The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-02-16

mr.. DR. n. T.. hCER 0N~.. ~ ar
H'"AAs, 7fI3N Na
Inierc.tinr ls.s.s al service. at iin"-'t'''
Baptist .-r,r. P,nicl. at the Jr' !" u ~
M.-Othcr Religious Exercises

A, enc fsrr prca,y,erloh church on
Sunday hight, Dr. Ksrr spoke TO a very
l.rce CONGREGATION on "st Paul at
Ah,ns" I.c said in part
II our Apostle came down TO Athens
~ SCI. as nc probably do. lac would Of
cour.c land at Che plraous. which was
the uort Of tbc city. From the deck Of
his vessel Doe would look upon much the
ssuo scene ass thal which fascina,cs the
eve of the traveller now. Five miles back
nom the Israeus stood the city. accen-
tuatcd by the Museum. the PynX. and the
Alropols thc last-uamcd being crowned
with The Parthcn0n. most glorious OF
temples. and high above lowered the
brass statue OF Minerva. with her gilt
rorng shield and spear. These elevations
now mark the landscape, and though the
colossal figure OF Minerva is wanting
Tho parthcuon is stl there, mo once inc
most splendid and most sacred Of ruins
ST. Paul look % upon tho same horizon
which to-day surrounds the sphere OF
vision The rocks of Segina and Sliamia'
the mountains Of Lycaheiius, ilymo' lu7,
and lHrncs. stood then 300 hOl0 ItH'l
against tho Sky as they do nov.
Athens was now under thc a.l-embracing
dom nation of Rome. and Was h'1iniNhS
10 be shorn of some of Hs ancient glory.
Attica. Roman Province. and Imperial
Athens. PROSTATE at the feet Of Rome.
had only 90 splendid past with most
L.autiful temples statues. ana literature.
inherited from former days when the
Greek mind was m its creative stage. I'm
The time of ST. Paul 70 bad not one great
Inan Boo Mtcraturo. philosophy scripture,
architecture. or war. The race Of Peri
clos bad lost its power, and now lived only
ou the traditions of the past.
THE C1TY'S GODS.
Str the genius Of forfror generations
WAS wei represented by the great build
irgs and statues Paul saw as hc walked
about the city. Probably no other city
or ancient or modern times ever possessed
TO many splendid products of genius On
scuptnrcd stone. ITS temples were the
wonders Of Tho world. It's statues were
from tho chisCls of men whose genius and
aknl have never been rivallcd. Athens in
ST. paurs day had tho greatest wealth
Of art ever possessed hy any city
Tho most conspicuous feature OF tho
city was its Gods.
Almost every god ever heard Of in those
DAYS of gods had its marble statue I'D
Athens The most sacred OF sll these
statues was the ono ln olive wood OF
Nil crva. kept in the Erocthcian. which
like that Of Diana ut Ephosus. was said
10 have fallen down from Heaven.
SO numerous were the deities OF Ath-
ems that 50 became almost joke
throughout the world and 70 was said that
"In Athens one can more easily ind
GOD than a man.
81 Paul walked among the streets ana
temples Of Athens and mis- spirit groanod
within him as he saw tho city wholly
given 20 idolairy
He saw. too. that the great number
Of lods had not served 90 restrain the
passions of the Athoniaus. but that now
whom they had more dcitics than they
or any other people had ever had before.
they had sunk to the lowest depths of i'm
morality Their very worship was lust
and crime The religion OF Athens had
proven itself a failure and now the odu.
Gated classes looked upon 10 as hollow
sham. the charm about 80 being its assoc
citation with past DAYS Of national power
ANA glory.
HER Philosophy GONE.
Tho philosophy of Athens had also
yum its course, and shown Itself Incapable
Of meeting the wants Of mans nature. ~
was the most exquisite product or tho
human mind. uninspirod. 1t was the
highest wisdom of this isorld. hut was
about 90 Doe shown 10 ho )olishness COM
pared with tho gospel of Christ.
Tho two principal forms 10 which Greek
philosophy had reduced itself were
Sio.cism and Epiculoanism and these
were fast losing their former power.
So Paul being invited TO speak ON
Mars llill shlfully tells his hearers that
Dis mission is 90 declare am unknown god.
20 whom they had erected am altar. but
DE COOS ON TO rcproVc the Athcnians for
their idolatrv. Nothing could show more
effectively how athoistical were tho Ath-
cnians than tho fact that whom this
stranger contradictod am their religion.
fhcv only resented 10 with "a smile. In
difference is more deadly than open OPP
position and the apostle made few con-
Varts in Athens In after years. how
over. Christianity rose strong above the
ruins of tho abandoned idolatrics
Next Sunday night Dr. Kerr will speak
on "A Visit 20 Corwerth with ST. Paul