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diff --git a/old/44420-h/44420-h.htm b/old/44420-h/44420-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0adf2dd --- /dev/null +++ b/old/44420-h/44420-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,8600 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=utf-8" /> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of The World's Great Sermons, Volume 5 Guthrie to Mosley, by Grenville Kleiser. + </title> + <link rel="coverpage" href="images/coverpage.jpg"/> + <style type="text/css"> + +body { + margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; +} + + h1,h2,h3,h4 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; +} + +p { + margin-top: .51em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .49em; + text-indent: 1em; +} + +.noind {text-indent: 0em;} + +.b15 {font-size:1.5em;} +.b13 {font-size:1.3em;} +.b12 {font-size:1.2em;} +.s08 {font-size:.8em;} + + +hr { + width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; +} + +hr.tb {width: 25%;} +hr.chap {width: 45%} + +table { + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; +} + + +.pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + font-style: normal; + text-align: right; +} /* page numbers */ + +.blockquot { + margin-left: 5%; + margin-right: 10%; +} + +.bb {border-bottom: solid 2px;} + +.center {text-align: center;} + +.right {text-align: right;} + +.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + +.caption {font-weight: bold;} + +.space-above { margin-top: 3em; } + +.hanging {margin-left: 2em; text-indent: -2em; font-size: 15px;} + +.sig { text-align: right; margin-right: 5%; } + +/* Images */ +.figcenter { + margin: auto; + text-align: center; +} + +.bord img { padding: 1px; border: 2px solid black; } + + +/* Footnotes */ + +.footnote {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-size: 0.9em;} + +.footnote .label {position: absolute; right: 84%; text-align: right;} + +.fnanchor { + vertical-align: super; + font-size: 55%; + text-decoration: + none; +} + +/* Poetry */ +.poem { + margin-left:10%; + margin-right:10%; + text-align: left; +} + +.poem br {display: none;} + +.poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} + +.poem span.i0 {display: block; margin-left: 0em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} +.poem span.i1 {display: block; margin-left: 0.5em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} +.poem span.i3 {display: block; margin-left: 1.5em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} +.poem span.i24 {display: block; margin-left: 12em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + +@media handheld +{ + .poetry + { + display: block; + margin-left: 1.5em; + } +} + +/* Transcriber's notes */ +.tn {background-color: #E6E6FA; + color: black; + font-size:smaller; + border: dashed 1px; + padding:0.5em; + margin-bottom:5em; + font-family:sans-serif, serif; } + + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The World's Great Sermons, Volume 5: +Guthrie to Mozley, by Various + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The World's Great Sermons, Volume 5: Guthrie to Mozley + +Author: Various + +Release Date: December 14, 2013 [EBook #44420] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: UTF-8 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WORLD'S GREAT SERMONS, VOL 5 *** + + + + +Produced by Júlio Reis, Moisés S. Gomes, Julia Neufeld and +the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<div class="figcenter bord" style="width: 468px;"> +<img src="images/coverpage.jpg" width="468" height="600" alt="cover" /> +</div> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<h1><em>The World's Great Sermons</em><br /><br /> + +<span class="s08">VOLUME V<br /><br /> + +GUTHRIE TO MOSLEY</span></h1> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p class="center"><span class="b15"> +THE<br /> +<span class="smcap">World's<br /> +Great<br /> +Sermons</span></span></p> + + +<p class="center space-above">COMPILED BY<br /> +<span class="b12">GRENVILLE KLEISER</span></p> + +<p class="center space-above"><span class="b12">Formerly of Yale Divinity School Faculty;<br /> +Author of "How to Speak<br /> +in Public," Etc.</span></p> + + +<p class="center">With Assistance from Many of the Foremost<br /> +Living Preachers and Other Theologians</p> + +<p class="center space-above">INTRODUCTION BY<br /> +<big>LEWIS O. BRASTOW, D.D.</big><br /> +Professor Emeritus of Practical Theology<br /> +in Yale University</p> + +<p class="center space-above">IN TEN VOLUMES</p> + +<p class="center space-above">VOLUME V—GUTHRIE TO MOSLEY</p> + +<p class="center space-above">FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY<br /> +NEW YORK and LONDON +</p> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p class="center"> +<span class="smcap">Copyright, 1908, by</span><br /> +FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY<br /> +<em>Printed in the United States of America</em> +</p> + + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">[v]</a></span></p> + + + + +<h2>CONTENTS</h2> + +<p class="center">VOLUME V</p> + + +<div class="center"> +<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="contents"> +<tr><td align="left"><span class="smcap">Guthrie</span> (1803-1873).</td><td align="left"><em>Page</em></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"> The New Heart</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_1">1</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"><span class="smcap">Maurice</span> (1805-1872).</td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"> The Valley of Dry Bones</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_23">23</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"><span class="smcap">Martineau</span> (1805-1900).</td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"> Parting Words</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_45">45</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"><span class="smcap">Manning</span> (1808-1892).</td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"> The Triumph of the Church</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_61">61</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"><span class="smcap">Park</span> (1808-1900).</td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"> The Prominence of the Atonement</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_87">87</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"><span class="smcap">Simpson</span> (1810-1884).</td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"> The Resurrection of Our Lord</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_119">119</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"><span class="smcap">Theodore Parker</span> (1810-1860).</td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"> The Transient and Permanent in Christianity</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_147">147</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"><span class="smcap">Macleod</span> (1812-1872).</td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"> The True Christian Ministry</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_177">177</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"><span class="smcap">Mozley</span> (1813-1878).</td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"> The Reversal of Human Judgment</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_205">205</a></td></tr> +</table></div> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[1]</a></span></p> + + + + +<h2>GUTHRIE</h2> + +<h3>THE NEW HEART</h3> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2"> </a></span></p> + + +<h4>BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE</h4> + +<p><span class="smcap">Thomas Guthrie</span>, preacher, philanthropist, +and social reformer, was born +at Brechin, Forfarshire, Scotland, in +1803. He spent ten years at the University +of Edinburgh and was licensed to +preach by the Presbytery of Brechin in +1825. In 1830 he was ordained minister +of Arbirlot. After a valuable experience +in evangelical preaching among the +farmers, weavers and peasants of his +congregation, he became one of the +ministers of Old Greyfriars Church, +Edinburgh, in 1827. Lord Cockburn +described his sermons in that city as +appealing equally "to the poor woman +on the steps of the pulpit" as to the +"stranger attracted solely by his eloquence." +He was a great temperance +advocate, becoming a total abstainer in +1844, and has been styled "the apostle +of the ragged school movement." Retiring +from the active work of the +ministry in 1864, he still remained in +public life until he died in 1873. Through +long practise, Dr. Guthrie delivered +his memorized discourses as tho they +fell spontaneously from his lips. His +voice has been described as powerful +and musical. He was fond of vivid illustration, +and even on his death bed, as +he lay dying in the arms of his sons, he +exclaimed: "I am just as helpless in your +arms now as you once were in mine."</p> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[3]</a></span></p> + + + + +<h2>GUTHRIE</h2> + +<h3>1803-1873</h3> + +<h4>THE NEW HEART</h4> + +<p><em>A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit +will I put within you; and I will take away the stony +heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart +of flesh.</em>—Ezekiel xxxvi., 26.</p> + + +<p>As in a machine where the parts all fit +each other, and, bathed in oil, move +without din or discord, the most perfect +harmony reigns throughout the kingdom +of grace. Jesus Christ is the "wisdom," as +well as the "power" of God; nor in this kingdom +is anything found corresponding to the +anomalies and incongruities of the world lying +without. There we sometimes see a high +station disgraced by a man of low habits; +while others are doomed to an inferior condition, +who would shine like gilded ornaments +on the very pinnacles of society. That beautiful +congruity in Christ's kingdom is secured +by those who are the objects of saving mercy +being so renewed and sanctified that their +nature is in harmony with their position, and +the man within corresponds to all without.</p> + +<p>Observe how this property of "new" runs +through the whole economy of grace. When +mercy first rose upon this world, an attribute<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[4]</a></span> +of Divinity appeared which was new to the +eyes of men and angels. Again, the Savior +was born of a virgin; and He who came forth +from a womb where no child had been previously +conceived, was sepulchered in a tomb +where no man had been previously interred. +The infant had a new birthplace, the crucified +had a new burial-place. Again, Jesus is +the mediator of a new covenant, the author +of a new testament, the founder of a new +faith. Again, the redeemed receive a new +name; they sing a new song; their home is +not to be in the old, but in the new, Jerusalem, +where they shall dwell on a new earth, and +walk in glory beneath a new heaven. Now it +were surely strange, when all things else are +new, if they themselves were not to partake +of this general renovation. Nor strange only, +for such a change is indispensable. A new +name without a new nature were an imposture. +It were not more an untruth to call a lion a +lamb, or the rapacious vulture by the name +of the gentle dove, than to give the title of +sons of God to the venomous seed of the serpent.</p> + +<p>Then, again, unless man received a new nature, +how could he sing the new song? The +raven, perched on the rock, where she whets +her bloody beak, and impatiently watches the +dying struggles of some unhappy lamb can +not tune her croaking voice to the rich, mellow +music of a thrush; and, since it is out of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</a></span> +the abundance of the heart that the mouth +speaketh, how could a sinner take up the +strain and sing the song of saints? Besides, +unless a man were a new creature, he were +out of place in the new creation. In circumstances +neither adapted to his nature, nor +fitted to minister to his happiness, a sinner +in heaven would find himself as much out of +his element as a finny inhabitant of the deep, +or a sightless burrower in the soil, beside an +eagle, soaring in the sky, or surveying her +wide domain from the mountain crag.</p> + +<p>In the works of God we see nothing more +beautiful than the divine skill with which He +suits His creatures to their condition. He gives +wings to birds, fins to fishes, sails to the thistle-seed, +a lamp to light the glowworm, great +roots to moor the cedar, and to the aspiring +ivy her thousand hands to climb the wall. +Nor is the wisdom so conspicuous in nature, +less remarkable and adorable in the kingdom +of grace. He forms a holy people for a holy +heaven—fits heaven for them, and them for +heaven. And calling up His Son to prepare +the mansions for their tenants, and sending +down His Spirit to prepare the tenants for +their mansions, He thus establishes a perfect +harmony between the new creature and the +new creation.</p> + +<p>You can not have two hearts beating in the +same bosom, else you would be, not a man, +but a monster. Therefore, the very first<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</a></span> +thing to be done, in order to make things new, +is just to take that which is old out of the +way. And the taking away of the old heart +is, after all, but a preparatory process. It is +a means, but not the end. For, strange as it +may at first sound, he is not religious who is +without sin. A dead man is without sin; and +he is sinless, who lies buried in dreamless +slumber, so long as his eyes are sealed. Now, +God requires more than a negative religion. +Piety, like fire, light, electricity, magnetism, +is an active, not a passive element; it has a +positive, not merely a negative existence. For +how is pure and undefiled religion defined? +"Pure religion and undefiled is to visit the +fatherless and widows in their affliction." +And on whom does Jesus pronounce His beatitude? +"If ye know these things, happy are +ye if ye do them." And what is the sum of +practical piety—the most portable form in +which you can put an answer to Saul's question, +"Lord, what wouldst thou have me to +do?" What but this, "Depart from evil, and +do good." Therefore, while God promises +to take the stony heart out of our flesh, He +promises more. In taking away one heart, He +engages to supply us with another; and to +this further change and onward stage in the +process of redemption, I now proceed to turn +your attention.</p> + +<p>By way of general observation, I remark +that our affections are engaged in religion.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span> +An oak—not as it stands choked up in the +crowded wood, with room neither to spread +nor breathe, but as it stands in the open field, +swelling out below where it anchors its roots +in the ground, and swelling out above where +it stretches its arms into the air,—presents us +with the most perfect form of firmness, self-support, +stout and sturdy independence. So +perfectly formed, indeed, is the monarch of +the forest to stand alone, and fight its own +battles with the elements, that the architect +of the Bell Rock lighthouse is said to have +borrowed his idea of its form from God in +nature, and that, copying the work of a divine +Architect, he took the trunk of the oak as the +model of a building which was to stand the +blast of the storm, and the swell of the winter +seas.</p> + +<p>Observe, that although the state of the natural +affections does not furnish any certain +evidence of conversion, it is the glory of piety +that these are strengthened, elevated, sanctified +by the change. The lover of God will be +the kindest, best, wisest lover of his fellow-creatures. +The heart that has room in it for +God, grows so large, that it finds room for all +God's train, for all that He loves, and for all +that He has made; so that the Church, with +all its denominations of true Christians, the +world, with all its perishing sinners, nay, all +the worlds which He has created, find orbit-room +to move, as in an expansive universe,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span> +within the capacious enlargement of a believer's +heart. For while the love of sin acts +as an astringent—contracting the dimensions +of the natural heart, shutting and shriveling +it up—the love of God expands and enlarges +its capacity. Piety quickens the pulse of love, +warms and strengthens our heart, and sends +forth fuller streams of natural affection toward +all that have a claim on us, just as a +strong and healthy heart sends tides of blood +along the elastic arteries to every extremity +of the body.</p> + +<p>This new heart, however, mainly consists +in a change of the affections as they regard +spiritual objects. Without again traveling +over ground which we have already surveyed, +just look at the heart and feelings of an unconverted +man. His mind being carnal, is +enmity or hatred against God. This may be +latent, not at first sight apparent, nor suspected, +but how soon does it appear when put +to the proof? Fairly tried, it comes out like +those unseen elements which chemical tests +reveal. Let God, for instance, by His providences +or laws, thwart the wishes or cross the +propensities of our unrenewed nature—let +there be a collision between His will and ours—and +the latent enmity flashes out like latent +fire when the cold black flint is struck +with steel.</p> + +<p>In conversion God gives a new spirit. Conversion +does not bestow new faculties. It<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span> +does not turn a weak man into a philosopher. +Yet, along with our affections, the temper, +the will, the judgment partake of this +great and holy change. Thus, while the heart +ceases to be dead, the head, illuminated by a +light within, ceases to be dark; the understanding +is enlightened; the will is renewed; +and our whole temper is sweetened and sanctified +by the Spirit of God. To consider these +in their order, I remark—</p> + +<p>By this change the understanding and judgment +are enlightened. Sin is the greatest +folly, and the sinner the greatest fool in the +world. There is no such madness in the most +fitful lunacy. Think of a man risking eternity +and his everlasting happiness on the uncertain +chance of surviving another year. Think +of a man purchasing a momentary pleasure +at the cost of endless pain. Think of a dying +man living as if he were never to die. Is there +a convert to God who looks back upon his unconverted +state, and does not say with David, +"Lord, I was as a beast before Thee."</p> + +<p>Now conversion not only restores God to +the heart, but reason also to her throne. Time +and eternity are now seen in their just proportions—in +their right relative dimensions; +the one in its littleness, and the other in its +greatness. When the light of heaven rises on +the soul, what grand discoveries does she make—of +the exceeding evil of sin, of the holiness +of the divine law, of the infinite purity of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span> +divine justice, of the grace and greatness of +divine love. On Sinai's summit and on Calvary's +cross, what new, sublime, affecting +scenes open on her astonished eyes! She now, +as by one convulsive bound, leaps to the conclusion +that salvation is the one thing needful, +and that if a man will give all he hath for the +life that now is, much more should he part +with all for the life to come. The Savior and +Satan, the soul and body, holiness and sin, +have competing claims. Between these reason +now holds the balance even, and man finds, +in the visit of converting grace, what the demoniac +found in Jesus' advent. The man +whose dwelling was among the tombs, whom +no chains could bind, is seated at the feet of +Jesus, "clothed, and in his right mind."</p> + +<p>By this change the will is renewed. Bad +men are worse, and good men are better than +they appear. In conversion the will is so +changed and sanctified, that altho a pious man +is in some respects less, in other respects he +is more holy than the world gives him credit +for. The attainments of a believer are always +beneath his aims; his desires are nobler than +his deeds; his wishes are holier than his works. +Give other men their will, full swing to their +passions, and they would be worse than they +are; give that to him, and he would be better +than he is. And if you have experienced the +gracious change, it will be your daily grief +that you are not what you not only know you<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span> +should be, but what you wish to be. To be +complaining with Paul, "When I would do +good, evil is present with me; that which I +would I do not, and what I would not, that +I do," is one of the best evidences of a gracious, +saving change.</p> + +<p>Children of God! let not your souls be cast +down. This struggle between the new will +and the old man—painful and prolonged altho +it be—proves beyond all doubt the advent +of the Holy Spirit. Until the Savior appeared +there was no sword drawn, nor blood shed in +Bethlehem, nor murderous decree issued +against its innocents—they slept safely in +their mothers' bosoms, Herod enjoyed his security +and pleasure, and Rachel rose not from +her grave to weep for her children because +they were not. Christ's coming rouses all +the devil in the soul. The fruits of holy peace +are reaped with swords on the fields of war; +and this struggle within your breast proves +that grace, even in its infancy a cradled Savior, +is engaged in strangling the old Serpent. +When the shadow of calamity falls on many +homes, and the tidings of victory come with +sad news to many a family, and the brave are +lying thick in the deadly breach, men comfort +us by saying, that there are things worse than +war. That is emphatically true of this holy +war. Rejoice that the peace of death is gone.</p> + +<p>By conversion the temper and disposition +are changed and sanctified. Christians are<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span> +occasionally to be found with a tone of mind +and a temper as little calculated to recommend +their faith as to promote their happiness. I +believe that there are cases in which this is +due to a deranged condition of the nervous +system, or the presence of disease in some +other vital organ. These unhappy persons +are more deserving of our pity than our censure. +This is not only the judgment of Christian +charity, but of sound philosophy, and is +a conclusion to which we are conducted in +studying the union between mind and body, +and the manner in which they act and re-act +upon each other. So long as grace dwells in +a "vile body," which is the seat of frequent +disorder and many diseases—these infirmities +of temper admit no more, perhaps, of being +entirely removed, than a defect of speech, or +any physical deformity. The good temper for +which some take credit may be the result of +good health and a well-developed frame—a +physical more than a moral virtue; and an +ill temper, springing from bad health, or an +imperfect organization, may be a physical +rather than a moral defect—giving its victim +a claim on our charity and forbearance. But, +admitting this apology for the unhappy tone +and temper of some pious men, the true Christian +will bitterly bewail his defect, and, regretting +his infirmity more than others do a +deformity, he will carefully guard and earnestly +pray against it. Considering it as a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span> +thorn in his flesh, a messenger of Satan sent +to buffet him, it will often send him to his +knees in prayer to God, that the grace which +conquers nature may be made "sufficient for +him."</p> + +<p>I pray you to cultivate the temper that was +in Jesus Christ. Is he like a follower of the +Lamb who is raging like a roaring lion? Is +he like a pardoned criminal who sits moping +with a cloud upon his brow? Is he like an +heir of heaven, like a man destined to a crown, +who is vexed and fretted with some petty +loss? Is he like one in whose bosom the dove +of heaven is nestling, who is full of all manner +of bile and bitterness? Oh, let the same +mind be in you that was in Jesus. A kind, +catholic, gentle, loving temper is one of the +most winning features of religion; and by +its silent and softening influence you will do +more real service to Christianity than by the +loudest professions, or the exhibition of a +cold and skeleton orthodoxy. Let it appear in +you, that it is with the believer under the influence +of the Spirit as with fruit ripened beneath +the genial influences of heaven's dews +and sunbeams. At first hard, it grows soft; +at first sour, it becomes sweet; at first green, +it assumes in time a rich and mellow color; +at first adhering tenaciously to the tree, when +it becomes ripe, it is ready to drop at the +slightest touch. So with the man who is +ripening for heaven. His affections and temper<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span> +grow sweet, soft, mellow, loose from earth +and earthly things. He comes away readily +to the hand of death, and leaves the world +without a wrench.</p> + +<p>In conversion God gives a heart of flesh. +"I will give you a heart of flesh."</p> + +<p>Near by a stone, a mass of rock that had +fallen from the overhanging crag, which had +some wild flowers growing in its fissures, and +on its top the foxglove, with its spike of +beautiful but deadly flowers, we once came +upon an adder as it lay in ribbon coil, basking +on the sunny ground. At our approach the +reptile stirred, uncoiled itself, and raising its +venomous head, with eyes like burning coals, +it shook its cloven tongue, and, hissing, gave +signs of battle. Attacked, it retreated; and, +making for that gray stone, wormed itself into +a hole in its side. Its nest and home were +there. And in looking on that shattered rock—fallen +from its primeval elevation—with its +flowery but fatal charms, the home and nest +of the adder, where nothing grew but poisoned +beauty, and nothing dwelt but a poisoned +brood, it seemed to us an emblem of that +heart which the text describes as a stone, +which experience proves is a habitation of +devils, and which the prophet pronounces to +be desperately wicked. I have already explained +why the heart is described as a stone. +It is cold as a stone; hard as a stone; dead and +insensible as a stone. Now, as by the term<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span> +"flesh" we understand qualities the very opposite +of these, I therefore remark that—</p> + +<p>In conversion a man gets a warm heart.</p> + +<p>Let us restrict ourselves to a single example. +When faith receives the Savior, how does the +heart warm to Jesus Christ! There is music +in His name. "His name is an ointment +poured forth." All the old indifference to +His cause, His people, and the interests of +His kingdom, has passed away; and now these +have the warmest place in a believer's bosom, +and are the object of its strongest and tenderest +affections. The only place, alas! that +religion has in the hearts of many is a burial-place; +but the believer can say with Paul, +"Christ liveth in me." Nor is his heart like +the cottage of Bethany, favored only with occasional +visits. Jesus abides there in the +double character of guest and master, its most +loving and best loved inmate; and there is a +difference as great between that heart as it +is, and that heart as it was, as between the +warm bosom where the Infant slept or smiled +in Mary's arms and the dark, cold sepulcher +where weeping followers laid and left the +Crucified.</p> + +<p>Is there such a heart in you? Do you appreciate +Christ's matchless excellences? Having +cast away every sin to embrace him, do +you set him above your chiefest joy? Would +you leave father, mother, wife, children, to +follow Him, with bleeding feet, over life's<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span> +roughest path? Rather than part with Him, +would you part with a thousand worlds? +Were He now on earth, would you leave a +throne to stoop and tie His latchet? If I +might so speak, would you be proud to carry +His shoes? Then, indeed, you have got the +new, warm heart of flesh. The new love of +Christ, and the old love of the world, may still +meet in opposing currents; but in the war and +strife of these antagonistic principles, the celestial +shall overpower the terrestrial, as, at +the river's mouth, I have seen the ocean tide, +when it came rolling in with a thousand billows +at its back, fill all the channel, carry all +before its conquering swell, dam up the fresh +water of the land, and drive it back with resistless +power.</p> + +<p>In conversion a man gets a soft heart.</p> + +<p>As "flesh," it is soft and sensitive. It is +flesh, and can be wounded or healed. It is +flesh, and feels alike the kiss of kindness and +the rod of correction. It is flesh; and no +longer a stone, hard, obdurate, impenetrable +to the genial influences of heaven. A hard +block of ice, it has yielded to the beams of the +sun, and been melted into flowing water. How +are you moved now, stirred now, quickened +now, sanctified now, by truths once felt no +more than dews falling out of starry heavens, +in soft silence upon rugged rock. The heart +of grace is endowed with a delicate sensibility, +and vibrates to the slightest touch of a Savior's<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span> +fingers. How does the truth of God +affect it now! A stone no longer, it melts +under the heavenly fire—a stone no longer, it +bends beneath the hammer of the word; no +longer like the rugged rock, on which rains +and sunbeams were wasted, it receives the +impression of God's power, and retains the +footprints of His presence. Like the flowers +that close their eyes at night, but waken at +the voice of morning, like the earth that gapes +in summer drought, the new heart opens to +receive the bounties of grace and the gifts of +heaven. Have you experienced such a +change? In proof and evidence of its reality, +is David's language yours—"I have stretched +out my hands unto thee. My soul thirsteth +after thee as a thirsty land"?</p> + +<p>In conversion a man gets a living heart.</p> + +<p>The perfection of this life is death—it is +dead to be sin, but alive to righteousness, alive +to Christ, alive to everything which touches +His honor, and crown, and kingdom. With +Christ living in his heart, the believer feels +that now he is not himself, not his own; and, +as another's, the grand object of his life is +to live to Christ. He reckons him an object +worth living for, had he a thousand lives to +live; worth dying for, had he a thousand +deaths to die. He says with Paul, "I am +crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live." In +the highest sense alive, he is dead, dead to +things he was once alive to; and he wishes<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span> +that he were more dead to them, thoroughly +dead. He wishes that he could look on the +seductions of the world, and sin's voluptuous +charms, with the cold, unmoved stare of death, +and that these had no more power to kindle +a desire in him than in the icy bosom of a +corpse. "Understandest thou what thou +readest?"</p> + +<p>It is a mark of grace that the believer, in +his progress heavenward, grows more and +more alive to the claims of Jesus. If you +"know the love of Christ," His is the latest +name you will desire to utter; His is the latest +thought you will desire to form; upon Him +you will fix your last look on earth; upon Him +your first in heaven. When memory is oblivious +of all other objects—when all that attracted +the natural eye is wrapt in the mists +of death, when the tongue is cleaving to +the roof of our mouth, and speech is gone, +and sight is gone, and hearing gone, and the +right hand, lying powerless by our side, has +lost its cunning, Jesus! then may we remember +Thee! If the shadows of death are to be +thrown in deepest darkness on the valley, +when we are passing along it to glory, may it +be ours to die like that saint, beside whose bed +wife and children once stood, weeping over +the wreck of faded faculties, and a blank, departed +memory. One had asked him, "Father, +do you remember me?" and received no answer; +and another, and another, but still no<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span> +answer. And then, all making way for the +venerable companion of a long and loving +pilgrimage—the tender partner of many a +past joy and sorrow, his wife draws near. +She bends over him, and as her tears fall +thick upon his face, she cries, "Do you not +remember me?" A stare, but it is vacant. +There is no soul in that filmy eye; and the +seal of death lies upon these lips. The sun +is down, and life's brief twilight is darkening +fast into a starless night. At this moment, +one calm enough to remember how the love of +Christ's spouse is "strong as death," a love +that "many waters can not quench," stooped +to his ear, and said, "Do you remember Jesus +Christ?" The word was no sooner uttered +than it seemed to recall the spirit, hovering +for a moment, ere it took wing to heaven. +Touched as by an electric influence, the heart +beat once more to the name of Jesus; the features, +fixt in death, relax; the countenance, +dark in death, flushes up like the last gleam +of day; and, with a smile in which the soul +passed away to glory, he replied, "Remember +Jesus Christ! dear Jesus Christ! He is all +my salvation, and all my desire."</p> + +<p>By conversion man is ennobled.</p> + +<p>While infidelity regards man as a mere animal, +to be dissolved at death into ashes and +air, and vice changes man into a brute or +devil, Mammon enslaves him. She makes him +a serf, and condemns him to be a gold-digger<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span> +for life in the mines. She puts her collar on +his neck, and locks it; and bending his head +to the soil, and bathing his brow in sweat, she +says, Toil, toil, toil; as if this creature, originally +made in the image of God, this dethroned +and exiled monarch, to save whom the +Son of God descended from the skies, and bled +on Calvary, were a living machine, constructed +of sinew, bone, and muscle, and made +for no higher end than to work to live, and +live to work.</p> + +<p>Contrast with these the benign aspect in +which the gospel looks on man. Religion +descends from heaven to break our chains. +She alone raises me from degradation, and +bids me lift my drooping head, and look up +to heaven. Yes; it is that very gospel which +by some is supposed to present such dark, degrading, +gloomy views of man and his destiny, +which lifts me from the dust to set me among +princes—on a level with angels—in a sense +above them. To say nothing of the divine nobility +grace imparts to a soul which is stamped +anew with the likeness and image of God, how +sacred and venerable does even this body appear +in the eye of piety! No longer a form +of animated dust; no longer the subject of +passions shared in common with the brutes; +no longer the drudge and slave of Mammon, +the once "vile body" rises into a temple of +the Holy Ghost. Vile in one sense it may be; +yet what, although it be covered with sores?<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span> +What, although it be clothed in rags? What, +although, in unseemly decrepitude, it want +its fair proportions? That poor, sickly, shattered +form is the casket of a precious jewel. +This mean and crumbling tabernacle lodges +a guest nobler than palaces may boast of; +angels hover around its walls; the Spirit of +God dwells within it. What an incentive to +holiness, to purity of life and conduct, lies +in the fact that the body of a saint is the temple +of God, a truer, nobler temple than that +which Solomon dedicated by his prayers, and +Jesus consecrated His presence! In popish +cathedrals, where the light streamed through +painted window, and the organ pealed along +lofty aisles, and candles gleamed on golden +cups and silver crosses, and incense floated in +fragrant clouds, we have seen the blinded +worshiper uncover his head, drop reverently +on his knees, and raise his awestruck eye on +the imposing spectacle; we have seen him +kiss the marble floor, and knew that sooner +would he be smitten dead upon that floor than +be guilty of defiling it. How does this devotee +rebuke us! We wonder at his superstition; +how may he wonder at our profanity! Can +we look on the lowly veneration he expresses +for an edifice which has been erected by some +dead man's genius, which holds but some +image of a deified virgin, or bones of a canonized +saint, and which, proudly as it raises its +cathedral towers, time shall one day cast to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span> +the ground, and bury in the dust; can we, I +say, look on that, and, if sensible to rebuke, +not feel reproved by the spectacle? In how +much more respect, in how much holier veneration +should we hold this body? The shrine +of immortality, and a temple dedicated to the +Son of God, it is consecrated by the presence +of the Spirit—a living temple, over whose +porch the eye of piety reads what the finger +of inspiration has written: "If any man defile +the temple of God, him shall God destroy; +for the temple of God is holy, which temple +ye are."</p> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23"> </a></span></p> + + + + +<h2>MAURICE</h2> + +<h3>THE VALLEY OF DRY BONES</h3> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24"> </a></span></p> + + +<h4>BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE</h4> + +<p><span class="smcap">Frederick Denison Maurice</span>, English +divine and author, was born in 1805. He +was the son of a Unitarian clergyman, +and after studying in Cambridge began +a literary career in London, where his +friend Coleridge and others persuaded +him to take orders in the Church of +England. In 1836 he was appointed +chaplain to Guy's Hospital. In 1840 he +was elected professor of English literature +and history and in 1846 of divinity +at King's College, London, but lost both +positions in 1853 because of his radical +views. He was professor of moral philosophy +at Cambridge from 1860 until his +death in 1872.</p> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span></p> + + + + +<h2>MAURICE</h2> + +<h3>1805-1872</h3> + +<h4>THE VALLEY OF DRY BONES</h4> + +<p><em>The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me +out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the +midst of the valley which was full of bones, and +caused me to pass by them round about. And behold +there were very many in the open valley, and lo, they +were very dry. And he said unto me, "Son of man, +can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord God, +thou knowest."</em>—<span class="smcap">Ezek</span>. xxxvii., 1-3.</p> + + +<p>We are naturally curious to know +whether two contemporary prophets +ever conversed with each other. In +Micah we found such evident indications of +sympathy with the mind of Isaiah as warranted +the supposition that he was his pupil. +I can not trace any signs of a similar relation, +or indeed of any personal relation, between +Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Tho they were passing +through the same crisis; tho they had both to +witness the evils which were destroying their +nation; both to share its miseries; tho the false +prophets were the common enemies of both; +yet their circumstances, their character, and +their work were entirely distinct, in some +points even contrasted. Their very differences, +however, show us that they were both +alike prophets and priests.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span></p> + +<p>The Book of Lamentations exhibits the +spirit of the individual man Jeremiah more +transparently than his longer book, which is +so mixed up with historical details, with +anticipations of a ruin not yet accomplished, +with hopes, however faint and soon dispelled, +of a national repentance. Most of those whom +the prophet had denounced were banished or +dead. Men could talk no more about the +temple of the Lord, could boast no more that +the word of the Lord was with them; the +vessel which the potter was shaping had been +broken to pieces. The sadness of the prophet, +which had been checked sometimes by indignation, +sometimes by the consciousness of a +word which must still be spoken, of a work +which must be done, became complete and +absorbing. Heretofore his intense sympathy +with his country might seem to be qualified +by his lively apprehension of its crimes; now +both feelings were blended into one. When +he looked upon the desolation of the city +there sat upon his soul a weight of sorrow and +evil, as if he were representing his whole +people, as if there was no wrong which they +had committed, no evil habits which they had +contracted, which did not cling to him, for +which he was not responsible. And this was +no imaginary fictitious state of mind into +which he had worked himself. God had made +him inwardly conscious of the very corruptions +which had destroyed the land. If he had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span> +made any fight against them; if they did not +actually overpower him and enslave him, this +was God's work and not his; the promise of +the covenant made with his fathers, which was +as good for every one as for himself, was fulfilled +to him. And now he was realizing the +full effect of this discipline. The third chapter +of the Lamentations, beginning "I am the +man that hath seen affliction by the rod of +His wrath," contains the climax of his experience. +In the memorable passages which follow, +the history of a life is gathered up. "I +said, My strength and my hope is perished +from the Lord; remembering mine affliction +and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. +My soul hath them still in remembrance. This +I recall to mind, therefore have I hope. It is +of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed. +They are new every morning; great +is thy faithlessness. The Lord is my portion, +saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. +The Lord is good unto them that wait for +him. It is good that a man should both +hope and quietly wait for the salvation of +the Lord. It is good for a man that he +bear the yoke in his youth. He sitteth alone +and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it +upon him. He putteth his mouth in the dust +if so be there may be hope. He giveth his +cheek to him that smiteth him, he is filled full +with reproach. The Lord will not cast off for +ever; but tho he cause grief, yet will he have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span> +compassion according to the multitude of his +mercies for he doth not afflict willingly nor +grieve the children of men."