But what are we doing, who are now on the stage acting our part in the great drama of human existence? Aye, this is the question. We stand upon the shoulders of the giants in literature and religion, and can we see no farther than they? Or have they accurately surveyed the whole horizon of nature and religion, and developed every thing which has life or being? Alas! in what condition is the world! I mean not merely, nor, indeed, at all, the political, but the religious world. And, to come nearer to ourselves, in what condition is the Protestant world? Torn by sectarian contentions, by intestine feuds and animosities, until all bonds of union are severed, and almost every attractive principle destroyed. And amongst those who have discovered the root of all these manifold evils and have offered them. selves up to martyrdom upon the altars of indignant sectaries, how few are willing to sacrifice their own opinions and to unite and cooperate in one great reformation.

There are at this moment in Britain, Ireland, and America, hundreds of enlightened men, of exalted and accomplished minds, who have protested against human systems of religion, and suffered excominunication rather than pollute their consciences by advocating human platforms of religion; who have plead the cause of the all-sufficiency and alone-sufficiency of the apostolic writings for all christian faith and practice; who are doing little or nothing for the restoration of the ancient order of things, either in faith or practice. Were all these to combine and direct their energies to this one point, how soon would they put to flight the armies of the aliens; how soon would the walls of Jericho fall down, and the Israel of God dwell harmoniously and securely in the promised inheritance of millennial peace, harmony, and good will!

What an influence, for example, would the Baptist society alone have exerted in the cause of reformation in these United States, had a few of the most intelligent and influential leaders of that people not set their faces against the very proposition to reform. Had they treated the proposition with a little more intelligence, patience, and christian candor, how different would have been the results of the last ten years! Instead of all the heart-burnings, excommunications, anathemas, and disquisitions upon ultimate and remote abstractions, we should have gone forward against schism, discord, and papistical authority, terrible as an army with banners. But what have the spirits of discord achieved for themselves, for society, for eternity? Nothing that can be told to their honor in the day of the Lord Jesus. I say, nothing: for, the unrivalled supremacy of Jesus, and the exclusive legislative authority of his Apostles, is that for which we plead, and that which they have so violently opposed. If in any thing we have erred in ascertaining the will of the Lord Jesus, or the traditions of the Apostles, they were not called to acquiesce in that; for we make not our inferences terms of communion, nor denounce them who may not be able to unite with us in any matter of opinion. Many of those whom they have proscribed were proscribed for insinu ating that reformation was at all needed; or for saying that the

Apostles were not setting in the churches enthroned in the affections of the people. They have been looked upon with an evil eye, because they made their appeals to the Apostles alone.

But the weak among them who oppose reform, fancy that they are justified in so doing because their good, wise, or learned leaders disapprove some of the views we exhibit. As to their goodness, wisdom, or learning, they are very doubtful vouchers; for, perhaps, there may be as much of all three on the one side as on the other of this controversy. Who can decide this? Must conscience, and truth, and religion be hung up with such a jury? Yet let it be observed, our opponents themselves being judges, that there are no views exhibited by us more repugnant to some things taught by many of our opponents, than are the persons and views of those united in opposition to us, opposed to one another. But it is useless to reason with them who fear not God and honor not his word.

But what are many now doing who have protested against both antichrist and the man of sin-against all usurpers over the consciences of men-who have come out of the sects in Britain and America, because of their corruptions? Building little wigwams for themselves as substitutes for the more permanent and majestic domes which they have forsaken, or in lieu of the unchangeable kingdom of Jesus. We could count more than a dozen of well informed and talented men, within a few days travel of us, who have been excluded or have withdrawn from these establishments for conscience' sake, that might as well be locked up in St. Peter's church in old Rome, for any thing they have done, or are likely to do, for the good of men, or the progress of reform; except the erection of a little party in honor of their peculiarity, which little faction or fraction will be dissipated or absorbed on the demise of him in whose fortunes alone they are concerned.

