Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 8, 1859
CHRIST IN HIS SAINTS.
THERE is no truth more plainly revealed in the word of God than this, that Christ dwells in the hearts of his saints. With what confidence the apostle Paul exclaims, "I live; yet not I but Christ liveth in me!" When enumerating the blessings for which he prayed in behalf of his Ephesian brethren, he names this, "that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith." The deep interest of his soul towards his Galatian brethren, is thus expressed: "My little children of whom I travail in birth, until Christ be formed in you."
When writing to the church at Rome, he among other things exhorts them to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ;" and in his epistle to the Colossians, he declares that "the mystery which hath been hid for ages, and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints," the "riches" and "glory" of which he would have made "known among the Gentiles," is this, "Christ in you the hope of glory." Of his Corinthian brethren, he with great confidence asks, "know ye not, your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?"
How may we attain unto this inestimable blessing—an inward Christ? In reply to the question proposed by a disciple just prior to the crucifixion, "Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?" Jesus says: "If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him and make our abode with him." With this agree the words of John; "God is love; and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him." Again he says, "And this is the love of God that ye keep his commandments."
Jesus and John show that true love will be evinced by an obedience to the divine precepts, and that in the hearts of those who thus love, Christ will dwell. Jesus also says, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples indeed, if ye have love one to another." John harmonizes with this when he says, "If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us." And now, lest we mistake the character of that love which we must have in order to insure the indwelling of God, the apostle gives us an infallible test. "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments."
Obedience to the commands of God is the touchstone given by Christ and the apostle John, by which we may know whether our love be of the genuine kind or not. It is not a love based on affinities and theories, but it is a love that "is shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." Though one had the power to speak the language of all men, and with the eloquence of angels—though they possessed the gift of prophecy, and had the understanding of all mysteries and sciences—though by mighty faith they could remove mountains into the midst of the sea, and with the spirit of wonderful benevolence bestow all their goods to feed the poor, and nobly die a martyr's death rather than yield their principles, yet if destitute of this pure and heaven born love, all, all beside would profit them nothing. It is such, yea it is the same "love wherewith" the Father loved the Son, for says Jesus in his prayer to the Father "And I have declared unto them thy name; and will declare it; that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them." It is "love without dissimulation," an "unfeigned love," and he who has it in his heart, will do "no ill to his neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."
The apostle Paul exhorts his brethren to be "rooted and grounded in love." It is the "good ground" which bringeth forth an "hundred fold." We are to "forbear one another in love," and to "speak the truth in love." Is the church to make increase of the body unto the edification of itself?" it must be "in love." Are its members to be "knit together?" it is in "love." Would we have an active faith? it "works by love." This is a love that is not "in word, neither in tongue but in deed and in truth."
If the possessor of this love "sees a brother or sister naked, and destitute of daily food," he says not "Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled, notwithstanding he giveth them not those things that are needful to the body." Love feeds the hungry, clothes the naked, lifts the heavy burden from the weary shoulder, relieves the distressed, comforts the feeble minded, and supports the weak. Such is the love which leads to obedience and secures an indwelling Christ. And such is the oneness existing between the saint and his Saviour, that an act done to the one is done to the other also. Hear the King as he sits on the throne of his glory, saying unto those upon his right hand, "Verily I say unto you inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me." Yes they had fed him when hungry, given him drink when thirsty, clothed him when naked, visited him when sick, ministered unto him when in prison.
And how? By doing it even unto the least of those his brethren, for in them Christ dwelt.
Brother! sister! hast thou ever thought "O that I had lived when the Saviour was upon earth! With what delight would I have hung upon his words,—with what eager haste prepared a repast and a couch for his refreshment, when hungry and weary with fasting and long journeying. How I would have brought the cooling water with which to lave his fevered brow, and bathe his soil-worn feet. I would have applied balm to his bleeding wounds when scourged by Roman soldiers, and near his cross would I have taken my stand and mingled my tears with weeping Mary's and from the fulness of my heart told him my grief and love." Turn thine eye no longer back to Nazareth, to Gethsemane, nor Calvary, but remember that Christ is here; he yet lives and dwells "with men on earth," and while thou art bestowing kindly acts of love on his saints, thou art in verity ministering to him whom thy soul loveth.
