Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-09-08

A
no social life, no civilization, no hope
| for the future of the race"
Some wears ago, Hon. William II.
| Seward, before the Phi, Beta, Kappa
Society OF Union College, discussed the
question, "What constitutes our Coun-
| try?' He showed that it does not con-
sist in population, cOnsanguinity,, ex-
tent OF territory, or in any oil those
things which a less philosophical think
er would call our country. 1T is, he
said, cts freedom, equality, justice,
greatness and glory" which make Amer
lea our country. But on what do these
rest? Mr.. Seward made this enumera-
ton: 1.-THE spirit OF the laws, the char
acter of public men, the manners OF
a nation, and moderation in private
and public life" This answerdOes not
| reach the ultimate fact, or the final
reason: for il may still be asked, What
| determines the spirit of the laws? what
shapes the character OF public men?
| what fashions the manners of a nation?
and what produces moderation in prl-
yate and public life? The religion OF
nation is the chief fact in its history.
| Benefcent laws, exalted individual
character, manners which express
| moralities, and SELF restraint and noble
| conduct in all relations, are results which
! can be secured only through Christian
| teachings and Christian experiences.
They are the flowers and fruits
| of pulpit light and heat. This
rich harvest springs from the
seed scattered by the Evangelists OF
| Christ. In other words, the power OF
the pulpit is in the Oracles It has 10
| teach, the Saviour it has to declare, ana
| the manifest results OF Christianity In
the hearts and lives OF holy men; and
this power, beyond any other known IN
the world, exalts and purifes the char
acter OF a nation.
). Consider the relation OF the pulpit
TO the diffusion OF the Christian religion.
Jesus Christ preached. Preaching
the kingdom OF God, and teaching those
things which concern the Lord Jesus
| Christ was the Apostolic mission. The
preaching of the Cross the Apostles de-
clared 10 be the power of God. "We
preach Christ crucified," was their
exultant shout. By this sign they con-
ouered. In the dark ages, the altar
was substituted Tor the pulpit, and
shows and spectacles, addressed to the
senses, for the teaching OF Gods word,
with its appeal to the understanding
and conscience. But the Retormers re-
stored the pulpit, purged the ordl-
! nances. and magnitied the minister
rather than the priest. The great re-
yivals of religion, Calvinistic and Ar
minian, on both continents. have been
wrought through the fundamentally
of the preached Word. What preachers
were Luther, Calvin, the Wesleys,
Whitfield, Coke, Asbury and Jonothan
Edwards. What preachers were the
early Methodist mInisters.-"the thun- |
dering legion" as DIR. Stevens calls them,
who stormed the battlements OF hell, |
and laid the foundations OF a continent |
nj and even a worldwide empire for |
Christ What trained, cultured, pow
erful preachers now fill the pulpits OF |
Professionalism, IN this land, and in all |
lands; and how mighty the influence |
which they exert in behalf OF the Chris
tan faith They warn the impenltent, |
they instruct the ignorant, they dis
course OF the grandest truths, they re-
fine society, they eXalt the tone OF con-
science and conduct, they defend the |
Gospel against the assaults OF lnhdellty, |
they organize and sustain charitable and |
missionary associations, they stand for |
law, order and civil gov |
eminent as an ordinance |
of God, they visit and help the sick, be-
reaved and desolate, and they are the
confidence and reliance, in every great |
emergency and need, of households, |
churches, communities and states.
l.. - n
claims Daniel Webster, in that memoir
able address to which have already re-
ferred. "that i'm no country in the world,
upon either continent, can there be
found a body of ministers OF the Gospel,
who perform so much service to man,
in such full spirit OF self-denial, under
so little encouragement from govern
ment OF any kind, and under clrcum-
stances almost always much straitened
and often distressed as the ministers OF
the Gospel in the United States of all
denominations" And, aftec referring TO
what had been done for the country by |
our learned men, bv Our courts OF
Justice and by the discussions in Con-
yress, he adds: "But ] contend that no
literary efforts, no adjudicatiOns, no |
constitutional discussions, nothing that |
has been done or said in favor of the
great interests of universal man, has |
done this country more credit, at home |
and abroad, than the establishment OF |
our body of clergymeu, their support by |
voluntary contributions, and the general |
excellence of their character for piety |
and learning. The force and business of |
these observations will, | think, be ac-
knowledged by every observing and |
impartial mind.
DUTY OF THE CHURCH.
The duty of the church in regard to |
ministers is made plain by the facts and |
considerations already presented, and |
hardly needs either calculation or en-
forcement Christians ought to pray |
that the Lord will call and qualify able |
and faithful men for the work of the |
ministry. They ought to encourage |
those who are in the service, guard |
their regulations, exteId their influence |
and multiply their hearers. They ought |
also to sustain, cheerfully and generous |
~. bv stated and regular contributions, |
those who are engaged in this labor OF |
love. "Let him that is taught in |
the word communicate unto him |
IIlAL ltdiItll III diA RNNN
Gal. go. Dean Afford, COM |
menting on the word, rem
dered Communicate in this text, says, |
ale who shares in the necessities of the |
saints, can only do so by making that |
necessity partly his own, that is, by de-
priving himself to that extent and com
municating to them How few Chris
tians know anything of selfdenial in |
order to the PRONUNCIATION of the gospel!
Whedon saws, in his note on Rom. l5:2O, |
''The Apostle gave his services to the |
Church, but he fully believed that the |
minister was as truly entitled TO his |
compensation as the attorney or the car
penter. IL may be his duty to God 10 |
90; but man has no right TO claim his |
services for nothing. 1t is doubtless a
great injustice that pays the merchant
and the politician fortune, but
paws to the teacher and preacher
pittance, on which he pain
fully economies in mid-liie, with a
prospect of penury in age I'll we
nave sown unto you spiritual things, is
il n great thing If we shall reap your