Publishing Committee · Rochester, N. Y. · Oct 24, 1854
PATIENCE.
PATIENCE is that grace that enables us to bear calamities, afflictions and oppositions, with constancy and calmness of mind, and with a ready submission to the will of God.
It is something to be "followed after." 1 Tim. vi, 11. The teachings of truth, as also the temptations of the Devil, constantly present before the mind's eye, a path, and inducements to walk in it. The path of patience is presented by truth and is to be followed.
By Paul, [2 Cor. vi, 3-12,] it is placed at the head of those graces that commend us to God, and good men, in the midst of all the trials, that have ever been the common lot of God's children, or that ever will be incident to Christian life. See also 2 Thess. i, 3-6; 2 Tim. iii, 8-13. While it preserves its possessor from offending by any departure from the path of duty marked out by the Lord, [2 Cor. vi, 3,] it does not always prevent people from becoming offended with us. Verse 12.
It is as impossible to secure, and retain the noble grace of Christian patience, without "righteousness, godliness, faith and love," as it is for the smith to attach a fifth link to his chain, before he has put on the fourth one; and the Devil will never assail us with "great wrath," until this chain of graces is complete.
Almost all classes of community hold on to, and admire some one of the links in this chain. Thus we have the "Moral Reform Society," for the promotion of "virtue." The "Temperance Society," for the promotion of "Temperance," &c., &c. But alas! where is the society for the promotion of Christian patience? For the want of this link in the chain, the Christian's hope is fallen in the dust, where it fails to attract the malicious eye of the enemy of God and man.
Patience is wrought in the "trial of our faith," James i, 3. God has given us a rule of faith—the Bible—containing things to be believed, that when fully believed and practiced, will bring the tribulation necessary to work patience in the soul. Christian patience supposes tribulations—such as are peculiar to the Christian—tribulations occasioned by following Christ. 2 Cor. xi, 22-31. It cannot be possessed without tribulation—it is wrought by it. So says the sure word, and we are unsafe without a kind of patience thus wrought.
An anxiety for the wealth and honors of this world will destroy its exercise. 1 Tim. iii, 3; 2 Tim. ii, 24.
We want it to bear with each others infirmities, and with a scoffing world. 1 Thess. v, 14. All men like ourselves, are poor fallible beings, possessing the same liability to err; and we should ever bear in mind that their opposition can affect our salvation in no other way, than by trying our patience. In such trials our eternal well-being is endangered; for if we yield to impatience, the chain is broken, and our hope is lost; or become a mere creature of imagination. Those followers of Jesus, whose minds are naturally sensitive, and easily affected by tribulations arising from sarcasm, falsehood and misrepresentations, will ever be safe in turning to the reasoning of the Apostle in Rom. viii, 31-39.
We should exercise patience toward our fellow men, because we are ever liable to be placed in circumstances where we may need it extended to us. Matt. xviii, 26.
Another reason for the exercise of patience, is, that God has not authorized us to ask any more lenity from him, than we extend to our fellows. Matt. vi, 12; xviii, 21, 22, 33.
True patience reaches to the end of the Christian's pilgrimage, [James i, 4; Rev. xiii, 10; xiv, 12,] while the patience of the unstable and worldly-minded man, wears out somewhere on his journey, but is more likely to be exhausted near the journey's end. None tire at the beginning of a pilgrimage; few in the middle of it; but many give out near its end.
God has furnished us with an excellent rule for testing our patience, whether it be of the proper kind; for there is seldom a true bill without its counterfeit. 1 Pet. ii, 20-23, is a complete counterfeit detector in this line of graces. It must be a kind of patience wrought by tribulations, occasioned by following Christ, or his word, which is a transcript of himself.
O how much has the Christian pilgrim to try his patience, while passing through this "vale of tears!" "looking for the glorious appearing of the Great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ." "Behold," says James, "the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and the latter rain. Be ye also patient, for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." The husbandman prepares his ground, sows his seed, fences his field, and watches the first appearance of the blade, and never once murmurs because the harvest is not ready at mid-summer; and even though the harvest is a month later in ripening, than usual, he patiently waits until it is ready, when he thrusts in his sickle and returns, "rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him."
