Gospel Herald, 1859-07-16

              Devoted, to Oliristifinity, Mor.-ilitjr, tiro inlei e.^1^ oC   S ibl3 till  S<. liools, Social Iinpr ovoiric lit, 'JVinpt i  m<-( , J'dnc  ilioii,   md <xcnPT il Ne-w.s.
Oh    I ARTII   I'lACI,   <<OOJi   A\'1I1    'I01\ARI)   MCN"
BEHOLD,   I   ISRINU   YOU   (lOOT)   TIDINHS   OT   (Ull 1 I'   .lOY
VOL. 10.
DAYTON, O., SATURDAY, JULY 16, 1859.
NO. 11.
The Unseen Hand.
[Ooncliidcd from last weeh.]
And dauntless thou was Luther's zeal AVho foai-od not earthly power,
To shako his holy trnat in Cod Tliough earthly clouds should lower.
Onidod unto-New England's shore
By it, the May iriowor camo; And echaing down times corridor;
Still sings each pilgrims name. Our noble and truo-hoartod sli-oa,
Frmn persecution dread, And zealous in thinr holy cause,
Froni England's shores had fled.
And there beneath tho wintry skies, Upon New England's sod ;
It led them w-liere in fi-ecilmn they Oould meet to worship Cod,
Uphold by its suhlimo coulrol, Th' undaunted patriots fought;
AVhen life cmnpai-od to liberty. Appeared to tlicni as naught.
And bright the drads it hath enrolled
Upon the sci-nll of liimo ; AVhich now and over shall reilouud,
To Wiisliiugtou's great nairie.
Xt leads tbe ini-Jsion To heathen lands
To teach them from Which is OUI- giiid.
On lUilinown shores
lis bunplcs, and 11
The heallieu shall b(
It leads us through the de
ry forth,
that sacred Book'
oriife's nnme
And when unsei
Its guidance i
Ofthodlmfiitu That oft are ii But oft
, by m, :; obey.
ioua paths ay; rial eye,
/-\r» Br'iM A.I     DOPTRV XoAV, as thoro is a book Avliicli avo
O KIGIN AfL   yUt:.ir^^.J appropr iartly call tlio Heart of tlio
] Biblo, irom its special relation to tlic \ inner life oftho S].)iritual man; is there also a book Avhicli from its special rela^ tion to the outward worldly life oftho niau wo niiirlit desii!;iiato as the Lungs of thol^ible? Well, lot us sec. There, side by side AA'ith (ho book of "Psalms," you find tho book of "Proverbs." A.nd,. il'liho iirst of these is the ¦x-a.imi dciiotion- al of the sacred books; the sceoml is surely (in the worldly, business sense) the most practical. Its charactoristio Avords are ]n-actical, businesslike Avords. The Proverbs use Avith peculiar fre¬ quency, such Avords as "ktiovvled£;;o," "Avisdom," "prudent," " dilitreiit."—- "Plalmk" is the book oftho Inner Life, and its loading themes are Piety, Helf- o.vamination, Meditation, Aspiration, Thankfulness. .But "Phda'hiuss" is oin- inently the book of the Head and the tiaiids,—tUelifeof (JljservationandAe- tion. One might f^ot a not untiiir idea ofthe book'of J-'rovm-bs, liycallin;r ita "Pool' .Richard's .AItniiiiuc"-~inspired. Tlio ,1'salins carry our thou£!;litB up- AvariJ and ifeavenAvard. The I^roA'crbs carry them mainly OutAvard and Kiirth- Avard. Tile Psalius express God's Prov¬ idence. The Poverlbs utterMan's Pra- doiieo. The first of these books is full of hearty J)evoti(m: the siseoiid, is full of Wordly Biicciiss and 'riirii't. tlieii, in contrast, are the books of Psalms and t'ro verbs.
What l(!sson may avc learn from the side-by-side piositicn of these two books y J.'erbaps, this: that both these chaetcr- istics, DuvorioNALiTA' and ^Practicali- TY, must be possesed by the perfect ehai-aetor. One or other of them ivill not do; but both of them. ISTot, Heart on .lAings; hwt Ihuirt aho .Lungs. For .Devotioiiality alone does not thorough¬ ly eipiip the'man of (lod. This truth, even the devotional book itself asserts. For, says the.Psalms, (112: fi.) "Agood man - - ^ - . idU guide his affairs loiili tliserction." l!ut, neither is Practicali¬ ty (done, tho Avholo exeelloneo of charac¬ ter. For tho \Vise Man Avrote in tliat practical book, the Proverbs, "Keep thy d.lEART v)ith all diligence; fbr out of it are the issues of life." .But Iloart- keoping requires Ilcavcn-helpiiig: for the"Wise Man tells ns tdflo, that "the preparations of the heart are from the Lord."
