The Lutheran visitor. (Columbia, S.C.) 1869-1904, May 12, 1871, Image 1
ONE LORD. ONE FAITH. ONE BAPT18If’—EPHE8IAN8 IV: 6.
w SKRIBS,
COLUMBIA. S. C
FRIDAY, MAY 12. 1871
OLD SERIBS, VOL. V.-NO. 140
God r" “born of water and of the
Npirti.” “And if children, then heir*}
Ae*r» of God, mid joint heirs with
Christ” “For I reckon that the
sufferings of this present time ere
not worthy to be coin pared with the
glory which shall be revealed ia as."
“And we know that all things work
Bat oar hope is ia Christ, to
whom all power is delivered, both
in heaven and in earth, and who
doath according to his will in the
army of heaven, and among Urn in
their hearts ia universal pray
“A«4^ rhM* the tardy mail wl
Thy Lbsij JmUh. from Ut
And this waiting for the
Ged from heaven, this loot
Him the howmI lime, this
Fay him
willtagly,
, Cufe, Strictly in Advance
p^f Aiuinn t
can say, What doeet thou f By this
Glorious One, who is to Zion the
King of Grace, 1 we desire to be
brought into the secret chambers
of his lore; to hold blest fellowship
with him; to read onr security in
the engraved palms of his hands,
and the record of the Book of Life,
by the unerring fhitbfsl witness of
the Holy Comforter. Let but access
to the Father, through Christ, be
thus vouchsafed ; let ns feel hid in
the deft of the rock, in the secret
places of the stairs ; let ns bat be
hold him ss oar refuge, by all the
ties of covenant love, precious blood
and sanctifying grace, and then “will
not we fear, though the earth be
removed, and though the mountains
be carried into the midst of the sea;
though the waters thereof roar and
be troubled, though the mountains
shake with the swelling thereof”
(Pa. xhrl: 2, A) *
Ged, to them who are the called ac
cording to his purpose.*
In life and death the believer* ars
safe, inasmuch as, “whether they
live or die, they are the Lord's.*
“For to this end, Christ both died
ami rose, and revived, that he might
be Lord l**th of the dead and living.*
In him, therefore, as onr Shepherd,
we shgll have guidance, protection
and ample provision for time and
eternity.
“Thine everlasting troth,
Father, thy ceaseless love
See* all tliy children'* wants, and
Know* what brat for each will prove.*
cat Students.
who fail to rt
) of their su
result of peculiar view*, or special
rflftKj charged prr nftil
r name* are entered oh I
bmk. without the first 1
|
**wsr.\r«* nsetstow l
person who take* a ua|
oja the post oftoe—w it!
Shb name or another’s, #r
tat ions of prophecies, visions, sym
bols, and periods} ft Is the simple
lesson taught by the saving grass of
God t and he who knows tbs grace
of God in truth is instructed by ft to
Hvs, looking for that IflessM bopr.
Grace teoebrs him to lows Him by
whom grass sod truth rams to a
fallen race; and loving liita on earth
and ia heaven, ft also teaches him
is gird up the Idas at his mtud, and
he sober and b««pe unto the end, far
tie grace that ahail he twougbt unto
you at the rwveiatiaa of Janus
Christ.
To the child of gnus Jssas ft fell
of grace and truth ; sad his pesseacs
is the oas otyect of loftiest sad purest
desire. And in his promise, “If I
go and prepare a place for you I will
come again* and “Handy I earns
quickly," a graetou* soul finds ample
and achievements of some of them
makes you wonder bow so much
osuld by nay possibility be crowded
tnSu a single life. Aad how they
preyed! Only lives made immense
ty capacious by-prayer could ever
have held so much. White field ft
■aid to have read through “Henry’s
< «wmientary" (six huge folios) more
'person orders his japet! dlscon-
k* wust pay all anvSiimm. or
iah«r way con t iuu«* i> send it
naent is made. and i nllcct the
moant, whether the paper hi
m the office or not. [ I
courts have decided that tyfo-
Of course such men were “mighty
“By grace are >e saved.* And
the sank) grace by which ars in
called, and justified, and establish
ed, and helped in time of need, not
only bring* salvation to mankind,
but also teaches them “that denying
ungodly and worldly lasts, they
should live soberly, and righteous
ly, and godly in this present world,
looking for that blessed Hope, and
the glorious appearing of the great
God and our Saviour Jeans ('hrist,
who gpve bimeeif for us, that He
might redeem u* from all iniquity,
and purify unto Himself a peculiar
people, zealous of good works.*
The tnitb, the hope, and the con
duct of the follower* of Ihrwt, are
tlius brought under tbs direction of
the saving grace of God. The world's
ungodliness and lusts are to be dis
carded; aud the world's hope* are
as vain as its lusts are vile. The
hopes of joy ia earth’s vanities, uf
peace in paths of sin, and of golden
days in a world that reeks with
guilt sod tramples scornfully on the
Saviour’s blood, ore doomed to aad,
terrible disappointment*. Huch hope*
cun not abide the trials of life, the
agonies of death, aud the stern reali
tics of judgment and eternity.
