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

JESUS Dle0s you could not sbdhu thdJ' |
That broke down your heart, and you
yielded to love what Sinai never could |
have conquered.
This sight of the blood which pur-
chases our pardon can break the stony
heart, and subdue it to the cross. We
have here the old fable over again, in
which, while the rain fell and the storm
ragged, the man drew the folds Of his
cloak more closely about him, but
threw it off at the first burst of the
sunshine.
1t is this ministry of love that only
can reach and save the masses. Unjust
be all heart work. The heart must
speak to the heart in love, and if we
have preaching like this, and priests
like this, how shall we triumph True,
there are no priests now in the sense of
office, but we are all priests, a royal
priesthood unto God, and our ministry
must be one Of love if it would be one
of success. We must go to the people
with words of love and with looks of
love which no hypocrisy can hide from
the eye of child, and tell them that
the Lord who bled for us, and by whose
death we are saved, bled for them also,
and it will be that when more of this
spirit of love shall be poured down up
on all the churches that the Gospel
shall spread, and everywhere win its
widening way. Then there will be
calm smiles where now is the frown of
anger, then the kiss of peace shall be
returned where now the blow is given,
then will brawny arms of labor be lifted
up in appeal to God, and then shall be
witnessed the scene of all striving to-
gether in love for the same ends and for
the same heaven.
Of a sound mind. There must not
only be bravery in testimony and gem
tleness of heart, but there must also be
the ability to give to every man who
asks reason for the hope that is in us,
in meekness and fear. The spirit of
Christianity is not only brave and gem
tie, but it is intelligent. 1t must adj
dress itself to the work of understand
ing the dictates of the highest and
sublimest wisdom. The spirit of Chris
tianity is emlnently reasonable. There
are wonders in it, but no lying wonders.
There are miracles in it, but no unreas-
enable miracles. Hence, everything
which is not in accord with the spirit Of
true reason is no part of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ. Hence, the cruel spirit
of persecution, wherever you find it,
is not of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Hence, all that springs from the spirit
&c gr,,1nrsk141ar, Fa,,yl =.
of the Gospel of Jesus. Hence, the
vain and foolish pretensions of modern
spiritism are not of the Gospel of
Christ, and hence, also, anything and
everything which sound mind con-
dennis is not of the Gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
They only are of sound mind who
believe in the Lord Jesus and accept
him as their Savior. / know it is not
uncommon for men of the world to
throw their jibes at Christians and ac-
cuse them offanaticism and folly. But
how easy it is for the Christian to
repel that charge. Go examine the
Christian. Feel his pulse, you find it
steady. Look at his life, you find it
deliberate and cool and upright. He
is not mad, but he speaks forth the
words of truth and soberness.
How easy were it not only to repel
this charge, but to retort it. That
man there knows that in the winter
time which is coming his false friends
will forsake him and he will be left to
his own resources, and yet he wantons
away the summer time and makes NO
provision for the approaching winter,
That man, and you have met many
such in the streets of this city, knows
he will be summoned soon to take g
journey, and yet he is made and is max
ing no preparation for it. That man
lives in frame building, in an old and
crazy house, and has been told again
and again that it is falling, and yet he
endeavors not to escape till it is in
ruins about his ears. co." but
you say, "why do you insult US
with such pictures as these This /:
an asylum to which you are taking us
and all these are mad" Yes, they are
mad, but their madness is yours il
you are not to-day in Christ Jesus
Your summer of life is almost gone
but YOU are making no preparation,
for the future. Your hours are be.
coming fewer and fewer, and yet they
pass unimproved. The influences which
once touched and moved you haY'
now no effect upon you, because you
heart is hardening. The harvest il
almost past and you are not yet saved
Yeu must soen take the last journey
even to that country from who's
bourne no traveller returns. and yoI
may be summoned suddenly to entei
upon it, dyet you are making nj
2 preparations. You are living a cray
house, the rafters and timbers of which
time is wearing out, and yet you ar
making no provisions for that "hons,
not made with hands, eternal in th,
heavens" Yes! these are fools AM
madmen, you have said it, but thei
folly and madness is yours, and
there is one such who has strayed int
this house to-day I charge you TO b
{ foolish and mad no more. Religiol
takes away madness and bestows wis
dom. Let her do so by you, z
, You may imagine you have a
knowledge and wisdom, and may ca
r us impOtent and poor; but we ris
, above the scorn Of the world, for Go
+ hath made us kings and priests, an
f ours is a royal heritage. Come, ther
with US and be saved.
{ Ii would rejoice me more than a
4 else to be able to know that this serv