Gospel Herald, 1861-03-30

              l>e-v'oted..to Ohristianity, Morality, the Interests of Sa,b>5atli Schools, Social Improvement, Teinpe-ranoe, E<lTacatioii, and. General N'ew.<3.
"BEHOLD,   I   BRING   TOU   aOOD   TIDINGS   OF   GREAT   JOT
.   ON   EARTH   PEACE,   GOOD   'tVILL   TO'WARD   MEN.
VOL. 17.
DA.YTON, O., SATURDAY, MARCH 30,1861
NO. 46.
ORIGINAL POETRY.
Written for the Gospel Herald.
On the Death of a Sister.
BY   J.   -WOO D-WOItTH.
Ive a sister dear, that's gone to rest.
Now sleeping In the clay. Who sought the Lord—was truly blest,
And learned his holy -way. -
With Him her spirit sings on high;
With Him sho choose to dwell; Yet when I think of Her I sigh,
And say, lov'd one farewell.
With her in childhood oft I've played, - When Bummer's suns did shine; I in the verdant fields have strayed, 'With my dear sister Cina.
My days of Childhood now are o'er,
And her's on earth are past; That lovely form I'll meet no more,
We've met here for the last.
A husband kind on earth is left.
To tread life's way in tears; And mourn in sadness, now bereft.
Of his companion dear.
Three little buds now left behind.
Are scarcely yet in bloom; Three children dear—no mother kind;
Sho sleeps in yonder tomb.
The youngest one but two years old,
Looked on and sadly said, "That's mamiradear, my dear mamma;
Oh I Cina now is dead."
My heart-strings thrilled with anguish deep.
When that dear Cherubtpoke. Of her who sweelly fell asleep.
By death's relentless stroke.
Adieu dear sister for awhile,
I'm almost in dispair. And by thatmonumenlal pile,
I shed affections tear.
Methinks I see thee beauteous st.and.
The thought my soul inspires; And reach hither ihiit snow-white hand,
Saying,  Brother, "come up higher."
ORIGINALITIES.
Written for the GVwtjjcl Herald.
leliffioii, No 2-
BY B,. h. HAUVKY.
Ill my last, I showed tho etymology and definition of tho word religion; and spoke ofthe four groat system of religion, into which the world was divi¬ ded, and propose to briefly investigate.
First. The theology of the christian religion.
Second,.    Examine it praoticaly.
Third.    Experimentaly.
lat. We proceed to oxaraino the the¬ ology of tho christian religion. The common acceptation ofthe term Theology, sayt* Webaler, is Divinity. He says' that ib is the science of God and divine things; or the scioneo that teaches the existance, character, and attributes of God, his laws, and gov¬ ernment, the doctrines we are to believe, and tho duties wc aro to practice. Tho word was first used, says an eminent author, to denote the systems, orraLher thohoierogcncoas fables of tlioso poets and philosophers, who wrote of the genealogy and exploits ofthe God's of Grueec. Hence Orpheus, .Museiia, .He- siod and others, wore called Theolo¬ gians. In relation to the theology of the christian religion, tho first great truth revealed, is that which was fully known under all precceding dispensa¬ tions, and upon whicli all religions aro
based. Thatthere isone unoriginated, infinite, solfe-xistent, immutable and eternal God; the creator, upholder, and supporter of all things. And that he is the great first cause of all things, and is the natural and moral governor of tho Universe. He is the great in¬ finite intelligence, and life-giving, vivifying principal of the universe. As the natural governor of thephysical universe; he has nicely and wisely formed, and arranged all things, with reference to the greatest possible good, and highest happiness of whioh his creatures are susceptible. God's laws are applied to the natures and capaci¬ ty of all aniir.iite, and inanimate crea¬ tures, in the physical world; and just calculated, to preserve order and har¬ mony, and to promote the highest pos¬ sible happiness of all. "'The Lord surely is good, and his tender mercies aro over all his works." "He openeth wide his liberal hand, and supplieth tho wants of every living thing." The christian religion, also acknowledges God to be the moral governor of the world. In tho creation of all animate beings, God made man,(the most noble of all his works,) an intellectual, free moral agent; possessing rational and moral faculties; such as volition, reason, will, judgment, understanding, affec¬ tion and conscience, &c. And is there¬ fore a being who is capable of perform¬ ing moral actions; and an action is rendered moral, by two circumstances, that it is voluntary, and that it has- respect to somo rule or law, which determines it to be good or bad. The manner in which God governs the world of rational beings, ia by law, as the rule of their obodienoc to him; and is what we call God's moral govern¬ ment ofthe world. God's moral gov¬ ernment then, recognizes the moral conduct of man, and he proposes in the oxercisoof thesapio, to distribute equal rewards, and punishments to the whole -human race, according to their works. Tho Christian Theology, also rcognizes tho general, and especial providence, or superintendence and care of God, over till things which ho has made. For ovidently it requires the constant exercise ofthe same power, that at first spako all things into existence, to sus¬ tain tbose existences, and perpetual order, and harm.ony throughout all his works. Another great truth most clearly taught, ordepioted in the Chris¬ tian Theology, ia the introduction of Bin into the world hy the first trans¬ gression, tho magnitude of the offence, the guilt incurcd by the transgressor, terible result's tho phyaical ills of hu¬ man existence, and the final desola¬ tion of the whole posterity of Adam; as well as tbe continued ravages of sin in the world, and the wretchedness and misery it entails, on the whole human race.
By the Christian religion; we mean that system that is baaed upon faith in tho^Lord Jesua Ohrist, as tho di¬ vine Son of God, or tho true Mcsias, of whom Moses in the law, and the Proph-' lets did write, and who was particu- hirly pointed out, and shadowed forth by all the sacrifices and ceremonies of the Jewish law, and predicted by all the Prophets. The Christian the¬ ology teaches that he is the only way or name given under heaven among men, wbcreby wo can be saved. The Christian theology teaches that Christ
came into  tho   world to be  the great ] teacher of man in the science of God¬ liness, and to make known the nature and attributes of tho supreme Jehovah to the world.    To show and eatabliah his claims upon man; aud also his gra¬ cious designa and purposes in relation to the moral world.    It  also   teaches that he came to set up  His Itingdom among men, and extend His rule over the nations ofthe earth.    Christ camo also to exemplify all the  principles of His holy religion,   in his own person. Also to fulfill the law of saoriflces oon- serning Him, by offering Himself  on the cross, a sacrifice for the sins of tho world, and thereby giving the highest possible proof of God's  love   to   man and willingness to save.  The doctrine ofthe  resurrection   occupies   a very prominent position in the theology of the Christian religion.    The Jows'had but faint discovery of it; hut it was left for Christ, theSavior ofthe world, "to bring life and immortality to light  in the Gospel," and fully  illustrate it in his own   person, by rising again  the third day from  the  torao.    Thus has He illustrated the  glorious resurrec¬ tion, and gave   us a sure pledge  ttiat wo shall also he raised   up at  the last day.   The doctri.uo of Christ's   ascen¬ t-ion and exaltation   to the right hand of the Father, and also His glorious in¬ tercession for us in Heaven,   and that He shall come tho second time in   the glory of His Father, and with his holy angels, to   raise the   dead,  small and great, andto judge the  world in righ¬ teousness, and reward every  man ac¬ cording   to hia   work,   is taught   by- Christ and his Apostles.   The  theolo¬ gy ofthe Christian religion, is design¬ ed to fix tho   attention'of   the whole moral world upon Christ as  tho only Saviour, who is aijlo to save to tho ut¬ most, all that will eome unto  God  by Him.    Also as our only law-giver and instructor; and   that by ilini   and by hia Apostles, we aro suitably and ful¬ ly instructed in relation to all our du¬ ties , that wo owe to God, to onr fellow men, and to ourselves.    And the voice of God from the most excellent  glory said, "Hear ye Him."    All   tbe  groat dutiea that tho Christian religion pre¬ scribes and teaches,   aro found in the instructions of Christ and   His  Apos¬ tles.