For those who? would build upon
a sure foundation, a better hope is
prepared, “which hope we have as
an anchor to the soul,” entering
into that within the vail. And those
“who bard fled for refuge to lay*
hold upon the hope aft before them,"
have obtained, through patience and
There Is s deep philosophy In all
this. Attempting grant thing* for
God showed these mew their weak
usaa, and the certainty of flrilore
without divine help. It showed
them also the glorious possibilities
before them if they eould get that
help. Ho Kmix'* cry was, “Give me
thought. Our writer has
Rev. A. R. RUDE, l
(Wiimih,
tool, they could bs tine as tha boa
aud cruel aa tha tiger. And the
Roman* areasd hardly to know pi|y.
Blood was aa firmest ia which thru
aoristy aremed to live and prosper
It was ovea unnatural aud iabamaa,
as la Nero, Portia, aad t'stignla-
Yen, the world |s deeply indebted to
onr mild am! heautiftd Christianity,
“grounded in fore *—CMHotiom fa
Religions.
We should perceive their, noise no mote
Than we caa hear a shaking leaf
When rattling thunders round as mar.”
The glorious work of the Lord
Jeans, both ia his rigfateouness and
blood shedding, affords the solid ba
sis for his people’s stability. But,
poor tremblers as they arc, often
dismayed at the very shadow of
danger, how are they to possess it Y
How shall weaklings become strong,
cowards wax valiant ia fight, sod
they who fled, pat to flight their
foes f AD this is possible ; bat the
work is God the eternal Spirit’s.
And hence the Apostle says : “Now
He which kstahlishkth us with you
in Christ, nod hath anointed us, ia
God; who hath also sealed us, and
given the earnest of the Spirit ia
our hearts.” (2 Cor. i: 21, 22.) The
stability, which is so entirely die
tinct from all wild-fire enthusiasm,
and fight hearted false confidence, is
not only the fruit of the Spirit 1 * tes
timony in the heart, but (itUhould
be remembered) is as much promised
now, as ever, to those who, in soul
distress, desire and seek it. The
words of Christ expressly imply this:
“If ye, then, being evil, know how
to give good gifts unto your children,
how much more shall your Heavenly
Father give the Holy Spirit to them
that ask him T (Luke xi; 13.) Does
a dead sinner feel his need of, and
for, the Holy Ghost t Would the
prayer of the wicked procure the
rich gift f No. Whom, then, does
the Redeemer encourage to pray for
it f His owii disciples ; those who
are in legal bondage or need light,
comfort and stability. What ia con
tained in the promise! The assu
rance of faith ; the shedding abroad
of the love of the Father in the
heart, by the application of the
atonement and the appropriation of
the weddiug garment; the loosening
of bonds, and the revelation of the
way and will of God, both in grace
and providence.
Never let the idea be entertained
aud cherished, by one born from
above, that it is presumption to look
for such stability. The same divine
Spirit who wrought it in Paul, in
Hart and Huntington, is be who
worketh in all the members of
Christ's body. We have proved this
to the rejoicing of our heart He
has but to whis}»er to the soul, and
It is done. Tbe voice of the turtle
dpve being heard in the land, the
winter of barren dreariness is putt;
the rain of w rath -apprehensions is
over ami gone; the flowers of hid
den graces appear on the earth, and
the soul's time of bird-like singing
has come.
Doubting and fearing child of God,
go and ^ead the great Redeemer’s
promise.
