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74 THE PRACTlCALCHRISTIAN.


thi s doctrin e, how could it ue' reject ed by a


I bel iever in divine revelation? But I have


nueh to adduce from the Christi an Sc riptures


in corr obomtion,


Our Lord sai d to the Jews, who were as ­tonish


ed at hi s pow er to ' raise th e dead to nat­ural


life: " Marvel not a~ this; for th e hour is


corning, in the whi ch all that are in tim graves


shall hear his voice , and shall com e ' forth ;


th ey that have done good. jnu o the resurrec-


. t ion o f life ; and th ey th at have done evil, un­10


tIle rosurrectlon of damnation." 101m 5: 28,


29. " Thy broth er," said he to the sister of


Lazaru s, " s ha ll rise again. Martha saith unto


him, 1 know that he shall rise again in the .


resurrecti on at the last day." lb. 11: 23, · 24. ­This


wa s th e doctrine which Jesus t a ~ ght au rl .


confirm ed- declaring himself to be the r esur­rection


and the file. Paul says : " Hut some .


man will ~ ay , How are the dead rai sed up?


' and with whnt bod y do Illcy coine ? Thou


fool "! tllat 1~ llich thou sowest is not quickened


cxcer. t it die : and that wh ich thou so west,


. thou so west not th e hod y that sha ll be, but


hale grain, it rna)' c ha nce of wh eat or of some


oth er gra in. But God giveth it a hody as it


hath j> lcased him , lind 10 e very see d h is own


hod y. So a lso is the resm rec tion of th e dead.


It is so wll'i n co rruption; it is .. ai sed in iuco...


ruption . It is sown in dish oilOr; ' it is ra i~ ed


iwglo.. y ; it is sown in wealOiess, it is rai sed


iii powc.. : it is sown a natural hod y; it is


rai sed a sp i.. itual hody. There is a natural


bod y, aud t here is a spiritual body. And so it


is writtcn, ' the first man Adaln was mad e a


Jiving so u l; th e last Adam a quick ening s pir - .


it. The first ilion is of the ea i · th, earthy; the


sec onrl the Lorrl from heaven. And as we


have bo .. ne tho ima ge o f th e ear thy, we sha ll


a lso Ilcar th c image orth e hea venly. ~ F lcsh


and I> lood ca nno t inh erit the kingdom of Qod


- neiUJer , loth co rruption inhe.. it incorruJltion.


Behold 1 s how you a mystery; we ' sh all not


all ); lecp , I>; J\ we s ha ll a ll be changed. In a


1II0rnelll, in th e tw inkl ing of an eye, at th e last


tl'llm l> : · for th e tmmpet sh all sou nd, a nd the


. lead sll('.\ l l be ra ised in corruptihle, and we


sh all be ch ang ed . F or tbis . c OI · ru ptible must ,


put () l'I in co rruption, and thi s mortal must put


on irnmortltlity." 1 COl'. ] 5; 35- 53. That


the apo stl tlrefcrs here to the uody, and teR'Ches


ils final resurrecti on, th er e seel, nS no rpom to


dOUbt. The sa me is tme of the follow ing


passage. " But I would not have ' You to beig­Horant,


bl'cthren, co nce rn ing them which a.. e


asl eep , th at ye so rrow not even as othe.. s


, which have no hope. F or if we bel ieve th at


Jesn s died and I'Os eagain, e v ~ n so them a lso


which sleep in J esu s, will God ' hring with


him. ,. it For the Lonl himself shall rle- ,


sc end fa'omheaven with a shout, with th e voic e


of th e a rc1, J- ange l, and with the trump ofGod :


and th e dead iIi Christ sha ll rise first: th en


we which are aliv e and remain , shall be caug ht


lip togeth el' wi th them in the Clollds, to meet


th e Lord in the air: nnrl so shall we ever be


with the . Lord.'.' ] Thess. 4: 13 .. ] 7.


