Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1860-11-09

the laws OF lue SPil'0' Atoo, ~ HdS uOLn-
ing to do but with the soul, aud to that alone
he brings his gospel. The soul is sufficient
for him, as he is Sufficient for the soul. Be-
fore him the soul was nothing. Matter and
time we're the masters Of the world. At
his voice everything returns to order. Sci
ence and philosophy become secondary
The soul has reconquered its scvereignty.-
All the scholastic scahfolding falls, as an ed
lice ruined, before one single word-taith.
"What master, and what world, which
can effect such revelation With what
authority does he teach men to pray He
imposes his belief And no one, thus far,
has been able to contradict him: first, be-
cause the Gospelcnntains the purest moral
ity. and also h..-ass12 the doctrine which it
contains Of obscurity is only the procama-
ton and the truth of that which exists where
no eye can see, and 30 reason can penetrate
Who is the insensate, who will say No to
the intrepid yoyagcr who recounts the mar
wells Of the icy peak ? which he alone has
the boldness to visit. Christ is that bold
voyager. One can doubtless remain incred-
ulous; but no one can say, 1t is not 50.
Christ having but few weak disciples,
was condemned TO death He died the OBJ
ject of the wrath of the Jewish priests, and
Of the contempt of the nation, and abandon
ed and denied by his own disciples.
The manner Of Christ's death, bis resur-
rection and ascension are then given in de-
tail, with the prosecutions and triunaphs Of
the Apostles and first preachers Of the Cos
pei, Introducing the following comparison !
''You speak of Caesar, Of Alexander; OF
their couquests, and Of the enthusiasm which
they enkiniied III the hearts Of their soldiers
But can you conceive OF dead man making
conquests, with az army faithful and entire
| y devoted to his memory. My armies have
forgotten me, even while living, as the Gar
tbagenian army forgot Hannibal Such is
our power! A single battle lost brushes,
and adversely scatters our friends.
"Gan you conceive of Caesar as the eter-
nal Emperor Of the Senate, and from the
depths Of bis mausoleum governing the en-
pice. watching over the acstinies of Rome ?
Such is the power ofthe Christians; and such
is the perpetual miracle of the progress of
the faith and Of the government of His
Church Nations pass away, thrones crum-
bic, but the church remains What is then
the power which has protected this Church,
| thus assaled by the furious pillows Of rage.
and the hostility of ages? Whose is the arm
which, for eighteen hundred years, has pro-
tected the Church from SO many storms
which have threatened to enguf it?
alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, aud
myself founded empires. But upon what
did we rest our creations of our genius p
upon force. Jesus Christ alone founded his
empire npon Tore; and at this hour millions
Of men would die for him
''ln every other existence but that q
Christ, how many imperfectons Where
is the character which has not yielded, van.
ished by obstacles? Where is the indivil-
ual who has never been governed by circum.
stances or places, who has never succumbed
to the influence Of the times, who has never
compounded with any custom OF passion p
From the first day to the last, he is the same
majestic and simple; infinitely firm and in
dn'tely gentle.
"Ihe Gospel possesses sacred virtue, a
mysterious efficacy, a warmth which pene-
trates and soothcs tho heart One fluids. in
nedtating upon him. that which one cxpe~
| rlences III contemplating the heavens. The
Gospel is not book; it is living being,
with an action a power, which opposes its
extension. Behold it upon this temple. this
book SURPRISING all others; here the Empe-
ror deferentially placed his hand npon it;
| never omit to read it. and every day with
the same pleasure. Nowhere is to be found
such a series of beautiful ideas, admirable
moral maxi,ns which pass before Us like the
battali!ons of a celestial army, and which
produce in our soul the same cmotious which
one experiences in contemplating the inf
mite expanse Of the skies, Respondent in d
summers night. with all the briljiance of
the stars. Not only is our mind absorbed
1t is controlled and the soul can never go
astray with this book for its guide. Once
master Of our spirits, the faithful Gospel
loves US. God even is our friend, our faith
er, aud truly our God. The mother has no
greater care for the infant whom she nur-
ses.
"What proof of the divinity Of Christ !!
With an empire so absolute, he has just but
one single end, the spiritual Moderation Of
individuals, the purity Of conscience, the
union of that which is true, the holiness Of
the soul.
"Christ speaks, and at once generations
become bis by stlicter, closer ties than those
of blood; by tho most sacred, the most in
dssolubIe of all unions. He lights up the
flames Of love which consumes self-loye-
which prevails over every other love. The
founders Of other religions never conceived
of this mystical love, which is the essence of
Christianity, and is beautifully called chari-
ty. In every attempt to effect this thing,
namely, to nst,he himself delorea, man deep
ly feels his own impotence So that Chrst's
greatest miracle undoubtedly is the reign of
charity.
II have SO inspired multitudes that they
would die for me- God forbid that [ should
form any comparison between the enthusi-
asm Of the soldier and Christian charity,
which are as unlike as their cause.
"But after all. my presence was necessa-
ry; the lightning of my eve, my voice,
w. I'd from me, then the sacred fire was kim
d 1s, IN heir hearts | do indeed possess
d the secret Of tn;s magical power, which lifts
the soul, but could sever impart It 70 any
r ,,v generals 6ver learned e