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THE OLD-TIME RELIGION

OTHER BOOKS BY DR. BURRELL

The Home Sanctuary: for Shut-in Worshipers and Pastorless
Congregations
i2mo, cloth, 342 pages  :  $1.00
Contains complete services for twenty-six Sundays, including invoca
tion, hymns, Scripture lesson, prayer,.sermon and benediction; for the
use of persons unable to attend church, services, and for laymen who con
duct services.
The Cloister Book
i2mo, cloth, 340 pages  $1.00
A companion book to " The Home Sanctuary," completing services for
a year.
In David's Town
l2mo, cloth, illustrated . .•  net, .50
The story of the First Christmas, beautifully told.
The Evolution of a Christian
i2mo, cloth, 265 pages  75
"Practical thoughts on How to Begin, How to Hear, How to See, How to
Grow, Tests of Profession, Tests of Faith, Character, Honesty, and
others." — Baptist Review and Expositor.
"It is a long time since a book so suitable to put in the hand of a young
inquirer has been given to the world." — Christian Herald.
At the Gate Beautiful
l2mo, cloth, illuminated  net, .50
Vividly portrays the events of that one day when Peter and John healed
the lame man.
For Christ's Crown, and Other Sermons
i2mo, cloth, 370 pages  75
God and the People, and Other Sermons
i2mo, cloth, 350 pages  75
The Golden Passional, and Other Sermons
i2mo, 338 pages  75
The Spirit of the Age, and Other Sermons
i2mo, cloth, 381 pages  75
The Morning Cometh
i2mo, cloth, 320 pages  -,-
"Short eloquent, and impressive, these little sermons are admirablv
adapted to fasten the attention." *
The Teaching of Jesus Concerning the Scriptures
i2mo, clpth, vm, 221 pages  net, .50
"Marked by vigor, eloquence, and courage. In no other realm should
ti fcfiT *Ba?k *5 ^h.nst ! „b5m0,re l5ily \he watchword than in questions
of Bible fact and interpretation." — The Interior.
The Verilies of Jesus
i6mo, 200 pages, cloth  net: ,r

THE
OLD-TIME RELIGION
OR
THE FOUNDATIONS OF OUR FAITH

BY ,t?
DAVID JAMES BURRELL, D.D., LL.D.,
MINISTER TO THE MARBLE COLLEGIATE CHURCH, NEW YORK

AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY
150 NASSAU STREET NEW YORK

Copyright, 1933, by
Amewoan Tract Society

CONTENTS
Part I.— RELIGION PAGE
A Definition .  9
The False Religions  19
The Old Time Religion  33
Part II.— THE THREE GREAT
DOCTRINES
THE DOCTRINE OF GOD
The One True God  47
The God of Creation  61
The God of Providence  yy
THE DOCTRINE OF MAN
The First Man  90
The Measure of a Man . ,  102
Whose Man Am I? . .  112
THE DOCTRINE OF THE GOD-MAN
His Birth .  122
His Character  133
His Inaugural Sermon  143
His Teaching  iS4
His Social Ethics .  168
5

6 Contents PAGE
THE DOCTRINE OF THE GOD-MAN— Continued
His Sacerdotal Prayer . ... 179
His Great Promise  193
His Atoning Work  204
His Royal Seal  212
His Influence .  223
Part III.— ITS AUTHORITY: THE BIBLE
Why I Believe It  241
What Shall We Do With It?  259
How to Read It  270
Part IV.— ITS ORGANIZATION: THE
CHURCH
"A Building Fitly Framed Together"  283
The Dynamic of the Church  295
A Mobilized Church  309
The Church at the Crossroads  319
The Church Triumphant  331
Forward to Christ!  34!

PART I
RELIGION

A Definition  Page 9
The False Religions .... Page 19
The Old-Time Religion . . . Page 33

THE
OLD-TIME RELIGION
OR
THE FOUNDATIONS OF OUR FAITH
Part I-RELIGION
A DEFINITION

Origin of the word. — The quest. — Four characteristics.
— Not a creed.— Not a liturgy. — Not a confession.
— The two hemispheres: Doing good, being good. —
Religion impossible without Christ.
Origin of the word. — The word religion is said
to come from religare) meaning "to bind back."
We were created in the likeness of God but have
somehow become alienated from him. As the
planets were made to move obediently in their
orbits, so we were made to live in harmony with
divine law; but, alas, we have "transgressed," that
is, crossed the line. In so doing we have exiled
ourselves from God, like planets swept out of
their orbits into lawless space. We have sinned;
and without holiness "no man shall see the Lord."
The question of all questions now is : How can we
be restored to him?

10 Religion
If this be so, the search for religion is the no
blest that can engage our energies. But where
shall we find it? Take heed; for there are fabri
cations many and diverse counterfeits passing cur
rent under that name. The test is a simple one.
A genuine religion must do what it proposes to
do ; that is, it must bind the soul of the sinner back
to God.
The quest. — For our guidance in this quest we
have the Bible. It is a revelation or "unveiling"
of God as the Saviour of men. As such it is
authoritative and trustworthy, having been written
by men who "spake from God, being moved by
the Holy Spirit." 2 Peter 1:21.
And for our further guidance we have Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God; as it is written, "In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God; . . . and the
Word became flesh and dwelt among us." We
perceive him walking through the Scriptures, from
the first prophecy in Eden to the last vision of the
Apocalypse, as the teacher of religion. This was
the theme of his ministry on earth. The religion
which he set forth is called "The ministry of rec
onciliation," because it presents a definite plan for
the recovery of our lost estate. The man who ac
cepts it is homeward bound.
Four characteristics. — The religion thus out
lined in the written and incarnate Word is defined
by the Apostle James: "Pure religion and unde-

A Definition ii
filed before our God and Father is this, to visit the
fatherless and widows in their affliction and to keep
oneself unspotted from the world." James i -.2.7.
Now James was the ultilitarian among the
apostles. He was a theologian with a clear
eye to the needs of practical life. The re
ligion which he thus defined is marked by four
characteristics. It is not one among many, but the
only one. It is "pure and undefiled" ; that is, not
a mixture of truth and error, but absolutely fault
less every way. It is acceptable to God. There
are many systems of faith and conduct which com
mend themselves to various classes of men ; but the
true religion is that which passes muster before
the Holy One. It does what it proposes to do;
that is, it binds the sinner back to God.
By this definition of Religion three things are
ruled out as non-essential and two are counted in.
As to the things which are ruled out, James inti
mates that religion is
Not a creed. — A creed is necessary as a symbol
of faith; nevertheless a man may be orthodox and
not religious at all. A man without a creed is an
invertebrate : but a man with a creed and nothing
else is a lifeless automaton: because "as he think-
eth within himself so is he." A creed is like a
physician's prescription — a paper full of zigzag
characters, having no value except as it stands for
something. It is not the paper, but the thing
which it stands for, that must be taken inwardly to
effect a cure.

12 Religion
Not a liturgy. — Rites and ceremonies are im
portant ; but they are not the essential thing. They
are, as Salter says, "the aliment of religion but not
its life, the fuel but not the flame, the scaffolding
but not the edifice." They are like the vial into
which the apothecary puts the prescription; it is
necessary, yet of no value whatever except for what
it holds. To place one's confidence in the saving
power of the Church and its sacraments is as vain
as it would be for a patient to expect to be cured
of a mortal malady by the application of the vial
rather than by the remedy within it.
Not a confession. — Such a confession is impor
tant; for is it not written, "With the heart man be-
lieveth unto righteousness and with the mouth con
fession is made unto salvation" ? The man who
imagines himself to be a Christian without com
ing out into the open may well question the sin
cerity of his faith and the validity of his hope. An
open confession is like the label on the vial. The
law requires it, because there is no telling what
mistakes might occur without it. But the label has
no value except as it describes something. Lip-
service has a place in religion only so far as the
lips serve the heart, the heart being true to truth
and righteousness.
Now these are the things which religion is not.
They are necessary as indications and concomitants
of religion; but they are only the shadows of it.
Where is the substance, the essential thing, by

A Definition 13
which the soul is healed, as when medicine — the
medicine called for by the prescription, contained
in the vial and duly labelled — being taken into the
system finds its way into blood and sinew and
expresses itself in terms of physical life?
The two hemispheres of religion as set forth by
James, are doing good and being good. And it
is characteristic of this apostle of the practical life
that he puts the former before the latter, unselfish
ness before self, beneficence being the keynote of
character. The doing good is expressed in the words "to
visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction."
The world is full of such needy and helpless
ones; and our relation to them was indicated by
our Lord in clearest terms when he said, "Inas
much as ye have done it unto one of the least of
these, ye have done it unto me."
It is related of Palmaris, a devotee of the
twelfth century, that in token of repentance he set
out from his home at Piacenza on a pilgrimage to
Jerusalem. He had not proceeded far, however,
when his Lord appeared to him in a vision, saying,
"I care not for thy pious pilgrimage. There are
widows and fatherless at Piacenza who need thee ;
go back and visit them!" He was not disobedient
to the heavenly vision, the legend says, but return
ing to his native town founded charitable institu
tions which have preserved his name in the odor
of sanctity to this day.

14 Religion
It is clear, however, that the visitation of the
widows and the fatherless is merely a specific term
used to designate a general duty. The reference
is to all unselfish service. Sin is self-seeking: the
first step Godward is out of self into self-sacrifice.
He who would be greatest in the Kingdom of God
must be servant of all.
But, judged by this criterion, where is the per
fectly religious man? Did ever one live in this
world who so far forgot himself as to give himself
wholly and unreservedly for his fellow-men ? Yes,
one. He stands alone as the religious exemplar of
the ages. He came not to be ministered unto but
to minister. He was everybody's friend. He for
got himself in remembering others. He heard the
cry of the friendless in the porches of Bethesda;
he healed the sicknesses of those who were laid on
couches along the way. Ministry was his meat and
drink. His life is comprehended in a brief sen
tence, "He went about doing good." Its end was
at Golgotha; where, in the one mighty deed of
self-sacrifice which set the pattern of beneficence
for all succeeding ages, he "tasted death for every
man." This is the hemisphere of religion on its
manward side. Let that mind be in you which
was also in Christ Jesus. "To do good and to
communicate forget not."
The being good is expressed in the words "and
to keep oneself unspotted from the world."
But just there is the difficulty. How shall one

A Definition 15
keep oneself unspotted from the world ? The spot
is there! Among all the children of men there
is not one who does not realize it. The "damned
spot," as Lady Macbeth calls it, is there and,
despite all earth's purgings, it is there to stay.
"All great Neptune's ocean cannot wash it clean."
How vain to speak or even think of "keeping one
self unspotted from the world" while that remains,
the ineradicable stain of sin !
The first thing to be done, obviously, is to get
rid of that spot. Is it possible? Do you know of
anything that can wash it out? In all the religions
of the world, save one, there is no suggestion of
any means of doing it. The only plan which has
ever been intimated is that which points to the
Cross, saying, "Come now and let us reason to
gether, saith Jehovah ; though your sins be as scar
let, they shall be as white as snow, though they
be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." A
man who is truly in quest of religion will not be
satisfied with any which does not effect this purg
ing. And if he is really sincere and in earnest,
he will fall in with the one "pure and undefiled
religion" which proposes to do it. Here is the
proposition : "The blood of Jesus, his Son, cleans-
eth us from all sin."
" There is a fountain filled with blood,
Drawn from Immanuel's veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains."

1 6 Religion
The fact, however, that a fountain has been
opened for uncleanliness has obviously no value ex
cept for such as take advantage of it. The remis
sion of sins is offered "without money and without
price" ; but it remains for the sinner to appropriate
it. The fountain is there; he must wash and be
clean. This means that Christ must be believed
in; as it is written, "He that believeth in the Lord
Jesus Christ shall be saved." He that so believeth
is already saved, here and now. His sin is for
given and his iniquity is purged. The spot is
gone !
This matter of prime importance having been
attended to, all the rest of religion, so far as char
acter is concerned, is "to keep oneself unspotted,"
that is, to refrain from sin. This is possible in
only one way. So long as a man keeps company
with Christ he cannot sin. Try it, if you will.
Try to do a wrong thing while Christ is walking
with you. No man ever did it. Sin becomes pos
sible only when we fling Christ off. It would never
have been written that Peter "denied his Lord"
had it not been written in a previous sentence that
"he followed him afar off." Our Lord has prom
ised to keep those who keep in touch with him.
In his sacerdotal prayer he says, "Father, I have
kept those whom thou hast given me." That word
"kept" is a great word; and the secret of being
thus kept is in practising the presence of Christ.
Religion impossible without Christ. — Now this
is practical religion, as James defines it. And there

A Definition 17
is one inevitable conclusion; namely, Religion is
impossible without Christ. One may call himself
religious, may pay tithes and offer sacrifices and
cry "Lord ! Lord !" but he has not found that "pure
and undefiled religion" which brings the soul back
to God unless he has accepted him who said, "I
am the way; no man cometh unto the Father but
by me." You cannot go around Christ and get
back to God. You cannot get rid of the spot with
out the cleansing of his blood. You cannot keep
yourself "unspotted from the world" except as you
are "kept" by him. And you cannot practise that
unselfish beneficence in default of which religion is
but an empty show without following in his steps.
The definition of religion is thus reduced to a
single word, namely, Christ. He is made unto us
wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and
redemption. He is first, last, midst and all in all.
It is related that a young ruler once came to
Jesus saying, "Teacher, what good thing shall I
do that I may have eternal life?" What he
wanted was religion, but where should he find it?
Jesus said, "If thou wouldest enter into life, keep
the commandments." His answer was, "All these
things have I observed. What lack I yet?" He
had done his best, but had not found religion.
There was something still lacking. Then Jesus,
bidding him part with everything that separated
betwixt him and the better life, added, "Come, fol
low me."
This is the sum and substance of religion: to
.follow Christ. He is "the Way," and the only

1 8 Religion
Way. All other ways are by-ways. All other
leaders are blind leaders of the blind. Wherefore
the only religion is the religion of Christ, since
this alone can bind a sinner back to God.

THE FALSE RELIGIONS

Apologies for Christianity. — No compromise. — Marks
of true religion. — It is of God. — It saves men. — It
makes for righteousness. — It is universal.
Apologies for Christianity. — I make no apology
for speaking of "the false religions" or of phras
ing my subject that way. I am tired of hearing
eulogiums on Islam and Buddhism and Confu
cianism and half-hearted apologies for Christian
ity, sometimes from men who are in covenant vows
to preach and "maintain and defend" the religion
of Christ.
I am tired also of hearing it repeated over, over
and over with great emphasis that "there are good
things in all religions." Why say a simple and
self-evident thing in such a solemn way? Of
course there are good things in all religious sys
tems, as there is an element of goodness in almost
everything of this world of ours. There is gold
not only in quartz but in granite, in old red sand
stone, in blue clay, in sand and sea water; but the
question is .whether it is there in paying quantities
or not.
A lot of fine things could easily be said about
19

20 Religion
Dagon; who was really intended to be a shadow
ing forth of the true God. He was the national
idol of the Philistines ; the patron of arts and com
merce and agriculture; the center of innumerable
hopes and fears. Nevertheless, the sanctuary of
the Philistines was not large enough to contain him
and the Ark of the Covenant at the same time.
i Samuel 5 : 1-4.
This is another way of saying that the true re
ligion is exclusive. There is only one God; and
there is not room in the universe for more than
one. There is only one religion, one Book of ulti
mate authority as to spiritual things, one Christ
and one Cross, one Way of everlasting life.
No compromise. — It follows that there can be
no compromise. Our religion is not one among
religions, nor the best among them: it is the only
one. It was so preached by our Lord Jesus Christ,
as when he said, "He that believeth on the Son
hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not, the
wrath of God abideth on him"; and, inasmuch as
the servant is not greater than his Lord, it must
be so preached by those who truly follow him.
In the Calendar of the Roman Church there are
two saints canonized for their missionary work.
One of them is St. Francis Xavier, who went to
Japan in the middle of the sixteenth century to
preach the gospel. He found the people so wedded
to their idols that his efforts were wholly unavail
ing. Then he resorted to a compromise, persuad-

The False Religions 21
ing them to combine their worship of a certain
goddess with that of the virgin mother of Christ.
What was the result? Now, after the expiration
of more than three hundred years, there is said to
be a colony of the Japanese people who worship,
with all idolatrous rites and ceremonies, an idol
whom they call "the goddess Mary."
The other of these missionaries was St. Boni
face, who went to Germany on a like errand. He,
however, recognized the fact that there can be no
compromise between truth and error. On finding
it impossible to propagate the gospel without a
final and complete severance of the people from
their idolatry, he bravely felled the sacred oak of
Thor, at peril of his life. What was the result
in this case ? The people came over to Christ like
doves flocking to their windows, and Germany is
a Christian nation to-day.
This was in pursuance of the method divinely
prescribed for us : as it is written, "What fellow
ship have righteousness and iniquity ? or what com
munion hath light with darkness ? And what con
cord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath
he that believeth with an infidel ? And what agree
ment hath the temple of God with idols ? For ye
are the temple of the living God; as he hath said,
I will dwell in them and walk in them ; and I will
be their God; and they shall be my people.
Wherefore come ye out from among them and be
ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch no unclean
thing; and I will receive you."

22 Religion
Marks of true religion. — The true religion is set
apart from the false religions by certain marks : by
which great chasms, infinite and unbridgeable, are
opened up between them.
It is of God. — Our religion is of God; while all
others are of man. It comes to us by revelation.
There are truths which are generic and intuitive,
such as the being of God and the doctrine of im
mortality; but there are others which could never
be clearly known or duly authenticated except by a
direct message from God; as, for example, the
Atonement, which is the great underlying truth of
the religion of Christ. For this, and for an au
thoritative statement of our religious intuitions
also, we are indebted to that direct revelation which
is contained in the Bible as the inspired Word of
God. On this point we rest our faith in the great veri
ties. Our last appeal in the settlement of all spirit
ual problems is not to the Church, nor to our
inner consciousness, but to a "Thus saith the
Lord." His word is, for us, an end of con
troversy. "Here I stand; I cannot otherwise; God
help me!"
But are there not other so-called sacred books
that claim to have come from God? Yes, the
Koran, for example. But they cannot and do not
seriously undertake to vindicate that claim. The
Koran is said to have fallen down out of heaven ;
but that claim is effectively disposed of by the fact

The False Religions 23
that the Koran rests on three frightful pillars, to
wit : War, Polygamy and Concubinage.
We hear a great deal, in some quarters, about
the excellency of the Vedas. Can the Vedas vin
dicate their claim? Let Max M tiller answer, who,
as a great Orientalist, should be competent to speak
in these premises. When he was translating the
literature of the false religions he apologized for
expurgating the Vedas, saying that a literal version
would have exposed him to indictment under the
English law against the circulation of obscene lit
erature !
The Bible, on the contrary, stands prepared to
vindicate itself. It challenges criticism and fear
lessly affirms its inspiration. And it offers its own
definition of inspiration, in the word theopnustia,
which means "breathed of God." It affirms that
it was written by men who "spake from God, being
moved by the Holy Spirit."
It saves men. — The second of the great, un
bridgeable chasms by which Christianity is sepa
rated from the false religions is the fact that it
proposes to save men. It does this by the atone
ment of the Cross.
In all the other religions and philosophies of the
world there is no hint or suggestion of any plan
by which the record of the mislived past can be
blotted out. And herein lies the supreme argu
ment for the exclusiveness of Christianity as the
one true religion. The word means "to bind

24 Religion
back." No religion, therefore, can be a true re
ligion which does not "bind back" or restore the
soul to God. That, however, is impossible without
the removal of sin; since "without holiness no man
shall see God."
I marvel that any professing Christian should
undertake a comparison of religions without a pres
entation of this great differentiating fact. For here
is the pre-eminent truth which conclusively proves
its divine origin and character. The Cross ! The
wonderful Cross ! The divine Cross ! "The Jews
ask for signs, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but
we preach," what? Not Christ only, but "Christ
crucified; unto Jews a stumbling-block and unto
Gentiles foolishness; but unto them that are
called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of
God, and the wisdom of God !"
Ours is the only religion that answers the great
question that throbs deep down in the heart of
every man, "What shall I do to be saved?"
Ask that of the Hindu and he will answer,
"Apavarga" ; that being the keynote of Brahman-
ism ; by which he means that the only salvation is
in the contemplation of the Infinite until the soul
loses its identity in the universal All, as a drop of
water is exhaled and, after hanging suspended for
a time as vapor in the air, drops finally to be
lost forever in the sea.
Ask a Buddhist, "What shall I do to be saved?"
and he will answer, "Karma" ; that being the key
note of Buddhism. Karma is "the law of conse-

The False Religions 25
quences," namely, "Whatsoever a man soweth that
shall he also reap"; and there is no escape from it.
"The mills grind slow, but they grind woe."
Ask a Moslem, "What shall I do to be saved?"
and he will answer, "Kismet" ; that being the key
note of Mohammedanism. It designates "the law
of destiny"; that is "What is to be must be; and
there is no resisting it." If you ask your Moslem
to be more specific, he will point to the teaching of
Mohammed where it is written : "When God was
about to create man he took a mass of clay; and
casting one part upward he cried, 'These to heav
en; and I care not!' and casting the other down
ward he cried, 'These to hell ; and I care not ! ' "
Ask a Confucianist, "What shall I do to be
saved ?" and he will answer, "There is no salvation
except for the present life." This was the teaching
of Kung-foo-tse, who said, "If there be a God I
know not; and if there be a future, I know not. I
only know that we are living here and now and
must make the most of it." A man in the interior
of China after attending a Christian mission for a
while and getting no light, came to the missionary
one morning in a happy mood, saying, "I dreamed
last night; and now I understand. I seemed to
have fallen into a deep pit where I lay helpless and
despairing. A priest of Confucius leaned over the
edge and said, 'Let me give you some advice, my
friend; if you get out of your trouble, never get
in again.' A priest of Buddha came and stretched
his arm over the edge, saying, 'If you can manage

26 Religion
to climb up so that I can reach you, I will help you
out.' Then Christ came; and he climbed down
into the pit and carried me out of it." This is
precisely what Christ does: he promises to save;
he asks only our consent, and then he does it all.
And he saves the whole man, body and soul.
Our Lord is not unmindful of the life here and
now. When on earth, he fed the hungry and
healed the sick who were laid on couches along the
way. He expects his disciples to minister to the
necessities of the poor and unfortunate; and they
are doing it.
The Church is criticised for its indifference to
social conditions ; but an examination of our Char
ity Directories will show that the vast majority
of our humane enterprises are being carried on by
Christian people. There is more power for social
reform and benevolent enterprise in the little finger
of the Church than in the loins of all secular and
spectacular organizations outside of it. Not that
we are doing all that we ought to do ; only that we
are doing so much that it ill becomes outsiders to
criticise us. The biography of our Lord was
briefly written in the words, "He went about doing
good"; and his disciples, though handicapped by
the limitations of human imperfection, are follow
ing in his steps in making this world a better world
to live in.
But we are not blind to the immortal needs of
men. The familiar fling at our "other-worldli-
ness" is well taken. We plead guilty to a belief

The False Religions 27
that, as eternity is longer than time, it behooves us
to be getting ready for it. We live forever ! Our
life here is only an infinitesimal arc of an infinite
circle. "Eternity! Eternity! How long art
thou !" We are bound in reason to put a right
estimate on the relative importance of things. It
is a spurious charity that feeds and clothes a man,
puts a roof oyer his head and betters his earthly
conditions, and leaves him a homeless and penni
less beggar for all eternity. "For what doth it
profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit
his life?"
It makes for righteousness. — The third of the
great gulfs by which Christianity is separated from
other so-called religions is the fact that it makes
for righteousness. The salvation which it offers is
a salvation unto righteousness; that is, it proposes
to bring the whole man into harmony with the be
nign purposes of God.
It makes men. One of the best definitions of
a Christian ever given is that of the scoffer Alex
ander Pope, who said, "A Christian is the highest
style of man." It is not claimed that Christians
are what they ought to be ; but by the grace of God
they are what they are. And, take them by and
large, their enemies themselves being witnesses,
they stand for the highest type of character.
If that be doubted let us institute a frank com
parison. Call a hundred of the best exemplars of
the false religions : the best Moslems, and the best

28 Religion
Buddhists — some of those holy Yogees who are
found begging by the wayside in India covered
with ashes and dung, muttering the cabalistic syl
lable "Aum" and gazing intently at their thumbs
while losing themselves in the Ineffable One — and
the best Brahmans and Buddhists — say, those holy
Mahatmas whom some of our sweet American
women are so fond of, not knowing that they re
ligiously regard a woman as "ten degrees lower
than a dog" — and when you have gotten your shin
ing representatives of paganism stand them up in
line; and we will take at random a hundred pro
fessing Christians from any church in Christendom
and abide the issue.
By their fruits ye shall know them. In our re
ligion we have a Creed made up of great spiritual
truths, and a Code of Morals which the world re
ceives as a faultless rule of conduct; and between
them stands a great Exemplar, the only Man who
ever lived who could utter the challenge, "Which
of you convicteth me of sin?" of whom all ages
and generations have testified, "We find no fault in
him at all." He is our Exemplar, and our rule of
conduct is briefly comprehended in the imitation of
Christ. The best man in the world is the man who
is nearest like him.
And our religion makes nations also. I know
of no more convincing argument for the truth of
Christianity than a map of the world. Spread it
out before you, and draw a line around the nations
that profess the religion of Christ. What have

The False Religions 29
you done ? You have shut in truth and virtue, do
mestic peace and happiness, civil and religious free
dom, schools, hospitals, reformatories; in a word,
civilization. And by the same token, you have shut
out all the false religions and localized them in the
regions of darkness and the shadow of death. The
charmed circle which you have thus circumscribed
is called "Christendom," because it is under the
dominance of the gospel of Christ. Is it a mere
coincidence that our religion has come down thus
through the ages, like Milton's angel of the morn
ing, with institutions of light and mercy springing
up on every side ?
It is universal. — The fourth of the great differ
entiating facts of Christianity is its universality.
All the false religions are ethnic, intended only for
certain nations and adapted only to limited classes
of men. "Christ for the world we sing;
The world to Christ we bring!"
This is the deep, ultimate meaning of the miracle
of Pentecost. In an inner court of Jerusalem were
come together men of all nations of the known
world, "Parthians, and Medes and Elamites, and
the dwellers in Mesopotamia, in Judeea and Cap-
padocia, in Pontus and Asia, in Phrygia and Pam-
phylia, in Egypt and the parts of Libya about
Cyrene, and sojourners from Rome, both Jews and
proselytes, Cretans and Arabians." The world

30 Religion
was there that day. And, the gift of tongues hav
ing been bestowed upon the disciples, the procla
mation went out : "For to you is the promise, and
to your children, and to all that are afar off, even
as many as the Lord our God shall call unto
him!" The gospel, which had been adjusted in the be
ginning to the progress of coming ages, was also
adjusted to the needs of all sorts and conditions
of men. It is for philosophers and for simple folk
as well, being within the comprehension of all.
This is the innermost meaning of that acted parable
of Jesus when he took a child upon his knee, say
ing, "Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not
receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he
shall in no wise enter therein."
The Church is put under commission to execute
this world-wide plan. The great propaganda was
inaugurated when Jesus said to his disciples on the
day of his ascension, "Go ye into all the world and
evangelize," even "to the uttermost parts." That
commission will not be fully discharged until the
gospel has been carried to the last man. We are
looking for the coming of Christ to rule from the
river unto the ends of the earth. Maranatha!
"The Lord cometh !" Let us not forget, however,
the significant sign of his coming, which he him
self has given us: "This gospel of the kingdom
shall be preached in the whole world; and then
shall the end come."
These are my reasons for affirming that our re-

The False Religions 31
ligion is the only religion in the world. It is spes
unica, "the only hope."
Are we to understand, then, that none of the
heathen are saved? I do not say so. It may be
that some are able to form a dim conception of an
essential Christ from the institution of sacrifice
which, for some strange reason, is universally prev
alent. Blessed is every man who can interpret the
parable of the blood! In one of the poems of
Saadi, the Persian, occur these strange, pathetic
words :
"Once, as I staggered on the brink of hell,
Above the everlasting fire-flood's awful roar,
God threw his heart before my feet; arid stumbling o'er
That obstacle divine, I into heaven fell !"
For my part, I am willing to leave this matter,
without speculation, in the hands of a gracious
God. I know that he requires no more of any man
than that he shall live up to his light ; but, when we
consider how few there are who meet that require
ment in Christian lands, how: remote seems the pos
sibility that many of the heathen are saved. We
would surely not have been so urgently and im
peratively enjoined to give them the message of
salvation in Christ were salvation attainable in any
other way.
We have Christ and his glorious gospel ! And
we are required to give that gospel to those who
have it not. To all our questioning, not only as to
the salvation! of some of the heathen, but as to the

32 Religion
relative value of Christianity and the false re
ligions, there is one final and conclusive answer in
the words of Jesus himself: "I am the way, and
the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the
Father but by me."

THE OLD-TIME RELIGION

Passing fashions. — The religion of the ages. — Four
great underlying principles: A personal God, A
self-respecting man, Sin, Salvation. — The old-time
religion is abreast of the past, abreast of the
present, abreast of the future. — A Temple of
Progress. — Above all others.
Passing fashions. — Paul declares that the "fash
ion of this world passeth away." The word here
rendered "fashion" is schema, a technical term
which was used in connection with the ancient
drama to designate the costumes and properties.
"All the world's a stage and all the men and women
merely players." For a while they wear the garb
of the characters they assume; then the curtain
falls, the lights are extinguished and the actors are
themselves again. So "the fashion of this world
passeth away." There is nothing enduring but the
substance of things.
It is easy to make sport of old fashion plates like
those in "Godey's Lady's Book" : but be it ob
served there are fashions in other things than dress.
There is, for example, a vogue in art, an ever-
varying vogue that comes and goes like the quick-
33

34

Religion

change artist on the stage ; but back of all changes
are certain great principles of art which are as uni
versally recognized and as permanent as the estab
lished lines of beauty. There are fashions in archi
tecture, as many a "freak house" testifies; but one
who builds, like Piso, in conformity with the essen
tial types of architecture, "builds forever." There
are fashions in politics, called "current issues,"
which are much affected by mere politicians; but
there is a statesmanship which goes deeper down
and finds eternal issues in the championship of hu
man rights.
There are fashions in religion also; fads and
fancies as grotesque as a milliner's wildest dream:
— New Thought, Theosophy, Babism, Occultism,
with other isms and osophies too numerous to men
tion. These come and go; but religion stays on.
For religion is not form, but substance; not an
affectation but a sublime reality; not a superficial
dress or canonical livery, which can be donned and
doffed at will, but a system of stupendous truths as
vital as the functions of an immortal soul.
The religion of the ages. — The forms of re
ligion are matters of little moment as compared
with its essential facts; facts which are not sub
ject to the vicissitudes of time. Religion is a force;
and forces never change. Fire and water are what
they always were. Steam is as old as the rising
vapors of the sea. Electricity is not a modern in
vention, though it ran wild till Franklin lassoed

The Old-Time Religion 35
and others harnessed it. "The old-time religion"
is essentially the religion of the ages. It has four
great underlying principles.
A personal God. — The first of the great princi
ples is that of a personal God as distinguished from
idols. I do not mean such vulgar and obsolete idols
as Baal and Dagon and Ashtoreth. These are the
old fashions against which the Chosen People were
warned long centuries ago. We have other fash
ions in these days, to wit: gods made of the gray
matter of the human brain. "Law," "Force,"
"the Soul of the Universe," "a Something not our
selves that maketh for righteousness" — these are
the latest vogue in idolatry. They are not "graven
of wood and stone, by art and man's device," but
built of fancy, like castles in the air. They are
not only intangible but in the last analysis unthink
able. I could as well bow down before the smoke-
wreath that issued from the bottle, in the story of
The Fisherman and the Afrite, as worship such a
jack-o-lantern of a god.
But religion offers us a God revealed and
vouched for by his only-begotten Son. His word
is, "When ye pray, say, 'Our Father.' " I know
what that means. It appeals to me. I can grasp
it. He is a God who can see and hear and pity
and help. He can be "touched with a feeling of
our infirmities." This is the God whom the soul
cries out for.
And he is the only God. "Beside him there is

36 Religion
none other." The Muezzin's call to prayer is a
setting forth of the elemental proposition of re
ligion ; "Allah il Allah ! There is no god but God !
Lo, God is great !" And the song of David is the
filial response of all humanity:
"As the hart panteth after the water brooks,
So panteth my soul after thee, O God.
My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God :
When shall I come and appear before God?"
A self-respecting man. — The second of the great
underlying truths of religion is a self-respecting
man. It is the fashion in some quarters to present
a very different sort of man. He is the ultimate
and consummate product of the calm operation of
an interminable series of natural laws. He is the
bastard child of Force and Matter, with neither
of his parents accounted for. He traces his gene
alogy backward along a series of bestial ancestors
to a primordial germ. This is what Carlyle called
"the religion of frog-spawn." I confess I have too
much family pride to like this evolved man. How
does he please the Daughters of the Mayflower?
They are fond of tracing their lineage to the Pil
grims who came over in that memorable ship:
but why not put the voyage a little farther back and
find their birthright in a cargo of anthropoid apes?
Is there an affront in the suggestion ? If the popu
lar version of Evolution is true there is no alterna
tive. Facts are facts, and when we get aboard of

The Old-Time Religion 37
a theory we should be brave enough to ride to the
end of it.
But, fortunately, no one pretends that evolution
has been demonstrated. All that Darwin ever af
firmed was that it was a likely hypothesis. I, for
one, do not propose to believe it until I am obliged
to. In the meantime the Bible doctrine of the
origin of man is good enough for me. He was
made in God's likeness, to stand erect with his
face uplifted to the stars, to think God's thoughts
after him; an immortal man with divine breath in
his nostrils; a man made to live forever and in
tended to live with God.
"O mighty brother soul of man,
Where'er thou art, or low or high,
Thy skyey arches with exultant span
O'erroof infinity!"
Sin. — The third of the vital facts of religion is
sin. To this fact the response of personal con
sciousness is as conclusive as that of the revealed
Word of God. We have within us the reminiscence
of a divine birthright, but also the undeniable sense
of a most lamentable fall. There are those, how
ever, who affirm that if there ever was a fall it
was "a fall up." They deny the moral quality of
sin in toto. They regard the sinner as an un
fortunate sufferer to be treated with hypodermic
injections of compassion. A man who steals is not
a thief but a kleptomaniac. A drunkard is a dip
somaniac, to be doctored with nervines and porous

38 Religion
plasters. A man-slayer is an irresponsible victim
of "brain storm," and must be handled accordingly.
This is sentimental nonsense. There is such a
thing as sin; and sin is "any want of conformity
unto or transgression of the law of God." Sin
involves guilt; and unless some just and rational
mode of deliverance is provided, it must logically
and inevitably be followed by retribution. Else
there is no such thing as justice in this world of
ours. The other word for retribution is hell. The
word may be distasteful to ears polite; but there
should be no mouthing or mumbling of it. The
definition of hell is separation from God. Sin and
holiness are so antithetical that "without holiness
no man shall see God." The case, then, is a des
perate one. But religion and common sense agree
that there is no other way of stating it.
Salvation. — The fourth of the great proposi
tions of Religion is salvation. What shall a man
do to be delivered from the shame and bondage
and penalty of sin? Here enters the gospel with
its great doctrine of reconciliation with God. The
way has been prepared by the atonement of Christ;
and the benefits of that atonement are conditioned
only on faith in him. There are other plans or
fashions of salvation; but they all break down at
the vital point. They do not save. In order to
save they must erase the record of the mislived past
and so deliver the sinner from the handicap of

The Old-Time Religion 39
unforgiven sin. This, however, they neither do
nor propose to do. They are like Darius Green's
flying machine which would do anything but fly.
In all religions and philosophies of the world there
never has been a suggestion of any reasonable
mode of deliverance from past sin. This is the
distinctive glory of the gospel of Christ. It an
nounces that justice has been satisfied by the ran
som of the Cross and that by an appropriating
faith we are justified and restored to the favor of
God. "Now I saw in my dream," says Bunyan, "that
the pilgrims drew nigh to a miry slough that was
in the midst of the plain; and they being heedless
did both fall suddenly into the bog. The name of
the slough was Despond. Here, therefore, they
wallowed for a time, being grievously bedaubed
with the dirt; and Christian, because of the burden
that was on his back, began to sink in the mire."
He struggled, but he could not get out because of
his burden. "But I beheld in my dream that a
man came to him, whose name was Help ; and gave
him his hand, and drew him out, and set him on
sound ground and bade him go on his way."
This man whose name was Help is he of whom
it was written, "Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for
it is he that shall save his people from their sins."
The hand which he extends to the despairing soul
is scarred with the wounds of his vicarious pain;
and the arm which he makes bare for our deliver
ance is the arm of omnipotent love. "Wherefore

40 Religion
also he is able to save to the uttermost them that
draw near unto God through him, seeing he ever
liveth to make intercession for them."
Now these are the four great principles of re
ligion. They constitute the sum and substance of
it. And the warrant for their truth is found in
the Word of God.
I believe in this religion, "the old-time religion."
It is the only religion. There are other quasi-
religions; but they fail to accomplish the desired
end. Abreast of the past. — I believe in this old-time
religion, because it is abreast of the past.
"This is the way the prophets went,
The road that leads from banishment,
The King's highway of holiness."
In a matter of such vital moment the trodden
path is the best path for us. Our religion has been
tested and approved by centuries of experience. It
is beyond all belief that the innumerable company
of those who have affixed their faith to the gospel
in past centuries, loving it in life and leaning upon
it in death, have been victims of a delusion. I am
certainly not willing to concede this until stronger
reasons are adduced to support it.
Abreast of the present.— I believe in this relig
ion, because it is abreast of the present. There are
hundreds of millions of people in the world to-

The Old-Time Religion 41
day who find in this gospel a satisfying response
to every possible need. It is their strength in
weakness, their comfort in sorrow, their light in
darkness, their friend in loneliness, their rod and
staff in the Valley of Death.
Abreast of the future.— And I believe in the
old-time religion because it is abreast of the future.
You will find it in the forefront of every progres
sive movement of our time. It stands for light and
humanity and civilization. It stands for national
comity and the brotherhood of man. It is ani
mated by an indestructible spirit of hope and cour
age ; so that, in spite of foes without and betrayals
within, it moves right onward to the Golden Age.
I am not ashamed of the gospel; for it has
proven itself to be the power of God unto salva
tion. The fashion of this world passeth away; but
the facts of the old-time religion abide. "The Jews
ask for signs, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but
we preach Christ crucified; unto Jews a stumbling-
block, and unto Gentiles foolishness ; but unto them
that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the
power of God and the wisdom of God!"
A Temple of Progress. — This religion was ad
justed in the beginning to all the possible mutations
of time. Nothing has occurred which its divine
Author did not anticipate. Its essential facts have
been and always will be in line with progress.
When Richelieu was superintending the demolish-

42 Religion
ing of his ancestral chateau, preparatory to the
building of a more magnificent residence, he bade
the workmen spare one inner room. It was the
chamber where his eyes had first opened to the
light, where his mother had lulled him to sleep on
her bosom. He could not see it destroyed; but
required his architects to conform the plans of his
palace to it. So rises the Temple of Progress
around the Holy of Holies. In that inner sanc
tuary is the Ark of the Covenant, within which
are deposited the great principles of our faith.
The old truths abide ! God himself is "the same
yesterday and to-day and forever," and all great
and enduring verities have their heart and center
in him. We shall never, therefore, outlive the old-
time religion; certainly not until human nature
changes and God ceases to be God.
It is related of Lord Chesterfield that, while
visiting in Paris during the flood-tide of infidelity,
he was entertained at the table of a distinguished
lady known as a bitter foe of the Christian faith.
She said to him, "My lord, I am informed that
your Parliament is composed of some hundreds of
profound and brilliant thinkers. This being so,
will you explain to me how it is that, under their
authority, the obsolete religion of the Bible is still
maintained as the religion of the realm?" He an
swered, "Madam, it is a mere temporary make
shift. We are casting about for something better;
and when that is discovered, we shall surely make
way for it."

