Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1852-09-03
Temporal Gain OF GodiineSs.


e heatbeu countries, when men are convert
ell to Christianity, and receive not merel.
the name but the spirit Of true diciplcshil
; to Jesus Christ, to hear them CHARGE
5 with changing their religion for gain
. with being bribed by the missionaries t
: profess conversion. This arises from th'
fact that they are found, soon after thci
; conversion, in the enjoyment Of mucl
larger measure Of the comforts of this Itt
than they had ever before possessed
Hence, those who do not understand the
nature or the workings of the Christian
religion upon the lives of its possessors,
conclude that these comforts have been
bestowed by the religionists with whom
they have identified themselves. Christ
ians know full well the falsity of such
charges. They know that the missiona-
ries have not the means, if they had the
disposition, to buy converts and that,
should they undertake such a work, they
would be so far overbid by ROmish and
/ heather priests, that they would fail to
secure a single convert. But they under
stand, at the same time, the reason Of
this increased comfort They have read
the inspired declaration, "Godliness with
contentment is great gain" and they
have seen the practical developement Of
this truth within their own observation.
. They therefore always look for such results,
and if conversion is professei by those
around them who are in indulgence and
ignorance, and no such change in tempor
al circumstances occurs, they conclude
that there IS something wrong in the
experience of these professed converts.
There is good and sufficient reason why
this shoald be 50 in tae principles inculca-
ted by the Christian religion They who
become truly the disciples Of Jesus, take
the Bible as their guide and counsellor,
and enlca,o or to frame their lives in
accordance with its precepts. These
require sobriety, industry, and economy;
and prohibit intempcrance in all its forms,
indolence, and extravaganza. The world
Of its votaries, and false religions Of their
worshipers, reverse these requirements and
prohibitions, and not only tolerate, but
enforce such u course Of living as is incon-
sistent with true comfort, and as hiaders
that providing for ones own house which
no Christian dares to neglect. Take, from
the ranks of the laborigg class of society,
a man whose wages ought to furnish
moderate but sufficient amount of tempor
al comfort for himself and family, but
whose habits are incorporate and cxtrava-
CANT, and there viii be wretchedness all
about him. Let lin be thoroughly
converted to God and imbued with the
spirit of Christ, and he at once abandons
the haunts Of dissipation he had been
accustomed to frequent; the earnings
which he had squandered in riotous living
are now employed in providing food,
clothing, and education for his family;
and he very soon assumes different
position among his fellow men. He
learns, cxperimentally, the truth of the
declaration, "Godliness has the promise Of
the life that now is, and of that which Is
to come" He realizes its tu.hlmelt in the
change in his present circumstances and
he expects, with strong confidence, its
fulilment in his future blessedness. Or,
let Il mau be converted from Popery or
paganism, and, instead Of suffering his
family to want the necessarics of life, that
he may decorate the altars Of idols Or
obtain senscless absolution from an
earthly and impotcnt priesthood, he now
approaches directly the mcrcy-seat Of Him
who makes no charge for confessions and
absolu;ion, but who gives liberally and
upbraids not, and who invites all to come
and take Of the water of life freely. That
which had been worse than wasted in his
former course, because its very cxpend!-I
ture tended to increase his ignorance and
bind him more strongly in the bondage of
an unmeaning superstition, is now devoted
to the comfort of those who, in the provi-
dence of God, have been made dependent
upon his industry. Sources of enjoyment
are thus opened before him and them to
which they had been utter strangers.
Where there had been famine, there Is
now plenty; where there was nakedness
and cold, there is now raimcnt and fuel;
and where all had been enyeloped in dark
ness, the light shines, rendering the mind
pcaccful and the heart cheerful, and prov
Ing that godliness with cOntentment is
indeed great gain.-[N.Y. Recorder.
Western reporter gives the following
description of confagaration. Probably
he was slightly singed:
"The devastating clement, unsatlsfied
with floods of water, belched forth Its