The R evelator saj's - " And I saw' thron es,


anll they sa t upon them , and judgm ent was


given unto th em: and I saw the souls of them


that were hehead cd for the witness of J esu s,


and for th e word of God, and which had not


worsh ipped th e beast , neither his ima ge, n eith.


er had received his mark up on th eir for e- '


heads, or in th eil' hands; and they I! ved and


re igned with Chr ist a thousand years. , But


th e rest of tlfe dead lived · not again till th e


thousand years ~ wer e finished. This is th e


fil'st resurrection. Ble ssed and holy is hellmt


bath part in the first resur.. e~ t io n ; for on suc h


the second d ~ ath hath no Jlower; . but th ey


shall he priests of GoOd and ofChrist, and slmll


re ign with bim a th ousan'd years." R ev. 20: 4


- 6. Again he says: " And I saw a - g.. eat


, yhi ie ! hrone, and him th at sa t on it, fi'om


whose face th e ear th and th e hea ven fled away,


nhd th ere wa s found no place for them . AmI


I saw th e dead, small and gl'eat, stand before


God: and th e books were opened; and an­othcl'


book, which is th e book of life : and th e


dead were ju'dged out of those things whic h


,. were written i1rdie boo!, s ac cord ing to their


works. And the sea gave up the dead wh ich


were in it ;. and death and Had es delivered up


th e dead whi ch wer e in them; and th ey were


ju dged, every ' man according to tl, eir · works."


Ib, VOJ'ses ] 1- 13, These passages do not


admit. of a natu ral and eas y ex planat ion wi th­out


admitti ng ~ Iiut they tcach the resurrec tion


of the body, lind its reunion wi th th e soul. I


have passed over sev eral others in differ ent


parts of the ' New Testnm ent whi ch might


hav e been pertinently quoted, but not to be


tedi ous, I close where I am ,


To my own mind I have sa tisfacto r ily


proved fro, n S cripture th e immortality of the


so ul, and the resur rection of th e body, These


two points see m to be conclu siv ely se ttled, so


far as th e authority ofdivine revelation is co n ­corned.


Dcyond thi s I cannot at present look,


neither ca n I- turn asid e to trea t of those rea­so


ns which are drawn from nature nnd phi­losophy


in suppor t of th e general do err ine of'n


future exi stenc e. 1am content to rep ose Illy


faith on th e testimony of G0I1, to live in ex­pectati


on that the soul will exist, for a longe r


OJ' sh ort er per iod, in a se pa ra te stare nfter


death, and ' that in due time the body, purified


from all that is g roS!! and se ns ua l, will be re­co


nsiim ted ind estru ctible, a fit ve hicle and 0r• ·


gan fo.. th e soul . to all ete rn ity , And if I


co uld a lways live and preaqh ill a manner wor­thy


of tlJi~ expec tation, I shou ld not only enjoy


incon ceiv abl e good in my own mind, hut be


all instrument, I douht not, of hl'inging u! any


others to the love and! practice of holin esll, nnd


th e.. ehy qu alifying th em to live righteon llly,


die ca lmly , allll reign glo riou sly at, thc right


hand of th ei.. Redeemer. II


THE PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN.


llIendoll ; F ebruary I, 1841.


E X PEDIENCY


' Vhat is the tru e doct.. ine of expedien cy ? ­T


o obey God. ' Vhy? Because God alone


knows what is most ex pe die nt, and his law is


th e only true exponent of a pe rfect judgm ent.


Ifman wel'e a comp, elenijnllge of wlmt is on


th e whole, rnost expedient, he would need no '


law f.. om above. He might th en he an infalli­hie


law to himself. BUt now man is 1I0! a com­petent


judge. He do es not se e far enoug h in­to


th e nature, relation, lIod tendency' of things.


- He is near sighted and dim vision ed. A


thousllnd c irc umsta nce s comhine with hili nat ;


ural ~ eak ness to"' li~ fit I ~ m for n- co7. · ~ t ~ I eci :


sion.- He is extremely liahl e to err in theory


nnd still more so, to crr ' in Pl1lct ice. There­fore


God is th e only competent int e.. p.. e te l · of


ex pediency . He onl y c~ n know wh at on th e


wh ole is, most exp~ dient. lIe a lone cannot


cr~ , ,


If, then , I would do what is most ex pedient,


I must i'efe.. imm edi ately to his law- to his .. e ~


venled will- and wh at eve r answ er that infalli­Lie


oracle giv es to my qu esti on , I must recei ve,


and he gov ern ed uy : Bllt suys on e, " what if


we ar e no t su.. e that God has .. evealed his will


tou ch in g the partiCUlar qu estion unde l' con­side


ra tion?" I ' answer, that if we arc C hr is ­t


i a ~ s, th ere can be no qu estion of dill y whi ch


his I: evealed will does not tou ch. If we a.. e


infid els, we are Ollt of the pal e of thi s whole'