The Old-Time Religion 43
Above all others. — The world has been casting
about, during all the centuries, for something bet
ter, and has not found it! Freethinkers have
sought for it by the light of the midnight oil ; kings
and potentates have sought for it by the light of
Smithfield fires ; but they have not found it. They
will go on seeking, in vain. Meanwhile men and
women under the burdens of life will come to
Christ for succor and deliverance. Sinners in de
spair will find their only hope beneath his cross.
The song of redeeming grace will ring louder and
sweeter until it drowns the cry, "Let us break their
bonds asunder, and cast away their cords from us."
Then every knee shall bow before Christ and the
kings of the earth shall bring their glory and hon
or unto him.
No, there is no reason for being ashamed of the
gospel. I have seen many fashions of theology
come and go. I have seen many dreams of philos
ophers vanish into thin air. I have heard many
elegies chanted and funeral orations pronounced
over the old-time religion; but if there is any sig
nificance in the logic of events we can confidently
brace ourselves against the Rock of Ages and let
the caviling crowd sweep by.
" 'Tis the old-time religion,
And it's good enough for me !"

PART II
THE THREE GREAT
DOCTRINES
THE DOCTRINE OF GOD
The One True God . . . Page 47
The God of Creation . . . Page 61
The God of Providence . . Page 77
THE DOCTRINE OF MAN
The First Man  Page 90
The Measure of a Man . . Page 102
Whose Man Am I? . . . Page 112
THE DOCTRINE OF THE GOD-MAN
His Birth  Page 122
His Character  Page 133
His Inaugural Sermon . . Page 143
His Teaching  Page 154
His Social Ethics .... Page 168
His Sacerdotal Prayer . . Page 179
His Great Promise .... Page 193
His Atoning Work . . . Page 204
His Royal Seal  Page 212
His Influence  Page 223

THE DOCTRINE OF GOD
THE ONE TRUE GOD

The fundamental truth. — Three false roads : Intuition,
Reason, the Senses. — The scientific method. — Two
true roads: Revelation, the Incarnation. — Teach
ing of Christ about God: As to his being, his per
sonality, his providence, his moral attributes. —
Reconcilation. — The grapple with God.
The fundamental truth.— The fundamental truth
of religion is God. As he was in the beginning,
so is he the beginning of all.
The man who does not know God has not begun
to live. He may eat and drink, make merry, ac
cumulate a fortune or wear a crown ; but he has not
entered into that better life of high hopes and noble
purposes and aspirations which makes us worthy
of our divine birthright. For "this is life eternal,
that they should know thee the only true God."
To put ourselves into just relations with God is
literally a matter of life and death. All the olo-
gies are worth mastering, but Theology is indis
pensable. We must know God.
But where is he? "Oh, that I knew where I
might find him! . . . Behold, I go forward, but
he is not there; and backward, but I cannot per-
47

48 The Three Great Doctrines
ceive him; on the left hand, when he doth work,
but I cannot behold him; he hideth himself on the
right hand, that I cannot see him !" The horizons
recede as we approach them; and the darkness
thickens as we grope like blind men feeling their
way along the wall.
Three false roads. — There are three roads which
are vainly trodden by multitudes who pursue this
holy quest. Each of them is marked "This way to
God," and each of them is a cul-de-sac or blind
alley which leaves the soul still groping in the
dark. Intuition. — The first of these roads is intuition.
There are no natural atheists. All are born with
an indwelling sense of God. We do not enter on
conscious life like the inferior orders ; but
"Trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God who is our home."
In regions of darkest paganism there are traces
of two innate convictions, namely; a divine birth
and a sinful alienation. Hence the universal spirit
of unrest so pathetically expressed by Augustine,
"We came forth from God, and we are restless
until we return to him."
No doubt there have been some who, with no
light but that which shines along the pathway of
intuition, have made his acquaintance ; but the vast
multitude have simply arrived at idolatry. They

The One True God

49

have made unto themselves gods "after the simili
tude of a man" ; gods like the Brocken of the Alps,
projected on the skies. An idol is a man-made god.
It may be carved out of wood or conjured out of
the gray matter of the brain : but all gods are idols,
whencesoever they come, except the one true God.
Reason. — The second pathway of the God-seek
ers is reason. Here we come upon the philosophers
and those who travel with them. This also leads
to disappointment; as it is written, "The world
through its wisdom knew not God."
The golden age of philosophy in Greece fol
lowed close on the decay of the Pantheon. It was
when the people had lost all confidence in their
idols and the cry was heard, "Great Pan is dead!"
that the Groves and Gardens and Painted Porches
arose on the banks of the Ilyssus. The thoughtful
men who assumed the name of philosophoi, or
"lovers of wisdom," were all seekers after God.
The Stoics, Epicureans, Cynics and Peripatetics all
hoped to discover him by the light of reason. How
vain their quest!
When Simonides was asked for a definition of
God, he required some weeks for meditation and
then answered, "The more I think of him, the more
he is unknown !" The innumerable gods and altars
of Athens were finally laughed out of court; but
the result was recorded on that other altar which
succeeded them, "To the Unknown God."
The stock in trade of the Athenian philosophers
was precisely that of the philosophers of our time.

50 The Three Great Doctrines
It consisted substantially of four arguments, to
wit : the ontological argument; to the effect that the
being of God is involved in the idea of God. This
is good as far as it goes, but it falls vastly short
of demonstration; and in any case it reaches no
conclusion as to his character. The cosmological
argument, which reasons from effect to cause and
expresses itself in the epigram "Out of nothing
nothing comes." This is equally inconclusive, since
the necessary Somewhat to which it leads is but the
shadow of a god. The teleological argument,
which proceeds from design to a designer, carrying
with it a strong presumption as to infinite wisdom
but taking little or no cognizance of the moral na
ture of God. And the anthropological argument,
which infers the moral nature of God from the
moral nature of man. This goes farther than the
others; nevertheless it is so far from being proof
in the mathematical sense that one may reasonably
question whether any truth-seeker was ever really
convinced by it.
These are the arguments which have been used
by philosophers from time immemorial; and little
has been added in the process of the passing years.
The result, as a whole, is melancholy failure. The
world by its wisdom, that is by the exercise of its
unaided reason, has simply reached Agnosticism;
it has not "found out God."
Not to those who deem themselves wise, but
rather to the simple whose hearts are open God-
ward, comes the great revelation. It is one thing

The One True God 51
to know about God and quite another to know him.
John Hay knew all about President Lincoln from
his boyhood up; while little "Tad," who had no
such information, knew his father through and
through. The eyes of love see farther than the
eyes of wisdom. Wherefore Jesus said, "Whoso
ever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a
little child, he shall in no wise enter therein."
Five senses. — The third of the alluring path
ways is that of the five senses. This is the method
of natural science, which reaches its conclusions on
the evidence of the physical senses.
This rules out faith, which is the sixth sense
divinely given to men for the apprehension of
spiritual things. To undertake to solve any of the
great problems which have to do with our spiritual
life by the testimony of the finger-tips is to have
one's labor for one's pains; since, in the nature of
the case, "spiritual things are spiritually dis
cerned." To insist on apprehending a spiritual
fact by the physical senses is as preposterous as it
would be to insist on seeing with the ears or hear
ing with the eyes. Faith is not credulity, nor is
it unsubstantial, nor is it believing without evi
dence. On the contrary, it is both substantial and
evidential : only it is "the assurance of things hoped
for, a conviction of things not seen." To refuse
to exercise this sixth sense or power of spiritual ap
prehension is to shut oneself out forever from the
possibility of apprehending God or any of the great
intangible but real truths which center in him.

•52 The Three Great Doctrines
The scientific method. — Yet we are constantly
hearing, in certain quarters, of the importance of
pursuing our theological studies "by the scientific
method." With what result? "We have a world
of facts," they say, "and from these facts, by the
inductive process, we must arrive at our conclu
sions." It is like an example in Algebra : God is
the unknown term; let this be expressed by "x":
the problem then is to resolve "x" into known terms
by the use of a multitude of visible and tangible
facts. Can it be done? Go on and pursue your
researches along the lines of Evolution, until back
of cosmos you come to chaos, and back of chaos
to the nebula, and back of the nebula to the pri
mordial germ; and that last infinitesmal atom will
look up at you with the old question on its lips, as
loud as ever and involving a problem as deep as
when you began, "Whence came I?" What is
your answer? God? Call it "God" if you please;
in fact, however, it is simply an impersonal, inde
finable, unescapable Something-or-other which, for
lack of a better term, is designated as a "First
Cause," but which is infinitely far from what is
meant by a personal God.
Two true roads.— Well, then, shall the quest be
given up ? Is the universal thought of God merely
an ignis fatuus leading the hopeful traveler into
a realm of impenetrable mists and shadows? Or
is there still some way of finding God?
Revelation. — Yes, there is a road by which we

The One True God 53
approach him; and it is a highway cast up by the
King himself. It is called "revelation," or the
unveiling of God.
There is an antecedent presumption in its favor ;
to wit, that if there is a God anywhere in the uni
verse he would not leave us to grope our way hope
lessly in the dark toward him, but would some
where, somehow, make himself known to us.
Well, here is a Book which claims to be such a
revelation. It opens with the words, "In the be
ginning God," and proceeds to set forth the two
great doctrines of Creation and Providence. It
affirms, on the one hand, that everything in the
universe has its origin in the creative power of
God ; and on the other, that everything is sustained
by the providence of God.
In these two doctrines we have the sum and sub
stance of Bible truth. But this is not all. In be
tween the doctrines of Creation and Providence
there walks, through all the corridors of Holy
Writ, a mysterious Figure who is the foregleam of
another revelation farther on. At the outset this
Figure appears in the protevangel as the "Seed of
the woman," who is to come in the fullness of time
to "bruise the serpent's head." And he appears
and reappears, now in kingly guise, again as a
man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and
again with a name written on his vesture, "Im-
manuel," which being interpreted is, God with us.
This Book, claiming to be the written Word of
God, makes us acquainted with his being, personal-

54 The Three Great Doctrines
ity and moral attributes ; but it does not exhaust the
theme. It leads us along a road, lighted by visions
and prophecies, until it opens into another and
clearer road, to wit, "the Incarnate Word of God."
The Incarnation. — And this second road, the In
carnation, is the way which all truth-seekers must
pursue if they would finally arrive at a just and
saving knowledge of God.
It is here that we meet Christ, bringing his mes
sage from the throne. He comes into our world
with the express purpose of making God known
to us; as it is written, "No man hath seen God at
any time; the only-begotten Son, who is in the
bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." He
is called the Word, because he is the medium of
communication between the Infinite and the finite;
as it is written, "In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God; . . . and the Word became flesh and dwelt
among us :" that is to say, the Incarnation is, as it
were, the articulation of the speech of God. In
the Scriptures we have a letter from God, but in
the Incarnation we have the coming down of God
to unveil himself before us.
The soul of sinful man is like a child lost among
strangers, wild-eyed, lips trembling, eyes searching
vainly for a familiar face. Ah, here the mother
comes ! and the child is soon sobbing out its hap
piness on her breast. "Cuddle doon, my bairnie!"
So it is when the sinner finds Christ, or shall we
not rather say, when Christ finds him ?

The One True God 55
Teaching of Christ about God.— If, then, we
are ever to learn theology it must be as disciples,
sitting in a docile attitude at the feet of Christ.
He, as the incarnate Son, is our authoritative
teacher. What, therefore, has he to say about
God? As to his being, he has little or nothing to say;
for the obvious reason that God's being is the sub
stratum of his entire doctrine, without which it
would be as insignificant as a painted ship upon a
painted ocean. Moreover, all his teaching is pos
tulated on the written Word, of which he said,
"Search the Scriptures; because ye think in them
ye have eternal life; and they are they which
testify of me." And the moment we turn from
the Incarnate to the written Word, we come again
upon that saying, "In the beginning, God."
As to the divine personality, the teaching of
Jesus is indubitably clear. "God is a Spirit," he
says, "and they that worship him must worship
in spirit and truth." It need scarcely be said that
a spirit, though invisible and impalpable, is a real
self-conscious personality. The communion of
Jesus with this Spirit is that of one person with
another. He does not speak to Law, nor to En
ergy, nor to an indefinable "Something not our
selves that maketh for righteousness"; but to One
with whom he is on familiar terms. "The only-
begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father,
he hath declared him."

S6 The Three Great Doctrines
As to divine providence he speaks with no un
certain sound. The God whom he unveils is in
and over and under all. Out on the hillsides he
bids us "consider the lilies, how they grow," and
assures us that our Father, "who careth for them,
will much more care for us." In pursuance of this
fact he encourages us to pray, saying, "Ask, and
it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find;
knock, and it shall be opened unto you." Oh,
great Heart of the Infinite, thou art quick to re
spond to our every cry! The doctrine of prayer,
as taught by Jesus, is simplicity itself. We are to
run to God with our longings, as children to their
parents; for "if ye then, being evil, know how to
give good gifts unto your children, how much
more shall your Father who is in heaven give good
things to them that ask him."
As to the moral attributes of God the teaching
of Jesus is not only clear but most emphatic; be
cause at this point it touches vitally our eternal
welfare. The divine holiness is presented not so
much as an attribute as the condition of God's be
ing or the atmosphere in which he dwells. It is
the light emanating from his throne of which
Christ is the supreme manifestation, as he said, "I
am the Light of the world" ; and this light must
ever be reflected in the life of his disciples, as he
said, "Ye are the light of the world ; ... let your
light so shine before men that they may see your
good works and glorify your Father who is in
heaven." This holiness is not merely freedom

The One True God 57
from moral contamination; but such a sensitive
aversion to sin as makes it impossible for God to
look with complacency upon any creature who is
defiled by it. Hence the appeal to the cultivation
of a holy life; the sanctification "without which
no man shall see the Lord."
Out of this atmosphere of holiness proceed two
attributes which, like opening arms, embrace the
world. One of them is Justice, or regard for law.
No teacher ever lived, not even Moses, who em
phasized as deeply as did Jesus the integrity of the
moral law. He defended not only the law itself
but the penalties affixed to its violation. The Deca
logue is not so severe an arraignment of sin as the
Sermon on the Mount, which rings with the in
violability of law.
The other of the outstretched arms is Love.
The fullness of divine love is set forth in the words
of Jesus, "After this manner therefore pray ye,
Our Father." It was wisely observed by Madame
de Stael that if Jesus had never done anything in
the world except to teach us to say "Our Father"
he would have conferred an inestimable boon upon
the children of men. God's love is manifest in the
unceasing gifts of his providence; but its crown
ing token is the grace of salvation : "God so loved
the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth on him should not perish but
have eternal life."
Reconciliation. — And the reconciliation between
Love and Justice is found at the Cross. Here

58 The Three Great Doctrines
"mercy and truth are met together, righteousness
and peace have kissed each other." As law is sa
cred and inviolable, its penalty must be inflicted;
it must be inflicted either upon the malefactor or
upon some competent substitute who shall volun
teer to suffer for him. It is the only-begotten Son
who volunteers, saying, "Here am I, send me!"
The justice of God is shown in the suffering in
flicted upon his only-begotten Son; and his love
is correspondingly shown in the proffer of all the
benefits of that vicarious suffering to every one on
the sole condition of faith.
It pleased God to vindicate his supreme majesty
before his ancient people in the controversy on
Carmel. All day the pagan priests assembled at
their altar cried, "O Baal, hear us !" but there
was no voice, nor answer, nor any that regarded.
At evening the lone prophet of Jehovah stood be
side his altar and calmly made his prayer "O Je
hovah ... let it be known this day that thou art
God!" Was there any that regarded? Lo, yon
der in the twilight sky a falling fleece of fire ! In
awe-struck silence the people saw it descending un
til it touched the sacrifice and consumed it. The
logic of the argument was irresistible. They cried
with one accord, "Jehovah, he is God!"
The antitype and parallel of that great contro
versy is at Calvary, where Christ, at once the min
istering priest and the sacrifice upon the altar, made
his last prayer with hands outstretched upon the
cross, and the descending fire consumed him as a

The One True God

59

whole burnt-offering for the world's sin. The
logic, here also, is unanswerable. In all the world
there is no other gospel which adequately sets forth
the divine love. By the power of truth, by the
triumph of righteousness, by the logic of events,
by the philosophy of history, by the blood of the
atonement, let the world answer, "Our God is the
God of Salvation; and there is none other beside
him !"
The failure of other religions and philosophies
has been grotesquely pathetic. The irony of
Elijah on Carmel is merely an echo of the divine
burst of laughter out of heaven in response to those
who cry, "Let us break their bonds asunder and
cast away their cords from us !" "He that sitteth
in the heavens shall laugh!" The Pantheons
crumble and the priests die; one altar remains, to
wit : the cross on Calvary. It is the sole altar and
supreme argument of the true God.
The grapple with God. — But every man must
for himself make answer to the argument. Each
for himself must fight his way into the truth. It
is like the grapple which Jacob had with an unseen
antagonist at the brookside. As the night wore on
he came to understand that he was at close quar
ters with God. He wrestled with the Theophany
hand to hand and thigh to thigh. He knew that
at last Omnipotence had laid hold upon him. Then
came a sudden wrench and Jacob fell, disabled.
God had thrown him! He sank a helpless man,

60 The Three Great Doctrines
but clinging still, he cried, "I will not let thee go
except thou bless me !"
Thereupon the blessing was given, a blessing
which God had waited through the weary years to
bestow upon him. "Thy name shall be called no
more Jacob," the Supplanter, "but Israel; for
thou hast striven with God. . . . and hast pre
vailed." Then and there he received the guerdon
of knighthood and entered into the higher life.
At the close of that conflict the light of morn
ing was glowing on the hills of Edom: how sig
nificant the words, "And the sun rose upon him!"
The new life had begun; the long quest was over;
Jacob had found God. And he went his way
limping on his shrunken thigh, to bear through all
the after years the token of that struggle until he
came to heaven's gate, at peace with God.
It is thus that every man finds God; in a close
grapple that ends in self-surrender, an utter yield
ing to his almighty grace.
So life begins with knowing God. It begins when
a man, oppressed by doubt and uncertainty, hears
his voice saying, "Reach hither thy hand and put
it into my side!" It ends when standing under
the Cross he realizes, as Luther did, "He died for
me, for me !" Then the day breaks and the shad
ows flee away. Love conquers doubt; and the
soul, beholding the unveiling of the infinite in the
passion of Christ, cries out "My Lord and my
Godl"

THE GOD OF CREATION

In the beginning God created. — Other cosmogonies. —
Science in the Genesis record. — A beginning. — God.
— Created. — When? — Length of creative epochs. —
Order of creative epochs. — Authorship of the ac
count. — The panorama of creation. — The practical
outcome.
In the beginning God created. — So begins the
divine account of the origin of things.
In some quarters this narrative is called "The
Creation Myth," or "The Creation Fable." It
is not the scientists, however, but the neophytes
and dilettanti of science, who speak on this wise.
Your true scientists — such as Newton, Faraday,
Dana, Agassiz, Henry, Gray, Dawson, Kelvin and
countless others — have been accustomed to refer
to the cosmogony of Genesis in reverent terms.
Their concept of wisdom has not been so vain
glorious as to prevent their sitting at the feet of
God. It is frequently affirmed that "the Bible is not
a scientific book." This is granted, but it is a true
book. And whenever it affirms anything with re
spect to science its statements are scientifically cor
rect, and can be relied on. 61

62 The Three Great Doctrines
Other cosmogonies. — The majesty of the Gen
esis story is instantly apparent, when contrasted
with corresponding records; for of making many
cosmogonies there is no end. If there is any ap
preciable value in mere human wisdom, the Greeks
should have been able to speak advisedly in these
premises. The starting-point in their cosmogony,
as elucidated by Thales, was water. In process of
time this water was wrought upon by an all-pre
vailing energy, as the body is animated by the soul.
Out of this operation proceeded in some inscrutable
manner the present order of things. But here is
no solution of the mystery. The Gordian knot is
rudely cut; and we are still left to ask, Whence the
final element and the pervading force?
Let us turn to the Egyptians for a contribution
to our scientific lore. The starting-point in their
cosmogony was a promiscuous pulp, from which
the elements separated of their own accord, in some
unexplained way. The mass took fire; and the
upper portion warmed the lower into life. From
beneath crept forth the reptiles, and from the ris
ing smoke the winged creatures of the air. The
ooze of the river-bed, like the evolutionists' baihy-
bius, furnished the raw material for man.
Or perhaps the scientifically inclined would pre
fer the cosmogony of the Hindus. They began
with darkness. In the darkness was a golden egg.
The egg broke and Brahma issued forth. He,
turning, made of half the shell the heavens and of
the other half the earth. His body then fell asun-

The God of Creation 62
der; and from it proceeded the various castes of
men. Or possibly the Babylonians may help us. They
too started with darkness. In the darkness was
born a giantess who contributed half of her body
to make the heavens and the other half to make
the earth; while her blood, mixing with the dust,
produced the human race.
Or suppose we turn to the mythology of the
Norsemen. The starting-point was a vast chasm,
wherein a conflict went on between fire and ice.
Out of that conflict was born Ymyr, the giant. His
flesh produced the earth, his bones the mountains,
his hair the forests, his blood the seas and rivers,
his skull the dome of heaven; and from his eye
brows was made a wall around the earth to pre
vent its inhabitants from falling off.
Such are the cosmogonies of the so-called sacred
books of the false religions. How instantly do all
thoughtful men, not to say scientists, take issue
with their puerilities ! Yet these are the results of
the best efforts of human wisdom to produce a ra
tional theory of origins. They leave unanswered
the great question: Whence came I, and whence
came the present order of things?
Science in the Genesis record. — We turn from
all such speculations to science; and it is science
that speaks in the Genesis record. Here are three
stupendous facts, set forth in the three opening
words of Scripture: B'reshith Elohim bara; that

64 The Three Great Doctrines
is, "In the beginning God created." And the three
facts thus enunciated are distinctly scientific facts.
For science means "to know"; and in the three
words referred to we have substantially all that is
known, all that has been thus far discovered and
all that is likely ever to be found out, respecting
the origin of things.
A beginning. — In the first of these words we are
advised that there was a beginning.
Let it be observed that there is no beginning in
any other cosmogony. There is always something
beyond; and that something is inscrutable. To
undertake to solve the problem as Plato did, by
hypothecating the eternity of matter, is simply an
ignominious surrender ; it is a begging of the ques
tion by the introduction of a guess. Science makes
no guesses. If in tracing things back to their be
ginning it comes up against an insuperable obstacle
it stops there, saying, "I know not." But the
Genesis record does not stop there. It carries us
back beyond man, organic life, cosmos, chaos, mat
ter, nebula, into the primal silence and solitude.
And it does not leave us there, in a blank domain
of nothingness. It leaves us in the doorway of the
King's audience chamber, saying, "Before the
mountains were brought forth or ever thou hadst
formed the earth and the world, even from ever
lasting to everlasting, thou art God!"
God. — The second of the great words of Gen
esis brings us face to face with God, "Source of
all being, throned afar." And God, like "the be
ginning," is distinctly a scientific fact.

The God of Creation 65
In dealing with the creation facts we have
choice of three theories. The first of these is the
theory of Law.
But Law yields no answer to the problem; for
Law itself is an effect and demands a cause. There
must be a Lawgiver behind it. In one of the
classic poems we have an account of a philosopher
who, being shipwrecked on the island of Rhodes,
as he walked along the beach found a geometrical
figure traced in the sand. "Here," said he, "are
vestigia hominum," the traces of men. He did
not need to be told that some one had been there
before him, since the geometrical figure forced the
conclusion that somebody had made it.
The second theory is that of Chance. Can the
present order of things be accounted for as "a for
tuitous concourse of atoms"? Let us see. There
are twenty-four letters in the words "In the begin
ning God created"; suppose we shake them to
gether and cast them out. Now calculate by the
law of permutations and combinations how many
such castings it would take to produce these same
words again. Mathematically the chances are bil
lions on billions against it. What likelihood is
there, then, that the infinitude of atoms which con
stitutes our earth, cast forth to the mercy of fortu
itous circumstance, would produce a world of vales
and forests and mountains, of birds and beasts and
men ? The suggestion is grotesquely preposterous.
The last theory, the only one which is left by
"the rule of residues," is God. If this does not
solve the problem, and solve it scientifically, I do

66 The Three Great Doctrines
not know where a thoughtful man can look for any
solution of it.
In Westminster Abbey there is a monument to
Sir Isaac Newton on which he is represented as
weighing the world in a steelyard, with a look of
deep perplexity on his face, as if he were asking,
"Whence came it?" In the Poets' Corner of the
same Abbey there is a monument to Joseph Addi
son ; and the best answer that ever has been given
to the question of Sir Isaac Newton, is in Addison's
hymn: The spacious firmament on high,
With all the blue ethereal sky,
And spangled heavens, a shining frame,
Their great Original proclaim.
The unwearied sun, from day to day,
Does his Creator's power display,
And publishes to every land
The work of an Almighty hand.
Soon as the evening shades prevail,
The moon takes up the wondrous tale,
And nightly to the listening earth
Repeats the story of her birth;
While all the stars that round her burn,
And all the planets in their turn,
Confirm the tidings, as they roll,
And spread the truth from pole to pole.
What though in solemn silence all
Move round the dark terrestrial ball;
What though no real voice nor sound
Amid their radiant orbs be found;

The God of Creation 67
In reason's ear they all rejoice,
And utter forth a glorious voice,
Forever singing, as they shine,
"The Hand that made us is Divine !"
Created. — The third of the scientific words of
Scripture is Bara, that is, "created." The word
is defined as the making of something out of noth
ing. Do you say that is impossible? Do you quote
the venerable maxim, "Out of nothing, nothing
comes" ? But how do we know that? All that we
mean is that we never saw something come out of
nothing. But in the nature of the case there can
be no analogy for it. No man ever made any
thing; all we can do is to transform one thing into
something else. We live on a ball of matter eight
thousand miles in diameter; and no scientist has
ever yet been able to produce a single grain of sand.
Air and earth and water are teaming with life, yet
no scientist has ever been able to originate a bio-
plasmic cell or reanimate a dead fly. It is not
strange, therefore, that the creative act is called in
question. But let us not undertake to measure God
by the analogies of human life. We cannot take
his stature with a yardstick or his girth with a tape-
measure. Creation is his prerogative. All things
are possible with God and "nothing is too hard
for him."
We are like schoolboys in the playgrounds at
recess, talking in great swelling words about the
"infinite." "unconditioned" and "indeterminable."

68 The Three Great Doctrines
Suddenly the Master appears upon the scene.
What a scampering then! So, when we in our
boasted wisdom have uttered our latest word, God
comes, saying, "Ye do err, not knowing my
power!" But, assuming the truth contained in the three
scientific words of Scripture, there are certain ques
tions which still remain to be answered.
When? — One of these is, "When did the crea
tion occur? How long ago?"
In the margin of the first chapter of Genesis you
will find the date 4004 B. C. This is according to
Usher's chronology, and it is no part of the inspired
text. All that we can gather from the record itself
is that the creation occurred "in the beginning";
a beginning which was indefinitely long ago. And
that is precisely what science affirms about it.
Length of creative epochs.— The next question
is, "How long were the successive periods of crea
tion?" It is written : "In six days Jehovah made heaven
and earth." But objectors .say: "All science goes
to show that these periods were of indeterminable
length." This is true. The chalk cliffs, for ex
ample, are a product of animal life, being com
posed of the shells of marine animalculae. It is
calculated that it would require a century to pro
duce a layer of a single foot; yet there are cliffs on
the coast of England a thousand feet deep; and

The God of Creation 69
beneath the chalk are formations of granite whose
construction may have required some millions of
years. How then could the world have been
framed in six solar days?
But who said that the world was "created in six
solar days" ? Certainly not the Scriptures. Such
an assertion is in direct contravention of their state
ment. The word translated "day" is yom; which
is used to indicate all sorts of definite and indefinite
periods. The proof of that statement is at hand.
In Genesis 2 : 4, the word yom is made to cover the
entire creative week. In Leviticus 25 : 29, it refers
to the year of jubilee. In Jeremiah 46: 21, it in
cludes one of the long campaigns of Pharaoh-
Necho. In Psalm 2 : 7, it covers all eternity or the
lifetime of God. When it is affirmed that the
Scriptures limit the creation to six solar days, the
statement is therefore without ground or warrant.
The record at this point is absolutely scientific.
God works through the immeasurable aeons. He
makes no haste. The eternal years are his.
Order of creative epochs. — The next question
has to do with the order of the creative epochs.
Here again we note a marvelous coincidence.
The fossils and footprints discovered in the layers
of the primeval rocks are precisely in the Scriptural
order. It would not be fair to affirm that no sci
entists hold a different view; but it is quite within
bounds to say that the consensus of science is in
favor of the following order: (1) chaos, with

70 The Three Great Doctrines
cosmic light; (2) the dividing of the firmaments;
(3) the appearing of vegetable life in the palaso-
zoic or carboniferous age; (4) the emergence of
the heavenly bodies; (5) the appearance of the
lower orders of life in the mesozoic age; (6) the
higher orders or mammalia, in the kainozoic age,
with man as masterpiece and sovereign of all.
Authorship of the account. — A further question,
and a most important one, is "Where did the au
thor of the Genesis record get his information?"
To say that the story is a patchwork of con
temporary legends and traditions is only to push
the difficulty further back. How could any man
speak advisedly as to the order of the creation ? If
God did create the world, he was alone when he
did it. There was no man there to see. Here is
his challenge:
"Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the
earth ?
Declare if thou hast understanding.
Who determined the measures thereof, if thou knowest?
Or who stretched the line upon it?
Whereupon were the foundations thereof fastened?
Or who laid the cornerstone thereof,
When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of
God shouted for joy?"
Is it not evident, therefore, that the true cosmog
ony, wherever found, must be by direct revelation
from God? The word "revelation" means an un-

The God of Creation 71
veiling. If any man is qualified to write the story
of creation it must be because it is divinely unveiled
before him.
The panorama of creation. — Is it not reasonable
to suppose that the method was that by which the
prophets usually received their communications
from God? The man divinely chosen to record
the story of creation was wrapped in an ecstatic
trance, in which he saw a moving panorama of
events, broken by intervals of darkness, which
would naturally be characterized as night. Let
us put ourselves in his place and see what passed
before him.
The first vision is of chaos; a molten ball en
veloped in igneous vapors. There is a conflict be
tween the internal fires and cooling winds from the
illimitable fields of space. The surface of the earth
is congealed again and again, only to be ruptured
by inward heat and thrown into vast ridges of
granite, "like the ice-floes of a polar sea." The
rising vapors are condensed in torrents of falling
rain, which are thrown back again like water from
a white-hot disk. It is a hopeless battle. The
fires are worsted and the earth gradually cools. A
film forms over the molten sea ; the primeval forms
of the continents appear. The rains find a lodg
ment, and rivers race to the lower levels to form
the primal seas. All is darkness and turmoil; re
verberating artillery of the heavens, with fierce
flashes of electric fire; black night and confusion
worse confounded. Then light is born ; not in an

72 The Three Great Doctrines
instant, indeed, for this is cosmic light.1 A glim-
mer here and there reveals the unspeakable dis
order of the frightful gloom. The scene now
shifts. The curtain falls; there is an interval of
darkness. The evening and the morning were the
first day.
In the second scene the clouds are lifted. The
upper and lower firmaments are parted asunder;
the outlines of seas and continents are visible; the
great canopy is lifted overhead and between it and
the earth beneath are sweeping tempests of corro
sive gases. Of this period alone it is not written,
"And the Lord said, It is very good." As yet the
atmosphere can sustain no form of organic life.
The world has thus far been only getting ready
for it. The curtain falls. The evening and the
morning were the second day.
The third vision is of a vast, steaming green
house. Out of the sluggish waters springs a lux
uriant vegetation. This is the age of bulbous
plants, of gigantic sigillaria and lycopodia, of ferns
springing aloft, like towering pines, growing rap
idly and as rapidly decaying and falling upon one
another, until the steaming earth seems like a vast
tamarack swamp. This is the carboniferous age.
The forces which are to be used in the industries
of the future are now being generated and stored
away. The eyes of the dreamer close. The even
ing and the morning were the third day.
1 It used to be said that light was impossible before the sun, but
we know now that the very reverse is true. You cannot rub two
sticks together without producing light.

The God of Creation 73
In the fourth vision are seen glimmering points
of light in the upper firmament. Thus far there
has only been cosmic light. The sun and moon
and stars now appear in clear outline. Here is the
beginning of divisions of time. The pendulum
swings. There are preparations for the succession
of summer and winter, seedtime and harvest. The
world is getting ready for history. Again the scene
shifts. The evening and morning were the fourth
day. The fifth vision brings in the lower orders of
animal life. The egg-bearers appear, reptiles and
fishes and birds. A visit to the Museum of Nat
ural History will throw light on this period.
Here are lizards fifty feet long crawling in the
slime. Here are creatures with eye-sockets a foot
in diameter. Here are birds that leave mighty
footprints on the soft formative rocks. The cur
tain falls again. The evening and the morning
were the fifth day.
The sixth vision shows the mammals or higher
forms of life. The earth is teeming with them;
beasts of the field and forest. And on this canvas
last of all, supreme and pre-eminent, appears man,
having dominion over all living things, erect and
sovereign, with his face uplifted toward heaven,
"able to think God's thoughts after him." So ends
the Panorama of Creation. The evening and the
morning were the sixth day.
And then God entered into his rest; as it is
written, "In six days Jehovah made heaven and

74 The Three Great Doctrines
earth . . . and rested the seventh day; wherefore
Jehovah blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed
it." How imposing is this record as compared with
other cosmogonies. What simplicity! What fine
reasonableness ! What a scientific tone of absolute
certainty ! And if this be not scientific, how shall
we account for the fact that Moses or somebody
else was able thus to anticipate the approved re
sults of modern science ? And this so many thou
sands of years ago !
It is pleasant in this connection to recall the tes
timony given by one of the most eminent scientists
of our time, Professor Dana of Yale University.
In his farewell interview with the Class of '67, of
which I was a member, he said: "Young men, let
me say in parting with you, after our pleasant as
sociation in scientific study in this classroom, that
in my judgment, when you are puzzled and bewil
dered amid the conflicting views of men who claim
to present scientific truth in the form of hypotheses,
you can never go far astray if you will receive as
your scientific ultimate the teaching of the Word
of God."
The practical outcome. — But what is the practi
cal bearing of all that has been said? Much every
way. If the story of creation is true it furnishes
an antecedent probability that the Bible is true and
trustworthy in every respect. On the other hand,
if the veracity of the author of Genesis is success-

The God of Creation 75
fully impugned, what reason have we for assuming
the truth or trustworthiness of other portions of
Scripture wherein we are advised with respect to
spiritual things?
The first chapter of Genesis and the first chapter
of John go hand in hand. "In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God and the
Word was God. . . . All things were made
through him, and without him was not anything
made that hath been made. . . . And the Word
became flesh and dwelt among us."
I see two thrones: one is on the Circle of the
Universe, whereon God sits, high and lifted up,
with veiled face, calling into being things that are
out of those that were not. The other is on Cal
vary; and here His face is unveiled. The God of
creation is the God of salvation. "The God that
rolls the world along speaks all the promises."
The problem of origins is the problem of destiny.
" 'Twas great to call a world from naught,
'Tis greater to redeem."
I hear two fiats: one is, "Let there be light!"
and cosmos emerges from chaos in the glory of the
sun. The other is recorded in the saying, "The
light shineth in the darkness," and further in the
words, "Seeing it is God, that said, Light shall
shine out of darkness, who shined in our hearts to
give the light of the knowledge of the glory of
God in the face of Jesus Christ."

