Gospel Herald, 1861-04-13

              "I^^"'"^," "^^"'^^^^^^l^I^i^^^l^' *^- I^.te.e.ts of SabI,atH Scl^oola, Social Irxxpro^errre^t, Texrtpeva^ce, Edt^catio^, a..d Gerter-al News-
" BEHOLD,   I   BRING   YOU   GOOB   XIHINGS   OP   GREAT   JOT ....   ON   EARTH   PEACE,   GOOD   WILL   TOWARD   MEN."
VOL. 17.
DAYTON, 0., SATURDAY, APRIL 13,1861.
NO. 48
SELECT POETRY.
The Young Minister.
0! ihaL poor sinners did but know, AVhatI for thetit do undergo; They would not treat me with contempt. Nor hate mc, when I aay, repent.
For woe ia me, if I refrain.
From going fortli in God's great name;
A dispensation, I've received,
And my kind friends, I now must leave.
My fathers house, I bid adieu, And on my journey, I'll pursue, To distant climes I now repair,       ' To'call poor sinners far and near.
But 0 ! the trial of liiy heart, To think I must with parents part, ¦With tears I leave them all in grief. But cannot give them much relief.
They brought me up' with tender care. And for ray health no pains did spare. Exposed themselves bolh night and day, AVhile fevers wore my flesh away.
My weeping brothers think it strange, 'Dhat I should leave my dearest friends; My sisters wonder where I am; That I do not return again.
Through beating storm of rain and snow. Both wet and cold I have to go, 'Tend the appointments I have made; Nor find a jfiaoe to lay my he.^d,
I draw no pension here below, To pay my charges as I go; I go forth !i t my own expense. And trust in God forreoompenae.
Oft times with hanger I grow fftint. And U-avel on 'till almost spent; I find no friend, nor helper nigh. But Him who hears the ravens cry.
Sometimes I with false brethren meet, Who.se hearts iire filled with vain deceit, Their clothing is uuich like the saints, But God abhors their false pretense.
T do not limit conllicis licre, I've foes besides, Ihave to fear; I'm ofliites into bondage brought. In ways of whioli I little thought.
But still I hear my Saviour's voice, Saying, ari.se, in me rejoice; fio to the world's reinotestbounde, I'll be thy friend when foes surround.
So when ray work is doue below, I trust to glory I shall go, Aiid take my lofty, distant Hight, To dwell with saints in glory bright.
ORIGINALITIES.
lT>i«e»/f.r the Gospel lleralil.
Ministers Poor Financiers.
BY .yAME.S MAPLE.
A good financier ifa one who makes the most out ofthe moans at liis com- inand. This is an itLimitted tact. Tried b]- Lhi,-, stJ.uclar(i, IHuiihttrt- !..s a body. Will bo found among the must succcfo^- fui fiiumcierB in tho world. The com¬ mon opinion ih, thattlioy are poor fi naiicier^, but tiie i.icti in tbe case show thai tbiH ib a aiir,take. There is no cla^s among our bus-int'-H or profes- bional men, who keep ihemfcelvds and fiimilien as rcRpcotable as tne mitiis- tor on tho samo amoui.t of means. JSTono lupor haidor aud are ]>oorcr paid, tban they. Tal:e ,i lew laetiS in illubtratirin ot iliis. I know a luin'h- ter vv'hoso meome las'u 3'''.'r v, uh tve hundred ;nid ib)-cy-tlu\e dolhu--. TlnV is evoiy uime that his Cburtti paid bim.   Ol. ihii; sum be ssi^taioed a tiiui-
il}' of eoven persons; kept them in de¬ cent   clothing,   provided  them   with food and sent four of them to school; yet one of his  brethren very gravely, told me that he is a bad financier.  Bo-' sides his family,   this   minister   had company enough   to  amount to   one regular boarder, the entire year.  An¬ other of our Ministers, with whom I am well acquainted, has been preach¬ ing for twenty years, and has devoted his entire time   to   the work, of the Ministry.    IJis salary during this pe¬ riod will  only' average about  three hupdrejj dollars a year. Sometimes he has received a little more, and at other times less,  but the average is three hundred dollars. 'On this sum, be has sustained himself and wife and laid by several hundred dollars, and yet some of his brethren say he is a  poor  fi¬ nancier.   