But we have a higher example, in the patience of God toward our fallen race. After the world has slighted his grace, rejected his laws, and established laws, systems, and governments of their own; behold his patience, and mark well his tender love! "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him might not perish, but have everlasting life." John iii, 16.
James v, 10. Moses, the meek, was also the patient servant of God. He exchanged the heirship of the Egyptian throne, for a companionship with oppressed slaves; and while he appealed again and again to the haughty tyrant for the liberation of God's people, he patiently waited till the "first-born of Egypt" were slain; the host assembled; the pillar of fire appeared; then meekly pursued his course through the Sea, and the wilderness, till the promised land was stretched out before his view.
Joshua marshaled the "Sacred Hosts of God's elect," and, following his directions, marched seven times around the city of Jericho, and on the seventh day, when the patience of many would have failed, he accomplished as much as in the whole previous six days, and through his patient and unwearied application, possessed the land promised to his fathers.
Joseph, betrayed by his brethren, falsely and maliciously accused by Potiphar's wife, patiently suffered the privations of a prison, till God plead his cause, elevated him to a seat above the throne of Egypt, and finally signalized him as another deliverer of his people.
Gideon, with his despised band of three hundred men, occupying a station claimed by thirty thousand, that God rejected, patiently pursued his course, and waited at the Midianite's camp, with their simple armor of "pitchers and lamps," till the swords of the enemies of the Lord were turned one against another, and he was left to share the conqueror's spoils.
David, "because God was with him," became an object of the wicked hatred of Saul, who bade his servants slay him. He slew the enemies of Saul "with a great slaughter;" yet, even this embittered his enemy, who again attempted to thrust him through with a dart. When the kingdom was within his reach, he fled away and sought seclusion in the society of Samuel. In vain did he appeal to his enemy, "what have I done!" he must be sacrificed to the demon of jealousy; and again he fled away—begged some bread, and the sword of Goliath, and took refuge in the cave of Adullam. This was the man of whom the damsels sung, "Saul hath slain his thousands, but David has slain his tens of thousands;" yet now, one heart alone could feel for him; "Jonathan fell upon his neck and wept."82When they that would destroy him wrongfully, were "more in number than the hairs of his head," then he "restored that which he took not away." His companions were the "discontented, and every one that was in debt." Rewards of honor, fields, and vineyards, were offered for his life, yet in no instance would he take revenge upon one that bore the name of an Israelite, but suffered in patience.
His forbearance caused even his proud enemy to weep with a loud voice and say, "Thou art more righteous than I;" when David held up the "skirt of his robe," that he had cut off while he slept, and exclaimed, "The Lord judge between me and thee," and again he fled into the wilderness of Engedi. When Saul had fallen upon the plains of Gilboa, David stood by his side, and with unaffected grief, cried, "How are the mighty fallen!"
Again, an aspirant for human honors, his own son, (!) sat in the gate, and with fair speeches and enticing words stole away the hearts of the people from following after David. Meekly he yields the throne to the usurper, and when a just reward was visited upon the head of the rebel, in the room of joining the song of triumph, he clothed himself in sackcloth, and cried, "My son, Absalom, my son, my son!! would God I had died for thee."
On no occasion does he trouble himself with a defense of his course or character; yet God raised him to honor, and turned the counsel of Ahithophel against him, into foolishness. Look at his last word, 2 Sam. xxiii, 1-7.
Elijah is another example of patience. Seven times in prayer he bowed himself, and patiently waited for rain upon the thirsty land, till he saw the "little cloud" arise. He preferred to lie down in the wilderness alone, and receive his food from the wild ravens' claws, rather than yield to the claims of wicked Ahab, for a prophecy of peace, and prosperity for his corrupted kingdom, and tyrannical reign, when God had not spoken peace. As a reward of his patient sufferings, God sent his chariots, and bore him forever away from the scene of his trial.
