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H c<_ • o THEOLOGICAL UNION ov mt |lItSOtt^(!SllJgHK ^^^^^ THIRD ANNUAL HALIFAX, N.8. : PRINTED AT CONFERENCE OFFICE, GKANVILLE STREET, m^ THE INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE. A LECTURE By REV JOHN LATHERN. »| J^At >!_>• I / .- \ IV LECTURE. i THE INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE : CURRENT THEORIES AND SCEIPa?UBAIj STATEMENT. It must not form any part of my plan on this occasion-except in an incidental way-todiBciLsa evidences of Christianity, inquire into the formation of the sacred canon, or to attempt an estimate of the processes and value of modem biblical science and criticism. Inquiry must have exclusive reference to the inspiration of can- onical books. Apologetics may be taken for granted. The temple of sacred truth, in all its magnificent propor- tions, walls and towers and bulwarks, the immovable strength of its foundations, you have abeady surveyed. But, now, "Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem ! " Treading those hallowed courts, we " be- hold the beauty of the Lord." Inspiration still breathes and bums aa the brightness of the ancient Shekinah, and pure light streams upon the face of the reverential wor- shipper. ^h^» . «. ^ 1 i 6 THB INSPIRATION OP THE BIBLE. To tho biblical student, in view of the stress and tendency of modern thought and research, the doctrine of the inspiration of the Scriptures must continue to as- Burae a proportionately greater magnitude and impor- tance. It is of the utmost consequence, upon this subject, that wo should have definite formula, and a clear enuncia- tion of authorized belief. But the doctrinal standards of GUI* church are somewhat meagre at this point— perhaps insufficient. Our present inquiry, therefore, cannot but be regarded as a thoroughly legitimate one. It were superfluous however, where members of the Theological Union are concerned, to adduce reasons for challenging attention to this special theme. In dealing with the supremely important question of INSPIRATION, we have to seek for a definition of standard and historic doctrine ; to indicate the natui-e of cun-ent theological theories and criticism upon the subject ; to ascertain the views and claims of men who have been commission- ed and accredited of God ; to trace, in the application of this fact, an essential principle of biblical interpretation. I — IT IS EXPEDIENT TO ATTEMPT A DEFINITION OP STAN- DARD AND HISTORIC DOCTRINE. Inspiration, from in and spiro^ has the double mean- ing of in-breathing and of breathing-into ; and in this latter sense, we are accustomed to use tho expression. It is just as when the risen Eedeemer stood in the midst of His disciples, on the evening of the resurrection, and breathed upon them that they should receive the Holy I 'i THK INSPIRATION OF THB BIBLE. % Ghost. This word finds noblest application to the sacrod writings, for all Scripture is given by inspiration of God : that is to say all Scripture is God-breathed. Ho who is the "Source of old prophetic fire, Fountain of light and life." breathed into the sacred writers the sense of what they were to write for the enlightenment of men. Because of mental and spiritual gifts and aptitudes, men were selected as the chosen instruments of God for the com- munication of divine and infallible truth ; and, through extror ordinary action and agency of the Holy Ghost, mind illuminat- ed and vision purified, in language moulded to accordant form, they were moved and taught when and how to speak and write for the instruction of their own and after ages. The only definite formula upon the subject, adopted by our own Church, dates from the Reformation :— " The Scriptures contain all things necessary to sal. vation ; so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may bo proved thereby, is not t'> be required of any man that it should be believed as an article of faith, or be thought necessary to salvation, etc.:" * " The Holy Scriptm-es contain sufficiently all doc- trines required of necessity for eternal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ," f The idea of inspiration, or something of near affinity with it,emanates from an early period of the world's civi- lization. The most eminent and authentic sages and teach- ers of Greece and Eome were compelled to the conviction, * Diicipline, p. 14. f Discipline, p. 196. ■ •«• ^ t i 8 Till INHPIUATION or TIIK IIIIII.B. which wart ft»nk!y oxpvoHHod, thai if over truth onmo Imt'k to oarth it imiHt l)o through tho modimu of (linu-t rovolution. Thoro inuHt bo an immodiato cominunicalioii from tho godn. That (loop y» V stendpoint however cursory or rapid the review, is that the fact of divmc inspiration has ever been held as a funda- mental doctrine of the Church of God. UPON THIS IL— CURRENT THEOLOGICAL THEORIES SUBJECT MAY BE BRIEFLY SUMMARIZED. In contrast with the past, especially of the Eeforma- mation period, as we come down to the strain and sever- ity of modern criticism, we are at once impressed with the amazing rebound of thought in regard to thi. Question There are now keen analysis and most search; investi- TtT ^7/««"f J^^'« raised. Nationalistic "^theories aie formulated, and often recommended by brilliant scho- larship. Even exponents of the ancient faith, for the Bake It may be of common ground, have surrendered some vital points. It may be expedient, in this ex- amination, to glance only at a few of the more promi- nent modern theories. 1. The Poetic theory. Inspiration, according to this view, IS only another name for the poetic faculty The sacred writers are classed in the same category with men of genius. There is no essential difference in the nature of inspiration, even though you admit a difference of degree, between St. Paul and Plato-between the lofty strains to which David tuned his harp, or Isaiah's seraphic fire and the apostrophe which the bard of Ilium address- es to his muse, or the invocation with which the great puritan, John Milton, commences the Paradise Lost We are to accept inspiration not upon the valid ground of logice evidence, but from a feeling of personal experi- ence: "The lofty strains of the Psalmist, the burning r 12 THE INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE. woi-ds of the prophets, the profound utterances of John and Pauls produce elevation of mind, kindling of spirit, open vision, and depth of conviction. They have thus become the litanies of nations, and for ages the life of the soul." And here, according to that liberal and poetic idea, the theory or test of inspiration must begin and end. It resolves itself into a matter of mere emotion or of cultured taste. But while it is true that in the modern sense, there are light and sweetness in the litera- ture of the sacred volume, it is very far from being all the truth. The serious suggestion of such a test indi- cates but little of critical acumen. It would in fact be equally applicable to Keble's Christian Year,or to Charles Wesley's tender and lofty lyi-ics, but we do not put those upon a level with the sacred writings. The inspiration of men of genius and of mental power is only the natural and necessary elevation of their own minds when filled and fired with great and burning thoughts and themes. But the inspiration of Prophets and Apostles, whoso writings are the pillar and ground of truth, and the foundation of the Church of God, in addition to the natur- al intensity and fire of their own thought and feeling, was the result of direct and divine action and agency upon their minds and hearts. 2. The nationalistic theory. From the imaginative and emotional element, which forms an essential featm-o of the liberal and poetic ideal, we are now thrown to the opposite extreme of cold reason and of destructive criti- cism. The tone and tendency of this school are indicat- ed by favorite formula : "God's word is in the Scriptm-es; all Scripture is not the word ol God." It almost seems i THE INSPIRATION OF THB BIBLE. 