Rev. W. C. Van Meter's Work in Rome. reaching their dwelling it is necessary to wash their feet again, in order to cleanse them from the dust and dirt contracted by the way. Moreover, it may be necessary for a person on entering his house to wash his feet a dozen times a day, though his custom is to bathe only once. On returning from a market to my tent one afternoon, I asked a native preacher whether he would go with me to the river to bathe? His reply was, "I bathed this morning; and our Lord says, 'He that is washed, or bathed, needeth not save to wash his feet. I have only my feet to wash, and then I shall be 'clean every whit."" Happy they who have been washed from 243 the sins of their past life. Such sins, no matter how numerous or heinous, are gone never to return-are cast into the depths of the sea. As regards them the believer needeth not to be washed again. There are, however, daily sins- sins which cling to us, and defile us, through contact with the world-which we need to have washed away. We require a continued as well as a complete cleansing, and must have recourse to the same fountain for the one as the other. Only then shall we be "clean every whit." "My dying Saviour and my God, REV. W. C. VAN METER'S WORK IN ROME. BURNING THE SCRIPTURES IN FRASCATI. NEW and rich harvest-fields are opening, and inviting us to enter them. Frascati is a beautiful town of several thousand inhabitants, about thirty minutes by rail from Rome. The Scriptures were distributed there not long since. The priests denounced them, and gathered and burned every copy they could lay hands upon. This set the people to thinking and talking. One evening I was in a meeting in Trajan's Forum (Mr. Wall's preaching-place); a teacher from Frascati came in, and with great earnestness told us that he had come to ask some one to come and give them the truth. It seemed more like a messenger from Cornelius than anything I ever heard or saw. Then the district attorney urged me to come immediately and open an evangelical school. But what could I do? I had already expanded my work to the extent of the means promised me for 1873. Rev. Messrs. Wall, Gioja, Cote, and I, met and considered the whole matter. We dared not say "no," yet what could we do? At length I said, "If you will do the preaching, I will rent a suitable place for school and preaching, and pay the salary of the teacher. To this they cheerfully agreed. Mr. Wall and I went, made the necessary arrangements, and the work began. Did I do right? True, I had not a shilling to spend upon it, but could I not safely trust that you would at once help to provide the six hundred dollars (£120) to meet the entire expenses for one year? OPENING OF THE VATICAN MISSION. THE Leonine City is that part of Rome across the Tiber in which are the Vatican, St. Peter's, and the Inquisition. For centuries this place has been the seat of the "man of sin." From it have gone forth edicts and influences that have cursed the world. By a sort of common consent, it has been treated as if it were "holy ground," and whoever should dare to enter it for any purpose, other than to do the will of the pope, and specially he who should dare to give the Bible to the people and gather the children into Bible or Evangelical schools, would merit the "tender mercies of the Inquisition." to A man-not a christian, nor any longer a papist-sent word to me that if I desired open a Bible or Evangelical school or a preaching place, I might have rooms at his house at small cost. I hastened over to No. 130, Borgo Vecchio (the middle one of the three streets from the castle of St. Angelo to St. Peter's. The house is in view of St. Peter's, and about a hundred and fifty yards from the square in front of that church and the Vatican.) There, on the ground-floor I found a nice front room, about twelve or fourteen feet by forty-five, back of it a court, about twenty by twenty, with a small fountain; and back of it a nice hall, eighteen by thirty-six feet, for school, preaching, etc., etc. I stood and looked with silent and grateful wonder. Such rooms in such a place, and for such a purpose! As I thought of being permitted to gather around me the children, and lead them to the Saviour, and of their sweet songs that would rise up and enter into the very chambers of the pope and cardinals,— "I trembled with delicious fear." True, I had not the thousand dollars (£200) to meet all the expenses the first year, and I knew also that I was in an enemy's country and far from home; but I also knew that God had made a breach in the wall and opened the way into this citadel. To have even hesitated to go in at such a time, would have been base cowardice. The plea that I must wait until I could