</p> + +<p>Anything more individual than these utterances +it is impossible to conceive; and yet it +is just by these that one understands the +sacerdotal work to which Jeremiah was called. +There was no longer any temple. The priests +as well as the princes had been for the most +part carried away by Nebuchadnezzar. But +there was a man walking about in the deserted +city to which the twelve tribes had come up,—in +the midst of the ruins of the holy place +into which the sons of Aaron had gone with +the memorial of their names on their breastplates,—who +really entered into the meaning +of that function, who really bore the iniquities +of the children of Israel before the Lord;—one +to whom it was given to translate the +ceremonies and services of the divine house +into life and reality. He had been taught +more perfectly, perhaps, than anyone who +had served in the temple, what was implied in +its worship and sacrifices. He felt the burden +to which those sacrifices pointed, the burden of +individual and national sins. Yet, with that +burden resting upon him, he could enter into +the presence of the Holy One of Israel. He +was sure there was a deliverance for his people +as well as for himself; that there could not be +one for him if there was not also one for them. +Thus when part of his work was over, when he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span> +had nothing more to say in the ears of kings +or priests or people, this office,—which had +been so closely connected with his prophetical +office, and which, if it had depended upon +outward conditions, must have been more +entirely at an end than that,—still remained +in all its original power. And the words of +the prophet remained to explain to all generations +the spiritual character and acts of the +priest.</p> + +<p>The office of the priest must have seemed to +be more utterly extinct for Ezekiel than even +for Jeremiah. He was forcibly removed from +all the associations of the temple while it was +yet standing. When he was called to be a +prophet to the captives by the river Chebar, +he might have supposed that the earlier designation +which belonged to him as one of the +Levitical family, had been extinguished in the +later one. Yet we have seen how he was +instructed, at the very commencement of his +work as a prophet, that the glory of Him who +filled the temple was surrounding him in +Mesopotamia as it surrounded him when he +went up to present the morning or the evening +sacrifice in Jerusalem. Such a vision was +given him of that glory as he had never beheld +in the holy place. He found that the earth,—that +common, profane, Babylonian earth upon +which he dwelt,—was filled with it. All the +powers of nature, the forms of animals, man +as the highest of the animals, the motions and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span> +order of the outward world and of human +society, were pointing towards it. And the +central object, the highest object which he +could behold, tho there was an ineffable brightness +beyond, was a Man upon a throne, One +who could command him, in whose name he +was to go forth, whose words he was to speak.</p> + +<p>This was no isolated revelation or dream. +The very name which the prophet thenceforth +bore, the name by which he was to know himself, +depended upon it. "Son of man, stand +upon thy feet and I will speak unto thee," were +the first words which he heard after he fell +upon his face. That great title is bestowed +upon him through all the time in which he was +prophesying. It was in many ways more suitable +to him than to those who had gone before +him. There was now no Hezekiah or Josiah +to represent the Divine king. The witnesses +for the kingdom seemed to be at an end. +Nebuchadnezzar was the lord of the earth. At +such a time the natural position of the Jewish +seer became a human position. The Israelite's +glory was to be a "Son of man."</p> + +<p>Yet he was not absolved from any of the +obligations of the older prophets; he was not +to expect a more willing or attentive audience +among captives than they had found at home; +briars, thorns would be with him; he must +dwell among scorpions. Lamentations and +mourning and woe filled his roll as much as +that which Baruch wrote out for Jeremiah.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span> +And he must eat this roll; it must become a +part of his very soul; its words must come +forth living and burning out of himself.</p> + +<p>He must understand, besides, all the fearful +responsibilities of the prophet. He was to +speak whether the men about him would hear +or whether they would forbear. There were +times when his tongue would cleave to the roof +of his mouth, when he should be dumb and +should not be to them a reprover. But when +God opened his lips, the blood of those to +whom he was sent was upon him; it would +be required at his hands if they died in their +iniquity and he had not warned them. He +must submit to do all symbolical acts, however +strange and fantastical they might seem in +themselves, which might bring the feeling of +coming judgments home to a sense-bound +people. He must act a mimic siege, he must +eat defiled bread; he must cut off his hair and +weigh it in balances, if so the people could be +made to understand,—in spite of their false +prophets who spoke of coming peace and +enacted their signs, which of course involved +no discomfort or humiliation to themselves,—that +the city would really be destroyed and +the sanctuary laid waste. He was to persuade +his brother captives that they were a remnant +in which the nation still lived, a stock out of +which it should hereafter grow and flourish, +even tho they were most rebellious, dreaming +of good things which would never come, not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span> +waiting for that good which God had designed +for them. There was to be the same end in +all the punishments which were coming upon +the land and in all its deliverances. God was +saying in all "I am the Lord."</p> + +<p>This sentence recurs again and again in the +prophecies of Ezekiel. It is the thought of his +mind, the one which gives all the sublimity +and all the practical worth to his discourses,—that +the knowledge of God is the supreme +good of man, and that the desolation of his +countrymen has come from their not liking +to retain it. He is transported in spirit to +the temple. There the same vision of the +glory of God which he had seen by the river +returns to him. The light of it shows him, +portrayed upon the wall of the temple round +about, the abominable beasts and creeping +things, and the idols of the house of Israel; +what the ancients of the house of Israel did +in the dark, every one in the chambers of his +imagery; how the women were weeping for +Tammuz; how the men were worshiping the +sun towards the east. Whether such abominations +as these were actually to be seen in the +temple, or whether the prophet's eye opened +by the divine Spirit saw that they were possessing +the hearts of those who seemed to +others, perhaps to themselves, to be worshiping +the God of their fathers, it is clear that +the mind of Ezekiel was led back to the place +in which he had ministered, that he might be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span> +taught how little the sacred building could +preserve the truth which was enshrined in it.</p> + +<p>What Ezekiel has seen in the temple enables +him to answer the elders of Israel when they +come to consult him in his own house. Just +what was going on among those who worshiped +in Jerusalem, was going on in the +hearts of those who sought his oracles. They +were setting up idols there. They wanted to +know what God would do with them or against +them; they did not want to know Him. And +therefore Ezekiel announces to them a great +and eternal moral law, one of the most varied +application; "God will answer you according +to your idols." The truth which is presented +to you, will be colored, distorted, inverted by +the eye which receives it. The covetousness +which you are cherishing will make the best +and divinest word you hear, a minister of +covetousness. Your pride and your lust will +make it a minister of lust and pride. No +bolder or more awful paradox was ever enunciated +than this, nor one which the conscience +of everyone will more surely verify. And +there was this special proof of courage in making +such an announcement, that it must have +destroyed Ezekiel's reputation as a prophet. +The elders came in terror, feeling that they +wanted guidance and expecting some ready-made +answer, such as the regular traders in +prophecy could always furnish. The truly +inspired man answers, "I can tell you nothing,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span>—nothing +at least that will not deceive you +and become a lie in your minds. For you +bring lies in your minds, and except they be +extirpated, they must convert whatever is +added to them from without, to their own +quality."</p> + +<p>Ezekiel himself illustrates in another case +this great principle. No commandment had +established itself more completely by the experience +of the people to whom it was addrest, +than the second. The idolatries of the +land had accumulated with each generation. +Each had cause to complain of the last as bequeathing +it a stock of corrupt habits and +traditions; the sins of the fathers had been +visited upon the children. These were facts +not to be gainsaid. The captives had leisure +to reflect upon them. It might have been a +most profound and profitable reflection.</p> + +<p>The use they made of it was to prove they +were under a necessary law of degeneracy. +How could they help themselves? The fathers +had eaten sour grapes, and their teeth were +set on edge. Who dared dispute it? There +was God's own word for it. Had he not told +them the plan and method of His own government? +Such language addrest to one of the +favorite preachers or prophets of the people, +would have silenced him altogether. He +would have said, "It is a mystery, no doubt; +we must take the words of the commandment +tho we can not understand them. God is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span> +Sovereign; He can do what He likes. If it +pleases Him that each generation should be +more corrupt than the last, we must submit +and not dispute His will." Others there would +be who would complain boldly and with good +reason of a will that compelled to evil, but +yet would lazily submit to it, supposing it to +be inevitable, tho feeling the absurdity of calling +it divine. Ezekiel boldly stands forth to +dispute and deny the whole principle. He +does not dispute or deny the second commandment,—that +was probably the text of his +discourse. But he will not let the second commandment +or any other words in the world be +pleaded against the character of God. Righteousness +and equity he maintains to be the +foundations of the divine character and of +the divine acts. He will tolerate no resolution +of them into a heathenish notion of sovereignty +or self-will. "The ways of God are +equal," he says, "and your ways are unequal." +The sins of the father only descend +upon the son, they are only punished in the +son, when the son accepts them, entertains +them, makes them his own. At any time he +may turn round and repudiate them and +cleave to the God who doth not will the death +of the sinner, but desires that he should return +and live. The doctrine of the second commandment +and of the whole law, is that a man +is righteous so long as he cleaves to the +righteous God who has made a covenant with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span> +him, unrighteous when he forsakes that covenant +and acts independently. Therefore the +notion of any perpetuity in righteousness, or +in evil, is equally cut off. Every man has the +capacity of righteousness, the capacity of evil. +Let him be ever so righteous, he must become +evil the moment he ceases to trust in God and +begins to trust in himself. Let him be ever so +evil, he must become righteous the moment +he begins to trust in God and ceases to trust +in himself.</p> + +<p>The enunciation of laws or principles seems +more especially to belong to Ezekiel, as the +experience of personal evil and the sympathy +with national sorrow belong more to the tender +and womanly nature of Jeremiah. Nevertheless, +Ezekiel was to be a priest in this sense +also, as well as in that higher sense of beholding +the glory of God and proclaiming His +name. Suffering was not the destination of +one prophet; it was the badge of all the tribe. +Ezekiel's life was to be a continual parable, +illustrative of the life of the nation. A man +scrupulously careful of the law, was to violate +the precepts of it respecting food, and to eat +what was loathsome. A man sensitive probably +as to his reputation, and with that kind +of lofty imagination which makes attention to +details and all petty acts unspeakably painful, +must submit, for the sake of his countrymen, +to such as seemed most ignominious to himself +and perplexing to them. Finally, the desire<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span> +of his eyes must be taken from him with a +stroke, and he must not mourn or weep. Even +at such a time he must be a sign to the people, +tho by doing so he should seem to refuse the +sympathy that he most wants, and should only +lead the captives to say, "Wilt thou not tell +us what these things are to us that thou +doest so?"</p> + +<p>Apart from these sufferings which concern +him individually and domestically, the vision +of the desolation of Israel became every day +more overwhelming to him. Nor was it only +the desolation of Israel. He who was called +"Son of man," was not likely to speak less of +Egypt and Tyrus and the land in which he +was himself dwelling, than those older prophets +who had so many more reasons for regarding +Judea as the one garden of the Lord. +The arms of Nebuchadnezzar had been turning +the earth upside down and making it +waste. Everything must have seemed to him +disjointed, incoherent, withered. Could it +ever be renovated? Was it possible even for +that country which God had blest above +all others and man had curst above all +others, to breathe and live again?</p> + +<p>This was the question which was proposed +to the prophet on that day when the hand +of the Lord was upon him, and he was carried +into the valley which was full of bones. The +vision, clear as it is in itself, must not be +read apart from the context of the prophecy.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span> +You should remember where Ezekiel was +dwelling; by what kind of people he was +surrounded; what was the condition of his +own land; what had come and was coming +upon all lands; or you will not understand +the picture which now rose up before him. +You should think, too, of the man himself, of +the heat of his spirit, of the words which he +had uttered in vain, of the acts which had only +made the captives stare vacantly, of the desolation +of his house and his heart. You should +think of those other visions he had of the +ascending scale of creatures, of the mysterious +order of the universe, of the glory of God, +before you place yourself beside him in the +valley, and walk with him round about it, and +look at the different bones, and see how each +separately how altogether, they expound to +him the condition of the house of Israel. It +was dead,—that body from which he had +believed that life was to go forth to quicken +the universe. It had none of the beauty of a +corpse in which there is still form, on which +the spirit has left its impression. There had +been a time of gradual decay, a time when the +pulses of the nation beat feebly and faintly, +but when they might still be felt; a time +after that when you knew it had ceased to +breathe, but when you could still speak of it as +entire. But another stage had come, the stage +of utter dissolution, when each limb looked +as if it had nothing to do with any other, when<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span> +you could scarcely force yourself to believe +that they had ever been joined together. Can +these bones live? what a thought to come into +the mind of any man gazing on such a scene! +It could not have come from himself, certainly, +nor from any of these relics. God must +have sent it to him; He must have led him +to dream that such a resurrection was possible. +And now the process of it is also revealed to +him. The prophet is commanded to speak. His +speech seems a mere sound in the air. But +there is a noise and a shaking; then a frightful +movement of the bones towards each other, +each claiming its fellow to which it had once +belonged. This strange effort at a union of +dead things betokens a power that has not yet +declared itself. And soon the sinews and the +flesh come up upon them. They have acquired +a form, tho they have no life. "Then said he +unto me, 'Prophesy unto the wind; Thus saith +the Lord God: come from the four winds, O +breath, and breathe upon these slain that they +may live.' So I prophesied as he commanded. +And the breath came unto them, +and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, +an exceeding great army."</p> + +<p>"Doth he not speak parables?" was the +phrase by which the Jews of the captivity exprest +their dislike and contempt for the +troublesome and mystical prophet who was +among them. "Doth he not speak parables?" +is a question which men, looking round with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span> +weary hearts upon the condition of Christ's +Church in various periods of its existence, +have asked themselves, with a very different +intention and spirit, when they have read this +vision of the valley of dry bones. "Is not +this written," they have said, "for the ages +to come? Is not this one of parables concerning +the kingdom of God?" Yes, brethren, +if we will first read it fairly and honestly, +as describing what Ezekiel says it described +to him,—if we will not search for a distant +application till we have acknowledged the +immediate one,—we shall find that here, as +everywhere, Ezekiel is exhibiting facts which +belong to other times as well as his own, and +laws and methods of a divine government +which belong to all times as well as his own.</p> + +<p>And that I may not waste your time in +enumerating different crises of history in +which the facts may be discerned, and by +which the law and the method may be tested, +I say at once, they are all for us; the vision +and the interpretation are of this day. Do +you not hear men on all sides of you crying, +"The Church which we read of in books exists +only in them. Christendom consists of +Romanists, Greeks, Protestants, divided from +each other, disputing about questions to which +nineteen-twentieths of those who belong to +their communions are indifferent. And meantime +what is becoming of the countries in +which these different confessions are established?<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span> +What populations are growing up in +them? Does the present generation believe +that which its fathers believed? Will the next +generation believe anything?" Brethren, +you hear such words as these spoken. I do not +mean to inquire how much there is of truth +in them, how much of exaggeration, what +evidences there are on the other side which +have been overlooked; what signs of life there +are anywhere in the midst of apparent death. +But this I must say; Christians in general are +far too eager to urge special exceptions when +they hear these charges preferred; far too +ready to make out a case for themselves while +they admit their application to others; far too +ready to think that the cause of God is interested +in this suppression of facts. The prophets +should have taught us a different lesson. +They should have led us to feel that it was a +solemn duty, not to conceal, but to bring forward +all the evidence which proves, not that +one country is better than another, or one +portion of the Church better than another, +but that there is a principle of decay, a tendency +to apostasy in all, and that no comfort +can come from merely balancing symptoms +of good here against symptoms of evil there, +no comfort from considering whether we are a +little less contentious, a little less idolatrous +than our neighbors. Alas, for this Church, +or for any church, if its existence now, if its +prospects for the future, are to be determined<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span> +by such calculations as these! No, brethren, +our hope has a deeper foundation. It is this; +that when the bones have become most dry, +when they are lying most scattered and separate +from each other, there is still a word +going forth, if not through the lips of any +prophet on this earth, then through the lips +of those who have left it,—yet not proceeding +from them, but from Him who liveth for +ever and ever, the voice which says, "These +bones shall rise." It is this; that every shaking +among the bones, everything which seems +at first a sign of terror,—men leaving the +churches in which they have been born, forsaking +all the affections and sympathies and +traditions of their childhood,—infidel questionings, +doubts whether the world is left to +itself or whether it is governed by an evil +spirit,—are themselves not indeed signs of +life, but at least movements in the midst of +death which are better than the silence of the +charnel-house, which foretell the approach of +that which they can not produce. It is this; +that all struggles after union, tho they may +be of the most abortive kind, tho they may +produce fresh sects and fresh divisions, +tho they must do so as long as they +rest on the notion that unity is something +visible and material, yet indicate +a deep and divine necessity which men could +not be conscious of in their dreams if they +were not beginning to awake. It is this; that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span> +there are other visions true for us, as they +were for Ezekiel, besides the vision of dry +bones. The name of a Father has not ceased +to be a true name because baptized men do not +own themselves as His children. The name of +the Son has not ceased to be a true name, +because men are setting up some earthly ruler +in place of Him, or are thinking that they can +realize a human fellowship without confessing +a Man on the throne above the firmament. +The name of the Spirit has not ceased to be a +true name because we are thinking that we +can form combinations and sects and churches +without His quickening presence, because we +deny that He is really in the midst of us. It +is this; that when all earthly priests have been +banished or have lost their faith, tho there +should be none to mourn over the ruins of +Jerusalem, or to feel its sin as his own, yet +there is a High Priest, the great Sin-Bearer, +ever presenting His perfect and accepted sacrifice +within the veil, a High Priest not of a +nation, but of humanity. It is this; that tho +all earthly temples, in which God has been +pleased to dwell, should become desecrated +and abominable, tho all foul worship should +go on in the midst of them, and tho what is +portrayed on their walls should too faithfully +represent what is passing in the more secret +chambers of imagery, tho at last the shrines +that have been supposed to contain the +mystery which they set forth should be utterly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span> +destroyed, and a voice should be heard out of +the midst of them, saying, "Let us depart,"—yet +that this will not be the sign that the +Church of God has perished, only the sign +that the temple of God has been opened in +Heaven, and that from thence must come +forth the glory that is to fill the whole earth.</p> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45"> </a></span></p> + + + + +<h2>MARTINEAU</h2> + +<h3>PARTING WORDS</h3> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46"> </a></span></p> + + + + +<h4>BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE</h4> + + +<p><span class="smcap">James Martineau</span>, an English Unitarian +divine, was born at Norwich in 1805. +He was educated for the Unitarian +ministry at Manchester College, and in +1828 ordained to the Presbyterian ministry +in Dublin. Resigning his pastorate +in Ireland, he took charge of the +Paradise Street Chapel in Liverpool, but +on being elected to the chair of mental +and moral philosophy in Manchester New +College followed it to London 1853, succeeding +J. J. Taylor as principal of the +institution in 1868.</p> + +<p>His sermons, delivered in the course of +four years in the chapel of Manchester +New College are specimens of combined +eloquence and philosophical profundity, +yet are, perhaps, most valuable for their +ethical quality. He preached in Dublin, +Liverpool, and London. He was a lofty +and earnest soul, given to mysticism, a +master of English style, and has been +widely read. He died in 1900.</p> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span></p> + + + + +<h2>MARTINEAU</h2> + +<h3>1805-1900</h3> + +<h4>PARTING WORDS</h4> + +<p><em>Peace I leave with you: My peace I give unto you: +not as the world giveth, give I unto you.</em>—John xiv., +27.</p> + + +<p>This is a strange benediction to proceed +from the Man of Sorrows, at the dreariest +moment of His life; strange at +least to those who look only to His outward +career, His incessant contact with misery and +sin, His absolute solitude of purpose, His lot +stricken with sadness ever new from temptation +to the cross; but not strange perhaps to +those who heard the deep and quiet tones in +which this oracle of promise went forth—the +divinest music from the center of the darkest +fate. He was on the bosom of the beloved +disciple and in the midst of those who should +have cheered Him in that hour with such comfort +as fidelity can always offer; but who, failing +in their duty to His griefs, found the sadness +creep upon themselves; while He, seeking +to give peace to them, found it Himself profusely +in the gift. It was not till He had finished +this interview and effort of affection, +and from the warmth of that evening meal +and the flush of its deep converse they had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span> +issued into the chill and silent midnight air, +nor till the sanctity of moonlight (never to +be seen by Him again) had invested Him, and +coarse fatigue had sunk His disciples into +sleep upon the grass, that having none to comfort, +He found anguish fall upon Himself. +Deprived of the embrace of John, He flew to +the bosom of the Father; and after a momentary +strife, recovered in trust the serenity +He had found in toil; and while His followers +lie stretched in earthly slumber, He reaches +a divine repose; while they, yielding to nature, +gain neither strength nor courage for +the morrow, He, through the vigils of agony, +rises to that godlike power, on which mockery +and insult beat in vain, and which has made +the cross, then the emblem of abjectness and +guilt, the everlasting symbol of whatever is +holy and sublime.</p> + +<p>The peace of Christ, then, was the fruit of +combined toil and trust; in the one case diffusing +itself from the center of His active +life, in the other from that of His passive +emotions; enabling Him in the one case to do +things tranquilly; in the other, to see things +tranquilly. Two things only can make life +go wrong and painfully with us; when we suffer +or suspect misdirection and feebleness in +the energies of love and duty within us, or in +the providence of the world without us: bringing, +in the one case, the lassitude of an unsatisfied +and discordant nature; in the other,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span> +the melancholy of hopeless views. From these +Christ delivers us by a summons to mingled +toil and trust. And herein does His peace differ +from that which "the world giveth"—that +its prime essential is not ease, but strife; +not self-indulgence, but self-sacrifice; not acquiescence +in evil for the sake of quiet, but +conflict with it for the sake of God; not, in +short, a prudent accommodation of the mind +to the world, but a resolute subjugation of the +world to the best conceptions of the mind. +Amply has the promise to leave behind Him +such a peace been since fulfilled. It was fulfilled +to the apostles who first received it; +and has been realized again by a succession +of faithful men to whom they have delivered +it.</p> + +<p>The word "peace" denotes the absence of +jar and conflict; a condition free from the +restlessness of fruitless desire, the forebodings +of anxiety, the stings of enmity. It may be destroyed +by discordance between the lot without +and the mind within, where the human being +is in an obviously false position—an evil rare +and usually self-curative; or by a discordance +wholly internal, among the desires and affections +themselves. The first impulse of "the +natural man" is to seek peace by mending +his external condition; to quiet desire by increase +of ease; to banish anxiety by increase +of wealth; to guard against hostility by making +himself too strong for it; to build up his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span> +life into a fortress of security and a palace +of comfort, where he may softly lie, tho +tempests beat and rain descends. The spirit +of Christianity casts away at once this whole +theory of peace; declares it the most chimerical +of dreams; and proclaims it impossible +even to make this kind of reconciliation between +the soul and the life wherein it acts. +As well might the athlete demand a victory +without a foe. To the noblest faculties of soul +rest is disease and torture. The understanding +is commissioned to grapple with ignorance, +the conscience to confront the powers +of moral evil, the affections to labor for the +wretched and opprest; nor shall any peace be +found, till these, which reproach and fret us +in our most elaborate ease, put forth an incessant +and satisfying energy; till, instead of +conciliating the world, we vanquish it; and +rather than sit still, in the sickness of luxury, +for it to amuse our perceptions, we precipitate +ourselves upon it to mold it into a new +creation. Attempt to make all smooth and +pleasant without, and you thereby create the +most corroding of anxieties, and stimulate the +most insatiable of appetites within. But let +there be harmony within, let no clamors of +self drown the voice which is entitled to authority +there; let us set forth on the mission +of duty, resolved to live for it alone, to close +with every resistance that obstructs it, and +march through every peril that awaits it; and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span> +in the consciousness of immortal power, the +sense of mortal ill will vanish; and the peace +of God well nigh extinguish the sufferings of +the man. "In the world we may have tribulation; +in Christ we shall have peace."</p> + +<p>This peace, so remote from torpor, arising, +indeed, from the intense action of the greatest +of all ideas, those of duty, of immortality, of +God, fell, according to the promise, on the first +disciples. Not in vain did Jesus tell them in +their sorrows that the Comforter would come; +nor falsely did He define the blessed visitant, +as "the spirit of truth"—the soul reverentially +faithful to its convictions, and expressing +clearly in action its highest aspirings. +Such peace had Stephen, when before the +Sanhedrim that was striving to hush up the +recent story of the cross, he proclaimed aloud +the sequel of the ascension; and priests and +elders arose and stopped their ears, and thrust +him out to death; he had his peace; else how, +if heaven of divinest tranquility had not +opened to him and revealed to him the proximity +of Christ to God, how as the stone +struck his uncovered and uplifted head, could +he have so calmly said, "Lord, lay not this +sin to their charge"? Such peace had Paul—at +least when he ceased to rebel against his +noble nature, and became, instead of the emissary +of persecution, the ambassador of God. +Was there ever a life of less ease and security, +yet of more buoyant and rejoicing spirit than<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span> +his? What weight did he not cast aside, to +run the race that was set before him? What +tie of home or nation did he not break, that +he might join in one of the whole family of +God? For forty years the scoff of synagogues +and the outcast of his people, he forgot the +privations of the exile in the labors of the +missionary; flying from charges of sedition +he disseminated the principles of peace; persecuted +from city to city, yet he created in +each a center of pure worship and Christian +civilization, and along the coasts of Asia, and +colonies of Macedonia, and citadels of Greece, +dropped link after link of the great chain of +truth that shall yet embrace the world. Amid +the joy of making converts, he had also the +affliction of making martyrs; to witness the +sufferings, perhaps to bear the reproaches, of +survivors; with weeping heart to rebuke the +fears, and sustain the faith of many a +doubter; and in solitude and bonds to send +forth the effusions of his earnest spirit to +quicken the life, and renovate the gladness, +of the confederate churches. Yet when did +speculation at its ease ever speak with vigor +so noble and cheerfulness so fresh as his +glorious letters; which recount his perils by +land and sea, his sorrows with friend and +foe, and declare that "none of these things +move" him; which show him projecting incessant +work, yet ready for instant rest; conscious +that already he has fought the good<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span> +fight, and willing to finish his course and +resign the field; but prepared, if needs be, to +grasp again the sword of the Spirit, and go +forth in quest of wider victories. Does any +one suppose that it would have been more +peaceful to look back on a life less exposed +and adventurous, on a lot sheltered and secure, +on soft-bedded comfort, and unbroken +plenty, and conventional compliance? No! +it is only beforehand that we mistake these +things for peace; in the retrospect we know +them better, and would exchange them all for +one vanquished temptation in the desert, for +one patient bearing of the cross! What—when +all is over, and we lie upon the last bed—what +is the worth to us of all our guilty +compromises, of all the moments stolen from +duty to be given to ease? If Paul had cowered +before the tribunal of Nero, and trembled +at his comrade's blood, and, instead of baring +his neck to the imperial sword, had purchased +by poor evasions another year of life—where +would that year have been now—a lost drop +in the deep waters of time—yet not lost, but +rather mingled as a poison in the refreshing +stream of good men's goodness by which +Providence fertilizes the ages.</p> + +<p>The peace of Christ, thus inherited by His +disciples, and growing out a living spirit of +duty and of love, contrasts not merely with +guilty ease, but with that mere mechanical +facility in blameless action which habit gives.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span> +There is something faithless and ignoble in +the very reasonings sometimes employed to +recommend virtuous habits. They are urged +upon us, because they smooth the way of +right; we are invited to them for the sake of +ease. Adopted in such a temper, duty after +all makes its bargain with indulgence, and is +not yet pursued for its own sake and with the +allegiance of a loving heart. Moreover, whoever +has true conscience sees that there is +a fallacy in this persuasion; for whenever +habits become mechanical, they cease to satisfy +the requirements of duty; the obligations +of which enlarge definitely with our powers, +demanding an undiminished tension of the +will, and an ever-constant life of the affections. +It can never be, that a soul which has +a heaven open to its view, which is stationed +here, not simply to accommodate itself to the +arrangement of this world, but also to school +itself for the spirit of another, is intended to +rest in mere automatic regularities. When +the mind is thrown into other scenes, and +finds itself in the society of the world invisible, +suddenly introduced to the heavenly +wise and the sainted good—what peace can +it expect from mere dry tendencies to acts +no longer practicable and blameless things +now left behind? No; it must have that pure +love which is nowhere a stranger, in earth or +heaven; that vital goodness of the affections, +that adjusts itself at once to every scene where<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span> +there is truth and holiness to venerate; that +conscience, wakeful and devout, which enters +with instant joy on any career of duty and +progress opened to its aspirations. And even +in "the life that now is," the mere mechanist +of virtue, who copies precepts with mimetic +accuracy, is too frequently at fault, to have +even the poor peace which custom promises. +He is at home only on his own beat. An +emergency perplexes him, and too often +tempts him disgracefully to fly. He wants +the inventiveness by which a living heart of +duty seizes the resources of good, and uses +them to the last; and the courage by which +love, like honor, starts to the post of noble +danger, and maintains it till, by such fidelity, +it becomes a place of danger no more. It is +a vain attempt to comprize in rules and aphorisms +all the various moral exigencies of life. +Hardly does such legality suffice to define the +small portion of right and wrong contemplated +in human jurisprudence. But the true +instincts of a pure mind, like the creative +genius of art, frames rules most perfect in +the act of obeying them, and throws the materials +of life into the fairest attitudes and the +justest proportions. He whose allegiance is +paid to the mere perceptive system, shapes +and carves his duty into the homeliest of +wooden idols; he who has the spirit of Christ +turns it into an image breathing and divine. +Children of God in the noblest sense, we are<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span> +not without something of His creative spirit +in our hearts. The power is there to separate +the light from the darkness within us, and set +in the firmament of the soul luminaries to +guide and gladden us, for seasons and for +years; power to make the herbage green beneath +our feet, and beckon happy creatures +into existence around our path; power to +mold the clay of our earthly nature into the +likeness of God most high; and thus only +have we power to look back in peace upon +our work, and find a Sabbath rest upon the +thought that, morning and evening, all is +good.</p> + +<p>But the peace which Christ left and bequeathed +was the result of trust, no less than +toil. However immersed in action, and engaged +in enterprises of conscience, every life +has its passive moments, when the operation +is reversed, and power, instead of going from +us, returns upon us; and the scenes of our +existence present themselves to us as objects +of speculation and emotion. Sometimes we +are forced into quietude in pauses of exhaustion +or of grief; stretched upon the bed of +pain, to hear the great world murmuring and +rolling by; or lifted into the watch-tower of +solitude, to look over the vast plain of humanity, +and from a height that covers it with +silence observe its groups shifting and traversing +like spirits in a city of the dead. At such +times our peace must depend on the view<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span> +under which our faith or our fears may exhibit +this mighty "field of the world"; on the +forces of evil, of fortuity, or of God, which +we suppose to be secretly directing the +changes on the scene, and calling up the brief +apparition of generation after generation. +And so great and terrible is the amount of +evil, physical and moral, in the great community +of men; so vast the numbers sunk in +barbarism, compared with the few who more +nobly represent our nature; so many and +piercing (could we but hear them) the cries +of unpitied wretchedness, that with every beat +of the pendulum wander unnoticed into the +air; so dense the crowds that are thrust together +in the deepest recesses of want, and +that crawl through the loathsome hives of sin; +that only two men can look through the world +without dismay; he, on the one hand, who +suffering himself to be bewildered with momentary +horror, and in the confusion of his +emotions, to mistake what he sees for the +moral chaos, turns his back in the despair of +fatalism, crying, "Let us eat and drink, for +to-morrow we die"; and he, on the other, +who, with the discernment of a deeper wisdom, +penetrates through the shell of evil to +the kernel and the seed of good; who perceives +in suffering and temptation the resistance +which alone can render virtue manifest, +and conscience great, and existence venerable; +who recognizes, even in the gigantic growth<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span> +of guilt, the grasp of infinite desires, and the +perseverance of godlike capacities; who sees +how soon, were God to take up His omnipotence, +and snatch from His creature "man" +the care of the world and the work of self-perfection, +all that deforms might be swept away, +and the meanest lifted through the interval +that separates them from the noblest; and +who therefore holds fast to the theory of hope +and the kindred duty of effort; takes shelter +beneath the universal Providence of God; and +seeing time enough in His vast cycles for the +growth and consummation of every blessing +can be patient as well as trust; can resign the +selfish vanity of doing all things himself, and +making a finish before he dies; and cheerfully +give up his life to build up the mighty temple +of human improvement, tho no inscription +mark it for glory, and it be as one of the +hidden stones of the sanctuary, visible only +to the eye of God. Such was the spirit and +the faith which Jesus left, and in which His +first disciples found their rest. Within the +infinitude of the divine mercy trouble did +but fold them closer; the perversity of man +did but provide them to put forth a more +conquering love; and tho none were ever +more the sport of the selfish interests and +prejudices of mankind, or came into contact +with a more desolate portion of the great +wastes of humanity, they constructed no melancholy +theories; but having planted many<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span> +a rose of Sharon, and made their little portion +of the desert smile, departed in the faith +that the green margin would spread as the +seasons of God came round, till the mantle of +heaven covered the earth, and it ended with +Eden as it had begun.