Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1898-07-21

T. 6.
We hear much and talk much
about the weakness of human ma
ture. Every time we hear of the
fall of some one high in the
worlds esteem and occupying
position of honor and trust in So
ciety, we shrug our shoulders and
exclaim: Human nature; the old
Adam will assert itself. We ex-
cuse or condone our own failings
with the same expression, signing
over the fact but assigning as the
cause, "my human nature is too
strong" We say of such a one,
che is very human" meaning by
that that he is very prone to fol-
low the down grade. This kind of
talk is not consistent with Chris
tianity. Christianity views human
nature from a totally different
point of view. Christianity re-
CARDS human nature as in some
mysterious way closely allied to
God, and consequently having the
capacity of great strength. To al
ways speak of human nature, then,
as naturally and logically prone
to retrogression, is to take issue
with Christianity, which asserts
in no uncertain way that human
nature is naturally and logically
prone to development and i'm
proyement.
The natural way of looking
at a man is entirely consistent
with Christianity's high estimate.
It is derived from the testimony
of our own senses and is the re-
suit of our own experience. It is
called in scientific parlance ''ey-
olution," aud reason and expe-
rience say that evolution is fact.
This view makes man a creature
Of practically limitless develop
ment, susceptible to environment,
capable of progression. The rude
warrior with his stone hatchet
and poisoned arrows is the pro-
totype of the trained soldier with
his marvellous firearms and smoke
less powder. The medicine man
Of savage tribes is the prototype
Of the skilled specialist and pfao-
teal surgeon. The uncouth musi-
clan with his tom-tom and reed
pipe is the prototype of the mu-
steal genius with his violin and
organ. And SO in every sphere in
life men are becoming more culti-
waited, more cultured, more ex-
pert, more inventive, more civil
lied as the generations pass. The
term "Western civilization .
which denotes that high degree
of culture attained by the Anglo
Saxon peoples of the earth, to-day
stands as a perpetual illustration
of the marvellous capacity for de-
velopment possessed by man.
History tells us that the process
of development has been slow but
sure. One after another nature
has yielded her secrets to the
knowledge of man. The nineteenth
century has been marvelously
productive of discoveries and in
ventions, while the twentieth
promises to be still more so.
What is the logical result of
all this? God in the incarnation
proved that man could be the ex-
press image Of God? What a
stupendous revelation! We knew
it all as children, but we never
realized it as we do now. We
were told 50 by godly parents
and we read it for ourselves in
the Bible, but we never seemed
to take it IN till now. In the
incarnation we see God. see Him
as we see the best and holiest
and noblest man we see and know
to-day. See Him with all the ca
pacity for development which we
see latent in men to-day exercised
in it's perfection. See Him as
God manifest in the flesh, seen
of men, believed on In the world,
received up into Glory. And as
the marvellous mystery of the
incarnation bursts upon US and