The Lutheran visitor. (Columbia, S.C.) 1869-1904, May 15, 1874, Image 1
Dosi,; Hawkins k Dreher, Editors.
OVI LORO. OVI FAITH, OIE BAPTISH’-EPHESIANS IV: 6.
CHARLESTON. 8. C,
■aTjpga
—
( Kow, viewing the Uv from this
(KMIlt, tlx jmwamptKMl m IMMMtW*
Um( the Law was given to th* U
for Ike mm* psrpuoe m that
for which it >m mmU koowu, k»
whatever w^y, to Ike patriarekal
worth We who ked preoadsd the
Whatever than a^y ha Ifoo formal
aed af waking a |deoe look pretty
and comfortable with Ike meanest
Material*. Let tbeiu exercise thia
gift, not only for their own sake, but
for other*. Let theM pet their
there. It ie t became sort of With
a* that which at the drat gave you
the forgiven*** of das and made
yon a child of God. So toflg a* the
Christian is in Christ be win walk by
frith, speak by frith, live by frith,
do everything by frith; and what
soever is done by frith is done to
the glory of God. “Without frith
it is impossible to please Him.” To
abide in Christ is tsnly to choose
the bettor portion. While we abide
in Christy it matters not whether we
in which the Law wae
raelitee was wondarfol.
jWtstty within a year three mir
piked keen wrought in the sight
4 Mow* to prepare him for his
gp* to Egypt; three had been
yrMfktby him in the presence of
adders ot Israel to convince them
p the God of their fotben had
fifths to be their deliverer, and
m badbeen wrought in the sight
gfksrseh to eonvinee him that
jfenrak, the Ged of the Hebrews,
p wet His smbossador with the
hamd: “Let my people go, that
of the comfort within. Lot them
giro a look of borne to the bare
room where the sick ooe lies in
poverty, by a few touches of their
deft Angers, and a few gifts from
their overflow Lag treasury. It will
ws* given to the Israelites so •
covenant of works for life. The
groaad on which their obedience
wm* always claimed was, that Jeho
vah, this (lo4, had hreoght thorn
ont af the land of Egypt, oat of the
wo can only bo with Jeans. He who
has the spirit of Jems in his heart
can afford to ho charitable to ai|
things. There are members in every
church whose constitutional weak
ness seems to be that of jconttonal
fault finding; nothing pleases them;
the preacher either talks too load or
not load enough; the singing is too
fast or not fast enough; the das*
leader frvora some of bis members
more than others. And, not satisfied
with being to this state themselves,
them affleted ones do all to their
power to have everybody else take
their malady. O, if they would only
chooae “the more excellent way,"
and go to the Great Physician who
heals all diseases, and by stepping
into the pool, have “their hearts
cleansed from an unrighteousness”
and “their garments washed and
made white in the Mood of the
Lamb,” than their complainings,
with their diseases, would take
wings of the morning and vanish
away; then woeid the thirteenth
chapter of First Corinthians assume
Sd of fire by night for guidance.
The Rod 8en divided for Israel’s
*»!*, sad to Its returning waves
to fewer of the Egyptian army
atot Manna and quails ware sent,
fee reek was smitten for water.
Ate Um> Amalskftes were defeated,
it these things occurred shortly
afore tbs giving of foe Low.
From Ike death of Egypt’s firat-
ton, the sight of Israel’s redemp-
ties, there were bat fifty day* till
topcoftteme to ML Sinai. The
aese there, tike moeh that had been,
«m grand sad terrific; tbe moan
‘ aas top all wrapped to smokiv—
danders peeling, lightnings flashing,
mrth quaking, trumpet sounding,
pr*»ple trembling—all because Jebo
rill bad descended upon the moon
tain is fire.
The Law could have been given to
Hoses privately as were directions
(boot the Passover, to be by him
fedrered to the people. Bat tbe
esesiion demanded tbe cireum-
atsoees of grandeur and awe to
vbicb Jehovah was then pleased to
appear. The mam or mm poopas
owe grossly ignorant and amusingly
tepid. Many of them bad been
delaters in Egypt and were still so
h deed. While they recognized Je-
fevah, wh** bad brought them out
of Bgypt, as a mighty God, they
vers far from being convinced that
While they did,
my Father, inherit tlx kiagdom pre
pared for yoa • • • Jte 1 tn *
hungered and ye gave me -til*
To any mind thorooghly evaogotiaod
there Is nothing hazardous to the
thought that to the Rptottos it la
taught that wboaoevnr ahsarrea their
exhortation* will assuredly bs saved.
