Daily American telegraph., 1852-02-02
fRoported for The Daily American telegraph

The Rev Mr.. Leonidas Rosser, pastor of the
lately established charge OF the Methodist Epis-
copal Church South, worshipping in Eighth street,
north Of the Patent Office, stands in the first rank
of original pulpit orators in this city. His church,
which was organized some time during the past
year, and is composed of only about eighty MEM
beers, has provided itself with large and
commodious house, and comfortable parsonage
and living for minister-one who is an ornament
of his profession and pillar in the church. OF
course, large number of "out-side friends, I"
every Lords day--morning and evening are at
tracted to this place for the benefit of his earnest
intelligent and persuasive ministrations Mr.. r.
is as plain a man. both in his dress and address,
as any description which we have of his earnest
clay brethren in the days of the Wesleys. His
tall personals face marked with the lines which
his reflections for perhaps about forty years have
traced uponit-his long, brown hair falling back
his suit of black, with straight collar and white
cravat, all appear in most perfect hamony and
good keeping with his high calling, and, for some
reason better than can be here stated, would
clearly mark him, amongst hundreds of his pro-
fession, as no ordinary man.
The performances of the choir are always cred
table and the intelligent and attentive audience
are seated in eight rows of pews, in accordance
with what is supposed to be the primitive custom
the males on one side of the aisle and females on
the other.
Yesterday his discourse, evidently designed for
no uncommon occasion, was suggested by the
text:
(which in his times he shall show, who the blessed and
only Potentate the King of kings and Lord of lords
l Tim vi. Is.
This text, he said, had immediate reference to
the Lord Jesus Christ, as the founder of spirit
ual kingdom, which is to increase until it shall
fill the earth 1t displayed, in prophetic language,
the final triumph of the Christian religion. 1t
was one of those comprehensive declarations of
the gospel, that in due time the influence OF
Christianity shall be great that all the nations
of the earth shall acknowledge its power. This
text was frequently considered as having refer
ence merely to the abstract right which the Su-
preme Creator Almighty possesses and exercises
over all lords, and all kings and governments !;
but this abstract right was not only alluded to-,
but there was an express declaration that the
time should come when Christ should be regarded
as liking of kings and Lord Of lords;' when the
principles of his government should be the prn-
ciples of all governments and that though the
Church and the State might continue to spread and
expand in their spheres, and although the three
great departments of legislation-ec ecclesiastical,
civil and dvine-might continue as distinct sources
of authority, yet there should result at last most
perfect harmony between the ecclesiastical and
civil legislation, because it should be founded
upon the divine legislation. The Bible contained
elemental truths corresponding to every period OF
time, every phase of society, and every form of
mans wants; therefore, he believed that rs men
should make progress in the arts and sciences,
the gospel would be more clearly understood, by
means of the reflex light which they would shed
upon it.
His proposition was, that there is now latent
and at work in the human constitution and in the
gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, to say nothing
of the existing affairs of nations, causes sufficient
to Justify the belief and to assure us of the GER
tainty, that, in the progress of time, the princi-
pies of the gospel will be made the foundation of
all the governments of the earth.
Remarking upon this proposition, he said: The
first great fact that strikes the attention is, that
every man is endowed with free WILL with an
independent self-control-a power which may be
properly called cause of causes. Not power
creative, which pertains to the Almighty, but
power to commence o train of results from the
decisions of one mans will. The idea is found
in that immortal document the Declaration of
our Independence, where it declares that "all
men are born free and equal-endowed with GER
tain inalienable rights endowed with a free
will and that, in the exercise of that free WILL
under proper circumstances, he has the right to
assume self-government. But whenever provi-
Dental dispensations come into conflict with that
free will, the Almighty holds the power of that
free will in check, whether it be in the case of an
individual or of collective bodies of men.
There cannot be n more beautiful idea, of a
metaphysical character, than the idea of free
will, as connected with the foundation of moral
and civil government. 1t is an elemental con-
stituent in the principles of sound republicanism.
But something more than free will is requisite to
make q nation free.
There is in every mans nature religious i'm
pulse, religious feeling, entirely distinct from
his free will do not believe that this feeling is
hereditary--or, so far as it may be hereditary, l
believe it may be regarded as utterly lifeless;
but believe it comes by the communings of the
Holy Ghost, and that into every mans mental ma
ture is thus infused a vital influence, resusci-
tating the powers of his mind as by reli-
gious impulse. But this impulse needs expla-
nation; for even the systems Of heathenism may
be referred to it, and the saint-worship system
of the Romish church, where the decisions of the
will of one man are made the standard of deci-