Nehemiah and Ezra were special objects of hatred, when they had courage to rebuild the fallen walls of Jerusalem. Sanballat and Tobiah sneeringly said, "If so much as a fox go up on your wall he will break it down." But as the work was patiently prosecuted, they changed their tune, first to flattery, then to threats. The dignified, patient reply to their crafty efforts, was, "I am doing a great work, and why should it cease for me to come down to you?"
Esther, raised from obscurity to the throne of Media and Persia, in patient silence wept and prayed, awaiting deliverance from the hand of God, for herself and people, against the deep laid and crafty designs of wicked Haman, and witnessed his overthrow.
Job. Ye have heard of the patience of Job. James v, 11. In the midst of affluence tribulations came. His "oxen were ploughing," and his asses quietly "feeding beside them," when the Sabeans fell upon them, carried them away, and slew his servants, and the fire from heaven consumed his flocks. His houses were rent by winds, and his children perished. His body was smitten with boils till he sat down in the dust and cried aloud with pain. He mourned alone; even his wife upbraided him for his constancy. His friends conspired against him, taking peculiar pains to prove him a bad man; yet "in all this he sinned not, nor charged God foolishly," but looked forward to the day of retribution, and exclaimed, "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God."
Jeremiah went down to the potter's house, and foretold the evils to come upon Israel and Judah; then they conspired against him and said, "Come and let us smite him with the tongue." God sent him again to prophecy against Israel and Judah, charging him to "diminish not a word." Then they conspired against him, saying, "he is worthy to die." He patiently submitted himself to them, was shut up in the court of the prison, afterwards was cast into a dungeon where he nearly perished with hunger; and in all this, not one bitter complaint for himself; but for his people he cried, "O that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!"
Ezekiel patiently submitted to eat the "bitter roll," and speak the words that God had given him, and "briers and thorns were with him." At the end of his patient, and as usual with God's servants, unpopular labors, he was presented with a view of the glorious City, and river of life.
Daniel and his brethren patiently suffered the privations of captivity from their Canaan home, and without a murmur submitted to the exactions of an unrighteous decree, and thus "stopped the mouths of lions, and quenched the violence of fire."
The minor prophets all suffered privations in their turn, leaving their cause to God.
And what of all these? Why, if you will obey God, and be his, take them for an example of "suffering, affliction and patience."
The Jewish dispensation, with its scenes of suffering, passed away at that point of time when professed servants of God were conspiring the death of creation's acknowledged Lord.
And now opens a fresh scene of tribulation, that loudly calls forth the exercise of this manly—this God-like grace. I say, manly, because it is completely divested of that want of principle—that impatience, which seeks the destruction of its victim—a work the child of God never can, and never will attempt to do.
First on the list of patient sufferers under the gospel dispensation, is, Who! Ah, Who!? Its Leader! No less than He that is now soon to appear, wearing the insignia of King of kings, and Lord of lords. See him in the midst of a mob, [Matt. xxvi, 50-56,] betrayed by a professed disciple, yet no unkind word. They all abandoned him to his enemies, yet no reproaches. "He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth." They spit in his face, and insulted him on the cross, yet on the cross he prayed, "forgive."
"Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye become wearied and faint in your minds."
NAY, SPEAK NO ILL.
By Charles Swain
NAY, speak no ill; a kindly word
Can never leave a sting behind;
And oh! to breath each tale we've heard
Is far beneath a noble mind.
Full oft a better seed is sown
By choosing thus a kinder plan;
For if but little good be known,
Still let us speak the best we can.
Then speak no ill, but lenient be
To others' failings as your own;
If you're the first the fault to see,
Be not the first to make it known.
For life is but a passing day,
No lip may tell how brief its span;
Then oh! the little time we stay,
Let's speak of all the best we can.
[Charles Swain.
DESTRUCTION OF THE WICKED.
MATT. x, 28. "Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."
