Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-06-03
The Christ of History.
[ From the Living Christ, the Life and Light
of Meu.Hl

[From the Living Christ, the Life and Light
of Men.'1
The history of the world for nineteen CEN
turies has been so intimately related to the
life and teachings Of Christ that it is i'm
possible to trace the fortunes of any nation
or people without giving prominence to his
name. Whatever may be the faith of the
historian, or his want of faith, the problems
with which he has to deal bring him face to
face with Jesus Christ, as great factor in
the sum of human destinies.
"The author of the decline and Fall OF
the Roman Empire exhausted his wit and
learning in his bitterness against Christian
ity, but he could not write the history OF
Rome without acknowledging that the chief
cause of the overthrow of that colossal en-
pire was the rise and growth of new relig-
ion under the leadership of Christ. That
this new religion was superior to the old he
admits. 1t was this superiority which pre-
pared the way for it's triumph. Two great
causes, in the opinion of Gibbon, achieved
the conquest of Christianity over paganism.
The first principle of conquering power in
the new religion was the certainty of fu-
ture state, doctrine which was advocated
with unwavering confidence by apostles and
teachers in the Christian Church. Among
the Greeks and Romans the Immortality of
the soul had been always a hope rather than
a belief. But this hope, in the declining
age of Roman society, became obscured in
proportion to the moral corruption of that
society, which could scarcely desire to see
itself perpetuated in a future state of exis-
tence. The advance of Christianity pre-
sented new ideal of life, higher, holier
standard of human action, in which the
principles of purity and justice were incor-
porated as essential qualities of spiritual
life.
The second principle was intimately re-
lated to the first, inasmuch as it was the
basis upon which the first was established.
The purity of morals prevalent among the
Christians attracted the attention and won
the admiration of their bitterest enemies.-
This moral purity recommended itself to all
men, and the contrast with the vice and de-
pravity of heathenism gives to the new re-
igion an eloquence that it was impossible
to resist. On the one side, the best elements
of Roman life and character, those in which
still fingered the sentiment of the sacred
ness of marriage and the estimate of the
family life as the essential foundation of
government in the State-all the elements
of law, order, justice, and social virtue, in
word, drawn to Christianity by the charm
of practical creed which consecrated the
domestic hearth stone, and made the head
ship of the family the symbol of the Divine
government ITSELF On the other side were
arranged all the elements of lawlessness,
rapine, riot-the various forces which were
rapidly working the ruin of the State
Gathering into itself the best and strongest
representatives of heather morality, the
Christian Church impaired to them the in
spiration of a high and holy system of re-
ligious culture. in which the Split of God
was the chief agent in the elevation and en-
noblement of men.
The history of the Roman Empire, in its
chief city and CENTER has been the history
of every country in which the gospel has
been preached. 1t has found man the slave
of sin and vice, and it has emancipated him,
and endowed him with the glorious liberty
Of the children Of God. The name of Christ
has been the watch word and the synonym
of purity and holiness. Account for it as
we may, the change for heathenism of Chris
tianity has always been followed by high
er moral and social life in every land beneath
the sun.
Can it be that error and delusion will
make men better citizens, husbands, faith
tis, DIObAclS1 1o ~ poooiuio tIdI d IeAiSS5 lOH
that has no basis in true philosophy of life
may yet lift up the fallen, and carry strength,
purity, and power wherever it goes? Can
falsehood sweeten the joys of domestic life,
bind communities and peoples together i'll a
noble brotherhood, and enrich the human
race with every specimen of fmoral greatness
that is possible to humanity?
1t cannot be. Precisely to the extent that
the religion of Christ is accepted, believed
and Lred, the moral powers of our race are
developed and the highest results are seen
in state of exalted civilization. There can
be no stronger evidence that religion is
from God than the fact that it produces
fruits like these. The philosopher and
philanthropist can claim no more, and the
voice of history proclaims these fruits as the
credentials of Christianity. That men have
not risen to nobler life than has been yet
attained in any country is not the fault of
the religion itself. Men have not been true
to TIE faith which they profess; they have
not practiced the virtues which Christianity
inculcates, and therein alone the failure
rests.
Throughout the eighteen centuries past
the spotless character of Jesus is attested
by friend and foe alike. The virus of in
fidelity, vigorous and poisonous as it has
been in every age, has spent its force upon
the followers, rot upon the personal char
acter of the Master himself He stands be-
fore us, pictured by the hand of unbelieving
genius, as the great model of human life
Men have doubted the reality of the portrait
drawn by the evangelists, but they have no
charge to bring against the portrait itself.
They have called it the ideal of the fancy
the creature of the imagination-the like
ness of desired perfection, which has not
been seen on earth, and cannot be seen
they have called it dream, a myth, poem,
a legend; but they all admit that it is per-
feet life Little as we know of Buddha, of
Confucius of Zarathustra, of Mohammed,
we know enough to see that they were men
like unto ourselves, full Of faults, some of
them full of vices and weakness. But the
Christ of history is perfect being. Grand
in its proportions perfect in its symmetry,
developed in its beauty and strength, the
character of Jesus leaves nothing to be de-
sired, suggests nothing as an addition to the
catalogue of his perfections.
His character touches the extremes of hu-
man life. The infant in the cradle-the
strong man in the vigor of his manhood; the
king upon his throne-the peasant in his
cottage; the lowest valley of human absse-
ment-the highest pinnacle OF human hon.
or and fame; the sweetest smile of childish
innocence-the bitterest pang that rends the
heart of guilt; all states, all conditions, all
ages, all degrees ofhnman experience, stand
in closest relationship to the man of Naza-
reth. Infant purity is drawn by the gent
lest chords to the shelter of his protecting
arms, and hoary age, bowed down beneath
the burden of it's sorrows, finds refuge in
his bosom. Close to his side, warmed by
the glow of his love, the human soul knows
no want, no desire, no aspiration. Filled
with the measure Of his Spirit, life's cares
and sorrows are transformed into duties,
and the loses of earth become the treasures
of heaven.
O Son of God how base and vile must be
the heart that confesses thy excellence and
beauty, and yet refuses to bear thy easy yoke
and burden of love
The babe of Bethlehem, the carpenter of
Nazareth, the crucified teacher of Jerusa-
lem, has been placed upon the throne of the
ages; and the many voiced Muse of His
tory exclaims, Behold the Perfect Man
The Jew, with the veil of darkness COW
eriDg his face, catches, through its tangled
ynoehoc rliYppco of tho ,,oor1acc or1orv of