76 The Three Great Doctrines
It is related of Dr. Simeon of Cambridge that
when he was dying he said, "I am not afraid; I
find my comfort in the saying that is written, In
the beginning God created the heavens and the
earth; for He who created is able to save. The
God who framed the world can uphold and will
never forsake me."

THE GOD OF PROVIDENCE

A definite plan. — Universal activity. — Universal har
mony. — Universal benevolence. — Three kinds oi
Providence. — A distinction. — All things: Prosper
ity, adversity, doubt, temptation, sorrow, sin. —
Through Christ.
A definite plan. — Let us be glad that we are not
living in a topsy-turvy world. I wouldn't like to
live in a home where every child was left to his
own sweet will. Would you? I wouldn't like to
live in a country where there was no government
or executive but where every citizen was a law unto
himself. Would you? I wouldn't like to ride on
the Empire State Express at the rate of sixty miles
an hour unless I knew we were going on a good
roadbed, with an engineer in the cab. Would you ?
But we are living in a world that revolves on its
axis at the rate of a thousand miles an hour and
also around its orbit at the rate of a thousand miles
a minute; yet somehow we keep our equilibrium!
Let us rejoice in the fact that God is on his throne
and rules the world according to a definite plan.
Paul knew that there was such an overruling
plan when he wrote: "To them that love God all
things work together for good." When a man can
say like Paul, "I believe that there is a well ordered
77

78 The Three Great Doctrines
plan in mundane affairs and a God behind it," he
is on the way toward a comprehensive philosophy
of life.
This plan is called Providence. It is a great
word, full of mysteries. But what of that? There
isn't a petty government on earth that has not its
state secrets. Why should God reveal everything
to us? In Paul's words we have a clear setting
forth of all that really concerns us. It is a com
pendium of all necessary information as to the
divine method of managing this world of ours.
Universal activity. — The first fact here set forth
is universal activity. "All things are at work."
There is no such thing as inertia. The science of
nature is not statics but kinematics. The stars
wheel around their courses, and even the atoms in
a block of granite are in state of perpetual flux.
Universal harmony. — The second fact is univer
sal harmony. All things "work together." This
means that they are under a common law. Order
is the result of co-ordination. Nothing is inde
pendent of anything else. In the depths of the
ocean there are coral insects at work making con
tinents; in the course of time those continents will
be occupied by busy men. It thus appears that
men and animalculae are in a sort of partnership;
and Wall Street becomes a corollary of the bottom
of the sea. The "music of the spheres" is real
music. Scientists say there is a point in the upper

The God of Providence 79
atmosphere where all sounds are harmonized;
where the roll of thunder, the rattle of artillery, the
laughter of children, the groans of the dying, the
murmur of brooks and the noise of traffic are all
combined, as it were, into a sublime oratorio. We
cannot hear it, but God does.
Universal benevolence.— The third fact of Prov
idence is universal benevolence. All things are
working together "for good." The plan of Provi
dence is benevolent because its Executive is well dis
posed toward all. "God is love."
Three kinds of Providence. — The early fathers
were accustomed to speak of three kinds of Provi
dence, namely: General, Special and Particular.
The analysis was a good one: and it will answer
our present purpose to follow it.
By General Providence is meant the divine care
of all things in the province of nature. By reason
of his three infinite attributes, omnipresence, omni
science and omnipotence, God is able to look after
infinites and infinitesimals alike. He builds the
mountains and the molehills. He controls the fall
ing star and the falling snowflake. He cultivates
with equal care the lofty pine and the violet that
hides beneath it. "Behold the birds of the heaven,
that they sow not, neither do they reap nor gather
into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth
them." By Special Providence is meant the divine care

80 The Three Great Doctrines
of men. It is natural that man, who is God's mas
terpiece, should be regarded with a favor beyond
that extended to inanimate things. And this favor
is toward all sorts and conditions of men. God
loves all. The proof of this is his constant care for
all. "He sendeth rain on the just and the unjust."
The wicked, as well as the righteous, can say,
"There's a Divinity that shapes our ends, rough
hew them how we may." And a still more striking
proof of this generic love is afforded in his un
speakable gift; it is written, that Christ "should
taste of death for every man."
By Particular Providence is meant the singular
regard of God for those who love him.
A distinction.— So far, doubtless, we have all
been agreed; but now perhaps we shall part com
pany; for at this point a distinction is made in the
philosophy of Providence between good and bad
men. It is written: "To them that love God all
things work together for good."
Why should not such a discrimination be made?
Why should not God manifest a singular love to
ward those who are in filial relation with him?
They belong to his family, being received into it
"by the spirit of adoption," whereby they cry,
"Abba, Father!" Is it not natural that a father,
however kindly he may be disposed toward all his
friends and neighbors, should view the members
of his own household in a different way ? God says
distinctly, "I love them that love me." Jesus said

The God of Providence 8i
to the disciples, "He that loveth me shall be loved
of my Father; and I will love him and will mani
fest myself unto him." And when Jude asked,
"What is come to pass that thou wilt manifest thy
self unto us and not unto the world?" the answer
was. "If a man love me he will keep my word;
and my Father will love him; and we will come
unto him and make our abode with him."
The ground of this discrimination lies not in
God but in men. He does the best he can for all ;
but in the case of the ungodly his "best" is not
their "good," because they will not have it so. In
the tragedy of Faust the roses that were dropped
from heaven upon the undeserving were changed
into burning coals before they reached them. So
do the blessings of God come down upon the un
godly. They have sovereign wills of their own and
can do as they please with his goodness. They
can thwart all his beneficent purposes in their be
half, if they so choose, making even his long-
suffering patience an occasion for continuance in
sin. If a bad man and a good man have adjacent
farms, the rain will fall alike upon them, but with
different results. The bad man will gather his
crops to his own advantage, without a thought of
saying, "God, I thank thee !" But the good man
will make a prayer as he scatters the grain and
offer thanksgiving as he reaps it; and, when his
garners are full, he will show himself a grateful
debtor for what the Lord has given him.

82 The Three Great Doctrines
The two thieves who were crucified on either
side of Jesus were alike the beneficiaries of a kind
providence. God had cared for them both, keep
ing them alive and feeding them at his bountiful
table; and the Saviour between them tasted death
for both. Yet one reviled him and went to his
own place; while the other repented, believed and
went to Paradise with him.
So it comes to pass that things work differently
for different men. God does his best; but his best
may be perverted into evil by those disposed to
evil. For the righteous, on the other hand, his
best means their real and eternal good. And this
because they have come into harmony with his
benevolent plan, and have manifested their consent
by accepting Christ as the unspeakable gift of his
grace. For this reason it is obvious that they have
a singular claim upon him.
A moment's thought must convince us that such
a discrimination as has been indicated is not only
natural, in the necessity of the case, but a wise pro
vision for the welfare of the race. If God's friends
and enemies were treated alike by him, there would
be no moral government in the world at all. This
fact is recognized in every community; and the
welfare of society depends upon it.
All things.— Are we to understand then that, lit
erally, all things work together for good to them
that love God ? Yes ; literally all.
Prosperity. — It is easy to see how their prosper-

The God of Providence 83
ity works for their good. If a godless man is
prospered in worldly things does his wealth make
him a better man ? Not if we can trust our obser
vation. Dives cuts off his coupons, reaches out for
more, congratulates himself on his clever cupidity,
and grows farther and farther away from God.
But one who truly loves God realizes that his
wealth is a divine trust and lives accordingly, re
garding himself as a steward of God. His riches,
by affording him an increased opportunity of do
ing good, make him a better man.
Adversity. — But, when adversity comes, what
then ? All alike must partake of it. Children who
have no diet but sweetmeats are certain to be weak
lings. God knows how to administer plain food
and medicine, also, on occasion. When the un
godly find their plans overturned, their wealth
scattered and the bitter draught put to their lips,
they make a wry face and, if they recognize God
at all, they cry out against him. The righteous,
on the contrary, reason on this wise: "We
had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we
gave them reverence ; shall we not much rather be
in subjection unto the Father of spirits and live?"
And with a submissive mind they add, "Our light
affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for
us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight
of glory." It is not in a spirit of stoical acceptance
of the inevitable, but with the docility of filial love,
that they say, "It is the Lord; he doeth all things
well."

84 The Three Great Doctrines
Doubt. — And doubt; does that also work for
their good ? For, be it observed, doubt is not con
fined to the ungodly. There are occasions when
the best of people experience it. But there are
two kinds of doubt, as there are two twilights,
one of the evening and another of the morning.
A godless man by fondling his doubts cultivates
them and so makes unbelief a foregone conclusion.
But when doubt assails a true Christian he agonizes
to be rid of it; he carries it to the mercy-seat and
lays it before him who said, "I am the truth"; he
invokes the help of the Holy Spirit who opens the
eyes of the blind to things as they are. Thus his
faith grows brighter and brighter unto the perfect
day. Temptation. — But as to temptation; does that
also work "for good" "to them that love God" ? It
does; else it would never have been written, "Count
it all joy . . . when ye fall into manifold tempta
tions." When a wicked man is tempted to evil he
is inclined to lay it to heredity or environment, and,
having no helper, he fights alone and against over
whelming odds to overcome it. A righteous man,
on the other hand, knows that he is tempted of
his own lust and enticed, and straightway, invoking
the help of God, he grapples with it. This means,
sometimes, resisting unto blood; but "blessed is the
man that endureth temptation; for when he hath
been approved he shall receive the crown of life."
He who wins out in this, the noblest fight that is
possible to mortal man, drinks up the strength of

The God of Providence 85
the vanquished, gains strength of character ac
cordingly, and proceeds to thank God for it.
Sorrow. — And when sorrow comes to the godly,
what then ? The man who is without faith in the
gospel which brings life and immortality to light,
when his home is broken up and loved ones are
carried to God's acre, must needs bid them "Good-
by!" It is a long leave-taking. But for the godly
man there is no such farewell. His leave-taking
is only Auf wiedersehen; "Until we meet again."
As the golden bands of earth are broken one by
one, new bands are binding him closer to the skies.
There are hands beckoning and voices calling to
the great reunion in the Father's house. There is
pain in the parting ; but what a greeting there will
be one of these bright days! Wherefore "blest be
the sorrow, kind the storm, that drives us nearer
home." Death. — And how about death? To the un
godly death is the King of Terrors. It ends all,
or else it opens a fearful door into the Unknown.
But to God's children death is only "a covered
bridge, leading from light to light, through a brief
darkness." To them death is the fairest of heav
en's angels coming to call them out of life's pil
grimage into an eternal rest: out of the sordid
tasks of this lower world into nobler pursuits ; out
of dreams and wondering into clear visions, face
to face and eye to eye. Death is not the end of
life but its beginning. It merely closes an appren
ticeship which fits us for life farther on.

86 The Three Great Doctrines
Sin. — The only thing that remains to complete
this category of "all things" is sin, which is worse
than adversity, worse than death, worse than all.
Sin is the only thing in God's universe of which
it can be said, "There is no good in it." How,
then, can sin work together with all other things
for the good of those who love God? By the
simple fact that he overrules it. The sin of the
impenitent means death, because they refuse to
enter the door of pardon; and "without holiness
no man shall see God." But when the righteous
is enticed into sin he makes humble confession ; and
God, according to his promise, is faithful and just
to forgive him.
And every experience of pardon gives him a new
vision of grace. Oh, blessed be God for this mani
festation of his power in overruling sin and mak
ing it pay tribute to those who love him ! Herein
is the answer of Samson's riddle, "Out of the eater
came forth food, and out of the strong came forth
sweetness." He who, with God's help, puts up a brave fight
against his besetting sins shall come to heaven's
gate "more than conqueror," dragging those sins
as captives at his chariot wheels ; and his experience
will have taught him a song which angels and arch
angels cannot sing. He will stand with the great
multitude who are "arrayed in white robes, and
palms in their hands," who have "washed their
robes and made them white in the blood of the
Lamb," and will cry: "Blessing and glory and

The God of Providence 87
wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power
and might be unto our God forever and ever!"
So it appears that literally all things are work
ing together for our good if we truly love God.
As it takes all the colors of the rainbow to make
the white solar ray, so it requires all the experiences
of human life, under the ruling and overruling of
divine providence, to make a man worthy to stand
at last in the presence of a righteous God.
It is not always easy for us who are in the midst
of the confused sounds of this lower life, learning
our lessons impatiently, like children in the buzz
of a busy schoolroom, to realize how this can be.
I once visited a linen mill in Belfast where the
proprietor said, "I would like to show you the
whole process of manufacture; so let us begin at
the bottom and work up." We entered the base
ment first, where there were piles of flax in bales
and bundles and tangled masses, from Egypt, Aus
tralia, New Zealand and all over the world.
There was no beauty there; but as we went from
one floor to another we came at last to the upper
floor where the most complicated machinery was
weaving the flax into linen finer than Egyptian
byssus, in patterns of exquisite beauty.
It is scarcely to be expected that while we are
living down here, amid the raw stuffs that enter
into the final glory of the spiritual life, we should
be able to see the patterns of character which the
Lord is weaving for us; but one day, going "from
the bottom to the top," it will surely appear that

88 The Three Great Doctrines
he was doing his best to develop the best possible
for us.
Through Christ. — It is a great thing to be in
cluded in this "particular providence"; and the
door is open for all the children of men. But
there is one door only; that is Christ, who said,
"I am the door," and, "No man cometh unto the
Father but by me." All the blessings that we have
been considering are for those who love God; but
how can any man say, "I love God," while he re
jects God's only-begotten and well-beloved Son?
The thought that all things are thus working
together had an overwhelming significance to Paul
when he uttered it ; for observe the triumphal note
in the words which immediately follow :
"What shall we then say to these things? If
God is for us, who is against us ? — He that spared
not his own Son but delivered him up for us all,
how shall he not also with him freely give us all
things ? — Who shall lay anything to the charge of
God's elect? It is God that justifieth; who is he
that condemneth ? It is Christ Jesus that died ; yea
rather, that was raised from the dead, who is at
the right hand of God, who also maketh interces
sion for us. Who shall separate us from the love
of Christ? shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecu
tion, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Even as it is written,
For thy sake we are killed all the day long;
We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

The God of Providence 89
Nay, in all these things we are more than con
querors through him that loved us. For I am
persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels,
nor principalities, nor things present, nor things
to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor
any other creature shall be able to separate us from
the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our
Lord!"

THE DOCTRINE OF MAN
THE FIRST MAN

The climax of creation. — Adam was the first man. —
He was unique. — He was the progenitor of all
mankind. — He was created in the likeness of God.
— He was an innocent man. — His fall. — The re
sult. — The Redeemer. — The universal question.
In all literature there is nothing more impressive
than the story of creation. God is represented as
sitting upon the circle of the universe and calling
into being things that were not. In the midst of
universal confusion he speaks ; and chaos comes to
order! He calls the roll of heavenly bodies; and
sun, moon and stars come trooping into line ! At
his fiat the earth is carpeted with verdure, and air
and ocean teem with living things. "And God saw
that it was good."
At this point we come upon an impressive pause.
The temple was reared ; but there was no priest or
worshiper. All nature was vocal; but there was
no voice of thanksgiving. There was "the music
of the spheres" ; but it was a song without words.
The murmuring winds and rippling brooks could
not articulate the praise of Him who created them.
The climax of creation.— It is a stupendous fig
ure of speech that calls us, at this juncture, into a
90

The First Man 91
council of the ineffable Trinity, in which the three
persons of the Godhead are saying, "Let us make
man !" So came the masterpiece of creation into
being — man, erect, with his eyes toward heaven,
and room in his brain for all the mighty plans and
enterprises of life and history! man the thinker,
man the weeper and merrymaker, man the wor
shiper, man the master of seas and continents, man
the homemaker, the architect of thrones and dynas
ties, man with a heart and conscience; and, above
all, with a purpose, namely: to glorify God.
All things were ready for him : the land for his
home, and the sea for his commerce; the clouds
were waiting to water his fields, and all the forces
of nature to be harnessed at his will. The springs
of water and inexhaustible mines in the bosom of
the hills were waiting to gladden and enrich him.
The cattle were waiting to bear his burdens and
the birds to sing for him. It was a good world, a
wonderful world. It was a temple indeed, but
without a service. It had no ministering priest nor
worshiping congregation. But behold, the ten
ant comes, "a living soul," divinely animated, with
a heart for gratitude and a voice to praise God.
The man who thus appeared was called
"Adam." And no man of the Scriptures has been
more neglected than he. I have heard a good
many sermons in my time, but never a sermon about
Adam. Can it be that for some reason we cherish
a grudge against him? If so, what has he done to
offend us?

92 The Three Great Doctrines
Adam was the first man. — And just here science
and revelation are at one. There have been dreams
and guesses and hypotheses about a "prehistoric
man"; but science, which is derived from a word
meaning "to know," has to do not with conjectures
but with facts. The trouble with all the much-
heralded prehistoric men is that, before their ex
ploitation is well under way, they lose their cre
dentials. We used to hear much of the "pliocene skull";
but what has become of it? A few years ago the
fossil remains of a man were found in the Delta
of the Mississippi, at such a depth below the sur
face that it was announced forthwith that their
original must have lived — by an exact calculation
based upon the deposits of earth — some millions of
years before Adam. But unfortunately the exca
vators kept on digging and presently, farther
down, they unearthed the remains of a flat-boat.
So passed away the glory of that prehistoric man.
And thus it ever is. "The mountains travail and
bring forth a mouse." We speak within bounds,
therefore, when we say that the researches of ex
act science are in confirmation of the biblical nar
rative, to the effect that Adam was the first man.
Was unique. — He was not begotten or born
as we are; nor, so far as the inspired record goes,
was he evolved from any of the lower orders of
life. He was "created." At the divine fiat he
stood straightway on his feet, a fully developed
man.

The First Man 93
At this point again science and revelation are at
one. The "so-called science," which deals in hy
potheses, may dissent; but the science which
grounds its propositions on authenticated facts is in
hearty accord with the statement that the first man
was as well developed as the man last born into
this world of ours.
It is written that God formed him out of the
dust. The legend of Prometheus affirms that he
was formed out of clay and animated by fire ; but
science and revelation agree that the human body,
as to its constituent parts, is identical with the
composite dust, the flying dust, the debris and
sweepings of animal and vegetable life. "Dust
thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." The
scientist analyzes the body and finds it com-
composed of oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, car
bon, phosphorus, lime, iron, sulphur and a pinch
of salt. You can put them in a line of bottles on
a shelf. You have here the elements of inorganic
matter, involving the possibilities of both life and
death. Is this all ? Take down those bottles from
the shelf and reorganize their contents into a hu
man form. Have you then a man ? By no means.
What is lacking ? The very thing that is here sup
plied: "And God . . . breathed into his nostrils
the breath of life and man became a living soul."
There is light in his eyes; there is energy in his
frame; there is passion in his heart. This is a
man! In the soul which thus animates his body we
find the rationale of his sovereignty over all the

94 The Three Great Doctrines
lower orders of life: as it is written, "Let him
have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the
birds of the heavens, . . . and over every creeping
thing that creepeth upon the earth."
Here also is the guarantee of his immortality.
The life of Adam is the breath of God. Who or
what shall make an end of it? The breath may
leave the body, as when a tenant quits his domicile;
but to say that either the soul or the tenant has,
therefore, been annihilated is to speak beyond the
bounds of reason. When men have exhausted all
their logic in the futile attempt to prove immor
tality by what is called "the scientific method," we
return to the simple terms of the creative record
and pronounce it incredible that any save God him
self can make an end of the majestic being who is
thus animated by the breath of God.
He was the progenitor of all mankind. — The
multitudinous peoples of the earth are all descend
ed from him.
And here again science and revelation combine
to affirm the unity and solidarity of the race. The
word which was spoken by Paul on Mars' Hill,
God "made of one every nation of men to dwell
on all the face of the earth," is a comprehensive
summary of the first and last authoritative state
ment respecting the origin of man.
As all have a common origin, it follows that all
are equal before God. There are diversities of a
thousand sorts, in race and color, in wealth and

The First Man 95
culture, in language and custom ; but all are of the
same lineage. The preamble of our Declaration
of Independence, "All men are born free and
equal," is the corollary of Paul's manifesto on
Mars' Hill. You may trace your birthright to
the Pilgrims or the Huguenots or the Dutch fore
fathers; but the roots of your family tree are
deeper down and farther back: as the record runs,
"He was the son of Seth, who was the son of
Adam, who was the son of God."
He was created in the likeness of God. — Where
did that likeness between God and Adam reside?
It was certainly not physical; since God has
"neither body, parts, nor passions." It must have
been in his soul, therefore. But what do we mean
by "soul" ? It is a trinity, made up of mind, con
science and will; and in this co-operating three-in-
one we find the divineness of man.
The mind belongs distinctly and exclusively to
him. A fox can do a sort of thinking; it can esti
mate the width of a brook and calculate its own
power to leap it. We are led to conclude that in
stinct and reason overlap, in a way. But the hu
man mind is singular in that it can, as Kepler said,
"think God's thoughts after him." It can contem
plate the great verities and wrestle with the great
problems of the spiritual life. It can look back
ward into the past and forward into the future.
It can recognize its relationship with the God who
created it by saying reverently, "I thank thee."

96 The Three Great Doctrines
The conscience is also distinctly and exclusively
ours. We have no reason for supposing that any .
of the lower orders of life can differentiate be
tween right and wrong. Plato spoke of the in
ward power by which we are enabled to "discern
betwixt the worse and better reason." And just
there is the seat of moral responsibility. The
finger which conscience lifts to warn or admonish
us is pointed straight at the judgment throne.
And the power of volition is ours exclusively.
We are each endowed with a sovereign will ; and so
far as we know there is no other creature in the
universe that has it. The stars in their courses
move precisely in the orbits marked out for them.
Birds of the air and beasts of the field obey the
laws of their nature which are the behest of God.
The ebb and flow of the tides are under the beck
and call of One who says, "Thus far and no far
ther." There is no demur or refusal anywhere.
Man only has the power to disobey the divine will;
so that when his Lord says, "Thou shalt," he can
answer, "I will not !" It is conceivable that God
could have made a masterpiece without this power
of choice; but, in that event, it would have been
an automaton, and not a man. And whatever we
may think of the beauty of such a masterpiece —
of such a machine, wound up to go and helpless till
wound up again — we will agree that it would have
borne no likeness to a sovereign God.
He was an innocent man. — That is to say, he
was absolutely free from sin.

The First Man 97
But this is only to say that he was a charac
terless man. For innocence is negative, while
character is the most positive thing in the
world. An innocent man has no more charac
ter than a white marble statue. But while Adam,
as created, was only negatively pure, he was en
dowed with a capacity for positive virtue. His
destiny was in equipoise. He must be subjected to
trial before he could realize the possibilities that
were in him. A true man is always a self-made
man. In other words, character is the outcome of
a grapple which involves the exercise of the sov
ereign will.
So it came to pass, of necessity, that Adam was
exposed to trial. "And Jehovah God commanded
the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou
mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil, thou shall not eat of it; for in
the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely
die." As yet Adam had no experimental knowl
edge of good and evil. He could only know evil
by disobeying the divine law. "The tree in the
midst of the garden" would answer as well as any
thing for the crucial test. What happened then?
"He did eat. And the eyes of them both were
opened, and they knew that they were naked."
His fall. — The moment he ate of that forbidden
tree he was stripped of his innocency and knew it.
That moment he was initiated into the experience
of evil. That moment his wisdom teeth were cut,
to his sorrow. That moment he "died in trespasses

98 The Three Great Doctrines
and sin." He had been made "a living soul," and
the life of his soul was communion with God. He
had been warned that disobedience meant death.
And hearing the voice of God, walking in the gar
den, he hid himself. "And Jehovah God called
unto the man and said unto him, Where art thou?
And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and
I was afraid !" The soul that parts company with
God is dead, so far as its higher functions are con
cerned, because it is always hiding from him.
And when Adam fell he dragged his posterity
with him. A statement like that would formerly
have been challenged; but since the doctrine of
"original sin" has been scientifically rechristened
under the title "heredity," there is little or no op
position to it. We may not like the terms in which
the New England Primer phrased it, "In Adam's
fall we sinned all" ; or in which John Milton sang
"Of man's first disobedience, and the fruit
Of that forbidden tree whose mortal taste
Brought death into the world and all our woe" ;
but let the fact be stated in scientific terms — as
when you attribute your sciatica to a remote ances
tor who violated the laws of health — and you
instantly assent to it. We may take exception to
the justice of the proposition, but the fact is indis
putable. And we are no more warranted in ques
tioning its justice than we would be in refusing to
pay our taxes for the extinction of our national debt
because we had no hand in contracting it.

The First Man 99
The result.— The race has lost its primal inno-
cency. "For there is no distinction; for all have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God." We
have lost, in like measure, our self-respect ; since we
acknowledge our transgressions; and our sins are
ever before us. We have lost the life of fellow
ship with God, and we have acquired a universal
tendency to sin. Otherwise how is it that sin is
so easy and goodness so difficult for us ? A pagan
wrote, "The downward path is easy; but to recover
one's steps and regain the upper air, ah, there is
the struggle of life !" And a fierce struggle it is !
For, as Plato said, "We ride in a chariot drawn
by two horses pulling in different ways"; or as
Paul puts it, there is a war in our members; so
that when we would do good, evil is present with
us. This is, indeed, the grapple of life; and we are
hopelessly handicapped in it. We are not only
handicapped by our inheritance of evil tendency;
but by the cumulative force of habit, which we
draw after us as "an ever-lengthening chain" ; and
also by the horror of the mislived past, which
cripples our ambition by shutting us up to "a certain
fearful looking for of judgment." How can a
man hope to win out in a struggle against such
odds? The practical question is, What shall we do ? It
is obvious that we are without hope except in the
intervention of the omnipotent God who created
us. We are "lost." Lost is the word. We are

100 The Three Great Doctrines
lost to innocency, lost to character, lost to useful
ness and happiness, lost in a far-wandering exile
from God. But so long as God is omnipotent we
are not hopelessly lost. We are lost as a wreck
that may yet be dragged from the shoals. We are
lost, like the prodigal in the far country, who may
yet be found. We are lost beyond all self-salva
tion, but not beyond the saving grace of the all-
wise and Almighty God.
The Redeemer. — At this juncture we come upon
another council in the Trinity. "God looked down
from heaven upon the children of men, to see if
there were any that did understand, that did seek
after God . . . There is none that doeth good,
no, not one." He saw the race going on recklessly
and hopelessly in sin. He heard the cry of the
perishing, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?'*
Then the council. In all the pages of Scripture
there is no bolder imagery than this. The Father
and Son and Spirit are represented as asking,
"Whom shall we send; and who will go for us?"
that is, "Who shall undo the awful thing that
Adam did? Who shall repair the wreck? Who
shall go forth as a knight-errant to restore hu
manity to truth and righteousness?" And the only-
begotten Son of the Father volunteers to go, say
ing, "Here am I !" He saw us plunged in deep
distress, and flew to our relief.
No sooner had Adam sinned than the second
Adam was prophesied in the protevangel that the

The First Man ioi
Seed of woman should bruise the serpent's head.
In the fullness of time he came to atone for our
sins, and to open unto us, in his gospel, the way
of everlasting life. And on the cross he did it!
The universal question. — The question that now
demands an answer from every man is this, Shall
I continue in the estate wherein Adam left me or
shall I, by faith, receive Christ as my Saviour from
sin? The first Adam was our natural progenitor;
the second Adam offers himself as the "firstborn
among many brethren," by whose triumph over
death we may enter into life. The first man Adam
was made a living soul, and he died; the second
Adam was made a quickening spirit, with power
to confer life upon all who believe in him. He
called himself "the resurrection and the life." He
said, "I come that they may have life and may have
it abundantly." The first Adam or the second
Adam? Sin or character? Death or life? It is
for every man to say for himself which it shall be.

THE MEASURE OF A MAN

Measuring man. — Measuring God. — Measuring by the
soul. — By speech. — By deeds. — Non-Christians —
Falling short. — The true measure.
I do not know you; and you do not know me.
We are like unacquainted neighbors looking at each
other through windows on opposite sides of the
street. Nay, worse than that, we do not even see
each other; we only see the respective houses that
we live in. The tenant who is looking through
these eyes and speaking with these lips is quite be
yond your ken. How, then, shall you find him out?
Measuring man.— How to measure a man; that
is the question. It cannot be done with a foot-rule;
because stature has little or nothing to do with it.
If you use steelyards you will find so many pounds
of bone and sinew and blood and adipose ; but that
is obviously not the substance of a man. Or sup
pose you analyze him chemically and put his com
ponent parts into bottles on a shelf; so much carbon
in one, so much phosphorus in another and so on;
will that row of bottles hold your man ?
Well, then, let us measure him by his wealth.
If you turn a boy's pocket inside out you will find
a ball of string, a cork set with fish hooks, a Bar-
102

The Measure of a Man 103
low knife, et cetera; and when he grows up into a
millionaire his pockets will hold only larger play
things, such as bonds, mortgages and yellow dust;
millions it may be ; but millions cannot make a man.
We turn then to his genealogy. If you find an
idler asleep under an oak, can you measure him
by the oak? No more can you measure your man
by his family tree. Well, there is nothing left but
his crowns and his purple and tinsel gewgaws.
" Ye see yon birkie ca'd a lord,
Wha' struts an' stares an' a' that?
Though hundreds worship at his word
He's but a cuif for a' that 
The rank is but the guinea's stamp;
The man's the gowd for a' that."
These methods will not answer. In order to
form a just estimate of man we must somehow get
at himself and not merely at the outer shell of cir
cumstance that envelops him. The true mode of
measurement is given by Solomon: "As a man
thinketh in his heart so is he." The same idea is
expressed by Isaac Watts, where he says,
' ' Were I so tall to reach the pole
Or grasp the ocean in my span,
I must be measured by my soul:
The mind's the standard of the man."
Measuring God. — This is the way we measure
God. "No man hath seen him at any time," but
his thoughts are all about us. "For my thoughts
are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my

104 The Three Great Doctrines
ways," saith Jehovah, "For as the heavens are
higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than
your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."
David sings, "How great are thy works, O Je
hovah! Thy thoughts are very deep." "How pre
cious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God!"
In like manner Paul pays tribute to the thoughts of
the infinite mind, "O the depth of the riches both
of the wisdom and the knowledge of God ! how un
searchable are his judgments, and his ways past
tracing out!" The stars of heaven, the rolling
seas and the mountains are among his great
thoughts. But oh, the riches of the infinite mind
as revealed in his loving thoughts ! His Word
written for our guidance ; his Word incarnated for
our salvation; the Cross and the redeeming work
that was wrought upon it — these are among his
loving thoughts. Put all those thoughts together
and you will have a just conception of God, who is
otherwise past finding out.
Measuring by the soul. — As we are God's chil
dren we must needs be measured in the same way.
To know a man you must do more than pass your
hands over his face. You must get down into "the
hidden man of the heart" and rummage among his
thoughts; so shall you measure him, for "so is he."
"We live in deeds, not years; in thoughts, not breaths;
In feelings, not in figures on a dial :
We should count time by heart-throbs; he most lives
Who thinks most, feels the noblest, acts the best."

The Measure of a Man 105
Let it be understood, however, that the thoughts
which thus define and reveal a man are not the
dreams and reveries which merely skim his sur
face like zephyrs on a summer sea, but "the
thoughts of his heart." The word "heart" is here
used in its most comprehensive sense; it refers not
merely to the emotional functions, but to the brain
and conscience and will. The whole man is doing
this thinking; and the result is a code or series of
deep convictions and principles which, on the one
hand, define character and, on the other, furnish
a working theory of life.
The thinking of a man's heart is not like sur
face plowing for the raising of meadow grass, but
the driving of a plowshare deep into the reality
of things for a harvest of wheat. When the pro
cess is over the man does not say, "I guess," but,
"I know ; I believe ; I am persuaded thus and so."
His thoughts have become principles by being
sealed with a Yea and Amen ; and these constitute
the man. If we were thoroughly familiar with
these thoughts we should know the man. In order
to do that, however, we must be in constant com
pany with him. In that case we should perceive
his thoughts in two different ways.
By speech. — To begin with, they express them
selves in words; as it is written "Out of the abun
dance of the heart the mouth speaketh."
It is not, however, by what a man says at any
particular time that he uncovers himself. A mer-

106 The Three Great Doctrines
chant's stock-in-trade must not be judged by the
display in his show window. You repeat the
Apostles' Creed: "/ believe in God the Father
Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; and in
Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord. . . . I be-
lieve in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body and the life everlast
ing; Amen." That sounds orthodox; but are you
sure you mean it?
The betrayal of the inner man is not by any
single utterance but by one's entire vocabulary. If
I could follow you about and listen at your home,
in the market-place and wherever you have deal
ings with your fellow-men; if I could hear what
you are saying to yourself when your lips move
as you pass along the street, I might thus be able
to make a diagnosis of your character; for in the
long run the tongue gives the heart away. It was
with this in mind that the Apostle James said, "If
any man .thinketh himself to be religious, while he
bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his heart, this
man's religion is vain."
By deeds. — The thoughts of the heart are also
revealed by the deeds of a man. It is a true saying,
"Actions speak louder than words."
But here again we are not to pass judgment on
character by any particular act. A while ago a mil
lionaire with a stroke of his pen endowed a college,
and thereby set forces in motion which are destined

The Measure of a Man 107
to do good along the ages. Will you say, there
fore, that he was thoroughly a good man ? On the
same day a husband, crazed by a "brain-storm"
of jealousy, slew his familiar friend; for which he
was sentenced to spend the remainder of his life
behind prison bars. Will you say, therefore, that
he was thoroughly a bad man ? In either case your
judgment would be superficial and wholly at fault.
In order to determine with respect to the character
of either of those or of any other man, you must
get the sum total of his acts. You must follow
him into the company of his wife and children, of
his intimate friends and business associates, into
all the relations of his life. Would you undertake
to sell a house by furnishing a single brick as a
sample of it? Look at your man. Follow him.
Get his tout ensemble. Test him by the Decalogue.
Then test him by the Sermon on the Mount, then
by the Lord's Prayer. And before you are
through with it, if you can only keep in his com
pany long enough, you will find that "the hidden
man of the heart" has come out into the open.
It is unfortunate that we are never long enough
with any one to pass a clear judgment upon his
character from the sum total of either his words
or his deeds. But God is; he sees him and hears
him every moment of the day and the night; and,
therefore, he "knoweth him altogether." He
makes no mistakes in judgment, because he is "ac
quainted with the secret imaginations of the heart
of a man."

108 The Three Great Doctrines
The thoughts of a man as thus reflected in
speech and conduct make up his character. "So
is he."
" Worth makes the man, and want of it the fellow;
The rest is naught but leather and prunella."
The prevailing fault of our time is the estimat
ing of manhood by the accidentals of life rather
than by its essentials. Not what a man has or what
happens to him; not wealth nor noble blood nor
crowns nor titles ; but the things that are in him and
shining through him ; his thoughts, motives, springs
of action; these constitute the man.
Non-Christians. — The non-Christian claims that
he does not come under the measuring line. He
says, "I cannot be inconsistent, because Tmake no
profession." Oh, yes, you do, my friend. You
make a very loud profession ; and it behooves you
to live up to it. You profess to believe that a man
is wise enough to get along without asking light
of God. You profess to believe that a man needs
no Bible because his way is clear enough without
it. You profess to believe that a man is strong
enough to live uprightly without the Church or
Christian fellowship to lean on. You profess to
believe that a man is good enough for heaven with
out relying on the Saviour to pardon his sins. And
I charge you here and now with inconsistency.
You have a creed and you are not living up to it.
You are neither wise enough nor strong enough nor

The Measure of a Man 109
good enough to point your finger at others who
are indeed no better than they ought to be. "Cast
out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then
shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of
thy brother's eye."
Falling short. — The fact is, we are none of us
any better than we ought to be. Christians profess
not to be good, but to be trying to be good; and
even with divine help they have a hard time of it.
Non-Christians profess to be good enough without
Christ; and they fall a long way short of it. "We
are all John Thompson's bairns." We all alike
"keep the word of promise to the ear but break it
to the hope." That, however, is not the point.
We are all inconsistent with our professions; but
we are consistent with our principles and convic
tions; that is, with "the thoughts of our hearts."
Wherefore, it behooves us to pray not so much that
we may be consistent with our profession as that we
may have clean hearts in the sight of God.
And just here we fall down; for "there is no
difference; all have sinned and come short of the
glory of God." This is conviction of sin, as it is
written, "If our heart condemn us, God is greater
than our heart, and knoweth all things. If our
heart condemn us not, we have boldness toward
God." It matters not by what criterion we judge
ourselves we find that we are not what we ought to
be. If we look within, our hearts condemn us;
if we look without, our friends and neighbors con-

no The Three Great Doctrines
demn us; in any case we have no recourse but to
throw ourselves upon the mercy of God.
The true measure. — At this point the Apostle
Paul enters with this suggestion: "If there is
therefore any exhortation in Christ, if any conso
lation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if
any tender mercies and compassions, . . . have
this mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus."
This is the conclusion of the whole matter. We
need Christ; we need him for the pardon of past
sins ; we need him for present duty ; we need him
for the hope of the future life. We need the
mind that was in Christ Jesus so that we may be
thinking his thoughts after him.
When Solomon says, "As a man thinketh in his
heart so is he," he lays down general principles
for the measurement of man; but Paul goes far
ther; he makes a specific application of those prin
ciples when he points to Christ, saying, "Be thou
like him." Here, then, is the secret of right liv
ing, to bring ourselves into harmony with the
thinking of Christ.
So let us examine ourselves. Do we think of
God as Christ thought of him ? Do we think of
life as Christ did; not as a handbreadth of time
but as an interminable series of infinite aeons for
which we are preparing here and now? Do we
think of the Bible as Christ thought of it, who
knew and loved it, preached and practised it, and
never uttered a word or syllable against it? Do

The Measure of a Man hi
we think of the Cross as he thought of it; not as
an accident befalling a martyr, but as a necessity
laid upon the sinless Son of God for the deliver
ance of sinners from the awful grip of sin? Are
these our heart thoughts? If in this manner the
mind that was in Christ Jesus be also in us, so that
we regard the great verities of the spiritual life
as he did, and so that our thoughts are framed into
great principles and convictions as his were, then
our speech will "bewray" us, and our light will so
shine that men, seeing our good works, shall glo
rify God.