</p> + +<p>Between these two sources of Christian +peace, virtuous toil, and holy trust, there is +an intimate connection. The desponding are +generally the indolent and useless; not the +tried and struggling, but speculators at a distance +from the scene of things, and far from +destitute of comforts themselves. Barren of +the most blest of human sympathies, strangers +to the light that best gladdens the heart +of man, they are without the materials of a +bright and hopeful faith. But he who consecrates +himself sees at once how God may +sanctify the world; he whose mind is rich in +the memory of moral victories will not easily +believe the world a scene of moral defeats; +nor was it ever known that one who, like Paul, +labored for the good of man, despaired of the +benevolence of God.</p> + +<p>Whoever then would have the peace of +Christ, let him seek first the spirit of Christ. +Let him not fret against the conditions which +God assigns to his being, but reverently conform +himself to them, and do and enjoy the +good which they allow. Let him cast himself +freely on the career to which the secret persuasion +of duty points, without reservation of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span> +happiness or self; and in the exercise which +its difficulties give to his understanding, its +conflicts to his will, its humanities to his affections, +he shall find that united action of his +whole and best nature, that inward harmony, +that moral order, which emancipates from the +anxieties of self, and unconsciously yields the +divinest repose. The shadows of darkest affliction +cannot blot out the inner radiance of +such a mind; the most tedious years move +lightly and with briefest step across its history; +for it is conscious of its immortality, +and hastening to its heavens. And there shall +its peace be consummated at length; its griefs +transmuted into delicious retrospects; its affections +fresh and ready for a new and nobler +career; and its praise confessing that this +final "peace of God" doth indeed surpass its +understanding.</p> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61"> </a></span></p> + + + + +<h2>MANNING</h2> + +<h3>THE TRIUMPH OF THE CHURCH</h3> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62"> </a></span></p> + + + + +<h4>BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE</h4> + + +<p><span class="smcap">Henry Edward Manning</span>, Roman Catholic +prelate, was born 1808 at Totteridge +in Hertfordshire and educated at Harrow +and Oxford. After graduation in 1830, +he studied for holy orders in the Church +of England and was ordained in 1833. +The Tractarian Movement was then at its +height and Manning took a leading part +in it. Appointed Archdeacon of Chichester +in 1840 he took a commanding +place as a preacher and leader. Newman's +recession did not shake his allegiance, +but the decision in the Gorham case, which +gave the Crown the power of deciding +doctrinal questions, drove him to seek +refuge in the Roman Catholic fold in +1851.</p> + +<p>He was ordained priest by Cardinal +Wiseman and to the end of his life devoted +himself to religious and philanthropic +work in London. He was appointed +to succeed Wiseman as Archbishop +of Westminster in 1865. He was +made cardinal in 1875. As a preacher +he was logical and dogmatic, but his style +is imaginative and his flights of eloquence +tinged with poetic coloring and passion. +He died in 1892.</p> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span></p> + + + + +<h2>MANNING</h2> + +<h3>1808-1892</h3> + +<h4>THE TRIUMPH OF THE CHURCH</h4> + +<p><em>We give thanks unto God, who maketh us always to +triumph in Christ Jesus, and manifesteth the odor of +the knowledge of Him by us in every place. For we +are a good odor of Christ unto God, both in them that +are saved and in them that perish; in the one indeed +an odor of life, in the other an odor of death unto +death.</em>—2 Cor. ii., 14-16. (Douay Version.)</p> + + +<p>Such was the confidence of the Apostle in +the face of all that was most hostile, +mighty, and triumphant in the judgment +of this world. He was confident +that through God his mission in the world +was being accomplished, that the Word of +God was triumphing over all the power +of man. They may well have said to +him, "What is this triumph you speak of? +If this be triumph, what is defeat? You were +stoned the other day in Lystra; you were +imprisoned at Philippi; you were scourged at +Jerusalem; you were saved out of the hands +of the people only by Roman soldiers; you +were confounded by the philosophers at +Athens; and you were refuted out of the holy +Scriptures by the Jews of Berea. If this is +triumph, you are welcome to it." Such, no<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span> +doubt, was the lordly and confident language +of men in the face of the apostles of Jesus +Christ then, and such is the language of confidence +with which the world looks on the +Catholic Church at this hour. It counts it to +be a comedy played out, a stale medieval +superstition, and a name that is trampled in +the earth. In every age the Church has been +militant and in warfare. It is under the same +law of suffering which crucified its divine +Head. His throne was a cross, and His crown +was of thorns. Nevertheless He triumphed, +and He triumphs still, and shall triumph to +the end. And so at this moment, in this nineteenth +century, in the century of modern +civilization, of light, of progress, of scientific +affectation, the Catholic Church is derided. +They say to us, "Look at the Catholic Church +in Germany; look at it in Italy; the head of +the Church dethroned; and not a spot on earth +for the incarnation to set its foot upon. If +this be triumph you are welcome to it." Our +answer is: "Yes, even now we triumph always +and in every place. The Catholic Church is +triumphing now in America, and in Ireland, +and in the colonies of the British empire; +aye, and in the midst of the confusions in +Spain, and in France through revolution after +revolution, and in the furnace of infidelity; +aye, and in Germany, in the midst of all that +the might of man can do against it; and in +Italy too, where the head of the Church is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span> +morally a prisoner, it is triumphing even +now."</p> + +<p>But how can I verify this assertion? It +would be enough indeed to quote the words +of the apostle, but I hope to do more. The +world esteems the triumph of the Church to +be in wealth, power, glory, honor, public sway +over empires and nations. There was a time +indeed when the world laid these things at the +feet of the apostles of Jesus Christ. There +was a time when the Catholic Church and the +Christian world knew how to sanctify the +society of men; but there is this difference—the +world then believed, and the world now is +apostate. Nevertheless, there is a triumph in +the Christian world and there is a triumph +in the anti-Christian world; and what is it? +It is that the Church in every age and in +every condition, and in the midst of all +antagonists, fulfils its mission and accomplishes +its work, and no power of man can +hinder it. Men may, as we shall see hereafter, +to their own destruction, resist the mission of +the Church, but its work will be accomplished +nevertheless, and accomplished even +in them; and its work will be a good odor of +Christ unto God both in those that are saved +and in those that perish. The world has +neither tests nor measures by which to understand +what the mission and the work of the +Church are; but they who see by the light of +faith have both. Let us examine, then, what<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span> +is its mission, what is its work, and how it is +fulfilled.</p> + +<p>First of all, the mission of the Church +among men is this—to be a witness for God, +and for the incarnation of God in the face of +the world. Our Divine Lord said of Himself: +"For this was I born, and for this came I into +the world, that I should give testimony unto +the truth." As it was with Him, so it is with +His Church; and therefore He said to His +apostles: "You shall be witnesses unto me," +and St. John said: "That which was from +the beginning, which we have heard, which we +have seen with our eyes, which we have looked +upon, and our hands handled, of the word of +life; for the life was manifested, and we have +seen it, and do bear witness, and declare +unto you, the life eternal which was with the +Father, and hath appeared unto us; that is +to say, the manifestation of God in the flesh, +the incarnation of the Son of God." The +Church was the witness of this divine fact to +the world, and it is witness to this hour. I +may say it is an eye-witness. It was eye-witness +of what it declares. It was an ear-witness +of what it affirms. I may say in truth +that the Church of God, which testifies at this +hour, saw the Son of God, and heard His +words, and was witness of His miracles. So +St. Peter expressly declares, speaking of His +transfiguration: "We have not, by artificial +fables, made known to you the power and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span> +presence of our Lord Jesus Christ; but we +were eye-witnesses of his greatness. For he +received from God the Father honor and +glory, this voice coming down to him from +the excellent glory: This is my beloved Son, +in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. +And his voice we heard brought from heaven, +when we were with him in the holy mount." +More than this: it was a witness of the day of +Pentecost, and upon it the Holy Ghost descended. +It heard the sound of the mighty +wind and it saw the tongues of fire. The +Church therefore testifies at this day as an +ear-witness and an eye-witness of the divine +facts which it declares. And how can this +be said? Because that which the apostles saw +and heard they delivered to others who believed +in them upon a full test and knowledge +of their truth, and those who received their +testimony held it as a sacred trust and declared +it to those who came after. From age +to age the testimony of the apostles has descended +unbroken. The intrinsic certainty +of their witness, resting on their own eye-witness +and ear-witness of the facts, has not +diminished by a shade, jot, or tittle in the +lapse of time, and the external evidence of +that fact has multiplied and extended +throughout all time and throughout the world. +Therefore the testimony of the apostles to +these divine realities and truths is as living +and fresh at this day as it was in the beginning.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span> +Then twelve men testified; now the +nations of the world, united in one body by +faith and by baptism, take up and perpetuate +that testimony. And part of that testimony +is this—that when the Son of God ascended +into heaven, as they saw Him ascend, He fulfilled +His promise that He would send the +Spirit of Truth, the Holy Ghost, to abide with +them forever; that when one divine Teacher +had gone up to His Father's throne, another +should come in His stead; that the world +should never be without a divine Person +and a divine Teacher in the midst of +it; and that the Spirit of Truth by +which they were united to their divine +Head in heaven should unite them also to +each other as His members in one mystical +body, and should form to Himself a dwelling-place +in which to abide forever. As the soul +abides in the body of the man, so the Holy +Ghost abides in the body of the Church. It +is the sanctuary in which He dwells; the organ +by which He speaks, so that the words of our +Divine Lord are fulfilled to the very letter—"He +that heareth you heareth me;" for the +voice of the head and that of the body, as St. +Augustine says, are one and the same voice. +As they make one moral person, so their voice +is identical, and the assistance of the Holy +Spirit keeps the voice of the Church always +in perfect harmony with the voice of its +divine Head, fulfilling the promise of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span> +Lord by His prophet: "My spirit which is +upon thee and my word which I put in thy +mouth, shall never depart out of thy mouth, +nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out +of the mouth of thy seed's seed from this +time and forever." Thus, then, the mission +of the Church is fulfilled always; whether +the world believe or disbelieve, whether it +gainsay or assent, it matters not; the testimony +of the Church forever triumphs in every +place.</p> + +<p>Another part of the mission of the Church +is this—to teach the doctrines of Jesus Christ +in the midst of all the controversies and contradictions +of men. In the face of all the +errors and heresies of men there is one divine +Teacher perpetually declaring the same immutable +truth. In the clamor and confusion +of the human voices of philosophers and +human guides, of the scribes and Pharisees +of the new laws, there is one divine voice—articulate, +clear, and piercing—which cleaves +through all the confusion, and is to be heard +above the clamor of men and of nations—the +voice of that one holy, Catholic, and Roman +Church, spreading from the sunrise to the +sunset, immutable in its doctrine, teaching the +same truths identically in every place, and +abiding always the same unchanging teacher +in every age. This is a fact legible in human +history. I need not offer proof of it from +histories written by ourselves; it is proved by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span> +histories and controversies of those who are +most opposed to us. There is an accusation +which is repeated from age to age against the +Catholic and Roman Church; and what is it? +That it always persists in its old errors. I +accept the accusation. Its persistence proves +its immutability, and that which they account +error we know to be the doctrine of Jesus +Christ; because, as I have already shown from +the Word of God, neither can the Catholic +Church ever err in believing, nor can the +Catholic Church err in teaching. These are +two impossibilities, and they descend from one +and the same divine truth. God, the Holy +Ghost, abiding forever in the mystical body of +Christ, illuminates the whole body of the +faithful from the time of their baptism. From +the time that the graces of faith, hope, and +charity are infused into their souls, they are +illuminated with the light of faith as the world +is illuminated by the splendor of the sun at +noonday; and the faithful throughout the +world continue passively in their persistence +in that one baptismal faith wherewith they +were enlightened from their earliest consciousness. +And further, they can never err in +believing, because the Church which teaches +them can never err in teaching. The episcopate +throughout the world, which is the +college of the apostles multiplied and expanded +among all nations, has always the +assistance of the Spirit of Truth to guide<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span> +and preserve it, so that the errors of men and +infirmities of our intellect never prevail over +the light of faith by which the whole Episcopate +and the Church is sustained in the revelation +of the day of Pentecost. And more than +this: nineteen general councils, from the first +which declared the coequality and consubstantiality +of the Son with the Father and the +Holy Ghost, down to the last which declared +the infallibility of the vicar of Jesus Christ,—those +nineteen councils have been the organ +of the Holy Ghost, preserving the truth in all +ages; and the pontiffs, two hundred and fifty-seven +in number, have also been guided and +assisted by the same Spirit of Truth; so that +no doctrine of faith and morals from their +hand and from their lips has been out of +harmony with the revelation of Jesus Christ. +For these reasons the Church is fulfilling its +mission, always and in every place, and it can +say in every age, with a divine certainty of +knowledge and with a divine authority of +teaching: "It seemed good to the Holy Ghost +and to us."</p> + +<p>Once more, and lastly: there is another +part of the mission of the Church which never +fails, and is never baffled—and that is, that +the Church judges between the truth of God +and the errors of men, and gives decision with +divine certainty what is truth, what is falsehood, +what is light and what is darkness. +Here again the world, in the confusion of its<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span> +discordant witnesses, bears testimony to our +truth. The world disclaims altogether the +presence of any divine teacher in the midst +of us. It derides the very notion. There is +not a sect or a communion, or a so-called +church, which lays claim to this divine guidance. +They say infallibility exists nowhere +but in God. As the Pharisees said: "Who +can forgive sins but God only?" thereby +acknowledging the divinity of Him who forgave +the palsied man. And while they say: +"We have no infallibility in us; we do not +claim it; we deny its existence on the face +of the earth," the one Teacher, who never +varies in His voice, says: "He that heareth +me heareth him that sent me." It seemed +good to the Holy Ghost and unto us +that we should claim that infallibility, +and we cite you before the tribunal +of God to answer for your denial of that +truth. We say further that no man knows +that any revelation was ever made to man +except through our testimony. You never saw +the Word made flesh, you nor your forefathers; +and you have no unbroken succession +of witnesses who trace upward these eighteen +hundred years to the day when the Holy Ghost +descended with wind and fire; you are not in +contact with the original revelation of God. +How can you rise up and say: "This was +revealed upwards of eighteen hundred years +ago," when you have no proof to give, except<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span> +that which you borrow from me, that the Son +of God ever came into the world? You take +my witness for the fact of Christianity, and +you then contradict me when I teach you +what the doctrines of Christianity are. And +if men appeal to the Scriptures, our answer +is the same. How do you know the Scriptures +were ever written? How can you prove that +there ever was a book called the Word of God? +You had it from me; you snatched it out of +my hand, and you then read it and interpret +it in contradiction to my teaching. How +do you know that there were four greater +prophets and twelve lesser in the Old Testament; +that there were four evangelists and +fourteen epistles of St. Paul in the New? Who +told you all these things? You had them all +from me—from me alone, to whom these +Scriptures were committed in custody and in +guardianship; from me, who preserved and +handed them on to this day. You, who are +denying the inspiration of this book and of +that, of this text and of that text, and who +are gnawing away, as a moth fretteth a garment, +the whole written word of God, you rise +up and tell us: "This is the meaning of the +holy Scriptures," and you reject the holy +Catholic faith.</p> + +<p>Dear brethren, it needs great patience to +hear these things; nevertheless, the judge is +always calm and patient while he is fulfilling +his work among men, and that because it is a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span> +grave thing to be the odor of life unto life and +of death unto death to the eternal souls of +men. And when men appeal to antiquity and +tell us that "this is not the primitive tradition," +the Church answers: Were you ever in +antiquity, or anyone that belongs to you? +I was there, and as a perpetual witness antiquity +is to me nothing but my early days. +Antiquity exists in my consciousness to this +hour, as men grown to riper years remember +their childhood. Men of the world know that +the contemporaneous interpretation of a law +is the most authentic and certain interpretation. +But I have the contemporaneous interpretation +of holy Scripture; and more than +this, men who practise before human tribunals +know that the continuous usage of a country +is the interpretation of its laws written and +unwritten. But I have the contemporaneous +and the continuous usage of the Church of +God. The seven sacraments are institutions of +Jesus Christ and every one of them interprets +a cluster of truths. The existence of the +Church itself is an interpretation of the +words: "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock +will I build my church, and the gates of hell +shall not prevail against it." The jurisdiction +that I have over the world, which the hearts +of men recognize and to which their consciences +respond, is the interpretation of the +words: "Receive ye the Holy Ghost, whose soever +sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span> +them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they +are retained."</p> + +<p>But lastly there is another appeal which +men make in this day. We are now told that +scientific history is the test of truth; and I saw +the other day in a document having great +pretension from a certain body of men who +are troubling Germany and attempting to +trouble even England with the name of Old +Catholics, that the way to know the pure +faith of Jesus Christ is to interpret history by +science. Alas, as I said before, the world is +full of pretensions to science; but those who +claim to be Catholics, and who yet appeal +from the living voice of the Catholic Church +to any other tribunal whatsoever, are all of +them identical in their principle, and that +principle is heresy. Luther appealed from the +voice of the Catholic Church to Scripture, +and thereby became a heretic. There are +others who appeal to antiquity, and the appeal +is the same—it is an appeal from the living +voice, from the divine authority of the +Church, to something of their own choice and +creation. It matters not to what the appeal +is made. That which constitutes both the +treason of the act and the heresy of the +principle is that they appeal from the living +voice, that is from the divine voice. This it +is that is being done at this moment by a body +of men who profess to be and to intend to live +and die Catholics; and what is more, to purify<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span> +and reform the Church by staying in it. What +is their appeal? Their appeal is to history, +to scientific history; that is, to history interpreted +by themselves. Luther was much more +direct and much wiser. He appealed to a book +which is certainly written by the Holy Ghost; +they appeal to I know not what books, but to +books certainly written only by men, and not +by the Spirit of God; to human history, the +authenticity of which and the purity of the +text of which no one can guarantee; and even +this they interpret for themselves.</p> + +<p>Now bear with me further if I dwell a few +moments longer upon this. At the time I speak, +in the old Catholic city of Cologne there is +assembled together a number of these men—some +four or five hundred—with a handful +of unhappy priests, perhaps six or eight, of +whom the greater part had already the note +of unsoundness upon them before they took +their deadly step. And what are they? What +are these men who are rising up to purify the +Church? What do they believe? Some believe +all the Council of Trent, but not the Council +of the Vatican. Some believe the Church to +be infallible, but not its Head; others propose +to reject the invocation of saints, and purgatory, +and compulsory confession, and I know +not what. Others ask for either half or altogether +rationalism. And who have they to +assist them? Excommunicated Jansenists from +Holland, and members, I grieve to say, of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span> +Established Church from England; and those +chosen, as it were, by a happy fatality, one the +most extreme of old-fashioned high-church +orthodoxy—an estimable and excellent man, +whose person I both respect and love; and +another whose advanced rationalism is such +that even his own brethren can hardly forbear +protesting against him. So that we have +assembled in this congress, which is to reform +and purify the Catholic and Roman Church +of all ages, men so irreconcilably in contradiction +with themselves that they cannot touch +a religious doctrine without discord, and they +cannot find anything on which to unite except +in opposition to the one immutable truth. +There was a day when all the Scribes, and all +the Pharisees, and all the Herodians, and all +the hypocrites, and all the men who could +agree in anything else or at any other time, +were united together in one conspiracy, and +tho their witnesses did not agree together and +their discordant voices could not be combined +they all had one will and one purpose against +the Son of God and against His truth. +These men, I bear witness—many of them at +least—have no such intention; but we know +from the Word of God that neither had they +who crucified our divine Master a knowledge +of what they did: "Father, forgive them, for +they know not what they do." "Which none +of the princes of this world knew; for if they +had known it they would never have crucified<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span> +the Lord of glory." But they are at this +moment fulfilling the very words of the +apostles: "And to some the testimony of the +Church is life unto life, to others death unto +death."</p> + +<p>Such then, is the mission and the work of +the Church—to bear its witness, to teach and +to judge; and in doing this, whether men will +believe or whether men will not believe, it is +accomplishing its triumph in the world. The +world forgets that there is not only salvation, +but there is also judgment; and God, the just +judge of all, is putting men on their trial. +The Church is fulfilling its office by proposing +the way of salvation to men, visibly to the eye +by its own presence, audibly to the ear by its +own teachings, clearly to the intellect by the +evident truth of its doctrines. It is putting +men upon trial and applying the test to their +hearts. It tests their faith to see whether men +will believe; it tests their candor to see +whether they will choose God above all things; +it tests their courage to know whether they +are ready to take up their cross and follow +their divine Master. The Church says to the +men of this day: "Whosoever will save his +life shall lose it, and whosoever shall lose his +life for my sake and the gospel shall save it." +And in saying this God is separating between +nation and nation and between man and man. +His "fan is in his hand and he will thoroughly +purge his floor and gather his wheat into the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span> +garner, but the chaff will be burnt with unquenchable +fire." "He that believeth and is +baptized will be saved; but he that believeth +not is condemned." "We thank God, who +always maketh us to triumph in Christ Jesus +and manifesteth the odor of him by us in +every place;" for we now, at this hour, in +the midst of the nineteenth century, in the +midst of science and progress, are the odor of +life unto life and the odor of death unto +death. For the purpose of God in the world +is this—to gather out, as He did of old, a +people for His name. Among the Gentiles of +the old world He chose Israel; so now amongst +the nations of the new world He chooses those +that believe. He knows the number of His +elect and He calls them by their name. He +proposes to them the way of salvation and +puts all things necessary—truth and grace—within +their reach. God is putting them on +trial, and the Church in this is fulfilling its +mission and accomplishing its work.</p> + +<p>The world is on its probation now. It has +been for generations and generations driving +God and Christianity out of its public +life. Christianity is cancelled from its public +law; Christianity is silent in the legislature; +Christianity at this moment lingers in education, +but men are endeavoring to close the +doors of the schools against it and so to shut +Christianity out of the knowledge of the rising +generation. Wo to the people the tradition<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span> +of whose Christian education is cut asunder! +Wo to your children and to your posterity, +if they are brought up without +the knowledge of Christianity! The world +is laboring with all its might, and all +its fraud, and all its riches, and all its +public authority, to accomplish this end. I +do not say that the men who are doing it +know what they do; but I affirm that they +are doing what I say. Unbelievers like those +who created the infidel revolution of France +in the last century knew well what they were +doing. "Let us destroy the accurst one," +was the language in which they frankly spoke +of Jesus Christ. Men are more refined in the +present day. They talk only of the religious +difficulty. "Let us evade or get around the +religious difficulty;" and, under this plea of +evading the religious difficulty, Christianity +is to be excluded from our schools; that is to +say, because grown men choose to controvert +and contradict each other as to what is the +truth of God, the little ones of Jesus Christ +are to be robbed of their faith. Again, the +world is separating its civil powers, its public +authority from the unity of the faith and +of the Church everywhere. It is making it a +part of high and perfect legislation, of what +we hear called in these days "progress and +modern civilization," to separate the Church +from the State, and the school from the +Church. Progress has deposed the Head of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span> +the Church; it has put in derision a crown of +thorns upon his head; and it believes that +at last it has the whole world to itself.</p> + +<p>This indeed is the triumph of the world. +But meanwhile the Church is triumphing, +tho men know it not. The Church was never +more widespread than at this moment; never +more luminous in the eyes of men, never more +explicitly known in its faith; never more +united, vigorous, pure, and confident in its +work. Its kingdom is not of this world: that +is, it is not derived from it; the foundation of +its jurisdiction is in eternity; the source of its +truth is in the Holy Ghost, and its imperishable +Head is the Son of God at the right hand +of the Father. His kingdom is in the world, +but not of it. The world may prosper and +go its way; it may stop its ears against the +voice of the divine witness to the truth; nevertheless +that witness will be the odor of death +unto death.</p> + +<p>And England also is on its probation. I +bear witness that in England errors are vanishing +away, as the snow melts before the sun—passing +away, as the hard frosts before the +coming of the spring. The errors which were +once dominant, lordly, confident, and persecuting—where +are they now? At this day +men are proclaiming that they are not certain +of what their forefathers bequeathed to them; +that they cannot precisely tell what was the +doctrine which was intended in the Thirty-nine<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span> +Articles, and was incorporated in statute +laws. They are no longer certain of these +things; and I bear them witness that a gentler +spirit and a kindlier disposition is working in +the hearts of many. In the midst of this darkness, +truth is rising again, and the old +Catholic Church and faith, for which Ireland +has stood inflexible as a martyr, with the +aureola upon her head, at this day is multiplying +the children of faith here and throughout +the world. Here too in Lancashire, where +the faith of England has never been extinct—where +to this day the little children of our +flock are the descendants of those who were +martyrs and confessors some three hundred +years ago—the lingering tradition of faith +once more is embodied in the perfect hierarchy +of the Church of God, in its perfect +order, perfect unity, perfect jurisdiction, perfect +authority. And, what is more, the men +of England have learned to know it better. +They have heard it speak; they have seen it +worship; they have even knelt together with +us before the same altar, perhaps hardly +knowing what they did; and that because the +Spirit of God is working for His truth, and +multitudes will be saved. We are only in the +twilight of the morning; but we can see Jesus +standing on the shore, and there is a net in the +hands of His apostles let down in the water. +But when we are long gone to our rest, who +can say what shall be the great draft of souls<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span> +which shall be miraculously taken in +England?</p> + +<p>I must bear witness that in England there +are tokens full of hope. England never rejected +the holy Catholic faith. A tyrannous +and guilty king, a corrupt and covetous court, +men full of the conceit of false learning, +schemers and intriguers, men that hungered +to spoil the Church for their own enrichment—these +tyrannized over the people of England. +The people of England held to their +faith and died for it. The people of England +never rejected it. They were robbed of it; +they were deprived of their inheritance, and +their children were born disinherited of their +faith; every century from that hour to this +they have gone farther and farther from the +light of the one truth. Poor English people! +Bear with them—I speak as an Englishman—bear +with them; they know not what they do +in believing that we worship images, that we +imbrued our hands in the massacre of St. +Bartholomew. Let the men who write these +things look at their own hands; there is blood +enough upon them. But the English people +do not believe these things now; they are +passed away. And there has come in the +place of these impostures a desire after truth—"Only +let me find it;" a craving after unity—"Can +we never make an end of these +divisions?" a thirsting for the presence of +Jesus Christ upon the altar—"Where can I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span> +find Him?" And what are all these aspirations? +They are the evidences of the good +odor of life unto life.</p> + +<p>And if so, then, dear brethren, you that +have the inheritance of faith are on your +probation too. You are called to let the light +of your faith shine like the day. The silent, +penetrating, convincing light of a man who, +knowing the faith, speaks it calmly, without +controversy, without bickering, without contention, +sheds a grace around him. As men +that possess the greatest gift of God, and who +desire to make everybody else share it to the +full, so let your faith shine. And next, as you +have faith, so you ought to have the warmth +of charity. Where there is light, there is +warmth; and where there is greater light +there is greater warmth. Where there is +perfect truth, there ought to be perfect +charity. You who have the whole revelation +of God ought to have the whole charity of +God in you. Let your neighbors who are +round about, even those who are not of the +faith, feel that there is something in you—a +warmth, a kindness, a sympathy and generosity +which they find in no other man. And, +lastly, let there be the fragrance of a holy +life. This is the good odor of Christ unto +God, and this diffuses life unto life wherever +you go. You are upon this probation. Be +worthy of the great gift which has been +given to you. You have it in its fulness. Be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span> +then, worthy of its fulness, in faith and in +charity.</p> + +<p>And now, dear brethren, in the midst of all +the lordly triumph of the world, of all that +which no doubt we shall hear to-morrow, be +of good heart. As they said to the apostles +so they will say to us: "If this be triumph, +what can be defeat? We do not quarrel if you +are content with these victories." Overhead +there is a throne, and round about it are those +whom no man can number; the powers and +prerogatives of Him who sits upon that throne +are working mightily in the world. There is +one who sits above the water-flood, with all +its confusions, whose voice penetrates through +all the jangling contradictions of men. He is +bringing to its fulfilment the purpose which +from all eternity He has predestined. He +knows His own by number and by name, and +He will gather them out as the shepherd +gathers his flock, and He will separate the +goats from the sheep. He will reign until the +whole of that work is accomplished. When +it is done, and when the last of His elect has +been gathered in, and the last of His redeemed +has been made perfect, then He will manifest +Himself to all men, and the world shall then +know that He has triumphed always and in +every place.</p> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86"> </a><br /><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87"> </a></span></p> + + + + +<h2>PARK</h2> + +<h3>THE PROMINENCE OF THE ATONEMENT</h3> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88"> </a></span></p> + + + + +<h4>BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE</h4> + + +<p><span class="smcap">Edwards Amasa Park</span> was born at Providence, +R. I., in 1808. After a short +pastorate of two years he became professor +at Amherst, and subsequently at +Andover Theological Seminary. He was +one of the well-known exponents of the +New England Calvinism, and his teachings +had a wide influence over the ministers +of his generation. His sermons, +frequently rewritten, were marked by elegance +of style and great moral force. Both +as a preacher and teacher he showed largeness +of view, depth of thought, and a rare +facility of clear and powerful expression. +He wrote a number of biographies and +other works. He died in 1900.</p> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span></p> + + + + +<h2>PARK</h2> + +<h3>1808-1900</h3> + +<h4>THE PROMINENCE OF THE ATONEMENT<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a></h4> + +<p><em>For I determined not to know anything among you, +save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.</em>—1 Corinthians +ii., 2.</p> + + +<p>Should the apostle who penned this eloquent +expression resume his ministry +on earth, and should he deign to hold +converse with us on the principles of his high +calling, and should he repeat his strong words, +I am now, as of old, determined not to know +anything among you save Jesus Christ, and +Him crucified, some of us would feel an impulse +to ask him:</p> + +<p>"Can your words mean what they appear +to imply? You are learned in Rabbinical literature; +you have read the Grecian poets, and +even quoted from Aratus; you have examined +the statuary of Greece, and have made a permanent +record of an inscription upon an altar +in ancient Athens; you have reasoned on the +principles of Aristotle from effect to cause, +and have taken rank with the philosophers, +as well as orators of the world; and now, you<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span> +seem to utter your determination to abandon +all knowledge save that which concerns the +Jew who was crucified. You once said that +you had rather speak five words with the +understanding, than ten thousand words in +an unknown tongue; and here, lest the pithy +language of this text should fail of being truly +apprehended, we desire to learn its precise +meaning in three particulars:</p> + +<p>"In the first place, do you intend to assert +that our knowledge is controlled by our will? +You determined not to know anything save +one. Can you by mere choice expel all but +one of your old ideas, and make your mind +like a chart of white paper in reference to the +vast majority of your familiar objects of +thought?"</p> + +<p>"I am ready to concede," is the reply, +"that much of our knowledge is involuntary; +still a part of it is dependent on our will. In +some degree, at some times, we may attend +to a theme or not attend to it, as we choose, +and thus our choice may influence our belief, +and thus are we responsible, in a certain +measure, for our knowledge. Besides, the +word 'know' is used by us Hebraistic writers +to include not only a mental apprehension, +but also a moral feeling. When we know +Christ, we feel a hearty complacence in Him. +Again, to 'know' often signifies to manifest, +as well as to possess, both knowledge and love. +We do not know an old acquaintance when<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span> +we of set purpose withhold all public recognition +of him, and act outwardly as if we were +inwardly ignorant of his being. But I, Paul, +say to you, as I said to the Corinthians, that +I shall make the atonement of Christ, and +nothing but the atonement of Christ, the main +theme of my regard, of my loving regard, and +such loving regard as is openly avowed."</p> + +<p>Thus our first query is answered; but there +is a second inquiry which some of us would +propose to the apostle, were he uttering to us +personally the words which he wrote to the +Corinthians. It is this:</p> + +<p>"Should a Christian minister out of the +pulpit, as well as in the pulpit, know nothing +save the Crucified One? Did you not know +how to sustain yourself by the manufacture +of tents; and did you not say to the circle of +elders at Ephesus, 'These hands have ministered +to my necessities'? Did you not dispute +with the Roman sergeants, plead your +cause before the Roman courts? Must not +every minister cease for a time to converse on +the word of Jesus; and must he not think of +providing for his own household, lest he become +worse than an infidel?"