Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1873-02-14

| MISCELLANEOUS.
| There was abated in water tax Sl4. Oh from the
charge against Orlando Smith, and $2.l6 from
]. l.. English.
The Committee on the Poor reported that
Overseer Hall did perfectly right in refusing aid
to Ghas Green, colored applicant
committee was appointed to confer with the
W Asylum authorities, relative to bearing a
portion of the exI ense Of repayIng the walk
from the Va Hotel to the Asylum gate.
Adjourned.
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE AT the Presbyterian
Church on Sunday, Rev VIM E. Baker preached,
for the rst time after an absence of four weeks
Notwithstanding the roughness of the wealth
er the church was filled to welcome his return.
The audience was rewarded by sermon of great
ability delivered from The text sThat all the
world may become guilty before God,'' ROM 8:
10. The speaker referred, in illustration of his
text, to the Investigations now progressing into
the characters of prominent public men at Wash
ington. These he said descend in public
estimation in the measure that their guilt is
known and believed, but when, in addition TO
ondemning and providing for lis punishmentby
| Imprisonment and perpetual exclusion from Of
fee, the case becomes much more serious. To
be condemned man means much more than to
be bad man. Many public character, who
would rather think it compliment to his ac-
cuteness, when ,old that he had done an un
scrupulous act, thinks differently of it when he
is brought before an examining committe, and
the law and penalty ma known No promises
then of better life can avail, and should one OF
those men now accused at the capitol, offer such
the country would laugh at it, Equally vain
| would be rehearsal OF former good character
His fall would be pilied, but his fate inevitable.
He is condemned. The trouble with him is that
| he is condemned and the law has been applied
to him. 1t is not alone that be is corrupt blu,
that he is condemned. And in this feeling the
world readily acquiesces; but when the same
process is developed in the teachings of the bible
they are disregarded.
Men plead character works, the good they
have done, all, forgetting that they are already
| condemned and that they only plead for the
mercy, not the justice of God. And this ap peal
is not to be founded a confession of their sins
There is nothing in mere confession, either in
a religious, or worldly point Of view, that can
make any claim TO mercy The sense of our
vlleness is very crushing, butt has by means
The terror for us that the knowledge that God has
decided our case and that there is no appeal,
has. His decisions not made on caprice, but
with the ixedness of law 1t is not that the
sovereign has been insulted, but the lGa0 has been
P+I,o -, IL.
speaker might say something, but it was of its
paramount authority that be would speak,
something that did not depend upon our opinion
Of 1t Poor Humanity may raise doubts as to
who has broken it, but the scriptures are clear
''tbere is none ighteous no not one; and it
may also discuss degrees of ansgressing, but
He has declared that "whosoever shall keep tn,
whole law aud yet offend in point he
guilty of all" The aspostlr af1irms here thai
We objects of wrath by nature, Just as some
are Jews by birth. This notice of our condemna-
| ton draws attention, away from all the
| other evils Of our state, to it. 1t arouses The
| an agonism of the human heart and mind and
it RACES against God. The sinner argues thai
as he cannot render obedience that will salts
fy the justice Of God, he is only required TO sat-
isfy His mercy-in other words that the worse
men are, the more excusable they are and the
more right to mercy, and that God is inhuman
| if he does not grantit. From this blasphemous
theology we turn to such declarations as that;
"God SO loved the world that he gave his only
begoten SON." He does not diminish the pen
atty or lessen the certainty of its ipfietion. He
does rot lessen The requirements of the law He
shows his mercy not in allowing the sinner to
trample on the law, but in giving his Son, and
cries, Tears, reformation OF life, change of
heart can avail nothing unless the sinner &C.
cepts Him. We must cease to question the JUS
tce of God and accept his condemnation, and
the moment accept The debt we accept Ills
is that dispute Gods account, but the mo-
ment we acknowledge that, and accept its pay
ment, we transferred from the prisoners box,
to place among the innocent and the justified.
If all this is true-if the Bible is true you are
not only depraved but you condemned. 1t
| is meet, therefore, that you should place your
self before God and ask the question, ''am
condemned?" You will find your heart rising
against every thing you have been taught TO re
|
| who have exhibited concern in your salvation
| These symptons unavoidable where the soul
is brought face to face with the agony of its con
demnation. Do not despair. The morning will
come and you will find that in wrestling with
! hard doctrines and unpalatable truths you were
wrestling with God ; and at last submission will
come, your heart will be broken, the tears will
How, and to your weakness the mighty One will
say ''as Prince hast thou power with God and
hast prevailed.' Thus in humbling yourself
and being made as nothing you will conquer.
sEpTUAGEsIMA SUNDAY.
Sunday was desgna ted in the Episcopal church
calendars as Septuagesma Sunday, or the third
| Sunday before the great Fast OF Lent, which this
year commences on the 26th of this month
Septuagesima Sunday not only marks period
in the progress of the Christian year with refer
ence to the approach Of the Lenten Fast, but
more particularly points to the approach of the
Festival of Easter, and falling about the seven
teth day before that great period of rejoicing in
the Christian Church, Is hence called Septuagesi-
ma Sunday. This Sunday marks decided
change the character of the services prescribed
in all ancient Church rituals With this Sunday
the Church passes from the jubilant ass ociations
of Christmasti1e and Epiphany into the shadow,
so to speak, of the great sorrow and humiliation
OF the approaching fast of forty days, and the
Scripture lessons, collects, epste and Gospel
point more particularly to the cultivation of
those tempers that comport with due prepara-
ton for the proper improvement of season de-
voted exclusively to self modification and re-
pentance. With this season all the decorations
and adornment of the Sanctuary that were dis