. reasoning.....:. i. e. we have se t up f~ ourselv es,


a nd mu st run 0111' own race, till conv inced by


a sud experince tha t we a.. e not th e heings we


took oUl'selv es for. But I am s peaking acco r­din


g to the light of Chri~ tianity, anrl ' to th ose


wh o profess to honor that light. ' How is it


t1~ en ?- Are the re any qu est ion s of duty which


l


th e reve aled will of_ God does not tou ch ? Jn


, the first place, there lire mlln y positive and


comprehe ns ive c0J! lmandmeiJls which deClare


his re veal ed will. In the second plac e, th ere


nre mllny counsels, exho.. tations, warnings, reo


proofs and gene ra l precepts, which declare


that will . In the third place , th er e ar e many


fund amen tal principles of I'ight~ ousn ess, ca­pabl


e of application to an endless vari ety of


eases. ] n the fourth place th ere ar e strong


and clear .. ep.. esentations of th e Ilatu .. e and


cha ra cte r of God, sh'owin g ns by parity whi t


is and wh at is not acceptahle to him. ' In the


fifth plnce, '! Chav e his spirit dw elling within


us, and directly enlighte ni ng our consciences


as to what is right arid wrong. Now if allY


case occurs in which th e p'artieular qu'estilin


ofduty is not answe.. ed by th e divin e. oracl e,


through eithe r of th ese channels, we are bou! 1d


to remain entirely · passive. W e mu st tak e


neith er side :-- but passiv ely permit , livine


Provid en ce to waft ' IIS whithCl' it may.. Then


we shall be safe. He who ~ I oes that which


' he bas no e vidence is l'ight , lind some rea s! ln


to fe~ r is wrong, sin s in his act. He has no


di vine permission to do an y thing whi c. h h is


consc ience does DOt approve, even tbough he


may not he sure it is wrong . i-- If lie fears it


may be wrong , andhns no assurance that . it is


right, he must suspend action and wait for


light:


But how very few and fhr between are those


quest ions ofduty, which th e reveal ed will of


God rloes not so lve to th e satisfaction of a


mind hon estly an xious to kn ow and do its


duty ?- Such a mind do es not dwell in' . e very


nominal Christian ; hut we know that no man


can be trulyn disciple o f C hri~ t without it. I i


on e is chiefly a nxi ous to gl'Rtify his own will


of the flesh, he will not hc true to . the . light


within him, he will not che orfull y obey the


dictates of d uty, hut will almost un conciously


strugg le to nccomods te tlie divine will, in np­pearan


ce, a t leas" to I; is ~ wn will; he will


lower the sta nda rd of righ! to suit . h is own rle­fcctive


mor als, and lab or to justify that IVh ich


is most convenlent to hhnself, however repug-


, nant to fundum ontnl principl es of moral recti­tud


e, -


, S uc h a man liasevery reason to fea r tlmt he


is " in th e gull of liitt eru ess, IIIH I in th e bond s


of iniquity." He may wear th e numd, but he


is not a Chrisliall. ' •


To rec ur to th e unperverted doct .. ine of cxo


pe, li en cy. It will be ' sa id thnt th e.. e tll: C many


ca ses in which men lire culled 10 act, to which


no ex plicit eommllndment or. pr ecept of GO/ I


aJlpl ies. This may he, 81HI yet those cases


Illay come a s c lea r ly witllin th e scope ~ f. som e


comprehensiv e comman dmerll , and be us s us­ce


ptihle of a n un cquivocal se tt lement, as a ny


oth e.. in th e wo rld. A ge ne ral prill ciple aJl-


I plied ex plicitly to a few plain cus! ls, hilt made


implieitly , l, inding in all cases, is ofeq ua l weigl It


with an y s ing le express requisiti on , whi ch ap­pli


es to a so lita.. y case . Duty is eq na lly illl­peratil'e


in uotl i cases. Ahraharn was com ­mand


ed to sac ri fice his own ; on. The like


may never be reqni.. ed lIgain. Dnty endell


with th e occas ion. Ahra ham proved th e


strength of his fidelily tn God by c" lIci( ving his


own will,' and obeying th e divine will : Hilt


now, all Chr istia ns lire comma nde d 10 do IInto


oth er s all things wh a. ts~ eve.. , they wou, ld tllllt


' ot h( frs'~ s i l o ll hl do" i'iillo" ihe ' in; ~ Th i8' i;- tiC~ il i': '


prehensiv e, universal, etemal rul e ofac tion .-.


