Gospel Herald, 1860-03-17

              De-iToted t.o Oliristiai-iiiy, Moi'ality, ilie Interests of Saliliatli Sciliools, Social Impi-oveinent, I'empei-aiioe, Kdr-icatioir, and (Jenei-al Ne-ws.
BEHOLD,   I   BKINO   YOU   GOOD   TIDINGS   OF   GREAT   JOY  ....   ON   EARTH   PEACE,   GOOD   -tVILL   TOWAED   MEN.'
VOL. IB.
DAYTON, 0., SATURDAY, MARCH
1860.
NO. 44.
SELECT POETRY.
Buriet Priends.
KELECTI.;i>  r.Y KI.I).  B. F. RAfl>.
My buried friends, can I forget,
Or must the grave, eternal sever'? Tliey linger in my ii emory yet,
And in my lieirrt they tive forever Thoy loved me once with Ioto sincere
And never did their love deceive me, But often in my conflicts here,
I'hcy rallied quickly to relieve me.
I fain would weep, hut what of tears ?
Tho.se tears of mine can neer reoall   them; Nor do I wish that groveling cares,
That cares   like   mine,   should e're befall them, They rest in future life and light,
And dwell around the mount of glory; They ha.sk in beams of love divine,
And shout to tell the pleasing story.
I heard them bid the world adieu,
1 saw them on the rolling billow; Their far-off home, appeared in view
Wiiile yet they pressed a dying pillow, I heard the parting pilgrim tell,
While passing Jordan's stormy river, "Adieu to earth, for all is well;
Now all is well, with me forever."
O how I long to join their wing.
And range their ticlds of  blooming   flow¬ ers, Come holy watchers, come and brin^,
A mourner to your blissful bowers, I'd spted with rapture ou my way,
Nor would 1 pause at.Jordun's river; With songs I'd enter endless day,
Aud live with my loved friends forever.
ORIGINALITIES.
Written for the Oospel Herald.
Positive Theology.
BV A. W.   SANFOaO.
I propose in tliis article to notice briefly whfit the Bible tesxehespo.sitive- ly, in regard to tlicboing, attributestiiid charactor of Grod. First, then, it re¬ veals his existence. It sets out "with the proposition, that in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" —created man—in a word, created all things. Tt wouldbo superfluous to cite passages at length to prove this point —all admit it. Whether his existence can be otherwise demonstrated, does not coine within the purview of my present purpose; for myself, I think with Eld. Kinkade, "that there is not an inch of rational ground between Christianity and Atheism."
Second—His absolute eternity is taught, "The Eternal G-od,"—"the lofty One who inhabiteth eternity,''—"from everlasting to everlasting," these and numerous other declarations of like import, clearly, and most^osiYweZy con¬ vey the idea of God's unilerived, inde¬ pendent and eternal existence.
Third.—The Bible reveals, whatai-e by theologians called? His natural at¬ tributes, to wit: his Omniscience or perfect and unbounded knowledge— his Omnipreaence—and his Oraiiipo- tonoo or Almighty power.
Fourth.—The 'moral attributes of God are presented. His Justice and mercy, his rectitude, purity, truth, ho¬ liness, goodness, and indeed, all possi¬ ble moral excellencies, in tho Bible, predicated of G-od, and abundantly as¬ sorted and verified.
Fifth.—The Biblo saysi»os(Yt»e?//,that "God is lovo"—that "G-od so loved the world, that he gavo his only begotten .«,.„»  9,„     -in a word, gives U3 to   un¬
derstand thi.t in thorelations He sus¬ tains toward us, as Creator, Preserver and Autli'oi-of our Salvation, all the fullness of his attributes—^all the in¬ finitude of his perfections are moved, and directed toward our benefit, by the pronijitiiigs (if infinite love.
To be brief, wo aro taught that God is,—that in .Ilim is infinitely aud unde- rivedlj' concentrated every possible perfection and all conceivable loveli¬ ness, that he is our .Pather and Friend; and, though we have made ourselves aliens, yot He lovingly and frankly in¬ vites our return, pledging llitnself and all that He is to secure our htippiiiess if wo como to Him in the appointed way through Christ Jesus.
