Christian Nation Vol. 18 1893 - Rparchives.org

4. CHEISTIAN NATION. Volume 18.R E L I G I O U S A N D D E V O T I O N A L .B. S. LESSON IU., SABBATH, JULT 16, 1893.Acts 17:22.31.22 Then Panl stood in the midst of Alars' hill, andsaid, y* mm of Athens, I perceive that in all thingsye are too superstitious.23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions,I found an altar with tins inscription, TO THE UN­KNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship,him declare I unto you.24 God that made the world and all things therein,seeing that he is Lord of h;av3n and earth, dwellethnot in temples made with hands;25 Neither is worshipp«d with men's hands, astho-Jgh he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life,and breath, aud all thingl;26 And hath made of one blood ali nations of menfor to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determinedthe times before appointed, and the boundsof their habitation ;27 That they should seek the Lori, if happily theymight feel after him, and flndhim, though he be notfar from every one of us :28 For in him we live, and move and have our being; as certain alao of your own poets have said. Forwhich the city abounded : statues of false godswere on every hand. The number is placed at30,000. Every public building was the shrineof some god. Petroneus said : " It is easier towe are also his ofifspring.find a god than a man in Athens." Paul observedthat there were statues aud altars, not29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God,we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto only to all known gods, but there wiEis one withgold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. the inscription : " To the Unknown Ood."30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; What was the idea in erecting this altar? Wasbut now commandeth all men every where to repent : it a fear that when they took in the gods of31 Because he hathGOIDBNappointedTEXTa:day, in the whioh the nations some one might be omitted? orheOodwillisjudgea Spirit,the worldandiniheyrighteousnessthat worshipbyIlim,that manmust was there in their hearts a conviction thativorshipwhom heSimhathinordained;spirit andwhereofin truth.he hathJohngiven4 : 24.assuranceunto all men, in that he hath raised him from the *han any god known to them ; one who couldthere is Ore who is greater and more gloriousdead. PAUL AT ATHENS.do for them that which their gods could notNotes: Original and Selected.effeat? The latter is the probable view. ThisEev. C. D. Trumbull, D. D.seems to accord with what Paul says in theLast week we left Paul and Silas in the house last part of the verse, whereof the jailer of Philippi. The next morning 4. He declares his purpose. He wouldthe magistrates having learned that they wereEomans, released them from custody. Promprison thay went to the house of Lydia andcomfort^sd the brethren. Having laid thefoundation of the church at Philippi theypassed on to Thessalonica, where Paul reasonedwith the Jews out of ttie scriptures " openingand aMeging that Christ must needs have suffered."Paul and his friends were mobbed atthis plice, so leaving it they went to Berea.Here their work bad marked success, but herealso they were opposed and Paul went by seato A-thens whither he was followed, not longafter, by Silas and Timothy. Luko seems tohave remained at Philippi. While Paul waswaiting at Athens for his co laborers, " he sawthe city wholly given to idolatry " and " hisspirit was stirred in him." He h d disputationsfirstwith the Jews ; afterwards he encountered" certain philosophers of the Epicureansand of the Stoics." Some said he wasa babbler. Others had their curiosity excitedby his discourses and desired to hear moreabout his views. So they brought him to "thesummit of the hill of Areopagus where themost awful court of judicature had sat fromtime immemorial, to pass sentence on thegreatest criminals, and to decide the most solemnques ions connected with religion,' (Howson:aud expressed a desire to have him setforth his doctrines in their hearing. Our lessontoday contains his address.I. His Inteoduction.1. He is direct. "Te men of Athens."Thus Demosthenes and the great orators of'that day were wont to address them. The addresswas, not to men indiscriminately, but tothe men of Athens,—men of the most learnedcity in the world.2. He ts appreciative. The reading, " toosuperstitious," may express the fact, but it is.00 blunt, far more blunt than Paul was. Hewas not rude or offensive in the manner of hisaddress, Vut rather conciliatory. Alford readsmore literally : " I perceive that in every respectyou are carrying your religious reverencevery far." Conybeare: "All things which Ibehold bear witness to your carefulness in religion."" He does not mean that their religousnesswas rightly directed. Far otherwise ;but he meant that they possessed it to a remarkableextent. He does not parade theirevils ; he recognizes their excellencies, andgives them full credit for the good Le hadseen." Thomas.3. He explains his statement, v. 