New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-01-12

AC0GoS O0 SdANA0J9
Is, 1857.
The portion of Scripture which
have selected for my text this even
ing may be found in the first chap
ter of the Gospel according to ST.
John and the the seventeenth verse.
For the law was given to Moses,
but grace and truth came by Jesus
Christi
l am afraid that from hurry and
4 uressure of time that | can not
sneak of and treat these important
words in the manner which they
deserve. 1t is not many that at the
fir hearing of them, would appre-
cia their great meaning and
d h, and the Importance Of what
h. convey, AS you, or, at least
a ,ajority of you are aware, 1t is
my intention to preach the funeral
SER ION of two little children, Laura
and Mary Ann Dyer; having to do
this. but little time will be left me
br the consideration Of these event
NJ words. Before, however, at
ding to that part Of my dis
coSa,se more closely connected with
the funeral, l shall call your atten-
tion to nv +ov+. In order to bring
this stbiC ore clearly home to
vol uIder ding and to make it
Al ,ornp~ebe- i've as possible to
you sail Z We to refer to the Old
Ties a-... loses, we find accord
ING 81, testament, was Gods
che Gu . of the people; to him
wa ia sste the care and guild
ane Of the lsraelites; God en-
paw ID him to act as it were,
in capacity of viceregent,
Q. 3D. who was to govern with all
the powers of a king, subject
only to one higher than him, God
himself.
In this way it came to pass that
the people were governed by the
law of Moses, commonly called
the Mosaic law. This law, of
course, it must be understood,
emanated from God himself, Moses
beingmerely the instrument through
which the law was promulgated.
1t was for this purpose that Moses
was conceived and born, for this
God took him under his own special
care and guardianship, and when he
had accomplished his mission, God
said: Enough" and took him to
his own bosom. His only mission
was not to be a lawgiver to the
people, but on him was conferred
the high honor of leading a bound
and captivated people to a land of
freedom.
Now it may be necessary to ex-
plain to you what is meant by the
Mosaic law, For the law came by
Noses" the law that means the
divine law. Moses was but human;
this law was not of his own making
altogether, it was accomplished by
divine inspiration. God breathed,
as it were, into the heart of Moses
the laws that were to govern the
children of Israel; Moses merely
published and enforced them.
After the death of Moses the law
was for a time observed, but as
time rolled on the world again began
towax wicked, and finally renowned
the divine law, excepting a COM
paratively small number that still
worshiped the true God. The
people were again falling into that
condition of wickedness which at a
former time caused the destruction
of the world by the flood. God the
Father saw that instead of getting
good and becoming more like his
image they were going to ruin and
destruction, till he was even
through His infinite love angry
with them, angry enough to destroy
the world a second time, not by
mood, thar ne mad promised not 10 40.
But mediator, true friend, Jesus
Christ. 'our Lord, says: "Father
spare Mem and let me die in their
stea,'. Spare them father" and
now comes a proof of Gods inn
measurable love. "God so loved
the world that he gave his only
SON." Was not this love? Where
is the father on earth that will show
such love? God suffered his only
son to suffer and die instead Of the
people, and now comes the-explana-
ton of 'but grace and truth came
by Jesus Christ" Before the adj
vent Of Christ people were saved
only by obedience to the law Of
Moses. Those that implicitly
obeyed the directions of their COM
mon lawgiver obeying among
other things the ''ten command
Esants," were doing all that God re-
quired Of them, but this was an ar
tificial religion, there was no
grace none of that divine es-
sence, that peculiar attribute Of
Gods love called grace. Those that
lived prior to the advent Of Christ
never could know the real depth
Of the love Of God, and conse-
quently could never love him as lie
ought to be loved. Salvation in
the days of Moses was a mere mat
ter Of law; it meant obedience to