitioned the Lord for help, special help! Rain, was the\nall-absorbing need at that time, and blessed be the Lord Almighty\nthat hears and answers prayer, rain came in great abundance. Every\nanswer to prayer, whether it be for soul or body, is a special\ngift or blessing from our God. But in every case, there must be on\nour part, a _special need_, and faith must be normal, believing,\ntrusting, without any reserve whatever. If you have the reserve of\na big farm, or bank stock, or cash in abundance at your command, it\nwill greatly hinder your faith! hence, those in the ministry blessed\nwith such means, never reach such depths of richness of experience,\nas those that are compelled by force of circumstances to trust alone\nin God. Ministers that have means to fall back on if things do not\nmove to suit them, generally in a pinch, fall back _on means_! God\nhas nowhere in His Word promised to supply all we want, but all we\nneed. If a man is not sick, he does not feel much on the subject of\nbeing healed. If he is well clothed and housed he does not feel the\nneed of clothes and shelter. If he is well supplied with food, or can\nat _will_, put his hand on the greenbacks, he does not have a very\nbig feeling of need.\n\nThis class of characters never become spiritually educated up to the\nsupreme summit of implicit trust in _Jehovah_. In order to prove the\ngreat Fatherhood of God, there must be on our part a consecration\nthat is not only in word but in deed, and in truth, embracing\nall we have, all we are, all we ever expect to be, and a divine\nconsciousness of the complete transfer made of all to Christ, and His\nSpirit with our spirit bearing witness to this holy transaction; then\nthe heart will sing:\n\n                 \u201cForever here my rest shall be,\n                    Close to Thy bleeding side;\n                  This all my hope, and all my plea,\n                    For me the Saviour died.\u201d\n\nFor nearly thirty years the author of this, has been like the birds\nof the air, trusting entirely in the Lord, for soul and body; and\noften blessings have come that were needed, when it seemed as though\na miracle must be wrought in order to supply the demand.\n\nWhen I came into the Susquehanna Conference, there were just four\ncircuits: Rose and Clyde, Nelson and Fenner, Binghamton and Union and\nNew York City. It was emphatically a missionary field. I left what\nseemed to be a good paying business, to preach the Gospel in this\nnew conference. Although our work was largely among the poor, yet\nGod marvelously cared for us, in providing for our souls and bodies.\nBlessings came at times when greatly needed, as direct from God as\nthe manna that fell in the wilderness to satisfy God\u2019s ancient people.\n\nThe last year that my now sainted companion was on earth, we were\nfar away from markets. Her desire for food was very fluctuating.\nOccasionally she would want some kind of food that seemed impossible\nto obtain; but whenever she expressed a desire for any kind of\nfood, it came. One morning I asked her what she could eat if we had\nit. She replied, \u201cI could eat a brook trout, if I had it.\u201d My son,\nLester, then about fourteen years old, was attending school in the\nplace where we then lived. At recess he went back a little way from\nthe school house, where was running a little brook, the outlet of\nsprings: He saw therein a remarkably fine trout. By some means it was\nout of the main channel and could not make its escape. My son saw\nthe situation, and remembering what his _sick_ mother had said in\nthe morning, marked the spot, and as soon as school closed he took\nthe fish up to his mother. As soon as she saw it she recognized the\nhand of the Lord, and with a heart full of love and gratitude, and\neyes sparkling with tears, we unitedly joined in thanking God for\nthe supply so much needed. On another occasion during her sickness,\nwhen asked what she would like to eat if we had it, she replied: \u201cI\ncould eat some lamb, if I had it.\u201d It was in the month of March, and\nit did not seem as though such a thing could be had short of New York\nCity. A farmer living some three miles away, had five lambs that were\nborn in December or January. They were very nice and highly prized\nby their owner. The day my companion expressed a wish for lamb, the\nowner was moving them from one stall in his barn to another; one\naccidentally broke its leg; so the farmer was compelled to kill and\ndress it. While at this work and feeling very bad, he said a voice,\nas plain as human voice, and a good deal more impressive, said: \u201cTake\npart of this lamb to Sister Osborne,\u201d which he did. Praise God!\n\nThe next circuit that we occupied was Seneca Falls, Auburn, Owasco,\nNiles and Canandaigua. I felt that God wanted me to live at Seneca\nFalls. My chairman thought that I had better settle at some other\npoint, as the Seneca Falls pilgrims were very poor and discouraged.\nWe went to Seneca Falls on Thursday, met the pilgrims at Sister\nMcKee\u2019s. I think there were less than a dozen poor, discouraged ones.\nThey received us with not a little indifference, and were sure that a\nhouse could not be found anywhere in the place. They said that others\nhad been there looking for houses, but could find none. However, they\nwere going to _leave it all_ with the Lord. In this they were like a\ngreat many that I have met with, awful willing to let the good Lord\ndo it all. They really believe that Jesus paid it all, consequently,\nlet Him do it all.\n\nThis did not disturb my convictions that God wanted me to live there,\nand that He had a house for me at that place. I prayed much that\nnight, and as Friday morning dawned upon us I felt all through my\nbeing that in such a part of the town there was an _empty house_,\nand that I could hire it. I knew but little of the place, but\nafter prayers I started off in the direction of the _empty house_,\naccording to my conviction. I came to that part of the town indicated\nby my feelings. I met a lad and said to him, \u201cWhere is that house\nwhere the family moved out a few days ago?\u201d Said he, \u201cRight around\nthe corner.\u201d I moved on a few rods when I met another boy and made\nthe same inquiry of him. He replied, \u201cThat house across there.\u201d It\nwas really a neat house owned by a merchant\u2019s wife, they occupying\nthe wing part. All the upright part, consisting of seven neat rooms,\nshe wanted to rent until spring. Inside of ten minutes I made a\nbargain for the house, paid one month\u2019s rent, and the next week we\nmoved in and remained there for two years. We had the house for six\ndollars per month, when a great many others wanted it and would have\npaid ten or twelve dollars per month.\n\nI want to say a little more about this affair, as it was so clear\na case of the Lord\u2019s doings; as clear as when Peter was led out of\nprison by the angel of God. I thought so then. I think so now, after\nthe lapse of nearly twenty-five years, and look back to that event\nwith the profoundest feelings of love and veneration for the special\nleadings of the Spirit of the Lord Jesus at that time, and all the\nway since. A gracious revival commenced from the very beginning of\nour ministry at that place. As we commenced house-keeping right away,\nI appointed a meeting for holiness at our house. In my notice of the\nmeeting I excluded all that did not want something special of the\nLord. The meeting was good and lasted until after ten o\u2019clock. We had\nquite a struggle for a lady that came there expressly for her soul\u2019s\nsalvation. She finally came through with a tremendous shout, and\nthis she continued for some time. I had a sort of feeling that these\nshouts greatly disturbed my landlady in the other part of the house.\nImmediately after breakfast the next morning she sent for me to come\nin, she wanted to see me. As soon as I entered she looked me square\nin the face and stated in very emphatic language that I must procure\nanother house immediately. Said she, \u201cI did not let you have my\nhouse for public meetings. I cannot and will not have such confusion\nin my house. It was perfectly ridiculous--such a noise--such a\npow-wow--husband and I did not sleep a wink all night, you must move\nright out.\u201d I looked her steadily in the face and said nothing until\nshe had spent her force, and then made my statement. I knew my rights\nand purposed to stick to them. I said, \u201cTrue, Mrs. Ingmire, you\ndid not rent me your house for public meetings; it was not of that\nclass--it was a select meeting. I stated from the pulpit that none\nneed come except those that wanted something from the Lord. It was a\nmeeting for holiness. You know the Methodists believe in that. (She\nwas a Methodist.) We believe in being good--like our Master, who went\nabout doing good to the souls and bodies of men.\u201d I then referred to\nthat poor widow that God converted last night; what a hard time she\nhad, caring for five little children, working late at night and early\nin the morning with but little to eat and poorly clad and without the\ncomforts of salvation. I saw that she was deeply interested in my\ntalk, and that I had the inside track. At this point I said, \u201cLet us\npray,\u201d at the same time dropping on my knees, I commenced praying for\nGod to bless the work at Seneca Falls, and especially my landlady.\nShe knelt while I prayed. The good Lord heard and answered prayer.\nWhen I came to the Amen, she responded, Amen. We arose. She said\nwith tears rolling down her face, \u201cGod bless you, Brother Osborne, I\nbelieve the Lord sent you here; I think you will do good here; just\nthe man needed.\u201d I assured her that God sent me there, and that I\nmeant to do good, and bade her good morning. No more was said about\nour leaving the house, but they made much effort to keep us there;\nand when the first year was up, they circulated a petition for our\nbeing returned the second year. We remained there two years and God\ngave us a continuous revival. For weeks souls were saved in every\nmeeting at Seneca Falls, and at every point on this circuit we had a\nrevival.\n\n                   \u201cGod moves in a mysterious way,\n                    His wonders to perform.\u201d\n\nThe people that we were laboring with and for, were very poor,\nso that we were compelled to pray the Lord\u2019s prayer daily: and\nblessed be the name of the Lord, He fed and clothed us. It would be\nimpossible to tell the many peculiar ways that God had in supplying\nour needs. On one occasion my entire suit of wearing apparel had\nbecome badly worn and looked decidedly seedy. My coat was so feeble\nthat it would not hold together under the arms, though wife had\ndarned it much, and every time that I would raise my hand, when\npreaching, there would be an exhibition of cotton, which somewhat\nannoyed me. I prayed over the matter. I believed that God would\nsupply my need. I said, \u201cLord, thy servant ought to be in a\npresentable shape.\u201d It did not seem to me that in a country like\nours, where there was such an abundance on every side, that God\nwanted me to go dressed so poorly. After much care, and thought and\nprayer, I called at the Post Office and received two letters. I did\nnot open them until I reached home. My first letter contained a fifty\ndollar post office order. It seemed as if I could not believe my own\nsenses. Tears of gratitude so filled my eyes that I could hardly read\nfor the time being, while the Spirit said, \u201cThis means an entire\nsuit of clothes.\u201d Of course this sent afresh the doxology coursing,\nvibrating and thoroughly permeating all of our redeemed powers. O,\nhow precious it is to live where God feeds and clothes the body and\nsatisfies our immortal nature with Himself. Well might the poet sing--\n\n                 \u201cO for such love let rocks and hills\n                    Their lasting silence break.\u201d\n\nEvery law governing this vast universe, with all its intelligencies,\nare under the direct control of our Heavenly Father. Nothing is lost\nto His sight. \u201cIf I ascend up into Heaven, Thou art there; if I make\nmy bed in Hell, behold Thou art there. If I take the wings of the\nmorning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall\nThy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely\nthe darkness shall cover me, even the night shall be light about me.\nYea, the darkness hideth not from Thee; but the night shineth as the\nday; the darkness and the light are both alike to Thee.\u201d\n\nEvery effect has its own legitimate cause. It is not necessary that\nwe should understand perfectly the law governing cause and effect in\norder to have implicit trust and confidence in God. Things about us\nmay have a strange and a very forbidding appearance, yet we are to\nget good out of all the events of life. \u201cAll things work together for\ngood to them that love God.\u201d This will keep the soul cheerful and\nmake life a pleasant pilgrimage. Having this constantly before our\nminds, that God directs or permits all of life\u2019s operations; and all\nfor His glory, and the eternal well being of His dear children. Glory\nto God and the Lamb forever! \u201cHeaven and earth would sooner pass\naway, than one jot, or one tittle, of His law, should fail.\u201d\n\nWe believe God; the uncreated, that was, from everlasting, to\neverlasting; that was, away back in the eternal solitudes of nature.\nWith this profound mystery before us, and mysteries all along the\nway, we have the revealed will of God before us, which makes the\nway so plain, that, \u201cThe wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err\ntherein.\u201d\n\nHow numerous the cases where God\u2019s special providences have been made\nmanifest in delivering, in the time of great danger; in sustaining\nin the time of drouth and famine; when wasted and worn by disease.\nTruly, our God, is a present help, in time of need.\u201d\n\nIn the fall of 1871 we were sent by our conference, and we believe\nby the Lord, to Philadelphia, Pa. We had felt, through the summer\npreceding, that we ought to go there in the fall. We arrived at our\ndestination, and at Bro. Overing\u2019s about 6 o\u2019clock P. M. As we sat\ndown to tea, soon after our arrival, Sister Overing said to me, \u201cBro.\nOsborne, did you know that the small pox was very thick in this part\nof the city?\u201d I said, \u201cNo!\u201d I then asked, \u201cHow long has it been at\nwork here?\u201d She said, \u201cAbout three months.\u201d Immediately my appetite\nfor food left me, as suddenly as the unwelcome news approached me. I\narose from the table without tasting of any food--powerfully tempted.\nThe enemy said to me, \u201cYou see now what a fool you have made of\nyourself. You have brought your family here to die of the small pox.\u201d\nI thought for a few moments that I should sink. I found my way into\nthe parlor and then into a bed-room. I fell on my knees and cried\nunto the Lord. I told the Lord that I came there in good faith, and\nI could not bear to have my family all destroyed by the small pox.\nWhile on my knees the Lord telephoned me in these words, \u201cNo plague\nshall come nigh thy dwelling.\u201d I recognized the communication as\ncoming from my Heavenly Father, and immediately replied in these\nwords: \u201cYea, Lord, be it unto Thy servant according to Thy word.\u201d The\nburden rolled off and I felt as secure all the year from that moment,\nas though pestilence and death were not in the city. It spread\nuntil every part of the city was scourged with small pox. Hundreds\ndied every week with it, and thousands during the year. Wife and I\nvisited those that were sick. Almost every day I was in a small pox\nprocession; and all through the year I felt perfectly secure from all\nof its destroying power.\n\nThus was God\u2019s special providence made manifest in this fearfully\nalarming time of pestilence and death. Some two hundred thousand\nleft the city in fearful alarm and dismay. At another appointment\nwhere our people were very poor and very much scattered, a rich man\nwas saved and joined the feeble band. He agreed that if conference\nwould let me stay with the poorest part of the circuit the second\nyear, he would support the work, if it cost a thousand dollars, and\nbeside, he would build a church for the pilgrims. This, doubtless he\nwould have done, had he lived. He died soon after conference, having\npaid but one hundred dollars, leaving us to trust alone in God for\nour support. The house that we occupied was sold so that we were\ncompelled to find another. There was just one house to be rented in\nthe place for six months, the balance of the conference year, and\nthis was owned by a hard-fisted landlord, and he wanted his rent\nmonthly in advance. What could I do? I had nowhere to look for help,\nbut to God alone. I must have a house, and get out of the one I then\noccupied, or be turned into the street. What a dilemma! How it would\nlook to have a Free Methodist preacher, with wife and children,\nas good as ever graced the earth, turned into the street, because\n_why_? I seemed to be forced to bargain for the house, and agree to\npay monthly in advance. The price was eight dollars per month. These\nwere days of sore trial and anxious care. Much time we spent on our\nknees with strong crying and tears before God for the salvation of\nsouls, food and shelter. Three days before we were to make our first\npayment, just the amount came, and we secured the house. Money came\nso that we were able to pay our rent always on time, and with two\nexceptions, it came three days before time. This has not always been\nthe case, when we have trusted in boards, official or otherwise. But\nwhen we have been shut up alone with God, we have fed on the good of\nthe land--the finest of wheat, with honey out of the Rock.\n\nA few years later on, we were shut up for trust, to a large official\nboard. They managed the parsonage, or hired one, and were responsible\nfor the rent, and we supposed that everything was moving along\ngrandly--when one morning I was called out by an officer of the law,\nand then he read a paper stating that three months rent was due, and\nunless it was paid immediately, I was to be thrown into the street,\nkit and cargo. This hard-hearted landlord said to me when the bargain\nwas made for the house, \u201cthe garden is good for nothing.\u201d It was a\nlarge one, but it had not been worked in ten years; it had grown up\nto weeds and thistles, year after year, so I need not expect anything\nfrom that source.\u201d I thought, how bad it would look to have the\npreacher\u2019s back yard covered with weeds and thistles. I made up my\nmind that I would not let the weeds grow. I would have it plowed and\nworked--if no more. After it was plowed, I was impressed to plant it,\nwhich I did. I spent quite a little time in working my garden. The\nLord wonderfully blessed it, so that it was the best in the place.\nI worked it with hoe and axe. This I had to do right after it had\nrained. I made up my mind that my field could be made fruitful if\nwell worked, with God\u2019s blessing. I have often heard it said that\nsuch places were so hard, that nothing could be done. They meant\nSpiritually. All such expressions indicate a small amount of faith.\nThey seem to forget that \u201c_all things are possible with God_,\u201d \u201c_and\nto him that believeth_.\u201d\n\nOur work has been largely of the faith mission character, and\nwherever the ministry and laity have gone forth in that spirit,\nvictory has crowned their labors. Much has been said and written\nabout India and Africa\u2019s faith missions, but too little about home\nfaith missions. Is faith needed in those darkened lands for the\nsalvation of the heathen? much more is mighty faith needed for the\ncultured heathen of America. \u201c_O, breath of Heaven, come on us, that\nthese dry bones may live._\u201d I am satisfied that too many of us, have\ntoo little faith in the Almighty. We do not seem to take into our\nminds the fact, that, all power in Heaven, and earth belongs to Him,\nand He that spake world\u2019s from nought, could, if necessary, create\nunnumbered worlds for the accomplishing of His designs in saving the\nhuman family.\n\nRemember, O, remember precious soul, that with every felt need, your\nloving, Heavenly Father has the blessing in readiness, waiting for\nyour contending faith to claim it!\n\n       \u201cThough troubles assail, and dangers affright,\n        Though friends should all fail, and foes all unite,\n        Yet one thing secures us, whatever betide,\n        The promise assures us, \u2018_The Lord will provide_.\u2019\n\n        The birds, without barn or storehouse, are fed;\n        From them let us learn to trust for our bread;\n        His saints what is fitting shall ne\u2019er be denied,\n        So long as \u2019tis written, \u2018_The Lord will provide_.\u2019\n\n        When Satan appears to stop up our path,\n        And fills us with fears, _we triumph by faith_;\n        He cannot take from us, (though oft he has tried.)\n        The heart-cheering promise, \u2018_The Lord will provide_.\u2019\n\n        He tells us we\u2019re weak--our hope is in vain;\n        The good that we seek we ne\u2019er shall obtain:\n        But when such suggestions our graces have tried,\n        This answers all questions, \u2018_The Lord will provide_.\u2019\n\n        No strength of our own, nor goodness we claim:\n        Our trust is all thrown in Jesus\u2019 name;\n        In this our strong tower for safety we hide;\n        The Lord is our power, \u2018_The Lord will provide_.\u2019\n\n        When life sinks apace, and death is in view,\n        The Word of His grace shall comfort us through:\n        Not fearing or doubting with Christ on our side,\n        We expect to die shouting, \u2018_THE LORD DOES PROVIDE_!\u2019\u201d\n\n\n\n\n                                 VII.\n\n                          A PECULIAR PEOPLE.\n\n\nThe elect, the Chosen of God, those who are ordained unto life\neternal, are God\u2019s peculiar people; they were in the past, they are\nnow, and will be for all time to come. Hear the declaration of Holy\nWrit:\n\n\u201cNow therefore, if ye will obey my voice, indeed, and keep my\ncovenant, then ye shall be a _peculiar people_, or treasure, unto me\nabove all people, for all the earth is mine.--Ex. 19:5. For thou art\na holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee\nto be a _peculiar people_ unto Himself, above all the nations that\nare upon the earth.--Deut. 14:2.\u201d Then in 26th chapter and 18th verse\nthe same thought is expressed: \u201cAnd the Lord hath avouched thee this\nday to be His _peculiar people_, as He hath promised thee, and that\nthou shouldst keep all His commandments.\u201d The Psalmist caught the\ninspiration and gave thought and expression in like manner: \u201cFor the\nLord hath chosen Jacob unto Himself, and Israel for His _peculiar\npeople_.\u201d\n\nUnder the blazing light of the new dispensation, with a heart and\ntongue all on fire with love divine, and vision turned upon the\nredeemed of God, he declares what God would have us understand more\nperfectly that, \u201cYe are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood,\na holy nation, a _peculiar people_; that ye should show forth the\npraises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous\nlight; which in time past were not a people, but are now the people\nof God; which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.\u201d\n\nThe condition rendering God\u2019s people peculiar is of a twofold\ncharacter--internal and external, and both internal and external are\nlikewise of a twofold character, the positive and negative.\n\nA person may be very peculiar, and yet be far away from God. There\nis much that is odd, very odd, yea, very peculiar, connected with\nsome very good people which is no part of Christianity. A few years\nago I had the pleasure of attending a Sabbath School Convention of\nthe M. E. Church at Black River, N. Y. A part of the program was a\ndiscussion of this proposition:\n\n\u201cShall we teach the peculiarities of Methodism in our Sabbath\nSchools?\u201d\n\nThere was much said, but nothing that had any special bearing on the\nsubject. Rev. Mr. D---- said that he had a right to speak on the\nsubject, as he was a Methodist, of Methodists parents; two of his\nsisters married Methodist preachers; and beside he had two brothers\nthat were Methodist preachers, and his father\u2019s house was a home for\nMethodist preachers. He related many pleasant things that occurred\namong the preachers, and many peculiar things. He said there was one\nBro. Lovice that was often at his home, a holy man. He really enjoyed\nholiness. At the table one day, mother, at the close of the meal,\ntook the platter containing a custard pie, passed around the table\nand gave to each a piece. When she came to Brother Lovice, she said,\n\u201cMy dear brother, will you have a piece of pie?\u201d He replied, \u201cYes,\nma\u2019am,\u201d holding out both hands, and received his pie in that peculiar\nway. This he related, and then said, \u201cI believe in the peculiarities\nof Methodism.\u201d There are too many, I fear, who entertain similar\nviews of the qualities that go to make up what constitute a _peculiar\npeople_.\n\nIt is not eccentricity--though people lay much stress on that. It\nis not in being careless or indifferent, to any of the claims that\nGod, or our neighbor has upon us; nor indifference in regard to our\npersonal appearance. The dress question is one of great importance.\nGod requires us to _adorn_ our bodies in _modest_ apparel. Now, to\nmeet the conditions, some things are necessary: First--The color\nand quality of goods purchased. Secondly--The style or manner in\nwhich they are made. It is not for the glory of God to have your\nclothes cut and made so that all who see you would never mistrust\nyour clothes were made for you, but for some person of a much larger\nmake-up. There are some people who are real saints, but in their\nmanner of dress, they have no respect for the \u201c_terms_\u201d _modest or\nadorn_. I maintain that the saints are the best-looking people the\nworld has got, and they ought to dress the best. Thank God, some do!\nThe material should be becoming, age, and condition in life, embraced\nin a thus saith the Lord. In the next place, garments should be\nmade to fit. We should dress ourselves with care and neatness--not\nslovenly, or in a careless and untidy manner. Many seem to have no\nrespect for the fitness of things, especially for how their clothes\nfit. We should be in a presentable condition: \u201c_adorned in modest\napparel_.\u201d Many have lost measurably their influence for good by\ntheir untidy, and utter disrespect of God\u2019s requirements in the\nmatter of adornments.\n\nA real saint, has the outside, and the inside of real salvation,\nwhich renders them _God\u2019s peculiar people_; inside, and outside,\nrighteousness. It consists first, in having our sins taken from\nus--removed as far as the east is from the west, so that it has no\nmore dominion over us, having our inner being washed and set free\nfrom all the remains of the carnal mind. This is preceded by a real\ndeath to carnality--a death which too few experience, but necessary\nin order to prove the heights and depths of love divine.\n\nIt is to be so dead to sin and self, that we shall be just like clay\nin the hands of the potter, fashioned by Him as he wills and we\nlovingly submit and say, \u201cThy will be done, O, Lord! my God, and my\nRedeemer.\u201d\n\nTo be a peculiar people, means _death_ to the tricks and wiles of\nthe devil--so that in presenting his claims with all his Satanic\nart, there is no response within, but a repelling power springs up\nimmediately. He will tempt you to disbelieve in Jesus Christ, that\nis, don\u2019t expect Him to save you so thoroughly as some claim. He will\npersuade you if possible to tone down a little; but with this death,\nand this resurrection power, you are more than a match for him.\n\nHe will follow you all the way down to death. Everywhere he will\npresent his claims, and with the least possible chance, he will\novercome you.\n\nWe are not above our Master. The world, with all its grandeur, will\nmake its demands. As Christ was tempted to bow the knee, so will it\nbe with us. The flesh will clamor for indulgencies, but the child of\nGod that is dead indeed to sin and alive to Him, will overcome by\nthe word of their testimony and the blood of the Lamb. The internal\nevidence that you are one of that family, _a peculiar people_, is\ngrandly pronounced in the following manner:\n\nThe first noticeable manifestation after you have made clean your\nescape from the land of bondage and destruction, will be a _state of\npeace_ that will thrill your entire being. This will appear strange,\nafter the awful conflict that you so recently passed through. Coming\ninto a state of reconciliation--everything about you will seem to be\nin a lovely mood. As you move on in the divine life, this state of\njoy and gladness will increase, so that your _peace_ will flow as a\nriver; and as you continue faithful in the grace already given, you\nwill soon have what the Psalmist called \u201c_Great peace_.\u201d \u201c_Great\npeace have they which love thy law, and nothing shall offend them._\u201d\nThat is, if you are sanctified wholly, made perfect in love, you\nhave a peace that will not stumble over anything that may occur;\nthe ungodly things that are on all sides will not turn you out of\nthe direct way to Heaven. Everlasting joy belongs to this people;\nit comes natural to them, as rays of light from the sun, or as rain\nfrom the clouds. The command is, \u201cRejoice evermore.\u201d This would be\nimpossible without a pure heart and a holy life. \u201cThe redeemed come\nto Zion, with songs and with everlasting joy upon their heads; they\nshall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee\naway.\u201d\n\nWhile the saints all have joy, they do not all have the same degree\nof joy; neither will they in the world to come. St. Paul says that\n\u201cone star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the\nresurrection.\u201d Holy joy is like a musical scale, with its added\nlines. Every note of praise has its positive, comparative and\nsuperlative development. The first note of holy joy that will be\ndiscovered in us will be in singing the songs of Zion. The redeemed\ncome with songs; and yet there may be the joy, not only of the\njustified believer, but of the wholly sanctified. Glory to God. While\nthis may be true, not all that sing the songs of Zion are blessed\nwith this holy, triumphant joy. Only the redeemed have it.\n\nThe second degree of joy, in the natural scale, will be found in\nthe hearty amen; especially if it be born of the Spirit. A great\nmany amens were never born of the Spirit; they are counterfeits.\nHow blessed are the sanctified amens. How rich the service that is\nwell interspersed with them. The amen corners in our churches are\nof inestimable value; as much so as the Urim and Thummim in the\nMosaic dispensation. It clearly revealed the presence of the Most\nHigh; so do the spirit-inspired amens. How encouraging the unctious\namens to the saints. How it lifts the preacher while proclaiming the\neverlasting gospel. Oh, that God would baptize the church with more\nsanctified, Holy Ghost amens.\n\nThe note of praise running still higher in the scale of holy joy will\nbe, \u201cPraise the Lord.