Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1844-01-11


and wisdom. The clerk opened the
letter. The first thing which struck hi,
pryiDg vision was SITS breriiy. Bul
without saluiation or note he pi occ cccded
"Mend the fence, and and-keep-th.
black bull out" He looked, but h.
was sure he had made no mistake
He turned over leaf, but there was
nothing there but blank and it wa.
manifest he had reached the end Of III.
epistlc. lie colorcd, and looked nt tn.
! CbuTch-nnd the church looked nj him
And then they looked about among them.
selves, and it was very evident they
were all taken by surprise and thrown
aback.
Ailer some time spent in silent musing
some Of them began to move their feet ;
and one Of the brethren recovered him
self sufficiently 10 ask that the letter
might be read again. Whcrcupon the
clerk read. "Mend the fence, and keep
the black bull out" On which the
brother aforesaid rose, and delivered
himself MS follows:
H Mr.. Moderator, ! am usionished
utterly astonshed don't know what
to make of it nor what to say or think
about it. What does, what can the
man mean We wrote to him out Of
the depth Of our uflliciion for counsel
and advice and we are here answered
with this impe'tinent and vulgar lrifling
/ The n,-old and esteemed as he is,
deserves our rcbuke, il not our scOrn.
Having said which, with all becoming
resentment, he sat down.
H Another Of the brethren then rose,
of the party opposed toihe last speaker,
81 agree perfectly, said he, To what the
brother just up has said. IT is indeed
too bad Ii is absolutely provoking =
II is utterly unworthy ofthe character
of the man, and of the responsibility Of
this church Something spirited ought
to be done" He ended--and gave
| place Ia third brother who throughput
the course of the long difficulty had
been esteemed a neutral. He remark
ed very rnluIy ~ am heartily glad
TO hear my brethren who have spoken
for once express an agreement. For to
my certain Knowledge il is the frs,
time they have hcen agreed on any
| thing for The last twcve months. ] am
Of opinion that something ought to be
replied 10 that sirc"gc loNn. decidedly
disappearing Of il. T'.crah as to The
"respeciabiIi,y" of the church ofwhich
mention has been made the less we say
about Mai--under our present circum-
stanccs-ihe better. However move
that n letter be prepared and sent to
Mr.. Good, expressing our disnpponi-
mrnt, and our disapprobation Of th"
one he has sent us." The motion was
instantly seconded /; but just as the
moderator was about to put il, some
what unobirusivc brother rose and ask
ed the privilege Of making a few re-
masks.
I Now rsmcerning ih.s brother we
would Just premise, that he had re-
markable tact and turn at aH,gOri.ine
and spiriiuahsing. And it was amazing
unprciending as he was, how he would
sometimes make great deal out OF jus,
nothing at all great TO his own edif-
cation and the wonder of others. This
peculiarly in the mans genus was ac.
counted for, III part, by the fact, that
in his younger days, when impressions
are supposed TO be the strongest and
most durable, he attended the ministry
Of Mr.. Wiseacrc,-a famous divine,
who also had great skill in nllcgorlzing,
and in which it was thought his main
strength lay.-Mr. Wiseacre could
prove the doctrine of the Tiiniiu from
the three white baskets on the head Of
Pharoah's baker. The same doctrine,
together with "thc dccrccs," from Solo
mons Three-fold cord which is not
easily broken. Also he had a sermon
which proved to his own satisfaction,
the universal hisiery Of shc church in
all ages, from the seven apocalypiic
Letters.
Such were the cnrly advantages of
the brother now on the floor, who spoke
and said-'And ! also am astonished,
not so much at the letter in question,
as mt the views which brethren have
taken Of il. Why it is Just the very
thing. A better letter could not have
been written. You call it imperlincnl;
! say it is quite appropriate. You say
il is trihing ! say it implies a solemn
and just rcbuke, and contains most
impor,an, piece of fadvice TO which we
do well that we take heed. can ex-
plain j, according to The method ofin,cr-
pretation which learnt many years ago
from our good minister" Here the
recollection Of past DAYS and OF Mr..
Wiseacrr, awakened his scnsibiilcs,
and his emotions produced the following
reflections. "Ah we had preaching
then. They knew how to explain The
hardest parts Of Levi'icus and the Rcre-
iaiion. We have no such preaching
now But to The letter. Mend the
fence and keep the black bull out. =
Here, said he, il is plain the fence
means gospel discipline, managed with
Christian love. This fence was pun no
by Jesus Chris, and his apostles TO keep
the bad ou, and the good in aud il
ought never to be down. Then that
black criirer evidently means the mick-
cd one-ihai old serpent which is the
devil who goeih about like a roaring
lion-as saith the apostle-seeking'
whom he may devour. Now brethren