扇 FRIENDS' INTELLIGENCER. "TAKE FAST HOLD OF INSTRUCTION; LET HER NOT GO; KEEP HER; FOR SHE IS THY LIFE." EMMOR COMLY, AGENT, CONTENTS. Review of the Life and Discourses of F. W. Robertson....... 113 Selections from the Writings of John Barclay... At Publication Office, No. 144 North Seventh Street, Henry Ward Beecher on Love........ Open from 9 A.M. until 5 P.M. Residence, 809 North Seventeenth Street. Agents for Clubs will be expected to pay for the entire Club. Henry Haydock, Brooklyn, N. Y. EDITORIAL OBITUARY....... ......... 115 .. 116 118 Fourth Annual Report of FFends' Social Lyceum... Agricultural Ant of Texas......... Extract from a Lecture delivered by Prof. Agassiz on the REVIEW OF THE LIFE AND DISCOURSES OF tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let F. W. ROBERTSON BY SAMUEL M. JANNEY. us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." the soul is to us Deity was to Christ. His body was flesh, blood, bones-moved, guided, ruled by indwelling Divinity. "But you perceive at once that this destroys the notion of complete humanity. It is not this tabernacle of material elements which constitutes our humanity; you cannot take the pale corpse from which life has fled, and call that man.' "Humanity implies a body and a soul." The sympathy of Christ is a subject of con- In his preliminary observations he says:templation from which many a devoted soul, in "The perfection of Christ's humanity implies every age of the Church, has derived consola- that he was possessed of a human soul as well tion and encouragement. How often in seas- as a human body. There was a view held in ons of affliction has the remembrance of his early times, and condemned by the Church as tenderness towards the repenting sinner, and a heresy, according to which the body of Christ his words of comfort to the bereaved mourner, was an external frame-work animated by Deity, come before the desponding disciple as a balm as our bodies are animated by our souls. What for the wounded spirit, receiving hopes of happiness that had been almost extinguished. On such occasions we may justly draw the inference that, if He who was replete with the Divine perfections was so merciful to the erring, and so sympathizing with the afflicted in the day of his outward manifestation, he will equally call for us in this day, and extend to us the same consolations through the ministry of the Spirit. The same Divine power that was then manifested to heal the bodily infirmities Accordingly in the life of Christ we find and feed the hungry multitudes may now be two distinct classes of feeling. When he hunrelied on to heal the spiritual maladies and gered in the wilderness, when he thirsted on sustain the spiritual life of those who believe the cross, when he was weary by the well of and trust in him. Sychar, he experienced sensations which belong This interesting subject has been treated to the bodily department of human nature. with ability in one of the discourses of Robert-But when out of twelve he selected one to be son, entitled, "The sympathy of Christ." The His bosom friend, when he looked round upon text is Heb. iv. 15, 16" For we have not a the crowd in anger, when the tears streamed high priest that cannot be touched with a feel- down his cheeks at Bethany, and when He reing of our infirmities; but was in all points coiled from the thought of approaching disso... are." "But here a difficulty arises. Temptation as applied to a Being perfectly free from ten dencies to evil is not easy to understand. See what the difficulty is. Temptation has two senses it means test or probation; it means also trial, involving the idea of pain or danger. A common acid applied to gold tests it; but there is no risk or danger to the most delicate golden ornament. There is one acid, and only one, which tries it as well as tests it. The same acid applied to a shell endangers the delicacy of its surface. A weight hung from a bar of iron only tests its strength; the same depending from a human arm is a trial involving, it may be, the risk of pain or fracture. Now, trial placed before a sinless being is intelligible enough in the sense of probation; it is a test of excellence, but it is not easy to see how it can be temptation in the sense of pain, if there be no inclination to do wrong. However, Scripture plainly asserts this as the character of Christ's temptation. Not merely test, but trial." lution, these grief, friendship, fear-were not | feel all, and shrink from them. Conceive then After quoting the texts He was "without sin," holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners," and again, "The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me," our attention is then called to another class of passages, such as this: "He suffered being tempted." The question arises, how could this be without any tendency to evil?" "Now, contrast this state with the state of Christ. There was in him all the natural appetites of mind and body. Relaxation and friendship were dear to Him; so were sunlight and life hunger, pain and death. He could that in every one of these cases-not by the reluctancy of a sinful sensation, but by the quivering and the anguish of natural feeling when it is trampled upon by lofty will-Jesus suffered, being tempted. He was "tempted like as we are." Remember this. For the way in which some speak of the sinlessness of Jesus reduces all his suffering to physical pain, destroys the reality of temptation, reduces that glorious heart to a pretence, and converts the whole of His history into a mere fictitious drama, in which scenes of trial were represented, not felt. Remember that "in all points " the Redeemer's soul was tempted." "Till we have reflected on it, we are scarcely aware how much the sum of human happiness in the world is indebted to this one feelingsympathy. We get cheerfulness and vigor, we scarcely know how or when, from mere association with our fellow-men; and from the looks reflected on us of gladness and employ. 