Gospel Herald, 1861-01-17

              SPEL
Devoted, to Ohrlstianitir, Morality, the Interests of Sabbath Schools, Social Improveinent, Temperance, Education., and General Ne-sva.
"BEHOLD,   I   BRING   TOTJ   GOOD   TIDINGS   OF   GEEAT   JOY  ....  ON   EAKTH   PEACE,   GOOD   WILL   TOWAED   MEN.'
VOL. 17.
DAYTON, 0., SATURDAY, JAN. 19,1861.
NO. 36.
SELECT POETRY.
I'll watch for thee.
The follo^wing stanzas, suggested by an ex¬ pression in tbo dying ¦words, recorded abova. nra offered to the reader, lo be sung to the fa¬ miliar and beautifnl air, "There'll be no more (orrow there."
"I'll WATCH van thee up theke."
I'll Ttratch for thee np there,
Within the pearly gate; ril stand among the seraph band.
Who at the portals iraiL
And as the ransomed throng
With palms of victory come, And pass the everlasting door*
To gain their heavenly homo.
IU mark with eagle eye
Tho radiant spirit blest, And gladly ¦welcome every saint
Into tho promised rest.
Bat ivhen thy soul is freed
From earthly toil and pain, And ¦wings ita flight to enter in
With all the blood-^waahed train-
¦With bounding heart and hand
ru sweep my gcldcn lyre, And rush to greet and welcome thoo
To heaven's rejoioing choir.
Then vfo will sing tbo song
With blended voii!c above, The song we used to sing on earth
Of Jl'Sus' dying love.
We'll gather round the throne—
Ourblcst Redeemer's seat— And cast tho crowns he bought for us ¦ Adoring at his feet I
And with ten thousand more.
, All purchased with Uis blood. We'll swell tbo echoing anthem strain
To Christ the lamb of GodI
Then wait and suffer on
A few moro years below, Bing rot awhile tho songs of carli,
Though 1 from oarth must go.
In heaven I'U wait for thee, .        ¦    WhiList thouarttoiling here.
My heart will atill bo joined to thine; ru watch for theo up there, i    JV; r. Observer.
ORIGINALITIES.
Written for the Gosfel Herald.
Crumba from a Christian Pulpit,
On tho otbor side of tho turbalont river,-where tho veil of flesh will havo been removed anti tho quality of each Boul shall bo apparent, as ho shall greet among tho immortul throng thoso to wboni ho tr.inisterod, and find some ap proximating moro nearly to tho divine per&ctionsjandstanding higher among tlio sons of God booaiiso of his labors— as hoshall recoivo the salutations of that young man whom ho encouraged while strut-^gling vrith temptation and asyuranccs from this, that his fifsfiispiration.s for tbo spiritual life iverc awakened under his ministry-- ashoshallgrcettho^happy spirits who :'«fhispored in hia car their baptismal ¦^ows. the mother whosO grief ovoi- tho: precious dust of her child, ho en¬ deavored to. assuage by directing her thoughts to tho land where loved ones nioet to part no moro, and tho timid, tvenibruig soul that at Iirst shranlt back as Jordan's chilly waters dashed "pon its feet, but finally gathered ^ti'ength and cheerfully spread its pin¬ ions for its heavenward flight, borne Oil tho breath of his prayers—as ha ^''all there sco that deathless spirits etaad higher in tho scale of moral ex- ^('llence, and that tho real happiness °f heaven will bo increased throughout tho countless cycles of eternity, tho
rainistor of the Gospel will begin to understand the dignity of his calling, and bless God for thrusting him into the ministry.       *      ,*       *       *
It has boon said that Byron's pooms still s^mell of rum. Whethor that is true or not, sermons are evolved from tho minister's interior self; They must partake of his mental and spirit¬ ual condition. I should very much dislike to sit under the ministry of a dyspeptic. God pity the i>eoplo and protect the church when thoministor's liver is out of order. When fountains aro disturbed and muddy, who expects to seo crystal streams? When tho strings of a viol aro unequally tuned, or aro swept by two or moro hands at onco, who expects music? Nothing is so important to the minister as rotiro- ment and perfect peace. He should spend much ot hia time in tho presence of a serene beauty, whero tho most in¬ spiring influences should address tho hidden springs of his being, causing it to unfold like a summer flower, when kissed by the morning sunlight and bathed in tho morning dew. And in¬ stead of requiring him to mingle much in the exciting affairs of practical lifo, tho people, out of regard to their own interests and rights, ought to demand that ho should be put under lock and key during at least throo-fourths of his wakeful hours.
