The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-10-31

for them, and how gladly would we
stretch forth our weak and puny hands,
and put forth every effort, though weak
they may be, prompted by the most ear
nest zeal for their welfare, and try to
snatch them {as it werc) "as brands
from the eternal burnings." Such Is our
deep and fervent pity for You poor
slaves to lust and Satan, WHO arc bound
down by the power of an endless curse.
/ Come, then, You poor deluded creatures,
while yoa are yet permitted, in the good
and gracious providence of God, to hear
! the warning voice; arise in the full
strength of your manhood and intclli-
gence, and with an anxious heart, and
desire to know the truth, and hear how
you may obtain an assurance OF rest in
the world to come.
Two witnesses are given US, that they
may be relied upon as infallible, (when
used together, for they are given us by
Divine authority, in the ever living ora
cles of God to tell us when we are the
children of God, viz: The Esprit Of
God" and the esprit Of man." "The
Spirit itself beareth witness with our
spirits that we are The children Of Cod
| What then is the true meaning of this
passage of Scripture? That the Spirit
of God bears witness to our sonship, in
some way, is true, and that our spirits
bear witness to the same thing, is equal
! lv true. Bat the great question is, How
does the "Spirit Of God'' and the Spirit
of man bear witness to our sonship?
You will notice that the proposition
used to describe the manner in which
these two witnesses testify, is WITH land
not To- each other, very important
matter in this investigation, that seems
to have been overlooked among the re-
lieious world,in their efforts to explain
this passage of Scripture. But the ques-
| ton before us still remains .' p.
1st How does the Spirit of God bear
testimony? | -'.''
2d. How does the spirit of man bear
testimony?
The answer is to the first query teat
the Holy Spirit has revealed in the BIZ
bic. ...as., .v
1st All that God has done for man in
providing a scheme of redemption for
him, which embraces for its great, GEN.
trail truth, the fact that the Son Of God
has died, the '.just for the unjust that he
might bring us to God," and around this
great, central truth, clusters in closest at
tachment all other truths (and hence
embraces all, that God has required
man to believe III order to become a
child of God; and, I'd. All that man
must do in order to be an heir of God +;
and Sd. All that is given him by prom
Use to hope for in his continued obedi-
ence to Him, that he may look forward
with joyous anticipation of an eternal
REST, when he is done serving here be-
low. ......... ..i. ...,. ~
2,i That the spirit of man (the Chris
tian) bears testimony to his own under
standing 1st. When he has believed
what God has done. I'd. When he has
done what God commanded him to do
and Sd. What is given him upon which
is based his hope of rejoicing. Now
with this view before us, of this ques,
tor, we can readily understand the very
instructive lesson taught us in 1st Cor.
ii, lip, when Paul says, "For what
man knows the things of man but the
spirit of man which is III him? even SO
the things of God no one knows but the
Spirit of God" From this passage we
learn that if we would know the things
of God the Spirit must reveal them, and
as we have that full revelation in the
Word Of God, we can consistently look
no farther or to no other source for what
we would know of God and his dealings
with, or his requirements of us; and
hence, if we would Judge of others,a tc
their characters, as Christians or other
wise, we must be very careful to judge
of them in the light of Gods Word
Gal 5th chapter; and we may also learr
from this Scripture that the man him
self only may by the testimony of his
own spirit to his understanding know the
things of the man, i, e, the real charac
ter of the man; while the understanding
then, is capable of deciding whether
these two witnesses (the Spirit of Goo
and the spirit Of man, agree in the tes
timony they bear Thus WITH and no
TO each other, in reference to the qnes
ton of our being the children OF God.
I Now, if the Spirit in the word Of Coz
Says, this Jeliere, and the spirit of mar
says, this I do 6eliere; if the Spirit o
God says, this do, and the spirit of mar
says, This I hare done, and if the Spirl
of God says, in this you can hope anc
! rejoice, and the spirit of man says, il
this I do hope andrejoice. then does th'
Spirit of God, and the spirit of man beal
testimony (or witness WITH each other
that we are the ''chiidren of God" I'll
| children. then heirs and joint heirs witt
| Christ" and hence we have a right tt
j hope, with full assurance Of faith, tina
there is crest remaining for us. Thi
reasoning gives us such full and i'm
plicit confidence in the Word Of God
that we can say we know we have passeC
out of darkness into the glorious Ggh
| Of the Gospel, and from Death INTO Life
and have become ''sons of God" ant
4 hence are entitled to that rest that re
. mains. iF.'5
But there is a rest that is to be enjoy
ed in this life, TO which we now wish tC
cali your attention. 1t is the rest th'
Christian enjoys in the Church that res
, to which the Savior calls US in Math. 1i
2S-29, when he says, "Come unto mt
all you that labor and are heavy la
den and l will give you rest. Take my
yoke upon you and learn of me, for
, am meek and lowly in heart, and yor
shall find rest unto your souls" W.
may talk of rest from earthly tolls to
gether with that rest that comes upon al
the living, surely and certainly, which i;
found in the grave; some with dread and
fear, others with welcome depicted upon
their faces But when we talk about the
rest into which the Christian has entered
in this life. we step one step higher; fol
it is a rest before which every Other
H ,,I,o q