\u201d How little we hear of this, to what we ought\nto hear. But as we advance in the divine life, the praises of God\nwill increase in our hearts, and upon our lips, and we shall feel\nlike saying: \u201cLet everything that hath breath praise the Lord.\u201d\n\nThe next higher note of joy will be \u201cGlory.\u201d This will spring up so\nnatural if you occupy just the right spot on the scale of experience.\nYou cannot pump it up, if the well is dry. There must be living water\nin the well. Jesus said, \u201cThe water that I give you shall be in you a\nwell of water springing up unto everlasting life.\u201d\n\nAs you ascend the mount of holiness, the next higher note struck will\nbe \u201c_Hallelujah!_\u201d This note is sweeter than honey and the honey\ncomb. In order to understand music on this key, you must live in\nthe promised land. Thus far in the scale of everlasting joy we have\nlanguage to express in a very faint degree the heaven that reigns\nwithin. But there comes a condition in our onward flight when all\nthe language employed by mortal beings fail to express the joy that\nfloods the soul. St. Paul, master of the Greek language, which is\nsaid to be very expressive, could not give it in that, so, doubtless,\nhe gave it in the language employed by angels. \u201cFor,\u201d says the\nApostle, \u201cBelieving, ye rejoice with joy which is unspeakable and\nfull of glory.\u201d That must be a little of the bliss that we shall know\nwhen we surround the throne; bliss without alloy; joy unspeakable\nand full of glory. \u201cThe joy of the Lord is our strength.\u201d God grant\nthat the reader and the writer may have a great deal of this joy,\nregardless of the outer manifestation.\n\nBut in this condition of salvation, there will be outer\nmanifestations; outer developments. Life is not an even spun thread.\nRivers are not all the way through, the same, width and depth. The\nearth is not a dead level--a vast prairie--not all hill--not all\nvalley, but a variety. The beauty of creation, is this endless\nvariety. Who could bear to gaze forever on a vast plain, or mountain\nscenery? I believe that Heaven will be made up of change. It will\ntake all of eternity to develop God\u2019s creative power. It is true,\nthere will be some general features that will abide; it is so with\nChristian life; but outwardly there will be new developments, new\nmanifestations.\n\n\u201cGood works,\u201d will be the most marked, demonstration. This people are\n\u201czealous of good works.\u201d The work of beneficence occupies a large\nplace with all that truly belong to Jesus. In this they will be\nlike Him, who went about doing good to the souls and bodies of men;\nfeeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, and so far\nas we have the power, helping in every legitimate way:\n\n               \u201cThe voice of charity is kind,\n                  She thinketh nothing wrong--\n                To every fault she seemeth blind;\n                  Nor vaunteth with her tongue.\n                \u2019Tis not to pause when at the door--\n                  A shivering brother stands:\n                To ask the cause, what made him poor!\n                  Or why he help demands.\u201d\n\nChristian men and women are stewards for God. Their income, after\neconomically providing for their own needs, goes for God\u2019s cause.\nHow this cause would move, if all that profess to be disciples of\nChrist, were thus actuated. The secret of living where the great\nShechinah will shine full-orbed upon your soul; where, not a cloud\nwill arise to intervene for a moment, to darken the soul\u2019s vision,\ncomes when you are under, and daily bearing the cross. What blessed\nopportunities are presented daily, for denying self, and making glad\nhearts which have long been in the deepest sorrow, and affliction.\nHow we may cheer the broken-hearted, if we will, and help the pilgrim\non his way.\n\nThe very best investments come on this line. But woe to him that\nis greedy of gain, that is constantly seeking to lay up treasures\non earth where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break\nthrough and steal. \u201cWhatsoever a man soweth, that, shall he also\nreap,\u201d is the fiat of fate; the unchangeable law of Him that made and\ncontrols all things on earth, and in Heaven.\n\nThis people will have another class of manifestations, peculiar and\nmarvelous. When the Holy Ghost comes on an individual, as it will,\nwhen a complete surrender has been made, there will be at times,\nvisible evidences of that fact. This manifestation will not be the\nsame with every individual, neither will it be always the same with\nthe same person. The Spirit\u2019s operations are differently presented;\nsome will fall--others will laugh--some will cry--run--jump--shake as\nwith the ague--shout--praise God--sing--and in various peculiar ways,\nGod the Holy Ghost will manifest Himself. This has been the condition\nof things in the church of God from the beginning down to the present\ntime when the church has been alive in Him, earnestly seeking to do\nHis will. But when a church is dead--plucked up by the root--cold,\nfrozen, stiff, formal, backslidden, why, then they have things\n\u201c_decently, and in order_.\u201d There are lots of churches in these days\nthat, a legally constituted amen, would give them all a severe run of\nfever!\n\nI suppose that if David, the King of Israel, should come to worship\nwith you as he worshiped before the ark, dancing with all his might,\nyou would have him stop, or put him out. I have no doubt but that you\nwould set as umpire and cry out fanaticism, wild-fire.\n\n_Jesus_, on his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, was followed by\nthe crowd; the children that were there worshiped Him, crying out\nHosannah to Jesus, the King of Israel! The old Pharisees then\nacted just as they have ever since when God blesses His children,\nrequesting them to stop their noise. Jesus gently reproved them in\nthe statement made. Said He: \u201cIf these should hold their _peace_,\nthe stones would cry out.\u201d How this truth has been verified again\nand again. When one people stop praising God in the way the Spirit\ndirects and operates, then another is raised up to take their place,\nthus it has ever been. The Free Methodist church was raised up to\ntake the place made vacant by others, to offer the tribute of praise\nin its various moods and tenses to the Lord Almighty. Beware how you\nput your hands on the Ark! Death comes on that line. \u201c_Quench not\nthe Spirit._\u201d Alas! the fumes of the dead killed in that way cover\nthe land like a malaria, and the odor in many of our churches is\nstifling. O, for a breeze of salvation\u2019s life and power on all the\nchurches.\n\nBut to return. The man healed at the beautiful gate by Jesus Christ\nthrough Peter, went off leaping, and walking, and praising God. It\nmust have looked very strange to those who saw it. A man, lame from\nhis birth, performing in such a _peculiar manner_. Why did he not\nafter the healing power came on him, walk off quietly? Why excite\ncuriosity? Doubtless it was for God\u2019s glory. If he had gone to his\nhome in a quiet manner, but few would have taken notice of the\ncircumstance; whereas leaping, and walking, and praising God, drew\nthe attention of the people and of those who never had known him,\nto the marvelous fact, that a miracle had taken place on this man,\nand while their curiosity was in lively exercise, Jesus Christ was\npreached unto them as the Physician for soul and body. He wants the\nglory for what He does for our souls and bodies.\n\nThe day of Pentecost was a sample day of what we might have every\nday, during this dispensation, if the church wanted it and would put\nherself in the same condition to receive it, and doubtless with as\npeculiar, and marked demonstrations. On that occasion, it sat upon\neach like a tongue of fire, and they all began to speak with other\ntongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. It has been said that\nsome seventeen different languages were spoken on that occasion.\nWhat other outer demonstrations there were on that occasion we are\nnot informed; but it is quite evident from what followed, there were\nsome, for Peter\u2019s denial of the charge of drunkenness would indicate\nthe fact that they did take place. \u201cThese are not drunken as ye\nsupposed.\u201d\n\nIn every genuine revival the church has had from the very beginning\nup to the present time, powerful manifestations of God\u2019s presence in\na way calculated to arouse the most hardened and wretched sinner to a\nrealization of their awful danger while in their sins, causing them\nto cry out from the very depths of despair, God be merciful to me a\nsinner. We often hear persons pray for the influences of the Spirit.\nUnder certain conditions that would be right, but what we always\nneed, is the mighty baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire, just as it\ncame on the sample day, and if I read the scriptures aright, the\npromise is that God will pour out of His Spirit in this dispensation,\nupon all flesh, not sprinkle us with an influence but saturate and\nfill us. For He says, \u201cBe not drunk with wine, wherein is excess,\n_but be filled with the Spirit_.\u201d\n\n_Methodism_, in the days of Wesley, Whitfield, Asbury and Peter\nCartwright, was marked by very peculiar outer demonstrations.\nFalling, like the dead slain in battle, was a very common feature. At\na camp-meeting held in about the year 1803 in Kentucky, five hundred\nat one time fell under the power of the Holy Ghost. \u201cSomewhere\nbetween 1800 and 1801, in the upper part of Kentucky, at a memorable\nplace called Cane Ridge, there was appointed a sacramental meeting\nby some of the Presbyterian ministers, at which meeting seemingly\nunexpected by ministers or people, the mighty power of God was\ndisplayed in a very extraordinary manner, many were moved to tears,\nand bitter and loud crying for mercy. The meeting was protracted for\nweeks. Ministers of almost all denominations flocked in from far and\nnear. The meeting was kept up both night and day. Thousands heard of\nthe mighty work, and came on foot, on horseback, in carriages and\nwagons. It was supposed that there were in attendance at times during\nthe meeting from twelve to twenty-five thousand people. Hundreds fell\nprostrate under the mighty power of God, as men slain in battle.\nStands were erected in the woods from which preachers of different\nchurches proclaimed repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus\nChrist, and it was supposed by eye and ear witnesses, that between\none and two thousand souls were happily and powerfully converted to\nGod during the meeting. It was not unusual for one, two, three, and\nfour to seven preachers to be addressing the listening thousands at\nthe same time from the different stands erected for that purpose.\n_The Heavenly fire spread in almost every direction. It was said,\nby truthful witnesses, that at times more than one thousand persons\nbroke out into loud shouting all at once, and the shouts could be\nheard for miles around._\u201d The Methodist preachers that were at\nthis meeting possessed some of the John Wesley ability to utilize\nwhatever might aid in advancing the Redeemer\u2019s Kingdom, saw in the\nmeeting just described a glorious opportunity, which they immediately\nembraced, and out of which evolved the notorious camp-meeting\nreferred to in another place as a child of Methodism. Bishop\nSimpson said in a sermon that he preached to a large congregation\nof class-leaders at Philadelphia, Pa., from these words, \u201cHe shall\nbaptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire,\u201d \u201cthat the Methodists\nowed their success to this baptism; and what made them peculiar was\nthe fire.\u201d This was a double blessing, producing intensity of life\nand action, with visible manifestations of God\u2019s presence and power\noften manifested in peculiar ways. I remember well for more than\nfifty years, how the Lord graciously poured out His Spirit on our\nbeloved Zion. The times of refreshing, cries for mercy, the songs of\npraise, the amens and the glorious Hallelujahs that I heard half a\ncentury ago, come welling up in my soul as though it were yesterday.\nI attended a quarterly meeting at Albion, N. Y., in the old brick M.\nE. Church, L. Stiles pastor, in 1857. This was one of the original\nmeetings gotten up by Rev. B. T. Roberts, and Rev. L. Stiles. It\nwas a four day meeting. I had never been away from home before to\nattend a meeting of this character. I had a good deal of anxiety\nto know what kind of people I should see at that meeting. An old\nclass-leader that lived near me was on his way to that meeting with\nme. Said I, \u2018Brother, what kind of folks will attend the quarterly\nmeeting?\u2019 Said he, \u2018The very _cream_ of the church.\u2019 As we came near\nthe church we could hear the saints as they met each other coming\nin from the regions round about, greeting one another with \u2018Praise\nthe Lord, I am so glad to see you, how does your soul prosper, well?\nglory to God.\u2019 Then would ring out Spirit-born amens. This was before\nthe meeting had commenced. I was captured by these greetings. This\nmeeting commenced at 9 o\u2019clock A. M., with a prayer meeting, first\nwas five minutes of secret prayer. In about two minutes an old\ngray-haired pilgrim got blessed, sprang up and commenced shouting\nglory, Hallelujah, with what I thought, unearthly power. He jumped\nto his feet and I to mine. He continued to shout, and I gazed with\nwonder, and shook from head to foot as though everything around me\nwas moving heavenward. Very soon I got on my knees again and asked\nthe Lord to steady my nerves, for I felt that I must have something,\nfor the element around me was perfectly awful and solemn. I had\nbeen on my knees but a short time before a Bro. in the back part of\nthe church sprang to his feet and with such lung power as it seemed\nto me at that time I had never heard before shouted with all his\nmight--\u2018_Hallelujah_\u2019--and this he repeated until the house was full\nof glory, and of God. This was a Pentecostal meeting. Here the saints\nreceived the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire, fitting them up for\nthe awful ordeal of expulsion from their own home, consecrated by the\ndearest ties of nature and grace; made dear by every recollection\nof bygone days. Here in the beginning of our Christian life, were\n_Spiritual fathers_ and _mothers_, who cared for us with great\ntenderness and solicitude. Now, to be thrust out from our dear old\nhome, simply because we loved her and were trying to maintain her\nrights, was cruel indeed. But God had a purpose in this, as much as\nHe had in the selling of Joseph into Egypt. Benjamin must be cast out\nto man the LIFE-BOAT, to rescue the perishing. Nearly thirty years\nhas come and gone with trials, conflicts, persecutions, broadside\nafter broadside from the _old craft_, and other crafts, yet, the\nCaptain has maintained his place at the mast-head, holding high the\ninsignia that brought us to the front, \u2018HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD.\u2019\u201d May\nhis life and health be preserved for years to come to maintain the\nsame work that he has so tenaciously held to in the past, amen. While\nothers have been raised up to help in bearing aloft the banner of\nheart purity, noble men and women, our brother has not become puffed\nup by great prosperity, but maintains the simplicity of the gospel as\nin other days.\n\nRev. Amos Hard lived in the town of Murry, N. Y., five miles from\nAlbion and four from Holly, I lived neighbour to him. Perhaps there\nwas not another man in Genesee Conference that did so much to stir\nup war as Bro. Hard. As a Sister remarked on the old Bergen camp\nground, \u201cBro. Hard is all heads and points.\u201d His relation to his\nchurch was supernumerary. This relation he occupied for twenty-five\nyears, so that he was at liberty to go and come when he pleased. It\nwas expected that when the Free church was organized, he would come\nright in, but he did not. If he had been expelled, as others were for\ndoing some of the same work that he did, doubtless, he would have\ncome in. There was just one thing that prevented his expulsion, and\nthat was, his two sons that were in Genesee College. His character\nwas arrested several times, and the only thing that saved his head\nfrom the axe, was his superior sons. It was argued like this, \u201cYou\nexpel Brother Hard, and we lose two of the smartest students we have\nin the college,\u201d and the last time that our Brother was put through\nthe crucible, it was added, \u201cand the Free Methodists will get them.\u201d\nThis statement I had from Sister Hard. His home was a rendezvous for\nthose engaged in making war on church idols.\n\n_Much harm_ has been done to the cause of Christ by not properly\nestimating religious demonstrations. Some have laid too much\nstress upon them. While blessed in the past, they had peculiar\nmanifestations, and then come to this conclusion, that, when blessed\nof God, they would always have the same outer demonstrations; and\nif they did not have the same, readily concluded that they were not\nright with God, when at the same time they had not knowingly grieved\nthe Spirit in any way. The next step with them has been to cast away\ntheir confidence in Christ, quit doing duty and of course, they\nwere soon far away from the Lord. We should always hold fast the\nprofession of our faith, if we have not committed sin, regardless of\neverything else. If we have done wrong, hasten to make it right. The\ncause of Christ has suffered great damage and in many places it has\nbeen completely smothered by those that sit in judgment and condemn\nevery phase of experience that does not meet their preconceived\nnotions of just how a person should act when blessed of God;\ncondemning what may seem peculiar and strange because they do not\nunderstand it, is not wise. The Holy Spirit has been grieved, yea,\n_blasphemed_ in too many cases in that way. Charges and conferences\nhave been greatly checked, and in some cases dried up by the root,\nby harshly condemning _the Spirit\u2019s operations_. I have no doubt but\nthat they honestly sought to remedy what they supposed was a serious\ndifficulty--greatly hindering the work of the Lord. Their efforts\nwere not blessed of God, and worked ruin, because they resorted to\nwrong measures. I believe that the devil has power to imitate the\nSpirit, especially in demonstrations. But suppose that he has? We\nneed be a little cautious how we give him credit. John Wesley and\nothers at Fetterlane fell into the same difficulty which grieved the\nSpirit and brought deadness to the work at that place, and leanness\ninto their souls. They sought unto the Lord to know the difficulty\nand God let light upon them, just as He would do by you if you are\nguilty of a like offense.\n\nWesley and others made the following confession: \u201cWe acknowledged\nour having grieved Him by our divisions; one saying, I am of Paul,\nanother, I am of Apollos; by our leaning again to our own works and\ntrusting in them, instead of Christ, by our resting in those little\nbeginnings of sanctification, which it had pleased Him to work in our\nsouls, and, above all, _by blaspheming His work among us, imputing it\nto nature, to the force of imagination and animal spirits, or even to\nthe delusion of the devil. In that hour, we found God with us as at\nthe first. Some fell prostrate upon the ground. Others burst out, as\nwith one consent, into loud praise and thanksgiving. And many openly\ntestified there had been no such day as this since January the first\npreceding._\u201d (_Wesley Journal, Volume 3, page 140._)\n\nAfter confessing their faults, one to another, the blessing of the\nLord came as on former occasions. Dear Brothers and Sisters in\nChrist, is not the above remedy what we _need_ among us, as a people?\nespecially in some places. Wherever it has been tried, it proved\ngloriously successful. In fact, it is the only remedy for the like\ndifficulties. A good square confession is always health to the soul,\nit works like a charm. If you have grieved the Holy Spirit, try it.\n\nDuring more than fifty years I have witnessed a great many powerful\nrevivals, and from what I have seen I come to this conclusion, that\nit is impossible to have a revival of God\u2019s salvation where the real\nburden of the Lord will rest on Zion, so she will feel a little\nas Christ felt when in the Garden, when such conviction will come\non sinners that they will see themselves and their real danger,\nleading them to cry for life, without manifesting much that will be\ndecidedly _peculiar_. But to stop and spend, or waste time in trying\nto regulate the Holy Ghost, is exceedingly foolish. You might as well\ntry to regulate chain-lightning as it came from the clouds. When\nthere is much fire in the furnace clinkers are formed, but you don\u2019t\nspend your time working at clinkers, it\u2019s the fire you want. A great\nmany have tried to manage the train to suit their views of things,\nbut the result has been in too many cases, a fearful smashup. Others\nthrough their blinded zeal have got on the train just in time to be\nside-tracked or ushered suddenly into eternity. How many have come\ninto the Free Methodist church apparently with a desire to run this\ntrain according to their schedule time, but were soon side-tracked,\nor ceased to be.\n\nGod Almighty\u2019s train must be managed according to the _old\ntime-table_. Jobbers--compromisers--and all that love and make a\nlie, off from the track at once. But few brakemen are needed on this\ntrain, but a premium is offered for first-class firemen. Beloveds, up\nwith the brakes, and let the train move on, and don\u2019t become alarmed\nif she gets under big headway.\n\nIn 1863 Brother and Sister Cooley and the writer held a camp-meeting\nat Blood\u2019s Corners, N. Y. After the Sabbath we were helped by Brother\nand Sister Roberts. Brother James Matthews and others came in from a\nmeeting that had just closed at Akron. It was a very hard place to\nrun a meeting from the fact that in that section of country nearly\nall professed to be Christians, when it was plain to be seen that in\nmost cases they were in a backslidden state if they had ever been\nconverted, which was doubted. Crowds came on the ground and openly\nand in other ways opposed the work that we were called to do, that\nwas to spread \u201cscriptural holiness.\u201d On one occasion when Brother\nCooley was exhorting a large crowd on this subject, a local preacher\nbelonging to some church, jumped up and commanded Brother Cooley to\nstop at once, \u201cthey did not want to hear such stuff.\u201d Brother Cooley\npaid no attention to this but continued to exhort. Then the fellow\nturned on Brother C., and cried out with all his might for the Holy\nGhost to knock our brother down. This he repeated, declaring they\nwould not hear such talk. This was a hard fought battle field but\nvictory came on this wise. On Tuesday night about twelve o\u2019clock it\nwas thought by a number of real saints that came on the ground from\nNew York City, and from Illinois, and by those that had been there\nfrom the beginning that God could and would give the victory if we\nshould make a more thorough effort. Accordingly twenty or more (and\nthey were members of eight denominations) went into Brother Roberts\u2019\ntent and engaged in earnest prayer to this end.\n\nOur praying was characterized by intense earnestness, all that were\nin that meeting felt that way. Some took a very humble position,\nespecially Brother Belden of N. Y. He was a Presbyterian minister.\nHe confessed he had compromised, but would do so no more. He would\npreach a whole gospel the remainder of his life, if compelled by\nso doing to beg from door to door. It seemed to take us until four\no\u2019clock in the morning to reach the spot where faith sprang up\nclaiming the Holy Ghost and the fire. At this point it came on all\nin that tent. It made no difference because we belonged to different\norganizations, all fell as slain in battle, except one. At this\nmeeting our dear Brother Roberts fell under the power of God several\ntimes. He approached the person that did not fall to lay his hands on\ntheir head, but when his hands came within one foot of them he fell\nthe quickest of any person that I ever saw fall. This was one of the\nmost glorious meetings that I ever knew anything about. After this\nsalvation flowed in upon us like a mighty river, souls were saved,\nbelievers were sanctified wholly, and the Free Methodists struck an\nabiding place at that time, and from this point it has gone out to\nbless others in regions beyond. In those days we made it a point to\nhave the victory on all occasions. If at first we did not succeed we\nwould try again, let the drill go down until we struck the living\nstream. There is no such thing as failure with those whose faith and\ntrust is in God. \u201cThis is the victory that overcometh the world, even\nour faith.\u201d\n\n_Free Methodism_ is a child of Providence, born in due time. She\nis a spontaneous production of the Holy Ghost, and all legitimate\nchildren are made so by the same power. It cannot be learned from\nany other source. A great many come in with us from other churches,\nbut when our machinery gets under full headway, they become alarmed\nat what they see and hear and then try to adjust things to their\nprimary knowledge of the science. In trying to do this as preachers,\nthey have gotten themselves and the societies over which they were\nplaced into serious difficulty. Not having a natural induction into\nthe science of Free Methodism, they did the best they knew, but when\nthey should have raised the valve and let on more steam, down went\nthe brakes, and when faith should have been encouraged, personal\ngrievances were introduced. Now to illustrate--You may have carried\na watch for many years and know much about the object of a watch,\nbut if you were to go into a watch maker\u2019s establishment to make\nwatches, you would have to commence at the very foundation in order\nto know how to make a watch. It is precisely so in this science. To\nwork understandingly and in harmony with it, one must be born into\nit, BORN OF THE SPIRIT. Our machinery is the very best ever devised,\nproviding that it is well worked. It must be worked in order that its\nbeauty and symmetry may be seen and appreciated. But if it is allowed\nto go on the dry dock, it presents a forlorn appearance. It is only\nwhen under sail with a stiff breeze, that her grand proportions are\nvisible.\n\n\n\n\n                                VIII.\n\n                THE FREE METHODIST CHURCH A NECESSITY.\n\n\nCompleteness in all the works of God are everywhere manifest. Harmony\nprevails in the vast system of worlds above, and all around us.\nBy the aid of the telescope, we view with delight the increasing\nmagnitude of those heavenly bodies, from the asteroid, up to that\nmysterious orb that gives life and light to the vegetable and animal\nkingdoms, and the worlds that move in space. The chain is complete.\nEvery link is in its proper place. This is correct in both kingdoms.\nYou may trace with profound interest the smallest insect that crawls\nupon the leaf to the giant mastodon that roams the forest. This law\nprevails likewise in the kingdom of grace. As one star differeth\nfrom another star in glory, so also is the resurrection. And when we\nstand upon the sea of glass mingled with fire, and gaze upon that\ninnumerable company that have washed their robes and made them white\nin the blood of the Lamb, the law of necessity, and development\nwill be manifest. Heaven would be very incomplete if this were not\ntrue. If there were none but arch-angels and matured saints; if the\nchildren of all grades, those just blooming into life were not there;\nif men and women with the feeblest intellect redeemed to God by\nthe blood of the Lamb were not there, then indeed, the chain would\nbe broken, and Heaven would be incomplete. What joy comes to the\nChristian parents, when compelled to lay their dear child, that had\nalready given them so much real pleasure, away in the cold silent\ngrave, to feel that we shall meet again, and be forever with the Lord.\n\nWe now come to a different consideration, that is, the Christian\nchurch or churches. This is of a twofold character, internal\nand external. It may have an existence where it does not appear\nexternally; and what often has an external appearance as the church\nof Christ, may have no relation to Him. Nevertheless, it does\npossess the invisible and the visible organization. The invisible\nor spiritual church of Christ, is one, in Heaven, and on earth. The\nvisible organization is manifold. She might well be compared to a\nfamily with many members, all striving to do the will of the parent.\nAll have not the same office. Every branch of the Christian church\nhave their mission, and will be required to do just what they are\nfitted for by nature, culture, and by grace. Where much has been\ngiven, much will be required. Responsibility measures up to the above\nrule.\n\nThe whole family of churches evolved one after another from the old\nCatholic church: and all, seem to have a mission in the world\u2019s\ndrama. Just what that mission is, I am not able to define. Perhaps\nsome are to operate as parasites on others. The mission of the church\nof Christ was to seek and save the lost and perishing. The Wesleyan\nMethodist church declares in her book of discipline that they were\nraised up to spread scriptural holiness over these lands; and while\nshe was true to her mission, nothing could stand before her. Where\never she unfurled the banner of the cross, rebellion ceased, and\nJesus Christ was crowned Lord of all. At least multitudes were saved\nto God and joined the ranks of the redeemed.\n\nThe doctrines of the M. E. Church were ordained in heaven, honored\nof God, and blessed to the salvation of millions. Her general rules\nwere a strong tower; mighty bulwarks, rendering her when within that\nfortification impregnable. For nearly a century she stood the assault\nand rage of earth and hell without flinching, and the glory cloud did\nrest upon her. But the time came when she fell; not by the mighty\ninvading forces without altogether, but by internal foes that she had\ntaken to her loving embrace. Her manner of life is entirely changed,\nor nearly so. Humility has given way to pride and ostentation. The\ndoctrines that she once placed such stress upon, the witness of the\nspirit, entire holiness, a confession of sin, restitution, plainness\nof dress, she now largely ignores. Those internal foes that she cares\nfor so tenderly have robbed her of her Spiritual life and power.\nThe glory manifested during the service of preaching, prayer or\nclass-meeting, has in many places entirely disappeared. Beside the\nenemies already mentioned, she had taken within her pale, members\nthat belong to speculative Free Masonry, who are opposed to Jesus\nChrist and his gospel; hence, war was waged within the church by this\narmy of Satan, against Christ and His army, the saints. This division\nof purpose by the two armies within the church was everywhere\nmanifest: each party, seeking for the supremacy. While the saints\nheld tenaciously to the ancient land-marks which our fathers set,\nSatan\u2019s wing labored to introduce the new order of things.