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Page060

60 ' fii'E PRACTICAL CHR IST iAN.


( Concluded .)


The next good which 1shall not ice , as hav­ingresulted


from the Anti · Slavery enterprize,


, is this : the destnJction in many minds of an


unholy spirit ofaectarianism, and the union of


not It few of dilferent denominations who


but for this couse, had remained estranged


from each other forever. Sectarianism, tho'


cherished in the ckurck, is one ~ fthe, greatest


evils and sins of the age. Than an exclusive,


sour, harsh, pers~ uting'bigot,' it is difficult to :


find a worse mun. His own soul is ever the :


seat of irritation and hatred, and wherever he ,


, goes he sows discord and strife. Having 110


pelloe himself, he seems determined no' one


else shall have. . And ifsectarJanism ail it hllJl


often prevailed, and as it , ltill prevaill in llUHIy .


ORIGINAL' M1$ OELLAJlY.


I cannot make him dead !


His fair, sunshiny head


h e ver bounding rGmJd my stadychair;


Yet, when my eyes, now dim


\ Vith tears, 1 turn to him,


' The vision vanishes- s- he is not there!


DIE D.


Dro~ ned Itt lUillville, on the evening ofth


8th of Octoher, in the Rlllckstdl) e Ri,' er, Nel


son, oldest son ot Nathan 8nd Mnrtha Horri


aged 1I years.


This evenl, so stlddeu and so unexpecte


has pierced the heal1s of the w~ rlhy parents


the Ileceased with grent sorrow. No deat


could have affl: cted thelll more; alld the man


ner in which it took pillce, makes their ami


tion ! levere in the extreme. Their beloved so


II promising youth. lefl his horne at noon, an


in the evenin~ , was returned 8 corpse! Ho\'


uncertain is life! How Iiahle nre we todisol


pointment! But they who lIIourn on this 0


cusion, IIIOllrll 1I0t itS those without hope.


They believe that God reigns, and that ' God


Love.' In this th uy can rejoice, even in tri


ulution. Aud this bereavemellt, we trult, h


Illude tl; em 1Il0re sensible of th" inestimob


vulue of thltt gospel, which hrin gs to light, Ii


and immortaliry. They call enter more grat


fully illto the devout exclamlltion of the ap


tIe Peter: ' Blessed be the God aud Father


our Lord JeRlls Christ, who according to h'


uhllllllant merr. y, hath begotten tiS aguin unt


a lively hope by the resurrection of Jes


Christ fl'Om ihe dead, to an inheritance incor.


ruptible, ; mde/ iled, and lhal fadelh n. t away.'


Already can th ey soy-' It is good for us that


we hllve been afflicted.' Their loss is, great


It IIIl1y be thllt for a while they will feel the


greatness of it more Bnd more sensibly, But


being assured that their son can have lost noth ·


ing- that he is still under the government of,


Gol; in the hallds of'the Universal Father, and


knowing that to grieve excessively is not right


nor consistent in follo\ vers of a risen , Savior.


they can convert their trial, gr, ievous as it is,


into a means of spiritual imlJrovement. And


mltY they e" ince the sustaining power of


their faith, by their uncomplaining. submission.


May tliey . no t brood, over thll . past, but look


forwllrd with a serene joy to tbe future. HI


they cannot rejoice'that denth h811 entered the~


family, may thev ' rejoice in the Lord,' and al


wayllbe confiding and hopuful. EternilywiU


tnoktlollthings I'lain. All will inlle . well. w,' II. r.


' OOD ' IS LOVE.'


Volumes would not comprehend theful


import of these words. Who can understan


-': who can feel the full force ofthis sentence


' OOD IS LOVE.' Beautiful language! we rea


and we admire; we stretch 0111' imaginativ


powers to the utmost. yet we cannot compre


hend the love of God. We look upon th


mighty ocean, its . suhlimity inereases with th


length ofour vision. So it may he said ' W


stand upon the shore of time to look upon th


oceun of90d's love. and the longer we stan


gnzing, the more of majesty and sublimity w


dis c" over. Go Oll~ oh my soul, from the limit


cd rills around thee, and bathe in the hound


less ocean of God's love. It is true thou wil


bill taste from the great fountain, hilt so swee


1I11l1 blessed will be the limp. the soul will Ion


for more. ' God ollly knows the love of God.


o. W. II.


Go not to ' allY plaee wh ere you cltnnot pray


in tilith- Lorll, let tfiy presence go with me.


