Mexico weekly ledger., 1890-09-18
OF A SERMON
Delivered by NJ. Y. Duncan Last
Sunday-''Why Doth He
Yet Find Fault"

Sapltdl lily Oh the last Oh tne TOUR
universal empires of this world.
The Assyrian, the Medo Persian
and the Grecian empires had con-
secutively risen, hourished and
passed away. Rome the last had
been in existence for upwards OF
seven hundred years, and already
at the time of Paul's writing had
lost much of its pristine glory and
power. Like its three predeces-
sors, it was doomed to decay, and
while it stood in some form or
other the ravsges of time for a
thousand years, yet it was slowly
but surely decaying. Like all hui
man governments it persisted by
the civil dissentions of its own peo-
pie rather than by the hands OF
foreign foes. AS mistress of the
world 1t had almost unlimited
power. The government was as
extensive as civilization, and
wherever the Roman Eagles the
grand ensign f1oated, the people
bowed IN reverence and awe to its
power and majesty. The City OF
Rome was no less venerated by the
surrounding nations. 1t was the
center of art, culture and refine
ment. 1t enrolled among its il.
lustrious names, poets, philoso,
pliers, historians, statesmen and
generals of the most renowned
character.
In a city like that, where thous.
ands daily paid court to every
thing earthly, sensual and devilish
where men of the highest culture
were at the helm, it became in the
highest degree essential in the
presentation Of new religion-one
that swept the whole field Of
heather philosophy and paganism
at one breath, and remanded them
to the shades of eternal night; that
no mistakes should be made anC
no grounds afforded to the astute
skeptic to batter down its fortress
and subvert it's reason. Pau.
though a Roman subject was 6
citizen of a distant tributary pro-
vince, yet he was cognizant of al
that passed at Rome, because hs
was a man of skill and learning
All that human science and cul
ture could bestow at that polished
age of the worlds history was ia
millar to the great apostle to tn
Gentiles. Philosophy, poetry
rhetoric, logic, with all their keer
edges, were his landmarks long be
fore he saw that midday bright
ness above the light of the SUI
and was smitten to the ground b,
its briillancy and heard tina
mighty voice that spoke this worlt
into being, saying: "Saul, Saul
why ]persecutest thou me? 1t i
hard for thee to kick against tn
goads." This appearing was t.
make him a minister and a wit
} ness. Thus prepared for his mis-
sion, not only by education an
, habit of thought, but possessed Q
a courage that surmounted every oh
STAGE, he shrank from 20 duty i'm
posed upon him. Clad in the habili
ments of Gods eternal spirit, fur
nished and supplied with wisdom
from on high, he went forth conse
Grating the highest powers of min
and heart as we'll as the most de
termined energies of his life t
build up the cause of one whom b
had labored 80 zealously to over
throw. Such was in part the char
acter of the author of this Roma,
letter. Addressed by such a ma.
to be examined and criticised b
the shrewdest people then living
/ it became necessary to couch it L
terms of irrefutable logic. With
out any sort Of doubt, it is m c
? the closest and most logical piece
of composition contained IN tn
} holy oracles. On the surface j
/ appears to have but a single poin
in view from its inception to it
close. In it's scope it would seen
to be conformed to tine idea ~ofrecon
| cling the Jews to the new orde
of things as developed by Chris
and to wean them from the Ion
} established customs, rites an
ceremonies of the chosen people G
God, by substituting faith in Jesu
as the only Saviour of men, an
the only bond of union and com
munion of all races, Gentiles a
we'll as Jews. After an elouuen
preface he comes to the centra
thought, the grand thesis of thi
entire letter in the following Ian
guage: 81 am debtor both to tn
lGreeks and thsBarbarians; both t
the wise and the unwise," shown
that all former distinctions wer
now abolished and that Jews an
Gentiles stood on the same founda
ton. Then he states the centra
. thought around which gathers al
the arguments, deductions AM
conclusions to the end of the let
ter. When he he says: 81 an
not ashamed of the gospel; for it i
the power of God unto salvation t.
everyone that believeth : to tn
Tour Srcf op6 also To tho GroaG