</p> + +<p>"I am willing to admit," is the reply, "that +the pulpit is the place where the minister +should speak of Christ with more uniform +distinctness than in other places; but there +are no places, and no times, in which he should +fail to manifest, more or less obviously, his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span> +interest in his Redeemer. Wherever he goes +he has a pulpit. Whether he eat, or drink, +or whatever he do, he must do all for the +glory of God, and the highest glory of God is +Christ, and the highest honor of Christ is in +Him crucified. A minister must always respect +the proprieties of life; in honoring them +he knows that appropriate model Man who, +rising from the tomb, wrapped up the napkin +that was about His head, and laid it in a +place by itself. Now the proprieties of life +do require a minister to speak in the pulpit +on themes more plainly and more easily connected +with the atonement, than are various +themes on which he must speak in the market-place +or in the schools. But all subjects on +which he may discourse do lead, sooner or +later, more or less obviously and easily, to the +great work of Jesus; and he should converse +on them with the intent of seizing every hint +they give him, following out every line to +which they point him, in the direction of the +cross. I have been in many synagogues, and +in the temple, and on Mars' Hill, and on a +Mediterranean ship-deck; and once I was hurried +along in a night ride from Jerusalem to +Cæsarea with four hundred and seventy soldiers, +horsemen and spearmen. I have resided +at leisure with my arm chained to a +Roman guard in a prison at the capital of +the Roman Empire; but in all such places I +have felt, and everywhere I do feel, bound to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span> +speak out, and to act out, all the interest which +the fitness of the occasion admits, in the atonement +of Jesus; and not to manifest, and not +to feel, any interest in any theme which may +lessen my regard for this, the chiefest among +ten thousand!"</p> + +<p>But there is a third question which some +of us would propose to the apostle, were he +to speak in our hearing the words of the text:</p> + +<p>"Should every man, as well as every minister, +cherish and exhibit no interest in anything +but Christ? Should a sailor at the masthead, +a surgeon in the extirpation of the clavicle, +a warrior in the critical moment of the +last charge, look at nothing, and hear of +nothing, but the cross? Must not everyone +conduct business, and sustain cares, which +draw his mind away from the atonement?"</p> + +<p>"I am ready to grant," is the reply, "that +some duties are less plainly and less intimately +connected than others with the work of +Jesus; but all of them are connected with it in +some degree, and this connection may be seen by +all who choose to gain the fitting insight. The +great principle of duty belonging to the minister +in the pulpit, belongs to him everywhere; +and the great principle of duty belonging to +the minister, belongs to every man, woman, and +child. There is not one religion for the man +when he is in the temple, and another religion +for the man when he is in the parlor or in +the street. There is not one law for ordained<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span> +pastor, and another law for the tradesman +or the mechanic. The same law and no different +one, the same religion and no different +one, are the law and religion for the apostles, +and publicans, and prophets, and tax gatherers, +and patriarchs, and children, and nobles, +and beggars. Every man is bidden to refuse +everything, if it be the nearest friend, who +interferes with the claims of the Messiah; +and therefore every man, layman as well as +clergyman, must keep his eye fixed primarily +upon the cross. He may see other things +within the range of that cross, but he must +keep the cross directly at the angle of his +vision, and allow nothing else, when placed +side by side with the tree of Calvary, to allure +his eye away from that central, engrossing +object."</p> + +<p>Here, then, is our third question answered; +and in these three replies to these three queries, +we perceive the meaning of our text to +be: that not on the first day only, but on every +day likewise, not in the religious assembly +only, but in all assemblies, and in all solitudes +likewise, not the preacher only, but the hearer +likewise, every man must adopt the rule, to +give his voluntary, his loving, his secret and +open regard to nothing so much as to the +character and work of his Redeemer.</p> + +<p>Having inquired into the meaning of the +apostle's words, let us proceed, in the next +place, to inquire into the importance of making<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span> +the atonement of Christ the only great +object of our thought, speech and action.</p> + +<p>And here, did we hold a personal interview +with the author of our text, we should be +prompted to put three additional queries before +him. Our first inquiry would be:</p> + +<p>"Is not your theme too contracted? It is +well to know Christ, but in all the varying +scenes of life is it well not to know anything +else? Will not the pulpit become wearisome +if, spring and autumn, summer and winter, +it confine itself to a single topic? We have +known men preach themselves out by incessant +repetitions of the scene at Calvary,—a scene +thrilling in itself, and on that very account +not bearing to be presented in its details, +every Sabbath day. How much less will the +varying sensibilities of the soul endure the +reiteration of this tragic tale every day and +at every interview! Such extreme familiarity +induces irreverence. The Bible is not confined +to this theme. It is rich in ecclesiastical history, +political history, ethical rules, metaphysical +discussion, comprehensive theology. +It contains one book of ten chapters which +has not a single allusion to God, and several +books which do not mention Christ; why +then do you shut us up to a doctrine +which will circumscribe the minds of good +men, and result in making their conversation +insipid?"</p> + +<p>"Contracted!"—this is the reply—"and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span> +you consider this topic a limited one, whose +height, depth, length, breadth, no finite mind +can measure? Of what would you speak?"</p> + +<p>"We would speak of the divine existence."</p> + +<p>"But Christ is the 'I am.'"</p> + +<p>"We would speak of the divine attributes."</p> + +<p>"But Christ is the Alpha and Omega; He +searcheth the reins and trieth the hearts of +men; He is the same yesterday, to-day, and +forever; full of grace and truth; to Him belong +wisdom and power and glory and honor; +of His dominion is no end. Of what, then, +would you speak?"</p> + +<p>"We would speak of the divine sovereignty."</p> + +<p>"But Christ taught us to say: Even so, +Father, for so it seemed good in Thy sight—and +He and His Father are one."</p> + +<p>"We would converse on the divine decrees."</p> + +<p>"But all things are planned for His praise +who was in Christ, and in whom Christ was +at the beginning."</p> + +<p>"We would discourse on electing love."</p> + +<p>"But the saints are elect in Christ Jesus."</p> + +<p>"We would utter many words on the creation +of men and angels."</p> + +<p>"Now by our Redeemer were all things +created that are in heaven and that are in the +earth, visible and invisible."</p> + +<p>"We would converse on the preservation of +what has been created."</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Now Christ upholdeth all things by the +word of His power. What would you have, +then, for your theme?"</p> + +<p>"We would take the flowers of the field for +our theme."</p> + +<p>"But they are the delight, as well as the +contrivance of the Redeemer."</p> + +<p>"We would take for our theme the globes +in space."</p> + +<p>"But they are the work of His fingers."</p> + +<p>"Then we would take the very winds of +heaven for our theme, lawless and erratic as +they are."</p> + +<p>"But Jesus taught us to comment upon +these as an illustration of His truth. His +poetic mind gave us the conception that the +wind bloweth where it chooseth to blow; and +we look on, wondering whence it cometh, and +whither it goeth, knowing only that it is the +breath of the wonderful, the counselor, who +arouseth it as He listeth, or saith, Peace, be +still. What else, then, do you prefer for your +topic of conversation?"</p> + +<p>"We prefer the laws of nature for our +topic."</p> + +<p>"But in them the Father worketh and +Christ worketh equally."</p> + +<p>"If it be so, we will select the fine and useful +arts for our subject."</p> + +<p>"But all the materials of these arts and all +the laws which compact them, and all the +ingenuity which arranges them are of His<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span> +architectonic plan. He is the guide of the +sculptor, painter, musician, poet. He is the +contriver of all the graces which we in our +idolatry ascribe to the human discoverer, as +if man had originally invented them. The history +of the arts is the history of Christ's government +on earth. Will you propose, then, +some other theme for your remark?"</p> + +<p>"Do let us converse on the moral law."</p> + +<p>"You may; but Christ gave this law and +came to magnify it."</p> + +<p>"Then let us comment on the ceremonial +law."</p> + +<p>"You may; but all its types are prophecies +of Jesus."</p> + +<p>"Then we will expatiate on virtue in the +general."</p> + +<p>"Do so; but Christ is the first exemplar, +the brightest representative of all abstract +goodness, of all your virtue in the general."</p> + +<p>"Then we will take up the ethical maxims."</p> + +<p>"Take them up; but they are embodied in +Him who is the way, the truth, the life."</p> + +<p>"We will resort, then, to human responsibility +for our subject of discourse."</p> + +<p>"But we must all appear before the judgment +seat of that fair-minded arbiter who is +man as well as God."</p> + +<p>"May we not speak of eternal blessedness?"</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Yes; but it is Christ who welcomes His +chosen into life."</p> + +<p>"Shall we not converse, then, on endless +misery?"</p> + +<p>"Yes; but it is Christ who will proclaim: +Depart, ye cursed."</p> + +<p>"The human body; we would utter some +words on that."</p> + +<p>"But your present body is the image of +what your Lord wore once, and the body that +you will have, if you die in the faith, is the +image of what your Lord wears now; the +image of the body slain for our offenses and +raised again for our justification. And have +you still a favorite theme which you have not +suggested?"</p> + +<p>"The pleasures of life are our favorite +theme."</p> + +<p>"Yes, and Jesus provided them and graced +them at Cana."</p> + +<p>"The duties of the household are our favorite +theme."</p> + +<p>"Yes, and Jesus has prescribed them and +disciplines you by them, and will judge you +for your manner of regarding them. What +would you have, then, what can you think of +for your choice topic of discourse?"</p> + +<p>"We love to talk of our brethren in the +faith."</p> + +<p>"But they are the indices of Christ, and +He is represented by them."</p> + +<p>"We choose to converse on our Redeemer's<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span> +indigent, imprisoned, diseased, agonized followers."</p> + +<p>"And He is anhungered, athirst, penniless, +afflicted in them, and whatsoever we do to one +of them we do to Him, and what we say of +one of them we say of Him."</p> + +<p>"May we speak in the pulpit of slaves?"</p> + +<p>"Of slaves! Can you not speak of Medes +and Parthians, Indians and Arabians? Why +not then of Africans? Have they, or have +they not, immortal souls? Was Jesus, or +was He not, crucified for them? Was He +ashamed of the lowly and the down-trodden, +and those who have become the reproach of +men and the despised of the people? You may +speak of all for whom Christ died; as all men, +bond or free, and all things, globes or atoms, +suggest thoughts leading in a right line or in a +curved line to the cross of Christ. All things, +being thus nearly or remotely suggestive of the +atonement, are for your sakes; whether Paul +or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or +death, or things present, or things to come,—all +are yours, for your thoughts, for your +words. If things pertain to the divine essence, +the whole of that is the essence of +Jesus; if they pertain to the divine relations, +all of them are the relations of Jesus; if they +pertain to the noblest and brightest features +of seraphs, all the angels of God bow down +before Jesus; if they pertain to the minutest +changes of human life, in all our vicissitudes<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span> +Jesus keeps up His brotherhood with us; if +they pertain to the vilest and darkest spot of +our depravity, they pertain to Jesus,—for +to speak aright of sin is to be determined +to speak of Christ and of Him crucified for +sin.</p> + +<p>"And is this the doctrine which men call +a contracted one? Narrow! The very suspicion +of its being narrow has now suggested +the first reason why you should place it and +keep it as the crown of all your words and +deeds—it is so large, so rich, so boundless, +that you need nothing which excludes it. And +therefore," continues the apostle, "I mean to +know and to love nothing, and to make it +manifest that I care for nothing, in comparison +with, and disconnected from, the God-man, +as He develops all His attributes and all +His relations on the cross."</p> + +<p>But were the author of these laconic words +in a familiar conference with us, we might +be tempted to address to him a second inquiry:</p> + +<p>"Is not your theme too large? At first we +deemed it too small, but now it swells out before +us into such colossal dimensions that we +change our ground, and ask: Can the narrow +mind of man take in this multiplicity of relations, +comprehended in both the natures, and +in the redemptive, as well as all the other +works of Christ? Do not frail powers need +one day as a day of rest, and one place as a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span> +sanctuary of repose, from every thought less +tender than that of the atoning death itself? +Must we not call in our minds from Christ and +Him crucified, so as to concentrate all our +emotions on the simple fact of Christ crucified?"</p> + +<p>"Too large a theme!" this is the reply, "it +is a large theme, too large to be fully comprehended +by finite intelligences. Men have +dreamed of exhausting the atonement by defining +it to be a plan for removing the obstacles +which stand in the way of our pardon. +It is too large for that definition, as the atonement +also persuades the Most High to forgive +us. Then men have thought to mark it round +about by saying that it is a scheme for inducing +God to interpose in our aid. But the +atonement is too large for that defining clause, +as it also presents motives to man for accepting +the interposition of God. Then some +have thought to define it exactly, by saying +that the atonement is both an appeal to the +Lawgiver and also an appeal to the sinner. +Too large still is the atonement for that explanation. +It is an appeal to both God and +man, but it is more. It is an appeal to the +universe, and is as many-sided as the universe +itself is to be variously affected. Can we by +searching find out the whole of atoning love? +It is the love of Him who stretched out His +arms on the fatal wood, and pointed to the +right hand and to the left hand, and raised<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span> +His eyes upward, and cast them downward; +and thus all things above and below, and on +either side, He embraced in His comprehensive +love. It is a large theme, but not too +large to operate as a motive upon us. The +immeasurable reach of a motive is the hiding +of its power. The mind of man is itself expansive, +and requires and will have something +immense and infinite of truth or error, either +overpowering it for good or overmastering it +for evil. The atonement is a great theme, but +not too great; and for the additional reason, +its greatness lies, in part, in its reducing all +other doctrines to a unity, its arranging them +around itself in an order which makes them +all easily understood. We know in other things +the power of unity amid variety. We know +how simple the geography of a land becomes by +remembering that its rivers, altho meandering +in unnumbered circuits around the hills and +through the vales, yet pursue one main direction +from one mountain to one sea. Now all +the truths of God flow into the atonement. +They are understood by means of it, because +their tendencies are toward it; and it is understood +by means of them, because it receives +and comprehends them.</p> + +<p>"Consider more fully the first part of this +sentence; all other truths are understood by +means of the atonement. It gives to them all +a unity by illustrating them all. Other truths +are not so much independent themes, as they<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span> +are branches growing up or sidewise out of +this one root, and they need this single theme +in order that their relations may be rightly +understood. What, for example, can we know +in its most important bearings, unless we +know the history and office of our Redeemer? +Begin from whatever point we may examine +the uses of things, we can never measure their +full utility until we view them from the cross. +The trees bud and blossom. Why? To bear +fruit for the sustenance of the human body. +But is this an ultimate object? The nourishment +of the body favors the growth of the +mind. But is the human mind an end worthy +of all the contrivances in nature? Does the +sun, with all its retinue of stars, pursue its +daily course with no aim ulterior to man's +welfare? Do we adopt a Ptolemaic theory in +morals, that man is the center of the system, +and other worlds revolve round him? All +things were made of God, as the Being in +whom they all terminate. Do they exist for +elucidating His power? This is not his chief +attribute. His knowledge? There is a nobler +perfection than omniscience. His love? But +there is one virtue imbedded as a gem in His +love, and His love is but a shining casket for +this pearl of infinite price. This pearl is +grace. This is the central ornament of the +character of Jehovah. But there is no grace +in Jehovah save as it beams forth in Christ; +not in Christ as a mere Divinity, nor in Christ<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span> +as a mere spotless humanity, but in the two +united, and in that God-man crucified. All +things were made by Him and for Him, rising +from the cross to the throne. Without reference +to Him in His atoning love has nothing +been made that was made in this world. The +star in the East led wise men once to the +manger where the Redeemer lay; and all the +stars of heaven lead wise men now to Him +who had risen above the stars, and whose +glory illumines them all. He is termed the +Sun of righteousness; and, as the material sun +binds all the planets around it in an intelligible +order, so does Christ shine over, and +under, and into, and through all other objects, +attract them all to Himself, marshal them all +into one clear and grand array, showing them +all to be His works, all suggestive of our duty, +our sin, our need of atonement, our dependence +on the one God, and the one Mediator between +God and man.</p> + +<p>"The first part of my sentence was, All +other truths are understood by means of the +atonement. Consider next the second part: +The atonement is understood by means of +other truths. It crystallizes them around itself, +and reduces them into a system, not only +because it explains them, but also because it +makes them explain it. It is not too large a +theme, for all the sciences and the arts bring +their contributions to make it orderly and +plain. Our text is a simple one, because its<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span> +words are interpreted by a thousand facts +shining upon it, and making themselves and +it luminous in their radiations around and +over it. Listen again to its suggestive words:</p> + +<p>"'For I determined not to know anything +among you save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.'</p> + +<p>"Now, what is the meaning of this plain +term 'Christ'? It means a 'King.' But how +can we appreciate the King, unless we learn +the nature of the beings over whom He rules? +He reigns over the heavens; therefore we investigate +the heavens. The whole earth is +full of His glory; therefore we study the earth. +He is the Lord over the angels; when we reflect +on them, we catch a glimpse of Him in +His regal state. He is the King of the Jews +and the Gentiles. When we meditate on men, +we enjoy a glance at Him who was born for +this end, that He might have dominion over +our race. When we contemplate the material +worlds, all the vastness and the grandeur included +in them—the sphere of mind, all the +refinement and energy involved in it—we are +overpowered by the reality, surpassing fable, +that He who superintends all the movements +of matter and first spake it into being and +once framed, as He now governs, the souls of +His creatures—He is the King who atoned +for us; and the more we know of the stars in +their courses, and of the spirit in its mysteries, +so much the deeper is our awe in view of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[107]</a></span> +condescending pity which moved their Creator +to become one with a lowly creature acquainted +with grief for you and me. So much +is involved in the word 'Christ.'</p> + +<p>"But our text speaks of Jesus Christ. That +word 'Jesus!' What is the meaning of it? +It means a 'deliverer,' and in the view of +some interpreters it means 'God, the deliverer.' +Deliverer? From what? We do not +understand the power of His great office, unless +we learn the nature and the vileness of +sin; and we have no conception how mean, +how detestable, sin is, unless we know the +needlessness of it, the nobleness of the will +which degrades itself into it, the excellence of +the law which is dishonored by it. All our +studies, then, in regard to the nature of the +will, the unforced voluntariness of depravity, +the extent of it through our race, the depth +of it, the purity of the commands aiming to +prevent it, the attractions of virtue, the +strangeness of their not prevailing over the +temptations of vice—they are not mere metaphysics; +they are studies concerning the truth +and the grace of Immanuel, who is God with +us, and whose name is 'Deliverer' because He +delivers His people from their sins; sins involving +the power and the penalty of free +wrong choice; a penalty including the everlasting +punishment of the soul; a punishment +suggesting the nature and the character of +the divine law, and the divine Lawgiver, in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[108]</a></span> +their relation to the conscience and all the +sensibilities of the mind; and that mind, as +undying as its Maker. All these things are +comprehended in the word 'Jesus.'</p> + +<p>"But our text speaks of Jesus Christ +and Him crucified: and this third term, +'crucified,' adds an emphasis to the two preceding +terms, and stirs us up to examine +our own capabilities—to learn the skill pervading +our physical organism, so exquisitely +qualified for pain as well as pleasure; the wisdom +apparent in our mental structure, so +keenly sensitive to all that can annoy as well +as gratify; and thus we catch a glimpse of +the truth, that He who combines all of our +dignity with none of our guilt, and with all +of the divine glory, and who thus develops +all that is fit to be explained in man, and all +that can be explained in God—He it is who +chose to hang and linger with aching nerve +and bleeding heart upon the cross for you +and me. This cross makes out an atonement +of the sciences and the arts and brings them +also, as well as devout men, at one with God; +all of them tributary to the doctrine that we +are bought with a price—that we are redeemed, +not with silver and gold, but with +the precious blood of a man, who was God +manifest in the flesh. Too large a theme is +the atonement? But it breaks down the middle +wall of partition that has kept apart the +different studies of men; and it brings them<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[109]</a></span> +together as illustrations of the truth, which +in their light becomes as simple as it is great.</p> + +<p>"The very objection, then, that the redemptive +work is too extensive for our familiar +converse, has suggested the second reason why it +should be the main thing for us to think +upon, and speak upon, and act upon: It systematizes +all other themes, and gains from +them a unity which becomes the plainer because +it is set off by a luminous variety; and +for this cause," continues the apostle, "I intend +to know nothing with supreme love, except +this centralizing doctrine which combines +all other truths into a constellation of +glories."</p> + +<p>There is still a third inquiry which we +might present to the author of our text, could +we meet him in a personal colloquy:</p> + +<p>"Your words all converge toward one +point; will they not then become monotonous, +and inapposite to the varying wants of various, +or even the same, individuals?"</p> + +<p>"A monotonous theme!" this is the reply: +"What can be more diversified than the character +and work of Him who is at one time +designated as the omniscient God, and at another +time as a Mechanic; at one time as a +Judge, and at another time as an Intercessor; +now a Lion, and then a Lamb; here a Vine, a +Tree, there a Way, a Door; again a Stone, a +Rock, still again a Star, a Sun; here without +sin, and there He was made sin for us.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[110]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Monotonous is this theme? Then it is +sadly wronged, and the mind of man is sadly +harmed; for this mind shoots out its tendrils +to grasp all the branches of the tree of life, +and the tree in its healthy growth has +branches to which every sensibility of the +human mind may cling. The judgment is +addrest by the atonement, concerning the +nature of law of distributive justice, the mode +of expressing this justice either by punishing +the guilty or by inflicting pain as a substitute +for punishment, the influence of this substitution +on the transgressor, on the surety, +on the created universe, on God Himself. +There is more of profound and even abstruse +philosophy involved in the specific doctrine +of the atonement, than in any other branch +of knowledge; and there has been or will be +more of discussion upon it, than upon all +other branches of knowledge; for sacred science +is the most fruitful of all sciences in +logical deduction, and this specific part of the +science is the richest of all its parts.</p> + +<p>"Here, then, is the first method in which +you may keep up the habit of making 'Jesus +and Him crucified' the soul of your activity: +Bring to your help the force of a resolute +determination. There is a tendency in this +resolute spirit to divert your thoughts from +other themes, to turn the current of your +sensibilities into the right channel, to invigorate +your choice, to exert a direct and reflex<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</a></span> +influence in confirming the whole soul in +Jesus. God is in that determination. He inspires +it. He invigorates it. He works with +it and by it. There is a power in it, but the +power is not yours; it is the power of God. +God is in every holy resolve of man."</p> + +<p>In our interview with the apostle we should +address to him a second inquiry:</p> + +<p>"In what method can we avoid both the +fact and the appearance of being slavishly +coerced into the habit of conversing on Christ +and on Christ alone? You speak of taking +your stand, adhering to your decision; but +this dry, stiff resolve-comes any genial spirit +from it? Will you not be a slave to your unswerving +purpose? Your inflexible rule, will +it not be a hard one, wearisome to yourself, +disagreeable to others? You hold up a +weighty theme by a dead lift."</p> + +<p>"I am determined"—this is the reply—"and +it is not only a strong but it is a loving +resolve. For the love of Christ constraineth +me; whom having not seen in the flesh I love; +in whom, though now I see him not, yet believing, +I rejoice with the joy unspeakable +and full of glory. It is not a business-like +resolution. It is not a diplomatic purpose. It +is not a mechanical force. It is an affectionate +decision. It is a joyous rule. It is the effluence +of a supreme attachment to the Redeemer.</p> + +<p>"And this is the second method in which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[112]</a></span> +you may retain Jesus Christ as the jewel of +your speech and life: Cherish a loving purpose +to do so. A man has strength to accomplish +what with a full soul he longs to accomplish. +Your Christian toil will be irksome to +you, if it be not your cordial preference; but +if your undeviating resolve spring out of a +hearty choice of your Savior, then will it be +ever refreshed and enlivened by your outflowing, +genial preference; then will your pious +work be the repose of your soul. There is a +power in your love to your work. It is a +power to make your labor easy for yourself +and attractive to others. This is not your +power; it is the power of God. He enkindles +the love within you. He enlivens it. He gives +it warmth. He makes it instinct with energy. +God is in all the holy joy of man."</p> + +<p>In our conference with the author of our +text we might suggest to him our third and +last inquiry:</p> + +<p>"In what method can we feel sure of persevering +in this habitual exaltation of Christ? +You speak of your stern purpose, but can you +depend upon the continuance of it? You +speak of your cordial as well as set resolve. +But who are you? (forgive our pertinacious +query). Jesus we know. But His disciples, +His chief apostles—is not every one of them +a reed shaken with the wind, tossed hither and +thither, unstable as a wave upon the sea?"</p> + +<p>"I know it is so"—this is the reply. "Often<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</a></span> +am I afraid lest, having preached the gospel +to others, I should be a castaway. And after +all I am persuaded that nothing—height +depth, life, death, nothing—shall be able to +separate me from the love of Christ; for I +put my confidence in Him, and while my purpose +is inflexible and affectionate, it is also inwrought +with trust in the atonement and the +intercession. I do pursue my Christian life +in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. +For all the piety of the best of men is +in itself as grass, and the goodliness thereof +as the flower of the field. Therefore serve I +the Lord with all humility of mind and with +many tears and temptations. Yet I am determined +with a confiding love. I am troubled +on every side; my flesh has no rest; without +are fightings, within are fears; in presence I +am base among you, my bodily presence is +weak and my speech contemptible; and if I +must needs glory, I will glory in the things +which concern my infirmities. Still, after all, +I am determined, my right hand being enfolded +in the hand of my Redeemer. I know +whom I have believed, and am persuaded that +He is able to keep that which I have committed +unto Him against that day. For my +conversation is in heaven, from whence I am +to look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, +who shall change our vile body that it may +be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according +to the mighty working whereby He<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[114]</a></span> +is able to subdue all things unto Himself. I +say the truth in Christ; I lie not; I am the +least of the apostles, that am not meet to be +called an apostle, because I injured the Church +of God; I am less than the least of all saints. +Still I am determined; for by the grace of +God I am what I am; and this grace which +was bestowed upon me was not in vain, but I +labored more abundantly than they all; yet +not I but the grace of God which was with +me; for I can do all things through Christ +which strengtheneth me, and therefore I am +determined.</p> + +<p>"Borne onward, therefore, by your fixed +plan, and no one can succeed in anything +without a plan, yet you must never rely ultimately +upon your determined spirit. Allured +further and further onward by your +delight in your plan, and no one can work as +a master in anything without enthusiasm in +his prescribed course, still you must not place +your final dependence upon your affectionate +spirit; for if you take, for your last prop, +either the sternness or the cheerfulness of your +own determination, then you will know your +determination, and you are not to know anything +save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. +Here, then, is the third method in which you +may give the fitting prominence to the best +of themes: You must rest for your chief and +final support on Him and only on Him, from +whom all wise plans start, by whom they hold<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[115]</a></span> +out, and to whom they all tend, who is all and +in all, Jesus Christ and Him crucified."</p> + +<p>My Christian brethren, you are all apostles. +Every man, every woman, every child, the +richest and the poorest, the most learned and +the most ignorant of you—who have come up +hither to dedicate yourselves and this sanctuary +to your Lord, all being sent of Him to +serve Him, have in fact and in essence the +same responsibility resting on you as weighed +on the author of our text. And he was burdened +by the same kind of temptations and +fears which oppress your spirit. But he was +held up from failing in his work by a threefold +cord; and that was his resolute determination, +as loving as it was resolute, and as +trustful as it was loving, to know nothing +save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The last +that you hear of him as an impenitent man +is in the words: "And Saul, yet breathing +out threatening and slaughter against +the disciples of the Lord." It was Christ +whom the proud Jew last opposed. The first +that you hear of him as a convicted man is +in the words: "Who art thou, Lord?" It +was Christ whom the inquiring Jew first +studied. And the first that you hear of him +as a penitent man is: "Lord, what wilt thou +have me to do?" It was Christ to whom the +humble disciple first surrendered his will. +And the first that you hear of him as a Christian +minister is: "And straightway he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</a></span> +preached Christ in the synagogs that he +is the Son of God." And the last that you +hear of him as a Christian hero is: "I have +fought the good fight, I have finished my +course. I have kept the faith; henceforth +there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness." +And the secret of this victorious +career is in words like those of our text: "I +adhered to my plan (when among the fickle +Corinthians), I was decided (when among the +vacillating Galatians) to know nothing (when +among the learned at Athens and them of +C�sar's household at Rome) save Jesus Christ +(when I was among my own kinsmen who +scorned Him), and Him crucified (when I +was among the pupils of Gamaliel, all of +whom despised my chosen theme); still I was +determined to cling to that theme among the +Greeks and the Barbarians, before Onesimus +the slave and Philemon the proud master; for +I loved my theme, and, suffering according +to the will of God, I committed the keeping +of my soul to Him in well-doing as unto a +faithful Creator."</p> + +<p>And herein is it to be your plan, my brethren, +and your joy, not to make this sanctuary +the resort of wealth and of fashion, but rather +of humble suppliants, who by their prayers +may divert all the wealth and fashion of the +world into the service of your Lord; not to +make this temple the resting-place of hearers +who shall idly listen to the words of an orator,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[117]</a></span> +but a temple of earnest coworkers with Christ—thinking +of Him, speaking of Him, loving +Him first, and last, and midst, and without +end. As you come to this house of God on +the Sabbath, as you go from it, as your week-day +recollections gather around it, may you +renew and confirm your plan to know your +Redeemer, and not only to shut yourselves up +to the supreme love of nothing except Christ, +but also—His grace will be sufficient for you—to +worship and serve Christ in the central +relation of Him crucified. Knowing Him +alone, He will sustain you as fully as if He +knew you alone. He will come to you in this +temple as frequently as if He had no other +servants to befriend. He will listen to your +prayers as intently as if no supplications came +up to Him from other altars, and He will intercede +for you as entirely as if He interceded +in behalf of no one else; for remember, that +when He hung upon the cross, He thought of +you, and died for you, just as fully as if He +had been determined to think of no one, and +to die for no one, save you, whom He now +calls to the solemn service of consecrating +your own souls, and your "holy and beautiful +house" to the glory of Jesus Christ and Him +crucified.</p> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118"> </a><br /><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119"> </a></span></p> + + + + +<h2>SIMPSON</h2> + +<h3>THE RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD</h3> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120"> </a></span></p> + + + + +<h4>BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE</h4> + +<p><span class="smcap">Matthew Simpson</span>, Methodist Episcopal +Bishop, was born at Cadiz, Ohio, in +1810. He early distinguished himself as +an orator, his style being that of spontaneous +unpremeditated eloquence, in +which he carried his congregation to +heights of spiritual fervor and enthusiasm. +He visited Europe in 1878 as delegate to +the World's Evangelical Alliance in Berlin, +which served to widen his reputation +as a public speaker. He officiated at the +funeral of Abraham Lincoln at Springfield, +Illinois. His "Lectures on Preaching" +delivered before the divinity students +at Yale have been widely read. He died +in 1884.</p> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[121]</a></span></p> + + + + +<h2>SIMPSON</h2> + +<h3>1810-1884</h3> + +<h4>THE RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD</h4> + +<p><em>But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become +the first fruits of them that slept.</em>—1 Cor. xv., 20.</p> + + +<p>A little more than eighteen hundred +years ago, as the light of the morning +was breaking around the walls of +Jerusalem, there was a guard placed about a +sepulcher in a small garden near the walls +of the city. They were guarding a grave. +Some strange scenes had occurred on the +Friday before. While a man whom they had +taken from the hills of Galilee and around the +little lake of Capernaum had been hanging +on the cross crucified as a malefactor, strange +signs appeared in the heavens, and on the +earth and in the temple.</p> + +<p>It was rumored that he had said he would +rise the third morning. The third morning +was coming, and as the light began to break +in the East, there came two women silently +and sadly wending their way among the tents +that were pitched all around the city of +Jerusalem; they had sojourned all night in +the tents, for as yet the gates of the city had +not been opened. They came to see the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[122]</a></span> +sepulcher and were bringing spices in their +hands. They loved the man who had been +crucified as a malefactor, because of his goodness, +his purity, and his compassion. They +seemed to be almost the only hearts on earth +that did love him deeply, save the small circle +of friends who had gathered around him. +There had been curses upon his head as he +hung on the cross—curses from the by-standers, +curses from the soldiers, curses from +the people. They cried: "Away with him; his +blood be on us and on our children!" and on +that morning there were none but a few feeble, +obscure, heart-broken friends that dared to +come near his grave.</p> + +<p>A little more than eighteen hundred years +have passed and on the anniversary of that +day, the morning of the first day of the week, +the first Sabbath after the full moon and the +vernal equinox, at the same season, the whole +world comes to visit that grave. The eyes of +princes and of statesmen, the eyes of the poor +and the humble in all parts of the earth are +turned toward that sepulcher.</p> + +<p>All through Europe men and women are +thinking of that grave and of Him who lay in +it. All over western lands, from ocean to +ocean, on mountain top and in valley, over +broad prairies and deep ravines, the eyes and +hearts of the people are gathered round that +grave. In the darkness of Africa, here and +there, we see them stretching out their hands<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[123]</a></span> +toward it. Along the coasts of India and the +heights of the Himalayas they have heard of +that grave and are bending toward it. The +Chinese, laying aside their prejudices, have +turned their eyes westward and are looking +toward that sepulcher. Along the shores of +the seas, over the mountain tops and in the +valleys, the hearts of the people have not +only been gathering around that grave, but +they have caught a glimpse of the rising +inmate who ascended in His glory toward +heaven.</p> + +<p>The song of jubilee has gone forth, and the +old men are saying, "The Lord is risen from +the dead." The young men and matrons catch +up the glowing theme, and the little children +around our festive boards, scarcely comprehending +the source of their joy, with glad +hearts are now joyful, because Jesus has risen +from the dead. All over the earth tidings of +joy have gone forth, and as the valleys have +been ringing out their praises on this bright +Sabbath morning how many hearts have been +singing—</p> + +<p class="center"> +"Our Jesus is going up on high!" +</p> + +<p>Why this change? What hath produced +such a wonderful difference in public feeling? +The malefactor once curst, now honored; the +obscure and despised, now sought for; the +rising Redeemer, not then regarded by men, +now universally worshiped. What is the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[124]</a></span> +cause of this great change?—how brought +about? The subject of this morning, taken +from the associations of this day, call us to +consider as briefly as we may the fact of the +resurrection of Christ from the dead and some +of the consequences which flow to us from that +resurrection.