The word translated kill, apokteino, from apo intensive, and kteino, to kill, implies cruelty and violence, equal to murder; apolesai, to destroy, in the sense of putting out of existence; body is sometimes used in the sense of being, and psuche, is often translated life. Gehenna means the valley of Hinnom. So the text will bear this translation—"Fear not those who are only able to murder the body, but are not able to destroy the life, or being; but rather fear him who is able to destroy both life and being in the valley of Hinnom." See James iv, 12. "There is one law-giver who is able to save and to destroy." The parallel place in Luke xii, 4, reads, "Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, who after he hath killed hath power to cast into Gehenna; yea, I say unto you, fear him."
The almost universal belief of the different sects throughout Christendom, is, that there is now existing somewhere, a lake burning with fire and brimstone; or a hell into which the souls of all the wicked, separated from their bodies, are plunged at death, and that they are tormented in this place, before the general judgment. That prior to the general judgment, these souls are again "re-united" to their bodies, which bodies, some affirm, are then made as immortal as the ghosts, and thus appear before the tribunal of judgment to receive their final doom; whence they are remanded back again to their old place of torment, to writhe in the most intense misery, without any intermission, for ever and ever. Thus representing that many of these criminals are punished thousands of years before they are judged! Of course, some of the sects will vary a little respecting the details, but this embraces the general features of what is usually taught by "the orthodox!!!" Well might Mr. Dobney exclaim, "Tremendous orthodoxy this, my brethren!" These relics of paganism, papacy, and purgatory, are still taught, in this nineteenth century, as the veritable teachings of the book of God; and supposed to be necessary to induce men to refrain from vice, to love God, and to enter into sectarian churches. It is to be feared that there are not a few, who—though convinced that these things are fables—for the love of popularity, and perhaps by the more sordid love of gain, do not lift up their voices in execration against such infamous blasphemy against a God of love, and justice!!
In exposing these human traditions, we shall take up the subject as follows: First. Describe the different kinds of hell believed in by men. Second. Show the nature of the hell of the Bible. Third. Prove from the Bible what will be the final destiny of the wicked.
Most nations believe that hell, as defined by themselves, is already in existence, and there are five hells that have obtained a prominence: (1) The Pagan hell; (2) The Mahomedan hell; (3) The Roman Catholic hell; (4) The Protestant hell; and (5) The proper hell of the Bible. We proceed to describe—
1. THE PAGAN HELL.
The Pagan hell is usually described as a wide, dark cave under ground. The entrance to it is down a steep and rocky descent. Then a gloomy grove. After that a lake called Avernus, from which such poisonous vapors arise, that if a bird fly over it, it is poisoned and dies. Beyond the grove and lake, at the entrance of hell, several monsters are placed, who bring men to death and destruction. These are said to increase the inhabitants of hell. Their names are, Care, Sorrow, Disease, Old Age, Frights, Famines, Wants, Labor, Sleep, Death, Sting of Conscience, Force, Fraud, Strife, and Fear. At the side of the lake an old man named Charon, or the Ferry Man, stands in his boat to carry the souls across the lake. On the shore the souls appear in flocks, and those whose bodies were buried, go over the lake when their bodies die; the others wander about the shore a hundred years, and then are carried over. Charon is considered the god of that dreary place. All the souls pay a small piece of money to Charon for being ferried across the lake. The heathen say, there are four rivers that run through hell. The first is the river Acheron. Acheron, a son of Zera, born in a cave, because he could not endure the light, ran down into hell, and was changed into a river of bitter water. The second river is called Styx; rather a lake than a river. Styx was the fabled daughter of Oceanus, and was changed into the Stygian lake by which the gods swore, and kept their oaths. The third river is called Cocytus, and runs out of the Stygian lake, and groans and laments to imitate the howlings of the damned, and increase their exclamations. The fourth river is called Phlegethon, so called because it swells with waves of fire, and all its streams are flames.