13 as if the very framework of the structure had been block- ed out and hewn by such a scholai* and exeget^e as Hen- rich Ewald. The facts of sacred history, through the agency of supposed " redactors " and " deuteronomists," and a process of rationalistic analysis designated histori- cal investigation, if found to be incompatible with a pro- conceived idea, change with the ease of landscapes in a dissolving view. Important portions of the Old Testa- ment are reduced to composite material, of an uncertain value. "I must confess," said Dean Milman, " that I read Ewald ever with an increasing wonder at his unparal- leled ingenuity, his surpassing learning, but usually with decreasing conviction. I should like an Ewald to criticiso an Ewald." It is quite competent for a rationalistic critic, without violation of any established canon in that system, to demonstrate from the very writings in which they are contained the untrustworthiness of alleged facts ; and, yet, strangest of all, such ai'e the demands upon om* credu- lity, the condemned material may still be reconstructed and built up into a goodly fabric of truth. The element of supernatural, through the exigencies of destructive criticism, is reduced to a rapidly vanishing quantity. The measm-e of inspiration vouchsafed to the Church, through those ages in which "God spake unto the fathers by the prophets," is to be determined by spiritual intui- tion. When sacred writers speak of having received "the word of the Lord" we are to understand that they "gave expression to their inward consciousness."* They were enabled by spiritual impulse to utter and write extra- ordinary intuitions of truth. "If God spake to them, it * Dr. DaTidson. H TUK INSPIftATION OF TWt BIBLB. was not in the form or force of external or supernatural communication, but through the impulse of an inner con- sciousness." But, if from current history, confused tradi- ton, fallible human opinions, and the form in which it first appears, aided only by the uncertain light of intui- tion and consciousness, we are left to disengage the genu- mo truth of God, what is the value of that residuum of revelation? Can we upon insufficient data, and without any thorough agreement on the part of rationalistic critics accept a theory that almost destroys noble differentia of the wondrous Book. The lectures of Professor Eobcrtson Smith, on "Bibli- cal Criticism," which sustain the rationalistic theory of mterpretation,have excited a wide-spread interest. They furnish evidence of trenchant force, keen critical acumen and stupendous research. The style is vigorous, their spirit 18 reverential; and they are the product of thorough scholarship. In regard to the transcription of ancient manuscripts, the Septuagiut translation, and the formation of the Hebrow Canon, they supply valuable information. "The inspiration of the prophets," it is observed, " pre- sents phenomena quite distinct from those of any other religion." But the drift of this historical criticism is only too palpable. The existence of Elohistic and Jeho- vistic elements, in the Psalter and the Pentateuch, opens the gate into a region of wide and free conjecture. By a cumbrous method of historical reasoning the constr'uc- tion of the elaborate Levitical ritual is credited to Ezekiel in exile, its introduction for actual service to Ezra. In opposition to a mass of historic fact, the coloring of Egyp- tian ideas and the atmosphere of Arabian wilderness tra* I : I THK INSPIRATION OF THB 3IBL1, 1ft vol that cling to tho narrative, and the well-considered conclusions of eminent Hebraiste, the authorship of the Pentateuch is chiefly attributed to Ezra and fumous Scribes of that post-exilic period. But the criticism," whatever may be found to be its ultimate value, creates greater and more numerous difficulties than it solves. In fact nothing can be more uncertain and delusive than the canons of so called subjective criticism. Archbishop Whatoly published a smart and satirical brochure-. " his- toric doubts as to the existence of Napoleon Bonaparte." The criticism was purely subjective. Internal probabili- ties alone wore considered. External evidence was ox- eluded. The case was complete. Napoleon was reduced to a more myth, or historic fiction. It is still open to question whether by opposition to supernatural inspira- tion, historico-critical studies in the Pentateuch, the theory of a Deutero-Isaiah and other speculations, the modern rationalist has been able to construct arguments of a more specious and plausible natui'e. " What is the ground taken ? " asked a late comer in a Scotch parish Church. "The ground," said a privileged clerical listen- er, "that was abandoned long ago : he is just swimming now ! " Beyond us are deep waters of subjective criti- cism, rolling tljeir limitless waves upon an uncertain shore. But for the present, we prefer to build upon the rock of established truth. 3. The Illumination theory. This has been advocat- ed by Bishop Wilson and other distinguished biblical scholars. The usual contention is for a three-fold degree of inspiration or of illumination. The fact of supervision might suffice for Chronicles and the historic books. Ele- 16 mi! mSMBATION OP Tl« biBU. VAtion broathos throURh tho P^nlm. j „ compositions. BhootmLZL , *"'* *" <'»<'"i'>«I "iation. What tl,„ mcasu"o oft"".'**'™ ''«<">•'"»■ on„„. given point orp„.sa"„Th'X ,7'''''''™."'''^ """"""y But do tho Script^'oVX,™ ," '"°" '^ '•'""■•">'"»• not tho tcndoncy o f B„el, a tt *»"<"■ '"«"»» ? I« it t«.-8 of fUith and morak? ^ ' "" "'' '^'■'" "' """- the d^^rtC;;' "'zI'lt::t': -t '" -»'- infldoHty." ,q„an„ i'd tlult 1 """T""''"^ •luctaon, contains a caution nZiu!tLS^ ""^""^ 1'™- untonablo m-ound and ,h., T """tiompt to occupy eit-iolof rotairdCtl "ItaT'^^r '" "'^P"™ '"" -ot fo,.get that tho Divine 7???:^"^"°""' *»»•>'»"<» vouchsafed to us in a form^ f ""'""o" '» Scripture is -e t^e h„„an? l^^ZZ^^^^ ^.»' "' «>« 1- ;t":~otr:::^,^- ^^^^ whohas tho spiritTf thelM "'Tuf ™""''' «•- o™ of the passages, in the first EpistlftoT" ^"P''"™" where the Apostio speaks of haWn° ^„o *^°"''"»»«. of the Lord," to which sMcifi7 ^'^ commandment be found th;t ho on fmTan t''! r " ""^°' " ^'^^ formal i„j„„etio„ autrorrtit, ^ *"''' '"^ '""'" ■«> thatdivinely directed hi? communicated ; but to such commanf ^ boccepted as equivalent u TUB INSPIRATION OP TUB BITiLE. ,7 4 Tho /Y,wy ,|„„,,j, TclhiHviowof inspiration >l"w.mM,t I,,,,! ,.,.|„K.il,y ,b,. ,i,„ worlc ,.ssi,.„, • i„ ' ," '> ..-,«,, ,„ ,„.ci, ,.„„ u,,., d,,„u,,no,u ,„■ ,,,.„„, ,„,.":;; Ii.» ".,,.1 m,sl,l, Imv. ,K«,-„.st atlinily ,„■ „,„.|, „„ ,,.•„„ wr„.M-» ,„. tl,., r,.oollo..i„„ of ,,-„ow„ /)..,«, ,0,. „1| "s^ o.t,o„ iv„m ..., v,„.i..,i «„„.,,.„,„ „„„„„ ,, ,„. , , ,; ;^"; value, .,K. io,. „,u.|, ,.„ a,,„li<.atio„ ,„■ „,,„ „„ , ,, ;""^,' l™tl,aHooul,l„ot I,uv„ o,.„,„.,-c.d to tlioi,. own , 1,^ nent,.! v,„k,„ a clear and vivid in,p,e„„i„„ o|- aU ,na tl.a .odd only bo known by revelation ; and ti„a| ' 1 - diieet them in .me-anee and in alnt saith ; and, in the same Epistle', a passage from Jeremiah attests that '-the Holy Ghost is also a witness unto us." "The prophec}-," according to St. Peter, "came not in the oM time by the will of man: but holy men of old spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." * That which they were moved to com- municate, no more and no less, and when they were moved, they spoke and wrote. There can be no clearer theological formula, and there can not be a more satis- factory scientific statement than that explanation of the Apostle Peter, " they si)ake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." That one passage, more than all the vol- umes which have been written, defines the Bible idea of inspii ation. In the last Epistle of St. Paul to Timothy, in a pas- sage of supreme intei-est, the inspiration of the Scrip- tures is emphatically affirmed: Fasa graphe thcojmeu ♦ " Men sp.ake frc m God, being moved by the iioiy Ghost."— liew Ver, ' 26 THE INSPIRATION OP THE BIBLE. stos ; in the Vulgate, Otnnis Scriptura divinitus inspirata. In the New Testament, there is no recognition of uninspir- ed writing. The word graphe is never secuhirised b}' such an application. In the Gospels and Epistles—" Did ye never read the Scriptuics ?"