Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1864-10-01

! '-~ 'N"'S"' hhhNtouoCp tu INV Wuy VI uus
man happiness and human dignity, And
l give it you, furthermore, as my most
earnest conviction, that tho spirit of intoi.
erance to which l have alluded if it comes
generally to prevail among Christians, will
do more to develop infdelity than all the
writings Of all the infidcls that have lived
since the beginning Of the Christian era.--
These arc fearful times, and our hearts
may well tremble for the ark of God
When, in the very bosom OF Christ's house.
hold there appears to be springng up
desire that the pure Bride of Christ NAV
be prostituted to the pleasure of an earth
ly partisanship when some arbitrary
standard of duty to Cesar is attempted to
be planted on the very altar conseorated to
the service of God ; when the temper Of
the ancient Phariseeism ID revived in
another form, aud men calling themselves
Christians use the old words with new
meaning, "S.and back, for 1 am boiler
than thou" | confess that cannot reprcas
the conviction that the Church has fallen
Upon evil days.
/ Brethern, as one of the watcbmcn set
upon the walls Of Zion, declare to you
that sooner than do anything to foster
spirit of this knd-sooAer than yield in
any manner to the pressure of sentiment
so utterly at war with a Gospel which
baars upon its banner the motto "Peace
on earth, good will towards men"-soon-
er than allow the position in which Istand
as the head of this congregation to be bent
one hairs breadth for the purpose of hu-
moring any political fancy, or of rejecting
any prevalent agitation 10 the world out
side, lwould bore my tongue through
with a hot iron, and lay my right hand
upon the block to be severed from my
body. Yes, let it be understood once for
all that this parish, SO long as it continues
in my charge, is in the special interest of
no party, or clique, or set of men, wbeth-
or in Church or State; that it bears no
, distinctive complexion with regard to polit.
t ical affairs on one side or the other that
J no man or woman, old or young, will be
, permitted to prescribe what sort of people
shall be admitted to its privileges, or what
excluded from them and that whatever
may be the sympathies Of individuals with
reference to the topics OF The day, it will
make no difference as to their position
hcle as worshippers Of the same God and
r heirs of the same promises. ! tim nc
friend to tyrannous prescription for mere
, opinions sake, nor can consent to be The
. instrument through which it shall be
brought to bear on the members of Christ s
family. Such is tie platform on which
! this parish has been conducted heretofore,
, and on which, God helping me, it shall be
, conducted in the future. believe it to
be the only true ground for us to take, in
t q world where men cannot always think
r aud feel alike !; and | also believe that in
the eud it will prove to be tho winning
, method. You may stigmatize it as you
! think best ; you may brand me, for hold
, ing it, with such epithets as your good
| taste and your Christian charity may sug-
, gest-it will make no difference. The
: record Of my ministry has to 60 before a
4 far more awful tribunal, to be submitted
t TO far more searching scrutiny, than
= that Of any human censorship.
f Yes, dear brethern, Tie conscientious
G earnes: minister of Christ can bat think
= often and solemnly of the time when that
s record shall have closed. He looks for.
. ward to the hour when, worn out with
t faithful labors for the souls committed to
= his care-labors, it may be, which TOO Of
len have met only ingratitude and unkind-
ness--the weary servant of the Lord re.
a ceives hi, summons to depart. And then
/, he calls up that other hour, hung round
with a still more terrible solemnity, when
< he shall meet exposed in the full light OF
t eternity, the history of all his tolls, and
prayers, and sufferings in the service Of
n his Lord. There rises to his view that
4 solemn scene, ia which both pastor and
people mus. have part,when he shall have
J., to auswe. for his fidelity towards them,
t and they in turn shall have to answer for
f their fidelity towards him. lin anticipa'
y, ton OF suoh an hour, and such a scene
!, and such tremendous issues as then shall
y be disclosed, how tridiDg must seem to
. him all the little trials, aud perplexities
= aud discouragements which gather round
q his present efforts With that great and
I high. minded Apostle, whose ministry We
3 have reviewed this morning, he will tread
t them all under his feet, anu, strong in the
! = =: =. L.