Gospel Herald, 1861-03-16

              Devoted %o Gliristianity, Morality, the ln.tei-ests of Sa"b>)ath. Schools, Sooial ImproTementi Temper.-i.rLce, Kducatioii, and General TSTevrs
"BEHOLD,   I   BEING   YOU   GOOD   TIDINGS   OIT   GEEAT   JOT  .  ...  ON   EAETH   PEAOE,   GOOD   WILL   TOWARD   MEN."
VOL. 17.
D/VYTON, 0., SATURDAY, MARCH 16,18t>L
NO. 44.
ORIGINAL POETRY.
IFriUea/or iie Gospel ZIsraM.
Lines on th,e  Death   of My Husband.
CATniKINE -WINEHKENKR.
I'm sad and .lonely no-ir, As here beloir I siray, For he (to me) the light of life Haa passed from earth away.
That Cheerful happy face, , Is veiled to mortal aight, '
That kind endearing'voioe la hushed in death's still night.
Ilhat STveet communion here,
The Pather'a-vvil! has riven,
But thanks for the inspiring: thought,
'IVill be renowedin Heaveu.
Then cease my aoul to grieve, O'er ono beneath the sod But view him by an eye of faith, In the paradise of God.
ORIGINALITIES.
a'riuen for Vie Gospel Herald.
A Time to Mourn, and a Tiiae to Dance-
L. PERVIENOE.
To mourn ia to griovo and be sor- rowftil on any account.' There ia.a proper, and an'improper timo for this. We sometimes mourn over losses and dissappointments, when we have had no agency in bringing ibcm about, and cannot in any degree be responsi¬ ble for them. We should never afflict ourselves, or grieve over Providential circumstances. "Forthe Judge of all the earth willdorigbt.' Thetimeto mourn is vtrhen'we have eiiined and dono wrong, violated the law of our God, and in¬ jured ourselves, and our follow beings; this is the time to mourn when wo see sinners on tho road to destruction, and our children living in violation of the law of God, and by tbeir actions show¬ ing themselves irreconciled to our kind and heavenly Father. There is some propriety in mourning over these. Thero appears to bo great cause of mourning at the present, in consequence of the sins of our Nation. Every person that has any interest at the throne of grace, should be_ in earnest boforo God in prayer, in view of the distrauted state of our beloved Republic. When wo loose our friends by death, a proper degree of sorrow is right. It should consist in an humble, meditative, and contrite heart, and a sorrowful mind. Not by making a great show, by putting on costly mourning-attire. 1 have somo serious objections to this kind of show at the death of friends. i
1. There is no real neccessity for it; it answers no very ' valuable puf-1 pose.
2. It frequently causes a great deal of bustle, and btir at funerals, calcula¬ ted to draw the mind off from those profitable meditations, that wo should endeavor to oursue on such occasions.
3. It often pioves burdonsomc to poor ])eoplu, because it is fashionable todrcisin mouriiius^- '-t tho death of friends, and thoy thmk they aro not treating tbeir deceased relations ^Mth duo respect, unles.i they imt on a show of mourning, and fr^,(iuently they arc not, able to do so, without mauifivst in¬ jury to tbomsclvcs and family.
4. It is no positive evidence, that persons arc truly  inQarnur.s,  becuiio
we see themdressoutinmourning hab¬ its, for it is often the case,, that before they put off the black, they appear as light and vain, as if they, had never lost a dear friend. -
In the,"Encyclopedia of :Eeligious Enowlodgo," we find the following on fashionable mourning. "Tho modesof mourning are various in various coun- taieSj.as, also, are the colors that obtain for that end. In Europe, the ordinary color for mourning is black, in China, it is white, in Turkey, it is blue, .or violet, in Egypt, yellow, in, Ethiopia, brown, Each people pretend to have their.roaaona for the particular color of their mourning. White is supposed tof denote purity; yellow, thatdoath is the end of humati hopes, as leaves, when thoy fall, and flowers when they fade, become yellow; brown , denotes tbo earth, whither tho dead returp; black, the privation of life, ,a8 being the privation of light; blue :expre|Be8 the happiness which it is hoped^fhe deceased enjoys, aud purple, or viol'et, sorrowon the one ,sido ^knd hopo*on tho other, as being a mixture of black and blue." All these superstitions are practiced, according to the traditions ofthe fathers, of the different ,nations. But tho most ridiculous mourning is, that done by substitutes. These aro hired to make dreadful lamentations over the dead—they learn to be export in this, and, may be called professional mourners—this practice has been car¬ ried on, both , among the Greeks and Egyptians. As light and knowledge increases in the world, these foolish and superstitious praotiqes will all give way to a rational course of con¬ duct and all hypocritical mourning will bo' done away, both among Christians and heathens.