—" Search the Scriptures" — " the place of the Scripture"—" the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh"—" the Scripture foreseeing that God would justify"— " the Scripture hath concluded all under sin"— in singular or plural form, it is a])plied to the Old Testament. Technical use determined the sense, and the article is therefore omitted. The books of the Xew Testa- ment, now mostly completed, were also to form part of the saci-ed writings. The other weighty word of this important passage theopneustos, ft-om theos and j^neo, God inspired or inbreathed of God, carries its own meaning. It is to be understood as a predicate, not a mere epithet. In the language of the authorised version, inspiration is predicated of all Scripture, and this is unquestionably the genuine sense of the text. The alterruitive render- ing, "Every Scripture inspired of God," adopted for the revised version, affirms inspiration to be an essential at- tribute of the sacred writings: " Every Scripture in- spired of God is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness : that the man of God may be completely furnished unto every good work." But is there not, it may be urged in opposition to this view of plenary inspiration, throughout the sacred Scriptures, an impression of individuality ? Has not each book, in thought, manner, stylo, all the distinctive- ness which stamps merely human composition ? Are i fr I THE INSPIRATION OP THE BIBLE. 2*7 not the varied mental characteristics of the several wri- ters clearly indicated ? Was not Moses indebted for his noble style to the culture of the Egyptian schools ? Do not the Epistles of St. Paul bear the mint-mark of Tarsus College and of studies at the feet of Gamaliel ? Was there not in sarcedotai allusion, and temple imagery of wri- ters selected fi-om priestly caste, a constant trace of ■early association ? Does not the raciness of the soil and of early occupation cleave to the prophetic utterances of Amos, ine herdsman and gatherer of sycamore fruit, whom the Lord took from following the flock to go and prophesy unto Israel ? These characteristics of mental caste and culture may be readily admitted. But do not these very facts illustrate an important feature of inspi- ration? The great and glorious God, in the communi- cation of his will to men, through every part of the sa- cred volume, might have adopted a style solemn, severe, and judicial, as that of Sinai. The word of God from first to last, might have been a code of law, or a table of commandments. It is quite within the range of our conception that holy angels might have been the com- missioned messengers of God's will to our world. But when, " instead of the syntax of heaven and the vocabu- lary of archangels," the Most High selected human in- struments as the medium of communication, why should lie not make use of their style and personality, as well their speech and national tongue? If a main design had been to furnish a purely classic style, then would the most cultured scholars onl}^ have been designated to this woi-k. It may be doubted, however, whether as the vehicle of evangelical truth, for all purposes, the style I 28 THE INSPIRATION OP THE BIBLE. of Demosthenes or Cicero would have been at all equal to that of Mark or St. John. The Greek of the Xew Tes- tament, accoi'diny to the most accomplished masters of grammar, and of classical and sacred literature, has a caste and a eomidexion essentially and distinctly its own. ]t cannot be compared in some re-ipects with the exquis- ite purity and grammatical smoothne-s of Attic eloquence. But while lacking some of the finer lines of Greek beauty, the stylo of New Testament writers has greatly gained by the infusion of rtra/nrt/c robustness and richness, sim- plicity and fire. Mo iified by Hebrew idiom and mag- niticencQ of idea, especially moulded and reformed by the mind of the Eternal Spirit, it became a forceful and fit/ ting medium for thought that breathed and burned — thought that was new to Gi'eek tongue and lanii-uafre. But though, in com[)arison with literary productions of Greece's palmiest dayt?, a certain quality of roughness may be thought to cling to the stylo and manner of certain portions of the Scriptures, they bear none the less distinctly the imjiress of an inspired origin. But for the breathings of divine light and life these wonderful woi'ds of Galilean fishermen could not have charmed the intellectual taste or have deejily moved the heart of the world. In the Seville Gallciy^ of Spain there are said to be eighteen pictures by the great Spanish master Mu- rillo. One is the gem of the collection. The material is coarse enough, only a common napkin, but it reveals all the more the unrivalled genius of the illustrious ar- tist. Murillo,as the story runs, was accustomed for a few days occasionally to seek a quiet retreat with a certain house of Friai's. The brethren of the order were cordial- : y THE INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE. 29 \y esteemed. The painter was alno a favorite guest. A wish was expressed for some memento of those pleasant visits. An old brother begged Murillo to paint a Madon- na for the Monastery. He would be delighted to comply with that request. But where was the canvas ? Thei-e was no suitable material for the puipose. Spanish friai-s have always been adepts in their ai-t. The breihren were not to be baffled. Would this do ? asked the brotlioi- who had solicited the boon, as he pointed to his napkin. Vrhy not! said the painter, and entered into the humor of the proposal. A less consummate master would have hesitated to try his hand, or trust his fame, with such material to work upon. But the roughness of texture only made the genius of the production all the nioi'o con- spicuous. That jjieco of sipuiro, coai-sc cloth was tirmly stretched upon the board. Beneath the wondrous skill of the immortal Murillo that Madonna of the napkin, a master-piece of Europe, the gem of that Seville gallery, was rapidl}' produced. And so in regard to the commu- nication of revealed truth : "the treasure is in earthen vessels" that the excellency of the power may be of God. The literary plainness, through which, in some excep- tional cases, inspiration wrought its marvels, only i-e- veals more paijiably the source and secret of a light which streams over the sacred jinge. The woof through which the fabric of inspired truth has been woven, may seem at times to be sober and homely fibre and shade ; but it is shot with golden hues and threads; and, with all the ease and flowing softness of a silken robe, the style of inspired writers adjusts itself to the form and sub- .etance of revealed truth : 30 THE INSPIRATION OP THE BIBLE. " Thencef.irth to eyes of high desire IJio meanest things below, As with a seraph's robe of fire Invested, burn and glow." I8 it dosigncJ, you may a,k, through memiB of .a,-,-,,- ment and ,llu»tration, to o,„pha,izo the doctrine ofve^b. a n.p.rafo,,? ]f by verbal inspira.ion, not perhaps the most iehctous phrase, you mean the in.spin tion f anuenses of the Holy Spirit-that they Jre ^L^/Z at Itr'T' """'■ "■""""" ^™" "'"■«'>' ™-l.anical" tha hoy l,ad to express divino thought, in given words -tha the ,j„mma verba of every part was supernatur! ally detor,n,ned-if you mean inspiration in 'JL m . chameal autom^^a,o and rigidly inflexible sense, I must "..-ver No I But if you „,ean verbal inspira ion i , a <^«ination ,„„( elear .iistinction , t oen Rovelation an,l Inspiration. The one roceivos; „ oth r e.„„nHnm.ates. The one may he „,„in|^ ,„t,,i „,el to the personality of the Kternal Word ; tl,e other to tho ff ":J '"■"- "-'b-.«l"nt. The patriarchs were 2 .^''t! y favored with cliv.no re, elation ; but as far as we know unless fragnients of theirs were afterwanls en,he,l,lod I.. canon,cal hooks, they were not commissioned or q U^ fiod by msp.ration to write for the benefit of men. Tho beloved physician, St. Luke, was not seer or Apostle vet vciyfiist hewas inspired to write the third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. I„ the Old TestaZt where the facts of an earlier and rnder and ^tT^e oom „p along the frontier lines of revelation, this Z t^onofholy law from Sinai and the rebellion of Korfh Datnan and Abiram-the psalms of David, chanted be' neath the brightness of the Shekinah, and I'ldultery wul Bathsheba a dark and sinful episode in the life of ,ho ame royal psalmist-have been alike faithfully recorded Yet one other instance," says Coleridge, with roference to the speculations of Job's friends.