The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1879-02-08
LAY SERMON.
No. &.

LAY SERMON.
s .a.ar
NJ. q.
"ln vain do they worship me,
teaching for doctrine the command.
ments Of men,"
The Jewisl, religion ut the coming
Of Christ, had undergone cOnsidera,
bic change in practice and ceremo.
NAL. When Moses led the 1sraelites
from Egypt they were rude and un.
lettered race, although superior to
the people around them, in that, they
retained an imperfect knowledge, and
worship Of the God of their fathers.
Their ideas OF the mutual relations
and dnties of men to each other were
vague and unsettled, yet perhaps as
full and precise as they were capa
bic Of receiving; it was ''burning
for Turning, wound for wound, and
strike for strike" Age after age,
had passed away, and they h'i grown
into purer and higher morality.
Much Of the law of which Christ
said, mot one jot or title shall pass
away, hat: become not the less true,
but obsolete-men had gone up high.
er; they needed to be taught not only
the letter, but that spirit of tho law,
which "maketh alive" They were
ready for the coming of the Divine
Person, whom a long line Of Prophets
aud promises bad taught them to
look. But they expected that he
would take on him the royal state If
monarch, and leader, they "trusted
that It would have been He which
should have redeemed Israel" They
had no idea of the kingdom Of peace,
that spiritual empire which was to DO
established in the heart.
The Pharieees, whose tenacious
love Of ceremonial, whose long pray.
e1s in the market place, and ostenta.
tious alms.glviDg were to win the
praise of men, were numerous and
influential class. Against these, tho
meek and lowly one, % most opposed
to the spirit Of bis own kingdom,
pronounced bis most severe rebuke.
WOE unto you scribes, Pharisees,
hypocrites, for 70 bind heavy bur.
dens upon mems shoulders, and
Rrievous to be borne, and will not
touch them with one Of your fiogers -
ye shut up the kingdom of Heaven
against men, and neither 90 in your.
selves, or suffer those who are enter.
ing to 60 in-ye pay tithes Of mint,
and anise and cummin, and have
omitted the weiyhtier matters Of the
law, Judgment, mercy and faith-ye
teach for doctrines the command
ments Of men," The teachings Of
Christ were Numerically opposed to
all this. No outward washings, no
exterior observances could make up
for the inward purity he demanded.
The heart must be first cleaused ; for,
''from within, out of tho heart Of
man proceed evil thoughts, thefts,
wickedness, deceit, covetousness al
these tlinss defile . man."
There ia something 90 infinitely
lovely, 90 grandly sublime in those
words a. they stand out like letters
Of gold on the dark sky of those
times, that we can we'll conceive the
wonder with which the people cried,
''from whence then, hath this man
this wisdom? Is not this the car.
penters son, and are not his parents
here with ia 2"
Something more, something great.
or than any Observance Of mere ritoal
or law was to be observed. To the
women Of Lamalia, he said, 1.-The
time is coming, and now 10, whom not
in this mountain nor yet iu Jerusa.
lem, men shall worship tho Father.
God ia a spirit, and they who wor.
ship him must worship him 10 spirit
and truth" The kingdom Of Heaven
was to he within them, an altar was
to be established 10 every heart.
When one came asking how be should
inherit eternal life, and sayiDg Of the
Law, AL these have I kept from my
youth op," hs replied, ono thing more
thou lackest, 40 and cell oil thoa haet
and give to the poor !; that Il, make
love to God and man, tho fret and
commanding sentiment of life. He
imposed no burdens upon the mind
they were Loyalty to follow his exam.
Pile; to fulfil the whole law in loving
God, and doing good to men. Were
VIC to take his words alone, in all
their simple grandeur, and If be
came to teach men the road to eter.
nal life, he could have omitted moth.
ing essential to salvation, else hi.
work were incomplete, it is astonish.
ing how much exciting creeds would
DO narrowed down. Hs commanded
al men every where, to repent and be
baptized, but he stipulated no particu.
lar form or manner in which It should
DO done. He cries, "lIo, every ont
that thirsteth, come and drink Of the
waters Of life freely !" but lie doe'
not cay that those only can come
who are especially called, that '''from
the foundation of the world, . par,
of the human race were chosen al
vessels Of wrath )" he says nothing o.
the long array Of articles and dog
mas which we are told are Essential
to salvation; the "burdens heavy t.
he borne," the mint and anise and
cumin Of the chulc hes.
Belief is not q voluntary action o.
the mind, although blind assent is
and indisputsbly, wrong belief cal
not be criminal, % = wrong action
no one 10 capable Of believing jus