Gospel Herald, 1860-06-16

              De-voted, to Christianity, Mox-ality, the Interests of  Sabbath Schools, Sooitil  Iinprovernent, TeinperMnce, Etivioation, and. Cxeneral News.
BEHOLI>,    I   BRING   YOU   GOOD   TIDINGS   OF   GREAT   JOY  ....  ON   EARTH   PEACE,   GOOD   WILL   TOTVAKD   MEN.
VOL. 17.
DA.YTOA\ 0., SATURDAY, JUJNE IG, IStiO.
NO.7.
ORIGINAL POETRY.
Writleti/or lite Bonpel Herald.
We miss Them.
BY ,1. SUTTO.N.
With winter and its stormy blasts,
How many iriends have tied; And some who were so dear to tis,
Ave now among the dead.
We miss them in our social rounds;
We miss their pleasant smile; "We miss their cheerful, merry, voice,
We miss them all tlie while.
Where e'er we go, we find some seat,
Made vacant by their fall, Some sweet memorial of their love,
0, yes, we miss them all.
When trouble like a gloomy pall, Hath thrown its shade around,
A.ud blighting sorrow on the heart, A resting place has found.
We miss their oonsolating words.
That cheered us on our way. That counseled us, and bid us hope, ¦ That bid us hope and pray.
We'll misa them all our journey through,
We'll miss them and deplore. We'll miss them, 'till we meet above,
We'll miss tliein, then, no more.
ORIGINALITIES.
Written for the Gospel Herald.
The Ascension of Cl?,rist.
BY  JOHN   SUTTON.
Link JSTo. fi.
After Jesus had gathered His little flock about him; assured them that all power Iq Hea-von and earth -was given -anto Hinc.—commissioned them to go preach and baptize, and pledged His presence to the end of the world, He left the Holy Citj—with -what emo¬ tions, who ean tell? It had been the scene of so many thrilling events, in which he had acted bo important a part. There he had presented the evi¬ dences of his Divine Mission; unfolded the nature, object and importance of His Religion ; and sealed, with his precious blood, the Ne-w Covenant.— There, too, he had beeome experimen¬ tally acquainted with the sorrow and grief of this world. Yet, he had "en¬ dured the cross and despised the shame," and with liis eye fixed upon "the joy that was set before hini," he had overcome.' But he is about to ascend to His Eather, to enjoy "the glory that should follow."
"He led thom out as far as^Bethany^" and while, perhaps, the disciples were wondering what now was to happen, he stops, lifts his hands over them in blessing, and begins to arise from the earth, up higher and higher, until a "cloud receives him out of their, sight." But they gaze up still, anx¬ ious to catch another glimpse of their beloved Master. They were not aware that "two men'Stood by them in white apparel," until their thoughts were re¬ called to the earth, by the assurance that, "that same Jestis should come agtiin, in like manner. They returned to Jerusalem to "wait for the promise, of the Father."
The ascension of Jiisus, was his re¬ turn Home. *Earth was not his native place. True, here he partook of "flesh and blood," and "was made like unto his brethren;" "was in the form of a servant," and in the likeness of men;"
but he   pre-existed,  as   the   following evidences abundantly prove:
1. He came down from Heaven.— [John 3,13 and G,38.] The Prophets were sent of God, but of them, it is not said they came down from Heaven.— Jesus must have been in Heaven, or he could not have come down from Heaven.
2d. "I came forth from the Father and am come into the world; again I| leave the world, and go to the Father." —[John 1628.] He, therefore, just as certainly left heaven and came to earth, as that he left earth and went to heaven, when he ascended.
3d. "Though ho was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor."—[2 Cor., 8: 9.] He was not rich in this world, but poor; yet he was rich and became poor. He must, therefore, have been rich before he came -into the world.— He must have existed, hence, his words: "G-lorify thou me, with thine ownself, with the glory that I had with thee, before the world was."—[John 17: 5: 4J "All things were made by him."—[John 1: 3. Heb. 1: 2. Eph. 3: 9.] He must, therefore, have existed before all things; and in ascending, he was going "up where he was before," [John 6,62] having been absent a little while, on an important errand.
2d. The ascension of Jesus is a pledge of his return; not as the "man of sorrows," but as the Lord of glory; not in the "form of a servant," but in the grandeur of a king; not in weak¬ ness, bnt iu great power; not alone, but with ten thousand of his saints; not with the feeble -wail of a new-born infant, but with the voice of the Arch¬ angel, and the trump of Cod; not to renew the coniict of persecution, of suffering, of dying, but to complete his victory over his enemies, and to elevate his people to a participation of his own glory! "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into hea-ven? thissame Jesus which istakenupfrom you into heaven, shall so come, in like manner, as ye have seen him go into heaven."-^[Acts 1: 11.] As sure as he went up, he will come down. As he ascended in the cloud, with, clouds he will descend; and as angels escort¬ ed him to heaven, so they will to earth.
3d. The ascension of Jesus must havo created a great deal of interest in heaven. When we consider the po¬ sition he occupied then, before he came here, the object of his coming here, the work he had to do, and the manner in which he did that work; his glorious conquests of death and the grave, and the additional honors bestowed upon him by the Father; his return must have been a matter of no small importance, amongst the angels of God. They had annoanced his birth, and sung Glory to God in su¬ perlative strains; they had adminis¬ tered to his -wants; they had commu¬ nicated strength to his sorrow-strick¬ en heart; haii watched with interest his labors of love, and rejoiced at every intimation of his success; they h»d opened the door of his sepulchre, and witnessed His Resurrection. "Why not hail with rapture, his glorious return to Heaven ? T.he Father had loved the world—he compassionated the helplessness of man ; and sent "His only t cgottoh and well beloved Son into
the world," "that the world, through him might be saved." Bnt a great bat¬ tle must be fought with *thc power of darkness. That man might rejoice; he must suffer. That man might live; he must dio. The battle had been fought, nobly, successfully fought; and now he was returning victoriously, from the contest. Why may we not suppose the Father gave Him a grand reception?