I do not wish at this time to name these bold reformers, who have built themselves wigwams and are content to live in them rather than return to the City of Establishments; but as some of them will doubtless read this, I would ask them, this good new year's eve, whether it would not, in their judgment, now, and hereafter, be better for themselves, for the world, the church, and more to the glory of the Great Redeemer, for them to esteem the reproach of Christ above all the honors and treasures of time; and come out manfully and courageously for the Lord, and plead openly and incessantly for the restoration of the apostolic gospel and order of things? We know some able speakers in the sects who are with us in the main; and, perhaps, few but themselves and we know it. To them we would say what we have just now said to those addressed: Make this coming year the most memorable year in your lives. Look not to the flesh pots of Egypt. Suffer not the Lord's cause, as you confess it, to call upon your tongues in vain. You know what to say, and you know how many want to hear you. Boast not that there was a Nicodemus and a Joseph of Arimathea secret disciples of Jesus, or an Erasmus in the days of Luther. The Saviour has need of you. He has

called you to glory and courage. And will you expect a crown for praying for it or wishing for it? Such a crown is not worth a wearing. You must fight if you would win a crown that fadeth not away. Let not the opportunity pass. Were you to come out and affirm before heaven and earth that you would unsheathe the sword of the Spirit and never return it to its scabbard until you saw the Twelve Apostles restored to the thrones which the Lord gave them; until you saw them regarded as the sole lawgivers under Jesus, and their institutions cordially acquiesced in, and practised by all the disciples, you cannot tell what influence your example would exert over many who are halting between two opinions; what good would result to many, what glory to God, and what honor to yourselves. Now is the time to do the work of the Lord. The night approaches. Arise, then, and to your post in the Army of the Faith. If you will not, the Lord's cause will triumph without you, and you may repent when you cannot reform. EDITOR.

PERSONAL REFORMATION.

"EXCEPT your righteousness excel the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, you shall never enter the kingdom of heaven;" not as a preacher in this county happened to say, "Except your tithes exceed the tithes of the Scribes and Pharisees," [who only gave a tenth of all,] "you shall never enter the kingdom of heaven;" not as another class of preachers say, "Except the righteousness of Christ, which is to be yours by believing it, exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you shall never enter the kingdom of heaven:" but it is, "My disciples, except your righteousness," &c. for many workers of iniquity say, "Lord, Lord"-many of the unjust, rapacious, and unmerciful, say, "Master, Master;" but it is only he who does the will of the heavenly Father, who shall enter the heavenly and eternal kingdom.

"Oh! that I had true faith," said Evangelicus in his 70th year, and on his death-bed-"Oh! that I had true and saving faith," repeated he. "I have been seeking the Lord for 50 years, yet I fear my faith is deficient. I would give the world to know that my faith was of the genuine kind. True, justifying, saving faith, of the operation of God, is that which my soul longs for." Poor man! half a century a christian without a christian faith! rather, perhaps, without the knowledge and works of a christian. What a perversion of words, ideas, and things has this popular notion of a saving faith generated! A saving faith! as if there was a saving essence in one sort of faith which another lacked. The saving essence of faith is, that it works by love. Hence wherever there is the belief of the gospel, there is a working soul-one that labors for the food which does not perish-one that strives to enter through the strait gate-one that runs, wrestles, fights, and agonizes for the crown-one, indeed, that works out his own salvation, because he believes and feels that God works in him to will and do the things good and profitable.

But, "WHAT DO YOU MORE THAN OTHERS?" This is a question put by Jesus to his disciples. He certainly was an orthodox teacher, and why do we not regard his lessons? If christians do no more than others, they are no better than others. Every christian must be a reformer. A reformer he must be until every thought, and word, and deed is just what it ought to be. There are some things of which we must do less, and others of which we must do more, than others. Besides there are some things which other men than christians do not at all practise.

But we would only now remind all, that until reformation be perfected in spirit, word, and deed, the christian must be a reformer. And it is much easier to reform the creed than the heart, and the doctrine than the manner of life. But christians must differ far from other men if they will hear any comparison with Jesus and those whom he praised; for they and he differed very much from all other persons.

