Gospel Herald, 1861-02-02

              Oe-voted. to Oliristianity, Morality, tlie Interests of  Sabba-ih Hchools, Soci.il Impi-ovement, Temperance, Edtioatiori, and (reneral News.
"BEHOLD,   I   BRING   TOtl   GOOD   TIDINGS   OF   GREAT   JOT  ....   ON   EARTH   PEACE,   GOOD   -WILL   TOWAED   MEN,"
VOL. 17.  DAYTON, 0., SATURDAY, FEB. 2, iSGL N0.38.
MAPLE'S   SERMOiSrS.    , fore, before God, anti thoLorti Jesua Christ.who shall roitl character of all who como beforehiin.    Hekno-ws
  judge the quick and  the dead at his  appearing and what is in nuin, and hals a record of all the thoughts,
Wo present our readers, this week,-with the closing kingdom." 2Tim.4: 1.   To the Athenians  he said : words and aotionH of men.    lie-will "bring every work
chapter in Elder James Maple's new Book of Sermons, "The times of this ignorance God winked at; • but now into judgment, with every secret thing." Eccl. 13 : 14. on the " Character and Offices of Christ."    Our binder commandeth all men every where to  repent: because    4th, There must he strict moral integrity.
.    , , , ,       . ,     he hath appointed a da\^ ill tho which he will judge    JNothmg is more ctjsential tlum this in a judge.    He
has promised us the work complete in two weeks; ^^^^ ^^^.^^ .^ righteousness, by that man whom he may have the power to call men to an aecount for their therefore, our friends and any one desiring a work of jja^^^^ ordained ; whereof ho .hath given assurance unto conduct, and bo able to bring out the true character of this description, will forward their orders immediately all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." ^1^, who come before his bar ; but if he is not just he to tho Author at Franklin, O., or to us at this office^Acts 17: 30-31. Here we have a clear statement of is unqualified for his oilice. There have been instan- The reading matter in this book is worthy of being tlie doctrine of the New Testament on this important cos in which jutiges havo bet^n bribed to give an unjust read by every lover of truth, and we hope the mechan- ^^^J^^^' ^^^ ^^^^^ has been the faith of all branches of judgment; but this cannot^ be done with the_ great ¦' •¦ ,      .„ , „ ,1 the church.   Let us notice.    , Judge of all men.    He is a being of impartial justice
ical part of the work will be so well executed that no    t   mi       .,        r ..i -    jr,- ..t.^! ii-„r;ii ..o-n.ior. t,w..-o>.,r „-,nn n,-.,.,-,,.^!;,,.,. f^i,;ori„„rio "
^ I.  The nature of this office. aiiij "wm leniier to every man accoramg to iiiscieecta.
one will be ashamed to give it a prominent place in    jg^    y/^^^g ^^^f^ y ^ ^"p^^^ ^.^g-^^^ ^o ^^j-^, ^^^^_ Korii. a : G.    God gave Christ '¦authority to  execute
their Library. Aman raighthave the power to call men to aecountfor judgment."    He was appointed to do justice, to reward
  their conduct, and to punish them at his pleasure when all according to their deeds, to   see that the  universe
CHRIST THE JUPGB. he had no moral right to do so.    We  have  many ex-siillers no wrong, either by the escape of the guilty, or
    .?; amples of this kind in the history of the world.    Alex-the punisliment of the innoceut.    Ho is free fi-om all  i
The Father judgeth no man; buth&th committed ail judg- Sindar, Ciesar and Napoleon Bonaparte had tho power the imperfections incidenttoall hitman judges. 'Miidg-
ment unto the Son : that all men .should honor the  Son to call millions of men to an account for  their politi- 'ucnt and justice arc tbe   habitations of his  throne," even as they honor the Father.    John 5: 22-23. cal   conduct;   but they had no moral  right to this There will be no marinuring  against the decisions of
It seems to be a part of the divine plan of the Infi-authority. Christ has a moral right to the office of his throne, fbr every man's conscience will bear testi- nite Father to accomplish his purposes through socon-judge.    God, as the creator and preserver of mon, haauiony to tlieir justice.