23. Theword " devotions is used objectively referringto the go Is, the altars, and the temples withmak( known to them this God, to them unknown; the One they were unconsciouslyseeking after ; the One who could satisfy theyearnings of their hearts.II. His Dooteines.1. God is the Creator of all things, v. 24Creation \b the product of infinite wisdom andpower and goodness, hence none but God cancreate. He is distinguished from all creaturesand from all false gods by the fact that He isthe Creator. Isa. 37 : 16 ; Ps. 96 : 5 ; Jer.whom they cannot see; and afier all theirlO : 11, 12. Creation is ascribed to each ofsearch and groping there is only a haj^y, athe persona of the Godhead, but the eternal Sonpread vent ure, a may-be, that they find Him."was the efficient agent. John 1 : 3. Col. 1 :-Gill.16, 17. Heb. 1:2. " The declaration that8. The. nearness of God. v. 27. On thiaGod created the universe would strike at oncepoint we condense from Dr. Thomas: (1).against the error of Epicurean philosophy,He is locally near. He fills heaven and earth,which regarded tbe universe as springing fromJer. 23:24. He, not some portion of Him-ifa fortuitous concourse of atoms—the work of•ueh language is admissable—not merely Hischance ; and against the stoical philosophyinfluence, but He, Himself, in all the gloriouswhich regarded the universe as existing fromcompleteness of His personality, fills fill.eternity." Thomas.2 God is the universal Euler, v. 24 Hissovereignty is absolute. This Lordship isspecially invested in Jesus Christ. All thingsare pnt under Him. 1 Cor. 15 : 27. Authoritybelongs to Him as Mediator. Matt. 28 :-18. Eph. 1: 20 22 Phil. 2 : 8-11. This involvesthe doctrine of the Kingship ot Christoverthe nations; of the duty of nations torecognize it, and of Christians to mainatain iteven to the extent of practising political dissentwhere it is not recognized.8. God is not localised. "He dwelleth notin temples made with hands," as idol gods do.True he dwelt between the cherubim, Ps. 80 :-1, yet was not limited to that place. He fillsheaven and earth, Jer 23 : 24. The heavenscannot contain Him, how much less any templebuilt by man. 2 Chron. 6 : 18.4. He needs nothing from man, v. 25. TrueHe requires man to worship Him. Ps. 45 ;.11 ; 99 : 5 ; yet man can add nothing to theessential glory or bleesedness of God. Hiagoodness does nnt extend to God. Ps. 16 : 2.The Creator does not need to ask the creaturefor anything. Ps. 50 . 12.5. He is the giver ofall blessings, v. 25.6 The unity ofthe hnman race, v. 26. "Thereare immense diversities subsisting betweenmen occupying different regions of the earth.* * * These differeuces have led many a scientificman to conclude that they have de.scended from various stocks. Without touchingon arguments of a scientific kind, such as thosedrawn from anatomy, physiology, philology,in favor of the unity of the race, we merelysay tbat we ground our belief chiefly-First, On mental resemblances. The facultiesof thinking, loving, hating, fearing, hoping,worsl i p'.ng, are common to the race. Secondly,On Scripture statements. There is nota single passage in the Bible to suggest a doubtas to the homogeneity of the race, and the descentfrom our pair." Thomas. Bibie gene.alogy traces the parentage of all nations to onecommon stock. Gen. 3 : 20 ; 9 : 19. Mal.2 : 10.7. 2'he times and conditions of men are fixedby God, V. 26. God from eternity foreordainedwhatsoever comes to pass. Acts 15 : 18. Isa.46:l0. Everything relating to man from thebeginning to the end falls within the scope ofthe Divine decrees. T'he Scriptures furnishmany illustrations of this fact. In the passagebefore us it is affirmed, (a) That Godhas fixed a bound to every life as to time, (b)He has fixed the bounds as to place. "Theapostle here opposes both Stoical fate and Epicureanchance, ascribing tbe joerzorfs and localitiesin which men and nations flourishtot'le sovereign will and prearrangements of aliving God." Brown.8. AU men should seek the Lord. v. 27.This is the end of the revelation which Godmakes of Himself in nature as well as in HisWord, and of the care which He exercises overmen. He desires that all sbould seek and findHim. Isa. 55:6; Matt. 7:7. Those whohaveonly the light of nature "are like persons inthe dark, who feel and grope about after God,'Thou hast beset me behind and before, etc.Ps. 139.5-10. (2). Heis relationally near.He is our Sovereigns nearer than that,, onrFather; nearer tnan that, our Creator; nearerthan that, our Proprietor; nearer than that,He is our Life. We cannot move a muscle,we cannot breathe a breath, we cannot thiiik &thought, we cannot feel an emotion withoatHim. He is the energy of our force, the impulseof our activities, the life if our life. " InHim we live and move and have our being."(8). He is sympathetically near. We arenearer to His heart than to the heart of anyothei. We are nearer to the heart of God thanthe babe to the heart of the mother. Isa- 49:15,Three tbings show the nearness of God to ne;(a). Hi« diBtiflguishing goodness in creation.