Gospel Herald, 1859-12-17

              Devoted to Ch.i-i.stianity, Mofality, tlxe Interests of Sat>>>ath. Schools, Social Improvement, Teinperance, Education, and Genei-al Neva's.
" BEHOLD,   I   BRING   YOU   GOOD   TIDINGS   OP   GREAT   JOT  ....   ON   EARTH   PEACE,   GOOD   -VVILl;   TOWARD   MEN."
VOL. 16.
DAYTON, 0., SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1859.
NO. 32.
SELECT POETRY.
Live for SometMiig.
Live for something, be not idle—
Loolt about tlice for employ I Sit not dov/n to iiaele.sa dreaming—¦
I,ixlior is the sweetest joy. Folded hands are ever ivcary,
Seliish hearts arc never gay. Life for tlico hath many duties—
Active be, then, wliilc you may.
Scatter blessings in thy pathway!
Gentle words and .cheering smiles, Better are than gold and silver.
With their grief dispelling wiles As the pleasant sunshine falletb.
Ever on the grateful cartli,  ¦ So let sympathy aud kindnoBS
Gladden well the darkened hearth.
Hearts there aro oppressed and weary;
Drop tho tear of sympathy. Whisper words of hopes and comfort.
Give, and thy reward shall be .Toy unto thy soul returning,
From  his porfeet fountain head, Freely, as thou freely givest,
Shall tlio grateful light be shad.
ORIGINALITIES.
IKj-i«eii/(ir the Gospel Herald.
The True Character of   a  Eeligious Journal.
BY II. y. iu;gH.
What aro the true oliaracteiistics of a religious journal? There ia scaroly any q^uestion upon -wliich there i,s a .greater variety of opinion, than this. S'oarly every man thinks he entertains tho most correct notion as to what con¬ stitutes the excellence of a newspaper; and supposes ho could odittho best ever known, llcnco, tho prevalent disposi¬ tion to haunt an editor with dictations and suggestions touching the grave ini- perfectious of his paper. One friend wants much practical and little theo¬ retical matter. Another tieliglits in continual speculation, but thinks every thing proay of a practical nature. Ono like.'^ a long, senseless harangue on some threadbare dogma; anolhcr, short, pithy, pointed communication.s on tho fundamental doctrines of life. Oiie loves to see his brethren disputiHg and wrangling on controverted points, sup¬ posing this tends wonderfully to tho discovery of truth; another is satisfied with a tame, monotonous, cowardly sheet, that leaves at rest the popnlar evils which threaten Church and State. But in our taste and judgment, wo honestly diifer from eacll'of tlieso ideas; believing that a rcligioaa organ, in its main featarc, should be emphatically a family newspaper. Its design is to supply the spiritual wants of the home- circles vyhieh they visit. These circles are made up of parents, and cliildreu— brothers, sisters—g:rowi»g up to fill the most respon.siblo stations, and to direct tho destinies of othoi- genera¬ tions. Talk about elaborate disquisi¬ tions ou metaphiysicsandtheologysup¬ plying the wants of their unfolding Hpirits ! Not les& absitrd would it bo to give them a aerpentorstone to nour- ii?h their growing bodies. In order to elfoct good, the matter of a paper must necessarily bo atlapted to.tho intollloct-
nal fiiculties and moral wants of the fiirailics that read it. When we seat ourselves around the table of a well regulated family, we,observe a variety of food, cooked and served in such a manner as to suit the ago and condi¬ tion of each member. Hero the laws of liygieneaiid physiology aro reduced to practice for the health, strength, comfort, and efficiency of tho family. .As you cast your eye over such a table, a moment's reflection will convince you what a religious journal ought to be— sychological, in opposition to physio¬ logical. Look at the internal arrange¬ ment and apparatus of a school-room ; observe a family library, sitting-room, wardrobe, and you readily see that in- tcllecttial, temporal, physical wants of tho entire family aro cared for. Wh'at, then, constitutes a family newspaper? A selection of matter and variety of communication so proportioned and arranged, aa to meet the diversity of spiritual wants in our home-circles.
