Part 1

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Underscores “_” before and after a word or phrase indicate _italics_ in the original text. Small capitals have been converted to SOLID capitals. Antiquated spellings have been preserved. Typographical errors have been silently corrected but other variations in spelling and punctuation remain unaltered.

JUST OUT!

BOOK OF GEMS, Cloth, $2.00. Library, 2.50. Morocco, 4.00.

LIFE AND TIMES OF BENJ. FRANKLIN. Cloth, $2.00. Library, 2.50. Morocco, 4.00.

“SYMPOSIUM ON THE HOLY SPIRIT,” CLOTH, 75 Cents.

“UNION WITH CHRIST,” BY G. W. LONGAN.

WILL BE READY DECEMBER 25th. A HAND-BOOK OF CHRISTIAN EVIDENCE. BY LAURENCE W. SCOTT. A BOOK OF ABOUT 300 PAGES.

IN COURSE OF PREPARATION, TESTIMONIES TO TRUTH, — OR — MASTERPIECES OF MANY MINDS. By J. W. MONSER.

JOHN BURNS, 717 Olive Street, ST. LOUIS, MO.

A BOOK OF GEMS,

— OR —

CHOICE SELECTIONS FROM THE WRITINGS OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN,

ARRANGED BY J. A. HEADINGTON, — AND — JOSEPH FRANKLIN.

ST. LOUIS: JOHN BURNS, Publisher. 1879.

_Copyrighted by JOHN BURNS, 1879._

Stereotyped by ST. LOUIS TYPE FOUNDRY.

INDEX TO SUBJECTS.

PAGE. A. Campbell’s Successors and Critics 241 A Choir 230 A Happy Meeting 260 A Hard Question for Preachers 458 A Higher Morality Required 24 A Mighty Good Foundation 457 A Mother’s Grave 140 A Phalanx of Young Men 393 A Suggestion 99 A Working Ministry 130 Activity in the Ministry 453 Adhering to the Bible 207 Affirmative Gospel 428 All Things Common 94 Annihilation—Future Punishment 100 Anointing with Oil 396 Apology for Creeds 120 Authority of a Single Congregation 243

Baptism of the Holy Spirit 407 Be firm in the Right 65 Belief in the Bible is Infallibly Safe 371 Believers only to be Baptized 350 Bible Names 368 Bodies Resurrected, not Spirits 395 Born of Water and the Spirit 21 Boundary Line of Repentance 166 Branches of the Church 292

Cain’s Wife 105 Call no Man Reverend 30 Can not a Man know that he is a Christian 381 Christianity 159 Christian Zeal 196 Christmas 227 Christ the Center 186 Christ will come 234 Church Decisions 262 Church Membership 349 Church Organization 42 Classification of Missionary Men 244 Clerical Young Pastors 277 Come out of Babylon 471 Communion 217 Conclusion of the Year 498 Converting the Cities 259 Controversy 354 Controversy about the Spirit 355 Courtesy in Fellowship 231

Dancing is a Healthful Exercise 363 Dedication of Church Edifices 221 Delay in Turning to the Lord 282 Deluded 95 Design of Miracles 103 Developing the Talents of the Young 475 Dialogue about the Preacher 489 Disturbing Element 191

Eating the Lord’s Flesh and Drinking His Blood 40 Earnestly Contending for the Faith 374 Enduring Hardness as Good Soldiers 280 Evangelists and Evangelizing 126 Evangelists—Pastors 320 Everlasting and Eternal 279 Exalted Position of Jesus 383 Exchanging Pulpits 209 Excuse for Creeds 146 Extent of One Man’s Influence 420

Faith Comes by Hearing 316 Faith, Repentance and Baptism do not Pardon 308 Feet Washing 253 Fine Clothes 90 Future Success of the Lord’s Army 252

Giving up Principles 397 Glorying in the Cross of Christ 439

Hardening Pharaoh’s Heart 15 Hear ye Him 123 How a Preacher may Stand Fair 281 How the Cause of Reformation was Advanced 391 How the World Regards Dancers 297 Household Baptisms 433

Imperfect Medium for a Perfect Revelation 482 Individuality after Death 369 Infant Sin—Infant Salvation 108 Influence of the Dance 245 Innovations in the Church of Christ 413 In Season and out of Season 38 Is it Possible to Arouse the People 138

Jesus Revealed as the Savior 379 Judgment the Ground of Repentance 202

Keep Politics out of the Church 160 Kind of Preachers and Preaching Needed 211 Knowing and not Doing 435

Laying the Corner Stone of a Catholic Cathedral 271 Lifted Above Sects and Parties 69 Light Within 61 Little Matters 53 Lord’s Day Meetings 270 Lotteries 11

Maintain a Pure Faith and Worship 289 Making the Bible Support Human Systems 71 Man’s Accountability 462 Mark Those Who Cause Divisions 335 Men can and do Believe 345 Methodist Clerical Pretensions 265 Ministering Angels 58 Miracles 426 Moody and Sankey 267 My Church 403 My Kingdom is not of this World 466

