莱尔主教upper_room-第34章
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great day； when the Captain of our salvation and His victorious
soldiers shall at length meet face to face。 What tongue can tell the
happiness of that time when we shall lay aside our armour； and 〃say to
the sword； Rest； and be still！〃 What mind can conceive the blessedness
of that hour when we shall see the King in His beauty； and hear these
words； 〃Well done； good and faithful servant and soldier； enter thou
into the joy of thy Lord〃？ For that glorious day let us wait patiently；
for it cannot be far off。 In the hope of it let us work； and watch； and
pray； and fight on； and resist the world。 And let us never forget our
Captain's words： 〃 In the world ye shall have tribulation： but be of
good cheer； I have overe the world〃 （John 16：33）。
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＇8＇ The substance of this paper was originally preached as a sermon in
St。 Mary's Church； Cambridge； when I was select preacher； in 1879。
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CHAPTER IX
Acts 17：16…17。
ATHENS。
＇9＇
〃Now； while Paul waited for them at Athens； his spirit was stirred in
him； when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry。〃 Therefore disputed
he in the synagogue with the Jews； and with the devout persons； and in
the market daily with them that met with him。〃 Acts 17：16…17。
PERHAPS the reader of this paper lives in a town or city； and sees more
of bricks and mortar than of green fields。 Perhaps you have some
relative or friend living in a town； about whom you naturally feel a
deep interest。 In either case； the verses of Scripture which head tiffs
page demand your best attention。 Give me that attention for a few short
minutes while I try to show you the lessons which the passage contains。
You see face to face； in the verses before you； no mon city and no
mon man。
The city is the famous city Athens；Athens； renowned to this very day
for its statesmen； philosophers； historians； poets； painters； and
architects；Athens； the eye of ancient Greece； as ancient Greece was
the eye of the heathen world。
The man is the great Apostle of the Gentiles； St。 Paul； St。 Paul； the
most laborious and successful minister and missionary the world has
ever seen；St。 Paul； who by pen and tongue has left a deeper mark on
mankind than any born of woman； except his Divine Master。
Athens and St。 Paul； the great servant of Christ； and the great
stronghold of old heathenism are brought before us face to face。 The
result is told us： the interview is carefully described。 The subject； I
venture to think； is eminently suited to the times in which we live；
and to the circumstances of many a dweller in London； Liverpool；
Manchester； and other great English towns in the present day。
Without further preface； I ask you to observe three things in this
passage：
I。 What St。 Paul saw at Athens。
II。 What St。 Paul FELT at Athens。
III。 What St。 Paul DID at Athens。
I。 First； then； What did St。 Paul SEE at Athens？
The answer of the text is clear and unmistakable。 He saw a 〃city wholly
given to idolatry。〃 Idols met his eyes in every street。 The temples of
idol gods and goddesses occupied every prominent position。 The
magnificent statue of Minerva； at least forty feet high； according to
Pliny； towered above the Acropolis； and caught the eye from every
point。 A vast system of idol…worship overspread the whole place； and
thrust itself everywhere on his notice。 The ancient writer Pausanias
expressly says； that 〃the Athenians surpassed all states in the
attention which they paid to the worship of the gods。〃 In short； the
city； as the marginal reading says； was 〃full of idols。〃
And yet this city； I would have you remember； was probably the most
favourable specimen of a heathen city which St。 Paul could have seen。
In proportion to its size； it very likely contained the most learned；
civilized； philosophical； highly educated； artistic； intellectual
population on the face of the globe。 But what was it in a religious
point of view？ The city of wise men like Socrates and Plato；the city
of Solon； and Pericles； and Demosthenes；…the city of AEschylus；
Sophocles； Euripides； and Thucydides；the city of mind； and intellect；
and art； and taste；this city was 〃wholly given to idolatry。〃 If the
true God was unknown at Athens； what must He have been in the darker
places of the earth？ If the eye of Greece was so spiritually dim； what
must have been the condition of such places as Babylon； Ephesus； Tyre；
Alexandria； Corinth； and even of Rome？ If men were so far gone from the
light in a green tree； what must they have been in the dry？
What shall we say to these things？ What are the conclusions to which we
are irresistibly drawn by them？
Ought we not to learn； for one thing； the absolute need of a Divine
revelation； and of teaching from heaven？ Leave man without a Bible； and
he will have a religion of some kind； for human nature； corrupt as it
is； must have a God。 But it will be a religion without light； or peace；
or hope。
〃The world by wisdom knew not God〃 （1 Cor。 1：21）。 Old Athens is a
standing lesson which we shall do well to observe。 It is vain to
suppose that nature； unaided by revelation； will ever lead fallen man
to nature's God。 Without a Bible； the Athenian bowed down to stocks and
stones； and worshipped the work of his own hands。 Place a heathen
philosopher； a Stoic or an Epicurean； by the side of an open grave；
and ask him about a world to e； and he could have told you nothing
certain； satisfactory； or peace…giving。
Ought we not to learn； for another thing； that the highest intellectual
training is no security against utter darkness in religion？ We cannot
doubt that mind and reason were highly educated at Athens； if anywhere
in the heathen world。 The students of Greek philosophy were not
unlearned and ignorant men。 They were well versed in logic； ethics；
rhetoric； history； and poetry。 But all this mental discipline did not
prevent their city being a 〃city wholly given to idolatry。〃 And are we
to be told in the nineteenth century； that reading； writing；
arithmetic； mathematics； history； languages； and physical science；
without a knowledge of the Scriptures； are sufficient to constitute
education？ God forbid！ We have not so learned Christ。 It may please
some men to idolize intellectual power； and to speak highly of the debt
which the world owes to the Greek mind。 One thing； at any rate； is
abundantly clear。 Without the knowledge which the Holy Ghost revealed
to the Hebrew nation； old Greece would have left the world buried in
dark idolatry。 A follower of Socrates or Plato might have talked well
and eloquently on many subjects； but he could have never answered the
jailor's question； 〃What must I do to be saved？〃 （Acts 16：30）。 He could
never have said in his last hour； 〃O death； where is thy sting？ O
grave； where is thy victory？〃
Ought we not to learn； for another thing； that the highest excellence
in the material arts is no preservative against the grossest
superstition？ The perfection of Athenian architecture and sculpture is
a great and undeniable fact。 The eyes of St。 Paul at Athens beheld many
a 〃thing of beauty〃 which is still 〃a joy for ever〃 to artistic minds。
And yet the men who conceived and executed the splendid buildings of
Athens were utterly ignorant of the one true God。 The world nowadays is
well…nigh drunk with〃 self conceit about our so…called progress in arts
and sciences。 Men talk and write of machinery and manufactures； as if
nothing were impossible。 But let it never be forgotten that the highest
art or mechanical skill is consistent with a state of spiritual death
in religion。 Athens； the city of Phidias； was a 〃city wholly given to
idolatry。〃 An Athenian sculptor might have designed a matchless tomb；
but he could not hav
