Vermont telegraph. [volume], February 04, 1836, Image 1

About Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843

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TEL
RAPH
.-A a Isit: . n wU hit y & v-n5 1 '
"STbBaON:S.MUBRAY,.EmTOUANDPTOL
1 AM SET . FOR THE DEFENCE OF THE GOSPEL."
EPHRAIM MAXHAM, PRINTER.
III ill - 1
..4-4 r. i i tw
VOLUAl:VHLv;
BRANDON, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1836.
NUMBER 19.
4
TERMS 0K;TIE,TELEGRAP1L.
.t.vl t M r mhl within four mouthf .
9f 2.50 t th,o4of the year, j,
" : " i 4 Y r,-
,
WihirSawJia t S?ffilft no reproof, we consent to ,V and coun
willbMatfor8l.TS. : ' ' r tenance them in it. If you see a man prepar
M ,.".,- - lj!4 i-t ling to kill his neighbor, and stand still and
12 or mora cnpica Irf baa btrndlar and ff
-c-Ajent. who procure and py fot lt wbteribaeft
ar s aotitled to the renth cop grttw . . , .
s . . . , . ,: ....... - - . - .-... .
,Ia roauoc eommumcaqoo, ox pw unw:riw
nd rmituncei, tha Aceoni witfba partaralir in
firta 1h Mamei and rttidauu of aubmibaffl,
JUlDptltmUiUtart,".la Rood Ullnfin the
hutch throughout tfce United Sutes are tu-
jiorixM , , v fc. v
fJU commtjnJcMiont mtut M fflW, t
pcfjch'u add M our lilt 'of tttbectibara ooao
mora iimM. '
juTspara vitt not ba diKo&Uavad aatil all xn
mii r paid. . except atf the . ditcrttion of the
" iT from t!ii NeVo'rk ' EViBfalUt.
.,MR FINNEY'S LECTURES ON ,
r:cimisTiDyTy. ;
iTarff 'Tbo aliatt in.any wia rebuVa thy
Mirhbor.tal not Aflfareia upoo,him.-LTiT
loTtxix, n: Wl , - '
TThe whole Verse read thus Thou shalt
Vol hate thy brother in thy heart f thou trjalt
'ia anf wise 'rebuke thy neighbor; and not
tuffet sii npon Mm."- In the, margin, as
those of, you who hare Bibles with margin
al notes can see, the last words of the verse
are rendered, "that thou' bear not sin for
hint" ;'And this, I am satisfied; is the cor
rct translation- The idea is this:
That mxk abb bomo to reprove thfib
heioiisors tor 811 list the become par
takirs with 'tbim or accessory to their
.- -..la speaking' from these words, I design to
pursue the following order:, ..
I. To show the reasons, for tLe rule laid
down by GdM (n the text.
II. 5 Snow to Whom the rule is applied.
: UI.j Mention Lsereral i exceptions which
Ood h ma4e Jto the rule, or classes of per
mm vho are not to be reproved tor tneir
sins.,
IV: ThV manner ol perforinioff this duty.
V: "Several specific applications of the
priaciplei established. - ,
' l i am lo show the reasons for the rule.
" 1. Love to God plainly requires this."
it vrt really love Ood, we shall of course
feel bound to reprove inose iqm naie ana a
buse him aid break his commands. If I love
4he government of the country, will I not
reprove and rebuke a man who should abuse
or revile the government 1 ' If a child loves
his parents', will he not of course' take up a
jnan that abuses bia parents in nil hearing, do
xeprove himfoTitl? - -
fine thing: " ';" . .. ....
, If a man loves the universe if he is actu
ated by universal benevolence, he knows that
taia inconsistent with the highest good of
the universe, and that it is calculated to in
' jare and ruin the whole if not counteracted
'that its direct tendenev is to overthrow the
rdctiand destroy the happiness of the uni--versc..
And theieforeix he sees this doing.
hi benevolence will lead him to reprove and
oppose itv , - - .
aLove to the community in which you
live, is another reason. ' -
. : Not only love to the universe at large, hut
fove to the paf ucular people with which you
are connected, should lead you to reprove
lsia. - Bin is a reproach to any people j and
' whoever commits it, goes to produce a state
of society that js injurious to every ;thing
good.. His example has a tendency to cor
rupt society, to destroy its ac and to intro
duce disorder and ruin J and it is the duty of
every one who loves the community, to re
sist and reprove it..-r
M 4. .Love to your neighbor demands it.
