PREFACE. W HATEVER implements have been thrown out of use by modern inventions, there is still need for the Sword and the Trowel. Though "everything is done by steam, and men are killed by powder," the soldier still girds on his sword; and, despite the fact that Japan is teaching us to erect houses of paper, the builder still grasps the trowel. These are not "piping days of peace," if viewed morally, theologically, or spiritually. When this journal commenced its career, the Romanizers were the most conspicuous army of Israel's adversaries. We hear comparatively little of them now; but this is no sign of their retreat, or decline. The fact is, that they have so carried all before them, that what was formerly thought to be utterly unbearable in the direction of Popery, is now treated as a freak of fashion, or an established custom. Let no man dream that the Jesuits have ceased their craft, or that Rome has been converted to an alliance with the gospel. Not yet has the lion learned to lie down with the lamb. We may expect to hear more from that quarter; and there is need for increased anxiety now that most of the watchdogs of the flock appear to be more careful to protect their own rations than to guard the sheepfold. For the moment, the main battle is with Rationalism. We see comparatively little of overt atheism, deism, or honest infidelity; but we are surrounded by men who subscribe our creeds and hate them, employ our terms and attach false meanings to them, and even use our pulpits as places of vantage from which to assail the vital verities of our faith. The latest fashion of this unbelief is Universalism. Again we hear the serpent hiss, "Ye shall not surely die." Men, poor creatures! have gone a little aside, but they will, in due course, all come right again, and therefore let us make things pleasant all round! For what reason we need a gospel, or a preacher, or a Saviour, it were not easy to say, since the broad road is now said to wind about a little, and in the long run lead to the same happy home as the strait and narrow way. This deadly evil had its day in America, and it blighted every church it touched; the same result will follow in our own land if the disease should ever be widely spread. It is transparent folly to talk of missionary zeal or evangelical fervour where this delusion reigns: the very life of godliness faints in its malarious presence. Fault is found with us by certain parties for using the sword too freely, but the censure is altogether undeserved. We have borne much and borne long in reference to certain "false brethren"; and we are afraid we shall fall into the sin of crying "peace, peace," where there is no peace. We find it more needful to strive against a love of quiet than against its opposite. To contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints is the pressing duty of the hour. Stern work is cut out for the champions of the faith, and it cannot be long before the battle is set in array. "Ere the ruddy sun be set, Pikes must shiver, javelins sing; The immunerable heresies which now fill the air call for a day of decision. Still the trimmers talk of union, but the answer of fierce Jehu to Jezebel leaps to our lips. Peace with deadly error is falsehood to souls, and treason to God. The times may commend us for complacency, but the living God will only reward us for faithfulness. It were better to die a lone Elijah than to live delicately among the thousands of Baal's priests. The sword cannot yet rest and be quiet, for the adversaries of the Lord are multiplied. "There is The trowel is a gentler tool, and more to our liking. music in the continual clicks of the trowels striking the bricks"; and those clicks must be heard evermore, till the house of the Lord shall be all upbuilded. For edification, the preaching of the word is the fairest means, and side by side with this must be used all means whereby the truth of the gospel may be made known among the sons of men. To this our magazine is a great aid; for it not only teaches good doctrine, but it is the organ of the College wherein men are instructed for the faithful ministry of the Word; the Orphanage, which feeds and trains a great host of orphan children; the Evangelists' Society, by