The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-09-20

bea W WHICH Tue mariner LOOKS uOHtiuhyi
nor Is that hope disappointed. lie stands 10
erous decoy OF the wrecker, who, when the
storm rules the ocean, ties his false fire.
lantern to the pommel Of his saddle, and
rides his beast along the beach at midnight,
that some unweary skipper may be mlslod
TO turn his ship upon the rocks; or, to change
the figure, Christ would have as suns III the
moral ornament, and not scintlllating me-
teors that come and go, lighting up the eve
ming sky with their long, spreading fans Of
fire, or bursting with loud report and sudden
fash In the midnight sky-thlngs TO be
stared at and talked about, but Of no use, so
far as We know, in all the universe Of God.
This part Of the text has direct and especial
reference to that temper Of mind which Is
increasingly trimming between zeal for q
good cause and inexcusablc Incidence. II
says If the cause be good decide for II, labor
for Its promotion, and with all YOUR might,
and that perseryeringly.
II suffers no man TO throw of RESPONSE
bility. One OF the carly laborers In the Cos
pei is styled ga servant OF the Church"
How could this honorable title be now up.
piled to many, shall say Of protesting Chris
tlans, without the most solemn mockery
Their religious character Is q perfect mega
tlon. They fall TO exhibit any positive points
There Ia sense In which We can honor the
merely moral man; he reflects the influence
OF religion In making him what he Is; but II
Is SO easy for even truly spiritual man to
slip out OF his spirituality and settle down as
q formal professor, that they arc no better
than moral men in the world, with this ex-
ception against him: he adds to his mere
morality a profession OF better things which
he honors In the breach and not the obscrv-
ance. Let us examine ourselves; for II mat
tiers not how near We may como to a mark
even to hair breadth-if you miss it, then
Is the result all the same as II you had done
so by the greatest distance possible. If,
then, you have no cutting edge to your
Christian character, II is you God means
when he says, 81 would thou vert cold or
hot" An Atheist, being asked show he
could quiet his conscience In so desperate a
case" answered, Gas much am Iastonished
at yourself; that, believing the Christian re-
ligion to be true, You can quiet your con.
science by living so much like the world.
Did l believe what you profess, should
think no care, no religion, no zeal enough"
Goodness Is far more dangerous extreme
than too much heat. Enthusiasm may be
excess, but GOODNESS Is want of vitality. Let
US, then, have no fear Of stirring up the
sluggish blood that flows so fcebly.
Look at the conclusion OF the matter. $50
then, because thou art lukewarm and
neither cold nor hot, will spew thee out of
my mouth"-an allusion to the well known
effects Of tepld water upon the stomach in
producing nausea. They are not con-
domncd because they had no zeal-thoy are
acknowledged as lukewarm-but because
they had not zeal enough. 'IIold my right
hand, Almighty" lest forget thee and
meet the solemn sentence OF the lukcwarm-
civ ma Gpna tTsr Las Al.
turn the world upside down and shake the
formal and the wicked out OF II, l, too, shall
be a castaway. Give me always a deepen
Ing impression OF these searching words, 81
know thy works." &c.
FOURTH PRESBYTERIAN curRcu.
Rev. John G. Smith, d. D., the pastor, &C.
cupied the pulpit in the morning, and
preached from the Second Epistle Of limo
thy, 4th chapter, LIST and Cd verses: 81 charge
thee, therefore, before God and the Lord
Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and
dead at his appearing and his kingdom,
preach the wordi be instant in season, out Of
season; reproye, rebuke, exhort, with all
and doctrine"
Relations have their mutual responsible
ties and duties. The charge Is essential, and
we must be so filled with IL that the pastor
shall have the sympathy Of the people by
their presence and In their prayers night and
day. Nor can We by any words or acts set
aside this charge. II Is from the Holy q host,
and VIC must give account for every thought,
word and action. II 1t be my duty to preach
the word, the duty is Just as binding on the
people to hear. The relation is mutual.
How stands the account Have you at all
times been present to strengthen your pastorl
We must Danish the idea that the Obligation
IS on the pastor but not on the people. The
charge delivered to me keeps me up to duty,
and In this charge have Joy unspeakable;
but II the covenanted ones do not attend
upon tho preaching I am deprived Of my re.
ward.
The times for preaching the word are
and afternoon on each Sabbath,
while the whole time OF that holy day Is TO
be taken up In the public and private CXer-
ciscs of Gods worship, except SO much time
as is spent In works Of necessity and mercy.
No one can dlsestecm and violate the fourth
without bringing leanncss to
his soul. There Is nothing which SO much
demorallzes an individual or community rs
a non-obscryance OF the Sabbath. The
fourth commandment Is as dear to Jehovah |
as the apple Of his eye. lie has fixed It In |
The physical constitution of man. Nothing |
brings on premature decay In men or AMI. |
mails so soon as to labor six days IN the |
week and TO labor also on the seventh. Tho |
Is
'nly hope OF the preservation of our glorious
epuDlican Government. Preachers are the |
ppointed agents of our Lord Jesus Christ
o warn the people, and ii is my duty here,
II the capital OF the nation, on the first Sab.
'ath of the thlrty-hrst year of my ministry,
o warn you to be careful TO observe the
sabbath.
The text directs us to preach in season
md out OF season. 1t sounds very we'll to |
n tlV. h.at 4 +. -.
minister OF Christ 10 be all the time faithful |
o his work, as he is charged to be. Modern
nidellty has taken this form, that spiritual |
iie must languish in summer, that there Is
tut little good to be attained In that sCason,
instant means to be earnest and energetic,
o be dillgent. BE instant In prayer. Be
IOt slothful In business, but fcrycnt In spirit
crying the Lord. Observe the Sabbath day
o keep II holy. We are to be instant In |
cason and ont of season, In hearing and
preaching the Word of God.
In tho afternoon DR.. Smith preached,
aking as his text the words. 'Dc thou faith
u unto death, and | will give thee a crown
If life. authorizations, Cd chapter and lOtll
'grse.
STREET BAPTIST CHURCH.
The services AT this church yesterday were
Xceelingly Interesting. The subject of the
morning was on the text. "God ia not
nockcdj whatsoever man soweth, that
hall he also reap" DR.. Gray presented
most intensely Interesting truths, which
aust have made an impression on all who
card him. In the evening his subject was,
S there any such thing as dutyl Is duty
rst, or personal case-comfort Arc those
Tho are away from the church tonight seek
lg to do their duty, or are they gratifying
themselves The pastor pointed out very
learly some OF the most important duties
t Christians, which, If they are performed,
'ould give power and efficiency 10 the Ia.
ors Of the church.
METROPOLITAN NJ. Z. CHURCH.
The venerable Rev. Dr. William Hamilton
coupled tho pulpit at this church yesterday,
nd delivered two eloquent discoursesi his
'Xt In the evening being taken from the
xth chapter Of the Epistio to the Hebrews,
ineteenth and twentieth verses (which
ope we have rs an anchor OF the soul, both
Ire and steadfast, and which entercth into
lat within the vail, whittier the forcrunncr
for us entered, even Jesus" He said there
ere two kinds of hope-onc the universal
ope given by God to all mankind, without
Inch life would be blank; secondly, the
ope spoken OF In the text; that hope both
ire and stcadfast which Is an anchor TO the
)ul.
There are three classes of persons to whom
c alluded; one, those TO whom hope Is lost;
no have no opportunities for seeking for
le favor of the ALMIGHTY: those of colIrsn