But not only is the language, "inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me," applicable to the acts of love and kindness manifested toward his saints, but it may equally apply to the acts of hatred and unkindness. Christ is even now "wounded in the house of his friends;" even now "spitfully entreated," reproached, falsely accused, rejected, "crucified afresh, and put to open shame." That unkind word—that averted eye—that passing by on the other side, is not merely an insult, a slight toward a "little one,"—a weak member of the church of Christ. That refusal to bestow the needful food and clothing upon a poor one of the flock, was not a neglect of them only. That bitter word of envy or malice—that effort to mar the reputation of one perhaps more highly esteemed than yourself, was not an injury inflicted on them merely—that barbed arrow pierced the heart of Jesus.
Think of it, oh think of it thou righteous Pharisee who regardeth with so much complacency thy robe of good works and long prayers, and lookest with scorn upon the poor trembling saint by thy side who scarcely dares look upward so overwhelmed is he with the consciousness of his own demerit,—think of it, I say. Thou despisest Christ in the person of his lowly follower. Think of it, oh think of it, thou envious one, who seekest to cast a blight upon the reputation of one who perchance has won laurels to himself by faithful devotedness to God; it is not his fair name alone thou stainest with thy black calumny, but Christ's precious name is reproached also. Beware lest the fate of those who in ancient days reviled and falsely accused, be also thine.
O, would you honor Christ? Would you feast him at your dwellings, comfort him when sad, refresh him when weary? Minister thus to his saints, even though the lowly ones of earth, and thou wilt indeed minister unto him; for Christ liveth in them.—Spl.
HOW TO MAKE HOME A BETHEL.
By I. Burns
1. Seek habitually to view your family18cerns in the light of eternity. Remember, you are now in your little garden sowing the seeds which you shall reap hereafter—a harvest of glory or a harvest of woe.
2. Meditate much and often of the honor of bringing up children for glory. How would a mother's heart swell were the vail of futurity drawn aside, and she saw the child of her bosom raised above his fellows to illustrious rank and honor—to wear a coronet, or to be covered with glory. But oh! what is this compared with being the parent of an heir of God—to have a child sitting with Jesus on his throne, and shining in the eternal firmament as a star forever and ever.
3. Keep constantly in view the one thing—the only matter of real concern for you and yours. Keep constantly at the one work given you to do as a parent, training up your children for eternity. Be always on your guard, always watchful. One opportunity of blessing lost may be the very one that might have been their salvation; one rash or angry word may ruin all—leaving an impression which all your subsequent care and pains may never be able to efface.
4. Be yourselves a pattern of all you would have them to be. You must yourselves show them the way and bid them follow. "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord." Oh! let the way to the cross, the way to the closet, the way to heaven be well beaten by a father's and a mother's steps, and then we may hope your little ones will follow.
5. Seek to leave the best legacy to your children—the legacy of holy example and many prayers. Let the image of you, imprinted on their memories, be one that will allure and quicken them to seek the Lord. May you so live, or so die that they may be quite sure, and never be able to forget that they will have a father and mother in heaven.
6. In all your dealings with them try to win, not drive. Clothe not your religion in clouds and frowns. Let not your demure and sullen countenance be a stumbling block to repel them from the narrow way. Allure them by the beauty of holiness, and by the meekness and gentleness of Christ; and show by your beaming eye and bright countenance, and light cheerful step, that the way you tread is a way of pleasantness and a path of peace. Finally,
7. Be much in your family. Snatch as much time as possible to spend it with your family and children. Let husbands hasten from the toils of the day to the bosom of their family circle as the home of their hearts, and of their best affections. And let wives on their part, strive to make their houses delightful, and to allure their partners thither at once by its outward comeliness and by the beauty of holiness. Gather round the family hearth; and while the toilworn father rests, and the happy circle ply their cheerful industry, amid hallowed endearments, and sweet improving intercourse, pass the evening hours in a way that will at once be blessed for time, and an earnest pledge of the eternal home above.—I. Burns.
LIVE IN LOVE.
Be not harsh and unforgiving,
Live in love, 'tis pleasant living.
If an angry man should meet thee,
And assail thee indiscreetly,
Turn not thou again and rend him,
Lest thou needlessly offend him ;
Show him love hath been thy teacher—
Kindness is a potent preacher ;
Gentleness is e'er forgiving—
Live in love, 'tis pleasant living.