\n\nOne of the great mistakes made by this church is in receiving members\nthat were never converted, but simply had a lukewarm desire to go\nto heaven when they had exhausted every round of earthly pleasure.\nBishop Peck made this statement in a sermon that he preached a short\ntime before his death, \u201cI am persuaded that more than three-fourths\nof all the members in my beloved church, were never converted.\u201d A\nsad confession indeed; but observation proves his statement correct.\nNo wonder, with these elements within, our mother sought to array\nherself in gorgeous apparel. What a contrast between these days of\npomp, and vanity, and worldly mindedness, and the days of blessed\nmemory, when arrayed in Christ\u2019s righteousness. No wonder that there\nwas war in the church, when Susie and John came home from boarding\nschool, backslidden completely from good desires, with the new\norder of things fresh in their minds, were ashamed of mother\u2019s old\nfashioned style, determined that there should be a change in the\nprogramme. So they commenced by banging mother\u2019s hair and putting\nrings in her ears and on her fingers. The bustle, put in its horrid\nappearance with extra yards of cloth, buttons, ribbons, all of which\ngave our dear old mother the appearance of a stranger. Of course, she\nwas urged to comb her hair back as in the days of her simplicity,\nand decorate herself in modest apparel, without gold, or pearls, or\ncostly array; but she was obstinate, and has been ever since.\n\nThe time was when the Methodists were a plain, clean, Godly class of\npeople. Their churches were built plain with free seats, good enough\nfor the rich, and none too good for the poor; and all were welcome,\nrich and poor. The principle that actuated them in bygone days was,\nthe house of God should be as free as the gospel we preach, and both\nas free as the air we breathe; and on this line the glory of the Lord\nwas manifest in the salvation of souls, and in the sanctification of\nbelievers.\n\nThe new order of things brought with it a new order of church\nedifices; seemingly just to accommodate the rich to the great neglect\nof the poor! Of course, in all churches where the seats are sold,\na few are reserved for the poor, and for colored people. After a\npoor man or woman have accepted the paupers\u2019 seat for a Sabbath or\ntwo, they get tempted over it, and stay away from church altogether;\nwhen if the seats had been free, they would have continued their\nattendance upon divine service, and likely been converted to God, and\nmade a great blessing to the church, and to the world.\n\nIt is a tremendous mistake, the practice of dedicating a church to\nGod, and then selling it out to whom? why, anybody that have a mind\nto buy it; and in a multitude of cases, wicked, ungodly wretches\nhave bought the best seats in the house, giving them power over that\nsociety, so that in ninety-nine cases out of every hundred, the\npreacher in the pulpit of such churches, is gagged; some subjects\nhe dare not touch, because forsooth, his bread and his butter is at\nstake; that because of this system, millions have been kept away from\nthe house of God and have perished.\n\nOne of the most embarrassing things the learned clergy of to-day have\nto meet constantly is, what shall we do with this great estrangement\nof the poor from the house of God?\n\nMy answer to the above proposition is, free churches throughout the\nland, baptized with the Holy Ghost, and with fire, will solve this\nmighty problem. This is the only solution.\n\n_Instrumental music_ is another innovation. The music that pleases\nGod, is that which comes from a heart, consecrated to Him, inspired\nby love divine, springing up like a fountain of life; the spontaneous\noutgoings of the spirit. We must sing in the spirit, and with the\nunderstanding also.\n\nThis part of divine service should be free to all present, not\nmarred by the instrument, neither by the select few. In this, we\nshould study to show ourselves approved unto God. I cannot believe\nthat He loves ignorance in the service of song, any more than in\npreaching His gospel. We should aim at the greatest efficiency in all\nthe service rendered. This was the original plan as it came to our\nfathers. But with the new order of things came the organ, and the\ndistressing few, to do the most precious part of divine worship.\n\nPreaching the gospel was the means ordained of God for the salvation\nof the lost, and where this is done with the Holy Ghost sent down\nfrom Heaven, the work is accomplished. God never ordained the reading\nof essays as a means to bring sinners to Christ. His prophets\nanciently spake as they were moved upon by the Holy Ghost, and\nsuccess crowned their efforts.\n\n_Carnal Amusements_ are a great hindrance in carrying forward the\nwork of the Lord in any church. They grieve the Spirit and cause\nthose that indulge in them to backslide and become worthless as\nlaborers in the cause of Christ.\n\n_The Sabbath School_ should be the nursery of the church; and is,\nwhen the salvation of the school is the primary object. When time,\ntalents and means are employed to that end, but if carnal amusements\nare held up as the object for which they aspire, then indeed, much of\nour labor will be in vain.\n\n_Camp-meetings_ are an American institution and a child of Methodism.\nEternity alone can tell the good accomplished by these means of\ngrace. Thousands have been attracted to God\u2019s leafy temple where the\ngreatest amount of Spiritual freedom generally prevails, especially\nwhen ancient simplicity and earnestness prevails, because there is\nalways something inviting, something grand and glorious about these\nGod ordained gatherings. Can you imagine a place more lovely to\nbehold, and to enjoy, than a beautiful forest dotted with Israel\u2019s\ntents, and a company of those that are in earnest to get to Heaven?\nthe songs of praise, the shouts of new-born souls, and on every\nside to feel that God and angels are there. Truly, such a place has\na charm for all that love the good and the beautiful. But when the\ncamp-meeting becomes a place for trade and speculation, a place for\nvisiting, for idleness and feasting, for airing one\u2019s opinions, for\nanything and everything but self-denial and earnestly seeking the\nbaptism of the Holy Ghost on their own souls and on the souls of\nthe unsaved, then the ancient glory departs, and as a substitute\nculture in style, from the tent, to the magnificent cottage, the\nexclamations of holy joy in the electric amen--praise the Lord--glory\nto God--Hallelujah--give way to jesting, to light and trifling\nconversation, and to engaging in those things that produce the most\nfun. Then, indeed, it becomes necessary that another people should be\nraised up to do camp-meeting work as in former days, when the glory\nof the Lord rested upon this branch of Zion.\n\nIn too many cases the camp-meeting of to-day is simply a huge\nPic-Nic! I believe the real difficulty has been, and is, in failing\nto preach, experience to live, and enforce sanctification, or perfect\nlove. This was the central _thought_ with this church, and should be\nwith every Christian denomination. It should tower above every other\nconsideration. It is true that the doctrine of holiness has become\nquite popular in some directions, but that kind that contains the\ncross that kills, and produces resurrection life and makes a complete\nseparation from all carnality, is no more popular to-day, than it was\nin the beginning. This was the issue in the M. E. Church more than\nthirty years ago resulting in the foundation of the Free Methodist\nchurch. Other things came in which greatly enlarged Satan\u2019s army,\nso that on almost every occasion there was war. This continued with\nincreasing force until the powers of darkness were in the ascendancy,\nresulting in the expulsion of some of the best the old Genesee\nConference had. This occurred in 1858. In one of Dickens\u2019 works, I\nthink it is, this statement is made: \u201cThe first settlers of England\nwere what are now, the Welsh that occupy Wales. They were at war with\nthe Scots and Picts. Before this they had been harassed for a long\ntime by the Romans. Now the Saxon comes in and makes war upon them,\nand then takes possession of the country, forcing the Britons back to\nthe mountains of Wales; so, ever since the Saxon have been masters of\nGreat Britain, Scotland and Ireland.\u201d\n\nThis bit of history clearly illustrates the condition of our mother\nchurch. As the Britons were driven to Wales, so Christ and His\nfollowers have been driven out by the new order of things. Perhaps\na streak of salvation might be sandwiched in, in some country\nchurch; or in a classroom far away from public gaze, where if the\nancient power and glory should come in, no one would be hurt. But\nthis order of things that the ancient power and glory should have\nno more place in this church, was decreed by many in authority\nnearly thirty years since, which my ears heard, and my eyes have\nseen performed in the expulsion of the good and the true from that\nbody. During this war I became acquainted and was for a time quite\nintimate with Rev. John Robie, then Editor of the Buffalo Advocate,\nthe organ of what was then known as \u201cThe Regency Party.\u201d On one\noccasion visiting this Brother quite a number of ministers from\nthis conference met in his office to do what they considered very\nimportant business, and that was to strengthen each other\u2019s hands\nin the horrid work already begun, in expelling every one in that\nconference that endorsed B. T. Roberts, Styles, and all that class\nthat did not stand by the new order of things. This I lived to see\naccomplished, to the very letter, both in the ministry and with the\nlaity. They not only expelled, but they bought up and removed all\nso far as they had the ability, that believed in the life and power\nof salvation, or \u201cMethodism,\u201d as she was in the early days of her\nespousals to Christ, when the glory cloud was everywhere manifest.\nThis work was not confined to the Genesee Conference, of making war\non those that were true to their vows to Christ and to this branch\nof His church, but extended to other parts. Other Conferences are\nguilty of proscription, past, and present. That the forces which\nbrought Methodism into existence, that gave to the world the grandest\nmodel ever planned for the salvation of the lost, should be forced\nto abandon its birthplace, is strange indeed. \u201cTell it not in Gath,\npublish it not in the streets of Askelon!\u201d\n\nIn this expulsion the best blood of the church was forced out; and\nby the spiritual law of gravitation they came together and formed a\nconglomerate, which they named, \u201cThe Free Methodist church.\u201d It has\nbeen called \u201cThe Free Methodist life boat.\u201d\n\nThe organization took place in perilous times. Many societies were\nbeing engulfed by formalism, and death. This life-boat was a timely\naid to rescue the perishing. Thousands will thank God to all eternity\nfor their salvation through this instrumentality. The casual observer\nmight have entertained grave doubts in her ability to navigate the\nstormy sea of life, and cope with other crafts claiming to be engaged\nin the life saving service, but presenting sails of a decidedly\ndifferent character; but no where drawing fire from the enemy,\nbut worldly commendation. It is true, her external appearance did\nnot, and does not, give to those that merely gaze upon the outer\nappearance, much to hope for.\n\nWhen the Ericsson Monitor steamed up Hampton Roads, rebels laughed\nand our fleet were in great alarm, expecting complete destruction\nby the iron-clad Merrimac. She had already destroyed several ships.\nNow, what the rebels called the Yankee cheese box puts in her\nappearance just in time to save the balance of the fleet from utter\ndestruction. The Monitor had a power out of sight that deceived those\nthat merely saw the outside. This is true of our beloved church. When\nfirst launched, she was called a _Cheese_ box--a Dug-out--an old\nScow--a Theatre, and many other names she received. Nevertheless,\nwherever this life-boat touched in former days she took passengers\naboard, some from the hedges, lanes, by-ways, the poor, the lame,\nthe halt, the blind, and many from other churches; and with former\n_equipments_, rebels are taken upon all seas for King Emanuel--even\nto-day.\n\nIt is an acknowledged fact, past and present, that the F. M. church\nhas been of untold value to all other evangelical bodies, and to\nChristianity in particular--especially in the United States. It has\ncaused them to consider in a new light the claims that God had upon\nHis people, that holiness of heart and life was binding upon all. I\nhave heard some of the most eminent for piety and usefulness in other\nchurches say that above stated; and that they hoped the free church\nwould continue to succeed, because of the great value she had been to\nthem.\n\nHer position as standard-bearer in all the moral reforms of the day,\ngives her a prominent position. _Our schools_, papers, periodicals,\nare all on that line. Other church papers have often used our\neditorials, but did not always give due credit.\n\nWe are under great obligation to the Almighty, for the schools that\nhave been raised up to us; where the young may be educated in a pure\natmosphere, and from these schools many are going out to bless the\nworld with a richer experience; a life more completely consecrated,\neducated, mentally, morally, socially, and physically. In the moral\nand social rank, we claim the pre-eminence for our schools and for\nour literature. There was, and there is, and there will continue to\nbe, a need, for a people to do just this kind of work; and while we\ncontinue humble and obedient, God will use us to this end. \u201cBut if we\nforsake Him, He will forsake us.\u201d If we turn aside to other Gods, He\nwill cast us forth as a branch that is withered, and we shall be like\nother nations.\n\n_One of the most wide spread evils of the day_, filthy in all its\nmake up, disgusting in the extreme to a clean, well-bred person,\nrobbing men of their manhood, and of their mental and physical\npowers, is tobacco. Forty years ago it was considered ungentlemanly\nto smoke in the presence of ladies, but now, in almost every mode\nof travel, on the street, in the stores, and in nearly all public\nplaces, ladies and all are insulted by the filthy fumes of the pipe\nor cigar, compounded with decayed teeth, and the deadly Upas of the\nsaloon, forming a drug that produces mental derangement, insanity,\ncrime, pauperism, poverty and shortens the life of its victims. The\nuse of tobacco is a bar to membership in the F. M. C. In this, she\nstands supremely above all other churches. She is doing a glorious\nwork in making war on tobacco, and exposing its effects on the human\nsystem. It has been said that some of our preachers were raised up\nto make tobacco a specialty, as it occupied a corner in every sermon\nregardless of the text. Well, suppose that is true, is it not a fact\nthat all reformers dwell on the thing that needs reforming? Perhaps\nthis class of preachers are better acquainted with this evil in its\nlength and breadth, and know by a blessed experience the source of\ndeliverance from the habit, and all longing after the same. Such\npreaching is worth a great deal more than that from those who never\nknew by experience the power of the habit, and the virtue of the\nblood that cleanseth from all sin, and all desire for the unclean.\n\n_Fashion brings its devotees_ into servile compliance with its most\ndebasing demands. Those that wear this yoke, are lost, to that which\nmakes humanity lovely, good and beautiful. A remark so commonly made,\n\u201cthat you might as well be out of the world as out of fashion,\u201d is\ntrue of this class.\n\nIn adhering to this tyrant, millions of women and men have been\nruined for life. Those that have labored to live so as to equal or go\nbeyond certain others in matters of equipage, have been compelled to\nabandon, in order to meet fashion\u2019s demands, the honest mode of life,\nand resort to fraud and speculation to obtain what their souls lusted\nafter.\n\nOur jails, and portions of Canada, are largely made up of that class.\nThe pressure brought upon men to supply the wife and daughters with\nfashion\u2019s demands, have driven them to the lodge, the gambling hell,\nthe brothel--and the worst of all--the saloon! What can be more\nappalling than a lady martyred to fashion? from head to foot out of\nshape--distorted--compressed--pulled out--cut off in trying to fit\nthe fashion plate. Alas! Alas! We are imitative beings. In this the\npoor ape the rich so far as they are able. If they cannot wear the\nglittering gems of great value, they will decorate themselves with\nshoddy finery. Is it not time to call a halt to this wicked, ungodly\nmode of life? For any man or woman to come out from this style of\nthings, and endorse plainness in dress, and righteousness all the way\nthrough by precept and example, requires a holy heart, filled with\nlove divine. And this manner of life pays bountifully in this present\nworld, and will in the world to come, even life everlasting. During\nthe past fifty years I have noticed those that the Lord blessed the\nmost, and were the most useful in the church and world around them,\nwere that class that conscientiously carried out in their lives the\nApostolic plan already referred to.\n\nThere is much connected with fashionable attire that is supremely\nwicked. First, the cost of the material; secondly, precious time\nspent in its making; thirdly, the wearing of such is in violation of\nthe word of the Lord. 1 Peter 3:3, 4. The only organized opposition\nto this mode of life is the Free Methodist church. She has stood like\na beacon light for nearly thirty years, warning men and women of\ntheir imminent danger.\n\n_Holiness unto the Lord_--is the key to the arch that spans the\ntemple of the living God. It is that which gives symmetry to life and\ncharacter, a state that we enter into when the soul has been swept\nand garnished by the Holy Ghost and the blood of the Lamb, which\ngreatly enlarges our views of Christ and His powers to save, that\nbrings perpetual sunshine to the soul, that makes earth a paradise,\nthat causes flowers to bloom in the desert, and the water of life to\nspring from the flinty rock, and the heart of the needy to rejoice\nwith joy that is unspeakable and full of glory. It is food to the\nhungry, drink to the thirsty, and comfort to the weary and heavy\nladen. It is full of hope; big with immortality. Over this boundless\nplain comes the odor of Eden, fresh from the throne of God. This\nholiness is a state, an experience, \u201cwhere only Christ is heard to\nspeak, where Jesus reigns alone.\u201d\n\nIt does not reflect upon the character of others in their absence.\nIt is long suffering, it behaveth not itself unseemly, is not\nprovoked, is not puffed up, thinketh no evil, bears the burdens and\nresponsibilities of life meekly, rejoiceth in the truth, believeth\nall that God hath said. This grace never faileth, but will shine\nbrighter, clearer to all eternity. You may have the tongues of men\nand angels, and lack this experience, you are nothing but a sinner in\nthe sight of God.\n\nA church armed with this power is more than a match for all the\npowers of darkness. The first church under the gospel dispensation\nwere poor, uneducated men and women. They tarried at Jerusalem until\nthey were baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire, and with this\nblessing upon them the powers of darkness fled in dismay. Nothing\ncould stand before them. It was said, \u201cye shall receive power after\nthat the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto\nme both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto\nthe uttermost part of the earth.\u201d This was literally true. Ancient\nsystems of idolatry which had grown gray with age, melted away\nlike the mist at noon-day as God\u2019s army advanced, and over every\nbattle-field the blood-stained banner of King Emanuel was unfurled.\nDeserts were made to blossom as the rose, and woods, and fields,\nand rocks, and rills, all seemed to offer the tribute of praise\nand thanksgiving for the wonderful display of God\u2019s power in the\nsalvation of the nations round about them. This power is forever the\nsame, and when the church meet the conditions, it comes as on the day\nof Pentecost, with visible manifestations of His presence and power\nto save, \u201cJesus Christ the same yesterday, to-day and forever.\u201d\n\nI believe that the Free Methodist church was born of the Spirit. God\nowns her as a legitimate child. In every place where she meets the\nrequirements, times of refreshing, and the salvation of souls are\nreported. No church, in my opinion, so fully meet the conditions on\nwhich the precious promises are made. She is an important _link_ in\nthe family of churches. May she ever reflect a certain light, live in\nthe experience of perfect love, be true to all the vows that she has\nmade to God, constantly making war upon the enemies works until every\nrebel flag shall trail in the dust, and Jesus Christ crowned Lord of\nall. Amen.\n\n\n\n\n                                 IX.\n\n                      DREAMS AND PRESENTIMENTS.\n\n\n\u201cMan is fearfully, and wonderfully made,\u201d with capabilities as\nboundless as eternity. This is true so far as our moral and\nintellectual make up is concerned. We may grow in grace, and in the\nknowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, while this life shall last, and\nforever, in the life that is to come. Progression is the law of\nour being. God, who made us, has his own peculiar way of imparting\nknowledge to his children, or the creatures which he hath made.\n\nIn our public school system we have the primary, and the higher\ngrades. It is so in the school of Christ; there is the primary, and\nthe higher grades of instruction. The primary grade consists in what\nwe learn from the schools, books, and papers. The higher grade is\nconfined to the teaching of the Holy Ghost. Too many are satisfied\nwith the primary grade, and treat insultingly the Holy Ghost. But\nwhere He is received with loving embrace, and allowed to have his own\nway, He will lead us into all truth.\n\nPreconceived notions gathered from theological schools, very\nmuch interfere at times with our receiving and being instructed\nby the Holy Ghost. Science has done much to facilitate culture.\nNews gathered from all lands, comes to us with lightning speed.\nThe improvements of to-day annihilate time, and bridge over vast\ndistances. In the evening we receive the doings of the morning in\ncontinents far away. But with all the improvements in science and\nart, it cannot compete with the Holy Ghost.\n\nThe great mistake of to-day, is substituting the arts, and sciences,\nand the wonderful discoveries made in Biblical literature, for the\nHoly Ghost and its teachings. There is nothing that can take its\nplace. We can learn more, comprehend more, experience more about the\nthings pertaining to our spiritual and eternal well-being in a moment\nof time, when under the direct inspiration of the Holy Ghost, than\ncan be gained in all coming time from every other source.\n\nOne pentecostal flash of the Holy Ghost on a consecrated heart, and\nmind, brings intelligence that all the culture of the day cannot\nfathom, nor in any way comprehend. Some people are afraid of this\npower, and being led of the spirit, because individuals have been\nmistaken, and were under a wrong spirit when they thought that they\nwere really under the influence of Christ. It is true, we may be\nmoved by a wrong spirit, our intellectual machinery is very sensitive\nto the touch of a good, or a wrong impression.\n\nHow shall we know when an impression comes upon us, from whence it\ncomes? There are certain rules laid down in God\u2019s blessed book, which\nif we are careful to observe, we shall not go astray: \u201cIt will be a\nlamp to our feet, and a light unto our path.\u201d God has not set us to\nnavigating the broad ocean of life without chart, or compass. Thank\nGod, we have a chart, and the Holy Ghost to make it plain; so plain,\nthat the wayfaring man, though a fool, shall not err therein. The\nimpression that comes upon us, if it leads us to exalt Christ, it\u2019s\nall right.\n\nThe soul\u2019s pressure that comes on all at times, may be from either\nthe following causes. Condemnation, conviction of sin, or an advanced\nstate in Christian life; temptation, or a burden for souls.\n\n1--If it be a burden of sin, the spirit will direct us to the sin for\nwhich we should repent.\n\n2--If it be temptation of the devil--while he will accuse us of\nsomething wrong, he will be very indefinite in regard to what the\nthing is that we have done or have not done that was wrong. \u201cHe is\nthe accuser of the brethren.\u201d\n\n3--If the pressure that comes upon us is for an advanced state in\nholiness, how our hearts will cry out after God, the living God! It\nwill be thus expressed--\u201cMy heart-strings groan with deep complaint,\nmy heart lies panting, Lord for thee; and every limb, and every\njoint, stretches for perfect purity.\u201d\n\nWhile the spirit of God comes upon all men, for he said, that, it\nshould come to pass in the last days, \u201cI will pour out of my spirit\nupon all flesh; and one notable result would be, Dreams and Visions.\u201d\nNot all dreams are chargeable to the Holy Spirit. The mind of man\nis supposed to be always in operation, though not under the control\nof our judgment, or will, when the body is asleep. God does make\nimpressions upon our minds in our sleeping state, of things that are\ncoming to pass, with the person thus impressed. We are sometimes\nconscious of the mind\u2019s operations when in deep sleep; when the\nspirit of the Lord may not have anything to do with it. It would seem\nthat God often warns poor sinners of their danger by dreams; this\nbeing the only way seemingly, when the Holy Spirit can find way to\ntheir heart; as then, they are quiet; the cares of life are for a\nmoment hushed into silence. The great difficulty in bringing sinners\nto Christ, is their constant stretch after the amusements, pleasures,\nand the riches of the world. So God, in his infinite love and mercy,\ncomes in this way to the sinner, to warn him of his danger, and the\nsleeping state being the most favorable, reveals the on-coming storm.\n\nFolger, Secretary of State, had a short time before he died, one\nof those alarming dreams. Political life had worn upon him so that\nhe thought retirement from business, and a trip to the Bermudas\nnecessary in order to regain health and strength. The awful scene\npresented to him in the dream completely changed his mind so that\nhe gave up the contemplated trip. The dream as related by his near\nfriends is as follows: \u201cThe steamship on which the party had taken\npassage was sailing along serenely; the sea was as smooth as glass,\nand everybody was happy, when suddenly a great dark cloud was\nobserved on the forward horizon moving rapidly toward the vessel,\naccompanied by an incessant and terrific rumbling. The heavy cloud\nsoon reached the ill-fated craft, overspreading the sea with the\ndarkness of Egypt, great sheets of lurid flame shot forth in all\ndirections; the vessel tossed and quivered, and the sea was lashed in\nmountainous billows. The Secretary saw the forms of his party and the\ncrew enveloped in fire, playing through the angry elements. Suddenly,\nhe stood alone on the deck, with the vessel sinking beneath him into\na sea of fire, and he awoke trembling like an aspen, and covered with\ncold beads of perspiration, to find that it was a dream.\u201d A short\ntime after this, he passed suddenly into eternity, and for aught we\nknow, just as he had lived, without Christ, and hope for the life\nthat is to come.\n\nJob had knowledge of the revelations of dreams from God, and that\nthey were for divine instruction. He said, \u201cWhen I say, my bed shall\ncomfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint; then thou scarest\nme with dreams, and terrified me through visions.\u201d Nebuchadnezzar\ndreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep\nbrake from him. I suppose that the King was so given up to wine,\nwomen, and debauchery, the only time that God could make an\nimpression upon the wicked ruler, was when deep sleep was upon\nhim. God warned Abimelech in a dream, not to come near to Sarai,\n\u201cAbraham\u2019s wife assuring him if he did, he was a dead man.\u201d\n\n\u201cJacob dreamed, and behold a ladder set upon the earth, and the top\nof it reached to heaven; and, behold, the angels of God ascending and\ndescending on it.\u201d\n\nThis dream was given to Jacob, doubtless to point out to him the\nintercourse that exists between heaven and earth, and the connection\nof both worlds by means of angelic ministry.\n\nThis doctrine is clearly taught in the old and new testament. \u201cAre\nthey not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who\nshall be heirs of salvation?\u201d It was probably a type of Christ, in\nwhom both worlds meet, and in whom the divine and human nature are\nunited.\n\nThe ladder was set up on earth, and the top of it reached to heaven;\nfor God was manifested in the flesh, and in him dwelt all the fulness\nof the Godhead bodily. Jesus Christ himself, took this view of the\ndream. He said to Nathaniel, \u201cHereafter ye shall see the heaven\nopened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of\nMan.\u201d\n\nThe Almighty appeared to Abraham in dreams, gave him instruction, and\nvery encouraging promises; assuring him of boundless prosperity, to\nhim and his seed, which should be as numerous as the sand of the sea,\nforever and ever, which he believed, and received the honor which\ncomes only from God. And this honor which he received for believing\nwhat God said to him in a dream, will pass down to the latest period\nof time. O, what honor there is, in believing God, even life eternal.\n\nGod warned Laban the Syrian, to take heed to what he said to Abraham,\neither good or bad. So the Lord takes care of His own. Joseph\ndreamed, and he told it to his brethren, and they hated him, yet the\nmore, and he said unto them, hear ye the dream which I have dreamed.\nFor behold we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf\narose and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves stood round\nabout, and made obeisance to my sheaf. And his brethren said unto\nhim, Shalt thou indeed reign over us; and shalt thou indeed have\ndominion over us; and they hated him yet the more for his dreams and\nfor his words. And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his\nbrethren, and said, Behold I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold,\nthe sun, and the moon, and the eleven stars, made obeisance to\nme--and he told it to his father, and to his brethren, and his father\nrebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast\ndreamed? Shall I, and thy mother, and thy brethren, indeed come to\nbow down ourselves to thee, to earth? The history of Joseph is one of\nthe most interesting contained in the oracles of God. It is replete\nwith interesting matter, from beginning to end. I presume that Joseph\nknew the interpretation of his dreams when they were given. I think\nthat with the dreams, came the interpretation also. When others\ndreamed, he knew what it meant.