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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 I \ ^ '^'^THEOLOGICAL UNION OF Mm}\ ijkn %^m Irtli? FIRST ANNUAL I^E€TWBM siMD SMMM0M 9 DELIVERED JUNE 1879. HALIFAX, \. S. : CONFKltENCK Ob'FlCK, J -Jo CRAS'VILLIi STIIEET 187 'J. ( \ ) ! ■-■■■,<- -p. ■ •? %f I -i' 3^ -.'■■&^ ■> -. V\" ■-K;^i;"-;^:«w?-:; \»' .i. :"?i-. ' ',■■• [ f THEOLOGICAL UNION OF ttuvni $hn %^kn i I *^ FIBST ANNUAL e. SiE€TWSB ^MB BMBM&Jf, DELIVERED JUNE 1879, '-■4 HALIFAX, N. S. : CONFERENCE OFFICE, 125 QRANVILLJS STREET 2879. I f1 ANNEX STACH ^ < S 1 ^950 T i '. y \ '■*W9W!}; The Teaching of Christ IN KKOARD TO HIS OWN PERSON AND WORK. A LIWTUIU: DELIVEIiKD IIKFOIIK TIIH THKOLOr, ICAL I'SIOX OF MOUNT ALLISON WKSLKYAN COLLKCK. By REV. C. STEWART, D. D. ) .^ :^ "rrrr LECTURE. THE TEACHING OF CHKIST, IN BE- GABD TO HIS OWN PEKSON AND ^A^ORK. C^iiiusTiANiTY exists. Mcii may diflbi' in opinion as to the origin of this i-oligion, as -to its credibility-, and as to its issue— whether it is but a Muporary sta^^e in the education of the human race, or the tinal disphiy of " the phihmthropy of Cod our Saviour"— but this at least is beyond contradiction, that such a religion has come into being, and that it now is. Nor is this fact of only recent times. Something known by the n'.me— a marvellous history, a system of belief, a mode of wor- ship, a code of morals— has been recognized among the principal nations of the world, for nearly nineteen hun- dred years. Christianity also lives. Exhibiting, from the first, an inherent vitality, it has, amidst the most strenuous opposition, forced its waj- down to oui* own timos. It has naturalized itself among nations the most diverse in circumstances and character, and at the farthest remove, alike of place and usage, from the people among whom it originated. It has rescued the most degraded tribes from anarchy and extinction, and raised them to the ! I' «'■ r t^ ■II ^if 8 THE TEACHING OF CHRIST. highest icvel of true manhood. It has added to the rc- Bources of civilized society, and opened and guarded new channels of commercial enterprise. It has created pos- itive science, and has stimulated and trained the human intellect. It has inculcated a system of duty which, though sometimes censured as being too unselfish and too sublime, is always found to be compatible with the strictest justice, and promotive of the highest interests of mankind. Nor is this all. There are other facts which, though spiritual in their nature, are quite as ca- pable of being substantiated, analysed, a ad made the basis of a sound induction, as any we have named. Christianity has been a reforming, nay, a regenerating power. It has given the idea of moral purity, and in- spired the hope of its realization. it has made the cruel gentle, and the selfish bountiful. It has sustained the alilicted in the severest sorrows, and enabled thorn peacefully, and oftentimes joj^ously, to surrender proper- ty, friends, and life itself, rather than violate the dictates of a good conscience. And it does all this still. While other religions give evidence of weakness and decay, this combines at once the placidity of age, the full vigor of 7uanho6d, and the ardor and enterprise of youth. Disdaining all earth-born alliances, yet adapting itself to humanity in all its conditions; scorning patronage and defying resistance, undaunted by misrepresentation and undismaj'cd by ingratitude, it goes forth on its mission of mercy, proclaiming and procuring " On earth peace, good will toward men." Facts like these cannot bo ignored. They are not merely coincident with Christianity, but they arise out ^*«^ THE TEACHING OF CHRIST. 9 the rc- 3d new }d pos- tiuman which, sh and th the terests L* facts J as ca- de the lamed. crating and in- ide the stained d them propor- lictatcs While decay, 11 vigor youth, ig itself tronage sntation I on its n earth are not rise out of it. And as every effect must have an adequate cause, so, undeniably, there is some principle of life within this religion, which is efficient in the production of these results. Is this religion of Heaven then, or is it only of men ? This enquiry comes to us in the most impres- sive manner, and is echoed around us by many voices. It deserves to be pondered. It must be met. Evasion is not only unworthy, it is simply impossible. Nor may any one of us think that he can stand outside the assem- blage of interested disputants, and, in serene isolation, reach his conclusion. Calmness and candour become us, but no less solicitude, patience, and the most thorough and practical earnestness. For this subject is a personal one, and our highest interests are involved in it. The very possibility of the Christian religion being true makes it further possible that obligations and issues of inconceivable magnitude are in our keeping ; and there- fore is there required from us the utmost diligence of investigation, and the most unftxltering loyalty to the requirements of the truth. The answer to the question just raised is capable of being reached in a great variety of ways. But one thing is certain, that the Christian religion cannot bo viewed apart from its author ; for an author it undoubt- edly had, on whom, as a foundation, it is built, " and that rock was Christ." The attempt has indeed been made to di\ est the- " signs and mighty works" which he wrought of their supernatural character; to evaporate them into myths, or to regard them as so much imposture resulting from tho I! u Ill' 10 THE TEAOHINO OP CHRIST. ) !!i " tendency" of His followers to construct and diffuse a new religion. But the attempt has never yet bcon made, and, we may assume, never will be, to deny the exist- ence of Jesus of Nazareth, or that He said and did ^^ome- thing which well entitles Him to be distinguished as the founder of Christianity. And, yet more, Christianity centres in Him. He is the subject of its books, — of the New Testament, and, if that is to be believed, c\' the Old Testament as well. He is the source of its power — the very embodiment of its peculiar "force." He is the model of its excellence — the typal man. He is its ab- solute lord, legislator, ruler, and judge, in one. And " thou shalt call His name Jesus, ffu' he shall save His people from their sins." • We can therefore unhesita- tingly accept the formula which has been sometimes employed to disparage the doctrinal system of the Christian faith, and avow that "Christianity is Christ." But in reference to Him, we might again te^t our question by several methods. Did His works bear a truly Divine signature ? And what of His character ? Was it pure, and, being thoroughly tried, was it unsul- lied to the ei I ? Was it perfect, the exhibition of all conceivable xcellence, and of excellence which, but for Him, would to us have been for ever inconceivable ? The reply can only be in the affirmative. The roll of centuries, the investigations of natural and of metaphysi- cal science, and the deepening and widening love for truth, for justice, and for goodness, which characterizes our age, serve but to confirm the impression made upoa humanity by the appearance of Christ, that "truly this man was the son of God." 1 ; ^K THE TEACHING OP CHRIST. 11 We turn, however, in another direction to-day. Jesus of Nazareth was a teacher, and we propose to try the truth of Christianity by the doctrines which He taught. This may be the more necessary because such various opinions have been entertained on this subject. While by some, honor has been paid to His ethical pre- cepts, equal dishonour has been done to other of His statements, on which, as we believe, the value of the former depends. Others, again, professing to find a different Christianity in the Epistles from what is con- tained in tne Gospels, endeavour to divide the New Testament into two hostile encampments, and leave the words of Christ and His Apostles, to work out their mutual destruction as religious teaching. Nor must we fail to notice some very recent attemj)ts to de- preciate, not on]}' the moral excellence of the teaching of Christ, but His own truthfulness and honesty. All Buch speculations touch the very vitals of the Christian religion. It is either wholly true, or utterly false and misleading. It either leads in the ways of virtue, or it is the champion and instigator of the basest wrong and most daring impiety. Well, then, does it behove us to search this miitter to its very foundation. It is true that there are pretentious offers of service here. We, say some, speak with authority. "Hear the Church." Human opinion is fallible, and must be discordant. But the true representatives of Christ have in their keeping the meaning of the written word, and this it is which not only gives the genuine interpretation of both law and Gospel, but the autborit}-, sole and sufficient, for accepting both the book and its teaching. Our rcj^ly is, ^^'I( ^- ' I 12 THE T'iACHING OF CHRIST. that if Christ is to be bolievcd at all, wo arc personally required to " search the Scriptures " ; thatllis words are as easy to be understood, and as much "spirit and life" as the words of any interpreter; and tliat no authority of man can ever add weight to the utterances of Him in wlioni all authority resides. Others direct us to an in- fallible guide, in regard to the acceptance of the claims of Christ, and the meaning of His teaching, in the light of natural reason. But not to urge that this guide hav- ing been often known to go astray is of doubtful com- petency, or that he may well be suspected of being tinder an improper bias, or liable to corrupting influ- ences, let us remember that if reason were sufficient, no other teacher would ever have been given to man. The Divine Being makes no superfluous arrangements for tho fulfilment of Ilis purposes. Once let us admit, there- fore, that reason is an all perfect guide to us, and it is inconceivable that God would give another. Equally inconceivable is it that men would either receive exter- nal teaching, or oftcr it. The intuitions of humanity in the first case would repel it as a huge impertinence, and in the second, would shun it as alike useless and exas- perating. Eeason has its own sphere and office ; but iL is initiative and subordinate, llevelation does not set it aside, and cannot enter into conflict with it. To reason, attentive and candid, revelation submits itg own cre- dentials for examination and approval. Yet the lat- ter, as Plenijiotentiary from the court of heaven, discloses facts, and deals Avith questions which neither reason nor auy other messenger from that court can possibly have in charge, lievelation, therefore, iii •^w^ wmmmgrnt THE TEACIIINU OF CHRIST. 