Why be angry with each other ?
Man is made to love his brother ;
Kindness is a human duty,
Meekness a celestial beauty.
Words of kindness, spoke in season,
Have a weight with men of reason ;
Don't be others' follies blaming,
And their little vices naming,
Charity's a cure for railing,
Suffers much, is all-prevailing.
Courage, then, and be forgiving ;
Live in love 'tis pleasant living.
THE GREAT DAY.
"EVEN thus shall it be in THE DAY when the Son of man is revealed." Thousands and tens of thousands of living men, eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building—fluttering, like the butterflies in a summer's day, about the perishing flowers of a perishing world—steeping all their senses in the earthly business of the passing hour—making everything a business; pleasure, daily avocation, necessary labor, natural appetites, even "eating and drinking," everything made a business of, and the soul absorbed, quenched therein—"whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, whose glory is in their shame; who mind earthly things." Phil. iii, 19. The farmer at the market! the planter with his trees! the builder at his house! the tradesman in his shop! the student at his books! the reveler at his feast! the gambler at his cards! the rake at his brothel! the usurer at his gold! the nobleman at his pomp! the king at his court! the soldier at his blood! the laborer at his toil! the idler at his folly! the drunkard at his drink! the glutton at his meat! Each at his sin! Each in his day dream! Each in his soul's poison! The Lord bears it no longer. His mouth has sent forth the word of all-desolating vengeance. The vengeance-storm obeys, and gathers and thickens, and rolls on, and hangs over. One moment's pause—the world is still merry, and laughing and busy, and KNOWS NOT. One moment's pause—the preachers are preaching—peradventure the sinners may repent. One moment's pause—hark! believers the pause is for you—hark! "A great sound of a trumpet."—Angels are sent with it.—The Lord can do nothing till you are in refuge; being merciful unto you.* See, O, see!—They are gathering together the Son's elect, from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matt. xxiv, 31. The gathering is over, all are in safety—not one is forgotten. The storm is bursting "voices, and thunders, and lightnings;" in the heavens—"weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth" on the earth. The storm is burst upon the poor guilty world! Every living soul has drunk it! "Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?"
GERRITT SMITH ON HELL.
By Editor
THIS celebrated man has recently given to the world in a "discourse of reason," his opinion concerning an eternal hell. He speaks of the legitimate influence of this doctrine when sincerely believed. It is enough to make any mind that feels intensely upon the point insane. And the reason why its professed believers are not driven to despair and insanity, is that they do not sincerely believe that their kindred and friends are being plunged into endless burnings. Mr. Smith speaks as follows upon this subject:
"When, too, we are told that God has prepared an eternal hell—a place of endless and inconceivably exquisite torture, for a large share of his children, we are sure that this shocking picture finds no counterpart and no warrant in creation and Providence. These tell us of a father and not of a fiend; of love and not of hatred; of forgiveness, and not of revenge. These tell us that in all ages God has made 'his sun to rise on the evil and on the good,' and has sent his 'rain on the just and on the unjust;' and these bid us hope that in other worlds as well as in this, he will still be the Father and friend of men.
Eternal hell! Then must sin be an eternally disturbing force in the universe. For manifestly when sin shall have ceased, punishment will also.
Eternal hell! Yes and it is to be suffered by men of the loveliest character, provided they were not able to subscribe in this life to certain ecclesiastical interpretations of a book.
Putting people into an eternal hell! Why the worst of men would not thus serve their worst enemies. How much less would God! Orthodoxy makes God infinitely more malignant and cruel than are the most malignant and cruel men.
Eternal hell! No man does, and no man can believe it. It is untrue if only because human nature is incapable of believing it. Moreover, were such a belief possible it would be fatal. Let the American people wake up with it to-morrow, and none of them would go to their fields, and none to their shops, and none would care for their homes. All interest in the things of earth would be dead. The whole nation would be struck with paralysis, and frozen with horror. Even beginnings of such a belief are too much for the safety of the brain; and every step in that direction is a step towards the mad-house. The orthodox preacher of eternal hell, would himself go crazy did he believe his own preaching. Did he see his wife, or children, or friends, or neighbors in danger of falling into it, he would be overpowered by the sight. He saves his sanity only through his insincerity. To be sincere in his preaching he must first be insane.