\n\nWhat an impressive dream was that of Pharaoh, standing on the river\u2019s\nbank and gazing intently on that beautiful stream, when lo, he sees\nwith wonder and amazement living objects emerging therefrom. They\nprove to be kine, fat-fleshed, and well-favored. And as he continued\nto gaze and wonder, other sights did appear more wonderful than\nthe former scenes. Other kine came up from the river very lean and\nill-favored, and they devoured the fat and well-favored, and as this\nscene passed he awoke. God sent an angel to warn Joseph in a dream to\ngo down to Egypt and stay there until He, the Lord, should send them\nword to return, until the danger of Herod had passed. Pilate\u2019s wife\nwarned Pilate to have nothing to do in condemning Christ, because she\nhad suffered much in a dream because of Him this day! I suppose that\nthe impression came upon her with such force and with such clearness\nthat Jesus Christ, that was then before the Jewish court, was the\ntrue Messiah, the Lord of life and glory, He that came to make an\natonement for the sin of the world, and this was doubtless in her\nwakeful moments. I suppose it is what would be called a presentiment.\nAn intuition, a knowledge of facts that will occur, or that are now\ntranspiring. It might be called a wakeful dream, or an inspiration.\nJust as the Almighty has in the past, and does now, and will to all\neternity make known His will to the sons of men. And these divine\nimpressions, whether they come in our wakeful moments, or when deep\nsleep is upon us, will always be in harmony with a thus saith the\nLord.\n\nOur intellectual machinery is so wonderfully made up with receptive\npowers so vast that God the Holy Ghost coming upon us, can, when it\nis for his glory, impart to us more in a moment of time, than we\ncould receive from all other sources combined.\n\nI remember how interested I was when passing the United States Mint\nto see them stamping the stars and spread eagle on the gold coin. It\ntook a tremendous power to do it. So when the Almighty puts the stamp\nof divinity on us, knowledge comes with power and clearness, lasting\nas time. I can never forget the impression that came on me when a lad\nabout fifteen years of age. I was distant from home about one hundred\nmiles. Had been absent some four weeks. All were well when I left. I\nhad a brother that I loved very much, away from home at this time, I\nvisited him just before I left. This impression came on me as sudden\nas a flash of light, and with it this thought. \u201cThere is trouble at\nhome and I must return as quick as possible.\u201d The impression was\nthat some of the dear ones were very sick and that my presence was\ngreatly needed. My feelings were intense, and my mind like the needle\nthat points always to the pole, pointed steadily toward home as the\nplace where I should be. My employer did not want me to leave him\nand tried to discourage me from yielding to my feelings. I could not\neat, nor sleep much. The _impression_ that was on me was painful and\nfor two days I suffered this intense agony before I got started for\nhome. The only way of traveling in those days was by stage, or the\ntwo mile per hour on the Erie canal, or go on foot. I took each of\nthese modes of conveyance, and after about thirty-six hours travel,\nI reached home to find a house of deep mourning. My dear brother\nthat I loved so tenderly was dead, and the time for his funeral had\njust arrived. The people were there for the funeral service. They\nhad written to me but it had not reached me. I knew nothing of my\nbrother\u2019s sickness and death until I was within one mile of home.\nFrom whence came this impression that there was trouble at home, and\nthat I must hasten to their assistance? I know that some entertain\npeculiar notions about the relation that mind sustains to mind, and\nthe strong sympathy that exists between such minds, and the peculiar,\ninvisible, and undefinable way such minds have of communing with each\nother. Whatever there may be in the above philosophy, I know not.\nBut the impression that came to me on the above occasion I believe\nwas from the Lord. During my brother\u2019s sickness he often called for\nme and would say, \u201cHas not Zenas come yet?\u201d At this time I was not a\nChristian, but a sinner, well rounded out. The promise made, \u201cThat\nin the last days God would pour out of His spirit upon all flesh\u201d is\ntrue. I think that it came upon me at that time. Years after this\noccurrence, I had another experience, quite similar to the one just\nrelated. I was doing business for M. Tilden & Co., New Lebanon, N. Y.\nI had a wife and one child at this time, and was living in Canaan,\nN. Y. I had gone into the western part of the state expecting to be\ngone from home some six weeks. After an absence of about two weeks,\nan impression, or a presentiment, came on me with such force that I\ncould not work, nor eat, nor sleep, and with this impression, came\nthe thought that, wife, or my first born son was very sick. I had\nreceived a letter from my wife only the day before, stating that\nthey were well and did not expect me home for at least six weeks.\nThis impression came on me about four o\u2019clock in the afternoon. My\nfeelings were so intense, that I arranged my affairs, took the stage\nearly the next morning, rode fifteen miles, and took the express\ntrain for Albany, where I remained all night, or the rest of the\nnight, as we did not reach there until eleven o\u2019clock. That was a\nnight of intense anxiety, and mental suffering, for it seemed to\nme that my wife or child was very sick, nigh unto death. Imagine\nmy feelings as I stepped from the cars on arriving at Canaan four\ncorners, when one of my neighbors approached me with this question,\n\u201cMr. Osborne, is your boy alive?\u201d The same hour of the day when the\nimpression came on me, my dear wife was washing, she dipped out a\npail of scalding water from the boiler, set it down, went out to\nhang out some clothes. My little boy, Henry Z., went up to the pail,\npulled up his dress, and put his foot in this pail of scalding hot\nwater. He screamed. His mother rushed into the house, took the boy\nfrom the pail; but oh, what a sight! The dear child\u2019s flesh drops\noff, in places, near to the bone. The boy went into spasms. The\nphysician had doubts of his recovery. This was an anxious time for my\ndear companion; she wrote me right away, but I had not received her\nmessage, but the Almighty had telephoned me most emphatically, and\nI obeyed the summons, and found the impression was not a delusion,\nbut a divine impression. After my dear child had so far recovered as\nto be considered out of danger, I returned to my field of labor in\nwestern N. Y. Was it not the Lord that made known to me the serious\nsickness at home, and inspired my heart to hasten to the suffering\nfamily? And was it not kind in the blessed Lord, to help in such a\ntime of need? Truly, God is good, in all His works and ways; and His\nloving care is graciously manifested to all the creatures that He\nhath made. How much of earth\u2019s storm and tempest we might avoid, if\nwe would only keep our eyes and our ears open to see and hear what\nGod would have us see and hear.\n\nDuring my pastorate at Seneca Falls, N. Y., I not only preached at\nSeneca Falls, but at Auburn, Owosco and Niles, N. Y. Every other\nweek I would preach at Owosco and Niles on the Lord\u2019s day, and on\nmy way back to Seneca Falls, I would stop at Auburn and preach the\nword of life, on Monday evening at sister Osborne\u2019s; and this was\nmy home when at Auburn. On the occasion of which I now speak, I was\nrequested to stop, and take tea at another place, where I had never\nbeen before. The family where I was to stop was made up of three\npersons, father, daughter, and an aunt of the daughter. Father and\nsister-in-law were perhaps fifty years of age. The daughter I should\njudge, twenty-five years of age, and a member of the M. E. Church in\nthat place. I had never met with any of this family prior to this\nmeeting, except _this_ young lady, and her, only one week before,\nand that at a Quarterly meeting. I called at this place according to\nagreement to take tea, and spend a couple of hours before service.\nIt was in mid-winter. I entered the house, the young lady met me\nvery politely, took my hat and overcoat, and I took a seat. This was\na well-to-do family; they had an abundance of this world\u2019s goods.\nThe house was large, and well furnished. I had not been in the house\nfive minutes, before a strange impression came on me, bewildering,\nsickening, and with it, came this thought, \u201cunclean devils, unclean\ndevils.\u201d It seemed to me that I should die, if I did not leave that\nhouse. I called for my hat and coat, and left. This woman followed\nme for several weeks, and always when she came near me, the same\nimpression would come over me, unclean devils. Suffice to say, she\nwas a bad woman. She had been too intimate with a married man, who\nwas a class-leader in one of the churches. Was she actuated by the\nsame spirit that those women were that followed Paul and Silas around\nand declared that they were the real servants of God; and is it not\na fact, that the quickest way to destroy the work of God in any\nplace, is to have doubtful characters, professedly, embrace it? and\nherald abroad the praises of the servants of God? And these persons\nbeing so well understood, their lives and their character so well\npronounced as to become a stench in the nostrils of the community,\nand a tremendous bar to the progress of Christianity in every\ncommunity where such exists. I am always troubled when some people\nendorse me, and feel like saying, The Lord have mercy on me now! God\ngave me great prosperity on this big charge, a revival prevailed\nthrough the two years. More than one hundred professed conversion at\nSeneca Falls, besides many were converted at the other points. At\nSeneca Falls, at one time during our stay there, souls were converted\nin every means of grace for several months, more than one hundred\nprofessed to be sanctified wholly. Some of the richest displays of\nGod\u2019s saving power that I ever saw, was at points on this field of\nlabor. Many that were poor, and wretched slaves to intemperance and\nlicentiousness, were washed, and made clean during our stay here,\ngems were gathered in, that will deck the Saviour\u2019s Crown forever\nand ever. More than twenty years have come and gone since we left\nthat field of suffering, cross-bearing, and victory, and yet we would\nnot have the time we spent there blotted out of life\u2019s work for any\namount of earth\u2019s riches; and I want to record right here, while this\nsubject is before us, praise and thanksgiving to my heavenly Father,\nfor blessing us, and opening our eyes to see danger, and grace to\navoid it, especially in the case referred to at \u201cA\u201d--I have no doubt,\nbut that the devil in some way, wanted to use that wicked woman to\ndestroy the work of God on that big charge.\n\nDid not Bramwell have knowledge given to him to see the deception of\nthe man that professed he wanted help for God\u2019s cause, when Bramwell\nwas led to see, it was a bastard child, help was sought for?\n\nThe church has suffered much in the past by the deception of wicked\nmen and women which might have been different, had the church been\nbaptized with the Holy Ghost as it was her privilege to be. Peter\nsaw at once the fraud practiced by Ananias and Sapphira and justly\nrebuked them. And what a blessing it would be to the church and the\nworld, if the ministry, and laity, had the anointing--the eye salve\nof the Holy Ghost. I have been perfectly surprised at the success\nthat these saintly appearing frauds have had in playing their tricks\nupon credulous, godly people. The real saint, the wholly sanctified,\nthe pure in heart, have the eye salve daily applied; Yea, they\ncarry with them, a bank note detective; their coin, is weighed and\nmeasured at sight. Perhaps all clearly saved people have not so clear\na conception of character, and are not able to judge so readily, of\ntheir merit, or demerit as others. However that may be, I believe\nthat all clearly saved people, have remarkable good judgment in\nregard to character as well as in other matters.\n\nBut to return to the theme before us, Dreams, Presentiments--Dreams\ncome, when sleep is upon us, Presentiments come upon us in our\nwakeful moments; and both may be of the Lord as already shown, though\nnot always. It is wise, however, to try the spirits, and hold fast\nto that which is good. I have had mapped out to me in my dreams, and\nI think by the spirit of the Lord, fields of labor that I afterwards\noccupied, as clear as a sunbeam; and the peculiar phases of my field\nof labor, and the peculiar characters of the new field, as though\nwritten out by the hand of inspiration. I will give but one or two\nincidents. Three months prior to my being stationed at Oswego, N. Y.,\nI found myself in my dream at Oswego, on my way home from conference,\nto look over the situation, and arrange for moving on. I met a few,\nvery poor saints, discouraged, and ready to give up and die out. I\nwas told in my dream that I had better look at Brother L. H. R\u2019s.\nhouse, perhaps it would suit me. At this time Brother Robinson was\npreacher in charge at Oswego, and what was still more strange about\nthis dream, this was his first year at Oswego, and some three months\nbefore conference. I was very much concerned about a four gallon jug\nthat I had full of very rich, sweet milk. I was anxious to have it\nkept sweet. A brother pointed out to me a living stream that run near\nby, and said that I could put my jug of milk in that stream and it\nwould keep. Conference sent me to Oswego that fall, and every step\nthat I took in my dream came literally to pass, looking at the former\npreacher\u2019s house, and all, except my jug of milk. I soon discovered\nwhat my milk meant. The saints at that place had been very much\nsoured up over the conduct of some laborers that they had placed\ngreat confidence in, so that the smut covered them deeply. I found my\nbig jug of sweet milk just what they needed. The pure unadulterated\ngospel, was to them the sincere milk of the word. They received it\ngladly and grew thereby. In many of the fields of labor that I have\noccupied, I have previously occupied in dreams when sleep was upon\nme. A short time before, being stationed at Binghamton, God, by\nHis holy Spirit when deep sleep was upon me, printed upon memory\u2019s\ntablet, that beautiful Parlor City; surrounded by those lovely hills,\ncovered with green foliage; and those beautiful streams, clear as\ncrystal, reflecting the sunlight of heaven; reminding one of that\n\u201cstream that makes glad the City of our God.\u201d I saw Court street as\nclear as day; our church and parsonage; I also saw our society. At\nthat time they were having a little that was unpleasant, a church\ntrial. I saw the division of feeling, one party stood a little way\noff from the other, shaking their fists at the other party, but as\nsoon as I approached them, they came together and all was lovely.\n\n\n\n\n                                  X.\n\n                            HEALING FAITH.\n\n\nMuch has been said and written on the subject of healing faith.\nGod has said much on that subject for our benefit. \u201cThe prayer of\nfaith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up.\u201d Many\nscriptures might be introduced bearing upon this subject; but the\nstatement above so clear, and emphatic, will suffice. Genuine faith\nis begotten of the spirit. It is not born of simple desire. Here a\ngreat many good people have made great mistakes, they have had great\n_desires_ for those that were sick, that they should recover--they\nhave prayed to this end, and have gone so far as to make statements\nvery positive that they _knew_ they would recover, because God had\ntold them so, when the facts were very clear--their supposed faith\nwas nothing but desire. This has proved true in a great many cases,\nthe subject of prayer passing into eternity soon after these positive\nstatements were made. If they had had genuine faith, the sick would\nhave recovered. In no case, have we ever discovered the Almighty\narrayed against Himself, but in every operation we find it in exact\nharmony with a \u201cthus saith the Lord.\u201d\n\nTake the case of President Garfield. The nation prayed for his\nrecovery. Many said--\u201cHe will recover,\u201d but he died. Why did he not\nrecover? good people prayed for him--and thought--and said that he\nwould be spared to the nation. To this I answer,--The prayer offered\nfor him, _was not inspired by the Holy Ghost_; if it had been, God\nwould have raised him up. The word of the Lord is--\u201cThe prayer of\nfaith shall save the sick.\u201d _Doubtless_, the inspiration of this\nclass was purely carnal.\n\nThe word of the Lord is, \u201cThat if two of you shall agree on earth as\ntouching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them\nof my Father which is in Heaven.\u201d Now, a great many were united\nin praying for the President, and they were good people; but they\nput in an if in every prayer; and that if, in every case sums up a\ntremendous _doubt_, which reveals as clear as day, the lack of that\nfaith, begotten of the \u201cSpirit,\u201d which brings health immediately\nto its possessor. Faith begotten of the spirit is very positive:\nit amounts to a divine assurance--and utters forth its triumphant\nvoice, \u201c_It shall be done_\u201d--and it is done. This kind, has no\n_ifs_ in it. It makes its possessor bold to move on to the aid of\nthe sick and suffering; and has an intuitive perception, that the\n\u201cpower of the Lord is present to heal.\u201d Good-will was, doubtless,\nthe great incentive in the President\u2019s case. The scriptures very\nclearly indicate that the power of the Lord is not always present to\nheal; likewise experience by those that have been healed by faith,\nand have at times had faith that has brought health immediately to\nthe bodies of others, are not always thus blessed. St. Paul, left\nhis co-laborer, TROPHIMUS, sick at Miletus, which he would not have\ndone, had he been in possession of that _faith_, which so wonderfully\ncharacterized his labors on other occasions.\n\nWilliam Bramwell, a man of mighty faith in the power of God to heal,\nhad prayed for a certain person and God had raised them up in answer\nto his prayers on several occasions, but the last time that he was\ncalled upon to pray for this person, he could not, and said they must\ndie, or that in substance.\n\nI praise God, that I was ever put in possession of that _faith_,\nwhich brought health to my body, when sick, and suffering. When\nstationed at Utica, I was taken one Sabbath evening while preaching,\nwith the dysentery. I was very sick until Friday. I had quite\nfrequent bloody evacuations, with tenesmus, of a very severe\ncharacter. My dear companion was very much alarmed in regard to\nmy very dangerous symptoms, and thought she had better go for the\ndoctor. I felt all through me--I want no doctor but Jesus. In that\ndirection I continued to look. My symptoms became more alarming.\nAnxiety on the part of my family increased. Conviction with me,\nthat Jesus Christ was coming to check disease, and heal my body,\nseemed to grow more and more like a living reality. Friday morning\ndawned upon us, and to all appearances, I was rapidly yielding in\nmy physical powers, to the destructive power of the fearful disease\nthat was preying so rapidly upon my body. After much solicitation on\nthe part of my very precious wife, I consented to let her go after\nthe doctor. A moment after she left the house, Jesus came--laid His\nhand upon me, and made me every whit whole: Bless His holy name!\nThe doctor did not come until Saturday. He left me two very small\nbottles of pills, and charged me not to go to church on the coming\nSabbath. However, I went to church, preached twice at Utica, rode\ntwelve miles and preached, making three sermons; and with such a\nblessing, it did seem to me that my soul would leave my body if\nGod should let another drop of love on me. Growing out of this, I\nhad an experience where I knew what the statement meant, \u201c_For I\nam sick of love_.\u201d On another occasion after this, when sick, and\nmuch worn down by overwork, I went to the Murray camp-meeting with\na view of recuperation. I felt peculiarly led of the spirit to go.\nOn arriving there I was powerfully tempted to leave the ground and\nreturn home. As it was about tea time I was invited to take tea with\nan old friend. After tea we had prayers. The Lord blessed me--I felt\nbetter, but did not get the healing power on my body which I so much\nneeded. I was very much helped all through the meeting. The day the\nmeeting closed, Brother Roberts was tying up his tent, Sister Roberts\nasked me if I had received the help in my body that I needed--I said\nno; but while in conversation with her, the blessing came with such\nforce that disease and weakness oozed out from the very center of\nevery bone in my body, and instantly I was covered with perspiration;\nand for months after this, I felt as though I was made up of iron. I\ncould preach, visit, sing, pray and study a good share of the hours\nout of every twenty-four. On a good many occasions, the blessed Jesus\nhas wonderfully blessed, and healed, both soul and body. God has at\ntimes, touched my heart, and given to me faith for others, and in\nanswer to prayer, I have seen them raised up to health. I have not\nalways had faith for myself, nor for others.\n\nI have been sick, have suffered pain, but could not cause the heavens\nto bend, seemingly a single inch towards my deliverance--when at the\nsame time my soul was blessed and happy in God. I will mention a few\ncases where God in answer to prayer healed them almost instantly.\n\nTwenty-five years ago our conference was held at Binghamton, N. Y. A\nnumber of preachers were kept at Sister Sparks. One of them was very\nsick, with an intense fever. We sat down to the table for our tea.\nThe burden came on me for this suffering brother, I could not eat,\nand proposed that prayer should be offered for him. In a few moments\nthe fever was checked, and a copious perspiration followed. The\nbrother got up, took tea, went to church, exhorted after the sermon\nas though he had never been sick in all his life.\n\nAt a camp meeting, a sister, one of my members, tenting with the\nRose pilgrims as we had no tent on the ground, was taken sick with\nwhat seemed to be, Asiatic cholera. Her case was so alarming after\na night\u2019s suffering the Rose preacher came to me and said, Brother\nOsborne, that sister is so sick that you must have her taken off the\nground as none can stay in the tent except those that wait on her.\nInstantly my faith took hold on God for her recovery. I did not know\nuntil that moment that she was sick. I went into the tent where she\nwas. I saw she was very sick. I said to her, \u201cyou know that Jesus\ncan make you well in a moment.\u201d She answered, \u201cYes.\u201d I said, \u201cdon\u2019t\nyou think that He wants to make you well now?\u201d She replied, \u201cI think\nHe will if you ask him.\u201d In less than three minutes she was on her\nfeet praising God with all her might. She dressed herself, ate her\nbreakfast, went about her Master\u2019s business and enjoyed the meeting\nthe rest of the time as though she had been on Pisgah from the\nbeginning.\n\nSister Francisco of Rome, was to all appearance, nearly used up\nwith what a number of the great doctors called cancers. One in her\nthroat, nearly choked her to death. Another on her upper gums. The\nfirst time that I visited her, I said, \u201cSister, you know that Jesus\nChrist can make you well.\u201d She replied, \u201cYes, but the doctors all say\nthat I must die.\u201d She became so bad off--the odor emanating from the\ncancer was so offensive, that it was with difficulty that anybody\ncould be in the house with her. I thought on several occasions as I\nwent to visit her, this will be, in all probability, the last time\nthat I shall visit her until I go to preach her funeral sermon.\nThe last time I called upon her before she was healed, she said to\nme, \u201cBrother Osborne, the Lord Jesus is going to make me well.\u201d I\nreplied--\u201cPraise the Lord, it is just like him to do so.\u201d Two days\nafter this the Lord touched her; the cancer left her throat--dropped\noff her gum--and she ran about that part of the city and reported\nwhat great things the Lord had done for her. Immediately she went at\nhard work, and now, more than three years have passed away, and she\nis still strong and healthy.\n\nAnother case at Rome, Sister Conrad had been very sick for about two\nmonths, with fever and other difficulties. Her right lung had lost\nits power of action; her left arm had become paralyzed. The neighbors\nthought she could not live but a short time; the doctors considered\nher case hopeless. Wife and I thought that we ought to visit her\nthat _Wednesday_. On that day she looked more like a corpse, than a\nliving being. We sang, and prayed--The Lord was present to heal. Such\na display of God\u2019s power to heal I never saw before. First she was\nmade clear in the blessing of perfect love. This was glorious. After\nthis, came a mighty wave of liquid love and fire--and health. When it\ntouched the withered lung, how she did shout forth the praises of our\nGod. This aroused the people in that region who came around to see\nwhat the matter was. Then the power struck the palsied arm, and that\nbegan to move about to the tune of \u201cGlory Hallelujah,\u201d and this she\ncontinued for more than two hours. She got up, dressed herself, went\nto supper, ate a hearty meal, and slept the soundest, the sweetest,\nthat night, that she had done for a long while before. She rose early\nthe next morning, mended her husband\u2019s pants, ate her breakfast, and\nmoved about as well as ever.\n\nI must mention one more occasion when the good Lord wrought seemingly\na miracle on my body, when very sick. I had just finished my fourth\ncamp-meeting. At the last one I had taken the worst cold I think\nthat I ever had. A severe rain the first night of the meeting had\nmoistened all the bedding in the tent where I made it my home. The\nbed that I occupied, was wet from head to foot; I suppose that was\nthe secret of my cold; it covered me from head to foot--and all\nthrough my being. The next morning after my arrival at home, and\nduring the morning\u2019s hour of prayer and worship, the Lord touched\nthe heart of my wife for me, and showers of blessings came down on\nmy soul and body--and such an operation! My cold broke up like the\nbreaking up of a river after a severe winter. It oozed out from every\npore. If I had been put through one of _Dr. Strong\u2019s_ Turkish baths,\nthe operation could not have been any more marvelous.\n\nThe promises of God are for the comfort, and special benefit of the\nsaints. The theory already advanced of faith healing, we believe is\nthe doctrine of the Bible. We might introduce many more important\nexperiences bearing upon the correct theory of faith healing, but\nwhat we have already said, may be sufficient.\n\nThere are other theories of faith healing, that contain some truth,\nand much error. For instance, the theory that in the atonement,\na perfect state of health was secured for the body, the same\nas perfection for the soul. Some scriptures are introduced to\nsubstantiate this theory.\n\nThe following are some of them. \u201c_The prayer of faith shall save\nthe sick_;\u201d and, \u201c_Who, healeth all thy diseases_;\u201d \u201c_Ask and ye\nshall receive_;\u201d and many others are quoted to prove their doctrine.\nI cannot see that they prove the theory. The experience of the\nsaints in all ages prove the contrary. Job was a representative\nsaint. God endorsed him as being correct according to His standard\nof righteousness. I maintain that _sickness_, is a part of God\u2019s\nplan for disciplinary purposes, just as much as changing seasons\nare necessary for the growth and development of vegetation. Suppose\nthat perpetual sunshine was to cover the earth; it would soon become\nsterile, barren and desolate. For the well-being of the human family,\nand the production of earth\u2019s blessings to sustain the same, the\nchanging seasons, sunshine and cloud, stormy wind fulfilling His\nword, are all necessary. We are so made up, that a great strain of\nprosperity, very much endangers our remaining meek, and humble, like\nour divine Lord and Master. Perhaps one scripture will be sufficient\nto prove this theory. \u201c_Whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth, and\nscourgeth every son whom He receiveth._\u201d Sickness, is a tremendous\nscourge, and some people have a great deal more of that kind of\ndiscipline than they would have, if they were more studious, and\ntried to learn the lesson God designed.\n\n_The mind cure_, falsely so called, is perhaps, the most subtile\nhumbug of the day. While it contains some truth in small homeopathic\ndoses, its heavy coating is profound deception. Its assumptions in\nthe main, are false. Without going into a thorough analysis of this\nscience, falsely so called, we proceed to notice what little truth it\ncontains. It is a well-known fact to the learned, that the _mind_,\nhas a marvelous power over all of our physical nature. Many have been\nmade sick, by simple imagination. In times of pestilence, doubtless,\none of the greatest means of spreading the disease, has been, the\nimagination. History tells us that men condemned to death have been\ngiven over to physicians in order to test the power of the mind over\nmatter; and in many cases death was the result, where the patient\nwas not harmed in any way, but simply made to believe that a vein\nhad been opened in their arm, and that they were slowly, but surely\nbleeding to death.\n\nThirty years since, I was living in western N. Y. In the place\nSpiritualism was running high. A canal boat stopped, a man on board\nthey thought had the cholera, they sent for a doctor. A spirit-medium\nnear by heard the request, and without being asked, stepped aboard\nthe boat, and went into the cabin where lay the sick man. The medium\ncommenced about this kind of talk, \u201cWhat are you laying here for\nyou lazy fellow? get up, and go out on deck, or you will die sure,\u201d\nassuring him there was nothing the matter of him. He continued this\nkind of talk--would pull and haul the fellow, and finally succeeded\nin getting him on deck; and in a little while, he was declared\nwell--and the boat moved on. The next morning, a neighbor of mine,\nstrong in the faith of this humbug philosophy, came into my house\njust as we had finished our morning meal. The following dialogue\nensued. \u201cNow, Mr. Osborne, what have you got to say when spirits\ncome right into this place and cure a man, sick, nigh unto death\nwith the cholera?\u201d I replied, \u201cit was simply the power of mind over\nmatter; and I can illustrate my meaning, and all there was of _that_.\nHere is my little boy, seven years old, perfectly healthy, he has\njust finished a hearty meal. Now, by the same process, I can make\nhim vomit up his hearty breakfast.\u201d I commenced by telling him that\nhe was sick! I repeated it. I made sickening faces, groaned and\nsaid, \u201cLester, you are sick!\u201d Inside of three minutes, he vomited\nas heartily as though he had taken an emetic. This was accomplished\nwithout the aid of departed spirits.