.'Neighbor, here, means ny.body that sins
within the reach of your influence ; not only
in. your presence, but In your neighborhood,
& you? influence can reach hinvor in your
tuition, or in the world. If he sins he injures
iiimself; and therefore if we. love him, .we
shall reprove hts sins ' Love to the intem
perate induces us to warn him of the conse
quences of his coursed Suppose we see our
neighbor exposed to a temporal calamity) say
)us house on fire. True love will induce as to
warn him and not leave him to perish in the
fiames. ' I Especially if we saw him, inclined
to persist in his course, and stay in the burn
in nouse, .we snouid expostulate earnestly
wun nun, ana
not suffer him to destroy him-
self, if we could, possibly prevent it Much
taort should we warn him of the' eonsenuen
ces of sin, and reprove him, and strive to turn
him, before he destroys himself. .
' 5. It is cruel to omit
If you see your neighbor sin, and you pass
try and neglect to reprove him, it is jnst as
cruel m if you should see his house on fire,
and pass by and not warn him of it ' Why
not 7 If he is in the house, and the house
burns, he will lose his life. ' If begins and
remains in sin, he will go' to hell. ' Is it not
cruel to , let him go onward to hell ? Some
seem to consider .it not cruel to let a neigh
bor go On in sin till the wrath of God comes
tn him to the utteroot. Their feelings are
4 tender that they cannot wound him by tel
Jin2 him of, his and his danger. , No doubt,
the tender mergict of the wicked are cruet.
Instead of warning thcit neighbor, of .'the
consequences' of sin, they actually encour
age him in ' m
6. To refuse, td do it, ii rebellion against
God.';' v -ul '-4 ;t
1. For any one to see rebellion, and notve-
. prove it, or lift his hand .to oppose ft, H Itself
rebellion. 1 It would be counted rebellion br
ti laws of the land.' The man who should
know of a treascnahlTdot and did not dis-
44Jose it or endeavor to defeat it would be
. fccll an accessory, and condemned as- such
by law. So it a man 8es rebellion breaking
Cat s ;inst God; and docs not oppose it or
t:- i... ill to tutwesi h'J Km is himself a
for their-tin" ydu are chargeable with their
deaths --
' God holds us chargeable with the death of
those whom we suffer to go on in sin wun-
(out reproof, and it is right he should. If
1 tee them srn. and make no opposition.
we
and
do nothinr to prevent itvou consent, and are
justly chargeable as- accessory r in the eye of
God and In the eye of the law? ;yoti arelust
ly chargeable with the same sin.- So ifyou
see a man committing any iniquity and do
nothing to resist it, you are guilty with him.
His blood will be upon his own head, but at
whose hand will God require it 7 What says
God respecting a watchman ? " Son of man,
t have set thee a watehman unto the house
of Israel ; therefore thou shalt hear the word
it my month, dc warn them from me. When
I say Unto the wkked.; O wicked man, thou
shalt surely die r;tf thbu dost not speak to
Warn the wicked from his wayj-that wicked
man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood
will I require at thy hand."- This is true of
all men. If you suffer a neighbor, who is
within teach of your influence; to"pass on in
tin unwarned, he will die ifa his iniquity,
but his blood shall beTequired at your hand.
- 8. Yout-silence encourages him in sin.
He is authorized tojnfer from your silence
that you approve his sin, or, at least, that
you do not care for it It is an bid maxim
that tilenci U consent, v Sinners do regard
your silence a a virtual sanction of what
they do.'' ' 5 1 f
9. By reproving your neighbor who sins,
you may save htm." -
What multitudes have been reformed by
timely reproof ! Most of those who are sa
ved, are saved bv somebody's rebuking them
for jtheir sinsf and urging them to repentance.
You may be instrumental in saving any man.
if you speakto htm, and reprove him and
pray for him, as you ought. . How many in
stances there are, where a singl e reproof has
been to the transgressor like the barbed ar
row in his soul,' that tanlded, and rankled,
the poison Whereof drank' up his spirits, and
he submitted to God. I have known instan
ces where eren a look of reproof has done
the work.