WHOSE MAN AM I?

A question of ownership. — God the primal owner. —
Change in ownership. — A second change. — A com
mercial view ? — Under bonds to serve. — Is it uni
versal ? — The one condition.
A question of ownership. — Who owns me ? No
body. I am bound, therefore, to stand on my own
feet; to do my own thinking, to frame my own
convictions, to follow my own conscience, and to
insist that no other man shall in any manner what
soever have the least shadow of proprietary right
in me.
At the beginning of our Civil War it was pro
posed, in the interest of peace, to purchase the
slaves of their Southern masters and liberate them.
Ralph Waldo Emerson, filled with indignation at
the suggestion, wrote his "Boston Hymn," in which
occur these words :
"Pay ransom to the owner?
Aye, fill the bag to the brim !
Who is the owner ? The slave is owner;
And always was. Pay him !"
There will probably be no difference of opinion as
to the Tightness of that view. So far as our fellow-
112

Whose Man Am I? 113
men are concerned they have no right of owner
ship in us.
God the primal owner. — But when God comes
on the premises the question assumes a different
phase. By every right he owns us.
In view of this fact there never was a time when
a man could properly say, "I am my own man."
Adam could not say it. If God had carved an im
age and inscribed upon its forehead "Jehovah," his
proprietary right in the product of his own handi
work would not have been more firmly established
than it was in the case of Adam, of whom it is
written, "Jehovah God formed man of the dust
of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the
breath of life; and man became a living soul." If
proof were needed of this ownership it is forthcom
ing and conclusive in the fact that Adam was bound
to obey the divine law.
At this point let Jeremiah speak: "The word
which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying,
Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there
I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went
down to the potter's house, and, behold, he was
making a work on the wheels. And when the vessel
that he made of the clay was marred in the hand of
the potter, he made it again another vessel, as
seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the
word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Behold, as
the clay in the potter's hand, so are ye in my hand,
O house of Israel !" The same thought is amplified

114 The Three Great Doctrines
by Paul where he says: "Shall the thing formed
say to him that formed it, Why didst thou make
me thus? Or hath not the potter a right over the
clay ?" Romans 9 : 20-2 1 . It is thus apparent that
man in his original state of innocency belonged to
God, as the creature of his hands, and was subject
absolutely to his holy will.
Change in ownership. — But something happened
in the Garden of Eden which marked a complete
change of ownership. The man who was created
in a state of innocency, being carried away by self-
will, broke the divine law. In thus taking mat
ters into his own hands he became not his own mas
ter, but the servant of sin. Paul puts it on this
wise: "I am carnal, sold under sin"; and he
proves this by saying, "For that which I do, I
know not ; for not what I would, that do I practise ;
but what I hate, that I do. . . . I see a law in my
members . . . bringing me into captivity under
the law of sin. . . . Wretched man that I am!
who shall deliver me out of the body of this
death?" And this is a universal fact. "There is no dis
tinction ; for all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God." We are all under the domination
of this "law in our members"; bound by the chains
of habitual sin, as really as are the convicts of
Louisiana who serve with ball and chain, breaking
stone on the highways. "Every one that com-
mitteth sin is the bondservant of sin."

Whose Man Am I? 115
A second change. — But here enters Christ; and
with him comes another change of ownership. He
tells us the reason of his coming into the world:
"The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto,
but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for
many." In other words, he came to "redeem" us,
that is, to buy us back from sin. He paid the ran
som on Calvary. It was blood, his own precious
blood. As sinners we were under the law which
says, "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." He
came to assume our place at the bar of the offended
law, to meet our obligation, to cancel our debt by
paying it, and so to redeem us from the power of
sin. But with that redemption came ownership. "Ye
are bought with a price," says Paul. This is, as
it were, the Bill of Sale. It sets forth a transfer
of ownership from sin to Christ : and to this trans
fer there are two witnesses. One of them is Paul
the philosopher, who says, "Ye are not your own;
ye are bought with a price" ; and the other witness
is Peter the fisherman, who not only agrees with
Paul, but goes farther and designates the purchase
price, "not silver and gold, but the precious blood
of Christ." And both of these witnesses arrive at
the same conclusion, to wit, that our life service
must, by the rule of common honesty, be given to
the only-begotten Son of God.
A commercial view? — The one objection made
to this transaction is that it is a "commercial view."

116 The Three Great Doctrines
Granted; but what of it? The objection is in-
tended to cast a slur upon the Cross ; but, in fact,
it pays the highest possible tribute to it.
For the very heart of commerce is honesty. It
is founded on "the square deal." If men were to
lose their sense of honesty, the bottom would drop
out of Wall Street, merchants would close their
places of business and ships would lie rotting at
their docks. It is commerce that makes the world
go 'round; and commerce would be impossible but
for the rules of fair dealing which prevail among
men. To say that the vicarious view of the Atone
ment is "commercial" is only another way of saying
that it is founded on the principles of even-handed
justice. You say this savors of the marketplace?
So be it. We want a God whose character shall —
to say the least — not be less respectable than that
of an honest man.
The Cross is the highest tribute ever paid to
what men call "the square deal." It stood for sat
isfaction to the broken and offended law. To say
that God could pardon a sinner without satisfying
the law is to magnify his love at the expense of his
justice and clothe him with an unscrupulous and
sentimental weakness which we deplore in any
of our fellow-men. Not so is the God of our sal
vation. As we stand at Calvary and note the great
transaction by which we are delivered from the
bondage of sin, we find a logical and conclusive
answer to the question, "How can God be just and
yet the justifier of the ungodly?" By the paying of

Whose Man Am I? 117
the ransom the Law is fully satisfied; as it is writ
ten, "Mercy and truth are met together; righteous
ness and peace have kissed each other."
Under bonds to serve. — The conclusion is un
avoidable, "Ye were bought with a price: glorify
God therefore in your body."
A Christian, who has entered into the benefits
of the Atonement by accepting the ransom is under
bonds to devote his whole life to the service of
Christ. He is obviously not his own. The Karens
were accustomed to speak of their missionary, Ado-
niram Judson, as "Jesus Christ's man." So is
every one who professes to follow Christ. It is not
enough that he should pay a "tithe" of his sub
stance. A tithe will do for a beginning; but Christ
who has ransomed us owns not one-tenth but ten-
tenths of us and ours. All my time, all my talents,
all my possessions, every drop of my blood, every
fibre of my body, every power of my soul, every
atom of energy that is in me, belongs absolutely,
by a fee simple right, to him.
In 1478 Louis XI, in consideration of a benefit
received, as he thought, from the Virgin Mary,
made a deed giving her the city of Boulogne; but
he was careful to stipulate that the revenues of the
city should be reserved for his own personal use.
To make a vow of consecration to Christ after that
manner is to fall infinitely short of the require
ments of the Christian life.

n 8 The Three Great Doctrines
" When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride.
"Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all."
Is it universal? — The matter, however, does not
end here. All will agree that Christians are bound
by the terms of the ransom. But how about non-
Christians ? Are they under similar bonds ? Here
is where the question of common honesty must be
brought home to many who are not seriously dis
posed to consider it. Christ is said to have "tasted
death for every man." If so, then non-Christians
as well as the professed followers of Christ were
ransomed by his death. What then ? Does it fol
low that all are saved ? By no means. The bene
fits of redemption are not thrust upon unwilling
men. God respects the freedom of our sovereign
wills. For all who accept him by faith, the ran
som is made efficient unto life ; while those who re
ject him are still, of their own volition, in bondage
under sin. The sole condition of life is faith; and
faith is simply an acceptance of the free gift.
The statement of Scripture is perfectly clear as
to this matter: for example "He came unto his
own, and they that were his own received him not.
But as many as received him, to them gave he the

Whose Man Am I? 119
right to become children of God." Again: "He
that believeth on the Son hath eternal life ; and he
that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life ; but the
wrath of God abideth on him." Again : "God so
loved the world that he gave his only-begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not
perish, but have eternal life. For God sent not
the Son into the world to judge the world ; but that
the world should be saved through him. He that
believeth on him is not judged; but he that believeth
not hath been judged already, because he hath not
believed on the name of the only-begotten Son of
God." Again: "He that believeth on the Son of
of God hath the witness in him ; he that believeth
not God hath made him a liar; because he hath not
believed in the witness that God hath borne con
cerning his Son. And the witness is this, that God
gave unto us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
He that hath the Son hath the life, and he that
hath not the Son of God hath not the life. These
things have I written unto you, that ye may know
that ye have eternal life, even unto you that believe
on the name of the Son of God."
The one condition. — If I wanted to deliver a
prisoner out of Sing Sing how would I set about
it? I might chloroform the guards, pick the lock
and bid the prisoner come out; but if he did, would
he be free? Not at all. There is something
stronger than iron bolts and bars and armed guards
that hold him, namely, the Law. He would not

120 The Three Great Doctrines
even be a "ticket-of-leave man"; for at every step
the Law would still be hounding him. Or suppose
I were to go to the Governor and secure a pardon,
and presenting that pardon at the doorway of the
cell, bid the prisoner come out : would he then be
free ? Certainly not until he came out. The one
thing vitally necessary to his freedom must be done
by himself and by nobody else. He must come out !
If he declines to do that, his pardon is unavailing;
and, to all intents and purposes, he will remain a
prisoner all his days.
The conditions of salvation have been met by
our Lord Jesus Christ; all but one, namely, per
sonal faith or acceptance; and that must be met
by the sinner himself if he would ever be saved
from the bondage and penalty of sin. Only be
lieve ! That is, accept God's plan of salvation in
Christ. Dip down into the water of life and drink
it! "He that believeth hath eternal life." Every
thing depends on a man's saying, "I will!
I do!" I have heard of a man who, having captured an
eagle, tethered it to a stake ; and it walked around
and around until it wore a pathway. At length,
moved by compassion, he broke the captive's chain;
but habit was so strong that it kept on going around
and around in the old groove. Of what value was
freedom to it ? But there came a moment when it
suddenly seemed to realize that its chain was
broken; then it looked aloft, spread its wings and
mounted into the air. So is it with the soul that

Whose Man Am I? 121
falls in with the divine plan of Redemption; to
accept of Christ is to leave the bondage of sin and
enter into the glorious liberty of the children of
God!

THE DOCTRINE OF THE
GOD-MAN HIS BIRTH

Mistakes as to parentage. — Mary was the mother.—
What of Joseph? — Who then was the father of
Jesus? — The God-Man. — The Foundation truth.—
His character. — His teaching. — His work. — The
Kingdom. — Our personal salvation. — A mystery?
Mistakes as to parentage. — The shepherds who
first received the annunciation of the Saviour's
birth were told that they would find him "wrapped
in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger"; and
going in haste they saw "the thing that had come
to pass." On their return they "made known" the
wonderful event. When asked if they had seen the
parents of the Child they would naturally answer,
"Yes; we saw them standing by the manger — a
carpenter named Joseph and a peasant girl named
Mary." But that was their mistake. There was
another in the group at Bethlehem whom they could
not see.
If the people of Nazareth had been asked as to
the parentage of Jesus, they would have made a
similar answer. He had grown up among them.
They had seen him in his boyhood playing about
the doorway of his mother's house. They had seen
122

His Birth 123
him in the carpenter shop of Joseph learning to
make plows and ox-yokes. What would be more
natural than for them to say than that he was the
son of Joseph and Mary? But that was their
mistake. At the beginning of his ministry when,
returning from his itinerary among the villages of
Galilee, he entered the synagogue and announced
to his townsmen that he was the long-looked-for
Messiah, they were amazed beyond measure. They
had heard rumors of his miracles and of his won
derful preaching, but they were not prepared for
this preposterous claim. They were more than
amazed; they were "scandalized," exclaiming, "Is
not this Jesus whose father and mother we know?"
The multitudes who heard him by the Lake of
Gennesaret made the same mistake. On his re
peating his claim to Messiahship they answered,
"What doest thou for a sign, that we see and be
lieve thee?" He answered, "I am the bread of
life ! I am come down from Heaven to do the will
of him that sent me ; and this is his will, that every
one that beholdeth the Son and believeth on him
shall have eternal life!" And they murmured,
saying, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose
father and mother we know?"
The rejection of the gospel has always been due
to a misapprehension respecting the parentage of
Jesus. And this is the source and fountain of
nearly all the heresies which are current in the
world to-day. The man who begins his wrong
thinking at Bethlehem will find himself immeasur-

124 The Three Great Doctrines
ably farther away from the truth when he reaches
Calvary. This being so, it is of vital importance
that we should solve the question, "Who were the
parents of Jesus?" if we would reach a right con
clusion as to other questions which lie farther on.
Mary was the mother of Jesus. All are agreed
so far.
The whole world pays reverence to her as the
"handmaid of the Lord." Her song of thanksgiv
ing is perpetuated in the service of the universal
church: "My soul doth magnify the Lord and
my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he
hath looked upon the low estate of his bondmaid !
For behold from henceforth all generations shall
call me blessed !" And all generations do call her
"blessed."
" O wondrous mother, was there ever joy like thine?
To thee it came, that message from the Highest,
Such as to woman ne'er before descended;
The Almighty's shadowing wings thy soul o'erspread,
And with thy life the life of world's was blended ! "
But thoughtful Christians call a halt when the
song is raised, "Holy Mary, mother of God, pray
for us!" We decline to accord her a divine hom
age which she herself would be the first to repu
diate. Could she appear to-day in the midst of her
devotees, of a certainty she would say as the angel
did to kneeling John, "See that thou do it not; for
I am thy fellow-servant. Worship God!"

His Birth 125
Say of me as the Heavenly said, "Thou art
The blessedest of women" —
Not holiest or noblest — no high name
Whose height misplaced may pierce me like a shame
When I sit meek in Heaven !

What of Joseph?— But the question has to do
also with Joseph ; and here is the possibility of the
great mistake. Was he the father of Jesus or not ?
In the group at Bethlehem he stands with per
plexity in his eyes. For in the great drama which
is being enacted he is, however vitally interested,
a mere looker-on.
His character is written in the brief monograph,
"He was a righteous man." If there must needs
be a Calendar of Saints by all means let him be
accorded a place in it. His simple faith, humility,
devotion to principle and acquiescence in the divine
will make him worthy of the highest honor due
to mortal man.
On receiving the announcement that he had been
appointed to rest under an imputation of dishonor,
in pursuance of the divine plan of redemption, he
"arose and did as the angel of the Lord command
ed him." All his life he carried in his breast a
great secret which the world knew not. His neigh
bors looked askance, hinting at a bar sinister on his
domestic shield, but he heeded them not. A less
humble, less righteous, less magnanimous, less
consecrated man would have revolted against the
shameful imputations which were passed upon him ;

126 The Three Great Doctrines
but without a murmur he took his assigned place
and filled it.
He was the guardian of Jesus in his early years.
He watched over him, led him to the synagogue
and the Levitical school, taught him as an appren
tice in the carpenter shop and took him up to
Jerusalem to attend the annual feasts. Doubtless
he felt thankful for being permitted to occupy this
relation to the supernatural Boy. So, I say, if
there must needs be a Calendar of Saints let us
thus revere him. But he was not the father of
Jesus. Who, then, was the father of Jesus? — God. So
runs the record: "And the angel said unto Mary,
The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee and the
power of the Most High shall overshadow thee;
wherefore also the holy thing which is begotten
shall be called the Son of God."
So run the prophesies, also. No sooner had man
sinned than the promise was given, "The Seed of
woman shall bruise the serpent's head." And
clearer and ever clearer grow the predictions in the
succeeding pages of Scripture: "Behold, a virgin
shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call his
name Immanuel, which being interpreted is 'God
with us' " ; and again, "For unto us a Child is born,
unto us a Son is given; and the government shall
be upon his shoulder and his name be called Won
derful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting
Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his

His Birth 127
government and of peace there shall be no end,
upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom,
to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and
with righteousness from henceforth even for
ever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will per
form this."
And this, moreover, is the claim of Jesus. He
arrogated to himself the title of Messiah, that is,
the promised "Seed of Woman" who was to bruise
the serpent's head. He assumed the Messianic
title, "Son of God." He repeatedly affirmed that
he was "the only-begotten Son of God." We are
all sons of God by creation. Some are also sons
by adoption, as it is written, "Ye received the spirit
of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The
Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit that
we are children of God." But in all the history
of the children of men there is only One of whom
it can be said that he was begotten of God. And
Jesus claims to be that One. As such, all true be
lievers receive him. They have seen "his glory,
the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father,
full of grace and truth."
The God-Man. — This view of the divine pater
nity of Jesus is necessary to the validity of the gos
pel. He came into the world to suffer and to save.
He could only save by suffering ; inasmuch as expia
tion must be made for sin. He must be "very man"
in order to suffer; and he must be "very God" in or
der to save, since his suffering must be sufficient

128 The Three Great Doctrines
to atone for the whole world's sin. He must there-
fore be both man and God. He is "very man" be
cause he was "of a woman born" ; he is "very God"
because he was conceived by the miraculous over-
shadowing of the Spirit. His nature is thus
unique and singular. There is in all the universe
no other who can be called Theanthropos, that is,
God-man. And, for this reason, "there is none
other name given under heaven among men where
by we must be saved." He only is able, through
his vicarious passion, to save unto the uttermost all
who have come unto him. And to my mind it is
inconceivable that salvation could have been pro
vided for us in any other way.
The foundation truth. — The truth thus formu
lated as to the parentage of Jesus is the primal
postulate and foundation of our religion. For this
reason we are accustomed to say, in our historic
creed, "I believe in God the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ
his only Son, our Lord ; who was conceived by the
Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary."
But what difference does it make whether we
thus believe or not? The "liberal" pastor of one
of our evangelical churches makes this statement:
"I cannot see that it makes any difference, so far
as the practical application of Christianity is con
cerned, whether we believe that God or Joseph was
the father of Jesus." In fact, however, it makes
all the difference in the world.

His Birth 129
His character. — Our estimate of the character of
Christ depends upon it. He was either what he
claimed to be or he was not. He claimed, over
and over again, to be the only-begotten Son of
God. He spoke of his pre-existence with the
Father, and announced that when his redemptive
work was finished he would return to reassume "the
glory which he had with the Father before the
world was." He claimed to be the Messiah, say
ing in clearest terms, "I that speak unto thee am
he !" He was tried for blasphemy, the charge be
ing that he had made himself "equal with God."
The man who presided at the trial said to him,
"I adjure thee, by the living God, that thou tell us
whether thou be the Christ, the son of God"; he
answered, "Thou hast said," using the strongest
form of affirmation that was possible, and added,
"Hereafter ye shall see the Son of Man sitting at
the right hand of Power and coming on the
clouds of heaven!" He was then and there
convicted, on his own testimony, of the charge of
blasphemy ; and was put to death for making him
self equal with God. If he was not what he
claimed to be, then he stands before the world as
a self-convicted charlatan and falsifier. To affirm
that he was a good man and nothing more is simply
absurd. He was either the only-begotten Son of
God, or else he was a false claimant to divine hon
ors, and as such it is difficult to see how any
thoughtful or self-respecting man could for a mo
ment believe in him.

130 The Three Great Doctrines
His teaching. — The trustworthiness of his teach
ing, also, depends upon the answer to this question
respecting his parentage. If his affirmations with
respect to himself are discredited, what depend
ence is to be put upon his presentation of the great
doctrines of the spiritual life? Falsus in uno,
falsus in omnibus is an accepted rule in civil courts.
If the truth of your witness is impugned at one
point, his entire testimony passes under a cloud.
If you expose the duplicity of an explorer who says
that he reached the summit of Mount McKinley,
you naturally lift your eyebrows when he affirms
that he has discovered the North Pole. How pre
posterous, then, for men to insist on the trustworth
iness of the doctrinal and ethical teachings of Jesus
while denying his repeated affirmation that he was
the only-begotten Son of God !
His work. — The efficacy of his redemptive work,
also, depends upon it. There is a vital correlation
between the divine birth of Jesus and his vicarious
passion. I have heard of a geode, a dull-appearing
stone, which when broken disclosed a mass of,
crystals arranged in the form of a cross. So at
Bethlehem we observe the outline of the atonement.
If you deny the miraculous birth of Jesus you re
duce his redemptive work to nil. For it is un
thinkable that any ,mere man could take the bur
den of the world's sin upon him and pay a ransom
for the misdeeds of all the children of men.

His Birth 131
The Kingdom. — And the coming of his King
dom depends upon it. We are accustomed to say
that the Cross stands as the center of history and
that all civilization is explained by it; but at the
foot of the Cross stands the manger. Here lies
the Son of Man who is mighty to help; here lies
the Son of God who is able to save unto the utter
most; here lies the God-man who is destined to be
King over all and blessed forever. The armies of
all history march around this birth-scene. The
thrones of the Caesars totter in the grasp of the
Christ-child, because his arm is "the arm of God
made bare." The Church of the centuries kneels
at the manger to offer its prayer, "Thy Kingdom
come," and believes in the efficacy of that prayer
because the Christ-child is "Wonderful, Counsel
lor, Mighty God"; wherefore the gates of hell
shall not prevail against him.
Our personal salvation, moreover, depends upon
it. Here is the ladder by which we ascend out of
sin into salvation : "And without controversy great
is the mystery of Godliness : God was manifest in
the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels,
preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the
world, received up into glory" (I Timothy 3 :i6).
The foot of that ladder is at Bethlehem and its
summit is close upon the throne of God.
A mystery? — Yes; great is the mystery! As
the cherubim bent in reverent perplexity over the

132 The Three Great Doctrines
Ark of the Covenant, so do we devoutly ponder the
great truth. "The angels desire to look into it!"
But what if it be a mystery ? Is that a sufficient
ground for rejecting it? We are compassed about
by mysteries. We do not insist that a fact shall
be explained before we accept it. All that we can
reasonably ask is that it shall not be contra-rational.
In the mystery of the Incarnation there is nothing
that antagonizes a single law of human thought.
We confess that it is beyond us. But so are all
great truths, and particularly those of the spiritual
province. Faith is "the evidence of things not
seen." We walk by faith, live by faith, are saved
by faith. "God so loved the world that he gave
his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on
him might not perish but have eternal life." "He
that believeth on him is not judged; he that be
lieveth not hath been judged already, because he
hath not believed on the name of the only-begotten
Son of God."
So we reverently stand at the manger and
touch the swaddling-bands of Jesus, as Thomas
touched the scars of his passion, saying with holy
awe and adoration, "My Lord and my God!"

HIS CHARACTER

That righteous man. — Unique in his birth. — Unique in
his life. — Unique in his death. — Unique in his in
fluence. — The great question.
That righteous man. — It is recorded that when
Jesus was on trial before Pilate a messenger ar
rived with a letter for Pilate from his wife, to this
effect :
"Have thou nothing to do with that righteous
man, for I have suffered many things this day in a
dream because of him. Claudia."
The probability is that Claudia had been think
ing much of Jesus; for at this time his singular
claims were being discussed by all. If we gaze in
tently at any object for a considerable time its
image will remain upon the retina after we have
closed our eyes. So what was more natural than
that Claudia, after thus thinking of Jesus, should
dream of him; and what more natural than that,
as a loving wife, she should thus entreat her hus
band to refrain from wronging "that righteous
man." We are not informed as to the effect of her
letter. In all probability her husband's first impulse
was to exclaim, "How like a woman!" So little
133

134 The Three Great Doctrines
did she know of the demands of his office. He
would have been only too glad to "have nothing to
do with" Jesus; but that unfortunately was out of
the question. He could convict him or he could
acquit him; but he could not "have nothing to do
with him."
It would appear, however, in the light of subse
quent events that he was not uninfluenced by his
wife's appeal. He took advantage of every pos
sible subterfuge to escape the responsibility thrust
upon him; but finally, when obliged to face the
issue, did it like the coward that he was. Amid
the clamor of the multitude he called for a basin
of water and washing his hands, bade the people
bear witness that he was "innocent of the blood of
this righteous man." And then, casting the fright
ful die, he added, "Take ye him and crucify him."
The point which I wish to emphasize is brought
out in a single word, used by Claudia in her letter
and repeated by Pilate in his protestation of inno
cence: namely, the word Dikaios, here rendered,
"that righteous man."
The full significance of the expression does not
appear on the surface of the narrative. In order
to understand it we must go back four hundred
years to Plato, the foremost of the Greek philoso
phers, who in his "Republic" portrayed an ideal
community not seen as yet but likely to be realized
in the Golden Age. It was the worthy citizen of
this Republic who was characterized as Dikaios,
"the righteous or just man." The term was used,

His Character 135
in its largest sense, to designate one possessed of
all the manly virtues in harmonious proportion, a
four-square man, a symmetrical man, therefore the
ideal man.
It is not affirmed that either Claudia or her hus
band was mindful of all this when they spoke of
Jesus in that way; but all the more value is to be
placed upon their tribute on that account. If all
the glowing phrases which have been unintention
ally applied to Jesus by his enemies could be
gathered together, what a mass of indirect evidence
we should have as to the character of that just
man! It is my present purpose to show as briefly as
possible how perfectly the "righteous man" in the
judgment hall of Pilate answers to Dikaios in the
ideal Republic of Plato ; and how conclusively the
inadvertent testimony of the non-Christian world
proves him to be the ideal man.
Unique in his birth. — Jesus' birth sets him
apart, in a singular manner, from all other children
of men. Adam was created in innocency, without
spot or blemish until he fell. Not a child of Adam
has ever since been born without the taint of hered
ity. The only exception is Christ who, for that
reason among others, is called "the second Adam" ;
since he inherited no sin. In this he stands soli
tary and alone ; the spotless Son of Man.
Unique in his life. — His life, likewise, was with
out sin. He kept what Adam lost : his first estate.

136 The Three Great Doctrines
He faced the forbidden tree but did not eat
of it.
A man's life is expressed in two things, words
and works; or, if you please, preaching and prac
tice. And the perfect life is that in which the
preaching is truth and the practice is righteousness,
to correspond with it.
The words of Jesus were truth. In his preach
ing he set forth the great verities of the spiritual
life; and he did this not with an appeal to any
ulterior authority such as "Thus saith the Lord,"
but always on his own authority, saying, "Verily,
verily, I say unto you."
And his character fitted into his teaching like
an indenture. Cicero says somewhere that, after
an examination of the philosophers he had arrived
at the conclusion that, while they had much to say
about truth there was not one among them who
lived up to it. But of Christ it has been truly af
firmed that he "brought the bottom of his life up
to the top of his light." His challenge was:
"Which of you convicteth me of sin?" And the
answer was in the words of the magistrate who
sentenced him to death, "I find no fault in him at
all." The perfection of Jesus, however, lay not simply
in this negative sort of innocency but in the positive
practice of virtue. His life is written in the brief
monograph, "He went about doing good." His
miracles were miracles of mercy. He is the only
man who ever lived who left the world a little

His Character 137
brighter and better with every step he took in pass
ing through it.
Unique in his death. — In his death, also, he
showed himself the just man. The Cross is the
world's supreme exhibit of self-denying love. It
is written, "Greater love hath no man than this,
that a man lay down his life for his friends" — "but
God commendeth his own love toward us, in that,
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
But we cannot stop here. There is no end of
false and foolish sentiment with respect to the love
of God. Love that does not pay deference to Jus
tice is as meaningless as sounding brass or a tink
ling cymbal. The only praiseworthy love is that
which joins hands with all the other graces that
make a man like God.
And this is the love which was set forth pre
eminently on the Cross. The mission of Christ
was to save sinners. He found them under the
sentence of the law : "The soul that sinneth it shall
die." He could not override that law; because,
whatever else he was he must be Dikaios, the
righteous man. But how, then, could he save sin
ners? "How shall God be just and yet the justi
fier of the ungodly?" It can only be by the pay
ment of a ransom that shall satisfy the law. For
this reason our Saviour "bare our sins in his own
body on the tree." He thus became "the end of
the law for righteousness to every one that believ
eth." He satisfied love; he satisfied law and truth

138 The Three Great Doctrines
and justice. Satisfaction and reconciliation go to
gether. Thus, by the way of the Cross, all who
believe may return to God.
The righteous man did not die like other men.
Here, as in his birth and character, he stands soli
tary and alone. He died not for himself but vica
riously; so that multitudes are born of the travail
of his soul. A host of sinners, going down into
his sepulchre as "partakers of his death" emerge
triumphantly with him into the kingdom of life.
It was with some faint perception of this tremend
ous fact that the infidel Rousseau was moved to
exclaim, "This Jesus died like a God !"
Unique in his influence.— The influence of Christ
along the centuries bears witness to him as the ideal
man. He has been the commanding figure in the
history of the world. On his triumphal entry
into Jerusalem the people, leaning out of their
doorways and looking from their lattices, asked
"Who is this?" The question is vastly more perti
nent now : "Who is this that marches through his
tory with ever increasing millions trooping after
him?" Not believers only, but the whole world
answers, "This is Dikaios, the righteous man."
But this is not enough. The word Dikaios does
not meet the case. The man who stands thus soli
tary and alone among millions is a miracle, an
incomprehensible marvel, a problem so hopelessly
intricate that the introduction of a divine factor
is required to solve it.

His Character 139
When Napoleon was at Saint Helena, in the en
forced retirement that followed his boisterous cam
paigns, he faced, with all the powers of his mighty
intellect, this problem of the Unaccountable Man.
Not a few of his devoted friends had been carried
away on the flood-tide of infidelity which at that
time was sweeping everything before it. On one
occasion, when General Bertrand had been speak
ing of Jesus as a man of commanding genius, he
interrupted him to say, "I know men; and I tell
you Jesus Christ was more than a man. Super
ficial minds see a resemblance between him and the
founders of empires; but there is the distance of
infinity between them. As for me I recognize those
great men as beings like myself; they have per
formed their lofty parts, but there was nothing to
prove them divine. They have had foibles which
ally them with me. It is not so with Christ.
Everything in him astonishes me ! His spirit over
awes me ; his will confounds me ; he stands a being
by himself. His thoughts and principles are not
to be explained by human organization or the na
ture of things. His birth and the history of his
life, the profundity of his doctrine which grapples
with the mightiest difficulties and solves them; his
gospel, his kingdom, his march across the agts;
these are too deep a mystery for me ! They plunge
me into reveries from which I find no escape.
The nearer I approach him, the more I perceive
that everything is above me. At his voice all
things return to order. The soul conquers its sov-

140 The Three Great Doctrines
ereignty. What a master is this ! With what au
thority does he teach! Who will presume to lift
his voice against an intrepid voyager who recounts
the marvels of lands which he alone has had the
boldness to visit? Christ is that voyager. I
search in vain through history to find his peer.
He died an object of contempt and left a Gospel
which has been called 'the foolishness of the cross.'
What a mysterious symbol ! And what a tempest
it provoked! On the one side all the furies; on
the other gentleness and infinite resignation. And
with what result? You speak of Caesar and Alex
ander, of their conquests and the enthusiasm which
they kindled in the hearts of their soldiers; but can
you conceive of a dead man making conquests with
an army devoted to his memory? Can you con
ceive of Caesar from the depth of his mausoleum
watching over the destinies of Rome? Yet such
is the history of the Christian invasion and the con
quest of the world. Such is the power of the
Christian's God! We have founded empires —
Caesar and Alexander and Charlemagne and I
— we have founded empires upon force; but
Christ has founded an empire on love.
And at this hour millions would die for
him. What a proof of his divinity! Now
that I am at Saint Helena, chained upon this rock,
where are my friends? My life once shone with
a royal brilliance; but disaster overtook me and
the gold became dim. Behold the destiny of him
whom the world calls Napoleon the Great ! What

His Character 141
an abyss between my misery and the eternal reign
of Christ !" For a moment the exiled emperor was
silent and then, with a broken voice, he added,
"My friends, if you do not perceive that Jesus
Christ is God, I did wrong to place you in com
mand of my army." 1
To my mind this reasoning is sound. In con
ceding that Jesus was "the just man," with all that
it involves, we have gone so far that, by the ne
cessities of sound reason, we are bound to go
farther and pronounce him what he claimed to be,
the veritable Son of God.
This was his claim. He called himself "the
Son of Man," a term generally understood as re
ferring to the long-looked- for Messiah. He called
himself, also, with equal emphasis, "the Son of
God"; and more than that, "the only-begotten Son
of God"; that is, so to speak, bone of God's bone
and flesh of his flesh, and therefore his very equal.
He claimed a singular union with God, saying,
"I and my Father are one." How could he be only
a good man? If he were no more than that, then
his enemies were right in affirming that he was
guilty of blasphemy and deserved to die.
The great question is before us: What think
ye of this Jesus ? He sits in the place of judgment
as he sat at Gabbatha before Pilate that day.
What shall be done with him? The Scripture
'The words of Napoleon have here been abbreviated, but with no
essential change.

142 The Three Great Doctrines
says that he was what he claimed to be. History
records his triumphs and forces the inquiry, "Were
these the doings of a man among men?" The
Church on earth unites with the innumerable host
of heaven in the song: "Fairer is he than all the
fair among the sons of men." But what say you?
The centurion who had charge of the crucifixion
was moved to confess, after witnessing the great
tragedy, "Verily, this was a righteous man !" The
word he used was the familiar Dikaios. But this
did not satisfy him. The great problem was strug
gling in his breast. As he rode away from Cal
vary the shadows of night were gathering and
lights were kindling in the homes of Jerusalem.
Looking backward he saw the dark effigy of the
cross against the sky. Then came the sober second
thought. The truth like a sunburst smote upon
him. This Jesus was more than the just man!
And in the deep conviction of his soul he gave ut
terance to the only possible solution of the greatest
of all problems: "Verily, this was the Son of
God!"

HIS INAUGURAL SERMON

Two manifestoes. — Not a sermon for all. — Not a gospel
sermon. — Not a foundation sermon. — Not a sum
mary. — Not a sermon of salvation. — Two infer
ences.
Two manifestoes. — There have been two occa
sions in history when great political manifestoes
were issued under the direct authority of God.
One of these was when the children of Israel
were encamped at Sinai. They had just been de
livered from the house of their bondage. It was a
mob of fugitive slaves that thronged forth in mad
disorder with the footfall of a pursuing army be
hind them. God's purpose was to organize this
mob into a nation; and with this in view he led
them to Sinai, where they encamped for a year.
He there gave them their Constitution, an elabo
rate Code of Laws. The nucleus of that Code is
the Decalogue, the most notable of all ethical sym
bols; which has furnished the basic principles of
the jurisprudence of civilized nations all along the
ages. The camp was then broken up, and for
thirty-nine years the people wandered in the wilder
ness, learning in the school of experience and de
veloping slowly in civil life and character. At the
143

144 The Three Great Doctrines
end of that period, when they crossed the Jordan
into the land prepared for their occupancy, they
were a full-fledged nation, with three well-defined
branches of government, to wit: Legislative, Ju
dicial and Executive, and with a standing army so
well marshaled and mobilized that the enemy was
scattered before it as chaff from the threshing
floor. This government, theocratic in form, was
ideally perfect, and, apart from its standing army,
is destined to be realized again in the Golden Age.
The other occasion referred to was when Christ
gathered his disciples at Olivet and preached the
Sermon on the Mount. His thirty years of prepa
ration were over and his ministry was now begin
ning. He was about to set up his Kingdom, which
was simply a revival of the old economy with an
omission of its temporary factors and a new em
phasis put upon its essential principles. In the
Sermon on the Mount we have the Constitution
and By-laws of the Kingdom of Christ : a Kingdom
which is to continue with ever-enlarging borders
until it extends "where'er the sun doth his succes
sive journeys run."
As to the eloquence, moral power and pre-emi
nent value of this Sermon there is no difference of
opinion. Its praises are sung enthusiastically even
by those who are at odds with the religion of
Christ. In all quarters the most glowing words
of commendation are lavished upon it.
But there is a grave misunderstanding in many
quarters as to its character and intent. If it were

His Inaugural Sermon 145
more clearly understood it might not be so gener
ally eulogized. My present purpose is to indicate
what I believe to be some serious and more or less
prevalent mistakes about it.
Not a sermon for all. — It is a mistake to speak
of the Sermon on the Mount as "everybody's ser

mon."