Sincerity in all things, is truly com¬ mendable. Every devoted pastor ofa church moots with 'times , to mourn. To see sinners haidening under the means of grace, cauBea him to mourn; to 'see members of tho church neglect-' ing duty, and living so as to be stumb¬ ling blocks in tbe 'Way of others caus¬ es deep pain and sorrow. Again, he often feels great cause of mourning ovorhisown neglect and failure, in consequence of imperfections in him¬ self.
But we have ' the blessed promise, "That they that mourn shall be com¬ forted."
IFriitcn/or.ffi'e Gospel Herald
Pres. N- Summerbell: Dear Sir.—-Send mo commentaries of your own  on  the following Scrip¬ tures and words: Viz.
Isiah   LllI, 4: 5:6:11. 1st. Peter II '24. jiEansom."   Redemption.    ' ' I remain yours,
A   CONVEETED TeiKITAEIAN.
Answer.
PAEAl'lIEASTfCAL COMMENTAET.—Is.
LlIl, 4. "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows," through sympathy with us in our suf¬ ferings: for Uod has not given us a High Priest wbich cannot bo touched with the fooling of our infirinitie.s; Hob. 4: 15; but who can have compass¬ ion on the ignorant and of thom that are out ofthe way, Hob. V. 2.
Is. LIU, 4, Yet we (tho erring peo¬ ple, who oeliovod iu a vioarioas atone¬
ment) did esteem him, stricken, smit¬ ten of God, and afaicted in our room and stead, claiming lo bo the children of that) Oaiaphas mentioned in John XVIII, 14.
Is. LIII, 5. But be was wounded for oiir transgressions, and bruised for Our iniquities, that he might put away sin, even by the sacrifice of himself, for tho blood of Jesus Christ does not change God, but it cleanses us from, all sin, for God does not want the; sacri¬ fice, but mercy and truth, which Jeaus.: brought about by giving himself for us; not to appease God, or deliver us from God, but to bring us, to God sanc¬ tified; Heb. X.'lO, perfected, X, 14.
LIU, 5. Tbo chastisement of our peace was upon him, while, we were the ones deserving it; yet its object was gained, for by, bis stripes, who deserv¬ ed them not, we are healed, who des¬ erved the chastisement.
LIII, 6. "All we,' like aheep, have gone astray; not that wo were always goats, born totally depraved; but sheep which have wandered from the fold, every one to his Own way; and tho Lord laid.on our good shepard' (John X, 11, the iniquity of us all, that is; he appointed him to tho task of suffering for our iniquity, whatever was needed —givinghis life'for the sheep, not to the owner, but^ to the -wolves, which sought)it, for which purpose, Christ gave himself flp to God, to even "die, that he might-thereby-purgo btii- c'on- soience, (not pacify God) froin;''dead works^(Heb, X. 1'4) to'servo tho living God; thus putting away isin, by the sacrifice of himself -
nil. 7. Ho was ¦ oppressed, but he bore it meekly for-usv  - ¦ LIII, 8.   For the  transgression   of God's people, he was stricken, that' be niight save them from sin.'       '
LIII, 9. Ho made his -grave with the wicked, and the rich in his death; numbered with - transgressors (verse 12) who drew their sWords upon the officers (N. T.) but be was ¦ buried by Joseph and Nicademus, for they found nofault in him.
LIU, IU. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him, by giving him to die for our sins; not barely a human sacri¬ fice, or a mere body, but God made His soul an offering for sin, and Jesus pour¬ ed out his soul unto death.- (Verse 12.)