For tiie Lutheran *Vfeitor.
tether we live, we lin i Unto the
I whether we die, we| die unto
whether we live, the irfore. or
b the Lord’s.”—Rom- : it i 8.
ostie speaks thus o elms
I of-Christians or j>die vers
Christ. Though somewhat
ntal reflection, employed to
jke general proposition that
)ld have dae regard for tbe
pe fictions or scrfaiitaa of
break in the faith, jaud not
It rash judgment, t is the
pf an important an 1 prneti-
4 aad one that a! ffcooMI
as such. “Who ut thou
“Gtirv me *ouls. or take my aoul."
idle well wisher of (hf< cause
A plant eon not Nvu without a
root. To dmtarb or destroy its mol
fat at once to imperil its life ; and the
root % neuds, also, to have a good soil
in which to borrow, in order that
the plant may bloom and thrive and
produce fruit. In more than one of
our 8a v low's parubteuraiigiou in the
heart i* reprsaeuted a* a plant. Tha
symbol ia appropriate and rxprea
rive. Like the mustard aeed, piety
in ita incipient state, tua\ be sold to
be the least of all aueda; but being
rooted in lov# ft grows and Amtrfthr*
and mature*. Hornet!me* Ita yte
greoa ia active, aud Ita growth ft
almost amazing. Thi* shows what
euparities the plant has In itself, and
what it ft capable of being when ia
a fertile soil.
The bent anil, and that which la
sum the meat rapid growth, ft fore.
When piety la “rooted ia love* its
maturity ft assured, and ita fruit ft
abundant. It Hods thru sarb a soil
as ft requires, and develop* itself in
strength, beauty and glory. It cun
not well do otherwise 1
When we are seeking for a daflut
tion of piety which, in the fewest
words, may express moat aply aad
dearly what ft ft in ito element* and
Ita nature, we recur naturally to that
given by inspiration— 1 “tbe love ot
God shed abroad In our hearts."
False religious see si ways cruel}
superstition ft exacting and unsnctal,
and fanaticism is blood thirsty ; but
tbe blessed gosfid of 'onr Havioar ft
beet characterized by love, ft be
gin* ia a spirit of love; it lives in
the manifestation of works of love;
and its power ft seen in subduing
tbe enmity of the hnmsu will and
melting the rebellions heart, su that
it glows with love. Love ft it* joy,
its glory aud ita enjoy meat. Haacw
it ft so sweet, so gentle, so full of
benevolence, self-denial sad toil in
doing good to all, but especially to
“tbe household of faith." Bring
rooted where it ft, it could not be
anything else. If it ft any thing efte,
ft Is because it* root ft not Axed in
a proper soil, aad, lacking ita natural
nutriment, the fruit becomescrabhad,
sour, unripe aad unnatural; but the
good soil always produce* good fruit,
aud it surely come* ia its season !
The love in whieh piety finds its
root is derived from tbe Cross} de
rived thmrr, either by looking at It
Jn faith, or contemplating ft until ft
pi realized; ami ft ft a nstnrs) pro
duct. Tbe realisation of the Cross
produces ft just as naturally as a
planted seed germinates sod put*
forth its teuder shoot. Our ehris
tianity Is so beautinl, gentle, kind
and full of all good works, because
ft has a cross in it No .other rw
Hgioo that the world has ever re
ceived, bos bad s cross, required
faith ia the cross, or “gloried in it”
It would be appropriate here to
consider bow all this ft proof that ft
is from God, but we are not dealing
with those who need to bs convinced
of the divinity of our religion} we
write only for those who are anxious
to know its power and have ft grow
up fat their hearts, bearing all the
heavenly drafts of peace with God
and good will towards men. 8ufB
dent has been written to convince
every candid Itnqnircr—and these
The life dues nut always agree
with the dnrtriar. XSM prreeas
admit that fit Pool urvwte the weeds,
“They that pruned the gospel Shaft
live of the gwapeL" Ail cftwUasi
chum this as their ductriae. Often,
he sever, they foil te comply with
tha divine lajanrtfam.
We do net meaa to myr that mta
•u the way, of the best methods of
meeting them, aad of the inspiring
motives which moke all toil delight
fal in Moeh a cause.—fmdmmdtni.
South stid W<
s on all Ni
the sum. Aw the payrnc
the names ef Christians
alway s paid as promptly
point*,
route i
dire evils existing ua the continent,
sad ap|irtbended at home. The pro
framing church is like a dismasted
tfiip driven before the mighty cy
clone which rages, not knowing
whether she ft driven. Her minis
ters, for the major part, are but
worldly religion* men, ready to side
with popular clamor, and ignore the
sovereign sway of greet Jehovah’s
sceptre. And, as the natural result,
hi all that is transpiring, whether in
the operation of the great and strong
wind, w hich ft reoding tbe moan
tains and breaking the rocks in
pieces before the Lord, or in the
earthquake, or the Are, no voice of
the I xml ft discernible.