write to England or America and raise the money (and thus let this opportunity pass) before assuming such responsibility would have shown a want of confidence in my brethren that would have been most offensive to them and covered me with shame. In an hour the lease was in my pocket. I immediately employed a christian man and woman to go from house to house to tell the "old, old story." On Monday, Nov. 4th, two schools were opened. At night the place was dedicated by a union meeting of the Italian pastors and congregations. The hall was packed, and a crowd stood silently and orderly at the door, evidently profoundly impressed by this strange and "impious intrusion." We hoped to begin with fifteen or twenty pupils; but over eighty were received the first day. During the week parents came and registered the names of 224 as applicants for admission. Alas? for want of means I could receive only 100, and was compelled to beg the parents to wait patiently until I could obtain sufficient means to secure more room and employ more teachers. How long shall they wait? "WHY WERE THE SCHOOLS CLOSED?" FROM the beginning I have had the advice and co-operation of some of the most judicious christian men who know Italy and the Italians. I did not seek to evade the law, nor ask to be exempted from its requirements. On the contray, before I opened my schools I took special pains to know what I must do in order to conduct them wisely and efficiently. I well knew that the old enemies of true progress-of civil and religious liberty and freedom of conscience, would watch and take advantage of the least mistake I might make, and hinder if they could not prevent my work. Therefore I was the more anxious to know just what to do. I called upon the minister of public in struction, but failing to obtain an interview with him, I explained carefully to a gentleman in his office the work I had been doing in New York, and the work which I proposed to do in Rome. Not being familiar with the customs, language, and laws, I requested him to make any suggestions that he thought would aid me, which he very kindly did but he did not mention one thing which is now alleged that I ought to have done. I did not know that an authorization from the government was required for such a work as mine, nor that I must cease to be an American citizen before I could open a school in Rome! I therefore had not complied with these frequently neglected requirements. This my enemies ascertained, and at once compelled the government to enforce the law. Without the least intimation being given to me, the police were sent, the schools closed, and the pupils dispersed. MORE LIGHT ON THE SUBJECT. AN eminent legal adviser of the government with whom I was remonstrating said, "Distribute no more Scriptures and tracts, discontinue the visits of your teachers and missionaries among the families, and you will have no trouble." I replied that I had come to do just such work. "Then," said he, "you must accept the consequences." I replied, "I do accept them, whatever they may be." Another gentleman (unofficially) said, "Give up your Vatican mission and withdraw from the Leonine city, and you may work where you like." I replied, "I cannot do it. If it be lawful to have a mission in Rome, I will locate it where I think best; and since God has opened the way for me by the Vatican, St. Peter's, and the Inquisition, I will not withdraw from it, but will succed or fail just there." BERHAMPORE-W. Hill, March, 24, April 12, 19. | CUTTACK-J. Buckley, April 1, 21. CONTRIBUTIONS Received on account of the General Baptist Missionary Society, from Subscriptions and Donations in aid of the General Baptist Missionary Society will be thankfully received by T. HILL, Esq., Baker Street, Nottingham, Treasurer; and by the Rev. J. C. PIKE, the Secretary, Leicester, from whom also Missionary Boxes, Collecting Books, and Cards may be obtained. THE GENERAL BAPTIST MAGAZINE. JULY, 1873. DIGGING FOR WATER. SOME of the "out-of-the-way" passages in God's Word contain precious teachings, which will repay us for hunting them out and turning them up. There is a rich ore of truth hidden under them. For example, there is an historical incident narrated in the third chapter of the Second Book of Kings which is very seldom noticed. We read that the kings of Judah and of Israel were at war with the heathen armies of Moab. The armies of the Lord were suffering from the want of water. Within the compass of a seven days' journey they cannot find a drop. In their straits they send for God's prophet, Elisha. He becomes God's oracle, and gives them this message from Heaven: "Thus saith the Lord, make the land full of ditches." The word may be better translated trenches. How