which special revival work is done; the Colportage Association, by which good books are scattered all over the land; and Mrs. Spurgeon's Book Fund, which feeds the minds of those men by whom the churches are fed, namely the poor ministers of our Lord Jesus. This monthly Magazine endeavours to stir up its readers to all such service as may tend to the sure building of the walls of Zion; and it has not laboured in vain. To God be the glory of its success. This is the twenty-first volume, so that the Magazine has run out a good lease; but it has no thought of ending its career; on the contrary, its bow is renewed in its hand. As the year closes, new prospects of usefulness cheer the editor; for another field of usefulness offers itself to him, of which he may perhaps be able to speak in the opening numbers of next year's issue. The years past have teemed with blessing therefore gratitude; the present is full of dangers-therefore prayer and watchfulness; but the future is held like a golden ball in the hand of the Great King-wherefore adoring praise. Traversing the valley which lies between the towering mountains of brass, we press forward towards the pearl country and the age of gold, and we are sure of heart that none of all the giants and harpies that infest these lowands can prevent a single trustful traveller from coming to the region which he desires. The sprinkled blood has marked each believer out as one of the Lord's anointed, whom devils may not touch, nor demons harm. Wherefore, marching to heaven's own music, we press through labour and battle towards the rest which remaineth, where SWORD AND TROWEL shall give place to harp and palm. Colportage Association, Annual Report Colportage Association, Receipts of...47, 102, 152, 533 354 181 231 Dashing Against the Light Davis, C. A.: Billy Durrant, 56; Bishop Gobat, 421; Congo Mission, 14; Edward Nangle, 160; Esther Beamish, 278; Joseph Livesey, 221; Last Days of a Young Football Player, 124; Mushrooms and Toadstools, 592; Mrs. Thomas, of Cardiff, 475; Our Navvies, 567; Self-Support in Bassein, 171; Under My Umbrella, 633. Devonian Local Preachers 77 Divided Heart, A... 591 Do God's Work 580 Narrow Views of Things... Native Christians in India Never Think of Yourselves Notes Abertillery, 94; Aeton, 438; Aldershot, 43; Allahabad, 94; Alison's Bible-Class, Mrs., 506; Annual Church-meeting, 146; Auckland, 245; Australia, 94. Bakundu, 556; Band of Hope, 507; Baptisms at the Tabernacle, 44, 96, 248, 298, 381, 439, 510, 557, 605, 647; Baptist Association, 646; Baptist Union, 601; Barisaul, 508, 604; Barking, 94; Barnstaple, 508; Battersea, 604; Bedford (Cotton End), 195; Bedminster, 293; Benham, Death of Mr. J., 378; Bildeston, 647; Billingborough, 94; Book Fund, 645; Boxmoor, 43; Brighton (Sussex Street), 147; Brisbane, 245, 379; British and Foreign Sailors' Society, 602; Buckhurst Hill, 556; Burnham, Mr., 44, 94, 147, 196, 246, 380, 438, 509, 556, 605; Bury, 379. Cambridge, 603; Canada, 196; Caution, A, 244; Cape Town, 196, 438, 604; Corsham, 379; Centenary of Upton Chapel, 194; Chesterton, 195; Chesterfield, 379; China, 94; Christ Church (Surrey Chapel), 437; Church Defence Orators, 601; Clay Cross, 43; Clue of the Maze, 42; Coleraine, 94; College Conference, 194, 245, 294; College Session, Opening of, 556; Colnbrook, 43; Calne, 379; Colportage, 95, 148, 197, 247, 297, 381, 439, 509, 553; Comber, Death of Mr. S. A., 196; Conference of Pastors, 604; Congleton, 556; Congo, The, 379, 508; Combe, Martin, 43, 245; Costers' Hall, 437; Country Mission, The, 93, 293, 378; Crayford, 508; Cuyler's Silver Wedding, Dr., 245. Dalston Junction, 603; Darlington, 438; Dartford, 147; Day of Prayer, 294, 378; Deaths of Church Members, 92; Debt Relief Fund, 94; Deloraine, 245, 508; Departure of Missionaries, 507; Dolton, 380, 508; Dorman's Land, 556. Earl's Colne, 504; Easton (Conn.), 617; East Dereham, 293, 647; Edinburgh Castle, The, 507; Editorial Work, 194; Evangelical Alliance Meeting, 92; Evangelists Association, 93, 602; Extra Work, 604. Notes (continued)→ INDEX. Tabernacle, 196, 508; Godstone, 556; Gran- Haddenham, 195; Haddon Hall, 93, 195, 507; Impostor, An, 381, 553; India, 94; Jamestown, Kapunda, 245; Kenyon Chapel, 93, 292, 293; Maldon, 94; Mateer