GOD has given His written word to His people, and His people as an epistle to the world; and though there are many imperfections in these epistles, the world reads and judges of Christianity by the people who bear Christ's name, rather than by the Book of God. the Apostle Paul speaks of the Christians in Corinth as "the epistle of Christ," "known and read of all men” (2 Cor. 3:3, 23Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. (2 Corinthians 3:3)
2Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: (2 Corinthians 3:2)), and the heathen in that cultivated city witnessed through the Church a life altogether unlike that familiar to themselves. We may justly say that the pagans were the epistle of their gods to the world around them. Their gods were all more or less connected with various vices; unclean, immoral, and abominable were their deities; and as their worshippers committed evils in their honor, or yielded up to them part of their unlawful gains, these gods and sin were closely allied. Thus we may say the worshippers of Bacchus or Venus, by their evil deeds, became the epistles of these deities. People could read and know what those gods were like by studying the lives of their votaries. the Apostle Paul had ministered Christ in Corinth, and such as believed were separated by the truth from paganism, and their life of holiness, meekness, and goodness commended to the heathen about them the blessed Person of the Lord whom they worshipped.
We must bear in mind that no pagan has ever conceived a deity to be a holy Being existing from everlasting to everlasting, as a Savior from sin, a personal and constant Friend of man. Wonderful indeed then must the gospel of God have been to the heathen of old, and strange indeed to them the changed lives of God's people.
“Christians are not separated from other men by country, nor by language, nor by customs," says the author of the epistle to Diognetus. “With regard to dress and food, and other matters of every-day life, they follow the customs of the country; yet they show a peculiarity of conduct wonderful and striking to all. They dwell in their own native land as sojourners . . . They pass their time on earth, but they are citizens of heaven."
The brotherly love of the early Christians-a love which embraced people of all countries, characters, and positions—was one of the most striking features of the life of the early Church. “See how these Christians love one another, and are ready to die for one another!" said the heathen of them. The poor, the sick, the widows were regularly cared for, and if a church in one locality was too poor to nurture the suffering in its midst, churches in other places would, through the usual weekly or monthly contribution, send the necessary relief. All were of one family, all were brethren: the suffering of one was that of all.
Such practical unity deserves our earnest consideration and imitation. How lovely was “the unity of the Church " in those days-how different from that of later ages, and which, some centuries ago, was enforced by fire and sword, and for the honor of which unity many a saint was martyred; and which even now is in the minds of many a rigid obedience to ecclesiastical rulers. It was then a holy, Christ-like unity, produced by God the Spirit.
Though there are abundant evidences of tenderness and love existing amongst the heathen, the home life of the Christian possessed a beauty they knew not. "They are together at the church and at the Lord's Supper," says Tertullian, speaking of the Christian man and wife. “Neither conceals anything from the other freely the sick are visited, and the needy relieved psalms and hymns resound between the two." And in the grace of the life of the Christian home the bond slave shared. The slave, who at his pagan master's hands was liable to any cruelty or to death, was in the church as much to be regarded as any other believer. The touching epistle at the apostle Paul to Philemon respecting the latter's runaway slave, Onesimus, is an example in point. “Receive him," says the apostle, “not now as a slave, hut above a slave, a brother beloved" (ver. 16).
Written upon the very banner of salvation are Christ's own words, “The poor have the gospel preached to them" (Matt. 11:55The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. (Matthew 11:5)). Indifference to the poor is a characteristic of a false or a dead religion. The poor amongst the Buddhists today have no hope. “If the rich cannot be saved," say they, “there is no opportunity for us," and their expectation is the dark prospect of living on and on and on in poverty in future conditions of lives, and ever reproducing their present distress. How strangely must the gospel to the poor have been regarded by the heathen philosopher of old, who taught that the downtrodden artisan was of no account, since his life served no other end than the practice of his trade, and hence, if he fell sick, he must be left to his fate, being unable any longer to fulfill his calling! Another heathen philosopher scorned the gospel thus: "Let us hear what kind of persons these Christians invite! Everyone, say they, who is a sinner, who is devoid of understanding, who is a child, him will the kingdom of God receive. They assert that God will receive the sinner if he humble himself on account of his wickedness, but that He will not receive the righteous man, although he look up to Him with virtue from the beginning." This old satire casts a bright light on the gospel declared in those early days, and we feel at once that the gospel of our salvation is the same now as it was then!