Another of our  ministers, whoso salary is a little over five hun¬ dred dollars a year, sustains a family of eight persons; and yet one of his brethren   gravely told him not long since, that he was a poor financier, and oughtto let some of hie brethren man¬ age his business  lor bim;   and  that good brother  has   a family of seven persons, and it costs him over a thou¬ sand dollars to   keep them,  and they are not  very well kept at   that.    He would make an excellent committee of lin.'tnco to   take    care   of   the ptistor and keep within the limits of the sal¬ ary.    1 know another good Minister, wito has been  preaching for  twenty- fivo years, and who has  accomplisiied great good in   leading multitudes   of souls To Christ.    liis snhary will only average two hundred dollars per year during tho twenty-five years  of   his ministry, and on this, he has suppor¬ ted a family of four persons, and made a rcepeetablo appear-anco  in society; yet many of his brethren think  and call him a poor financier.   These   are only a fev.'cases out of hundreds that I   could   record  if neccesaary.    The principle cause that has led people  to think 'ministers poor financic-i's, is the following:    A Charch employs a min¬ ister and agree to pay him   a certain sum.    He purchases food and cloth¬ ing for his  family, promising to pay for them when his salary is due. Time passes, his year is up and he receives one half, or two thirds of what the Church agreed to pay him.    The rest he  never gets.    Tbe cousequence  is ho cannot pay bis iieb*b as he promis ed, and immediately toe cry is raised by the brethren wlio have  neglected to pay h'm his salary, that ho is a bad financier, and oughtto have a guardian appointed.    Tbedifiiculty  iu  paying his debt--' docs   not grow  out of  the want of financial ability on the part of t^^omlnib-uer.    Toe dishonesty of  tlie Church   ly tho cinse of it.    I know thut many good  brethn-i   don't   hkc the   word  'disliom'SiA   i'S :.])plied   to Churches whi(h  retm'c  to  pay their honest debif-, bul  I believe m calbng things bv their [.roper uames and ^tis time-th.a't Ch'ir.-iKv" siiruld see, that it is pist  as  d'-honet-t to refuse   to pay Ih'eir  miiii-ter  as   it   l^ not li;  pay Jieir merchant. Ikno^^ ^Initthere are some poor fin::!:' iert among the minis¬ ters, as thne ,'dc iu  all  Miierproies- siou^   but tlieyj,reiewer m this, than in M.y other juoie'sioii.
¦UINISTEKS  LIBBAEIEP-
ii:verv minister should have .1 good
supply of books. They are his tools, and no man can be an efficient minis¬ ter without them. They are absolute¬ ly essential to hia usefulness, and Churches should see that their pas¬ tors are supplied with a good library. If every Church would'furnish their minister with say, one hundred dol¬ lars a year to spend for papers and books; they would be repaid amply, by the increased value of his sermons. It would-make him a better preacher. The history ot the Ministry confirms the truth"of this statement. The best Alinisters are those who have the most means of intelleotual culture; tliere- fore, for a church to deprive a Minis¬ ter of books, by only paying him enough to meet his material wants, is cheating themselves. They suffer the lossiupoorsermonsandthey ought to. They only pay for poor preacbing, and that is ail they have any right to expect; but many Churches are not satisfied with this. Tbey want their servants to do a good days work with¬ out allowing him any tools to work with. When a man employs a hand, and expects him to do good work, they must furnish him with good tools, and if he is too lazy to use them, thej' should dismiss him at onee.— Thus the Churches should furnish their Minister with the means of intel- ectual improvement, and if he is too indolent to avail himself of them, let him slide; for a lazy Minis'jer is an awfal curse to u Church; he is wor.so than the lice in Egypt, "as vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to tho eyes, so is the sluggard to thent thtit send him." Of ail the lazy men in tho uni- Torse, the lazy llinister ia the mean¬ est, and he will suffer the bitterest pangs ofthe laay man's hell; for he has the highest of all motives to arouse him to earnest action, and the most fearfiilof all responsibilities rest upon him.