13 sonallj ovds are ul life'* Lt liori ty 11 im in o an ill- claims le liijht cle hav- ul com- f being g infla- ient, no 1. The i for the I, tlierc- md it is l^^qLially ) exter- -nity ill ice, and id exas- biit it )t set it reason, vn ere- . he hit^ leaven, which t court ore, iii the person of Christ — " and Ilis name is called the "Word of God " — can never appeal to any inner light in man as the source of its authority, or the expounder of its teaching. It is itself oracular, supreme, iinal. To all these contmversalists who, directly or circuitous- ly, impeach the veracity of Jesus the Christ, we may address the words of the somewhat timid but honest Jewish Eabbi, " Doth our Law judge any man before it hear him, and know what he doeth ?" — (John vii. 51). And here we may rejoice that our course will not involve us in the intricacies of negative criticism. It is not necessary, at the outset, to meet the theories of every writer who sets himself to question the genuine- ness of the Christian Scriptures, or the absolute accuracy of every section of the books. Whether Matthew should not yield priorit}' to Mark, or whether all the Evange- lists did not borrow from earlier documents, are not points of vital importance in the discussion before us. The Evangelists can all be vindicated; and we claim that w^e are flir from being guilty of begging any ques- tion when we assume the truth of their narratives. Christ taught, and undoubtedly His teaching has been put on record, and has come down to our time. More than this, the teaching of Christ has at least helped to create a conception of character which manifests its indepen- dence and its identity amidst all the changes of human society'. Let some wrong be purposed or done, and especially by a person, or a party, professing to be governed by religious motives, and immediately the popular sentiment finds expression in the utterance how un-Christian, — how un-Chrlstlike, is this! Have "9 l!;l ■ i i !! I it ■^li u THE TEACHING OP CHRIST. we not liero a testimony spontaneous and emphr/tlc both to the life and the doctrine of the Great Teacuer ? Men do not say un-Pauline, un-Petrine, or un-Johannean. We night eliminate any one of these names, or all of them, and yet the impression made by the New Testa- ment teaching would remain the same. On the contrary, to eliminate the name of Christ, if even all the others were left, would be to destroy the very possibility of such a sentiment. But it may be said, that as this concej^tion is formed by the Gospels, so to appeal to them on behalf of the Divinity of Christ's teaching is but to argue in a circle — making the Evangelists' idea of Christ to bo true, only that Christ may affirm the truth of the Evangelists. This objection, however, is not valid. They did not originate, they did but represent the teaching of Christ. The writers of the Gospels are sufficiently distinct from each other, both in their relation of facts and in the stylo of their narrative, to exclude the possibility of a con- spiracy to deceive. This striking individuality is indeed the ground of the most recent attacks upon the credi- bility of these writei's ; the Synoptics, it is said, can scarcely be reconciled to each other, and they cannot in any case bo made to harmonize with St. John. Yet the person wlioni they portray is One. When we leave Matthew for Marie, or either for Luke, or when we pass from these to John, avc do not feel that we are forsaking ^ the presence of one distinct personality and coming into that of another. There is, notwithstanding the differ- ence of detail, the most perfect congruity between the features of the character of Christ as given by the first THE TEACHING OF CHRIST. 15 of the Evangelists, and by the second, third, or fourth. And this can only be accounted for by the fact that all of them did truthfully delineate the same living, active personage, according to the manner in which His words and works struck home upon their temperaments re- spectively. It is Christ Himself, then, who stands be- fore us in the writings of the Evangelists ; and wo turn to them with perfect confidence to ascertain " rdl that Jesus began both to do and teach." And, while wo listen to Him, we purpose to confine ourselves to His teaching in regard to Himself, to His Person and His work, rather than to what He says of religions matters in general, or of some specific article of the Christian faith, not. immediately connected with Himself. Tl wo can truly understand His testimony, we shall surely comprehend the essentials of Christianity, then as now, and now as then. 1. Jesus of Nazareth claimed to be a teacher of Divine truth, and to have perfect competency and full authority for this work. He did not, indeed, assume absolute origin- ality — as if no truth, saving in its design, or 3ertain in its nature, had been delivered before his time. Nor did he profess to finish the revelation. Both of these were in the nature of the case impossible. God had spoken at sundry times and in divers manners to the fathers. But after a pause of four hundred years, Jesus, while asserting the validity of the law and the prophets, took up the thread of Divine communication, and proceeded to "declare" the full meaning of the earlier record, and to add such further disclosures of the Divine perfections and purposes, as should constitute the very framework ■5^ <» ! 16 THE TEACHING OP CHRIST. il! A ' 1 and essence of tbo final dispensation of religious truth. That lie asserted His prerogative to do so, was to place Himself hcforc the two severest tests to which a teacher in the jiame of (Jod may bo subjected. Can His words be taken up into living connexion with what has already been spoken by God ? Can they go beyond, and not only never be falsified by future communications, but be fountl every way adapted to the necessities of men in evciy subsequent age of the world ? Jesus Christ saw this, and not only warranted such an appeal, but invited it. '• My doctrine," said Ho, " is not mine but His that sent me. If any man be willing to do His will ho shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself," (John vii. IG). Towards the commencement of Ilis public ministry, there are three distinct utterances, which are given at considerable length, with reference to His own character and position as a teacher of the Divine will, and to which, as affording a key to much beside that He said on this subject, it will be necessary now to turn. The first occurs in the conversation with Nicodemus, and has respect to the fulness of knowledge which existed in Himself. The second is found in His discourse in the synagogue at Nazareth, '' where He had been brought uj)," and asserts in the strongest manner the connexion which existed between the Old Testament and Himself — that it sppke of Him — while He, in a two-fold manner fulfilled it3 teaching, being what it predicted, and unfold- ing fully what it had but prophesied in part. The third is found in the sermon on the Mount, and presents not only the fulfillment of *• the law and the prophets," but ^■■i THE TEACIIIN'^ OF CHRIST. n igious truth, was to placo ich a teacher n His words t has already and not only ions, but be 3S of men in i Christ saw 1, but invited but His that will ho shall 3r whether I • lie ministry, are given at ^vn character will, and to that He said ) turn. The iiius, and has h existed in jourse in the een brought e connexion md Himself fold manner , and unfold- The third )resents not •phets," but •3 'i chiefly the authoritative side of His instruction. Those three, though capable of being viewed apart, are intima- tely rehited to each other, and lie at the very formation of the Christian system. But here we must pause to anticipate an objection. In John V, 31, our Saviour says, " If I bear witness of myself, my Avitness is not true." May we not then be cliarged either with presenting Him in a light opposed to his own purpose, or with stating a fact which will involve Christ in the condemnation of prevarication — of saying one thing at one time, and a contrary thing at another ? Not so, if a candid examination be made of the entire passage. He had just been putting forth claims of the most cxti-aordinary character, claims of equality with the Father, and of the most perfect unity of being with Him. It was of the utmost moment that His hearers should acknowledge these claims, and it was therefore of the highest importance that His proof of their validity should bo incontrovertible. His words then may mean, " If I stand alone in my testimony," or "If I simply bear witness of myself in words," then " my witness is not true." And that such is the mean- in£>' of His statement cannot for an instant be doubted when we consider the words that immediately follow. " But I receive not testimony' from man," where, aguin, the fact of such testimony is not disputed, but the neces- sity of it, in the presence of stronger proof, or its suffi- ciency without something more tangible, So again, " These things I say that^ye might bo saved." What th ings ? Those self asserting words which by their very majesty, associated with sobriety and goodness, stand in m 18 THE TEACHING OF CHRIST. i ! I i no nood of merely human confirmation, but carry con- viction at once to the mind and heart. And, yot again, in the same strain, not ofself-depreciationbut of inalien- able right, He sayi *'I have greater witness than that of John ; for the works which the Father hath givon mo to finish, the same works that I do bear witness of rac that the Father hath sent mo. And the Father Himself which hath sent me, hath borne witness of mo." (John V. 34-31). Here, then, is perfect harmony between one saying and another of the Lord Jesus. Ho does sot Him- self forth as the organ of Divine communication to man; yet while resting his claims to be believed both on the sublimity and inherent cxcelbney of His message, and on the works which he wrought, He maintains that it is not His business to go about calling attention or bear- ing witness to poiiit'^ so obvious, and to which others yield their testimony. Like the sun in the heavens. His shining is its own and all sufficient attestation. Wo return to the case of Nicodemus. This Master in Israel addressed our Saviour as a "teacher come from God," and whose mission, in this respect bore unim- peachable credentials: "We know that thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can do these mira- cles that thou docst, except God be with Him." This was high commendation from one who was dee])ly versed in the writings of Moses and of the prophets, and who cordially believed them. Did Jesus Christ refuse the title so given ? Let the sequel show. Certain it is that He took it as no mere compliment. It did not throw Him off His guard. It did not induce Him to conceal or mollify unpleasant truths. Rather, as such Divine 'I • I I mi lliii r. THE TEACHING OF CHRI8T. 19 I, but carry con- And, yot again, >ribut of inalion- itnoss than that r hath givon rao r witness of rao Father Himself of mo." (John ny botwoon ono does sot Him- lication to manj ^cd both on tho s message, and laiiituins that it tention or bcar- which others he heavens, His tation. . Til is Master iher come from 5ct bore iinim- it thou art a do these mira- 1 Him." This I dee])ly versed diets, and who •ist refuse the rtain it is that did not throw im to conceal 3 such Divine ^1 I I teacher, He uttered tho deep things of God. Mark again, tho calm but peerless Bolf-assertion in the words "Verily, vorily I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot sco tho kingdom of Grod." Obsoi've how, when there is a tendency to question the unpalata- ble truth. He re-affirms it with the same " Vorily, verily," which speaks tho possession of absolute truth and supremo authority. Yet the climax of His announce- ments is not reached till He introduces a statement which accoiJts tho affirmation of Nicodemus in its highest sense, and gives the proof that it only conveyed the truth. Am I then a teacher come from God ? " Verily, verily, I say unto thee, we speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen ; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told 3'ou earthly things and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things. And no man hath ascended up to hoav^on but he that came down from heaven, even the son of man which is in heaven." Then, as one who had fully substantiated His rights, not merely as a teacher of Divine things, but even as a Divine toachei', He proceeded to discourse both upon tho secret thoughts of tho human heart, and upon the gracious and eternal counsels of the infinite God. (John iii. 1 — 21). At this early stage of His public life therefore, we find Jesus Christ laying down these prin^ ciples: that as a teacher He was sent into the world by God ; that in Himself Ho possesses an infinite fulness of knowledge and wisdom ; and that it is His office to declare this truth before men and to enforce it upon their under^ standing and conscience. Nor is this an exceptional case about which it were possible, because of its singu* ^ I : 1. THE tIaCIIINO OF ClUUHT. hu'ity, that w« mii^'ht 1)0 mistaken. Tlio whole tenor of his insti'iiction convoyed the same idea. How inci- (lontftlly it appears in tiie observation, " 1 must preach the kingdom of (Jod to other cities also: for therefore am J. sent." (Mavk i, 43). With what a force of diction and grandeurofillustration, combined with moral discrimina- tion, does He declare, '' I am the light of the world ; ho that followeth mo shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John viii, 12j. Could any- thing be more preposterous coming from the lips of sim- ple humanity? Could anything be more natural from one who lived, and acted, and spake, as Jesus did ? But hear Him again : " He that sent me is true ; and I speak to the world those things which T have heard of Him." " I am the truth." " The Father hath not left me ah)ne, for 1 do alwaj^s those thini|;s that please Him." " I speak that which 1 have seeii with my Father." "] pro- ceeded forth and came from God ; neither came I of my- self but He sent me." " And because I tell 3'ou the truth ye believe me not." " He that is of Clod heareth ( Jod's words ; jg therefore hear them not because yo are not of God." (John viii, 2G ; xiv, 6 ; viii, 29, 38, 42, 45, 4Y). Take again that most consolatory and animating pas- sage, " Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest," is it not inseparably united to "learn of me," and does not this look back to " all things arc delivered unto me of my Father, and no man knoweth the Hon but the Father, neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him." (Matt, xi, 27-29.) Thus one of the most distinctively gracious invitations, of the liiiif THE TEACriNd OP CIIIUST. 