The effect that the Christian's peace of soul and knowledge of forgiveness of sins had upon his pagan friends was very powerful. We know this day the effect such faith has upon the Christian world, which cares little for mere opinions, and less for controversy; but what must the effect have been then? What must have been the feelings of the heathen at the grave, where the Christians, instead of wailing and lamenting, sang hymns of praise, or at the unpretentious tomb inscribed with such words as these, “He lives!” “In peace!" Especially as we recall the hopeless grief engraven upon the heathen's tomb, as for example,” Our hope was in our boy: now all is ashes and lamentation," or that of a father over the loss of his girl, whom he describes as" the prey of the brutal Pluto."
Such testimony entered deep into the soul, and at times called out the bitterest jealousy and resentment. “We shall now see if they will rise," cried the pagans, as they cast the ashes of the martyrs, whose bodies they had burned, into the river.
Let the reader complete this sketch by presenting to his gaze him who had been a thief, stealing no more, but laboring with his hands to give to him that needed (Eph. 4:2828Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. (Ephesians 4:28)); the once reveler and drunkard, now sober and holy, and spoken evil of in consequence (1 Peter 4:3, 43For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: 4Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: (1 Peter 4:3‑4)); the once frivolous woman, adorned no more with jewels and costly array, but with a meek and quiet spirit (3:3, 4); the once impetuous man buffeted for no fault of his, yet patient (2:20); slaves willing and gentle to their froward masters (2:18); masters just and right to their slaves (Eph. 6:99And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him. (Ephesians 6:9)); parents firm but tender towards their children ; children obeying their parents (6:1-4).
We may also behold the church assembled together, and listen to prayers offered for the pagan rulers (1 Tim. 2:1, 21I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. (1 Timothy 2:1‑2)), and exhortations to godly living. (Titus 3:22To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men. (Titus 3:2)). Thus in familiar words does the pagan historian describe such a scene: “The Christians affirmed that it was their custom to meet on a stated day before sunrise, and sing a hymn to Christ, as to a god; that they further bound themselves by an oath never to commit any crime, but to abstain from robbery, theft, adultery; never to break their word, nor to deny a trust when summoned to deliver it; after that they would separate, and then re-assemble for eating in common a harmless meal."
In a similar strain, Justin says, "On Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the books of the prophets are read as long as time permits. Then, when the reader has ended, the president, in a discourse, instructs and exhorts to the imitation of these glorious examples. Then we all rise together, and send upwards our prayers." After this followed the Lord's supper, and then the giving of alms : these were " deposited with the president, who succors with them the widows and orphans, and those, who through sickness or any other cause, are in want, and those who are in bonds, and the strangers sojourning among us—in short, all who are in need."
The epistle of Christ, known and read of all men, bore unmistakable testimony to the character of Christ, and, though the cross of Christ was to the Gentile foolishness (1 Cor. 1:2323But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; (1 Corinthians 1:23))—for he derided the Christian's faith as that of the worship of a Jew who had been crucified—yet he could not escape from the conviction that his philosophy was unavailing to produce the life the Christian lived. "Your religion," said a heathen controversialist, “threatens to overturn everywhere the established sanctuaries, and the order of things confirmed by sacred customs and usages. Only see how your religion is distinguished from everything that has hitherto received the name: no temple, no altar, no image, no sacrifice “No, we may add, none of these things, but a Christianity which expressed Christ.