</p> + +<p>It is important for us to fix clearly in our +minds the fact that this is one reason why +such days are remembered in the annals of the +Church as well as in the annals of nations; +for our faith rests on facts, and the mind +should clearly embrace the facts that we may +feel that we are standing on firm ground. This +fact of the resurrection of Christ is the foundation +of the Christian system; for the +apostle says: "And if Christ be not raised, +your faith is vain, ye are yet in your sins; +then they also which are fallen asleep in +Christ will perish." If Christ be not risen, +we shall never see the fathers and the mothers +who have fallen asleep in Jesus; we shall never +see the little ones who have gone up to be, +as we believe, angels before the throne of +God. If Christ be not raised, we are of +all men the most miserable, because we are +fancying future enjoyment, which never can +be realized; but if Christ be raised, then +shall we also rise, and them that sleep in +Jesus will God bring with Him. And that our +minds may rest as to the fact of Christ's +resurrection, let us notice how God hath<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[125]</a></span> +arranged the evidences to secure the knowledge +of this fact clearly to man.</p> + +<p>The first point to which our attention is invited +is the fact of Christ's death. Were not +this fact clearly established it would be in +vain to try to prove His resurrection from the +dead. Christ might have suffered for man in +some obscure place; He might have laid down +His life as a ransom, and yet there would have +been no legal evidence of it. God allowed the +wrath of man to become the instrument of +praising Him, in that He suffered Christ to be +taken under what was then the legal process—arrested +first by the great council of the Jews, +and then by the authority of the Roman +governor, so that the matter became of public +record—a legal transaction. The highest +power, both of the Jewish and Roman governments, +united in this fact of His arrest, His +trial, and His condemnation to death.</p> + +<p>Not only was this permitted, but the time +of the occurrence was wisely arranged. It was +at the feast of the Jews, the Passover, when all +the Jews came up to keep the Passover. They +came not only from Egypt but from all the +country through which they were scattered. +Jerusalem could not hold the people that +came together; they pitched their tents all +around the city, on the hills and in the valleys. +It was the time of full moon, when +there was brightness all night, and they came +together with safety and security. The multitude,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[126]</a></span> +then, was there to witness the scene, so +that it might be attested by people from all +parts of Judea and from all countries round +about Judea.</p> + +<p>Then, again, the form of the death was such +as to be not a sudden one, but one of torture, +passing through many hours. Had the execution +been a very sudden one, as it might have +been, the death would have been equally efficacious, +yet it would not have been witnessed +by so many; but as He hung those dreadful +hours, from nine until three, the sun being +darkened, what an opportunity was given to +the people passing by to be imprest with +the scene! The crucifixion was near the city; +the crowd was there; the temple worship was +in process; the strangers were there; and as +one great stream passes on some festive day +through the great thoroughfare of your city, +so passed the stream of men, women, and +children by that cross on which the Savior +hung. They wagged their heads and reviled +as they passed by. The very ones whom Jesus +had healed, whose fathers had been cured of +leprosy or fever, whose mothers' eyes had been +opened; the ones who had been raised up from +beds of sickness by the touch of that Savior, +passed by and reviled, and said: "He saved +others, Himself He cannot save." The multitude +saw Him as He hung suffering on the +cross.</p> + +<p>Then, again, the circumstances attending<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[127]</a></span> +His death were such as to invite universal +attention. It was not designed that the death +should be a private one; not merely a legal +transaction, a matter soon over, but a protracted +and agonizing spectacle—one to be +seen and known by the multitude; but, in +addition, that man's attention should be +drawn to something to be connected with that +wonderful scene; hence God called upon the +heavens and the earth, the air and the graves, +and the temple itself for testimony. It is +said that before the coronation of a prince +in olden time in Europe—and in some kingdoms +the custom is still observed—there is +sent forth a herald, sometimes three days in +advance, at different periods according to the +custom, to issue a challenge to anyone that +dares to claim the kingdom to come and prove +his right, and to announce that the coronation +of this prince is to take place.</p> + +<p>Methinks it was such a challenge God gave +to all the powers of humanity and to all the +powers of darkness. There hung suffering +on the cross He who died for human wo, and +as He hung God was about to crown Him King +of Kings and Lord of Lords on the morning +of the third day. He sends forth His voice of +challenge, and as He speaks the earth rocks +to its center; that ground, shaking and convulsing, +was a call to man to witness what was +about to occur.</p> + +<p>Not only is there a voice of earth. Yonder<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[128]</a></span> +the sun clothed himself in sackcloth for three +hours, as much as to say: "There may be +gloom for three days; the great Source of +light hath veiled Himself, as in a mantle of +night, for three days. As for three hours this +darkness hangs, but as out of the darkness the +light shines forth, so at the end of the three +days shall the Sun of Righteousness shine out +again, the great center of glory, with that +glory which He had with the Father from the +foundation of the world." It was the herald's +voice that passed through the heavens, and +that spoke through all the orbs of light, "Give +attention, ye created beings, to what is to +happen!" But it was not alone in the earth, +which is the great center, nor in the heavens, +which is the great source of light, that the +tidings were proclaimed.</p> + +<p>Look in yonder valley. The tombs are +there; the prophets have been buried there. +Yon hillside is full of the resting-places of the +dead; generations on generations have been +buried there; friends are walking in it, and +they are saying, "Yonder is a mighty judge +in Israel; there is the tomb of a prophet." +They were passing to and fro through that +valley of death when the earthquake's tread +was heard, and behold! the tombs were +opened, the graves displayed the dead within, +and there was a voice that seemed to call from +the very depths of the graves, "Hear, O sons +of men!"</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[129]</a></span></p> + +<p>What feelings must have thrilled through +the hearts of those who stood by those monuments +and bended over those graves, when, +thrown wide open, the doors bursting, and +the rocks giving way, they saw the forms of +death come forth and recognized friends that +once they had known. What was to occur? +What could all this mean? Then the great +sacrifice was offered. It was three o'clock in +the afternoon when Christ was to give up the +ghost. Yonder the multitude of pious people +were gathered toward the temple. The outer +court was full; the doors and gates which lead +into the sanctuary were crowded; the lamb +was before the altar; the priest in his vestments +had taken the sacrificial knife; the +blood was to be shed at the hour of three; the +multitude were looking.</p> + +<p>Yonder hangs a veil; it hides that inner +sanctuary; there are cherubim in yonder with +their wings spread over the mercy-seat; the +shekinah once dwelt there; God Himself in +His glory was there and the people are bending +to look in. No one enters into that veil +save the high priest, and he, with blood and in +the midst of incense, but once a year; but it +was the mercy-seat and the eye of every pious +Jew was directed toward that veil, thinking +of the greater glory which lay beyond it.</p> + +<p>As the hour of three came and as the priest +was taking the sacrificial knife from the altar +and was about to slay the lamb, behold! an<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[130]</a></span> +unseen hand takes hold of that veil and tears +it apart from top to bottom, and has thrown +open the mercy-seat, not before seen by men. +The cherubim are there; the altar with its +covering of blood is there; the resting-place +of the ark is there; it is the holiest of holies. +Methinks the priest drops the knife, the lamb +goes free, for the Lamb that was slain from +the foundation of the world is suffering for +man. The way to the holy of holies is open,—a +new and living way, which men may not +close, which priest alone can not enter; but a +way is open whereby humanity, opprest and +downtrodden, from all parts of the earth, may +find its way to the mercy-seat of God. There +was a call to the pious worshiper by voices +which seemed to say: "An end to all the +sacrifices, an end to all the suffering victims, +an end to all the sprinkled hyssop that is +used in purification, for One has come to do +the will of God on whom the burden of man +had been laid."</p> + +<p>Now here were all these calls to humanity +from all parts, as if to announce the great +transaction. While all this was occurring +Christ was on the cross, suffering the agony of +crucifixion. How deep that agony we need +not attempt to tell you; it was fearful; and +yet no complaint escaped His lips, no murmuring +was there. He bore the sins of many in +His own flesh on the tree. He heard the +multitudes revile Him; He saw them wag<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[131]</a></span> +their heads; He remembered that the disciples +had fled from Him—one followed afar off, but +the rest had gone; and yet He complained not. +Friends and kindred had all left Him and He +trod the wine-press alone. He drank the cup +in all its bitterness and no complaint escaped +from Him. One left Him that had never +forsaken Him before. "The world is gone, +the disciples I have fed and taught have all +fled and passed away,—all have forsaken +Me."</p> + +<p>But there was no time until that moment of +fearful darkness came, when all the load of +guilt was upon Him and for our sins He was +smitten, that His spirit was crusht, and He +called out, "My God, my God, why hast thou +forsaken me?" All else might go—it were +little; "Why hast thou forsaken me?" But +it is over; the darkness is past; the load is +borne; and I hear Him say, "It is finished"; +He bows His head and dies.</p> + +<p>Now there is publicity for the transaction. +It demanded public investigation, it received +it. There was not only the mental agony +united with the agony of crucifixion, but +there was the voluntary giving up of His life; +yet, lest there might be some suspicion, to all +this was added the proof of the fact of His +death. When the limbs of the others were +broken and He was perceived to be dead, the +soldier thrust the spear into His side and +there came out of that side both water and +blood.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[132]</a></span></p> + +<p>There is a peculiarity in the sacred writings. +A little incident that seems to be mentioned +without care becomes the strongest possible +proof, not only of the fact of Christ's death, +but of the nature of His death. When that +sentence was written the human frame was +not understood, the circulation of the blood +was not understood. Anatomists had not +then, as they have now, unveiled the human +system; the great science of pathology had not +yet been clearly taught to man; and yet in +that sentence we have almost a world of +meaning. For it is well attested now that +where persons die from violent mental emotion, +by what is termed a broken heart, a crusht +spirit, there is always formed a watery secretion +around the heart. It was not known then +to the soldier who lifted up the spear and +pierced the body; but so much of that water +had secreted around the heart that he saw it +issuing forth from the pierced side, unstained +by blood, which showed that the great heart +had been crusht by agony within.</p> + +<p>When taken from the cross He was put in +the sepulcher. His friends had given Him up, +His disciples had forsaken Him; some of them +saw Him die; they knew that He was crucified +and they abandoned Him. They were returning +to their former employments; but His +enemies remembered He had said He would +rise the third day, and they put a guard +around Him. The Roman soldiers were there;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[133]</a></span> +the king's seal was on the stone rolled over +the mouth of the sepulcher; they made everything +secure. Here again God ordered that +we should have abundant proof of Christ's +crucifixion.</p> + +<p>He was crucified on Friday, which was to +them the last day of the week, resting in +the grave on our Saturday, which is their +Sabbath, and then comes the first day of the +week, our Sabbath morning, made our Sabbath +because of Christ's resurrection from the +dead. There came an humble visitant to the +tomb, Mary Magdalene; she had been healed +of much, forgiven much and she loved Him. +Mary, the mother of James, came also and +beheld the scenes that occurred; but there had +been strange commotions elsewhere.</p> + +<p>Heaven had been gathering around that +grave. Angels had been watching there; they +had seen the Roman guard; they had seen the +shining spear and polished shield; they had +seen that Christ was held as a prisoner by the +greatest powers on earth. Methinks I see the +angelic host as they gathered round the throne +of God and looked up into the face of +Omnipotence, and if ever there was a time +when there was silence in heaven for half an +hour, it was before the morning light of the +third day dawned. I hear them say "How +long shall man triumph? How long shall +human power exalt itself? How long shall +the powers of darkness hold jubilee? Let us<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[134]</a></span> +away and roll away the stone; let us away and +frighten yonder Roman guard and drive them +from the sepulcher."</p> + +<p>They waited until permission was given. I +see the angel coming down from the opening +doors of glory; he hastens outside the walls of +Jerusalem and down to the sepulcher; when +they saw him coming the keepers shook, they +became like dead men; he rolls away the stone +and sets himself by the mouth of the sepulcher. +Christ, girding Himself with all the +power of His divinity, rises from the grave. +He leads captivity captive, tears the crown +from the head of death, and makes light the +darkness of the grave. Behold Him as He +rises just preparatory to His rising up to +glory. Oh, what a moment was that! Hell +was preparing for its jubilee; the powers of +earth were preparing for a triumph; but as +the grave yields its prey, Christ, charged with +being an impostor, is proved to be the Son of +God with power; it is the power of His resurrection +from the dead.</p> + +<p>There was Christ's resurrection from the +dead. He became the first fruits of them +that slept. But to give the amplest proofs of +His resurrection He lingered on earth to be +seen of men, and to be seen in such a manner +as to show that He was still the Savior Christ. +In my younger days I used to often wonder +why was it that Mary Magdalene came first to +the sepulcher, and the mother of James that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[135]</a></span> +stood there—why He should appear to them; +but in later days I have said it was to show +that He was the Savior still; that the same +nature was there which had made Him stoop +to the lowliest of the low—the power that +enabled Him to heal the guiltiest of the +guilty; that that power, that compassion, were +with Him still.</p> + +<p>Tho now raised beyond death and triumphing +over hell, He still had within Him +the Savior's heart. Methinks I see, when +Peter had run in anxiety to tell the news, +Mary remained there; she could not fully +comprehend it; the grave was open, the napkins +were there; it was said He was not there, +but He was risen. And yet, there was a +darkness upon her; she could not fully conceive, +it seems to me, the resurrection of the +dead. She stood wondering, when she heard +a voice behind her which said, "Woman, why +weepest thou?" Bathed in tears as she was, +she turned round and saw the man standing, +and taking him to be the gardener, and supposing +that he had taken the body and carried +it away as not fit to lie in that tomb or be in +that garden, she said: "If thou hast taken, +him away, tell me where thou hast laid him, +and I will take him away." If He must not +lie in this tomb, if He can not lie in the garden, +if as a malefactor He must be cast out from +man, tell me where the body is and I will take +it away. It was a proof of her affection.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[136]</a></span></p> + +<p>A voice said, "Mary, Mary." Oh, she +recognized it, and her heart cried out: "Rabboni, +my Lord and my God!" and then she +would have thrown herself at His feet and +bathed those feet again with her tears, but He +said, "Touch me not, I am not ascended to +my Father; go and tell the disciples and Peter +that I am risen from the dead." See the compassion +of the Savior! and then that message! +"Tell the disciples and Peter." Why send a +message to him? Because he curst and swore +and denied the Master. The other disciples +might have said, "If Christ is risen, He may +receive and bless us all; but Peter is gone, +hopelessly and irretrievably gone; he that forsook +his Master and denied Him, there is no +hope for him." And yet said Jesus, "Go +and tell the disciples and Peter"—poor backslidden +Peter.</p> + +<p>Jesus knew his sorrow and anguish and +almost felt the throbbings of his broken heart, +and He sent a message to Peter. He may +be a disciple still—may come back and be +saved through the boundless love of Christ. +Oh, the compassion of the Son of God! Thank +God that Peter's Savior is on the throne this +morning!</p> + +<p>Not only was He seen by these, but He met +with the disciples journeying by the way and +explained the Scriptures to them; and as they +met in the upper room He was there. When +the doors were unopened He came in their<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[137]</a></span> +midst and said, "Peace!" breathed on them +and said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." Thus +He met with them and said to Thomas, +"Reach hither thy fingers, and be not faithless +but believing."</p> + +<p>Then afterward He was seen by five hundred, +and from the Mount of Olives, while the +disciples were gathered around Him, He was +received up into glory. They saw Him and as +He went He blest them. The last vision +that ever humanity had of the Son of God +ere he ascended to heaven was that of spreading +out His hands in blessing. Oh, my Savior +hath thus gone up, and He dropt from +those outstretched hands a blessing which falls +to-day like the gentle dew all over the earth; +it reaches heart after heart. It hath reached +patriarchs, apostles, martyrs, fathers, and +mothers and little children, and, thank God, +the heavenly dew, as from those outstretched +hands, is coming down on our assembly this +very morning. On this glad day blessings are +dropping from the throne of God upon us +from this risen Savior. He hath ascended up +on high, the gates have opened for Him, and +He hath gone to His throne in glory.</p> + +<p>Let us look at a few of the results that +flow to us from these facts thus sustained of +His death and resurrection from the dead!</p> + +<p>In the first place it established all Bible +declarations. It had been predicted that He +should not stay in the grave, and when He<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[138]</a></span> +arose it put the seal to the Old Testament +as the Word of God. The prophecy in Him +fulfilled gave glorious proof that the other +parts of it should be also fulfilled as the word +of an unchanging God.</p> + +<p>Again, in His resurrection we see a proof of +His divine power. No man hath been raised +from the dead by his own power. All died, +from Adam to Moses, with the exception of +Enoch and Elijah, who, because of their devotion +and acknowledgment of the divine +head, themselves became prophets of a coming +Savior. He rose by His own power. He +conquered death itself, the grave, and the +whole powers of humanity.</p> + +<p>Jupiter is represented by an old classic +writer as saying to the lesser gods that if all +of them combined together and should endeavor +to throw down his throne—if all power +was arrayed against him—he, by his own +might, would be able to overcome them all. +What was fiction with the ancients becomes +gloriously realized in Christ. Take all the +powers of humanity—the Jewish power, the +Roman power; the power of learning, of art, +of public opinion; take all the powers of earth +and hell, death and the grave, and combine +them all against the Savior and, without one +effort, without one single apparent movement—the +Sleeper lies in death, His eyes are sealed, +and, as if all unconscious, for the warning had +not been given before—in an instant those<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[139]</a></span> +eyes were opened, that frame rises, the grave +yields up its prey, death retires conquered, +and Christ demonstrates Himself to be the +ruler of the whole universe. He made the +earth to tremble, the sun to put on sackcloth, +the very air to grow dark, the graves to open, +the dead to come forth, and proclaimed Himself +to be the conqueror of death and hell. So +we have proof of His being the Son of God +with power.</p> + +<p>In that resurrection from the dead we have +a pledge of our own resurrection. Christ has +become the first-fruits of them that slept. +You know the figure of the first-fruits as +understood by the Jews. Their religion was +connected with the seasons of the year—with +the harvest crops; one of their feasts was +called the feast of the first-fruits, and was on +this wise: When the first heads of grain began +to ripen in the field, and there was thus a +pledge of harvest, they cut off those first +ripened heads and went up to Jerusalem.</p> + +<p>Before that the grain was not crusht, no +bread was baked out of it, and nothing was +done to appropriate that crop to man's use +until those ripened heads of grain were +brought up to Jerusalem and presented to the +Lord as a thank-offering. He was acknowledged +as Lord of the harvest and they were +laid up as a kind of thank-offering before God. +They were the first-fruits. Then they went +away to the fields and all through Judea the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[140]</a></span> +sickle was thrust in, the grain was reaped and +gathered into sheaves, and when the harvest +was secured they baked the bread for their +children out of this first grain. They came up +to the temple, where the first-fruits had been +laid, and they held a feast of thanksgiving and +shouted harvest home. The old harvest feast +seems to be descended from this ancient +custom.</p> + +<p>Christ rose as the first-fruits, and there is to +be a glorious resurrection. Christ came, the +first man to rise in this respect, by His own +power, from the grave, having snatched the +crown from death, having thrown light into +the grave, having Himself ascended up toward +glory. He goes up in the midst of the shouts +of angels; the heavens open before Him; +yonder is the altar; there is the throne, and +around it stand the seraphim and the cherubim; +and Christ enters, the victor, and sits +down upon the throne, from henceforth expecting +until His enemies be made His footstool. +He is the first-fruits of the harvest, +but the angels are to be sent out like the +reapers, and by and by humanity is coming.</p> + +<p>As Christ, the first-fruits, passed through +the grave and went up to glory, so there shall +come forth from their sleeping dust in Asia, +in Africa, in Europe, and in America, from +every mountain top, from the depths of the +sea, from deep ravines, and from plains outspread—oh, +there shall come in the time of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[141]</a></span> +glorious harvest—the uprising of humanity, +when all the nations, waking from their long +sleep, shall rise and shall shout the harvest +home! Thank God! At that time none shall +be wanting.</p> + +<p>Oh, they come, they come, from the nations +of the past and from the generations yet unborn! +I see the crowd gathering there. Behold +the angels are waiting, and as the hosts +rise from the dead they gather round the +throne. Christ invites His followers to overcome +and sit down with Him on His throne, +as He overcame and sat down with the Father +on His throne. In that is the pledge of our +resurrection from the dead. Can I not suffer, +since Christ suffered? Can I not die, since +Christ died? Let the grave be my resting-place, +for Christ rested there. Is it cold? The +warmth of His animation is in it. He shall +be beside me in all His spirit's power. Does +the load of earth above me and beneath +which I am placed press upon me? Christ +hath power to burst the tomb, tho deep it be, +and I shall rise through His almighty power.</p> + +<p>Yet, let the malice of men be directed +against me; let me be taken, if it must be, as a +martyr and be bound to the stake; let the +fagots be kindled, let the flame ascend, let my +body be burned; gather my ashes, grind my +bones to powder, scatter them on the ocean's +surface; or carry those ashes to the top of +yonder volcano and throw them within its<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[142]</a></span> +consuming fire—let them be given to the dust—and +yet I can sing:</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">"God my Redeemer lives,<br /></span> +<span class="i3">And ever from the skies<br /></span> +<span class="i1">Looks down and watches all my dust,<br /></span> +<span class="i3">Till He shall bid it rise."<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>Thank God! it may be scattered on the +wings of the wind—Christ is everywhere +present; He has marked every particle and it +shall rise again by His own almighty power. +And what is it to sleep awhile if I am +Christ's? To die, if I am like Christ in dying? +and be buried, if I am like Christ in being +buried? I trust I shall be like Him when He +comes forth in His glory. I shall be like Him, +for the apostle says, "We shall be like him, +for we shall see him as he is"; "We shall be +changed from glory into glory, into the same +image as by the Spirit of God."</p> + +<p>It would be a great change to be changed +from glory to glory, from saints to angels, +from angels to cherubim, from cherubim to +seraphim, from glory to glory; but, thank +God! we shall not stop being changed; for +the change shall go on from glory to glory +until we shall be transformed into the likeness +of the Son of God, brighter than angels +ever shone, more glorious than were ever +cherubim.</p> + +<p>We shall be near the throne; we shall sit beside +Him, for He hath made room for us<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[143]</a></span> +there. Then, if we can calmly look at death +and face him, because his strength has been +overcome, it reconciles us to parting a little +while with friends. A father or a mother may +be taken from us, but we shall see them again; +they shall not sleep forever. The little ones +that drop from our arms, we can almost see +them this morning; some of us can almost feel +them in our arms—can see the glance of that +beautiful eye and hear the sound of that little +prattling lip; they seem to be with us now, +as a little while ago they dropt from out of +our arms. We followed them to the grave +and left them there, where the winter's storm +has been howling around them.</p> + +<p>Sometimes loneliness like that terrible storm +has swept over our hearts and left them almost +in despair; but through Christ's resurrection +we see our children yonder in glory, safe in +the Savior's arms. Their little forms shall +rise all-glorious from the tomb in the morning +of the resurrection; we shall find them, for +Jesus is the resurrection and the life.</p> + +<p>All this comes to us from the resurrection of +Christ from the dead. He died once; He dies +no more; the condemnation of death is forever +gone; He sits on the throne of everlasting +dominion; His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; +and as He died once and has risen to +die no more, so when we have died once and +gone to the grave and entered the dark valley +and shadow of death, and we come up safely<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[144]</a></span> +on the other side, thank God! death is passed +forever; we shall then put our feet on the +neck of the monster and shall be able to say:</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">"Oh death, where is thy sting?<br /></span> +<span class="i1">Oh grave, where is thy victory?"<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>Looking at the resurrection of Christ we +exclaim, Thanks be unto God who hath given +us the victory! Such is the eternity and +blessedness that awaits us. Thank God for a +spiritual body! Here some of us long to +triumph over nature. We would grasp, if we +could, angelic wisdom; but our brows will +ache with pain, our frames decay, our eyes +grow dim, our hearing fail. This flesh of +ours will not stand hours of painful study and +seasons of protracted labor; but, thank God! +when the body that now oppresses us is laid +in the grave a spiritual body will be given to +us, pure, ethereal, and holy. Oh, what an +extent of knowledge shall flash upon us; what +light and glory; what spirituality and power! +Then we shall not need to ask an angel anything. +We shall know as we are known. +Jesus will be our teacher; the Everlasting +God, the Man whose name is Wonderful, the +Counselor, the Prince of Peace. He Himself +shall be our Leader. We shall know then as +also we are known.</p> + +<p>Then rejoice in God. Dry up those tears. +Cast away that downcast look. Child of the +dust, you are an heir of glory. There is a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[145]</a></span> +crown all burnished for you; there is a mansion +all ready for you; there is a white robe +prepared for you; there is eternal glory for +you; angels are to be your servants and you +are to reign with the King of Kings forever. +But while you wait on earth, be witnesses for +God; attest the glory of your Master; rise in +the greatness of His strength; bind sin captive +to your chariot wheels; go onward in your +heavenly career, and be as pure as your +ascended Head is pure. Be active in works of +mercy; be angels of light; be names of fire; +go on your mission of mercy and convert the +world unto God before you go up higher. +When you go, not only go forward to present +yourself, but may every one of you be able to +say: "Here am I and those which Thou hast +given me."</p> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146"> </a><br /><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147"> </a></span></p> + + + + +<h2>THEODORE PARKER</h2> + +<h3>THE TRANSIENT AND PERMANENT IN +CHRISTIANITY</h3> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148"> </a></span></p> + + + + +<h4>BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE</h4> + + +<p><span class="smcap">Theodore Parker</span>, American divine and +reformer, was born at Lexington, Mass., +in 1810. He was educated at Harvard +and graduated from the Divinity School +of that University in 1836. The following +year he was ordained pastor of Roxbury +Christian Church, and first attracted attention +by his sermon on the "Transient +and Permanent in Christianity," preached +in 1841. This sermon was ultimately the +cause of his practical exclusion from the +Unitarian body, and in 1846 he became +minister to the Twenty-eighth Congregational +Society in Boston.</p> + +<p>In this pastorate he became well known +to all denominations from the remarkable +sermons he preached for seven years in +Music Hall. He died of consumption at +Florence, Italy, in 1860. His powerful +intellect and vigorous eloquence were exhibited +in the many controversial sermons +he preached, both as a believer in the nonsupernaturalism +of present Christianity +and as a practical humanitarian. He +figured as one of the leading abolitionists +of New England.</p> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[149]</a></span></p> + + + + +<h2>THEODORE PARKER</h2> + +<h3>1810-1860</h3> + +<h4>THE TRANSIENT AND PERMANENT IN +CHRISTIANITY</h4> + +<p><em>Heaven and earth shall pass away; but my words shall +not pass away.</em>—Luke xxi., 33.</p> + + +<p>In this sentence we have a very clear indication +that Jesus of Nazareth believed +the religion He taught would be eternal, +that the substance of it would last forever. +Yet there are some who are affrighted by the +faintest rustle which a heretic makes among +the dry leaves of theology; they tremble lest +Christianity itself should perish without hope. +Ever and anon the cry is raised, "The Philistines +be upon us, and Christianity is in danger." +The least doubt respecting the popular +theology, or the existing machinery of the +Church; the least sign of distrust in the religion +of the pulpit, or the religion of the street, +is by some good men supposed to be at enmity +with faith in Christ, and capable of shaking +Christianity itself. On the other hand, a few +bad men, and a few pious men, it is said, on +both sides of the water, tell us the day of +Christianity is past. The latter, it is alleged, +would persuade us that hereafter piety must +take a new form; the teachings of Jesus are<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[150]</a></span> +to be passed by; that religion is to wing her +way sublime, above the flight of Christianity, +far away, toward heaven, as the fledged eaglet +leaves forever the nest which sheltered his callow +youth. Let us therefore devote a few moments +to this subject, and consider what is +transient in Christianity, and what is permanent +therein.</p> + +<hr class="tb" /> + +<p>In actual Christianity,—that is, in that portion +of Christianity which is preached and +believed,—there seems to have been, ever +since the time of its earthly Founder, two +elements, the one transient, the other permanent. +The one is the thought, the folly, +the uncertain wisdom, the theological notions, +the impiety of man; the other, the eternal +truth of God. These two bear, perhaps, the +same relation to each other that the phenomena +of outward nature, such as sunshine and +cloud, growth, decay and reproduction, bear +to the great law of nature, which underlies +and supports them all. As in that case more +attention is commonly paid to the particular +phenomena than to the general law, so in this +case more is generally given to the transient +in Christianity than to the permanent therein.</p> + +<p>It must be confest, tho with sorrow, that +transient things form a great part of what +is commonly taught as religion. An undue +place has often been assigned to forms and +doctrines, while too little stress has been laid<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[151]</a></span> +on the divine life of the soul, love to God, +and love to man. Religious forms may be useful +and beautiful. They are so, whenever they +speak to the soul, and answer a want thereof. +In our present state some forms are perhaps +necessary. But they are only the accident of +Christianity, not its substance. They are the +robe, not the angel, who may take another +robe quite as becoming and useful. One sect +has many forms; another, none. Yet both +may be equally Christian, in spite of the redundance +or the deficiency. They are a part +of the language in which religion speaks, and +exist, with few exceptions, wherever man is +found. In our calculating nation, in our rationalizing +sect, we have retained but two of +the rites so numerous in the early Christian +Church, and even these we have attenuated +to the last degree, leaving them little more +than a specter of the ancient form. Another +age may continue or forsake both; may revive +old forms, or invent new ones to suit the altered +circumstances of the times, and yet be +Christians quite as good as we, or our fathers +of the dark ages. Whether the apostles designed +these rites to be perpetual seems a +question which belongs to scholars and antiquarians,—not +to us, as Christian men and +women. So long as they satisfy or help the +pious heart, so long they are good. Looking +behind or around us, we see that the forms +and rites of the Christians are quite as fluctuating<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[152]</a></span> +as those of the heathens, from whom +some of them have been, not unwisely, adopted +by the earlier Church.</p> + +<p>Any one, who traces the history of what is +called Christianity, will see that nothing +changes more from age to age than the doctrines +taught as Christian, and insisted on as +essential to Christianity and personal salvation. +What is falsehood in one province +passes for truth in another. The heresy of +one age is the orthodox belief and "only infallible +rule" of the next. Now Arius, and +now Athanasius, is lord of the ascendant. +Both were excommunicated in their turn, each +for affirming what the other denied. Men are +burned for professing what men are burned +for denying. For centuries the doctrines of +the Christians were no better, to say the least, +than those of their contemporary pagans. +The theological doctrines derived from our +fathers seem to have come from Judaism, +heathenism, and the caprice of philosophers, +far more than they have come from the principle +and sentiment of Christianity. The doctrine +of the Trinity, the very Achilles of theological +dogmas, belongs to philosophy and not +religion; its subtleties cannot even be expressed +in our tongue. As old religions became +superannuated, and died out, they left +to the rising faith, as to a residuary legatee, +their forms and their doctrines; or rather, as +the giant in the fable left his poisoned garment<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[153]</a></span> +to work the overthrow of his conqueror. +Many tenets that pass current in our theology +seem to be the refuse of idol temples, the offscourings +of Jewish and heathen cities rather +than the sands of virgin gold which the stream +of Christianity has worn off from the rock of +ages, and brought in its bosom for us. It is +wood, hay, and stubble, wherewith men have +built on the corner-stone Christ laid. What +wonder the fabric is in peril when tried by +fire? The stream of Christianity, as men receive +it, has caught a stain from every soil it +has filtered through, so that now it is not the +pure water from the well of life which is offered +to our lips, but streams troubled and +polluted by man with mire and dirt. If Paul +and Jesus could read our books of theological +doctrines, would they accept as their teaching +what men have vented in their name? Never, +till the letters of Paul had faded out of his +memory, never, till the words of Jesus had +been torn out from the book of life. It is their +notions about Christianity men have taught +as the only living word of God. They have +piled their own rubbish against the temple of +truth where piety comes up to worship; what +wonder the pile seems unshapely and like to +fall? But these theological doctrines are fleeting +as the leaves on the trees. They—</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i24">"Are found<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Now green in youth, now withered on the ground;<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Another race the following spring supplies;<br /></span> +<span class="i0">They fall successive, and successive rise."<br /></span> +</div></div> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[154]</a></span></p> +<p>Like the clouds of the sky, they are here to-day; +to-morrow, all swept off and vanished; +while Christianity itself, like the heaven +above, with its sun, and moon, and uncounted +stars, is always over our head, tho the cloud +sometimes debars us of the needed light. It +must of necessity be the case that our reasonings, +and therefore our theological doctrines, +are imperfect, and so perishing. It is +only gradually that we approach to the true +system of nature by observation and reasoning, +and work out our philosophy and theology +by the toil of the brain. But meantime, if we +are faithful, the great truths of mortality and +religion, the deep sentiment of love to man +and love to God, are perceived intuitively, and +by instinct, as it were, tho our theology be +imperfect and miserable. The theological notions +of Abraham, to take the story as it +stands, were exceedingly gross, yet a greater +than Abraham has told us, "Abraham desired +to see my day, saw it, and was glad." Since +these notions are so fleeting, why need we accept +the commandment of men as the doctrine +of God?</p> + +<p>This transitoriness of doctrines appears in +many instances, of which two may be selected +for a more attentive consideration. First, the +doctrine respecting the origin and authority +of the Old and New Testaments. There has +been a time when men were burned for asserting +doctrines of natural philosophy which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[155]</a></span> +rested on evidence the most incontestable, because +those doctrines conflicted with sentences +in the Old Testament. Every word of that +Jewish record was regarded as miraculously +inspired, and therefore as infallibly true. It +was believed that the Christian religion itself +rested thereon, and must stand or fall with +the immaculate Hebrew text. He was deemed +no small sinner who found mistakes in the +manuscripts. On the authority of the written +word man was taught to believe impossible +legends, conflicting assertions; to take fiction +for fact, a dream for a miraculous revelation +of God, an Oriental poem for a grave history +of miraculous events, a collection of amatory +idyls for a serious discourse "touching the +mutual love of Christ and the Church"; they +have been taught to accept a picture sketched +by some glowing Eastern imagination, never +intended to be taken for a reality, as a proof +that the infinite God spoke in human words, +appeared in the shape of a cloud, a flaming +bush, or a man who ate, and drank, and vanished +into smoke; that He gave counsels to-day, +and the opposite to-morrow; that He violated +His own laws, was angry, and was only +dissuaded by a mortal man from destroying +at once a whole nation,—millions of men who +rebelled against their leader in a moment of +anguish. Questions in philosophy, questions +in the Christian religion, have been settled by +an appeal to that book. The inspiration of its<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[156]</a></span> +authors has been assumed as infallible. Every +fact in the early Jewish history has been +taken as a type of some analogous fact in +Christian history. The most distant events, +even such as are still in the arms of time, were +supposed to be clearly foreseen and foretold +by pious Hebrews several centuries before +Christ. It has been assumed at the outset, +with no shadow of evidence, that those writers +held a miraculous communication with God, +such as He has granted to no other man. What +was originally a presumption of bigoted Jews +became an article of faith, which Christians +were burned for not believing. This has been +for centuries the general opinion of the Christian +Church, both Catholic and Protestant, +tho the former never accepted the Bible as +the only source of religious truth. It has been +so. Still worse, it is now the general opinion +of religious sects at this day. Hence the attempt, +which always fails, to reconcile the philosophy +of our times with the poems in Genesis +writ a thousand years before Christ. Hence +the attempt to conceal the contradictions in +the record itself. Matters have come to such +a pass that even now he is deemed an infidel, +if not by implication an atheist, whose reverence +for the Most High forbids him to believe +that God commanded Abraham to sacrifice +his son,—a thought at which the flesh creeps +with horror; to believe it solely on the authority +of an Oriental story, written down nobody<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[157]</a></span> +knows when or by whom, or for what +purpose; which may be a poem, but can not be +the record of a fact, unless God is the author +of confusion and a lie.