21 10 whole tenor )Ji. How irici- 1 miiHt preiich thcrefoi'e unv J I of diction and ml diHcrimina- the world ; lio ncsH, but Hhall Could uny- Lhe lips of Him- natural from SUB did ? But ; and I speak eard of Him." t left me alone, ) Ilim." '«I ther." 'M pro- came I of my- l^'Oii the truth heareth (Jod's use ye are not 38,42,45,47). nimating pas- and are heavy •t inseparably 3 look back to ^\ithe)-, and no ithcr knoweth ;o whomsoever 27-29.) Thus tations, of the ScripturcM, and to invalidate whicdi would materially dimitiish the value of the New Testament, proceeds upon the Hupposition that Christ ia the oidy adequate rovoalcr of (h)d, and that in this respect Ho must be ac- knowledged and received. Another (lass of utterances is equally omj)hatic. Wo look forward to the future, and enquire concerning our own destiny. And here again tlie postulate is not mere- ly that Chi'ist alone can bring life and immortality to light, but that a state of future blessedness is to be so- cured, a state of future miseiy to be avoided, only by a cordial submission to the doctrine of Christ. "Jesus cried and said, ha that believeth on me, believeth not on mo, but on Him that sent me. And he that seeth mo, sceth Him that sent me. 1 am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me shoultl not abide in darkness. And if any man hea" my words and believe not I judge him not, for f came not to judge tho world but to save the Avorld. He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him, tho tho word that 1 have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken of myself, but the Father which sent me. He gave me a command- ment what I should say, and what I should sjieak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting; what- soever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak" (John xii. 44-50). Now v/hat it is important to observe is this, that these Avords arc those of Jesus the Son of man. the Jew- ish peasant who sutrered death at the instigation of tho rulers of His people, by the authority of tho Eoman 22 THE TEACHING OP CHRIST. I :1in!|i||i| ^Mi»f Governor. Such, whether they were true or false, were the doctrines which He held and published re- specting His own fulness of knowledge, and His un- erring wisdom. Could he be deceived ? Was he unable to read His own consciousness, or was His mind so per- verted that He could not perceive the true nature and bearing of the words which he uttered ? Or, still worse, is it any way conceivable that, with such awful themes in His heart, He could deliberately intend to lead men astray? It may help us to a conclusion on this solemn subject to remember that Ho sought to substantiate His claims by an appeal to the Old Testament Scriptures. In the Gospel, according to St. Luke, at the fourth chapter, we have a most interesting account of His preaching in Nazareth. We need not enlarge upon the circumstances of the occasion. He was at home. Often, no dou^^t, He had beforetimes attended this synagogue ; now. He conducts its service. Lately, the signs and wonders which he wrought had made him famous, and the expectation of His hearers was greatly excited. The Scripture which He read was one of the most strik- ing prophecies of the Old Testament. " The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to to preach the Gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord" (Luke iv. 18, 19). It was no subsequent adaptation on the part of the disciples of Jesus to call this a prediction of the Lord's Messiah. To think of it as being fulfilled in Isaiah himself, or in any one else THE TEACHING OP CHRIST. 23 during the seven hundred years since it was first penned had not entered into the minds of the Jewish people of that age. As elearly as the repetition of the Mosaic sacrifices showed that they possessed no inherent value, yet betokened another which shouki have perfect efficacy so had this and kindred prophecies looked forward to one who should be anointed with " the oil of gladness above his fellpws," anointed truly with "the Holy Ghost and with power." Here, again, Christ puts forth His claim. Neither fraud nor fanaticism can be sup- posed to captivate the soul of the reader on that occasion. The solemnit}^ of the day, of the place, of the exercise of reading that most sacred roll, all forbid the suggestion. Yet Jesus declares "this day is the Scripture fulfilled in your cars.'' What does He mean by this assertion? That with respect to Himself, and no other, had the prophet put these words on record so many centuries before, — that on Him therefore the Spirit of Jehovah hnd rested as on no other man, — that He was thus in- augurated into the highest office to which humanity could be raised, — that the gift of Divine infiuenee was such as to enrich Him with the hii>'hest endowments, and to enable Him to achieve the most glorious results — results, in the sphere of humanity at large, which could only be symbolized by the greatest and most blessed deliverances which had ever been experienced by God's ancient people. -'And all bare Him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which ])roceeded out of His mouth." Their conduct afterwards, when " they rose up, and thrust ILim out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill, whereon their cit}^ was built, that ■USE! i I . 1' J « '■wi J i . 1 • it ;l 24 THE TEACHING OF CllRIST. they might cast Ilim down headlong " proves two things — that they were not prejudiced in His favour, and therefore their testimon}- to His "gracious words " was the more vahiable ; and, further, that it was not either a disl'Clief in the prophetic character of the quo- tation, or any incongruity in the professions which Ho made with the portion which he read, that roused their anger, but only that He did not do what cither fraud or fanaticism would have certainly led Him to do, perform some sign in their midst. But His references to the Old Testament as y)redictive of Himself are many. While affirming the Divine origin and unquestionable authori- ty of the various i)arts of that volume, He as well testi- fied that its subject was Himself. His appeal to the evidence of the Baptist on His behalf, to the Father, to His own miraculous works, was followed up by a more direct appeal to the holy writings which were the glory of the Jewish people. "Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of Me." "Had ye believed Moses, yc would have believed Me, for he wrote of Me" (John v. 39. 40). Not less were his sufferings foretold than the Wonders of His life. "The Son of Man indeed goetli as it is written of Him." "All ye shall be offended because of Me this night; for it is written I will smite the shep- herd and the sheep shall be scattered " (Matt. xiv. 21. 27). " Thinkcst thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and He shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must me?" (Matt, xxvi. 53, 54). So again when Ho walked with the two THE TEACIIINU OF CHRIST. 25 proves two His fjivour, Ions words " ; ifc was not r of the quo- ns which He roused their her fraud or do, perform cs to the Old wny. While able authori- is well testi- ppcal to the le Father, to ip by a more 3re the glory turcs, for in hey are they d Moses, ye le" (John V. old than the Iced goeth as nded because lite the shep- (Matt. xiv. V pray to ray ) more than on shall the me?" (Matt, with the two disciples towards Emmaus, Ho did not, as perhaps wo might expect, call them to lay aside their unbelief in obedience to the evidence of the senses — not now did He say, " Handle me and see, for n spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have" — but, " O thought- less ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken, ought not Christ to have sutfered these things, and to enter into His glory? And be- ginning at Moses and all the prophets He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." Was ever claim like this ? What man, in the possession of reason, did ever assert that of himself all the Scriptures of the Old Testament from Closes downward w^ere full? Yet such an assertion was made by Jesus Christ. Still further. He claimed on the one hand that while the original revelation was of unques- tionable authority and must remain in undiminished force. He Himself possessed equal authority, and had it wHhin His power to expound and adapt that revelation to the altered condition of humaiiitj'. Both are ex- pressed in that one utterance. "Think not that J am come to destroj^ the law or the prophets : I am not come to destroy but to fulfil" (Matt. v. 17).. What, with any one else, w^ould be insufferable egotism, would be the height of presumption,— -snatching at the Divine pre- rogatives, — is, in the lips of Jesus, reason, goodness, truth. So, too, while He denounced those who taught for " doctrines the commandments of men," and thus, emphasized in the strongest manner the value of that written word which human interpreters made void. He yet added a "hearken unto me," which showed that He t N I 1 I i !f- 26 THE TEACHING OF CHRIST. possessed that right to teach which He denied to them, (Mark vii. 6, 14). But this brings us particularly to look at the aspect of authority which uniformly His teachings bear, and which in some distinguished cases is the most prominent feature of His discourses. This was what impressed most deeply the multitudes who listened to the sermon on the Mount. " The people were astonished at His doctrine ; for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the Scribes." (Matt, vii, 28, 29). A glance at that won- derful discourse will illustrate the Evangelist's remaric (1) There was the matter of His comn~.unication. True religion, He shows, does not consist in negative virtues, nor in ceremonial observances, but in the positive and (lodvvard tendencies of the human spirit. 8o far is it from the former — say from the exactions of justice — that what is allowed by the civil law of the Mosaic economy is forbidden by Christ. " Ye have heard that it hath l)cen said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth; but I say unto you that ye resist not evil but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." And so far are ceremonies of re- ligion from constituting its nature, that '' except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of tho Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no ftase enter into the kingdom of heaven." "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." " Be ye therefore per- fect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." (Mat., v. 38, 39, 20, 8, 48.) (2) There was the manner of iriis instruction. Here was the forcibleness of right worde, and the power of one behind them that made THE TEACHING OF CHRIST. 27 lied to them, at the aspect ^s bear, and st prominent pressed most )rmon on the lis doctrine ; ^, and not as e at that won- list's rcmarlc ation. True itivo virtues, positivo and >So far is it of justice — f the Mosaie 'C heard that a tooth for a t not evil but heek, turn to monies of rc- exce2:)t your sness of the se enter into the Dure in J. herefore per- m is perfect.'