For such is ths nature of am aad
sack the natere af ths things rs
quired, that no ooe will over have
the inclination and strength to obey
without obtaining them from Christ
through a connection with Him by
frith. So, also, there was nothing
hazardous In swapaodtitg life, for
mally, o® obedience to the Law.
toStoSo^ «ra 1 mmru^6%%!
love sad charity to all would sparkle,
whisper and sing to every tine,
“Love would drive their chariot
wheels,” “and a little child would
God blessn very slender things to
the conversion of soala. It is very
hnmbling, sometimes, to a preacher
who thinks, “Wall, I did preach a
pretty for sermon that time," to And
Efim (ft tfrrf*SOI niuS, ~mmm> -w£»..
remark be made in tbe street, which
he hardly thought was of any value
whatever, was what God has Messed
—that when be thought he had sue
ceedad best, he had done nothing,
and when he thought he had sue
needed worst, then God Messed him.
Many a soul has had his eyes opened
by so instrumentality which never
dre&med of being useful; and, in-
I deed, the whole way of salvation is
in itself extremely simple, so as to
I be well compared to the day and
i spittle which the Saviour used. I
do not find many tools converted by
bodies of divinity. We have re-
oeived a great many Into tbe church,
but never received ooe who became
ooo verted by a profound theological
discussion. We very seldom hear of
any great number of conversions un-
t der very eloquent preachers—very
| seldom indeed. We appreciate eto
I qneoor, and have not a word to say
| against it by itself, but evidently it
I has no power spiritually to enlighten
! the understanding, nor does it please
God to use the exoelleocy of words
for conversion. When Paul laid
I aside human wisdom and said he
would not urn the excellency of
I speech, be only laid aside what would
not have been of mnch service to
him. When David pat off Saul’s
I armor, and took the sling and the
stone, he slew ths giant; and giants
are not to bs conquered to-day any
works af Jehovah, his
old." Mow, as the axl
dissevered from Christ j so, also, ths
Hr was God alone
m doubt, feel that gratitude and
honor sod glory were doe to him;
yet they certainly regarded It ae a
dictate of prudence to sacrifice to
other gods, also, whose existence
they believed and whose displeasure
they dreaded. There was, therefore,
ia that sublime and awful display
«a adaptation, the best we can im
agine, to impress the minds of that
people, and instruct them as to the
character of their God, and thus to
prepare them for heartily adopting
the sentiment: »**■ - *•'
“Jehovah (s osr God—Jehovah alone ”
But'it should not be Imagined
tttt because the Law was then pro
claimed so grandly, it bad never
to “hear all things, believe all things,
hops all things, endure all thtoga.”
What a sermon does the Christian
daily preach to ths world, who goes
about ths dittos of life with a meek
aad lowly spirit, seeking opportunity
to do good to all ama,” uncomplain
ia hto way of
principal eaam
with which the Israelite* were rw
minded that they had boon hoed
men to Egypt, and that Jehovah
had delivered thorn. Tres, the Law
was given in such a form that t»
could he misunderstood, aad could
be perverted into a covenant of
works for life; aad thia was aetaaUy
done by many who were beat spou
establishing their own rtgktoommea*.
Bat if say should be tree Med by the
“doth not behave himself unseemly,
aseksth not his own, is not easily
provoked, tkinketh no evil,” “prays
without tossing, aad to everything
given than ha* Many Christians of
today am like ths Israelites of old,
tog the duties aad privileges of to
day ia gathering the maaoa for to
morrow 1 * use, heeding net the com
mand, “Sufficient for tbe day is the
evQ thereof " A lesson in frith can
bs learned from this incident, that
may he applied to daily life. The
Israelite* that doubted God’s Word,
fearful that food would not be fora
iahod oa the morrow, as promised,
wees careful to provide more than
their daily need, contrary to the
command of God, and the result
was, “it bred worms, and stank."