Tbe privilege we covet for our
■rives, aad all who ore precious iu
the Lord's right, is to hear him, by
his Spirit, saying, amid these stn
I «endou« events, “Come, my profile,
rater thou into thy chambers, and
dint thy doors about thee : hide thy
self as it were for a little moment,
until the indignation be overpast."
For of one thing ere are oo«fldcut:
He ft now speaking to this effect :
“Behold, the Lord oometh oat of his
place to punish the inhabitants of
the earth for their iniquity : the,
earth ri*o shall disclose her blood,
and shall no more cover her slain*
(Install xxri : 20, 21.) Never, in
modern times, has a mightier and
swifter wind been sent forth than
recently, and, at present, from Ger
many. Never have mightier “moun
tains" and “rocks” (of the later, that
on# especially which, by Popish su
perstition, has received the name
«f“PKT«a”) been rant and broken
ia pieces, as iu France aad Italy.
Never woe there a more extensive
“earthquake” than that which now
upheaves the great masses of society
in England, Ireland, France, etc.,
eto., with the spirit of revolutionism.
Never was the “Are” of the Lord’s
anger more visibly' kindled against
the kingdoms of this world. The
prophet's language is os forcible to
day os soar: “Gome near, ye ua
LNIGHT, Sujft
*nd Freight sad
the Word
AILROAD.
e Ridge Railroad
excepted :J
God's instnuurat ft extending God'*
forgotten, but the saying ft worthy
of goldra letters' : “We ought to
week os though we were to do every
thing, *nad to pro) ns though we
couM do nothing* This paradox
ehrfttian activity ft prrpetaally i«
fritting Work sad pray er mnri go
together end inter |«raetrstc each
comfort of the Hcriptures, a lively
hope, a stirs and steadfast hope, a
good liope through grace, a hope
of salvatiou, a htgw* of eternal life,
a hope of the glory of God, a hope
of the resurrection of tbe dead, a
hope of being like Jesus and seeing
Him “as He is,” a blessed hope of
the glorious apftenring of tbe Great
God and our Saviour Jeans Christ—
a hope that “maketb not ashamed,
because the love of God ia shed
abroad in our hearts by the Holy
Ghost.”
Around this grand ceutral fort,
the glorious apfiraring of the Sa
vionr, all other liope* revolve trad
culminate. Tbe hope of salvation
reaches onward till He shall apj»ear
the second time without sin unto
salvation, to them that look for
Him. The hope <>teternal life points
to that judgment; seat whence tbe
cursed shall depart to everlasting
fire, “the righteous go away into
life eternal.” The hope of the glory
of God hss respect to that day when
Christ, who is onr life, Hhltll appear
and we also shall ap|»ear with Him
in glory.. The hope and resurrection
of tbe uead can only find its fruition
wben “all that are in tbe graves
shall hear His voice and shall come
forth.” The hope of being like
Christ most certainly ft^deferred
until He shall appear iu his own
glorified humanity, and “we shall
see him as he i*}” aud the Blessed
Hope of that appearing comprehends
and biuds together all these grand
anticipations of the universal church
of God.
It is to that day, “the coming of
the Lord Jesus Christ and our g»
thering together unto him,” that the
saviug grace of God has taught our
souls to look, as the day when “the
kingdom of our God, aud tbe power
of his Christ,” shall be made mani
fest; when the rule of Satan shall
be broken, and tbe serpent’s head
be crushed; wben wars alhd strifes
and turtnoils shall be ended; and
wben the Almighty Christ, in tbe
perfection of bis humanity, and the
glory of his Deity, shall be revealed,
exalted and adored forevermore.
And to tlie waiting Church of God,
this is a “blessed hope,” a glad and
erally presented to each toranbrr j
and each <*oe promise* to contribute
a specified amount toward* tbe afa
inter's salary . Now sapposr we ex
amine that aabscrtptton Hal at tbe
ft*I of tbe year. It foot* ap very
well. Tbe sum prumford ft perhaps
Urge enough • llat there are quite
a number wbn Have only premised,
aod sever potd. Who* shall we say
to these f Perhaps they are all
good, kind, well meaning people.