* s the manner ness of right II that mado I them toll upon the conscience of man from that hour to this. The oft-repeated " I say unto you," as matters of deepest expeiience or of practical moment are dwelt upon, is not less authoritative, if less fearful, than the voice of God from the Mount which might be touched. Notice, too, in what a familiar way He speaks of what no man could know but God only, " Thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." " If ye for- give not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." And observe, further, how penetratingly He looks in upon the human heart, and shows that our disposition, raUier than our acts, is the test of true morality : "The light of the boii^' is the ^ye ; if therefore thino e^'o be single, thy whole body shall be full of light, but if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness." . Yet again, "Why be- holdost thou the mote that is in th}' brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is thine own eye ?" (Matt. vi. 4, 22, 23; vii. 3.) Such words must carry the con viction with them that He who uttered them was none other than that "Lord" wdio is " - God of knowledge," and with whom " actions are wel^ned." (1 Sam., ii,3). Eut (3) the authority of the great teacher is still more jmpressivel}' taught b}' the sanctions which confirm His word. As one having absolute power to open and to close the entrance to the kingdom of God, He bars it against every one whose righteousness does not surpass that of those who wore then esteemed most highly among men. So also He declared that the calling Him Lord, Lord, however much it might seem to bo in har- mony wdth those views respecting Himself which Ho 28 THE TEACHING OF CHRIST. ! I I ^ ill I maintained, would not ensure everlasting life: "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have w^e not pro- phesied ill the name? and in thy name have cast out devils ? and in thy name have done man}^ wonderfivl works'-' And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you, depart from me, ye that work iniquity, (Matt. vii. 21-23). Yet with equal authority does He pronounce the beatitudes, and connect with them, as with his denunciations, the influence of his own name; "Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and perse- cute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely for wy saJie, Rejoice and be exceeding glad ; for great is 3'our reward in heaven: for so perseeuUd they the pro phets which were before you." (Matt. v. 11, 12). So at last, in the close of this sermon, we have the final is- sue of the probation of each one, who has heard these words of Christ, dctorinined by the way in which they have been received. Who is it that is likened to a man who built his house upon a rock, and wiiose work re- mained uninjured after the severest tempests? " Who- soever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them." WHiat man is that whose labor i.- in vain — whose build- ing rests upon the sand, and who is involved in the "great fall" of it in the testing storm? " Every one tliat heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not,'' Can personal prerogatives be higher than these ? Can the sanctions of law be more dread ? Can Divine (iov- ernment be more just, more gracious, or more immov able ? Many other passages might bo cited to show that this aspect of His teaching was often and most strongly exhibited, and that, in fact, it was never over- iiiSUft THE TKACIIINU OF CHRIST. 29 fc: "Many D wo not 2)1-0- lUv'c cast out y wonderM cm, I never I'k iniquity, rity does He th tliem, as own name ; and perso- t you falsely d ; for great they the pro- n, 12). So the final is- licard these which they led to a man ose work re- ts? "Who- Loeth them." ivhose build- Ived in the " Every one li them not,'" hese ? Can Divine Gov- ore immov ed to show 1 and most never over- I looked 01" ignored. "lie that heareth my word, and be- lieveth on Ilim that sent mo hath everlasting life." (John V. 24). To the enquiry, "What shall we do that we might work the works of God ? Jesus answered and said unto them, this is the work of God, that 3'e bclievo on Ilim whom lie hath sent." And further, " If 3*0 be- lieve not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins." (John vi. 28, 29 ; viii. 24). In thus considering the position which the Saviour took, as the Divine Teacher, we are prepared to under- stand and appreciate the value of His doctrine on other matters. If He claimed to have a perfect knowlo, 20, John vi.()(*,GO). Our Saviour lirst en((iiired, *' Wlu)m do men say that J the Son of Man am ?" Hei-eHe assunuid His own ])roj>er humanity, and, may we not say His truly i'ej)resentative character? l:^ there not a rel'ereneo to the (act that He regarded Himself as more than a son of man ? as, in- deed, that very "seed of the woman," who should stand as the second covenant head of the race? ll\tt the question is forthwith put in a new way. '' Whom say ye that I am?" Here we may ask, what was the design of these enquiries ? Evidently not to gain the pleasure of populai- recognition. Such regai-d He had steadily declined when pressed upon Him. Not to turn the scale, in a mood of hesitation, when lie was desirous of seizing the Messiah's prerogative, but did not feel certain whether He could tlien adventure so far. Were this the ease, how can it bo accounted for that when an answer had been given, " then charged He His disciples tliat they should tell no man that He was Jesus the Christ." And more, it is manifest from wh»k soon after followed, that He had no respect for their opinion, however flattering to Himself it might be, if it did not answer to the true nature of things. Thus when Peter offered advice Avhich, judged from a morel}' human point of view, was friendly and well adapted to His Master's case, ho was met by the scathing rebuke " get thee behind me, Satan, thou art an offence unto me, for thou sav^urest not the things that be of God, but those that be of man," (Matt. xvi. 23). The design of the Saviour, therefore, in these en- quiries, obviously was to teach His disciples. Judging n 1. 4\ 84 THE TKAPIIFNU O OmilST. from llie abovo muiitlonetl inM(atK'<», had they ri'plicd wroT)L,'ly He would have sot thoiii rii^lit. IJut it in evi- dent that He approved of Peter's aiiHwer as the voice ot the twelve. Not one attribute does He refuse; not ono word does ho wish to change. Still inoi'c, He aifirniH tliat such a repl}" could not have originated with the un- aided human s[)irit. ^' Flesh and blood" — man — was incompetent to frame an utterance so li'ue, so deep, so hii^h. It came as a revelation. God {]\o, Kather had Himself so taken away tlie veil from the heart, and had so shone iorth into it as to give the light of the knowledge of His own gloiy, in the person of His only begotten Son. Hence the saying, "Thou ui't the Christ, the Son of the living (rod." ]\roi'eover so impoi'tant did our Lord regard this confession that Ho honoured Peter by entrusting to liim tlie keys of the kingdom of heaven ; and for his guidance in their use aeclared that upon this rock — that is, the confession of Jiis own time and 2)ro])cr Godhead, as incarnate in Imman nature — would He build His church, and that au:ainst it all the power of the invisible world of evil would not i>rcvail. This was the foundation truth of the gospel to be set forth by Apostolic autliority ; this the fact to bo ac- cepted by individual believei-s ' ,vith the heart nntol righteousness," and "confession" of which was, "svith the mouth, to bo " made unto salvation." "We cannot too strongly emphasize the importance of the phrase-l ology hei-e employed by Peter, and commended byf Christ. It is the key to a great deal besides in the Now! Testament. H Jesus claimed as Son of Man to bo als< the Son of God, it shows that there is a proper duality oi TIIK TKACUINd OK ('IIH18T. 35 tlioy replied IJut it is cvL- as the vuic'o ot jfuHo; not ono )i'e, lie Jiirirma d with tho un- I " — lujvn — was no, so (loop, so \() PatluT had heart, and had D li<;-ht of the son of Ili^^ only II ai't the Christ, o important did honoured Peter he kingdom of ^c ueelared that of Ids own true mman nature — rainst it all tho uld not prevail. •gospel to be sot u fact to be ac- tho heart unto k^hich was, with 111." We cannot e of the plirase- commondcd by sides in the i!^ow f Man to be also proper duality of natures in His ono and indivisible Person. And if on the ono hand the former expression is equivaletit to the possession of true humanity, ho is tho other to the possession of true Godhead. It was as tho Son of God that IIo said to tlie man that had been boi'n blind, * tiiou hast both seen lliin, and it is He that talkoth with thee," and that thereupon, as (iod, He accepted tho w^orship which was i)aid to Him (John ix. 35, 3G). So when the Jews took up stones to cast at Him, their anger was excited by His assertion of such a fdial rela- tion subsisting between Him whom they called their God and Himself, as they understood to imply equality with the Father (.John viii. 4U, 51), x. 30, IM). " For a good work," said they, "we stone thee not, but for blas- phemy; and because that thou being a man makest thy- self CJod," (Jno. X. 33.) Had they mistaken tho sense of His words, it is plain that not only })crsonal safety, but even coniTuon honesty would have required an ex- planation, lint this was not attempted. Our Saviour's following Avords show that they had trul}' caught His meaning. And further they go u})on the supposition that the subject of dis])uto was quite as grave as they imagined. Nothing indeed would warrant their render- ing Divine homage to any one who could not give full proof of His Divinity; but for a similar reason nothing would justify their withholding it, if such proofs were furnished by Him. "If I do not the works of my Father believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works : that ye may know and believe that the Fnthei' is in Me, and I in Him," (John X. 57, 38). 36 TIIK TEACHING OF CHRIST. It ^Mis as the Son of God, into whose hands all tilings were delivered of the Father, and whose nature could only be known b}' the Father, even as the Father could only be known to Himself, and be made known by Him, that He promised to give rest to the soul of the heavy laden; and this, too, while He put Himself forth as the very pattern of meekness, and lowliness of heart, (Matt xi. 27, 29). 