-.Vthodox 1 arsf God these Arabian reasoners are called by the IlighKalo Sase, and their words are compared to the oil of vSl iTtTis ';"".■; " """.''""»" "•'>un'l-"one other instance, and etthis be the critical test of the doctrine: the ho low truisms the unsufflcing h.lf-truths, the fahe assumt 4,ons and malignant insinuations of tho supercilious b g"ts 30 THE INHPIUATION OP THE BinLE. wlio corruptly dofciided tho truth"* An obviouH and most important priiicii)le of interpr' ..on was ovidontly overlooked l)y the acute critic, wlieu the above conf ession of "ail inciuiriiig spirit" was made : Tho words of Jeho- vah that Ho 8i)ako out of tho whirlwind — tho pathetic appeal ofthe stricken patriarch of Uz — tho sophistical rea- Bonin^'H of Eliphaz thoTcmanite, Bildad thcShuhito,and Zophar the Nuamiithite— tho slur and calumniations of Sa- tan on tho day when ho came among tho sons of (rod, as they presented themselves before tho Lord — varied mat- ters of life and interest liave been written down with tho same pen ; antl hence tho character and dramatic power of that matchless Oriental book. But, while inspiration vouches for the accuracy of each statement, ami guaran- tees absolute tidelity, it docs not imjjly any divine appro- bation of half-truths, change their origitud nature, or in- vest them with the authority of biblical inculcation. The confused sense of critics, consetiuent upon want of dis- crimination at such points as these, has kept in counten- ance many a heavy indictment against the Bible. f If from Coleridge wo turn to Carlyle, we shall be less likely, 80 far as this book is concerned, to stumble over any sug- gestion as to the insufficiency of inspiration : " A noble book ; all men's book ! It is our first, oldest statement of the never ending problem — man's destiny and God's ways • " ConfesBionji." f " If there be one uninspired word, one word in the wrong place, or a word that ou-jht not to be there to that extent the Bible is an uninspired book." God "would not have allowed the ideas and niislakis of pretending propliets and designing priests to become so mingled with the original text that it is impossible to say where He ceased and where priests and prophets began." B. G. IigcfBol} in ii. -ci. RsvieWi TUB IMSpraATIOOK THE DIDLE. 37 with him hero upon thiH earth. Such living likenesses were novor since (iniwn, Huhlimo sorrow, Hublimo recon- ciliation; oldest choral melody as of the heart of man- kind; — so soft and great; — as the wumrncr midnight, as the world its seas and stars."* 2. The fact of Inspiration lights up contrasted state- ments of the Bible. By contrast, I do not mean contradiction. Great princij)IeH cannot be reduced always to the simplicity of an elementary expression. Profound verities of revealed truth can only besot forth in clear and cleaving contrast. Api)arent contradictions some times startle and surprise the most thoughtful and devout student of the ScriptureH. Bitter opponents of the Bible have in seeming discrepancy found some of thei r sharpest weapons of assault. If, upon cleai- and critical investigation, apparent contradiction ■was found to bo absolute, the supreme claim of the sacred ■writinga would be thereby invalidated. That fact would prove the existence of error, or the insufficiency of in- spiration. But it will bo found, upon closest scrutiny, that these statements are communications of essential tinith, that they merely conform to the conditions of limited intellect, and to the restrictions of human speech. Balanced truths abound in the Bible : the Trinity in Unity — divine and human in the Person of Christ — sovereignty and freewill — infinite beneficence and human suffering — the final perseverance of the saints. In one chapter of Samuel, we read that God cannot repent; and twice in the same chapter, in startling juxtaposition, we read that the Lord repented that he had made Saul King * " Hero Worship." 1! 38 THE INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE. !l oflsi*aol. On one luminous page, wo trace tlic wondr- ous record that God is love ; and upon another leaf, in lurid lines, stands stern affirmation, " for our God is a consuming Ih-e." "No one," said the Redeemer, " shall pluck them out of my hand ;" and yet He emphasizes the solemn fact : " If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth." In the Epistle to the Eomans, wo have St. Paul's doc- trine of Justification by faith : which according to Luther was artieulus stantis vel cadentis ecclesirv, ; but in the ethi- cal Epistle of St. James, denounced by the Reformer as one of straw, wo learn that "by works a man is justified, and not by faith only," But these and other balanced .statements of the Bible are not contradictions. They are extreme poles and opposite hemispheres in a perfect and rounded orb of sacred truth. Altogether unique is this combination. Every book has its own special burden. Each separate part, in right sequence, is the required complement of every other part. Contrasts are harmon- ized. Discordancies are reconciled. Problems are solv- ed. There are " unknown quantities," and deep calls unto the deep. Voice answers to voice. Psalm chords with prophecy. Missing links are supplied. The New Testament completes the old. Mercy and truth moot to- gether. Righteousness and peace kiss each other. 3. The fact of Inspiration suggests the secret and the solution of gradual development in the fulness of re- vealed truth. Capacity for nearer and remoter fulfilment has been designated a diq^lex seyisvs of the sacred scriptures. But, at the outset, we must bear in mind that there is nothing in the Word of God that corresponds to the THE INSPIRATION OF TUB BIBLE, 39 "double sense' for which ancient oracles were sometimes severely Hatirizod. When Pyrrhus the King of Epirus was about to make war with the Romans, he consulted the Delphic oracle as to the probability of success. The answer which he received, Tc liomanos vinccre posse, might mean " thou canst conquer the Romans, or that " the Romans can conquer thee." The chieftain construed the prediction in his own favor. After defeat in battle, he complained of deception. But the juggling oracle vindi- cated veracity and maintained credit by an opposite in- terpretation. But never thus do the Oracles of God play fast and loose with the hojies and fears of men. Utter- ances of revealed truth are at the utmost extreme from equivocation, and from the semblance of duplicity. There are no .Sibyl ine leaves in the inspired volume. But there is a marvellous fulness of meaning that gradually unfolds itself through successive ages. The divine message con- tained instruction for the time and people to whom it was first declared. A deaper meaning was reserved until the sayings should be fully accomplished. The Old Testa- ment abounds in typical and symbolic teachings, with a literal form, and a deeper spiritual significance. Messian- ic strains based upon national and political fact and movement found an immediate application to the circum- stances of the Church in that age ; but, in transition of thought, and a loftier sweep of vision, the inspired writer celebrates the reign and glory of the Redeemer. The final fall of Babylon, predicted when that city was at the height of its magnificence, took the form of literal fulfil- ment; but, none the less, it assures the ultimate and complete overthrow of stupendous error. Return from 1 1 40 THE INCPIRATION OF THE BIBLE. the captivity furnished a framework for things of deeper spiritual Import: "and the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlastincr joy upon their heads." In the New Testament, wo have in- timations concerning the gradual development -of impor- tant spiritual truth. « I have many things to say," the Great Teacher saith, '' but ye cannot boar them now." " When that which is perfect is come, then that which is in partshallbe done away." Thus " the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith." This wonderful capacity for development belongs only to the inspired writings, and stamps them as of divine origin. There is nothing of the same kind to be found in the ample range of uninspired literature. These passages apply to near- er and to more remote events. They have first a tempor- al and then a spiritual fulfilment. " They are not fulfill- ed punctually at once, but have springing and germinant accomplishment through many ages, though the height or fulness of them may refer to some one age."