Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-04-22
Religious.
Baal better Served than Christ,

win now much Impressive truth and beauty
does the eloquent Melville, as in the following
extract convict the disciples of Christ Read
it, and ask thy heart is not the deineaton too
true!
The zeal and sefdevotion with which idoa-
tors will act on their mistakes ought to put us to
the blush for the lukewarmness and cowardice
which we often display in acting on our truths
1t might be thought if you were to draw your
conclusions from the department of the great
mass of Christians, that it has been the object of
the gospel to release men from all that rigor and
all that selfchastsement which natural religion
had always more or lass dictated But, on the
contrary, the gospel has only corrected errone-
Gus notions as to what this rigor should be, and
as to how the chastlsement should be applied
the seyerest rules that were ever laid down by
the Indian devotee exceed not those prescribed
by Christianity. What think We of crucifying
the flesh, with the affections and lusts p What
think ye of keeping under the body, and bring
ing it into subsection 2 What think ye accord
ing to words already quoted) of cutting off the
right hand, and plucking out the right eye 4? It
is all figure, you reply; it is all metaphor l
know it; and the Indian devotee might be re-
garded as taking literally what was designed to
be spiritually understood. But is there no
meaning in the figure is nothing denoted by
the metaphor or rather, where there is such
immense strength Of fguratiye expression, is it
only light task or nominal labor, which is
enjoned on the disciples of Christ? Not so !;
scrptural sentiments may require to be spiritu-
ally interpreted but some men seem to think
that to interpret spiritually is to take away all
the spirit all the strength, from passage
Where the figure is singularly energetic, the
thing figured must be proportionably difficult or
great; it were accusing the Bible of the worst
exaggeration, to suppose that it drew its meta
phors from what is gigantic, when it had to de-
lineate only what is trifng Take heed, then,
that We deceive not yourselves. 1t is not with
out conflict, it is not without struggle, it is not
without sacrifice, it is not without selfchastise-
ment, that ye may look to be saved and the
question for your private, your intense consider
alton is, whether you are acting on the meaning
of those precepts of the gospel which demand,
under strong figures the modification of the
flesh, and the surrender of every thing which
may be the hindrance to pety.
And here it is that the priests of Baal give
their first lesson. They served god whom they
invested with sanguinary attributes, and to whom,
as they supposed, it would be acceptable that they
should lacerate their bodies whilst acting as his
worshppers. And they did not at all shrink
from doing what their creed required them to do
Listen to the description They cut themselves
after their manner, with knives and lancets, till
the blood gushed out You are to observe the
expression, after their manner it implies a
habit or a custom; so that it was their usual
practice thus to wound themselves when minis
tering at the altar of Baal 1t was not that, on
this very great OCCASION when religion and even
life was at stake, they were wrought up into a
kind of frenzy, and therefore prompted to the
doing what in a moment of less excitement, they
would have quite refused to do. 1t was their
manner and, if the peculiar circumstances in
which they were placed made them more than
commonly prodgal of their blood at least they
were accustomed to shed it in performing the
rites Of their religion. Alas, Christians can it
be necessary for us to enlarge on the emphatic
condemnation which those priests of Baal are
Ipronouncing on yourselves! Will your zeal
stand the being brought into comparison with
theirs Is it your manner as it was theirs, to
submit to precepts which impose painful duties,
requiring you to give up what you might like to
keep, Or to undergo what you might like to avoid
We ask whether this be your manner Not
merely whether, on some grand solemnity, when
thousands are gathered upon Carmel, and you
are called upon to act in the sight of the world
you can perform an act Of selEdenial, resist a
strong passion, or relinquish favorite object
but whether it be your habit when you are more
withdrawn from public observation, when Car
mel is exchanged for the greater privacy of your
own household, or your own scenes Of business
to keep a check on every evil propensity, and tc
labor, according to the direction of the apostle
to present your bodies living sacrifice unto God
Appetites, are they your masters, or are you
theirs! Money, do ye consider yourselves a:
actually its proprietors, or only as stewards, who
will have to give account of its distribution 2
Pleasures, do you abstain from those of whose
lawfulness there may be doubt? Seventies, de
you practise those which appear likely to furthe
the great ends Of moral discipline Alas alas
Baal was better served than is Christ. Baal
yoke was heavy, but nevertheless it was borne
Christ's yoke is light, but how it is shifted Of
and eyaded.
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Activity without Progress,