\n\nThe Wesleys were quick to discover the good there was in the\nsurroundings of life, and utilize it for the Glory of God. The wicked\nin their Bacchanalian sports, used some grand tunes, for their songs\nof mirth. Charles Wesley said, \u201cMusic alas! too long has been pressed\nto obey the devil;\u201d and many of these tunes he rescued from their\nperilous associations, clothed them in the garb of saintly purity,\nand sent them forth to bless the saints of all ages; and thus, men\nand women have learned something of the God given law that mind has\nover matter, and have connected to this power, the illegitimate\nmonstrosity, born of delusion, and speculations, and named it\n\u201cCHRISTIAN SCIENCE, or MIND CURE.\u201d\n\nNow, about how far, and in what way may we be benefited by this\nknowledge?\n\n1--It is a well-known fact, that good nature, hopefulness, and\ncheerfulness, are great preventives to sickness. I believe that many\nare made sick by simple anticipation; and to disabuse their minds of\nsuch an idea, often works wonders.\n\n2--Business men often use this power to create a panic in the \u201cStock\nmarket.\u201d On Wall street, N. Y., they have their Bulls and Bears. One\nclass are ready to buy, the other to sell. One cry up stock, the\nother cry down stock, as the case may be. This procedure affects the\nmarket all over the country. Speculators understand this much of the\n\u201c_Science_.\u201d It has been truthfully said, \u201cThat the children of this\nworld in their generation, are wiser than the children of light.\u201d Oh,\nthat we might be as wise, and press good out of all the events of\nlife.\n\n3--We should on all occasions, cry up stock! health for soul and\nbody, and prosperity for Zion--Amen.\n\nI have heard it said that one scurvy sheep, would affect the whole\nflock. A minister, class leader, steward, or any prominent member of\na society, will, if always complaining, murmuring, fault-finding,\nbreed death and desolation, where ever they go. Such characters,\nshould never be allowed to enter a sick room. That class carry gloom\nand discouragement in their very appearance; and instead of being a\ncomfort and help, they produce in many cases, a dangerous relapse.\nPreachers, sometimes, linger about the sore spots, until all, seem\nto be putrification. Instead of looking at the fountain of life, its\nimmensity, enough for each, enough for all, enough forevermore, and\nreceiving its fullness in themselves, always ready to help others,\ncome short by the former process.\n\nDon\u2019t say much about your troubles; cry up stock to the best of your\nability, and as God, and your conscience will allow, but don\u2019t report\nfor the devil.\n\nThere is great force in always looking on the bright side of every\nquestion. But this, you cannot, nor will not do, unless you live on\nthe sunny side of the Rock. It is right, and proper, to turn the\nattention of the sorrowing ones of earth to the bright side--yea, to\nthe sun bright clime of Paradise, where the shadows of sorrow will\nnever strike across our pathway; where the inhabitants will never say\n\u201c_I am sick_!\u201d\n\nHere, is where the real saint lives, under the wing of the Almighty,\n\u201cwhere God the Son forever reigns, and scatters night away.\u201d\n\nThis is not all in eternity, but on this side of the boundary line of\ntime, we have the sunshine of heaven, and breezes from the land where\nflowers forever bloom.\n\nAbstractly considered, aside from the influence the Holy Spirit has\nupon the Christian character and life, the mind has a marvelous\npower over our entire being; and this, has been prostituted, for\nworldly purposes. Here, is where the great wrong comes in. The term,\n\u201cChristian science, or mind cure,\u201d is misleading. It does not claim\nto depend upon the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, for any of its\naccomplishments; but upon the knowledge they have of the power, the\n_mind_ has over matter. To be a Christian science, it must draw\nits inspiration from Christ Jesus the Lord. Some of its advocates,\nopenly, and unblushingly deny the divinity of _Him_, and the glory of\nwhatever is accomplished by this power, they give to humanity, and\nthe force of nature, and some to departed spirits, and not to Jesus\nChrist.\n\nAs an example of Christian Science superstition exceeding anything\nattempted by the most ignorant advocates of patient Faith Healing,\nread the following, taken verbatim from a text-book on Mind Cure,\nissued by the president of the \u201cNew York School of Primitive and\nPractical Christian Science,\u201d who states that _his_ school will be\nfree from \u201ceccentricity, pretension, and fanaticism!\u201d\n\n\n                      \u201cPRAYER FOR A DYSPEPTIC.\u201d\n\n\u201cHoly Reality! We believe in Thee that thou art EVERYWHERE present.\nWe really believe it. Blessed Reality we do not pretend to believe,\nthink we believe, believe that we believe. We believe. Believing\nthat thou art everywhere present, we believe that Thou art in this\npatient\u2019s stomach, in every fibre, in every cell, in every atom,\nthat Thou art the soul, only Reality of that stomach. Heavenly, Holy\nReality, we will try not be such hypocrites and infidels, as every\nday of our lives to affirm our faith in Thee and then immediately\nbegin to tell how sick we are, forgetting that Thou art everything\nand that Thou art not sick, and therefore that nothing in this\nuniverse was ever sick, is now sick, or can be sick. Forgive us our\nsins in that we have this day talked about our backaches, that we\nhave told our neighbors that our food hurts us, that we mentioned to\na visitor that there was a lump in our stomach, that we have wasted\nour valuable time which should have been spent in thy service, in\nworrying for fear that our stomach would grow worse, in that we\ndisobeyed Thy blessed law, in thinking that some kind of medicine\nwould help us. We know, Father and Mother of us all, that there is no\nsuch a thing as a really diseased stomach, that the disease is the\nCARNAL MORTAL MIND given over to the WORLD, the Flesh, and the Devil;\nthat the mortal mind is a twist, a distortion, a false attitude, the\nHARMATIA of Thought, Shining and Glorious Verity, we recognize the\ngreat and splendid FACT that the moment we really believe the truth,\ndisease ceases to trouble us, that the truth is, there is no disease\nin either real body or mind; that in the mind there seems to be a\ndisease is a false belief, a parasite, a hateful excrescence, and\nthat what happens in the body is the shadow of the LIE in the SOUL.\nLord, help us to believe that ALL EVIL is utterly unreal; that it is\nsilly to be sick, absurd to be ailing, wicked to be wailing, atheism\nand denial of God to say \u2018I am sick.\u2019 Help us to stoutly affirm with\nour hand in Your hand, with our eyes fixed on Thee that we have no\ndyspepsia, that we will never have dyspepsia, that there is no such\nthing, that there never was any such thing, that there never will be\nany such thing Amen.\u201d--_Hazzard._\n\nMrs. Eddy of Chicago, and others, have written much on \u201cChristian\nScience.\u201d In some of her writings she disclaims affinity with\nSpiritualism; but according to my knowledge of the matter, it was\nevolved from that source. Some thirty-five years since, I sat with\nthem in a seance, where a lady, almost gone with consumption was\noperated upon by the same treatment that the \u201cChristian scientists\u201d\npractice to-day. From a helpless, speechless condition she revived\nso that she was able to dress herself and walk about the yard. She\ncontinued to improve for about three months, then suddenly relapsed,\nand died.\n\nWhere disease has been located simply in the mind, which is often\nthe case, some marvelous cures have been effected by this class of\ndoctors; and because they found a supposed mental cause adequate to a\ncure in a few cases, leaped to a wild conclusion that all causes were\nmental, and would yield to the same treatment. They claim that our\nbodies are sensationless; they do not suffer, they have no pain, that\nall suffering is in the mind; then to work up a belief, that we do\nnot suffer, and some are really made to believe that doctrine.\n\nWhatever pretensions the teachers of this \u201cScience,\u201d present to\nthe public, as a curative power; and however much they may claim\nsympathy for the sick and suffering, the real gist of the matter\nseems to be, they are after cash. They charge enormously for teaching\nthe \u201cScience,\u201d and the same for helping the sick; as I have been\ninformed, they do not teach, or give aid to the sick, without pay\nin advance. How unlike Jesus, is all such operations, who, went\neverywhere doing good, without money, and without price. Whoever\nheard, of a real child of God, asking pay, for going to pray to God,\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord, for a sick brother, or sister, or the\nwickedest person on earth? We come to this conclusion, that, their\nfoundation is on the sand; and not on the merits of the precious\n_blood_ of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.\n\n\n\n\n                                 XI.\n\n                            A DOUBLE CURE.\n\n\nHark! a light step--followed by a heavy tread--is approaching my\nstudy. What does it mean? It is a cold, freezing day in February, and\nit is Saturday--a very busy day for me. Well, I should think wife\nwould entertain company in the parlor. But here she comes, followed\nby a person right from the State lunatic asylum--one that I had met\nwith before. I must confess that I felt a little strange with such\ncompany; but I immediately arose and gave the brother my hand, and\nsaid--\u201cGood morning, Mr. Van Benschoten; how do you do?\u201d \u201cI am well,\nbless God! I called, Brother Osborne, to tell you what great things\nthe Lord has done for me.\u201d He then gave me his experience, which is\nas follows:\n\nI have been in the New York Asylum for two years, and have been\ngrowing worse, so that for several months I have not been outside\nthese prison walls. Recently, Mr. Gray, the superintendent, wrote my\nwife that I was an incurable case. Of course, I expected to remain\nincarcerated within those prison walls; but what was still worse, I\nexpected my reason to remain dethroned; which in the past had been\nperiodically. But I was growing worse; my body was quite emaciated: I\nhad lost my appetite, and in fact, I was full of fearful forebodings,\na wretched man. My case was a sad one. Here I must suffer out this\nbrief existence, in misery--pain--sorrow--shame and remorse--and then\nan eternity with devils and damned spirits; and all this brought\non by my own licentiousness. \u201cO wretched man that I am! who shall\ndeliver me from the body of this death?\u201d A companion in tribulation\nsaid to me, the Lord can heal you, soul and body, and gave me this\npassage of Scripture: \u201cAnd the prayer of faith shall save the sick,\nand the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they\nshall be forgiven him.\u201d I thought, that just covers my case--but\n_how_, to make it available? I was told by my comrade in distress,\nthat I must fast and pray; which I did, until I wore my knees sore.\nI was then watched very narrowly, and prohibited from getting upon\nmy knees; and finally, I was shut up at night in a crib, in order to\nprevent, as I suppose the doctors viewed it, a further development of\nmy new phase of insanity. The crib is something like a large cradle,\nwithout rocker,--with a cover of slats that shut over the top, and is\nlocked down when occupied by any one. While in this condition, I was\nled to think of God\u2019s goodness to me in sparing my life so long, and\nI a rebel against him.\n\nI thought of the effort I had been making to get to Him; my sins\nhad appeared in dreadful array, which I loathed with all my heart.\nI felt that there was real godly sorrow in me. I had besought the\nLord to pardon my sins, and heal my body. I believed that he was able\nto do it; yea, I thought that he was willing to do it; I thought\nof the promise,--\u201cThe prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the\nLord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they shall be\nforgiven him.\u201d I said O Lord, why not now! they have locked me up to\nprevent my getting upon my knees; but can\u2019t the Lord bless me lying\non my back? Can\u2019t the Almighty come right through these slats?\n\nI heard a voice saying, yes! He can. The next moment I was believing\nin God with all my heart. Something said, why not believe that God\nwill do his work, and _do it now_! I said Lord, thou _wilt_ do it\nnow! Just then I felt a very strange sensation going all through my\nbody; and with it a conviction that the work was done. I felt glory\nto God! all through my soul and body. It flowed from my heart, like\noil from a flowing well; and continued to bubble up just as Jesus\npromised it should do. \u201cThe water that I give you, shall be in you a\nwell of water, springing up unto everlasting life.\u201d Praise our God\nforever! The next morning, soon after coming out of the crib, I met\nthe head physician. He said good morning Van; how are you? I am well,\nI replied,--glory to God! Van, what do you mean? I mean that the good\nLord came right down into the crib last night and healed my soul and\nbody--glory to God! glory! glory! glory! forever and ever! amen!\namen! The doctor looked wild, and said: Van be careful, or we shall\nput you up in No. \u201c11.\u201d (The hall where the incurable cases were\nkept.) The brother constantly affirmed that God had made him whole,\nevery whit. Within four weeks from the time the superintendent wrote\nthis brother\u2019s wife that her husband was incurable, he wrote her that\nhe was so much better that she could come after him; but did not\nstate how he was cured.\n\nThree years after, I met this Brother on the cars. His first\nutterances were, as I approached him, Glory to God! Brother Osborne,\nthe Lord saves me soul and body. He said that he had not had a\nsymptom of his old disease since his last night in the crib. Our God\nis mighty to save!\n\n\n\n\n                                 XII.\n\n                            JUSTIFICATION.\n\n\nJustification implies pardon for our sins, past and\npresent--something that God does for us; and regeneration is\nsomething done within us. Justification is generally understood to\nembrace both pardon and regeneration. They are, however, so near\ntogether as to belong to the same family; in fact, they are twins,\nand, taken together, they imply--first, reconciliation to God. In\nour natural condition, we are enemies to Him--made so by the sin of\nour first parents; secondly, by our own wicked works. \u201cBecause the\ncarnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law\nof God, neither indeed can be. So, then, they that are in the flesh\ncannot please God.\u201d Jesus says, \u201cWithout me, ye can do nothing;\u201d\nso that in our natural, unsaved condition we cannot do the will of\nGod. Reconciliation implies Godly sorrow for sin, and a confession\nof the same, and obedience to the divine law. \u201cWho so confesseth and\nforsaketh them, shall have mercy.\u201d Again, it implies making wrongs\nright. If we have taken in deal, or in any other way, that which\ndid not belong to us, we shall promptly restore. If we have wronged\nanother in his character, we shall hasten to make it right. \u201cWhoso\nkeepeth the whole law, and yet offendeth in one point, is guilty of\nall.\u201d\n\nMany are in the dark in regard to their Justification; but there is\nno necessity for that, for where this work is wrought in the heart\nthere are evidences that are unmistakable. For, says the Apostle,\n\u201cYe have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye\nhave received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, \u2018Abba, Father.\u2019\nThe Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the\nchildren of God.\u201d Here are two unimpeachable witnesses to the fact of\na man\u2019s conversion to God. First, the Spirit of God witnesses to the\nfact; that is, God the Holy Ghost divinely impresses the soul that\nthe work is wrought--an inward conviction that our sins are forgiven;\nthat so far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our\ntransgressions from us.\n\nAgain, our spirit or our mind is turned inward, and being illuminated\nby the Holy Ghost can discern or perceive the great change wrought\nwithin; and the witnesses uniting declare the great transaction\ndone, and the soul cries out instinctively, \u201cI am my Lord\u2019s, and he\nis mine.\u201d Glory to God! Amen. Again the fact that the kingdom is\nfixed within, bringing forth its legitimate fruit--righteousness,\nand peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost--is positive assurance that\nreconciliation to God has been consummated. \u201cThat being translated\nfrom the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of God\u2019s dear Son,\u201d the\nsoul is exquisitely happy, and in joyous exclamation sings, \u201cTongue\ncannot express the sweet comfort and peace of a soul in its earliest\nlove;\u201d and so long as the soul retains pardon, it can sing, \u201cJesus\nall the day long is my joy and my song, O, that all his salvation\nmight see.\u201d\n\nAgain reconciliation to God implies that we have renounced the devil\nand all his works, the vain pomp and glory of the world, with all\ncovetous desires of the same, and the carnal desires of the flesh, so\nthat we will not follow or be led by them. Here, is coming out from\nthe world. The eye has become single to the glory of God, and the\nwhole body is full of light. A justified soul has the light in regard\nto all the demands the Almighty has upon them and a determination to\nwalk in it; hence, everything that is designed to please the lust\nof the eye, the lust of the flesh, the pride of life, will be laid\naside. We shall eat, drink, labor and dress for the glory of God,\nand, if in any of these practices, whether it be eating or drinking,\nchewing, snuffing, or smoking tobacco, there remains a doubt in\nregard to the right or wrong of the matter, we are under condemnation\nif we practice the same, and this extends to all the relations of\nlife. \u201cHe that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of\nfaith, for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.\u201d\n\nA justified soul has light in regard to costly churches, and the\nmodern mode of selling them to the highest bidder, and running them\naccording to modern expediency. It will not engage in such work,\nneither will it endorse by its means or its presence, the worship\nof God, singing, praying, or preaching, by unhallowed lips. It will\nnot join hand in hand with the secret oath bound fraternity, that\nin heart, and in life, are opposed to the Gospel of Christ, full of\nworldly speculation, pride, fashion, banqueting, revelry, mirth,\ntrifling, worldly mindedness, having the form of godliness, but\ndenying the power thereof, from such, the command is to turn away,\nand the soul that is freely justified before God responds, \u201cLord\nobediently I\u2019ll go.\u201d Yes, Glory to God, it is in their hearts to turn\nfrom every abomination.\n\nO, glory! Justification is a wonderful blessing! With this, we are\nenabled to keep all of God\u2019s commands. It is not true, as commonly\nreported in religious meetings, by those professing salvation, that\nthey are in the way, and yet, they are making zig-zag paths. \u201cStrait\nis the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life,\u201d and the\njustified soul has found it, and is walking in it. Hallelujah! The\nfirst introduction into the kingdom of grace, gives the victory\nover the world, the flesh, and the devil, and not only so, they\nare happy in God. \u201cBelieving,\u201d says James, \u201cye rejoice with joy\nthat is unspeakable and full of glory.\u201d \u201cAgain, the redeemed of the\nLord shall return and come to Zion, with songs and everlasting joy\nupon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow\nand sighing shall flee away.\u201d Glory to God for justifying grace.\nThis takes murmuring, complaining, fault-finding, dishonesty,\ncovetousness, hatred, ill-will, emulation, strife, wrath, jealousy,\nadultery, and every miserable thing, blue devils, and all out of a\nman.\n\nDear reader, do you enjoy this grace?\n\n\n                          HOLINESS DEFINED.\n\nWe read this paper before the ministerial association of Oswego,\nN. Y., January, 1880. We give the paper, and some of its criticisms:\n\nThey gave me this scripture to write from. \u201c_And the very God of\npeace sanctify you wholly._\u201d--1 Thess. 5:23.\n\nWe formulated it in this way. What more did the prayer embrace than\nwhat they already had?\n\nThey were a Christian people. This they manifested. First, by their\nfaith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Secondly, by their love for God and\neach other. And thirdly, by their keeping the commandments, and\nentertaining a blessed hope of a glorious resurrection.\n\nIn this epistle, the first I think that the apostle wrote to any\nchurch, he does not reprove them for any faults, or failures in their\nmoral or religious character, which he was always sure to do, if the\ncondition of things required it; but treated them as a pure church;\nmanifesting at the same time, a strong desire that they should attain\nunto all that completeness of life and character, which God required\nat their hands; and that holiness, which will alone permit us to see\nhis face in peace. \u201c_And holiness, without which, no man shall see\nthe Lord._\u201d--Heb. 12:14.\n\nDo the scriptures teach a distinction between regeneration, and\nentire sanctification? They do. \u201cAnd I brethren, could not speak\nunto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes\nin Christ. For ye are yet carnal; for whereas there is among you\nenvying, and strife, and divisions are ye not carnal, and walk as\nmen?\u201d\n\n\u201cHaving therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse\nourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting\nholiness in the fear of God.\u201d In that wonderful prayer of the\nSaviour, \u201cSanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth,\u201d the\nsame doctrine is clearly brought to light.\n\nThe scriptures do assume a distinction between regeneration, and\nentire sanctification, or being sanctified wholly.\n\nTo sinners, God says--\u201cYe must be born again.\u201d To the regenerate, He\nsays, \u201cbe ye holy, for I am holy.\u201d Unanswerable argument. These two\nclasses of commands, in their various forms, are prominent through\nthe gospels, and epistles. Different terms are employed in the\nscriptures to represent the same state, a perfect salvation.\n\nPerfect love, perfection, sanctification, and holiness, are\nsynonymous terms, pointing to the same exalted state of saving\ngrace, enjoyed in this life. But while they all denote the same\nreligious state, each one of them indicate some of its essential\ncharacteristics, and peculiar phases. These terms are significantly\nexpressive of the _state_.\n\nThe term, \u201c_sanctification_,\u201d has regard especially to the work of\na complete consecration of soul and body to God. To \u201c_sanctify_,\u201d\nmeans to set apart; to devote to holy uses. \u201c_Sanctify_ yourselves\ntherefore, and be ye holy.\u201d\n\nThe term \u201c_perfection_,\u201d refers especially to the completeness of\nChristian character; its freedom from all sin, and its possession of\nall the graces of the spirit; completeness in kind. \u201cLet us go on\nunto perfection.\u201d\n\nThe term perfect love points more directly to the spirit, temper, and\nelement in which the wholly _sanctified_ and perfect Christian lives.\n\u201cGod is love,\u201d and they that dwell in God, dwell in love.\n\nIn regeneration sin does not reign; in \u201c_sanctification_,\u201d it does\nnot exist. In _regeneration_, sin is suspended; in _sanctification_,\nit is destroyed. In regeneration, irregular desires, anger, pride,\nunbelief, envy, malice, are subdued; in \u201c_sanctification_,\u201d they are\nremoved.\n\nRegeneration is salvation from the voluntary commission of sin;\n\u201c_sanctification_\u201d is salvation from the being of sin. \u201cIt is the\nwill of God, even your _sanctification_.\u201d\n\nThis state of grace is both _permissive_, and _authoritative_. The\ncleansing stream is in reach of every believer, and the declaration\nhas gone out, \u201cWhosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.\nIt is gloriously possible to touch the hem of his garment, and be\nmade whole every whit.\u201d But secondly, it is the will of God in an\n_authoritative_ sense. He requires us, to seek entire holiness. The\nlength and breadth of the evangelical law, is this: \u201cThou shalt love\nthe Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy\nmind, and with all thy strength, and what is this but a state of\nentire sanctification,\u201d and what less could God require? I believe\nthat all real Christians accept this statement, but disagree in\nregard to the time when this blessed work shall be accomplished. Many\nputting it at, or near death, while we, upon the authority of God\u2019s\nword say that _now_, is the acceptable time, \u201cTo day, is the day of\nsalvation.\u201d This state of grace, bears its own legitimate fruit;\nand when Christians love the Lord with all their hearts, love the\nsouls of men more than their own ease, or emolument, \u201cand love each\nother with pure hearts fervently,\u201d their example speaks volumes,\nand preaches more effectively than words in favor of the cause they\nprofess to love.\n\n\u201cThen they put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.\u201d Then the\ngospel acquires an influence which wins its way to the heart of\nthe multitude. The sacramental host of God\u2019s elect, clad with the\npanoply of God, saved from the corruptions which are in the world,\nand armed with holy faith and mighty prayer, hold in check the\npowers of hell, and triumphs over the most formidable, and appalling\nobstacles. In her infancy, when few in number, the church by her\npurity, silenced the objections of philosophers, and the power of\npersecution; successfully assailed the strongholds of superstition,\nand finally demolished the whole fabric of idolatry, which had been\nrendered venerable and sacred by the lapse of ages. She \u201cquenched the\nviolence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness was\nmade strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of\nthe aliens.\u201d The simple preaching of the cross, by men \u201c_sanctified_\u201d\n_wholly_, baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire, backed up by a\nholy and self denying life, like an earthquake struck dumb a giddy\nand clamorous world, and carried terror to the very gates of hell!\n\nWho can look back to the period when Christianity achieved her\nnoblest triumphs, and see altars and temples crumbling to dust, and\nthe Gods of the heathen given to the moles and the bats, the church\nmultiplied and increased under the bloodiest persecutions, martyrs\ngoing to the stake in ecstacy, and their very executioners converted\nby the grandeur of their example, and in their turn following them\nto the possession of the martyr\u2019s crown--who I say, can survey these\nscenes without feeling convinced that there is a power altogether\nunearthly in a life of purity and self-denial. A life, wholly\nconsecrated, and completely \u201c_sanctified_,\u201d heart and tongue set on\nfire with God\u2019s eternal love.\n\nWhen the purity and simplicity of the apostolic age shall\ncharacterize the great mass of Christian believers--when the\ninstitutions of Christianity shall be strictly conformed to the\noriginal plan, and the members of the church shall stand forth\ncompletely armed with the \u201carmour of righteousness on the right\nhand and on the left,\u201d then will the kingdom and dominion, and the\ngreatness of the Kingdom under the whole heaven be given to the\npeople of the Most High whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, and\nall dominions shall serve and obey Him. Daniel 7:27.\n\nIf these be facts and who can say they are not? then, what is the\nduty of every believer? and especially every minister of the gospel,\nbut to seek until he, or she obtains the blessing?\n\nAfter the paper was read the chairman called on the clergy to go tell\nwhat they thought of the paper. Brother \u201cB.\u201d was first called on. He\nwas a Congregationalist. Said Brother B., \u201cI was brought up on that\n_cream_, but I don\u2019t believe a word of it now.\u201d\n\nDoubtless this Brother had been converted. His father was a United\nBrethren preacher, and believed in the life and power of salvation.\nThis Brother had said to me previous to this that he and his father\nused to hold meetings with just such results and manifestations as\nyou Free Methodist have. He was looked upon by the association as a\n_free thinker_.\n\nDoctor D. T. was next called on. \u201cWell,\u201d said the aged divine, \u201cI sin\nevery day in thought, word and deed. That is all I have to say about\nthat paper.\u201d\n\nA Congregationalist missionary to the churches of America, was\npresent, having preached in the city the Sabbath previous.\n\nWhen called upon to state his views upon the paper, remarked, \u201cI take\nno stock in the doctrine discussed by the paper. If it means to feel\ngood, there may be something in it and it\u2019s possible I have got it,\nfor there are times when I feel pretty good.\u201d\n\nSeveral preachers present would not venture a remark on the subject.\nThe only one that endorsed the paper was Rev. Frank Beck, an M.\nE. preacher. He endorsed it heartily, backing up his argument by\nScripture, Wesley and others; at the same time he was in bondage to\noath-bound societies, and lacked that freedom and unction which every\nminister of the gospel ought to possess--might possess, if all was on\nthe altar, accepted of God, set on fire of the Holy Ghost.\n\nI was surprised with that intelligent, cultured, company of\nministers, who manifested such ignorance in regard to what was meant,\nin being a gospel minister, or a real child of God.\n\nBrother H. H. S., a Presbyterian, when asked what he had to say,\nreplied, \u201cI never met with any of those changes; and am satisfied\nwith this--I have always been good. I think that I was converted\nbefore I was born, never since.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n                                XIII.\n\n                           A DIRECT ROUTE.\n\n\nMany have a desire to see Jesus, but miss the route, and fail in the\nend. They say a great deal, and do much--but after all they fail.\nWe read of one away back in the days when Christ was on earth, who\ndesired to see him, and hearing that he was to pass that way hastened\nto the road where he was to pass, _and climbed up a tree_, in order\nas he supposed to have a fine prospect; but Jesus called him down.\nIt is just so with many at the present day; they want to see Jesus,\nbut take the wrong route! they climb up,--_i. e._, they tell you how\ngood they are; how much good they have done here and there. I heard a\nyoung preacher say, he went to Baltimore and converted two souls. His\ntalk was full of self. Jesus was not the one altogether lovely with\nhim.