Those   practical    duties   we   shall briefly notice in our next number.
Religion is the chief concern Of mortals here below; May I its great importance learn, Its sovereign virtues know.
Written for die Gospel Herald.
The Old Te.stament.
or within, &o, thus materially changing the language.
5. A great number. of signs, which now perplex the grammarian, aro sup¬ posed to htive been notes assigned orig- riganlly to regulate the tone, or "sing¬ song" in reading; a stylo so natural, both in reading and speaking; and how¬ ever much despised; a style of sufficient antiquity and respectability to be con¬ sidered classical.
6. The Hebrew language is, aa wo would term it reversed; ever begining at the right hand, and reading toward the left; in words, lines, and books.
7. Their letters answer to ours in the following order, and occur in the Bible aa often as indicated by the op¬ posite figures.
BY N.   SUMMEEBELL.
1. The hotter name is old covenant; and of tho now, lilcewise. New Testa¬ ment.
2. It is written, in what is now de¬ nominated tho .Hebrew language; per¬ haps the oldest language in tho world,
3. The Hebrew letters are of aequaro form, twenty- two in number, and tho page presents a beautiful appearance. Perhaps no language has been more marred in mending, bj' modern men, than the Hebrew.
4. Its original vowels, a, o, i, o, u, or Aloph; Ho, Too, Gin, and Vau, have been silenced, except when vocalized by certain dots and dashe.s, above, below
A. Aleph
B. Beth    - G. Gimcl D. Daleth ,He. He
V. Vau     - Z. Zain Ch. Cheth T. Teth Yor, 1. Yod K. Knf L. Lamed M. Mem N.'Nun    - S. Samech A. Ain P. .Pe T. Tsaddi ,K.. Kof Ii. Eesh    • S. Shin or S. Seen T. Tau
42,377. ¦ 38,218.
29,537. . 32,530,
47,554.
7(5,922.
22,867.
23,447.
11,052.
66,420.
48,253.
41,517.
77,778.
41,696.
13,580.
20,175.
22,725.
21,882.
22,972.
22,147.
32,148.' 59,34.3.
Some knowledge of the language, ia easily acquired; and of great utility to tho Bible reader; as no language'can express, the truth or force ofthe orig¬ inal,   like itself.
In the Old Testament there aro 29 Books, 929 Chaptera, 22,214 Verses 592,439 Words, 2,728,800 Letters.
The middle chapter in tho Bible, is the 117th Psalm; and is also tho least chapter in the Bible.
Tho middle verso, is tli« 8tli verse, ofthe 118th Psalm.
Jehovah occurs 6,855 tiinoa.
The least verso in tho Now Teeta- meiit, ia John 11th, ,35th.
Ezra 7th, 28th; has all tho alpha¬ bet.
II Kings 19, and Isaiah 27th, aro alike.
The Hebrew Bible, contains tho spirit of all the procepta of the Now Testament; but in the New, they tiro more clearly developed by tho Son'of God.
Liberty  has  been taken   with the Hebrew Scriptures, not only in silenc¬ ing the  native vdwels, and substitu¬ ting points, or arbitrarj' vowels; and'in magnifying the tone   signs to accents; but'in tho orthodox  mode   of render¬ ing it into tho English,   so  as to give, not so much the true  word of God, as, tho Word of God,  so  reiidorod; as, (o coincide with tho true   doetrine ofthe Church.    In other words, by Evangel-= ical'zoal for tho triith, the old Hebrew through its translation has hhan conver¬ ted to the orthodox  faith, of modern times, as far as possible.    This has not been done from  any wrong  motive; but from an honest conviction that tho origin, liftcrally rendered, would sub-