Gospel Herald, 1860-03-24

              RALD.
De-v-oted to Clxristianity, Morality, th.e Interests of SabtiHth Schools, Social Impro-si-ertieiit, Tempei-ati.ce, Ednc^ation, ancl Cieneral Ne-wrs.
"BEHOLD,    I   BRING   TOU   GOOD   TIDINGS   OP   GREAT   JOY
ON   EARTH   PEACE,   aOOD   WILL   TOWARD   MEN.
VOL. 16.
DAYTON, 0., SATURDAY, MARCH 24,18(i0.
NO. 45.
ORIGINAL POETRY.
Written for tlie Gospel Herald.
Musings-
Br OAiioLns.
I dream of the j oya of my h riglit, liappy cliildlioQd, Of tlio38 vvlio roamed .w:it.h tae in forest and ,  field Of tho hours that we speiitin the damp, shady wild-'wood. As brighter aud fairer, thau manhood may yield.
The golden lined past, seems to rise up before me, And brother and si sterg come round at my oall.
While Father, and Mather, in gladness smile o'ar me, , ,
Completing tlie picture in " Meniory's Hall."
'Neath the Mulberry tree, in the spring-time we
gathei,
And listto the songa of the merry May birds,
Or pit round the tire in .the dull winter -weather,
, An,d driye a-way'glootij, by our fore laden
¦words.
. Oh those were the daya when no fitful repining, E'er marred the i'ay scenes of our fair glad- Bojne lijfe, When hope's ruddy beams on our pathway were shining, And we feared nut the future, its toil or  ita strife. ¦
Buflhe'past is all past,'and our circle is broken And'Father has past to the landof the blest,
Whil4 a.Sister, the fairest, her farewells all ¦spoken, , .
Is now aiiariug with him, the same quiet rest.
Yet many, full many, the joya we have tasted, While floating tlms far, adot^n life's rugged stream; And  many the frienda that in  sympathy 've hasted, ' To 'liven our journey with friendship's pure .beam.
Andthoughfaraway from, the  Homestead we
wander, ,
And treet never more  with the frienda Of our
youth;
On the joys of the past w6 will lovingly ponder,
And strive by a life time of honor and truth.
That.wheie e'erwe roam we may happily merit,
Bright an -ilea and kind greetings from  true-
1 hjeai ted friends,
. .And passing away, we may chance to inherit,
That life of all lives, that Death never ends.
., Mffprn, Ind., March &d, 1860.
^I^IGINAUTIES.
Written for the Oospel Herald
The Golden Chain-
. .BY ELDER JOHK SUTTON.
The history of JesuB is an eventful one.. Bach event, too, ia thrillingly in¬ teresting. They aro like links of a golden chain—each one pos'sosaing a beauty and value of itg own; yet, when combined, each link lends an addition¬ al charm and value, to the others. The Birth, Teachings, Miracles, Death, Resuvection,  Ascension   and   Exalta-
•••tion of Jesus, each possessing a' charm knd, value, when separately considered,
,\nt wten combineti, the flpauliy of the w\loIo is increased; tind the value of eac^ J8 made available, by its associa¬ tion with tho other. We will consider them separately, and  then 'put thera
¦ toMfher.
LintkNo. I.—The Birth of Christ. I. The .place. ''Bethlehem of Ju- dea," situated sixmiles south of Jerusa- l6m^ in the southern division of Pales¬ tine,.called "Judea." Again, it is call¬ ed "BetUehem in the land of Judea," because it was situated in that part' of Judea belonging to the tribe of Judah. It vjras not celebrated for its number of inhabitants,' extensive wealth,  archi¬
tectural grandeur, but its deficiency in all these, was amply made up, in its being the place where the "King of the Jews" was born. The prophetic eye had long rested on this place, and in the birth of Christ, the words were fulfilled—" And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Jndoa, for out of thee shall come a Governor who shall rule my people Israel. The parents of Je¬ sus lived in Nazareth, in a distant part of Palestine; but Bethlehem had been named as the place. " The word had proceeded out of the mouth of G-od, and would not return unto him void," therefore when the time otime, He. led them to the^Zace.