It hind s us in all cases whatso~ vel' with equal


for ce ofohli gati on. Now to violat e thi s com­m'andment


in a sing le instan ce, though that


instance he s uc h an oue as th e Biule no wh el'e


exp.. essly s peci ~ es or intimates, is a sill , jlist as


cCl · tainly as it woulrl hav e heen a s in in Abra ·


ham to have refu sed oherlien !: e in th e particu ­lar


case of his so n. I fillli ~ n o, ex pl'ess com.


mandmen t requiring rne to befriend an Am er­icun


I nrlian in di stress, or a Negro, or a Tariar;


bill sh all I therefor e prete ; lrl GOrl has ' nev er


re vea led to me, that thi s is my r! uty, llnrJ tl ;~ t it


will not he sin in me to neglect suffering hu­manity


in th e persons oflhese fellow men? ­Snreiy


not. Ca ses ar e d'ai) y occurring, whi ch


in some .. espec ts diffel~ pcrill ips fa'om a ny case


s pecifically- contem'plritedin tlui Bihle. B ut


very few, if any, cases occur in human life,


which an ingllnu ous Illind " singly int ent on


' loing wh at is riglll, will not he ahl e readily to


seule by the light of di vin e rel'elation. . Such


a mind will always find eithe l' nn explicit 0t


an implicit d eclaration of what it is God's will


sh o, nlrl he done. ~ Let th ~ q uestion be ie volverl


-" if I act thu s and so, will it he henevoleut­will


it he just- will it he mel'cifi, l- will it he '


r ight- will it he agr eeahle to the reveal e'l will


of my Gild! Thlls all qu estions of ex pedien­cy


ought to be se ttled hy th e jndgment of th at


unerring Bein g, wlto ulon e pe.. fectly un.- 1 el' ­stands


th e whol e case . . His , law, his, revealed


will, be ing on ce lIscertnined, all human will s,


and all hl! rnan 1Il0tives of ex pedieney should


be 1I11erly ren ouncer!.


No mun sh ould say ! I, is is right, this'is jllst ,


this is : merciftll- Bu'r it is impracticahle, it is


un safe, it is inexpedi ent, it c annot be d Ol1e. ­VVho


knows best , he or God? and who dares


to say that wh at God ! tas declared to he right,


is ine llpedi ent? Have we rival Goris? Is a


poor mortal selfishl y cons ulting his own ense,


convenience and aggr and izement- eapahle of


findin< Y Ollt hy lIlean s of hi ~ c hil, lish philoso.


pl; y, that J ehovah has er red in his . Judgment


of wh at is expedie nt ! Or a~ e th ere among liS


worshipper s of th e Omnipot ent who impute


to Him th e ~ i n of comm llnding that which is


not on th e whole, safest and most expe die nt ?


AWRy with a ll th ese semi- a theis tic no tions, and


' Iet IIshave faith enough in th e On ly'Wise a nd


Holy GOII, ' to . trust both his ben evolence lind


his judgmenr ; faith ' enongh not to doubt tl'lllt


whatever he has revealed as 0111' duty is most


pr oper, sa fe and expedient lor us. Christ Miod,


it was his " meat and his drink to do the wi- lfof


his Futhe r"- Ihnt he " come dewn from heav­en,


not to do his 011' 11, but , his Father's will. ­Let


Christians st rive after th e sallie nll - eonfi­,


l ing unreserved deference so ihewlll of Gp'),


a nd they will prove . themselves followers o, r


tile Lamb, "~ eet to be llllrtukers of'the inher­itan


c! l of the saints in light." · A t t h i~ elevated


summit of moral excellence shou ld evcry one


wh o nnm es the name of C1' ri st constanely


aspire'....: ue ver imaginillg that l. Ie stands- on


holy ground till he hin ; setfi& dead as to the


will of th e flesh, And his life- is h, id' with Cheist


iu God. A nd if lIny fee! that they are poer,


nak ed an d desritute of this exce llency, let them


not he di scouraged; hill rather rlerive e neour­nge


mc n t from th e Iuc: th nt lit least they ape


sensible of th eir O\' l llt frefiC1eRlly, nml have


hearts to ndmire nne] h unge r ' for something


more divine. And 1l101~ God make pe rfellt h. itJ


s tre ngth in onr weakness. May he e na ble- liS


to know, to do, and to' love hi s will in al:~


thi ngs.


', D E ATlf ' OF" Jl: ET. J NO, . DALE.


It is our melancholy 1t~ J1Y to · I'ecord the " de ­cease


of lhis wo .. thy 1ll61t \ aud' fhiihfil · 1 minis­te


l' or Chr ist. lie Ilied , in l\ Wfiml, 1\ 1ass.,. on


TJulrsday, th e . th ins!'.,. alt er a,' ling ering ill­ness


ofse ve ra l wceks, with lff- oJ/ sy at th e hellrt,.


ill th e 39" 1 year Gfllis age.. \


The deeease! 1 was 3\ nntive of Nottingham.