\n\nIt\u2019s down at the foot of the cross, where flows the blood, that\nbought our guilty souls for God. This brother like a great many, fail\nto touch the blood, consequently, they always dine on old manna.\n\nThe last I saw of him he was loaded down with old musty bread, gotten\nfrom the Gibeonites. Too many take this route and fail. The direct\nroute to Jesus, starts from low down in the valley,--the place called\n_self-abasement_. It is true, that way down here, there seems to be\nclouds and vapor, mixed with mist, while the eye is turned inward,\nand especially while under the direct rays of the Holy Ghost we see\nour unlikeness to God,--our infirmities--our ignorance--our sins--our\nshort comings, heart wanderings, and alienations from him; and as\nwe confess these to God and our brethren, we grow less in our own\nestimation. And as we go down in this way--confessing to the very\nbottom, suddenly, and as by magic, the clouds disperse, shadows\nfly--the invisible appears to mortal eye--glory to God!\n\nWould you see Jesus? come down into the valley of blessing so sweet!\n\u201cHe that humbleth himself shall be exalted.\u201d \u201cIf we seek to save our\nlives we shall lose them.\u201d God has opened up a new and living way;\nthat is the route of repentance--and confession--and faith in our\nLord Jesus Christ. \u201cIf we confess our sins, he is faithful and just\nto forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.\u201d\nWe need not be deceived in regard to our whereabouts. This route is\npaved all the way through with blood divine.\n\nThen, too, the cross that _kills_ is here; and this is always\nvisible; and upon its beams are written: \u201cHe that would be my\ndisciple, let him take up his cross daily, and come after me.\u201d The\ndirect route to Jesus is covered completely by the _cross_! Would you\nfind it? Come down from your high perch! get off from your stilts,\nlimber up; be child-like; leave off your affectation; talk natural,\nbe just what you are; let God have you--and as quick as light from\nthe smitten steel, you will find yourself in the direct route to\nglory; high above the storm and vapor--winging your way to the land\nthat hath no storms.\n\n\n\n\n                                 XIV.\n\n                        REST, BUT NOT LOITER.\n\n\nThere is a bridge crossing the river Thames, at London, and at one\nend of this bridge, there is a seat prepared for the weary pilgrim\nto rest himself; and just above this seat hangs a sign, with these\nwords, \u201c_Rest, but not loiter_.\u201d\n\nIn the great plan of salvation, God has provided a mercy-seat,\nwhere all may find _rest_; rest to the weary soul; rest from the\ncommission of sin, rest from the inbeing of sin, rest from all moral\ndefilement;--rest from slavish fear, rest from the fear of evil\ntidings, rest from the fear of man; rest from the fear of what the\npeople will say; rest from the fear of want; rest in prosperity,\nwhen all goes well, and in adversity when all goes ill, rest in the\nfire, rest out of the fire; rest in sickness, rest in persecution, in\nnecessities, in cruel mockings, in stripes, in imprisonments; rest\nunder all the ills which flesh is heir to; and, O! what a blessed\nprospect of _rest_ in death--in the resurrection morn; rest, rest\nforever in the paradise of God.\n\nHow _few_ have found this rest. The multitude are loitering about\nChrist, as in bygone days, for the loaves and fishes. You find them\nthronging holy places, and in fact, their names are on the church\nrecord--they call themselves Christians,--but, O! how destitute\nof _soul-rest_. They talk of rest, but how easily is their rest\nturned into unrest, their humility into vain pomp and show; their\nlove into downright anger; their benevolence, into God-dishonoring\ncovetousness; their separation from the world into commingling with\nthose that hate God and trample his law under their feet. The lust of\nthe eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life, sits enthroned\nin their hearts. Many thronged the Saviour when he was on earth,\nbut how few got near enough to touch the hem of his garment. On one\noccasion, a poor woman pressed her way into the crowd, touched the\nSaviour and found rest; yes, glory be to God, she found rest for soul\nand body. Hallelujah! We may rest, and not loiter.\n\n\u201cCome unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will\ngive you rest.\u201d Thank God! there is a place of rest. You need not\nbe fretful, peevish, impatient, cross, proud, vain, fierce, heady,\nhigh-minded, jealous, full of deceit--evil speaking--tale-bearing,\ncovetous, filthy, fearful, unbelieving. No! there is power in Jesus\u2019\nblood to wash these all away, and give perfect _rest_ to the soul.\n\u201cFor we which have believed do enter into rest.\u201d\n\nHow refreshing to the weary pilgrim, after the toils of the day are\no\u2019er, the sun sinking in the west, the shades of night coming on,\nto have a place of rest,--a place where the cares of life are for\nthe time-being forgotten, and the mind is at liberty to roam the\nvast fields of thought, and revel in all the delights of fancy. How\nblessed it will be, after the toils and conflicts of life are o\u2019er,\nto have an eternity of rest--to be forever shut in with God, \u201cWhere\nthe wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest.\u201d\n\nRest, but not loiter.\n\n\n\n\n                                 XV.\n\n                         A LIVING SACRIFICE.\n\n\nGod requires a living, not a dead sacrifice. The time for sacrificial\nofferings is past. Jesus Christ suffered unto death, even the death\nof the cross, to redeem us from all iniquity, and to purify unto\nHimself a \u201cpeculiar people,\u201d and make us meet for the inheritance of\nthe saints in light. God now requires, that we should be a complete\noffering to Him; soul, body and spirit: all we have, all we are, and\nall we ever expect to be, for time and eternity. We frequently say\nwith our lips, but do we say it deep down in our heart:\n\n                  \u201cTake my soul and body\u2019s powers;\n                   Take my mem\u2019ry, mind and will;\n                   All my goods, and all my hours;\n                   All I know, and all I feel;\n                   All I think, or speak, or do;\n                   Take my heart, but make it new.\u201d\n\nThis is just what God requires; hear the command: \u201cI beseech you\ntherefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your\nbodies A LIVING SACRIFICE! holy, acceptable unto God, which is your\nreasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye\ntransformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is\nthis good and acceptable and perfect will of God.\u201d (Ro. 12:12.)\n\nAgain, \u201cYe are not your own! For ye are bought with a price:\ntherefore glorify God in your body, and spirit, which are his.\u201d\n(1 Cor. 6:19.) The above expresses in general, what is implied in\nbeing, \u201cA living sacrifice.\u201d Too many, are content with a sort of\nwholesale consecration; and too many we have reason to fear, keep\nback a part of the price. Let us, dear reader, look carefully at our\noffering, to see, if it be just what God requires, without blemish or\nspot, or any such thing.\n\nFirst, Our memory: Is it devoted to God? Do we always, and under\nall circumstances, recollect God\u2019s commandments? Do we always\ninquire of Him, before engaging in any business transaction? Do we\nremember daily, to discharge our obligations, to God, our brethren\nand sisters, our neighbors, and all we have to do with? Do we always\nact out our religion, just what we profess before the enemies of the\ncross of Christ, as well, as when among His friends?\n\nSecond, The mind: We must serve God with our intellects. The mind\nmust be cultivated for His Glory. We have no right to remain in\nignorance. The command is, \u201cStudy to show thyself approved unto God.\u201d\n\u201cThou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy soul and with all thy\nmind.\u201d Our intellects must be cultivated; not to gain the applause\nof men, but that we may have more power to win souls to Christ, and\nbuild them up in that Holiness, without which no man shall see the\nLord; and not prostituted, to a time-saving policy.\n\nThird, Our will: The will, to our intellectual machinery, is the\nsame as the rudder to a vessel. This gives direction to the ship\nwhen under way, and if in the hands of a skilled helmsman, she goes\njust as desired. It is so with the will, if in the hands of the Holy\nGhost, our minds will be guided into all truth.\n\nFourth, The eye: must be wholly sanctified to God, or else we shall\nbe running after strange flesh, and strange sights. If the eye be\nsingle, thy whole body shall be full of light.\n\nFifth, The ear: When fully consecrated will be quick to hear when God\nspeaks, by His providence, His spirit or in His blessed word; but\nwill not listen to reports of slander, not unsanctified music when\noffered up as worship to the great I am.\n\nSixth, The face: The index of the soul must be clean and comely.\nIt affords great comfort and delight to look upon, especially when\nJesus Christ is living and reigning in the heart; when the oil of\ngladness makes the face to shine; but how it detracts in beauty and\nexpression, if the mouth be covered over with moustache, like worldly\nminded men. To me it is an expression of pride and vanity, as much as\nfor females to cover their head with flowers and ribbons.\n\nSeventh, The mouth: We must not allow anything to enter our mouths\nthat would in any way defile our bodies knowingly. That class of food\nthat proves injurious to the system we must not use; neither drink\nwhat hurts. Tobacco, used in any form, defiles; hence, we cannot use\nit and be a \u201cliving sacrifice.\u201d\n\nEighth, The tongue: Is an unruly member, full of deadly poison.\nNo man hath ever been able to tame it without the grace of God;\nand with this it requires constant watching, held in with bit and\nbridle. O! how much it means to have a sanctified tongue; having our\nconversation always \u201cseasoned with salt, ministering grace to the\nhearers.\u201d\n\nNinth, Our bodies: With all pertaining thereto, life, health,\nstrength, family, friends, farms, bank and railroad stock, all are to\nbe devoted to the cause of human redemption. We give ourselves up to\ndo and suffer for the Lord Jesus Christ. God wants men and women thus\ndevoted to His cause in every department of life. In the pulpit and\nin the pew; the merchant, the mechanic, the sailor, the scavenger,\nthe manufacturer, teachers, servants to do the little work, mothers\nto rear families, presidents, statesmen, judges, and all rulers in\nauthority.\n\nTenth, The results: When professors are thus devoted to the cause\nof Christ, a slumbering world will awake to righteousness, and not\nbefore. Then nations will be born in a day, they will learn war no\nmore. The blood stained banner will be unfurled in every clime; Jesus\nChrist will reign from the rivers to the ends of the earth.\n\nAre you a living sacrifice?\n\n\n\n\n                                 XVI.\n\n                       THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL.\n\n\nThe law is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. This is the route\nordained of God, there is no other way. Both are necessary to our\nsalvation. The law reveals to us our lost condition. We must be made\nto see our danger, before we will apply the remedy; the Gospel is the\nremedy. The law declares that we are diseased. \u201cFrom the soul of the\nfoot even unto the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds, and\nbruises, and putrifying sores. They have not been closed, neither\nbound up, neither mollified with ointment.\u201d Isaiah 1:6.\n\nThe sight that God gives of our natural condition is not very\nflattering. The sinner is inclined to think himself pretty good,\nuntil God makes these revelations. Then, as the eye is turned inward,\nwe are often overwhelmed as we gaze upon our own hearts when under\nthe direct rays of the Holy Ghost. We loathe ourselves when God we\nsee, and at the same time, we hear the law proclaiming, \u201cThat the\nsoul that sinneth, _it shall die_.\u201d Now the sinner is burdened with\nhis own guilt. There seems to be a mountain\u2019s weight upon him, and\nfrom the very depths of his soul he cries out: \u201cO wretched man that I\nam! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?\u201d Rom. 7:24. I,\nthat speak in righteousness, _mighty to save_! I from Edom, the land\nof Bozra, with garments dyed in blood. The sinner hears the voice; he\nlistens--he looks away to Calvary--to the cross; he sees the bleeding\nvictim, he hears words of comfort. \u201cLook unto me, and be ye saved,\nall the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else.\u201d\nIsaiah 45:22.\n\nThere must be harmony between the law and the gospel. If we deal in\nthe law exclusively, we shall fail to get men saved to God. If we\nstop declaring the law, we shall fail to reach the gospel of our Lord\nJesus Christ. We must be made to know that we are sick, before we\nwill apply the remedy. The servant of God must cry aloud, and spare\nnot; lift up their voice like a trumpet and show the people their\nsins, and Israel their transgressions. The great mass of professors\nseem to ignore the law altogether. It has become very unpopular to\ntell the people that they are sinners, and on their way to hell, and\nunless they repent, they will surely perish. But on the other hand,\nthey are made to believe, and that too, by preachers, that they\nare _naturally_ very good, and that we almost confer a great favor\non the Almighty, by letting Him bless us. A man will never give up\nhis sins, until he becomes sick of them. Hence he should be made\nsick as soon as possible, and as sick as possible. Make him so, by\ndeclaring the law to him, that he will disgorge freely and fully,\nthrowing up anything that caused a bilious state of soul. When this\nis accomplished, you can safely apply the gospel remedy, without\nmuch fear of a speedy relapse, or of healing slightly. There is not\nmuch danger of the disease returning, where the system has been\nthoroughly purged by law remedies. But to give the sweatmeats of the\ngospel to them that need the law, tends to aggravate the case, and\nmake it worse. But, says one, does not the blood cleanse us from our\nsins? Yes, the blood is the foundation, _if we confess our sins_ He\nis faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from\nall unrighteousness--Glory to God! But to illustrate: In passing a\nmarble factory we see a large block of marble upon skids. The block\nupon which we look is about eight feet long, five thick, and four\nwide. A set of gang-saws, propelled by steam power, are cutting this\nhuge piece of marble up into slabs, about two inches thick. Above\nthis piece of marble is placed a conductor of water, conveying it\nthe whole length of the marble, and to every saw. On the top of\nthis marble is placed a bushel or two of sand. The water falling\nupon this, washes it down upon the saws, causing them to execute\ntheir design more rapidly upon the marble. Now, to the point: Our\nhearts are naturally hard, stony. We have to be squared by the law;\nthese saws represent the law. Whatever the law condemns, _must_\nbe abandoned. The water falling upon the marble, represents the\ngospel. We need to mix in a good deal of the gospel with the law.\nThe sand falling upon the saw is repentance and confession. To make\nthe law cut, we need to confess our sins; this brings us directly\nto the blood. O, glory to God! Its good to live where the blood is\ncontinually dropping upon our hearts. Bless God for the squaring\nprocess of the law, and the polishing touches of the gospel. Brother,\nplease mix well your preparations with a proper amount of law and\ngospel. After dosing out law, until your hearers are in a state of\ndespair, introduce them to the banqueting house of corn and wine, and\noil; let them feast to their heart\u2019s content, until \u201cOld things have\npassed away, and all things become new.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n                                XVII.\n\n                      KEEP THE SABBATH DAY HOLY.\n\n\nThe laws of God are not arbitrary. Every commandment is as reasonable\nas it is divine. _Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandments\nholy, and just, and good_; having as much regard to the well-being\nof man, as to the honor and glory of God. Their tendency in every\ninstance is evidently beneficial; and he who breaks them, not only\nsins against God, but wrongs his own soul. They enjoin nothing but\nwhat is conducive to man\u2019s happiness, nor prohibit anything but what\nwould ultimately injure him, so that the observance of every command\nof God, is as much our interest, as our duty.\n\nThe Sabbath is a great blessing to mankind. It is well adapted to\nhis fallen condition. It gives him rest from labors, and anxiety,\nand affords him time to acquire a knowledge of his Author, and\ndestination, and to prepare for that Eternal rest which is at God\u2019s\nright hand. _Therefore remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy: six\ndays thou shalt labor and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the\nSabbath of the Lord thy God, in it thou shalt not do any work, thou,\nnor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man servant, nor thy maid servant,\nnor thy cattle, nor any stranger that is within thy gate._\n\nThere are many ways in which we may break the Sabbath. It is not\nconfined to buying, or selling goods, running cars, or vessels,\ncheese factories, or patronizing any of these on God\u2019s holy day;\nneither is it confined to blacking boots, shaving, getting up extra\ndinners, polishing stoves, or knives and forks. Truly in these God is\ndishonored, and his laws broken. We are not to visit on the Lord\u2019s\nday, except in a _real_ cause of _mercy_. If to help the sick, or to\nrelieve the needy, it is right; but if we neglect the sick on week\ndays, _because we cannot afford the time_, or practice a little self\ndenial, and take the Sabbath for this purpose, _we are guilty before\nGod_.\n\nMany seem to think they can visit a brother or sister on the Sabbath,\nand spend one, two, or more hours, in religious conversation. Is\nnot the Sabbath, a day of rest? Ought we not, after attending the\nusual means of grace, to spend the remaining part of the day, in\nreading God\u2019s word, in meditation, and in prayer before Him. These\nhours, are sacred to every child of God, and should not be lost,\nor their sanctity destroyed, by _thoughtless visitors_. The day is\noften profaned, by visiting at church, before and after services.\nHow painful, to see men and women, professedly saints, standing\naround the door, grouped together in the aisles, _visiting_ on God\u2019s\nholy day. Brother, sister, ought you not as soon as you enter the\nchurch, commence a prayer meeting, and let it continue until time\nfor preaching. How much better to enter upon this solemn service,\nwith hearts burning with the love of God, and a faith that brings\nconviction down upon the hearts of sinners, and holds up the preacher\nwhile he is proclaiming God\u2019s eternal truth; where this is done the\nshouts of victory will be heard. _Works of piety_, may be done on the\nSabbath, but we may not do our own works, or lean to our own ways. We\nare not to _travel_ on the Lord\u2019s day, except on works of _mercy_, or\non works of piety, and this may be determined by the necessities of\nthe case. If to relieve the sick, or help the needy, all right. But\nis it right for those that attend our quarterly meetings, general or\notherwise, to remain until after the morning service, and then hitch\nup, and drive five, ten, twenty, or more miles, on Sabbath afternoon\nand evening, to reach their homes; is it not in opposition to the\nlaw, which says, _Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy_. I think\nit is. I know some that practice this, claim that it is _necessary_.\nNot long since, a load of \u201cPilgrims,\u201d (I think eight, or ten,) came\nto a general quarterly meeting, where I was stationed. Immediately\nafter the morning service they commenced preparations for returning\nhome Sabbath afternoon. They were urged to remain, and not break the\nLord\u2019s day; they thought it _necessary_, and so they started, but\nwere caught in a snow storm, and detained just as long as they would\nhave been had they kept the Sabbath and remained at the meeting.\nThere are other cases of this kind, where disappointment, and loss\nresulted from this course of action. But if there is no pecuniary\nloss by such actions, there is great loss to the soul, and to the\ncause of Christ. Another reason why one should remain over the\nSabbath, is, all the strength of the meeting is needed on Sabbath\nevening; the interest of the meeting has been on the increase,\nconviction on the hearts of the unsaved has become more intense,\nsome have almost decided to say, \u201cI yield, I yield.\u201d God\u2019s saving\npower is hovering over precious souls, but it still needs, a steady,\nunwavering faith in God. A mighty faith, a united faith, and the\nwhole faith of the church, to bring the victory; and just when help\nis most needed, (I mean human, for God works by means) the laborers\nare scattered in various directions, wending their way home.\n\n\u201cIf thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy\npleasures on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of\nthe Lord, honorable, and shalt honor Him, not doing thine own ways,\nnor finding thine own pleasures, nor speaking thine own words: then\nshalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride\nupon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of\nJacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n                                XVIII.\n\n                      YOUR FRUIT UNTO HOLINESS.\n\n\nA few years since, I visited the home of my childhood, after an\nabsence of more than twenty years. Imagine my astonishment, as I\npassed along the way where my weary feet had often trodden in my\nchildhood\u2019s days. A complete transformation had taken place. The\nwilderness had given way to well cultivated fields. It had truly been\nmade to bud and blossom as the rose. The little log hut, once the\nhome of the pioneer, had given way to stately mansions. The stillness\nthat had formerly reigned in those regions, had passed away; and the\nhum of husbandry had taken its place. I realized that something had\nbeen done to produce this great change. Many a hard blow had been\ngiven in felling the trees; much toil in removing the timber, and\nburning up the underbrush. It then became necessary to introduce\nthe stump machine, that the old stumps and roots might every one be\nremoved from the soil. And then, what a transformation! I thought I\nsaw in this a complete analogy of our natural, depraved condition,\nand the transforming power of the Holy Ghost. I realized, in _some_\ndegree, the labor and suffering that had been given to produce these\nwonderful results.\n\nMy mind instantly reverted to Gethsemane; to Pilate\u2019s Hall; to\nCalvary; to the Crucifixion; the precious blood; its all-cleansing\npower to remove the foulest stains that sin hath made; and blessed\nbe God! to remove all the roots of bitterness connected with our old\nman, _depravity_!\n\n                \u201cHis blood can make the foulest clean,\n                 His blood avails for me.\u201d\n\nBut then, how are we to avail ourselves of this glorious power?\nRepentance toward God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Without\nrepentance, there is no approaching Deity. This must precede all acts\nof saving faith. Place it just as God has it.\n\nRepent and believe the Gospel; and by this we understand godly\nsorrow, which will lead to a confession of our sins, and a separation\nfrom them, and restitution where possible.\n\n\u201cIf we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our\nsins, and to cleanse us from unrighteousness.\u201d Here is the secret of\nsuccess. Repentance! Repentance! \u201cHe that covereth his sins shall not\nprosper; but whoso confesseth them shall have mercy.\u201d\n\nWhen old depravity has been thoroughly broken up by repentance,\nand the heart washed in the all-cleansing blood, then we have our\nfruit unto holiness. There will be a blessed realization that this\nconsecration which we so frequently make with our lips, has been made\nwith our hearts, and accepted by the Lord.\n\n                 \u201cTake my soul and body\u2019s powers;\n                    Take my mem\u2019ry, mind and will;\n                  All my goods and all my hours;\n                    All I know and all I feel;\n                  All I think, or speak, or do;\n                    Take my heart, but make it new.\u201d\n\nWhether, therefore, we eat or drink, or whatsoever we do, it will\nbe done for the glory of God. Your fruit--unto holiness, and your\nend--everlasting life.\n\n\n\n\n                                 XIX.\n\n                      WITHOUT NATURAL AFFECTION.\n\n\nHas earth a scene more lovely than the family circle--father, mother,\nsons and daughters, well-bred, loving each other tenderly, and\nbending all their energies to do the will of God on earth, that they\nmay finally gain the skies? I think not. Then how gladly they welcome\nadditions to this lovely group. Baby, with its little pug nose,\nflaxen hair, ruddy cheeks, soft eyes, and such a sweet, expressible\nmouth, are sources of wondrous delight and admiration. How sad,\nindeed, must those families be that are not blessed with children.\nOne of the grandest and most sublime features of the world that is to\ncome will be the children. \u201cFor of such is the kingdom of heaven.\u201d\n\nThe family relation is recognized by the Almighty as a holy relation.\nHe gives us to understand that children are a blessing, and not a\ncurse. \u201cLo, children are a heritage of the Lord; and the fruit of the\nwomb is his reward. As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are\nchildren of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of\nthem;\u201d for they shall be \u201clike olive plants around thy table.\u201d And\nyet there are a great many that are ashamed of God\u2019s blessing.\n\nI wish right here to ask two questions, and answer them: What is the\nmost precious thing that each generation has in its keeping? and what\nis that which it most neglects and undervalues? To both I make but\none answer--_Children_. In this sinful generation it is considered\nby many a disgrace to give, or allow them to have a being, and they\nresort to methods highly objectionable to gratify their licensed\nsensuality. Thus they prevent life, or cause its destruction; I mean,\nthey commit murder! The wrath of God is poured out on the nations for\nthe awful crime of child-murder. The man that whipped his child to\ndeath a few years since, in Western New York, aroused the indignation\nof every human being that was made acquainted with the affair. No one\nblushed to call it by its right name--_murder_! And is it not murder\nto take the life of a human being at any age? and ought not murderers\nto be punished accordingly? Is it any the less a crime because it is\nfashionable, and millions are doing it? And is it not time the veil\nwas drawn aside and light from the pulpit and the press let in upon\nus brighter than the sun at noonday, until public opinion shall be\nthoroughly aroused, and condemnation written on the guilty. To have\nchildren is a duty equal with any of the responsibilities of life.\n\u201cMultiply and replenish the earth,\u201d was the command God gave to Adam\nand Eve; and this was repeated after the flood. God says again, \u201cI\nwill that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house,\ngive none occasion for the adversary to speak reproachfully.\u201d Save\nus, O Lord, from false modesty, and give us natural affection, for\nJesus\u2019 sake. Amen.\n\n\n\n\n                                 XX.\n\n                         SOWING AND REAPING.\n\n\nIt is said that like causes will produce like results in all ages of\nthe world. This is true, both in a moral and temporal point of view.\nIf we sow wheat, corn, barley, thistles, we shall reap the same.\nWhatever our doings are, it will bring forth its legitimate fruit.\n\u201cFor whatever a man soweth that shall he also reap. For he that\nsoweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that\nsoweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting.\u201d This\nhas been clearly demonstrated in many places where costly churches\nhave been built. The spirit of emulation has taken possession of\nthe people, especially in church building. They desire greatly to\ngo beyond their neighbor in this; and in most cases, they have gone\nin their planning operations far beyond their means; consequently,\nthey are compelled to resort to the lottery department, pic-nics,\nsociables, banquetings, excursions, ice-cream, strawberry, and\nnecktie parties, to carry forward the _grand_ enterprise. One case\nwill illustrate the many of this character; and yet, the results\nmay not in every case be as sad as the one I now refer to. But\nnevertheless, pride, worldly conformity, spiritual death, will follow\nall such departures from the old landmarks. A society in this city\nhave been struggling along for some years, in all the ways mentioned\nabove, to raise money to build a costly church. The last banquet this\nsociety held (which was of the necktie order) proved very disastrous\nto some members of the church in their domestic relations, if not\ntheir eternal ruin. I took the following extract from the Sunday\n_Mercury_, which shows the nature of the seed sown:\n\n\u201cOf Twentieth street M. E. Church, Philadelphia, the brethren and\nsisters have been having a calico festival. By Sister Boyer, in New\nJersey, the wrinkle was learned. Of the pattern corresponding to her\napron, each sister deposited a gentleman\u2019s necktie. By the gentleman,\nfor a quarter of a dollar, the sister whose apron the article matched\nthe pattern of his purchase, he was permitted \u2018piously\u2019 to \u2018treat.\u2019\nBy Brother Broin the party was opened. Sweet Sister Carrigan the\nbrother led out. The more neck-ties of different patterns a brother\npurchased, the more sisters of _course_ he \u2018treated.\u2019 Among the heavy\nbuyers were Brother Kent and Brother Hoffman. What worried Sister\nHoffman was that the religious writer of the _Mercury_ might \u2018be\nabout.\u2019 Of Sister Busby the apron was the handsomest. Brother Roberts\non six neck-ties made investment. So, also, did Bartine. Altogether\nthe festival was a success.\u201d\n\nThis is about the way these things move; and--yet, there were\nthings connected with this party of a grave character. A brother--a\nman having a family--a steward, and a leading man in the society,\npurchased a neck-tie. He very soon found a young damsel, whose\napron corresponded with the neck-tie just purchased. He, of course,\naccording to the rule of the party, was bound (to use a bar-room\nphrase), to \u201ctreat\u201d her. She took his arm, and away they went to the\nplace prepared for refreshments. The brother\u2019s wife was present,\nand while looking upon the scene, her husband, joking, trifling,\nspreeing--and that with a woman he had no right to--_no right within\nsuch relations_; she became disgusted, indignant, at such a departure\nfrom pure religion--yea, from common decency and respectability.