Ye Seraph Onhortfl, hoiir,
Ye cherub Itigions, como, To riiatant poata the tidiaga bear,
My Son's returning hoinel
Tjnt Angel-hanils attend,
Hi8 Majesty to aeej Your Lord from earth will now asceud,
Before Him bend the knefl.
Lift tho everlasting galea,
And wide the portala throw, The King of Olory at them waits,
Aacendlni^ from below.
Deep alienee reigna ; each.eyo
la turned to catch the Bigiit, Of Him, ascending throuKU the aky,
In robes of living light.
"He comes!" the Heralds cry,
And Hosts the notes prolong; With wa7ing palms of victory.
Ten thousand joins the song.
God welcomes hia return—
"Upon my Throne sit down," Till those who do thy mercy apurn,
Shallall be overthrown.
And now, ono rapturous song,
Gloiy tl) God on High, Breaks forth from that unnumbered tliron.g.
And rolls along the aky.
To Ood, upon the Throne,
Bo endlesa honors given, And to his everglurioub Son,
By all in Earth and Heaven.
WrittatforOie Goipel llmaU.
Home Missionary Society.
BY J. P. WATSON.
It seems to me that no institution at the. present time could be of equal im¬ portance to the Christian Denomina¬ tion, with a well organized Home Mis¬ sionary Society. Indeed I am truly astonished that the great Christian body have so long neglected this im¬ portant step.
We may not be slow with regard to anything else, but surely we,aro with regard to this.
With our successful Colleges upon the one hand, and our Home Mission¬ ary Society on the other, I doubt not our progress as a people would be without precedent. We would soon be known and our iniluenco would bo felt throughout the length and breadth of every State within our extensive Union, With the exception of such an organization, it seems to me we have every facility we could ever de¬ sire.
, Our ministers are men of zeal and talent, to a great extent of education. They are devoted to their principles, and are willing to devote the entire energies of their, souls in advancing them. In our Denominational Princi¬ ples, all bodies are beginning to be much interested, and, indeed are daily (as their reform in, precept and prac¬ tice seems to indicate) acknowledging them correct. The people, as a majori¬ ty, are not only willing, but desirous of.listening to tho new truths (yet old) that we have to offer—with all these and .many unraentioned advantages, surely we ought to be willing to labor to tho utmost of our ability to assume the position iu the religious world that rightfully and naturally belongs to us. We cannot, as a denomination deny that, at least in many respects, the sects are much in advance of us, and thoir advuuceiueut seems to be more
rapid than ours. Tho question natur¬ ally arises, why is this so? Why is not our pace equal with theirs? Have they better principles—or a more firm or sure foundation? Nay, verily, as long as the Bible is our only creed, and its pure principles our only foundiltion they cannot, in these respects be in ad¬ vance of us. ^rhe secret of their suc¬ cess, I think lies entirely in the fact that they have their Home Missionary Societies. These make them strong and their intluence po-werful in every direction.
Such a society among us, would ren¬ der aid which now we have not, and for which we are daily suffering. There is no portion of our country, where the need of such a society, is felt so exten¬ sively as in the West, and had such as¬ sistance been rentiered us iu the past, 'as it has been to other denominations, we should have been far in advance .of whar we now are. Our cause has been established in but few of our flourish¬ ing Western citiesasyet, whereas they all present inviting, fields of labor,— Neither is it a wonder tlnitsucli points have not been favored witli tho labors of our ministjy. They possess not wealth, upon which to draw for months and years, while a cause so much op¬ posed by the sectiiriim world, is being established. This would be a thing im- possible. BiiLlotalevv missionarios be supported for a Linic, until a corner stone of a s|Hritiial cdilice, is laid, and then even a small amount of aHsintuncc rendered the rising society, fur a brief period, until it becomes firmly founded ed—until it can walk alone—and soon it will take its station among other brilliant stars of our denominational diadem. Other denominations have siicceeded in establishing their cause, only by the pursuance of such a course.
It is a fact that the Christians cannot cope successfully with other bodies, until their lights are seen tow¬ ering aloft from the more conspicuous points of our land. To succeed, it is only necessary that we become known. It would be an easy matter to raise within our denomination $10,000 an¬ nually, by monthly collection; an amount which would never be missed. The amount of good that could be done with such a sum, would.be al¬ most incalculable. By it, at least 20 missionarios could be supported, who might, by the help of God, plant as many flourishing Christian Church¬ es.
I sincerely do hope that our confer¬ ences, at their coining sessions, will take the matter into consideration and not only talk about (as too often the case with us) but act upon, in a man¬ ner that shall tell for our present hon¬ or and future prosperity. May God inspire us with a sense of our respon¬ sibilities as a people, and aid us to act aright.
Little Cbossks.—As a general thing it may be^ expected that all Chris¬ tians will find themselves able to boar the greater crosses of life, they attract 'notice by their magnitude, and, by put¬ ting the'soul on iti guard; give it strength to iiieottliifem.^ But htopy, thrice happy is he, who can boar the ittle crosses which ever lio in wait, and without giving warning like a thief in tho night.