It was addressed distinctly to the disciples ; as it
is written, "And when he was set, his disciples
came unto him; and he opened his mouth and
taught them, saying." In this respect it is like the
sacerdotal prayer of Jesus recorded in John 17.
As a rule the prayers of Jesus were comprehensive
in their scope ; but in that particular prayer he was
thinking of his disciples only, as he said, "I pray
for them : I pray not for the world, but for those
whom thou hast given me." In like manner, many
of the sermons of Jesus were addressed to the mul
titude; but the Sermon on the Mount, which was
to furnish forth the ruling principles of his King
dom, was for those only who were in hearty ac
cord with him in the setting up of that Kingdom
on earth.
This was the Inaugural Address of the King.
It was a pronouncement of the rules and regula
tions which were to control the lives of his sub
jects. For this reason it began very properly with
the Beatitudes, in which the characteristics of citi
zenship are set forth; namely, poverty of spirit,
meekness and mercy, noble aspiration, pureness of

146 The Three Great Doctrines
heart, peaceableness and patience in suffering for
the truth's sake. To such citizens as these and to
such only he said, "Ye are the salt of the earth;
but if the salt have lost its savor wherewith shall
it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing
but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot
of men." And again, "Ye are the light of the
world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.
Let your light so shine before men that they may
see your good works and glorify your Father."
Not a gospel sermon. — It is a mistake to char
acterize the Sermon on the Mount as a "gospel
sermon." It is, on the contrary, distinctly a Law sermon.
Its deliverance is a clear and far-reaching echo of
the deliverance of Sinai. "I am come," said Jesus,
"not to destroy the law, but to fulfill it." It places
a startling emphasis on the Ten Commandments;
and therein it is searching as fire and penetrating
as acid. Listen to this: "Ye have heard that it
was said by them of old-time, Thou shalt not kill;
but I say unto you that whosoever is angry with
his brother without a cause shall be in danger of
the judgment." And listen to this: "Ye have
heard how it was said by them of old-time, Thou
shalt not commit adultery ; but I say unto you that
a lustful look hath in it the sinfulness of an overt
act," Observe the severity of these additional
words, "If thy right eye causeth thee to stumble,
pluck it out and cast it from thee ; and if thy right

His Inaugural Sermon 147
hand causeth thee to stumble, cut it off and cast it
from thee ; for it is profitable for thee that one of
thy members should perish and not thy whole body
go into hell."
It is perfectly clear that in this Sermon there is
no relief from the severity of the Moral Law, but
rather an added force. The disciples of Christ, as
citizens of the Kingdom are enjoined to perfect
obedience. They are to journey by a narrow way
and enter through a strait gate. The standard
erected here is nothing less than perfection. "Not
every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord! shall
enter into the kingdom; but he that doeth the will
of my Father. Be ye, therefore, perfect, even as
your Father which is in heaven is perfect." In
case of default, provision is elsewhere made for
pardon; but the rule of conduct here laid down is
rigid obedience. This is the freedom with which
the Son makes free. True freedom is perfect obe
dience to perfect law. This is the franchise of the
Kingdom; "the glorious liberty of the children of
God." Not a foundation sermon. — It is a mistake to
speak of the Sermon on the Mount as a "founda
tion sermon."
It is rather a superstructural sermon. The
foundations of the Kingdom or of the Church,
which is the great organism through which God is
working for the establishment of his Kingdom on
earth, is laid not in a moral code but in a creed.

148 The Three Great Doctrines
At the time when Peter made his good confession,
"Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,"
our Lord said of it, "On this rock will I build my
Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it." In other words, the foundation of
the Church of Christ is faith in him. His King
dom is made up of those who are entitled to citi
zenship by reason of the fact that they have ac
cepted him as Priest to make atonement for their
sins, as Prophet to instruct them in the great veri
ties of the spiritual life, and as King to defend and
rule over them. Thus, "the Church's one founda
tion is Jesus Christ our Lord."
The Sermon on the Mount is distinctly an ethi
cal symbol; wherefore it can be only superstruc
tural; since works are the fruit of faith expressed
in conduct and character. It was singularly ap
propriate, for this reason, that the great Sermon
which was intended as a rule of conduct for the
disciples of Christ should end in this wise: "There
fore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and
doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man
which built his house upon a rock ; and the rain de
scended, and the floods came, and the winds blew
and beat upon that house; and it fell not, for it
was founded upon a rock. And every one that
heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not,
shall be likened unto a foolish man which built his
house upon the sand; and the rain descended, and
the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon
that house ; and it fell, and great was the fall of it."

His Inaugural Sermon 149
Not a summary. — It is a mistake to regard the
Sermon on the Mount as a summary of the teach
ings of Christ.
It is, indeed, a mere fragment of his teaching,
by no means to be considered as exhausting the
demand which his gospel makes upon us. On
April 30th, 1798, Washington entered on his first
administration as President of the United States.
In front of the national building on the corner of
Wall and Nassau streets in New York he deliv
ered his inaugural address, which, as all agree, was
full of sound political sense. But to intimate that
his address on that occasion contained all that was
necessary for the political welfare of our country,
so that the Constitution, the enactments of Con
gress and decisions of Courts are entirely negli
gible, would be to say a very foolish thing. So,
without minimizing the splendid significance of
the Sermon on the Mount, we insist that it does
not furnish an exhaustive and conclusive statement
of the religion of Christ.
It must be taken in connection with his other
teachings ; for example, his conversation with Nic-
odemus in which he said, "Verily, verily, I say
unto you, Except one be born anew he cannot see
the kingdom of God"; and also, "He that be
lieveth on the Son is not judged: he that be
lieveth not is judged already, because he hath
not believed on the name of the only-begotten
Son of God." It must be taken in connection with
his denunciation of the Pharisees, "Woe unto you,

150 The Three Great Doctrines
hypocrites; who make long prayers at the corner
of the streets and devour widows' houses; ye are
as whited sepulchres, fair without, but within full
of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. How
shall ye escape the damnation of hell?" It must
be taken in connection with his farewell address
in the upper room, wherein he said, "He that hath
seen me hath seen the Father. How sayest thou
then, Show us the Father? Believest thou not that
I am in the Father and the Father in me?" It
must be taken in connection with the great com
mission which he gave his disciples on the Mount
of Ascension: "All power is given unto me in
heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore and evan
gelize: and lo, I am with you alway." The first
word and the last word and every word of Jesus
must be received by those who are loyal to him.
It will not answer to take a mere fraction of his
teaching and build our faith upon it.
Not a sermon of salvation. — The greatest mis
take of all is made by those who regard the Ser
mon on the Mount as a sermon of salvation.
It was not so intended, inasmuch as it was ad
dressed to those who were already saved by the
grace of God. You will find here no reference to
the cross, or to justifying faith or to the blood that
cleanseth from sin. The moment a man accepts
Christ he is delivered from the bondage of the
Law by coming into perfect accord with it. The
man who would live under the Law must keep

His Inaugural Sermon 151
it; for if he break it he will die under it. "By
the deeds of the Law, therefore, shall no flesh be
justified." There is no justification except by the
free grace of God.
Two inferences. — Two things follow from the
foregoing considerations: the first is that the Ser
mon on the Mount does not contain all the truth
which must enter into the fabric of the Church.
Here is where Ian Maclaren errs, in his "Mind
of the Master," where he says, "No Church since
the early centuries has had the courage to formu
late an ethical creed, for even those bodies of
Christians which have no written theological creed
yet have implicit affirmations or denial of doctrine
as their basis. But imagine a body of Christians
who should take their stand on this sermon of
Jesus and construct their creed on his lines. Imag
ine how it would read: 'I believe in the Father
hood of God; I believe in the words of Jesus; I
believe in the clean heart; I believe in the un
worldly life ; I believe in the Beatitudes ; I promise
to trust God and to follow Christ; to forgive my
enemies and to seek after the righteousness of
God.' Could any form of words be more ele
vating, more persuasive or more alluring? Do
they not thrill the heart and strengthen the con
science? Liberty of thought is allowed; liberty
of sinning is alone denied. Who would refuse to
sign this creed ? They would come from the East
and the West and the North and the South to

152 The Three Great Doctrines
its call; and even they who would hesitate to
bind themselves to a crusade so arduous would
admire it and long to be worthy." Granted!
But when they came together these people would
not constitute a Christian Church ; for they would
not have subscribed to the fundamental principles
of the Gospel of Christ. Their "ethical creed"
would be no creed at all. An ethical creed is a dis
tinct contradiction of terms. A creed of beliefs is
one thing and a code of ethics is quite another
thing. They do run in parallel lines. They com
plement and supplement each other; but it is
foolish and preposterous to confuse them. It is
enough to say of an "ethical creed" that it saves
nobody because it has no color of redeeming blood
upon it.
The final inference is that the Sermon on the
Mount was not intended to be and is not a suffi
cient guide for sinners seeking the way of spiritual
life. If we are ever saved it will not be on ac
count of personal merit but wholly by reason of
what Christ has done for us. We may learn a
lesson from the simple words that once fell from
the lips of a peasant child who was led into the
audience room at Windsor Court. She stood for
a while in silent awe, her eyes dazzled by the
magnificence of gold and purple on every side,
and then quaintly repeated the verse:
"Jesus, thy blood and righteousness
My beauty are, my glorious dress :
'Mid flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
With joy shall I lift up my head."

His Inaugural Sermon 153
The only work that commends a sinner to the
divine favor is that which Christ himself indicated
when he said, "This is the work of God, that ye
believe in him whom God hath sent." If we are
ever saved, therefore, it will not be by the rules
of conduct which are laid down in the Sermon on
the Mount but by that fundamental rule of faith
which precedes it, "He that believeth on the Son
hath everlasting life." Wherefore sinners are
directed not to Olivet but to Calvary, where Christ
bare our sins in his own body on the tree.

HIS TEACHING

The Teacher. — The test. — Into court. — The Teacher's
claim. — The documents. — Oral testimony.— Per
sonal experience. — Summing up.
The Teacher. — One of the greatest discourses of
Christ, in which he clearly stated the authority of
his teaching, was that given in the seventh chapter
of John's Gospel. He was speaking in the Porch
of the Temple to a company of people divided in
opinion concerning him. There were some who
believed that his teaching was true and that he
was what he claimed to be. There were others,
including the Scribes and Pharisees, who were so
opposed to him that they were even then plotting
his death. The Teacher himself put the case
calmly and dispassionately before them, on this
wise: "If any man willeth to do His will, he shall
know of the teaching, whether it is of God."
The Teaching had to do distinctively with the
way of Salvation. The method of the Teacher was
exclusive; that is, he ruled out all other plans of
salvation and insisted that his was the only way.
It is not strange, therefore, that there was a dif
ference of opinion among his hearers, or that there
is such a difference at this day. The question in
volved is of vital importance. If the Teaching be
154

His Teaching 155
true, it is absolutely and exclusively true; if false,
then the believers of the past have walked in a
dream ; they that have fallen asleep in Christ have
perished, and we are like drowning men grasping
at straws. Then the Church is a masterpiece of
folly, Christendom a blot on the map of the world,
the progress of these nineteen centuries a phosphor
escent gleam in the blackness of darkness, life a
labyrinth without a clew, and death a plunge into
an unbroken night. But if the Teaching be true,
what then ? All other systems of so-called religion
and philosophy are false, skepticism is blindness,
indifference is a fatal mistake, and the rejection of
Christ is the unpardonable sin.
The test proposed by the Teacher as to his
Teaching is an eminently fair one. It is in fact
a proposition to submit the question to a jury. The
sole qualification of service on this jury is that a
man shall be "willing to do God's will," that is,
he must be in accord with the mind of God. As
God is truth, this is equivalent to saying that he
must be willing to see the truth and follow it. He
must disabuse his mind of prejudice. One who is
self-opinionated is never willing to do the divine
will. One must be ready to go wherever the evi
dence leads him. It was one of the wise sayings
of Aristotle that "the mind's eye is not capable of
right judgment unless it be virtuous," that is, un
less it be in line with truth, which is the mind of
God.

156 The Three Great Doctrines
Into court.— It is our present purpose to bring
the Teaching into court in pursuance of this propo
sition of the Teacher, and submit the evidence to
a jury of fair-minded men. The one thing neces
sary is that which applies in the empaneling of any
jury; to wit, the decks shall be cleared of preju
dice. Otherwise, to proceed with the argument
would be as hopeless as was Galileo's attempt to
prove the existence of the moons of Jupiter to a
body of inquisitors, who refused to look through
his telescope for fear they should have no case
against him.
We want a jury of "honest doubters." Let there
be no mistake at this point, however, for many a
man who thinks himself an "honest doubter" is in
fact a stubborn unbeliever. It has been said that
"doubt is the agony of a noble soul or the frivolity
of a fool." An honest doubter is one who, realiz
ing the importance of the issue, rests not day nor
night until he arrives at the truth concerning it.
He puts away all preconceptions and, with a clear
conscience and a single purpose, addresses himself
to the problem in hand. He seeks no neutral
ground. As to the Teacher and his Teaching, he
perceives that there is only one alternative; either
to receive Christ at his word, in which case he will
forthwith close in with his overtures and devote
his life to him; or else to reject him outright as a
self-deluded fanatic or a willful impostor, un
worthy of faith or confidence. "How long go ye
limping between the two sides? If Jehovah

His Teaching 157
be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow
him." Is the reader thus prepared to canvass the evi
dence? Is his mind free from bias and open to
conviction? If not, he is peremptorily challenged;
because no amount of knowledge or scholarship
can entitle him to pass upon the merits of the case.
If, however, he is sure of his willingness to do the
will of God in the serious quest of truth, he is com
petent to hear the evidence which is now to be sub
mitted and to pass upon it.
The Teacher's claim. — It will be proper to enter
the claim of the Teacher himself as to the Teach
ing. He says that he came from the glory which he
had with the Father before the world was, to suffer
and die vicariously in the behalf of sinful men, to
the end that salvation might be assured to all who
believe in him.
This claim must stand upon its own merits. It
is not enough to reply, as the Pharisees did, that
the Teacher is a mere carpenter, unfamiliar with
the terminology of the schools. What difference
does that make, if the Teaching be true? It is re
lated of John Williams, of Raratonga, that, hear
ing on one of his missionary tours that an attack
was meditated upon his home, he sent a message
in all haste. Not having any writing materials at
hand, he wrote with charcoal on a chip the word
"Danger!" and sent it by a swift runner to his

158 The Three Great Doctrines
wife. Was not that warning as true and valid as
if it had been embossed on parchment? So, here,
the question as to the Teaching of Jesus must be
determined on its own merits ; and with this under
standing it is offered as evidence in the case.
The documents. — We desire to enter, also, a
mass of documentary evidence of three sorts, to
wit: Exhibit A.— The Bible.
And, though we believe the Bible to be inspired
and therefore true from beginning to end, we do
not for the moment insist on that view, but are
willing to waive it. All that we ask is that the
Bible shall be regarded with the same respect as
other "literature." It consists of two volumes;
one of which, the Old Testament, is full of the
testimony of prophets who were looking forward
to the coming of Christ; and the other, the New
Testament, of the testimony of the apostles con
cerning Him. These apostles profess to have been
eye-witnesses of the incidents which they relate and
to have heard the Teachings from the lips of the
Teacher himself. "That which we have heard,
that which we have seen with our eyes, that which
we beheld, and our hands handled, concerning the
word of life (and the life was manifested, and we
have seen, and bear witness, and declare unto you
the life, the eternal life, which was with the Father,
and was manifested unto us) : that which we have
seen and heard declare we unto you also."

His Teaching 159
Exhibit B. — A vast number of Depositions,
made by witnesses along a period of nineteen hun
dred years; consisting of Creeds, Confessions and
apologetic writings of various sorts.
In these are embraced the controversies of the
ages. The witnesses who bear this testimony are
entitled to a respectful hearing as to the Teaching,
because in many cases they adventured their lives
upon the truth of it. Here are the "noble army
of martyrs" who faced the sword and fagot fires
and the lions of the amphitheatre in defence of
their faith. "They were stoned, they were sawn
asunder, they were tempted, they were slain with
the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goat
skins; being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated," for the
truth's sake. All of these testify with one voice,
"We believe that the Teaching is true and that
Christ was what he claimed to be."
Exhibit C. — The entire history of the Christian
Era ; not only that written by Christians but by un
believers as well.
It is our purpose to present in this body of his
tory a corroboration of the statement of Christ
that his Teaching was to be like leaven, put into
dough and destined to leaven the whole lump. It
is a singular fact, which must be accounted for in
some way, that the progress of civilization during
these centuries has been along the line of the Teach
ing of Christ. The civilization of the world is
embraced in a charmed circle called "Christen
dom" after his name. If you draw that circle on

160 The Three Great Doctrines
a map you will shut out barbarism and darkness,
and you will find you have shut in light and liberty
and humanity. It thus appears that the leaven has
been doing its work. The Teaching has been like
the torch in the hand of Milton's Angel of the
Morning"; as it has come down along the ages,
institutions of light and freedom and humanity
have sprung up along its way.
Oral testimony. — We are now prepared to sum
mon living witnesses to the truth of the Teaching.
How many? "At the mouth of two witnesses or
three every word may be established." Are there
"two or three" to certify to the Teaching? Are
there a hundred, a thousand, a million? Nay,
there are hundreds of millions, from every known
kindred and nation, people and tribe. Was there
ever such an array of witnesses in any court? And
all tell the same story of faith in the Teacher and
his Teaching. One by one they say, "This poor
man cried, and Jehovah heard him and saved him
out of all his troubles." They say with one ac
cord, "I was under conviction of sin, and he blotted
out my sins." They say, "I have tried the Teach
ing and found it a strong staff to lean on : and I
have tried the Teacher, and found him to be a very
present help in time of trouble." They say, "I
know him whom I have believed and that he is
able to guard that which I have committed unto
him against that day."
It is quite in order for any juror to cross-examine

His Teaching 161
these witnesses. The fact that many of them are
common people, unaccustomed to forensic usages,
will not exempt them.
Question : You say you are a Christian ?
Answer: I am.
Q. — What do you mean by it?
A. — That I am a disciple of Christ and am try
ing to follow him.
Q. — What is your creed?
A. — The Teaching of Christ.
Q. — What is your code of morals?
A. — The Teaching of Christ.
Q. — What is your hope of immortality?
A. — The Teaching of Christ.
Q. — Who is this Christ?
A. — The Teacher sent from God.
Q. — What is this Teaching?
A. — It is the sum and substance of all truth
bearing on the spiritual life.
Q. — What has Christ done for you?
A. — He has pardoned my sins.
Q. — How do you know it ?
J, — I have the witness of his Spirit with- my
spirit that I am born of God.
Q. — Do you think yourself perfect ?
A. — By no means ; but I follow on if that I may
be apprehended of him.
Q. — What is your religion ?
A. — To carry out the Teaching in my daily life.
Q. — How highly do you value the Teaching?
A. — I would die rather than give it up.

1 62 The Three Great Doctrines
What is to be said in answer to the testimony
of this great cloud of witnesses? The obvious
thing to do is to impugn their character and so
break down their credibility if possible. Are they
people of bad character as compared with others?
Are they "vile fellows of the rabble"? Oh, no.
It is conceded that no Christian is what he ought
to be ; but, taking Christians by and large, they are
the best people in the world. The converts in a
mid-African missionary station will compare fa
vorably with their pagan neighbors. Or, to come
nearer home, take your stand on the corner of
Broadway and select the first thousand Christians
from among the passers-by and then a thousand
non-Christians at random; line them up and let a
just comparison be made between them. We will
abide the issue. It was by such comparison that
Alexander Pope, himself an unbeliever, was moved
to make this historic definition, "A Christian is the
highest style of man."
It is because of the general impression that the
highest standard of conduct is set forth in the
Teaching of Christ that men point their fingers at
every Christian who goes wrong. Why is not at
tention called to an infidel who violates the laws of
common honesty? Because the expected has hap
pened. When a follower of Christ goes wrong, he
is pilloried because the world, instructed in the eth
ics of the Teaching, had reason to expect better
things of him.

His Teaching 163
Personal experience.— It remains to suggest one
further test of the Teaching; to wit, personal ex
perience. A farmer in Dakota, in defending his claim, af
firmed that under his title the eastern line of his
farm was "six hundred paces from the creek to a
certain boulder." The jury, being in doubt, asked
the magistrate to be permitted to see for them
selves ; whereupon they visited the farm and paced
the eastern line and satisfied themselves in that way.
This is precisely the plan proposed for testing the
Teaching. "Come and see."
In one of Peter's epistles, he says, "For we did
not follow cunningly devised fables when we made
known unto you the power and coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ, but we were eye-witnesses of his maj
esty. For he received from God the Father honor
and glory, when there was borne such a voice to
him by the Majestic Glory, This is my beloved
Son in whom I am well pleased; and this voice
we ourselves heard borne out of heaven, when we
were with him in the holy mount." Thus far we
have apostolic testimony. He proceeds, "We have
the word of prophecy, made more sure" (the refer
ence here is to the Scriptures of the Old Testa
ment) "whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as
unto a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day
dawn," (here follows the test of experience) "and
the Daystar arise in your hearts."
We are like wanderers in the night. Voices are

1 64 The Three Great Doctrines
heard about us, saying, "This is the Way : walk ye
in it." Better still the Bible is given "as a lantern
shining in a dark place." When we personally ex
perience the saving power of Christ, the light of
the morning shines into our faces, and as the day-
star is outshone by the sun our perplexity is gone
forever. Thus personal experience adds final con
firmation to Scripture and oral testimony; and cer
tainty takes the place of hope.
"Oh, taste and see that Jehovah is good!" It
is a true saying, "He that believeth on the Son of
God hath the witness in him." All voices, human
and divine, are ineffective until by vital appropria
tion we make the gospel an indwelling fact. Then
we know that Jesus Christ hath power on earth to
forgive sins. Then we, becoming witnesses our
selves, are prepared to testify that his love affords
an easement of all pain and sorrow. Then we feel
his friendship as the great incentive to spiritual
growth and usefulness. The truth is put beyond
all doubt or peradventure when "the Daystar arises
in our hearts."
Is it not reasonable that a man, assuming him
to be unprejudiced, should put the Teaching to this
test? We are all alike sensible of sin; and, aside
from the Teaching of Christ, there is no way of
salvation. We are like that woman in Capernaum
who, having an issue of blood which was pro
nounced to be incurable, and hearing that Jesus
was in the city, said within herself, "If I do but
touch his garment, I shall be made whole." She

His Teaching 165
forced her way through the press, touched the hem
of his garment and felt that her malady had gone
from her. As she was going her way Jesus said,
"Who is it that touched me?" And the woman,
"trembling, fell down before him and told him
all." She told him the pathetic story of her vain
consultation with other physicians, on whom she
had wasted all her substance, and how in her de
spair she had come to him. And he said, "Daugh
ter, thy faith hath made thee whole ; go in peace."
Is it not in line with common reason that any one
in a similar case should do likewise ? If there is no
other way of escaping from the record of the mis
lived past and from the bondage of evil habit, why
not come to him whose blood cleanseth from all
sin, and whose truth makes men free ?
A woman of Samaria, going out to draw water,
met and talked with Jesus, who was sitting weary
on the curb of the well. She presently left her
water-pot and came running into the city, saying to
her friends and neighbors, "I went out to draw wa
ter at Jacob's well, and there I met a wayfarer who
spake to me as never man spake." "Come, see a
man who told me all things that ever I did; can
this be the Christ?" They followed her back to
the well and listened to Jesus. They besought him
to be their guest ; and he abode there two days, and
many believed on him. And they said to the
woman, "Now we believe, not because of thy speak
ing, for we have heard for ourselves and know
that this is indeed the Saviour of the world."

1 66 The Three Great Doctrines
Thus, in the last reduction, a man is savingly con
vinced by personal experience, when he can say,
"I have met Christ, have made his acquaintance,
have reasoned with him by the way and have
learned to love him."
Summing up. — The case is thus presented to our
jury of fair-minded men; and, as in similar cases,
the call is for decision here and now. The claim
of the Teacher as to the truth of the Teaching is
true or it is not true. The verdict is called for. Let
there be no "hung jury." Proven or not proven?
That is the question. If the evidence is conclu
sive, there is only one thing to do; to wit, Accept
Christ and follow him.
We shall have no further evidence bearing upon
the truth of the Teaching until we see the Teacher
in the brightness of his heavenly glory. The Day
star itself will fade in the brightness of that high
noon. Here we see as in a glass darkly, but there
we shall see face to face. We shall behold the
King in his beauty, and "we shall be like him, for
we shall see him as he is."
A native convert in the South Sea Islands gave
this testimony : "I listened to the missionary when
he spoke of sin, and he and I were like two canoes
going side by side. Then he spoke of the way of
salvation, and I dropped behind — mast broken and
sail blown away — while he sped on. The sea drove
me on a barren coast, where I lay helpless for a
time. Then I arose in the blackness of darkness,

His Teaching 167
and felt my way like one groping along the wall.
At length I seemed to touch a door; I pushed for
my life; it flew open, and I beheld Him with the
glory shining in His face!"
The evidence as to the Teaching is before us.
Let us use the light we have and live up to it. Let
us follow the gleam of the Scriptures, listen to the
voices of eye-witnesses and heed the testimony of
our own hearts. Here is the secret of peace and
moral earnestness. And in due time the shadows
will flee away and our path will be as the shining
light which shineth more and more unto the per
fect day.

HIS SOCIAL ETHICS

The law of Christ. — A complex law. — Kinship in the
law. — The new note. — Sharing with Christ. —
Christ under the yoke. — A law for all men.
The "law of Christ" as laid down by Paul is
usually regarded as identical with the Golden Rule,
which James called "the royal law," saying, "If
ye fulfill the royal law, according to the Scripture,
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do
well." But they are not identical, as we shall see.
Here is Paul's code as given in Galatians 6:2-5:
"Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill
the law of Christ.
"For if a man thinketh himself to be something,
when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
"But let each man prove his own work, and then
shall he have his glorying in regard of himself
alone and not of his neighbor.
"For each man shall bear his own burden."
The advice of Paul on this occasion was called
forth by a controversy which was going on in the
Galatian churches. The question at issue was about
the laws binding on them as followers of Christ.
Some said that the Moral Law as set forth in the
Ten Commandments was enough; but there were
others who insisted that as Christians they were
168

His Social Ethics 169
still under the Law of Ordinances; that the rites
and ceremonies prescribed under the Levitical
economy were as imperious as ever. To all alike
the apostle says, "If you want laws, here is one
that shall suffice for all; to wit, the Law of Christ,
'Bear ye one another's burdens,' That will keep
you busy, if you suitably observe it."
A complex law. — At first glance the law thus
enunciated looks simple enough; but scarcely has
Paul uttered it before he gives us to understand
that it is really a most complex and comprehensive
scheme of life.
The first sign of this complexity appears in the
paradoxical statement that "Each man shall bear
his own burden."
This is the law of nature. Every man must bear
his own burden because he cannot help it. He is
born alone and must endure for himself the ills
that human flesh is heir to. He suffers the lonely
aches and pains of childhood and, farther on, must
meet his foes single handed and weep his own bit
ter tears. At last he passes alone through the little
wicket gate and stands to answer for himself alone
at the judgment bar of God.
I dreamed a dream, long years ago, in which I
seemed to be in a shadowy world where ghostly
figures were passing before me; and all bore bur
dens. Some tried to walk erect and manfully bear
up, while others groaned and bowed low; but all
alike were burden-bearers. It was a true vision.

170 The Three Great Doctrines
This is the common lot. The only question is,
How shall we bear up ?
There are those who face the inevitable with
stoical fortitude, like an Indian bound to the stake,
who smiles while the flames curl about him. Oth
ers suffer submissively, because "what can't be
cured must be endured" or because they believe in
Providence and can say, "It is the Lord; he doeth
all things well." But there are others still who
carry their burden with Christian faith, like Paul,
who cried, "We rejoice in our tribulations; know
ing that tribulation worketh steadfastness; and
steadfastness, approvedness ; and approvedness,
hope : and hope putteth not to shame ; because the
love of God hath been shed abroad in our hearts
through the Holy Spirit which was given unto us."
Kinship in the law. — The next item in the anal
ysis of this law is in the words, "Bear ye one an
other's burdens."
This is the law of society. A pot-hunter in pur
suit of game carries his own gun, because there is
no one to carry it for him. To all intents and
purposes he is a barbarian; the rule of his business
being "Look out for number one."
But suppose that same man is enlisted in a com
pany keeping step along a hot and dusty road.
Borne down by the heat and burden of the day, he
reels and staggers. A voice beside him cries, "You
are faint, comrade! Give me your gun and your
knapsack; I'll carry them for you." That is sym-

His Social Ethics 171
pathy, the fruit of fellowship and the noblest thing
in human nature. It is only when men draw near
to each other in social bonds that voices are heard
calling, "Lend a hand!"
And just here we note one of the clear distinc
tions between man and the lower orders of life.
How much better is a man than a horse? If two
horses be harnessed together it is only because they
will carry a heavier load that way. If one falls in
the traces his mate casts no eye of sympathy upon
him, but stolidly trudges on. But if two men be
yoked together it is not simply by reason of the
fact that they can thus carry a heavier burden, but
that they can carry it more easily because of sym
pathy: as it is written, "Two are better than one;
because they have a good reward for their labor.
For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow."
The ground of this social law is in the fact
that we are "made of one blood." The word
"kindness," in its primitive form, is kinned-ness.
We are all kinsfolk; because we are children of
the same God.
And here lies the foundation of Government.
The ancient symbol of Government was a lame man
carried on the shoulders of a blind man, one being
legs to the other and the other eyes to him. Bar
barism says, "I care for nobody, no, not I, and no
body cares for me." Civilization says, "I care for
everybody, and I expect everybody to care for me."
The most visible sign of Government is taxation;
because it represents the interdependency of the

172 The Three Great Doctrines

s

units in a commonwealth. The wards of society
must be protected and cared for; the wealth of the
self-supporting must be taxed for the support of
the weak. In other words, every man is responsi
ble for the other man.
The new note. — The third element in the analy
sis of the Law under consideration is this: The
bearing of the other man's burden is a normal part
of my own burden.
And this is the Law of Christ. He said, "A new
commandment I give unto you; that ye love one
another even as I have loved you." In what sense
can this be called a new commandment? He had
already summarized the whole moral law in two
precepts, namely: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and
with all thy mind. This is the great and first com
mandment. And the second like unto it is this,
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." The
old commandment is, "Thou shalt love thy neigh
bor as thyself"; but a distinct advance is made by
Christ when he says to his disciples, "Ye shall love
one another even as I have loved you."
How did Jesus love them? Did he love them
as he loved himself? No, he never thought of
himself, in his consuming love for them. His
spirit was one of utter self-forgetfulness, self-
abnegation, self-sacrifice. There was only one man
in the world whom Christ ever forgot, and that
was Jesus of Nazareth. He remembered all others

His Social Ethics 173
and loved them so utterly that he gave himself for
them. Wherefore those who follow Christ are
under bonds to love others more than they love
themselves. Sacrifice is the keynote of the Christian life.
Sacrifice is sanguinary ; the redness of blood is upon
it. He who would fulfill the royal law of Christ
must therefore bear the other man's burden until
he feels it. He must "give until it hurts" ; he must
love until he bleeds; he must present himself "a
living sacrifice," for Jesus' sake, in the behalf of his
fellow-men. This is the meaning of the Master's
words, "If any man would come after me, let him
deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me."
Sharing with Christ. — The fourth of the constit
uent elements in this Law may be expressed on this
wise: He who thus bears the burden of others,
bears a part of the burden of Christ.
This is the law of the Church as laid down by
Christ. It is set forth in that singular statement
of Paul's where he says, writing from a prison
where he languished in bonds and affliction, "I re
joice in my sufferings for your sake and fill up on
my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of
Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the
Church ; whereof I was made a minister according
to the dispensation of God."
But what is that which is "lacking of the suffer
ings of Christ" ? Did he not suffer all, and once
for all ? Is not redemption fully accomplished by

174 The Three Great Doctrines
the tragedy of the Cross? What then can be
"lacking" for us to fill up?
It is true that the Cross stands for a full and
complete expiation of human sin. No mortal man
can help Christ to bear his cross. He nowhere
asks it. He does not say, "If any man would come
after me, let him deny himself, take up my cross
and follow me"; but "Let him take up his cross."
We cannot enter into partnership with him in his
vicarious pain. We cannot bear the slightest part
of it. On his way to Calvary he paused at the Gar
den of Gethsemane and, as he entered the shadow
of the olive trees, said to his chosen disciples,
"Sit ye here, while I go yonder"; and he passed
"yonder" into the darker shadow, where all alone
he pressed the purple cup of death to his lips ; as it
had been written of him, "I have trodden the wine
press alone and of the peoples there was no man
with me." And at the conclusion of the three hours
of mortal anguish on the cross he cried, "It is fin
ished!" so signifying that nothing remains to be
done for the expiation of the world's sin.
But there is still somewhat "lacking" of the suf
ferings of Christ for us to fulfill. There is work to
be done in which we can co-operate with him. It
is nineteen hundred years since he tasted death for
every man, and there are still twelve hundred mil
lions of people who have either never heard of the
gospel or care nothing about it. The burden of
the unsaved multitude is still upon the heart of

His Social Ethics 175
Christ; and it is for us to help him bear it. That
which is "lacking" is the bringing of the world to
God. Did he weep, saying, "O Jerusalem, Jeru
salem, that killeth the prophets, and stoneth them
that are sent unto her! how often would I have
gathered thy children together, even as a hen gath-
ereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would
not"? "Did Christ o'er sinners weep and shall
our tears be dry?" Hear his word: "Go out into
the highways and hedges and constrain them to
come in!"
And this is his yoke. He bears his cross alone,
but his yoke he shares with us. "Take my yoke
upon you," he says: "Help me to carry the burden
of a sin-stricken world back to truth and righteous
ness ! Lend a hand in the reaping of the yellow
harvest of souls ! My yoke is your yoke : I leave
it behind that ye may carry it with me." This is
the work of the Church; and this is the work of
every true Christian who is a member of it. Oh,
how much remains of the work of the Master for
us to do !
Christ under the Yoke. — And there is a fifth
fact which must be taken into consideration in our
analysis of this law, to wit: The yoke is easy and
the burden is light.
The yoke is easy because it is always for two.
The burden is light because he helps us carry it.
If ever it seems heavy let me remember that just

176 The Three Great Doctrines
beside me, under the other half of my yoke, is my
Lord.. I never toil alone; it is always Christ
and I.
A farmer driving home from market overtook a
weary traveler with a pack on his shoulders, bow
ing under the heat and burden of the day. "Will
you give me a lift?" said the weary man. The
farmer assented and the traveler climbed in behind
him. As he drove on, chancing to look behind him,
he saw that the traveler's burden was still on his
back. "Why don't you lay it down and rest?"
asked he. "It is enough," replied the foolish man,
"that you should carry me without carrying my
burden, too."
And thus we journey heavenward, making our
yoke hard and our burden heavy, because we forget
that for Christ to carry us is no easier than to carry
our burden with us. Unload, my friend, and learn
the comfort of perfect trust. Get so far into ac
cord with the Spirit of Christ that you shall be able
to sing: "How gentle God's commands,
How kind his precepts are!
Come, cast your burdens on the Lord
And trust his constant care.
"His goodness stands approved,
Unchanged from day to day;
I'll drop my burden at his feet
And bear a song away."

His Social Ethics 177
A law for all men. — So runs the blessed Law
of Christ. It was intended for all ; not for Chris
tians only, but for everybody in this world of ours.
It was designed to be as comprehensive as the law
of gravity which so prevails in the natural uni
verse that the rolling sun and the planets and every
particle of matter are under its sway. But the
Law of Christ, unlike the law of gravity, was
made for men and women created in the likeness
of a sovereign God and therefore with sovereign
wills that can challenge the Law and disobey it.
For this reason you and I must each for himself
determine whether he will come under its control
or not.
But for those who profess to follow Christ there
is no option in these premises. We are in covenant
bonds; and this is the very touchstone of disciple-
ship. It is a well-known fact that the presence of
certain metals can be determined by the various
colors which they emit. The Christian life is in
like manner attested by obedience to the Law of
Christ, as he said: "By this shall all men know
that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to
another." And here is also the secret of a happy Christian
life. Our Lord, when he entered upon his earthly
ministry, came joyously under the control of this
royal law; as it is written, "Who for the joy that
was set before him endured the cross, despising
shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of
the throne of God." In like manner the Chris-

178 The Three Great Doctrines
tian who yields himself with a cordial abandon
to the sway of this Law finds the true happiness
of life here and an abundant entrance into the life
eternal. Wherefore, let the mind that was in
Christ Jesus be also in you:
He who thus follows Christ is no longer an alien
from the commonwealth of Israel and a stranger
to the covenants of promise, but is become an en
franchised citizen of the kingdom of God.

