The Portland daily press., 1864-11-01

4 Sermon for the Ttnes.
tABRIDeED.D
Preached in Sanford, Me-, Oct. eth, 1854,
J. U. PARSONS, Acting Pastor. ae 8
lisa. 8; 8. He shall be called-The Prince Of Peace
hev. ~ li.-An righteousness Thou oost judge
lsa /: 20 Behold the Lamb of Cod
kew. b: B The Lion of tho tribe OF judah.
The task have undertaken this morning,
my friends, is one of great delicacy, but OF
great necessity. A persistent effort is In pro-
gress TO cast odium upon the Church for the
position taken by the Ministry in the present
war, and many are thereby prejudiced against
the Gospel. A wonder has appeared upon
earth. The ministry of "a religion of Love,
Servants OF the Prince of Peace, with almost
entire uuanimity, OF all denominations, num-
bering some twenty thousand, are stimulating
the people TO fight, and many of them girding
on the arlnor themselves, ara rushing to the
field. Scarcely reputable minister OF any re-
putable denomination could now be found to
make prayer at technically "Peace Con-
vention," by way Of giving it his sanction.
Such phenomenon demands explanation.
Has moral mania seized the whole body and
made them incapable of discerning the princi-
pies OF the gospel? Are they ignorant men
who can be beguiled by designing politicians?
Are they to reap any personal benefit? Do
they expect office or reward of any kind OF the
victors? Are their salaries made more valua-
BILE by high prices? Are they or their sons
exempt from the ranks, binding burdens upon
others, which they do not feel? Nay; none o.
these. The war is greatly to their persona
injury Their support is far less adequate, thei
pastoral relations are disturbed, their heartlis
are often desolate, as those of any other class.
They are at least disnterested in their position.
Such unanimity, in opposition to all perso-
nal interests, certainly deserves solemn con-
sideration We're the whole bar unanimous
In their Interpretation Of legal question, 1t
would be the height of presumption in one not
learned in the law to oppose them. No sane
man would risk his reputation or property by
doing it. Yet there are not few, who, when
the whole profession whose special duty 1t is
to investigate and teach the principles of mo-
raj science and interpret the word or God,
have given their judgment,-rise up and on
very superficial examination, or none at all,
set aside that judgment as erroneous, and
sneeringIy denounce them all as "hypocrites,"
and Priests" But the ministry claims moth
ing by way of authority in favor Of their YER
dict; but ask a candid and impartial conside-
ration OF the grounds upon which 1t is based,
For more taan thirty years the relation OF
Christianity to the country has been growing
more and more perplexing. For quarter of
century the church and ministry were made
the subject of bitter invective, because, as
body, they were silent on the sin of slavery
Many left the sanctuary and not few with
drew from the communion on account of it,
Aud when at length the aggressions of that
monster evil became intolerable, and the min
istry felt called upon, with almost perfect
unanimity, to lift up their voice and renon-
strate 10! d louder cry comes upfrom great
er multitude on the other extreme, and anon
many abandon the sanctuary because some
thing is said, or they fear there will be. Not a
few Ahabs charge upon us the whole respon-
sibility OF the war, and many more wonder
that we can lendN any encouragement. How
Is 1t possible, they ask, that the servants ofthe
Priace OF Peace can approve such carnage and
desolation. 1t viii be our object this morn
ing to answer that inquiry, by exposing the
erroneous and dangerous views Of the mission
of Christ, upon which it is founded, and thus
relieve the ministry of unjust odium. There
are those in the religious and secular world
who seem to regard the coming Of Christ as
the introduction of a promiscuous and univer-
sal amnesty with trRnsgressors, without regard
TO character or conditions ia revolution In
the government of God, instead of clearer
revelation. Or rather, an abandonment Of the
pEluClptco upOn WulCH Las SObcfulnCub Aou
thus far been conducted and the substitution
Of others materially different. As if God had
tried the experiment ofseverity and found the
attempt at coertion failure, and now He will
let them do as they please, but be at peace with
them, on any terms, Such is not the tenor of
the gospel. Such is not the Peace it Offers
While external rites are changed and clearer
light shed upon the path ofpeace, that path Is
essentially the same under both Testaments.
This is evidently Indicated by the Scriptures
quoted at the beginning Of this DISCOURSE
They all refer to the same person, Christ
They seem to be contradictory; so do many
other passages, for example:
Luke 2; lI.-On earth peace good will to men.
Matt. 10: S4-Think not that am come to give
iHord,
Rom.-l4: Y-The kingdom Of God is peace.
lsa AZ %.-There is no peace, saith my God, to
Col 8: l5.--Let the peace of God rule in your
hea is.
Rev IA; lo.-Ihere war in heaven.
Rom. Il, ls.-Fcllow the things that make for
Rx. l6: s-Ihc Lord is man cfwar.
To see the harmony Of all such passages,
let us inquire,
/. What Is the Peace Of God, Of which
Christ is the Prince; and
IL. w QdL 10 tuo OAfOO VI VtO S"ote AASA
his Government. ae5. aa +4-
I. What IS the Peace God offers and Jesus
brings?
/ answer, reconciliation between God and
the peniient trdnsgressor, laying dorn ms
arms and heartily returning to has dttegaance'
The law of God said, 1.-The soul that sin
meth shall de- and justice demanded the OK
ecution Of the sentence. There was no place
for pity or forgiveness. The energy Of GODS
government required that the penalty shouio
pc inflicted. or ample satisfaction rendered 10
Some other way. Thsp Jesus came and TOOK
our case upon himself. The chastisement ol
our peace, Il. e., the chastisement required to
-ssttsAra ssftsA.ra our pesce:l was laid upon him. Thus
he became the Prince OF SEAcE, He had
purchased peace for men, and had nerfect
right to fix the terms of reconciliation That
be has done with perfect disfinctness. aHe
that believeth and Is baptized shall be saved .
baptism here used as the seal of coyenan,
OF obedience to God /. e., "Peace shall be re.
stored between all who put their trust in Me
and return TO their duty to God.n ssHe tha
belieyeth not shall be damned" Whcsoeve
continues 10 rebellion shall have no peace
shall be everlastlngly destroyed. These ar
the unvarying conditions on which peace
offered in the gospel Out of 200 passages l
which the word occurs, I challenge any perso
to produce one in which peace is offered to a
inc orrigible sinner, in the New Testament an
more than In the Old. The Gospel Is goo
idIngs, in that it reveals a way OF peace to a
who will accept Of it. e
But IT. 10 not Peace to those who embrace
an Indifference to those who do not-lettin
th EN- alone in their rebellion. To them 1t
10 diguation and wrath, tribulation and al
uish, to every soul of man that [perslstentl,
a oeth evil" Thus In the parable Of the whe'