But, says one, "Let us have a distinct paper to answer these different purpo¬ ses," Then lotus havoa distincttablo, a distinct parlor, a distinct fireside, for each membor of our families. No, no; let the children, the youth, feel that they havo wants in common with oth¬ ers; that there is acommingliDg of in¬ terest, duty, and tlcstiny that will not permit the family newspaper to be¬ come a "dead letter" to tho child that may desire to peruse its pages. But however well it might be to havo dif¬ ferent papers to meet tho wants of youth and maturity, yet, it cannot be denied that thousands offamilice could not, or would not, avail themselves of both. Another reason why our reli¬ gious paper should contain a youth's department, is, that those to whoso charge may be committed tho train¬ ing and education of children, may thus obtain such ts. fund of instruction as will make them ready and effioient in their duties. They need to read va¬ rious- communications designed for children, that thoy may also become fsimiliar with tho style in which in¬ struction for the young i& most useful¬ ly conveyed. I never fail to read ¦with pleasure and interest, the '•Children's CJorncr" of the//«vrW. In fact, I en¬ joy myself as well in their little nook, as in the capacious eolomna of the el¬ ders. From it I glean much good ma terial by which to adaf»t my diaeourses t© the young.
There can be no doubt that our peo¬ ple demand a periodical strictly adaj)- tod to tho moral wants of their tiimilies. Deprived, as many of them aro, of a regidar ministry, Sabbatii Schools, libraries, etc., we require apaper which will act, in a ra'casuro, as a huhstilute for those advantages. Thus ^^il\ its worti'i be appreciated, and a palriinage bo rcalijiod', that will give it woiuler- working power a.s an advocate of saving truth. ThiMwill it bec&me, not only the herald of good tiding.s, hut the fororunhcr of a happier day lor our beloved Zion.
Finally, let the .Herald be a fwuhj paper, bringing to our homes tho rich¬ est lessons.of life for both the old and tho young. Let it go forth laden with the bread of" life to supply our moral wants, and- to.' give nerve and llhro to the spiritual man. ThoH will its cal- iiran& be weteoniocl inta every lionae- hold, and  greeted aa a measenger of
good to all—as a burning index point¬ ing to the path of virtue—as a guar¬ dian angel leading us through the mazes of earthly life, and whispering to the departing soul the triumphs of the cross and the promises of immor¬ tal life.
WriUenfor ihe Gospel Herald.
The Value and Importance of Faith-
¦BY   M.   aUSTIN.
. [CONTINOF,0.]
"But -without faith it is iniposaiblc to pleaj^e Ilim."—Heb. 11: (i,
3. A third . remark in the explana¬ tion of our subject is, that fiiith is of such a nature that it is adapted to meet all tho crils of the world. The idea is, that the want of Jaith has boon the source of all the ills which man has endstred, and if restored, the evils of the world would be at an end. The cause of all our miseries is a want of faith, or confidence in God. Thus it was with Adauii. As long as ho had confidcncein God, he was ha])py. But, when that failed, he was ruined.— When he placed moi'o confidence in the false teaeiiing of the tempter than in the law of God, he brought misoi-y and ruin upon himself; and tho want of confidence in God was there, as it ever has boon since, the source of all the woes that man has experienced, With strict philosophical accuracy, all the miseries and ills which havo. come upon the human lamily have arisen from a want of confidence in Go(l.— Man has no confidenco in- .God's law, in His goodness, in His truth, iu His promises, in His threatenings,, and in .His qualifications for universal empire. He docs nut believe that trod manages Lhe afl'aiTH of the universe well, that His law is equal and just;, that His dispouHations are in accordance with e([uity and justice; that His plan of salvation is wif^e. He does not show confidence in Him byyielding implicit obedicficoto His will, or by submitting to Hi* teachings; he docs not seek support from Him in times of trial and calamity; he does not commit his im- miortal intereRtsto Him, believing that lie will be his guide through life, and afterward receive him to glory. But he confideb in other things; he con¬ fides in his own strength until it fails, in his own wisdom till it deludes aud deceives him; in his fe!!ow-men till they betray him, ho confides in idol- gods, ill graven images, ia htOck« and stones, and in four-tijutod beasts, and cree])ing things; but he lacks taith, or eoniidence, in God.