shall they be filled? That is not their concern. It is the duty of faith not to question but to obey. "For thus saith the Lord, ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet this valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink; both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts." The trenches were dug, and presently the water began to steal into them from some mysterious, invisible source. It was not an ordinary process of nature; but a supernatural process, accomplished by the direct agency of God. All the awakening, converting, and quickening power that operates on human souls is really supernatural. Up to a certain point human agency acts, but not one hair's breadth further. "Paul may plant," and there he stops; "Apollos may water," and there he must stop. Then comes in the Divine agency, when "God giveth the increase." All that the thirsting Israelites could do, or were asked to do, was simply to dig the trenches. And then a supernatural power filled them mysteriously with water. There does not appear to have been any Huxley, or Tyndall, or Darwin in the camp, to teach God's people that supernatural agencies are never exerted, even for a good object. The simple-hearted Israelites wanted water, and they dug channels for God to pour it in. They prepared for a blessing, and the blessing came. This is the pithy and practical truth that we find by lifting up this text and looking under it. It is a suggestive one to hundreds of our churches, which have long been languishing in spiritual drought. If we want spiritual blessings, we must dig the trenches to receive them. The first trench that ought to be opened in some churches is a deep, broad channel of mutual confidence and BROTHERLY LOVE. When Christians grow cold and neglectful of their own duties, they grow censorious toward each other. As love declines, the critical temper increases. All along the eaves of a cold church hang the sharp, piercing icicles of criticism and censoriousness. Then everybody suffers. The pastor catches his share; his most honest efforts are the most censured. The officers of the VOL. LXXV.-NEW SERIES, No. 43. church are blamed roundly, and those who happen to be unpopular are made the luckless scapegoats on which to load the failures of the church. Each blames the others; but no one goes down in the dust of contrition and blames himself. Sometimes this censoriousness is born of very impatience at the want of success. Sometimes good men and women, vexed that things do not go better, fall to hitting right and left their fellowmembers, their officers, the pastor getting a blackened eye among the rest. It is as if a rifleman on the battle-field, seeing the fight go badly, quits firing, and takes to battering his comrades with the butt of his rifle. Whereas his own example, in just standing firm and taking sure aim at the foe, would do more to restore the battle than all his disorderly assaults on his fellow-soldiers. The charity that "thinketh no evil," and is "not easily provoked," and that "seeketh not her own" (way), is the first grace to be exercised in many a cold, discordant, fault-finding church. How can Christians expect the outside world to put confidence in them when they put so little confidence in each other? The first duty in such a church is to run a deep, broad trench of cordial charity and brotherly love right through the whole congregation. This trench must be dug by every one before his own door. Another trench to be opened speedily is earnest, penitential PRAYER. This is God's appointed "channel to convey the blessings He designs to give." I sometimes think that there are no equal number of utterances by reputable people in which so many falsehoods are told as in public prayers. Loving words are often spoken by people whose hearts rankle with mean spites and malicious grudges. Sins are glibly confessed in prayer which, if anybody else should charge upon the speaker, he would grow red in the face with wrath. Words of solemn self-consecration are fluently uttered by persons who are living to themselves, and not to Jesus Christ. Such prayers are a mockery. They cut no channels for God's blessings. But genuine prayer-born of contrition and soul-thirst, poured out with faith and wrestling importunity-breaks its way up to the throne of infinite love. Such prayer always brings a revival; nay, it is itself a revival. A third work of preparation for the Divine blessing is equally indispensable. It is PERSONAL REPENTANCE of sin. Not of other people's sins, but of our own. The best draining of a farmer's field is sub-soil drainage. In our churches we need a sub-soil repentance. It must cut deep. It must cut up sin by the root. If the ploughshare run through the flower-beds and melon-patches of our self-indulgence, so much the better. The trench that drains off our sins will be a channel for the sweet, life-giving waters of salvation. 