1 ment, we catch inspiration and power to go on, from human presence, and from cheerful looks. The workman works with added energy from having others by. The full family circle has a strength and a life peculiarly its own. The substantial good, and the effectual relief which men extend to one another is trifling. It is not by these, but by something far less costly that the work is done. God has insured it by a much more simple machinery. He has given to the weakest and the poorest power to contribute largely to the common stock of gladness. The child's smile and laugh are mighty powers in this world. When bereavement has left you! desolate, what substantial benefit is there which makes condolence acceptable? It cannot replace the loved ones you have lost. It can be stow upon you nothing permanent. But a warm hand has touched yours, and its thrill told you there was a living response there to your emotion. One look, one human sigh, has done more for you than the costliest present could convey. And it is for want of marking this, that the effect of public charity falls often so far short of the expectations of those who give. The springs of men's generosity are dried up by hearing of the repining, the envy, and the discontent which have been sown by the general collection and the provision establishment, among cottages, where all was harmony before. The famine and the pestilence are met by abundant liberality; and the apparent return for this is riot and sedition. But the secret lies all in this. It is not in channels such as these that the heart's gratitude can flow. Love is not bought by money, but by love. There has been all the machinery of a public distribution, but there has been no exhibition of individual, personal interest. The rich man who goes to his poor brother's cottage, and without affectations of humility, naturally, and with the respect which man owes to man, enters into his circumstances, inquiring about bis distress, and hears his homely tale, has done more to establish an interchange of kindiy feeling than he could have secured by the costliest present, by itself. Public donations have their value and their uses. Poor laws keep human beings from starvation, but in the point of eliciting gratitude, all these fail. Man has not been brought into contact close enough with man for this. They do not work by sympathy." cause made up of individuals. He "had compassion on the multitude;" but He had also discriminating, special tenderness for erring Peter and erring Thomas. He felt for the despised, lonely Zaccheus in his sycamore tree. He compassioned the discomfort of his disciples. He mixed his tears with the stifled sobs by the grave of Lazarus. He called the abashed children to his side. Amongst the numbers, as He walked, he detected the individual touch of faith-" Master, the multitude throng thee, and sayest thou Who touched me." "Somebody hath touched me." Observe how He is touched by our infirmities, with a separate special discriminating love. There is not a single throb in a single human bosom that does not thrill at once with more than electric speed up to the mighty heart of God. You have not shed a tear or sighed a sigh that did not come back to you exalted and purified by having passed through the eternal bosom. The priestly powers conveyed by this faculty of sympathizing, according to the text, are two the power of mercy, and the power of having Grace to help. "Therefore," because he can be touched, "let us come boldly, expecting mercy and grace." These passages may suffice to give an idea of Robertson's views in relation to the sympathy of Christ; one of the most interesting subjects that can claim our attention. The constitution of our minds is such that we cannot love fervently, unless the attribute of love also exist in the object of our affections. Hence, the beauty and propriety of the appellation applied to the Deity in the Lord's prayer-"Our Father in Heaven." We are thus taught to think of Him as a tender parent who watches over all his family with affectionate interest, and who has given us, in his beloved son, a perfect pattern of righteousness combining the qualities of a merciful High Priest and a sympathizing friend. (To be continued.) THE CHEERFUL GIVER. I stood this week by the remains of a young woman, who was a cheerful giver of all she had to the cause of God and man. She was a teacher for many years in a primary school in this city; and she did not teach, as many do, "grudgingly and of necessity," but put her And now, having endeavored to illustrate whole heart into this work, and so ennobled it this power of sympathy, it is for us to remem- to a sacred mission. The poor little Irish chilber that of this, in its fulness, He is susceptible. dren were, to her, Christ's little ones, and each There is a vague way of speaking of the atone- of them was precious to her; so that, systemment which does not realize the tender, affec-atizing her life, she had time every day, after tionate, personal