Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1879-06-17

the Principal-Master Armand Miler-also gra-
duated in this school, having passed successful
ly all the required examinations, but he de-
clined to receive diploma, as it was female
school.
The Principal then briefly addressed the pu-
pills, in which he INDUCED in some humorous
and facetious remarks at the expense of him
self and his personal pulchritude, in which he
urged his pupils to labor for the interest of the
school among their friends.
The Neutrality-suspicious. then finely
sung by the vocal class, after which the audi
ence was dismissed with the benediction by
Rev. DIR. Dosh, and thus terminated the clos
ing exercises for the past session of this excel
lent school for the education of young ladies.
WESLEYAN FEMALE INSTITUTE.
THE YOUNG LADIES CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION
BY REV. R. A. YOUNG, D. D., OF NASHVILLE,
TENNESSEE.
The commencement sermon of the Wesleyan
Female Institute was delivered on last Sunday
morning by Rev. r. A. Young, D. D., of Nash
vile, in the NJ. E. Church South, to very large
congregatlon-that spacious church being filled
on the floor and in the galleries.
The sermon was a very able one, and was de-
livered without the aid of notes.
The subject of this impressive discourse was,
1.-THE reverence of Jesus Christ for the Holy Scrip
tures.''
The text upon which he founded his remarks
VAST. John v SO :--"Search the Scriptures, for
in them ye think ye hare eternal life: and they are
they aUhich testify of ne.''
He prefaced his remarks by saying that fol
once he is somewhat similarly situated with
the great Reformer of the 10Th century. When
at Wittcnberg, Martin Luther said that, he saw
about him forty doctors of divinity, but tC
them he had not q word to say-he also saw
around him eight hundred young men, and to
them he had great deal to say.
He had no doubt that in the large and intel
ligent audience before him, there were many
learned men, these it was not his purpose to
address specially, but the young ladies of the
Wesleyan Female Institute.
The inspired men who wrote the Scriptures
were good men-they loved each other-they
never contradicted, or fell out by the way
Some might suppose them to be contempora-
ries and personal friends; but not so-they
never knew each other, yet it is marvellous how
| they loved one another.
They were from nearly every country, and
| were OF every ago from l49l before Christ TO
nearly a hundred years after.
| The greatest and best thing liz the world is
| the blessed FORD of God. The name Of God
stands for all His attributes, whether natural
or moral He explained the different persons
Of the Trinity, God, the Father, is God, the
conceiver Of the universe. The scientist has
never found anything accidental in nature.
The S3n, the second person of the Trinity is
God the Creator. by whose fat the universe
was brought into existence.
The Holy Spirit, the third person, was the
Inspirer OF the universe, who gave it life, har-
mony, and beauty; brought chaos into order.
and breathed into man living soul. 1t is the
Spirit that is the inspirer OF Gods Word. The
Scriptures are inspired, thought for thought.
and word for word. When you deny the in
spiration of the Scriptures, you are at sea with
out chart or compass.
When Christ speaks of the Scriptures, he al
ludes to the Old Testament. When he gave the
command--"Search the Scriptures''-he did
not allude to the Scriptures in the original He
brew language, but to the Greek translation
made by the seventy learned men who met at
Alexandria, and which is known as the septua-
gint. This translation was made by the order
| of Ptolemy Philadelphus king of Egypt, abou,
30 2ss years before the birth of Christ. 1t is
| applicable to any good tfansiation-the Eng.
| lish one we use or any other good translation
He then proceeded to show Christs reverence
| for the Scriptures, and how through that agen-
cy, he overcame the great enemy-satan. He
would not begin with Christ when teaching in
the tenlple, or when he was a rough man, with
hard hands, using the chisel, axe and saw as a
skillful carpenter, like his father Joseph, but
with his conflict with Satan in the wilderness.
Though the angels were ready to minister to
him, he called not for their aid, but conquered
through his reverence Of the Scriptures. In re-
ply to every temptation, the appeal of Christ
was to the misunderstanding. sit is written -
&c.
The first temptation was that of distrust.
The second was presuming GA tie providence
of God.
The third, idolatry. or devil worship.
He went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath
day as was his custom. All should follow his
example, and attend the church every Sabbath.
He stood up to read the lesson for that day. 1t
was singularly appropriate, and all eyes were
fixed upon him, the young Christ and they
wondered at the gracious words he uttered as
he clearly expounded the words of Isaiah.
The marvellous reverence of Christ for the
Scriptures was exhibited throughout his life
and also in his death He did not die till he
had seen all the prophecies concerning him full
filled, even to the obscure prophecy in the Goth
PsaIm-"and in my thirst they gave me vine
gar to drink" He was crucified between two
thieves and the soldiers cast lots for his gar
ments; and he drank the vinegar and gall
that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. When
all was fulfilled he cried sit is finished" bowed
his head, and gave up the ghost.
After his resurrectiOn he met with two oh
scure disciples on their way to Emmaus. The
name of one is unknown, and that of the other
was Cleopas. They talked of what had oc-
Cured to Christ and were sad. Then Christ
though unknown to these disciples, "beginning
at Moses and all the prophets, expounded unto
them in all the Scriptures the things concern
ing himself"
He gave illustrations of the reverence OF
Christ for the Scriptures in the following order:
In his temptations first sermon in his adopt
ed city; his crucifixion; and also after his res
direction.
He then proceeded to illustrate the truth
that the simple Word of God was sufficient to
show the way of eternal life. Though all the
literature of the age were destroyed; all the
books burned; yet the simple Word of God
would show the way of eternal life.
AS examples of this truth, he gave two in
stances; one that of very ignorant pagan in
Hindoostan who was converted to Christianity
by a tract translated into his language left by a
missionary, and who walked 300 miles to get
the distinguished Presbyterian missionary
Rev. DR.. Duff, to baptize him, though he had
never seen bible, minister, or christian, in
his life. The other that of learned catholic
Frenchman in Paris, who was converted to
professionalism by a tract left accidentally on
the door post by tract distributor, who had
been comforting with his sisters, and who left
preciptately on the approach of the irate
brother.
Then thu third clause of the text-"they are
they which testify Of me,"-was commented
upon, and the truth illustrated that all may be
saved.
Christ is ready to save all who will call upor
him Alright, however ignorant or wicked. Bar
t1meus was ignorant, for then the blind were
not educated as now but Christ needed his call
and John Newton said if Christ had been or
fo hn &c.