\n\nLate at night they returned home, the wife with injured feelings, the\nhusband delirious from the effects of the exciting scenes that he\nhad just passed through. We would gladly draw a veil over the scene\nthat followed, but God must be honored, the truth must be told. The\nbalance of the night was spent in unpleasant words. In the morning,\nthe husband repairs to a drinking saloon and gets drunk, which he\ncontinues to do. His family--a wife and a very lovely daughter,\neleven years of age, took the matter very much to heart, weeping and\nwailing almost incessantly, which brought on the daughter a violent\ndisease, and in a few days, death! The wife is very much worn down by\ngrief, and expects in a few days to follow the daughter. If we sow to\nthe _flesh_, we shall of the flesh _reap_ corruption. A mistaken idea\nprevails among many religionists, _that the end_ (if it be a laudable\none) sanctifies the means; and this prevails to an alarming extent;\nhence, the resorting to many ways condemned of God, and by most, if\nnot all, our legitimate bodies, who declare lotteries to be gambling,\nand are prohibited by law; and, yet, many professors of the grace\nof God resort to this, to raise means to build costly churches, and\ncarry forward what they call the work of the Lord. \u201cShall we do evil\nthat good may come? God forbid!\u201d\n\n               \u201cNo room for mirth or trifling here,\n                For worldly hope, or worldly fear,\n                  If life so soon is gone;\n                If now the Judge is at the door,\n                And all mankind must stand before\n                  The inexorable throne!\n\n                No matter which my thoughts employ,\n                A moment\u2019s misery or joy;\n                  But, O! when both shall end,\n                Where shall I find my destined place?\n                Shall I my everlasting days,\n                  With fiends or angels spend?\n\n                Nothing is worth a thought beneath,\n                But how I may escape the death,\n                  That never, never dies!\n                How shall I make my election sure;\n                And when I fail on earth, secure\n                  A mansion in the skies!\u201d\n\nDear reader, remember every act goes to the account; every vain and\ntrifling word; every misspent hour; every neglected Sabbath; every\ntime Christ has been offered you and rejected; every gospel sermon\nthat you have heard and have not given heed thereto; every profane\nword uttered; every lie told--yea, every act of life, and all the\nupbraidings of conscience, are treasures of wrath laid up for you to\nreap through all eternity! But if you have been sowing to the Spirit,\nlife everlasting. Be not deceived, God is not mocked.\n\n\n\n\n                                 XXI.\n\n                         TO ACTUAL SETTLERS.\n\n\nOur government has been very generous in making a law, giving to\nevery man a homestead, upon the simple condition that he will settle\nupon it. To enjoy this he must be an actual settler. He may talk much\nof the beautiful West, how inviting it is; how independent people\nbecome who go West; how strong his desires are to go, and that he\nmeans to go; but unless he packs up and moves on, he will never get\nthere; he will never know anything about the grandeur of possessing a\nhome in the West.\n\nGod has provided a home in the land of Canaan, the land of perfect\nlove for all actual settlers. Holiness is a blessed theme; many love\nto talk about it, and speculate about the fruit that grows in that\nfair clime, where the sun never goes down; \u201ca land of corn, and wine,\nand oil, favored with God\u2019s peculiar smile, with every blessing\nblest.\u201d There are no obnoxious weeds, such as anger displayed in\nkicking back; no pride, as seen in the wearing of gold, and pearls,\nand costly attire; no gay churches, too grand for the poor.\n\nNo, blessed be God, in that land of perfect love all is pure; the\nfountain-head is holy. Every desire is unto the Lord. The stream\nof life is without mixture, full of health and life eternal. But\nas lovely as this land may be, to possess it we must move upon it,\n_be actual settlers_. When we purchase a farm and pay our money for\nthe same, we receive a warrantee deed, made out correctly, signed\nby proper authorities, and sealed by the government seal. It is\nprecisely so with those that settle down upon a _homestead_ in the\nland of perfect love; their title is made as clear as ten thousand\nsuns could make it. The Holy Ghost writes, \u2019Tis done, the great\ntransaction is done; \u201cthou art cleansed from all unrighteousness,\u201d\nand this produces a sensation and the soul cries out, \u201cGlory to God!\u201d\nThen comes a very comfortable feeling, \u201cI am washed in the blood of\nthe Lamb.\u201d \u201cHis Spirit beareth witness to this great truth, that\nwe are citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem.\u201d \u201cNow we have received\nnot the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that\nwe might know the things that are freely given to us of God.\u201d A\n_homestead_ or entire sanctification is one of the things that are\nfreely given to us of God, and it is the office of the Holy Ghost to\nmake us know that we have received it.\n\n\n\n\n                                XXII.\n\n                          THE WIDOW\u2019S MITE.\n\n\nA few days since, while visiting the United States mint, I was deeply\nimpressed with various objects of interest that I saw there.\n\nThe scales for weighing metals, to the amount of one hundred\nthousandth part of an ounce. The dies, for stamping coin, requiring\na pressure of eighty tons. Here, I saw the coin used by different\nnations; some of great value, others of less. But what impressed me\nthe most was a piece of money called, the widow\u2019s mite; supposed to\nbe worth one half farthing.\n\nI gazed with intense interest upon the widow\u2019s mite; and at the same\ntime, my thoughts ran back to the time, when Jesus stood opposite\nthe treasury, and saw the rich casting in their abundance, unto\nthe Lord, when along came a poor widow, and cast in two mites. How\nlittle, I thought, as I compared \u201cthe mite,\u201d with the large pieces\nof silver and gold that were upon either side. I presume that many\nthat witnessed the above transaction, recorded by St. Mark, thought,\n\u201chow insignificant the offering.\u201d There was one present, whose eye of\nflame penetrates the very intents of the heart, thought differently.\nHe, declaring to the multitude that, the poor widow\u2019s mite was in His\nestimation, greater than the large amounts cast in by the rich. There\nare reasons, _why_, the blessed Jesus put such high value on the\nwidow\u2019s MITE.\n\nFirst, she made sacrifice of all her living. She gave to the extent\nof her ability. In making her consecration, she did not retain a\npart, as did Ananias and Saphira; but placed herself squarely upon\nthe Gospel platform, where she could fully trust the Lord, and claim\nHis favor. Jesus says, \u201cGive, and it shall be given to you; good\nmeasure pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall\nmen give into your bosom. For with what measure ye mete withal it\nshall be measured to you again.\u201d\n\nSecond. She gave, CHEERFULLY--\u201cFor God loveth a cheerful giver.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor if there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to\nthat a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.\u201d\n\nThirdly. She gave her mite, in faith; for what is not of faith is\nsin. She doubtless realized, that all of our offerings to God must\nbe in faith in order to be acceptable. Many lose their reward in\ngiving, because they do not give cheerfully, but grudgingly; not to\nthe extent of their ability, nor as much as the case demands, or\nconscience, and the Holy Ghost says give; not in faith, but doubting,\nbecause an unwillingness on their part to walk in the light.\n\nThis class never prove the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of\nChrist; \u201cpressed down, shaken together, and running over.\u201d Jesus\nsays, \u201cThat it is more blessed to give than to receive.\u201d Glory to God!\n\nHere, is encouragement to give of our substance as God hath prospered\nus. There is no investment that we can make with our goods that\npays so well as to give to him that needeth; and especially, to the\nhouse-hold of faith. And to those that have but a mite to give, it\nshall receive its reward; if it be to the extent of our ability, if\nit be done cheerfully; and if in faith, because we love God, and the\nsouls and bodies of perishing men.\n\n\n\n\n                                XXIII.\n\n                           ARE WE DRIFTING?\n\n\nYes I hope so--out into the ocean of infinite love; away from\nthe dangerous reefs of formalism; away from the universal spread\nof pride and vanity; away from the devil\u2019s most successful\nsnare, _secretism_; away from the abominable, filthy habit of\nwhiskey-drinking and tobacco using, and all its slimy associations;\naway from the cramping, belittling, soul-destroying, man-debasing\nelement--_covetousness_; far away from all longings after the\nworld, its pleasures, its allurements, its honors, its riches, and\nplunging into all the fulness of God. It\u2019s glorious thus to drift;\nto have a consciousness that you abide in Christ; that you are\ngrowing in grace; that you are gaining on your enemies; that your\nfaith overcomes the world; that you are taking greater delight, day\nby day, in the things of life and immortality. O, glory to God for\nthe assurance that the saints have that they are getting nearer and\nnearer to God every day, drifting out into the great abyss of God\u2019s\neternal love.\n\nTo the question so often propounded--\u201cAre We Drifting?\u201d--I can\nanswer for myself, _I am_, according to the above. Glory to the Lamb\nforever! Although I am drifting, moving along with giant strides\nby the mighty waves of free grace, yet I never felt so completely\nanchored to Christ as now. I have a hope that is an anchor to my\nsoul. It\u2019s cast to that within the veil, and it\u2019s both sure and\nsteadfast. It holds my vessel steadily on her course, \u2019midst all\nstorms of life. It matters not how high the billows may roll, how\nfierce the storms may beat against my frail bark, I am safe. I ride\nproudly above the waves, because I am anchored to the eternal Rock of\nAges. Vessels often break loose from their moorings, because their\nanchorage is poor. It may be their anchor is dropped in the sand or\nmud. In either case, they will drift until their anchor takes hold\non rock, or she drifts ashore and is wrecked. It is so with us. If\nour anchor is cast into any of the elements of this world, we shall\ndrift, not into Christ, but away from him, and become _wrecks_. How\nsad it is to find wrecks all along life\u2019s way! to see those that\nwere once saved of God, moving on to Mount Zion with songs, and\neverlasting joy upon their heads; they did obtain joy and gladness,\nand sorrow and sighing did flee away; but now, alas! How is the fine\ngold become dim.\n\nWhich way are _you_ drifting? Do you enjoy perfect love? Are you\nas clear in your experience as when you joined the Church? Are you\nwalking in _all_ the light that God lets shine upon your heart? Does\nthe light shine as clear as in bygone days? Do you have sensible\nmanifestations of God\u2019s presence? Do you have the joy of the Lord? Do\nyou really get blessed of _God_? Do you rejoice evermore? Do you in\neverything give thanks? Do you love the _cross_? Is the way that God\nleads you delightful? And can you sing--\n\n                      \u201cJesus all the day long,\n                       Is my joy and my song?\u201d\n\nNow, can you, from the very bottom of your heart, say _Yes!_ to these\nquestions? If so, I think that you are drifting heavenward; if not,\nhellward.\n\nWhich way are you drifting?\n\n\n\n\n                                XXIV.\n\n                                 PAP.\n\n\nWebster says the word \u201cpap\u201d means \u201csoft food designed for children\nor infants.\u201d Children, whose stomachs are weak and unable to digest\nhearty food, have to be fed on this. It requires but little effort of\nnature to dispose of this kind of food.\n\nWe have in Zion a great many aged infants that require this kind of\nspiritual provender. You feed them with the solid roast beef of the\ngospel, and immediately they are in cramps and spasms; and O, such\nwailings of displeasure. It is as true to-day as when St. Paul wrote\nto the Corinthian brethren, there are many that ought to be full\ngrown men and women in spiritual attainments, but are mere babes,\nand have to be fed on infant\u2019s food; and the only way that many can\nbe persuaded to remain in the church, or even to make a half-way\nprofession of the religion of Jesus Christ, is to give them large\ndoses of this precious diet. Many will hang on tremendously, and pull\nmightily, so long as they receive that attention and nursing that\ntheir infantile natures demand, but as soon as that stops then comes\nthe chills.\n\nThe cause lies in the fact, they were not weaned. The Psalmist\nsays, \u201cSurely, I have behaved and quieted myself as a child that is\nweaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child.\u201d If you\nwant to spoil a child, indulge him in all that delights his fancy.\nOur heavenly Father knows better than to indulge his children in all\ntheir wants. He has promised to give us what we need--not all we\nwant. \u201cMy God shall supply all your need, according to his riches in\nglory by Christ Jesus.\u201d The best discipline that we get in this life,\nis to learn to deny self. The direct route to glory lies along that\nline. \u201cIf any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take\nup his cross and follow me.\u201d A radical cure is experienced in bearing\nthe cross. This will crucify us to self, and our longing to be rocked\nand dandled at the expense of everybody. Bearing the cross, helping\nthe souls and bodies of men as they need, and as you are blessed with\nmeans and opportunity will cause you to outgrow all of your infantile\nnotions. It is gloriously possible to be fully saved in this life; to\nrun the whole length of the Christian race with joy and gladness; go\non forced marches; yea, on the double quick, carrying heavy knapsacks\nof sorrow and affliction, rejoicing evermore, and in everything\ngiving thanks.\n\n\n\n\n                                 XXV.\n\n                               VICTORY.\n\n\nIt is impossible to have a victory, until we have had a fight. It\nwould be impossible to shout the shout of victory, unless it had been\nfairly gained. In order to win a victory we must fight. The route\nfrom earth to glory is through the battle field. \u201cWe must fight if we\nwould reign.\u201d Thank God, we fight not against flesh and blood, but\nagainst powers, against principalities, against the rulers of the\ndarkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.\nMany a Christian warrior comes from the field of battle with an\ninglorious defeat, because he fails to properly estimate the strength\nof his enemy. Nations have suffered fearful defeats because they\nfailed to estimate the character and strength of their foes. When our\nrebellion broke out, Lincoln called for 75,000 men to put it down. A\ngreat many at the North said the 75,000 men could conquer the South\nbefore breakfast; but Bull Run told another story. What a sight!\nimplements of war scattered all the way from Bull Run to Washington!\n\nHow many of Zion\u2019s soldiers have started out, full of hope and\ncourage, giving promise of wonderful achievements, but alas! the very\nfirst foe, the skirmish line, and perhaps that was no more than a\nsimple sneer from the devil, and defeat followed; like Ahab, pierced\nbetween the joints of the harness, they were borne from the field of\nbattle on the litter of discouragement.\n\nThe hospitals all over the land are full of wounded soldiers; those\nwho went into battle full of zeal, but failed to estimate the\njob they had on hand, were captured, and are now in the hands of\ntheir enemies. Ask such to shout victory! It would be for them an\nimpossibility. They are prisoners of war.\n\nGod expects us not only to fight, but to win. We ought to go from\nevery battle flushed with victory. The Word says, \u201cFight the good\nfight of faith; lay bold on eternal life.\u201d That is, obtain victory in\nevery place; the closet, at the family altar, in the prayer meeting,\nwhen the word of God is preached, among the children, in the kitchen,\nparlor, trade and commerce, when laboring to bring poor sinners\nto Zion, paying your vows unto the Lord, helping on the gospel as\nGod has prospered you with means, and in every place and under\nall circumstances, let victory be written upon your banner. It is\nshameful to suffer defeat. \u201cThis is the victory that overcometh the\nworld, even our faith.\u201d How sickening to simply play fight and never\nknow what a square victory means.\n\nGod has provided for our complete success in every engagement. We may\nbe clad with heavenly armour sufficient to make the weakest saint\nvictorious. The idea of being on the sick list half or two-thirds of\nthe time is extreme folly. If you have on the whole armour of God,\nyou will stand complete in all the will of God, and never know defeat.\n\n                \u201cCourage! your Captain cries,\n                   Who all your toil foreknew--\n                 Toil ye shall have, yet all despise;\n                   I have o\u2019ercome for you.\u201d\n\nThink of it! The Master has overcome for you! Glory to God!\n\n\n\n\n                                XXVI.\n\n                               LOCK UP.\n\n\nBoats, when running on canals, do not go far on a level, before\nthey come to a lock. This is made of solid masonry, with two sets\nof gates, upper and lower. The water above the lock is from five to\nfifteen feet higher than the water below. In order that the vessel\nmay pass through and pursue her journey, she must enter the lock,\nshut the lower gates, turn a wicket in the upper gate which will let\nin water from above, filling the lock, and raising the boat to the\nlevel above; the gates will then open, she will pass out and pursue\nher journey.\n\nNow, is it not very much so in our religious experience? When\nconverted, we enter the channel of life. We run on this level for a\nseason; with some, much longer than others; all, perhaps, too long.\nOn some canals, levels are very short; but all, that are born of the\nSpirit, very early in their experience come to a point where they\nmust take advance ground, lock up! or go back. We must go into the\nlock, shut the gates behind us, leave no possible chance for retreat.\nThis locking up might represent reconsecrating ourselves to God. In\ndoing this, we ought to be very specific. Discriminate under the\nblazing light of the Holy Ghost. Humble yourself under the hand of\nGod, by confessing your failures, making wrongs right, and God will\nlift you up. Be thorough. Do not be satisfied to run on the same\nexperience, day in and day out; week in and week out; month in and\nmonth out; year in and year out. Alas! alas! how many run in this\nway, on the same level until it becomes a dead level! In some cases\nit would be impossible to tell whether there was any current either\nway. When we first enter the channel of life, we have peace with God\nthrough our Lord Jesus Christ. \u201cBy whom also we have access by faith\ninto this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of\nGod; and not only so, but we glory in tribulation also knowing that\ntribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience\nhope: and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed\nabroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.\u201d What\nwe greatly need in many places among us, is to lock up into the\nfaith that will give us access into the rich experiences that were\nonce delivered unto the saints; Elijah, Paul, Hester Ann Rogers,\nCarvosso, Bramwell, Fletcher, Wesley, Madam Guvon, Muller, and a host\nof others. Then, the communion of faith and love will bear us up to\nthings above. I said that to elevate a boat from a lower level to a\nhigher one, water was let in from above. It is precisely so in the\nChristian life. If we aim at obedience, becoming more holy, of living\na purer life, in walking in all of God\u2019s ordinances blameless, we\nmust go often into the lock of crucifixion; then the water of life\nwill come in from above in living streams, and our experience will\nbe clearer than the noonday sun. Like the tree planted by the rivers\nof water, bringing forth fruit in its season, our leaf also will not\nwither.\n\nI want to ask, my dear brethren and sisters of our beloved Zion,\ndon\u2019t you think it is time that you locked up? Why tarry? Remember\nyour vows to God and the church. Press for the mark! \u201cYe shall\nreceive power, after the Holy Ghost is come upon you.\u201d Bend all your\nenergies for the summit level.\n\n\n\n\n                                XXVII.\n\n                               SUCCESS.\n\n\nSuccess in any department of life, depends upon the right use of\nright means; at the right time; in the right place, and in the right\nmanner. Like causes will produce like results in all ages of the\nworld. Hence the farmer wishing to raise wheat, breaks up the soil,\nsows his seed, and waits patiently for the early and latter rain with\nthe assurance \u201cthat seed-time and harvest will not fail;\u201d and with\nrejoicing he gathers thirty, sixty or a hundred fold into his barn.\nThis is also true of spiritual things. Success is certain to the man\ncalled of God to preach, if he avails himself of the right means,\nemploys them at the right time, and in the right manner.\n\n1. The means to be employed is the Word of God; and this must come\nforth like a stream of fire, from a heart blazing with the love\nof God. The command is, \u201cPreach the Word.\u201d Into this armory man\nmay enter, and take to himself just the weapons that will give him\nvictory on every battle-field. I thank God! he may be thoroughly\nfurnished, and never know defeat. \u201cAll scripture is given by\ninspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,\nfor correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of\nGod may be perfect thoroughly furnished unto all good works.\u201d But\nthere is more to follow; \u201cCreate in me a clean heart, O God; and\nrenew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence;\nand take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of\nthy salvation; and uphold me by thy free Spirit. Then will I teach\ntransgressors thy ways; and sinners _shall_ be converted unto thee.\u201d\nHere success is based upon being _thoroughly_ furnished with heaven\u2019s\npanoply, the blessing of a clean heart, and possessing the joy of\nthe Lord. The more I search God\u2019s Word, the more I am convinced that\nhe has provided means for the complete subjugation of this world\nto himself. He never designed that defeat should be written upon\nour banners, but that we should press the enemy to the very gates\nof hell. \u201cHe that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed,\nshall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with\nhim.\u201d Here is a declaration from God who cannot lie, that, if we go\nforth in his strength, having renewed within us a right spirit, the\nspirit that will cause us to weep over sinners lost, as Jesus wept\nover Jerusalem, and erring Samaria, with this spirit, clad in armor\nall divine, we shall come forth from every field of battle, bringing\nour sheaves with us. But in order to wield heaven\u2019s artillery\nsuccessfully, an experimental knowledge of the same is necessary.\n\u201cThe laborer must first be partaker of the fruit.\u201d\n\n2. As to time and manner. \u201cNot slothful in business; fervent in\nspirit; serving the Lord.\u201d In order to make full proof of our\nministry, every redeemed power must be in complete harmony with God;\nemployed at the right time, place, and in the right manner; by being\ninstant in season, and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with\nall long suffering and doctrine.\n\nAnd God who is ever faithful, will make us successful in winning\nsouls to himself, and leading on believers to the promised land of\nperfect love.\n\n\n\n\n                               XXVIII.\n\n                       THEY MIGHT BE A SUCCESS.\n\n\nThere is, just now, considerable inquiry by some portions of the\nMethodist family, how to make their _class-meetings_ a success--how\nmake them more spiritual--how get the members to attend them.\n\nI have a recipe which answers the above, and proves a success in all\ncases. In order to get a perfect understanding of the idea, I will\nrelate a circumstance: When a boy I learned to hunt bees. The country\nwas new, and bees were often found in hollow trees--frequently with\na large amount of honey. In order to find where the bees lived, I\ntook a box about ten inches long, six wide, and six deep, with a\nglass cover. I would place in this box about one pound of honey. I\nwould then catch a bee from off some flower, and put him in the box\nwith the honey, then put the box in some clear place where the sun\ncould shine upon it. When the bee had filled himself with the honey,\nhe would fly away to the tree where he lived, always going in a\nstraight line. He would soon deposit, and return, bringing several\nmore bees with him. These would fill themselves and fly away to the\ntree, deposit, and return, with perhaps an increase of fifty bees. By\nsome process the bees would communicate the fact that they had found\nhoney, so on every return trip their numbers rapidly increased, until\nit seemed the whole hive was after the honey.\n\nNow, let a class-leader find the honey--get it in his own soul--the\nhoney of perfect love--the real thing--not a guess so affair, but a\npositive holiness; holiness that comes by a perfect consecration,\nwith a clear endorsement of the Holy Ghost; holiness that shines as\nclear as the sun at noonday; opposed to all pomp and display; arrayed\nagainst the devil and all his works; that is dead to the world\nand alive to God; holiness that has love divine in every element,\nrunning through every vein, and fibre, and muscle of his spiritual\nand intellectual being. This will be the real honey. Yea, sweeter\nthan honey and the honey-comb. Then you will talk salvation--not\nsimply about salvation,--you will talk _it_. The real honey will\nflow out in your words, and songs of praise, as water flowed from\nthe smitten rock. A hallowed influence will attend you everywhere.\n\u201cThe wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad\u201d for you; \u201cand\nthe desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom\nabundantly, and rejoice with singing.\u201d Then your members will be\ncharmed with your godly conversation. They will come to class to hear\nyou talk of Jesus\u2019 wondrous saving power--how he saves you from sin\nand sinning. And while you talk the fire will burn. They will catch\nthe flame and carry the glad tidings to others, and they to others,\nuntil the whole church will be on fire with God\u2019s love. This recipe\nis exceedingly good for ministers of the gospel, and in fact for\neverybody. Try it.\n\n\n\n\n                                XXIX.\n\n                    FEAR, OR THE SCARE-CROW DEVIL.\n\n\nFarmers, frequently put up some frightful object in their corn-fields\nto scare away the crows--preventing them from pulling up and\neating the corn. The devil works in like manner, to prevent honest\nsouls from partaking of the real corn of the kingdom. He succeeds\nremarkably well, if by any means the saints are prevented from\ngetting blessed, baptized with the Holy Ghost, and made all alive in\nChrist Jesus, and sinners converted to God. He don\u2019t care how much\nreligion we profess, if we are only destitute of real piety.\n\nHe loves to have us profess a giant\u2019s grace if, in fact, we are\nempty. This scare-crow, when simmered down to a philosophical\npoint, is _Fear_. It often presents the very frightful character of\n_Wildfire_, _Fanaticism_, _Nazarite_, etc. The Devil is exceedingly\nbusy, on all occasions, at every means of grace, especially at\nquarterly and camp-meeting, to prevent the work of grace. One of\nthe strangest things in connection with this work is that, the\nsaints _professedly_, will help the Devil do his miserable work\nof unfurling the _scare-crow_ banner. How many inglorious defeats\nwe have as \u201cPilgrims,\u201d all through _fear_. Fear of what? Why, our\nreputation is at stake. Some are afraid the saints will shout more\nthan is meet; others that they will jump too high; or the glory that\nis unutterable will become unmanageable in some way; or that the\ncar of salvation will get out of the groove of modern quiet, still\nno excitement, sweet, precious holiness that disturbs nobody, kills\nnobody, resurrects nobody, leaving all in the cold embrace of death.\nFrom such we say, _Good Lord_, deliver us.\n\nIt is exceedingly distressing to be where the work is managed by men\nfull of _fear_. If a saint happens to get blessed, their appearance,\nthe peculiar noise made, the length of the amen, the terror produced\namong the unsaved, _all_ must be critically tested by their rules\nof propriety. What we need is perfect love that casteth out fear;\nespecially this tormenting fear.\n\nHe that feareth is not made perfect in love. \u201cFor God has not given\nus the spirit of _fear_; but of power and love, and of a sound mind.\u201d\nThank God! we may be delivered out of the hand of our enemies, and\nserve him _without fear_, in holiness and righteousness before him\n_all the days of our life_.\u201d\n\n                    \u201cGive to the wind your fears,\n                     Hope and be undismayed.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor whom the Son maketh free, shall be free indeed.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n                                 XXX.\n\n                                TRUST.\n\n\nThere are those that know what the word \u201ctrust\u201d means; they know what\nit is to _trust_ God for soul and body, for time and eternity. They\nhave given themselves to him by a perfect consecration; not merely\nlip-work, but a consecration that has entered into their very life;\nevery item has been carefully put on the altar, and then watched--the\nfowls kept away until fire from off God Almighty\u2019s burning altar has\nfallen upon it and consumed it. They have become a living sacrifice;\ndead indeed unto sin, and alive unto God. They realize that they are\nnot their own; that they have been bought with a price--even the\nprecious blood. They are no longer carnally minded, but spiritually\nminded; no more seek after the flesh, but after the Spirit; no more\ndesire the applause of the world, but the glory of God. Like the\nbirds of the air, they _trust_ God for their daily bread,--and glory\nbe to his holy name, they are not disappointed. Cut off from every\nother resource, they lean with all their might on Him that is mighty\nto save, and help in every time of need. Though storms and clouds may\ngather about them, they are not dismayed, for above all a voice comes\nfrom Him who controls the winds and calms the tempest, saying \u201cI will\nnever leave thee, nor forsake thee.