Gospel Herald, 1860-09-08

              Ohto Historical Society
Oe-v-ote<i to Gh-rlstitinity, Morality-, the Interests of  HHl^tiath Scliools, Socrial Impfov-einent, 'rempei'Hnce, I¦'Jtl^-^cation, anil Cieneral Ne-ws.P\_.. ''BEHOLD,   I   BltlNG   YOD   GOOD   TIDINGS   OP   GR,EAT   JOY   ....   ON    EAltTH   PEACE,   GOOD   WILL   TOWARD   MEN.'
VOL. J7.
DA.YTON, 0., SATURDAY, SEPT. 8, IStiU.
N0.18.
ORIGINAL POETRY.
[OIHIHCNiC.lTEU.]
Kature.
HY T.  E. w. w.
0, nature is my charmer,
I own her magic powers. And in the pleasant summer,
.She lures me with her flowers.
Her voice sounds through thewooilland, And o'er the nieailowa green.
And there was ne'er auch music In fairy halls, 1 -vi'een.
Fore-frer more it reigneth With an echo wild and free;
And the sv,'ect song it singeth [3 full of joy to mo.
Our w-orld is bright and lovely,
The sky is bright above; And wero vve pure aud holy.
We all miglitdwell in love.
0, say not earth ia dreary. And there's no joy below.
For if we did cur duty,
There would be less of woe.
Then tbe bright scenes cf nature Would fill our hearts with jo,,
And the dark storms of sorrow
Would not our peace dcstioy.
Blackberri/, Kane Co., III., Aug., 1800.
ORIGINALITIES,
Written for the Ootpel Herald.
Positive Theology.
NoTt.
BV  A,  W, SANF01t.ll.
Wo next inquire what is sin? The apostle Joliii lias given us tlie most comprehensive and aocuratodetinition with which we have ever met—ono of more practical valuo than all the dog¬ mas of the schools—"Sin is the traiis- gression of tbe law." Whoso law? Tho law of God ; for David says, "against T/iee, and Thee only, Have 1 sinned;" and tho law violated, evidently emana¬ ted from Ilim, again.st whom tho sin was committed.
But how may sin bo committed? First, by doing -what tho law forbiiis, as the eating tho forbidde.n fruit of Adam and Eve. Second, by omitting to do what the law, which "is holy, just and good," enjoins; for, "he thjit knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." The field in which sin operates is just as extensive aa tho thoughts, motives and purposes of man which result in action.
The psal mist says, "thy command¬ ment is exceeding broad," and tlie Scriptures abundantly teach, that ev¬ ery exorcise of tho mental and moral powers is to be controlled and regula¬ ted by, and according to, the divino law; that we sliould entertain and cherisli good thoughts, from which will spring ptiro motives, which, ripening into holy purposes, will result in obe¬ dient action.
That sin extends to the thoughts and purposes, of tho soul—that there i are crimes in overt acts uncommitted, for which man is holden amenable to the law of God, appears from Gen. VI, 5,-where it it is said that "the imagina¬ tion" (margin reads purposes) "of the thoughts of bis heart was only evil continually;" and in Matt. V, 21, to 29, Christ teaches' that mere anger j without cause, and the indulgence of j licentious thoughts apd'dcsires are sin-; faland subject to condemnation. Indeed,  the  passages   from   God's
Word, in which sin is re])i'u.sontod as existing in tho thoughts and purposes of tho soul, and thence being develop¬ ed in action, may be cited bj' scores; and, as tho projiosition is universally admitted, we shall omit further argu¬ ment or proof
Wo next incjuire after the prime ele¬ ment, th.i leading characteristicolsiu— what is that in wliich con.sists tho e.c- ceeding sinfulness of sin ? Lot it be re¬ membered, that sin is rebellion against tho Law of God; that it ernbodiea oppo¬ sition of heart, soul, mind and strength, to the essential ]irineiple enunciated in that law; and that, that principle,is /oi;e to God and love to man; and \vo then arrive at tho conclusion that sin is essentially, in disposition and in ac¬ tion, hatred to God and hatred to man. To demonstrate this eonchision frora the Bible consult 2 Chron,, XIX: 2: "Shouldst thou help tho ungodly, and lovo them that hate the Lord ?"—Exod, XX. 5: Deut. V. 9; Titus III; 3: "Hateful and hating one another."