All these rivers the souls must pass over and then they arrive at the Palace of Pluto, the god of hell. The gate of Pluto is guarded by Cerebus, a dog with three heads, whose hair is living snakes. He is considered the porter of hell. Saturn gave his son Pluto this infernal dominion, because he invented burying, and funeral mourning. He likewise reigns over death. He sits upon his throne in the dark, holding a key instead of a sceptre. He is crowned with ebony. Pluto, which signifies wealth, is king. The Greeks call him Hades; or gloom, darkness, or melancholy. He was sometimes called Agelatos, because he drives people to the infernal regions; Agelastos, because he refrains from laughter. Summanus, or chief of the infernal deities. (It would appear that the Greeks meant either death or the grave by their word 'hades.') Pluto, it is said, has a queen named Proserpine, who enjoys the infernal regions with him. There are three old women called fates, ordering the past, the present and the future. They fix everything so that nothing can be altered to eternity. To them is entrusted the management of the fatal thread of life. Clotho gives us life; Lachesis determines what shall befall us here; and Atropos concludes our lives. In hell are likewise three furies, who punish the wicked, and torment the consciences of secret offenders. There is likewise an inferior god, called Nox, represented as a83skeleton with black wings. Another god is called Samonus, or sleep; he is thought useful to men. There are three judges in this hell, which judge the souls which come there. There are some giants and some kings there. All are doomed to endless existence in misery. Phlegyas, a king, burned the temple of Apollo; he was condemned to remain in hell forever, with a great stone hung over his head, which he expects every moment to fall upon him, and crush him to pieces. (So he sits eternally fearing that which will never come to pass.) Ixion for his crime, was struck down to hell with thunder, and tied fast to a wheel which will eternally turn him round. A robber is condemned to roll a great stone to the top of a hill, which invariably slips down before he reaches the top.
In this hell there was a place called the Elysium. This, though in the dominion of Pluto, was a region of delights. To this region resorted the souls of the good, after being purged from the light offences committed in this world. (Here is the origin of purgatory, and of the spirit land, and perhaps of the paradise, as at present supposed to exist.) Elysium has verdant fields, shady groves, fine breezes, and all fine things. There is likewise a river called Lethe, causing forgetfulness to all who drink of its waters of all their former troubles. This is but a short description of the Pagan hell. See Tooke's Pantheon, p. 219.
We may here trace the origin of the superstitious practice of placing a piece of money in the hands of the dead, to pay Peter instead of Charon. Here, too, we may trace the origin of the ideas of an already existing hell as a place for living souls, of purgatory, of paradise, and of other errors. The location of this hell is not clearly defined. Homer assumes the place of the dead to be a land at the extremity of the ocean, attainable by navigation; Virgil, a region, attainable only by descending into the bowels of the earth. Compare Odyssey, 11, and Æneid, 6: from whence the fable has crept into the professed church.
2. THE MAHOMEDAN HELL.
The Alcoran describes a last judgment, where all will be judged according to their works. The trial being over and the assembly dissolved; those who are awarded to Paradise, take the right hand way; while those that are destined to hell fire, take the left hand. But both must pass the bridge Alsirat, which is laid over the middle of hell, which bridge is finer than a hair, and sharper than a sword. The wicked miss their footing and fall headlong into hell. This hell has seven gates. The first for Mussulmen; the second for Christians; the third for Jews; the fourth for the Sabians; the fifth for the Magicians; the sixth for Pagans; and the seventh and worst of all, for the hypocrites of all religions. The inhabitants of this hell will suffer a variety of torments of eternal duration, with the exception of those who have embraced the true religion; such will be delivered from hell after having expiated their crimes by suffering.—Adams' View of Religions, p. 322.