' 10.' If you do not save the individual re
proved, your reproof maysave somebody else
that may be acquainted with the fact.
ouca cases have olten occurred, wnere tne
transgressor has not been reclaimed, but
others hate been deterred from following his
example by the rebukes addressed to him.
Who can doubt that, if professors of religion
were faithful in this duty, men would fear
encountering their reproofs, and thai fear
would deter them from such conduct, and
multitudes who now go on unblushing and
una wed, would pause and think, and be re
claimed and saved ? Will vou, with such an
argument for faithfulness before you, let sin
ners go on unrebuked till they stumble into
hell?
11. God expressly requres it.
The language of the text is, in the origi
nal, exceedingly strong. 1 ne word is re-
neaiea. wnicn is me way mat me eastern
languages express a superlative degree, so as
to leave no doubt on the mind, nor the least
uncertainty as to the duty, nor any excuse
for not doing it. There is not a stronger
command of God in the Bible than this.
God has given it the greatest strength of lan
guage that he can: Thou shalt in. any
vi$e rebuke him'1 that is, without any ex
cuse, "and not bear his 8inx" not be acces
sory to his ruin. It is a maxim of law that
if a man knows of a murder about to be com
mitted, and does not use means to prevent
it. he shall be held accessory before the fact.
If he knows of murder done, and does not
endeavor to bring the criminal to justice, he
is accessory after the fact. So by the law
of.-God, if you do not endeator lo bring a
known transgressor to repentance, you are
implicated, in the guilt of nis crime, and are
held'responsible to the throne of God.
12. If you do it in a right manner, you
will keep a conscience void of offence in
regard to your, neighbor, whatever may be
his end.
And you cannot do this without being
faithful in reproof of sin. A man does not
live conscientiously towards God or man,
unless he is in the habit of reproving trans
gressors who are within his influence. This
is one grand reasoti why there is so little
conscience in thechurch. In what respect
are professors of religion so much in the
habit of resisting their consciences, as in re
gard to the duty of reproving sin ? Here is
one of the strongest commands in the Bible,
and yet multitudes' do not pay any attention
to' it at-all. Can they have a 'clear con
science ?, They may just as well pretend to
have a clear conscience, and get drunk every
day. No man keeps the law of God, or
keeps his conscience clear, who sees sin and
does not reprove it He has additional guilt,
wno snows 01 sin,anaaoes noi reprove 11.
He breaks two commandments. First, he
becomes accessory to the transgression of his
neighbor,' and then he disobeys an express
requirement by refusing to reprove his neigh
bor. ,
13. Unless you reprovemen for their sins,
you are not prepared to meet them in judg
ment " Are, vou nrenared to meet vouv children
in the judgment if you have not reproved
nor chastised them, nor. watched over their)
morals ? Certainly not," you ay. But
why?' "Because God has "made it my duty
to. do this, and he holds me responsible for
it". , Very welL Then take the case of any
" .t...' . :.u
tuner man urn sms unacr yourev, or wuu
: . i . n - ' j . j
-i a - rt j Arr
SiSn .!5 7T "iSh te
try hell, and you have never feproved him
TSif?W V v ! ii ,K.V;h:U
S3LWg ?Vhe11'
iSJS r!r?.!!M
now mey are. pouring curses on.your neaa
Decause you never warnea mem. Ana now
can yon meet them in judgment ?
lf.c Unless you do this, you are not pre
pared to meet God.'" r ' ' " '
now many there are, wno proiessto love
Gody and, yet Beyer so much as- pretend ito
obey this command.,. Are such people pre-
parei to meet God 7 When he says, " Thou
shall' in any , wist rebuke v thy neighbor1'
thai is. without a.nw-excuse.1 v- -4 :!
r k IL, Tavhom inmmand tdrfrMi.!
-
Manifestly, to all men that have neigh
bors. It was addressed to all the people of
Israel,, and through them to. ail under tne
government of God to high and low, rich
and poor, young and old, male and female,
and every individual who is under the gov
ernment of God, or bound to obey his com
mands. IIL Some exceptions to the universal ap
plication of this law.
He that made the law has a right to admit
of exceptions. And the rule is binding in
all cases, unless they come within the ex
ceptions. There are some exceptions to the
rule before us, laid down in the Bible.
--X' God says, " Rebuke not a scorner,lest
he hate thee."