But again, why do men while in ain hate God and ono another? To solve this (juostion, we protnise that man can havo, at the eaine time but one object which' he loves supremely ; and, that all others, so far as they interfere with his devotion to that one. aro sulijccts of hatred. Matt, VI: 21: "No niaii can serve two masters; he will hate tho one and love the other," &o—"Yo can¬ not sorvo God and mammon." "The carnal mind is enmity against God, is not subject to his law, neither in¬ deed, can bo," As the a'ffcctions can¬ not bo idlo and unattached, and God is not the object of their devotion, it 'therefore follows that they have be¬ come HUjiremely fixed upon another; and that indeed, is the reason wliy they are withheld frora God,
That object is self Self, like the mystic "man of "in" (self is the soul of Anti-Christ) 'exalts itself against God,' Self is the object of the sinner's sa- preme love and devotion. Self en¬ grosses the affections, which should go forth in love and devotion to the good and great Father, and contracts their exerc-se toward bur fellow men, except in so far aa they can be made subserv¬ ient to our Rolfiah designs and purpo¬ ses. "We love the ¦World," only be¬ cause it ministers to our selfishness; but we do "love the world" while in sin; yea 1 ourselves are, in our estima¬ tion, a YGry important part of tho world to which wo are thus devoted ; but the apostle declares that "he that loveth the world, tho love ofthe Father is not in him,"   .
The conclusion of the whole matter then 18, that as lovo to God and man, which leads to obedience to the divine law goveraihg our relations to liim and to each othor, is the essential ele¬ ment of true holiness; so the essence of sin, which is a violation of that law, is an inordinate lovo of self, lead¬ ing us to disregard our supreme obli¬ gation to God, and our fraternal rela¬ tions to our fello-w men, and henco an apostle characterizes sinners as "lovers of themselves," "lovers of pleasure more than of God"—"hateful and ha¬ ting one another."
The "exceeding sinfalness" of sin appears, not merely in its violation bf the law, emanating from Him whose right it is to govern us^not merely in
insulting the dignity of tlio infinite; Law-giver, and in casting conlempt upon the inujes-.ic authority of tiiej divine government; but, chiefly in | sinningagainst unbounded goodness— against infinite love. |
Tlie bitterest drop, and yot the sweetest, mingled with tho "wormwood land the gall" in the chalice of peni ! tence, as it ia drained to_the dregs by I tho repentant sinner, is tlic feeling ; sense of his base ingratitude in heart land lifo, in requital of God's unwavor- I ing goodness; bitter, because it fully untblda hia soul-sickening and utter degradation, and leads him to "abhor himself"—and stvoot, because had he sinned against anything but infinite goodness, he had "never found space for repentance though seeking it care¬ fully with tears."
