Gospel Herald, 1860-03-31

              GOSPEL HERALD,
Devoted to Ohristianity, Morality, the IntereatB of SaTaTiftth Sclioots, Social Improvement, Teraperance, Education, and Greneral Ne-ws.
"BEHOLD,   I   BKINQ   Ydtt   GOOD   TIDINQS   01"   GREAT   JOT  ....   ON   EARTH   PEACE,   GIOOD   WILL   TO-WAKD   MEN.'
VOL. 16.
DAYTON, 0., SATURDAY, MARCH 31, 18(J0.
NO. 46.
ORIGINAL POETRY.
'. MONTHLY.
[iraoM nKADi
Midnight Hymn.
"At midnight I will rise to ^ivo thanks unto Itieo, he- oaiiae of thy righteous Judgmnnts." Ps. oxix. 6'i.
In I'he inid Kileiuie'ot' the voiotiles.s night, When,chaBed hy airy ilroame, the HluraberS flco; Whom in the darkuesH, dotli my spirit seek, 0 (iod, but theo ?
Ani, if there ha a weight upon tny liroaat, gomo vague impr«3(-ion of tlie day foregone, Scarce knowing what it, is t fly to thee, And Uiy i t down.
Or, if it bo tlio hBavinpij.s tltat comos In token of antioipated ill, My boSom takes nc hoed of what it is, Since 'tis thy ¦will.
ForSh, in Spiteof piVHt or present caro, Orftny thing beside,-—hovr joyfiilly Piwsee that silent, solitary hour, My God with thee I
MorotWnquil than the stillness of the night, '. More peaceful than the Bllenceof that hour, More Iilest thtm any thing, my bosom lies Beneath tliy power.
Pot, what isthwe on earth, that f desire.
Of all that it can give, or tako from me ?
Or whom, in hea'Ton, doth my spirit seek,
0 God, but theo V
ORIGINALITIES.
WritUnfor the Gospel Herald.
Christian truth in contrast -with other Systems
BIT II. HIMONTON.
Tho now diHpeiiHatioii, or christian institution is liberal, wlion compared ' with tho old Law diapcimation, and with othor hw^e rolipjiotiH donoinina- tion.s, or churelics c.liviming to bo cliristlariH, but fail in theiiumt OBsential 'points. 'riio.lcwiHli, or law dispon- ¦ aalion viras KolfiHh when ooniptirod with tlie now, in ai moat every foatiiro ofit. This will bo found true, in tbo provis- 'iOns of tho ohl—tho conditions on which it was recoived—itsi almoHt eiid- leae amount of offerings; and in whttt it proposed to do for men. Tho old liaw disponstition was given to ono na¬ tion, and coniinod to thom during tho whole timo of itH Horvico, except a few proselytes made from timo to time, irotii tho different nations. But as a nation and people, it belonged to the Jewsi Thtiy had tho exclusive eon- •trol of it as a system of religion, di- VMB'lygivon to them. In consequentso ¦of its having been given to thein as a nation, thoy claimed, and wero called the _pf;culiar peo'|)le of God. lienoe, tney became selfish and soetarian in thoir feelings and actions toward othor nations. To such an extent was this leeling Cdrried among them, that when th© nem and ?)l(?re/i7.»era^in8tituti0nw•as oeing introduced, and confirmed among ™em, they evon put tho Son of God to ^®ath, and it was hard to convince the wends of the new, of its moro' liberal nature, aud character. ' Iiikem'iny in thia age of tbe world, tney concluded that they were the evangelical church, and that all must, be leve just as thoy did, or have no te-lowship with them. But tho Lord nad a poople who wore not in their sectarian told
Sofirmly settled were tho most of t'lem in thoir Jewish notions, and sec¬ tarian feelings, that strong efforts •^ad to bo made on the part of the Di- ¦^'me mind, to convince oven a small portion of them, that the christian sys¬
tem was so liberal in its provisions, and suitable in its conditions, as to meet tho mora! ami spiritual wants of all nations. many of thora were finally convinced that God had made liberal arrangements in the new and better institution, for all His children. Their glorious year of jubilee had come at last, in which liberty was to be proclaimed to all, of every nation, who wore bound in the bondage of sin.
