Gospel Herald, 1859-05-14

              Devoted to CliTistiaiiity, Morality,'tlieintei-eatw of Sfitjl^Mth  Solio<ila, Social 1'
ixij>roveiiieTit, MVinpern
Ea.xeati
aai.<l Oexiei'nl Nf
"liEUOLD,   1   IJKING   YOr   GOOD   TIBINGS   OP   OREAT^tfOY  ....   ON   HARTH   PEAOE,   (i-OOD   WILL   TO   MEN.
VOL. J6.
DAYTON, 0., SATURDAY, MAY 14, 1859.
nq: 2.
ORIGINAL POETRY.
ViiHi-nJui ll„ oo.j„l l[c}uhl.
YOUTHFUL PIETY.
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ORIGINALITIES.
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The sijield of Faith.
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TliL'   apoKtlo   With 11 mil)) ot larf;i^ cx- ]jerieii('i'   or  this  litiiire  never would
.*
iiuve been Miip^-csted to him      Tie had been eiilled to hiaiid at^aiiiht Llie 'ivile'< o1'the devil, lU'eseiiiod   in   a thouhand forms, Lilt the armor ol'Crod, luid ahove all (that is, overall) dhe shield of faith,' had lieen his iianioply, and all tbetiii'ry (larlH of the wich'ud had proved harra- k'bs.    Aud his experience is that of true christians  so  far   as they   lollo'S\- his hto])s.    Some of that exjievience every follower of (Jhrist must have, and each has ii in projjortioo as lie isthrustfor¬ ward to take  a   piihlic, active, or re- sponsihlo position iu the christian ser- vice.    The person who sits demurely at home, thinking-.only of himself,  and the thing's .iiumodiatoly around him, content to leave the miiddy waters of sin iindisturbod, to roc the rank weeds of vice  and  error, groAV unmolested, careless  of poverty' and  suffering so long  as he is untoiiched—such  a one may pass through life ignorant of tlio "Ijery darts;"' but he in to he ]ntied for his  ignorance.   Let a man put him¬ self in the way of sin, let him  take a position to ohstruot tiie path of avar¬ ice, pride, lust, amhition, party spirit aectariau zeal or wdiims of petty solfialr- ness, and immediately he willfind that the enemy is aroused, his forces arc mustered aud the air is full of arrowfi, aimed at him, aud designing his  des¬ truction.    The miu-e active he is, the more piil3lic his position, the wider his influence,  then the louder will be the war-cry against him, and the thicker and more liery will be the darts of the wicked hurled at his head.   If then he looses not his confidence, but trusts in that Omnipresent and Divine Power, who   presides    over  all things,  and manages even the whirlwinds of wrath 80 that his own praise shall redown
by their means, hi' ^vill stand untouch¬ ed, and see with a new clearness, the beauty and iorci' of the term—the 8b i oh I of Fai.th.
The experieiiee of the Apostle, is an encouragement before hand to those just entering upon the wariarc, who might otherwise tromble in view offhe hosts that beset them; for there is scarce!}' a phase of human trial which he had not seen and ti-Jamphod over.
Ifc enumerates to the Glorinthiaus a fearJhl list of labors and siiU'erings, of persecutions and ])erils; in the city, in the wilderness and in Ihe sea, by liis own couiiti'ymen, by the heatln'ii and false brethren; yet lie was always calm and toniident That bonds and afflic¬ tions abode with liiin, -^sas the wiliics^ ol the Holy (ihosl in t vi'i'} (il\. Yet, none ol these things moved jjim, if he (oiild linisli his (.nurse witlijiiy mill llie miiiist I'v which he had i'ec('i\eil of llic TjordJ('siis Pi'olecled hy the 'Shiehl (if Faith, ' these 1ier\ dai't^ were (|Ui'!ichcd lief'ore IIk} rc'ai bed him.— He does not bccd lliem, but ]>asses on in his course
Once, when the (unissarie-, ot tjie wicked one (-auglit ]\im and isihi's a'ld thrust theiu into an inner ]iriM)n anil made their feet iastin the stocks solar from wavering, Ibey ]iriiye(l and sang ]')raises to (bid at niidnighl, H'he ptis- loners heard them, and the jailor The latter believed, and all his house, and were baptised beli)re morning. And i#>lJjWi.V"iMVii'M,iiJ,J.<>^'i-' >yji« puLlbcm in priscm were glad to let tliem go. >So many such victories did he meet, that, at one time, whon he had seen the de¬ vices ol Satan tlnvarted, he exclaimed, "ISTow, thanks ho unto (Jod, who ol- vrnjR causeth us to triumph in Christ.'' iSi) etfective was thi.sHhicld of Faith.