Do nothing on whieh yOIl eanllot pray in hope


- tnI'd, hell' me. A~ p ire IIftel' nothing for


which you I'annot IIsk in love- Lord, it is for


thy /!( lory, giv e . it to me. \ VhlltSO\' l! I' ye do in


word or deed, do . oll iu the nurtlc of Lord Je


slls,- Col. iii . ,17.


with dieevil ccmmunicatlens of'these tem. p~


rizers- with the evil speakings and , fou l . 4


nunciations of those who seek to ' b\ l ild'J th e~


political fortuue and fame on blighting th


fairest worth and hillsting the brightest DB


that succumbs not to their, dictation or theii


interests. imnginnry or real! . Surely, tben


the spirit ofGod cannot he on inmate in , thai


bosom that exhules . so foul a breath, and tho


delights in words so contrary to the law ' 01


love. The spirit of'polltioians and the spirit 0


God are as antagonlstic 8S flesh and spirit, 1I


hatred and love, as heaven lind hell ; and he tha


would faithfiJlly and truly serve the one, mus


abjure all allegiunce to the other .. You ( ean


! lot 8erve God and Mammon." This is but


one ofmany reasons why Chrilltians cannot


take nil active part in the politics of the pre.!


sent day, Would to God that they would set


their affection on the politics of heaven, and


leave the politics of eurth to those who cannot


soar above the Alleghlln}', mountltins.


present arid


memory of


~' ices ll; ld sins us characterize the


some ofthe past occasions in the


I his g~ neratioll.


The contagion, like the pestilential blast


from the desert, seems to pervade the whole


community, from the palace to the meanest


wigwam- c- frorn the present iucumbent of the


rich saloon, down to the resident of the hum­blest


log cabin of'the frontier squatters. All


are Irenzled with the mania of Presideut- ma­king.


Even the church of Christ is ' ng unted


hy this fierce dcmon ofdiscord, and men who


reciprocate OVCT the memorials of a crucified


Saviour the common hopes and joys of im­mortality;


are, so soon as the feust is over, heard


muttering 01' debating about the ' Vhig and


Democratic candidates- the prospects of the


respective illoltl of'a devided people. Ah me!


whither has fled the spirit of our religion,


when the expectants of a mansion in the skies


will wrangle with euch other about the differ­ance


between lin ORk or a pine shingle in the


roof of their mouldering cottage. us if it were


the star- vaulted ceiling of their eternal dome


in heaven. · ' 1' 0 see men who profess to he on


their way to a celestial throne fight inA' in par­tizun


fnry about the waiter lit IItuble, in 1111 Inn


, Itt which they have- stopped for a single breuk­fast,


is 8a~ e wisdom and sound discretion com­pared


with the conduct of some who contend


with heated zeal for four years of X in pre­ferauce


to four years of Y, ii, a period of It


thousand million of ages. The silver reign of


It subtrensurer, or the golden reign of lin arch­treasurer


, is, to the government of Christ in ,


our hearts, infinnitely less than a moment to


a million of centuries; or an atorn of saurl to a


' million of tile solar systems, And yet some


called Christians freeze into an iceberg in list­uing


to the one, who blaze like a torch in


waiting upon the develolJments of the other.


Ought Christians to tuke an active pnrt in


politics- in the present politics of this conn­try?


This is a question of as easy decision all


It it is of great moral importance. J am deci­dedly


ofopiuion ' t1ll1t th ey ought not. One of


my reasops is, American politics are fu II of


' avar ice nndllmbition. They lire nlltional and


' mammoth forms of prille nnd cupidity; or


' they are a'concentration of selfi!! hness in , its


most repulsive attribures of" miney and thiney"


atull risksalld hazards. Now can tbere he


illly thing in its spil'it Itnd character 1TJ0re op­posite


to the spiritltnd genius . of Chrisliunty


thlln the cultivJltion and displllY ofcollceulra­ted


Relfishness .


The presell't politics of this country are more


purely mercenary thaH IIny other politirs in


any olher country, 01' Ihnn tile former politico


of onr own connlry. They Jlre all about mo­ney.


banks and their deposits, treasures, vaults,


sufes and their keepers, hard money and 801i


money, light money and heavy money, tariffs .


taxe", customs, imposts, crellit system lind cosh


system, with their respe': tive fiJllctionaries,


friends, , nnd supporter". These are the sweet


lind SJlvory topics of our Americnn politics,


which ring ill our ears iu 1111 eorners of our


lanld und, like the'frogs of Egypt in the days


of her plagues, they have seized and polllllr. d


all plltces in the land- tile plliace. the churcll.


the parlor, the bed- chamber, the social hearth,


anti the family aha!'.


