Smyrna times., 1859-05-05

your Society recognises and acts upon. and so
works out the finest torn of grand composite
Christianity.
It's tendency to this end is two.fold-objec- |
tive md subjective.
1t does this effectively. 1t is conditional to
the power-yea, to the very existence--of its
miss onary life, that the children who come
under its influence should be so trained in
broad Catholic spirit that when they assume
visible church. membership they will love one
another. | do not say that these children will
grow up without denominational preferences
for know that, under any culture, there will
be developed those specific differences intellec-
tuul, emotional, esthetical, which lie at the
foundation Of ofEcclesiastical cannons, md creedS;
but ] do say that, let them gather into sec,s as
they may, they will never grovel into ectarian-
ism. Studying together the same sweet les
sons of heavenly truth, blending their voices IN
sweet songs of Zion, joining in the same prayer,
discipled TO the same Gospel, trusting IN the
same Saviour, walking towards the same bright
home in heaven, as they 60 forth from your Mis-
sonary Schools broad Catholic love will per.
wade their Christianity, and as easy were it TO
shrivel back into an acorn the giant oak Of the
mountai ms as TO force back their Charity, in its
free and fair strength, to the miserable shells
of a Pharasaic and priestly sectarianism.--
Meanwhile, suIjectireLy, upon the managers
and patrons laborlng together in this great
work, the reaction of this practical evangelical
alliance will be to fill every heart with CathO-
lie spirit, around which the iron chains of bigo-
try will fall of as smoking flax from Samson.
Men That labor together in a common cause so
vast, so glorious, will love one another. AS
we'll might you get noble hearted mariners into
a dispute about ship carpentry and -sea-waler
while lowering the ife-bOat 10 save drowning
men, or fellow soldiers into an enviOus quarrel
about pumes and banners while storming side
by side some Sebastopol, or breastlng shoulder
TO shoulder the fierce tides of battle, as 10 cx-
cite Christian men, united in work like this,
into piltul strife about non n-essentlals.
Here comes in the play of the great law Of
Compromises, subordnating all things smaller,
all things meaner. to the sublimites OF mighty
end and common master. purpose.
| Men firmly dlsciped to their peculiar creeds,
yet, in the inspiration of an immortal brother
hood, coming up from the miasmatic misls Of
the old Merbahs of metaphysical strite--he
valleys of vision filled with the dry bones Of n.
cestral and historic controverses-to stand to-
| gether on the serene mountain top, where the
radiant sun shines and the dews of heaven lie
fair and soft-some common Pisgah overlooking
Canaan, some common Tabor with its transig.
ured Christ
Sects, distinct, conservative, strong in the
love of their own faith and forms, yet, for man'S
! good and Gods glory, working together as the
stars work, each in Its own sphere and with its
own periodic motion, and time, and velocity,
and temperature, and types and life, and pecu-
liar internal economy and external glory-yet
all moving together in the grand harmony OF
system, and cluster, and universe, lustrous each
as distinct gem, yet all blazing together in
the regalia of the one only living and true God
Such a broad Catholic Christianity, say,
does :hls American Sunday School Union con-
template and develop; and simply, in doing this
it proves itself worthy of all the encourage
ment of our labors and prayers. This is just
the tIaining the young American church needs
it rises tiom its cradle 10 the tasks and trials
OF manhood.
If, as it seems 10 US, this American nation.
alIty is TO be Gods peculiar instrument in the
f Worlds political and evangelical redemption
then our American church, as the great fnun.
tain of universal Christianity that is TO be, mus
manifest within itself the type and the stature
Of true millenial piety aud what it wants i.
not mere wealth, or zeal, or power, but simply
mere love, baptism from on high, that sha
disciple US all vlslbly unto the same Master
; with the Holy Ghost and with fire.
The strong obstacle to the present advent Of the
latter day Glory. That mighty angel of the
Apocalypse will not bear unto the nations di
vded Gospel; Gods Spirit will not enstamI
f our dissensions and discOrdant Christianity upor
the millenial church. The distinct tribes mus
f 90 up; not as jealous and rival bands, but as
, the one Israel of God, with one banner oYel
J them, and that banner love, if they would con
quer the Canaaniie. There must be, from roo
10 spray, nObler development Of the inner life
of love, ere the heavenly tree shoot its branches
and shower its fruit TO the ends of the earth fol
the healing of the nations.
, This was just the burden of Christ's pleading
prayer uttered in his hour of sore travail, AZ
He entered the shadow to tread the wine press
alone, for the church. He was to purchase
with his own blood-not that it might have
wealth. or learning, or philosophy, to cope with
The old hea eathehism-but "IhGt they all mig hi
be one, that the toorLd might believe" And
the world will not believe otherwise. For, il
, is a shrewd, thoughtful, logical, common Sc nse
world. to say The least of it, and you cannot
persuade it that this divided Christianity, this
bigoiry Of sect and creed, this selt:seekng, in-
tolerant, uucharitable exclusiveness, is spirit
from heaven-.that men pausing at the very
passes of the Jordan to intone a Shibboleth are
, the army Of the living God marching on the
high emprize OF redemption to the victory o
the world.
THAT they all may be One-thai they al
may believe; )" not, indeed, in form, but in spirit
in purpose in labor in affection, in heart Thi,
was the Saviours prayer. And of this prayer
is this Union working out with all its increas
ing power, the practical answer. II is training
the young American church into the higher If,
, Of love, according to our texts law of hopeful
cuture-sowng the seed of love 10 the sunny
spring time, when the skies are geniaI-plant
ing the sentnels of love in the fortress before
. the windows arc darkened, and the doors shu
in the street, and the music of affections hushet
under the rcignng power of sectarianism.
Thinks be unto God, see, in Association
like this, blossoms whose fruits shall be thu
> purple clusters of the latter-day Christianity
perceive here ministry that is even now Ia y
3 ing broad md deep foundO tions for the mlenia
| church-a church whose type, as seen in poca