The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1886-09-15


but become his pupils, and enter the
school where such wonderful revela-
tions awaited them. If it were an up
right race, and loved the truth, they
would all probably sit at his feet to
learn how they might receive the fac.
ulty of vision.
Satan is represented in the Bible as
the Prince of Darkness. This does not
mean that he dwells in physical dark
ness. "Unto whom is reserved the
blackness of darkness forever"-we do
not understand this to mean physical
darkness. Reserved in chains of ever
lasting darkness unto the judgment of
the great day; this darkness, as we
understand it, is of the mind, not of the
eye. Satan AMI his angels are repre-
sented as municipalities, and powers,
and wicked spirits in high places;
and if it be replied that they are thus
represented as released temporarily
from their prison house, or place of
punishment, we must observe that in
the parable of the Rich Man and Lag
arus, the former sees Abraham affair off,
although he is in the place of punish
ment. 1t is not the blackness of ma.
terial darkness.
THIS WORLD is described in Scripture
as lying in Darkness. The Powers of
Darkness refer in figure to spiritual
darkness, but although the darkness is
not physical, and fgurative, it is real
In the first chapter of John we have
written: In him was life; and the
life was the light of men. And the
light shineth in darkness and the
darkness comprehended it not. :.
That was the true Light, which light
eth every man that cometh into the
world" "The world was made by
him, and the world knew him not"
The race as race has not to this day
comprehended Jesus.
1t is parallel case to that which we
have supposed. Men may think they
see, when they do not see. 1t would
be hard to persuade Mr.. Matthew Ar
mold, or Mr.. Spencer, or Mr.. Darwin
(if he were alive), that they do not Se,.
They are conscious each of fine in
tellect, and of great powers of ratio
cination, and what is it they do not
see? and wherein is it that they are
blind 4? On the contrary, they believe
that they see remarkably we'll. So
thought Gamaliel in the days of Paul,
and the great Jewish philosopher
Philo, and the Roman philosopher
Seneca. So thought Josephus and
Tacitus. The Couture" of that day by
no means perceived that eight had
come into the world" or imagined that
it was to be found in the humble Chris
tian societies which were springing up
in the cities of the Roman Empire.
Such is the Kingdom of Darkness to
which the inspired writer's referred,
and such is the general condition of
mankind, even in Christian countries.
at this day. They are as absolutely in
the dark as that blind race whom we
have imagined living on a planet with
out eyes. Having been born blind,
they never realise that there is another
sense, and another world to be re.
vealed.
This alone explains the manner of
life which men lead here, and the utter
deafness Of the mass of mankind to
spiritual truth and the realities of the
world to come. Men do not really be
lieve that they are in any danger, or
they would not march up in an unre
generate state as boldly to the brink
of the grave as most of them do. Liv-
ing in spiritual darkness, they fail, in
the first place, to apprehend at all, as
applicable to themselves, the DECLARE.
ton of the Bible, that they are sim
ners, and that they will, like their ia
ther the Devil, be punished. They do
not believe this, for if they did, they
would move quickly enough. Not feel
ing this to be true, they give them
selves no farther concern. The Bible
revelation about the doctrines of Re-
generation and the work of the HOLY
Spirit are equally as unmeaning to
them as the CHARGE that thev, oro ,;,