Ko system, theory, or form of relig¬ ion ever offered to the sons of .Adam, is 60 liberal, full and. free, in its provis¬ ions and conditions—none so liberal in meeting tho conditions of human nature, inevory nation, and in all conditions of lifo, from the highest son of science, down to the most illiterate in society. It comes with a balm for every wound, a Cordial for every fear that sin lias made, and to be had by men, on free and easy terms.
But after all that had been done on the part ofour InfinitoFather, and tho BtifForings anti death of his Son, to de¬ monstrate in the most convincing man¬ ner, the Liberal naturo and benevo¬ lent character of tho new institution, which was designed to mtike of all con¬ tending factions, one new Catholic Church, andsomako j)eaco. Men wero not contented to have it so, but ashcjrt timo. We learn thtit tho Spirit of sect tmd party, soon commenced among the primitive christians. This iSjiirit ol' selfish Stictarian contention com- moncetl, before tho first Ministers of Christ had (ilosed their work cn earth. And over sinco that time thero has been moro or less of tho   same  spirit;
ta,rianforms, md controverted Theolog¬ ical abstrtlctions. It is like a quiet constant running river, lot it alone and it will find the ever-boundless ocean of Infinite Love, from whence it came.— It loves the image, mind and Spirit of the good master, find it when and where it may. It loves tho good of every name—it is the uniting bond among the brotherhood of Ghrist, on oarth, ahd will be the native element of Heaven's boundless land of rest. It will "suffer long," and is kind, "it en- vioth not"—vaunteth not itself—"is fiot puffed up,"—does not j?«# up and swell out like a selfish sectarittn bigot. Behaves itself in a decent christian manner. "Seekoth not her own—is not easily proyoked—thinketh no evil —beareth all things—believeth all things—hopoth all things—endureth all tilings."
There is a comprehensive view of the living element of the new institu¬ tion. It is an inspired statement of tho broad and benevolent nature and characttii'of christian perfection, in feeling ahd action, towtirds those with whom the christian may have to do in life. It is, take it in the most limited sense of intei'pretation that it can be used, a God given rebuke to selfish- noi^H, in every form in the world,among men. It is tho gretit conservative prinoiyile that holds the mind,anti yiass- ions in reasonable btmnds; and binds tho hetirts of men to the living (iod.—- It is the golden chain that hinds loving hearts, in tho home or family circle.—- The only sure bond, in the cliurch <.)f Christ.    Whero this and the Spirit   of
among those claiming to bc cliristians.! God is, there is chri.stittn Liberty. Lib Why this has boon, and is yot   tho j orty ofconscioiice and freedom of relig
case among men, I am   not fully  pre-1 ious opinion.
pared to define, even to my own mind, I       ,.,^   , ». i   m        	
except it is bec-tniHo mon havts not bei^n j wmtr.n forthe uost,ei n„rai,i.
fully raijenerated hy tho life-giving pow- i Resurrection.
or of the Siiirit di'God   and   revtMiled '
truth.    Because   they   have  not been I
fully immer.sod in tho   boundless t>cean\
of Divino Lovo and bright Bunshiiie ofj
christian benevolence. It must be because   they   httve not [
permitted the leaven of the Gospel  to j
transform them into the divino imago i man, has been, and still is a matter of
—into the life-giving spirit and   mind I controversy in the   Avorld,   and   even
ofthe good mtister—into tho unbound- j limoiig christians.    Andnotwitlistand-
ed lovo and benevolence ofthe Messitih  ing, God has given tho most  oonvinc-
iid tlial wliidh tlioii suwiiat, tliiiu wnvc.'it not tliat body Ihal tliall lie, but hear grain, it iimy iihanoeof wheat or nf.sonie oilier grain, lint God j;ivctli it a lioily as it hath pleiiaed liim, and to every seed liis own body. Firnt t:or. Ifi: 37 38.
The subject of the   resurrection   of
in all his words, feelings and actioiis. while among men. The man who is born again—^who is regenerated by tho life-giving power of revealed truth,and the Spirit of God, cannot—Ho will not bo solfish in his feelings and action.s— it is not in tho nature tjf this renutrka- ble change, to permit Ilim to be selfish and sectiirian in His feelings and ac¬ tions. The lovo of God is the soul and essence of])uro religion, it is the ruling principle of action in the whole work, in the formation of christian chiiracter, itis liot selfish.
