New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-07-12
GODS WAY OF EDUCATION;
HOME AND FOREIGN HEATHENIsM.

Callispe and Prytania streets, by Rev.
e. T. Hooker. Pastor.
sustfy the hesthen through faitS, preached before
the g0spel unto Abraham saying: In thee shall all
nations be blessed. "-Galstlans. Ill. 8.
The blessing of the nations through Abra-
ham was long while in coming. The JUS
LITIGATION by faith of the heather through
Christ has not vet arrived. Let us observe
the policy by which God began and con-
tinues to move in the direction of that con-
summation, that we may understand some
what our own relative position and duties
in the matter. When Daniel Webster would
begin his great speech in reply to Hayne
he arose, and abiding to the necessity to
the mariner, after being long driven before
storms, of casting about and taking his
reckoning, said: II call for the reading of
the resolution, that we may know where
we are" So it becomes us, with such
breadth and penetration Of vision as we
can command, especially in times like the
present of much humiliation by temporal
Affections, of renewed efforts for spiritual
prosperity, and to-day. for this congrega-
ton, of contribution of means for the spread
of the gospelEit behOOves US to look over
our chart, and of all things on the Sab
bath day, the high day of our religious
feastings, get q calmer poise and
wider sweep of observation than ever
before. 1t is not in the power of the ablest
mind, nor in the province Of one discourse.
70 attempt anything like an exhaustive de-
scriotion of the situation and antecedents OF
the church militant and its relation to
the world and the heather. But that text
seems to be appropriate now: 'The time
has come that judgment must begin at the
house OF God, and if it first begin at us,
what shall the end be of them that obey not
the gospel of God?" And what then are our
most dangerous weaknessess What our
nearest and therefore most imperative
duties; that both we and they, both the
Christian Church and nations, and the
heather may be justified by faith in Him,
through whom at last all nations shall be
blessedl We must know the worst and
face 1t fearlessly and with deepest design
and expectation OF bringing it to light and
ultimately casting it aside.
1t is often said in reply to appeals for
missions, 1--WE have heather enough at
home, work enough at home" Verv well;
1t is true. Stick a stake there. We shall
come round to it again in our survey of the
field and its necessities, abroad and at
home.
Letus begin back in point of time, and
with others, and come up Immediately to
the present and to ourselves.
Abraham was to be the channel Of bless.
ing to the nations, as salvation was to come
of the Jews, as the regeneration of the
world IL to come. man wise, through the
faithful efforts Of Christian nations, and of
our nation prominent among them. Gods
policy with Abraham was, first, his emigra-
ton from his fathers house and hampering
traditions, then his separation from other
peoples by long course of special divine |
leadinge and dealings, until his descend |
ants should be educated to the requisite |
condition for the bud, the branch, Messiah,
to grow out of them to bless the world. 1t
is true, by their apostacy from Christ, they |
did not receive the inheritance then, with |
the other nations. But none the less was |
their separation from the rest of the world, |
and their education, notwithstanding many |
reverses and blacksidings, the necessary
preparation for the coming of the Messiah |
through them. Their ancestor, single
handed, could not 60 into all the world, and
teach men of his faithful God We NAV
ask the question, but i, is absurd, why God |
did not use him andhis descendants as
missionaries right Oft, to evangelize men, |
They did 1t on occasionin rather rough |
way. But where then would have been |
their own culture and development; their
breeding in the truth they were to COM
municate, being, as they were, human, and |
at the start on Level with others, not
divine or angelic. nor yet tit to be wrought
upon by the Holy GhoE tor the birth so
we'll expect an infant tobe straightway |
man as expect them to do the work of the |
mature Israel indeed THY must be nursed |
and taught, and kept from too sudden and |
great mixture with the other tribes of earth;
they must have principles md habits, ideas
and long reaching tendencies bred into them
BY careful training and trusting upon very
artificial lattice work at fist of forms and
Observances. Heathenish and vulgar no
<;opc ha hits and fandanciaa yv,rct ha brad
out of them before they would be ripe for
sthe fullness of times" And even then,
and all the way thither repeatedly
they fell away, until finally only a
few besides the twelve apostles, as
it were, one from each tribe, started
out with the Gospel for every creature.
How much less, then, could they at any
time previous have stood the strain of lift
ing with their slender arm the heather
world. or risked the Generalization
nf being merged into it, or merging any
large mart of il into themselves. The der
r;ck which is to swing block after block
from among the masses of mankind to their,
nlaca on that foundation stone which "cut
mt of the mountain without hands" is vet
n All the earth with its upbuilding courses
& living masonry-that engine Of the edit
,ation Of mankind must have unbending
,freneth of uprightness, well swung arms
I'M A. fhS Rock. No STRIPPING nation can
so;st IL fellows dead weight, and ct arms
.n-th. ., ~ the level of brotherhood in its
s..s 49, cinlture, No infant church, though
4 - ia the primitive christianity, an in
80 a HrrrmIaa. can alone or Immediately
49, 49, "a az Iu1aan stables of human degrad-
sfi61 and bak60s a, ~ go. a.. ala
't 3" nvsh .f6e new shoot from the oid
,arent tree Of Judaism, the new sptfisus .