Thia being careful overmuch please*
them, if they oan, imagine any defi
nils form to which the Law eoeld
have bean given, and yet not been
liable to sock peweratoo. Beeklea,
are not the exhortations of the Hew
Testament liable to tbe mat abase 9
Is there not reason to fear that they
are so abused I
But white the Law was thus gives
as a rule of life, ami enforced by
the preceding redemption to which
It stood no steady related, it ales
bore s prophetic import. Few, if
any, deny that the redemption, while
so actnsl present benefit, also prom-
existed in the earth before. For
*&•** there is no Law there is no
trsragrasaioD. Yet, before this tran-
wetkm at Siuai the Old World fed
to* drowned for transgressions;
Himrence had been fearfully pun-
toed io the family of Noah, and for
iupurity Sodom and Gomorrah had
ton destroyed. Jacob, Vbeu sum
aooed to Bethel to fulfill his vow,
^Hnmsnded his household to pnt
air ay all strange gods. And in tbe
•truest debates between Job and
to friends there is a reference direct-
h or indirectly to every precept in
Some have th* gift of satertaiatag.
toy can talk wall. They have
“Ws fla not war aEm tbs flash (S
Osr. B: J) and out w*apoas art os«
soropl (it H. Oor haul# to so*
would have as to fight to It to the
•fight of /**’ a tto- v|; i». Uto
sot by J—to**#. bat by hidforiag that
They kavw msmsrias at travel to
recall. TOw, the knack of
knowing what to any. They can
must keep to ths simple things, to
the plain gospel plainly preached.—
apuryeon.
tore: “Christ, oar Pnaaovsr, Is sac
rificed for us," settlea this point.
Bat as then God descended oa the
fiftieth day after the Faseover re
demption, ia fire upon ML Sinai, to
inaugurate a glorious dispensation
of Law; so, alas, oa the fiftieth day
was the bettor part; “But Martha
was cumbered about much serving,
and cams to him, and said, Lord,
dost tboe not oars that my sister
hath toft ms to serve alone? Md her
therefore that she help me. And
Jeans answered, “Martha, Martha,
tfooo are careful and troubled about
many things; but one thing is used
•U other terms. Also the compiler
those debates, whose stylo is
bach like Moses, both in introducing
speakers and in the seqnel of
tbe book, uses exclusively the memo
“•1 name. These facte about the
«*e of that name, overlooked until
•toji are Strong proof for the great
a »tiqaity of Job’s speeches In addition
Utet given by the teamed long
They were prior to the giving
j* the Law at Mt. Sinai, slid show
tnuc h of the Law was previously
ttiovn and regarded by tbe sons of
,0 <b How they came to know tbe
"totencc of such a Law, Is to us, a
question of fer less importance than
*■* fa <* tbst they did know it. But
l tot they did not nse it as a cove-
Jtot of works for life we hare the
toghest authority for affirming. For
Sjj obtained a good report through
a IlMPftri *W UOIJ wjp*n% tUteMHMWU
on ML Eton in cloven toogo** of
fire to inaugurate a dispensation of
th* Spirit still srors glorious. These
are certainly sinking etoonmstaness
oaaa, which leave him tell
fora? There to at this mm
an aching spirit bitterly
of this hot low a***. Tbe
Jesus has done for you.
A. If you are ever in doubt as to a
thing being right or wrong, consider
whether you can do it in the name of
Jeans, and ask God’s blessing upon
it.
5. Never take your cbnstianit*
signed." “Known unto God are eU
His works from tbe bsgiaaiag of the
world." The aatore aad th* tiamo
of both type and aato-typa wore *0
Tbs style of tbe Seriptareo to wor
thy of our clooest attention To as
unreflecting reader It may seem that
until the giving of the Law there wo*
no Law in the world. Bat n ctoesr
examination reveals the feet that
the Law did always exist So, also,
from ths groat account which ths
Scripts re* make of tho ootponriag
of the spirit after the soeonsiou of
from Christians, bat ask yourself,
“How would the Lord have me act F
and follow him.
6. Never trust your feelings, or tbe
opinions of men, if they ooutradict.
God’s word.
7. In deciding questions of truth
and duty, remember that the wrong
side has a crafty and powerful advo
cate in your own heart.
their gift gladly
lotions nor prayers can take you
there.” Faith alone m tbe entrance
to Mm Faith alone can take that
ZSSZ JU o.t Of »lf ud into
Christ, and frith alone can keep yon
charity, -HU mi mate ep fm tte Erie* Jim v t 4) j for teto to tbs victory
that orsreomsU the world over oar
n> ia uw 'iO0MiM«r ,«*•,»* I !*»»**** prl