There is a state of mind, where a person
gion. a hater of God. and has no regard to his
law, and not m be influenced by any fear or !
care for God, yhy should you reprove him?
It will only provoke a quarrel, without any
good resulting to any body, i heretore uod
makes such a character an exception- to the !
rule.
i9 Tacne Diriit cir T!ac nnt vftur :
4V. , O U J J -W.. " - T .
pearls before swine, lest they trample them !
under their feet, and turn again and rend
you." -
Whatever else this passage means, it ap
pears to me to mean this, that sometimes
men are in such a state of mind that to talk
to them about religion would be at oDce ir
rational and dangerous, like casting pearls
before swine. They have such a contempt gressor to the heart, and stung like the arrow
for religion, and such a stupid, sensual, swi-, of the Almighty, aud he couid not get rid of
nish heart, that they will trample all your it till he repented.
reproofs under their feet, and turn upon you ! 7. There are many different ways of giv
in anger besides. It is lawful to let such ing reproof so as to reach the individualre
men go on ; and your not meddling with proved.
them will be greater wisdom than to attack j Sometimes it can be done best by sending
them. . But great charity should be used, a letter, especially if the person is at a dis
not to suppose those of vour neighbors to be . tance. And there are cases where it can be
swine, who do not deserve it, and who might J done so, even in your own neighborhood.
be benefitted by suitable reproof. j I knew an individual who chose this way of
3. Men who are in a settled state of self- reprimanding a sea-captain for intemperance,
righteousness, it is best to let alone. j in crossing the Atlantic. The captain drank
Christ said to the Scribes and Pharisees. ' hard, especially in bad weather, and when
"Let them alone, they be blind leaders of i his services were most wanted. The indi
the blind." That is, they were so full ofjvidualwas in great agony, for the captain
n -j u i
pride and conceit, so satisfied of their o-vn j
wisdom and goodness, that they cann be
reached by any reprhof, and it seems best to j
let them alone : lor ll vou begin to reprove t
them, vou might as well face a north-wester
as to think of making an impression ou thein.
They will face you down, and are so full of
arguments, and cavils, and bullyings, that
you gain nothing.
IV. The manner in which this duty is to
be performed.
1. It should be done always in the name
of the Lord.
It is important when you reprove your
neighbor for sin, always to make him feel it
is not a personal controversy with you, not a
matter of selfishness on your part, or claim
ing any right of superiority, or to lord it over
him. but that you reprove him in the name
of the Lord, for the honor of God, because
he has broken his law. If, by your manner,
you in any way make the impression on his
mind, that it is a personal controversy, or
done for any private motive with you, he will
invariably rise up against you, and resist, &
perhaps retort upon you. But if you make
the impression on his mind that it is done in
the name of God, and bring him right up
before God as an offender, he will find it ex
ceedingly difficult to get away from you with
out at least confessing that he is wrong.
2. It should always bedone with great
solemnity.
Above ali things, do not make him think
that it is just a little thing that you hint to
him, but make him feel that it is for a sin a
gainst God you are reproving him, and that
it is what ra your view ought to be looked
upon as an awful thing.
3. You should use more or less severity,
according to the nature of the case, and the
circumstances jinder which the sin was
committed.
(1.) The relation of the parties.
Your relation to the person who has been
guilty of sin, should be properly regarded.
If a child is going to reprove a parent, he
should do it in a manner suited to the rela
tion he stands in.. If a man is going to re
prove a magistrate, or if ah individual is a
hout to rebuke an elder, the apostle says it
must be in this way : - HiMreat nun as a
father." This relation should enter deeply
into the manner of administering reproof.
The relation of parents and children, of hus
bands and wives, of brothers and sisters,
should all be regarded. So the ages of the
parties, their relative circumstances in life.
For servants to reprove their masters in the
same manner as their equals, is improper.
This direction should never be overlooked or
forgotten, for if it is, the good effect of reprool
will he lost, uu 1 K&MttiYHJUK, that no
T 1U AWO l . W M. AVUiTAAJ4fAVAJlj VAA4J.fr AAV
relations in life, or relative circumstances of
the parties, take away the obligation of this
autv. vv natever De me relation, vou are to
reprove sin, and are Dound to do it m the
name of the Lord. Do it, not as if you were
complaining or finding fault for a personal
injury committed against yourselt, but as a
sin against God. Thus, when a child re-!
proves a parent for sin, he is not to do it as
if he was expostulating with him for any
injury done to himself, but with an eye to
the fact that the parent has sinned against
God, and therefore, with all that plainness
and faithfulness and pungency thafsin calls
for.
