New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-06-21

NO room IOf any QUIET t0hFi bHOso WHO
are manifestly baptized from on high,
and who give every power to the serV-
ice of the Master!
But my ideal of apostolic character
is not perfect yet, There is word,
which for want Of better word to ex-
press what should still be added to
this character, l will use. 1t is unc-
ton, the spirit of power of him who is
the source of all power, dwelling in
each individual, making him such
power chat he goes forth to conquer.
What mysterious power is this. 1t
is not talent, for the untalented often
possess it. 1t is not science, for they
who are guiltless of all science, save
the science of saving souls, often
WELD it. 1t belongs exclusively to no
class or condition, but it is Gods Sc
cret which he whispers to the ears of
those he loves; it is the length and
breadth of Gods gift Of love to man.
1t is the spirit Of power which God
gave to Christians in the early ages,
for the promulgation of his truth
against barbaric power, and against
imperial power, and to Overmatch the
statuesque eloquence Of Greece, and
to overthrow the rights of paganism,
and that against the power of evil in
all it's forms his truth might cleave its
onward way.
This was the power that kindled the
smouldering embers of truth in the
middle ages, and broke forth in the
flame of the Reformation. This power
God confers yet, and he delights to
confer it upon all who ask it. Error
pales before it, and the feeblest of the
Gospel heralds rises into the strength
of David, and David clothed with it
stands like an angel in the light of the
sun. God waits now to bestow it, for
his power is everlasting, and giving
doth not impoverish him. All our
power comes from God. Everything
good we do is by his strength, and
clothed with this divine power we may
do all things. Why not then seek it
now! Is it not strange that we per-
nit this treasure of power to lie idle
in Gods hands. What is the spirit
of power waiting in Gods treasury
for me, power to win souls to Christ,
power to relax the death-grasp of the
destroyer, power to enthrOne the con-
science of the world again, as the
viceroy of the Lord Is all this wait
ing for me, conditional upon my earn
est prayer and faith Shall we not
then enter into an earnest beseeching,
such as we have never known before -!
0 for the descent of this power upon
us, that we and the world may realize
the fullnessl of the glory and love Of
God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And of love. Power that is UNI
tempered with love will be repulsive.
1t may be strong, but it will be rough;
there will be nothing winsome in it,
Unless love takes hold of power
and Yields it, it will effect little fol-
good and for God. The Psalmist says,
F" God hath spoken once, yea, twice
have I heard this, that power be.
longeth unto God" and then, recog-
nizing this truth, he climbs up to the
conclusion, "Also unto thee, o Lord,
belongeth mercy" So should it be
with us, and so it may be; power
should be tempered and swayed by
love, for God hath given us the spirit
of power, and of love, and of SOUND
mind.
So far as I know this spirit is the
characteristic only of the Christian
All the hardy virtues grew on pagan
soil. There we're high styles of man.
hood among pagans. There wer'
Aristotle and Socrates, and Cicero ant
Plato, and many others whose virtues
might put to blush many a nomina
Christian of the present day. Blu
the spirit of love was not the ruling
spirit in their heart, and their virtues
and utteranees did not make heart
thrOb. If they had lived in our timeI
they would be the righteous men o
whom the apostle speaks, upright bu
not wing, pure as an icicle, and a
cold. 1t is under the dispensation o
the Gospel only that truly good mel
spring up, such good men as thos,
spoken of, for whom some will even
dare to die. 1t is only the truly
heartily good man who can win from
human hearts this homage, for there il
a spirit of Yinsomeness about sucl
which can not De found in the right
eous man.
This doctrine of love as a necessity
to the Christian was taught and illus
trated by the life and instructions 0
Christ. His ministry was love in &C
ton. Every preeept that he uttere
had glowing promise inits heart, an
in all his life this principle is mani
fest, that the teaching of his peopl
in all coming time which shall wi
}. victories over the heart is the teachin
of love. Was this in the disciples
Not till it had been planted there b
Christ. Look at the miracle Of tn
loaves and fishes. What said the dis
ciples with regard to the hungerin
multitudel HSend the multitud
away" They were not fit to b
apostles yet. On the next page yo
| find that the Master said to the apo
: ties, "Go over to the other side of Ii
lake, he would send them ava,
4 They were to know by experience viii
: it was to endure the absence OF q
] absent Lord, to suffer the buffetinl
| Of the deep, to be in danger with 1
> Savior present, and they would be q
, better men and the better apostles f
the storms they were to meet. +
] would indicate by this that the
r training was to be the discipline
3 love.
Z So in every age the teaching tn
a has been the most humane has bee