</p> + +<p>Now, this idolatry of the Old Testament +has not always existed. Jesus says that none +born of a woman is greater than John the +Baptist, yet the least in the kingdom of heaven +is greater than John. Paul tells us the law—the +very crown of the old Hebrew revelation—is +a shadow of good things which have +now come; only a schoolmaster to bring us to +Christ; and when faith has come, that we are +no longer under the schoolmaster; that it was +a law of sin and death, from which we are +made free by the law of the spirit of life. +Christian teachers themselves have differed +so widely in their notion of the doctrines and +meaning of those books that it makes one weep +to think of the follies deduced therefrom. +But modern criticism is fast breaking to pieces +this idol which men have made out of the +Scriptures. It has shown that here are the +most different works thrown together; that +their authors, wise as they sometimes were, +pious as we feel often their spirit to have been, +had only that inspiration which is common to +other men equally pious and wise; that they +were by no means infallible, but were mistaken +in facts or in reasoning,—uttered predictions +which time has not fulfilled; men +who in some measure partook of the darkness<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[158]</a></span> +and limited notions of their age, and were not +always above its mistakes or its corruptions.</p> + +<p>The history of opinions on the New Testament +is quite similar. It has been assumed +at the outset, it would seem with no sufficient +reason, without the smallest pretense on its +writers' part, that all of its authors were infallibly +and miraculously inspired, so that +they could commit no error of doctrine or fact. +Men have been bid to close their eyes at the +obvious difference between Luke and John, +the serious disagreement between Paul and +Peter; to believe, on the smallest evidence, accounts +which shock the moral sense and revolt +the reason, and tend to place Jesus in the same +series with the Hercules and Appollonius of +Tyana; accounts which Paul in the Epistles +never mentions, tho he also had a vein of +the miraculous running quite through him. +Men have been told that all these things must +be taken as part of Christianity, and if they +accepted the religion, they must take all these +accessories along with it; that the living spirit +could not be had without the killing letter. +All the books which caprice or accident had +brought together between the lids of the Bible +were declared to be the infallible Word of +God, the only certain rule of religious faith +and practise. Thus the Bible was made not a +single channel, but the only certain rule of +religious faith and practise. To disbelieve +any of its statements, or even the common interpretation<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[159]</a></span> +put upon those statements by +the particular age or church in which the man +belonged, was held to be infidelity, if not +atheism. In the name of Him who forbids us +to judge our brother, good men and pious +men have applied these terms to others, good +and pious as themselves. That state of things +has by no means passed away. Men who cry +down the absurdities of paganism in the worst +spirit of the French "free thinkers" call +others infidels and atheists, who point out, +tho reverently, other absurdities which men +have piled upon Christianity. So the world +goes. An idolatrous regard for the imperfect +scripture of God's word is the apple of +Atalanta, which defeats theologians running +for the hand of divine truth.</p> + +<p>But the current notions respecting the infallible +inspiration of the Bible have no foundation +in the Bible itself. Which evangelist, +which apostle of the New Testament, what +prophet or psalmist of the Old Testament, ever +claims infallible authority for himself or for +others? Which of them does not in his own +writings show that he was finite, and, with all +his zeal and piety, possest but a limited inspiration, +the bound whereof we can sometimes +discover? Did Christ ever demand that +men should assent to the doctrines of the Old +Testament, credit its stories, and take its +poems for histories, and believe equally two +accounts that contradict one another? Has<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[160]</a></span> +He ever told you that all the truths of His +religion, all the beauty of a Christian life +should be contained in the writings of those +men who, even after His resurrection, expected +Him to be a Jewish king; of men who +were sometimes at variance with one another, +and misunderstood His divine teachings? +Would not those modest writers themselves +be confounded at the idolatry we pay them? +Opinions may change on these points, as they +have often changed—changed greatly and for +the worse since the days of Paul. They are +changing now, and we may hope for the better; +for God makes man's folly as well his +wrath to praise Him, and continually brings +good out of evil.</p> + +<p>Another instance of the transitoriness of +doctrines taught as Christian is found in those +which relate to the nature and authority of +Christ. One ancient party has told us that +He is the infinite God; another, that He is +both God and man; a third, that He was a +man, the son of Joseph and Mary, born as we +are; tempted like ourselves; inspired as we +may be, if we will pay the price. Each of the +former parties believed its doctrine on this +head was infallibly true, and formed the very +substance of Christianity, and was one of the +essential conditions of salvation, tho scarce +any two distinguished teachers, of ancient or +modern times, agree in their expression of +this truth.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[161]</a></span></p> + +<p>Almost every sect that has ever been, makes +Christianity rest on the personal authority of +Jesus, and not the immutable truth of the doctrines +themselves, or the authority of God, +who sent Him into the world. Yet it seems +difficult to conceive any reason why moral and +religious truths should rest for their support +on the personal authority of their revealer, +any more than the truths of science on that +of him who makes them known first or most +clearly. It is hard to see why the great truths +of Christianity rest on the personal authority +of Jesus, more than the axioms of geometry +rest on the personal authority of Euclid or +Archimedes. The authority of Jesus as of +all teachers, one would naturally think, must +rest on the truth of His words, and not their +truth on His authority.</p> + +<p>Opinions respecting the nature of Christ +seem to be constantly changing. In the three +first centuries after Christ, it appears, great +latitude of speculation prevailed. Some said +He was God, with nothing of human nature, +His body only an illusion; others that He was +man, with nothing of the divine nature, His +miraculous birth having no foundation in fact. +In a few centuries it was decreed by councils +that He was God, thus honoring the divine element; +next, that He was man also, thus admitting +the human side. For some ages the +Catholic Church seems to have dwelt chiefly +on the divine nature that was in Him, leaving<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[162]</a></span> +the human element to mystics and other heretical +persons, whose bodies served to flesh the +swords of orthodox believers. The stream of +Christianity has come to us in two channels,—one +within the Church, the other without the +Church,—and it is not hazarding too much to +say that since the fourth century the true +Christian life has been out of the established +Church, and not in it, but rather in the ranks +of dissenters. From the Reformation till the +latter part of the last century, we are told, +the Protestant Church dwelt chiefly on the +human side of Christ, and since that time +many works have been written to show how +the two—perfect Deity and perfect manhood—were +united in His character. But, all this +time, scarce any two eminent teachers agree +on these points, however orthodox they may +be called. What a difference between the +Christ of John Gerson and John Calvin,—yet +were both accepted teachers and pious +men. What a difference between the Christ +of the Unitarians and the Methodists,—yet +may men of both sects be true Christians +and acceptable with God. What a difference +between the Christ of Matthew and John,—yet +both were disciples, and their influence +is wide as Christendom and deep as the heart +of man. But on this there is not time to enlarge.</p> + +<p>Now, it seems clear that the notions men +form about the origin and nature of the Scriptures,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[163]</a></span> +respecting the nature and authority of +Christ, have nothing to do with Christianity +except as its aids or its adversaries; they are +not the foundation of its truths. These are +theological questions, not religious questions. +Their connection with Christianity appears +accidental; for if Jesus had taught at Athens, +and not at Jerusalem; if He had wrought no +miracle, and none but the human nature had +ever been ascribed to them; if the Old Testament +had forever perished at His birth,—Christianity +would still have been the word +of God; it would have lost none of its truths. +It would be just as true, just as beautiful, just +as lasting, as now it is; tho we should have +lost so many a blessed word, and the work of +Christianity itself would have been, perhaps, +a long time retarded.</p> + +<p>To judge the future by the past, the former +authority of the Old Testament can never return. +Its present authority can not stand. It +must be taken for what it is worth. The occasional +folly and impiety of its authors must +pass for no more than their value; while the +religion, the wisdom, the love, which make +fragrant its leaves, will still speak to the best +hearts as hitherto, and in accents even more +divine when reason is allowed her rights. The +ancient belief in the infallible inspiration of +each sentence of the New Testament is fast +changing, very fast. One writer, not a skeptic, +but a Christian of unquestioned piety, sweeps<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[164]</a></span> +off the beginning of Matthew; another, of a +different church and equally religious, the end +of John. Numerous critics strike off several +epistles. The Apocalypse itself is not spared, +notwithstanding its concluding curse. Who +shall tell us the work of retrenchment is to +stop here; that others will not demonstrate +what some pious hearts have long felt, that +errors of doctrine and errors of fact may be +found in many parts of the record, here and +there, from the beginning of Matthew to the +end of Acts? We see how opinions have +changed ever since the apostles' time; and +who shall assure us that they were not sometimes +mistaken in historical as well as doctrinal +matters; did not sometimes confound +the actual with the imaginary; and that the +fancy of these pious writers never stood in +the place of their recollection?</p> + +<p>But what if this should take place? Is +Christianity then to perish out of the heart +of the nations, and vanish from the memory +of the world, like the religions that were before +Abraham? It must be so, if it rest on a +foundation which a scoffer may shake, and a +score of pious critics shake down. But this +is the foundation of a theology, not of Christianity. +That does not rest on the decision +of councils. It is not to stand or fall with +the infallible inspiration of a few Jewish fishermen, +who have writ their names in characters +of light all over the world. It does not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[165]</a></span> +continue to stand through the forbearance of +some critic, who can cut when he will the +thread on which its life depends. Christianity +does not rest on the infallible authority of the +New Testament. It depends on this collection +of books for the historical statement of its +facts. In this we do not require infallible +inspiration on the part of the writers, more +than in the record of other historical facts. +To me it seems as presumptuous, on the one +hand, for the believer to claim this evidence +for the truth of Christianity, as it is absurd, +on the other hand, for the skeptic to demand +such evidence to support these historical statements. +I can not see that it depends on the +personal authority of Jesus. He was the organ +through which the Infinite spoke. It is +God that was manifested in the flesh by Him, +on whom rests the truth which Jesus brought +to light, and made clear and beautiful in His +life; and if Christianity be true, it seems useless +to look for any other authority to uphold +it, as for some one to support Almighty God. +So if it could be proved—as it can not—in opposition +to the greatest amount of historical +evidence ever collected on any similar point, +that the Gospels were the fabrication of designing +and artful men, that Jesus of Nazareth +had never lived, still Christianity would stand +firm, and fear no evil. None of the doctrines +of that religion would fall to the ground; for, +if true, they stand by themselves. But we<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[166]</a></span> +should lose—oh, irreparable loss!—the example +of that character, so beautiful, so divine, +that no human genius could have conceived +it, as none, after all the progress and +refinement of eighteen centuries, seems fully +to have comprehended its lustrous life. If +Christianity were true, we should still think +it was so, not because its record was written +by infallible pens, nor because it was lived +out by an infallible teacher; but that it is +true, like the axioms of geometry, because it +is true and is to be tried, by the oracle God +places in the breast. If it rest on the personal +authority of Jesus alone, then there is no certainty +of its truth if He were ever mistaken +in the smallest matter,—as some Christians +have thought He was in predicting His second +coming.</p> + +<p>These doctrines respecting the Scriptures +have often changed, and are but fleeting. Yet +men lay much stress on them. Some cling to +these notions as if they were Christianity itself. +It is about these and similar points that +theological battles are fought from age to age. +Men sometimes use worst the choicest treasure +which God bestows. This is especially true of +the use men make of the Bible. Some men have +regarded it as the heathen their idol, or the +savage his fetish. They have subordinated +reason, conscience, and religion to this. Thus +have they lost half the treasure it bears in its +bosom. No doubt the time will come when its<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[167]</a></span> +true character shall be felt. Then it will be +seen that, amid all the contradictions of the +Old Testament,—its legends, so beautiful as +fictions, so appalling as facts; amid its predictions +that have never been fulfilled; amid the +puerile conceptions of God which sometimes +occur, and the cruel denunciations that disfigure +both psalm and prophecy,—there is a +reverence for man's nature, a sublime trust +in God, and a depth of piety, rarely felt in +these cold northern hearts of ours. Then the +devotion of its authors, the loftiness of their +aim, and the majesty of their life, will appear +doubly fair, and prophet and psalmist will +warm our hearts as never before. Their voice +will cheer the young, and sanctify the gray-headed; +will charm us in the toil of life, and +sweeten the cup death gives us when he comes +to shake off this mantle of flesh. Then will it +be seen that the words of Jesus are the music +of heaven sung in an earthly voice, and that +the echo of these words in John and Paul owe +their efficacy to their truth and their depth, +and to no accidental matter connected therewith. +Then can the Word, which was in the +beginning and now is, find access to the innermost +heart of man, and speak there as now it +seldom speaks. Then shall the Bible—which +is a whole library of the deepest and most earnest +thoughts and feelings, and piety, and +love, ever recorded in human speech—be read +oftener than ever before,—not with superstition,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[168]</a></span> +but with reason, conscience, and faith, +fully active. Then shall it sustain men bowed +down with many sorrows; rebuke sin, encourage +virtue, sow the world broadcast and quick +with the seed of love, that man may reap a +harvest for life everlasting.</p> + +<p>With all the obstacles men have thrown in +its path, how much has the Bible done for +mankind! No abuse has deprived us of all its +blessings. You trace its path across the world +from the day of Pentecost to this day. As a +river springs up in the heart of a sandy continent, +having its father in the skies, and its +birthplace in distant unknown mountains; as +the stream rolls on, enlarging itself, making in +that arid waste a belt of verdure wherever it +turns its way; creating palm groves and fertile +plains, where the smoke of the cottager +curls up at eventide, and marble cities send +the gleam of their splendor far into the sky,—such +has been the course of the Bible on the +earth. Despite of idolaters bowing to the dust +before it, it has made a deeper mark on the +world than the rich and beautiful literature +of all the heathen. The first book of the Old +Testament tells man he is made in the image +of God; the first of the New Testament gives +us the motto, Be perfect as your Father in +heaven. Higher words were never spoken. +How the truths of the Bible have blest us! +There is not a boy on all the hills of New England; +not a girl born in the filthiest cellar<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[169]</a></span> +which disgraces a capital in Europe, and cries +to God against the barbarism of modern civilization; +not a boy nor a girl all Christendom +through, but their lot is made better by that +great book.</p> + +<p>Doubtless the time will come when men shall +see Christ also as He is. Well might He still +say, "Have I been so long with you, and yet +hast thou not known me?" No! we have made +Him an idol, have bowed the knee before Him, +saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" called Him +"Lord, Lord!" but done not the things which +He said. The history of the Christian world +might well be summed up in one word of the +evangelist—"and there they crucified him"; +for there has never been an age when the men +did not crucify the Son of God afresh. But +if error prevail for a time and grow old in the +world, truth will triumph at the last, and then +we shall see the Son of God as He is. Lifted +up, He shall draw all nations unto Him. Then +will men understand the word of Jesus, which +shall not pass away. Then shall we see and +love the divine life that He lived. How vast +has His influence been! How His spirit +wrought in the hearts of His disciples, rude, +selfish, bigoted, as at first they were! How +it has wrought in the world! His words judge +the nations. The wisest son of man has not +measured their height. They speak to what +is deepest in profound men, what is holiest in +good men, what is divinest in religious men.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[170]</a></span> +They kindle anew the flame of devotion in +hearts long cold. They are spirit and life. +His truth was not derived from Moses and +Solomon; but the light of God shone through +Him, not colored, not bent aside. His life is +the perpetual rebuke of all time since. It +condemns ancient civilization; it condemns +modern civilization. Wise men we have since +had, and good men; but this Galilean youth +strode before the whole world thousands of +years, so much of divinity was in Him. His +words solve the question of this present age. +In Him the Godlike and the human met and +embraced, and a divine life was born. Measure +Him by the world's greatest sons—how +poor they are! Try Him by the best of men—how +little and low they appear! Exalt Him +as much as we may, we shall yet perhaps come +short of the mark. But still was He not our +brother; the son of man, as we are; the son +of God, like ourselves? His excellence—was +it not human excellence? His wisdom, love, +piety,—sweet and celestial as they were,—are +they not what we also may attain? In Him, +as in a mirror, we may see the image of God, +and go on from glory to glory, till we are +changed into the same image, led by the spirit +which enlightens the humble. Viewed in this +way, how beautiful is the life of Jesus! +Heaven has come down to earth, or rather, +earth has become heaven. The Son of God, +come of age, has taken possession of His birthright.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[171]</a></span> +The brightest revelation is this of what +is possible for all men,—if not now, at least +hereafter. How pure is His spirit, and how +encouraging its words! "Lowly sufferer," he +seems to say, "see how I bore the cross. +Patient laborer, be strong; see how I toiled +for the unthankful and the merciless. Mistaken +sinner, see of what thou art capable. +Rise up, and be blest."</p> + +<p>But if, as some early Christians began to +do, you take a heathen view, and make Him +a God, the Son of God in a peculiar and exclusive +sense, much of the significance of His +character is gone. His virtue has no merit, +His love no feeling, His cross no burthen, His +agony no pain. His death is an illusion, His +resurrection but a show. For if He were not +a man, but a god, what are all these things? +What His words, His life, His excellence of +achievement? It is all nothing, weighed +against the illimitable greatness of Him who +created the worlds and fills up all time and +space! Then His resignation is no lesson, His +life no model, His death no triumph to you +or me, who are not gods, but mortal men, that +know not what a day shall bring forth, and +walk by faith "dim sounding on our perilous +way." Alas! we have despaired of man, and +so cut off his brightest hope.</p> + +<p>In respect of doctrines as well as forms, we +see all is transitory. "Everywhere is instability +and insecurity." Opinions have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[172]</a></span> +changed most on points deemed most vital. +Could we bring up a Christian teacher of any +age, from the sixth to the fourteenth century, +for example, tho a teacher of undoubted +soundness of faith, whose word filled the +churches of Christendom, clergymen would +scarce allow him to kneel at their altar, or sit +down with them at the Lord's table. His notions +of Christianity could not be exprest in +our forms, nor could our notions be made intelligible +to his ears. The questions of his age, +those on which Christianity was thought to depend,—questions +which perplexed and divided +the subtle doctors,—are no questions to us. +The quarrels which then drove wise men mad +now only excite a smile or a tear, as we are +disposed to laugh or weep at the frailty of +man. We have other straws of our own to +quarrel for. Their ancient books of devotion +do not speak to us; their theology is a vain +word. To look back but a short period,—the +theological speculations of our fathers during +the last two centuries, their "practical divinity," +even the sermons written by genius and +piety are, with rare exceptions, found unreadable; +such a change is there in the doctrines.</p> + +<p>Now who shall tell us that the change is to +stop here; that this sect or that, or even all +sects united, have exhausted the river of life, +and received it all in their canonized urns, so +that we need draw no more out of the eternal +well, but get refreshment nearer at hand?<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[173]</a></span> +Who shall tell us that another age will not +smile at our doctrines, disputes, and unchristian +quarrels about Christianity, and make +wide the mouth at men who walked brave in +orthodox raiment, delighting to blacken the +names of heretics, and repeat again the old +charge, "He hath blasphemed"? Who shall +tell us they will not weep at the folly of all +such as fancied truth shone only into the contracted +nook of their school, or sect, or coterie? +Men of other times may look down equally on +the heresy-hunters, and men hunted for heresy, +and wonder at both. The men of all ages +before us were quite as confident as we, that +their opinion was truth, that their notion was +Christianity and the whole thereof. The men +who lit the fires of persecution, from the first +martyr to Christian bigotry down to the last +murder of the innocents, had no doubt their +opinion was divine. The contest about transubstantiation +and the immaculate purity of +the Hebrew and Greek texts of the Scriptures +was waged with bitterness unequaled in these +days. The Protestant smiles at one, the Catholic +at the other, and men of sense wonder at +both. It might teach us all a lesson, at least +of forbearance. No doubt an age will come +in which ours shall be reckoned a period of +darkness, like the sixth century,—when men +groped for the wall, but stumbled and fell, because +they trusted a transient notion, not an +eternal truth; an age when temples were full<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[174]</a></span> +of idols, set up by human folly; an age in +which Christian light had scarce begun to +shine into men's hearts. But while this change +goes on, while one generation of opinions +passes away, and another rises up, Christianity +itself, that pure religion, which exists +eternal in the constitution of the soul and the +mind of God, is always the same. The Word +that was before Abraham, in the very beginning, +will not change, for that Word is truth. +From this Jesus subtracted nothing; to this +He added nothing. But He came to reveal it +as the secret of God, that cunning men could +not understand, but which filled the souls of +men meek and lowly of heart. This truth we +owe to God; the revelation thereof to Jesus, +our elder brother, God's chosen son.</p> + +<p>To turn away from the disputes of the Catholics +and the Protestants, of the Unitarian and +the Trinitarian, of old school and new school, +and come to the plain words of Jesus of Nazareth,—Christianity +is a simple thing, very +simple. It is absolute, pure morality; absolute, +pure religion,—the love of man; the love +of God acting without let or hindrance. The +only creed it lays down is the great truth +which springs up spontaneous in the holy +heart,—there is a God. Its watchword is, Be +perfect as your Father in heaven. The only +form it demands is a divine life,—doing the +best thing in the best way, from the highest +motives; perfect obedience to the great law<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[175]</a></span> +of God. Its sanction is the voice of God in +your heart; the perpetual presence of Him +who made us and the stars over our head; +Christ and the Father abiding within us. All +this is very simple—a little child can understand +it; very beautiful—the loftiest mind +can find nothing so lovely. Try it by reason, +conscience, and faith,—things highest in +man's nature,—we see no redundance, we feel +no deficiency. Examine the particular duties +it enjoins,—humility, reverence, sobriety, +gentleness, charity, forgiveness, fortitude, resignation, +faith, and active love; try the whole +extent of Christianity, so well summed up in +the command, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy +God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, +and with all thy mind; thou shalt love thy +neighbor as thyself"; and is there anything +therein that can perish? No, the very opponents +of Christianity have rarely found fault +with the teachings of Jesus. The end of +Christianity seems to be to make all men one +with God as Christ was one with Him; to +bring them to such a state of obedience and +goodness that we shall think divine thoughts +and feel divine sentiments, and so keep the +law of God by living a life of truth and love. +Its means are purity and prayer; getting +strength from God, and using it for our fellow-men +as well as ourselves. It allows perfect +freedom. It does not demand all men to +think alike, but to think uprightly, and get<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[176]</a></span> +as near as possible at truth; not all men to +live alike, but to live holy, and get as near +as possible to a life perfectly divine. Christ +set up no Pillars of Hercules, beyond which +men must not sail the sea in quest of truth. +He says, "I have many things to say unto +you, but ye cannot bear them now.... Greater +works than these shall ye do." Christianity +lays no rude hand on the sacred peculiarity +of individual genius and character. +But there is no Christian sect which does not +fetter a man. It would make all men think +alike, or smother their conviction in silence. +Were all men Quakers or Catholics, Unitarians +or Baptists, there would be much less +diversity of thought, character, and life, less +of truth active in the world, than now. But +Christianity gives us the largest liberty of +the sons of God; and were all men Christians +after the fashion of Jesus, this variety would +be a thousand times greater than now; for +Christianity is not a system of doctrines, but +rather a method of attaining oneness with +God. It demands, therefore, a good life of +piety within, of purity without, and gives the +promise that whoso does God's will shall know +of God's doctrine.</p> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177"> </a></span></p> + + + + +<h2>MACLEOD</h2> + +<h3>THE TRUE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY</h3> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178"> </a></span></p> + + + + +<h4>BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE</h4> + + +<p><span class="smcap">Norman Macleod</span>, the eminent Scotch +preacher, was born at Campbeltown, in +Argyleshire, in 1812. In his preaching he +departed from the rigid conventionality +of the Scottish Church. His large vision +and broad culture gave unusual distinction +both to his writings and to his pulpit +oratory. He was conspicuous for philanthropic +efforts, and frequently held evening +services for workingmen. He distinguished +himself by his popular Christian +writing and by his pulpit oratory. He +was practical and manly, of godly nature, +with extreme adaptability, and greatly +esteemed by Queen Victoria, who made +him her chaplain in 1857. He died in +1872.</p> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[179]</a></span></p> + + + + +<h2>MACLEOD</h2> + +<h3>1812-1872</h3> + +<h4>THE TRUE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a></h4> + +<p><em>Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also +which shall believe on me through their word;</em></p> + +<p><em>That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in +me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; +that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.</em>—John +xvii., 20, 21.</p> + +<p>"These words spake Jesus, and lifted +up his eyes to heaven, and said, +Father, the hour is come!" The +hour was indeed come for which the whole +world had been in travail since creation, and +which was for ever to mark a new era in the +history of the universe. The hour was come +when, having finished the work given Him to +do, He was to return to His Father, but only +after ending His earthly journey along the +awful path on which He was now entering, +and which led through Gethsemane, the cross, +and the grave. At such a moment in His life +He lifted up His eyes in perfect peace, from +the sinful and sorrowful world, to the heavens +glorious in their harmony and soothing in +their silence, and said, "Father!" One feels +a solemn awe, as if entering the holy of holies,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[180]</a></span> +in seeking to enter into the mind of +Christ as exprest in this prayer. Never +were such words spoken on earth, never were +such words heard in heaven. I ask no other +evidence to satisfy my spirit that they are +the truth of God than the evidence of their +own light, revealing as it does the speaker +as being Himself light and life, who verily +came from God and went to God.</p> + +<p>But let me in all reverence endeavor to express +a few thoughts, as to the general meaning +of this prayer, with reference more +especially to that portion of it which I have +selected as the subject of my discourse.</p> + +<p>The one all-absorbing desire of our Lord, +as here exprest—the ultimate end sought to +be realized by Him—is that God might be +glorified as a Father, and that by the world +seeing His love revealed in sending His Son +into the world to save sinners. "God is love," +but "In this was manifested the love of God +toward us, because that God sent his only-begotten +Son into the world that we might live +through him"—a love which, when spiritually +seen and possest by us, is itself life +eternal; for "This is life eternal that they +might know thee, the only true God, and +Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent;" but "He +that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is +love."</p> + +<p>All "religion" accordingly, all good, all +righteousness, peace, joy, glory, to man and to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[181]</a></span> +the universe, are bound up in this one thing, +knowing God as a Father. Out of this right +condition of love to God, must necessarily +come our right condition towards man, that of +love to man as a brother with special love, +the love of character, to Christian brethren. +Such a religion as this was never possest +as an idea even by the greatest thinkers among +the civilized heathen nations; far less was it +realized by any. Whatever knowledge many +had about God, they knew Him not as a +Father to be loved and trusted, and therefore +obeyed. When St. Paul addrest the Athenians, +he could find such a thought exprest +by a poet only, who had said, "We are also +His offspring." It is only in the line of supernatural +revelation of God to man, as given to +and received by Abraham, "the friend," and +perfected by Christ the Son, that this knowledge +of God has been possest by man. But +even among those to whom this true revelation +was given about God, how few truly knew +Him!</p> + +<p>The want of this religion, whatever else +might exist that was called by that name, was +the complaint made by God against His people +of old, "They do not know me!" "They proceed +from evil to evil," He cries, for "they +know not me, saith the Lord." "Through +deceit they refuse to know me, saith the +Lord;" and again: "Thus saith the Lord, +Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[182]</a></span> +neither let the mighty man glory in his might, +let not the rich man glory in his riches; but +let him that glorieth glory in this, that he +understandeth and knoweth me, that I am +the Lord which exercise loving-kindness, judgment, +and righteousness, in the earth: for in +these things I delight, saith the Lord." (Jer. +ix., 23, 24.)</p> + +<p>This was the sorrowing cry of Christ, "O +righteous Father, the world hath not known +thee!" This was His joy, "I have known +thee, and these have known that thou hast +sent me!"</p> + +<p>But if Christ desired that His Father's +name should be glorified, how was this to be +accomplished? By what medium, or means? +Now I would here observe that God's method +of revealing Himself to man has ever been to +do so by living men; and the Bible is a true +record of such revelations in the past. Christianity +is not the philosophy of life, but life +itself; and is a revelation, not of abstract +truth, but of the living personal God to living +persons as His children, whom He hath created +to glorify and enjoy Him for ever. The +first grand medium of this revelation is the +eternal Son of God. The very essence of +God's character being love, He did not exist +from all eternity with a mere capacity of +loving, but without an object to love; like an +eye capable of seeing light, but with no light +to see. The object of His love was His Son,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[183]</a></span> +who from all eternity responded to that love +and rejoiced in His Father. This eternal +Son, when manifested in the flesh, revealed +His Father directly, so that He could say, in +all He was, and in all He did, and, in a true +sense, in all He suffered, "He that hath seen +me, hath seen the Father;" and men could +say of Him, "We beheld His glory, the glory +as of the only-begotten of the Father, full of +grace and truth;" "The glory of God" was +"in the face of Jesus Christ." Again, He had +also, as the Son of Man, glorified His Father; +and, by His reverence for, confidence in, and +obedience to, Him, and by His joy in Him, +had indirectly revealed what he knew God to +be to Him and to all as a Father. "I have +glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished +the work which Thou gavest me to do." Such +was His finished work. But something more +was yet to be accomplished. Ere He descends +to Gethsemane, He desires anew to have the +joy of revealing a Father's heart by revealing +to the world His own heart of love as a Son +to that Father. Hence His prayer, "Glorify +thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify +thee." He does not prescribe the new +circumstances in which His long-tried and +perfect filial confidence and love as a Son +were to be manifested. With the absolute +consecration of true sonship He leaves these +circumstances to be determined by His Father. +Now, as on the cross, He commits His spirit,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[184]</a></span> +as a little child, into His Father's hands. He +desires only that in any way, by any means, +He may have the joy of showing forth the +reality, the endurance, and the triumph of +His Sonship. His Father may fill His cup +according to His own will, the Son will drink +it. The Father may permit a crown of thorns +to be placed on His brow, and every conceivable +horror of great darkness from the hate +of men and devils to be cast over Him like a +funeral-pall; He may be rejected by all His +brethren and by the Church and by the State—"Amen!" +He cries. Let His body be +broken and His blood shed, He will give +thanks! One thing only He prays for, +"Glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may +glorify thee!" As a further end to be accomplished, +He prays that He may have the +joy of making others share the same divine +love and joy, and therefore adds, "As thou +hast given him power over all flesh, that he +should give eternal life to as many as thou +hast given him. And this is life eternal, that +they might know thee, the only true God, and +Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."</p> + +<p>But while He as the Son was to be the first +revealer of God the Father, He was not, therefore, +to be the only revealer. He was the firstborn +of many brethren in whom the same love +was to be reproduced, and by whom the same +high duty was to be performed. If the light of +the glory of God shone directly in the face<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[185]</a></span> +of Jesus Christ, that light was to be transmitted +to those who were to shine as lights +in the world, that others seeing them might +glorify the same God. For now, as ever, God +in a real sense manifests Himself in the flesh. +Hence our Lord's desire that His brethren +should, as sons, reveal the Father, like Himself +the Son. He says accordingly, "As thou +hast sent me into the world, even so have I +also sent them into the world." Sent whom? +Not apostles only, but those also who should +believe through their word; not ministers of +the Church only, but members also; all, in +short, who were qualified to convince the +world that God was a Father, by convincing it +of this truth, that God had sent His Son to +save sinners—the "faithful saying, worthy of +all acceptation."</p> + +<p>But the question is further suggested, What +is this qualification? What is this which men +must possess in order to accomplish Christ's +purpose of inducing the world to believe? +What is this evidence of Christianity which +they are to present to the eyes of unbelieving +men, by seeing which these are to know and +glorify God as their Father in Christ? We reply, +it is the oneness of those who are to be ambassadors +from God and fellow-workers with +Christ. "I pray for them," He says, and not +for them only, but "for them also who shall +believe on me through their word; that they +all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[186]</a></span> +and I in thee, that they may be one in us; +that the world may believe that thou hast +sent me."</p> + +<p>Now this leads me to consider more particularly +the nature of this oneness which is +essential for such a successful mission as will +convince the world of the truth of Christ's +mission from the Father. What is meant by +this oneness, or this union?