The Lutheran visitor. (Columbia, S.C.) 1869-1904, April 21, 1871, Image 1
,0MB LORD, ONE PAITH, ONE BAPTISM”—EPHBBIA N8 IV-. 6.
COLUMBIA,-?.; C
FRIDAY, APRIL 21. 1871
■wf * ■ i iai
an? above mjr reason.
atoiriuh the judgment «n4 ether ftm
-T)» U ofUu propoMd,
"'>*•» P ru ^ ttiuu »<
* ko«ud U> appropriated to tb< utiw
of Christianity ! We do not deem
this qucvtiop of much practical la
portance, after the view taken of the
la* of ohdttUa btiQ,
for the sake of solving the doable
of fatyitreva, It may be mid In rrplj,
the sjatem, or the Uv of
tooth, am be oo universal rale. Am
a general rule, it U presumed that,
Christian* weald boi thiah of giving
leas than one tooth, yet many might
la II titef the fertroae art I vi tv of
afeoahl go Id nourish sod develop
the higher spiritual famltte* of out
nstare. ♦ ** • ’ • •* eh*
It tone to a more peroneal wppM
cation of the subject, arid the ^wat
er, wan there not a time fn yoor Mb
when divine thing* appeared more
through a grating into the Jowar.
This aaaeoa w** ope of mare joy
•raa thae harvest, ami just a* the
Aakd* raaoand vilh the song of the
harvester ao ynh and
r> snhaad with the shoot of those
who gathered lbs pA they
who u am pled them aiu '
much more werioswoeas too reg
wane thing* than you do i
the nanraaaeatal emumoaton, o
lest* of Scripture, and death f
They should oot. that with increasing
mesas the proportion is uot dimin
ishad, bat steadily and consecutively
increased. Instead of thm, 4i ia
usually the case that those person*
who haye in early life, or at a inter
period, given s tenth of their hr
ootur annually to bouevuient object*
seldom, if ever, continue the prao
Ike when they became rich. No
iusUnor of the kind ha* ever come
to the knew Irdgr of the writei. A*
riches inerenae. It is, he believes, the
universal rule to diminish the per
erot
Hut do one should be content to
give only the tenth, If his Income
allows him to give more. A chistian
is bound to give m» th* ljmrd prospers
lbs, and* the T/wd will bold bhn to
this, as n universal rule, from the
the ohHgntion and responsibility of
which no living son! Shall escape.
A tenth will do for those who can
jiif do ntoTT , noi, I* nn nfm
which many suppose it to be. It
.ha* it* comforts a* well as it* infirmi
ties. 0 It is usually’ a season of re
cent* per quart
■ wid eomuiuni
my, of geography, of history, and
other sciences. Then why not be
lieve the fact* of a spirit world *>n
the tretimohy of God himself.
• Now, it 1* to be remarked that
faith, instead of being acorned, should
be cherished wore than any other
fneulty, for w ithout it there enn not
lie n frill development of manS ns
turn. There is both a ten eat ml and
a celeatiid side to our nature. Man
may be compared to a bnibling com
posed of dttfervnt stories, fn»in the
cellar npwjinh*, eorresponding to the
earthy, the seutuona, the intellectoal,
the moral and the apt ritual parts of
onr constitution. Homo men live all
their lives in the cellar. Home go
up sometimes to the next story, bnt
not finding it congenial to their low
tastes, *smn again return to the cel
h»r. Some prefer to dwell in tin*
sunlight of the next story, and a ft*w
still higher up. The skylight* are
sometimes darkened with ilnst and
cobwebs. We can live right only
when these are brushed away, and
the son I is enabled freely to aor to
spiritual height*. J
As it would degrade a man to let
the senses rule, so it degrade* him
to let the uiind dominate over the
spiritual faculty? The supremacy of
the spiritual faculty iu the soul regn
fates all the power*, Just as a great
capital regulate* the trade and fash
Ions of a nation. * K .