The little influence of their religion on its professors is often wondered at. But why should it be? They do not believe their religion, and they cannot so long as an eternal hell is a part of it. Since their belief of this part is at the most but a dreamy and fancied one, there can hardly be a real, earnest and deeply influential belief of any part. Their conscious or unconscious distrust of the truth of this part necessarily begets a similar distrust of the truth of every part. The enormous draught at this point upon their staggering faith, cannot fail to cast in their view an air of unreality over the whole of their religion. Herein is the explanation of the fact that while an ignorant church is little better than a mass of superstition, a more enlightened one is little better than a mass of infidelity and hypocrisy. The members of the latter, required to believe in more than their credulity can swallow, do truly and deeply believe in nothing; and thus they are infidels. Moreover they are very great hypocrites, since they stoutly profess to believe it all.19Doubtless, one of their motives for this boundless profession of faith is to supply their conscious lack of it. They are something like Mrs. Stowe's Candace, who, to atone for her past lack of faith in the celebrated Bible apple, was now ready to eat apple, tree and all."
The tendency of eternal torment is well represented in the above, but while we should avoid the one extreme of an eternal hell, we should be careful to avoid the other and equally fatal one of a universal and unconditional forgiveness. Sin will certainly reap its wages—death!—Ed.
THANKSGIVING 'OF' JESUS.
MATT. xi 25, 27. "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth." Here is a distinct and unequivocal recognition of the absolute supremacy of the one God and Father over Jesus and all beings. "That thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent," [i. e., the learned and eminent in church and state, who were in common estimation most wise and prudent] "and hast revealed them unto babes," [i. e., plain, unsophisticated persons such as his disciples generally were.] "Even so Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight." Paul illustrates the same general truth well in the following passage. "For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought the things that are: that no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." 1 Cor. i: 26-30. This is a good explanation of the fact, that nearly all grand reforms, regenerations and progressive dispensations start with persons of comparatively obscure rank in the world; not from monarchs, princes, rulers, etc., enjoying the powers and emoluments of human government; nor from pontiffs, distinguished churchmen, etc., enjoying ecclesiastical preferments and revenues; nor from the very wealthy, very learned or honorable in any department of human life. "Even so, Father: for so seemeth it good in thy sight." He that loveth to consider, let him consider these things.
"All things are delivered unto me of my Father;" i. e., all things necessary to religious enlightenment, spiritual regeneration, and final salvation of the human race. "No man knoweth the Son [fully], but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father [fully], save the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him." This is language which no other person than Jesus could rightfully assume to utter. But it accords with his uniform claims as the Christ. None but the Father knows the Son to the full extent of his excellency: for he originated it all. None but the Son and his true disciples fully understand and appreciate God as the universal, all perfect Father. He is the highest human manifestation and representative of the Father, and the essential peculiarities of his doctrine, spirit and life, are the highest illustrations of divine love and wisdom in the flesh. Such are the claims and presentations of Jesus Christ, according to the record.—Pract. Christian.
SUNDAY LAWS
By Honestus
From the "Occident."
SUNDAY LAWS.
It is singular how some men are prone to deceive themselves on any matter they may wish, for the furtherance of a favored doctrine to promulgate. In fact they frequently start what has no legitimate foundation in the first instance to rest on, and without investigating, repeat it so often, and in such various guises, that at last they absolutely believe it themselves as an established fact.
I have been led to these remarks by having observed a communication in one of the daily papers, from the joint proprietor of a weekly journal, in reference to the Sunday question, or in his words,—"the Crusade against the Christian Sabbath." He goes on to state, "that an attempt has been made by demagogues, aided by reckless fools and blackguards to identify our adopted German population with this scheme to denounce the Sabbath, and render nugatory the fondest and most cherished hopes of Christianity." Now, I should very much like to know on what grounds these hopes are based; for I defy him to show that Sunday has aught to do with it, or that the standard of sense and respectability is dependent on taking the same view he does of affairs. The Sunday, as a Sabbath, is here spoken of: first, as if it was a matter beyond question, emanating from Divine Authority; and, he then goes on coolly to state that this Sabbath was instituted by our fathers. Whence, I would ask, did our fathers derive their authority for this, and on what principle could they venture to set up aught that would not only clash with the Divine injunction, but also run counter to the professed object in view, by commemorating the commencement, instead of the completion of Creation?
