Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1870-06-21
Bishop E. III. Marvin, of st. Louis, Mo.

Bishop E. NJ Marvin, of st. Louis, Mo.
In connection with the closing exercises Of
the ''Weslyan Female Institute" Bishop E.
NJ. Marvin, of St. Louis, Missouri, preached in
the morning and evening of last Sabbath in the
NJ. Il. Church South of this place. This com
modious church was filled. floor and gallery,
both In the morning and evening. In the morn
ing, the text was: 'Remensber noso thy Creator
IN the aoays of thy youth. The chief object OF
the sermon was to impress upon the minds of
the young the Importance of spiritual and moral
cultivation, that their thoughts should be oc-
cupied with subjects which tend to elevate and
refine the spiritual nature-that it was true that
if child be trained in the way he should go,
when he became old he would not depart from
it-that it would be almost impossible for him
to do SO.
He dwelt with impressiveness upon the i'm
portance Of spirit-its superiority over matter
saying that it was more substantial than matter,
being the essence of all life and motion, without
which matter was dead He said that no salts
factory definition of faith had ever been given
that it embraced more than belief and trust
it was assimilation of mans spirit to that of
Divinity. He forcibly applied his subject to
the young, particularly to the pupils of the In
stitute by whom he was surrounded. He ex-
horted them to remember their Creator amid
all the fascination and charms of earth, amid its
prompt, pageantry, fashion and vanity to kee p
God, the highest ideal of human thought, al
ways before their minds, to strive to conform
their spiritual natures to his, to live to be like
him, and finally to be with him and enjoy him
forever--this was Heaven.
His able discourse in the evening was based
upon the following text: 'Do De then make
cold the laU through Faith? God forbid !:
Yea, zoe establish the.law"
His Introductory remarks were designed to
correct the misconceptions generally entertain
ed concerning the Offices and relations of the law
and the gospel. The main postulate of his argu-
ment was, that the law and the gospel were one
in nature and in design, and that the Law was
as much an expression of Divine benefcence as
the Gospel. This was shown by proving that
the Divine law was the utterance of the Divine
nature, and that the Divine nature was love,
:
finite love-and the keeping of the law was the
perfect realization of sinless spiritual life and
happiness The law was not mere arbitrary
rule of God, but was, in the very nature of
things, the only condition of sinless and blissful
existence, and, as such, was as benefcent as the
Gospel. The fulflment of the law was the con-
dition Of moral purity and happiness-its viola
ton, spiritual ruin aud death The law was
not responsible for mans sin or suffering, no
more than was gravitation, benefcent law,
which only inhicts injury when violated. The
sinner was saved in perfect harmony with the
law. Christ hal met all its claims, and in his
atonement the law was satisfied, and the guilty
pardoned. The law as the condition of sinless
existence and the Gospel as the condition of the
sinner recovery to the law were one and the
same. These sermons, particularly the latter
were distinguished by profound thought, clear
analysis, and faultless logic. The whole sweep o.
his argument was grand, and irresistible-lead
ing the minds of his vast auditory, while In
close sympathy with him, directly to the mair
conclusion of his text He evinces a mind Of
high cultivation, of vast philosophic grasp, with
splendid Imagination, He is one of the most
natural, unaffected and spontaneous orators We
have ever heard, and his sermon at night was
regarded as master piece of pulpit eloquence.
He Is peer among the first pulpit orator, Of
his church. and not only hischurch, but Missouri
has reason to be proud of son, so good, SC
great, and so gifted.