IPriMeil far the Oospd SleraM.
Clirist the Eiigtty Go«, the everlasting Father,
BY .7AMES MAPLE.
"His name shall be called Wonderful, Coun¬ sellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Fath¬ er."    Jsiah, 9tli: tj.
'There are a few who have doubted whether this applies to Christ; but the great body of Christians have ever re¬ garded it as a glorious prediction of the Messiah; and it does not seem to mo possible to doubt it. It is one of the most common proof texts used by Trinitarians, to prove the doctrine of the trinit}^; but it perfectly harmonizes with the scriptural doctrine, of tno strict deity of G-od, ami the divmo Sonship of Jesus Christ. Instead cf supporting the doetrine ofthe supremo divmity of Christ, it proves tbe oppo¬ site; you will please notice the follow¬ ing btcts.
Ist. He is declared to be a "child born." This is a dcscrijalon of liis nature. It is what he is. Can this be said of the supremo Goct? Is be a '¦child born.'"' Can it bo said ofthe unoriginated God, that he was born V This is absurd.
2d Jle IS a "Suri iHicn. ' Can it be said of the Supreme Eeiog, that he IS a t:'fm given ? If so, who was there above ium, to give him 'I Can there be  a   power   above   Supreme 'f   Tho
fact that he was given, demonstrates his subordination to the power that sent him.
3d. It is affirmed that "tho govern¬ ment shall be upon his shoulders." It was, not tfien on his shoulders, but should be. Can this be said of the Supremo God ? Was there ever a time when the government ofthe uni¬ verse was not on his shoulders ? Cer¬ tainly not; therefore, this language cannot be applied to him.
•1-th. It IB not said he is the mighty God, tho Everlasting Father; but'that he shall le called such. He was to have those titles, when the government should be upon his shoulders. It is never said of the Supreme Being that he shall be called the mighty God,.the Everlasting Father. These titles al¬ ways belonged to him.
The Savior is here called "Tho Mighty . God." This phrase occurs but twelve times in the Scriptures, all of which are in the Old Testament.
This is onl}' one of many instances in which Christ is called God; but there is some difference of opinion about the reason why this title is giv¬ en to Him. Some suppose th.it the word translated God, may refer to a hero, king, a conqueror. Thus, Goseu- ius renders it "mighty hero," and thinks that the name God, is here used in accordance with the custom of the Orientals, who ascribe divine attri¬ butes to kings. The following is an instance of their arrogance and pride: "Chosroes, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Kulor of the nations, Prince of Peace, Savior of men; among the Crod.'^, a man, good and eternal, but among men, a God most illustrious, glorious,' a conqueror, rising with the sun, and giving vision at night."
Plugclcko says: "In my opinion, this name is altogether symbolicai. The Messiah shall be called tbe strength of God; or, strong God, divine here, in order, l)y this name, to remind the people ofthe strength of God." . The fact that Christ is called the mighty God, does not prove that he is the supremo God; for if it does, we have a great number of supreme Gods. "Tbe Lord said unto Moses: See, I have made thee a god, Pharaoh," Ex. 7: 1. Princes, magistrates and Jiidgos iive called gods. Ex. 22: 28; Psalms 82: 1-G. In these iiassages, men are called gods, and if the mere fact that a being is called God, :provcs that he is the supreme God, then Moses-and the Judges aro supreme Gods.
Luther's translation of our text is as follows:
"For to us a child is born, To 1"!'^ a hon is given; Aud he shall bo called Wonderful, Counsellor, mighty po¬ tentate, or hero  Everlasting Father, prince of pence.''    This is adopted by tK'ieuius and Dette.
The Jews, at one time, were going to stone Christ, and they gave this reason for it -Eor a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy, and because thou, being a man, makcKt thyself God. Jesus answered them, is "it not written in your law, I said ye aro gods '{ If yo call thom Gudh unto whom the %vord of God came, aud tho Scriptures cannot bo broken; say yo unto Him whom the Father hath suuc- tificd and'sent  into tho world,  thou