</p> + +<p>We are guided in our inquiry by three +features which characterize it. First, It is a +oneness such as subsists between Christ and +God; secondly, It is a oneness which can be +seen or appreciated; thirdly, It is a oneness +which is calculated from its nature to convince +the world of the truth of Christ's mission.</p> + +<p>Now there are many kinds of union among +men, which, however wonderful or excellent, +may be set aside as obviously not fulfilling +these conditions, and not such, therefore, as +Christ prayed for. There is, e. g., the unity +of an army which marches as one man, implicitly +obeying its commander even unto +death and without a question. Yet, however +grand this is, and however illustrative of the +character of good soldiers of Jesus Christ, it +does not fulfil the conditions specified. Nor +does the wonderful unity of a State, which +makes and imposes laws, proclaims war or +peace, administers justice, and executes its +judgments. In neither case is there any union<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[187]</a></span> +such as subsists betwixt God and Christ; nor +such as is in any sense adapted to convince +the world that God has sent His Son to save +sinners. The same may be alleged of any outward +and visible unity of a body of men which +might be called a Church. Its organization +might be as wonderful, and its members as +disciplined, and its power as remarkable, as +those of an army; it might be held together +like a state by its laws and its enactments, +its rewards and punishments, and might energetically +advance until it possest the dominion +of the world, and attracted such attention +as that all men might marvel at it; its members +might assent to all the details of a creed +however large; the same rights and ceremonies +and modes of worship might be repeated +throughout all its parts; and it might be able +to continue its organized existence from age +to age,—yet it would by no means follow that +any such system, however remarkable, possest +that inward spiritual unity desired in +Christ's prayer, no more than the compact +unity of Brahminism does, nor the still more +extraordinary unity of Buddhism, with its +temples, its priesthood, its creed, its rites and +ceremonies, continuing unchanged during +teeming centuries, and dominating over hundreds +of millions of the human race. May +not all these and many similar unities be +fully and satisfactorily accounted for by +principles in human nature, altogether irrespective<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[188]</a></span> +of the fact of a supernatural power +having come into the world to which their +origin or continuance is owing? For there is +a oneness in the churchyard as well as in the +church. There might be a oneness of assent +amongst a deaf multitude with regard to +the beauty of music, because determined by +the fiat of authority, but not as the result +of hearing and of taste; and the same kind +of oneness of judgment as to the beauty of +pictures, on the part of those who were blind. +Unity alone proves nothing, apart from its +nature and its origin.</p> + +<p>There is but one kind of unity or oneness +which fulfils the specified conditions, and that +is, oneness of character or of spiritual life—in +one word, the oneness of love;—for this is +the highest condition of a personal spirit. +It is such love as God had and has to Christ; +"That the love wherewith thou has loved +me may be in them;" such love as the Son +has to the Father, and such as He manifested +to His disciples that very evening when, +conscious of His divine glory, and "knowing +that he was come from God, and went to +God," He girded Himself with a towel and +washed His disciples' feet. Hence the declaration, +"The glory," that is, of character, +"which thou gavest me I have given them, +that they," through its possession, "may be +one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou +in me." Hence again His saying, "They are<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[189]</a></span> +not of the world, even as I am not of the +world;" and His prayer, "I pray not that +thou shouldst take them out of the world, +but that thou shouldst keep them from the +evil." Such love as this, when in the soul +of ordinary men, does not originate in their +own hearts, however naturally benevolent +or affectionate these may be. Our Lord +in this prayer recognizes it as inseparable +from faith in His own teaching, and from +personal conviction of the truth which they +themselves were to preach; for they had +received His words, and had "known surely +that I came out from thee, and they have +believed that thou didst send me"; and so +He prays, "Sanctify them through thy truth; +thy word is truth."</p> + +<p>Now, if we would divide, as with a prism, +this pure light of love, we might discern it as +being composed, as it were, of at least two +colors, or features—first, love to God, exprest +in the desire that He should be known; +secondly, love to man, exprest in self-sacrifice +that all should share this true love. But these +very features we discern as first existing in +God the Father and in Christ the Son; for +God desires, from the necessity of His own +nature, that He should be known, and that +all His rational creatures should see the glory +of His character, and, in seeing it, should live. +God has also manifested His love, according +to the law of love, by giving and by self-sacrifice,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[190]</a></span> +inasmuch as He "spared not his own +Son, but delivered him up for us all." In +like manner, the Son desired that His Father +might be known, and to accomplish this He +became incarnate. He has manifested His +love also in the form of self-sacrifice, in that +His whole life and death were an offering up +of Himself as a sacrifice unto God, and as an +atonement for the sins of the world, in order +that all men might be made partakers of His +own eternal life in God. This, too, is the +"mind" of the Holy Spirit, for He glorifies +the Son, that the Son may glorify the Father, +and glorifies Him in and by His true Church. +Hence, wherever true love exists in man, it +will manifest itself in these two forms; it will +ever desire that God may be known, and will +never "seek its own," but sacrifice itself that +this end may be attained. In such oneness as +this of mind, spirit, character—in one word, +love—there is realized the first condition of +that oneness for which our Lord prayed.</p> + +<p>Secondly, This unity of character fulfils +the second condition in its being such as the +world can in some degree see and appreciate. +Blind as the world is, it can see love in the +form of self-sacrifice at least, seeking its good, +even tho it may not at once see in this a revelation +of such love as has its origin in the love +of God to man. The world's heart can perceive +more things and greater things than can +its intellect. The child of the statesman or<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[191]</a></span> +man of science may not be able to comprehend +the world-politics of the one or the scientific +discoveries of the other; but it can see and +feel the love revealed in the glance of the eye, +in the smile on the lips, or in the arms that +clasp it to the bosom; and in seeing this, it +sees an infinitely greater thing than the politics +of the one or the scientific discoveries of +the other. It sees, too, in this, tho unconsciously, +the love of the Father's heart which +fills the universe with glory, even as its eye, +when opened to a little light, sees the same +light which illumines a thousand worlds. And +thus can the world see the light of love. Those +who are in prison, in nakedness, or in thirst, +are quite able to see and to appreciate the +love that, for Christ's sake, visits them, clothes +them, and gives them drink. The wretched +lepers in the lazar-house, into which no one +could enter and ever return to the world, +could see and appreciate the love of the +Moravian missionary who visited them, and +who shut the door for ever between him and +all he knew and loved, that he might share +and alleviate the horrors of his wretched +brethren whom he loved more than all. Blind +as the world is, it can see this or nothing; bad +as it is, it can appreciate this goodness or +none.</p> + +<p>Thirdly, Such a character is calculated also +to convince the world that God has sent Christ +to save sinners. Observe again what is our<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[192]</a></span> +Lord's idea of the mission which was to convert +the world; it is this, that those whom He +sends, even as God had sent Himself, whether +as apostles or as disciples, should give to their +fellow men what they have first received from +their living Head, Jesus Christ. They were to +give "the words" which they received from +Him, and which He had received from God—they +were to give "the truth" which they received +from Him, and which He Himself had +glorified in His life and death, that God had +sent Him to be the Savior of the world. They +were also to manifest that life which they had +received from Him, and which He had received +from God, and which in them was the +necessary result of their faith. Now, it is in +the seeing of this life in those who proclaim +the truth that the truth itself appears worthy +of all acceptation, and that God verily, who +has sent His Son to save sinners, is love. It is +thus, you perceive, that the mission of the +Church, whether of its ministers or its members, +is not only to preach glad tidings, but to +show their reality in their actual results; not +only to preach salvation, but to preach it by +saved men; not only to preach eternal life, but +to preach it by those who possess it; not only +to preach about a Father, but to reveal also +that Father through His regenerated sons, +who themselves know and love Him. Further, +the idea of a Church is that of a society whose +members are united through faith in the same<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[193]</a></span> +truth, and are in possession of the same life. +Such a society necessarily springs out of faith +and love, and its members cannot choose but +unite outwardly because united inwardly. +Our Lord assumes its future existence and +provides for its continuance. A Church realizing +Christ's ideal would, therefore, possess, +as its creed this, at least, of believing Christ's +words, and the truth that "God had sent his +Son to be the Savior of the world." For +"every spirit that confesseth not that Christ +hath come in the flesh is not of God." "And +whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son +of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God." +Its initiatory sacrament, that of baptism, does +but express the nature of this society—viz., +that its members are the children of God the +Father through Christ the Son, and by the +indwelling of the Holy Spirit—their character +being a spiritual baptism into the possession of +"God's name," which is "love."</p> + +<p>Another characteristic of it is their possession +of that eternal life which is exprest as +well as maintained by the "communion" in +which its members meet together as brethren, +their bond of union being a common union +with God in Christ and one another, through +the constant partaking of Him, the living +bread; eating His flesh and drinking His blood—that +is, His whole life of self-sacrifice and +love becoming a part of their very being. +Worship in spirit and in truth is also necessarily<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[194]</a></span> +involved in the idea of such a society; +and I might add, worship, not from a command +merely, but as a necessary result of spiritual +character, becoming in a true sense "infallible" +as to religion; but religion in this +sense,—that of knowing God because of its +members being able to say, "We know that he +dwelleth in us, and we in him, because he hath +given us his Spirit, and we know and testify +that he sent his Son to be the Savior of the +world." Such a Church would likewise, in a +true sense, have an apostolical succession—that +is, a succession of teachers and members +who had the apostolic spirit, or the oneness as +described by our Lord; for it would be able, +from its possessing the Spirit of God, to discern +those who were like-minded, and to select +such as were specially fitted for the work of +the ministry. This is the ideal of the Church.</p> + +<p>But has such a Church been realized? +Has there ever been a visible organized body +of men who carried out this sublime purpose? +Once, indeed, there was. For we perceive, +more or less clearly, all these features in the +early Church when it had received the Spirit +on the day of Pentecost, and when its members +met together and "had all things in common," +and manifested such sonship towards God, and +brotherhood towards each other; and sent +forth everywhere its public minister and its +members also to bring men into the same +blessed unity. But supposing the ideal had no<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[195]</a></span> +more been realized since that time than God's +ideal as described by Moses had been fully +realized in the Jewish Church;—yet must the +ideal, nevertheless, be ever kept before the +spiritual eye. For we do not produce high art +by keeping a low rather than a high standard +before the artist; neither can we reach to great +things in the Church unless we keep a high +standard before its members. It is unnecessary +here to inquire how it came to pass that +the Church, to such a great extent, lost this +ideal as one visible society, and became so +corrupt as to substitute innumerable vain +appearances of spiritual realities for that +which alone could satisfy a true and righteous +God. But as things now are, the "Church" +is broken up into various "churches" or societies, +striving more or less to realize the +ideal. Each society does so just in proportion +as it is able to carry out our Lord's purpose +as to its ministry being one in faith, believing +Christ's words, in its knowing truly that +He came from God to save sinners, and in +its seeking, from love to God and man, to +make all men know their Father, in the knowledge +of whom is salvation.</p> + +<p>But to confine myself to our own particular +duties, let me remind you, fathers and brethren, +of our high calling as profest ministers +of Christ's Church. The cry of earnest souls, +weary of their many burthens, unsatisfied with +their husks, conscious of being in a distant<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[196]</a></span> +land, and finding nothing which men can give +to allay their hungering and thirsting, is this: +"Show us the Father, and it sufficeth us!" +Now supposing an earnest spirit, seeking after +the Father, comes to us as His profest ministers +in order to discover the truth of what +we preach, he might very naturally say, "You +preach to me a Savior who came a long time +ago into the world professing to save sinners, +and you tell me that He is coming again at +some future period to judge the world and to +bestow salvation upon many; but I want to +know whether there is a Savior now; or is it +all empty space between that past and that +future? You tell me about salvation from the +suffering of sin; I ask, 'Is there salvation from +sin itself, without which I feel there can be +no deliverance from suffering'? You tell me +about a medicine that is an infallible cure for +'this ineradicable taint of sin,' and describe +the terrible consequences of the disease to me +if I be not cured, and the blessed results of +joyous spiritual health and peace; but 'Can +you show me any person who has actually been +restored from disease to health by this divine +medicine'? Is all this preaching a mere idle +theory of life? Or if not, where is the life +itself? Art thou thyself saved? If not—'physician, +heal thyself'; for until then thou +canst not cure me." But suppose, further, +that this same person comes into close contact +with the mind of the preacher, and that the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[197]</a></span> +more he sees and knows it the more he discerns +in the man such thoughts regarding God, +such a knowledge of Him, such a love to Him, +as convince him that here at least is a reality +and not a pretense; suppose that the more +he discerns his whole inner life, the things +which give him pain and joy, the things which +he desires and loves, with his whole feelings +towards his fellow-men—feelings expressed in +a life of action, which, in spite of infirmities +and shortcomings belonging to all human beings, +the questioner cannot but recognize as +a kind of life he never saw before—a life, too, +which commends itself, from what it is, as +being the most real and the most satisfactory +to reason, conscience, and heart: can anything, +I ask, be more calculated to convince him of +the account which its possessor gives him as to +its origin, when he says, "The life I now live +in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of +God, who loved me, and gave himself for +me." "It is a faithful saying, and worthy of +all acceptation, that Christ came into the +world to save sinners, of whom I am the +chief." What then? What else must be the +result of such a vision of true life than the +conviction that God is our Father and that +God is love, because it is evident from observation +as well as from testimony that He hath +sent His Son to save men, not in the past only, +but to save them now—not to save only those +who are called "good," but to save those<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[198]</a></span> +who are the chief of sinners? If a man truly +believes all this, then does he know God, and +in so doing possesses eternal life. But more +than this, how will his convictions be deepened +if, in searching for others who may have the +same life, and if, tho failing to discover any +one visible body of Christians that show it +forth in the unity of the Spirit and in the +bond of peace, he is yet able to satisfy himself +that there have been, during the last eighteen +centuries, and that there are now, in every +church, in every land, among all races of men, +among those of different temperaments, different +culture, and amidst a variety of all possible +outward circumstances, men with like +passions as himself, who have faith in the +same Lord, and are thereby possest of a +true love of God and of one another—how +will this, I say, deepen in him the conviction +that God is a Father, because a Savior, who +"gave his Son, not that any should perish, +but that all should possess everlasting life?" +Will he not be thus led to "believe the record +that God has given us eternal life, and that +this life is in his Son?" I am persuaded that +a man of the highest intellectual culture and +the greatest learning, earnestly searching +after God and Christ, and the truth of Christianity, +would be more convinced of the love of +the one as manifested in the truth of the other, +by coming into contact with one true soul +which, without perhaps intellectual culture or<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[199]</a></span> +learning, yet truly loved God and man, than +he would be by all the volumes on the evidence +of Christianity ever written, without such a +spiritual vision of a holy life.</p> + +<p>On the other hand, supposing that no such +evidence of the truth of Christianity could be +discovered in the preacher of Christianity; +nay, if his character contradicted his preaching; +if, while he preached love to God and +man, he manifested neither, but indifference, +to say the least of it, to both; if, while he +preached the necessity and the excellence of +the Christian life, he himself revealed its very +opposite—what effect would this have upon an +earnest spirit, but that Christianity was a +mere ideal system unsuited to the world, a +philosophy of life that might be believed in, +but not a life itself that might be possest?</p> + +<p>This want of personal character, however +imperfect, yet real, may account for the want +of success in the mission of the Church to +convince the world, whether at home or +abroad. We may give religion but not godliness; +the means of grace, as they are called, +but not the grace seen and exprest in the +living man. We would thus hear of Christianity +without seeing it; hear about the +love of God, and the love of Christ as a +Savior, without being convinced even by +those who send missionaries to India, who, +altho they may individually reveal this life, +yet how often are looked upon as mere<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[200]</a></span> +official teachers; while the "Christians" +from "Christendom" may, in coming into +contact with the heathen, show by their denial +of Christianity that it is a matter for the +priesthood, not for all men; a book theology, +but not an actual power working in humanity: +and of such persons it may be said that they +have profaned God's great name among the +heathen.</p> + +<p>And this, too, may also account for the +secret of success by many a minister of whom +the world knows nothing: "For greatest +minds are those of whom the noisy world hears +least." They may not be great in the ordinary +sense of the word—great as thinkers, +great as orators, or great in the possession of +any remarkable gifts; but they are nevertheless +great in the kingdom of heaven; great because +little children—great in meekness, in +patience, in humility, in love of God and man, +and who carry this music in their heart, +"through dusky land and wrangling mart." +What is the secret of their power? What but +an eternal reality! the reality of a godly, godlike +life obtained from God, and sustained by +God, and seen in the eye, felt in the hand, +heard in the words—a light of life which +shines beside many a dying bed in many a +home of sorrow, as well as in the pulpit. This +is a kind of life whose biography will be +written with the tears of the grateful orphan +and widow, and of many a saved soul which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[201]</a></span> +remembers its possessor as its spiritual father. +Such a ministry as this can no more fail than +the love of God which gives it birth. Let us +thank God, therefore, that such a secret power +as this is within the reach of us all. We may +not be men of talent, and for that we are not +responsible; but we may be good men because +little children towards God, and for that we +are responsible: "I thank thee, heavenly +Father, that thou hast hid these things from +the wise and prudent, and revealed them unto +babes."</p> + +<p>And now, fathers and brethren, such is our +high calling, to proclaim the glad tidings that +God has sent Christ into the world to save +sinners. Our chief authority for doing this +is that we know it to be true; and if so, no one +can deprive us of the high privilege and joy +of proclaiming it. A glorious work is thus +given us to do; we are ambassadors for God, +beseeching men to be reconciled to Him, and +we are fellow-workers with our Lord Himself. +But this involves a great responsibility, corresponding +to the greatness of our calling. For +it is at once a glorious and a tremendous +thought that Christ perils the chief evidence +of the truth of Christianity, not upon what we +say, but more upon what we are; and what we +are is neither more nor less than what God +knows us to be. Our preaching may, nevertheless, +fail in some cases to convince the +world, as it has done before; for the glory of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[202]</a></span> +Christ Himself was not seen by Judas. Indeed +the light of life, when it shines, requires +the single eye to see it. But in so far as the +ministry of men, as an instrumentality, can +convince the world, let our ministry be such +as is calculated according to Christ's purpose +to produce this result. Let it consist of those +who can say, "We know whom we have believed." +"We know and believe the love that +God hath to us." "We testify that he sent +his Son to be the Savior of the world."</p> + +<p>But I must bring my sermon to a close.</p> + +<p>Pardon me, my brethren, if I have appeared +to address you in any other spirit than that of +one who would with you confess his sins and +shortcomings, and lament with shame and +sorrow how much time and power have been +lost never to be regained; how many gifts and +noble opportunities have been neglected and +perverted through unbelief and sloth, which +might have been used for our own good and +that of our fellow-men. Verily the day is far +spent with many of us, and the night is near +in which no man can work. Whatever our +hands find to do must be done now or never. +Let us pray that the living Spirit of God, +given to all who seek Him, and whose work +it is to glorify the Son, may take of His things +and show them to our souls, and open our +spiritual eye to see the glory of God in the +face of Christ, so that we may be changed into +the same glory. May we strive to keep the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[203]</a></span> +unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, and +be enabled so to preach and so to live that the +world may be convinced, by what it sees and +hears, of the reality of the love of God the +Father in giving us and all men eternal life +through Jesus Christ His Son! May He who +makes us sons of God enable us, as sons, to be +glorified in the perfection and revelation of +our characters, so that with our elder Brother +we may glorify His Father and our Father!</p> + +<p>And now, to Father, Son and Holy Ghost, +one God, be glory, dominion, and praise for +evermore. Amen!</p> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204"> </a><br /><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205"> </a></span></p> + + + + +<h2>MOZLEY</h2> + +<h3>THE REVERSAL OF HUMAN JUDGMENT</h3> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206"> </a></span></p> + + + + +<h4>BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE</h4> + + +<p><span class="smcap">James B. Mozley</span>, English divine and +philosopher, was born at Gainsborough, +Lincolnshire, in 1813. He was educated +at Oxford, and is particularly known for +his discourses on Baptism and Predestination. +Gladstone appointed him as professor +of divinity at Oxford. His Bampton +Lectures on Miracles (1863) are still +considered of classical authority. Dr. +Brastow, in speaking of his clear and +well-ordered thought, says: "He was intent +upon getting at the heart of all +subjects investigated, and his slowness +in clearing up a subject and his deliberation +and fastidiousness with respect to his +diction embarrassed him. The result was +a mastery of thought and an exactness +and clearness and strength of speech that +are more than an offset for the difficulties +he encountered; and one can hardly fail +to see that this patient, self-poised mental +habit saved him from one-sidedness and +kept the balance of his judgement and +made him the safer guide. We see here +the immense value of thorough mental +training." He died in 1878.</p> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[207]</a></span></p> + + + + +<h2>MOZLEY</h2> + +<h3>1813-1878</h3> + +<h4>THE REVERSAL OF HUMAN JUDGMENT<a name="FNanchor_3_3" id="FNanchor_3_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a></h4> + +<p><em>Many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be +first.</em>—Matthew xix., 30.</p> + + +<p>Perhaps there is hardly any person of reflection +to whom the thought has not +occurred at times, of the final judgment +turning out to be a great subversion of human +estimates of men. Society forms its opinions +of men, and places some on a high pinnacle; +they are favorites with it, religious and moral +favorites. Such judgments are a necessary +and proper part of the present state of things; +they are so, quite independently of the question +whether they are true or not; it is proper +that there should be this sort of expression of +the voice of the day; the world is not nothing, +because it is transient; it must judge and +speak upon such evidence as it has, and is +capable of seeing. Therefore those characters +of men are by all means to be respected by us, +as members of this world; they have their +place, they are a part of the system. But +does the idea strike us of some enormous +subversion of human judgments in the next +world, some vast rectification, to realize which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[208]</a></span> +now, even if we could, would not be good for +us? Such an idea would not be without support +from some of those characteristic prophetic +sayings of our Lord, which, like the +slanting strokes of the sun's rays across the +clouds, throw forward a tract of mysterious +light athwart the darkness of the future. Such +is that saying in which a shadow of the +Eternal Judgment seems to come over us—"Many +that are first shall be last; and the last +shall be first." It is impossible to read this +saying without an understanding that it was +intended to throw an element of wholesome +scepticism into the present estimate of human +character, and to check the idolatry of the +human heart which lifts up its favorites with +as much of self-complacency as of enthusiasm, +and in its worship of others flatters itself.</p> + +<p>Indeed, this language of Scripture, which +speaks of the subversion of human judgments +in another world, comes in connection with +another language with which it most remarkably +fits in, language which speaks very decidedly +of a great deception of human judgments +in this world. It is observable that +the gospel prophecy of the earthly future of +Christianity is hardly what we should have +expected it beforehand to be; there is a great +absence of brightness in it; the sky is overcast +with clouds, and birds of evil omen fly to and +fro; there is an agitation of the air, as if dark +elements were at work in it; or it is as if a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[209]</a></span> +fog rose up before our eyes, and treacherous +lights were moving to and fro in it, which we +could not trust. Prophecy would fain presage +auspiciously, but as soon as she casts her eye +forward, her note saddens, and the chords +issue in melancholy and sinister cadences +which depress the hearer's mind. And what +is the burden of her strain? It is this. As +soon as ever Christianity is cast into the world +to begin its history, that moment there begins +a great deception. It is a pervading thought +in gospel prophecy—the extraordinary capacity +for deceiving and being deceived that +would arise under the gospel; it is spoken of +as something peculiar in the world. There are +to be false Christs and false prophets, false +signs and wonders; many that will come in +Christ's name, saying, I am Christ, and deceive +many; so that it is the parting admonition +of Christ to His disciples—"Take heed, +lest any man deceive you"—as if that would +be the greater danger. And this great quantity +of deception was to culminate in that one +in whom all power of signs and lying wonders +should reside, even that Antichrist, who as +God should sit in the temple of God, showing +himself that he is God. Thus before the true +Christ was known to the world, the prophecy +of the false one was implanted deep in the +heart of Christianity.</p> + +<p>When we come to the explanation of this +mass of deception as it applies to the Christian<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[210]</a></span> +society, and the conduct of Christians, we find +that it consists of a great growth of specious +and showy effects, which will in fact issue out +of Christianity, not implying sterling goodness. +Christianity will act as a great excitement +to human nature, it will communicate +a great impulse, it will move and stir man's +feelings and intellect; this impulse will issue +in a great variety of high gifts and activities, +much zeal and ardor. But this brilliant manifestation +will be to a large extent lacking in +the substance of the Christian character. It +will be a great show. That is to say, there +will be underneath it the deceitful human +heart—the <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">natura callida</i>, as Thomas � Kempis +calls it, <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">qu� se semper pro fine habet</i>. We +have even in the early Christian Church that +specious display of gifts which put aside as +secondary the more solid part of religion, and +which St. Paul had so strongly to check. +Gospel prophecy goes remarkably in this +direction, as to what Christianity would do in +the world; that it would not only bring out +the truth of human nature, but would, like +some powerful alchemy, elicit and extract +the falsehood of it; that it would not only +develop what was sincere and sterling in man, +but what was counterfeit in him too. Not that +Christianity favors falsehood, any more than +the law favored sin because it brought out +sin. The law, as St. Paul says, brought out +sin because it was spiritual, and forced sin to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[211]</a></span> +be sin against light. So in the case of Christianity. +If a very high, pure, and heart-searching +religion is brought into contact with a corrupt +nature, the nature grasps at the greatness +of the religion, but will not give up itself; yet +to unite the two requires a self-deception the +more subtle and potent in proportion to the +purity of the religion. And certainly, comparing +the hypocrisy of the Christian with +that of the old world, we see that the one was +a weak production in comparison with the +other, which is indeed a very powerful creation; +throwing itself into feeling and language +with an astonishing freedom and elasticity, +and possessing wonderful spring and largeness.</p> + +<p>There is, however, one very remarkable utterance +of our Lord Himself upon this subject, +which deserves special attention. "Many will +say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we +not prophesied in thy name, and in thy +name cast out devils, and in thy name done +many wonderful works? And then I will +profess unto them, I never knew you." Now +this is a very remarkable prophecy, for one +reason, that in the very first start of Christianity, +upon the very threshold of its entrance +into the world, it looks through its success and +universal reception, into an ulterior result of +that victory—a counterfeit profession of it. +It sees, before the first nakedness of its birth +is over, a prosperous and flourishing religion,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[212]</a></span> +which it is worth while for others to pay +homage to, because it reflects credit on its +champions. Our Lord anticipates the time +when active zeal for Himself will be no +guaranty. And we may observe the difference +between Christ and human founders. The +latter are too glad of any zeal in their favor, +to examine very strictly the tone and quality +of it. They grasp at it at once; not so our +Lord. He does not want it even for Himself, +unless it is pure in the individual. But this +statement of our Lord's is principally important, +as being a prophecy relating to the +earthly future of Christianity. It places before +us public religious leaders, men of +influence in the religious world, who spread +and push forward by gifts of eloquence and +powers of mind, the truths of His religion, +whom yet He will not accept, because of a +secret corruptness in the aim and spirit with +which they did their work. The prophecy +puts forth before us the fact of a great deal of +work being done in the Church, and outwardly +good zealous work, upon the same motive in +substance, upon which worldly men do their +work in the world, and stamps it as the +activity of corrupt nature. The rejection of +this class of religious workers is complete, +altho they have been, as the language +itself declares, forward and active for spiritual +objects, and not only had them on their lips.</p> + +<p>Here then we have a remarkable subversion<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[213]</a></span> +of human judgments in the next world foretold +by our Lord Himself; for those men +certainly come forward with established religious +characters to which they appeal; they +have no doubt of their position in God's kingdom, +and they speak with the air of men whose +claims have been acquiesced in by others, and +by numbers. And thus a false Christian +growth is looked to in gospel prophecy, which +will be able to meet even the religious tests of +the current day, and sustain its pretensions, +but which will not satisfy the tests of the +last day.</p> + +<p>We are then perhaps at first surprized at +the sternness of their sentence, and are ready +to say with the trembling disciple, "Who +then shall be saved?" But when we reflect +upon it, we shall see that it is not more than +what meets the case; i. e., that we know of +sources of error in the estimate of human +character which will account for great mistakes +being made; which mistakes will have to +be rectified.</p> + +<p>One source of mistakes then is, that while +the gospel keeps to one point of its classification +of men,—viz., the motive, by which alone +it decides their character, the mass of men in +fact find it difficult to do so. They have not +that firm hold of the moral idea which prevents +them from wandering from it, and being +diverted by irrelevant considerations, they +think of the spirituality of a man as belonging<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[214]</a></span> +to the department to which he is attached, +the profession he makes, the subject matter +he works upon, the habitual language he has +to use. The sphere of these men, of whom +the estimate was to be finally reversed, was a +religious one,—viz., the Church, and this was +a remarkable prop to them. Now, with respect +to this, it must be observed that the +Church is undoubtedly in its design a spiritual +society, but it is also a society of this world as +well; and it depends upon the inward motive +of a man whether it is to him a spiritual +society or a worldly one. The Church, as +soon as ever it is embodied in a visible collection +or society of men, who bring into it +human nature, with human influences, regards, +points of view, estimates, aims, and +objects—I say the Church, from the moment +it thus embodies itself in a human society, is +the world. Individual souls in it convert into +reality the high profest principles of the +body, but the active stock of motives in it are +the motives of human nature. Can the visible +Church indeed afford to do without these +motives? Of course it cannot. It must do its +work by means of these to a great extent, just +as the world does its work. Religion itself is +beautiful and heavenly, but the machinery for +it is very like the machinery for anything +else. I speak of the apparatus for conducting +and administering the visible system of it. Is +not the machinery for all causes and objects<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[215]</a></span> +much the same, communication with others, +management, contrivance, combination, adaptation +of means to end? Religion then is +itself a painful struggle, but religious machinery +provides as pleasant a form of activity as +any other machinery possesses; and it counts +for and exercises much the same kind of +talents and gifts that the machinery of +any other department does, that of a government +office, or a public institution, or a large +business. The Church, as a part of the work, +must have active-minded persons to conduct +its policy and affairs; which persons must, by +their very situation, connect themselves with +spiritual subjects, as being the subjects of the +society; they must express spiritual joys, +hopes, and fears, apprehensions, troubles, +trials, aims, and wishes. These are topics +which belong to the Church as a department. +A religious society, then, or religious sphere of +action, or religious sphere of subjects, is irrelevant +as regards the spirituality of the individual +person, which is a matter of inward +motive.</p> + +<p>One would not of course exclude from the +sphere of religion the motive of <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">esprit de +corps</i>: it is undoubtedly a great stimulus, and +in its measure is consistent with all simplicity +and singleness of heart; but in an intense +form, when the individual is absorbed in a +blind obedience to a body, it corrupts the +quality of religion; it ensnares the man in a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[216]</a></span> +kind of self-interest; and he sees in the success +of the body the reflection of himself. It +becomes an egotistic motive. There has been +certainly an immense produce from it; but the +type of religion it has produced is a deflection +from simplicity; it may possess striking and +powerful qualities, but it is not like the free +religion of the heart; and there is that difference +between the two, which there is between +what comes from a second-hand source and +from the fountain head. It has not that +naturalness (in the highest sense) which alone +gives beauty to religion.</p> + +<p>Again, those who feel that they have a +mission may convert it into a snare to themselves. +Doubtless, if, according to St. Paul, +"he who desireth the office of a bishop desireth +a good work," so one who has a mission to do +some particular work has a good office given +him. Still, where life is too prominently regarded +in this light, the view of life as a +mission tends to supersede the view of it +as trial and probation. The mission becomes +the final cause of life. The generality +may be born to do their duty in +that station of life in which it has pleased +God to call them; but in their own case +the mission overtops and puts into the shade +the general purpose of life as probation; the +generality are sent into the world for their +own moral benefit, but they are rather sent +into the world for the benefit of that world<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[217]</a></span> +itself. The outward object with its display +and machinery is apt to reduce to a kind of +insignificance the inward individual end of +life. It appears small and commonplace. The +success of their own individual probation is +assumed in embarking upon the larger work, +as the less is included in the greater; it figures +as a preliminary in their eyes, which may be +taken for granted; it appears an easy thing to +them to save their own souls, a thing, so to +speak, for anybody to do.