If" out of the Jlbundllnce of the heart tile


' month speaketh," lind ' if the strenm thut issnes


from ' the lips bean index of the fountain with­in,


then is the heart and so1l1 of the Americllll


politicans sold to MJlmmoll, sordid', uvuriciolltl,


aud selfish in the superlative degree. Who


can take fire into his bosom and his appurel


not be burnt'! Who can devote his hours to


the spirit ' oflhis ! ltJcular age, and not be cor­rnpted


with the sordid brenthings of the sillves


nnll worshippers of gold! As the greatest of


Virgilliu orators once said ofthe priesthood, so


we may tsay of1111 those political partizan lead­ers


: liThe)' are men of tleven principles- five


lOAves and two fishes." As Satan falsely said


ofJob, we may truly say of them- Does the


politican , soI've his god fiJI' nought! They Itre


all looking every man to his quarter for his


gain. 8uch douhtless are the ' lIJaster spirits of


this political war, and they hllve set the people


by the ears for the sake of their own deal' idols,


wllich are not Ihe sovereign ' peop le , but thllt


to which, 08 to on end, the sovereign people


are the best and wisetlt means.


, W ill the men of faith then be cuped and


gulled by such- silly I1llit ! o ' corrupt their Gauls


We insert the following article, by request


of a fi'iend. It is token frnnl . the Millennial


Hllrbingel', Alexander Campbell's monthly pe-/


, rio d i ~ a l. The IIrticle is from his pcn, and de­,


serves serious attention.


) IORALITY OF CHRISTIANS.


Politic8.


There is, in my opinion, more nlltional guilt


contracted in one presidential canvass, than,


on the principle of temporal rewards lind pun­ishments,


could be compensated hy the lrJost


. virtUOIls and prosperous reign of - a hundred


years oCa new king Solomon in the person of


the snccessful' candidate. Can anyone com · ­pnte


the llumber or the vari ety of deliherate


lilhsehoods, calumnies, perjuries, blasph'emies,


and slandcl'Il ofall sorls, uritlillg from the rival


interests, perverted understandings, oorrupted


hearts, and heated. passions of some ofthe Ins


lind Outs, and their respective friends and ad­herents,


in their , present electioneering CRm­paign?


If the aggregate r. ouM be given in full


tale llnd character, as contemplated by all the


pure an~ holy celestials looking down upon


us, methinks' the mighty / Slim would astound


the strongest head, and affright the stoutest


heart in the nation. For my part, I have long


( hought thauhe right ofmaking so lIIany , kings


In so few yeal'S, is the l: 1em'est right ever all8er­ted


or maintained hyaDy pegple, If it ~ ust he ,


a<: companieq/ with . uch 8. train. ofeXllggera{ ed


. places, were a port of, Cht'istianity, the destruc­of


Christian ity would be ' a eonsurnmatien de ­voutly


to be wished.' , Better beln a natural


thnn in such on unnatural state. En! ightened


non- professors certainly , live more as , mell


. shou ld live- in more unity and friendship,


t11l1f1 exclusive, heresy- hunting, creed- loving


I, professors generally do. . I nj usrlce and . inciv­ilities


the latter are frequently guilty of, that


the former would almost be ashamed so much


a~ to name. How often, es a single specimen,


' ha ve those of varylng roplnlons passed each


other in tbe street, in sullen silence, and with


the most inhurnau frown upon their brows! ­But


I must not stop to' particularize. Suffice


it to soy that many, who a few years ago bore


this character, are now sitting at the feet of


the benevolent J e,~ us, ' c lothed and , in their


right mind.' Though the time was when


they would have scorned the thought of living


in Christian fellowship with Unitarians, and


others'whom they de cl; led alike heretical- «


though they would not hav e stooped to


unitewith such men in any ~ nevolentimter­prize


even, they have now repented of that


course, a s in dust and ash es, IIIllI are willing to


meet 1111 the friends ~ f the Savior upon on


equal footing, lind to co- operate with every


class of men, in favor of righteousness- in do­ing


good. Having experienced the desolating


and soul- debasing s pirit of which we have


spoken, they shun it ItSthey would thepoison


ofasps, and are laboring for iIS destruction in


the hearts of others. And'Behohl, how good


aild how ' pleasant it is tor brethrento dw ell


together in unity !'- how good and how pleas-


,1ant, especially, to see those dwelling together


in unity, who were once alienated ~ y pllrty


narrowness and prejudice! If the Anti- Sla­very


enterprize had only brought together one


hundred ) lure minds and true, th) 5 had been


a sufficient compensation for nil the efforts


· that have been rhade ;- for when such minds


are brought together, arid take a position ' to


begin to act in unison, th ey will act effectual­Iy':-


and Lin the end, complete succesa; will


crown their labors.