From these ]iassages it appears that neither the Psalms'nor the Proverbs favor tbe pari ia! and one-sided idea that mere Devotioiiality, <u' mere Practical- ity, is sufficient films. !l)ut, inorderto constitute a comjileto and harmonious character, there must be the bleiuling together of'Devout emotions and use¬ ful practices. In relation to this, hoiv- cver, many persons run into extremes. Some men give themselves up to a mere Dcvotional'ity. They become full of rapturous feeling, biit not correspond¬ ingly practical in usefulness. There is to this class of persons, the danger of becoming dreamy, morbidly conscious, and spiritua-lly proud. Another class of persons givo themselves up to a more Practicality. Those persons tend to de¬ velop a bard, niattor-of-fact, domineer¬ ing spirit, Avith materialistic concep¬ tions oftho universe, and virtual deni¬ al ofthe Divino ProA'idence, through an over consciousness of their oAvn sagac¬ ity and eflioicnc^. Our American char- aoterpartakes largely of the aelf-glory-
AVe kn
tzy walks, re Bti-own with flowel-i WiLh rankling Ihorns nut which is ours.
Still with a high mysterious powe It leads US on through life ;
Till wo'riod with its many cares, AVe cease the worldly strife.
Then -vvith uplifted majesty.
Death's misty waters o'er ; Tt points us to eternity,
That fair love-lighted shore. liaral Home, Indiana.
ORIGINALITIES.
"Psalms" and "Proverbs."
By AUSTIN  OUAIO.
If the Bible be opened at a venture, it Avill probably o]ien in tlio book of " Psalms." The Psalms bave boon call¬ ed the Heart of the Biblo. So the Psalms rightfully occupy the central placo in the sacred volume. The book of Psalms is the most devotioncd of the holy books. Accordingly the Avords "prayer", "praise," "heart" "Gkid," oc¬ cur With ])eculiar frequency in the Psalms. Let us say, then, that tho book of PKulms is the Heart of tbo Biblo. But soniethhig besides a Heart is nec¬ essary, in order to give eoinplotcness to any ()rganic body. The province of the Heart is specially the Inner Life: but thero must be an Outward Life, too. In the natural Body aa'C find the inmost ])ar-ts occupied by thoso tAVo groat or¬ gans of life—the Heart and the Lungs. The Heart has relation to the wmer life ofthe body; while the Lungs have spe¬ cial relation to the external Avorld,—to the outer life. Thcso tAvo groat organs of lifo are placed side by side in the nat¬ ural Body.
tying characterifitios of niero Practical¬ ity. This spirit, at its fulness dethrones the Divine Governor; seeking all au¬ thority in its 'OAvn Avill, and aacribing all success to its own efficiency. "Is not this, great Babylon, that I iiaa-e inriLT?"—exclaimed the proud praotie- alist, Nebucluidnezz.ar. God answered his folly with eraziness and grazing, until he shoald learn that Hli-e heavens do rule."
The Psalms teach ns Devotion, Trust, Worship, andtheEver-prcscneoof God. These tilings are tho "very Heart of our human life. But human lifo belongs noAV to this ivorld, and must have its ae- frivities of the Head and of tho Hands. VTherofoie God, ivho in Psalms, com¬ munes Avitli our secret Heart, in .Piiov- niius teaches ns practical etiieieneyiind AVorldly success. Tho hook ofPoverbs contains God'sgospel ofdiligcnco, indus- trj", economy, and secular prosperity. In times of financial and cominereial dis¬ tress, such as the past two years liave Avitnesse(.l the siifl'erers ivould' do aa'^cII to study too book of Proverbs; yet not to the neglect ofthe Psalms. If busi- noss men ivould conduct thoir affairs ac- eordingtothemaxims of Proverbs, thoy would have gradual and safe gains; tiny would not have seasons of com¬ mercial disaster and wide spreading bankruptcy
If any man Avdio, thongh rich in do- votiona.l feelings, is unskilled in the ef¬ ficiencies of secular life; ivould esteem .Diligence and its liowards, iV'ononiy ami its Full-handedness, or Avouhl flee .Debt Avith itstrain of perplexities and temptations, or Avoiild escaiie Sui'cty- ship with its manifold troubles; let hiin stud.y the .PiiovKixns as avcU as the PsAL,Ais, and to his Devotionality, luld .Practicality.
