Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 May 1888 — RELIGIOUS NOTES. [ARTICLE]

RELIGIOUS NOTES.

It is computed that there are 16,447,990 Sunday school scholars in the Christian world. Jacobus. We are first of all, in all our payers and in all oar conduct to to have respect to God’s glory. An ancient Jewish proverb says that one day before he dies.every man shopld make his peace with Goi; but as he is not sure of any day but this, he should do it now. Rev. C. H. Spurgeon, of London, preaching on a certain Sunday evening, said that till recently he knew by name and face all the 5,000 members cf-lyß church. One of the Southern religious exchangee gives the following example of a brief temperance lecture: “Which! Wife or whisky? The babies or the bottle? Home or hell? The famous Thursday morning service by Dr. Joseph Parker, of London, will henceforth be given up io lectures on topics that are for the time being uppermost in the public mind, such as “The Classes and Masses,” etc. Hod. Charlefs T. Caldwell, one of West Virginia’s most prominent attorneys, known heretofore from his infidelity as the “Ingersoll cf the West Virginia bar,” has been appointed and licensed as a minister in the Methodist Episcopal church. The Salvation Army of London has established a cheap food depot at the' East End to relieve the distress which prevails there. For one penny an adult receives refreshment and a night’s lodging, soup and bread. *>For a halfpenny he gets either bread or soup. “The unfortunate result of neglect of Biblical study,” says the Christian World, “is that the laity, having no rational baeis for their belief, and accepting a second-hand theology from the pulpit, become the easy victims of assaults on their faith, and the growing mass of thcss who are indifferent to all organized religion.” Laet year, when the societies of Christian Endeavor had not attained half their present proportions, 14,000 young people, it is said, were brought from their ranks Into the various evangel cal churches. This year from all parts of the country came reports of revival interest and of conversions in connection with the meetings. In the religion of the New Testament hope is not a distinct and s spar ate element. It has its root deep in that truth which is the center and heart of all—the love of God. Bbcauie Ha is our Father and all things are in Hi? hand; because we come into the world the children of God, and the whole structure of nature and providence is set to bring His children up to Himeelf, therefore oar hope is sure.

The Baptist Year Book for 1888 shows that, there is now in the United States a Baptist membership of 2,917,315. During the year past thers were 153,373 baptisms, and 104,511 additions in other ways. The value of church property is |4§,568,686, and the amount of reported contributions is $3,937,401 36, including $4,849,756.52, for salaries and expenses of the churches themselves. There ara 20,477 ministers, 31,891 churches, 15,447 Sunday-schools. Mid Continent: Into how many thousands cf bocks has the name of Chiist entered and shed a sweet and sacred influence- What million! of pages of periodical religious literature perfumed with the name of Jesus are sent like dying scrolls aver the land. Christ hss made revolutions in hearts, revolutions in homes, revolutions in naticns,revolutions in literature. He has turned and overturned. Faith is very much changed since the sd vent into it of Jesus Christ. Surely this World has felt his coming. eqi Christian at Woik is responsible for the consequences if the following paragraph creates a general domestic revolut'on in these regions: “A new sect has made its appearance in Finland, Rueeia, the cardinal tenet of which is the supremacy of the woman in the family. Tne men of this queer religious association abdicate all domestic authority to their wives, while the latter choose from among their own number one woman. who is their queen. The particulars with regard to this sect are as jet very scant, but there is an older faith in Siberia, the disciples of which call themselves Purifiers, who also pay marked honors to the women of the family.” Pieebyierian Observer: Grace expands and matures not only because such is its nature, but because of its sweetness and excellence. Its pc seeseors find it pkaiant to the taste, nourishing to the soul and indispensable t> the rpiritnal health. As they see it in the image of God.tbey wantmoreand’moreof'iti'to that they may resemble the divine original. A source of peace and blessednets, they crave its in create, as theret y these rich boons gladden their hearts. In western Persia there are now 1,932 church members, in place of 713 fifteen years ago. During the revival which followed the,week of prayer the number of inquirers was over 500. The revival was conducted wholly by native pastor -. Of the seventy>nine students in the college at Ooroomiab, seventy are followers of Christ; The Western miesion has ninety-four village schools, with over 200 pupils. Dr. Labaree reports that the-Moslems cf Persia are more accessible than those of any other land.