The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-12-11

preached become the everlasting gospel.
Mark. 'how that Christ died"-not
Jesus. 1t is a great truth that Jesus, the
man and our brother yielded to the
common lot of us all-death. But when
Christ" died, vastly more is meant, for
Christ" is the name of an office into
which is condensed the whole system of
sacrifciaI redemption. 1t was the
Christ of God who died, and unless it
was, the death of Jesus the son of
Mary in agony however heartrendlng,
would be no gospel.
l do not venture a theory, but press
upon your profoundest belief the fact
that Christ died. and in his death bore
the sins of the world and in that awful
load were yours and mine
AS if the whole mass of human trans
gression was bound together in one black
and awful bundle, and pressed heavy and
hard upon the unshrinking shoulders of
this better and stronger Atlas, who bore
it all, and bore it all away.
Accept any theory of mans redemption
that ignores this foundational fact, and
you may educate, refine, adjust polical
relations, give every man a Giving
wage" shape governments according to
the newest notions of the century, lug
in all the paraphernalia of Altruism, and
still you have left, the misery of miser,
the impudence of wealth, the luxury of
lust, the greed of gain. and sin, sad and
sodden, bitter and biting in the bottom
OF every soul. Oh, blessed rock-founda-
tion fact-"Christ died for our sins ac-
cording to the Scriptures.
Nor were these supreme facts to be
believed thrust into an empty, blank, re-
ceptive, creedless world. Never. The
day after mans creation the first ecu
menical council in hell put forth 1.-The five
points of Diabolism," which have be-
come the shorter catechism for every IN
regenerate heart. Every sinner believes
with a whole and undivided heart one or
all of these five points, and repeats them
glibly as he runs:
First-Q) l believe in the almightiness
of the dollar, with all my mind, soul and
body, and l believe have no other gods
before the dollar l will worship at this
golden shrine until l am transformed
into the image of my idol, and my very
soul takes on it's metallic ring.
(2) l believe in Present Pleasure, and
will eat, drink and be merry today for
may die tomorrow. l prefer a mess of
red pottage today to a vague hirthright
tomorrow. l will pursue pleasure until my
soul is frivolized, volatilized and steril-
lied so that no divine virtue can grow
therein
(3) l believe in the selfshness of my
self. Whether l be an Alexander in con-
quest, a Napoleon in war. a Byron in
literature, or a snob in society; / am my
own god.
(4) 1 believe in the Omnipotence of
Evil-that all virtue has it's price, that
it is folly to try to tear down the strong
holds of sin at home, and useless to send
missionaries to convert the heather
abroad
90 Il don't know is my answer to
the deepest questions of the human heart.
Is there a heaven to win? Il don't
know" Is there a hell to shun? 81
don't know" If man die shall he live
again? II don't know. Over the cradles
whence" and the graves "wither," l
will put my sign of doubt
This "Diabolism' reached its climax
and fruitage in the Augustan era, when
art, science, literature and philosophy
We're at their best. The schools of
Athens had induced the sturdy Romans
to divide their energies between the
march OF empire and the quest of knowl-
euge. But to no avail. The Golden Age
OF Culture was overshadowed by the des
pair of the soul. Their palaces were
vocal with the orgies of nameless vices,
and the groans of the anguished partici-
pants. Side by side dwelt misery and
luxury. Thousands of knights and sena-
tors in purple, and fine linen. dwelt in
the midst of millions of slaves esteemed
no higher than sheep and cattle. There
was pride, but no purity, culture, but no
charity; palaces, but no hospitality-a