HIS SACERDOTAL PRAYER

Christ in prayer. — The prayer of the upper room. —
That his disciples may be kept. — Sanctified. — Uni
fied. — Glorified. — A limited prayer. — All may be
included.
Christ in prayer. — No man ever prayed as Jesus
did. He was in such vital communion with the
Father that prayer was, as we say, "second nature"
to him. Nay, rather it was first nature to him.
He knew how to commune with God.
On one occasion, being overheard by his dis
ciples who perceived that he was possessed of a
secret unknown to them, they said "Lord, teach
us to pray." His answer was, "After this manner
pray ye: Our Father who art in heaven, Hal
lowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy
will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. Give us
this day our daily bread. And forgive us our
debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And
bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from
the evil one."
We are accustomed to speak of this as "the
Lord's prayer." It was, however, not the Lord's
prayer at all but our prayer. It was indeed a
prayer in which he himself could scarcely join;
because his relation with the Father was quite dif
ferent from ours. He nowhere includes himself
179

180 The Three Great Doctrines
in the same sort of filiation as ours, since he was
"the only-begotten Son." The real Lord's Prayer
is that which is recorded in the seventeenth chap
ter of John. This is a prayer which none but
he could make; which no mortal man could offer
without such a measure of presumption as would
amount to blasphemy against God.
The prayer of the upper room. — It is to this
sacerdotal prayer that our thought is now directed :
"These things spake Jesus, and lifting up his eyes
to heaven, he said, Father, the hour is come."
It was the last night of his sojourn on earth. He
was meeting with his disciples for the last time in
the upper room. He had preached his last ser
mon to them; had instituted the last supper; had
given them his last bequest, saying, "Peace I leave
with you ; my peace I give unto you" : and now he
makes his last prayer for them.
"I pray not for the world," he says, "but for
those whom thou hast given me." And then he
proceeds to ask four things in their behalf; and
in our behalf, also, for he distinctly makes men
tion of "them also that believe on me through their
word." Thus his great prayer includes all true
Christians to the end of time. In these four pe
titions we have a summary of all that makes life
worth living or heaven worth longing for.
That his disciples may be kept.— "Holy Father,"
he prays, "keep them in thy name which thou hast

His Sacerdotal Prayer

181

given me. ... I pray not that thou shouldest
take them from the world, but that thou shouldest
keep them from the evil one."
He had himself been sent into the world to ac
complish a definite task, and he was not to depart
out of the world until he could say, "I have accom
plished the work which thou hast given me to do."
As the Father had sent him into the world, so had
he sent his disciples into the very thick of its toil
and conflict to remain there until their work was
accomplished. In the meantime he said, "Whither
I go ye cannot come;" but in due time, having been
faithful, they were to follow him.
He foresaw the trials and persecutions that
awaited them. The sword was being sharpened;
the fagots were being kindled for them ; he heard
the roaring of the lions in the amphitheatre. In
that company in the upper room was James, who
was presently to be slain with the sword ; and most
of the others, if not all, were destined to climb
"the steep ascent of heaven through peril, toil and
pain." He did not pray that they might be kept
alive. For life is not worth living when faith and
honor die. His desire was that they might be
kept faithful unto death.
He foresaw also the divers temptations that
awaited them; temptations to turn aside from the
straight path of righteousness into the by-ways of
sin: temptations to swerve from their loyalty to
truth into the easy follies of unbelief. For false
teachers were to "creep in" among them, whose

1 82 The Three Great Doctrines
clever presentations of error were calculated to de
ceive the very elect. He did not pray that they
might not be exposed to these temptations; but
that, being so exposed, they might be kept from
wandering into sin and unbelief.
Oh, how much this prayer of the Master is
needed to-day ! We are living in a very cyclone of
controversy, and in constant danger of being swept
away from our moorings by adverse winds. There
is not a single fundamental truth of the gospel
which is not denied or speciously explained away
in these days — the deity of Jesus, the inspiration
of the Scriptures, the reality of the supernatural,
the very personality of God !
The two pieces of divine armor which we most
need, under these circumstances, are the girdle of
truth and the sandals of the gospel. It was the
spiked sandals of a Roman knight that, at close
quarters with his adversary, enabled him "to with
stand in the evil day, and having done all to
stand." But the doctrine of the "perseverance of the
saints" rests on no frail foundation of human abil
ity. We are saved not by our feeble hold on Christ
but by his mighty grip on us, as he said, "No one
shall snatch them out of my hand." Wherefore
let us lean hard and trust to his great promise :
"The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I will not desert to his foes ;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no, never, no, never forsake!"

His Sacerdotal Prayer 183
Sanctified. — The second petition of this great
prayer in behalf of his disciples is that they may
be sanctified.
The word sanctification is used in two different
senses. It refers, on the one hand, to growth in
holiness. We as Christians are expected to grow
every day; not to stand still, marking time, but
"to act that each to-morrow find us farther than
to-day." We are to add to our faith virtue, and
to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temper
ance, and to temperance patience, and to patience
godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and
to brotherly kindness charity, that so we may in
crease in the practical knowledge of Christ.
This is character building: to be constantly
growing more like him. And to that end we have
received the immediate presence and power of the
Holy Ghost, the Sanctifier. He is not called
the Holy Ghost because he is holier than either
of the other persons of the Godhead, but
because it is his official function to impart
and cultivate holiness. Wherefore our sancti
fication is measured by our close and vital ac
quaintance with him.
But sanctification means also consecration; that
is, devotion to duty. So Jesus says, "For their
sakes I sanctify myself, that they themselves also
may be sanctified in truth;" by which he means
that he sets before them an example of perfect de
votion to duty. And he indicates how this is to
be accomplished in us. The agent of sanctification,

1 84 The Three Great Doctrines
in both senses, is the Holy Spirit, and the instru
ment used by him is the "truth."
We are left in no doubt as to where this truth is
to be found; for Jesus adds "Thy Word is truth."
His reference is clearly to the Scriptures. I am
aware that an attempt is made by those who reject
the Scriptures to explain this away by saying he
was thinking of all the manifestations of Deity in
the world about us. But here "the wish is father
to the thought." The reference of Jesus is not
to God's voice in the rolling thunder and the rip
pling of brooks, but to his revealed Word. And
this is in line with all his other teachings. He was
always true to his Bible; he knew it, believed it,
loved it, preached it and commended it to those
who followed him. He never in a single word
or syllable intimated that he questioned its inspira
tion and trustworthiness. It is respectfully sub
mitted to the consideration of all his professed
followers that the Book which was good enough
for him should be good enough for us.
The pathway of sanctification is thus made clear.
If we profess to follow Christ, we must allow him
to prescribe for us. He breathed on his disciples,
saying, "Receive ye the Holy Spirit" ; he pointed
to the Scriptures, saying, "They testify of me."
We have the Bible; and we have the Holy Spirit
to illuminate its pages and anoint our eyes that
we may see; furthermore, we have the sustaining
power of this great prayer of Jesus, "Sanctify
them in the truth."

His Sacerdotal Prayer 185
Unified. — His third petition for his disciples is
that they may be unified: "That they may all be
one, even as thou, Father, art in me and I in thee,
that they also may be in us."
It is a grave misinterpretation and perversion of
this prayer to suggest that Jesus had in mind a
heterogeneous union of all sorts of people, like the
"Congress of Religions" where Jews and Chris
tians, Moslems, Confucianists, Buddhists and Fire-
worshipers met together in a common fellowship
under the apparent assumption that sincerity in
error is as admirable as devotion to truth. The
prayer of Jesus, on the contrary, was for the har
monious unity of all who sincerely believe in him.
Nor did he pray that these might all be one in
an unconditioned oneness, but that they might be
one after the similitude of the ineffable Trinity.
"As thou, Father, art in me and I in thee, that they
also may be in us."
The union thus indicated is obviously not a mat
ter of mere sentiment nor to be accomplished with
iron clamps. It is a union of life and purpose, a
substantial union, a union for the accomplishment
of a definite purpose in the salvation of men.
We sometimes lament the fact that there are
different denominations of believers in Christ.
This is after the analogy of Nature. "Birds of a
feather flock together"; and there are "many men
of many minds." We are made to segregate; and
it matters not how we differ in non-essentials so
long as there is a substantial unity of life and pur
pose among us.

1 86 The Three Great Doctrines
At the beginning of our Civil War there was a
call for seventy-five thousand troops to serve for
ninety days. The troops thus enlisted were organ
ized into companies, regiments, divisions and army
corps. There were infantry and cavalry and ar
tillery. Had they been massed and hurled at once
with a common purpose against the enemy, the
war might have been brought to a speedy close;
but they were stationed all over the country in
various camps.
Then came years of sporadic fighting: till at
length Grant appeared with a conviction that the
whole army must be brought together for a final
blow. He meant to save the Union; and there
seemed no other way. So the order went out and
a million men turned their faces toward a single
point. All the lines converged at Appomattox.
Grant was there with his formidable army; Sheri
dan was hastening from the North and Sherman
from the South. The result was a foregone con
clusion when the lines closed in.
It was with a like purpose in mind that Jesus
prayed for the unification of his Church, "that the
world may know that thou didst send me." The
sending of Christ was for the saving of the world;
and the sending of his disciples was to the same
end; that is, to bring all men to the knowledge of
the saving grace of God. "As thou didst send me
into the world," he said, "even so send I them into
the world." And never will the world believe in
the great purpose of Jesus until all his disciples,

His Sacerdotal Prayer 187
moved by a common impulse, shall advance in solid
phalanx to proclaim his gospel to the uttermost
parts of the earth.
"The way to resume," said Jay Cooke, "is to
resume." The way to get together is to stop talk
ing about Church union and turn our faces toward
the common end. Such a union would be im
measurably better, more rational and more con
vincing than any uniformity brought about by
sentimental exhortations or by mere mechanical
means. The world will believe in the gospel just
as soon as Christians demonstrate their convic
tion of its truth by being "all at it, always at it,
all together at it."
Glorified. — The fourth of the great petitions of
Jesus for his disciples is that they may be glorified :
"Father, I will 1 that they also whom thou hast
given me be with me where I am, that they may
behold my glory, which thou hast given me."
And here we reach the stupendous climax of this
mighty sacerdotal prayer. The words of Jesus
at this point are conclusive with respect to two mat
ters. On the one hand, they prove that Jesus was
either what he claimed to be, to wit; the only-be
gotten and co-equal Son of God, or else he was
'In the Revised Version this is rendered, "Father, I desire,"
etc. ; but, inasmuch as the word thelein occurs ninety-seven times
in the four Gospels and always with this meaning, I see no reason
for changing it.

1 88 The Three Great Doctrines
justly charged with blasphemy against God. For,
observe, he does not ask this thing of the Father,
but wills it! Out of his own authority, the
exousia which was "from within," he wills it! As
the eternal Son he wills it ! Think of a mere man,
though he were the best of men, looking up to
heaven and speaking in this way.
And observe also his reference to "the glory
which he had with the Father before the world
was." He claims not only to have been pre-exist-
ent but to be a sempiternal sharer in the glory of
God ! He elsewhere announced his purpose of re
turning, after he should have finished his redemp
tive work, to reassume the glory which he had with
the Father "before the world was" !
But his words suggest another important truth,
to wit: that his intercessory prayer on this occa
sion was but the beginning of an eternal interces
sion in behalf of those who follow him. "He ever
liveth to make intercession for us." In that same
interview with his disciples in the upper room he
said, "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I
go and prepare a place for you, I come again and
will receive you unto myself; that where I am,
there ye may be also." He is thus preparing us
for a prepared place. He has entered upon his
glory, and proposes that his faithful followers
shall not only behold but participate in it.
On one occasion his disciples caught a glimpse
of that glory. It was on the Mount of Transfig
uration, where "the fashion of his countenance was

His Sacerdotal Prayer 189
altered and his raiment became white and daz
zling." For a moment his homespun fluttered
aside and revealed the King; but how, think you,
will he appear when we shall see him as he is?
Here is something to dream about. Surely a great
surprise awaits us!
How natural it was, and how human, that Jesus
should offer this prayer! The disciples had known
him in his humiliation; he meant that they should
behold him in his glory. They had seen him
clothed in homespun; he wanted them to see him
arrayed in light and dwelling in glory unapproach
able. They had seen him in the workshop, with
chips and shavings about his feet and the imple
ments of his trade on the bench before him; he
wanted them to see him in the palace where he had
dwelt "before the world was." They had seen him
on his weary journeys followed by a meager reti
nue of fishermen ; he wanted them to see him with
legions of angels and archangels waiting to do his
holy will. They were to see him in the Judgment
Hall, scourged and spit upon, wearing the cast-off
purple of a petty magistrate, with an impotent reed
in his hand ; he wanted them to see him surrounded
by a great multitude that no man can number, as
cribing to him, with a voice like the sound of many
waters, honor and glory and power and dominion
forever and ever. They were to see him lifted up
in the mortal anguish of the cross ; he wanted them
to see him lifted up above all principalities and
powers, as King of kings and Lord of lords.

190 The Three Great Doctrines
A limited prayer. — One thing more, and here is
a matter for serious consideration. This prayer of
Jesus was only for those who love and follow him.
"I pray not for the world," he said, "but for those
whom thou hast given me."
On other occasions he did pray for the world.
His advent was a demonstration of his love to
ward all the children of men. His life was a long
prayer for sinners. His death was a mighty prayer
for salvation to the uttermost. It had been writ
ten of him, centuries before : "Ask of me, and I
will give thee the nations for thine inheritance and
the uttermost parts of the earth for thy posses
sion." On the cross, with his pierced hands out
stretched, he offered that petition, "Give me the
nations for my inheritance, and the uttermost parts
of the earth for my possession!" This was a plea
for all humanity; which in the fullness of time shall
be answered when the nations shall come flocking
to him as doves to their windows, and he shall see
the fruit of the travail of his soul and be satisfied.
Oh, yes ; he prayed for the world ! He prayed
for all non-believers to the end of time when he
cried, "Father, forgive them, for they know not
what they do !" But on this occasion, in the upper
room, his prayer was only in behalf of those who
loved him.
All may be included. — If there be any man, not
hitherto a Christian, who would come within the

His Sacerdotal Prayer 191
charmed circle of this intercessory prayer — surely
a great privilege — the way is open before him.
Yield to the overtures of Christ. Bow under his
cross and pass under his yoke. There is no other
way of getting into this inner place. He offers
salvation to the worst of sinners; but, inasmuch
as man was created in the likeness of God and is
therefore possessed of a sovereign will, salvation
cannot be forced upon him. The unspeakable
gifts of the gospel are free as air or water, but a
man must take them.
Oh, the blessedness of being included in the in
tercessory prayer of Christ! It makes us strong
and patient and hopeful in suffering and service to
know that he ever liveth to make intercession for
us. Arise, my soul, arise:
Shake off thy guilty fears !
The bleeding Sacrifice
In thy behalf appears;
\ Before the throne my Surety stands,
f-\ My name is written on his hands !
5. v He ever lives above
*/ For me to intercede ;
His all-redeeming love,
His precious blood to plead;
His blood atoned for all our race
And sprinkles now the throne of grace.
Five bleeding wounds he bears,
Received on Calvary;

192 The Three Great Doctrines
They pour effectual prayers,
They strongly plead for me.
"Forgive him, O forgive," they cry,
"Nor let that ransomed sinner die!"
The Father hears him pray,
His dear anointed One;
He cannot turn away
The presence of his Son ;
The Spirit answers to the blood
And tells me I am born of God !
All thanks to him who thus remembers us ! In
our behalf the incense of intercession ever rises
from the Golden Altar of heaven. Our Lord
stands, as Stephen saw him, with outstretched arms
to welcome us. We are kept, we are sanctified,
we are brought into the fellowship of saints, and
shall be ultimately glorified with Christ, because
he ever liveth, thus, to make intercession for us.

HIS GREAT PROMISE

Necessary that Christ should depart. — His bequest. —
Personality of the Holy Spirit. — The convicting
power of the Spirit. — We need him.
Necessary that Christ should depart. — It is easy
to understand the necessity of Christ's coming into
this world; for what a dreary, sunless world it
would have been without him ! It is easy to see,
moreover, that it was expedient for him to remain
here, in order to teach truth and righteousness and
lay the foundations of his Kingdom among men.
But how could it be expedient that he should go
away? Yet he says plainly in the sixteenth chap
ter of John: "I tell you the truth; it is expedient
for you that I go away."
Was it on account of the limitations of the flesh ?
His purpose was to be a universal Saviour; his
gospel was for all the children of men ; yet here he
was, "cabin'd, cribbed, confined" in the smallest
of small parishes in a remote corner of the world.
The problem before him was like that of Archi
medes, who affirmed that he could lift the world if
only he might find a place for the fulcrum of his
lever. But obviously the place for the fulcrum of
a lever that lifts the world must be outside of it.
193

194 The Three Great Doctrines
The great men of history have all had to "go
away" in order to wield the full measure of their
influence. The living among us are the dead. The
men who are dominating our affairs are not those
who have the trumpet at their lips, but those who
have gone into God's acre, many of them lying in
unknown graves "unwept, unhonored and unsung."
The influence of Jesus, while he sojourned as a
man among men, was inconsiderable as compared
with that which he exerted afterward. He suc
ceeded in gathering a little group of fishermen and
other humble folk about him; and that, appar
ently, was all. His announced plan was to revo
lutionize history and turn the world upside down;
and this meager following was all there was to
show for it!
All bodily presence is weak. It seemed impos
sible for Jesus even to impress upon his disciples
an adequate thought of his divine nature and au
thority so long as they were able to say, "Behold
he is with us and one of us." One night while
they were rowing across the sea of Galilee the
storm fell suddenly and they were overwhelmed
with fear. What was their Master's power to
them? Yet he was only three miles away!
So sensuous was their faith that it reached only
to their finger-tips. For their sake, therefore, as
well as for the world's sake, he must vanish out
of their sight; like Lycurgus, who, having prepared
a code of laws for Sparta, and perceiving that his
personal presence was a hindrance to the just ob-

His Great Promise 195
servance of that code, mysteriously disappeared
and never again was seen among men. But he left
his influence behind him. It was because he found
the fulcrum of his lever outside the world that his
name is mentioned among the great lawgivers of
the world to-day.
His bequest. — But Christ has nothing to say of
such considerations as these. The reason which
he gives for his going away is that he was to leave
behind him a bequest which should be a manifold
equivalent for every loss. "If I go not away the
Comforter will not come unto you; but if I go
I will send him unto you."
In the history of our world there have been
three divine dispensations. The first was the dis
pensation of the Father, which continued from the
creation until the advent of Christ, a period of
about four thousand years. The second was the
dispensation of the Son, which continued for a
brief period of about thirty years; it was like a
sun spot on the mountains, which lingers for a mo
ment and is gone. The third is the dispensation
of the Spirit, in which we are living to-day. At
the ascension of Christ the work of the kingdom
on earth was transferred to the Holy Spirit; and
he, as its executive, will carry it on until the resti
tution of all things.
So Jesus said farewell and went his way. What
then ? For a time his followers were overwhelmed
with sorrow, feeling that all was over.

196 The Three Great Doctrines
But after his resurrection Christ reappeared and
remained with his disciples forty days, long enough
to satisfy them that whereas he had died he was
now alive forevermore, and to mark out for them
the plan of the campaign which was to eventuate
in the restoration of the world to God. At the
close of that period he met them at Olivet,
breathed on them, saying, "Receive ye the Holy
Spirit!" and gave them the great commission, "Go,
evangelize !" Then the heavens opened to receive
him. Ten days later, while the disciples were praying
in an open court in Jerusalem, the Spirit came with
a sound as of a rushing, mighty wind ; and the be
ginning of the new administration was signalized
by the conversion of three thousand souls in a
single day!
Personality of the Holy Spirit. — We are living
in this dispensation of the Spirit ; and it is obviously
of the utmost importance that we should under
stand the meaning of it. The Holy Spirit is not
an impersonal something or other, an affluence, an
effluence, an influence or anything of the sort. He
is the third person of the Godhead. His personality
is as real as that of the Father or that of the Son.
He is the Executive of this dispensation, under
whose authority and control we, as followers of
Christ, meet all responsibilities and discharge all
duties. It is nearly nineteen hundred years since Jesus

His Great Promise 197
advised his disciples that they were to act hence
forth under this direction; and think of the mil
lions on millions of people in the world who
have never heard his gospel! Nor can the
Church expect to realize its best possibilities so
long as its ministers and members fail to recognize
the leadership of the Spirit, and the fact that they
themselves, in order to meet their responsibilities
under the great commission, must be baptized with
fire and power and made conscious partners in the
transcendent work of the Spirit of God.
The convicting power of the Spirit.— The in
fluence of the Holy Ghost, as the great dynamic
in human history, is here clearly indicated in the
teaching of Christ. He says of the Comforter,
"When he is come he will convict the world in
respect of sin, and of righteousness and of judg
ment." Of sin. — He will convict the world of sin, "be
cause they believe not on me."
The average man has a totally inadequate sense
of sin. At the best, he regards it as a violation
of law. He sees clearly enough that theft, arson,
forgery, murder and adultery are sins. In fact,
however, they are merely symptoms of sin, like
eruptions which indicate an inward malady. And
when we try to cure sin with chains and prisons
and scaffold trees, we are simply doctoring the visi
ble symptoms of it.
But here comes the Holy Ghost to correct this

198 The Three Great Doctrines
misapprehension. He teaches us that sin in any
form whatsoever is not only a violation of law,
divine or human, but enmity against God.
This is getting down to the root of the matter.
The thief, the drunkard and the drab are sinners,
certainly; any child knows that. But how about
the smug, decorous, respectable malefactor who
does not wear his vices on his sleeve for daws to
peck at? What about the man who keeps within
the bounds of statutes and ordinances but has no
place in his life for God? Is he also a sinner?
The Holy Ghost says yes. Why? Because he
breathes God's air, lives on his bounty, is a con
stant beneficiary of his goodness and yet has not
the grace to say, "I thank you !"
If this were all it would be bad enough; but the
head and front of his offending is that when God
sends his only-begotten Son into the world to die
for his redemption, he will have none of him ! So
said Peter to the assembled multitudes on the day
of Pentecost, "Jesus of Nazareth . . . him . . .
ye by the hands of lawless men did crucify and
slay." They were guilty of a thousand sins; but
this was the greatest of all.
To reject Christ is to crucify him afresh; and
what a sin have we here in the light of this gospel
age ! This is the revolt of the sinner against God.
It is worse than theft and murder and adultery
rolled into one. But tell that to the respectable
sinner and he will smile at you. The Holy Ghost
must come and uncover his heart. And when the

His Great Promise 199
Holy Ghost speaks his words shall be like a two-
edged sword which divideth asunder the soul and
spirit. Now see the sinner pricked to the heart,
and hear him crying, "What shall I do?"
Of righteousness. — It is the function of the
Holy Ghost, as Jesus says, to "convict the world
of righteousness, because I go to the Father and
ye behold me no more."
The world's idea of righteousness is as defective
as its conception of sin. It has one form of right
eousness which it calls morality, that is, living
within the prescript of the law. This is good
as far as it goes, but it does not go far enough.
Jesus said to the young ruler, "He that doeth the
law shall live by it" ; but suppose a man breaks the
law, what then? "The soul that sinneth it shall
die!" And in all the world there is not a mortal
man who has kept the moral law.
There is another form of righteousness which
means obedience to ceremonial law. This is su
perficial at the best, and those who practise it, un
less they have a heart of holiness, are but "like
unto whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear
beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men's
bones and of all uncleanness." This is that form of
religion of which the Saviour said, "Except your
righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the
scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no wise enter into
the Kingdom of heaven." The two forms of
goodness here indicated are like the signs on a
shop-keeper's windows, which may mean something

200 The Three Great Doctrines
or nothing, according as there are corresponding
goods on his shelves within. And those who trust
in either one of them will be left lamenting at the
last, "All our righteousnesses are as a polluted
garment!" The Holy Ghost comes to correct these defini
tions of righteousness by pointing to Christ, who
was the only righteous man that ever lived in this
world of ours. He was the only one who ever
lived up to the high level of the law. He was the
only one who ever "brought the bottom of his life
up to the top of his light." He was the only one
who ever dared to issue a challenge, "Which of
you convicteth me of sin?" without being laughed
at. He was the Dikaios of whom Plato dreamed,
"the perfect one." He was the only man who ever
was sentenced to death by a judge who said, "I
find no fault in this man."
It is the special and particular function of the
Holy Ghost to call him to our remembrance.
Christ has gone to the Father, so that the world
seeth him no more ; but the world can never forget
him, because the Holy Ghost is ever pointing to
him and saying, "Behold the man! Behold his
sinlessness and the perfect manner of his life ! Be
hold him, and be like him!" In the imitation of
Christ we find the Spirit's definition of righteous
ness. For such righteousness is more than con
formity with law; it is conformity with God.
So the Holy Ghost reverses the world's concep
tions of sin and righteousness. Here are two men

His Great Promise 201
going up to the Temple to pray. One of them is
a Doctor of Divinity with broad phylacteries and
a scriptural frontlet between his eyes; and his
prayer runs on this wise: "God.T thank thee that
I am not as other men are; extortioners, unjust,
adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in
the week! I give tithes of all that I get!" The
other, standing afar off, dares not lift up his eyes
unto heaven, but, smiting upon his breast, cries,
"God, be thou merciful to me, a sinner!" The
world takes these men at their own valuation: the
Pharisee is a saint and the publican a reprobate.
But the Holy Ghost has this to say : "The Pharisee
is the sinner and the publican is the saint ; because,
feeling his sin, he is on his way back to God."
Of judgment. — The Holy Ghost "convicts the
world of judgment because the prince of the world
hath been judged."
The current thought of judgment is as inade
quate as the conceptions of sin and righteousness
already referred to. On the one hand there are
those who think, like Job's miserable comforters,
that judgment is a system of exact retribution go
ing on here and now. A man sits in a draught and
contracts rheumatism, or he overeats and has dys
pepsia. Thus the laws of nature are continually
exacting their quid pro quo as indicated in the
Buddhist "law of consequences."
There are others who restrict the thought of
judgment to the Great Day when all that are in
their graves shall come forth to render an account

202 The Three Great Doctrines
of their deeds. Both of these conceptions are true
so far as they go; but they do not exhaust the
matter in hand.
The Holy Spirit comes to advise us that there;
is another sort of judgment going on every dayj
before our eyes. Who is being judged? The
prince of this world. We are in the midst of a
great controversy. Light and darkness are met as
on a mighty battlefield. Events are hastening on
toward a great Armageddon when the red dragon
shall be cast into the pit. Here is the key to his
tory. Read it as Christ did when he said, "I
beheld Satan fallen as lightning from heaven!"
Read judgment in the newspapers, between the
lines of passing events ! The Holy Spirit gives us
the clue. "God's in his heaven, all's right with the
world!" History is judgment. There is judgment in
the story of Waterloo and Gettysburg, the Cru
sades and the Reformation, the fall of the Bastile
and the signing of Magna Charta. Christ goeth
forth conquering and to conquer ! He hath upon
his vesture and upon his thigh a name written,
"King of Kings and Lord of Lords." See the
white plume of the Captain of our Salvation in
the forefront of events, leading onward, ever on
ward to the Golden Age! Fall in and lend a
hand ! The blast of the trumpet which shall usher
in the Great Day will be but the signal for the
final sitting of a Court which has been in session
through all the ages.

His Great Promise 203
So the three great facts in the province of the
spiritual life, to wit: sin, righteousness and judg
ment, are defined and opened up to us by the Holy
Spirit. He anoints our eyes that we may see. He
dispels doubt, cures hypochondria and makes op
timists of all. He hushes our misereres and at
tunes our hearts to hosannas and hallelujahs. The
shadows disappear at his bidding and lo, the moun
tains are full of horses and chariots !
We need him. — Come, Holy Spirit, come!
Come as the light to illumine our dull understand
ings! Come as the morning dew to refresh our
weary energies and give us hopeful and joyous
views of spiritual truth! Come as the fire to en
kindle within us new zeal for holiness and new
devotion to the kingdom of truth and righteous
ness! Come and call Jesus to our remembrance!
For without thee our eyes grow dim and vision
fails. Show us Christ, crucified to atone for sin
which is enmity against God ! Show us Christ, the
living exemplar of that righteousness which is con
formity with God ! Show us Christ, the conqueror
who leads the great campaign of progress with
such might that the gates of hell cannot prevail
against him ! Come, Holy Spirit, come ! Give us
a bright vision of Christ, the Alpha and Omega,
the beginning of every high hope and noble aspi
ration, and the end of every ambition that is
worthy of the children of men ! Show us Christ,
first, last, midst and all-in-all !

HIS ATONING WORK

An object lesson. — The doctrine of salvation. — Sin.—
Expiation. — Justification by faith.
An object lesson. — The clearest exposition of
the Atonement is that which Christ himself gave
in his conversation with Nicodemus. The rabbi
had greeted him with a compliment, "Master, we
know that thou art a teacher come from God."
This was a mere courtesy on his part; but back of
it, deep down in his heart, was a strong desire to
know the way of eternal life.
As an expert in the art of forensic dissimulation
he naturally gave no outward token of this desire;
but the Lord perceived it. He diagnosed his case
at a glance ; and giving no heed to the compliment,
he proceeded straightway to the matter in hand.
He knew that what his visitor wanted was light
on the great problem of salvation; and he instruct
ed him precisely as if he had been a little child.
If a kindergartner wishes to explain roundness to
a child he does not give the dictionary definition
but holds up an orange to illustrate it. So Christ
gives Nicodemus an object lesson, to make clear
the doctrine of salvation. "Do you remember,"
he says, "how Moses lifted up the serpent in the
204

His Atoning Work 205
wilderness?" Of course he remembered; for this
was an old story and the Hebrew people were all
familiar with it.
The doctrine of salvation. — Our Lord used this
incident to illustrate the doctrine of salvation; and
the analogy is very close. In this doctrine there
are three essential facts.
Sin. — The first fact is sin. Here is the starting-
point. We shall make no progress toward a so
lution of the problem until we get a right idea of
sin. I am aware that this way of thinking is quite
out of fashion; nevertheless sin is a fact; and there
is none to dispute it.
Sin, like the venom of the serpent, is all-per
vasive. It courses through the blood from the
heart to the very finger-tips. It corrupts the mind,
perverts the conscience, enfeebles the will, so that
"the whole head is sick and the whole heart faint.
From the sole of the foot even unto the head there
is no soundness in it : but wounds and bruises and
fresh stripes."
Sin, like the venom of the serpent, is deadly.
"The soul that sinneth it shall die." And to the
mind of a right-thinking man there can be no
death more frightful than eternal exile from a holy
God. There is no cure in our materia medica for
it. In vain did the Israelites search for an anti
dote for the serpent's bite. Their herbs and nos
trums and incantations were unavailing. The

206 The Three Great Doctrines
world, in like manner, has been groping through
the centuries for some remedy for sin. The prob
lem is, What shall I do to be sayed? How shall
God be just and yet the justifier of the ungodly?
How shall a man be just with God? In all the
mythologies and philosophies and false religions
of the world there is no hint or suggestion of any
method for the removal of sin.
Expiation. — The second of the essential facts in
the doctrine of salvation is expiation. This is set
forth in the lifting up of the serpent. Jesus said,
"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,
even so must the Son of Man be lifted up." The
resemblance is clear.
To begin with, the brazen effigy on the pole was
really no serpent at all. It was wholly innocuous.
There was no venom in it. So it is written of
Christ that he was "holy, harmless and undefiled"
among the sinful children of men. There was no
fault in him at all.
But the brazen effigy was like a serpent. So it
is written, "God sending his own Son in the like
ness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in
the flesh; that the ordinance of the law might be
fulfilled in us." And, still more emphatically,
"Him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our
behalf, that we might become the righteousness of
God." As the brazen serpent was impaled, "even so
must the Son of Man be lifted up." The phrase
"lifted up" was generally understood as a proverb-

His Atoning Work 207
ial reference to crucifixion. "But this he said,
signifying by what manner of death he should
die." A further explanation is given in these
words: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of
the law, being made a curse for us ; for it is writ
ten, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree."
As the brazen effigy, like a madstone, drew the
poison from the wound, so Christ crucified has
power to save. This is because he died as our sub
stitute. Our sin is laid by imputation upon him,
that he in turn may cast about us the imputation
of his righteousness, as a garment of fine linen,
clean and white. He is indeed the sinless one; yet
hanging yonder impaled, as it were, before the of
fended law he becomes, in our behalf, the very
chief of sinners. The curse of the whole ruined
race is laid upon him. The blood upon his fore
head seems like a frontlet, bearing the word "Ac
cursed." It is by virtue of this imputation that he,
being made "in the likeness of sinful flesh," de
livers us from sin. He "bore our sins," and bore
them away "in his body upon the tree."
But now arises the supreme question: How
shall we get the benefit of this salvation which was
wrought for all the children of men? If it be true
that he "tasted of death for every man," then that
means me. What remains to be done that I may
be saved by it ?
Justification. — This brings us to the third of the
essential facts in the doctrine of salvation, which
is justification by faith. "Look, and live !" "He

208 The Three Great Doctrines
that believeth on the Son hath eternal life; but he
that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life, but the
wrath of God abideth on him."
There was obviously no healing virtue in the
glance. So far as that was concerned it would
have answered just as well to look at the face of
Moses or at the noonday sun. So faith in itself
is a valueless thing. There is no essential grace in
it; nevertheless it is the indispensable condition of
life. The only reason why the sufferers in the Jewish
camp were healed by looking at the brazen serpent
was because God had declared that so it should be.
In like manner faith in Christ is made the condition
of the forgiveness of sin. No one will question the
fact that the God who wrought the miracle of
healing in the wilderness had an indisputable right
to make his own terms concerning it. It should
be equally clear that the God who bestows the gift
of pardoning grace has the right to place a con
dition upon it. This he has been pleased to do.
His grace is free, free as air or water ; but the air
must be breathed, and a man will perish of thirst
if he does not dip up the water and drink it. In
like manner the great salvation is offered to all
on the sole and simple condition that they will by
faith receive it.
I remember seeing a tract entitled "The Gospel
in Three Colors, or The Alchemy of Grace."
Apart from the title page it contained not a single
word; only three leaves, black, red and white. In

His Atoning Work 209
these three leaves we find a simple but clear ex
position of the divine method of dealing with sin.
The Black Leaf stands for sin; which is the
blackest thing in the universe of God.
"Black it stood as night," says Milton; and
Shakespeare: "O bosom black as death!" It is
affirmed that the blackest thing in nature is the
blight at the heart of a flower; sin is the mortal
blight at the heart of our ruined race. Is there
anywhere within the infinite reach of divine wis
dom aught that can eradicate it?
The Red Leaf stands for the atoning blood.
Our death sentence is executed in the person of
Christ, who stands as the "daysman" or substitute
for guilty men. Law is honored; justice is vindi
cated; guilt is expiated; holiness is satisfied. Thus
we behold in Christ crucified "the wisdom and the
power of God."
The White Leaf stands for cleansing.
In the marvels of alchemy there is nothing so
wonderful as this, that the blackness of sin, by the
washing of blood, is made white as the driven
snow! No doubt there were many in Israel who, refus
ing to look at the brazen serpent, perished and
were buried in the desert sand. Some put their
dependence on such human help as was at their
command, and they died. Some could not under
stand how there was healing power in a brazen
serpent on a pole; and, refusing to look, they died.
Others, feeling no pain, declined to believe that

210 The Three Great Doctrines
they were in serious danger, and, refusing to look,
they died. But there were multitudes who, hear
ing the invitation, obeyed and lived!
" Look, look, look and live!
There is life for a look at the Crucified One;
There s life at this moment for thee. "
How simple this is! Yet all the profoundest
things are simple. And Jesus said, "Whosoever
shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little
child, he shall in no wise enter therein." I, for
one, am glad that he taught the great truths in
this way : for thus salvation is brought within the
grasp of all. I am glad that he taught Nicodemus
as if he were a child at his knee, beginning the
great lesson with "Once upon a time"; for so the
most wonderful of truths is made clear to the
simplest of minds.
Did Nicodemus see it? Apparently not for
three long years. No doubt he often thought of
that kindergarten lesson in the upper room; but
he did not understand the analogy of the serpent
in the wilderness until, at length, he stood beneath
the cross; and then he saw it! And as a little
child, believing in the great salvation, he entered
by faith in Christ into the kingdom of God.
In one of Mr. Moody's after-meetings a man
Said to him, "I am in trouble about my soul; what
shall I do?" Mr. Moody read him the story of
the Crucifixion ; but before he had finished the man
cried, "I am a Jew ! I do not believe in Jesus of

His Atoning Work 211
Nazareth. He was not the Messiah; and I will
not so receive him." Mr. Moody said, "Very
well; let me read you something else." He turned
to the story of Moses and the brazen serpent.
The man said, "I believe that ; but I don't see how
it affects my case." Then Mr. Moody read the
story of this interview of Christ with Nicodemus;
and when he concluded, the inquirer said, with the
light of salvation in his eyes, "I see it! This is
the Christ of God! God did so love the world
that he gave his only-begotten Son to redeem it!"