'No passage in the writings of His dis- ciples, earlier or later, or of those who have claimed, or disclaimed inspiration, seems more strongly to assert the CJodhead of Christ than this docs. This mutual limita- tion of knowledge to the Father and Himself; this claim of lowliness, when making such unheard of professions ; and this call and the accomj^anj-ing promise to the weary ones of earth, are wholly incompatible with a merely human, or a created nature. Who but God can look down into the lowest depths of the human soul, and when there is a pressure of guilt, of sin, of fear, of doubt, of despair upon it, can give rest! Here is something more sublime than stilling a tempest, and something more appropriate and satisfying to the universal experience of mankind, than even multiplying food for the hungry, or curing the diseases of the sick. And, withal, it is broughtwithin the range of certain knowledge — every man may put it to the test for himself. It is the boast of modern science that it can chain the elements of nature, and constrain the most subtle and irresistible of them to do homage in the service of man. Thankfully may it be admitted that human skill can so adapt its o^\^n arrangements as to r. Tin TEACIIINO OF CHRIST. St vhose hands all id wliose nature m as the Father I made known by the soul of the lit Himself forth wlincss of heart, itings of His dis- havo claimed, or gly to assert the i mutual limita- nself ; this claim 1 of professions ; lise to the weary ■ with a merely t God can look n soul, and when x)ar, of doubt, of than stilling a to and satisfying cind, than even 'ini»- the diseases within the range put it to the test ice that it can strain the most ) liomago in the )e admitted that aniz;ements as to make thoje elements co-operative, and mutually effici- ent in the promotion of our comfort. Yet, after all, it is but the potsherd of the earth benefitting his fellow potsherd. The sphere of natural science is but of the earth, earthy. Far be it from us to ^iiy a word in dis- paragement of its true claims. As relating to one de- partment of the works of Clod, it declares His glor3\ nightly viewed, it renders tribute to the profoundcst teachings of revelation. Yet it can never minister to u soul diseased. The man of science, as such, has no mathematics to solve the religious problems of the soul; no chemistry to cleanse the stains of its guilt, or purify the fountain of its action ; no dynamics to unloo^^o its burdens, to give energy to its good resolutions, or to reverse its downw\ard tendencies. Xatural science has no balm for broken hearts, no hope for the de])a''ting spirit. In a word, it has no power to intrude within tlie sphere of spiritual things. Here, man's power U '>clp others, or to help himself, so far as it is simply his own, is utterly unavailing. But this is the very sphere where the ])owcr of Christ is most clearly effective. " Peace," saith He, " 1 leave with yovt, my peace I give unto you; not as the world givcth, give I unto you; let not 3'our heart be troubled, neither lei it be afraid," (John xiv. 27). Is creation the work of God ? Or is there in the uni- verse a force which is persistent? Then, at least ac- cording to the teaching of Christ, He is the Creator, and that force resides in, and emanates from Himself: '"'My Father," He said, " Avorketh hitherto and I work," (John V. 17). Undoubtedly no man can " forgive sins m 38 THE TEACHING OF CHRIST. 1 fl \ ii: but God only." Yet in His own right Jesus forgave tho- sins of those who sought Divine mercy at His hands, and, in one notable instance, vindicated His possession of this prerogative, by curing the sick of the palsy with a word. To remove the disease of the bod ' and the condemnation of the spirit, were matters equally easy with Him, ('Matt. ix. 2-7). Finally, in proof of His Divine nature He declared that He would raise the dead, sit in judgment upon the human race, and appoint the destinies of every individual. On this ground He de- manded " that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father." In connexion with this statement is another which we must respectfully submit to all those who profess true reverence for the teachings of Christ, yet leave the doctrine of His supreme divhv'y an open question — one upon which men who tru!v . «:• licve in Him may yet beat variance with each olii. r, "He that honoui-eth not the Son. honoureth not the Father which hath sent him," (John v. 21-30). This claim, be it further observed was once more put forth at a time wlien, humanly speaking, it was most unseasonable. Jesus was a prisoner, and placed before the highest tri- bunal of His nation. "Again the high-priest asked Him and said unto Him, art tiiou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed ?" Is it conceivable that either the aduhition of His disciples who had all forsaken Him and fled away, or His being "intoxicated with enthusiasm," or His deli- berate hyprocrisy should prom])t the reply, " I am. And ye shall sec the Son of Man silting c.i the right hand of power, and coming u\ the clouds of heaven?" (Mark xiv. 01, ()2). These, most certainly, are "words of THE TEACHING OF CHRIST. 39 brgavc thO' lis hands, possession palsy with ' and the lually easy oof of His se the dead, appoint the und He de- 5on, even as . with this fully submit he teachings eme divii^^ly ho tru'.v i ,> L each oiii I'j reth not the 1_30). This put forth at a mscasonable. c highest tri- st asked llim \G Son of the llie adulation uul fled away, ;' or His deli- , " I am. And ) right hand of ivcn?" (Mark re " words of soberness," and they bear iiitemal evidence of being " words of truth," while they undoubtedly are in perfect harmony with all that Jesus elsewhere said respecting Himself. With all these sayings before us, and especi- ally this final assertion of His Godhead made bcfoi-e the high-priest, and under the shadow of His cross, we must arrive at one of two conclusions ; either that He did not rise from the dead, and then we cannot believe imything that He said; or that He did rise again and that there- lore we cannot disbelieve in His true and ])roper divinity, and in all that He uttered for our instruction. ni. But this introduces us to another topic — Was the death of Jesus a natural i'et.ult? Did it come to Him as it comes to us all ? or, at most can it be said that either b}' the malice of the Jews He died a martyi-'s death, or by His own impetuosity He exasperated the people to slay Him? It cannot be denied tlmt "He suttcred un- der Pontius Pilate," or that "He was dead and buried."' But with reference to the reason of the fact very ditlei-- ent opinions have been entertained. Laring the last eiii'hteen centuries the death of Christ has been re<2"aided as the very foundation of the entire s^'stem of Christi- anity. Friends and foes have alike admitted that the crucifixion of Jesus is the one distinguished mark of His religion. Yet this very belief has produced two parties; one that holds it to be the expression of " the wisdom of Ood and the power of God," and that by it alone i» human salvation possible; and another that as strenuously maintains that such an inter])retation is al- together nntiue, and most derogatoiy to the Divine perfections. 40 THE TEACHING C>F CHRIST. i.iif •r ■ I If we would attain to certainty on this subject — and we cannot afford to remain in doubt — we must not only ask, what saith the scripture ? but whatsaith Christ ? His death could not be altoi^ether unforeseen. He could say somethinji; about it. He is reported to have frequently fipolvCM of it. Whatever he did .>ay must be of impor- tance to us in coming to a decision whether the views generally held by the Church arc right or wrong. Bj it much or little that He has said on this subject, it is worthy of our most candid and patient attention. Ill Ills conversation with Nicodemus, great promi- nence IS given by Ilim to the Divine purpose, in the mission of Jesus. " God so loved the world, that He ga\e His oniv begotten Son, that whosoever belicvetli O I/O ' in Ilim should not perish, but have everlasting life." Yet of what specific character was the gift ? And how would it conduce to the accomplishment of that end ? How would it manifest the love of (lod, how afford ground for trust to man, Jind how provide for the re* movjil of human guilt, and the bestowment of life eter- nal ? AVe are left in no doubt with reference to these questions. In the immediately' preceding words our ►Saviour said " as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoseever believelh in Him should not pei-ish but luive eternal life." One word brings out the full force of the iliustj-ation. The Son of Man, Avho is also the onl}' begotten Son ot God did not only come into the woi'ld, but mvst be lifted up. This is by the Divine ajv pointment. It is necessary, liy this means, and by this alone, the dying live. On this Saviour " lifted up" ,11 niT. TEACIITNO OF CHRIST. 41 Lbjeci— and it not only hrist? His e could say irequently e of impor- • the views ong. I3j it iibject, it is tion. reat promi- posc, in the •Id, that He )!• belicvetk isting life." ? And how f that end ? how afford s for the re- of life etcr- (nce to these • words our > t-pent in the be lifted up, ot perish but he full force o is also the onie into the lie Divine ap- eans, and by L- "lifted up" men may^look by faith— may believe — and so trusting in Him on whom their help is laid, God's purpose sliall be fulfilled, and they shall not perish but have eternal life. Ctin less than this be the meaning of the passage before us ? If there be some other meaning of these words what point or coherence can be found in them? Supi^ose we expunge from them all idea of sacrifice or substitution, then what reason is there 'or this " must be lifted up"? What is there in the gift of Divine love on which a guilty sinner can rely for deliverance from condemnation and for eternal life ? What is there to justify the Supreme lluler — "a God of truth and without ini([uity, just and i-ight is He'' — in remitting the penalty of sin and be- stowing His favour upon the utterly unworthy? Xay, more, if the only begotten Son of God " must be lifted up," and yet human salvation does not depend upon any such sacrifice how can this be I'cconciicd with the good- ness of God, much less be made the highest expression of it? If the design of Ciirist's death is only to lead men to reflection, and to sorrow for sin, then seeing the atonement is denied, we fail to discover how His suffer- ings can have any such effect. They do not demonstrate that sin is " exceeding sinful." But besides, no mention is hej'c made of any such design as this. Let this re- flection and godly sorrow be supposed. What then? The problem now comes up for solution, and presses home upon the heart of the sinner : " How can man be just with God?" The awakened conscience is on the side of right, of law, of judgment. IIow, without Aveakening this moral safeguard, can pardon be hoped II 42 T'lE TEACHING OF CHRIST. .*-i I 1 1 for? "0 wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me?" Read our Saviour's "whosoever believeth on Ilir.i should not perish, but have everlasting life," in the light of a Divinely appointed, and Divinely efficacious sacrifice for sin, and the question is satisfactorilj'- answered at once ; but read this passage without any re- ference to a propitiation and the more thoughtful the person is, the more wnll he be perplexed, the more will he despair. Our Lord's utterance, upon this important occasion, constituted the key-note of the strain which underlies the whole of His teaching. Looking at His death as a mere matter of fact, we see how constantly, throughout His public Ministrj', it was before his mind. "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again" (John 11. 19). Peter's celebrated confession in Cesarea Philippi was evidently' the opening of a new chapter in the disciples' hi.story, and "from that time forth begaii Jesus to show unto His disciples how that He must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief Priests and Scribes, and be killed, and bo raised again the third day." (Matt xvi. 21). So a second time, while they were passing through Cxalilee, Jesus said unto them, " the Son of Man shall be betray- ed into the hands of men ; and they shall kill Him, and the third day He shall be raised again." (Matt. xvii. 22, 23). A third time, and still more circumstantially, " Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples nd said unto them, Behold we ire ap -ay P to Jerusalem, and the son of Man shall be betrayed unto the chief Priests and unto the Scribes, and they shall THE TEACHING OF CHRIST. 