Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1884-02-28


says, "of whom desire to speak to
you" Here was courtesy, tact and con
ciliatory wisdom; aud here also was q
good starting point.
When Paul addressed the Jews he
at once appealed to their Scriptures,
for every jew was ready to assent TO
the truth of these. 1t would have
been folly TO do this with the wise pa.
gans of Athens, They neither knew
nor cared for the Jewish Scriptures
So, we see the wisdom Of always find,
ing some truth to which our hearers
will assent. We must get standing
place, and starting point, from which
to proceed. Your listener believes in
God? Yes. Then, you can ask
him if God has any rights, any claim,
on us: if we have rendered what is his
due. If we have not we are sinners.
How, now, can a sinner be good ? 1t
is thus that we may approach those
modern pagans, commonly called in
tidels.
3, He sholcs them ,chat sort Of Il be.
ing the true God is.-.- He is not like
an idol which can be set up in tenn.
pie made with hands, which can be
served with food and drink as their
idols were, but the Maker and "Llrd
! of heaven and earth" But If he
made all, then all nations are subject
to him; it is he who determines their
times and appoints their bounds. All
then depend upon him. All are alike
accountable to him.
4. Heafirms the purpose Of God in
proridentiaI dealings ,cih men..-.It is
that they may be moved to seek and
find him: "if haply they might seek
after him aud find him." He is near
to US; in him we live and move, and
have our being: we are his offspring;
he is not a dumb, dead object like
gold, or silver, or stone; he desires that
we should know him and be in rell-
ton with him. So Paul tells these
wise Athenians not only What il the
noblest object Of human search, but
that is our fault, not Gods, that we
have not known him, Thus, without
namirg it, he brings home the idea of
sin. To this great point be would Load
them, as the first step towards saliva
ton.
5. he announces he condition Of
dirine faror, The ,ray to escnpe ia the
day Of judgmsnt--That condition and
way is repentance. Hitherto God had
not dealt strictly with men, but had
left them to nature and their own con.
sciences. SO far a. their transgrcs-
sions had been sins Of ignorance, he
had overlooked them; it was a if he
bad not seen them. 1t is required Of
a man according. to that which he
hath: he that has less knowledge will !
be beaten with fewer stripes. But
now light had come into the world,
aud men had no longer any cloak for
their sin.
This does not mean that any had |
before been wholly without light, and !
altogether excusablc. The voice Of |
conscience had always accused men
Of sin, and called them 10 repentance. |
But now, to that inner voice God was
adding his spoken word, and all the
convincing light Of the gospel Of
Christ. However it might have been
with them before, without repentance
they we're now without hope.
1t is to impress the need of hsse to
obey this command to repent, that the
Apostle goes on TO ANNOUNCE a day
actually appointed when the world
shall be judged; when each shall re-
ceive his righteous award. His allu-
sion to the resurrection is perhaps TO
show that Christ, having power over
the grave, has the power and right TO
Judge and is, perhaps, also TO suggest
that all the dead would come forth to
receive their award.
6. He gathers some fr,it.-What
further promise and invitation Paul
had to offer, these proud Athenians
would not stay to hear. Nevertheless
this martial unspe, MESSAGE vas NOT