The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-09-07
The Virginian's Weekly Sermon

thus in human affairs? Does pardon
follow at all necessarily upon repent
ance7 When laws have been broken,
whoever dreams Of the criminal be-
ing forgiven just because he IL con-
trite? Living. as we confessedly do,
In our moral capacity, under a re-
tributive government, we can surely
have no right to suppose that what
would be utterly Intellectual, had we
broken the laws of man, must be
necessarily efflcacious when set
against the infraction OF the laws of
God.
III. Consider how the disclosures
In the gospel provide for the deliver
ance of the captive and the recover
ing OF sight to the blind. Bound by
the prison-house of our selfish dis
positions bruised by our fall from
original Righteousness, we have but
to believe in Christ, and close with
him as our Saviour. and 10. the fet-
tiers fall from us. and we spring into
the glorious liberty OF the children
OF God. The gospel admits to lib
erty, but that liberty Gods service,
which alone is freedom; 1t gives
spiritual eyesight. but fixes the eyes
on whatsoever things are pure and
lovely and of good report"
I. Consider the substance OF
| Christ's preaching. Without doub,
we have in the text the keynote tc
his entire teaching. The peculiar
feature Of this quotation from Isaiah
which Christ makes his own. Is its
| doubfeness THE poor''-but men
are poor in condition and in spirit
The captives"--but men may be ir
| bondage under masters or circum
1 MT all hatr
sin. The biind"--but men may be
| blind OF eve. and also in spiritual
vision. THE bruised"--but men are
bruised In the struggles Of this rough
world. and also by the havoc OF theil
own evil passions. Which did Chris
mean? Both, but chiefly the moral
| for he always struck through the ex-
terna1 forms OF evil to the moral root
| from which Il springs, and OF whose
! condition II In the general exponent
Christ sets himself as the Deiiverel
from each, the origin and the result
the sin and the root. and the miser,
which Ia Its fruitage
| II. The philosophy Of this preach
ing. It was a revelation OF God
Those words In the Nazareth syna.
gogue were but the idlest breath, ex
cept as they brought the delivering
\
seen and known the whole nature o.
man leaps into joyful and harmoni
/ Gus activity. Under this revelation O.
him our troubles shrink. our broker
hearts are healed, our darkenet
minds are illuminated. our sins pas
away In tears Of shame and repent
ance, and our whole being springs M
to meet him who made us. and mad'
us for himself: the secret of existence
is revealed. the end of destiny Ii
achieved.
III. The remaining point Is th'
power of this preaching. No on
truth. unless 1t happens 10 be an all
embracing truth, and no number o
truths. however clearly seen. hav'
any inspiring or redeeming powe
until they are grounded in an eterna
person. Mozlev. IN one OF his ser
mons asks. Have we not. In on
moral nature. q great deal to do Will
fragments?" Yes. and IL Ia the weak
ness of human nature. when II un
dertakes TO teach moral truth. tina
Il has only fragments to deal with. ]
Ia because Christ did not see trutl
In a fragmentary way, and becaus
there was In himself nothing frag
mentary, that he teaches with power
There Is no capability in man OF re
ststlng perfect truth: when IL La see'
Il cnnGuera The main thing. there
fore In to see. but men love dark
ness, and even when they begin I
see II ts I'm a half-hlind way.