When the legislature of the State enacts a law, it will admit of no alteration but from the power that called it into existence; and we may surely venture to claim for a divine behest the same consideration, extended towards that of mortals. Although it is almost beyond credit, that men with any pretensions to consistency should endorse such a barefaced contradiction as here exists; still, there are those to be found, who are a sort of echo in matters of this description, and never dream of analyzing aught that has been allowed to occupy such ground in connection with religion—think that it must be so. That the Sabbath claims a Divine origin admits of no controversy. It is clearly stated in that book, which these parties profess to regard as the Word of God, that the seventh day is to be the Sabbath; the reason being given, and the command laid down, in language that admits of no alteration, together with the punishment for disobedience. Now that all this should be admitted—regarded as sacred—held up in every Protestant church before the eyes of the congregators, as forming part of the Divine Decalogue, which one would suppose should be in itself sufficient to insure it from the last attempt at change, to be at the very time it is so indorsed, repudiated and transferred from the seventh to the first day of the week, in plain contradiction to the command they pretend to uphold, in such a piece of unaccountable inconsistency, that did I not know the fact, I should doubt the possibility of such men so far committing themselves. This sacrilegious theory would level the Godhead down to the standard of human frailty, in altering his mind; for even they could never preach that the children of men were willfully misled on high. When the Supreme gave the Ten Commands to Moses for the children of Israel, there was no statement in regard to one of their number being limited to a certain period of time apart from the rest, which would surely have been the case had it been so intended. And therefore, the only position I see to be occupied by those who exclaim "the Jewish Sabbath has been done away with," is the blasphemous one, of supposing the Divine Will changed.
But allowing, for argument, this to be so; why continue to hold up as holy the Ten Commands, when this would show them to be wanting in that which must be considered the Divine essence of perfection—incapability of change? and as this Jewish Sabbath, which the Fourth Commandment enjoins, has been done away with, why not erase it from its original position? Do not continue the mockery of its presence with the other nine. The Fourth Commandment can have no more claim to the title of Jewish than the fifth or sixth possesses; they must be all equal in this respect. They were given at one time, emanating from one source to one people, and if one be Jewish so is the balance; and as no attempt was ever made to thrust them on any community, why have aught to do with them, particularly in the face of such defects as above discovered? I am sure it would be much more consistent; for as long as the ten commands stand as they do, and are venerated as God's Laws, it is out of the question to tamper with one of their number, by saying it has been done away with. What affects one affects the rest: you cannot separate them without attacking the Divine attributes from which they emanate; they were given to be "observed for all time." The moment you limit one to a certain existence in the face of this, you divest the whole of that Divine quality that renders change impossible—
Honestus.
So it goes; All Right! All Honey!
A SLAVEHOLDING D. D. appointed chairman—opened the meeting by reading, singing, prayer and exhortation! This inviting slaveholders and slaveholding apologists to our pulpits, communion tables—to preside at public anniversaries and christian union meetings, with hands reeking with the blood of souls, is what brings the blessed religion of Jesus into disrepute, makes it a by-word, a hissing, a stench! Satan rejoices, and infidels blaspheme.
Slaveholding, or man stealing, like rumselling, becomes popular and the most hardened, daring, cruel, blood-guilty wretches at the south, are emboldened to hold on to their crushed victims with an iron grasp! No wonder the blessed missionary of Nestoria, Dr. Perkins, was constrained to exclaim:
"I hold that American slavery is the crowning abomination of the present age—the greatest human obstacle to the spread and triumph of christianity that exists at the present period;—that Northern influence, and primarily the influence of Northern Christians, is the strongest and most responsible support of American slavery at this time.
I hold also, that our beloved native country is in most imminent peril from the fearful system of American slavery, of falling into deep national disgrace, of calling down upon itself the signal judgment of heaven and thus of blighting for a long period, the fairest and the highest hopes of a suffering world."
"Let Mammon hold while Mammon can,
The bones and blood of living man;
Let despots scorn while despots dare,
The shrieks and writhings of despair.
"The end will come, it will not wait.
Bonds, yokes and scourges have their date.