43 e more will ) forth begaii condemn Ilim to death, and shall delivci- Ilini to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify Ilim, and the third day He shall rise again." (Matt. xx. 17- 19). Another most interesting notice of his death is iriven in John xii. 23-33. Certain Greeks who had come to worship at Jerusalem desired to see Him. This was told to our Saviour by Andrew and Philij), and in view of that glory which He was so soon to achieve, and which was thus foreshadowed He said, " Veriij', verily I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit ;" " And I, if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me." Words cannot more definitely express the necessity of the death of Christ to the success of His mission, or the certainty of His glory as resulting from His sufferings on the cross. It was not an afterthought then to put the death of Christ into so prominent a position in His religion. While men were thinking of His assumption of an earthly kingdom, of His power and glory in it, and of sitting on His right hand and on His left, He was thinking of theagonj^ and the death — the crown of thorns, the cross, and the pour- ing out of His soul — by w^hich the foundations of His spiritual kingdom were to be laid. "Even" said He, in dispelling the illusion which hung so heavily upon their minds, "as the Son of Man came not to be minis- tered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Matt. xx. 28). But as He often dwelt upon the fact of His death, not seldom did He give in- formation respecting its purpose. Our Saviour was a Jew, and exercised His ministry 44 TlIK TEACHING OF CHRIST. m h jimong the Jiiwish people. They were familiar with sacriticc, and had been taught that tho blood was the life of the victim, and that it was appointed upon tho altar to make atonement for the life of tho offerer, for- feited by sin (Lev. xvii. 11). They knew that reconcilia- tion with God was thus effected, and that, in virtue of this fact, the worshipper of Jehovah was permitted to commune with Ilim, by partaking of certain portions of several of the sacrifices. Bearing this in mind, we may easily perceive, what otherwise must prove inex- plicable, the deep aignificance of those words which were spoken by our Saviour "in the Synagogue, ft? He taught in Capernaum :" — " tho bread which I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life or the world. Verily, verily I say unto you, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, you have no life in you. . . . He that eateth my fiesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in mo and I in hira" (John vi. 55, 56). Among His hearers, as now among ouvselves there were some who regarded this as " a hard saying," and who openly showed their dissatisfaction with it; "from that time many of His disciples went back and walked no more with him." But no intimation was added to soften tho expression, or to win back the favour of the offended ones. This itself is sufficient to prove that the doctrine of the Saviour's death was not, even when taught by Himself, adapted naturally to produce that penitence which is claimed to have been its chief puri)ose; much less that for this purpose did He dwell upon this im- portant event. THE TEACHING OF CHRIST. 45 Again, ITc represents Himself as the Ifedecming Shepherd. He cume that His sheep might have life, and might have it more abundantly. For them He laj's down His life, for without His consent, His self sacri- iice, " no one " can take it away. And that what would be an act of unwarrantable prasumption in any other person is not so in His case, that Ho has the right to lay it down, He affirms, by asserting likewise that Ho has the right to take it again. For this act also Ho claims the concurrence and the delight of the Father, " therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. . . This com- mandment have I received of my Father " (John x. 17, 18). • This language makes our Lord's death a sub- stitutionary offering; or it gives perplexity for instruc- tion, and that in regard to a fact which it is most essential we should understand. Explained by any other theory it fails entirely. Let the death of Christ 1x5 but that of a martyr ; let it be that of a sj-mpathiser with, or a partaker of human sorrows; let it be the death of one who happens to come into contact with the i^ever ending and ever victorious moral evil which this world is said to present, ©r the suffering of a pure soul that would, for the benefit of others, feel the degrada- tion and miserj'" which they have entailed upon them- selves — let any one, or all of these be accepted, yet so as to leave out the suffering of " the just for the unjust, to bring us to God " — and we say that the words do not, and cannot convey such a sense. What martyr, what merely human friend speaks of His right to suffer? Or asserts that he lays down his life, that it was not taken ■li I! I 4C THE TEACIIINO OF CHRIST. '11 away iVoin liim, but lluit it is sunvudcrcd bj^ his own act, iiiid that lio will i«i token of this rise from the deud? VVhieii of them has presumed to say that he Buffers in order to give life to others, that in tliis he is acting under the command of God, and for this is Hpccially beloved of the Father? The teaching of Christ here shows how lie stands thus absolutely alone. In the midst of Ilis disciples, too, at the Old Testa- ment feast of the Passover, He proclaims Himself the Mediator of the Now Covenant. For Him and for them the occasion was one of the deepest solemnity. It was Just before His botra3\al and tinal agony. But the hand of violence was not yet upon Him, and they were alone. Previous instruction had prepared the way, and now He spoke very plainly. Was it merely accidental that they should sit down together, for the last time, at this feast? Listen to the great teacher: ''And He said, with desire I have desired to eat this Passover with yoii before L suffer; for I say unto you I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God. . . . And He took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them saying, this is my body which is given for j'ou; this do in remembrance of me. Like- wise also the cup after supper saying, this cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you" (Luke xxii. 15-20). The reference in the latter part of the passage is undoubted Ij^ to His death, the great event so near at hand, and this again in the former part connects that event with the Jewish Passover. As the blood of the paschal lamb had aforetime been the means of rescuing a nation from destruction, and of bringing THE TEACHING OF ClUUST. 47 Ins own I'oiu the that he |»iH ho is this is ing of alone. Tosta- solf the ov them It was 10 hand e alone, ad noMT tal that I at this fo said, ith yoii y more of God. mkc it, liich is Like- • is the you'* part of great Jr part is the means inging them into convcnant relation to God, so was the blood of Christ to bo the means of nalvatic^n from the ruin of .sin, and of introducing believers in Christ into Iho New Covenant of iJivine mei'cy. As the lii'st was kept in memory by tlie paschal supper, so was the last to bo kept in memory by the Lord's supper. Jioth, too, were seals, no less than signs, of the covenants which they represented. Thus is explained the Saviour's great de- sire to keep this feast with Ilis disciples just before His death, lie might thus assert once for all, and stamp it on the very constitution of Christianity, that his o'eath is i^ropitiatory, substitutionary, and redemptive. Where- ever His doctrine should be proclaimed there would this ordinance be observed, in remembrance of Him; and wherever it was observed there would be the confession " Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us." Here would be the connecting link between the types of the Old, and the antitj^^® ^^ *^c !N^ew Testament; and here, for ever, a protest against shifting the foundation of our faith from the death of Christ to His birth, or His life. " For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup," says an inspired commentator, "show ye" or "ye do show the Lord's death till He come" (1 Cor. xi. 26). On a review of this feature of the teaching of Christ our only wonder may be that the disciples did not sooner grasp His meaning. And yet we have the counterpart of this around us to-day. There was, and still is, an of- fence to the pride of intellect, as well as to the depraved appetites and passions of men, in the cross of Christ. Yet no philosophy, no criticsm, no judgment of the lively oracles of God on the ground of our intuitions 48 THE TKACHrXCJ (»K CMHIST. t'jiii sliakc lliu doctrine of Christ's utoniiiu: dctith. It Ih iiisoj)jiral)ly t'onnoctod with His own tinichinjLC, Jind with His own Person. Unless those can ho disproved, this can novel' bo made void. Happy shall we be if wo cannot only jr,'o with Him into tho garden, to the judgment hall, an(l to tho cross, but can also witness His triumr*' over death ard the grave, and consent at length to lo that ''thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from tho dead, the third day, and that re- pentance and remission of sins should bo preached in His name among all nations" (Luke xxiv. 40, 47;. IV. Hence we are brought to consider another de- partment of our Lord's teaching — that which concerns His resurrection from the dead, and Jlis 22:diatorial rule. No founder of a religious system has over promised to exert personal effort on its behalf, after his death. But Jesus Christ did this. It was not simply that Ho predicted universal diffusion and final supremacy for His faith and worship — though even this has been justly re- garded as a proof of His Divinity — but Ho taught that most assuredly Ho Himself would give the necessary aid to carry out His purposes. Wo have seen that Ho taught His disciples that Ho would rise from tho dead. It is no proof that such teaching was ambiguous, that thoy did not understand or believe in His resurrection. It was more than His dis- ciples hoped for ; but it was what His enemies felt that thoy had good ground to fear: "Wo remember that this deceiver said, while He was yet alivo, After three days I will rise again" (Matt, xxvii. G3). THE TBACIIIN(J OF CHRIST. 49 I'. U is " and , and y in- ssent Iceep ain- lade lent nly } in 3C0 of God" for them; and in the former everywhere present and everywhere active — all seeing and all pow- erful. He is with those who believe in Him *' to the end of the world." Such claims as these are wholly unexampled. The world has, elsewhere, known nothing in any way com- parable to them. They transcend, infinitely, the aspi- rations of the sectary, or the dreams of the fanatic. And they are as calm and pure as they are exalted. The words of a mere man they could not be. They breathe the very equality with God which they assert. Still further, as they are in perfect harmony with all that has preceded in the teaching of Christ, so are they with another doctrine which Ho advanced, and witli which His ministry may be said, fittingly to have closed. Long before He had declared that " the Father judgeth no man, but had committed all judgment to the Son," and, as in other cases, He had followed up one wonder- ful saying with another still more astonishing : " marvel not at this, for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth, they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done e\ il unto the resurrection of damnation" (John v. 22, 28-29). Subscquontl}', on the Mount of Olives, while he discoursed of the end of the Jewish state and the fall of Jerusalem He looked forward through these events to the end of the world, and declared, "When the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: and before Him shall be gathered all nations ; and He shall separate them one THE TEACHING OF CHRIST. i-'l :i. from anothci', as a shepherd divideth the sheep from the goats" (Matt. xxv. 31, 32). But in circumstances still more affecting- was His tinal testimony to be given. After His betrayal, He had been seized and borne away to the house of the high priest. In vain had false wit- nesses testified against Him. Not even to those who were resolved to shed His blood hsd a sufficient evidence of crime been alleged. Then the high priest took tho matter into his own hands and said, "I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the (MuMst, the Son of God?" This was not a moment for em])ty boasting or for unauthorised pretension. Yet, "^lesus said unto him, thou hast said : nevertheless I sa}^ unto you, hereafter shall 3'e see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven " (Matt. xxvi. G3. 04)- There was no mistake about the meaning of these words, and no want of proof now. He had professed Himself the Messiah, the Son of (Jod, the Supreme Judge. From any more man this would have been an obvious invasion of the Divine rights, and Caiaphas pronounced it blasphemy because in no other light than a mere man would he regard the prisoner before him. "Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, Ho hath spoken blasphemy ; w^hat further need have we of witnesses ? Behold, now, ye have heard His blasphemy. What think 3'c? They answered and said. Ho is guilty of death " (Matt. xxvi. 05, GO). A martyr to the truth our Saviour undoubtedly was ; but that ti'uth was His own proper and absolute Divinity, and the mediatorial woi'k and I'eward which belonged to Him as '• made in the likeness of men." And though THE TEACHING OF CHRIST. 