Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-07-30
The Times Change and We Are Apt to
Change With Them.

Ed. Register-In your issue OF Ias'
week there appeared brief notice OF
a sermon delivered in st. Louis, on
the 10Th instant, and the same dis
course was printed in the Republic on
the following morning.
read this sermon pretty attentive
| ly. and was well pleased with it as a
whole. Unfortunately, for myself,
and, perhaps, for others as we'll, who
may entertain views and convictions
on religious matters like my own,
there were some points taken by the
gifted speaker on that occasion that
could not well be endorsed by the
| reader, although, in your notice of it,
one would suppose it received your
highest endorsement. This honor was
quite legitimate.
In looking over the paragraph that
[ find in your paper my eye fel rather
unexpectedly, on the following SEN
tence: "Men speak of getting religion
as though it was something commun-
icated in lustrous moment and the
religious nature shot forth after brief
travail like Minerva from the brain of
Jove.' Such an utterance regard as
quite gratuitous on the part of the
speaker Or of any one else. And for
myself, and those who are like mind
ed with me on this question, would
say, as did the lawyer in the gospel of
Luke: "Master, in thus saying, thou
repoachest US ALL" Albeit, do agree
with this gifted brother in his next
sentence, which reads, "There are
times, unqestionably, of rapid mental
and spiritual development, just as
there are seasons of swift physical
growth, but religion is as truly an
education, and at first as distasteful
and unjoyous a one as the beginning
in any business or employment can
possibly be.' The error that vitiates
the foregoing sentence arises from
making education and religion one
and the same. Religion, in its true
sense, is neither unjoyous nor distaste-
full, according to our way of thinking,
but rather something joyous and de-
lightful to the heart and all affections
of the soul. The man who found his
lost sheep, the woman who found her
lost piece Of money, &C., were in the
highest sense joyful. I need not here
write what these sayings of Christ re-
fer to. The Ethiopian, when parting
with Philip, was not unjoyous. 1t is
said of him that he went on his way
rejoicing, and well he might have
done so.
Now, as to the brief quotation from
some NEUROLOGICAL work, which it
seems has in some way passed into
legend, I have no particular objection,
but to say that it in any way repre-
sents 'getting religion" or "obtain-
ing pardon of our SINS" or in a word
the ''new BIRTH" as these subjects are
entertained by myself and many
thousands of others, I most emphat-
ically deny. A to certain forms of
phraseology that are at times incau-
tiously. and rerhaps improperly used,
they might fairly enough be objected to
when used in speaking of the new
birth; but that the Holy Spirit can
not and does not ever produce an in
stantaneous work in the soul is beyond
the powers or authority of any man
either to assert or think.
In very elaborate sermon preach
ed also in the city of st. Louis, and
by this same gentleman, which was
printed in the Republican, on the 22d
of Feb, 1878, I find many passages
that 1 might quote in proof of what I
am now insisting upon, In this SER
mon I read: "When sinner is ready
to forsake his sins and follow Jesus,
we accept him in Baptism, on his own
voluntary confession ST faith in Jesus
Christ, the Son of God.," We inn
merse him into the name of the Faith
er, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit, teaching him to rely on the
Savior's own promise, "He that be-
lieveth and is baptized shall be saw
ed"
'Then comes the gift of the Holy
Spirit as consequent upon the en-
tire submission of the whole man,
spirit, soul, or mind, and body to
Jesus, our living head"
''Paul says to the Ephesians, In
Christ we also trusted, after that ye
heard the word of truth, the gospel of
your salvation, in whom, also, after
that we believed we were sealed with
the Holy Spirit of promise which is
the earnest of our inheritance."
''To the Galations, he says, Because
ye are sons, God hath sent the spirit
of his Son into your hearts, crying
A Abba, Father"
"It is obdience to God in baptism,
and not the washing away of the
filth of the flesh that makes it an act
of personal conservation, a marriage
to Christ, that we may bring forth
fruit unto God"
A considerable portion of this dis
course is of similar import with the
selections that / have now given.
Upon these selections I have no criti-
cisms that I care to offer. In sub
stance, if not in form, they are ac-
oepted unite generally by Christians