Slavery itself must pass away,
And be a tale of yesterday."—Golden Rule.
RELIGIOUS AFFECTIONS.
RELIGIOUS affections of the right kind can never be too strong. The following remarks of president Edwards on this subject are worthy of attention:
“Though there are false affections in religion and in some respects raised high; yet undoubtedly there are also true, holy and solid affections; and the higher these are raised, the better. And where they are raised to an exceeding great height they are not to be suspected merely because of their degree, but on the contrary, to be esteemed. Charity, or divine love, is in Scripture represented as the sum of all the religion of the heart; but this is only a holy affection. And, therefore, in proportion as this is firmly fixed in the soul, and raised to a great height, the more eminent a person is in holiness. Divine love or charity is represented as the sum of all the religion in heaven, and that wherein mainly the religion of the church in its more perfect state on earth shall consist, when knowledge, and tongues, and prophesying shall cease; and therefore the higher this holy affection is raised in the church of God, or in a gracious soul, the more excellent and perfect is the state of the church or a particular soul. If we take the Scriptures for our rule, then the greater and higher our exercises of love to mankind, brokenness of heart, abhorrence of sin, and self-abhorrence for it, the more we have of the peace of God which passeth all understanding, and joy in the Holy Ghost unspeakable and full of glory; the higher our admiring thoughts of God, exulting and glorying in him, so much the higher is Christ's religion, or that virtue which he and his apostles taught, raised in the soul.”—Sel.
Coming to Christ
By Rutherford
Coming to Christ.—Come in, come in to Christ, and see what you want, and find it in him; he is the nearest way to an out-gate of all your burdens. I dare avouch, you shall be dearly welcomed to him. Angels’ pens, angels’ tongues, nay, as many worlds of angels as there are drops of water in all the seas and fountains and rivers of the earth, cannot paint him out to you. I think his sweetness, since I was a prisoner, has swelled upon me to the greatness of two heavens. Oh for a soul as wide as the utmost circle of the highest heaven that containeth all, to contain his love! —Rutherford.
Prayer in Affliction
By Cecil
PRAYER IN AFFLICTION—The spirit of prayer does not necessarily come with affliction. If it be not poured out upon the man, he will, like a wounded beast, skulk to his den and growl there.—Cecil.
Strange? Is it not?
MYSTERIOUSLY, marvelously, unaccountably! Was there ever anything like it? Reader, can you believe it? It is true, nevertheless: J. G. Fee, the consecrated missionary of the cross, a beloved brother who has given his very life for Jesus and his cause, was recently rebuked in the Fulton-street Union prayer meeting, for requesting prayers for poor slave mothers, bereft of their children by the ruthless hands of the man-stealer! Among other requests for prayer, this missionary brother ventured to present this one, for those in bonds in his missionary field, and for which he was rebuked by the leader, Mr. L. Likewise, the brother who ventured to open his lips in prayer for the oppressed, on the occasion, was severely reprimanded by this same pro-slavery leader. This is only one instance among many, in which the spirit of caste has been manifested here.
Friends, what are we going to? Is Satan, in very deed, to rear his serpentine head in the very sanctuary of God, stamp down the very essence of salvation?
These Union meetings are our soul's desires and hope, but how can we look for the smiles of heaven to rest upon this narrow-minded, unchristian spirit? Why attempt to pray or speak except as the Spirit gives utterance?
When we enter the prayer room, must we do so with our prayers and requests cut and dried to a wicked, time-serving policy?
Lord, have mercy on these blind guides, that strain at a gnat and swallow a camel, that tithe mint, anise and cummin, and omit the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy and faith.—Golden Rule.
Remarks
By Editor
REMARKS. It is our object to give fairly and fully both sides of all questions which enter into our religious belief. It is for this reason that we have admitted into our columns so much as we have in opposition to the Sabbath, endeavoring at the same time to show wherein we thought the reasoning defective and fallacious. We once saw a remark in an Advent paper against such a course. The remark was that they did not hold to throwing out poison for the sake of giving an antidote. But when we look into the colums of that paper, what do we see? No lack of posion to be sure; but true to their word, the conductors present no antidote to counteract its effects. Now humanity would seem to dictate that if they are bound to present no antidote they should at least withhold the poison. But we are willing to submit it to the common sense of any man as to which is the better way, to throw out poison as palatable and wholesome food, or to show it up as poison when we see it infecting the minds of men, present the antidote, and put people on their guard against it. We prefer the latter; nor do we intend to deviate from this policy, until we shall see something a trifle more sensible, at least, than the above reason, urged against it.