It is. a great epoch in a man's life
when he first finds there i» a spiritual
world all around him, to lie. appro
bended by faith. When this begin*,
a new life ha* already commenced
within—the divine light has reached
hi* soul.
If a man live always in the lower
stories, his lower faculties are
strengthened, but the higher arc
more and more weakened. The rea
son is that all our (acuities are
strengthened at»d developed only by
exercise. The faculties of children
arc developed only iu this way.
There are under ground rivers where
there are fishes without eyes, just
because they have no use for theui.
It is so with uisn's spiritual faculties;
if he prefer* to live always iu the
dark, he will come at last to have no
use for them, and will be an though
ho had none. If we close our spirit
ual eyes against tlio**' visions which
revelation uufolds—against those
scenes which faith alone can per
ceive, it will at last lie said of us
with a most- melancholy truth, “Hav
ing eyes, they see not, and ears,
they hear not, because their heart is
waxed gross.” Their faculties are
not actually destroyed, but dark
ened. ^
From this we learn the iuiportaoca
of impressing spiritual truth on the
wind iu early life. If a child is put
to learn languages, he can acquire
them with great facility, even two
or three at the same time. But how
much more difficult is the same task
iu after life, when the proper exer
cise of the intellectual faculties has
been neglected. 80 we have spir
itual fhcultiea to apprehend God,
and other spiritual truths, but by
neglect we stunt them all.
There is oue more step in the
argument. Undue activity of the
lower fhcultiea consumes the nour
ishment appropriated to the tyghrr.
We have a forcible illustration of
this in the work of the gardener,
who is often compelled to lop off the
redundant sprouts and limbs of a
tree, so as to turn all the sap into
the remaining branches, to promote
their fruitfulness. And for the same
reason we often See those remark
able for their memory, whose undue
concentration ou the one faculty ab
sorbs the aliment that should go to j not feeling for them, uot looking out
a work too laborious and tiresome.
11 cure the strangeness of the exprew
tion, “1 have trodden the wine pies*
tiou. We have sometimes seen the
aid, in public ptoes, and in public
conveyances, pushed aside by the
young aad strong. It is an unlove
ly sight Only the rode and the
though tie** will be guilty of such^
selfish irreverence; and they wight
learn mauuera from tb* Chinese.
Among them old age is held in the
highest veneration. The first ques
tion which a polite Chinaman asks a -
man of grey hairs is, How old are
you t He glories in his age, and de-
l ^lts in an opportunity of prodaim
ing it j and the question Is proposed
to afford him that pleasure. Among
us the custom is different The po
liteueas which prompts the Chinaman
to ask the question would lead us to
■ay or do other things grateful to the
feelings of the old. Ia general, how
ever, courtesy accords to the old
Those are the ward* of Jesus, the
solitary warrior whom Isaiah aaw
with garmeufa dyed iu blood, with
the flush of \ ictury ou his brow,
exulting iu his power to save. They
relate to Christ's glorious work of
weeks’ sojourn iu Ki<
, has enabled the i
it of the noted preat
•apitnl. He
with more ]
redemption ; and the whole force of
the passage seeius to be upou the
word alone, fur hear him any , Of
the people there was wwe with me.”
Aad indeed Jeans was alone—soli
tary as the peak that looms up to
ward the sky—a* the ship upon the
lers m
a* li»-
easure
Huge,
hnreh.
ile and
n from
Kit be-
|ect of
to our
e have
which
, could
(o the
which Christ's life was the perfect
embodiment. And It Is fbr as, M
tossing far behind IVfw, to patiently
and dfligeutly bring outueNea Into
His spirit It la the heat hi!it : .
that Hfr ofllrrs to os that *« should
learn hour by hour to be thooghtfh)
Itonoue ■■HI
profit than the Rev. 1)^
tf Second Presbyterian j
Weat Sabbath, iu as aj
tkt and impressive serrnj
text. ^Be not faithlessj
ak,” he invested the *u|
fiirith an interest so uew
eneti^ctt at least, that \
mt even a meagre outlim
re can attempt to giv<
ui to be interesting
groat world of w store. Hi* thoughts
weft uot like those of the sous of
ueu j (bore was a grandeur about
them—they ware uot of earth, but
draw a from the deep fountain* of
the infinite and eternal.