* ^ 4. The fact of Inspiration accounts for the manner m which New Testament writers make their qunfatiotis from the Old Testament. Appeal to standard authors, in secular literature must be governed by a canon that binds to rigorous ex- actness of quotation. But in the New Testament we find great diversity of method. There are direct render- ing of the Hebrew text, literal extract from the Septua- gint, and passages that have been modified from both these sources. It has been computed that out of two hundred and seventy-three quotations, from the Old Tes- * Lord Bacon. THE INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE. 41 ^ f lament, there arc only fifty-three in which the Alexan- drian version accurately agrees Avith the Hebrew. Seven- ty-six passaijes differ from the rendering of the Seventy, and still more from the original text. In ninety-nine quotations the Old Testament, the I^ew, and the Septua- gint vary from each other. But it is scarcely a matter of surprise that we should encounter such divergence. The sterling currency of inspired truth was utilized ; but it repassed the mint, was moulded and marked to meet the demands of a new age, and there is still the freshness and brightness of living thought. The inspired writers of the New Testament were not jurists whose explication of an ancient code would receive cast and complexion from the minutiae of expression. They were not philolo- gists whose exact and ample erudition could be exhaus- tively expended upon the niceties of merely verbal crit- cism. " Their function," says a Bampton Lecturer, was not so much to quote as to interpret : to snatch from their dark places the scattered lights of earlier teachings, to rearrange them, and to disclose the convergent witness which they bear to the central revelation of onr Lord." Inspiration was not bound by any law to repeat itself, or to tread always in the same track of expression ; it might condense, paraphrase, expand, and make new application of its own forms of speech. The question of verbal dis- crepancies, so far as it relates to New Testament quota- tions, resolves itself into one of the doctrinal value of inspired verbiage, and the extent to which a form of expression may mould the very substance of vital and saving truth; and, viewed from this stand point, the mists of controversy, that have thickened around the sub- ject, are at once and forever dispelled. f 42 THE INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE 5. Tho fact of Inspiration accounts for the incom- parable majesty of the Bible. It will bo readily conceded that, of uninspired writers the Bard of Ilium comes nearest to the Bible. But the inspiration of classic genius, however keen its vision, or steady its wing, never soared above the snowy heights of Olympus. The gods ol ( Jrecian mythology have with good reason been pronounced " a turbulent aristocracy." Jupiter, mightiest of the immortals, shook his ambrosial locks, anv^ made Olympus to tremble. But, at will, the thunderer could act an undignified part; and for some offence his consort Juno, was suspended from heaven by a golden chain, with un anvil at her feet. But of such puerilities, we find no trace in the inspired writers. They move on an infinitely kyitier plane of thought. What u contrast between Jove and Jehovah ! '' Before the mount- ains were brought forth," says the inspired Psalmist, "or ever Thou hadst f-..rm- ! the earth and the world, even from c-crlast:r.g to evsrlasting. Thou art God." The elders of Israel went up with Moses into the mount that burned with fire: "They saw the God of Israel, and there was under His feet as it were a paved work of a Ba])phire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in clearness " The rapt prophet in sanctuary service be- held " the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up and His train filled tho temple." Flaming seraphim stood with veiled face and folded wing ; "And one cried to an- other, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts: thewhole earth is full of His glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried and tho house was filled with smoke." THE INaPIILVTION OF THE BIBLE. 43 i ^ The dread majesty of that temple-scene even at this distance of time awes, subdues and fills the soul. There was the uncreatea and ineftable glory of Jehovah, too bright and elfulgent for celestial gaze, except with veiled face— the fervor and devotion of seraphim breaking and burning into reverential and reiterated ascription— the very threshold of the raagnific«nt sanctuary, its pon- drous and polished pillars of brass, Jachin and Boaz, trembling beneath the excessive weight of glory— a smoke or splendoi', as of the Shekinah, mingling with fragrant clouds of incense, rising from the golden altar to thick cedars of the panelled roof. From that source of old prophetic tire, John 'Ailton caught the inspiration of an immortal strain:— "a song so sublime and so holy that it would not have misbecome the lips of those ethereal virtues whom he saw, wita that inner eye which no calamity could darlcen, flinging down on the jasper pave- ment their crowns of amaranth and gold"— "Dark with excessive bright thy skirts appear, Yet dazzle heaven, that brightest serphim Approach not, but with both wings veil their eyes." 6. The fact of Inspiration explains the marvellous unity of the Bible. This book, or rather library of books bound into one volume, was written in different ages and in diiferent climes: on the banks of the Nile, in the desert of Arabia, by the rivers of Babylon, beneath the shadow of Solomon's temple, amidst the stir of Asiatic cities, in the deep gloom of a Eoman dungeon, and in the solitude of the isle call- ed Patmos. It contains the philosophic thought of Moses, the consecrated genius of David, the wondrous wisdom' 44 THE INSPIRATION OP THE BIBLE. of Solomon, the seraphic fire of rapt Isaiah, the lofty grandeur of Ezekiel, the matchless simplicity and graphic power of the four Evangelists, the luminous intellect and mighty conceptions of StPaul,the Apostle of Jesus Christ, and the magnificence and burning splendors of the Apoc- alypse : "A voice high and clear From lips of heaven-taught seer, From harps of Zion that charm the ear, From choirs where seraph-ministers glow." But through all variety of theme and compo- sition there runs a golden thread of unity. The Book is an organism. There is never a break in the lino of continuity. Inference is irresistible. Evidences of controlling mind are incontestable and overwhelm- ing. In a grand symphony, where in the execu- tion of several parts, a variety of performers contribute to perfect unity of result, do we not feel and recognize the power and presence of a mighty Master ? Is it not the triumph of genius to carry unity of idea through every wondrous combination ? It breathes in the pre- lude, whispers in the tenor, murmurs in the base, swells through each vibration and variation of voice and strain, and sweeps up to full and magnificent chorus. It will be readily acknowledged that Handel's " 3Iessiah " is one of the greatest of human compositions : It comprehends Messianic prediction. "Unto us a child is born" — pas- toral symphony and gloria in excelsis — the personal min- istry of the Son of Man, "for His yoke is easy" — the unprecedented sorrow of the Man of sorrows, embodied in sounds of wondrous power and pathos — the sublime f THK INSPIRATION OP THE BIBLE. 