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Benjamin Lyon Smith
The Millennial Harbinger Abridged (1902)

 

SERMONS IN THE FALL OF 1833.

      At Richmond, Va., October, 1833, in Sycamore Meeting-house:

      Lord's day, after the worship of the morning, and the commemoration of the death and resurrection of the Saviour, we addressed a very crowded house, on the three kingdoms of nature, grace, and glory; showing the analogies existing between them--that the object of each was to form bodies like itself--natural, gracious, and glorious bodies. Three births, three lives, three salvations, contrasted, illustrated, and conferred, suited to the genius of each kingdom. The constitutional principles, laws, ordinances, subjects, privileges, duties, and enjoyments of the citizens of each, were in succession adverted to; and the essential necessity of being in each kingdom to participate of its influences, was enforced from reason, analogy, and the third chapter of John.

[A. C.]      

      At Baltimore, Md., March [sic], 1833:

      In the afternoon, at Scott's Hall, we addressed a full house, on the nature of obedience, illustrated in the case of Samuel and Saul, in reference to the destruction of the Amalekites (I. Sam. xvi.).

      1. That obedience was, and is, and evermore shall be the only way to enjoyment in every department of rational existence, was demonstrated from the nature of the human constitution itself, as well as from the unequivocal declarations of the unerring Spirit.

      2. That God and our own happiness never can require less than perfect and perpetual obedience to that constitution of things under which man is placed.

      3. The difference between obedience of law and the obedience of faith, illustrated.

      4. Obedience is in its nature universal, not partial; for partial obedience, as explained by Samuel, is no better than disobedience and rebellion--a rejection of the word of the Lord.

      5. The blessings connected with the obedience of law, and the blessings connected with the obedience of faith, concluded this address.

[A. C.]      

      In the evening of the same day, and in the same place, to a very crowded house, we descanted at considerable length upon the most common error of all the religions of the world, and of all ages of the world--from the days of Confucius and Zoroaster--from the days of Jannes and Jambres--in all the systems of religious philosophy, it was assumed as an axiom, that the Deity is to be propitiated by some human sacrifice--by some mental or physical agony--some painful [434] mortification--by animal blood, or tears, or groans--by something thought, said, suffered, or done by sinful man.

      The axiom of the Apostles was, "God is by Christ reconciling a world to himself." The axiom of all human religions is, "Man by his works must reconcile God to himself."

      Salvation to be received, not purchased--to be enjoyed, not merited, by obeying the gospel, was set forth from the word of reconciliation, as explained II. Cor. v.

[A. C.]      

      In the afternoon, Dec. 7th, 1833, in New York City, according to appointment, we addressed a large assembly of gentlemen (though it rained) at Concert Hall, on the evidence of the gospel.

      1st. We attempted to demonstrate that reason without faith is inadequate to guide man, in reference either to the present or the future.

      2nd. Justified the wisdom and philanthropy of the Author of Revelation in addressing it to faith, or to the capacity by which we receive almost all our useful knowledge.

      The design of this discourse, like the preceding, was to disabuse the audience of their prejudices against the testimony of God, occasioned by the abuses of their own reason, and the abuses of the Bible, by many teachers and professors of Christianity; and to prepare them for the candid examination of the direct evidences and arguments to be offered that evening in Tammany Hall in proof of the resurrection of Jesus.

[A. C.]      

Sources:
      1. Alexander Campbell. Sermon on the Three Kingdoms, an Extract from "Notes on a Tour to New York, via
Eastern Virginia.--No. 1." The Millennial Harbinger 4 (November 1833): 564.
      2. ----------. Sermon on the Nature of Obedience, an Extract from "Notes on a Tour to New York.--No. 4."
The Millennial Harbinger 5 (January 1834): 14.
      3. ----------. Sermon on the Common Error of World Religions, an Extract from "Notes on a Tour to New
York.--No. 4." The Millennial Harbinger 5 (January 1834): 14.
      4. ----------. Sermon on Reason and Faith, an Extract from "Notes on a Tour to New York.--No. 6." The
Millennial Harbinger 5 (February 1834): 76-77.

 

[MHA2 434-435]


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Benjamin Lyon Smith
The Millennial Harbinger Abridged (1902)