(2.) Reproof should be regulated by the
: knowledge which the offender has of his
duty.
Tf iVio inrii-triiiial ic JflmArant MnvnAt1 ertntlln
1 wu, pwi o.
' be WOTe m the form 0f rather
, than of rebuke How do Ao wl th
y'w-littte"-ehi-,d? Y)u instruct him and
respecting h.s
hy- You proceed, of course, very differ -
enlj from fthat.vou would do with a hard-
d offender.
I (3.) With reference also to the frequency
ol tne onence.
. You would remove a first nfonre m a very
different manner from what you would use from the pulpit, but by the press, and in the j So the rum-dealer is all the while plead-; od s remembrance Hypocrisy was un
towards a habitual transgressor. If a person street, till it is drfven out from its strong ' ing, '; It is none'of your concern what I do ; able to conceal itself in the clouds of in-
is accustomed u sin, ana snows mat n
1 wrong, you use more severity; -If it is the
- firsttime, perhaps a mere allusion to it may
b sulncientto prevent a recetition.
MM LJ a. I J .
-(.l.)' So, also, you are to consider wheth
er he has been frequently reproved for the
sin.
If he has not only often committed the ,
sin, but been often reproved, and yet has (
hardened his neck, there is the greater neces- J
sity for using sharpness. . The hardening
influence of former reproofs resisted, shows
that no common expostulations will take ;
bold. He needs to have the terrors of the j
Lord poured upon him like a storm of hail, j
5. Always show that your temper is not j
rufHed.
Never manifest any displeasure at the trans-!
gressor, which he can POSSiDiv construe into ;
personal displeasure at himself. It is often
important to show your strong displeasure at
what he is doing. Otherwise he will think
you are not in earnest. Suppose you reprove ;
a man for murder in a manner not expressing j
any abhorrence of his crime
i ou would
The man-
not expect to produce an effect
n$r should be suited to the nature of the
crime, yet so as not to lead him to think you
have any personal feeling. Here is the i
grand defect in the manner of reproving;
crime, both in the pulpit and out of it
t or
fear of trwintr nffcnr.p. mpn do not exDress
O
their abhorrence of the sin, and therefore
transgressors are so seiaom reclaimed.
6. Always reprove in the spirit of God.
You should always have so much of the
Holy Ghost with you, that when you reprove
a man for sin, he will feel as if it come from
God. I have known cases, where reproof
from a Christian in that state cut the trans-
- . . .
was not only intemperate, but when he drank,
he was ill-natured, and endangered the lives
oi aJl on Doard
He made it a subject of
prayer, it was a dimcult case, lie did not
know how to approach the captain so as to
make it probable he should do good and not
hurt for a captain at sea, you know, is a
perfect despot, and has the most absolute
power on earth. After a while he sat down
and wrote a letter, and gave it to the captain
with his own band, in which he plainly and
affectionately, but faithfully and most point
edly set forth his conduct, and the sin he
was committing against God and man. He
accompanied it with much prayer to God.
The captain read it, and it completely cured
him; he made an apology to the individual,
and never drank another drop of any thing
stronger than coffee and tea on the whole
passage.
8. Sometimes it is necessary to reprove
sin by forming societies, & getting up news
papers, and forming a public sentiment a
gamst a particular sin, that shall be a con
tinued and overwhelming rebuke. The Tem
perance Societies? Moral Reform Societies,
Anti-Slavery Societies, &c. are designed for
this end.
V. I will mention now some of the cases
in which these principles are applicable.
They are peculiarly applicable to those
crimes which are calculated to undername
the institutions of society and to exert a
wide-spread influence. Such sins can only
be held in check and put down by faithful
ness in reproof.
