The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1848-07-12

ID Christ; and lie expressly separated
lhsp lrom he rrsi. IL lisrlained III in
Ierierrnre with the ordinary 0hierls IL hu-
man irgislsiinn: lie declared Iial HE
/" Kingdom was mn Of this woEld:" lie
nledged Tie sElhnriiy Of Ihe Jewish
magistrates; lie psid far llis own pennn
the lrbnle IN lhe Romans; lie refused in
mnIe Than one instance III assume The Of
ice OF Judge in mslieIs nf legal conlrR-
versy: lie slIirIly limited The ohjrcl Of
Ills own pTeeepis and authority To religion
and morals; lie denounced no temporal
punishment; lie promised no temporal
rewards; lie took up man as 4 goseInahle
being. where lhe human Magistrate il
compelled 10 leave him. aud supplied both
/ prerept Of virtue and motive for practising
u. such IS mn other mnralisI or legislator
ever attempted 10 inlrndaee. 4lh-The
bufdensome duties of pnsilile rites. mi:
nate tormalilies and expensive sacrilircs.
Alliihese had a tendency. not only 10 es-
llabhsh and maintain The separation 81 the
Jews from ali other nations. hui IN process
Of time had been mistaken BIZ The Scribes
and PhaTisees aud Lawyers, and probably
by The body Of The prople, for lie sub.
stance of religion. All the rites were a.
bOlished by Christ, OF las Paul expresses
/ ii) were nailed 10 His Cross, You
will recOlleel llial am now speaking Of
Christianity, not IS lie scheme OF redrmp-
ton 10 mankind from iheconseqatnces of
original sin, but as a system Of morality
for regulating The conduct Of men while
on earth; aud the most striking and extra
ordinary features OF its character in This
respect. is lis tendency and exhorialions TO
absolute perlrcllnn. The language Of
Christ 10 Ills disciples is explicit: BE
J We therefore perfect, even as your Father
in Heaven is peElert"--anl this lie Ell.
joins al the conclusion Of lIial precepI, So
expressly laid down, and so unansN erably
argued, TO "lnye Il.PiI enemies. TO bless
those who cursed them, and pray for those
who despilelully used and prosecuted
llIem." lie seems 10 consider the temper
of bene,olenee in return ior injury, as cbn-
siiiuiing nf itself a perfection similar to that
of the Divine Nature. II is undoubtedly
the greatest conquest which the spirit OF
man can achieve over lis intirmiiies; and
to him who can attain that elevation Of
over the evil passions must be compara-
lively easy. Nor was the absolute per-
feclion merely preached by Christ as a
doctrine: il was practiced by Himself
,Ihroaa honi Iisliio; praciiced TO The last
instant Of His agony on the Cross; prac-
liced under circumstances of trial such as
no other human being was ever exposed
10. He proved by His own example the
possibility of that virtue which lie Taught;
and although possessed of miraculous
powers sufficient 10 control all the laws
OF Nature, He expressly and repeatedly
declined the use Of them 10 save Himself
from any part of The sufIerings which lie
was able 10 endure. The sum Of Chris
lian Morality, then, consists III pieiy To
God, and benevQlence to Man: pieIy,
manifested not by formal solemn rites and
sacrifices of bnrnt-oflerings. but by repen-
lance, by obedience. by Submission by
humility, BY the worship Of the heart and
by benevolenre I; not founded upon selfish
motives, but superior even TO sense, OF
wrong or the resentment OF Injuries.
Worldly prudence is scarcely noliced a.
mong all The institutions Of Christ: the
pursuit of honors and riches, the objects
of ambition and avarice, are strongly DIS
counienanced in many places; and an I'M
due selicitude about the ordinary cares oil
life is occasionally reproved. Of worldly
prudence, there are rules enough IN the
Proverbs of Solomon, aud in the compila-
lions of The son of Sirach; Christ passes
no censure upon them; but He left what
call the selfish virtues where lie ionnd
them. II was not To proclaim common
place morality that lie came. down from
Heaven; His commands were new lhat
His disciples should "lore one anoiher'
that they should love even strangers, that
they should love their enemies. tie
prescribed barriers against all the maleti-
cient passions; He gave as law, ihe ut
most poin, of perfection of which human
powers are susceptible, and at The same
time allowed deglees of indulgence and
relaxation to human lraility, propor'lnned
to the power Of any individual. An emit
nent writer in supper, of Christianity, Dr'
PaIey, expresses the opinions that The d.
rect object OF the Christian revelation was
10 supply motives andnot rules-sanctlons
and no, precepts; and he strongly INIT
mates that. independent, Of the purpose
of Chrisi's aionement and Precipitation iol
The sins of the world, the only object o
/ His mission upon earth was to reveal
future state, ITO bring life and immortality
to light" He does not appear TO thnk
that Christ promulgated any new prlnel
:. pie of morality and he positively asserts
, that morality, neither in the Gospel no.
, in any other book, can be subject OF dis
covery, because qualities OF actions DE
mend entirely on their effects, which ell