, 1874-10-05

o,tst, tho recovery Of the siok, and tho uafo ar
fron, God what, it any nun nilcceodu In once lii
Mid, ~ to "eeet!on," DO you rot tln1 IN
sys, tue o, sfSst s,s M Of ed rros
nnl erlyIng law which no man can 1athom, ny
which ao'no arc md nomo aro not tho tlttcnt
Il II anything 90 vory different from what wo
ataEtirlg ous ii, right conditions, how 'nlnlntsrod
NO kil1w not, kcopa on to tho 'fulnllment of Its
dostiny, that souls born Of God In tho new birth
should 1.-Two on in faith ?
out OF tho oyernuch wisdom OF tnon aud par
tcu1artY wlcto inforonco Ia taken for fact.
There ato those who dlaort the fsete Of human
hsory and t9 dS1ns power nsny '! by sttrb
sdo Tho facts. II God nlaJo all men. and fore
knew all deatiny, md aono mon become wrecked
and lost 1t ia short jump Of 1ogia to say that
untrue. nd false representation OF God.
I afir,n, therefore, that tho lard anyinga
q Christianity ss srs not charaetorla.i' .,;a q
law in ioia,e, aIl kially, inspiring, full Of Gods
1oyo, mud 1,romissng Of n better md grand fu-
tnrc on Garth and boyons, for eSn!s jesus
thought and Of life, acquainted with all hoghts.
ali depthu ali brcadts, ali powors, and superior
to all, to trAld nov aud bostor Kingdom, IN
which oyosy suffering soul may laYo full share
rho fashionable naturallsm OF tho day Is,
moat Of it, pautholsm only thiuy disgnised:: It
otrcrs, kn CIV, something more gonta1, as loaBt
claiming to bo more human. tlan christianity.
now thing u1.dor tho sun ,that eYer and anon i
has propoln}d to take tho place of roSoalea
| religion, always at Hrst enthrnl}ing nenti-
mental natul1ca. but rarely reaching tho solid
tbinkorn of nlsy hgo, md after little ls abh1i-
doned by the 11asaes, as toy, worn out, for tho
| ola solid, 1oinlte. practical doctrlnos OF tho
! Now Testament. Dissolve it's onticiug drapcry,
and you IND nothing underneath. mo pardon for
in 'Goa,-nothing but tho lowery md icy
| ongoing Of ure, ard after time slipping OF
it's dlsguiao, alti confessing thai u tho broad
universe thoro il. no room for God! It will not
Like tho Villo tin fIavre, Which wont dorm some
mouths ago, it has ologant upholstery, and trace
work Of marble and gold, and es'1nptnota ap-
poinsments, and rides b1ayely ~ still Wsters !;
| porils Of tho bo;a ferrous doop. It is not new
! evon. 1t has not tho morlt Of advanced thought.
| It is that cndlc,s crco iu which sagcn have
travelled ,nd found nothing i i1 tho bringing
pooplo. goods which woro shop-norn WHOM tho
| alal carried thctr gifts to tho Infant Jesus.
Lucrotiue, who, ac',orllng to Tyndall, reached
the ultimate ot tl,onght, lived, aud sung an9
said: "Where IL Tho scribe, whore is the wise,
where ia tho dsputc1 Of this world2"
Christianity may l,s'Ye hard saynEs. It may
be thoroughly true Tor all that. It doea not fol
low that tho hard sayings commend religion, OF
that it is mock tf yirtue, OF unusual grace,
either: to multiply or e1ngGeraso them Indeed
quite tho contrnry; It III incumbent on all 'rhC
affirm tho faith Of Jusua to bo careful not tc
affirm anything outside Of the record, either If
1nattor1 OF fact or inf,Mencea from fact contrary
to tho common conBons Of good, willing souls
Inside tia record, what God has said ull1 enaur.
| till tlo heavens pass away.
Christianity, III popularity understood, has madf
great gain by tlo frner thought of Our times
II las found better principles lot Interpretation
it haa como nearer 10 tho Diblc Wow ot
tho death Of Jcsus AZ q sin-oGarlng; it hae
justifles because it ia tho seed-nrinciplo enc
stsrting-point of all godhuoss and true right
eouaness; it has loyclcd many Of tho fences the
Christians hnyo built to ahut themselves in and
to shut others out it las reduced the sect from
jHre oiriao idoa to convenience taste, aud opin:
ion inheritance and usefuiaess. What noW oil
believers ahould ace to IL, that 1t does not fai
ont into nothing distinctive, nothing powerful
to sayo world OF sinnera-R moro tropical
marsh, full OF beauty aud perfume, but no place
to build citcB and carry on tho tratic Of tho
world. Sentiments arc fed by idoas., Opinions,
clear cut and incisivo, II thoy. bo only juet, arc
the grandost powers OF the human mind.
II we leave jesus Christ. to rlom shall wo go ?
Which way Tor rest, for sa&yation? Where, 9
sinnera, bruised, and weary, aud helpless
Whore, 0 sad heart, whose wealth or whoso love
IL taken away? Whore, o soul, tossed, ant
driven, and butfetcd, full of wcunds, and faint.
Icss and night? Whero, o footsoro traveller
wearying thine Dyes at the fork Of tho road, cry.
ing out like beggar for tho broad Of life, pant
ing on tie hillside, tho great sombte forests
hiding the path, whero2
Mono scon to know where, and yet some soon
quito ready to walk no more With llim. ReaBo1
nud conscfeuca bid n man to ask "Wlero ?
| heart and hope bid him ask "Whero ?" tho al
most impoHsibility Of coming back whcn tht
soul has become weary OF Josus and His wordE
1lavo onco become All ofIonao to him, bid hiG
ask ''Whore?' that great future, wloso yaH
distances may DO tho base OF Gil anglo which, al
the point OF blending, is so flno That both side.
sccm like ono straight line, hid him nsk-
Whcrc7 Ia there any knowledge like Christt
knowledge, any power like Ills pcwer, any lore
like His love, any fellowship like His fellowship
any inspiration 70 high and noble deeds like thai
Which comoe from Him ? my roposo OF mint
lika that which is found iu Him 2 any triumph
and assurance, and great joy, and Iision-sooing
like that OF tho martyrs pnd confcaaors, ant
busnblo souls who, liko Potor, have Aaid "W<
know aud nrn Buro tint Thou art that Christ
tho Son Of uod;" or, like Paul: "Neithcr 1ifo
nor death, nor things preaout, ndr things tt
come, nor height, nor depth nor any other croa
tnre, shali be sblo to separate us from tho lort
Of God III Christ JeBus"