Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1872-12-10
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

I
the new converts were admitted as members,
making, with those heretofore noticed, one hum
dred and one who have been added to that
church by this revival so far. A number of 9TH
ers who were converted at this revival have uni
ted themselves with other churches About one
| hundred and seventy have been converted up to
this time.
The sermons of DR.. Rosser on Sunday morn
ing and evening last, were founded on the te 1t :
"Knosving therefore the terror of the Lord, .re
persuade nsen"-II Corinthians, v. IL.
He divided the text into two subjects-'Terror
and Persuasion. The first -"Terror'-was
the subject of the sermon in the morning.
After mentioning that the human mind was
forcibly impressed with subjects alphabetically
presented, and after giving other illustrations
than that of the text in which st. Paul presented
subjects in contrast, he stated that the text
deduction from the pr enaises contained in the
verse preceding it, which is as follows: For we
must all appear before the judgment seat Of
Christ; that every one may receive the things
done in his body, according to that he has done,
whether it be good or bad'
Terror, he said, was the ground of persuasion.
The terrors were three:
First, Every one is forming character for fu-
ture. final adjudication.
Second, The recttude or justice of that adju-
dication.
Third, The fEality of the judgment which
will be rendered.
In discussing the second terror, he showed
that justice demanded, LIST, That every one. with
out exception, should be judged at the bar Of
God on the day of insl account.
End, That every sgord and act of each one
should be judged.
3rd, That every thought of each one should be
judged.
4th, That each and every one should be judged
according to his obligations. To whom
much is given, of him much shall be re-
quired.
there was no appeal from the judgment-t was
final and irreversible. No conceivable plea, as
that of Ignorance weakness" or good in
tentions." could avail. That there would be no
friend at ccurS' to influence the decision of the
Judge, and that even the fullest confession of sin
and the most contrite penitence could not avail
III that day to avert the awful sentence, depart
from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire prepar-
ed for the devil and his angels - During life
we have an advocate with the Father''-at
death our fate is sealed.
When about to read the first hymn in the SER
vice of the evening, Dr. Rosser announced that
it was the favorite hymn of noble spirit and
noble christian-Gen. II. E. Leland was ap
propriate to the present occasion. 1t was the
hymn beginning
How firm foundation ye saints of the Lord
The text was the same that of the morni ing
In the evening, his subject was PERSUASION
in the morning terror" as stated above. He
said, this morning we stood around the throne,
to- night we stand around the cross. The throne
and cross are inseparable The first terror" as
stated in the morning, was, that every one was
forming q character for future, final adjudlca-
tion Tie offset to it is that by the blood of Je-
sus the character could be transformed, changed
from evil to good and prepared for the final judg'
ment. There was persuasion In that fact There
was omnipitency in the death of Jesus
'"Twas great to speak world from naught,
Twas greater to redeem"
The second terror" was the Justice Of the ad
Indication. Justice demanded dsath-mercy de-
manded life. The Offset to the second terri or was
forgiveness Our sins would be fogiyen yea, not
only forgiven, but forgotten-they would be
| 'blotted out from the book of rememberance.'
The saints at the last day will not be confronted
| with their sins-they will be forgotten Sin for.
given is equivalent to no sin-there is ''persua-
sion' in this. 1t is better to have been sinner
| and to be saved than to be an archangel who had
never sinned.
The third terror was that there was no ap-
peal from the sentence of condemnation; the
offset to which is that there be repeal of the
decree-"Come, ye blessed of my Father. inner
it the kingdom prepared for you from the foun-
dstion of the world"
The righteous are 'heirs of God and joint
heirs with Christ" and as such have rights OF
which no power can deprive them. for more SOL
| i'd than creation are the foundations of redemp'
ton, 'for verify say into you, till heaven and
earth pass, one jot little shall in no wise
pass from the law, till all be fulfilled"
There is persuasion" in the fact that the ina
| Judgment of the righteous cannot be reversed.
Oil how hard it is, he exclaimed, to persuade
persons to become Christians-it is easier to per-
suade them to become murderers. They wade
through the blood of Christ to hell-fre. He
| would not he proclaimed exchange offices with
the archangel Gabriel, for Gabriel called dead
| bodies, he called dead souls Gabriel called them
| 10 the throne, he to the cross-Gabriel to con
| demnation, he to salvation.
| At the conclusion of the sermon when peni
| tents were invited to the altar. number accept
ed, and before the meeting was dismissei six OF
| eight found peace in conversion.
| CONFIRMATION AT EPISCOPAL CHURCH.-This
| large church was crowded last Sunday mornin G
| to listen to the Ri Rev. John Johns, ID. D., the
| venerable Bishop of the Diocese of Va, and to
| witness the solemn and touching ceremony OF
| the laying on of hands and confirmation by him,
assisted by the Rev. Mr.. Hullihen. After
short service, Bishop Johns preached most i'm
pressive sermon from Peter, LIST Chapter, 9th
verse.
| At the close of the sermon. 81 persons wen
| forward to the altar to be confirmed, according
TO the sacredly solemn service of this church. -
| First, Renewing the vows, made for them by
their sponsors in baptism. they kneslsd and the
| Bishop laid his trembling hands reverently upon
the bowed head Of each saying: Defend, c
Lord, this thy child with thy heavenly grace
that he may continue thine forever, and daily
increase in thy Holy Spirit more and more unit
become into thy everlasting kingdom" the Con
| pregation and confirmed responding earnestly
f"Amen."
The scene was one long to be remembered and
truly impressive The good old Bishop, in hi
| flowing robes of Office, his careworn but aimos
angelic face, and his steps that seemed trembling
unon the boundaries of better and purer world
1 ~ raoanarated ones around the al