Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-01-04
Christian Words,


Christian Words.
Words derive much of their beauty and
power from their origin. As letters are
he representatives Of sounds. so words are
he symbols ofideas. Frequently is it the
,ase that the full significance Of a word is
not apparent at first sight 1t is like a
flower whose interior structure and beauty
are concealed by its folded petals, and like
the flower it requires analysis for its full
This is especially true
with many theological and biblical terms.
To aid such Sunday school teachers as are
not familiar with the subject, the following
account Of the origin Of certain words is
given. Let Us begin with
Cod This is the old Saxon word for
good and is beautifully appropriate to our
Heavenly Father as the author ofall good
ness-the source Of all our blessings. From
this comes
God-spell, now pronounced for the sake |
of euphony, gospel; as spell means history,
news, message, communication; then gos-
pei signifies good news. The language
which the angel addressed to the shepherds
gives its definiton-"good tidings of great
JOY"
Cody is godlike, and Goodness god
likeness. A whole lesson or sermon is con-
tanned in that one word. which might be
developed in an answer to the question: In
what respects should we begod-like? Then
comes
Goddess. Less is from the Saxon, and
means to free, to separate. 1t is priva-
tive word that is, a word which expresses
the absence of something Affixed to a
noun, it signifies the absence of that which
the noun expresses; as sin.less, homeless
child-less, yalue-less. Hence goddess and
gOd-less-ness is the negation of God. The
Psalmist expresses it when he SAYS drop
ping the italicised words "The wicked
hath said in his heart-no God" As if he
said, love no God, I serve no God, Iwant
no God, | wish there was no God. The
| idea is also expressed by the apostle, with
out Sod" O the terribleness of being god
| less
! Suppose now one were to substitute the
name God for the syllable good in certain
compound words, and give it the possess
i've form; it will enrich those words with
an unusual fullness of meaning, and fit
them for new applications. Try it on such
words as goodwill, Gods will; goodman,
Gods man; good-day, Gods day. And
ought not every good woman, good night,
and good morrow to be Gods? These are
given merely as suggestive hints. Suppose
we were to write over all our goods, Gods ?
Are they not his?
Let US pass on to those long words in
foreign garb which are expressive of the
divine attributes.
Omnipresence. The syllables omni are
of Latin origin, and signify, in connection
with any other word, universally, or 'all -
Hence omnipresence is ll-presence-pres-
ence everywhere. Omniscience, science
being knowledge, is Acknowledge. ON
impotence, potence from potent, powerful.
Omnipotence, all-powerful. From the
same source comes Omniverous, creature
which eats all kinds of food. Sowe say of
persons who read without discrimination,
they are omniverous. They indulge in
reading of all kinds. Not very healthy
practice surely. 1t weakens instead OF
strengthening the intellectual powers
Let us examine some proper names.
Dagon. The name of the national god
of the Philistines. The word is derived
from another signifying fish, and it is now
generally admitted that the idol Dagon was
compound of man and fish. 1t was a fish
god, hence the appropriateness of the name
Bethlehem. Beth, house, lehem, bread
house of bread. How significant Ct tn
. place where He was born who is the breat
, Of life to a perishing world
: Bethesda. House of mercy. Truly tn
pool of Bethesda was a merciful provision
. There was performed a wondrous miracl
I of mercy.
Bethel. A name given to the place wher
= Jacob had the vision of the ladder betwee
+ heaven and earth, and which convince
g him that God was there 1t means house
of-God. Strange that a name so signifcar
!. and springing from such wonderful inc
= dent, should afterwards be changed to al
At other equally appropriate, but with a 81!
n MITIGATION directly opposite. Yet soit wa
At For it subsequently became the princip
. place Of the worship of the golden calve
= After this it was stigmatized by the propl
- cts as
. Bethaven-i e., the house of idols. I
- the faithful Jews it was regarded with a
4 horrence. Cities can backslide and fall i
= to great sins as well as individuals.
- Lo-ruhamah-lo is a negative; ruhma
- mercy. Combine the two and it signif
in no mercy.
Nv Lo-ammi-am signifies people; the !
no in Heb. personal pronoun my. Comb
them and you have, "not my people
bt Turn now to Hosea l 6, 8, and you W
,es see how strikingly significant is the U
vi. made of these two words. Then in Hos
nd 81, you will see that the same words 8
,rl used with 10, the negative, dropped, in
iod eating the prediction of favorable chan
ms that God would then regard them as
les people, and have mercy on them.
,r. Mesopotamia-i. e., in the midst of
70. between the rivers. The name given
no, that vast and beautiful district living
af. tween the rivers Tigris and Euphrates
olv En-. and Chron.
oul.
ard Time is a ship which never ancho
it. while am aboard, had better do tn
. II i