It is also true, that this God is re¬ vealed to us as the "one," and "only true God," in contradistinction from all others claimed to be defied or adored as such.
This, I apprehend is tho distinction had in view wherever the oneness of God is particularly enforced; aud, nei¬ ther the unity nor the distinction will be questioned by any one who claims to bo a christian believer.
Thus far wu have enunciated only positive facts, which are cletirly stated in Scriptural language, and which Cioii- sequently, are admitted tmd believed to all christians; and though we have only glanced at some ofthe great out¬ lines of His being and character, as most ;)ostfive/;/revealed in the Biblo, we havo, nevertheless, boon ablo to dis¬ cover a G-od of such nature, ciiaracter, attributes and disposition, as to com¬ mand our firmest fiiith, our most reliant confidence and all the wealth of oiirat- fections; and in which reverence, faith and love, all his children of every name and order universally agree.
In my next I will define the point at which disagreement and division of opinion commene.:'d.
Marion hid., Feb. 1860.
Written for the Qospel Herald.
Liberal basis of tbe Judgment-
Bl" H. SIMONTON.
andmostminiite sense of Biblical truth, j Spirit atid action of the man of sin, will Also an account will be taken of time, j meet witlt a prom])t and just rebuke in
place and circumstances, in, and under which men have lived, in the difierent ages of the world. The different na¬ tions and tribes among which they may havo received their social, relig¬ ious and national education, aud also the different dispensations of tho infi¬ nite Father, and tlio several creeds un¬ der whicli thoy have lived and died.— The Heathen -vvill come into the judg¬ ment, with tho light untlor which they havo livod for ages past. This most surely, will be a liberal arrangement, compared with the manner in which men, ami nations treat each other, in their illiberal Sjtirit and principles of Judffinir.
that day.
-God tho Father, in and by his Son, will judge tbo secrets of tho hearts of men, as well as thoir actions, wi'thout any roferejK'o to their Denominational namet! and Theological abstractions are concerned. Are you my poople, will be the great t|uesLion, living holy ac¬ tion, regulated by the//att'of iot'e will bo the test point. Tho unfeeling blood thirsty bulls of selfish Popes. Decrees of general councils. Legislation of general assemblies and resolutions of conferences composed of sectarian men, of tho sects, each ono defending his own par¬ ty name, aud dogmatical creed, will not bo once named in the judgment of the
All that pertains to tho grand and , great day, as rules of action, by which sublime act, will bc conducted by the | to tost the purity of heart and chris- Suprerae Court of Iieaven, in tho exami- i tian character of any. But all of ov- nation of tho numerous millions of | ery creed, whether in tho head or in earth, and the inhabitants of other i tho book ; and those of no creod, will globes, should thero bo hiiinan beings I be judged hy tho eternal principles of on them, in the most liberal and benev- right, as presented to men, in the vol- olent mtmner, consistent with tho eqiti- umes of divino truth. This wi 11 be tho ty ofthe Divine government, and the! life giving, liberals of love, which -will moral freo agency of men. The wttys I open out at ono glance the secret mo- of God must bo sustained, and tho  no-  tivos and hidden actions of all   mon.—
hility of man must not bo violated in the decision. God will not; Ho can¬ not violate truth, and bo truo to Him¬ self, and men, with all the inanifcsta- fions of tlieir selfish, illiberal feelingin this   life,  will stand before this  Su-
None will bo permitted to hide them¬ selves, as \» often tho case in this lifo; under their solfstylod (!vangclical or- thotlox glory. Thedavk veil will Lhen be romovod. Tho Kellish mask, under which  thou.sands have been living will
promo Court of appeals ;)ry»it?rZe.sS'; and I not hide tliciu from the eye ofthe unable to oppress their follow men; j J udgc. Ik will opeti such tt flood of and will have to atlond to   their   own j living light, on tlieir selfish hearts,  as
never before htid shliiod on them.
Son" &o..
