The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-02-28
For the Centre Reporter.
THE SWORD OF REVENGE.

l II r = " OhD Or hE EN Is =.
Revenge according 20 modern usage, Is
= malicious. or spUriul inhic,ion OF pain
or injury, contrary 20 the laws Of Justice
and Christianity. IN return ior an inIury
or ohense Revenge Is dictated by pas
sion vengeance by justice Jesus said.
Pu; up again thy sword unto his place.
FOR all they that lake the sword shall per
ish with the sword Maih. 2t52, These
words Of our Lord suggest his arguments
against using the sword of Revenge. Re,
Venge is Wroug-it Is as bad as murder
Therefore Christ says t. Peter. Put thy
sword back again into the SCAbbard. The
Reasons are the following:
!. You have no commission 90 defend
me. God has invested tho civil mag
isirate with the sword and II he use ii. 50
be IL Self defense IS allowable when there
Is no way OF escApe-BlAcksiorc But
this was another case. The government
had sent these men 10 take Christ and no
private person has n right TO resist lawful
authority, civil or ecclesiastical Peter
had no orders TO take bis sword, and prob
ably meant only 10 crafty his revenge
. Christ did not need Peters defense
Says he, Thirkest thou that | can not
nov pray 10 nv father, and he shall pres.
eut.y give me more than twelve leFions of
angels Math 2553. IL OpO.l One angel
slew SJ COO of the Assyrian army In one
night Whist would GO men be against
-, 90 angels But the time had come
that Christ must suffer, bo forsAken OF
God and men for time, and therefore he
wished no defence. A man should not
seek revenge If be has no defence on
earth Gods angels will encamp around
him and defend him. Christ alleges next.
3. The purpose Of his heavenly father.
Christ says Shall | not drink the cup
my Father gave mo 10 drink My Father
determined in eternity that should suffer.
| will not eudeHvOr 10 change the purpo'e
uf God. God gives you, reader. your cur
ef suffering, not man nor the Dew
should you not drink it2 God = your
Father and will remain your Far#ar.
whether he kiss or scuurgr you Is lar-
nose must be fulfilled, p llal#. Tuar.
is llf. and death IN lhi- cup
The predictions II he u-'gtr'- Is ar-
other argument adduc"d by Chf..r ."aiat
the use uf this sword
How then shall the Scripture e IE'ti'-|
ed My Father published ro t.n vH-'E.
hv the pros hets that must .ufa-y7d a.a
What the prophets hrve written must
.,me to pass, God has sald trHt sau|
shall 20 TO heaven through great trIhuis-
ton and you can't 20 10 heaven without
bearing the cross, or Gods word would
not be true
8. Gods Justice II must be; tho hu.
man race cannot be redeemed without an
stonement. Justice must be satisfied.
What must be, ! will submit to- There i.
n must The old Proverb j.. Must is for
the King. There is another must You
viii md u in Acts. 1922. Must enter the
kingdom Of Gnd through much tr,bula.
tion. We are often obliged 10 say as
AEaph said must suffer this
o The sixth argument OF Christ against
Revenge u kindness. He touched the
ear of Malchus and healed il. Christ
would say TO Peter, This is the way TO
gain an enemy and not by revenge. Hence |
PHul says: Ifthinc enemy hunger. feed |
him if he thirst, give him drink for in |
so doing thou shalt heap Goals Of fire upon |
his head. Be not overcome Of evil. bu; |
over come evil with good. This passage |
from thr Romans applies to private per-
-nns and not 20 the magistrate You can't |
bate q man who is psrsistently kind To |
YOU Jacob svercame Eau with kindness. |
When E.Su saw the presents, etc, of ia |
cob. his strong heart did reient and he fell |
on jacobs neck and kfsed him Indeed |
the inferior animals love those who are
kind 10 them
Reflections.
/. Revenge is great sin 1t is cons
mon sin 1t is common sin among
Church members. Not unfrequently, if a
minister of Christ snys something that
does not suit one OF his mem bers, the neXt
thing is TO cut down subscription-this is
revenge. IN "a thousand instances and
ways one Church member seeks revenge on
he other. Think of Christ's teaching and
both.
We should not seek revenge. We
should not resist lawful authority, in dc,
fence of Christ.
5. We should seek redress in the way
IF law and order and never take the law,
,iyil or ecclesiastical into our own hands.
n the way OF law and order, let us think
md submit and say, Maybe, am wrong.
ememb"rIng that they who take the
word shall perish by it. j. T.,
Aarnnehur1