The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1867-03-13

slam with the sword; they wandered
about in sheep-skins and goat-skins; be-
ing destitute, afflicted, tormented; OF
whom the world was not worthy; they
wandered in deserts and in mountains,
and in dens and caves of the earth. "
Heb. xii: S6-38.
Again, temporal good, in the form of
earthly honor and earthly treasures
those two great objects of human desire
could have no influence over the minds
of the first witnesses to the truth, as it
is in Jesus. Their Master had not where
to lay his head. His instructions for
bade the thirst for gold and fame, aye
cannot serve God and Mammon." y
Woe unto you that are rich for ye have
received your consolation. Woe unto
you that are full for ye shall hunger.
1t is easier for a camel to 60
through the eye of needle than for a
rich man to enter into the Kingdom of
God. + = How can ye believe which
receive honor one of another, and seek
not the honor that cometh from God
only" One Of the first acts of the
members of the new organization was to
sell their possessions, and have all things
in common. James, the first bishop,
pastor, or presiding elder, at Jerusalem,
is almost fierce in his denunciation against
the rich in this worlds goods. eco to
now, ye rich men, weep and howl for
your miseries that shall come upon you.
Your riches are corrupted and your gar
ments are moth-eaten. Your gold and
silver is cankered, and the rust of them
shall be witness against you and shall
eat your flesh as it were fire." Paul is
just as emphatic as James in his declara-
tion of the curses attendant upon riches.
"But they that will be rich fall into
temptation and a snare, and into many
foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown
men in destruction and perdition. For
the love of money is the root of all evil
which while some coveted after, they have
erred from the faith, and pierced them
selves through with many sorrows" l
Tim. vi: 9, 10. It's remarkable that the
only description given of hell by our
Saviour is that, in which the prominent
figure in torment is rich man. The world
has been exceedingly solicitous to explain
away all the plain teachings of Christ
and his Apostles; and even this nara
tive concerning sinner in perdition is
called the parable of Lazarus and the
rich glattton; though there is not word
to indicate either that the story is par
able, or that the rich man was sensual
ist. But that there might be no room
for mistake, our Saviour has just as un-
equivocally pronounced the blessing upon
the poor and lightly esteemed, ashehad de-
nounced the woe upon the rich and hon
orablein theworld' s estimation, "Blessed
beye poorl for yours is the Kingdom Of
God. Blessed are ye that hunger now; for
yo shall be filed Blessed sreye that weep
now; for ye shall laugh" Lukevi: 20, Fl.
We read that thrill of joy once, and
sut once, passed through the <heart Of
him, who was a man of sorrow and ac-
quainted with grief. "In that hour Je-
sus rejoieed in spirit, and said, l thank
thee, o Father, Lord of heaven and earth
that thou hast had these things from the
scise and prudent, and hast revealed them
unto babes: even so, Father, for so it
seemed good in thy sight" Luke K:
21.
A calm, dispassionate consideration,
of the above remarkable characteristics
in the Gospel scheme, exposes fully the
fallacy of the assertion that the devotees
of false religions have been actuated by
the same motives and principles, as the
disciples of the Lord Jesus This is in
no sense true. The Sautons of the East
mortify the body, endure self-torture,
and eschew wealth and luxury. But
they find their reward in the honor and
veneration paid them by the people.
The early Christians, on the contrary,
received for their self-denial nothing but
the contempt of all mankind. The fol-
lowers of Mohammed braved death in
every form, while carrying forward the
Crescent through hostile countries. But
to say nothing of the sensual rewards
held out to the followers of the Prophet,
it will not be denied that they were just
as honest and sincere in their fanaticism,
as they were fierce, relentless, and un-
pitying. But to grant earnestness and
sincerity to the primitive Christians is to
give up the whole ground in controversy
They laid the foundation of their reli-
gious system in the resurrection Of
Christ. They could not be honest and
sincere men, if the resurrection was not
a real event. They claimed either to
have seen the risen Saviour with their
own eyes, or to have known credible wit
nesses, who had so seen him. There is
no room for supposing them self-deceived
They surely knew that Jesus burst the
bands of death, or they were the most
unscrupulous of impostors. The in6del
may take either horn of the dilemma
Let him take the first, and the truth oi
Christianity is established. Let him
take the second, and we have a religious
system evoking the greatest enthusiasm,
and calling for the severest sacrifices, and
yet based upon known falsehood! And
what is stranger still, we find the teacher:
of this religion declaring that this lie
constituted the hope of Immortality, the
foundation of salvation and the ground
work of justification before God. w
find them declaring that if this lie be mo-
true, they are of all men the most mise
rable.
/ But what is strangest of all is, tina
thele should be promulgatedby men, whc