Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-10-02

! him that believeth in Jesus. 1t reveals
| to US a Christ, who is ''The end OF the
law for righteousness, to every one that
believeth.' Because then of the pecu-
liar, Divine, and imperishable truths 1t
unfolds, the gospel is glorious. =.
| The gospel is glorious because Of its
power! 1t is not mere theory; It Is
an actual force. 1t is not mere abb
stract doctrine it is living power. Its
spiritual adaptation to mans moral ma
ture and necessities, is the unimpeach-
able proclamation of its Divine nature
| and truth. No other system the world
has seen, at all fits mans moral ma
ture, or meets his moral wants. But
the gospel comes to man, as does needed
food to natural appetite. 1t fits all
the varied conditions and interests
of human society. There is not a ciViliz-
alton in the world, that can endure and
answer the ends of mans social life,
| without the Gospel. There never has
, been; there never can be. Greece and
Rome went as far as civilization could
| 80 without the Gospel, and failed. All
the best things of the best civilizations
! of our time, come from the Gospel. All
| the hope of their endurance, is identi-
I fled with the Gospel. Its leavenlng
! power makes them what they are, in all
| that is excellent Strike down your
churches, silence your preachers, burn
your Bibles, expurge from your lltera-
! ture all Christian truth, eXterminate all
Christian agencies, and annihilate all
| Christian influences, and what would your
civilization be? Can you imagine such
state of things, and would you desire
it? What would your government be-
come? What protection would there
be to property and person? What
| stimulus would there be to industrial
enterprise What safeguard to. the
/ family? What moral basis would there
! be to social or individual life Social and
moral anarchy and destruction, would
be the result. Civilization and social
! life cannot endure without the Gospel.
1t is the grand power, that sustains
them. No civilization ever has persisted
hat held to the Gospel, simple and pure
none ever will. Christian civilization
is leading the world to-day, and stirring
up, and lifting up, and drawing on, to a
purer and better life, the pagan nations
of our time Earth's moral desert is
green only where a pure Christianity
flows, only where the power of the Cos
pei is felt.
But, it is upon the individual man that
the power of the Gospel is most seen.
1t has produced the purest, truest,
noblest characters that have ever blest
our race Many a bitter prosecuting
Saul it has transformed into pure,
| self-denying, man-lOying and GOd-sery-
ing Paul. 1t has often shown its power
of transformation upon the foulest and
most forbidding material, as in John
/ Newton, and John Bunyan. Many of
you are the witnesses and subjects of its
transforming power. 1t has brought
you from darkness to light, turned you
from the power of Satan unto God, and
put a new peace into your hearts, and a
new song into your mouths. All you
are to-day, and all you hope for in the
future, you owe to the Gospel BY the
Gospel, you have passed from death I'M
to life.
But, it is in the last great crisis, when
all nature fails US and the earth recedes
from beneath our feet, that the power
of the Gospel is most grandly manifest
ed. Here, the hand is ungrasped from
all earthly supports and reliances, and
| all earthly relations are dissOlving. To
riches, honors, pleasures, home and
| friends, we can hold no longer. Am
! billions, plans, aspirations, disappear, we
are bidding farewell to earth, and stand
! ing face to face with eternity. OF what
| avail now are human theories, rational
! istic speculations, shrewd guessings, and
vain surmisings? These cannot now
satisfy our lOngings, or meet our neces-
! stiles. Nor will it avail to talk to US of
our mOralities, our excellent character,
| our good citizenship, our generous deeds.
| All this is insufficient, and but mock
cry of our impotence. Our want is
| deeper, profounder, and overwhelming.
| We need something to stand upon that is
real and gives us assurance, something out
| side of ourselves, stronger than ourselves,
stronger than anything that is human.
| The gospel comes to us with its power,
makes its affirmations and its promises
/ shine out amid the gathering darkness :;
! lifts the hand of faith and places its
! grasp upon things which are unseen aud
eternal. 1t whispers TO the soul 81 am
the resurrection and the life" Because
| live, we shall live also" 81 will come
to you and take you unto myself, that
where / am, there We may be also. Il
will never leave thee nor forsake thee. ?"
Doubts are dissipated, fear is gone; peace
and Joy fill the soul, and the last utter
ance of thelips expresses rest, assurance,
victory. Multitudes thus die, and the
| Christians death is the browning mani
| festation of the power of the gospel
Thus the gospel is glorious because of
its power. Finally, the gospel is glori-
Gus because it is Gods gospel - the
gospel of the blessed God"
What has already been said Of its
| characteristics demonstrate it to be thus
/ Il = Id Il -
| divine gospel, the gospel of God,
Heavens glad tidings to men. We fol-
low not cunningly devised fables in Civ
ing to it our faith. God hath in these
last days spoken to us by His Son. 1t
brings to US Gods thoughts, Gods pur-
poses, Gods promises, Gods mercy,
Gods saving grace. 1t is ''the power of
! God unto salvation to every one that be-
lieveth" 1t glorifies its Almighty Au-
thor, and lifts to glory all who receive
reaches its climax in this lies its meas
ureless glory-it is the Gospel of the
| blessed God" More could not be said
of it; more we will not attempt to say.
'"The glorious gospel of the blessed
God"
''Let there be lightw Ger heaven and
The God who first the day beam poured,
| Uttered again his nat forth,
! And shed The Gospels light abroad.
I And like the dawn, its cheering rays, e. ~.
| .On rich and poor were meant to fail, s...
! Inspiring their Redeemer's praise,
| In lowly cot and lordiy hall"
This gospel, Christian, you may fold
to your heart. 1t will never deceive
you, never fail you. You cannot trust
it too fully; you cannot take in its assur-
ance too strongly. Upon it you may
rest your all, for this life and the life to
come. 1t is your light and your guide.
Let nothing draw you from it; let
| nothing disturb you in it. Hold to it,
till it brings you home to glory. BY all
it has done for you; by all it is to you;
by all the love of Him whose gospel it
is, strive to maintain it uphold its in
situations; seek to spread it abroad, and
pray that it may have free course and be
glorifed. Deem no sacrifice too great
no labor too aIduous to promote its pre-
valence and power among men. Ex-
emplify it in your life, and let it be your