Tho richest cream does not rise by agitation, but in seclusion, away trom all disturbing influences. And if you want tho richest cream your minister can produce, and you want nothing else, do not allow a paddle-wheel to play perpetually in his soul,but attend to his wants, roliovo him of care and worldly anxiety, and shut him away from extraneous o.xcitoments, and give it time to rieo, nl e tho woolily skim¬ ming will bo tl    : .Hid poor.
Tho demands of tho times upon the minister, are enormous, if not crush¬ ing and murderous. Every little church at tho country cross-roads, nowwtmta Boechor or a Bellows, a Chapin or a ICing. People aro disinclined to silt on Sunday, a bushel of chaff for a ker¬ nel of whoat. They expect to hear discussed in tho pulpit tho weightiest subjects that are before tho public, and poetry and history, science and art, light literature anti labored re¬ views, must all be ran.iackod for proofs and illustrations. To rceotthodcmands of thoso times, a minister cau bo but littlo less than an artist, a poet, a statesman and a philosopher—incon¬ gruous powers it must bo confessed^ and then liave his lips touched with a coal from God's altar, to set bis soul on firo and inttko all his resources availa¬ ble. To bo and to do simply what is expected of him on the Satabath, ho ought to spend sixdaysof tho wcck^on the mount of,transfiguration, with God and tho best spirits" of: earth, that he might enter his pulpit on tho seventh surcharged with divino, magnetism,
Still ho must know his people. IIo must mingle with thera. Thoir hearts must boat against his till ho knows their several throbbings. Uo must meet them on their farms and in their homes, in tho streets and their shops, on festal occasions and in seasons of an¬ guish. Alas! alas! who is sufficient tin- these things? Ono class of his du¬ ties Booms to unfit liim for another.
IIo must often toil in secret  till hiscabulary of anathemas,  and maledic
brain seems on fire, and then bo called, with scarcely a moment's notice, to la¬ bors for whieh thorough preparation alono can fit him. His vory duties call him from the oven to tho ice-house, from the garden of flowers, whose ex¬ quisite beauties and fragrance delight tho senses and almost bear him to dream-land, to scones that wring blood from his hoart, from the summit ol tho sun-lit mount where tho friendly heav¬ ens enfold him and whisper to his soul their divinest secrets, to actual contact with that from whicli his whole being recoils.
But the first duties of the minister are in his study and in his pulpit. However desirable it may be to do oth¬ er work, that should bo dono faithfully and well. There should bo no omis¬ sions, no apathy, no failures there, if it is possible to prevent them. His po¬ sition and influenco for good in tho community must depend chiefly upon his pulpit efforts. If be fails there, any attempt to cover or to palliate his defect, by pastoral visits, by suavity of manners, or by outside doportraont, would be like attempting to palliate a disease of his heart by brushing his hair more tastefully, and putting co¬ logne on bis pocket handkerchief.
Under ordinary circumstances, it is a downright insult to the people for a minister to attempt to preach without careful and thorough preparation. And ho who has thfe requisite time and yot goes into his pulpit without, and struggles and stammers, and sweats for an hour in trying to crowd into his Sabbath service tho work which should have been done tho week bcforo, and who endeavors to substi¬ tute lungs for brains, and noiso for thought, ought to bo arrested and punished for Sabbath breaking.
tVritten for the Gosiiet Herald.
