Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1876. Excerpt: ... THIRTY-FIRST ADDRESS. ANECDOTES WHICH MAY ILLUSTRATE WHAT IS MEANT BY THE OVERRULING PROVIDENCE OF GOD. Consider the ravens--Godfeedeth them.--Luke xii. 24. The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.--Pro v. xvi. 33. You find many such instances in the Bible. We shall take them, however, from other sources, so numerous that we cannot regard them as being all accidental--premising only that they uniformly leave man's responsibility untouched. I. It was the extension of the Roman Empire, before the birth of Christ, which opened the means of communication with many different nations, and thereby afforded singular facilities for the spread of the gospel. May not this have been the purpose of God, in permitting the extraordinary extension of the Roman Empire? II. At the time of Christ's appearance, almost all the world was at peace, so that it was called the pacific age. III. At that time different nations had gods many. The Greeks and Romans were not unwilling to hear about a new God. It was only when Christ's religion denounced immorality and idol-worship that persecution began; but by that time the Christians, though persecuted, were too numerous to be extirpated, and those who fled, published the gospel wherever they went. IV. Christ appointed His religion to be proclaimed by twelve humble men; and they successfully executed their high commission, however hopeless it at first seemed. But then, under God, the twelve timid and mostly unlearned men suddenly became linguists, brave and persevering, and we know the result. Wherever civilization existed, there appeared also the religion of Christ. The persecutions of Nero, and Domitian, and other Roman Emperors, wonderfully accelerated that result. V. The final destruction of J...
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