Englunu, wh er e we presume he hns varions


relati ves a nd / i'rend s to c1l e~ ish hi s melllory. ­lie


was horn on th e 28th of Murch, J802, left


~ l1ot herless- at th c'lll! e of 18' mOlllhs, resid e,)


- with a fell1' t l~ fa'ien" tin 50 yenrs of age, wns


then upprentmed to th e I" Itosiery husiness ~ iII


16, uft el' wh ich. h e wo.. ked at th e La ' em manu­filcture


most flof rlte tillle fill'" sc I'era l yea .. s .. FIe


het: allle ex /> erit1lelllully relr,\'; olls, anti a p.. each­er


of th e gosp> e)' umo llg th e- ~ lc t hod ists, lIut at


whnt time Ihe ''' ' iter' is not mtf' l: rncd. lie wns


mllrri fJll to ti! e - ' worlhy cowl, panion who Jives


to IIIOUI'n his lallSj . nutl heeaoll1e Ihe Iilll\ el' of


filllr childrcM', olte ofwhollt he buried in Eng­hind


, pr el'i mus 10 his em igMl'riGn to t\ llle riI.- D. ­He'cllme


to the'Unite, I ' S rnreS'in t\ ng ust, ]' 829;


a nti follmverl t'he Ho siery tllt: H It. ess, us age nt or


fill'emlln f01' IIjilrm in Host 19Il, five or s ix year! J.


1\ Ieal1tim e he heca/ ll ll C& ltneet ed with th e Prot­es


ta nt 1\ 1 ethollist deu6l11iflation, of wh ich it is'


heliel'ed he , li ed llllltembll!'. Jle wall one year


a s tati oned ministe r at Sttllllwic- h\. 1\ hISll., an, 1


afterwa.. ds at PIYTll0utll. He . removed to , Mil~


ford sOltle tw o ye811& since'r a't which , plnlle nt ' Il):


s~ I'era l other~ he has- since ocr- asionally / Ireach­ed.


Not rll¢ eil' lug My th ing like an nr)' equate'


suppo rt for himself and his numcrous family.


as a Chris tinn IlIiniSlel', he has, been e ngaged"


du .. ing thi s last pe .. iod in th e shoe bu siness. ­By


th e u ~ it ed inllttalry flf himselfllnd family,.


~ o t w i t l ls ta n di nl: mall Y disnrll'antngell, he has­hOllomhly


maiutaitJecJ his hlll l1hle fOOlin g, and!


bu t fi> r th e protracted ,. lebility · whi ch I'II'eceoed!


hi ll dissolllliOli, IVould have secnred an ade­q"~


te sn p~ y, ror "' i& tel~ Jloru. 1 wants. Altho. '


sic k ness reduced his income, ltlld inr: r! tllscd his­pecunia


ry Wllllt, . rt will h,: [! Jeasing to, his dis ' ­ta


nt .. e la tives and acqllaintnnces to know, thaa


kind friends around him cheerfnlly mini steredl


with gre! lt liherality t ~ the ne cessiti ell of hiS'


case. He was r), gt long confined to his room. I


Illlving kept ah oUot IlOuse till within a fcw days


of hi s . death. ' I~ e wns a, pprizerJ or th e d~' nltell­ou


s ' nnt llre of his dit< ease, amI fully prepBredi


for tile dissOlmioll of llis earthly tobernacle.,- ­With


Christ ia,} meekness, ' patience, resigna­tion


IInll llOJle, he awaitell his snmlllons to the­world


of s pirits- telitify ipg to all inlJ'l~ iring


f.. iends a rollnd him. his j'eadiness, and ewell his


dtsire, to . Iepnrt a nd he with Christ. At Jellgth.


he re.. eived his discharge, lind pal' 8ed wi. tb. an ..


, Iy th e slight strugg le of a lTIoment to the


peac eful rest ofthe red eemed ;- Ieaving a des­olate


wife and seven fat herless childrcn, the


yo ungest n tender inflml , " II commended with.


holy confidence to the providenee and guardo­ianship


of Him who '' will never ltave 110.. jor­sake


! hem."


Our deceusell Br" to Ihe best of ou r know1­erlge


81; 11 belief, sustainerl " most hlameless


and ir .. epronc ha b! e character, as a man. a


Chr istinn a nd a prea ch er or tbe gospel' He


p ossessed a ( lur e a: nd upright spirit, IIll act ivQ

Page 74 of Volume 1 from The Practical Christian 1840-1841

Ballou, Adin

1840