Controversy. At tho caption of this article, per¬ haps many Christian readers will turn away-vvith a feeling akin to di.^gust, on account of the numerous articles of a controversial character, which have appoixrcd in tho columns of tho Her- akl, for tho past fow years.
But I am not writing an article with tho expectation of a reply, but merely wish to notice some  of the  evils  ari- singfrom a protracted controversy, and also  the  bencfitB  if any.    A brother ofttiii expresses his  opinion on a sub¬ ject, not in tbo least expecting that it will bo contradicted ; but some greedy criticiser seizosit, picks it topieccs, anti as a matter of course finds faults; these , faults bo gathers in a  mass, shakes j them well together,, add,s a  good dose I of his own  calumny, babies it with a I high-sounding title, and sends it forth to  a  devouring   public  "free   gratis I without any charge."    As  a natural ' consequence, the author of tho first ar
tion is exhausted, each ono supposing that besides having gained a decided victory, he has dispensed a vast deal of useful knowledge, to the world at largo. JiTow the evils of such a courso aro numerous. It was a violation Of the injunction, "Let us therefore fol¬ io w these things which make for peace." It also causes bitter fellings between tho parties, which, but for the contro¬ versy, never would havo existed, it' blunts tho finer feelings of both, and inspires in each a lovo of contention, all of which are in direct opposition to ' tho teachings of our Savior.
Tho advantages are few and very trivial,   compared  with  tho  injuries.
In the course of tho controversy the subject may be clearly analyzed and shown up to tho public ; but such in- forma,tion might bo obtained by differ¬ ent moans, and without the alloy. Bach may display great argumentati-vo powers, but theao powers might much better be employed on some other subject, or in a different state of mind. Upon tho whole, I think that howev¬ er many faults may bo found ia an ar¬ ticle, however much anyone may sup¬ pose ho can correct or explain or ana¬ lyze it, it is bettor to let it alone, and it will not bo tho means of doing us much harm as, a dispute. "If a man smito thoo on ono chock turn to him tho other alao,
Wm. S. Marshall,
Wrillert for the dospel Ilemld.
The Unity of the Church.
The Gospel was first introduced into tho opulent city of ,Co].-inth, by tho un¬ tiring efforts of Paul and,bis fellow- laborers, Silasand Timothy. Aftor they bad been succcssfal in cstabliBhing a Church in this city of gaity and,fash¬ ion, Paul retnainod with tho people,, "teaching tho word of God among them." No doubt, ho formed a strong attachment for this people during his stay with them; indeed, this is early manifested in bis communications to this Church. But the disciples of this city did not always regard tho groat truth taught, them by thia eminent Apostle, for in his first letter to thom ho labors to settle dissensions of an iilarming ch.-iractcr that bad arisen iu tbo Church.
Now tho Scriptures are ttbundant in their tcstinioniea against division, and in favor of tbo unity of the Church. Christ is tho groat head of llio Church,, -and tlio Scriptures declare that as Uis followoiT, all Christians aro united in ono body. It is evident that, tho Apostle recognized but ono body of Christians, when ho said, "There is ono body and ono spirit, oven as yo aro called in one hopo of your calling." Ho taught ibo same great truth tC: the disciples at Corinth, to wit, that Christ waa their head and leader; and that it was impossible for him to becomo tbo leader of  contending factions.    This
I tide is bitterly incensed a"", tho "mis representation," his "Old Adam" risu'S I noble-roindedApostlocxprcsseBhimseif tothe top, ho seizes  his  pon and  of! thus:   "Now I beseech you"—such ia
top, courso tho "First Man" speaks; his eritisizcrgcts "jessio" bis friends and tho readers of bis article receive an idea of his "passionate nature," aud the author himself has tho satisfaction of having demolished his antagonist. These thoy continue, increasing Jn warmth and excitement,.until tho vo-
his powerful and decided testimony agnin.st party spirit—"that ye all speak tlio same thing, and that there be no divisiiOUft among you; but that ye bo ' perfectly joinctl together in tho sarao^ mind, and in the same judgment." Tho dcsiro of the Apostlo waa, that there should bo  no schisms, or no di-