The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1879-02-19
Fon TIE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
TIE MORE SURE WORD OF PROPHECY


acles have not only been wrought, but, when
wrought. were regarded by those who wit
messed them, as sttesting the divine mission
of the person who performed them. In the
plagues that wasted Egypt, Pharaoh had nc
difficulty in seeing the presence of tre power
of Jehovah and the credentials of his servant
Moses; nor did Nicodemus for moment
question the lofty prophetcsl character OF
Christ, "for no man, said he, addressing
the Saviour, ''can do these miracles that thou
doest, except God be with him." But mira
cleS are impossible, says Rationalism the
materalistic science of to-day takes up and
repeats the cry, aad skepticism of this kind
is only too fashionable in some of the cote
ries which represent L" modern thought"
But suppose land it is only a suppositiOn)
not indeed that miracles are impossible, but
that they are TOO remote from the present to
be practically svsilabla towards establishing
the truth of Christianity in word, that
the proof of their having actually occurred,
ia too unsatisfactory for intelligent criticism
any longer to allow them commanding
place among the evidences, what then ?
Prophecy still remains in both Testaments
for in61elity to try its hand upon.
Will unbelief please explain how so many
lines of prophetic thought, emsnating from
so many different sources and at so many
different times, continued to converge through
the advancing centuries until they met in one
blazing focus over the cradle of the Babe in
Bethlehem 1t is certain that Hebrew
prophets did foretell the coming of one called
Messiah, who should establish kingdom in
spite of sll opposition; that "of the increase
of his government there should be no end )"
that be should be born in Bethlehem of Ju-
dea, and while the second temple was stand
ing; and that after certain time ne should
"be cut off, but not for himself" And it
is lust es certain that Jesus Christ, whom
even Strauss admits to have been q real his
torical parsonage, did appear before the de-
struotion of the second temple; that ne
claimed to be the Messiah of prophecy; that
he suffered, as it hal been predicted the Mes
slab should suffer and that he has founded
kingdom 10 the hearts of men, which has
not only stood for more than eighteen centu-
ries, bot widened it's limits from time to time,
in spite of all the opposition that it has pro-
voksd at the hands of men. There eau be
but one rational explanation of this marvel
lous coincidence between prophecy and his
tory, and that is given by the apostle Peter !:
Holy men of God spake as they were
moved by the Holy Ghost.
Turning now to the New Testament for
single moment, we find Him who claimed to
be the Messiah of prophecy, not afraid to
risk the whole fate of his kingdom upon clear
aud definite predictions of future events
Not to dwell on that wonderful prophecy in
regard to the destruction of Jerusalem aud
the utter demolition of the temple, which was
so soon fulfilled, we notice only that far
reaching, wids.embracing prediction which
was uttered in connection with Peter con-
fession of him as the Messiah. "Upon this
rock, that is to say, upon the truth con-
tanned in the confession, "ThOu art the
Christ, the Son of the living God, 81 will
build my church, and the gates of hell shall
not prevail against it." Aud is it not his
sorical fact that the Christian Church rests
to-day, as it has always rested, upon Jesus,
as the divine Messiah of proPhecys Was
not this the theme on which the great apostle
of the Genties discoursed in every Jewish
synagogue, and upon the acknowledgment of
which their organization into Christian con-
greeations followed? Aud is not the same
theme that which at the present time is pro-
claimed in town and country every Sabbath,
and which still proves itself to be conquer
ing powerG And what shall We say of the
other part of the prophecy, "The gates OF
hell shall not prevail against it? This Ian
guage implies that the kingdom of Christ
should meet with opposition of no ordinary
kind. And has not the prediction been ver-
fled? 1t would seem indeed as if the pow
ers of darkness had exhausted well nigh all
the resources of their malignant intelligence
in the effort to uproot Christianity from the
earth. What could have been tried, that has
not been tried? As if the deep seated cor
rupsion of the human heart were not opposi.
tiOn enough, almost every weapon that man.
wicked ingenuity could invent has beer
hurled against this religion whose living pro
cIamstiou is, "pesce on earth, and glory tc
God in the highest" Social ostraciam, sep
arating parents from children, husbands from
wives, friends from friends; prosecutions anC
imprisonment, fire, and sword; argument
invectiye and caluuny hereSies within th'
male Of the Church, and almost fatal perver
sions of the truth that have creps in through
the ignorance or time-serving policy of 10
friends aud so called friends; Jewish bigOtry
and heather learning Deism, Panth aism
Atheism, RstiOnaliam, the discoveries in AS
,ronomy, the facts of Geology, and last, bu
not least, perhaps, the Materialistic Scenc
of the present day. Christianity, however
still survives, as her adorable Founder fore
told that she should survive; her blood
stained banner still floats defantly on tn
. breeze; and gathering up her God given an
t God. sustained energies, she still goes fortl
) - L.oun hoort nnt nnlu To ratain Mhs