IVri««ii/or the Gospel Herald. 1 "For by one spirit are we all baptized into ) one body, whether we be .Tews or Gentilcsi, ; whether we be bond or free, and have been nil j made to dl ink into one spirit."—lat Conn, 12: • 13. '	
By one spirit—that is, by the agen- j cy or operation ofthe same spirit—tho j lloly Ghost, wo have been united into I ono body. The idea here is the same 1 as that presented above, verse 7,11, \ by which all tho cndowmentaof Chris- I tians are traced to tho same spirit,— I Paul here says that, that spirit had so endowed them as to fit them to consti- \ tuto one body, or to b.j united iu one, I and to perform the various duties j which resulted from their union inthe same Christian Church. The i'.leaof its [ having been doue by one and the same , spirit, is kept up and often presented ] in order that tho endowmenta con¬ ferred on them might be duly appre¬ ciated. Have wo all, every member [of the Christian Church, whatever I may be his rank or talents, received I his endowments from the same B))irit, I baptized into the same body? Many I suppose that reference is here mado to ' the ordinance of baptism, by water, but the connection seems rathor to re¬ quire us to understand it to be the baptism of the Holy Ghost with fire- Matt, 3: 11: and which the wicked will receive at the day of judgment. Their baptism which is a different baptism, from which the apostle had reference to. Matt. 13: 50, Furthermore, I wish to R.iy this baptism is of God. The Jews were under the law, but Christ has redeemed us all from under tho law. But under grace, we find in Acts 10: 28: and he said anto them: "Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep compa¬ ny br come unto one of another nation, but God hath shown me thtit I should not call any man Common or unclean." Acts 10: 34 Then Peter opened liis mouth and said, "of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of peraona, but in every nation he that feareth Him and worketh righteousness, is ac¬ cepted with him,"—Acts Ki, 17: Rom, 3, 11. I suppose that it means "One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in .you all."— Eph. 4: 5: 6—23d verse says, "and be renewed in the spirit of your mind." They bad ail professedly bocomemenl- bers of one and the same body, seems tome best to suit the oonneotion.— Whether we be Jews or Gentiles, there
is no diflurence, all are on a level in re- g; rd to the grand point, no distinction is made, whatever maj' havo been our former condition of life. Gah 3: 27: "For as many of You as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ, neither Jew nor Greek, there ia neither bond nor free, there is neith¬ er male nor female, for ye are all one in Christ Jesus," Gal, 3: 8: "And the Soripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith preached before the Gospel untoAbra- hain, saying in thee shall all nations bo blessed;" for "Christ hath redeem¬ ed ua from the curse of tho law being' made a curso for ue,"—13 verse. "That tho blessing of Abraham might como on the Gentiles through Jesus Clirist." 1 Corhi., 11; 27. . Now ye are the body of Christ and mombers in partic¬ ular. Now ye Christians of Corinth, as a part of the whole Church that has been redeemed are tho body of Christ, The allusion to the human body is hero kept up as all themeni- bora of the human body compose one body, having a common head. So it is with all the mombers and parts of the tJhristian Church—the specific idea is that Christ is the head of tho whole church; presides over: all, and that all its members sustain lo each other the relation of fellow members ihtlio same body, and are subject to the same head. 1 Cor., 11: 3: Tho head of every man is Chriat. Bph. 5: 23: "Even as Christ is tlie heatl of the Church." Bph. 1; 22: 23:~OoI. 1: 18: "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Chriat is tho head ofthe Church, and ho is the Saviour of the ' body, and hath put all things under his feet, and give him to be the head over all tilings to the Chnrch, which is his body, tho fullness of hiiu that fiileth all in all,"
Ezra Fay..
Written for the OojjJcI Herald.
Duty of Ministers and Churokes.
Bl- H. SIMONTON.
We have long desired to seo tho time wiion the Christian Church will take a more liberal and Christian view of this very important sulyect. Thoy ahould look at this branch of Christian obligation frora a more enlightened stand-point than they have been doing for years paat. The Church, if sho hopes and desires to prosper, must make an effort in this line of duty such aa ahe has never made before, and place her ministers, living in aaideby side, with men in other Denominations.
It will not do for her to say, we havo men of good strong native talents, equal to others: but we tntist havo men of well cultivated mind, men who can keep up with the advance aud devol- opoment of light among other minis¬ ters, and the people at large.
It will riot fill the bill of duty for us ' as a churoh, to say that wo have good devoted, men of God in the field, who can say as good things as any other class of meri; We admit that this may all be trtie; but all good men are not able to preach. We .have many among ua who oould preach, if they bad the time to study and inform' themselves; but this they cannot do for the want of timo and moans. We admit that there are somo men who do not devote as