HIS ROYAL SEAL

The night. — The morning. — Resurrection light on the
Birth. — Its light on the Cross. — Its light on the
Bible. — Its light on the Church.— Its light on
Christian life. — The Hope of the world.
The night. — It was a doleful night in the Vale
of Weeping. The disciples had hoped all along
that Christ would restore the glory to Israel; but,
alas, he was dead! He was lying in a rock-hewn
sepulcher with his hands folded over his breast.
The eyes that had looked on suffering with divine
compassion were closed. The gracious lips that
had spoken as never man spake were dumb. The
feet that had gone about on errands of mercy were
wrapped in red-stained cerecloth. Greatheart was
dead! The silence of the night without the sepulcher
was broken only by the footfall of sentinels pac
ing to and fro. On a sudden the earth began to
tremble ; a great light shone from heaven and the
soldiers fell as dead men. A troop of angels ap
peared and rolled the stone away; and he came
forth, wiping the death-dew from his brow.
212

His Royal Seal 213
The morning. — Now look yonder! Over the
heights of Bethshemesh there is a glimmering of
dawn; a golden mist is rising from the Mediter
ranean; and behold, the sun "flames in the fore
head of the morning sky." Oh, glorious sun!
In the light of that morning the world has been
growing brighter all along the succeeding ages. In
its light the children of sorrow have caught the
glow of a blessed hereafter and conceived a "hope
that putteth not to shame." In its light we find
the solution of every problem that has to do with
everlasting life.
4 ' How calm and beautiful the morn
That gilds the sacred tomb
Where Christ the crucified was borne
And veiled in midnight gloom !
The gates of death were closed in vain ;
The Lord is risen ; he lives again ! ' '
Resurrection light on the Birth. — The Child
wrapped in swaddling-bands was he of whom it
once had been written, "Behold, the virgin shall be
with child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they
shall call his name Immanuel: which is, being in
terpreted, God with us." Is it a mystery? Yes,
surely, "Great is the mystery of godliness. He
who was manifested in the flesh," — "which things
angels desire to look into." No mortal mind can
explain how Godhood and manhood are inter
woven, as warp and woof, in the person of this
only-begotten Son. However, the world is full of

214 The Three Great Doctrines
inexplicable mysteries which are nevertheless indis
putable facts.
But is the Incarnation such a fact? Was Jesus
of Nazareth what he claimed to be? "I adjure
thee, by the living God, that thou tell us whether
thou art the Christ, the Son of God." So de
manded the High Priest, and his challenge finds
an echo in the experience of all thoughtful men.
"Show us a sign," cried the rabbis; and the heart
of the world responds, "Show us a sign, whether
thou be the Christ or not."
His answer is forthcoming: "There shall no
sign be given but the sign of Jonah the prophet;
for as Jonah was three days and three nights in
the belly of the whale, so shall the Son of Man
be three days and three nights in the heart of the
earth." So be it. We will take him at his word.
He proposes to vanquish death and thus vindicate
his claim.
If he can do this it will place him in a category
by himself alone, absolutely alone, as the one sole
conqueror of death.
Once on a time there lived a man named Caesar,
who led a campaign of undisputed conquest until
he met the King of Terrors and lay down to die.
Once on a time there was a man named Alexander,
who dreamed of universal empire and, having
realized his dream, met the King of Terrors and
lay down to die. Once on a time there was a man
named Napoleon, at the raising of whose hand
thrones and dynasties trembled and tottered to

His Royal Seal 215
their fall; but he, too, met the King of Terrors
and, without a word, bowed low before him. Once
on a time there was a man who led the armies of
our Republic to a victory unparalleled in the his
tory of the world ; but he lies yonder in his mauso-
lem on the bank of the Hudson, with no more
power than the "Amiable Child" who sleeps be
neath the shadow of his tomb.
" Where are the heroes of ages past?
All to the grave gone down ! The warrior's arm
Lies nerveless on the pillow of its fame.
Hushed is his stormy voice and quenched
Is the blaze of his red eyeball. Yesterday
His name was mighty in the earth.
To-day, 'tis what?"
Who, then, shall dispute with Death? Death
has the right of way. Always? Nay, not in
Joseph's garden. Here Christ meets Death and
vanquishes him. In the darkness of the sepulcher
he fights his battle singlehanded and comes forth
crying, "O death, where is thy victory? O death,
where is thy sting?"
The sign is fulfilled. Jonah is delivered from
the belly of hell! Thus does Jesus of Nazareth
vindicate his right to the name "Immanuel" which
was written on his swaddling-bands. For by his
resurrection he hath shown himself with power to
be the veritable Son of God.
Its light on the Cross.— On its transverse beam
is inscribed "Jesus." The claim of redemption is

216 The Three Great Doctrines
in that word. For it was written, "Thou shalt call
his name Jesus, for it is he that shall save his
people from their sins." No other of the children
of men has ever put forth such a stupendous claim.
He said of himself: "The Son of Man hath au
thority on earth to forgive sins." The reason why
he could forgive sins was because he "bare our
sins in his own body upon the tree." But how
shall we know that his death has such saving
value in the sight of God?
It all depends on the miracle of his resurrection.
Show us the sign! For "if Christ hath not been
raised then is our preaching vain; your faith also
is vain; . . . ye are yet in your sins." He affirms
that he is able to save unto the uttermost all that
will believe in him. Let him prove it!
How did the Philistines learn that Samson was
the unconquerable champion of Israel? They shut
him up within the gates of Gaza; they fastened
the bolts and compassed him about with guards;
and lo, he "arose at midnight, and laid hold of the
doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts,
and plucked them up . . . and carried them up
to the top of the mountain that is before Hebron."
At the break of day the Philistines saw him yon
der, leaning on their gates and bars and laughing
at their discomfiture.
So do we learn the redeeming power of God's
only-begotten Son. His soul could not be kept
within the gates of Sheol. He came forth with the
keys at his girdle. Thus the Yea and Amen of

His Royal Seal 217
God was put upon his power to save. And now I
know! "I know him whom I have believed; and
am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I
•have committed unto him against that day!"
Its light on the Bible. — It is the one Book of
all the sacred books of the world that has to do
with everlasting life. In the Analects of Confu
cius you will find an elaborate code of ethics bear
ing on all the relations of the present life. When
Confucius was asked why he had nothing to say
of immortality he answered: "I cannot say
whether there is anything beyond or not; but I
know that we are living here and now; and it de
volves upon us to make the most of ourselves and
do the best for this present world as we pass
through it." A sound philosophy, do you say?
Yes, if a man be no better than a sheep; but not
for you and me.
The Bible is the Book of the Endless Life. It
treats man not as an ephemera living for a hand-
breadth of time, but as a child of God, made in his
likeness and after his image, and destined to live
forever. It treats death not as a fatal accident but
as merely an incident in life. Does death end all?
Not in the philosophy of this Book. Death ends
nothing; it begins all. Life here is merely the
vestibule in which we robe ourselves for the life
farther on.
And this Book of the Endless Life is also the
Biography of the Lord of Life. He walks

2i 8 The Three Great Doctrines
through its pages like a king through the corridors
of his palace, from its opening prophecy of the
Seed of Woman to its last vision of the Sun ofj
Righteousness arising with healing in his wings.
And always he walks as the Lord of Life.
So when by his resurrection he vindicates his au
thority as the Incarnate Word of God he, at the
same time, vindicates the authority of the written
Word. The Bible and his resurrection go hand
in hand. Find me a man who disbelieves this Book
and I will show you one who lifts his eyebrows at
the resurrection of Christ. In these days of bibli
cal controversy, when all sorts of arguments are
presented pro and contra, let this fact be deeply
emphasized: that, when all is said and done, the
ultimate and incontrovertible argument for the
truth of Scripture is in the resurrection of Christ
as the Incarnate Word and therefore the living
complement of the Written Word of God.
Its light on the Church.— The Church is found
ed upon the proposition, "Thou art the Christ, the
Son of the living God." If that can be demon
strated, the Church with its propaganda has a
reason for life. Otherwise it has none. For if
Christ be not risen our preaching is vain.
" Heavy fall the shadows on the dim horizon:
Veiled the starry eyes from wistful eyes below;
Cold and still thou liest in thine earthly prison;
Whither, Lord and Master, whither shall we go?"

His Royal Seal 219
It is not surprising that Peter and his fellow-
disciples lost heart after the crucifixion. He said,
"I go a fishing," and they said, "We also come
with thee." Why not? Why should they con
tinue their itineraries among the villages of Gali
lee preaching the saving power of the gospel of
Christ if he himself had gone the way of all flesh ?
Their occupation was truly at an end; and there
was nothing left but to return to their boats and
nets. But when they met Christ face to face and
knew that he who had been dead was living and
alive forevermore, they were straightway baptized
with power and enthusiasm and went everywhere
preaching the gospel, because there was substantial
ground for it.
Nor is it surprising that Paul, as inquisitor of
the Sanhedrin, went up and down breathing slaugh
ter against the followers of Christ. Why not?
He verily thought that he was doing God's service ;
for to his mind the death of Christ had proven the
falsity of his claim; so that his gospel was a mani
fest imposture. Was ever a man so taken aback
as he when he met the living Christ on that jour
ney down to Damascus ? Right about face, now !
There was no alternative for the conscientious
man. He saw that the Saviourship of Jesus had
been verified by his triumph over death. What
could he do thenceforth but go everywhere pro
claiming, "Jesus ... is the Son of God" !
And this is the commission of the Church.
"Woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel !" The

220 The Three Great Doctrines
gospel is true ; and the obligation of truth is upon
every man and woman in this world of ours.
Wherefore go tell all people that Christ is risen
from the dead and that he hath power on earth
to forgive sin !
Its light on Christian life. — The promise of
Christ is, "Lo, I am with you always. ... I will
not leave you comfortless; I will come again."
What does that mean?
In some quarters there is an effort to explain it
away as a reference to his influential presence. We
hear much also of the "immanence" of Christ. I
do not like the word "immanence" in this connec
tion. It has a cold, mechanical sound. It suggests
the enveloping atmosphere, which presses upon us
always with a power of fifteen pounds to the square
inch or thereabouts. This is not the meaning of
Christ in the promise referred to: he said precisely
what he meant, namely, that he would be person
ally with us. And he is thus with us as our
friend and counsellor and guide. He links arms
with us, as it were, and walks beside us in all our
journey through the Valley of Tears, through the
Valley of the Shadow of Death, through the gates
into the Heavenly City.
The Hope of the World.— Thus it appears that
all that makes life worth living is emphasized and
glorified by this great miracle.

His Royal Seal 221
If Christ be not risen, we are bereaved indeed !
"If we have only hoped in this life in Christ, we
are of all men most pitiable."
The soul of Mary Magdala was cast down
within her while Jesus lay in his sepulcher. He
had been her dearest friend. He had lent a help
ing hand to lift her from the deepest mire. And
he was dead! It was as if the light of her eyes
had gone out. Thus she lingered at the empty
grave when the other women had gone their way.
Hearing a footstep behind her she turned and,
seeing with her tear-dimmed eyes a man whom she
supposed to be the gardener, she cried, "Sir, if
thou hast borne him hence, tell me where thou hast
laid him." He spoke — a word only, a word where
at the currents of her life went surging hot and
fast: "Mary!" Hope, happiness, heaven, all
sprang to life again; and falling at his feet she
cried, "Rabboni!" that is to say, "My Master!"
Thus the hope of the resurrection morning trans
lates itself at once into happiness and usefulness.
Our profession of faith can find no deeper or
higher expression than this, "My Master!"
God help us to keep our windows open toward
the East. Break, O morning of the resurrection,
upon our souls, too often overwhelmed by sordid
doubts and fears! Dawn upon the universal
Church that it may go forth conquering and to
conquer in the name of the risen Christ. Shine
into the trysting places where we make our feeble

a22 The Three Great Doctrines
prayers, and give us faith to realize that he ever
liveth to make intercession for us ! Shine into our
night of sorrow that, looking from the darkness
of an open grave to the glory of the open heavens,
we may praise him in whom life and immortality
are brought to light ! Blessed be God for the day
break of the resurrection. Oh, glorious sun !

HIS INFLUENCE

Two streams. — " The words of Jesus prove his life." —
The proof of the Christian home. — The proof of the
workshop. — The exchange. — The schoolhouse. —
The hospital. — The State. — The Church. — The
Christian himself. — The vital question.
Two streams. — The history of the last nineteen
centuries has been marked by the flow of two
parallel but discordant rivers. One is the River
of Gospel Truth which takes its rise at Bethlehem
and, with the beauty of heaven reflected on its
placid surface, moves ever on toward a boundless
sea. The other is the River of Antichrist, having
its source by the gate of Bethlehem, but pursuing
its way like an underground river which appears
and disappears and reappears at intervals in ever-
varying forms. Now it is called Atheism, and
again Pantheism, or Gnosticism, or Agnosticism,
or Nihilism, or Secularism, or Rationalism, or
Materialism, or Fatalism, or Transcendentalism;
but, whatever its name, it is always the same River
of Antichrist; and its current, whether calm or
turbulent, ever speaks with the same voice, "Away
with this Jesus which is called the Christ!"
This opposition to Christ reached its maximum
223

224 The Three Great Doctrines
in the infidelity of the eighteenth century, when it
was championed in Great Britain by Hume and
Gibbon, in France by Voltaire and Rousseau, and
in America by Thomas Paine and his coterie of
friends. Its chief advocate in Germany was Im
manuel Kant, who called his philosophy "Tran
scendental Idealism." He began with a denial of
the supernatural, which of course ruled out the en
tire teaching of Christ, including immortality and
a personal God. The keynote was thus struck for
Germany, which then became the world's center
of infidelity and has so continued even to this
day. In the universities of that country there are ap
proximately thirty thousand students, of whom
three hundred or more are Americans. These stu
dents return in due time equipped with a supply
of dream-spun theories "made in Germany," to be
exploited and oftentimes approved over here after
they have been decently interred on their native
heath. The trouble is that we Americans take such
speculations too seriously. In Utopia phantoms are
facts and speculation is diversion; but in America
we frivol away valuable time and energy in the
vain endeavor to adjust air-castles to the uses of
practical life.
In 1835 a "Life of Jesus" was published by
David Strauss of the University of Tubingen in
which he advanced what is known as "the mythi
cal theory" of the gospel. He assumed that Jesus
was probably a good man, but undertook to show

His Influence 225
that the gospel records are a mere fabric of myths,
composed by the infatuated friends of Jesus a cen
tury or more after his death. The book created
a sensation, as a matter of course. The theory was
easily exploded by demonstrated facts; but, alas,
"the evil a man does lives after him."
The climax of German infidelity was reached
when Professor Drews of the University of Berlin
delivered a course of lectures to prove that "Jesus
never lived." The late Mrs. Eddy never made
a more grotesque draught on the possibilities of
human credulity. It was no wonder that even the
"Moderates" of Germany were moved to call a
halt. An assembly was convened in Berlin to
formulate a protest. Ten thousand people came
together; the meeting was opened with Luther's
hymn, "A Mighty Fortress is Our God," and all
united in repeating the Confession of Faith. The
Kaiser was not present, but he sent a salutation
which began thus : "Tell the people that the words
of Jesus prove his life. His teaching lives in our
hearts to-day as in the hearts of the simple fisher
men who heard it nineteen hundred years ago."
"The words of Jesus proves his life." — In that
statement we have a proposition of far-reaching
significance. For "words are things," as Carlyle
was fond of saying; and in the logic of events the
words of Jesus have been crystallized into insti
tutions; and institutions are facts which cannot
easily be disposed of.

226 The Three Great Doctrines
Christ himself Said, "Heaven and earth shall
pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
So far from "passing away," they have furnished
the mighty factors in the progress of the ages.
Things do not stand alone. "Out of nothing noth
ing comes." Movements are not automatic; there
is always something or somebody behind them.
The man who believes in "perpetual motion" is
either a dreamer or a simpleton.
If the story of Jesus is a conglomeration of
myths, who invented them? If Christ himself is
a myth, how did he ever come to be what he is in
this world of ours? Theodore Parker was an
avowed unbeliever, but he drew the line at this
point, saying, "Jesus must be measured by the
shadow he has cast upon the world ; no, rather, by
the light he has shed upon it. Shall we be told
that such a man never lived? Suppose that Plato
and Newton never lived ; then who did their works
and thought their thoughts? It would take a
Newton to forge a Newton. What man could
have fabricated a Jesus ? None but a Jesus."
We deal with things as they are. Not theories
but conditions confront us. The words, of Jesus
have, in the process of the centuries, developed into
certain institutions which cannot be flippantly
bowed out of court, but must be accounted for.
The proof of the Christian home.— This has crys
tallized around the word of Jesus which he
addressed to the Seventy on their itinerary: "Into

His Influence 227
whatsoever house ye enter, first say, 'Peace be to
this house !' "
It is not affirmed that there were no households
before the beginning of the Christian era; but it
is affirmed that this word of Jesus makes a home
of a house.
Let us enter a Christian home and look about
us. The man, as head of the family, is no longer
an arbitrary despot as he used to be. In a Roman
household he had practically the power of life and
death; here he is the "house-band," bound to his
wife by the indissoluble tie of wedlock, as the
Master said, "What therefore God hath joined to
gether let not man put asunder."
And the woman — what of her? There has been
a stupendous change in the status of womanhood
since the beginning of the Christian era. A wife
is no longer the abject slave of her husband or his
fair-weather toy. She no longer counts and pub
lishes her divorces by the rings on her fingers. If
her rights are denied she can at least clamor for
them. The crooked woman who appealed to Jesus
iq the Synagogue has at length been "loosed of
her infirmities." The names "wife" and "mother"
have been sanctified by the fact that "the God of
all good Christians was of a woman born."
And what about the children ? The light of the
gospel has fallen also upon them. The mind of the
civilized world is enlisted to-day in behalf of the
little people. We cannot forget that Christ took
a child upon his knee and said, "To such belongeth

228 The Three Great Doctrines
the kingdom of heaven," and "Verily I say unto
you, except ye turn, and become as little children, ye
shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven."
The atmosphere of the home circle has been
changed every way. How shall we account for it?
Things when left to themselves do not move for
ward but backward. The law of society, like the
law of nature, is "reversion to type" ; that is, back
to primitive barbarism. The evolution of the
modern home, with all its happy and blessed asso
ciations, is accounted for when we lift our eyes
and see Christ standing in the doorway and hear
him saying, "Peace be to this house !"
The proof of the workshop.— Here is another
of the institutional facts of our time which must
be accounted for. It crystallizes around that
epoch-making word of Jesus, "The laborer is
worthy of his hire."
We do not say that there were no workers nine
teen centuries ago ; but we insist that there was no
such toiler as the handicraftsman of these days.
In Rome there were three classes : the patricians,
who monopolized all wealth with its concomitants ;
the plebeians, who lived on the congiaria or char
ity of the State; and the multitude of slaves, re
cruited from the conquered nations who passed
under the yoke. These slaves were the workmen.
A plebeian refused to work, because that was the
business of bondmen. And the toiler received no

His Influence 229
wage; only his "keep," and possibly a douceur
which was thrown like a bone to a dog.
Go into the workshop now and look at the man
at the bench. He is a self-respecting man. He
works not for a "tip" or a douceur, but for a quid
pro quo; not for "bed and board," but for an ade
quate wage. He is a free man; insomuch that if
his wages are not satisfactory he can "strike" if
need be. Was there ever a strike in the brickyards
of Egypt? Was there ever a strike among the
slaves who built the palaces of Rome? The very
excesses of our labor-unions are evidence of the
fact that, for some reason, the cause of industry
has moved grandly on. Slaves have gone out of
fashion. The man at the bench has broken his
shackles. " His brow is wet with honest sweat;
He earns whate'er he can;
And looks the whole world in the face,
For he owes not any man. ' '
There is something behind all this. What is
it? The word that was spoken by Jesus, "The
laborer is worthy of his hire," struck a new chord
in the solution of the industrial problem. The
Carpenter of Nazareth, who made plows for the
Judean farmers and mended rickety furniture for
the housewives of the village, has dignified labor
through all the ages.

230 The Three Great Doctrines
The exchange is another institution which must
be accounted for. And the word of Jesus around
which it has crystallized is that which was ad
dressed to the man who buried his one talent in
the ground: "Thou oughtest therefore to have
put my money to the bankers; and at my coming
I should have received back mine own with in
terest." It would appear from these words that there was
an exchange in those days ; but it was not like the
exchange of our time. The business of the mar
ketplace was done with shekels and denarii, or in
the bartering of one commodity for another. Go
into any of our bourses or exchanges now and
you will find a different order of things. What
are these bits of paper passing from hand to hand?
Not cash, but I. O. U's : bonds, debentures, prom
issory notes, certifying to the confidence of men in
their fellow-men.
The banking system is a product of the Chris
tian era. The only place of safe deposit in ancient
times was a hole in the ground or a chamber in
the wall. The talent of our commercial life is
no longer buried in the ground, but put into cir
culation to make an income for the trustee and due
interest for its owner. And the owner in every
case is God.
The talent was characterized by Christ as "my
money," and the man to whom it was entrusted
was bound, as a faithful steward, to "put it to the
bankers." It is this circulation of the talent, on

His Influence 231
the basis of mutual confidence, that makes the
world go around. And this is in pursuance of the
teaching of Christ, whose gospel rings with the
double duty of an interchange of confidence and
loyalty to God.
The schoolhouse too is the crystallization of
that great word of Jesus, "I am the Truth."
Oh, yes, there were schools and schoolhouses
before the Christian era; but in so far as the uni
versal diffusion of truth was concerned, they were
limited to the narrowest spheres and their influence
was like those flashes of electric light which merely
serve to make visible the darkness of original
chaos. The advent of Christ was the rising of a
sun with healing in its wings. His word, "I am
the Truth," was a sonorous echo of the creative
edict, "Let there be light!"
The problem of universal education is being
solved along the line of Christian progress. Wher
ever the gospel has gone the schoolmaster has gone
with it. And from the Kindergarten to the Uni
versity the text-books of the civilized world are full
of gospel truth. The masterpieces of art, the
great oratorios, the triumphs of science and philos
ophy, the laws and jurisprudence of nations, the
practice of medicine, and the entire literature of
the world are so permeated with the gospel that
to omit Christ and his teachings would be to utterly
eviscerate them. All truth centers in him who
said, "I am the Truth ; and the uplift of the peo-

232 The Three Great Doctrines
pie in general enlightenment is proof demonstrative
of the vital influence of Him who said, "I am the
Light of the world!"
The hospital.— Here is an institution which is,
by common consent, one of the distinctive marks
of our civilization. It has crystallized about this
word of Jesus, "The Son of Man came not to be
ministered unto but to minister." It stands for
the self-denying charity of men toward their fel
low-men. Were there no hospitals before Christ? A few
weeks ago I spent a day among the ruins of Pom
peii, which was one of the fashionable resorts of
that time. I saw there the ruins of homes, palaces,
forums, wine-shops and dens of iniquity, but no
where the trace of a House of Mercy.
The best hospital of those days was down by
the Sheep-Market in Jerusalem where the friend
less sick were laid in open porches to await the
moving of the waters of an intermittent spring.
The beggar sat with outstretched hands at the en
trance of the Temple or the gateway of the rich
man. The Magdalene was left to the cold mercy
of the streets. Now the lazaretto has been sup
planted by the hospital ; the aged and helpless, the
widow and orphan, are cared for; and everywhere
in Christendom they are systematically cared for.
The Golden Rule of Christ is regnant in the
world. There is a new spirit of humanity among
us. It is the spirit of ministration; the law of

His Influence 233
Christianized society is the royal law of Christ.
"Bear ye one another's burdens." The man whose
life is controlled by the maxim, "Look out for
number one," is giving place to another and a bet
ter man who follows Christ, whether consciously
or not, in looking out for number two and lend
ing a helping hand to the other man.
The State is among the greatest of our institu
tions. It is the outgrowth of the words of Jesus,
"Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's;
and unto God the things that are God's."
This was spoken in connection with the tribute
money. "Show me the tribute money," said he;
"whose is this image and superscription?" And
they answered, "Caesar's"; whereupon he said,
"Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's";
that is, pay your capitation tax ; in other words, be
a loyal citizen, because the State is ordained of
God. There were Governments before Christ; but
what were they? Lax democracies, tyrannical oli
garchies or arbitrary sovereignties. By the far-
reaching word of Jesus the institution of Govern
ment was put upon an entirely new and rational
basis. On the one hand it was founded in the ordi
nance of God, and on the other on the consent of
the governed. In those two facts Government
finds its sanction and assumes the responsibility of
law, order, and the vindication of the rights of all.
Ask the Kaiser whether Jesus ever lived, and

234 The Three Great Doctrines
his answer is Germany. Ask the President of our
Republic whether Jesus ever lived; and he would
reply, "Why, certainly; else I would never have
been here and this country would not be what it
is." The men who governed Rome were invested
with despotic power. The last of such sovereigns
in Christendom is the Russian Czar; and to-day the
Douma is convened about him. There is not a na
tion in the civilized world without a Parliament;
which means that the two great principles of gov
ernment which were enunciated by Jesus are domi
nant everywhere except in the regions of darkness
and the shadow of death. The time is not far dis
tant when the fifty Parliaments of the world will
sit together and take counsel for universal peace;
and in that council the ruling Diplomat will have
upon his vesture and his thigh a name written,
"The Prince of Peace"; for it is under the in
fluence of his word that the nations are approach
ing the ultimate Commonwealth of God.
The Church.— What shall be said of that? It is
surely an institution which must be reckoned with.
It stands for five hundred millions of people in the
world to-day ! It has crystallized around the word
of Jesus, "And when ye pray say, Thy kingdom
come." It is not affirmed that the Church, as it now ex
ists, is co-extensive with the thought in the mind
of the Master when he spoke of "the Kingdom of

His Influence 235
God." But it may be affirmed without a fear of
contradiction that the Church is the great organism
through which God is working for the setting up
of that Kingdom on earth. As such, the Church
was founded on the Messiahship of Jesus, as upon
a rock, so that the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it.
If you stand in the doorway of any Christian
Church you will hear the people singing, "All hail
the power of Jesus' name!" And presently you
will see them passing out. Where are they going ?
The Master said "Go !" and they are doing as he
bade them. "Go down to thy house and show
what great things the Lord hath done for thee" —
"Go out into the highways and hedges and con
strain them to come in" — "Go ye therefore and
make disciples of all the nations." In other words,
they are going to co-operate with Christ in the an
swering of their own prayer, "Thy kingdom come."
And the issue will show that they are going to
bring in the Golden Age.
The Christian himself. — No fact of these times
is more conspicuous than Christian character. It
must be dealt with as an existing and indisputable
fact. It is the crystallization of the word of Jesus,
"If any man would come after me, let him deny
himself and take up his cross and follow me."
The hundreds of millions of people in the world
who call themselves Christians are not perfect, not
one of them; nor do they claim to be. But take

236 The Three Great Doctrines
them by and large, with all their imperfections,
they stand for what is best and noblest in the moral
life of these days. Did Christ ever live? Here
stands the Christian ! How else will you account
for him ? He has taken Christ as his Saviour, his
Exemplar and his Leader, and is simply trying to
follow him. If you ask him to account for him
self he will answer, as Richard Baxter did, "I am
not what I ought to be ; I am not what I mean to
be; but, by the grace of God in Christ, I am what
I am!" Now, these are facts; and as such they demand
an explanation. To answer the sophistries of Pro
fessor Drews would be to carry coals to Newcastle.
By the same logical method which he employed it
was proved by his colleague, Dr. Wurm, that
Luther never lived. Suppose you were to make it
appear, by macaronic logic of a similar character,
that my father never lived, what then? How
should I confute you. It is enough to say that I
am here. Children do not occur without sires.
Account for me ! You might perhaps be able to
ratiocinate my mother into a myth; but I should
still see her sitting by the chimney corner in the old
home and hear her singing,
"Jesus my all to heaven is gone ;
He whom I fix my hopes upon ;
His track I see, and I'll pursue
The narrow way till him I view !"
No, the question is not, "Did Jesus ever live?"

His Influence 237
Nor is it "Does he live to-day?" He sits upon his
throne and governs men and nations ; and men and
nations are in evidence to prove it. More than
that, we affirm his presence here and now.
We may not climb the heavenly steeps
To bring the Lord Christ down;
In vain we search the lowest deeps,
For him no depths can drown;
But warm, sweet, tender, even yet
A present help is he ;
And faith has yet its Olivet,
And love its Galilee.
The healing of the seamless dress
Is by our beds of pain ;
We touch him in life's throng and press,
And we are whole again.
The vital question. — No, these are not the ques
tions that require our hardest thinking or most
deeply concern us. The vital question, the ques
tion of all questions for living, thinking men, is
this: Is the mind that was in Christ Jesus also
in me ? Do I live in him ; and do my walk and con
versation show that he lives in me ?

PART III
ITS AUTHORITY: THE BIBLE
Why I Believe It  Page 241
What Shall We Do With It? . Page 259
How to Read It  Page 270

Part III.-ITS AUTHORITY:
THE BIBLE
WHY I BELIEVE IT

There is a presumption in its favor. — Its own claim. —
Its claim is verified. — Its indestructibility. — Its pro
mulgation. — Its literary value. — It makes men. —
It makes nations. — Christ believed it. — It has
power to save. — " It finds me."
If I regarded the Scripture as a mingled tissue
of truth and falsehood, I could not honestly say
that I believe it. But I do believe the Bible : and I
mean precisely what I say. To my mind the Book
is not true in spots, but true and trustworthy from
beginning to end.
And this is the historic faith of the Christian
Church along the ages. The enemies of the Bible
are so vociferous that at times one is moved to la
ment as Elijah did under the juniper-tree, "I, even
I only, am left" ; but the Lord reassures us, "I have
left me a great multitude who have not bowed their
knees to the antibiblical Baal." Be of good cour
age, therefore.
It is a great thing to be a conservative. We are
241

242 Its Authority: The Bible
bound to move with the moving world, providing
we move not away from the immovable faith
which was "once for all delivered unto the saints."
We are bound to keep open house for Truth; but
we are bound no less to double-bolt our doors when
Falsehood knocks and shouts "Let me in !"
Whether a man believes his Bible or rejects it,
two things may be fairly required of him. On the
one hand he should frankly and truthfully state
his position without mumbling or mouthing it ; and
on the other he should be ready always to give an
answer to every man that asketh him a reason for
it. The following now are my reasons for holding
that the Bible is the true and trustworthy Word of
God: There is a presumption in its favor. — If there
is a God anywhere in the universe, and if we are
his children, he would surely not leave us in doubt
respecting the great problems which have to do
with our spiritual and eternal life. If an earthly
father advises his sons and daughters, in their dis
tress and bewilderment, assuring them of his plans
and purposes concerning them, is it reasonable to
suppose that our heavenly Father would do less ?
Plato lamented that he was adrift on a raft upon
an open sea with no rudder, no star above to guide
him; yet he, pagan though he was, ventured the
hope that in good time "the gods would give us a
staunch boat to sail in." This was but the expres-

Why I Believe It 243
sion of a universal instinct. If there is a God he
must reveal himself to his children. There is, then,
somewhere in the world, a clear and authoritative
Word of God. Where is it?
Its own claim. — The Bible claims to be inspired;
nor does it leave the meaning of "inspiration"
in doubt. The word is theopnustia, "breathed
of God." It says, in explicit terms: "Every
scripture inspired of God is also profitable for
teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruc
tion which is in righteousness; that the man of
God may be complete, furnished completely unto
every good work." And it speaks no less definitely
as to the method of its inspiration: "For no
prophecy ever came by the will of man; but men
spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit."
If the Bible is not true, then it sets up a fraudu
lent claim; but if that claim can be verified we have
no alternative but to receive it at its face value and
frame our lives accordingly. The question, pro or
contra, must be determined by internal evidence.
We proceed, therefore, to open the Book: and we
shall find that the proof of its inspiration is as com
plete and satisfactory as that which it furnishes to
substantiate the immortality of the soul, the divin
ity of Christ or any other fundamental truth.
Its claim is verified. — An examination of the
contents of the Book discloses the following facts :
Its unity. — Here is a volume made up of sixty-

244 ITS Authority: The Bible
six books, on a large variety of themes, written by
forty odd writers of various tongues and nationali
ties, writing at intervals along a period of sixteen
hundred years, and representing all degrees of
racial development from barbarism to clearest
light. Yet the sixty-six books thus composed, when
bound together, constitute a harmonious and con
sistent whole ; yielding one system of doctrine, one
code of ethics, one "rule of faith and practice" for
all the children of men.
Shall we call this a fortuitous circumstance?
The folly of such a statement would immediately
be recognized in any other province. If forty odd
persons of different tongues and degrees of musical
culture were to pass through the organ-loft of a
church, at long intervals, and, without possibility
of collusion, strike sixty-six notes which when com
bined should yield the theme of the grandest
oratorio ever heard, I respectfully submit that the
man who regarded that as "a fortuitous circum
stance" would by universal consent be regarded as
a fool. The conclusion would be irresistible that
there was one controlling mind, a great tone-
master behind it.
Its completeness. — The Bible is the only book
that touches and solves every one of the great prob
lems that have to do with human destiny. You
cannot ask a question concerning God or immor
tality or salvation which it does not answer, and
answer so clearly as to satisfy the simplest mind.
It furnishes a Code of Morals also which covers

Why I Believe It 245
every possible question that can be asked respecting
the conduct of life. The Decalogue and its expo
sition in the Sermon on the Mount are universally
recognized as the two perfect ethical symbols.
When the Book has thus spoken of truth and
righteousness it has traversed the entire circum
ference of human experience; for truth and right
eousness are the two hemispheres of man.
And having spoken in this manner it leaves
nothing more to be said. Wherefore it concludes
with the word "Finis." The Book was thus closed
forever. There was to be no addendum; there
were no errata. That word "Finis" is a challenge
to the centuries: "I am complete; supplant or sup
plement me if you can !"
Its up-to-dateness. — Here is the oldest book in
the world. A portion of it was old when Cecrops
founded Egypt. The book of Job had been writ
ten three thousand years when Chaucer opened
the springs of "English undefyled." The book of
Ruth was twenty-five hundred years old when
America was discovered. Yet there are hundreds
of millions of people who read their Bibles daily
and find them fresh as the break of day.
This is because the Book was adjusted in the
beginning to all the vicissitudes of time and the
progress of coming ages. Its truths, its ethical
precepts, its "exceeding great and precious prom
ises" are like Oriental spices, which the more
they are rubbed give forth the more of fragrant
sweetness. The gospel is "good news." It is as

246 Its Authority: The Bible
new and fresh as when the evangel came to para
dise. It is the last tidings from the heaven of a
loving God.
Its tone of authority. — It might be supposed
that a book dealing with spiritual truths, all of
which lie beyond the purview of the physical
senses, would speak with some measure of reserve
or uncertainty; but there are no "ifs" or "per-
hapses" or "peradventures" here. How could a
divine book speak that way? We want no guesses
about life and immortality. We must know. We
want authority; and there can be no final authority
with respect to these problems except a divine ipse
dixit. Wherefore the Book says always, "Yea and
Amen," and "Thus saith the Lord," and "Verily,
verily, I say unto you."
Put an "if" into the Decalogue, and you lay a
charge of dynamite under the morality of men and
nations. Put an "if" under the manger at Bethle
hem, and you destroy the happiness of a million
homes. Put an "if" under Calvary, and you make
us of all men most miserable. Put an "if" under
the empty sepulchre in Joseph's garden, and our
visions of life and immortality vanish into thin air.
But blessed be God, there are no "ifs" in the Bible.
It gives no uncertain sound. It speaks as the ora
cles of God.
Its truth: its faultless, flawless truth. — The
claim of absolute inerrancy is not made for any
current version of the Scriptures. It would be
singular indeed if the hundreds of current versions

Why I Believe It 247
were so absolutely identical as to show no discrep
ancies. Let it be noted, however, that these dis
crepancies are so insignificant as not to affect in the
slightest degree the integrity of the doctrinal and
ethical teaching. And let it be observed also —
and this I wish to emphasize — that they are such
as to convince any candid mind that they were not
in the original but have crept into the text in the
process of translation and transmission. This be
ing true, they furnish of themselves a mighty argu
ment for the absolute inerrancy of the original
autograph. If it be replied that no man living has ever seen
that "original autograph" and that we are not
practically concerned with it, we answer that the
objection proves either too little or too much. For
no living man has ever seen the Incarnate Word
of God. He lived only thirty-three years in this
world of ours and then vanished. The only knowl
edge that we have of him, apart from the Scrip
tures, is through his followers ; for every Christian
is, so to speak, a current version of the Incarnate
Word. Christ, like the Bible, has suffered by
transcription through the ages.
It is nevertheless of supreme importance that
we shall believe that Christ, as he once lived on
earth, was the perfect Son of God. And the very
mistakes of believers in their earnest yet inade
quate efforts to copy his life and character are evi
dences of his perfection. We are ever striving to
get back to the original Christ ; precisely as rever-

248 Its Authority: The Bible
ent students of the Scriptures seek, by both textual
and historical criticism, to reach the "original auto
graph," that is, the "first edition" of the written
Word of God.
If the destructive critics were to be taken at
their word the Bible is full of frightful errors. Its
prophecies have failed, its history is not historical,
its science is unscientific, its stories are myths, its
facts are fabulous ; and there is practically nothing
trustworthy in it. We make bold to affirm, on the
contrary, that as yet the destructive critics have not
been able to produce a single error or discrepancy
which cannot be most reasonably explained as
either purely imaginary or unimportant.
Of its ten thousand prophecies not one has mis
carried yet. The owl and bittern, dwelling among
the ruins of innumerable cities on which the curse
of divine judgment was pronounced in olden times,
confirm their truth.
The history in the Bible is the only authentic
History of the World. It is a deep river, flowing
backward in its course past the ruins of antiquity,
past the confusion of tongues, past the deluge and
the creation, past the solitude of primeval ages,
past the floating nebulae, and still beyond to the
ineffable glory, where it finds its source beneath
the heavenly throne: "In the beginning, God."
And that history has come out of the ordeal of
long centuries of criticism without a successful
challenge. Archaeologists are unearthing confirma
tions every day. It used to be said, for example,

Why I Believe It 249
that the Battle of the Four Kings was purely fabu
lous; till along came a man with a spade and dug
up a royal library in the valley of the Euphrates,
bearing date of 640 B. C, wherein were found
the names of the Four Kings. This man with the
spade is continually verifying the historicity of the
Bible in that way.
The same can be affirmed of its science. It is
frequently said that "the Bible was not intended to
be a scientific book," giving the impression that it
makes little difference whether its scientific state
ments are trustworthy or not. The question, how
ever, is not whether the Bible was intended to be a
scientific book, but whether it is true or not. Falsus
in uno, falsus in omnibus. If the Bible cannot be
trusted at this point, what ground have we for
committing ourselves to its guidance in spiritual
things? You have impugned the veracity of your
witness. The Bible is the book of origins. It treats of
Biology, Zoology, Ethnology, Geology, Astron
omy, indeed of every department of natural science.
And its statements hold true. If it be claimed that
they do not fall in with certain scientific hypothe
ses of these times, we answer that God never
guesses. It is worthy of note, in this connection,
that a hundred years ago there were more than
eighty so-called "scientific theories" before the
French Institute, every one of which was alleged
to contradict the Scriptures. Where are they now ?
All have died the death ; but the Book lives on.

