Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1849-06-21
anishsd the work fcr which the Father sent


Him, He commanded his successoro, the
Apostles, TO 90 forth and bapiise the nations,
and preach TO them The tue faith to over
throw The false doctrines which had held pos
sess; on Of mans heart they were to convince
man Of his snperslilions, and to announce 10
the Jews that the true Messiah had come, and
10 preach corr ect faith 10 the Gentiles, They
were to dash from the lips Of man the seduC-
live but fatal cup, and learn him to worship
the true God whom he had seen, and 10 prac'
lise those cardinal principles of virtue, chas'
,ty, &C., and to cast out those false idols
which had been deifed by vi the nations OF
the earth. This doctrine spread Tar and wide
and all bowed down before it. The charac
teis Of shese men, the chosen companions of
the Son Of God, were not such as TO give them
influence aud power among the nations they
we're not men whose transcendant genius and
brilliant talents had already dazzled the world,
and commanded the admiration Of all they
were poor, lonely, ignorant Fishermen men
who it might be presumed could be more easi-
" scduced from The path of virtue than 9TH
ers of greater attainments. These were the
men whom the Son of God selected to teach
a new faith, and to promulgate His doctrines
over the earth they were to 60 forth through
all lands and in all climes bearing the symbol
ofliie, al d inculca,ing the only true religion.
They came forth clothed in His sacred arm
-. Al ON hc all nl
imperial, naughty Rome. These IL lowly
men 60 forth in their great and good work :;
they begin on the day Of Penncost, re'ying Oh
Gods faith in Judea in the midst OF Jerusa-
lem Three thousand were converted and
baptiscd a, the first preaching Of Peter, and
men we're convinced of their sin. The Tul-
ers and chief men were alarmed, and those
humble disciples of Christ were cited before
the tribunals Of the land they declared that
they must obey God rather than man.
AT Antioch the followers Of Christ are first
called christians, and although many believed
and were lap,ised, yet their T,ilcrs were bit
ter and oppressive but THEN faith vas built
on that same rock which withstood all storms,
and they were strengthened in the perform
ance of heir Masters duty. Peter and hi
companions went nth with holiness and cv-
en in Rome, by tho side Of the throne of the
impcrlalCesars thy established that religion
" whch shall stand firm when all other thrones
and doctrines arc swep' away.
T. a. al ,f sINr
through many years, showing the progress
which i, had made, and the opposition which
it had encountered. 1t spread from empire to
empire, until men had bowed down TO the
true faith After period Of trial and op-
pr ,ssion, Constantine at last ascended the
throne ofthe C@sars, and the Cross then be-
cane the greatest gem Of the imperial tiara
the church came forth from slumber, and on
oil sides churches and temples arose.
Ye, this prosperity was not to be Of long
duration Hcresy arose and false doctrines
were preached : the confagration swept as
widely as the truth had spread bef,rc. But
lie who had promised to be with the church
through all time, &c, upheld her in the
dark hour of her trial, and when there was
no pity for the Christian, His arm sustained
Ills true followers in their noble and sef-sac
rlicing work During period of three hun.
dred years the blood of Christians flowed
,hruughth tn, streets aud REDEEMED the fields in
those dark days tf heresy and nfdeity, they
were ever ready and anxious to die in support
of heir Faith their blood was the seal of
their christianity, and their faith was their
triumph. But the church again arose from
her persecution, and the true rsIigion Of God
which Jesus Chris, first established, has been
preached with success.
Such, my christian tiends, has been some
Of the trials through which the church has
bcsn called to pass, but amid all these scenes,
and through all her affection aud persecution
she has stood firm and true in the faith of the
Apos'l s, which was bequea,hed to them by
the Son of God. 1t has come down to us
pure as il has ever been it holds the same
faith as in the carly day of It's establishment,
and it has remained unchanged through all
the commotlon and storms that have rolled
around it like the a!sry ocean against solid
rock. She holds in one hand the Cross, aud
III the other The title Of her holy origin and
her regular success on, offering salvation to
all who will be saved She has planted the
Cross in all lands and nations from pole to
pole, and even in this far western world, the
dazzling rays of The bright sun have cast their
brIl liant beams upon it, In our very midst,
here. IN this ancient town, where we have this
day planted that glorious emblem OF immortal
", the Cross has once been planted many
years ago, by the yalian, sons of France,
when they came across The Ocean to assist our
fathers IN their patriotic struggle for freedom !;
through the zeal Of your excellent pastor
and the pie,y Of his congregation, by the blcs
sing Of God, it Is here planted again this
day Here will you worship and here will
your children and your children's children