45 V ^ m^ burst of resurrection strain— the magnificence of Halle- lujah chorus— the believer's hoi^e, " I know that my Re- deemer liveth "—the exultation of apostolic defiance, " if God be for us, who can be against us— the Apocalyptic inscription, " Worthy is the Lamb that was slain "—an Arnen that gathers up all harmonies and sends its vibrar tions through all tinu. When the voices of earth are hushed, we feel as if it were only to mingle with the ex- ultant choirs of eternity. That great composition main- ly owes its varied magnificence, and noble unity of idea, to the seven-lold symphonies of revelation. It is largely the Bible set to music. But could we believe for one moment that the several parts of the " Messiah," which in combination constitute a supreme unity, could have been the indejjendent work of numerous authors, or that such perfection of harmony could have been achieved without the inspiration and action of one controlling mind ? And can we believe, but for infallible guidance, that the one economy of salvation— u/iwm continuum sys- tema^— could have been cari-ied thi-ough the several books that make up the Bible ? But the book of Genesis commences with Paradise lost, and Eevelation closes with Paradise rega"ned — a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. The argument from design, applied to the material universe, in evidence of the existence of the Supreme Bein^', we rightlj- claim to be irrefragable ; but with flaw- less and conclusive form and force, when applied to the sacred writings, the same process of reasoning demons- trates the divine inspiration of the Book we love so well. * Beneel. V'' 46 THE INSPIRATION OP THE BIBLE. " We litid rath Of believe," to adopt the idea and phrase of Lord Bacon, " all the fables in the Legend, and the Tal- mud, and the Alcoran, than that this universal frame" of sacred truth, " is without a mind." The argument from design in Nature, as evidence of the existence of a Supremo Being, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, we rightly deem to be irrefraga- ble; but with flawless and conclusive form and force applied to the writings of the Old and New Testament,' the same line of reasoning demonstrates the fact of the Divine in Eevelation, and the plenary inspiration of tho Book we love so well," •J. The fact of Inspiration asi^ures ;)e/7)e^><«Yy, and accords with the ever-cumulative evidence that attests the authority of the Bible. The inspired Scriptures have been subjected to the test of searching and successive ordeals. Thomas Paine with his simple axe, went through the Christian's garden of Eden, and supposed that he had left scarcely a single sapling standing. David Hume saw, or thought .le saw, the twilight of self-styled revelation ; but, as it proved, it was tho light of morning, about to break into the splen- dor of perfect day. Occasionally we are startled by some new phase of unbelief; and, not unfrequently, on the part of opponents, a manifest unfairness has to be encounter. ed. In so-called modern criticism, with much vaunt of scientific precision, the raism d'etre of the Bible is com- pletely ignored ; mainly the record of historical manifes- tation and development of redeeming purpose— fulfilled in Christ. Details are frequently sundered from the system of truth to which they belong; and, as if involv- : 1 THIINSPIEATIJN OFTUE BIBLB. 47 ■ng tho oxiBtcnco of fun.Iumontal revelation, thov arc oonly ent,c »ed. But re.Hea,-eh only ..eveuls the per ee t.on of ,n.,i„ratio„. Historic aeeuracy, on „„,• I "„ g.-onn.H l.a» been .sericniy impugned; but m, rv 'll«,° and u, ..putable and constantly oun.ula.ive areevi ,e c that nttert >ta character. R^oni the lands of the Dible the rn.ns of ancient cities, hieroglyphieal reco,,l and eunc.form inHeriptinn, and front the n.oxt roeen "nd bnlhant research and discoveries of science, con" r,"t ory tesfntony rolls in upon the Biblical stude ,t, and ut, us seal ,,p„„ tl,e ancient record. The con,pa;t IyZ work of .Scrtpturo history is strengthened and buttr sed by a ,„ass of corroborative evidence: such as canno be adduced ,„ support of Thacydido.,, Tacitus, or the bett authcuttcatcd works of ancient and secular liistory _ The ret'ords of Assyrian cylinders as they have been interpreted by competent scholars, complete y dLtipato the mam philological hypotheses „f rat onalistic C .n regard ,0 the Pentateuch; and no solvent 1 ben found to "dissolve the sculptured .stone, ,n,l 1 .. ■ letsotChaldoa." P.-ofessot^Bawlirntfal 'Tn'et Zl ■" ;^^»''*''™S ""=i»t Oriental inscriptions claims" that a theory of inspiration, which is not pLry " caZ bo supported by any correlative argument Z!\. 1 .d to the latest results of modern e'thnol^Jic: 1^" Very recently, for controversy upon The subiect b». not yet been exhausted, we heard of^isetltd bT tween Genesis and Geology, the Eevelation and the re cord of tho Bocks Testimony from those wide yd" tant domains was thought to be in direct collision Timt and space tn this lecture are limited. Exhaustive dTa 48 THE INSPIRATICN OF TIIK BIBLB. cuHsion cannot bo attempted. But this geological objec tion, once perHJstontly urged, may stand for all othorg. Kxamino it as a Geologist," say Dr. Dana of Yale an. eminent scholar and scientist, speaking of the first chapter in Genesis, " I find it to be in perfect accord with known Bcienco : therefore as a Christian, I affirm that the Bible narrative must be inspired." To my own mind, accus- tomed m early life to mines and mineralogy, durin- re- peated and careful examination of successive strata Ihat dispute and alleged discrepancy had a very special inter- est. To put the a.-gument clearly and forcibly upon this one subject, indicates the commanding attitude and abundant resources of the Apologist : " You find a book written in the first of Egypt-an schools, and consequent- ly versant m their system of cosmogony ; written for a people still sunk in the ignorance attendant on seifdom and thus prepared to receive blindly any feasible specu- lations on subjects beyond their reach; written in the desert where there wore no schools to criticise, no en- lightenment to detect errors, no rivals to expose them; written, in fine under every imaginaole temptation for the author to indulge his fancy, or to display his learn- ing. Yet while the sea of advancing knowledge has swept into the sea of fiction all otl-er records of creation this one stands proudly against the tides which fret upon Its bordei-e, but bear not an atom away. The very tor- rents that have overwhelmed its counterfeits flow around It, an unfordable defence, while every tributary poured in from some new source of knowledge, only swells the stream that bears down an assailant. He who believes, that any man by his unaided foresight could have chron THE INSPIRAriON OP THE BIBIE. 49 iclod creation's birth in time, when it, ,y,tom ,v«., gro,,. y msconceived, without assuming princM.lc-T and l.-ard,„g ii.ets which would be i„lsin"od by »; i„co" c eJomc, but contravenes the facts wiiich the sacred literature of ancient nations develop,. " * 8 Because of the fact of in8,,iration, for the most earnest s udent the Bible can know no exl'.austion The wonJrous things" of revealed truth are deCD and niarvellous as inspiration itself. Thev grow upo,^ the v.s,on patient love and reverence u-Uif all 1 i^!" are hlled wuh the great and infinite glory. The Vu ,(tl .nquu-er, like Dr. KiUo, may put his ma'^^k ovcVa! ": «pec,a pa,,„g<,,. „„, .^ afterward, when vast ttore, of b, blK-al knowledge have been aec'umulated „d M "ga.nst that symbol of his earliest faith. Mr Snur goon tcMs us that there are many books in h^ iibfary that he never reads, and shall never read again for thev have lost their interest and ho has left rhem th nd"^ but no one ever outgrows the Bible ' " f'f the Gospels," was the advice of an eminent Oxforf scholar. Dr. Martin Joseph Kouth was foT^oro ^an half a century the President of Magdalen cllZ H,s knowledge of patrMe literature was exact Tnd oxh.™ ,ve; and he was versed in all sacred sclnce Connsel was sought by a graduate of Oriel who was carefully « read in Eu.,ebius and Pearson," aa to [he m" dos,rablc course of divinity to pursue, ke vete™„ the ::^n:^ ?d:!r."t'n;r" • ^--- "- • Willi.™ Arthur """ "'°™"S'' I*"''- 1 60 THE INSPIRATION UV THE BIBLE." •;l sal of tho Gospels, tho Acts of tl.o Ai.oHtloM, and tlio Enis- ties of «t. Paul in tho ordor of Annalcs PauUni. " 1 would remi," ho said, " if I were you, first of all tho Gospel ac- cording, to St. Matthew. Bead a portion every <1ay.