They intend to pay. But they are not
quite prepared to pay at the rime
when the puymewl ft duet aod they
think the minister ean wait. He
SUCCESS f!t
Prayer tends to make work sue
cesofttl to two ways: by making the
warier strong, and by aero nag the
help of God. Tbe reaction of prayer
(if ft merited no other praise) would
be It* ample vindication. If It nt-
mm pitched nothing without ns, we
should do well to “pray without
rearing" oa account of what It does
Withia ns. TV nacres* of work
done f«*r God depend* largely on the
eon rage and confidence of the work
er, and those depend on hi* (ereono)
relation to God. What we shall
achieve for the Master Is hat a ques
tioo uf physical three, nor of nnm
hers, nor of finance, nor Of intelli
gence, solely nor chiefly j It ft a
spiritual question. The amount a*
weft os the quality of the work for
God attempted by hi* people ft
largely contingent on their prayers.
“They that wsft on the I xml shall
renew their strength,* so that they
may be able to “ran* in the path of
defy “sod not be weary," and no
der the severest flisramragemeots to
“walk and not faint,*
But prayer ft also a positive force
in the moral world. It brings about
rraolta which but for it would never
come to poos. The Bible never
shrinks from repreatntiog prayer as
a power above those natural laws
which now-a-days are no ofteu mo
[e “determines ti i© IkhiuiIs
tat ion”—the co intry, age
nstauce8 under which we
times are in his hand, and
of life’s cheqm red ■
led of him. ”1 is ftp who
parity and adversity, tlio’
feet the one through otir
of prudential laws, which
and the othfcr through
and mistakes ; which we
Joy and sorrn w, health
ks, life ami death are by
says very Uttie shout hft salary;
ami they think he ft very willing to
Movements
ano, with
i» owa i*t«
ouly does be | ossess the
exercise sovereignty over
ml and temporal circnm-
tit also over okr iuterrial
iience. He is Lord of the
ell as of the ibody. As
But the minister most wall. Now
why eould not the dorter, the black
smith, the shoe maker or the mer
chsat wait f Why must this unde
*irshie lot Aril npon the mfnftlnrf
Now If those who are members of
the church, sod intend to pay so
soon as they can ramvrafetitly, will
listen a moment, we wilt whisper a
little secret Hilo their care. It ft
this, that the minister mast also pay
\ its law giver. |His tfil is
Its supreme rule of duty.
obedient subjects—true
j-the observance;of his will
Ire of constant? joy. The
of their heart i|: M 0,jhow
lawlftfetny meditation
r” In the bel everis soul
F enthroned, a id rules in
pim.
tatements would be true,
> we to view God aa an
Sovereign, coj trolled by
ns will; but tley are the
unspeakable cot »fort, wben
!the light of hh true chat
I being not oni; r of sOver-
of Infinite p ty ami be-
|j a being who ii love itself,
f wisdom is al Solute and
His paternal love ik a
[of security to 1 tis children
iwMiQr" 1 - wnicD. oors j
M, nor of tbe will of| the
l°f the will of Eiau, but of
His words are: “Prove
me now herewith, if I will not open
the windows of heaven, and pour
yon down a blessing, that there shall
not be room enough te receive it"
With all that there is usmoUg to
endure from tbe world, the flesh and
the devil, in these extraordinary
times when nations are reeling, her
esfts abounding, the love of many
waxing cold, and hard times facing
the poor of this weald, there is a
special ueods-be for the Lord’s tried
ones: to be seeking to be “rich in
faith,” and so established X5
chkist. ir * ir
“No trifling gift, or small.
ot nature nr the virtual fetters of a
sha ping Deity. Prayer has wrought
sometimes the doctor. He must pro
vide for himself and hft (family. He
can not pay with yoar jrismlm to pay.
If be ft not pnfal promptly fan eon
not pqjr promptly.
exceptional method of divine work
ing ft pool* it wields the measureless
energies of Ifrovideoce ia wags no
Ifiae afiWant for good. God still
works among men ; he works by
people: let the earth hear, and all
that ft therein ; tha world, and all
things that oome forth of it. For
the indignation of the Lord ft upon
all notions, aad his foiy upon all
their armies: he hath utterly de
strayed them, be hath delivered
Is hft only resource; aud so ft should
ha- Be has no form, no trade, no
eapftal; nothing that brings in mo
ney, except hft tabor in the gospel
ministry. This labor is hft eapttaJ.
If be ft to live of the gospel, then
bs should not bs oomprilsd to Ifak
other means at support. It is, ia t
deed, no smsli dishonor to a pastoral
Should friends of Christ desire.
Rich Lord ! bestow on all
Pore grid, well tried by ire.
Fiutli that stands £*et white devib
How earnestly, how tatilhpifaly,
and how briftviagfy a man shall
pray does not depend on hU own