Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1849-09-14
Religious.
AN lNQUlRY.-WHATI IS THE True RELIC
ION

AN lNQUIR1.-WHAT Is THE True RELIC
Ion?
Continued
The inquiry then returns 'Where is the true
religion to be found? We reply in the Bible!
what Is the true religion of the Bible, as there
are many who profess to derive their religion
from thence, who evidently are in error! We
answer, The true religion of the Bible is that,
which comprehends essentially, The Righteous
ness "hach as Of faiM"-Rom: 10; G. This relig-
ION we shall now aim to set forth, in a brief and
simple monner.
When we look into the New Testament, that
part of the Bible which reveals to US what
Christ taught, and his Apostles preached, we
md that all men are represented as sinners in
the sight of God; that all men have broken the
laws OF God, which is set forth by Christ him
self as being the summary of the same, Thou
shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and
thy neighoor as myself The violation of this
law Is what makes men sinners. The penalty
attached to its transgreSsion, is eternal DEATH
The soul that sinneth it shall die 'The wa
ges Of sin is death Mankind then, as sinners,
universally lie under the condemnation of this
law! And from this condemnation the scrip
lures present no way of deliverance but one.
IA.
Butts there no other way to be saved than this ?
what say the scriptures? There is no other
name und heaven given among men. whereby
we must be saved" Let us inquire then. what
is m amt by The Righteousness s. which is Q.
faith! God, as we have seem accounts all men
as being under the condemnation of his law, by
reason OF THEN sins; and in order to be livered
from this condemnation, they must find what is
called IN the scrlpturea, a Righteousness, a
ouEd OF justification, good reason, for being
a d)nef, aldresored to favor with their God!
Inns Is upon the principle of a judicial TRANSACT
ton, as occurring among men, in courts of law
When a criminal is Convicted of a crime, and
condemned to punishment, if the pardonng pow
er do not see IA good reason for extending par
don to the convict, before the time of executing
the sentl nee arrives, then of course he suffers
But lift be mad to appear before him who has
the power to pardon, that a good reason exists,
why the convict should be pardoned, then he is
delivered from the condemnation of the law un-
der which he lies. Now in such case, the con-
wet, or his friends, may try number of eXpedi-
entS, which they deem good reasons for the Ex-
ecutlve TO pardon the criminal, which however
may not prove satisfactory to him! Thus during
the administration OF Gov. Wright of New York.
every effort was made to procure the pardon of
SCNCidl dllll-lNCIItIS, WHO were convicted OF
murder; bat no reason could be made to appear
to the Governor, why the condemned should be
pardoned, and they were accordingly executed.
The Governor saw no righteousness, no justih-
cation, no good reason, uhg pardon should be
extended to the criminals, and he as Just adj
minisrator of the law, was bound to carry out
the sentence. Governor Young, who succeeded
HIM III tie administration of the government of
the me State, was applied to Tor the pardon of
other convcs, condemned to die and there was
good r2as' made to appear before him, why
they should be pardoncd and they were accor-
DINGHY pardoned! lie as faithful administra-
tor OF the law, did right, if good reason appeared
to parton the offenders! Somewhat after that
manner is Gcd pleased to treat sinners against
his law. lie declares in his word there is no
way by which he can be Just, and deliver SIN
ncrS from the sentence OF his law, only by the
righteous which is of faith Now, il mat
tcrs Lot how much men find fault with this, and
ask, why cannot God pardon sin, if it be re-
pea'ed oil, though a man have not the righteous.
ness which is of faith? In the case of Gov.
Wrg It, the friends of the condemned, were very
clamJrou,, and thought it was very cruel in the
Governor, that he did not consider, the reasons
they prcscned a sufficient ground, on which to
pardon. But 50 II was, their reasons were not
sufficient to satisfy the faithful Executive that
ne ought to su>p ND the execution of the law
God has declared "a similar principle. He can
not PardJn, except through the Righteousness
which is of faith. No other ground of pardon
is brought TO light in the scriptures. 1t is the
policy which God has devised in respect to sin
mrs, and we cannot take this matter out Of hi
hands. He insists upon this, and we cannot
Illustrate it,
But another inquiry in this connection arises
What is the taHh here spoken Off AMI what
does it comprehend? The Righteous IS
which is of faith what must | believer
While We cannot at this time 90 into full dis
cussion of this ront.-sti it may be said in re-
spcct to the inquiry. in order to have the Right
cousness which is of faith, we must be-
lieve there is no salvation in any other plan, than
that, which God has announced through his son.
We must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, as
he is set forth in the scriptures! As Paul and
Silas said to the awakened and convicted tailor,
who inquired, What must do to be sayedH-
'B lieve on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou
shalt be save, This corresponds with what
Christ said, according to John Is: IT, Verify.
verify, say unto you he that balieveth in me
hath everlasting life Paul also says in a ser
mon preached to the Jews at Antioch, BE it
known unto you men and BRETHREN that through
l4IlS man - IltdCOd ulllO Gu 8tr1NSS OF
SINS and by him all that believe are justified
from all things from which We could be justified
by the law OF Moses
But still another inquiry arises farther back:
What must believe concerning Jesus Christ, in
order IL have the righteousness which is of
faith? The answer IS found, Romans 10: 8, II:
which see,] 1t is not therefore mere intel
! ctLal belle, but consent of the affections; an
influential belief that God hath raised Jesus
Christ from the dead, including what that great
fact conprehendS.
Still another inquiry is, Have no ,corkS to
perform, in order 10 have the righteousness
which is of taith?' The answer is, we must
Stcr our faith by our works. There are no
works to perform as a matter of Righteousness,
bat true faith VII shcw its fruits. Works have
their ratue as matter of morality under the
gospel dspeuSation, but not as a matter of
Righteousness, whereby we can be justified from
our sins before God! We are shut up therefore 10
the Righteousness which is of faith That is
the true Religion, the Religion of the Bible
Those who choose 10 try the experiment of re-
living upon some other way of salvation, will find
at death, and at the Judgment, that the mistake