This is the grand evil of tho ^^orld, this tho source of all our sorrows awi ills; for a want of eoniidence hero pro¬ duces the same kiufl of evils as a want ot eoniidence «)very>\ here. Wa have SI en tliat tlie happiness aiuUvellfiiro o-f society depend upon mutual ( nnfidence. Xow, suppose the members of a family, or i^ociidy. could nor repose coiuidcuLii iu each other, what would be the ro- Bttlt.-' A wor-io cmifusiou than that of Babel would take ])laee. No ouo wniihl know iu wiiom to trust; no one would be certain thais any of his purposes of life could bo eifecled, fin- he coul I not rely on the fidelity of others for ono moment. Tlie remedy for such a state of thing'* would be the rostwration of mutual confidence. In such a state of thinKS, nothinii  would   hav* a  moro
powerful effect, Itwonld, indeed, meet all those ills, and make society har¬ monious and happy.
That all our miseries and woes have been produced by a want of confidence in (joil, ia voiy evident. It was this that brought rain and misery upon our race ; it has filled thoworld with griefs and sorrow. Now, the restoration of confidenco in God ^vonld strike at the root of all those ills, and make ttiis a happy -world. It is this which makes heaven happy, wdiere all have confi¬ dence in God, and in one another; and, with, all our external sources of tVon- blo and woe, with.all tho sorrows and ills of poverty-, want, sickness, bereaVe- ment, and dreaded death, this too would be a happy world, if there were uni¬ versal confidence in God. In all our sorrows and ills in siclvness-; bereave¬ ment, or in any form of woo, wo would then liave joy and peace, for we should believe that all is well ordered. This done, what a happy world this would be; and this is tho whole aim of tho Christian religion—this is the object of the .scheme of redemption. Hence the necessity of faith is laid at the foun¬ dation of tho whole ¦ schonie ; it is tho great and cardinal thing in tho plan of salvation.
4. A fourth remark in the explana¬ tion of our subject is, that tho faith ia made a condition o-f salvation. It is proper, and right that tJiere should be somo conditioas of salvation ; that is, that there shoiiild ho somo reason why life and rewards are bestowed. This is essential to- the good order of any government. Now, in order to om- beipg saved, there should bo something on our part which will indicate our wish to be saved ; or which will show tliat we regard nalvation as a great and desirublo thing; and that wc are willing to be saved in the method laid down. Thi.s proposition ia so clear, that I presume it will tao admitted by all, ludess it be ludd that all men will bo savoil; and even then it would hard¬ ly bo maintained that men would bo saved without any conditions, or with¬ out some reasutiahle grounds whytlaey ihould bo admitted into heaven.
That, if meiii aro Muved, it is to bo 'loiic on Hdine conditions, seems to be clejr, because it; is the universal law under which wo livo. If wc are to have anything, it is ou certain condi¬ tions, if wealth, we are to labor for it; if a harvest,we arc to sow and plow; if health, we are to obey certain laws and use pvo[)er precautionK in. regai;cl to it; if ropntation, wo aro to show that we dc^ervo it. Thero in net one thing which wo hope for under the operation of chance or hap-haaard, or which a wise man would calculate from that source. It is true that favors aro somtimes coiifciTod without resj)cct to any conditions; but thoy arc not re¬ garded a.T governed hy law or princi- ])le; nor do th«y enter into a wise man's calcul;»-tions. The groat law un¬ der which wo livo is quite difFcreut.— It is, tliat there are conditionH on which all that we hope for depends. Since this is thcfijcneral law under which we livo, surely iiii one can complain that tho otFer oi' ctcniul happiness is put on tho same I'lKiting. Indeed, nO'One does complain; ii-,r one pleads up morality as a condition of salratioa; another docs sonr^thing ; uthird.is kind to \\i-i family,  hj ihj poor ;ind tMstressed; :i