1. Sabbath breaking.
If Christians would universally mark trans
gressors, and rebuke them that trample on
the Sabbath, they would do more to put a
stop to Sabbath breaking than by all other
means. If Christians were united in this,
how long do you suppose it would be before
this sin would be put down ? If only a few
were faithful, ari constant, and persevering,
they might do much. If only a few do it, &
these only now and then, it might not have
much effect. But I believe if all professors
of. religion were to do it, every grocery and
grog-shop and oyster-cellar and fruit-stand
would be shut up. At all events, they are
bound to do it, whatever may be the results ;
and so long as they neglect their duty, they
I are chargeable before God with all the Sab
J bath breaking in the city. If all the church
! es and ecclesiastical bodies in the land were
united to remonstrate with the government,
and would continue to do it, firmly and in
the name ol the Lord, do you suppose that
government would continue to violate the
Sabbath with their mail? I tell you, no. The
church can do this, I believe, in one year, if
all were united throughout the country and
j - . P i
j C0UId sPeak rut fulJy in the fearof and
! without any fear of man. Pso man, who ev-
. 1 -rr- . v..v.v.v. .y "
to be elected to office
1 " , , , ' sui" """" u,rlllius U4
Sabbath. But now, while the church is di
vided and not half in earnest, there are so
few that speak out, that Congress despises
them, and pays no attention. Thus it is that
the church connive at Sabbath breaking, and
they are without excuse, till they speak out
and rebuke their rulers, in the name of Jeho
vah, for breaking his holy law.
2. Intemperance and rum-selling.
Suppose every man in this city that sells
rum were continually subject to the rebukes
which God requires suppose that every
man that passed by were to reprove him for
his sin, how long could he sell rum? If only
the church were to do it if that deacon and
tkif aUa. ..U J ! i !
uiai cmci w uuiu uu ii. uuu every vnrisiuui
wonid foltow hlm wim rebakes in the Qame
, of the Lord f Doisouln:i raen t0 dealh with
he could not go on and do it. Such a
strong" and decided testimony would soon
; drive him from his trade of death. In self-
defence, he would have to yield to the press
ure oi solemn rebuke.
3. Lewdness.
TM3 is a wide-spreading evil that ought
tn Vuft-1inlt.M...11.. J
It shnU ho rkuaA ,.r, K -
is holds, and made to hide itself in tne cnam
.bers of helL
, ,,4. Slaverv.
I Vh!iff sr.ll mn iniTered to commit
one of the mot God -dishonoring and most
heaven-daring sins on earth, and not be re-
proved? It is a sin against which all men
should bear testimony, and lift up their voice j
like a trumpettill this giant-iniquity is ban- j
ished from the land and from the world.
VI. I shall consider some of the1 difficul- j
ties which are sometimes raised in the way ;
of the performance of this duty. j
1. It is often asked, Is itauuty to reprove j
my neighbor when there is no prospect of j
doing any good ? j
I answer, it may be very essential to re-
prove sin in many cases where there is no
prospect that the individual wnom you re- i
prove will be benefitted. As in cases where
your silence would be taken for connivance
m his sin. Or where the very fact of his be-
mg reproved may prevent others 0m lallmg
into the like crime. Where the offender
comes properly under the description of a
scorner or a swine, there God has' made an
exception, and you are not bound-to-reprove.
But mother cases duty is yourshponsequen
ces God's.
2. It is asked, Should I reprove stran-j
gers 1 W hy not i Is not the stranger your
neighbor ? You are nor to reprove stran
ger in the same way that you would a famil
iar acquaintance, but the fact of his being a
stranger is not a reason why he should not
be reproved, if he breaks the command of
God. If a man swears profanely, or breaks
the Sabbath, in your presence, his being a
stranger does not excuse you from the duty
and the responsibility of administering re
proof, or trying to bringhim to repeutance &
save his soul.
3. It is asked, Should we reprove a person
when he is drunk ?
Generally not ; for when a person is drunk,
he is deranged. There may be cases where
it is proper, for the purpose of warning oth
ers. But so far as the drunkard himself is
concerned, as a general rule, it is not expe-1
dient. Yet there are many cases, where re- !
proof to a man even when drunk, has taken '
such a hold on his mind as to sober him and
turn him from his beastly sin. j
4. Shall we reprove great men, and those !
who are above us in society, and who may j
look down on us and on our reproofs with
contempt? j
That does not alter your duty. ; Thou I
shalt in any xcise rebuke thy neighbor, and
not bear sin for him." You should bear in
v" kSLU.X 111 !
mind the relation in which he stands and :
treat him accordingly. But still, if he sins
against Lroa, it 13 your duty to reprove him,
in an appropriate manner.
