The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-10-20
Richmond. Va, Wednesday, October 20.
THE RELIGION OF THE BIBLE

ture distinguishes the Protestant profess
sor from the Roman Catholic devotee
and among Protestants it distinguishes
living church from dead church.
These spiritual exercises have been
common to the saints of God throughout
the history of the Church. The inspired
penman has not left on record the an
guish and conflict through which Abra-
ham doubtless passed before with sublime
submission he bound his son for the sac
rifce. We get glimpses, more or less
vivid, Of the soul-struggles which doubt
less marked their lives when we read
that Jacob was left alone, and there
wrestled man with him until the break
ing Of the day; or Of Moses "preferring
the reproach of Christ to the treasures of
Egypt; of Job when he cried out in his
agony, " He breaketh me with breach
upon breach he runneth upon me like
giant" of Eli when the messengers
brought the tidings that his sons were
slain, and that {" the ark of God was
taken; of the blind Samson, after bitter
years Of inaction and imprisonment when
he embraced the pillars in the temple of
Dagon; of David when he cried, 20 my
son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom
would God 1 had died for thee, o Abso-
lom, my son, my SON.
The Psalms are record of the fears
and hopes, the ecstasy and the anguish,
the multiplied religious struggles through
which David passed in his long and event
full ife-an experience set down in the
Divine oracles for the instruction of the
Church in all ages, and which to this day
is incorporated in every public Christian
worship as the most appropriate language
in which the soul can give expression to
its raptures and its griefs in the temple
of God.
In the New Testament "the sweet
Psalmist of Israel seems to have breath
ed the tones of his Tyre into the passion
ate and devoted spirit of Paul, and here
the Christian finds again for his edifca-
ton and guidance the record of be-
levers experience under the full light of
the gospel, the subject OF it being that
great Apostle to the Gentiles whose the
ology has exerted far more influence on
the thought of the world than the phil
osophy of Aristotle.
Christianity was the first to give en-
phatic utterance to the position that the
inhabitants Of this world are ruined
race. This was its fundamental princi-
pie. On that foundation it proceeded to
build its system of doctrine. Far and
wide the heralds of the cross proclaimed
to the Asiatic, the Greek, the Egyptian,
the Roman, the broad proposition that
the whole world lieth in wickedness."
1t was no pleasing announcement. Eter-
nal damation was the sequel.
Christianity was again the first to kin
die in the human heart distinct hope.
The world had grown weary of specula-
ton and of doubt The philosophy Of the
Epicureans-th cold, cherries atheism
of the old Roman world-had penetrated
the minds of men. The highest ambition
was the spectacles of the amphitheatre
and an aimless literary culture. HUI
mainly was without any noble motive
life afforded no inspiring principle.
1t was at this point that Paul appeared
upon the scene-"an ambassador in
bonds So proclaim " the unsearchable
riches Of Christ" No one could doubt
the sincerity Of his convictions, and how
ever small the matter may have appeared
to most of his contemporaries, no one can
doubt now the tremendous volume that
was hidden in those inconspicuous springs
that had been opened in the Jud@an hills.
No matter why or how, the sentiments
then proclaimed have changed the course
Of history, and the face Of the civilized
world The doctrine Paul taught is to-
day the most potent thing in the world,
and passes from country to country,
breaking down every native system
Wherever it has been received, those
who have embraced it become subject to
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