The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1866-09-05

divinity, and quafs deeply Of the waters Of
Inspiration, is alone commissioned to per
form this great work; and no other is
suited to the task. Il is his province to
unfold the unsearchable riches OF Christ.
and TO proclaim the glad tidings Of saliva.
ton TO DYING man. 1t is his provrrce To-
aid the sinner in his search for the "pearI
OF great price" in the hidden but accessi
BILE recesses Of revelation. We will there
fore forbear, to discourse a, length upon
the spirituality proper Of the Bible, and
te assume the functions Of the pulpit; for
this is truly holy ground, upon which i,
may not be proper for us 10 tread. We
will leave the details Of this to the faith
fu' minister of Christ. who alone is ca2a
bic Of treating the subject, as it should
be treated,
But 1t may not be inappropriate, for
US, on this occasion to all I'd. in q general
way, to the main object Of mans existence,
the brevity and probationary nature Of his
life. and to the Influence ARD power of the
Bible on his conduct and character
That there is An rmmorra! principle in
man, tha, looks beyond the confines of
time, and that there is future state Of
rewards aud punshments, where he is
held to At account for The deed. done in
The body, is theological truth, n. oil as
his tramsgression in the garden Of Ellen,
and as settled as the law Of gravi,a,;on in
the Natural world This il the rtea,
theme of the Bible. and il is the solid
foundation upon which the great fabric Of
The christian Religion rests. II is the great
idea that nnderIes the doctrine of human
depravirv, the plsm Of redemption. and all
the PROMINENT features Of christianity
Man WAS created upright. after the image
"t his Maker, and as we are tavgh, in the
Scriptures. his chief end is to glu,ify God
'hrouIhont the countless ages of eternity.
His life IS short i, is but span. Thou
shall die, and not hve," is Gods unal,era
BILE decree TO man. "Of dust thou ART,
and unto dust thou shalt. return" Is the
JUS, sentence OF his dePravity. His life
on esr'h is n probationary state it is one
OF trial one that eiIl a, aud prepare him.
II he hn, he,rh"n, To the invitation. OF
the Gospel. for that rest W hch remaine,h
for 'he peop'e Of God bu, il he disreg ards
The story oi the cross, and disdans the
terrors and thrsarenings Of the law, it is
one that will sink him in the gulf Of end.
less perdhroa. "Come We blessed of nv
Father inherit the Kingdom prep ar-d for
YOU from the foundation OF the world T"
Depsri from me, ye cursed into everlast-
ing fire, prepared for The devil and hi.
angels" is the impressive language Of in,
spiration. This is the religion that Chris
uanity teaches, and il is that around
which tie Christians hopes cluster. And
!. is this that has been assa,led by the
inhdel, in every age Of the world. Yet it,
beatty and excellence still continue to
shine with increasing lusire, to conduct
i.s votaries safely through the dark lahv .
ginth OF ignorance and superstition, into
the marvellous light and liberty Of the
Gospel OF truth. The combined power
learning and genius Of IIohls, TelIeyrand,
Rousseau, VoItaira and Gbbon, men dis
tinguished for their lea,Dng and abiIi,y
as writer's. were brought to bear, in her.
culesn efforts. 10 subve,t its truths, and
destroy It's landmarks; but with all tbasn
genius, learning, wit, and sarcasm. they
failed to displace single timber Of the
great superslructure OF Christianity, and
the proud edifice. With its spires cleaning
Heaven wards, still continues to noun, up
and spread with Increasing splspdo. aud
magnifcence. Their wicked ass aul,s have
tended only to arouse the friends Of Ch ris.
tranity to full sense Of duty, and to
stimulate them to guard her fortress a.
gainst the wicked warfare Of the infideI.
mo weapon tha, is formed against IL b. AS
prospereJ, and every tongue that has risen
against it in judgment, il has condemn
e,l."
The power and influence Of Ch'isiiani,
~ on the conduct and character Of men.
have been marked by the historian in
in every age Of the worlds history: and
this, outside the miracles OF the Bible,
has been regarded, by the Learned, rs one
Of the strongest proofs offs divinity. So
grea, WAS the faith Of the Apostles, that
they. in tbs propagation Of Carispanity,
suffered msrt,rdom. rather than re,ie
quish their ministry. When John Hus..
sometimes called the m0ning star Of the
A. = ..F -.