</p> + +<p>What has been dwelt upon hitherto as a +source of false magnifying and exaltation of +human character, has been the invisibility of +men's motives. But let us take another source +of mistake in human judgment.</p> + +<p>Nothing is easier, when we take gifts of +the intellect and imagination in the abstract, +than to see that these do not constitute moral +goodness. This is indeed a mere truism; and +yet, in the concrete, it is impossible not to +see how nearly they border upon counting as +such; to what advantage they set off any moral +good there may be in a man; sometimes even +supplying the absence of real good with what +looks extremely like it. On paper these mental +gifts are a mere string of terms; we see exactly +what these terms denote, and we cannot mistake +it for something else. It is plain that +eloquence, imagination, poetical talent, are +no more moral goodness than riches are, or +than health and strength are, or than noble<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[218]</a></span> +birth is. We know that bad men have possest +them just as much as good men. Nevertheless, +take them in actual life, in the actual +effect and impression they make, as they +express a man's best moods and highest perceptions +and feelings, and what a wonderful +likeness and image of what is moral do they +produce. Think of the effect of refined power +of expression, of a keen and vivid imagination +as applied to the illustration and enrichment +of moral subjects,—to bringing out, e. g., with +the whole force of intellectual sympathy, the +delicate and high regions of character,—does +not one who can do this seem to have all the +goodness which he expresses? And it is quite +possible he may have; but this does not prove +it. There is nothing more in this than the +faculty of imagination and intelligent appreciation +of moral things. There enters thus +unavoidably often into a great religious reputation +a good deal which is not religion, but +power.</p> + +<p>Let us take the character which St. Paul +draws. It is difficult to believe that one who +had the tongue of men and of angels would not +be able to persuade the world that he himself +was extraordinarily good. Rather it is part +of the fascination of the gift, that the grace +of it is reflected in the possessor. But St. +Paul gives him, besides thrilling speech which +masters men's spirits and carries them away, +those profound depths of imagination which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[219]</a></span> +still and solemnize them; which lead them to +the edge of the unseen world, and excite the +sense of the awful and supernatural; he has +the understanding of all mysteries. And +again, knowledge unfolds all its stores to him +with which to illustrate and enrich spiritual +truths. Let one then, so wonderful in mental +gifts, combine them with the utmost fervor, +with boundless faith, before which everything +gives way; boundless zeal, ready to make even +splendid sacrifices; has there been any age in +which such a man would have been set down as +sounding and empty? St. Paul could see that +such a man might yet be without the true +substance—goodness; and that all his gifts +could not guarantee it to him; but to the mass +his own eloquence would interpret him, the +gifts would carry the day, and the brilliant +partial virtues would disguise the absence of +the general grace of love.</p> + +<p>Gifts of intellect and imagination, poetical +power, and the like, are indeed in themselves +a department of worldly prosperity. It is a +very narrow view of prosperity that it consists +only in having property; a certain kind +of gifts are just as much worldly prosperity +as riches; nor are they less so if they belong +to a religious man, any more than riches are +less prosperity because a religious man is +rich. We call these gifts worldly prosperity, +because they are in themselves a great +advantage, and create success, influence,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[220]</a></span> +credit, and all which man so much values; +and at the same time they are not moral goodness, +because the most corrupt men may have +them.</p> + +<p>But even the gifts of outward fortune themselves +have much of the effect of gifts of mind +in having the semblance of something moral. +They set off what goodness a man has to such +immense advantage, and heighten the effect of +it. Take some well-disposed person, and suppose +him suddenly to be left an enormous fortune, +he would feel himself immediately so +much better a man. He would seem to himself +to become suddenly endowed with a new +large-heartedness and benevolence. He would +picture himself the generous patron, the large +dispenser of charity, the promoter of all good +in the world. The power to become such +would look like a new disposition. And in the +eyes of the others, too, his goodness would +appear to have taken a fresh start. Even +serious piety is recognized more as such; it is +brought out and placed in high relief, when +connected with outward advantages; and so +the gifts of fortune become a kind of moral +addition to a man.</p> + +<p>Action, then, on a large scale, and the overpowering +effect of great gifts, are what produce, +in a great degree, what we call the canonization +of men—the popular judgment +which sets them up morally and spiritually +upon the pinnacle of the temple, and which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[221]</a></span> +professes to be a forestalment, through the +mouth of the Church or of religious society, +of the final judgment. How decisive is the +world's, and, not less confident, the visible +Church's note of praise. It is just that +trumpet note which does not bear a doubt. +How it is trusted! With what certainty it +speaks! How large a part of the world's and +Church's voice is praise! It is an immense +and ceaseless volume of utterance. And by +all means let man praise man, and not do it +grudgingly either; let there be an echo of +that vast action which goes on in the world, +provided we only speak of what we know. +But if we begin to speak of what we do not +know, and which only a higher judgment can +decide, we are going beyond our province. On +this question we are like men who are deciding +irreversibly on some matter in which +everything depends upon one element in the +case, which element they cannot get at. We +appear to know a great deal of one another, +and yet, if we reflect, what a vast system of +secrecy the moral world is. How low down in +a man sometimes (not always) lies the fundamental +motive which sways his life? But this +is what everything depends on. Is it an unspiritual +motive? Is there some keen passion +connected with this world at the bottom? +Then it corrupts the whole body of action. +There is a good deal of prominent religion +then, which keeps up its character, even when<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[222]</a></span> +this motive betrays itself; great gifts fortify +it, and people do not see because they will not. +But at any rate there is a vast quantity of +religious position which has this one great +point undecided beneath it; and we know of +tremendous dangers to which it is exposed. +Action upon a theater may doubtless be as +simple-minded action as any other; it has +often been; it has been often even childlike +action; the apostles acted on a theater; they +were a spectacle to men and to angels. Still, +what dangers in a spiritual point of view does +it ordinarily include—dangers to simplicity, +inward probity, sincerity! How does action +on this scale and of this kind seem, notwithstanding +its religious object, to pass over +people, not touching one of their faults, leaving—more +than their infirmities—the dark +veins of evil in their character as fixed as +ever. How will persons sacrifice themselves +to their objects? They would benefit the +world, it would appear, at their own moral +expense; but this is a kind of generosity which +is perilous policy for the soul, and is indeed +the very mint in which the great mass of +false spiritual coinage is made.</p> + +<p>On the other hand, while the open theater +of spiritual power and energy is so accessible +to corrupt motives, which, tho undermining +its truthfulness, leave standing all the +brilliance of the outer manifestation; let it be +considered what a strength and power of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[223]</a></span> +goodness may be accumulating in unseen quarters. +The way in which man bears temptation +is what decides his character; yet how secret +is the system of temptation? Who knows +what is going on? What the real ordeal has +been? What its issue was? So with respect +to the trial of griefs and sorrows, the world +is again a system of secrecy. There is something +particularly penetrating, and which +strikes home, in those disappointments which +are especially not extraordinary, and make +no show. What comes naturally and as a part +of our situation has a probing force grander +strokes have not; there is a solemnity and +stateliness in these, but the blow which is nearest +to common life gets the stronger hold. Is +there any particular event which seems to +have, if we may say so, a kind of malice in +it which provokes the Manichean feeling in +our nature, it is something which we should +have a difficulty in making appear to any one +else any special trial. Compared with this +inner grasp of some stroke of providence, voluntary +sacrifice stands outside of us. After +all, the self-made trial is a poor disciplinarian +weapon; there is a subtle masterly irritant +and provoking point in the genuine natural +trial, and in the natural crossness of events, +which the artificial thing cannot manage; we +can no more make our trials than we can make +our feelings. In this way moderate deprivations +are in some cases more difficult to bear<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[224]</a></span> +than extreme ones. "I can bear total obscurity," +says Pascal, "well enough; what +disgusts me is semi-obscurity; I can make +an idol of the whole, but no great merit of +the half." And so it is often the case that +what we must do as simply right, and which +would not strike even ourselves, and still less +anybody else, is just the hardest thing to do. +A work of supererogation would be much +easier. All this points in the direction of +great work going on under common outsides +where it is not noticed; it hints at a secret +sphere of growth and progress; and as such +it is an augury and presage of a harvest which +may come some day suddenly to light, which +human judgments had not counted on.</p> + +<p>It is upon such a train of thought as this +which has been passing through our minds +that we raise ourselves to the reception of +that solemn sentence which Scripture has inscribed +on the curtain which hangs down before +the judgment-seat—"The first shall be +last, and the last shall be first." The secrets +of the tribunal are guarded, and yet a finger +points which seems to say—"Beyond, in this +direction, behind this veil, things are different +from what you will have looked for."</p> + +<p>Suppose, e. g., any supernatural judge +should appear in the world now, and it is +evident that the scene he would create would +be one to startle us; we should not soon be +used to it; it would look strange; it would<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[225]</a></span> +shock and appal; and that from no other cause +than simply its reductions; that it presented +characters stripped bare, denuded of what +was irrelevant to goodness, and only with +their moral substance left. The judge would +take no cognizance of a rich imagination, +power of language, poetical gifts and the like, +in themselves, as parts of goodness, any more +than he would of riches and prosperity; and +the moral residuum would appear perhaps +a bare result. The first look of divine justice +would strike us as injustice; it would be +too pure a justice for us; we should be long +in reconciling ourselves to it. Justice would +appear, like the painter's gaunt skeleton of +emblematic meaning, to be stalking through +the world, smiting with attenuation luxuriating +forms of virtue. Forms, changed from +what we knew, would meet us, strange unaccustomed +forms, and we should have to ask +them who they are—"You were flourishing +but a short while ago, what has happened to +you now?" And the answer, if it spoke the +truth, would be—"Nothing, except that now, +much which lately counted as goodness, counts +as such no longer; we are tried by a new moral +measure, out of which we issue different men; +gifts which have figured as goodness remain +as gifts, but cease to be goodness." Thus +would the large sweep made of human canonizations +act like blight or volcanic fire upon +some rich landscape, converting the luxury<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[226]</a></span> +of nature into a dried-up scene of bare stems +and scorched vegetation.</p> + +<p>So may the scrutiny of the last day, by discovering +the irrelevant material in men's +goodness, reduce to a shadow much exalted +earthly character. Men are made up of professions, +gifts, and talents, and also of themselves, +but all so mixed together that we cannot +separate one element from another; but +another day must show what the moral substance +is, and what is only the brightness and +setting off of gifts. On the other hand, the +same day may show where, tho the setting +off of gifts is less, the substance is more. If +there will be reversal of human judgment for +evil, there will be reversal of it for good too. +The solid work which has gone on in secret, +under common exteriors, will then spring into +light, and come out in a glorious aspect. Do +we not meet with surprizes of this kind here, +which look like auguries of a greater surprize +in the next world, a surprize on a vast scale. +Those who have lived under an exterior of +rule, when they come to a trying moment +sometimes disappoint us; they are not equal +to the act required from them; because their +forms of duty, whatever they are, have not +touched in reality their deeper fault of character, +meanness, or jealousy, or the like, but +have left them where they were; they have +gone on thinking themselves good because +they did particular things, and used certain<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[227]</a></span> +language, and adopted certain ways of +thought, and have been utterly unconscious +all the time of a corroding sin within them. +On the other hand, some one who did not +promise much, comes out at a moment of trial +strikingly and favorably. This is a surprize, +then, which sometimes happens, nay, and sometimes +a greater surprize still, when out of the +eater comes forth meat, and out of a state of +sin there springs the soul of virtue. The act +of the thief on the cross is a surprize. Up +to the time when he was judged he was a +thief, and from a thief he became a saint. +For even in the dark labyrinth of evil there +are unexpected outlets; sin is established by +the habit in the man, but the good principle +which is in him also, but kept down and supprest, +may be secretly growing too; it may +be undermining it, and extracting the life and +force from it. In this man, then, sin becomes +more and more, tho holding its place by +custom, an outside and a coating, just as virtue +does in the deteriorating man, till at last, +by a sudden effort and the inspiration of an +opportunity, the strong good casts off the +weak crust of evil and comes out free. We +witness a conversion.</p> + +<p>But this is a large and mysterious subject—the +foundation for high virtue to become apparent +in a future world, which hardly rises +up above the ground here. We cannot think +of the enormous trial which is undergone in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[228]</a></span> +this world by vast masses without the thought +also of some sublime fruit to come of it some +day. True, it may not emerge from the +struggle of bare endurance here, but has not +the seed been sown? Think of the burden of +toil and sorrow borne by the crowds of poor: +we know that pain does not of itself make +people good; but what we observe is, that +even in those in whom the trial seems to do +something, it yet seems such a failure. What +inconstancy, violence, untruths! The pathos +in it all moves you. What a tempest of character +it is! And yet when such trial has been +passed we involuntarily say—has not a foundation +been laid? And so in the life of a +soldier, what agonies must nature pass +through in it! While the present result of +such a trial is so disappointing, so little seems +to come of it! Yet we cannot think of what +has been gone through by countless multitudes +in war, of the dreadful altar of sacrifice, and +the lingering victims, without the involuntary +idea arising that in some, even of the irregular +and undisciplined, the foundation of +some great purification has been laid. We +hear sometimes of single remarkable acts of +virtue, which spring from minds in which +there is not the habit of virtue. Such acts +point to a foundation, a root of virtue in man, +deeper than habit; they are sudden leaps +which show an unseen spring, which are able +to compress in a moment the growth of years.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[229]</a></span></p> + +<p>To conclude. The gospel language throws +doubt upon the final stability of much that +passes current here with respect to character, +upon established judgments, and the elevations +of the outward sanctuary. It lays down +a wholesome scepticism. We do not do justice +to the spirit of the gospel by making it +enthusiastic simply, or even benevolent simply. +It is sagacious, too. It is a book of judgment. +Man is judged in it. Our Lord is Judge. We +cannot separate our Lord's divinity from His +humanity; and yet we must be blind if we do +not see a great judicial side of our Lord's +human character;—that severe type of understanding, +in relation to the worldly man, +which has had its imperfect representation +in great human minds. He was unspeakably +benevolent, kind, compassionate; true, but He +was a Judge. It was indeed of His very +completeness as man that He should know +man; and to know is to judge. He must be +blind who, in the significant acts and sayings +of our Lord as they unroll themselves in the +pregnant page of the gospel, does not thus read +His character; he sees it in that insight into +pretensions, exposure of motives, laying bare +of disguises; in the sayings—"Believe it +not"; "Take heed that no man deceive you"; +"Behold, I have told you"; in all that profoundness +of reflection in regard to man, +which great observing minds among mankind +have shown, tho accompanied by much of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[230]</a></span> +frailty, anger, impatience, or melancholy. His +human character is not benevolence only; +there is in it wise distrust—that moral sagacity +which belongs to the perfection of man.</p> + +<p>Now then, as has been said, this scepticism +with regard to human character has had, as a +line of thought, certain well-known representatives +in great minds, who have discovered +a root of selfishness in men's actions, have +probed motives, extracted aims, and placed +man before himself denuded and exposed; +they judged him, and in the frigid sententiousness +or the wild force of their utterances, +we hear that of which we cannot but say, +how true! But knowledge is a goad to those +who have it; a disturbing power; a keenness +which distorts; and in the sight it gives it +partly blinds also. The fault of these minds +was that in exposing evil they did not really +believe in goodness; goodness was to them but +an airy ideal, the dispirited echo of perplexed +hearts,—returned to them from the rocks of +the desert, without bearing hope with it. They +had no genuine belief in any world which was +different from theirs; they availed themselves +of an ideal indeed to judge this world, and +they could not have judged it without; for +anything, whatever it is, is good, if we have no +idea of anything better; and therefore the conception +of a good world was necessary to +judge the bad one. But the ideal held loose +to their minds—not anything to be substantiated,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[231]</a></span> +not as a type in which a real world was +to be cast, not as anything of structural +power, able to gather into it, form round it, +and build up upon itself; not, in short, as +anything of power at all, able to make anything, +or do anything, but only like some +fragrant scent in the air, which comes and +goes, loses itself, returns again in faint +breaths, and rises and falls in imperceptive +waves. Such was goodness to these minds; it +was a dream. But the gospel distrust is not +disbelief in goodness. It raises a great suspense, +indeed, it shows a curtain not yet drawn +up, it checks weak enthusiasm, it appends a +warning note to the pomp and flattery of +human judgments, to the erection of idols; +and points to a day of great reversal; a day +of the Lord of Hosts; the day of pulling down +and plucking up, of planting and building. +But, together with the law of sin, the root of +evil in the world, and the false goodness in it, +it announces a fount of true natures; it tells +us of a breath of Heaven of which we know +not whence it cometh and whither it goeth; +which inspires single individual hearts, that +spring up here and there, and everywhere, +like broken gleams of the supreme goodness. +And it recognizes in the renewed heart of man +an instinct which can discern true goodness +and distinguish it from false; a secret discrimination +in the good by which they know +the good. It does not therefore stand in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[232]</a></span> +way of that natural and quiet reliance which +we are designed by God to have in one another, +and that trust in those whose hearts +we know. "Wisdom is justified of her children"; +"My sheep hear my voice, but a +stranger will they not follow, for they know +not the voice of strangers."</p> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233"> </a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 335px;"> +<img src="images/i_adpage1.jpg" width="327" height="600" alt="ad page 1" /> +</div> +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p class="center"> +From the Pen of<br /> +ALPHONSO A. HOPKINS, Ph.D., +</p> + +<p class="center">———</p> + + + +<p class="center"><em>Professor of Political Economy and Prohibition in the +American Temperance University.</em></p> + +<p class="center b15"><strong>Wealth and Waste</strong></p> + +<blockquote> + +<p>The Principles of Political Economy +In their Application to the Present Problems of +Labor, Law, and the Liquor Traffic.</p></blockquote> + +<p class="center">———</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p class="hanging">In a broad, philosophic, and patriotic spirit +the author seeks to apply, in this volume, +the accepted principles of Political Economy, +as to Production and Wealth, Consumption +and Waste.</p></blockquote> + +<p class="center">———</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p>"A book which contains very much of great value."—<cite>Herald +and Presbyter</cite>, Cincinnati.</p> + +<p>"The argument is impressive, and well buttressed with +statistics and apt citations."—<cite>The Watchman</cite>, Boston.</p> + +<p>"Dr. Hopkins contributes to the literature of political +economy a volume worth the attention of students and +thinkers."—<cite>Christian Herald.</cite></p> + +<p>"Dr. Hopkins brings thorough preparation to this +work on the particular line of reform in which he has +labored."—<cite>Christian Observer</cite>, Louisville.</p> + +<p>"Unquestionably the ablest book upon Political Economy +in its various relations which has been put upon the +market."—<cite>Herald of the Coming One</cite>, Boston.</p> + +<p>"Dr. A. A. Hopkins's 'Wealth and Waste' will prove +itself one of the most effective contributions to the +literature of reform."—<cite>Western Christian Advocate.</cite></p> + +<p>"It is a book both for scholars and students and plain +laboring men, with clear, concise definitions and practical +illustrations for all these classes."—<cite>The Religious +Herald</cite>, Hartford, Conn.</p> + +<p>"Unique, fascinating, and suggestive.... No one +assuming the attitude of a reformer can fail of being +quickened in his great work by an earnest review of the +book."—<cite>Baltimore Methodist.</cite></p> + +<p>"The incisive mind and rare culture of Professor Hopkins +have never been more signally set forth than in his +new book entitled 'Wealth and Waste.' It comes as a +much needed reinforcement to the literature of the temperance +propaganda."—<cite>Frances E. Willard.</cite></p></blockquote> + +<p class="center">———</p> + +<p class="center">12mo, Cloth, 286 pp.——Price, $1.00.</p> + +<p class="center">———</p> + +<p class="center"> +<strong>FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY, Publishers</strong>,<br /> +<strong>NEW YORK and LONDON</strong> +</p> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234"> </a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 324px;"> +<img src="images/i_adpage2.jpg" width="324" height="600" alt="ad page 2" /> +</div> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p class="center"><em><strong>"Ranks Next to a Concordance."—SPURGEON.</strong></em></p> + +<p class="center b15"><strong>Biblical Lights +and Side Lights</strong></p> + +<p class="hanging">A cyclopedia of ten thousand illustrations and +thirty thousand cross-references, consisting +of fact, incident, and remarkable declarations +taken from the Bible; for the use of +those in every profession who, for illustrative +purpose, desire ready access to the +numerous incidents and striking statements +contained in the Bible, students, teachers, +public speakers, lawyers, ministers, and +others, as also for the family library. Prepared +by Rev. Charles E. Little (author +of "Historical Lights," etc.).</p> + +<p class="center">———</p> + +<p class="center"><strong>Royal 8vo, 620 pp. Price, Cloth, $4.00;<br /> +Library Sheep, $5.50.</strong></p> + +<p class="center">———</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p>"'Biblical Lights and Side Lights' is a specially +useful book.... It ranks next to a concordance.... +Mr. Little's work is a great success."—<em>Rev. C. H. +Spurgeon.</em></p> + +<p>"We have never seen a work on Bible reference so +thoroughly systematized.... Admirably arranged.... +<strong>Topics are taken from the demands of religion, +philosophy, science, art, social life, and +politics.... Has great value for educated persons +in every calling.</strong>"—<cite>National Baptist, Phila.</cite></p> + +<p>"'Biblical Lights' may be welcomed to a place +among the very useful books which few can afford +to put aside."—<cite>Presbyterian Review.</cite></p> + +<p>"Will unquestionably prove a mine of information +and of illustration."—<cite>Observer, N. Y.</cite></p> + +<p>"A work of great solidity and merit."—<cite>Lutheran +Church Review, Philadelphia.</cite></p></blockquote> + +<p class="center">———</p> + +<p class="center"><strong>FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY,<br /> +NEW YORK and LONDON</strong></p> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235"> </a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 329px;"> +<img src="images/i_adpage3.jpg" width="322" height="600" alt="ad page 3" /> +</div> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<blockquote> + +<p><em>The Outlook (Edited by Lyman Abbott., D.D., +successor to Henry Ward Beecher as pastor of Plymouth +Church, Brooklyn, New York):</em> "It is with the aspect +of Mr. Beecher as a reformer, rather than as a theologian, +author, or preacher, that Mr. Barrows deals.... +It gives the story of Mr. Beecher's life in less space +and in handier form than any other volume with which +we are acquainted."</p></blockquote> + +<p class="center">———</p> + +<p class="center b15">Henry Ward Beecher</p> + +<p class="center"><strong>THE SHAKESPEARE<br /> +OF THE PULPIT</strong></p> + +<p class="center"><strong>By JOHN HENRY BARROWS.</strong></p> + +<p class="center">———</p> + +<p class="center"><strong>12mo, Cloth; 557 pp.; With Portrait. Price, +$1.50. Post-free.</strong></p> + +<p class="center">———</p> + +<p>The certified points of merits of this work conclusively +place it foremost as the standard popular +biography of Henry Ward Beecher.</p> + +<p class="center">———</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p>"<strong>Altogether it is</strong> a valued contribution to Beecher +literature."—<strong><cite>New York Herald.</cite></strong></p> + + + +<p>"<strong>It will give</strong> to many a far better and truer conception +of Mr. Beecher than they before possessed."—<strong><cite>Christian +Inquirer,</cite></strong> New York.</p> + +<p>"<strong>All in all</strong> it is the best summing up of the life and +character of this great preacher and orator that I have +ever read."—<strong><em>Hon. Nelson Dingley,</em></strong> Washington, +D. C.</p> + +<p>"<strong>I am especially pleased</strong> with the chapters relating +to the famous trial. The subject is handled very +delicately, and at the same time thoroughly vindicates +the pastor of Plymouth Church from all intentional +wrong doing."—<strong><em>Francis M. Clark, D.D., Pres. +Soc. of Christian Endeavor,</em> Boston.</strong></p></blockquote> + +<p class="center">———</p> + +<p class="center"><strong>FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY, Publishers,<br /> +NEW YORK and LONDON</strong></p> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236"> </a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 327px;"> +<img src="images/i_adpage4.jpg" width="321" height="600" alt="ad page 4" /> +</div> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<blockquote> + +<p class="center">"A well written biography."—<cite><strong>New York Sun.</strong></cite></p> + +<p class="center">"Lucid and sympathetic."—<cite><strong>New York Tribune.</strong></cite></p></blockquote> + +<p class="center">———</p> + +<p class="center b15"><strong>William E. Dodge</strong></p> + +<p class="center">THE CHRISTIAN MERCHANT</p> + +<p class="center">By CARLOS MARTYN</p> + +<p class="center">———</p> + +<p class="center"><strong>12mo, Cloth; 349 pp.; With Portrait. Price,<br /> +$1.50. Post-free.</strong></p> + +<p class="center">———</p> + +<p>This biography of one of New York's most successful +merchants, whose public acts gave him a national +reputation, is largely interspersed with the history of +events happening in the stirring times of his greatest +activity.</p> + +<p class="center">———</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p>"<strong>Such books as these</strong> are of incalculable value +to the young, and an inspiration to all who are seeking +to do good as well as get gain in this world."—<strong><cite>The +Gospel Banner</cite></strong>, Augusta, Me.</p> + +<p>"<strong>The Editor</strong> has handled his subject in so able a +manner that the reader is entranced, and is carried on +and on until with a sigh of regret the book is laid +down."—<cite><strong>The Chicago Herald.</strong></cite></p> + +<p>"<strong>Many of the passages</strong> are taken from the lectures +and speeches delivered by him in his lifetime +which give a vivid impression of the home, business, +and public life of the great merchant and philanthropist."—<cite><strong>The +Plaindealer</strong></cite>, Cleveland, Ohio.</p></blockquote> + +<p class="center">———</p> + +<p class="center"><strong>FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY, Publishers,<br /> +NEW YORK and LONDON</strong></p> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 330px;"> +<img src="images/i_adpage5.jpg" width="325" height="600" alt="ad page 5" /> +</div> + +<hr class="chap" /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237"> </a></span></p> + +<blockquote> + +<p><cite><strong>The Commercial Gazette</strong></cite>, Cincinnati, says: +"This volume contains considerable matter never +before published, is full of fascinating reading, and is +of inestimable historic value."</p></blockquote> + +<p class="center">———</p> + +<p class="center b15"><strong>John Brown<br /> +And His Men</strong></p> + +<p class="center s08">WITH SOME ACCOUNT OF THE ROADS THEY TRAVELED<br /> +TO REACH HARPER'S FERRY.</p> + +<p class="center"><strong>By COL. RICHARD J. HINTON,</strong><br /> +A Contemporary of John Brown.</p> + +<p class="center">———</p> + +<p class="center"><strong>12mo, Cloth; 752 pp.; 22 Portraits. Price,<br /> +$1.50. Post-free.</strong></p> + +<p class="center">———</p> + +<p>In an Appendix are given the principal and more +important documents prepared by John Brown, or +relating directly to the enterprises against American +slavery in which he was actively engaged; also a +copious Index to the volume.</p> + +<p class="center"><strong>EXTRACTS FROM A COUPLE OF LETTERS.</strong></p> + +<blockquote> + +<p class="sig"> +<span class="smcap">Anacostia, D. C., Cedar Hill,</span> Feb. 11, 1895. +</p> + +<p><span class="smcap">My Dear Colonel Hinton:</span></p> + +<p>Your History of the raid upon Harper's Ferry, by +John Brown and his men, leaves nothing in that line +to be desired.... You were in the center of the +circle, and hence have had an inside view of the whole +transaction. You have done for John Brown and his +men, and for the truth of history, a magnificent +service.</p> +<p class="sig"><em><strong>Frederick Douglass.</strong></em></p></blockquote> + +<p class="center">———</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p class="sig"> +Feb. 14, 1895. +</p> + +<p><span class="smcap">My Dear Colonel Hinton:</span></p> + +<p>Your work on 'John Brown and His Men' is most +strongly and vividly done. In fact, wherever I open +the book, I find it alive with the undying interest of +the greatest hour of our history. Perhaps mankind +must yet make another struggle; but so far Brown +remains the hero of the supreme endeavor for freedom, +and this is what you make your readers feel, without +weakening any fact concerning him.</p> + +<p class="sig"><em><strong>William Dean Howells.</strong></em></p></blockquote> + +<p class="center">———</p> + +<p class="center"><strong>FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY, Publishers,<br /> +NEW YORK and LONDON</strong></p> + +<hr class="chap" /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238"> </a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 335px;"> +<img src="images/i_adpage6.jpg" width="335" height="600" alt="ad page 6" /> +</div> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p class="center b13">Who Wrote the Hymns we Love so Well?</p> + +<p class="center">CONSULT</p> + +<p class="center b15"><strong><span class="smcap">English Hymns;</span></strong></p> + +<p class="center">THEIR</p> + +<p class="center"><em>AUTHORS and HISTORY</em></p> + +<p class="center"><strong>By REV. SAMUEL W. DUFFIELD.</strong></p> + +<p class="center">8vo, 675 pp., Cloth, Price, $3.00, Postpaid.</p> + +<p class="center">———</p> + +<p>It cites in alphabetical order the first lines +of over <em><strong>1,500 hymns</strong></em>. Under each is given +a brief biographical sketch of the author, circumstances +attending its composition, and incidents +in connection with its use. Exhaustive +indexes to authors, to first lines, and to topics, +are appended. To Leaders of Praise-meetings, +Sunday-school Teachers, Parents, Pastors, and +the general hymn-loving public, it will be +found invaluable. The selection of hymns has +been made with great care, and only well-authenticated +incidents are given. American +as well as English hymnology has been drawn +upon. Honey has been gathered from the +choicest flowers of the garden.</p> + +<p class="center">———</p> + +<p class="center"><strong>REPRESENTATIVE OPINIONS.</strong></p> + +<blockquote> + +<p>"It pleases me altogether. It is full of information, +ranging from positive erudition down to +racy anecdote."—<em>Charles S. Robinson, D.D.</em></p> + +<p>"This is by far the most complete, accurate, and +thorough work of its kind on either side of the +Atlantic."—<em>Theodore L. Cuyler, D.D.</em></p> + +<p>"Bears evidence of immense research and years +of labor.... The full and admirable sketch of the +author of 'Lead, Kindly Light,' is worth the cost of +the book."—<em>Hon. Edwards Pierrepont.</em></p> + +<p>"A noble volume; a monument to the author's +tact, learning, and faithful industry."—E. C. Stedman.</p></blockquote> + +<p class="center">———</p> + +<p class="center"><strong>FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY,<br /> +NEW YORK and LONDON</strong></p> + +<hr class="chap" /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239"> </a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 322px;"> +<img src="images/i_adpage7.jpg" width="322" height="600" alt="ad page 7" /> +</div> +<blockquote> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p class="center"><strong><em>"Should reach its hundred-thousandth +edition."—Chicago Journal.</em></strong></p></blockquote> + +<p class="center">———</p> + +<p class="center b15"><strong>Ethics of Marriage</strong></p> + +<p class="center"><span class="bb"><strong>A Most Valuable Book</strong></span></p> + +<p class="hanging">By H. S. Pomeroy, M.D. Prefatory note by Thos. +Addis Emmet, M.S., LL.D., and introduction by +Rev. J. T. Duryea, D.D., Boston. With an Appendix +showing the laws of most of the States and +Territories regarding certain forms of crime.</p> + +<p class="center"><strong>12mo, Cloth, 197 pp., Price, $1.00,<br /> + +POSTAGE FREE.</strong></p> + +<blockquote> + +<p>"To the earnest man and woman everywhere, who +has watched the reckless manner in which marriages +are contracted, the wicked way in which responsibilities +are shifted and ignored, and the slow and sure +defilement of society because the criminal classes are +allowed to propagate their vile species, while Christian +households and moral parents ignore their duty +to this and to the next world, this book is almost like +a voice from Heaven. Should reach its hundred-thousandth +edition."—<cite>Chicago Journal.</cite></p> + +<p>"It deserves to lie alongside the Bible in the +foundation of each home."—<em>Rev. O. P. Gifford, +Boston.</em></p> + +<p>"I have read your book with deep interest and +heartily concur in it.... May God bless your +words."—<em>Elizabeth A. Tobey, Pres. Mass. W. C. T. U.</em></p> + +<p>"A subject of great delicacy and yet commanding +present importance is treated with the utmost propriety +of tone and expression; with adequate knowledge, +both theoretical and practical; with unflinching +thoroughness and courage in the exposure of the +evil, and with a reformatory purpose worthy of both +the man of science and the Christian."—<em>Rev. Joseph +Cook.</em></p></blockquote> + +<p class="center">———</p> + +<p class="center"><strong>FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY, Publishers,<br /> +NEW YORK and LONDON</strong></p> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240"> </a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 340px;"> +<img src="images/i_adpage8.jpg" width="331" height="600" alt="ad page 8" /> +</div> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<p class="center b13"><em>A UNIQUE CYCLOPEDIA.</em></p> + +<p class="center">———</p> + +<p class="center b15">Historical Lights;</p> + +<p class="hanging">Or, Six Thousand Historical Articles, illustrating +Thirty Thousand Topics. Especially +arranged for the Family Library, +as also for Conversationalists, Lecturers, +Public Speakers, Writers for the Press, +Lawyers, Students, and all who have +occasion to use illustrations drawn from +History. Compiled by <span class="smcap">Rev. Charles E. +Little</span>, author of "Biblical Lights and +Side-lights."</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p>"These 'Lights' are a galaxy taken exclusively +from standard Histories and Biographies. +They consist of Facts, Incidents, Examples and +Precedents, selected for illustrative purposes, +and chiefly from the Civilized Races of Antiquity +and the American and English people. The Subjects +relate to Religious, Social, and Political +Life, to Moral and Civil Government, etc. The +historian's name is appended to every quotation. +<em>There are no fugitive anecdotes in the work.</em>"</p></blockquote> + +<p class="center">Complete in one volume, 8vo, 900 pages.</p> + +<p class="center"><span class="antiqua">Prices, Cloth, $5; Sheep, $6.50; transportation free.</span></p> + +<p class="center">———</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p class="center">Peculiar Value of the Work:</p> + +<p>It is unique in design—no other publication occupying +this field in literature. It meets a want +common to the large class who desire ready access +to historical precedents, examples and incidents. +It furnishes a mass of choice illustrations +drawn from History, which are immensely +more valuable than statements, anecdotes or incidents +which cannot be vouched for.</p></blockquote> + +<p class="center">———</p> + +<p class="center"><strong>FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY,<br /> +NEW YORK and LONDON</strong></p> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"> + +<p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> Printed here by kind permission of Messrs. W. F. +Draper & Co., Andover Publishing House, Andover, +Mass.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"> + +<p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> Printed here by permission of the publishers, +Messrs. Wm. Blackwood & Sons.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"> + +<p><a name="Footnote_3_3" id="Footnote_3_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_3_3"><span class="label">[3]</span></a> By permission of the publishers, Messrs. Longmans, +Green & Co.</p></div></div> + +<hr class="chap" /> + +<div class="tn"><h3>Transcriber's note:</h3> +<p>Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note. +Irregularities and inconsistencies in the text have been retained as +printed.</p> + +<p>Missing page numbers are page numbers that were not shown in the +original text.</p> + +<p>Page 116: The transcriber has supplied the missing closing +bracket--"and Him crucified (when I was among the pupils of +Gamaliel, all of whom despised my chosen theme)".</p> + +</div> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The World's Great Sermons, Volume 5: +Guthrie to Mozley, by Various + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WORLD'S GREAT SERMONS, VOL 5 *** + +***** This file should be named 44420-h.htm or 44420-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/4/4/4/2/44420/ + +Produced by Júlio Reis, Moisés S. 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