2. The visit ofthe Magi—where did they come from? The Bast,, perhaps from Babylon. How did they know anything about Jesus? Perhaps the Jews had left copies . of their sacred writings during their captivity, and these "wisemen" had studied them, a,nd discovered that Daniel's "seventy weeks." were about up, that the " Messi¬ ah the Prince" was about to make his appearance, and they wanted to know where he was born, that they might "como and worship him;" and Xi-od who is always ready to give the in¬ quiring mind light, lad them by a star to Jerusalem, and from thence to.Beth¬ lehem, where it "stood over where the young child was," and like all others, who, finding the Savior, "theyrejoiced with exceeding great joy." Having opened their treasures, they presented to him gifts of gold, frankineeiise, md. myrrh. So far aa we know, this: was the only donation visit ever- made to Christ.
3. The wrath of Herod. "He sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in the coast thereof, from two years old and under" —this was the first blood that waa shed on Christ's account. How strangel that the first tbotprints of Jesus should be stained with blood; that the first notes of joy should be mingled with "lamentation and weep¬ ing;" that the first dawnings of a glo¬ rioua day should be streaked with clouds, and the first indications of Grod's great lovo to man should be greeted by some, with such hateful in¬ gratitude, murderous cruelty, and de¬ termined opposition.
•I. The proclamation. "Behohi I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people," in all ages, in all countries, and all condi¬ tions. "Unto you is born a Savior." A Savior! The wise men had wor¬ shiped him as a king, but the angel proclaimed him a Savior. Hero is the world's intereat in Jesus. Kings, and Potentates there wero many, but there was no Savior. He came to save his people from their sins. "He came into the world to save sinners." Ye angels dwell upon the sound. Ye shepherds catch tho glad news, and •proclaim it long and loud. Ye tuiuis- toi'B of G-od, boar on the good tidings, to the uttermost parts ofthe world; and let Barth's joy mingle with angel's music, in superlative notes—" Glory to God in th« highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men." TjitiK Ko. 2.—The Sayings oe'Jesiib,
1. "Were true. "Ho came to bear witness to the Truth," He "was "the Truth." His teachings w&re true,with¬
out any admixture of error. How difiicult to find an earthly,teacher,who, though ever so correct in the main, has not some error ? But every sen¬ tence that He spake, glowed with meaning and every word contained" a gem, He spoke the truth and nothing butthe truth. His doctrine droppetl Hke the rain, from Heaven so plenti¬ ful, so natural, so pure. His speech distilled like ttiedcw, Moistening the humblest leaf, and gatheringin spark¬ ling drops u]ion the smallest flower.— So, He spake the truth for all, and to all, and adapted to all, to the king upon his throne,and the beggar in theatreets, to the "Doctors," and to those-who had never learned.
2. He taught not only truth, but truth that the world had nevor learn¬ ed. His teachings were a .Revela¬ tion, He revealed the character of God as it never had been beforo, illustra¬ ting by many beautiful, figures, tho Father's mercy andgoodness to thechii- dren of men. He taught the Brother¬ hood of man, placijig them .upon a nat¬ ural equality in the sight of God, pos¬ sessing rights, that could not bo justly alienated, a respect due to: each, and a common charity to all.
Hea-ven. .It is true, that under for¬ mer dispensations some did com¬ mune directly with God, but generally they sought him through Priestly ofii- ciation, or sacrificial.offerings, but Je¬ sus taught,that, "all ahould know him fromthe least even unto the greatest" that "by a new ant^iving way" we might "draw near iP^God with true hearts and in full assurance offaith"— that, under all the varied oircumstan- ces of human life, in all places, in all conditions, man might stay hia soul On God, feel the warmth, and enjoy the presence ofthe Infinite Bather.
He brought lifo and immortality to light. The idea of immortality had been entertained, and a future state acknowledged, yet it was mingled with doubts anti fears.   "They were all their
Son, Hear ye him." In all hi^com¬ munications he maintained the posi¬ tion,that "my doctrine is not mine,but His that sent me,", "neither came I of myself but He sent me."