and Parker, Messrs., 44, Oakham, 556; Orphanage, Christmas at the, 94, Papineauville, 379; Pastors' College Annual Ramsey, 195; Reading, 379; Redditch, 43; St. Helena, 196, 556; St. Heliers, 601; St. Luke's Street, 293; Sandown, 94, 647; Scotland, 436; Sermon Tract Society, 292, 645; Sevenoaks, 379; Semley, 379; "Street Characters and Cries,' 195; Shelford, 43; Shipston-on-Stour, 379; Shoreditch Tabernacle, 93, 508; Shouldham Street, 43; Shrewsbury, 43; Smethwick, 43: South Bank, 379; Southend, 245, 379; South Apalachin, 647; South Shields, 43; Spain, 43; Special Services, 146, 194; Spurgeon and the Newspapers, Mr., 645; Spurgeon, Mr. C., 146; Spurgeon's health, Mr., 42, 91, 146, 194, 244, 553, 645; Spurgeon, Farewell to Mr. T., 43; Sterling (Illinois), 294; Stiff's Bible-class, Mrs., 646; Stowhill, 647; Stratford, 645; Summer Vacation, 379; Sunday-school, 245; Sundayschool Annual Meeting, 293; Sunday-school Holiday, 436; "Sword and Trowel," 42. Tabernacle Day-schools, 437, 554; Tabernacle Prayer-meeting, 603; Tabernacle Services, 554; Tasmania, 556; Teddington, 647; Teloogoo, 508; Temperance Mission, 602; Temperance Work in New Zealand, 42: Thaxted, 196, 379; Tue Brook, 379, 556; Thrapstone, 556; Thursday Notes (continued)— Evening Service, 378; Townley Street Mission, Upper Mitcham, 604; Upton-on-Severn, 604; Wallace, Death of Mr. H., 604; Waltham Abbey, Nothing Venture, Nothing Win NOTICES OF BOOKS Abiding Christ, The, 375; About Jesus, 89; Abyssinia, 636; Adventures in Field, Flood, &c., 35; Adviser, The, 41; After Work, 83; Aidan, the Apostle of the North, 141; Alda's Leap, 38; Alice's Pupil, 38; Alike and Perfect, 142; Andrew Marvel, 187; Anecdotes on Bible Texts, 599; Angel Whispers, 638; Anglican Hymnology, 372; Anno Domini, 550; Annual Volumes, 638; Antiquity of Man, 244; Apocalyptic Interpretation, 240; Apostolic Life, 86; Apples and Oranges, 145; At Any Cost, 641; At the Sign of the Blue Boar, 139; Aunt Margaret's Visit, 642. Bachelor's Talks, A, 431; Backward Glance on Childhood's Scenes, 38; Balaam's Parables, 86; Baptism Discovered, 430; Baptist Almanack, 35; Baptist Messenger, 83; Baptist Missionary Society, 506; Baptist Tract Society's Books, 504; Basis of Religion, 547; Beauty of the King, 88; Behind the Cloud, 291; Beke's First Corner, 38; Beet on Galatians, 373; Better Land, The, 432; Better Part, The, 501; Beyond the Shadow, 193; Bible-class Primer, 143; Bible Difficulties, 640; Bible Helps for Busy Men, 191; Bible Interpreter, 598; Bible Mementoes, 640; Bible Queries, 434; Bible Remembrancer, 598; Biblical Treasury, 144, 506; Biographical Series, 434; Bird's-eye View of English Literature, 188; Birds of the Bible, 189; Birth-day Book of Art, &c., 41; Blackboard in the Sunday-school, 143; Blind Amos, 139; Bond of Union, 141; Book of Offices, 39; Boons and Blessings, 188; Bound for Australia, 641; Brief Essays and Sketches, 374; Brothers in Arms, 289; Bunyip Land, 90; By Still Waters, 38. Cambridge Bible for Schools, 643; Communion Memories, 371; Carlowrie, 190; Carrols of Cradle-land, 598; Catechism on the Second Advent, 240; Child Life in Chinese Homes, 432; Children of China, 189; Children's Books, 638; Children's Hosannas, 242; Children's Own Paper, 91; Children's Pastime, 90; Christian Choir, 190; Christ of History, The, 88; Christians and Politics, 188; Christmas Cards, 637; Christian Jewels, 640; Christ Superior to Angels, &c., 548; Chosen, Chastened, &c., 435; Christian Treasury, 83, 546; Churches in Asia, 639; Church's Peace, 141; Church, The, 83; Clovie and Madge, 502; Coligny, 87; Congregational Psalmist, 190; Conversations on "Bethesda," 596; Cottage Door, The, 434; Cross and the Dragon, 596; Crosses and Crowns, 640. Daily Comfort, 40; Daily Thoughts for Schoolboys, 84; David Maclagan, 87; Disruption Memories, 243; Devotional Readings, 548; Divided House, 501; Divine Ideas, 145; Divine Origin of Christianity, 241; Drift Leaves, 548; Drink Traffic, 286. Early Church History, 550; Early Days, 37; Early Days of Christianity, 595; East-End Pictures, 435; Echoes from a Village Church, 375; Eden Family, 639; Edwards on Corinthians, 551; Egypt and Babylon, 143; Egypt and Syria, 506; Elementary Classics, 500; Elijah the Reformer, 598; Emblems of the Holy |