^ "It is impossible to forgot," says Doan Stanley, who as an Oxionl student sought an interview witli \)v Jfeln- rich Kwald at JJi-es,.en, "the noble enthusiasm with which ho grasped the small Greek Testa.nent in his hand, and said fn this little book is contained all the wisdom of the world, t •' " Who," asked Edmund Burko, " has read ono word of Collins, and Toland, and Tindal, and Chubb, and Mor- gan, and that whole race who called themselves free- thinkers ?" Since that time many a brilliant .vputation has ulierlyfixiled with the i-olling years, but the Word of God endures. A single fact speaks volumes, in one week no less than four million co])ies of tho IJovised JNow Testament are reported to have boon sold in London and Ncvf York. But we must now roach a CONCLUSION. An attempt has boon made to define the doctrine of l^ivine Inspiration ; and thus at the outset of this in- quiry, for tho chain of sequence, to obtain a staple-rin- of firm and formulated thought. Tho main idea of thit Hubject, as developed in tho earlier ages of tho Church ha. boon cursorily traced. The nature of prominent theological thooi-ies concerning this question has been succinctly stated, and tho drift of recent " biblical criti- cism" indicated. W^o have been solicitous above all to ascertain the claims of men who have been commissioned * Quarterly Review, 18G8. t History of the Jewish Church : vol. 3. Preface. r a 1 rilE IlfSI'lHATION OF THE BIBLE. 51 r amluccrclitcdofCJud; and it huH boon apparent that, "wlulo tlio Law Hpcaks in tiio tonyuo of the Hons ot'inon," roHtnctcd by tho oxigoncios of human speech, Bubjoct to tho incidents of manifold transcription, thoy behoved tlio Scriptures to bo t/w word of God lohich Uoeth and afndcthfor ever. 1 1 has also been indisputably bliewn that this theory of direct and plenary inspiration must account for somo of tho most distinctive phenomena of tho sacred writin «l A SERMON ALLISON WESLEVAN COLLEGE BT THE REV. H. McKEONW. SERMO]^. ->-<50C5— f- Seeketh not hor own,— l. Cor. xiii: 5. H I shall use these words this morning rather as a motto than a text, compreh. ding, as they do, in their completeness, the true, . and noble spirit of Christi- anity. In the preceding •-i)tor we learn that the Church at Corinth was divided into parties, jealous of each other's gifts, and envious of each other's honoi-s. They had, therefore, ceased practically to walk and live in the unity of the Spirit and bonds of peace. This led the apostle to declare that all their labor and gifts were valueless, since they had lost the spirit of true rclio-ion In this chapter the apostle gives the true temper, dtspo- sition, and spirit, in which all Christian duties should be discharged aud without which all efforts must be ineffec- tual. And this he does with so much clearness that none can fail to understand him. The word " Charity " better translated " love," contains the true motive in every duty, and if this be absent our work is all for noth- ing. " If I give my goods to feed the poor, and my body to be burned, and have not charity, it proiiteth me nothing." Many are the virtues which spring from charity as theirsource-charity furnishes clothes for the naked,bread I til ! m 66 A SERMON. i! hcnco all tl-e Ch,.st,an graces grow and ripon to matur- ^y leaving a name and legacy to the ehu/ch truly fra^. •.ntw, h labor, of love, while their works follo"v to ef Mnce the joys of an endless life. Among thi othe" graces c,a„ned to belong to charity, is the te em ol .edm the expression, "Seekelh not her own." looW at the extent of meaning contained in the.e wo.ds wf find the prmc.ple which they express furnishes the C kne'e";^'; r "' ""' ""* '"'°'- ""^ "-'^ of benZ olcnee, that have ever blessed the world. Followin.. n„ "r' ™:nM;ff "° r^ *° "-^ -™"'"- '^-^^ hiZ.ir '"' ' """' '"' '""""'nift'-itations of htmself, sznee we read that in love hath he ordained them This will appear if wo look at creation in its various departments, beholding the aLu„dant provision Cod has made to meet the wants of every for„/of life, whict walk the earth, iioat in the air, or traverse tLe pat, ll deep. The g-eat Creator in all these wonderful wo k , evidently governed by this principle of love Buti isi,! cle .est light. Eedenption has been justly called the crowning work of God, inasmuch as it makes all others both .n earth and heaven resplendent with his glory In creation God spoke-and it was done. Infinite power i" here displayed In Eedemption, God "so, loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son " as the ransom price Something more than the inhnity of power is here shown Uieroisan infinity of love-not theloveof a human being who loves when he is loved, but that of a God who "so * Iff * A SERMON 6? commondod his lovo toward us that while wo wcro v„t sinners Christ died for us." This love was tl^l esTel !f like himse,f m every way suited to induce sinners to g.ve themselves up to him and reeeive this love as tho r sweetest couueetion with a higher sphere. There are two points here raised by tho Anorfl. Wh.eh justly elain. our attention, and throC IghtCn tte faet that eharity " seoketh not her own.'^ js** Tou! hU,! T" ^r ''""°™ •""■'" '"'^'' '■'"■ ""■ Before we gmlt ami shame oftermg to bear it for us. When we were bankrupt and lost in moral ruin, Chrht u^dl, took to euro our sin-siek souls, to retrieve our ™ n d fo une op„,„„g „ t., „, ^,^ ^^ ^ nm d wifurth r appear .f we call to mind that this was a forgn-.ng love-man had sinned against God. With man and man alono, was tho fault. Should our bithe, in agajns us we do not forgive him until he repent n wo d or deed. It is said of Cato that ho never io^^l^Zt jury done him even by himself. Fearful would bo o„ ^m ti:::f''c't""'' "^ ■"" '"-'' ^'"^ » '»™ ^'^ watt f^o 1/ . ' "'■ ''™" °^ ™™^'™-'- «"■«' did not wait for mans repentaneo. Had he done so our doom ^uldlong since have been sealed. But influenced by that char.ty-wh.ch " seeketh not her own," " He saw, and O amazing love. He flew to our relief. " * Ho came to us in our guilt and rebellion, offering as for- g.veness, pleading with us to be at peace wilh him. S8 A SERMON. I I self into sacrificial lovo. That alone led ChnV , , down liis lift for hi, enemio, " For wMI "^ sinnom Christ died for us ■ What live « ■'"""J" leads hi,n to dio to save W^ e„ I^ Z c!! "™ tf t-ly .s that charity that "seeketh no h™ „1 ' H the pn„c.ple that moved the ha„d of omnipoto.co to av M Zion the stono for the fbandation of l,i, rZ 1 ■ oaths and promises, and blood, a.^ainst wh c, Z '° .Of darkncs shall spend their s'tro"^ 1^; C „ .^TT! pSior-r^-r'":" "-■ ^'^™'' -"^-h-s ot erthan'wh h """"' "" ">^* ^'»''«">'-l'-to„ stone- van agata^ «"''"' '"^^^'"^ °^ '-" ^'-" "<" P- •ims IS that which 13 to qualify her to oan-v o„t ,hl great mission of doinff^-oodhofhiv. ti , T^ ^® „f , ^ ""'ifc gooa Doth to the bodies and souls no to'-,ive^^t?o Im b" ''"'"'"' "" ''™<'™^ ™» Christ nuiv.l , ! f, onjoyment of the blessinga i-aiist purchased and bestowed upon her -R„f i, ■ qualifled by that spirit which seei nt her own Th! was prepared to put forth every effort tn7. ' ,! P-iously lost, hilt now ransZdlylhe'blXJaTof A SERMON. 59 mon Saviour. Thr drst apostles, animated by this spirit planted thomselve.s on the field of moral effort, lifted high the standard of the cross, declaring their intention to disciplo the world to God. This implied on their part great Belf-denial-cnduring hardshi])s as good soldiers— encountering strong and bitter emmies— in a woi-d, not counting their lives dear unto them that they might, in life and death, magnify the spirit of the text. This' is doubtless, the spirit that must control every true minis- ter of Christ in every department of his work. Thus every faithful servant, as he enters upon his life of self- denial and toil, is truly imitating his Divine Master, who came to seek and save that which was lost; we may judge how near the Mas.'ur each one comes, when he pur- sues his labor to the loss of all things, even of life itself. _ It is apparent that this should be the governing spint of the ministers in every age of the Church. If the minister have not that charity which " seeketh not her own," how can he impress upon his church the need of a deeper and truer spirit of love towards lost sinners ? But If he be full of the Spirit, and if on him rests in an abundant manner the portion of God, then will ho be able to draw his church nearer and nearer to their divine Master and example; and if Church and pastor be united by the common bond of love and good-will towards the souls ofmen, then will the Church be efficient, and her ministers