REMARKS.
1. Do not talk about people's sins, but go
and reprove them.
It is very common to talk about people's
sins behind their backs, but this is great
wickedness. If you want to talk about any
person's sins, go and talk to him about them,
and try to get him to repent and forsake them!
Do not go and talk to others against him be
hind his back, and leave him to go on in his
sins, unwarned, to hell.
2. How few professors of religion are
sufficiently conscientious to practice this
duty.
I suppose there are thousands'in this city,
who never think of doing it. Yes : profes
sors of religion live in habitual disobedience
to this plain, and strongly expressed com
mand of God. And then they wonder why
they do not have the spirit of prayer, & why
there are not more revivals ! Wonder!
3. See why so few persons enjoy reli
gion. They I ire in habitual neglect of this com
mand, making excuses, when God has said
there shall be no excuse. And how can they
enjoy religion ? What would the universe
think of God, if he should grant the joys of
religion to such unfaithful professors ?
4. We see that the great mass of profes
sors of religion have more regard to their
own reputation than to the requirements of
God.
The proof is, that sooner than run the risk
of being called censorious, or of getting ene
mies by rebuking sin, they will let men go
on in sin unrebuked, notwithstanding God
says, " Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thv
uciauwi. uui 1 5uuu unenn mm u 1 rp-1
uu. . ouuu UUCUU uuu ii 1 ic-
, -r t "
prove his sin. " In any wise rebuke him," i conscience, mrougn uieirgumy mnu ; ana
says Jehovah. It shows that they have great- i often had they been troubled, and trembled
er fear of men than of God. For fear of of-! at the rebuke of his sacred presence.
fending men, they run the risk of offending j Having nearly filled the capacious meas
God. Yea, they absolutely disobev God. in i nrp of tlmir inirmi'tv hv rpiPrlinrr him fheir
one of his plainest and strongest command -
ments, rather than incur the displeasure of
men uy reouKing ineir sms.
5. No man has a right to say to us, when
we reprove him of his sin, that it is none of
our business to meddle with him.
How often do transgressors tell faithful
reprovers they had better mind their own
business and not meddle with what does not
concern them. And they are called med
dlers and busy-bodies, for interfering in oth
er people's concerns. At the south, they
j have got themselves into a great rage be
cause we at the north are trying to convince
th em of the wickedness oi slavery. And
they say it is none of our business, that slave
ry is a matter peculiarly their own, and they
will not suffer any body else to interfere with
mem, and they require us to iet them alone, j
and will not even allow us talk about the
subject. And they want our northern legis
latures to pass laws forbidding us to rebuke
our southern neighbors for their sin in hold
ing men in slavery. God forbid that we
should be silent Jehovah himself has com- j
manded us to rebuke our neighbor in any j
wise, let the consequences be as they may. j
And we will rebuke him, though all hell j
should rise up against it. !
Are we to hold our peace and be partakers
in the sin of slavery by connivance as we
have been ? God forbid. We will speak of
it and bear our testimony against it, and pray
over it, andcomplain of it to God and man.
Heaven shall know, and the world shall
I know, and hell shall know, that we protest j
i atrflinst the sin. and will continn tn rlr
11U31 wa- " " WUWUUC IU ItUUKC
it. till it is nroKeaup. viod Almighty says,
" Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thv neih-
j " &
. . . . i i . .
: bor " and we must do it
- piease to mind your own business ana iei
i me alone." But it is our business to reprove
him when he dispenses his poison, and it is
lererv bodv's ennwm. and every man is
bound to rebuke hia crime till he givs it up,
and ceases to destroy the lives and souls ct
his neighbors.
6. W e see the importance of consistency
in religion.
If a man professes to love God ,he ought
to have consistency enough to reprove those
that oppose God. If Christians were only
consistent in this duty, many would be con-
verted by it, a right public sentiment would
be formed, and sin would be rebuked and
forced to retire before the majesty of Chris-
tian rebuke. If Christians were not such
cowards, and absolutely disobedient to this
piain command oi Kioa, one tning wouia
certainly come of it either, they would be
murdered in the streets as martvrs. because
men could not bear the intolerable presence
of truth, or they would be speedily convert
ed to God.
