The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1862-07-09
gerrnsbarg Sunrnal.
RELIGIOUS.
GROWTH IN GRACE.


door, or an elm on your lawn that does not an
swer to the rolLcalI OF May by putting forth its
leaves, you may conclude that It is dead as the
pro.slavery rebellion.
In the Church Of Christ spiritual life is indie
pensable to spiritual grow,b. We mean the life
of God 10 the converted soul "A life united to
Christs infinite being by the vital union that e1.
lists between himself and the believer. Il Il
surprising that many Church member has made
no advance 10 Bible knowledge, or in personal
gcdness, when he has no real hunger after eth
er Of ihemS Car a moral mummy grow Can
the man who never prsys Alright receive the
SpiritS Can spiritual corpse breathe out
heavenly aspirations or reach out an arm to
save the sinnerY or open with its skeleton finger
purse to give to Gods treasury Can it do
anything but decay, with pes,ilential odors fill
Ing the moral atmosphere a,ound9 No; and
without genuine work of regeneration in the
soul let no man a,tter himself that he is living
Christian, much lees growing one.
If he be a true Christian he will grow, and
"grow in grace" This phrase, as Peter EN-
ployed IL, IL comprehensive of all graces. 1t in
cludes love, and Joy, and peace, and patience,
aud long-sulferng, aud temperance, and faith,
and charity. In a word, IL means Chris ian
character that possession and exhibition oi
moral excellence that is learned in the school oi
Christ; that impression received from Christ
whicn, in turn, makes prodgous impression up
on others. Into the construction Of this char
acter enter all the qualities that make a man
courteous, brave, mtgnanmOus, delicate, pure
minded, honest, humble, devout, and holy. In
to it enter all the Gospel ingredients. Into the
formation Of this Christian character comes the
divine Spirit with his Transforming, bcautifyiug
sanctifying power. Every days experience
leaves its touch on this character. Every failure
teaches deficiency, and awakens humility and
contrition. Every moral victory inspires cour-
age and grateful exultation. 1t is perfection that
the most successful Christian reaches - the Lu-
ther, the Edwards. the Brainerd, the Ffelinghuy-
sen does not reach perfection; but If not equal
to his Master, he becomes like him, and unlike
his own former self This character which the
growing Christian gains is the source of his
power in the community. 1t is his influence
his mo-al momentum TO carry his point with 9th
ers bis might to convince gainsayers; his per-
suasivense, more eloquent than the most capii-
waiting words that ever fell from the lips of elo-
quence tself. II is just what he is by the max
log OF Gods grace. And this side of heaven
there Is nothing that unfolds such beauty, carN
ries with 1t such influence, and commands such
genuine homage as athletic, consistent Christian
character.
The more symmetrical this character is the
better. The finest specimen Of Christian,
says Guthrie, e" is he in whom all the graces
like the strings Of an angels harp, are in the
most perfect harmony" No one grace outgrow'
and brliues the ,eit. The man is not brave al
the expense of humility, or jealous at the ex
pense of justice or magnanimity. lie does moi
study Interfere with devotion, or devotion in
terfere with philanthropy. We may sacrifice
the duties Of the closet to outdoor labors o
Chri.tan charity. 0n the other hand, like {
lark that goes singing mp to heaven while th'
hawk is ihng her nest below" we may spent
our hours in devotional fight and in heavenly
communions when we should be down here
hShting ,tan, redressng human wrongs break
ing human fetters drying tears on sorrow
ing lost souls from the verge of hell. The henC
should have its share of time and thought, th'
hand its share but the lions share should b.
givea to the hear, for out of it are the issues
life. Thus by developing the whole man, WI
shall broad Y, ana efficiently, aud symmetrical!
grow in grace We shall reach up every da.
nearer to the measure of the stature of tb'
fullness of Christ"
As third hint, let us remind you, Christian
brother, that the true measure of your growt
in Influence and usefulness will be your interio
growth in holiness - ia living, loving Likeness
to the Sviour. All external Improvement i
character is proportioned by this inward stare @
he,rt-honeas. In Short the growth is fror
within. just soon attemp, TO increase the d
mpnsions tree by padding round its trun
with clay or cotton. and splicing out its boueh
by stray bi's of stolen timber, as to increase tn
volume Of godly character by mere heaping
on of ob1ervances, or of intellec ual aeqnr,
msuts, or external forms of devotion. Thes
only swell the bulk at man's religion they d
not add 10 it's vitality or power II tree
dead it il past all increase; if it is alive, it wi
pump its own sap in Apil-'ime, put out its ow
foliage, and battle It's own way up toward tn
firmanent. The reason why tha, sturdy oak o
the village green grew from the tiny acorn tha
schoo'-boy could carry in his pocket until
has become the "prde Of the village" in tn
summer, and able to wreste with the wilde'
hurricanes of winter, is simply thAt underheat
that shaggy bark is stout inward life. II
growth is from within.
You may heap on whatever of sacred know
edge you will, whatever of ritualty, whatever {
external forms, whatever of subscriptions t
creeds and confessions whatever Of slavish ob,
dience 10 law, and it there be no life Of God
the soul, you have but stupendous e(ligy of re
ligion without one spark OF vitality But 1T ther
be in that soul only germ of true godnes
there is hope OF growth. BY the qHiekening ai
OF Gods Spirit the seed will become the blad
- the blade the ear - and at last, when Praye
has brought down The sunshine and the rain lroI
the celestial throne, then come,h the full corn !
the yellow ear, Then there will be Increase {
character by the expansion cf the inward lif
The soul will take in aud digest truth goo
books, good sermons, and good ex 'mples. tn
soul will assimaIe these truths and build tbel
into spiritual texture. IL will take up n
nOuri,hing qualities ont of them, as a robu
m,n takes mp ihe nOurishmeut of a wheaten lo
a loin oi venison, TIE spiritual ehArsct'
enlsrges, hetu,ides, saldis The young col
vert e,ows in strength, lie becomes a'hleti
lie Is at length eQnal 10 hea'ing huge loads
responsibility to grapping with sror
temptations He hecon ali overmstch for Il
devl The recruit OF Yesterday ia At length q
veteran with the dust OF thousand conflicts
III. armor and the light of thousand vlctOri
on his helme''s plume lie has grown in grac
AGRaCULTURAL.
SuIy.