At anothei- time, his eneiuies, jealous of llie influence he was gaining among tlie Corinthians, attempted to injure him by disparagements aud slan¬ ders. They said, that.though bis let¬ ters were weighty and ]K)werful, his bodily presence was weak and his speech contem]-)tible; and that he walked according to the flesh. But, he replied, "though Ave walk iu the flesh, we do not war after the flesh; for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal; "—m'c shall not return railing for railing,—''but they are mighty through G-od, to the pulling down of strong holds." Tlie Shield of Faith quenched the fiery darts, while, with the tSword of the" Spirit he actackod the ftn'tifications of sin.
Tlie hot ioersoeution which was rais¬ ed against him by his own coimtryi men, which resulted in a long impris¬ onment in Judea, his appeal-to Caesar, perilous voyage to Eome, aud a long custody there,—even this, he says, fell out rather unto the furtherance of the G-ospel. Man}' of CVsar's household believed, his bonds were manitest in the palace and in all other ]flaces, the brethren waxed bold, and Christ was magnified. So was turned for good that wliieh was meant for evil. ISTot only wore the fiery darts of the wick od quenched, but the persecutions, through tlie patience of faith, and the blessing of God, were tunifid to build up Avhat thoy wore dpsigned to de¬ stroy.
At one time there came very near being a rupture between himself and Peter, when he withstood Peter to the
ikee because ho was to be blamed. Peter doiibtless,. at that tira?, thought tluit Paul's•'drilting'-f, were b^d" becaus(* he didnot,likehiuisclf, compel Ibo (Tcntfile Converts to live as did the ,few.s. But Paul was firm in his consistency, teach ing that it was by the Aiith ol' Jesus Christ, and not by the works of the JewisJi law, that nion were justifiod, aud liencL it was not necessary that Gentiles ishould keep a law which had been superscderl bytbe Gos])el. Piitcr siion saw that it avhs not Paul's drift- iiigs, but his own, wdiich were wrong; the temporary breach Avas healed, and thirteen } ears alter Ave hear 'him s])eaking ot "our beloved brother P.uil. ' The liery dart had hcen ([iienclu'il by the isbield of Fni lb
15nt iliere is one experience Avbich lb'' \])nslle cscajied,—that of being an h]ili1or. 11 the (lesci])les had ])iiblisli('d a jiaper at .lenisalem, and Paul had been iijj])ointed l<lditor, burn at Tarsus as he w.is, IIkj adA'crsar}' would il pos¬ sible, have set all .Icrusalem in an ii]i- roar. All Ins endorscinenls by Jjvmes, Cc])has and ,lobn, though they scorned to be pillars,—his education nt a Jeru¬ salem sdiool. his laboi'.s and suH'erings ill the Clu'istiai) cause, the seals of his A])Ost!eshi]) among the conA'orts uL Kpliesiis, at lierea, at Aiitioch, Avould have gone tor iHitbiiig. He av ouhl have been cast out lor heresy, and .laines and all the other .loriisalem A])Ostles Vho had endorsed lum AVould haA'ebaen ex- claded from the ]iu]i)its of the cfcisit&ds and zealoits itatiro .Inclekns, sudcA^oirj ni(.sans Avould Inu'c been devised to battle down and kill olf tho Tar.<--,us- heretic and all Avlio syin]jathisod Avith liim. llajjpily for Paul, Iioav- over, the u}'l of printing was not yet iiiA'cnted, and be escaped, "^^'t, liad this been his hd, he Avould doubtless liaA^e ])r(>A'ed, as others since luiA-e proA-ed, that, ca'cu under this exper¬ ience, the Shield of Faith Avherowitli ho Avas able to cjuunch all the fiery darts of tho Avickcd. Avas sutiieient,
These and many other things shoAV in A\dKit a storm ofeAdk tho life of tho Aposlle Avas spent. And if, iu every emei'gency, the Shield (Af F^aith Avas sufficient for him, so it may l)c for all fjthcrs. Aud so they find it. Indeed, it is, not until avo haA'c been brought to some extent into a like expn-iencethat Ave can fully understand the dee]> siguiticance of his expression, or knOAV how great the joy in "the soul's calm sunshine," and the strength of faith, Avhile tho fiery darts iijtended for our de¬ struction, fail (]^uonclied at our feet.