What shall we ' say then to such profes
sors of religion ? Afraid to reprove sinners I
When God commands, nnt prepared to t
bey I How, will they answer it toGod
Now, beloved, will you practice this dutyt
WiH you reprove sin faithfully, so as not tq
bear sin for your neighbors? JWill you make
your whole life a testimony agamst. sin 1
Will vou clear vour soulsNir will vou hold
youT peace and be weighed down with the
guilt of all transgressors around you, and
within the sphere of your influence? God
says, "Thou shalt in any wise rebubs. thy
neighbor, and not bear sin for him."
THE AUTHORITY OT OUR LORD'S TEACH
ING. ' v-f " " "
Its greatness. The pervading style of
our Lord's teaching is that of assertion
and testimony. While it pre-supposes
the laws of reason, it does not, nor could it
without manifest incongruity, make an
appeal to them. His disclosures of truth
are necessarily dogmatic. But since man,
if he is to be treated as a rational being,
must have adequate grounds on which to
rest his belief, our Lord, in the stead of
arguments, constructed a basis of miracles.
He claimed to be ' believed for his work's
sake.' They were the hand of God, en
dorsing and attesting as true whatever he
revealed. Having thus acquired a right
to dictate, he could not have submitted
I 1 l 11 V
ttle principles he announced to the ordma
ry process of argumentation, without im
plying that human reasoning, our present
impaired perceptions of truth, was a surer
ground for reliance than the purest rea
son ; he would have been expunging
faith from the christian virtues, exalting
human reason, or that which stands for it,
above the wisdom of God, and treating it
as though in the sphere of religion it were
perfect, and at home ; whereas he found
it prostrate and lost, and had to rekindle
its extinguished torch with the very first
elements of sacred knowledge. Surround
ed with divine credentials, he took his
stand as a living oracle, and demanded
the credence of all who heard his unrea
soned verities. He spake as one having
authority, addressing himself to humility,
obedience, and implicit faith. Every sci
ence has its data ; fundamental principles
assumed to be true, on the unquestioned
authority of which all its deductions and
! applications rest ; in the science of theolo
gy, the sayings of Christ are ultimate
truths. From these, as from first princi
ples, all our reasoning in religion must
proceed ; to call in question their authori
ty, would be to disturb and subvert the
foundations of truth. His dictates consti
tute the rudiments of sacred science; and
they are to be acquiesced in, as the rea
sons of duty, and the laws of faith.
"
Its solemnity. But chiefly, let us re
call to our recollection the unbroken se
ries of pregnant woes which he denounc-
, j j
T
nng his last visit to the temple.
1 j 1, ...n.j i.i. ;
1 uuii" uuu tie vvaiK c u , jjhc ail Jiicaiuuie
. , 1 .1 -ill a
! were about t0 m it overflow bv his
I crucifixion. Undeterred by the appalling
i prospect, he came with unfaltering step to
! the scene of his sufferings, to finish the
! work which was given him to do. Find
! ing himself surrounded in the temple by
i a large assemblage of Jewish doctors,
scribes, and lawyers and pharisecs the
very elements and essence of the nation's
guilt; he assailed and demolished tho
enormous fabric of sanctimonious hypoc
risy, which their laborious impiety had
reared, and, with the fidelity and fearless
ness of the king of martyrs, denounced
and delivered his final protest against the
pride and the power which upheld it.
They had occasionally heard his fearful
comminations before, and trembled for
their security, for every word was a weap
on ; but new, having regularly invested
and approached their fortified guilt, he
opened on them the dreadful artillery of
his divine malediction. An occasional
flash had before apprized them that a
storm might be near ; but now having
collected together all the materials of tem
pest into one black and fearful mass, and
having awed them to silence as nature is
hushed when awaiting a crisis, he dis-rhnro-pd
its tremendous torrents, in one
Ucyed and prolonged explosion, on
vo
'their guilty and unsheltered heads. He
' -1 Ii .U- U 1. 1 I 1 1..
arraigns 'USU
n i I tip soot rr rr -rr r nr. ia in swxon
i ft 11-3
v , V1 .
all t-ie sepulchral recesses of their miqui-
. 1 t j r .t i r
ty, as though he read from the
UOUIi.
cense which it offered. The proud, the
covetous, the intolerant, he confounded!
and covered with the shame of detectiorj
and conscious guilt As they rame up
mm'
4