The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1870-01-19
For THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
TYPES OF PIETY.

sovereign grace. In the saints Of Scripture,
we find the same marked individuality that
we meet with in actual life, or in the finest
productions of human genius. Madam Da-
cier and others, have pointed out the delicate
discrimination of Homer, in giving individ-
uality to characters belonging to the same
general class, and having of course general
resemblance. Macaulay has applied the
same observation to Shakespeare, and shown
that characters which we should generally
grossly describe by the same epithets, as
Hotspur and Prince Hal, both brave, impet-
uous, eager, ungoverned and impatient of
opposition, are still individually, so distinct,
that we should feel that what was entirely
proper in the mouth of the one, would be out
of place in that of the other.
Even the inspiration of the sacred writer's,
does not cast them all into an iron and in.
flexible mould, or reduce them all to an uni
form pattern and size. But each, though
delivering the divine mind in divine words,
writes according to his own personal genius,
and accordingly, we find the same beautiful
variety and the same marked individuality,
in Moses, Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and Jere-
miah, as in Homer, Eschylus, Sophoces
and Euripides.
AS all the subjects of grace are the sons
of God and the heirs of common inheri-
tance of glory, there are some general prin-
ciples or features, in which they all resem-
BILE one another, and the differences between
them are differences of degree not of kind,
individual not specific. There are however
many varieties in the types of genuine piety,
the cheerful-the respondent, the affection
ate, the severe. This Christian ministers
ought to recollect in the instructions they
mpart, the consultations they afford, and the
duties which they exact.
Hence, we may perceive the wisdom and
love of God, in the variety of characters
presented in the Scriptures; characters sew
orally and truly representative of every tenn
perament and of every trait, and the ever
varying tone Of the expression of piety in
the Scripture, from the profoundest anguish
to bird-like song of joy, "that soaring up
to heavens gate ascends." The seasons of
the year from the ice of winter to the fervid
splendors of summer-the varieties of eli
mate from the regions of the Arctic circles
to the brightness Of a Tropic sky, the alter
nate changes of day when the sun is over
shadowed by a cloud, and the same bright
burning breaks forth in a food of glory,
bathing in light and beauty, earth and heav-
en-, do not vary more than the several strains
of Scripture writer's, especially in the
Psalms, detailing the several experiences Of
the people of God, and often of the same
soul at several periods, and under altered
circumstances.
What imparts such peculiar value to the
practical writings of DIR. Archibald Alexan
der in common with the best productions o.
the great old Nonconformist divines, Owen
Flavel, Baxter, and Buuyan, is their deeE
knowledge of the working of the religious
affections, and the diversified forms which
true piety may assume.
Every one feels that the piety of Abra
ham, Isaac and Jacob was distinct and differ
ent, though he might not be able perhaps tc
specify the distinctive character of the piety
of each of these illustrious saints. We al
feel in the presence of Abraham, the father
of the faithful, and especially in that su
preme moment when with up lifted hand HI
is ready to sacrifice his son, his only son
Isaac, at the command of God, as in tn,
presence of a superior being. We feel tina
the character of his piety is grand, magnan
imous, heroic. We feel as when we gaz
upon some sublime and stupendouS object il
nature-a mountain or cataract, the frma
ment or the ocean. The piety of Isaac Of
the other hand, is quiet, meditative, pensiv
and loving. 1t is not the mountain or tn
cataract, but the unrufled lake, refectinj
the pure stars. Looking on him in his earl,
youth, or in his later years, with his minge
eight and sweetness, we think perhaps .
that exquisitely descriptive line chow swee
the moonlight sleeps upon that bank In
piety of Jacob is more fervent, active, har
dy, persevering and triumphant as we behol
him in the crisis of his fate and elimination
E of his glory, wrestling with the angel unit
the break of day.
Without going into details We see CORES
ponding differences in the more notable char
acters of the New Testament; and among tn
Apostles of our Lord. Neander and bis ad
miring disciple, DR.. SchaA, bave very beau
E tifully illustrated the leading and distinctly
attributes of the Apostles Paul, Peter, Jane
and John. The grace of God was the sam
in these several subjects, but determined il
its obvious manifestation largely by temper
ament, by time, by individual circumstances
and by social surroundings; like liquO
poured into vessels of various shapes ant
sizes, or casks of different wood, or waite
flowing through soils of different colOrs AM
qualities, or the same image reflected in
larger or smaller, brighter or DINNER,
rougher or smoother mirror. Other differ
ences there are, arising from the predOms
, nencs of some one of the Christian virtues s
9 far as to be the characteristic of the man a
q Christinn or the nrevailinn nower of snm