4. His Teachings were embodied in his own life, He taught no precopt,aiid inculcated no principle, but that pre¬ cept he obeyed, and that principle he 2)racticed. His character was a living embodiment of his doctrine, "His life was the light of men." Men who have denied His miracles and His resurrec¬ tion, have been constrained to admit the purity of his'.life and c.haracter,yet that life and character were, but the practical workings of his own teach¬ ings.
Did he require "Faith in God," who believed in God as he did? Who trust¬ ed in, and depended on God as he did ? He was continually sustained with the thought, that "the Father is with me."
Didllerequirethatthis world should bo a seedndary consideration. How far he lived above it? not securing to himself, a "place to lay his head." Did He require of us to be truthful? "guile was not found in his moiith." Did'He require us to be benevolent? "He went about doing good."    Did  lie ¦peqnii'e
XT   i      I i J-     J- • -.ui of us to sympathize with, human   wo?
He taught direct   communion   witlflsji.       , ¦'   f        ,      i   j ,   a    i    u
^-   - - -       - ^"miose heart was touched    And whose
bowels moved with compassion as did His? Did He require us to forgive our enemies? Listen to His prayer, while in the Isiat agonies ofa painful death-r- casting His languid eyes, firet, upon His enemies,who tauntingly reproach¬ ed Him,and then, to Hoaven, He aaid : "Father forgive thera for they know not-what they do." And finally' did He require of us submission to the di¬ vine will ? "It was Hia meat, and His drink, to do tho will of Him that sent him." His whole life was a glorious oomment upon the words uttered midst the sufferings of Gethsemane, "not my will hut thine be done."
Such, then, were tho Teachings of Josus, a light shining from Heaven— illuminatin.i' the pathway of men—¦ nnlocking the  divino   treasury   and
hfe-time subject o boiidagt^ through i^Hnging'to hght the hidden things of *. f/°fr,°^ 1? ; f ^^'iV'f T darknesH.-revealing the mysterious, folded the subject so clearly, that the ^^^ enfolding the cdiaracter of the In- stmg of death is extracted; and tbe j ^^.^^ Father-opening np a commiini- glooni of the grave removed.    We can  ^^^.^^ between Heaven and Earth, and
nATir  hQTroci   "HririA   lilT-r,    nn      finn hri-ii    /\r    ..    .   . , . ..       ..     .        —    ....
now have a "Hope like an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, which entereth into that within the vail."— The Heart leupsfovward at the thought, that "when our earthly house, of this tabernacle is dissolved,wo have a build¬ ing of God,a house not made with hands eternal in tho Heavens."
Soon will this fleeting life be gone and earthly scenes fade away; soon death will number ns with its vitttims, and the grave count us among its tro¬ phies, yet ifwe are faithful to the teach¬ ings of Jesus, we shall join in the Tri¬ umphant 'Song, "O ! grave where is thy Victory? 0 I Death, where is thy sting?"
8. He taught, "as one having au¬ thority and not as the scribes." "The Father which hath sent me. He gave me a commandment, what 1 should say and what I should speak," He is distinguished from Moees, as the one "who speaketh from Heaven," 'from tho Prophets, as He by whom God speaks to ua in "these last times," and from all others, by an audible voice from heaven.    "This is   my   beloved
linking the soul with God. Building a bridge of glory ovor the grave, 'and j»ointing man to a reat on the other- sido of Jordan, and such, too, was the teacher. Simple yet sublime. Hum¬ ble but not mean. Dignified but not ostentatious. He moved steadily on¬ ward, rising above tho Honor of the world and the fear of men, with his eye fixed upon the "joy that was act before him," his confidence in the final result of his principles, never waver¬ ing. He believed that he would "see his seed and be satisfied," surely wo may join with those wbo said, "never man spake like this man." "Thou art a Teacher como from God "
     m    II ¦> 11    tm      —-—-
Occupation is   a prossing necessity to all young persons.
Genuine courage has  its origin in geiiuine virtue.
He that is slow to wrath, is of great understanding. "
 - * -—.—.—- "
Winter haa passed away.