VOICE FROM THE PAST PROCLAIMS GOSPEL’S LIFE-CHANGING POWER

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 34, 2 April 1948, Page 3

VOICE FROM THE PAST PROCLAIMS GOSPEL’S LIFE-CHANGING POWER

The Gospel . . is the power of God unto salvation. “That which many have discovered, by the assistance of natural religion, to be their indispensable duty, but which they have never been able either to practise themselves, or to see exemplified in the conduct of philosophers; all this the sacred doctrines of the Gospel assist us to perform, because that Gospel is wisdom in its highest excellence.

“How shall philosophers persuade others, while they themselves continue in a state of perplexity? Or how shall they repress the passions of others, while, by giving way to their own, they tacitly confess that nature, in spite of all their efforts, is still triumphant? But daily experience testifies how great an influence the ordinances of God have upon the heart. “Give me a passionate, slanderous, implacable man; and, through the power of our Gospel, I will return him to you gentle as a lamb. Give me an avaricious man, whose greediness of gain will suffer him to part with nothing: And I yill return him to you so liberal, that he will give away his money by handfulls. Bring me a man that trembles at the approach of pain or death: Ere long he will look with contempt upon crosses, fires, and even the bull of Phalaris itself. Present me with a debauchee, an adulterer, a man wholly lost to good

manners: You shall shortly behold him an example of sobriety, uprightness and continence. Give me a cruel and bloodthirsty man: His ferocious disposition shall suddenly be succeeded by real clemency. Give me an unjust man, a stupid person, an extravagant sinner: you shall shortly behold him scrupulously just, truly ,wise, and leading a life of innocence. “Such is the power of heavenly wisdom, that it is no sooner shed abroad in the heart, but, by a single effort, it chases away folly, the mother of sin. To compass these invaluable ends, a man is under no necessity of paying salaries to masters of philosophy upon their works. Every necessary assistance is imparted without delay, with ease, and free from cost; if there be not wanting an attentive ear, and a heart desirous of wisdom. The sacred source to which we point, is plenteous, overflowing, and open to all men; the celestial light, we announce, indiscriminately rises upon all ,who .open their eyes to behold it.

“What philosopher has ever done so much? Who among them is able to perform such wonders? After having passed their lives in, the study of philosophy, it appears that they have neither bettered themselves nor others when nature causes them any great resistance. Their wisdom serves rather to cover than to eradicate their vices. Whereas our divine instructions, (the doctrines of the gospel) so totally change a man, that you would no longer know him for the same person.” Lactantius Firmianus (260-340).