So, too, if any man of entcrjiriseand business talent, Avho knows all tliat is meant by Diligence, Economy, and Thrift, Avould escape such a final and bitter disappointment as Solomon so mmirnfully describes in the history of his life-labor; let him learn betimes the divine lessons of the Psalms; as¬ cribe all bis success to the .fatherly jiro v- idence of his God; enkindle devout emotions in his heart by meditations on His Eodeeniing Grace; and ehci^r his spirit by hopes and glimpses of "the Bott.er Land," .Rven so "Psalms" AND "Proverbs," side by side. .Heart, Head ano Hands,! Piety ' and .Pru¬ dence! Sanctity ano Sagacity! W'or- ship AND Work!
iVritlen for the Gospel Herald.
Onr Title to the Epithet 'Evangrelical."
BA' ELD.  U.   K.   m'cONNBLL.
Aro AVO, (tho Cliristian denomina¬ tion.) an Evangelical people—Church'r' I'lvangclical means Gospel: so I liiwc simply asked are avo a Gospel Ohureir? T'his is an important inquiri'^. It is all to us. Christian, or not Gliristiany—¦ Saved, or unsaved? Who can fail to see, then, the vitality ofthe first inqui¬ ry? As to "orthodoxy," 1 prefer not to bo styled that. Orthodoxy moans right opinion; and Avhen one fully bolieve;-! liimself right, or "orthodox" in all things, he is ready to cease effort to at¬ tain a higher position; and to conoludo thatothcrs arc Avrong,ignorant, wicked, and-fit only to bo doomed to "eternal hell," in proportion as they vary from.
his "right opinion"—orthodoxy. Who does not knoAv this to be the truth in referonco to the self-styled orthodox Avorld? But do they cmbraeo the doc¬ trines of EvangoliBin? SluppOKO they do; do AVO not also hold them rather? Why do thoy elaiin to bo evangelical?
1. Boeanse they receive the Biblo as the rovealod vvill of G-od; and regard it as tbo standard of their foi th.
".Holy scriptures contaiheth all things necessary to salvation: so that Avhafisoovor is not roarl therein, nor may bo proved thereby, is not required of any man, that it should bo believed as an article of faith, or bethought rcc[ui- sito or necessary to salvation." Book of Common Prayer, Protestant Pip. Church. This is but tho voice of all tho Oroeds. —Wow, Avhat say the Christians? AU Scripture m given by inspindion of God; and is profitable ibr doctrine, re¬ proof, correction, instriretion in riglit- eoiisuoss, that the man of God may bo |ierfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Tim.2.16', 17. Where, so tar as simple position is concerned, lies the difference?   Let the reader judge.
2. Because thoy believe in, and wor- sliip one God.
"There is ono living and truo God, everlasting. AI. E. Church Piscipline. This too, is the faith of all the ortho¬ dox Avorld. Aro the Christians any where on this cardincd point? Hear them;
Hoar 0 Israel, The Lord our God is ono Lord. Mark xii, 2!J. God is one. Gal. HI, 20. But to us, (tho Christians) tlicro is but one Godj the Father. Cor.- viii, (!, This is the abundant confes¬ sion ofthe Cliristijin Faith. Thon horo, as before, avo certainly are evangelical. As to boAV God is ono, avo diff'er widely from others. We do not believe he is a "TI.U.NITY" for such term is nnknoAvn in the Biblo. But if the ([uestion of how is to be considered then orthodoxy ¦itself is hetrodm:: for thoy are irreeonci- lablo differences among theniselvcs on the question, of hoAV God is one? Tho Bilile says "there is one God the Fatii- in.i; and hero Ave are content Lo lot the question rest; belicAniig itwith "eva.n- geliml" tenacity.
3. Because tlicy believe in JesUH Christ the Son of God,
"I believe in * * * .lesus Christ his (the Father's) only Son our Lord." Apostles Creed. T'he (..Ihristiiins say: Anion! "And in ono fjord Jesus Clirist the only begotten Son of God." Nicene Greed. 'The Cliristians sa}', Amen! Anion!! "Tlic Son is of the Father alone, not made nor created; hut begot¬ ten." Athanasian Creed. The Christ¬ ians say "So mote it be"!l! But here, tliat Ave may see the similarity, let ns have something from the "Contessiou" of the Christians. Of a truth f hou art the Son of God. ACatt. xiv, ;-!:-'>, God so loved the Avorld, that .lie gnve his only begotten Son. ,lohn in, 1(1. By Avhom also lie mado the woi-hln; Hob. r, 2. ByAvhoni all things i-oiiHist; Col. i, 17. wilo was before all things, Col.i, 17. "I believe that .lesus Christ is tho Son of God." Acts; viii :!7. These ex¬ tracts from tho only eoiifi:ssion of our most holy religion clearly shoAV, not that our Clirist i^ a crf.ah-.d being, but the divine Siui of (iod; /irgotten boforo theworldi-^; iiigher in nature, office,and glory than uny of the angelic choris¬ ters of HeuA'en; invested with all power in Heaven and in  earth; made perfect