EDITOR.

OBITUARY NOTICE OF BISHOP ROBERT B. SEMPLE. ESSEX, Va. December 28, 1831.

Dear Brother Campbell,

THIS will inform you that Bishop SEMPLE is no more. He finished his course at 9 o'clock on the 25th instant-that is, on Christmas day. He was confined 8 or 10 days with a bad cold, which terminated in a pleurisy. I am reminded of the circumstance of the death of Moses, in the death of our good old brother. He lived to see the foundation stone presented for the New Testament Church, but entered not into the full enjoyments of it while here on earth. Your father delivered a discourse (the last he heard) on the reformation now going on; after hearing which, brother Semple bid him God speed. That same evening they partook of the loaf together, and after making some inquiry into the reformation we are laboring to bring about among all the worshippers of Jesus Christ our Lord, at parting he gave your father his benediction.

We should be thankful to have his death recorded in the Harbinger. You know he was truly a good man, and few men labored more to promote the happiness and salvation of mankind. He served his generation faithfully; but would thank you to give your views of his labors as a servant of God. We know that it is not customary to publish in the Harbinger obituary notices, but we think a correct Statement of the labors of so good a man as brother Semple was, would be a stimulus to the rising generation. Therefore, I hope you will do us this favor in handing down to posterity the amiable and exemplary character of this laborious servant of God.

Yours in the Lord,

THOMAS M. HENLEY.

I AM sorry, indeed, that I am unable to do justice to the memory of the deceased, by giving such a sketch of the life and labors of this aged, venerable, and much esteemed servant of the Lord, as would place him in his proper character before our readers. To many of them he is much better known than to us. We would sympathize with his family and surviving relatives, and with the christians in the churches which he planted and watered, to whom his removal hence will be justly esteemed and long felt a very grievous bereavement; hoping, however, that the assurance felt of his going home to the Lord, will lessen the sorrow necessarily attendant on his absence from them. We know that our deceased brother labored much for many years, and was extensively known, respected, and beloved on account of his labors in the conversion of the world and in building up the congregations. It is to be hoped that he who wrote the history of the Baptists in Virginia, will find a biographer who can do justice to his memory, and so moralize on the incidents of his life as to afford examples and incentives to the rising generation to devote themselves more unreservedly to the service of the Lord.

It is to us a most alleviating circumstance in the demise of our departed brother, that, notwithstanding the steps which had been taken by him and others to oppose the reformation, from remaining prejudice and misapprehension, the christian finally triumphed over the man and the sectary. He heard my father deliver a discourse (the last it seems he ever heard) to the congregation in Fredericksburg, to which he had for some time ministered. He also had a conversation with him at dinner, in the house of brother Leitch, Fredericksburg, with both of which he was so well pleased, as not only to unite with him in commemorating the Lord's death, but, in bidding him adieu,to give him his benediction, and to wish him God speed in the work of reformation. Thus the last public act of his life, by the good providence of the Lord, was his annulment or abrogation of the Decrees of the King and Queen Conference. In this last public act I rejoice for his own sake, for his family's sake, for the sake of all the churches in Virginia, and for the reputation of the deceased. Had it not been for this most happy incident his sun had set behind a cloud.

EDITOR.

REV. W. T. BRANTLY, D. D.

"Verily, I say to you, they have their reward."

THE Catholics sainted, and the Pagans deified dead men; but the Protestants worship the living. "Reverend and holy is his name," while yet he lives in good keeping, with all the fashions of a sinful world. But yet one attribute of the Divinity is not enough for some men. It will not suffice to style them Reverend. They are not satisfied with this title. It has become too common. Hence "Doctor of Divinity" must be bestowed on men of the comparative degree, and "Right Reverend Father in God" upon those in the superlative degree.

"Doctor" signifies teacher, and therefore applies to all instructers, male and female. Hence as the name of office, we have Doctors of A, B, C, Doctors of