dary causes. Revelation carries us back beyond thea just claim upon man ; a moral right to liold bim ro- The tiuestion has been asked, wliet,Ler vveare to un- creation of all things, and presents God to the mindsponsible fbr his atitions. This authority hohas given derstand that Chrisi will be present in his own person, when he existed alone in the vast realms of infinite into the hands of his Son. He "hath given him au-and persDnally administer the sentence; or whether space, before the song of angels awakened the echoes thority to execute judgment." John .5 : 27. It is per-that it is by his doctrine and laws that the final state of the universe, or the mighty wilderness of movingfectly just in God to commit thia office to another; and of cacli indiv idual is to be lielerniined. It Sfcnis to worlds had trembled into birth, in obedience to the fiat his appointment gives Christ a moral right "to execute we that the language of the Bcriptures is unequivocal of Omnipotence.    The first  manifestation of creative judgment" ou all men. on this point.    "When the E^^on of man shall  conii:> in
wisdom and power was iu the creation of the physical    2d.   There must be power to execute this (Office. ids glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall
universe through the agency of the Divine Son. God Power to call them before hira. Ajudgenuiy havehe sit upon the tlironc of his glory ; and before him hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, the moral right to csill men to an account for thoir ac-shall be gathered all nations: and he shtill .separato ¦whom he hath appointed,heir of all things, by whom tions, but not the power to do it. They may be ablothom one from another, as a shepherd dividctb his also he made the worlds." Heb. 1: 2. "All thingsto resist his power successfully. Christ has the phy,s-sheep from the goats." Matt. 2o : 31-32. Here Christ ¦were made by him; and without him was not any ical ; ower to call men before him to answer fbr their is represented as pcrHonally present, executing tho thing made that was made." John 1 : 3. "God, wliodccds, None can resist him Buccesafully. lie hasjudgment liimself To the rigliteous he says:,''Come created all things by Jesus Christ." Eph. 3:9. -   power, to raise man from the dead.    "Por the hour  isye blessed of mj' Father, inlieritthekingflornprepax-etl
After the material universe was formed, God, in the coming, in the ¦yfhich all that are in the graven shall for you from the foundation ofthe world." , "Then development of his infinite purposes, peopled it with hearhis voice, and come forth," John 5:28-29. The shall he aay also unto thorn on his loft hand, Dtjpart living creatures, capable of enjoying its rich stores of mighty angels of heajVen are hia servants, .and he will from me, ye cursed, into everlasting,fire, prepared for blessings. This great work was accomplished through employ them to execute his decrees on man. Paul the devihind his angels." No language coultl be plain tho agency of Ohrist.    "For by him  were all things says thathe "shall be revealed from heaven with  his or than this. , ,,.
created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visi-mighty angels." 2 Theas. 1; 7, (See margin,) ^'ahgelsof    II. By what authority does Christ exercise the  office, of bio and invisible, whether they be thrones, or  domin-AispoMer."    They will accompany him when he oonma Judge f    Is it original, or t* it derived? ions, or principalities or;powers."    Col, 1: 16. "tcexeeute judgment," and he has pointed  out their    This question can only be answered by  the reyela
When man had ruined 'himself by sin, and was.ofpce." , The Son of man shall send forth his angels, tion« of God's written \TOrd. All that wo know on ehroutied in the darkness of hopeless despiiir God came a,p-d they, shall gather out of his kingdom all things this subject we learn from it. The same word that forth fbr his deliverance, but it wag through, Christ that offend, andthera tjiat do iniq^uity; and shall castinformsus that Christ is Judge tells us by what,au- J that he revealed himself "For G;od so loved the world, them,int9 a furnace of fire." Matt. 13 : 41-42. None thority he exercises this office. God "hath given him that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever can escape, or successfully resist these agents of tho authority to execute judgment also." John 5 : 27. iPeier believeth ih hira,|should not perish, but have everlast-diyine law.: One of, thera destroyed, the ¦first-born ofsays that he "was ordained of God to be the Judge of inglife." Jehn 3: 16. - "GodwasinChrist, reconciling inan, and beast in every family in Egypt in one night, quick and dead." Acts 10 : 42. Pa,ul says, God "hatll the world unto himself." 2 Cor. 5 : 19. The redeem-sa-s^e th,e iamilies of the children of, God; and the vast .appointed a day, in the whieh he wiU judge the world ing of, the world through the agency of Christ is in army of Sennacherib, kingof Assyria, fell before thein righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained.'' Btrict harmony with all that wo aee of the pi-ocedureBWOrd ofthe destroying angel, of God. Hero, men Acts 17 : 31. Our text sayi?; "The Father judgeth no of the-divine government. God bestows existence and 80Jne;time8 escape the handa of the agents of the law; man ; but hath committed all judgment nnto the Son." airthe blessings of life through second causes. All but none can,flee,beyond the reach,, or hide where theNo language could be more utiequivocal than this, and' thinga are his'messengers to convoy blessings to his angelic ministera of the Mighty Judge of quick and it affirms that Christ received thia appointment from, children. dead ca-nnot find them.   Paul says : "We must aU ap-his Father.    Ho did not possess it originally in him-
To complete the great plan contemplated in the pear before the judgment-seat of Christ." 2 Cor. .5 : 10. self, but derived it from God. He is J udge by appoint- diyine government, the Scriptures, inform us that the It is a matter over which we havo no control. We ment. The authority originally belonged to God. He anthority of Judge is committed to  Christ; that he must go, whether we are willing or not. alone had the right to execute judgment; but inatead
through whom the universe and all its inhabitants 3d. There must be a knowledge to detect and reyeaZ of exorcising it himself, he has committed it to his Son were created and man redeemed is to set infinaldccis-^Ae irwe ijftamcter o/ewry man, w/isft firowg-Zti ie/ore/wm. Christ Jesus. Yonder is a king who reigns over a ion on tho destiny of men and angels, and distribute Sometimes earthly judges have not been able to powerful kingdom, and ho alono has tho moral right the awards of infinite justice. This tremendous truth bring out the real character of men when brought be-and power to execute judgment on his subjects ; but is clearly stated intho Scriptures. "The Father judg-fore them, and some great criminals have escaped the instead of filling the office of Judge himself he eonunits eth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the hands of justice through the ignorance of tho judgp. it into tho hands of hi.s son. Thus it is with the case Son"    Paul says to Timothy : "I charge thee, there-Christia able to retid every heart, and  bring  out the now before ua.    God alono had  the moral   right and