66 We might mention other trenches that are needed-such as HARD WORK and LIBERALITY IN GIVING FOR CHRIST. The wider we cut these channels the broader and the fuller will be the stream of God's blessings. Thus saith the Lord to His people, "Make your valley full of trenches." We may see no wind nor rain." We may hear no sounds of violent excitement. But silently and steadily the tides of spiritual influence will flow into our souls. As the tides rise from the ocean over bare and slimy ground, and lift up the keels of grounded vessels, so shall these blessings of the Holy Spirit flow into our churches. Not by might, nor by human power, but "by My Spirit, saith the Lord." Brethren, this plain-spoken article may reach scores of churches who are so dry that there is "no water within a compass of seven days' journey.” God's command to you is to prepare for blessings, or they will never come. When your trenches are ready, the currents of spiritual power will flow in. If you want water, dig for it. T. L. CUYLER. MODEL CHRISTIANS. Is it possible that any of the langour and feebleness of the church of Christ, so commonly deplored amongst us, is due to inattention to His clearly expressed preference for a free, generous, and enthusiastic devotion? Does the current of love and of life move with a sluggish flow because we are ignorant of His demands, and content to put in their place the maxims and standards stamped with the image and superscription of our fellowmembers? Have we taken our ideal of discipleship from those who sit with us on the same form, and read from the same book, and bear our own faults, instead of looking directly to Him who is our Example as well as our Teacher, and the Pattern to which we are to be conformed as well as the Voice we are to heed? Certainly our Lord expects enthusiasm in His followers. He demands the passionate heat of a self-consuming love. The stony heart is His intensest abhorrence. His most scathing sentences fall on souls dead to feeling, callous with indifference to all interests except what they mistakenly regard as their own. Hard, calculating, cold Pharisees, cutting and figuring their phylacteries without a flaw, measuring their prayers to half a word, and repeating them to the strike of the clock, are withered with the sharp blast of His rebuke, like the big-leaved but fruitless fig-tree, notwithstanding the superior correctness of their theological notions and the elegance and taste of their religious ritual. Could any other parable so vividly teach that there is no more damnatory feature of character than an ice-bound, selfish heartlessness, as does Christ's matchless picture of the gay purple-robed worldling faring sumptuously every day, and yet leaving the poor beggar, a mass of sores, covered with rags, to the greater kindness of his dogs? The man who will not lose his life, hazard its wealth and pleasure, or hold it and care for it, ever ready to fling it away at His bidding and for His sake and the gospel's, may have a respectable position and good repute, but he is not worthy of Christ. The severest sentence uttered by the risen Saviour to the defaulting churches of Asia Minor is not against those who fraternized with heretics; though His threat against the heretics is big with fearful woes; nor even against the lawless and lustful members of the church at Thyatira, and yet an awful doom is denounced on them; but the heaviest judgment of all falls on the flaccid, vigourless, lukewarm Laodiceans, who, in their blindness, regarded their poor shrivelled nature as nobleness, and their tattered and filthy garments as the robes of princes. Hear Him! "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I shall soon spue thee out of My mouth." Can anything exceed that in fearful severity? Could volumes of reasoning more conclusively show the deep displeasure with which Christ regards a life that takes its name from Him, but has none of His calm intensity of love, none of His sublime self-sacrifice. Within hearing of that word is it not a marvel we can ever suffer the fires of love to burn low? See, too, how pleased He is with the "fervent in spirit." Hot tears of penitence and faith bursting from a broken-hearted sinner on to his feet are refreshing as water to the thirsty soul, or good news from a far country. John, the man whose fervid, woman's love gets him the place nearest our Lord, it is, that comes down to us as the disciple whom Jesus loved. Even Peter, rash and indiscreet as he is, takes first rank amongst the apostles, |