love, by which that daily, hourly reconciliation is effected. The sympathy of Christ was not merely love of men in masses. He loved the masses, but He loved them be school, to visit them in order at their homes, taking the last first, and sweetly emphasizing with special tenderness those whose homes were most forlorn, and whose surroundings least favorable. If they needed clothes or shoes, she | the above service; acknowledging the goodalways provided them,-going to generous people and telling each case; and, as she knew all about it, she never failed; or, if she failed, she took it from her own small salary, with which she had other things to do besides taking care of herself. So she was a providence to many little children, who never knew any Christian love till they knew her's; and so she made her school-house a divine temple, and her work a holy mission; and when she went, last week, into the world, "so far, so near," her works preceded, attended, and followed her, because she was a cheerful giver.-J. F. Clarke. -Christian Register. ness of the Lord in helping and sustaining him on his way, and in favoring him with the reward of peace on his return home. He paid visits to nearly all the families of the particular meeting of Brighton, under circumstances as regarded his infirm state of health, calculated to excite much sympathy on the part of his friends of that place; he entered house after house, supported by his crutches, and it is believed his visits were peculiarly acceptable generally.] SELECTIONS FROM THE WRITINGS OF JOHN (Continued from page 102.) [In the course of the summer and autumn of 1836, J. B. passed some time by the sea-side, with benefit to his general health. Whilst at Brighton in the Eleventh month, under an prehension of religious duty, he addressed his Monthly Meeting as follows:] To STOKE NEWINGTON, 3d of Twelfth month, 1836. Ah! dear as thou well knowest, home is home, after such engagements and causes of absence from what is dear to us in this ouward state and lower region: and home is home, in a higher and better sense, blessed be His name, who maketh heaven a home; for without Him, where is the rest, where is the These feelings, and such as these, while they refreshing to the poor, craving, immortal part? ap-moderate or sanctify the use of earthly objects, heighten and refine. There is truly nothing here worth living for, without the good presence of our "Everlasting Father," but with that, and in subjection and resignation to Him, every thing is to be received with thanksgiv ing, and used with joyfulness, come pain of body, or conflict of mind, loss of wife or children, or dearest friends, or house, or food. This is our calling, this is our privilege; and Oh! that we may hold it up to others as such, both in life and in death! J. B. To Gracechurch Street Monthly Meeting of BRIGHTON, 9th of Eleventh month, 1836. Dear Friends. In the love of our heavenly Father, my soul at this time salutes his faithful children among you of all degrees, who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, and can call him "Lord," and bow before Him: desiring that an increase of all spiritual bless. ings may be known amongst us through Him, our Head and High Priest, and only hope of glory. To a young Friend. 24th of Twelfth month, 1836.-Rely upon it, my dear these associates of thine, whoIt seems best for me to acquaint you, that ever they be, even if they stand high in general while at this place for the benefit of my health, estimation, are no friends to thy true interests, a weighty feeling of duty has revived and fas thy best welfare, however plausibly they reason. tened on my mind, to pay a religious visit to The very circumstance of their endeavoring to the Friends in this place from house to house; undermine, or upset the almost unformed views a work which, as regards a considerable por- of so young and artless a person, is a proof of tion of this Quarterly Meeting, I was enabled their unworthy purposes. By thy own account, to perform some few years ago, but did not they are in "the seat of the scornful," as David then see my way further, so as to embrace this said; and when the subtle poison that is under particular meeting, and a few others. Should their tongue, is in danger of being rejected and you, on a solid consideration of my concern exposed, they can turn off the conversation with and situation, think it right to make way at a laugh. But if thon art favored to withstand this time for the relief of my mind herein, it their crooked twisting arguments, be also very may be safest for me to request the liberty to careful lest their ridicule move thee in any wise extend the family visit, should this seem re- from the serious ground, the safe, because quired, to a few small meetings in this Quar-lowly, abiding place of the real Christian. My terly Meeting. Desiring we may be all kept patiently and diligently attentive to the voice of the true and tender Shepherd, I bid you affectionately farewell, advice to thee is, avoid such company, shun such associates, trust not thyself to dispute with them; thou wilt not be like to get good by it, nor to do them good, but to receive harm in ways little suspected. Thou art not to be supposed, nor shouldst thou for a moment presume thyself competent to enter the lists of controversy; it requires one to be well grounded, able tide of fashion, which did the rest and in time caused their dissimilarity and strangeness to appear. But as to the bare assertion, that