Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-11-28

1I0 hpOoblCS ha0 Ap&S
their Divine Master. They knew ths
Word was truth, was power, was oDnipo.
tence. They knew that He who in the be.
ginning said LET theie be light" would
cansa the light of His CounteDance to fall
uuoa the deadened intellect Of man, and
cause the fruits of specification to COM
forth abundantly 10 their hearts. They
knew this, and knowing it, they went
forth into the world, their only wespon the
cross. They parcelle1o1t the Roman En-
pire among them. st. Peter went to Jeru'
salsm, aod in two ssrmoas converted sigh'
thousand fouls. Doubtless there wert
among them many who, q few days before,
had participated in the cruciixiOn. st,
Paul went forth among the nations, and
preached in Europe aud Africa. st. Jobr
spread the go pei throughout the surround
log country. st. James went t. JeIusa'
lem, and 90 went tie o.hGr4 to all parts o.
the known world. The word had 'grns
forth to the natiors." They had fulfilled
the precept of their Divine Master.
But if we are amszad ct what / might
call the pions audscity of these twelve
Door, illiterate men in undertaking thi:
mighty work, We sr3 more as'ounde1 81
the result. In o few yea 8 We fiud thai
Christianity was established throughout
the Roman Empire. st. Paul, thirty
years after the death Of the Savior, give:
thanks to God that the faith is spoken o.
throughout the world, aud st. Justin,
s:xty.six years after the death Of st. John,
saws there is no race wherein prayers OF
sacrifices are not offered up TO God. Ter
tul?iap, about A. D. $50, in 4 Of bis let
te.s t. the Roman Emperor, ssys 1--WE srs
but of yesterday, and yet we have flied
your empire. Your cities. your towns,
your viliages, your haulets, Your forum
Vour armies, and your Ssrate swarm
with Christians. We have left you
nothing but your empty temples"
What 8 contrast is presented t. our eyes
between ths peaceful empire established
Big the Apostles and their successors and
tie bloody victories achieved by the great
generals Ct pagan antiquity. Alexander
the Great may be considered the greatest
general of antiquity. He cor quered
nation after nation, and psople after p:O'
pie, and Sighed because there were nc
more worlds to Coaquer. By the
sword he conquered, and by that wespor
he kept his subjects in bondage. But
scarcely had be died when his great empire
fell in ruins. The Apostles established a
psacsful republic, their only weapon being
the cross. They conquered, not By the
sword, but by reason, and the sword OF
truth, which is the word of God, aid that
great empire, founded eighteen centuries
ago. still remains, m~sintained, lot by
ffowniug Notifications or standing armie',
bu. by the promise OF Almighty God.
Let us now consider some of the special
causes which operated so powerfully to
spread the gospel in the early days OF the
Church. The causes which I suggest may
be re gsrded as secondary, subordinate to
the pawer of God. The first aud most
oowel fal of these CAUSES may be asc!ibed
t. the sublime and beautiful teachings OF
the Christian religion. Tnet religion sat
i.fss the highest aspirations Of the human
soul and the human heart. IT. precepts
had betn beyOni the le'cI Of the most
5rosouud philosophers Of Pagan antiquity.
The CHRISTIAN religion gave man his first
sublime idea OF God-ot a God existing
from eternity to eterIity-who governs
all things, and whose Providence so
watches eve. the smallest of the af.
fairs Of men, that not even a sparrow can
fell 10 the ground without it's beinR noted.
II spoke to mankind Of a Gcd upright ard
lust and powerful. 1t filled every concep-
ZION, and wal in striking contrast with the
low, groveliug and sensual notions Of the
Of a world. 1t ave man not only q ra-
tional idea Of his Creator, but a rational
idea If himself. Before, mar kew not
whence he had come, or whittier he was
going. He was cropping in the dark till the
Matter came.
Here HIS Eminsuce related en- incident
from early Eug.ish history illustrative of
this thought, and then proceeded:
The little child OF to-day, with q knowl-
edge of his cat :ch;sm. is mora informed
than the most profound p5ilo opher Ct an
tiquity, or of modern times, either, in the
cases where man has a5srdoned ths Sun
of the Gospel TO follow a glimmering light
Of his own creation.
Such were the advantages Of Christian
ity. II gave Eaa a knowledge of his orr
gin and his destiny. Net only rhi', hut it
brought a comfort and consolation to tie
human heart which the world can not
give. 1t gave man peace Of mind, end
peace with his naighbor. The Christian
religion addresses itself not to q narrow
circle, but to oil men. 1t is unlike the
Hebrew religion, which was the religion
of a nation. The Christian religion is cos
mop1litan and universal. IL ID unlike
the religion of NJ ,homst, which appesls 10
the sensuality of its followers. TIE
Christian religion appeals to the intel
lect and conscience Of a In
like all ancient religions, ire Christian
religion is broad in its scope, aud appeals to
all Like the pure air Of the mountains
which descends lnto the valleys, revivilJipg
tie atmosphere, the Christian religion
rsireshes the moral stm )Sphere, and brings
r set and contentment 20 all the world. 1t
speaks to master and slave, to rich and
poor, t. high and low, telling them of a
Christ who was lowly and pDor that we
might he rich. Thanks be to God that
there is no slave in C~hIi5tendOm to-day.
The moment the slave puts his foot on
Christian soil he ia free. Slavery melts
before the Church like snow before the
ro2nday sui
There il another cluse for the rapid
spread OF the early Courch, and that is AZ
fOfdei in the besntlful example Of the
primitive Chr 'stians. The pagan world
saw with admiration the influences exerted
upou the Christian after his conversion.
With admiration they saw these converts
q amos the trials ard temptations Of the
world, and come forti pure and Chaste.
They saw with admiTa'iln that while the
rest of the children of men were drunken,
the Christians were temperate and sober.
They saw with admiration that amid uni
vsrssl in ussics they were 1st and honest.
When all men fed before the psstilence, the
Christians renamed behind 10 bury their
own dead, and often the dead of their enc
mics az well. All this, and nOre, excited
the admiration Of the world. Their won
dtrful patience amidst suffering and their
serene JOY in the presence of death itself,
convinced them that such q religion had
been implanted by God himself, and see.
iUg thsy believed.
Men wo lder why the Christian example
has not such effect to-day as Of old. The
power of God is as strong now as then, but
we do no. hGei His word as il GeserveI.
The value Of tie gospel Of Christ is a.
great now as then, bat we are dispos ed to
squauder this blss ssd Inheritance. Let us
remember that nations as well rs indivil.