, 1874-07-06

henrta II thoro Is to-day this preference
ior tlio s4lstanco over tho shadow, worship Of
Wortha Which has nothing but ltB Own quality 10
commend 1t over oil somblances which have no
eloh qunltty, then wo are SO far aliro OF our fu-
tnro, aud wh1lo this heart IL in us tho day tan
novcr como when tho hope which roAo will,
blood aud tears OF tho Fathers and Bons Of the
Nopublo bo lost In tho dust Of ruinol hopes.
OLD TESTAMENT ouRs1Na.
scrition by tho Ncv. Dr. Atlfor In tho Wabash
Avenue synuHoEHo.
Aftor reading tho two able dlacourses dcliv-
ored by tho Rov. Drg. Swing mud koh1er, con.
corning tho cursing usod in tho 1o0th psalrn, It
still may not bo uninteroBtiug to hear third
voice In tho following sermon, delivered by tho
Tov. l.. Adlor, In tho Synagogue, corncr Of We
bash avenue and Peck court, relating to tho
Hamo subject, Of cursing used IN tho Holy Writ
iu general.
Thou ahalt not c,,rso, Elohim.-Exodus, KILL. 2s.
10 tho nncinnts tire curae wan q household
word in heaven as well aB on earth. Tho Gods
cursed as well AZ men. CurBes wero not sthen
matters Of jest, nor wore tnoy used III tho mere
outburst Of m excited mind; thcy wero usod
with full realization Of their rneaning, mud with
IN abiding fath In thoir efficacy.
Dalak sends q royal embassy to purchase from
PrUAe6b4oul4 CulHGT F0Nt[1ul huu uGbkEuQtlFu
ctrso for tho annihilaton Of Israel
Tho Holy Writ, to 10 understood by the pco-
pic Of its time, must needs be written in tho
language Of that tino. Honco, the earth Is
CURSED in punishment OF Adam; Cain receives
curse; Noah curses his grandolild; Jacob oura-
GU his children. The onths OF David Ii the
Paalms arc full and strong h!B oursing Of Joab
Ia most fonrfni. Elisha prononncea curan
ovor his aofvaNt Gehgzi. Solomon toaoles,
"Do not take it nnaiBs If others curse thee. for
we'll thou knowoBt how often thou Inst douo 30
to others" thus acknowledging In the curBo ono
Of the customs of tho day. lie Inns words OF
warning against tho cursing Of kings and
nobleB, eve1, In tho most Bocret chambors, be-
causo even the birds Of tho sir might "becomo
traitors" But other objections to the PRACTICE
OF cursing do not seem to have occurred to Solo
mon.
Tho Talmua continues this practice of curling
even upon tho most tritliug proyocations. Tue
enrso y oyon used as an MD III ntbeaamfnistration
Of Justice.
II OH trial one OF tho parties took advantage
OF technical defect to break given pledge, the
Court ~ors to punish the rascal with tho curse:
Of tho delnge, He will punish also them TINT
bruek their Words" Only tho celebrated vito Of
ltabbi Alein tcenls this practice q goddess QUE.
10 crrso signifies to pray to God to injure the
hated one to tho full extent OF our desires. The
ourso ia therefore form Of prayer. Undor
these circumstances this prohibition Of tho
cursfng Of Elohim" wag q narrowing Of tho
bounds Of widespread evil. Another passage
deaf.
To-day there is not az nnoh Of prayer, In the
higher accoptasiou Of the term, nor is there as
much Of tl.at lower kind Of praying, breaking
out in curse. Even the ropea--once unap-
proachabo in the uso Of tho prayer Of angor,-
of their CUE ses In moro modern PHRASES. Poo
pie Of Intelligence no longer believe i'll tho lnAu-
enc0 OF the curse upon tho fatc OF man. The
car=o Of to-day ia but the outbreak Ut vulgar
sufficiently aroused to resort to violence. Socio-
ty has bhnished tho curse. For us tho word is
snpprt}uons. Onr only nse for it ia In ita enabling
uH to understand the anctenta.
ThouHant3B OF years wero required to civiliZo
the tongncs, and 80 fur enilgllLen the minds
OF men as TO dessroy tic BELIEF in tho efficacy OF
curs'ng.- How tar are VIC from tho time when
the minds OF men will be sufficiently onnoh1sd to
forget tie feelng which Once found vent i'll
curHta
But who is tho Etohi1n ~ whom orr text
commands tts not to curse Our habbis tolls Us
it Is God; The translation ct tho Biblo by Pull
lato 1t !" Judges" and With them arc A1audol-
sohn, Zunz, and others. PAiio and Josephus
rendor it, tic Gods." In accordance with THIS
last rendering wo are to abstain from cnrsing
religious B5stemB Of every kiul, no matter how
erroneous thoy may seem.
AZ tho word Elohm may bc understood to
have various meanings. 30 also u thakallel." " the
Hebrew term for ''curae n in our text and tho
ton any utterances OF disrospecf,il lausuage,
as we'll as actual exocratlon or oursirg.
In this days dissertation We will treat our
text in AL Of thoao acceptations, namely: tho
az Gods" And 10 the term !. tilaSaliel y az
''curso and as " "diaroapectful uttoraucos."
Who is more frequentIy traluced thHn tho Bu-
pronle Being? Complaints against fate, fault