true heralds of that God who shall reign "from the river unto the end of the earth." If this be the spirit of Christianity that manifests it- self in the minister, ought not the same spirit to bo found producing like fruit in the hearer? Every Christion man 60 A SERMON. U!l! impart to tho CI,uroh maH.f u "'"' ^"""'^ ™"M H no.. I" Love caa only be "utSl ?r "" "'''"^ ^'«> ^"■'- fort and salvation of Ui ,f n '" ""= ^™"i»'«''"otU formed! There would be no,r ^'' ""'' '"™ ''"" l*" 1>°'- up. No lahorwcu be toot ^;^° '"""'""' *" ^' S'™" mmister and l>eople~to ITl "'■° "'^ ""-bolh -o.;-c. he ove.u,i^b ; ;;" fi?"" *r"'-- ^''- etiHening the noble limb, of K-^' "' ^"'^ ^^ the Chnrch of Christ R„ '"'nf o'enee, m weakened «l>iHt, we are led o 'he tTT- ""^ '"'"""-•'' "^ 'W« -Iver, as well as the c^rl "f '™" "'"' ">« S"" ""d ard of that which belongs to (ITu """ *'"= ''""•- that whieh belongs to me tl^l , "''' "'™' ^'"' ' -^ Chu,ch, and the c31 b V^ ^^"''^'''"'^y i" the fu.'tha,. nieans of doL? .l ?" ,'™'""-'>'' "■"'' ™ ageneies for good nevefvl'/™"'" "°°'' ""-' '-'• plied, until the kin"dom7o' b" 'u ™"""'' ''^ -""'«• Saviour's feet. Wlteneve, tb ™ f ™""' '"' "' ">'^ of the heart and t le Hfe o^ ! "'"'"I- ''"' ^"'^ *" ^-''-o' have been wrought for -o^ . '"'''"d""!, gi'oat things ought for bod and humanity. To honor 2 < I: i L* A SERMON. 61 Zlzvz " 'T ™''" ':t ''°™'-^ -'"> ^^ immoi-tili^o,! rni " "^^^ '^o'loi eel Allison, are yoa,,„„rtho«:,,.„f„;r-i,*:„r,:7 '°'""' "' Dr Adam Clarke, in hi. note, „„ ,|,i,s nLaKc «,vs - Tl,at man ,s not a Chrirtian who i, solleitol fi„ K ' .o7o„:^rr"' '"™^' """ "'"■■"^ -' '>»- '^o - .floor so long as ho is comfortahlo " i^.-^ . ^ ' of labor and hi, tale,, ^^^^ wh ^^.^ "^ >"» iield rar:^::d-r:;:r'-^--""^^^^^ ^r— : r r F T ^-- --- 1H.4J' not 00 as extondod as wia +!,„+ ^-xi nan^e, j,„t mentioned, yetdut.e, awa t rof ' Lnd, IT portanoe to us, individually, and which w 1 1)7 V T" .mpj-oved, seeure to us as fmmortal a w -e th J ^of '' Circles their brows : w^eatn as now en- ourse ves from thp duUr^Pf a- , ®"^®^^o» *« excuse .r i 62 A SERMON. in iiood ? Will wc do what wo can to bettor tho condition of our fellow-men? Paul and «ila8 had neither gold nor Hilver, but such as they had they freely gave. Every true disciple has in his possession that which ib of more value than silver or gold, — JJeligion. Rolii,'iun, wliat treasures untold, llesiclo iu that heavenly word. More precious tJuin silver or <,'(jkl, Or all that tliis earth can altbrcl. " Then let us be liberal Avitli the grace wo have 80 freely leceived, and to tho extent of our i^ower do good to the souls and bodies of men. Por let it be remembered that wo cannot long maintain our evi- dence of our salvation if we make no etlbrt to save sinners from the doom that awaits the impenitent. The Christian is not to put his light under a bushel but upon a candlestick, that it may give light to all that are in the )iouse. If we do not feel and labor for all who aro around about us uns.ived, wo have unmistakable evidence that Ave are not sul.iciently under tho power of that ypirit that seeketh n.»t her own." Have we accomplish- ed our work, or are not there fields before us white to the harvest, awaiting our noblest efforts ? And what work greater than ours— to save souls from death ! A work which angels might truly covet both in point of honor and reward. But to us is this grace given that we m.ght preach amongst tho Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and though our life be one of toil and self-denial, we are not without encouragement from the woi-ds of the Master, for when the soul seems wearied and the heart bick, there comes the comforting word of the Mas- ter, " He that reapeth receiveth wages and gathereth. T ^ Ik A SEUMON. 63 frmt unto everlasting life," tuul, - Lot him know that he who converteth a Binner from the errror of his ways Bhal Have u houI from death, and hide a nuiltitude of Hinn. ' JMy dear Jiretiiren in the ministry of Christ, Hhali wo not, under the inspiration of tiiis houi-, i^esolve, (iod heinx; our helper, to preach the word with greater power, and zeal and iaith, than we have ever done before, as instru- ments in the hand of the blessed Spirit who has called us to this woik V May we not determine to increase the number of the white-robed assembly, and augment the revenues of the liedeemers kingdom. To accomplish this we need a largei- measui-e of that spirit that " seeketh not her own.'' Let us pray for it, remembering that hose who labor for God ,■ doubly blessed-hit^t tl.e blessing that comes to tlieir own souls in the act of doin^^ good, and then the reward-souls for their hire This spirit does not acknowledge the duty and then put ot^ the perfornumce of it. When the course is indicated, 1 18 the characteristic of this spirit to enter at once npon the work. All other duties must yield to this most im- portant one, for as the love of the Master is supreme so his commandments are the ones to be tirst obeyed It is not enough to know and acknowledge our duty, it must be discharged seasonably and well if we would have a reward. As members of the Ch ristian Church our labor 18 before us, precisely suited to the talents entrusted to our care. Shall we not then adopt the words of the Master. -J must work the work of him that sent me while It IS day, for the night cometh when no man can The Church of God is the mightiest seat of power on .r r' 64 A SERMON. n, il earth to-day. This i» „oo„ by tho hold i( has unon tho n„U„.. „f the oartl,. The ™i«hti„»t .-.aZZ 2 mo.,tChnstian nations, those most undo,- tl„. control J,l .nfluonco of that tn„. spirit of Ihat Ch.-istSy Td chunty wluch "sookoth not ho.- own." It is th „pi"it hat g.vos wings to tho Angel of the A,,„«,lv, h, v g tho ovoriusfng gospel to p.-euc-h nnto all |,o„ple kiS and tont-ucs that dwell on the face of tho earth. Aro not o„,. m,„s,ona,.y entc.-priscs and operations of oiy of wluch we are so justly proud, the legitimate ott'sprtag of I us noblo „p„-it? now oneouragrng it is to know ha the same „pi,it that gave birth tt .his noble eaZ confnues to sustain it with both men and me 1 nd has promised its presence and aid until the wo -ts done We m,ght refer to those numerous Institution Ibunded ofa suftenng human,ty_from tho home for the aged to the house of con-eetion for the sinner-all given Urth an, sust^uned by the same spirit that " scekfthTot ',;: own. Is not this tho spu-.t of the great Master which wo are called to imitate that led him to spend his da™ .n labor and his nights in prayer, that be might supT for j^ '" """^ """ ""'^'^ '■'^ widow, 'heart sing V tu^T^ Z° *'"' "PPO'-tanities which our Heavenlv Father has afforded us by which we may enhance ouretor nal reward If a cup of cold water given under the influolce of this spu-it does not lose its reward wl.„t '"""once tnnity have wo of enrinhiL „ , ' "' ^^ "PPOrt"" un in fbT J °* ™"°'""g ourselves with treasures laid up ■■> that store-house, "where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through A SERMON. <;r) \ and Htcal." Whilo opportunily is nflonJed us to improve tho talents entru-sted to our oare, let um determine by tl.e gruco of God to make our ten ^^ain for us „iher ten, and their corroHponding reward. With Mtj-on-e,- fait'h in (.o(l, and with increaHod love for the woik, will we .>ot enter the field of moral etlort determined i.. »,e faithful until tho day m ended and the Master alls us .0 hi- her employment. '"^ To tl.e memljors of this Union the IM^.tm- hm pro- m.«ed a crown of life. Brethren, let us I. . the ^n.ue of bod make it a crown studded with many sta.s. Vov ii there be one thing which weas ministers should especial- ly dread, itis not «o much that we may bo .-ailed upon to endure hardships, it is not so much that we undergo toil, but It is that ours may be a barren ministry. The days' of our toil and hardships will soon bo over, and we shall be called to give an account of our stewardship to the Judge of the quick and dead. What ministrr does not desire to present himself at that i-rcal day before his judge and, pointing to tho souls he has been instiu- mental in saving, say, Hero am I and the souls thou liast given me? Then shall tho Master say to all such- " Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."