3. THE ROMAN CATHOLIC HELL.
The Papist describes hell as a place burning with fire, in which the wicked, dying out of "the church," will be eternally tormented. They hold likewise to a place of purgation, called purgatory. This was taken from the Pagans, and is the same thing under another name. Mosheim says, vol. 2, p. 38:— "The famous Pagan doctrine concerning the purification of departed souls, by means of a certain kind of fire, was more amply explained and confirmed now than it had formerly been. And in the tenth century, the people dreaded the fire of purgatory, more than they did the fire of hell; for they supposed that by being enriched with the prayers of the clergy when they were dying, they should certainly escape hell. But they were taught that if they went to purgatory, it was a matter of doubt whether they ever should be delivered from that dreadful place."
Yea, it is an historical fact that the priests led the people astray, and that for the sake of filthy lucre. Therefore, "Try the spirits whether they be of God: because many false prophets, (or propounders of false doctrines,) have gone out into the world." And while you despise not prophesyings, prove all things, and hold fast only that which is good.
4. THE PROTESTANT HELL.
We now propose to describe the hell which those called Christians believe in, as a place of the most intense misery, without mitigation, and without end. We have seen that the Pagans, the Mahomedans, and the Catholics, hold to a hell that has a place to purify at least a portion of those that are cast into it. But we know of but one sect of Protestants who believe in this part of Paganism. That one is a sect of the Universalists; and for this they are indebted to the heathen. But while Protestantism borrows the Roman Catholic hell, a little modified from the Pagan, they reject its better feature, the chance for a few to escape its fabled horrors.
As Mr. Benson is the acknowledged standard orthodox writer of Methodism, his description will suffice for the Protestant hell. Hear Him: "God is present in hell in his infinite justice, and almighty wrath, as an unfathomable sea of liquid fire, where the wicked must drink in everlasting torture. The presence of God in his vengeance, scatters darkness and woe through the dreary regions of misery. As heaven would be no heaven if God did not there manifest his love: so hell would be no hell if God did not there display his wrath. It is the presence of God which gives everything virtue and efficacy; without which there can be no life, no sensibility, no power. God is therefore himself present in hell to see the punishment of those rebels against his government, that it may be adequate to the infinitude of their guilt. His fiery indignation kindles, and his incensed fury feeds the flames of their torments; while his powerful presence and operation maintains their being, and renders all their powers more acutely sensible; thus setting the keenest edge upon their pain, and making it cut most intolerably deep. He will exert all his divine attributes to make them as wretched as the capacity of their being will admit."
After this, the Doctor goes on to describe the duration of this work of God, and calls to his aid all the stars, and sand, and drops of water, and makes each one tell a million of ages, and when all these ages have rolled away, he goes over the same number again, and again, and so on forever.
If this description were not the result of the grossest ignorance, we should be obliged to characterize it as the worst of blasphemy. Perhaps all the "orthodox" Protestants will not endorse the Doctor's definition of the torments of hell; but they will all agree with him in two particulars; that these torments are of a most excruciating character, and that their duration is eternal. In this horrible account of the work of God in tormenting the work of his own hands, we find no passage of scripture quoted to prove any of its points. We will venture the assertion that there is not a text to be found that leans that way. Nay, more; that it flatly contradicts God's own statement. Job xxxvii, 23. "Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out; he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice he will not afflict. Wherefore let mortals reverence him, whom none of the wise in heart can discern." But this wise Doctor professes to have found out that God is delighting himself continually in horrible and revolting injustice towards those "immortal souls," which some contend are a part of God himself. We could produce many other texts that this account contradicts, but content ourselves at present by quoting Ps. cxlv, 9. "The Lord is good to all; and his tender mercies are over all his works." Lam. iii, 33. "For he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men. To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth." Eze. xxxiii, 11. "As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked." If God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, in the extinction of their being, how can he have pleasure in exercising his powers to produce protracted and intense suffering, conscious suffering, without mercy and without end? Nah. i, 9. "What do ye imagine against the Lord? He will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up a second time." Isa. x, 25. "For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction." We trace the Protestant hell, first, to the Pagan notion of the immortality of the soul; secondly, to the Roman Catholic hell; and thirdly, to a misconception of some passages of Scripture which would not have been perverted, but for the belief of the other two.—Bible vs. Tradition.