There was a solitariness about him
that seems almost oppressive. He
was, as it were, separated from men
—they did not comprehend him. He
mac above them, a lonely pillar of
truth aad moral grandeur. And
wheu we review his life, and remem
ber hi* word* upon the cross, we are
deeply impressed with the fact that
he was alone, and that “of the peo
ple there was none with him* And
it must br confessed that among all
the children of 'sorrow uooe ever
«m like unto Jesoa, for be is the
ir )inu of socToms, and acquainted
with gri* f *
Child of God, that wine press was
trodden for you. Through the suf
fering ami toll that the Saviour ep-
duttd in the work, you have access
-to God. He has performed the work
alone, a fret which should cheer and
encourage yon, for what Christ doe*
Is wefl done. Whenever thou dost
languish—whenever thou art over
whelmed with sorrow—when thou
art lonely and forsaken, remember
It was so with Jems. He was slone
—Mid the work be performed for
you hi of more value to you than
all the stars twice told in gold.
And thou Royal Conqueror, go on
iu thy glorious career. Smite thiue
euttme* and tread them in the wine
press of thy wrath. Let the nations
know that thou dost rule. Rare thy
mighty arm to the coufikit. Let
heaveu and earth resound with the
shout of victory ; and wheu thy
Wood redeemed warriors shall have
followed thee through thy way of
blood, in the temple of peace above,
they shall haft thee as their Leader,
and crown thee Lord of all.—fVfr-
f»4* ITorW. ^ #
innthm. (hat be has firm anything ;
of oeursc he ran give all that aad
raatfy more without beginning to
fisel ft. What la done I* bwt SbeMng
off some of the looaer outer Mbs
first table, the best bed, and all the
little courtesies which make life
said the subject of Faith was
ped with more myatec^ in the
Faf even the most intelligent
mau any other cardit id doc
|i the Bible. His objei t was,
hefbre the thought for aetC And It
In by there daHy Uapoas that we mu
to cum# into that charity without
which knowledge, and fisith, and
leal, profit nothing—In that lore
whore spirit make* heavm Mbmtk
Mxwfem fteddrita.
The giving, to he effectual aa a dUu
cfpir. avast be on n principle that
fbr getting—the intent to have more;
fbr nil (he nrinrhtef and meanaen*
able, to clear up this it
sentjpg it under a new!
nth* are very precious,!
Is of treating them art
very tiresome. 1 s J
object was to show tbit t frith,
I of being invested wi h soch
k as to affonl the sk qitic A
jfuge, w%»*. reason itsef, and
Ut old
tp r
some
a^.— *-fi « ■ a- j-. %.
rTuIffl rrjdlHVfiTIOtl.
To oue imbued with the spirit of
Christ, the qaeutiee. How much of
my In come ought I to gtve fbr the
good of mankind and the upbuilding
are enough who need brip »H a rooml
na, no doabt, and we enn not betiere
ourselves rmjty ev»W hearted | aa,
why is it that we do so little f The
great reason ia, that we am so-ab
sorbed in our own Intervals aa never
to notice the thousand ehaneea to
help some one else. The priest and
the Lerite who came and looked on
the wounded Samaritan, and then
passed ou, were, let da believe, not
worse than moat mao. if a whole
hoot of people had paoard near, some
with eyes and ears intent ou game
they were chasing, some staring
with all their might at stars they
»y highest reason. A nQtber
is wished to show wits, that
have faculties spcciall; given
apprelieud physical tri tks, ao
e been provided with *uirlt-
will be eaalty settled; fbr he who
truly frya Ms body upon the altar of
that Includes all his possessions, aa
well as all hit time. It trftl be wril
few us If (his Important truth Is kept
fheolofftcafly and practically la «n
riant remembrance. Then the rin
and booor. Now most things are
out of joint, or are going wrong. He
is aware of this unlovely tendency in
okl age to faultrfindiug; aad, as be
Even while he ia preparing his dis
course, It may Ite, he Was there good
Haleuera ia his mind, iasaglaftng him
self before (hem. He already feels
them to he In sympathy with his
subject ; ami this kindles Ids sod,
and give* a smith and energy to kta
composition.
