The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1879-02-26

of self modification by the sinner would rem
der his God much more placable. OF course
Buddhs became God with his people. But
Buddhism was religion of morality, charity,
reformation, without blood, as he first taught
it. Satan made great stride forward in
the admission of Scripture truth in introduo-
ing this Teacher into the world, Bot it was
a stroke of policy in view of advancing truth
aud of the Coming One which fortified bis
dominions over half the world. Let US see.
1t seems to me one of the most wonderful
illustrations of the subtilty of Satan is fur
nished US in what appears to be his effort to
anticipate the coming and work Of our Lord
by providing saviour of his own in the per.
son of this man. Convinced by long conflict
with Jehovah, by the many prophecies of
Scripture, and types of divine worship that
the Lord God would surely bring in right
eousnesS, that the promised DeliVerer would
surely come, what better could he do than he
has always done, endesvor to thwart the pur-
pose, fall in with the inevitable, assume the
role of Jehovah, and fit out and send this
Dslverer himself. About FIVE hundred years
before Christ, this remarkable person ap-
pesred in the East, called "the Buddha, {"
that is, "the Enlightened One" He pro-
fessed to be the Saviour of men, and out Of
his great love for men, to live on earth, and
teach, and suffer and die that he might show
men the way to Nirvsns, the place of perfect
holiness and bliss.
At this period appeared in the various
other parts, Confactas, ZOrOasteT, and Pyth-
agOras, each representing the results of in
tellectusl change in his own country, and
therefore fitted With such elementary princi-
pies of error and delusion of religion or phil
osopby as were best suited to the intellectual
and moral state of the people whom they re-
spcctively taught. Pythsgoras was the
promise of the intellectual dominion of the
West. But in this golden cup Sstau's poison
is Doubt. It was remarkable movement in
the world. The powers of the air seemed to
be fOrtifying for the coming struggle.
The most remarkable of all, perhaps, is
this saviour Buddha, who taught the idea of
q perfect life on earth,-a life of self con-
quest as the way to perfect bliss; and who
taught it not alone by words of wisdom, but
BY words of wisdom which seem almost a
paraphrase of Scripture. he taught it,
moreover, by the siugulsr moral purity and
lofty purpose of his character, and BY bis
devotion to the good of his fellow-men.
His moral code is superior to every other
heather system. Aud Marco Polo says:
"Indeed had he been Christian he would
have been q great saint of our Lord Jesus
Christ, so pure was the life he led" So
great has been the reverence for his charac
ter that he has been CsnOnized saint by
the Papal communion.
Probably there was peculiar meetnesS in
this. 1 believe the Papacy represents the
effort of Satan to hold bis dominion with the
trae Saviour acknowledged, which he put
forth to hold it before the true Saviour's
coming with his own saviour Budaha.-
Where else could the good man Buddha more
appropriately 6nd fellowship People speak
Of the beautiful life of Plus TX, and feel
that this sofceus the aspect of Rnuauism.-
Very well. So it may. But BHddha was
iucompsrsbly superior in every way as q
good man. People do not understand the
Devil, even if they believe in one. Budd-
hism and Romanism ! A deep under cur
rent, common fatherhood uuites them
Lovely and pleasant they are in their lives,
to the world; in death they shall not be
divided.
A perusal of the life and teachings of this
wonderful man reveals q most striking re-
semblance, and yet no less striking differ
euce to the gospel history of our Lord
From his birth 90, important incidents of
every period of his life, his sayings, to the
eye that suspects the Devil in human affairs,
reveal his hand and declare the cheat, like
the first miserable attempts of the school'boy
beneath the set copy of his masters PEN
The parallelsm is too close aud continued to
bs 8 mere coincidence. Think of Satan
teaching the almost precise code of ethics of
the Prophets At first thought, one might
suppose it unlikely he would venture to In
culcate principles so full of danger to his
kingdom. But herein mark his subtilty.-
Herein lies the strength of his delusiOn.-
He admits such body of truth that men in
stiuctively cling to it as such, while ne With
holds the fundamental truth that man can
not recover himself. He builds ell the ad
mitted truth upon the original lie. Thou
art not surely dead" SelfrighteOusness,
salvation by works is always the DEVILS saw
iug clause, understood. And when men do
set themselves to a religious life on this
ground their singular devotion and Self.sac,
ri6ce is wonder to behold. Witness the
followers of Baddhs, or the vowed minious of
Rome. Well, it will require all this and
more too to save themselves. / fear these
that expect to 90 in by their works will be
stopped at the same place with those who
are trusting in their church, and some of our
people who think to be carried in on their
faith in spite of their frivolous and world