Historical Testimony on Sabbath Observance
By Editor
The following is to the point. It shows that the early church did observe the seventh-day Sabbath; and that they observed the first day only as a religious festival.
ATHANASIUS, A. D. 340, says—"We assemble on Saturday, not that we are infected with Judaism, but only to worship Christ the Lord of the Sabbath."
SOCRATES, an ecclesiastical historian, A. D. 412, says—"Touching the communion there are sundry observations and customs, for almost all the churches throughout the whole world do celebrate and receive the holy mysteries every Sabbath; yet the Egyptians adjoining Alexandria, together with the inhabitants of Thebes, of a tradition, do celebrate the communion on Sunday." "When the festival meeting throughout every week was come, I mean the Saturday and the Sunday, upon which the Christians are wont to meet solemnly in the church."
EUSEBIUS, A. D. 325, as quoted by Dr. Chambers, states that in his time "the Sabbath was observed no less than Sunday."
GREGORY expostulates thus—"With what eyes can you behold the Lord's day, when you despise the Sabbath? Do you not perceive that they are sisters, and that in slighting one you affront the other?"
SOZOMEN says—"Most of the churches carefully observed the Sabbath."
GROTIUS observes—"The Christians kept the holy Sabbath, and had their assemblies on that day, in which the law was read to them, which custom remained to the time of the council of Laodicea, about A. D. 355."
M. DE LA ROQUE, a French Protestant—"It evidently appears, that before any change was introduced, the church religiously observed the Sabbath for many ages; we of consequence are obliged to keep it."
EDWARD BREREWOOD, Professor of Gresham College, London, in a treatise on the Sabbath, 1630, says: "They know little that do not know the ancient Sabbath did remain and was observed by the eastern84churches three hundred years and more after our Saviour's passion."—Brer. on the Sabbath. p. 77.
HERE AND THERE.
By Editor
The following hymn, by Hannah Moore, has proved a solace to many Christians under the trials we must endure "here" to fit us for glory "there."
HERE, bliss is short, imperfect, insecure;
But total, absolute, and perfect there.
Here, time's a moment, short our happiest state;
There, infinite duration is our date.
Here, Satan tempts, and troubles e'en the best;
There, Satan's power extends not to the blest.
In a weak simple body, here I dwell;
But there, freed from this frail and sickly shell.
Here, my best thoughts are stained with guilt and fear;
But love and pardon shall be perfect there.
Here, my best duties are defiled with sin;
There, all is ease without and peace within.
Here, feeble faith supplies my only light;
There, faith and hope are swallowed up in sight.
Here, love of self my fairest work destroys;
There, love of God shall perfect all my joys.
Here things, as in a glass, are darkly shown;
There, I shall know as clearly as I'm known.
Frail are the fairest flowers which bloom below;
There, freshest palms on roots immortal grow.
Here, wants and cares perplex my anxious mind
But spirits there a calm fruition find.
Here, disappointments my best schemes destroy;
There, those that sowed in tears shall reap in joy.
Here, vanity is stamped on all below;
Perfection there, on every good shall grow.
Here, my fond heart is fastened on some friend,
Whose kindness may, whose life must have an end;
But there, no failure can I ever prove,—
God cannot disappoint, for God is love.
Here, Christ for sinners suffered, groaned and bled:
But there, he reigns the great triumphant Head.
Here, mocked and scourged, he wore a crown of thorns;
A crown of glory there his brow adorns.
Here, error clouds the will, and dims the sight;
There, all is knowledge, purity, and light.
Here, so imperfect is this mortal state,
If blest myself, I mourn some other's fate—
At every human wo I here repine;
The joy of every saint shall there be mine.
Here, if I lean, the world shall pierce my heart;
But there, that broken reed and I shall part.
Here, on no promised good can I depend;
But there, the Rock of ages is my friend.
Here, if some sudden joy, delight inspire,
The dread to lose it damps the rising fire;
But there, whatever good the soul employ,
The thought that 'tis eternal crowns the joy!