Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-04-12
Jesus Christ and the Law.

w utt hihys Charity"
Jesus Christ and the Law.
Jesus Christ is the personifcation of
Gods law. He came to magnify the law
and make it honorable" He accomplish
ed his work. They who reject Christ treat
law with contempt, and thus having sever
ed the tie binding them to respect Divine
law, are made willing instruments in war
ring against all healthful legislation. Uni
tarianism is not as harmless as il is thought
to be, 1t is more than a negation. 1t is
positive in Its hate, though it Is cold in it's
love. 1t calls itself liberal. It's liberality
is Of the robber type. Ii is liberal with
things not its own. 1t treats the authority
of Christ as the spendthrift treats bis pat
rimony. II is the natural opponent of the
law, of limitations and of restraints 1t
claims freedom that runs into license
Nothing il too sacred for il TO reyile, too
great for /. 10 oppose, too vast for 1t to dare
Gods laws become old aud worn out ira
ditions in It's hands, and the declarations
Of Sinai and the prectpts Of the gospel as a
twice-tod tale. To such an extent has
this tendency gone that witho@tdoubt vast
numbers of people have come TO consider
the most sacred things in the light Of the
precepts Of men. Contrast the speeches Of
today with those of earlier times, and we
perceive the lack Of spiritual references
and authority which controlled the thought
and influenced the sentiments of our faith
crs, who were reycrent towards God, and
did not deem themselves wise above that
which is written" This neglect in recog-
nzing the authority Of God pervades socie-
ty 1t infects the evangelical world. 1t
leads christian men and christian minis
tiers to indulge in train of remark and in
illustrations which are dishonoring if not
injurious. 1t gives countenance to preach
ing empted Of scriptual truth, aud COM
posed largely of sensational utterances got
ton of with dramatic effect, and turns its
back upon the preaching of The cross, which
to them that perish il foolishnesS, as the
king of Prussia, in reply to an address from
a deputation Of the Brandenburg Synod, a
few weeks since, remarked:
1T is very necessary, indeed, that some
thing should be done to quiet the excite
ment lately prevailing in matters ecclesias-
teal. The enemies Of the church are nu-
mcrous these days In this / am not al
luding TO the Roman Catholics, but to those
who have ceased to believe What is to
become of US if we have not faith in the
Saviour, the Son of God? If he is not the
Son of God, His commands, as coming from
a man only, must be subject TO criticism.
What is to become of us in such a case?"
The remedy for the evils which environ
us will be found in retracing our steps and
in returning to God. If we have abandon
ed the Word of God and the teachings Of
Jesus Christ rs recorded in the New Tes-
lament, and given ourselves instead to
learning of the fear of God and of the wis
dom of doing right through the uninspired
precepts of men, it is not difficult to under.
stand how easily we can demand to hear
from Jehovah, and to declare, as did the
people after the prophets Of BAal had been
destroyed, "The Lord, he is the God, ="
"fhe Lord he is the God" Il is to preach
Christ crucifed, because though it IS fool.
ishness to the Greek, yet it is manifestly
true that "the tooIishue,s Of God is wiser
than men, aud the weakness Of God j..
stronger than men," We are to honor God
in our hearts not for po'icY's sake, but for
the glory Of God and the good of the peo-
pie. 1t is idle 10 laugh at Puritanism ;
their strength was the product of convic.
ton. They believed ia God as revealed t.
them through Jesus Christ. They avowed
that belief and acted in accordance with it
and then laid broad and sure foundations,
on which we have built. God demands
our return, saying to Us, as TO Israel, 1T
thou wilt return and put away thy abom-
nations out Of my sight then shalt thou
abide, and shalt have evidence that the
Lord liveth in truth, in judgment and in
righteousness, and the nations shall bless
themselves in thee and in thee shall they
glory" Because of the fact that the nation
honored God and delighted in His rule we
obtained that exalted position held in the
past. There is strength derived from thi.
advantage which we can lily afford to lose
Influence is the mightiest force known in
society. 1t flies on noIseless and unseen
wing to the remotest corners of the earth
it lifts up the ensign of progress for a State
and people, it testifies in unnumbered
ways TO the work undertaken and achieved
Rob New England of the prestige derived
from moral influence and you make hen
poor. Better burn her factoli,s and turn
her people back to obtaining thei. scanty
support from the SOIL 50 reluctant to yield
them a living and continue to them thei
moral supremacy, than to fill the air Will
the whirr of her busy wheels and with tin
hum Of the multiplied forms of her activi
y, and compel her to stand forth, as w
are in danger Of doing, as the champion o
infdelity, Of irreligion and of inebriety.-
New England has great strength intellect
ually and financially, but she is not strength
enough to get on without God. Let he
try it and her power shall become like tn
withered leaf floating on the summe
stream.-Rev. D. D. Fulton.