It is^r&'f and/^i'f—irmde   and   out-
ng proof ofhis ability to do tiny, ami everything tluit ho ploasos, and has stint his Son to sliow in his own per¬ son the manner and what ptirt is rais¬ ed, and called him the forerunner, the first fruits dechu'ing that he would raise up us also, anti chiingo this mor¬ tal body that it might be like his glo¬ rious body, still with all this (to me clearnetss of proof,) somo think that all that is meant, is simply another life beyond this, and that this to-xt, (thou sowest not that body that shall bo, is protif positive.) Now, I think as far as I have known, the 'rest of thischap-
above and below—fore and aft.    It is the ! ter that speaks on this point is admit- native element of christian charticter—at ted by all to favor the resitrrcetion   of
tlie body that is bufietl or tbatd
all times—and under all circwtistarices,'at home iind when absent in sickness and in health—in prosperity and adversity.— Without it weare nothing in a chris¬ tian sense of the term; tind with its transforming and benevolent nature in our hearLs, we ctmnot be .si-lfi.sh and .sectarian, in onv feelings and actions.
jVfo.'sif blessed, liberal tuid holy prin¬ ciple of love, it never has, iiitd never will contend fbr party na,n;cs,and Sec-
It seems to me to he a great mistake in tlio Apostle if ho retilly meant that when it man sowed grain he was liable to have some other grain, and it wasa mutter of fbttiice oidy, whether he reapeil the fitches i r cummin, though he sowed tin' priui'i]ile whi'Ut. But if wo snpiKihO the vVpostle Lo bo proving (he ohtabli.shed immutableness of this law, like all Itt." la-wa, then it appears
plain enough. NoW, if God had not decreed in the begiiihmg that every seed should have its own body, then it might chance of wheat or of some other grain. But God (>iveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and that is to every good seed his own body. But innny Bbjeet, on tho ground of the im-¦ propriety of snch a process, and think it iinpiissible, for thb reason, thit man like all mtitter becomes food for other bodies, and is scattered to the four winds of oarth, and who can gather tho scattered particles, &c.
And they take grounds with Pro¬ fessor Bush "in thia argument, the same is the late Spiritualism and quite tho same is the doctrino of Sweedonburg, all of which I hesitate not to say is equivalent to saying that the resur¬ rection is past already, because if pass¬ ing then with those it is piist al¬ ready, whereas Jesus says, whosoever believtrth the Son niay have evorlast-' ing life and I will raise him up at tho last day. John TI. 40. Ithink it veryi illy becomes a christian to tako siich grounds in argument as questions, the;' ability of .Kirn who streteheth out the north oyer the empty place and harig- eth tlio Earth upon nothing.
0.  B. R.
Pittshurg, Ja.n., 22nd., '60.
tVri'ten far the Gospel HariM.
Reviews
In tho 38th number of the Go,spel Herald I find two or threo articles that: dcHorvo some notice. Tho first is over the signature of I'uir Play. In this'ar¬ ticle there are some arguments in fttvor of having fictitious names signed to compositions written' for publication in a religious paper. I am not, how¬ ever, conviiii;od that tho position taken hy till! writer is correct, and tliereforo 1 wiil give a few thoughts in favor of each writer nigning their real name to iirticles designed for publication in tho Hendd.
1. Our men oftige iirnl talent liavo a gruat iniluenco among us and tbowrit- ings will do more good when their names tire signed to them, than they otiicrwise eould do.
2. Jt tvould rid the editor of thoae iirticles written by persons who wish to try what thoy can do with their pens, but aro not willing to own thoir pro¬ ductions by sigiiiiiff their names to them.
H. It would provent persons from acting in disguise which ofteii leAds to wrong conclusions, false censure, and contention such as flooded onr pa- ]ior when in tho hands of the former puhlisber. Then let all who write fbr the i7«rrtW sign their real names and avoid the evils refered to, and gratify I tbfise readers who nredesirousof know- ling the names of tho ftuthor; t',f what I they read.
Tho Kccond is over the name of A. ! J). Kellison. In answer lo Bn.i. Ward's fjuestion. Was Christ tivcr born be- fiire Ho was born of the Virgin Mary. Bro. Kellison says"! answerytis." Isit possible that our good brother would eontenil that Christ was liorn in liis j»'o-existont slat*'., and if so, pleaso brother tell us who was Ilis mother of whom Ho was born, beforelle wasbr.rn ofthe Virgin Mary. We tidmit that Christ existed with the .Father before all worlds, but my Bible tells mo  that