Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-04-22

or 1t is the crownlnR evidence of Gods per-
onal interest In, and benevolent design to-
yard the children of men. 1t is the consum-
nate fulfllment of His ancient promise that
he seed of woman should bruise the serpent's
lead, and that in Abraham's seed all the ma
ions of the earth would be blessed. Now,
he profound mysteries of the past are ex-
blamed and the problem of the mighty fu-
ure is solved. 'Glory to God in the high
ST." exclaim the heavenly host. Peace on
arth! Let humanity's throbbing heart ex-
lit, and all the nations shout for joy. God
5 conciliatory, and here is the proof; He is
riendly to man, and here is the evidence; He
purposes mission of love In the world, and
low iraugurates it in the person of HIS son.
Peace is the avowed purpose, and must be
he legitimate effect of the religion of Christ.
observe, first,
THE RACE WAS NOT IN THE ENJOYMENT OF
PEACE.
/. 1t was not at peace pith itself Cain
lew Abel. This ominous chronicle stands
It the very threshold of human history;
rom that sad hour on down the stream of
ime, dissention, strife, bloodshed, desolation
and war have disgraced the race. Nation
against nation, province against province,
man against man in fearful conflict. Sup
pose universal history, in minute detail, could
be accurately deHneated in the photographs
plate, what gallery there would be! How
many pictures like the following heaps
Of the slain weltering in their own blood;
here multitudes trodden under foot by the
iron hoof of the war horse; here sufferers
that live, but without hope. Justice dis
patches the criminals with single stroke;
put the victories of war, falling by casual,
undirected blows, often expire in lingering
agony, their deep groans moving no compass
SION, their limbs writhing on the earth with
pain, their lips parched with burning thirst,
their wounds open to the chilling air, the
OF home rushing on their minds, but
not voice of comfort reaching their ears.
The birds and beasts of prey gorge themselves
with the dead, and human plunderers rife
the remains of the slam. Yonder are scat
tered hocks, smoking ruins, and attrlghted
fleeing in despair. Witness, In
the retirement of home, a scene still more
sad, in the widows countenance, in the or
phans' cry, in affection cherishing the MEM
ory of the slain and weeping that it could
not minister to the loved and lost in the dy-
ing hour. Such scenes are familiar to the
eye. They have been enacted all
along the pathway of the race; no nook NOR
corner of the earth, no age nor nation has
escaped. Wherever man has congregated,
whether civilized or barbarian, he has Guilt
waited division, strife, war with himself, and
r-veled In his own blood.
g 1t was not at peace teith God. Once it
was, but the friendly relations between man
and his God came suddenly to perpetual
end. Man made himself sinner In the
moral government of the Majesty on high;
t )re himself loose from his mornings; swore
eternal enmity; turned his face away from
God; took up his fatal line of departure from
the source of all good; forgot the peace he
had lost, and careered forth without map, or
chart, or compass, or guide, into the unex-
plored regions of the boundless, dark and
terrible future. If the bible is true, man, I'M
reRenerated, is sinner, great sinner, a
lost sinner. He is not on friendly terms with
God. He is certainly at war, unconditional
and absolute, with Him who made him. He
is not at peace with God. And so universal
human conscience has ever testified, as the
history of all men in all ages, whether
heather or christian, whether barbarous or
civilized. The conscience of all men render
this testimony now. The sinner everywhere
quakes with fear at the thought of being
rushed into the presence of the great God.
He knows he is not at peace with the AL
mighty, and fears the result Second:
NO HUMAN AGENCY CAN BRING ABOUT
THIS PEACE.
Men have thought SO, some think so now.
But all scripture, reason and history affirm
to the contrary.
l. No civilization can do it. Civilization is
a mighty power, but to superiuduce peace
between man and man, or between man and
his God, requires the use of means which it
cannot command. Civiliz ltion may chasten
the manners and soften the feelings of
men, but it has no means at its dis
posal by which it can reach the heart,
the handspring of human action, and root
out the evil and plant instead the graces of
the Holy Spirit, love, Joy, peace. Civlliza-
ton affects the eternal, but cannot produce
any radical change in the internal life of
man. Civilization represents education, goU-
ernment and union Of interest in general
sense, and these are friendly to human hap
piness. Yet we know that it is not in the
power of these to secure perfect peace among
men. For those governments which have
been the cause of the greatest etfusion of
blood, were, perhaps, those enjoying the
highest degree of civilization. But why de-
lay our conclusions? Such a supposition
were contrary to the nature of things; and
besides, the facts are before US, the expert
ment has been long and fairly tried. Dis
coveries known to the civilization of the
Egyptians have persisted from the knowledge
of man. The attainments of the Greeks in
sculpture, architecture, painting, philosophy,
oratory and poetry, stand out without an
equal, perhaps, in the annals Of human ex-
celence. But what effects did these have in
fr1ternizing the race and cultivating peace?
None. From this humanity learns that it
cannot, of itself, restore its primitive relation
pIness and peace in the life that now is.
2. No alliances or Capitalization Of poIOer
can do it. Much may be done In this way to
extend the dominlons of crowned head, but
peace that is forced is no peace. The heart
must be touched and swayed by the scepber
of love; but no external alliances can do this.
Third:
THE RELIGION OF CHRIST IS ADAPTED TO
CULTIVATE AMONG MEN THE BLESSINGS
This is true, both in theory and In fact as
can be proved from scripture, the nature of
things and the history of religion. l cannot
elaborate this thought tonight, but will pre-
sent, briefly. two arguments. First:
l. 1t contemplates all men 10 the same
light. In the eye of the Divine Being all
men have sinned and come far short of the
glory of God. The race as a whole has be-
come estranged from God; has rebelled and
become an enemy to him; and what the race,
as whole, has done, every man, as an indi-
vidual, ha; done. This is the real position OF
man as described in the bible; and he is so
contemplated by the religious system Inaugu-
rated by Christ. Second:
2. The change it seeks to make in men is
universally identical. As the evil is univer-
sally the same, so the process, and the agen-
cles employed In removing it, are, and must
be, the same. Hence the results are the
same. Every subject of the christian re-
ligion is, at first, child of wrath; at the
last, he is child of God. God is the father
of them all, and they are all brethren.
Brethren should be at peace. The conclusion
is irresistible. 1t is fundamental in the re-
ligien of Jesus to introduce and preserve
peace on earth, in the broadest and narrowest
sense of that word.
i. Christian, the cause you have espoused
is the best in the world. 1t means peace and
happiness for the race in the life that now Is
and that which is to come. Fight with
hope.
2. All men are interested in the institu-
tons of religion as they love their country
and their race. 1t is the best and only safe
ciyiliz;ng agency in the world. Come, bow
at its shrine and worship at its affairs. Its
design is benevolent, its author is God.
All men are interested in it as they
love their souls. Be mindful, then, of your
highest interests, by giving your heart to
God and becoming an humble christian man.
The Oldest.
When you are troubled with ague and
fever, preparatory to or after taking quinine,
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