George Fox and the early Friends would have changed with the times, it is a conjecture which has its origin in the mere caprice and inclination of those who say so; and the contrary may be as flatly and broadly asserted upon far stronger grounds, even upon the actual facts of the whole tenor of their dissent, as exhibit On rooted and settled in the right way, to meet all were, when they found themselves estranged the objections and cavils that may be urged by from the world at large, and eccentric through persons of more or less corrupt and uncontrolled this process of following their convictions of minds, who despise the Truth and its simplic-duty,-should value this their privilege, and ity; yet who would, even with the semblance of these outward badges, which tend to keep up truth, beguile others from the reality of it. this desirable distinction and separation from "Be not conformed to this world," said the the world's spirit. But they never set up a Apostle, who knew that the fashions and cus- rule as to dress, or any particular color, cut or toms of it are vain, and pass away. To a mind fashion, on the same footing as the livery of disposed to avoid the very appearance and ap- the Monks, or religious orders of the Papists, proaches to evil, this text is alone sufficient to &c.; they only left off their ornaments, and induce a hesitation, a scrupulousness or tender such things as were a burden to them, as unneness; knowing that for every idle word hecessary and unsimple:-it was the ever changemust give an account, and that every thought must be brought into subjection to Christ. But these libertines, who would think their own thoughts, and choose their own ways and words, and also wear their own apparel, must needs have things so cleared up to their blinded and darkened understandings, that, like the lawyers, no express (much less implied) prohibition of Scripture, would have satisfied them: they would shuffle from it and fritter it away, bending it to their own wills. Whereas the spirited in their lives, and especially in their writ of Christianity testifies, and has ever testified ings. The common consent spoken of, is the against such things, not only among Friends, very conformity they objected to,-a consent of but more or less, and in different ways and de worldly men, upon worldly principles,-not the grees, wherever sufficient clearness has been consent of men redeemed from the earth. arrived at, even from the earliest ages. Pic- the other hand, all that have ever rightly given ture to thyself any set of people raised up to a up to make a plain appearence, and to speak deep sense of religion, and carrying out their the plain language, &c., have done it on the watchfulness and self-denial to all branches of very same sound ground, and not merely betheir conduct, and endeavoring to follow that cause George Fox and others did it. They, the exhortation, "Be ye holy in all manner of con- truly convinced, have continued to feel on the versation," and whatsoever ye "do in word or subject, as he did; and though the instances deed, do all to the glory of God," &c. Would are rare, as the mercy is great, and the work they not soon come to be distinguished from marvellous, and no light and superficial one, other people, who follow the course of this such instances are yet from time to time occurworld, or who secretly yearn after their own ring; they are the result of cleansing the inside heart's lusts, and comfort themselves with try- of the cup, that the outside may become clean ing to think there is nothing in this and the also. My case is, I trust, one of these, and, other little thing, and that religion does not perhaps, rather an unusual one: for I was consist in these things? Would they not soon brought up, as thou knowest, in the entire disfind themselves to be "a peculiar people," a use of, and I even cherished a real contempt singular people, a very simple people;-their for, such singularities; until I came to see that outward appearance, their manners, their very there was no peace to the wicked,"-and that gestures, restrained and regulated after a mode"great peace have all they who love"-" the totally contrary to the generality of those around law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus." Then them? According to that striking passage in as I yielded my mind to be in all things led one of the Apocryphal writings, setting forth the language of the ungodly respecting the righteous, so will it be respecting such a people or person as I have described" He is not for our turn, he is clean contrary to our doings; he was made to reprove our thoughts; he is grievous unto us even to behold; for his lite is not like other men's, his ways are of another fashion."* Indeed it has never been any wonder with me, that a people gathered and settled and preserved as I have hinted at, or as Friends *See Wisdom of Solomon, ii. 12, 14, 15, 16. 66 and guided thereby, nothing offended me but evil;-nothing seemed too hard to give up unto, nor anything to be slighted as insignificant, which in anywise contributed to this heavenly peace and progress in what was esteemed so supremely excellent. The cross of Christ, that yoke he puts upon his disciples, was very easy and sweet; and peace was the reward of being faithful in ever so little. It is in this way I have been made ruler over more, and not by "despising the day of small things;" which is the sure way, (as the Bible tells us) of falling "by little and little:" of |