\u201d\n\nIt is perfectly impossible to trust in God with all the heart,\nso long as we are trusting in earthly good, of whatever kind or\ncharacter it may be. O, how precious it is to trust in God with all\nthe heart, to have every shore line cut--launching out into the deep\nof his eternal love; drinking continually from the stream that makes\nglad the city of our God; trusting him every moment for soul and\nbody, wisdom, and the spirit to guide us in all the affairs of life.\n\n_Trusting_ in God implies being saved to the uttermost--walking in\nall the commandments blameless! Trusting implies victory over all\nsin--the world, the flesh and the devil. Trusting implies peace and\njoy in the Holy Ghost. \u201cThey that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount\nZion, which cannot be removed, but abideth forever.\u201d \u201cBlessed is the\nman that trusteth in Thee.\u201d\n\n                   \u201cLord, I\u2019m TRUSTING now in thee,\n                    Dear Lamb of Calvary,\n                    At thy cross I humbly bow,\n                    Jesus saves me, saves me now.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n                                XXXI.\n\n                          SEEING EYE TO EYE.\n\n\nThe more I experience of light and love shed abroad in my heart by\nthe Holy Ghost, the more I am led to believe that all that get fully\nsaved see things in the same light; _i. e._, eye to eye. I mean those\nthings which are essential to faith and practice. If the Holy Ghost\nis our teacher and the things taught us are a knowledge of ourselves,\nour destination--how to secure eternal life--then all would receive\nthe same instruction.\n\n\u201cHowbeit, when He, the Spirit of Truth is come, he will guide you\ninto all truth.\u201d--St. John 16:12. \u201cHe shall glorify me; for he shall\nreceive of mine, and show it unto you.\u201d--St. John 16:14. \u201cBut the\nComforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my\nname, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your\nremembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.\u201d--St. John 14:26.\n\nThis teaching will be in harmony with God\u2019s Word, and that the Holy\nGhost will make plain to our understanding. Without this, the Word\nof God, so far as practice and experience are concerned, is a sealed\nbook! But with the Holy Ghost shining upon the sacred page, all is\nluminous. Glory to God!\n\nWorldly conformity, in all its moods and tenses, is as clear as\nsunbeams. This gives you an altitude of experience that all the\nreal saints attain. Placing you where Moses stood, on Pisgah\u2019s top,\nyou view the surroundings at a glance. This experience puts away\nstrife and an unholy ambition for position. It brings an end to\ncontroversy between preacher and members. He can preach the whole\ntruth touching any point of faith and practice with an accompaniment\nof hearty amens, and the high praises of God, instead of murmuring\nand complaining. How many come into the church with the light shining\nupon them; they promise to walk in the light; they have let go of the\nworld and renounced the hidden things of dishonesty; put on plain\nattire; given up their covetousness; have been a great blessing to\nthe church and cause of Christ. But in an evil hour they have let go\nof Christ, and brought darkness upon their souls, and are now ready\nto condemn what they once endorsed. The reason why so many oppose the\nreal work of God, is, because the Holy Ghost is not their teacher; if\nhe was, they would see eye to eye with God\u2019s real workmen. Then there\nwould be \u201ca long pull--a strong pull--and a pull altogether,\u201d and the\nwork of the Lord would move gloriously in all our borders. Rain would\nfall in all parts of the land. The wilderness would blossom as the\nrose; the voice of the turtle would be heard; showers of grace, the\nconversion of sinners, and the sanctification of believers would be\nan every day realization. Oh! for a mighty baptism of the Holy Ghost\non our beloved Zion, amen. How important that we see eye to eye! \u201cHow\ncan two walk together, except they are agreed? What fellowship hath\nlight with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or he\nthat believeth with an infidel.\u201d In view of these facts we need to\nbe exceedingly cautious who we receive into our communion, whether\nit be church, or what is commonly termed _social_ relations. \u201cBut\nnow I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is\ncalled a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a\nrailer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one, no not\nto eat.\u201d--1 Cor. 5:11. How, then, can the saint of God unite in holy\nwedlock with an unsaved person? How can a young lady, professedly\na saint, keep company and allow herself to be waited upon by an\nungodly man? How can a saint enter into copartnership in business\nrelations, and allow the partner to keep rum and tobacco anywhere on\nthe premises? If our eye be single, our whole bodies shall be full of\nlight.\n\n\n\n\n                                XXXII.\n\n                            THE EDGE OFF.\n\n\nThere are many in these days that once enjoyed the keen edge of\nperfect love. It was round about them like a wall of fire. It was\nseen in their faces. It beamed out in sacred song, in fervent prayer;\nin their testimony it cut its way through like a two-edged sword,\ncausing sinners to cry for mercy, and the saints to rejoice with\njoy unspeakable and full of glory. It was manifest in the tone of\nvoice; in the very look; it was not wanting in exhortation, and in\npreaching, the word was in power and in \u201cdemonstration of the Spirit.\u201d\n\nIt gave a freshness to all their labor, and they were emphatically\n\u201cthe lights of the world\u201d--\u201cliving epistles, known and read of all\nmen.\u201d Their experience was positive; nothing doubtful or misty, but\nthe genuine ring of the pure metal. They passed current for one\nhundred cents on the dollar. They did not repudiate a single claim\nthe Almighty had upon them, but endorsed the whole of God\u2019s Word from\nGenesis to Revelation; hence they lived under the direct rays of the\nSon of righteousness, causing even the desert to blossom as the rose.\nBut now, alas! alas! how changed. The gloom of night is upon them.\nThey go with their heads down like a bullrush. They make the same\nmotions as formerly, but the power is gone, the edge is off.\n\nO, my dear brother, sister, let me exhort you to edge up. Just put\nyour head on the _grindstone_ of humble confession; make all wrongs\nright, so far as you have the power and ability to do so. You will be\nperfectly astonished at the result, if you will just take the back\ntrack to the cross, and then renewedly consecrate your all to God for\ntime and eternity. Rest not a moment until you are fully restored;\nuntil love, yea, perfect love, sits enthroned in your heart, and you\ncan sing,--\n\n                \u201cO love divine, how sweet thou art,\n                   Now I have found my willing heart,\n                 All taken up by thee.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n                               XXXIII.\n\n                          THE OLD SALT-LICK.\n\n\nWhen living at Dryden, I was very much impressed with an incident\nthat came under my observation quite often. It was this: Just in\nfront of my house was a lot which had been used a number of years for\npasturing cattle. There was one spot near my house, where they had\nin the past _salted them_. But time and rain had, to all appearance,\nwashed away every bit of salt! The place had been so thoroughly\n\u201clicked,\u201d that neither grass nor weeds grew there. A horse was\npastured in that lot during the summer of my stay there. Every day\nthat poor old horse might be seen at that old \u201csalt-lick,\u201d lapping\nthe dry sand and gravel. I presume that same old horse had been\npastured there when some kind hand had dispensed real _salt_ to the\nbeast.\n\nI was led to reflect on this wise: How many that profess to be\nChristians, that once enjoyed the favor of God, and took great\ndelight in meeting the saints, and hearing the words of life\npreached. These used to be seasons of great refreshing from the\npresence of the Lord. The real bread of life was broken with the Holy\nGhost sent down from heaven, while shouts of victory and the divinely\ninspired amens were richly interspersed during these gatherings.\nPreachers once thought the Holy Ghost an indispensable in feeding the\nsheep--not only so, they placed the _salt_ where it could be had,\nand the sheep liked it. How strange it is to see those that once\nfed on real manna, (salt) corn, and wine, and oil, now satisfied in\n_licking_ dry sand and gravel--earthly pleasures; a religion that has\nno Holy Ghost in it; a simple skeleton, bones without meat; yea, the\nsensuality of a godless world. Is it not a fact, that multitudes, as\nspecified above, feed on the _carrion_ of this poor world, and call\nit salvation? and then wonder why they do not see such displays of\nGod\u2019s power as our fathers did. Thank God--\n\n                \u201cThere is a place where Jesus sheds\n                 The oil of gladness on our heads.\u201d\n\nA great many have said to me, \u201cI have not had a square meal in a long\ntime. We get occasionally a few crumbs.\u201d Bless God! our Father is\nrich. If you will pay the _price_ you can eat the good of the land.\n\n                 \u201cRejoicing now in earnest hope,\n                  I stand, and from the mountain top\n                    See all the land below.\n                  Rivers of milk and honey rise,\n                  And all the fruits of paradise\n                    In endless plenty grow.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n                                XXXIV.\n\n                             BE POSITIVE.\n\n\nThe Bible is positive in all its statements. The religion of\nJesus Christ is positive. All the work of the Spirit is positive;\nconviction, regeneration, the witness of the Spirit, pardon and\npurity, are alike positive; and so in every step in grace, from\nits beginning to its consummation in glory. Thinking, hoping, and\nguessing, that I am a child of God, is dispensed with in the work\nof grace. The real child of God has passed from the doubtful,\nmisty, uncertainties, to a glorious realization of facts. We hear\nhim exclaim, I know that my redeemer liveth, Glory to God! Again,\nwhereas I was once blind, I now see. Once more, I am crucified with\nChrist, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and\nthe life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the\nSon of God. Brother, sister, dispose of your uncertain experiences,\nand get a positive, Bible holiness, bearing its legitimate\nfruit--righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.\n\n\n\n\n                                XXXV.\n\n                            THE DEAD LINE.\n\n\nDuring the great Rebellion, the rebels had, at Andersonville, a\nprison, or stockade, where our fathers, brothers, and sons were\nunmercifully murdered. Within this stockade was drawn a line,\nmarking the utmost limits of their freedom, and this was called \u201cThe\nDead-line.\u201d It said to the prisoners, \u201cThus far thou shalt go, and no\nfarther.\u201d The penalty of death was inflicted upon all that approached\nthis line. Many received the deadly bullet for daring to tread\nforbidden ground.\n\n_The Dead-line_ fairly represents this world, and the utmost limits\nof our freedom. When God created man, he placed him in Paradise,\nand put around him the \u201cdead-line,\u201d saying \u201cIn the day thou eatest\nthereof, thou shalt surely die.\u201d Adam transgressed the command of\nGod, and received the death-penalty. _Adam died._\n\n_The Dead-line_ is still visible, and laid down in the great Statute\nBook, as the \u201cbroad way that leads to death.\u201d We see almost every\nday, men and women approaching the Dead-line, and death ensues.\n\u201cWhosoever, therefore, will be a friend of the world, is the enemy\nof God.\u201d Was it not strange, that our boys in blue, in seeing their\ncomrades shot down daily for approaching this line, would go in the\nsame direction, and receive their fate?\n\nIt is precisely so with many that profess the grace of God to-day.\nWomen that were once saved in God, conforming to the divine\ncommand, \u201cI will that women adorn themselves in modest apparel,\nwith shamefacedness and sobriety, not with broidered hair or gold,\nor pearls or costly array, but which becometh women professing\ngodliness, with good works.\u201d But now, alas! how changed. The gold has\nbecome dim. Hearts that were all aglow with the love of God; tongues\nemployed in giving glory to him, telling of his wondrous power to\nsave; physical powers all devoted to the redemption of a lost world;\ngoods and chattels, all consecrated to the grand end of life eternal;\ntime and talents; yea, all my store, more shouldst thou have if I\nhad more, was the language of their hearts; but now, alas! they\nhave evidently been too near the \u201cDead-line.\u201d The odor of death is\nrealized all through their ranks. It might well be sung--\n\n                \u201cHark! from the tomb a doleful sound.\u201d\n\nAvoid the route that brings spiritual death! \u201cIf thine eye offend\nthee, pluck it out and cast it from thee,\u201d or anything as dear as the\neye, for it is better to enter into life halt than to be cast into\nhell with all our members.\n\n\n\n\n                               XXXVII.\n\n                              PUMP-LOGS.\n\n\nThey are used for conveying water from the fountain to the\ninhabitants in the valleys below. Should they become decayed--rotten,\nthe water must of necessity be greatly injured, if not entirely\nspoiled. Frequently whole communities have been made sick, and\nin some cases many have died in consequence of using poisoned\nwater. Every minister of the gospel is a drawer of water to his\ncongregation. But if ministers become rotten by coming in contact\nwith foreign substances--such as jesting, filthy conversation,\nmingling in the society of the worldly minded, in parties of\npleasure, joining hand in hand with secret oath-bound societies,\ndoing all for policy\u2019s sake, preaching a gospel to please ungodly\nprofessors of the religion of Jesus Christ, or catering to the lusts\nand passions of the professedly unregenerate, wearing gold, sneering\nat those who profess to live without sin, treating lightly, or wholly\nignoring the doctrine of being made holy in this life--they must be\nindeed rotten pump-logs. God expects that every minister, in his\nministrations to the people, will convey the water of life _pure_.\n\u201cBe ye holy,\u201d is the great command; and through the foolishness of\npreaching God intends to save them that believe. \u201cBe ye clean that\nbear the vessels of the Lord.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n                               XXXVII.\n\n                               THE END.\n\n\nTHE GRAVE, is the end of all men, so far as this world goes;\nespecially, is this true in regard to the rich, they have their\nportion in this life; they make no provision for the great hereafter,\nor the life that is to come. With them, it is emphatically, \u201c_Earth\nto earth, ashes to ashes and dust to dust_.\u201d They see nothing beyond\nthe grave worth their time and thought; consequently they make\nmarvelous, and very costly preparation for resting places for their\nbodies, and leave their souls, that must live forever, in bliss\nor woe, to chance. We give below the preparation that some of the\nmillionaires have made for their bodies.\n\nThe death and burial of such famous men as Grant, Tilden, Hendricks\nand Arthur, and the recent removal of the remains of William H.\nVanderbilt from the receiving vault in the Moravian cemetery at NEW\nDORP to its final resting place in the big granite tomb, awaken\nan interest in the instances where well known living men have\nmade provision for their interment after death. All the beautiful\ncemeteries in the vicinity of New York, contain evidence of the care\nwith which some men have arranged for their bodies a resting place\nafter the soul has passed into eternity.\n\nWoodlawn seems to take the lead. Although the late Commodore made no\npreparation for his grave except to own a modest little lot at New\nDorp, and the newly constructed mausoleum of William H. Vanderbilt\ncontains several catacombs, several members of the family have\nsecured beautiful plots at Woodlawn. Among the mausoleums built here,\nis that of the late Frederick Butterfield, erected long before he\ndied, which cost $40,000.\n\nOPPOSITE CORNELIUS VANDERBILT\u2019S plot at Central and Poplar avenues,\nis that of William H. Appleton, joined by that of A. H. Borney. A\nlittle further along is a beautiful mausoleum of Westerly granite,\nbuilt by Christian Hester, of Hester Brothers. Mr. H. H. Cook, the\nmillionaire of Seventy-Eighth street and Fifth avenue, paid $20,000\nfor a plot sometime ago, and is building a mausoleum which will cost\n$40,000 more. A large plot on Beachlawn, conspicuous for a large\nfigure of Hope eight feet high, mounted on a pedestal rising thirty\nfeet high, from a base nine feet square, marks the burial plot of\nWilliam H. Havemeyer. H. M. Flagler, of the Standard oil company,\nhas a beautiful tomb built on a hill not far from that wherein rest\nthe remains of Marshall O. Roberts, whose sarcophagus marks the same\nappreciation of art that characterized his life.\n\nCOLLIS P. HUNTINGTON, president of the Central Pacific railway, and\none of the best known of the magnates of Wall street, has laid some\ncurious plans for his grave. He intends that his remains shall be\nlaid to rest at Woodlawn, in a mausoleum more pretentious and more\ncostly and of greater proportions than any yet built. The stones that\nwill be used in its construction he proposes shall each be of such\nenormous weight that no ordinary railroad car can carry them. They\nwill be brought as near as possible to the cemetery by boat, and then\nrolled on immense rollers over the country roads to the site of the\ntomb. If they have to cross over bridges, they will be strengthened\nby new abutments.\n\nJAY GOULD has made elaborate provision for the disposition of his\nbody after death; but nothing for his soul. He has erected on Central\navenue, in Woodhaven cemetery a costly and imposing structure. It\noccupies the highest elevation of the grounds, and commands a view\nof the 400 acres given up to _tenements_ of the dead. The ground\non which the mausoleum stands is 250 feet across, and is circular\nin form. It cost $60,000. The mausoleum, the exterior of which is\nmodeled after one of the most famous buildings that once stood on the\nAcropolis in Athens--the Parthenon cost $50,000. More than 800 tons\nof Westerly granite was used in its construction. The building is\n37 feet long and 19 feet wide, and is surrounded by Doric pillars,\nthirty in number. Five pieces of solid granite compose the roof,\neach piece being 30 feet long and 6 feet wide. The door is solid\nbronze and cost $3,000. Within the mausoleum are twelve shelves or\ncatacombs, divided by an aisle 10 feet wide, at the end of which is\nan ornate stained glass window, representing the heavenly choir.\nEach of the catacombs is 8 feet long and 2\u00bd feet deep. A heavy slab\nof polished marble constitutes the face of each, and will doubtless\ncontain the name and so on of the person whose body is deposited\ntherein. Imbedded in each stone is a heavy bronze handle. No name\nwill appear on the outside of the mausoleum to show who lies buried\nwithin. Many more rich business men of New York and other parts of\nthis country have made like preparation for their bodies when they\ndie.\n\nLELAND STANFORD of California, is preparing a mausoleum of far\ngreater pretensions than any other American; when finished, it will\ncost $100,000. The site selected is a beautiful four acre plot in\nthe Senator\u2019s grounds just outside San Francisco. The structure will\nbe in the form of a temple, and will be twenty-five feet square.\nThere will be a double row of massive granite columns supporting\nthe roof of the portico at the front. On each side of the entrance\nwill be a majestic sphynx carved from a single block of granite.\nHeavy bronze gates close the entrance, and within are solid doors of\npolished granite. The stone used is from Barre, Vermont. It will be\nfinished inside with polished marble from Italy. Here will rest the\nmillionaire, wife and son, and here will end their history.\n\nCHARLEMAGNE, that in the eighth century, made Europe tremble by his\npolitical power, gave direction that when his body should be laid in\nthe dust, it should not be like common mortals. He was therefore,\narrayed in a royal mantle, and placed in a kingly chair. A crown\ncrested with jewels, rested on his lifeless brow; his favorite sword,\nJoyuse, was by his side, and the open scroll of the gospels on his\nknees; and thus the mighty conqueror was left alone in his sealed\ntomb for one hundred and eighty years. Then it came into the mind\none day of his successors to open this tomb and see how it fared\nwith the great Emperor, and what had become of the riches of his\ngrand mausoleum. So King Otho ordered the sealed tomb to be opened,\nand with curious eye he entered this vault of death, CHARLEMAGNE\nsat there still! But Oh, what a ghastly sight! The royal robes were\ndropping away from the skeleton form. The crown had sunk over the\nskeleton brow, and this was the only mark of royalty left. Otho\ncalled, but the great Emperor was silent. He approached and touched\nthe Monarch, but in an instant it collapsed into dust. No matter\nhow great or prosperous our lives may have been here, all must end\nat last. Even a King\u2019s riches cannot bribe death and the mouldering\ngraves.\n\nHow much better it would have been, had these millionaires\nconsecrated their lives, their wealth, their influence, to Jesus\nChrist. They might have secured to themselves robes of royalty, and\ncrowns, all immortal, that would not have crumbled at the touch of\ntime, but grown brighter and brighter to all eternity. They bartered\nall for earth\u2019s gilded toys, O, think, of what they might have had,\nthe unspeakable gift--a life in Christ.\n\n                ETERNITY!--\n             \u201cWhat is Eternity? Can aught\n              Paint its duration to the thought?\n              Tell every beam the sun emits,\n              When in sublimest noon he sits;\n              Tell every light-winged mote that strays\n              Within its ample round of rays;\n              Tell all the leaves and all the buds\n              That crown the garden, fields, and wood;\n              Tell all the spires of grass the meads\n              Produce, when spring propitious leads\n                The new-born year--\n              Be this astonishing account\n              Augmented with the full amount\n              Of all the drops the clouds have shed\n              Where\u2019er their watery fleeces spread\n              Through all time\u2019s long-protracted tour;\n              Tell all the sands the ocean laves,\n              Tell all the changes of its waves,\n              Or tell, with more laborious pains,\n              The drops its mighty mass contains.\n\n                  *       *       *       *       *\n\n              Were there a belt that could contain\n              In its vast orb the earth and main,\n              With figures were it clustered o\u2019er,\n              And not one cipher in the score;\n              And could your laboring thoughts assign\n              The total of the extended line:\n              How vast the amount, the attempt how vain\n              To read duration\u2019s endless chain;\n              For when as many years have run,\n              Eternity is but begun!\n              Then think, O man, and strive to attain,\n              The eternal life, the Immortal\u2019s gain!\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose\nhis own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?\u201d\n\n\n\n\n                               XXXVIII.\n\n                             CONCLUSION.\n\n\nIt may be due the patient reader to know that I was born July the\n18th, 1824, in the town of Scipio, Cayuga County, N. Y. I received\nsome of the advantages derived from the common schools of the day,\nbut my most thorough drill has been the long and varied term of\nrugged experience, burnished up at the University of wide-spread\nobservation. Having had the blessing of the Lord on my heart while\nwriting this book, and writing, as we humbly trust, for the glory of\nGod, we now send it out to greet the dear saints--with the prayer\nthat all that read it, may be greatly blessed and made much better\nfor so doing.\n\n        Yours in Christ,\n\n                                            REV. ZENAS OSBORNE.\n\n\n\n\n                         TRANSCRIBER\u2019S NOTES\n\n\n    Chapter: 2, paragraph: 7\n        - \u2018convictions\u2019 replaced with \u2018conviction\u2019\n          (My conviction for this)\n\n    Chapter: 4, paragraph: 17\n        - Opening quote marks missing in text.\n          (and the Congregational churches.\u201d)\n\n    Chapter: 5, paragraph: 2\n        - \u2018annointed\u2019 replaced with \u2018anointed\u2019\n          (Touch not mine anointed,)\n\n    Chapter: 5, paragraph: 23\n        - \u2018intantly\u2019 replaced with \u2018instantly\u2019\n          (The Baptist sister was killed instantly.)\n\n    Chapter: 5, paragraph: 24\n        - \u2018dephts\u2019 replaced with \u2018depths\u2019\n          (the very depths of humility,)\n\n    Chapter: 6, paragraph: 2\n        - \u2018providental\u2019 replaced with \u2018providential\u2019\n          (God\u2019s providential care)\n\n    Chapter: 6, paragraph: 15\n        - Opening quote marks missing in text.\n          (in time of need.\u201d)\n\n    Chapter: 6, paragraph: 16\n        - \u2018visted\u2019 replaced with \u2018visited\u2019\n          (Wife and I visited those)\n\n    Chapter: 6, paragraph: 17\n        - \u2018eppointment\u2019 replaced with \u2018appointment\u2019\n          (At another appointment where)\n\n    Chapter: 6, paragraph: 18\n        - Opening quote marks missing in text.\n          (anything from that source.\u201d)\n\n    Chapter: 7, paragraph: 30\n        - \u2018Abion\u2019 replaced with \u2018Albion\u2019\n          (quarterly meeting at Albion, N. Y.,)\n\n        - \u2018Pentacostal\u2019 replaced with \u2018Pentecostal\u2019\n          (This was a Pentecostal meeting.)\n\n        - Opening quote marks missing in text.\n          (\u2018HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD.\u2019\u201d)\n\n    Chapter: 7, paragraph: 31\n        - repeated word \u2018heads\u2019 removed\n          (Bro. Hard is all heads and points.)\n\n    Chapter: 7, paragraph: 39\n        - \u2018illustarate\u2019 replaced with \u2018illustrate\u2019\n          (Now to illustrate)\n\n    Chapter: 8, paragraph: 16\n        - \u2018experiance\u2019 replaced with \u2018experience\u2019\n          (in failing to preach, experience to live,)\n\n        - \u2018seperation\u2019 replaced with \u2018separation\u2019\n          (and makes a complete separation)\n\n        - \u2018ascendency\u2019 replaced with \u2018ascendancy\u2019\n          (powers of darkness were in the ascendancy)\n\n        - \u2018occured\u2019 replaced with \u2018occurred\u2019\n          (This occurred in 1858.)\n\n        - \u2018harrassed\u2019 replaced with \u2018harassed\u2019\n          (they had been harassed for a long time)\n\n        - \u2018Brittons\u2019 replaced with \u2018Britons\u2019\n          (forcing the Britons back to the)\n\n        - \u2018Britton\u2019 replaced with \u2018Britain\u2019\n          (masters of Great Britain,)\n\n    Chapter: 8, paragraph: 17\n        - \u2018Brittons\u2019 replaced with \u2018Britons\u2019\n          (the Britons were driven to Wales)\n\n        - \u2018Advocats\u2019 replaced with \u2018Advocate\u2019\n          (Editor of the Buffalo Advocate)\n\n    Chapter: 8, paragraph: 20\n        - \u2018Erricson\u2019 replaced with \u2018Ericsson\u2019\n          (When the Ericsson Monitor steamed )\n\n        - \u2018where-ever\u2019 replaced with \u2018wherever\u2019\n          (wherever this life-boat touched)\n\n    Chapter: 8, paragraph: 21\n        - duplicate \u2018a\u2019 removed\n          (consider in a new light)\n\n    Chapter: 8, paragraph: 31\n        - \u2018yerterday\u2019 replaced with \u2018yesterday\u2019\n          (the same yesterday, to-day and forever.)\n\n    Chapter: 9, paragraph: 9\n        - \u2018accurser\u2019 replaced with \u2018accuser\u2019\n          (He is the accuser of the brethren.)\n\n    Chapter: 9, paragraph: 16\n        - ending quote mark added\n          (descending on the Son of Man.\u201d)\n\n    Chapter: 9, paragraph: 20\n        - \u2018Pharoah\u2019 replaced with \u2018Pharaoh\u2019\n          (impressive dream was that of Pharaoh)\n\n    Chapter: 9, paragraph: 26\n        - \u2018discoverd\u2019 replaced with \u2018discovered\u2019\n          (I soon discovered what my milk meant.)\n\n    Chapter: 10, paragraph: 3\n        - \u2018possesor\u2019 replaced with \u2018possessor\u2019\n          (immediately to its possessor.)\n\n    Chapter: 10, paragraph: 18\n        - \u2018be we\u2019 replaced with \u2018we be\u2019\n          (in what way may we be benefited)\n\n    Chapter: 10, paragraph: 28\n        - leading \u201c mark not needed and removed\n          (As an example of)\n\n    Chapter: 12, paragraph: 24\n        - \u2018philosopers\u2019 replaced with \u2018philosophers\u2019\n          (the objections of philosophers)\n\n    Chapter: 15, paragraph: 1\n        - \u2018sarificial\u2019 replaced with \u2018sacrificial\u2019\n          (The time for sacrificial offerings)\n\n    Chapter: 16, paragraph: 3\n        - \u2018billious\u2019 replaced with \u2018bilious\u2019\n          (that caused a bilious state)\n\n    Chapter: 17, paragraph: 4\n        - \u2018heep\u2019 replaced with \u2018keep\u2019\n          (to keep it holy)\n\n    Chapter: 17, paragraph: 5\n        - \u2018the with thee\u2019 replaced with \u2018thee with the\u2019\n          (feed thee with the heritage of Jacob )\n\n    Chapter: 29, paragraph: 2\n        - \u2018excedingly\u2019 replaced with \u2018exceedingly\u2019\n          (The Devil is exceedingly busy)\n\n    Chapter: 29, paragraph: 4\n        - Opening quote marks missing in text.\n          (all the days of our life.\u201d)\n\n    Chapter: 31, paragraph: 4\n        - \u2018darknesss\u2019 replaced with \u2018darkness\u2019\n          (and brought darkness upon their souls)\n\n    Chapter: 35, paragraph: 1\n        - \u2018prisioners\u2019 replaced with \u2018prisoners\u2019\n          (It said to the prisoners)\n\n    Chapter: 37, paragraph: 1\n        - \u2018wordly\u2019 replaced with \u2018worldly\u2019\n          (the society of the worldly minded)\n\n    Chapter: 37, paragraph: 2\n        - \u2018paesed\u2019 replaced with \u2018passed\u2019\n          (after the soul has passed into eternity.)\n\n    Chapter: 37, paragraph: 8\n        - \u2018CHARLEMANGE\u2019 replaced with \u2018CHARLEMAGNE\u2019\n          (CHARLEMAGNE sat there still!)","title":"\"Born of the Spirit;\" or, Gems from the Book of Life","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":54692}