But these are external enemies.— There arc still others, more fearful, more dangerous; against wliich Ave must be on our guard or we shall bo OA'-ereomo by tboni. These are the foes of our OAvn household; for,
"Of ftll the foes •wp moot, Nonu 80 apt to turn our Icot, NOnn lintrilj tis into nA, IiiUo tho fix-'B V 0 linvo ¦* ithm.''
Against these,, the- Shield of faith must be a constant protection. The roaring of tho boasts Avitbout, iiAvakos the raging of the boasts Avithin. Tho eye of the master must bo upora, them or they Avill become fierce and uncdn- trolable. When their nattii'e is aroused they pant and lash themselves for the bloody conflict. Then js- i^ hour o'jf danger. They are oyx entoiies non« the less, because Ikey a-H)ear to arrange
theniseh es in our deteucc. There is no safety Init in keejung thctn restraiiiod and quiet. The nio.sl fiery darts are those burled by the enemy AA'ithin. The Shield of Faith alono can quench them. Hold bist lb this armor and remeifibcr your [Master, -'Avho A\hen ho Avas revil¬ ed, reviled not again, but committed himself to him Avho judgetb righteous¬ ly " Above all take'the Rhieid'of Paith AAdi,ei'eAvitli a e shall Iw able la (piench all the tierv darts of the Ayicked.
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Our Book Priends,
NUAlUnil   1
Say what Ave Avill (<uid much may justly be said,) against ,;/(//' "book learning," books are not, to he despis¬ ed as (Om/7/r/r//tn till' Ic'-'ioiis of expt"- rieiKC '^fbe inuiidalKni of cA'cry inao'.s Avisdoni luiisl be laid in jierstnial obser¬ vation and I'ctlectioii, JN^otliiog can take the place ol Ibis ])crs(iii:il c\peri- eiKC, bii,t if by aijy means oj coniniu- ni( ,ition Ave could ad<l to this the cx]ie- rieiice of every other man, if is idear that in the ]>lacc of oui' oavii limited A\isil(mi A\e .should be masters of the wisilom of the world. This is Avbat bap])ens in a measure Avhenever we converse A\ ith a friend or read a book. The A'alue to us of this superadded ex¬ perience, is in direct ])i'o])ortion to the ]xjA\;er and wisdom of tho mind A\"biclL iiSiliftrts, and our (wa recupHvity.— This lafle.i- e{mdition dc'iK'nds A'ery much of (.ourse, ui)on ])revions train¬ ing, and ])i'osu])poses in us tastes and capacities similar in kind, though not neccssarjly eipial in degree, to tlioso (4'him from Avhom }ve Avould learn.
Personal intercourse, and exchange (jf thought by Avortl < if imnitli, can furn¬ ish us Avith but the smallest fraction of tho thoughts and knowledge of other men. If this knoAvJedge is (lesirable, then s(nne more potent force than the human voice must be diseoA'ered.— Fv(3n if
"HuLv.m i'iisi ,ont 1,'ttnis to Btimi ^iirohk't .ml. Home ciptn'e invcr oi ili"^pi,iiinR iniiiil,"
the happy aSAVidl as the miserable haA'e reason to bless the gift. T'lierehy avc actually, and in no mystic sense, be¬ come aet|uaiutod Avitb the men oi all nations and times. The lights of the world, both thoso noAV burning on the earth and those Avliose radiance has been transfurred to heaven, ©ereby become visible to us. If noftiKhe body but the soul is the man, Avheti aa^o read what is written we know the winter, in the only true sense of tho AVord hnowl- e/lge. In so tar as a' man makes us a sharer of his thoughts and feelings, ko far we can ckini aoquaintanco Avilh him, but no further. Men's persons AVO sim];)]y recognise by the eye; that is, Ave are c5nBdou& of having preA'iously seen tlm same wrangement of physi¬ cal atoms at tria'tain other places and times. If wo should meet tho same person daily for years Avithout ever ox- changing with bira aAA'ord or an intoi- ligelitglance, and Avithout ewer bearing ,p&s history and charactoi' from oth- ^, should Ave claim to know him? To call such an acquaintance knouie/hj/^^ woiild certainly bo a perversifm 'ef terms.
Knowdedge of men, avc may then don- cludo, is the understanding which jiiind
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