53 i'"om the. pes still 'e iiway ^«e wit- |«e Arho )ok tho hee by yo the >nt for Yet, I say Jittiiiij' lids of istake 'proof ^on of > this ivine 'ause tho his ther )ard and A but to this was not all that appeared in His death, yet it is most instructive to us that He set such a value upon tho truth, and that He put the truth respecting Himself in such u prominent position before us. One other word on this subject He has given us. As Ho had just testi- fied to the Jewish people through their representative, so again He addresses the Gentiles through the Eoman Governor "to this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness to tho truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my VOICE " (John xviii. H^). This is pre-eminently His testimon}'- to us. It acknowledges all that is trust- worthy in the tests which true science and a sound philosophy have in these latter days produced, and it submits to them for examination in perfect confidence that the result v/ill be the acceptance of Christ, and of Christianity in Him. Here we must draw to a close; but if our reasoning has been of any value it has assuredly brought us to certain conclusions : 1st. That I'cligious truth is to us a matter of tho greatest importance. It is adapted to the highest facul- ties of our nature. It is necessary to satisfy the deepest longings of the soul. It alone reveals to us true excel- lence, and aifortls at once the means and the motives to its attainment. If we have this, then may we rejoice in resources whicli are really illimitable. If we go with- out it, then, words do not sutfice to indicate our destitu- tion. And yet, strange to say; this is the subject which awakens most jealousy, most hostility, in the present dav. lieligious truth is doubted, and, of course, re- 54 THE TEACIIINO OP CHRIST. i 1 III ! iff liglouH teaching is disparaged and despised. Sometimes the Christian preacher is likened to the foolish man who builds his house on the sand, sometimes he is put on a level with heathen priests and soothsayers, and some- times he is charged with spending precious time and fair abilities in a sphere where much real work has to bo done, in the worse than useless occupation of splitting hairs. But as there is eyesight in man and light ex- ternally adapted to it, so " there is a spirit in man, and the inspi-'ation of the Almighty givcth him understand- ing." There ?'s religious truth somewhere ; and while we have no sympathy with a narrow-minded, supersti- tious, or illogical pietism, wc ^et maintain that it is possible to " know" ihis " truth," and that while system is the very perfection of science, in other departments of learning, it is still more so in Theology, which is the crown and perfection of all the sciences. To enable us to grasp the great principles of this science, and to trace out their wonderful harmonies in the novernmcnt of God, and especially in the redemption of mankind, was one of the great reasons for the incarnation; and to be engaged in this study in one of the most necessary as well as one of the noblest employments in which the human intellect can be exercised. 2nd. There is dogmatic religious truth. By this we mean that there is something stated to be believed ; something defined to be accepted, something affirmed, '* delivered once for all to the saints," which is not to bo questioned but trusted ; not to be held with certain mental reservations which explain it away, but to be embraced with the whole heart, as " worthy of all acceptation." THE TEACIIl.\(J OF CHRIST. ;);> >metimcs man who put on a id some- and fair as to bo yplitting i^'ht ex- an, and ej'stand- k1 vvhilo iiiporsti- lat it is «3'stem I'tnients li is the •able us to trace iicnt of h1, was I to bo *aiy as oil tho 'y this evcd ; I'niGd, to bo lental raced ion." JUit d()<;-nia rests u])on no merely luimaii authority. It is the word which Ciod sent " preaching- peace hy Jesus Christ; lie is Jjord of all." Xot untVe([uenlly lias the Christian ^linistiy been cliarged with l»lind credu- lity, on tlie one liand,()r spiritual tyranny on the other, because it has held fast to a s_ysteni ol" "doctrine'' as "sound," and lias maintained that there is ii vital con- nexion between this and "godliness." Ominously ])re- valent of late has been the tendency to make light of articles of faith, and to place in O])position to tlieni Christian love, purity, and usefulness. The methods of preaching, too, have been the subjects of many ^' lay ser- mons ;" and the ambassador of Christ has been told to imitate his Master in simplicit\' ol' thought, and felicity of parabolic illusti'ation, in the inculcation of true mo- rality, in detecting and exposing hypocrisy, in comfort- ing the sorrowful and in ]n"om()ting harmonj' among all men. For all such counsel we ought to be thankful. It is well, doubtless, that the puli)it should occasionally hear from the pew. As there is no i'0])ly made to ser- monic addresses, there is danger of the Christian teacher becoming in some respects too positive, and in others of being foi'getful of his very pi-actieal calling. It is quite conceivable that the preaching of the Christian pulpit may be interesting* enough to the speaker, but diy, hard, unsympathetic, and worthless to the hearer. Ihit there is danger undoubtedly also on the other side. Wo must indeed aim at Scriptural holiness, and tliat em- bodies "whatsoever things are pure, lovely, and of good t." but we must aim at it as Christ did. If he [•epoi qxike by parable, and in soothing or encoui'aging words i i K; 1 ■ 1 I IG THE TEACHING OF CHRIST. He also spake— as wo have just seen — of the principles of the Divine rule, of the method of salvation, and of the final judgment. Specially, He sjwke of Himself— as at once the centre and the source of Dogmatic truth. Here then ^vc must lay our foundation. Whatever Christ taught, we must teach. As He in.dsted on it, so must we. Notwitstanding the reproaches of unreason- able men, He simply went on commending Himself " to every man's conscience in the sight of God;" and wo must do the same. We must preach Chi-ist Jesus the Lord, Christ crucified, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God, if we would justify our position as preachers of the gospel ;/o/* Christ is Christianity. Every- thing bearing on the true knowledge of God, everj^thing connected with the relation of one man to another, everything touching the progress of humanity, every- thing stretching out into the eternal future, has its root in Christ, or has no root at all. If the system which originated with Him, and which makes Him first and last, fails us, then all is lost. This is acknowledged even by those who think Christianity is a failure. Nor can it be otherwise. If He is not Divine, we could not know the Divine were He to appear before us, or to speak to us. If He has given us no inspiration to good- ness, in requiring us to love Him supremely, then can there be no power that will work in us both to will and to do of God's good pleasure. And, if Christ has not brought life and immortality to light then there never can arise a glimmer of hope with reference to the future. If any, with these teachings of Christ before them, still refuse to accept His Divinitj', to believe in His atoning THE TEACHING OF CHRIST. 5t death, or to accept the proof of His resurrection, we must remind them that Himself hath said, " If I had not come and spoken to them they had not had sin, but now they have no cloke for their sin. He that hateth mo hateth my Father also. But this cometh to pa? , t'r ,c the word might be fulfilled, They hated me wi nout a cause." (John xv. 22, 25). 3rd. But Christ, the great teacher, was truly Divine, and His supernatural power, exerted at the first, is the secret of the j^repetuation of the Christian re- ligion till the present time. This also is the pledge of its universal triumph. Calmlj^ did He look forward to its success. Not but that He foresaw, for He foretold the conflict which would be waged against it. But it was the mustard seed cast into the soil, which would grow. It was the leaven introduced into the meal, and would leaven the whole lump. So it has been. Times have changed. Nations have been swept away. New politi- cal institutions have risen up. Science has achieved wonderful results. Invention has quite altered the con- dition of society since Christ dwelt in Nazareth, or walked by the sea of Galilee. Yet His religion is with us to-day. It is precisely tbc same dogma, experience, life, which eighteen hundred years ago was manifiested in Peter and those of the circumcision who believed; in Paul, and the converts from paganism which God gave him, from Antioch to Corinth, and from Corinth to to Eome, and which has never failed to find representa- tives and ornaments among the civilized and the bar- barian, the bond and the free, from that day to this. Nor can the progress of this religion be stayed by 58 TllK TEACIHXC) OF CHRIST. ] m 3 '1 i ■ 1 11 -ill aiiv (.'oncciveablo iiiitai''()ni.sin. Men may rclu^^o its overturos, l»ut the worst will be tliuir own. Thcavowed or concealed " enemies ol' the cross ol' (,'hrist" may " set themselves'" wiih open liale, perverted zeal, or enticing words of men's wisdom, " against the Lord and against His anointed," bu.t, as of old, "he that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh ; the Lord shall Jiave them in do- rision." Christians, too, may be to blame — may bo scl- iish, I'ailhless, inconstant. IJut Christ Himself shall not fail nor be disconragcd till He have set judgment in the isai'th. "He must reign till He hath put all enemies under His feel." And the principles of the grow^th and triumph of His kingdom are, like the ordinances ot lieaven, " settled for ever." The final victory is to bo achieved not by lire, or sword; not by plague, or pestil- ence; not by miraculous intervention, whether in the heaven above, or on the earth beneath. As before His l)ersonal advent, in the language of the prophets. His voice might be heard saying: "1, even I, am He that doth speak ; behold, it is I;" so now to those who at His own call are engaged in "preaching the gos^^el," in "making di.-^^'iples" by "baptizing in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," and " teaching them to observe all thnigs whatsoever" He has " commanded them " — to all such He says, "Lo, I am with 3'ou alway, even unto the end of the world." This is enough. In the use of these means success is pledged. Hence every doubt. " Speak, Lord, thy sei^ vants liear." PREACHING CHRIST: A SERMON :,ELlTEaEI> BE.OUE TI.E THEOLOCUCAL UNION OF mountJallison wesleyan college, PY TUE BEV. W. C. BROWN. SEEMON PREACHING CHRIST. *' BUTWE riiEACII CHRIST CRUCIFIED:'—! Cor. 1 ; 23. Both tho matter and method of apostolic preach- ing are of interest in every age. The men who began to rear tho great edifice known as the Christian churchy are worthy of regard, not only as depositaries of truth, but as wise master builders. They had to contend with the same difficulties which we meet. Scepticism, pride of intellect, prejudice, indifferency v^art in the world then as now, and w^e may well ask by what means did these early preachers carry on their great work so suc- cessfully against such opposition? It is to this subject we address ourselves to-day, believing that we find in it, not only hints for our own guidance but also a proof of the divine origin of the Gospel and a pledge of its future success. We notice 1. They did not busy themselves with the evidences of Christianity but preached Christ. Their method was not tae continual reiteration of those external evidences which prove the divine origin of the Gospel, but the plain and forcible proclaiming of the doctrines themselves. ''The Jews required a sign." -■I 62 l'i!r.A(iii.\(i riiiusT •1. .1 I miruclti oj such (l;i/,/,lm^ splciidour us I(MI(l( is nol easv to TIli'V ul.