The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-11-01


,iblc. The nation is safe only as we have
rec bible, free pulpit, free press, free
and sanctiaed knowledge for the
masses. With these LEI the pagnnism Of |
china, aud the false religion Of the contl-
nent come, and by the gospel We will neu-
trallze, cuiighter and cvangeilze them.
Sd. II developed aud threw out bold re-
lief-the gospel plan Of salvation, justified |
and saved by faith In Christ alone. Amid |
ages this pearl Of great price |
had well nigh been lost. The Church had
taken the place Of Jesus. The keys were
held by the self-constltuted vicar OF Jesus. |
Pcnancc, purgatory aud lndulgeuccs had
been substituted for repentance and faith.
Multitudes, and Luther among them, and
Catharinc, aftcrward the wife OF the bold
Doctor, had immured themselves to seek
heaven. But God wrought a great heart.
work Ia the reformer. He learned In
his own experience the doctrine Of the new
birth. Men who deny experimental piety to
Martin Luther are ignorant Of his biography.
Those who claim to be followers and bear his
name, but who ignore the law and a holy
life, are mere nbortions. The Lutheran
Church Is an evangelical church, giving her
clear testimouy-not to a dead orthodoxy,
but to living faith In Jesus, producing holy
living. She Is not built upon peculiarly OF
uOCtTlnp. tuNc Us tuc kECht itaNuiNs VI huS
Reformatlon-the Divine word 10 all its full
ncss-faith In the Divine Redeemer, secur-
ing full salvation, are peculiar-making her
platform so broadly evangelical, that all who
know Jesus, to the saving Of the soul, may
fellowship with us.
We have not room for q fuller outline Of
his ami versary discourse.
THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
Elder J. Y. Taylor delivered sermon 10
very large audience last evening, In the
Christian church on N street, on the grand
principles of his people being "infallibly
right" Ills text was "Praisc all things
hold fast that which is good. -Thessalon.
lans l, 5:2l.
He observed that God had given us mental
powers, intellect, <cason and Judgment, that
| we may test all things-that we may adopt
no system without examination, and that
| the man who thus acts without examination
prostrates his mental powers, and subvcrts
| their Divine mission. Yet, how sadly true
1t Is that thousands have adopted systems
and rejected others, for which act, they eau
assign no solid reason.
lie spoke at length In advocacy OF tho
text, and closed by announcing that Chris.
tian baptism would be administered at four
o'clock, In the Potomac, at the "old syca-
more"
CENTRAL coNGREdA TIoSAL CHURCH..
The pastor, DR.. Boynton, preached yester-
day, both morning and evening, at Lincoln
Hall. His subject In the nrst part Of the
day was; "Christ reserves his good wine till
the last" The sermon was companion
discourse TO the one OF last Sabbath, from
the subject; "The world presents Its best
wine first"
In all honorable and rightly directed efforts
the labor and sacrifice, the somewhat bitter
cup must be drinked, while the good wine,
the rich reward, Is reserved until the last.
The plan Of God assumes that fallen nature
can only be recovered aud perfected through
trial and suffering. The plan OF Satan de-
clares the exact opposite, that man can be
perfected by pleasure and sin, and he invites
all to come and be happy.
We enter the gymnasium, and with prodl'
gious strain Of tendon and muscle, with
swelling of veins and great heart labor to
hurry on the blood, the physical system Is
perfected. God, In view Of our moral defects,
weaknesses, aud wants, prescribes moral
gymnasium, where we arc daily exercised to
the extent of our strength, not In mimic
labors, but in actual struggle with obstacles
aud difficulties, and all directed by one who
has guaged our strength, who knows what
weights we can safely lit, what ladders VT
, should climb, what war clubs we shoult
brandish, and what leaps we should take.
The lining cure which Ia exciting so mucl
attention among medical men now, Is In priu
pie what God has employed from the be
ginning In curing moral diseases.
The sick man rcjolccs at the daily increas,
In the weight he eau In, but when God In
creases the weights as he sees we are growing
stronger we often murmnr and arc fain,
hearted because he gives us SO much to dc
and bear. Every young church Is trained
by the lifting process. aud " 1t faints not II
, the end II Is made strong. Christians ART
/ .inI u,.
swords are tried. Christians are God
weapons Of war, and us such they are provet
. in many modes to sec whether they arc Il
. for use In the battle. The bursting Of GU
great guns In action often caused disaster
! so when u Christian character bursts !
) spreads dismuy, and works more harm thar
the attacks of satan. In all the processe;
Of moral recovery the good wine Is reserved
till the last.
Our own country presents on a grand scalt
the law by which toll and sacrifice precedC
possession and enjoyment. From the time
when the Maylower entered her snow ant
ice-bound harbOr and that winter came upor
them when those founders of empire had
but pint of corn among them, and the llv.
Ing had scarce strength to scoop shallow
graves for the dead, the advance gard OF
the country has trod n path marked by blood
aud tears. From Plymouth Rock to the
Pacific the pioneers drank the bitter wine OF
toll and sacrifice; but the cup Is a right royal
one, from which their descendants are drink.
ing now, and it sparkles with the wine o
empire.
Not many of those who have shaped thu
thought and destiny of this land drank wher
young the wine of luxury and ease. The,
were like Washington with his surveyor
compass, Franklin at his printing press
Sherman on his bench, Clay with his pine
knot light, Webster from his rugged farm o
Lincoln from his fat.boats. For them AM
many others Of our distinguished men
Y lives first wine did not sparkle much, did no
l seem to move itself Alright.
In the life Of Christ himself we shall ln
: the great example of this law and of It
workings. With every cup Of his experience
y the wine of this word grew more bitter. Al
r the way to the cross 1t was bitter wine. Blu
the next cup was the wine of Heaven, pre-
s scented by the Fathers hand, while on hi
Z head was placed the crown Of universal dc
minlon. He drank the best wine last.
y Many thousands Of Christ's followers lea
u life In general features like Ills. The win
Of this world Is harsh even TO the last cup
:. But as certainly as lie drank the wine U
: heavenly JOY and glory on the other shore
S SO certainly shall we also who follow him.
y Let the Christian In whose cup some bill
terness Is mingled now have courage an
faith. Christ keeps the good wine I'LL tn
c last. Is any in poverty Are any In trial
b greyious to be bOruel Have the hopes {
Is other years perishedi Have trusted one
2, dealt cruel bowsi Has the heart reachln
he out for sympathy been forced IN upon nse
II to feel iorsakcn aud alOnei Has the gray
II closed above the hearts chief Treasures
y These are among the bltterest cups of cart
re but we must not forget that Christ keeps Il
u good wine till the last.
], The doctrine of the text gives great CT
l. couragement to those who seek higher III
y 10 Christ. Whatever our present attail
/; Incnt, We may believe that he has In rcser'
y something richer and nUbler still, and "
II may believe that this will be true at eyel
10 poin; of our progress In an endless life. Til
IS Is the glorious characteristic OF the plan
3 Jesus. However high We have reached, the
"a are submits brigh'c or above, which will atiol
81 wider and more beautiful prospects. VIVA
d ever gifts have been bestowed, there are ST
Il richer ones in our Fathers house. Etcrnl
n cannot exhaust the love Of Christ nor Il
III wealth of our inheritance.
'' STREET RAPTIsT CHURCH.
At the 4 street Baptist church, last Cv
u ming, Rev. DR.. Gray preached his farcw,
IL sermon, he having been recalled to the Ba
Il tIst church at ShelbuTne Falls, Massach