When, In the course of deUvary,
he sees eyes attentively fixed upon
him, aad look* (hat denote deep
Interest, there la something in it
which fires tbs and of dm speaker,
and tends a glow and enthusiasm to
the delivery which a congregation
ran not wall afford to lose, find which
a listless hearing will not impart
vftcr a minister has labored hard
throng* the week to prepare food
for the fiock over which the Holy
Ghost hath made him overuses, ft h
very (lepresshtg to him to hare them
receive (be food with indifference.
There la repayment in feeding the
hungry, but very Uttic In feeding
those who will Dot eat
Goring the delivery of the sermon
there are some who seem, with bum
gry souk, to be feeding upon divine
truth, while others are Hades* and
inattentive | aad tbs tain trier is eon
strained to fieri that he is falling to
film isi them.
The hungry hearing, ctxxxirages
him, warms his heart, kindles up hi *
delivery, aad it may be, Mgjpmts
tww fiwtu ftjipn»pn,iTr lOOdpiT jdm
suited to the hungry soul, tons help
ing hhn to prt aek with accept*ore
and profit, while the Hstieaa, inntfeu
ties hearer tsods to diaooorage nod
wontd crane to Inqoiw how morfi ho
nwy withhold and how tittle he muy
give to the cause of Christ; and be
both afraid and ashamed of • rule
that allows him, when he can do
more, to retain nine tenths, white he
rants only one-teeth Into the Lord**
treason . What earthly propriety-
would consent to sock a division of
some. This evil claims a very ancient
origin. In the days of Solomon
there were soma who* inquired:
“Wlu£ ia the cause that the former
day s were bettor than these 1* but
they did “not inquire wisely cod
ceruiug” it They failed to take
sound and comprehensive views of
the revolution* in society. They
concluded that all roust be wrong
which did uot correspond with their
own tastes and stereotyped notions.
Against this evil old persons should
sedulously guard. Let them give
their advice freely and candidly, but
not be offended or grieved if it should
be rejected. They can not rule the
" "J M.—-IJjfiott* Herald.
urawrif*
study of man’s morn! eon-
we are driveu to tbe< onclu-
Frem this .World to the Other
k there is a spiritual w )rld—
a heaven, .a bell ; l» icanse
r «r bestowed any fact Ity in
f w« have spiritual power
bend there is a God, a heav-
I, then we know thes« ranst
faith grasps spiritual t ruths,
‘stbe such truths. G d did
f* wan the faculty of sight
*t him In darkness, j He
e eye and adapted the light
^ So be did not gh e any
Wo' start iu Mfe an unbroken
1 A Great Semmon.—When Theo
dore L. Cttylar asked Dr. Skinner in
tire presence of a company, who was
• W Erw»*
But this state of things does not
continue long. Qm circle grows less
nod lorn. U is broken, and then
doses up again; but every break
and doss makes it narrower and
small or. PeNmps before the son fa
at hi* meridian (he majority are on
the other side F tJfe drcie there is as
large As the on* bereyaml we are
>at they should be ju3 ipted
*pirit world in whicl tjhey
! proper objects for
1^, jK? ;.■> '' v -' ' '*.* ''
vkow unreasonable it
^ a «t believe spiritnal
‘ demonstrate their exit
reason 1 The man is
l two. totally different I
'*» “I can not believe
» of the Bible, because
higher than physical qualities, as the
wealth of society lies more in the
goodness of Christian families aqd
Christian institutions than in ease,
or aboudanoe, or pleasure; so he
roost worthily prolongs his life to
an after-day whs so lives a* to give