No Campbellites 258 No Departure from the Jerusalem Church 20 No Division can come 48 No Modification of the Divine Plan 246 No Preachers on Dancing 12 No Side Structure 59 Not of One Class 295 Not Receiving the Reformation, but Christ 68 Not to Keep Company 419

Observing the Sabbath 333 One Baptism 190 One Idea Ism 56 One Immersion 410 One Religion 235 One Way to God 248 Our Authoritative Religion 111 Our Census 17 Our Plea 256 Outward Appearance 51 Over and Through the Mountains 148 Overlooking Humble but Good Men 484

Paul and James on Justification by Faith 352 Paying Preachers a Stipulated Sum 326 Preach “First Principles” 474 Personality of the Devil 276 Pioneers, Support, etc. 73 Poimeen—Shepherd—Evangelist—Overseer 25 Policy in Preaching 467 Popular Amusements 451 Popular Union Meetings 249 Praise God by Singing 232 Prayer 364 Prayer Books 341 Preachers Belonging to no Church 229 Preach Christ, not Ourselves 329 Preacher did not Suit 30 Present Punishment will not Save 133 Progressing Backward 46 Protracted Meetings, Excitements, etc. 309 Public Opinion—Infant Damnation 384 Pulpits 422

Reason, Providence, and the Spirit of God, Teach us to Obey God 150 Receiving Sinners without Baptism 175 Reckless Twaddle 78 Recognition of, by Sects 301 Reflections for Dancers 112 Reformation a Success 96 Reign of a Thousand Years 263 Religion and Politics 336 Resurrection—Adamic Sin 325 Resurrection of Lazarus 89 Revelation of the Mystery 372 Riches of Faith 188

Saved without Baptism 299 Scene in a Hotel 314 Sectarianism 357 Self-laudation 328 Shorter Catechism of Universalians 446 Small Improprieties and Annoyances 409 Speak Pleasantly 179 Spirit of Indifference 118 Some Things can not be Settled 50 Sound Men 225 Subtleties about Immersion 92 Suggestions to a Young Sceptic 487 Success to Good Men 255 Summary of Arguments on the Action of Baptism 455 Support Workers 77

Tediousness in Public Devotions 323 Tendency of Universalism 142 The Action of Baptism 443 The Bible Will Save the World 66 The Bible Infallibly Safe 145 The Bible and Bible Men 405 The Bible Ground 414 The Bible vs. Human Creeds 438 The Cause of Christ is Above Partisan Politics 469 The Christian Ministry 44 The Church in the Wilderness 223 The Church of Christ a Proselyting Institution 331 The Converting Power 480 The Fall of Beecher 176 The Genealogy of Christ 206 The Grand Work Before Us 3 The Ground of Union 36 The Kind of Preaching Required 82 The Knowledge Necessary Before Baptism 351 The Love of Christ Constrains 496 The Mission of Infidels 134 The Old and New Testaments 31 The Pardoning Power is Only in God 440 The Secret of Success in Preaching 322 The Shortness of Human Life 1 The Warning 390 The Work of Creation 8 The Work of the Disciples 417 Theory and Practice 479 Things Not Forbidden 290 Thirty Years Ago 376 Too Late for the Cars 269 True Missionaries 18 The New and the Old 464

Universalism 75 Universalism Unbelief 274 Unprofitable Servants 165 Upward Tendency—Reformation not a Failure —Missionary Work 343

Value of Learning 143 Various Kinds of Scepticism 180

Wandering Pilgrims 219 Wealth of Alexander Campbell 303 We are a Missionary People 88 We are No Sect 286 We have a Perfect Gospel to Preach 366 What a Preacher Must Be 477 What We Are For 97 What is Essential 106 What We Know is Right 107 What is Campbellism? 156 What must I do to be Saved 317 Where is the Army of the Lord 251 Where is the Power 213 Who Crucified the Savior 195 Whom the Lord Receives 294 Why Infidels Oppose the Bible 423 Wielding the Sword of the Spirit 284 Will You also Go Away 35 Women in the Church 194

Young Preachers Must Be Practical 157

PREFACE.

The writings of no man among the Christian Brotherhood have been so universally popular as those of Benjamin Franklin, save the extended writings of Alexander Campbell. Franklin’s volumes of Sermons, Debates and Tracts, together with his miscellaneous writings, have for many years been in general demand, and have met with ready sale.

No excuse is offered for this volume, save that of public demand. The public demanded the volume, and it is, therefore, submitted.

None but the most choice selections, gathered from numerous valuable writings, have been allowed space in this volume. The book is what it purports to be, a collection of Gems that sparkle in the light of Heaven’s Truth as diamonds in the sky.

The reader, by referring to the Index, can easily turn and get the views of the Author on very many momentous subjects.

The volume will prove, as we trust, a monument to the memory of a great and good man, and a treasure to every Christian household.

The volume is sent forth with the prayer that the truth it contains may sanctify and make glad many, many hearts.

J. A. H.

THE SHORTNESS OF HUMAN LIFE.