But more. has beeu done than this. AmI in


proportion as the. true Anti- Sla" tlI" Y principle


pr~ vails, and is diffused through the world,


sectllrillllism must diminish. Let every lIlan


come to feel thllt every other man is his broth­er-


a cliild of God- lin immortal t! pirit~ a soul


whom Jesus liveil mllt died to put'ify, and


make diville, and who shall yet dw ell with an ­gels,


and then niloppression of all kinds will


cea! le. and perfect hllrmony alld self- sacrific ·


illg love prevllil- the love thut was in Christ


J ews. There will be the couviction deep­se


llted in the hrenst, that all must he breathed


upon in compassion, in m~ rcy, in kindness, in


hetlevolence, in chnrity, in frielldship- alld


such a conviction will prompt to right action


, I - to no ev il, bill to good, and to good continu­ally.


1\ 1ltY Heaven hless e very enterprize


whose llmdeney is to produce such a result.


w. H, F.


POETRY.


ANTI · SL. H& 1lY VS. SECTARIA. NISM.


\ Vhen , at th3 day,' s calm close,


Bl'fore we seek repose"


I'm with hi. mother, offering up our prayer,


\ Vhate'e~ I may be SAYING,


, I am, in spirit, praying


For our boy's spirit, though- he is not therel


Not there!- Whcre, then, i. he!


The form I usod to see


\ Vao hut the RAIMENT that he uoed to wear .


The grave, that now doth press


Upan that cast off drcss,


Ie but his wl\ rdrobe locked- HI>: i. not there l


lie lives!- I0 all the past


lie lives; uor, to the last,


Of ' , eeing him again will I de'pair;


In dreams I ~ e e him now;


And. on hi. angel brow,


I Eel' it written, ' Thou shalt meet me TilER E!'


Yl' ,~, we all live , to God!


, FATHER, tby chastening rod


SIl helpllll, thine afflicted ones, to bellI',


That, in the spirit land,


Meeting at thy right hand, ,


'' 1' will be our heaven to find that- he is there!


1 know, hi. face is hid


Under the coffin lid;


Closed are his eyes ; cold i. hiR forehead fair .


1\ 1y hand that marhle felt ;


O ' er it in pra~ r I knelt;


Yet m)' heart whispers that- he is not there !


1 cannot MAKE him dead !


Whcn passing by the bed,


So long watched over with purentatcare,


My opiritand my eye


Seek it inquiring Iy "


Before the thought ~ om e. tbat- he i. not there!


1 thread ihe crowded street:


A satchell ' d lad I meet,


\ Vith the same beaming eyes and colored hair'


And, a. he's running'by, '


Follow him with my eye,


Scarcetybelieving that- he 1. not there !


1 walk my parlor ! Ioor,


And, thro,! gh t~ e open door,


I hear a footfall on hi. chamber stair;


I'm stepping toward the hall


' 1' 0 give the boy a call ;


And then bethink me tbat- he is not therel


\ Vh en, lit the cool, gray break


Of day, ' from . Ieep I wake,


_" Vith my fir. t breathing of thcmorning air


lily 101i1 goe., up, with joy,


' 1' 0 Him . I\' ho l.\: lve my boy,


Then corne. the sad thouglll that- he i. not there l


- -


TIll!: DEAD ALIVE.


[ As Il bereaved father I have read with in­terest


nnd feelings of pleasant melancholy, the


ti nes below. : 1' hllt they will he read with


pleasure lind afford satisfaction to the atRicted,


I have no doubt.- o. w, s.]


( From t4e , Monthly Mi8Cellany.)


The fol/ owing lines were addressed by the


writer to~ clerical friend, 011 the death of his


only son . As it may be supposed, from the


initials, that th ey are taken from a volume of


poems just published, we deem it proper to


say that they have never before heen printed.


- ED. .


,

Page 60 of Volume 1 from The Practical Christian 1840-1841

Ballou, Adin

1840