Fourth. From the word of God, Jam convinced that there will bo a day of future general judgment, in which, all mon will receive an impartial hearing, and righteous decision, according "lO their several works in this life, com¬ pared with thoir condition and sever¬ al opportunitiaa for improvement. The attributes of tho infinite mind, and the moral freo agency of man demand this, in ordor to vindicate the ways of God to mon, and do Justice to the Hu¬ man family. It is declared in the Bi¬ ble, that God will Judge the -world by Jesus Christ, in -whom he will manifest in a most glorious and liberal manner, his wisdom, power, love, justice and be¬ nevolence, in holding an impartial court, ill which strict justice tempered with redeeming mercy, will be extended to all tbe sons of Adam. Every conceivable allowance wiir be made in behalf of poor erring short sighted men.
The Divine Mind will take into the account the want of perfect knowledge, ivisdom and periect judgment on the ])art of men, in reference to their per¬ ception and understiinding of thegreat rale of right and wrong. Their obliga¬ tions to their Maker—^io themselves and their fellow-men, in tho broadest
eases.
No solfish Sectarian monopoly of any ago or charactor, however old, humor¬ ous and jiopular in this life, evon with the  blood of honest di.'isenter, from their unfeeling creeds, wi
Sectarian bigotry hiia iimmned to its- self tho A%«/plaeo of judgmont,  ten thousand  times  on the  lionest  ojiin- drippinq '. ions and actions of gootl men, and put be per-! many of thom to death,   without even
mitted to enter thiit sacred pltice of i the liberty and benefit of an honest justice, mingled with lovo and mercy, j arid just self-defence. This anti-liberal Thoir day of illiberal glory   will   then I selfish f.|iirit and feeling  -will   bo  ex-
beat an end, and they compelled to see thoniBelves, in the light of living truth, in thoir native deformity. Not tho least attention will be given, by way of preference, to the selfish sectarian Spirit of mon, and Socttirian Denomi¬ nations, be they ever so nutnorous in the world. Their pharisaical boast¬ ing about their   superior   ovangolieal
posed and jmt to shame, in tho judg¬ ment oftbo great day. A moro libertil plan will bo the basis of action. Every soul will be ])orinitted to stand before the Loving God, on its own moral and spiritual purity of heart and life, in tho name, and through the mediation ofthe Divine Son of Gotl. No sectarian dog¬ ma of any sect, will  be permitted to
soundness of doctrine, tmd purity of! enter into the grand investigation, aud heart iind lifo; will not bo any com-! bias the mind of the Judge, as is: nondati on tothem above other good ! often tho case iu this life. There. men, who may have viewed truth from ' all will havo to meet the Judge on tho a different stand point, which view of same, broad, immutable basis of truth, truth has led them in tho honest devo-' moral ability and purity of heart and tioii of their hearts to obey tbo com- i action. In this life it is often the case mandments of the good master. I am , that men, oven good men, do not fully ofthe opinion, that many in that great j understand each other's motives,, senti- day will deeply regret thoir selfishness ' ments, feelings, sind actions; and on this ixnd want of liberal feeling in this life. I ground make mistakes in their, judg- Such wil! como into the judgmont ments. Man in his. best condition is beforo the ancient of days, on the same I Tiot perfect in judgment, and at all broad basis of the eternal and mnmfrtWe | times free from surrounding circum- principles of truth and jtisKcg, with the ; Btancos.
poore,st iind most de.spised class of mon i The judge of all the oarth, can at in the world, vvho have in the honest \ one glance see and coraprohond tho devotion oftheir hearts, from thoir best motives of all hearts, and tho moral convictions of truth, been trying to do (and spirittiarworth of all actions— the will of God in all their actions; but i one glanoe"of his aJl-.seeing mind wiH
have been despised, opposed and neg looted hy selfish men. By those who set up thoir self mado creeds as rules of action, and then claim to be the pure
toll the story and fix the fate of every soul. Nothing that would havo a tendency to give each ono a chauco, tohiiye strict justice done them, will bo evangelical church or churches of j omitted by the supremo court of heav- Ghri.st on oarth. And then claim tho en. To this court all ctm have an ap- rigbt to judge in mtitters of fiaitli for \peal from the uneven /tanked judgments other.^, as  well  as themselves.    This | of selfish   and   jiartial   mon.    Beforo