Nation after nation rises, enters and occupies a place among the nations of the earth, falls, and is only known in the faithful records of history. Generation after generation comes forth, enters upon the great theatre of life, throngs the world for a little while, falls in death and passes into eternity. Upon an average, about once in thirty-three years, the whole of the inhabitants of the earth, or as many as are upon it at any one time, over one billion souls, are carried beyond the reach of all missionary effort—beyond the reach of all repentance—all gospel invitations, and so many as are not saved, beyond all possibility of salvation. During the same short period, the preachers, missionaries, writers and professors of religion of one generation are all born where no mistakes can be corrected, and no amendment for wrongs done, or time trifled away, can ever be made. Taking off from this time, eighteen years for childhood, only leaves about fifteen years for the vast work of personal preparation, for a state of boundless duration in the pure and holy society of just men made perfect, the angels of God, Jesus the mediator of the New Covenant, and God, the Judge of all. It also leaves about the same length of time for the good and virtuous, those with the love of God in their hearts, and lovers of mankind to make an effort to save our race. In this view of the subject—and no other can be justly taken—it will readily be perceived that what we do _must be done quickly_. Those who do anything for mankind, must engage in the work immediately and with energy. All who intend laying up a good foundation against the time to come—laying up treasure in heaven to which they can go, and upon which they can rely when their temporal supports shall all fail, must commence the work immediately, persevere in it, and abound during the short space afforded them. There must be no delay, for there is simply time enough to do what must be done immediately, if done at all. Those who have never prepared to meet God, have still greater reason to enter at once upon the examination of the subject. With them, everything to secure their eternal happiness, so far as their own action is concerned, is yet to be done.

How short the time, in view of the amount to be done; and how carefully every moment should be employed by every person who has not been reconciled to God. What vast multitudes, throng our streets, lanes and highways, who have never seriously thought upon, much less taken the elementary steps, to come to God, and who will remain in their present condition, unless arrested in their thoughtless career, by those who have already tested the good word of God, and felt the power of the world to come. What an everlasting reason we find here for a most energetic, persevering, and godly effort to rescue them and bring them to God.

THE GRAND WORK BEFORE US.

The people God has raised up in the nineteenth century and founded upon the apostles and prophets, Jesus the Christ, the chief corner-stone, have not been raised up in vain. Only a small part of their work is in history yet. What has been done is only a drop to the bucket of the stupendous work to be accomplished. It is only a foretaste, an earnest of what is yet to come. It is only the incipient movement, the inauguration of the work, the entering wedge. The great body of the work lies in the future. Let no man become disheartened if a few faint-hearted do turn back and hanker after the flesh-pots of Egypt. In all great movements some of these have been found. They were in the camps of Moses and among the first followers of Jesus. They have been the timid, faithless time-servers, afraid of the people and lovers of the world. But these are only spots in the feast, mere blemishes, and no more to the great body than the spots in the sun compared with that wonderful body. These poor little souls that desire to be _like the clergy_, or to be actual _clergymen themselves_; that want titles, and the people to call them _Dr._, _Rev._; that get on the white cravat, the priestly coat buttoned up to the chin; that drop on their knees and make a _public private_ prayer, as they enter the “sacred desk,” and that teach the disciples to drop the head and offer a _secret private public prayer before an assembly_, are not the men whom God sends. They are the men who think the _largest offer in money is the loudest call from God_, and the call which they obey most implicitly. They can be bought and sold like sheep and oxen. God never calls such men as these. They are a burlesque on the religion of Jesus Christ; the plainness, simplicity and humility of our Lord. The idea has never entered into their heads to be _servants_ of Jesus Christ. Their idea is to be _masters_. They are not thinking of obeying, unless to obey the men with the largest purses; but their idea is to be obeyed. They are not thinking of adoring, but of being adored. The third epistle of Peter is the one in which they find their likeness, and they are following the directions in that epistle. Some of these may be reformed, and others will go to their own place. They are not the men that _run the world_; the world _runs them_.

But there is another class, that do not worship at the same altar with these, nor are they of the same stripe. They do not draw their divinity from clerical titles or clerical attire, nor from _public private prayers_, from imitating Jewish rabbis, or sectarian rabbis, from imitating ancient or modern Pharisees or Sadducees, but from the living oracles of the living God. They are not under the thumbs of rich men, nor under the influence of high salaries; nor ancient nor modern priests. They cannot be bought and sold. They are the Lord’s _free men_. They have cut loose from the bondage of the world of sin, of sectarianism and the clergy. They belong to Christ. They get their gospel from him. They are his servants. They adore and worship him. They are men of faith and of prayer, too, but when they pray in _secret_, it is _in secret_, where none but Him who sees in secret sees them. They know their Bible and they are devoted to it. There is a grand army of these, we believe, as time as the needle to the pole. We cannot say that there are seven thousand in the field, public preachers, but we are astonished wherever we go to find such numbers of them, and to find their firmness and determination in the faith; and to learn, too, of the sacrifices they are making and the additional sacrifices they are determined and willing to make. They are many of them living almost as economically as we did thirty years ago, in our incipient work of opening the way.