Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1869-06-29
For the Spectator.
Sunday Letters from an Upper Window


My Respected Friends:
From an upper window just above the pretty
Sweet brier that gives name to my humble
home, 1t Is my purpose to send you a Sunday
letter from time to time. | cali them Sunday
letters, not that they are written on Sunday
but they are intended to keep you company on
that sweet and sacred day, after you return
from Church. Truly, the Sabbath is the best
day of all the week, and is an eyer-recurring
emblem of everlasting rest, In better world. -
What sweet hymn that is closing with this
stanza s
my willing soul would stay
In such frame as this
And sit and sing herself away
To everlasting Bliss
For while past my mind has been at work
upon what are sometimes, but improperly, term
ed the paradoxes, found in the discourses and
sayings of our Lord. A distinguished master of
words, defines paradox to be tenet or pro-
position contrary to received opinion or seeming
ly absurd, yet true to fact. As examples, we
select the following. Then Jesus beholding
him, loved him and said unto him zone thing
thou lackest go thy way, sell whatsoever thou
hast and give to the poor, and thou shalt have
treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross,
and follow me-" Mark 10: 81.
And If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it
out and cast it from thee, for tits profitable for
thee that one ofthy members should perish and
not that thy whole body should be cast into
He'll"
eff any man come to me and and hate not his
Father and mother, and wife, and children and
brethren and sisters, yea and bis own lite also,
he cannot be my disciple" Luke II: 26.
Perhaps it is not strictly proper to use the
term paradox, when speaking of such methods
Of speech SO unexpected and surprising in their
character that they arrest the attention, and
while the mind is engaged inculcate doctrine,
or rule OF conduct in It's application, not to a
case OF common every day occurrence but to an
ectrenae case.
In the use of extreme cases brevity is attain
ed, as specification of particulars is rendered
unnecessary, for whatever extends TO the ex-
treme, necessarily includes all within that ex-
treme Our Saviour, use OF extreme cases does
not justify the conduct of some professors of
religion who do not apply their religion to every
day use, but merely regard it as something use
ful for extreme cases. For your instruction and
mine, l shall draw freely upon sermon which
L have recently read. In this feel authorized
by the advice, received Of distinguish he'd South
ern minister, during conversation that occurr-
ed in fair view of vast and rugged mountain.
My young friend, you have the same right to
go to your library for materials to construct
sermons articles for the newspapers, or even
rocks, and collect materials for is use, provid.
ed you employ them properly by having the
glory of God, in the good of souls before you"
La our Saviour interview with the young ruler,
he did not waste words by laying down in gen.
eral terms the rule Of christian love, but when
he saw him full of love for his wealth, he simply
commanded him to sell all that he had and
come and follow him. By this extreme test
the young ruler was enabled to see at once
where his weakness was, and acquisitions of an
other kind or of an inferior degree might not
have reached his case, and his self-deeeption
remained undetected. Moreover, the Divine
Teacher, instead of stlinging out long and
tedious list of rules for the notification of sin
In ordinary every day case, at once supposes
the ectrene case of choice between willful in
dulgence and the less ofa limb, and teaches that
II 1t should occur, we ought to be in frame of
mind to prepare us to sacrifice the body to the
soul. by so doing he does not imply that such
case IS likely to occur, or that we may lawful
ly produce such a case, or that it is our duty to
do So
In the example quoted from Luke, as one of
the paradoxlcal sayings of Jesus, We find that
he. instead fenumerating by the hour, precepts
and directions for the regulation of our duties
to God and one another, respectively, he seizes
the extreme case of our love to God excluding
or prohibiting any love to any relative however
dear and then peremptorily requires his disciples
In that case not only to give the preference to
| God, but to hate even Father or Mother Now
this does not imply that such case is ever to
occur, or that it is our duty to try to produce
such state or condition of affairs or will neces-
state the neglect of parents, and kindred,
ostensibly In the service of God, and through
professed love of his name. But it does teach
that the principle of paramount affection to the
Saviour reaches such case, however rare and
unexampled and must, therefore, of course cover
every other For illustration, every christian
in the state of Virginia is bound to suffer mar
| tyrdom rather than deny Christ although ac
tua martyrdom is unknown, and has not oc-
Cured in our day. nor likely to occur in all time
to come.
| Wonderful indeed, are the words of Jesus. and
1t is not strange that those who heard him
should be astonished at his sayings, and when
the officers failed to arrest him in the presence
of the people, who proclaimed OF. truth this
man is a prophet their apology was-''Neyer
man spake as this man" The full import of
the officers testimony is yet to be realized when
he comes in glory as judge of ALL
! Sweet Brer Manse w. T. p.
The Christian is not ruined by living in the
world, what he must needs do while he remains
In it, but by the world living In him.
Ex-President Johnson,
On the lst inst, at Clarksyille, Tennessee.