-lic'l J would carrv iiislanlaiu'ous conviction. It coiiccivi! of niiraclcs nioi'o .splendid llian those Avi'oii_i;"ht by ll)c Savioiii', or oJ ])o\vcis more am|>le tlian those given 1)}' lliin to Ills disciples; but neither did tlioy c: M'eise t'heirown p(t\vei's tor tjie i!;ratiiyin_u' of llieso Jevs, nor direct tlieir attention to the miracles already \vrou;;ht. You liave doubtless n(>us. The only rational tl jeir own miracles «>i- those answer is thai Lhey did not need to. Tiie}' were com- missioned to preach gror.t tri.:hs to the hearts ani'esent. [his as iM not 'e the y dres- \o sus- with explanation. The new birth is still a stumbling block. Precious talents have been wasted in attempts to ex- plain the inexplicable. Men grapple in vain with prob- lems which inspiration itself has never sought to solve, and labor in vain to expound things which the Bible de- clares " hard to be understood," and the full explanation of which it leaves amongst the "secret things" which " belong to God." The apostles never attempt to rest the claims or teachings of Christianity upon a philosophical basis. They did not because it was impossible for them to rest there. The religion of Christ is supernatural and divine. It was a revelation, not a discovery. The reasons for it are hidden in the mind of God. The things revealed in it, belong to a region which the human mind cannot ex- plore. The dictum •' that nature is uniform in its opera- tions everywhere," will not serve here. Nature to us is nature as we kru)w it, and this nature may furnish illus- trations in endless variety, but it furnishes no clue to the mystery of the true Jehovah, no explanation of "God manifest in the flesh," no statement of the reason why human sin could not be forgiven " without shedding of blood," or how the death of Christ was a satisfaction full and complete, in virtue of which the just God is the " Justifier of him that believeth in Jesus." Paul did not, therefore, seek to ally himself with the philosophy of his age, or affect its methods, or even profess any familiarity with its teachings. He might have culled many excellent precepts from gentile books. He might have taken refuge under the wing of some great Grecian school of philosophy when teaching the GG PREACIII\(i CHRIST. M M * ii 4 - }l Hpiritiuilil}' of God, and the immortality of tbo luinian soul, finding there somethinii; at least to countenance both. He could liave found many opinions which, centuries afterwards, were used confidently by Christian teachers as buttresses of the truth. J)V such a course he mii^^ht liave conciliated the (freeks, or at least have won tlieir attention, perhaps their I'espect. But Paul saw in all this a grave peril, and he eschewed it with the utmost care. lie knew that there was truth as well as falsehood in philosophy. lie doubtless held it in some esteem. It aimed at high things; but it had failed in the great search. "The world by wisdom know not God." The sphere of wisdom was really dittei'cnt from the sphere of religion. It was " of the earth, earth}'." Christ's work "was divine. Paul's commission was divine. Christ had revealed God ; brought life and im- mortality to light; made reconciliation " by the blood of His cross" between God and man; become the way of man's approach to God ; promised a change in man's moral nature so radical as to entitle him who becomes the subject of it to be called "a new creature " and affirmed, in due time, the resurrection of the long slumber- ing dead. All this Paul was commissioned to teach. It was foolishness to the Greek. He knows it. He can- not help it. He can simply preach on. He cannot modify the Grospel to suit prevailing opinions or tests. He may not even give it scientific form — teaching it with the "wisdom of words." His method is expressed in his own language. " And I, brethren, when I came unto you, came not with excellency of speech or of wis- dom, declaring unto j'ou the testimony of God. For I rilEACIILNU CHRIST. Gt which, om-sG ho •dVQ won i^ saw in vith tho > well as ^n some fiijJed in lew not »t fj'oni >arthy." o'l was and ini- ^Jood of way of man's Gcomes and imhev- 'h. It e can- annot tests. ^g it 3.ssed Jame wis- 'or I dotormiiied not to know aiiythin<>; suvc Jesus Christ and llini ci-ucitied." Ho utterly refuses any alliance witli philosophy. Tlie (J()s])el, in his opinion, is not thus to be defended or expounded. It cannot be united to the Avisdoni of the world without liarm. Xo ! no! <' It pleased Ciod b}' the i'oolishness of preaching- to save them that believe." The sin-iple utterance of the trutli, as it is in Jesus, is the wea]-)on which in the hand of God has in every age been •' mighty to the pulling down of strongholds." IJ. But there is ii ])ositive side to this statement. "We preach Christ." There was, on the part of these great men. not only a ])rudent distrust of doubtful auxiliaries, bui also a 11 rm and fearless proclaiming of doctrines scorned by ti • heedless world. It ^vas an un- popular theme, exciting both liostility and derision, btit they addressed themselves to it witliout either shame or fear. How they ])i'eached Christ we may judge from the fragments of their discourses which have come down to us, and from the maimer in which they wrote of Him. The substance of their teaching is found in their epistles — foimd there, not in the impassioned utterances of an excited oi-ator, but in the calm, deliberate, and well- weighed statements of the thoughtful writer. Here wo have their best thought in their calmest language, written sometimes in the quiet of their solitary prison. Here we shall find, in precise and accurate language their '' knowledge of the mystery of Christ." And what do we find ? Look tli rough the epistles of Paul. To the Eoman church he distinguishes, between what Chi-ist was "according to the flesli," and. 68 PREACHING CHRIST. >H| that higher nature — " Son of God " — declared in His resurrection. To the church, in Philii)pi, ho affirms that Christ, before His incarnation, was "in the form of God," and '^ thought it not robbery to be equal with God" and that after His humiliation He was again ex- alted, until even at His human name — the name of His manhood "every knee shall bow in heaven, and in earth, and under the earth." To the Colossians he declares that Christ is "' the image of the invisible God," and that by Him all things were created that ai'c in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whetlicr they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or jiowers; all things were created by Him and for Him.'' "In Him," he says, "dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." But we need not multipl}' quotations. I']very- whei'c throughout these epistles ho associates Christ with the Father as the giver of peace and grace, speaks of Him as "our Lord," and declares Him to be "the Judge of quick and dead." Wo make no comment upon these words. We morel v oftbr them as indicatinij- the V CD way in which Paul preached Chi'ist. AVe are not sur- prised that such preaching was " to the Greeks foolish- ness, and to the Jews a stumbling block." But still more. He gave special prominence to the l^oint which, to the world, was most objectionable. He preached not Christ only, but "Christ cruciHeut held thorn intel- ligently, and laughed to scorn opinions which wore 7iot, and could not well be, demonstrated to reason. Against all this the preaching of the cross prevailed. It pre- vailed against men who were not less intelligent or acute than those who now brandish tho hostile weapons. They were not inferior in philosophy, not loss capable of de- fining or defending their views. In art and literature they stood if possible higher. They felt and expressed most of the objections urged to-day against tho cross of Christ. They were sometimes scornful, sometimes bitter. K'CSt |)H10 (lie tha •III- rist its I I'UEAflll.Nd (11 in ST. But iioilhor. skill, noi scorn, nor hitlornc 77 ss, could resist tl 10 truUi as it is in .Icsiis. 'V\\o i^lessod doctrines spread. Multitudes "saved I'roni the guilt and power of sin" adorned soeiety with the uohlcricss and purity oi' their n- lives. Superstition liegan to perish. Miglit} arid vo crable systems of religion tell lo rise no nioie. National customs here changed. The victorious energy of the cross prevailed, and a long train of trium))hs, numherless us the multitude which .lolin saw amidst the a))ocalyptic inyslei'ies, attest (hat the " foolishness of (Jod is wisn* than men and the weakness ot (Jod is sti'onii-er tl lan men. These triumphs shall he perpetuated. ^Ve ha\ e no reason to believe that this or any succeeding age shall prove an exception. We know that to-day men of every social and intellectual grade gather devoutly ai'ound th(5 cross of Christ; that by the ])i'eaching of the cross the same etfects are produced as in times of old ; tlia though many an error has been exploded and many an old truth become etl'ete and nseless, though political and social changes have taken ])lace that are more tlian i-evolutions and though science, pushing aside many a moi'C sjiowy competition, has taken iis rightful place in the IVont rank of the world's benefactors, yet, amidst all the muta- tions of centuries, the cross of Christ has stood secui'c, and still stands in its ancient place as man's sure refuge from sin. We know all this and we feel certain that tliis gospel whicli, beginning in feebleness, pushed its way against ever}^ form and every degree of opposition, shall not now fail in its stalwart manhood. The past is a pledge of the future. To-morrow shall be as yesterday. IP 78 PREACIIIxNG CHRIST. Meanwhile what is needed in our day is primitive simplicity accompanied by primitive power. The true ministry for this or any ago is one of men learned, yet determined to know nothing amongst men save Jesus Christ and him crucified; sensitive, yet not ashamed though the doctrine of the cross bo denounced as foolish- ness, and who have but one answer for the scoffing scep- tic, the proud moralist, the sincere scientist, and the inquiring penitent. We preach "Christ crucified— Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." ptive (true .yet lesus led |ish- ?ep. the CONSTITUTION OF THE ^THEOLOGICAL UNION OF MOUNT ALLISON WESLEYAN COLLEGE. of ARTICLE I.— NAME. This Society shall be called "The Theological Union Mount Allison Wcsleyan College." ARTICLE II.— OBJECT. 1. The cultivation of Theological learning among its mem- Tjers. 2. The advancement of the interests of the Theological •department of the collega. 3. The formation of a Theological ■literature in connection with the college. ARTICLE III.— MEMBERSHIP. All ministers, and preachers on trial (who are not students at the college^, belonging to the Methodist Church of Canada, shall be eligible for membership and will become members, on paying the membership fee and signing the constitution. ARTICLE IV.— OFFICERS. The Officers of this Society shall be President, Vice-Presi- dent, Secretary-Treasurer, and Committee of three, to be ap- pointed by nomination and vote. ARTICLE v.— ANNUAL MEETING. An Annual Meeting shall be held in Sackville during Convo- cation week of Mount Allison Wesleyan College, for the transac- tion of the business of the Union. ARTICLE VI.— LECTURE AND SERMON. The Union shall elect annually, by majority vote, one of its members to deliver a lecture before the Union at its next annual meeting, and also one to deliver a sermon ; said sermon and lecture to be published by the Society and a copy given to each member. ARTICLE VII.— FEES. An annual fee of $1 shall be paid by all members of the Union. ARTICLE VIIL— AMENDMENTS. No part of the constitution shall be amended without a majo- rity of all members of the Union who vote. Notice of amendment nmst be given to the President three months before the annual meeting. The President, through the Secretary, shall notify the members of the proposed amonduK'nt, who may transmit their vote in writing if unable to attend tlie annual meeting. >-■ MOUNT ALLISON WESLEVAN COLLEGE TIIKOLOCMCAL UNION. of:f'ice:pis :foi^ 1879-80, ^ <^ riiESIDEXT, . - THE REV. CHARLES STEWAKT, D.D, VIOT-rilESIDENT, - - THE REV. DOUGLAS CHAPMAN SECRETAEY-TREAS. - THE REV. JOHN BURWASH, M.A. THE REV. D. KENNEDY. ' ,T.D. ; COMMITTEE ^ THE REV. JOSEPH HART, THE REV. WILLIAM H. HEAIiTZ. D. H V lN