LIII. He therefore will see the travail, not of his body only, as trini- tarians say; but will see'the travail of hia soul, and be satisfied, for by bis knowledge iof Salvation shall Jesus justify many, by absolving Ihcm from sm, when they repent and belibvc; (Rom 3, 25, 26) for he will hear their iniquitieSj as we also-bear each others infirmities; (Eom Xy, .1,} aud as bo did bear our Bicknesa, (Matt. VUl, 17.)
1, Pet II, 24. It was thus that he bore in Ilis body and soul, our sins on Calvary; hj sympathizing with us, and suffering for us, to bear away our sins from ua, not by becoming a sinner for UB bftt by healing us, even aa it is explained, (tilatt.VlIl, IT,) when ho healed Peter's wife's mother, that tlio ]iro]jhecy of Is might bo fulfilled, for by his stripes, wo arc healed I Not God is healed, Remember that wo re¬ coivo tlio atonement. AVo aro recon¬ ciled—not God.
Ransom. Price paid for redemption ofa captive. SoChrist is oar ransom, or tbe price paid by God not to God, for our redemption, so that we aro bought with a price—even the blood of Ohrist, which was shed for us. Tho ransom ia not always literally paid over, but it is sufficient, that by it^ the the redemption ia procured,
The    wicked     aro a ransom    fcr the righteous, and the transgressor for tKe upright.    Prqv. XXL 18. ' Is, XLni, 3.   1 gave Egypt for thy ransom, and Soba for thee.
Matt. XX, 28, and Mark. X: 45. So Christ gave his life a ransom for many —for all; Tim. 2: 6. But it was not paid over   to any one.
Redemption; from redeem, To pur¬ chase back. Like Ransom there is no necessity of supposing-a price paid over to the opposite party, for 111. Re¬ deeming tho timo, we pay no price, Bph. 5,16.    . -  ¦     ;
Rev.XIV,,3. We aro redeemed from the earth, but the earth gets no price for U.S. , ,.;
You sign yourself a converted Trini¬ tarian; may you ever remain so, and may you strive that your life may bo as much better, as your faith is purer, than it was before. - Wo think, bowev- ,cr, that there aro but few trinitarians in our country; really so. Real creed Trinitarianism is acknowledged by the best authors to be tritheism,' or idolatry,but I think that most of those who call hemsolves Ttinitarians sim¬ ply mean ,. to assert^ their failh in the Scriptural, doctrine ofthe Father, Son and, Holy Ghost, of which the Ohris- tians are the true defenders, and in w.hich.'they are the most firm believ¬ ers, ,
,; Yours in, Christ,
; '.     ' -       ¦        -     N. SDlniEKBSLt
:.-¦-¦-- Wriuin for'the Goepei lierald:  '
The Christians.
BY  Jl,. J,  MILLEE.
Our theory of Christianity is found¬ ed on the ,Bible and reason; oar prac¬ tical aims, to conform to that theory. All wc need have,. are tho wUl to per¬ form, and the jjotter to execute. When these aro active, they aro efl'eotivo agents. Then the will seeks to do the best riglit thing which it has povver to do. Have we an active will, and power to practice moat effectually, our liberal theory of christianity ? Do we see' tho best things to bo done' to persuade men to load lives of: christian virtue? Arc we effecting what our theory Icada men justly to expect of us?
With us, now, tho, consideration of such questionsisiopportuno, on account of the distrust   with   whieh   we aro viewed by many who onco desired our followbhip.     Our    professed    liberal I views of Christianity, naturally invito the attention of all who have becoma' tired of  Sectarianism.    Tho doors of onr  Church aro 'thrown   wide open. No creed  fctaiids sentitU'l thero.   Not with man, but  with   Christ,   aro the terms of admission to ho made.  When wo teaeh men that Jesus ia tho Pound- ' or  of our Church, wc point them to Tlim as tho way  of life,    'SV'lien they enter our Church,  they como by invi¬ tation of Christ, the door of tho Church, iliin thoy aro pledged to servo as con¬ science ciietatca, and not aa man, their