Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-11-25
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

| L
filled on last Sunday morning and evening by
Rev. T. D. Wtherspoon, D. D. His sermons
on both occasisns were able, earnest and elo-
quent, appealing forcibly both to the heart and
to the intellect
In the morning he spoke from the words -:
Greater love hath no man than this, that a
man lay down his life for his friends."-St. John,
XIV Is.
He first spoke of the various ways in which
love can be expressed-by words, looks and &C.
tons; but there was no stronger more convin-
cling proof of friendship or love than that a man
would lay down his life as sacrifice for his
friend. He then narrated some instances with
which all are familiar, where this noble sacrifice
and testimonial of love has been made. The
first in Importance, as we'll the greatest sacri-
fee which love has ever prompted was that of
the Lord Jesus Christ, when he gave himself up
| as living sacrifice for sinners when leaving
| his glorious diadem to shine among the stars
and casting his divine mantle upon the sky, he
took upon himself mortal body and poured
forth his blood upon Calvary that sinful man
| might be redeemed Then from secular history,
he related the well-known story of Damon and
| Pythias, and the sacrifices that the old guard
made to protect the life of their well-loved COM
|
instance of the Russian peasant who changed
clothes with his lord that he might die in his
stead-and the touching story of the Scottish
maiden who refused to reveal the hiding place
of her pastor to the brutal minions of Claver-
| house, arc who to ell their threats and cruel
| treatment only replied II will ma tell We VIVA
| the maun of God be' He then drewia contrast
between these noble deeds of heroic sacrifice,
| which stand forth like jewels on the page of the
worlds history, and showed wherein they diff
| fered from the sacrifice which Christ made.
They were prompted as much by sense. of
duty as by the feeling of love and were made by
interiors or dependents, whose lives were of
much less Importance than those for which they
were sacrificed to But Christs sacrifice
was made through love alone, and for persons
not only his interiors but also his enemies.
He made most affecting allusion to the noble
deeds and heroic conduct of the late Rev. Frank
Bowman and Matte Stevenson in their efforts
to relieve the suffering and plague smitten peo-
pie of Memphis
He closed with most earnest appeal to all
| to turn unto Christie give Him their present
| love and crown Him Lord of all.
In the evening, notwithstanding the unfavora-
bic weather. the congregation quite large,
and a most excellent sermon was preached by DR..
Witherspoon upon the subject of special provi-
dence, basing his remarks upon portion of the
| It'll verse of tbs gospel according to st. Luke:
but even the very hairs of your head are all
mum bered."
After stating that all nations and creeds ad-
| mitted the existence of creator, yet there was
doubt as old as the time of Job himself as to
the direct Intervention and supervision of this
creator over the affairs of mankind. This doubt
had been based upon two assumptions:
1st That this earth and its inhabitants form
so small and insignificant part of the Universe
with its vast number of worlds that it would be
folly tc suppose that the Creator would take any
special directions over its affairs
End That the confusion and uncertainty char
acteristc of human affairs and the fact that wick
edness is not summarily punished and goodness
adequately rewarded argue against the control
| of superior intelligence.
| After showing that this doubt had been enter
| tanned ever since the time when the book Of Job
was written, which is regarded even older
| than the book of Genesis, he argued ably and
convincingly from the number of instances Of
special providence, that this doubt was unbound
ed, and that Christians should be humby CRATE
full that they have direct confutation of it in
the words of our Saviour when he says: 'Are
not i've sparrows sold for two farthings and not
one Of them is forgotten before God? But even
| the very hairs of your head are all numbered"
= He then showed. by forcble train of argu-
ment and beautiful illustrations that nothing of
Gods creation was too minute insignificant
for his divine care and protection. That all i'm
portant affairs are brought about by number
of minute circumstances, and to deny Gods care
of the smallest particular was to deny His care
over the whole. He who carries a chain must
carry every link in that chain. A vessel moored
to the shore drifts away if one link of the chain
is broken which holds her fast.
He then eloquenty urged the necessity Of all
becoming christians if they wished to share in
this glorious promise CT divine and guild
ance, for the promise is made to the children of
God He assures them through his well below
ed Son that even the very hairs Of their heads
are all numbered. How glorious is the convic-
ton that he is watching over his children and
that they enjoy his all-powerfal protection and
loving care
Both sermons were listened to with the deep
est interest by the congregation, and the above
meagre sketches can give no conception of the
power, beauty and logical force Of these two
able discourses.
DEATH OF MAJ JAMES WALKER.-The death