According to the adage that a man does not really believe who has never doubted, we can say that a person cannot be said to be thoroughly grounded in any theory till he has posted himself in regard to all that can be said against it. And being desirous of presenting our readers with every thing that can be said in opposition to the doctrine of life through Christ alone, so that when they take their stand upon that great and harmonious truth, they may do it with a consciousness that they are taking a position which the wisest, the wittiest, or the wickedest can neither gainsay nor resist, we give the above extract from R. W. Landis.
Perhaps comment is here unnecessary; but it being so manifest a case of attempted theological jugglery, we have a remark on two to offer concerning it.
The extract leads off with an assumption that a soul was added to the corporeal Adam. We say assumption; for it has no support from reason or revelation. Adam was formed of the dust of the ground. His organism was perfect and complete, only waiting to be endowed with life. The only act then performed for man of which we have any account, was the breathing into his nostrils the breath of life, the imparting to him the vital principle, which set the organism in motion; and all the phenomena since exhibited in man result from that organism. Disturb this organism and the results no longer follow. Disturb the operations of the brain, and thought and intelligence at once cease. The possibility of the existence of a mind without a brain yet remains to be proved.
God breathed into man's nostrils the breath of life; and Mr. Landis asks where this can be said of any other animal. We answer by asking what possible importance there can be in the manner of imparting this breath of life, since we are assured that all other animals are in possession of it equally with man, that it is in their nostrils as well as his, and that they are also called living souls. These facts are plainly stated; but how is it that a knowledge of them on our part incapacitates us for understanding "philological criticism," he does not tell. The "criticism" he had in mind must evidently be something contrary to these plain statements of the Bible, else there would be no difficulty in our understanding it, or at least in giving assent to it.
But Mr. L. is evidently dissatisfied with the expression "breath of life;" so much so that he does not presume to let it pass uncorrected. We are therefore towards the end of the extract created to his version of the matter, as follows: "He imparted to him directly (breathed into his face, countenance) a principle of intelligence!" So the "breath of life," has finally turned into a "principle of intelligence." Now note his method of arriving at this result. 1st. The animal creation needed an intelligent governor. 2d. Man without this added soul, this principle of intelligence was as unfit for this position as the ourang-outang; therefore 3d. God did in man's case what was done in no other instance of all the animal creation. Now mark: it is here covertly insinuated that man before his endowment with intelligence, which according to Mr. L. is the "breath of life," was a living being. "As yet," says he, "man was only their equal;" that is, the equal of the other living animals; and no more fit to be the governor of the creation than the ourang-outang; implying in all this that man before he received the breath of life, was alive like the other animals. But what lyre in Biblical knowledge will be willing to subscribe to such a sentiment? Every one will be able to detect it as a palpable falsehood. It is then but too apparent that Mr. L. has here endeavored to lead the reader unwittingly to harbor the impression that Adam was alive before he received the breath of life, that consequently God's breathing into his nostrils the breath of life, was not imparting to him life so that he became a living being, but was breathing into his countenance an intelligent principle, superaddling to his nature an immortal soul. Let not the author of such an effort charge upon Mr. Dobney or his friends "a culpable equivocation."
AT HOME.
By James White
We reached home Nov. 21st, in good health and spirits, after an absence of more than a quarter of a year, and found all in good health, and prosperous. Praise the Lord!
We look back upon this tour with pleasure. The old friends of the cause are firm, and their increasing interest and consecration is seen in their liberality in raising means to extend the cause West. A full report will be given in the Good Samaritan No. 2. We formed acquaintance with some at almost every meeting21who have embraced the Sabbath the past year. And we are happy to learn that some others at nearly every meeting we held decided to take hold of the covenant of the Lord, to keep his Sabbath from polluting it.
The first ten weeks of our journey, till Bro. Loughborough joined us, we traveled near 2000 miles, preached fifty times, and transacted business, from the sale of a penny tract up to a much larger sum, to the amount of $1000. We returned with better health and courage to labor in the cause of truth than we have had for the past ten years.