250 Its Authority: The Bible
So much for my third reason for believing the
Bible, namely, its truth as shown by an examina
tion of its contents. My next reason is
Its indestructibilty. — No other book has ever
provoked such fierce opposition. If fires and acids
could have destroyed it, it would have been lost
and forgotten long ago. The ancient cities of the
world were lit with bonfires of Bibles ; yet the Book
survives without the smell of fire upon it. The
corrosive acids of unfair criticism have been
poured upon it from time immemorial; but they
have not destroyed a single page of it.
The Book is its own greatest miracle. It stands,
to use the words of Gladstone, as "the impregnable
rock." He was thinking of Gibraltar, which
guards the Gates of Hercules where the storms of
the Atlantic and Mediterranean meet in a mighty
grapple. Its foot is strewn with the wreckage of
ships that have defied it; but Gibraltar stands. In
like manner the Bible survives its foes. "Surely
the people is grass. The grass withereth, the
flower f adeth ; but the word of our God shall stand
forever!" Its promulgation. — The Book is printed in more
than five hundred languages and dialects, and is
scattered over the world like leaves of the tree of
life. The interest which it excites in the universal
mind, and which separates it immeasurably from

Why I Believe It 251
all literature of mere human origin, is attested by
the fact that within forty-eight hours after the Ox
ford Version was issued two million five hundred
thousand copies were disposed of. It is the "best
seller" in the literary commerce of the world to
day. Its literary value. — The Bible is literature; but
it is singular literature. It is "a Book among
books," but the only one that claims the authorship
of God. It is so comprehensive that the man who
knows his Bible only is an educated man. In
Froude's life of Bunyan he says that in the en
forced silence and solitude of Bedford jail the pris
oner had only two books; but "one of these," he
significantly adds, "was the Bible, which is of it
self a liberal education."
Where will you find such poetry as here? Let
Milton speak : "There are no songs like the songs
of Zion." Other poets when compared with those
of Scripture are as twittering swallows in a field
of morning larks. Never have minstrels sung like
those who drank from "Siloa's brook that flows
fast by the oracle of God."
Where will you find such eloquence as here?
Where will you parallel the plea of Judah for his
brethren at the Egyptian Court, or that of Aaron
for the emancipation of the Jewish slaves; the ad
dress of Nathan on "The Little Ewe Lamb" or
the cry of John the Baptist in the wilderness; the

252 Its Authority: The Bible
sermon of Stephen in the Court of Jerusalem, or
of Peter at Pentecost, or of Paul on Mars' Hill?
And what shall be said of the eloquence of Him
who "spake as never man spake"? Let Webster
say: "From the time that at my mother's knee I
learned to lisp the sacred writings, they have been
my daily study. If there be anything in my ora
torical style or thought to be commended, the
credit is due to my kind parents who instilled into
my mind an early love of the Word of God."
"A glory gilds the sacred page
Majestic, like the sun;
It gives a light to every age;
It gives, but borrows none."
It makes men, — Who shall explain the subtle
metaphysical force in the Bible that grips hold of
a sinner and somehow transforms him, changes his
heart and conscience and will, and makes him a
new man?
Has any other book such power? Does the
Koran or the Zendavesta transform men and set
their faces toward truth and righteousness and
heaven and God? An old Highlander once said
to Claudius Buchanan, "I cannot argue with you;
I cannot present theological facts or reasons; I
cannot explain the philosophy of revelation; but I
know this : that when I was a man of evil character
this Book got hold of me and quelled the tiger in
me!" There is the master fact; the Bible makes

Why I Believe It 253
men. The best people, here, everywhere and al
ways, are those who believe in the Bible and live
that way.
It makes nations.— The Bible has gone in the
forefront of civilization all along the centuries
The three great Powers to-day are America and
England and Germany, with one other coming to
the front. As for England it was publically af
firmed by Queen Victoria that "the Bible was the
secret of its greatness." As for Germany, at the
close of the Franco-Prussian War Pere Hyacinthe
declared to his people that the reason for their ca
lamitous defeat lay in the fact that every Ger
man soldier had a Bible in his knapsack. As for
America, its free institutions are founded on Bible
principles. The Preamble of its Declaration of
Independence is an echo of Paul's sermon on Mars'
Hill. Our whole fabric is permeated with the
teachings of Christ.
The other nation now coming to the front is
Japan. A few years ago a Japanese student named
Siiji Hishida asked to be enrolled as a member of
the church which I serve. His name is still
upon its roster. On finishing his post-graduate
course at Columbia he received the degree of Doc
tor of Laws. On the eve of his departure to his
native country he left with me his Japanese Bible
as a token of friendship. I said to him, "Hishida,
are you going back to advocate the teachings of
that Book?" His answer was: "I love my coun-

254 Lts Authority: The Bible
try. We want your light, your freedom, your con
stitutional rights. We want your civilization. I
am satisfied that we cannot have it without taking
the Bible along with it." That man is now one
of the foremost representatives of the Japanese
Government in Korea and he still remains a firm
believer in the Word of God.
Christ believed it. — He spoke of it as "truth"
and as "the Word of God." He preached it. He
practised it. In his threefold temptation in the
wilderness he thrice replied to the adversary, "It
is written"; and it is a significant fact that the
three passages quoted on that occasion were all
from the book of Deuteronomy, which is pro
nounced a forgery by the destructive critics.
He adventured the integrity and success of his
redemptive work upon the truth of the Bible; and
in doing so he chose those very passages which are
most discredited by the mischievous critics of our
time. He stood for the record of creation, the
destruction of the Cities of the Plain, and even
the "incredible story of Jonah." He said, "An
evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign;
and there shall no sign be given to it except the
sign of Jonah, the prophet; for as Jonah was three
days and three nights in the belly of the whale,
so shall the Son of Man be three days and three
nights in the heart of the earth." It is little won
der that those who deny the sign should also deny
the resurrection of Christ.

Why I Believe It 255
He made the Bible the determining factor in
the problem of his kingdom. He commissioned
his disciples to "go preach." Preach what ? The
Word. This was "the good seed" which they were
to sow. The world is to be converted by it.
And while the teaching of Jesus with respect to
the truth of Scripture was expressed in such posi
tive terms, it is singular that he never, on the other
hand, uttered a word or syllable to indicate that
he supposed it to be otherwise than true from be
ginning to end. How shall we account for that?
We face a threefold alternative. First, there are
no errors in Scripture. Second, the errors were
there, but Christ was not aware of them. Third,
he was aware of these errors, but did not choose to
tell. In the first case the Scriptures must be regarded
as true. In the second case, if Christ was not
aware of the alleged errors, then the destructive
critic of our time is wiser than he and therefore
more worthy to be our spiritual guide. In the
third case, if he knew there were such errors in
Scripture and did not tell, he was not an honest
man. How easily he could have saved us from all per
plexity! But he kept silent. Oh, that eloquent
silence ! It can only be accounted for by assuming
that he believed the Bible to be true. And if
this book was true enough for Christ it is true
enough for every Christian; it is true enough for
me.

256 Its Authority: The Bible
It has power to save. — In every heart, down be
low all other wants and aspirations, there is a pro
found longing to know the way of spiritual life.
The world is crying, "What shall I do to be
saved?" Of all books the Bible is the only one
that answers that universal cry.
There are others that set forth morality with
more or less correctness ; but there is none that sug
gests a blotting out of the record of the mislived
past or an escape from the penalty of the broken
law. In the midst of these oracles stands the
Cross, throwing its shadow four ways toward all
the horizons of human life. Out of this blessed
Book proceeds a voice that is heard nowhere else :
"God so loved the world that he gave his only-
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him
should not perish but have eternal life."
There are other books that have poetry; but
there is none that sings the song of salvation or
gives a troubled soul the peace that floweth like
a river. There are other books that have eloquence; but
there is no other that enables us to behold God
himself with outstretched hands pleading with men
to turn and live.
There are other books that have science, but
there is no other that can give the soul a definite
assurance of the future life, so that it can say, "I
know him whom I have believed, and I am per
suaded that he is able to guard that which I have
committed unto him against that day !"

Why I Believe It 257
There are other books of philosophy, but there
is none that can make us wise with respect to those
great doctrines which center in life and immor
tality. There are other books of history, but they are
like ships carrying lights astern to cast a lurid glare
on a wake of receding foam, while this carries a
searchlight at the masthead to illuminate the
whole way to heaven. There is no other that tells
the story of divine love reaching from the remote
councils of eternity to its consummation on Cal
vary; the "old, old story of Jesus and his love."
It is the Book that enlightens and sustains and
stimulates ; but above all it is the Book that points
the path to everlasting life.
I have given my ten reasons for believing that
the Bible is the Word of God. Now one more. I
believe the Bible because
"It finds me." — Those are the words of Cole
ridge; and I make them mine. The Bible found
me on a memorable day more than fifty years ago.
It found me perplexed with a boy's fear of the
unknown. It calmed my fears and gave me the
hope that maketh not ashamed. It has found me
once and again in the Vale of Baca and wiped
away my tears. It has found me and upheld me
in seasons of weakness and discouragement. It
has found and never failed me. And, when I come
to the border-line between time and eternity, it
shall find me there and give me a rod and staff to

258 Its Authority: The Bible
lean on. Oh, blessed Book ! May my right hand
forget its cunning and my tongue cleave to the roof
of my mouth if I forget thee !
These are my reasons. What think you ? One
thing is clear: if you reject the truth of the Bible
it devolves upon you to be able to give an answer
to every man that asketh a reason for your doing
so. Be not taken up in the lips of talkers. Do
your own thinking. Be honest in your rejection of
the Scriptures, if thus it must be. Take down the
old book, dust-covered, perhaps, and search it. Be
man enough to put away prejudice and to reject
second-hand opinions. Stand on your own feet.
Farm out your thinking to nobody. Open the
Book and read for yourself.
The Bible is its own best witness. Search it
with a mind open to conviction, and I am confi
dent you will arrive at the same conclusion that
has forced itself upon me. The Bible is a book
to live by and to die by. It is worthy to be re
ceived as an infallible rule of faith and practice.
It is true and trustworthy every way. It is the
veritable Word of God.

WHAT SHALL WE DO WITH IT?

The deposit of truth. — Divinely given. — A compendium.
— Entrusted to the Church. — The responsibility of
the ministry. — What is the result ? — Where is the
remedy ? — The oracles will stand.
Paul writes to Timothy, 2 Timothy 1:14:
"That good thing which was committed unto thee
guard, through the Holy Spirit which dwelleth in
us." The deposit of truth. — What was this sacred
trust or deposit, this paratheke, which Timothy
had received from Christ?
The reference, as shown in the context, is very
clear. It is that body of Christian truth which was
"once for all delivered unto the saints." It is the
aggregate of truths or doctrines regarded as es
sential by all believers who are in vital connection
with the universal or "holy catholic Church."
Everybody knows what they are.
We stand for the objective reality of these
truths. One of the most specious forms of cur
rent heresy is Ritschlianism, which affirms that
truth expresses itself only in "value judgments."
It reasons thus: "It is quite immaterial whether
there be a God or not, so long as one believes that
259

260 Its Authority: The Bible
way; since one's belief, as a value judgment, an
swers all the practical purposes of a God." A like
attitude is assumed toward the divinity of Christ,
the atonement, justification by faith and other doc
trines. All truth is thus reduced to a mere matter
of personal opinion; the foundations of authority
are removed and practically nothing is left of the
religion of Christ.
Divinely given. — The body of Christian truth,
referred to in our text, was given by divine revela
tion. It is important to emphasize this fact, as
against the view current in some quarters that it
was evolved from the inner consciousness of men.
We hear of a "Pauline theology" and of a "Petrine
theology" ; but there is no such thing. God him
self is responsible for the truth and trustworthi
ness of what Paul and Peter wrote under his di
rection. Their Scripture, like all other Scripture,
was "inspired of God."
He chose forty men, at intervals along a period
of fifteen hundred years, whom he singularly "in
spired" ; and these men wrote as they were "moved
by the Holy Spirit." To liken the inspiration of
Isaiah with that of Milton or Shakespeare is
simply to explain it away altogether. The least
that can possibly be affirmed of those who wrote
under such inspiration is that they were so guided
and controlled as to be protected from all possi
bility of error; so that the product of their writing
could properly be called "The Word of God."

What Shall We Do With It? 261
A compendium. — The body of truth thus re
vealed was recorded in the book known as "The
Holy Scriptures." This Book is as singular, in
the world's literature, as the inspiration which pro
duced it. Other books "contain" truth ; this Book
is true.
Not only so; it is a complete summary of all
spiritual truth, so far forth as a knowledge of spir
itual truth is necessary to our temporal and eternal
well-being. Hence the reference of Paul to the
content of Scripture as a "deposit" entrusted to
him for safekeeping and for the uses of his life
and ministry. "Abide thou," he says to Timothy,
"in the things which thou hast learned and hast
been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast
learned them; and that from a babe thou hast
known the sacred writings, which are able to make
thee wise unto salvation, through faith which is
in Christ Jesus. Every scripture inspired of God
is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for cor
rection, for instruction which is in righteousness;
that the man of God may be complete, furnished
completely unto every good work."
All spiritual truth, so far as needed for our
guidance, is here summarized, It is all here in
the Book. This fact is worthy of emphasis in
view of what is being said about "progressive reve
lation." Do we affirm, then, that there is no such thing
as progress in the understanding of truth ? By no
means! But all progress in spiritual knowledge

262 Its Authority: The Bible
is within the limitations of Scripture ; as John Rob
inson said when he bade farewell to the Pilgrims
as they were embarking at Delft Haven : "I pray
you, remember that new light will be ever breaking
forth from the Word of God!" As there is no
new force in the material universe, but new appli
cations of force continually, so there are no new
principles in the spiritual province, but ever new
interpretations and larger uses of truth. The sun,
which is our source of light and energy, is not
changed to meet the demands of a progressive
world, though there are many "new things under
the sun," The Bible, in like manner, though elosed
long centuries ago, was divinely adjusted to the
progress of all succeeding ages.
Entrusted to the Church. — The body of truth
thus revealed and recorded was deposited with the
Church. Wherefore the Church is characterized
as "the pillar and ground of truth." The word
"church," or ekklesia, means "called out." The
Church is a body of men called out of the world
for the specific purpose of safeguarding and util
izing this deposit of scriptural truth.
The original germ or nucleus of Scripture was
the Moral Law, or Ten Commandments, together
with the Civil and Ceremonial Law which com
plemented it. God's jealousy for the maintenance
of his Word is shown by his command to the
Levites: "Take this book of the law, and put it
by the side of the ark of the covenant of Jehovah

What Shall We Do With It? 263
your God, that it may be there for a witness
against thee." In course of time there was added
by inspiration to this original nucleus a further set
of revelations, and these together with the fore
going were known as "the oracles."
The Jews were set apart as a Church or "chosen
people" for the express purpose of preserving these
oracles and passing them on to the coming ages.
In the course of Paul's great argument on justi
fication by faith, where he shows that Jewish rites
and ceremonies had no power to save, an objection
is interposed, "What advantage then hath the
Jew?" to which he answers, "Much every way;
first of all that they were entrusted with the oracles
of God." This was the singular privilege and
prerogative of the Jews; they were "chosen" to
be librarians of the Word. And, alas, they
proved false to it! They rejected their own ora
cles, and crucified "the Hope of Israel." Where
fore "their candlestick was removed out of its
place" ; and every wandering Jew in the world to
day is a living monument of the divine jealousy
for the Scriptures as the source of revealed
truth. The Christian Church, as successor of the Jewish
Church, has a like mission. To it are entrusted
the ora'cles, for safe keeping, exposition and propa
gation to the uttermost parts of the earth. This
mission finds its proper interpretation in "Mis
sions." To save souls is a divine prerogative; but
to disseminate truth, the truth of the oracles

264 Its Authority: The Bible
through which souls are saved, is the business of
the Church. When that is attended to God does
the rest. A clear understanding of this fact and
a corresponding zeal in Missions will bring in the
Golden Age. When Christ was asked by his dis
ciples for a sign of his second coming, he answered,
"The end is not yet . . . the gospel must first be
preached to all nations."
The responsibility of the ministry. — The body of
truth thus deposited with the Church has been
specially entrusted to its ministers.
In the Jewish Church the prophets were charged
with the duty of safeguarding the oracles and teach
ing them. In process of time there arose, within
their number a new order, known as Scribes, that is,
transcribers and interpreters of Scripture. They
professed to be "Biblical experts," able rightly to
divide the word of truth ; but presently they began
to take undue liberties with their trust. And for
this our Lord denounced them, saying, "Full well
do ye reject the commandment of God, that ye
may keep your tradition." "Woe unto you, mask-
wearers ! Ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against
men; for ye enter not in yourselves, neither suffer
ye them that are entering in to enter." "Woe unto
you ... ye blind guides, that strain out the gnat
and swallow the camel ! . . . Ye serpents, ye off
spring of vipers, how shall ye escape the judgment
of hell?" All this because they had been false to
their oracles, adding to and subtracting from them,

/

What Shall We Do With It? 265
and thus setting at naught their commission to safe
guard the truth.
The call to the Christian ministry is a divine
call. It is a summons to the sacred trust of truth
as contained in the oracles of God; and fidelity to
that trust is solemnly pledged in its ordination
vows. In the early Church there were ministers who
were recreant to that trust. Paul was moved to
warn Timothy against those false teachers who
"creep in" among the people to make shipwreck of
their faith. He warned the young pastor against
their specious inroads and enjoined him to be faith
ful, with pathetic earnestness: "O Timothy,
guard that which is committed unto thee!"
Are there such false teachers in our time? It
is an open secret that not a few ministers have in
sinuated themselves into evangelical pulpits where
they, sometimes brazenly, more often with covert
cleverness, undermine the written Word and deny
the Incarnate Word of God. What care they for
ordination vows? Common honesty is cast to the
winds. "Oaths are but straws !"
What is the result? — The question is frequently
asked, "Why are there so few candidates for the
ministry?" The wonder is that there should be
any candidates at all when there are so many min
isters and theological instructors who reduce the
gospel to nil. Why should a young man conse
crate his life to preaching when there is nothing

266 Its Authority: The Bible
to preach? In Germany, where the pulpits are
largely given over to rationalism, the supply of
candidates is less than one-third what it was forty
years ago. In our own country there is a smaller
but most lamentable falling off. Why? Inquire
at the doors of Yale, Princeton, Cornell and other
great institutions of learning, notably our State
Universities, where rationalistic science and philos
ophy, "made in Germany," are taught in direct
contravention of the Scriptures. Is it to be ex
pected that young men will be moved by such in
struction to devote their lives to a ministry which
is consecrated to the teaching of Scriptural truth?
A further result is the breaking up of the foun
dations of public morality. Truth and righteous
ness go together. One who is more liberal than
the doctrine of Christ is sure to be broader than
the moral law. It would not be just to say that all
"liberals" are on the wrong side of all current
questions of reform; but it is quite within bounds
to say that ministers and laymen who stand by the
evangelical faith can always be depended on to
support the sanctions of the Sabbath, temperance,
the marriage relation, and every other proposition
which concerns the welfare of society. When the
question of opening our saloons on Sunday was
pending recently in the Legislature at Albany, the
State was ransacked to find ministers who would
advocate it. A few were found; eleven in all; and
there was not one among them who stood for the
inspiration of the Bible or the Deity of Christ.

What Shall We Do With It? 267
It is worth while for those who thoughtlessly
declaim against doctrine and clamor for "ethical
sermons" to remember that truth and morality
walk hand in hand. There is no sound and de
pendable morality which does not find its basis
in obedience to truth as revealed in the Word of
God. To abandon that truth, as a whole or in
any essential part, is to loosen the sanctions of
right and righteousness; for "as he thinketh within
himself so is he."
Where is the remedy? — The remedy is with the
people. In the philosophy of the gospel it is the
people and not the priests or hierarchy that con
stitute the Church. Ministers are called not to
lord it over God's heritage, but to serve the people
as their spiritual guides. The people, therefore,
have the right to insist that their pastors shall be
loyal to the divine oracles and true to their ordi
nation vows, or else "step down and out."
And, having the right, they have the power also.
It is recorded that John Knox, in a famous con
troversy with Queen Mary, said, "Madam, when
princess do exceed the just bounds of their authority
their subjects may resist, and with power!" The
people of the Church have a larger warrant for
assuming a like attitude toward those who minister
to them in spiritual things.
The responsibility of the situation must sooner
or later be assumed by the laity : for, as John Fos
ter said, "Power to the last atom is responsibility."

268 Its Authority: The Bible
And here lies the hope of the outlook. Whatever
may be said of many in the ministry, the heart of
the people beats true to the oracles. Lincoln was
fond of saying, "You can trust the people."
Christ said : "He that is a hireling and not a shep
herd . . . fleeth because he is a hireling, and car-
eth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd
and I know mine own, and mine own know me
. . . and I lay down my life for my sheep." In
other words, the saving factor in the problem of
the world is the loyalty of the people to the teach
ings of Christ.
And this is a matter of individual responsibility.
The Church is as the units which constitute it.
Wherefore, it behooves every one who professes
to follow Christ to regard himself as a sentinel in
charge of the deposit of catholic truth. Let him
stand without weakening, and defend his trust
without swerving. Let him remember that to min
imize truth is to compromise morals. We praise
the heroism of Luther who said, on a great oc
casion, "Here I stand; I cannot otherwise; God
help me!" But that sort of heroism lies within
the province of every true follower of Christ. Sto
pro veritate! Stand for the truth!
The oracles will stand. — Let it not be supposed
that, in speaking after this manner, I have any
question as to the ultimate outcome. The history
of the Church, like an undulating plain, has its
ups and downs. Just now the voice of infidelity,

What Shall We Do With It? 269
silenced beyond the confines of the pulpit, is loud:
within it. But the reaction will surely come.
God's people will assert themselves and maintain
their rights in the safeguarding of truth. Paul
says, in this very letter, in which he laments the
inroads of error, "Howbeit the firm foundation of
God standeth; having this seal" — like a twofold
inscription on the sides of an impregnable rock —
"The Lord knoweth them that are his"; and, "Let
every one that nameth the name of the Lord de
part from unrighteousness." In that double seal
rests our assurance of the final triumph of truth
and righteousness.

HOW TO READ IT

Take, read ! — It should be read honestly. — Systemati
cally. — Critically. — Practically. — Prayerfully. —
The unfailing light.
Take, read! — The most remarkable book of the
fourth century was "The Confessions" of Augus
tine ; the most remarkable man of that time was its
learned author; and the most remarkable woman
was Monica, his mother. She had dedicated him
to the ministry in his infancy. When he left home
to pursue his education she gave him a Bible with
her fond farewell. As time passed, in the free-
thinking atmosphere of the Universities, he suf
fered a total eclipse of faith. He wandered
farther and farther from the true religion until he
found himself in the cold region of doubt and in
tellectual despair. He was sitting in a garden at
Rome, lost^ in despondency, when a child's voice
was heard in the distance singing a song with this
refrain, "Tolle, lege." As he entered the house
his eyes fell upon his neglected Bible, Tolle, lege!
"Take, read!" And, reading, his faith came back
to him.
I wonder how many Bibles there are inscribed
with these words by a loving mother's hand: "Thy
270

How to Read It 271
Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my
path" ? My mother wrote it on the fly-leaf of the
Bible she gave me when I left home. I was go
ing out into the world, away from the influence of
home and the family altar, no more to be tethered
by a mother's apron-strings. It was the best she
could do : to give me a prayer and a light for my
pathway. Have you such a Bible ? Where is it ? In some
forgotten place? On the top-shelf of your book
case, covered with dust? Tolle, lege! Take it
down, brush away the dust, and read it !
But why read the Bible? Because we need
light; and this Book professes to be a light for the
journey of life. We walk in darkness — the dark
ness of sin and sorrow, of doubt and unbelief.
We stumble on the dark mountains. He is a singu
larly fortunate man who, in front of the great
problems that have to do with life and immortal
ity, does not feel the need of a light to walk by.
But how shall we read it? That depends al
together on whether we believe it or not. You
may not be a Christian; you may never have ac
cepted Christ as your Saviour, or the Bible as your
spiritual guide. In any case, however, it would
be well to read it.
It should be read honestly. — You say you want
to know, to begin with, whether it is the Word of
God. This is its claim; and the only way to re
fute or verify that claim is to open the Book and

272 Its Authority: The Bible
search it. But you must do that without bias.
The Bible is entitled to a "square deal." So much
is due from you as an honest man.
It is, however, not an easy thing to approach the
Bible without prejudice in these days. The air is
so full of anti-Biblical sentiment that a hostile bias
is almost inevitable, in the nature of the case. In
some of our theological seminaries the students are
exhorted to read the Bible as mere literature.
They are advised beforehand that its trustworthi
ness is an old-wives' fable, a fond mother's dream,
to be put away with other childish things. Thus
the bias pro is supplanted by a bias contra; and
fair dealing is practically out of the question.
It is obvious that if there is to be no bias in
favor of the truth of Scripture there should cer
tainly be no bias against it. So much is necessary
in the interest of common honesty. If any man
will thus address himself to the careful reading of
this Book, with a mind open to conviction, his
verdict is a foregone conclusion. He will surely
come to regard it as the veritable Word of God.
But suppose he decides that it is not so ? Shall
he then go on reading it ? Just as he chooses. It
then becomes a matter of relative unimportance
whether he reads it or not. To be sure, it is the
great masterpiece of literature and he would be
wise to familiarize himself with its poetry, its elo
quence, its philosophy, etc. But, after all, he will
take only the same sort of interest in the Bible as
in Plutarch's "Lives" or Shakespeare's plays or

How to Read It 273
"#)sop's Fables" or the "Arabian Nights." He
reads only because he perceives that he can not be
liberally educated without it.
But suppose that, on examination, the Book
commends itself to him as the true and trustworthy
Word of God? Then it follows that he must read
it in a different way. As an honest man he stands
now committed to its truth. If he be a minister,
he must honestly ^maintain and defend it. If he
be a church member he will find that loyalty to
the Scriptures is involved in his covenant vow.
The truth of the Book has ceased to be an open
question for him. That has been settled. The
Bible is no longer in the common category of
books. It stands out, far and away, beyond and
above them all, distinguished and differentiated by
the fact of its inspiration. He thinks of the Bible
as Moses thought of the burning bush. The des
ert of Midian was full of acacia bushes ; but there
was only one from which the voice called, "I Am
that I Am!" So to the believer there is only one
Book so inspired that God is its author in such a
sense that it is divinely said to have been "breathed
of God."
So then he reads with a prejudgment in its
favor. He reads because he regards it as a lamp
unto his feet and a light unto his path. He reads
not to discover whether the Book is true or not,
but with the expectation of finding truth in it. It
is his friend the Bible; and as a friend it clasps his
hand and leads him along the way.

274 Its Authority: The Bible
It should be read systematically, just as one at
tends to the common needs and obligations of life.
This reading should be done at regular times. In
the morning ? Surely ; for then we pass, alone and
otherwise blind, into the unknown country of an
other day. At night? Without fail; for then
again we pass into an unknown country where we
are wholly dependent upon the care of God.
It should be read also in some methodical way.
A good plan is to read it seriatim; that is, through
and through, from beginning to end.
It should be read, also, by books and, not infre
quently, a book at a sitting. Does that look like a
terrible task? Let us see. The longest book in
the Old Testament is the Psalter, which occupies
about sixty pages; not nearly so long as Spenser's
"Faery Queen." The longest book in the New
Testament is the Gospel of Luke, which is about
the length of one of Shakespeare's plays. The
story of Esther is seven pages long, and the sweet
pastoral of Ruth is three pages, neither of them
as long as a short magazine story. The difficulty,
therefore, is an imaginary one. The habit of
reading the Bible in brief and choppy portions only
is not calculated to create a proper interest in it.
We would not think, for a moment, of reading
other books that way.
It should be read critically.— The Bible is not
afraid of fire and acid. When Christ said, "Ye

How to Read It 275
search the Scriptures," he used the word eraunate;
a technical word used of a hound on the scent. It
suggests a most severe scrutiny. And this Book
is worthy of it, because the secret of eternal life
is in it.
You ask, "What helps are needed to read and
study the Scriptures in this way?" Get a Cruden's
Concordance, a Bible Dictionary and a short Com
mentary, and you will need nothing else. But
whatever helps you use, be sure you do not farm
out your thinking to any other man. Be your own
Biblical expert. Let no man take thy crown !
But, after all, the best help to the understand
ing of the Bible is the Bible itself. The way to
interpret Scripture is to compare Scripture with
Scripture. Use the marginal references for this
purpose. And form the habit of topical study. To illus
trate: take the word "love" or "repentance" or
"faith," and follow it up in your Concordance un
til you get the tout ensemble of the matter in hand.
It was thus that Mr. Moody made himself the
wonderful Biblical expert that he was. He came
upon the word "grace" in a difficult passage of
Scripture, and began to trace it through the Book
in parallel passages. The farther he went the
more absorbed he became. In his Concordance
he found two columns of references to the word;
and when he got through with them he was so
filled with the subject of grace that he stopped the

276 Its Authority: The Bible
first man whom he met on the street and mentioned
it. "What do you mean by grace?" asked the
man. Mr. Moody replied, "I mean the grace of
God which bringeth salvation and hath appeared
to all men."
In this critical study of the Scriptures you will
find difficulties, no doubt. You will come up
against many problems which will baffle you. Is
that to be wondered at? Daniel Webster wisely
said, "If I could understand the Bible with my
finite mind, I could not possibly believe that an
infinite God made it." Do not expect to solve all
difficulties. Let it suffice that they are not against
reason. The fact that they are above reason is
nothing against them. Lay them aside as you lay
aside the bones at your Thanksgiving dinner, not
expecting to masticate them. Leave the dark and
difficult things to God. Be satisfied to eat what is
edible, and to apprehend so much as is necessary
to meet your present needs and solve the vital
problem of the endless life.
It should be read practically.— What you need
as a follower of Christ is an infallible rule of faith
and practice ; and here you have it.
That means, on the one hand, that you are to
believe what it says. It solves every one of the
great questions of the spiritual life, and it solves
them with a "Thus saith the Lord." You may not
always be pleased with the doctrines which it pre
sents or with its way of presenting them; but in-

How to Read It

277

asmuch as God's thoughts are not as our thoughts,
our personal opinion must not prevent or abbre
viate our loyalty to the Word of God.
And, on the other hand, as the Book is our rule
of conduct we must read with the intention of
following it. This is what is meant by the state
ment that "every scripture inspired of God is also
profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction,
for instruction which is in righteousness; that the
man of God may be complete, furnished com
pletely unto every good work."
If you take the Bible as it stands you will find
yourself provided thus with a creed and a Moral
Code ; and these two are a sufficient equipment for
our spiritual life.
It should be read prayerfully. — For, inasmuch as
spiritual things are spiritually discerned, we are
constantly dependent upon the Spirit of God. In
our Saviour's final interview with the disciples in
the upper room, he told them of the unspeakable
gift of the Holy Spirit, who, he said, "shall guide
you into all the truth."
The Spirit anoints our eyes with eyesalve that
we may see. There is many a man who looks into
Scripture and sees nothing but meaningless hiero
glyphics. There is many another man who, read
ing the clearest statement of truth, is repelled by
it. All this for want of the Spirit's eyesalve; for
our natural eyes are blind to spiritual things.
1 Cor. 2 114.

278 Its Authority: The Bible
And the Spirit also illuminates the pages of the
Book, so that to the Spirit-led reader things appear
there which are not visible to other eyes. And the
one thing which the open eyes of the twice-born
man can clearly see in Scripture is the Name which
is "above every name that is named, not only in
this world, but also in that which is to come." To
him the face of Jesus looks out of the oracles ; his
voice speaks in every truth and precept; his hands
beckon in "the exceeding great and precious prom
ises." Thus reading with prayer, he holds the key
to the inner place of truth.
"In nomine Jesu" was the legend that floated
from the topmast of the Pinta when Columbus
sailed through the Pillars of Hercules in quest of
Eldorado. In the same Name we search the Scrip
tures, in the light of the Spirit, for the hid treas
ures that make us rich toward God.
Let me end where I began, with the word that
led Augustine into the light: Tolle, lege. Take
the Book and read it. Read it as a follower of
Christ; lovingly, because he loved it; and believ-
ingly, because he believed it; and practically, be
cause he lived by it.
The unfailing light. — A missionary on the fron
tier was called to a farmhouse, five miles across the
trackless prairie, to minister at a death-bed. It
was midnight when he set out to return, and the
skies were black and lowering. The farmer gave
him a pine torch, saying, "It will light you
home." The missionary said, "It is so little; do

How to Read It 279
you think it will hold out?" The farmer an
swered, "It will last to light you home." The
missionary said, "The wind is blowing hard."
The farmer answered, "Don't be afraid; it will
resist the wind and light you home." The mis
sionary said, "There's a rain coming on." The
farmer answered, "Draw your cloak about the
torch and the rain won't hurt it; be sure it will
light you home." So I say concerning this blessed
Book, " Lead, kindly light, amid the encircling gloom;
Lead thou me on! "
And it will ! It will lead you along the steep paths
and through the deep waters and on past the
shadow of death. It will light you clear home, to
the gate of heaven and the City of God.

PART IV
ITS ORGANIZATION: THE
CHURCH
"A Building Fitly Framed To
gether"  Page 283
The Dynamic of the Church . Page 295
A Mobilized Church .... Page 309
The Church at the Crossroads . Page 319
The Church Triumphant . . . Page 331
Forward to Christ!  Page 341

Part IV-ITS ORGANIZATION:
THE CHURCH
"A BUILDING FITLY FRAMED
TOGETHER"

An architectural figure. — Christ the cornerstone. — The
foundation. — The superstructure. — Growth organic.
— End of the growth. — Living stones.
An architectural figure. — The word "edify" is
one of the earmarks of Paul's philosophy. It
presents an architectural figure meaning literally,
temple-building. The word occurs nineteen times
in Paul's epistles. Sometimes it is used with ref
erence to the making of character, but oftener it
refers to the building of the Church of God.
The Christians of Ephesus would readily grasp
the meaning of this architectural figure, since they
lived under the shadow of Diana's Temple, which
was one of the seven Wonders of the World. It
was four hundred feet long and about two hundred
wide, and was more than two centuries in building.
Its roof was supported by sixty-seven columns of
jasper. Its walls were adorned by Apelles ; its high
altar was designed by Praxiteles; and so secure was
its sanctuary that kings were wont to deposit their
valuables there. Alexander offered the spoils of
an Eastern campaign for the privilege of inscribing
283

284 Its Organization: The Church
his name above one of its portals, and was refused.
Its dome was surmounted by a colossal statue of
Diana, which caught the sunlight of each morning
on a golden shield.
In the neighborhood of this temple and within
hearing of its elaborate worship, dwelt a humble
body of believers in Christ. They were "a feeble
folk like the cronies." To them the apostle writes :
Be of good courage! ye are the living parts of a
grander sanctuary, whose glory shall endure when
the walls of the temple of great Diana shall have
crumbled to dust. For ye are "built upon the apos
tles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the
chief cornerstone, in whom each several building,
fitly framed together, groweth into a holy Temple
in the Lord."
In this passage we have a fine illustration of
Paul's singular power of condensation. Here is
ecclesiology in a nutshell. The text naturally falls
apart ; and in its five particulars we have a compre
hensive monograph of the philosophy of the
Church as a spiritual house, "a house not made
with hands."
Christ the Cornerstone. — A few years ago the
engineers of the Palestine Exploration Fund, by
sinking shafts and opening galleries along the walls
of the ancient Temple, came upon its primitive
foundations seventy feet below the surface of the
ground. At its lowest angle they found a stone
four feet thick and fourteen broad, which they re-

"A Building Fitly Framed" 285
garded, not without reason, as the primitive cor
nerstone. To their minds it was not improbable
that this was the very stone which Isaiah had in
mind when he uttered the Messianic prophecy,
"Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone,
a tried stone, a precious cornerstone." It was
known as "the binder," because of its obvious re
lation to the connecting walls. And this is pre
cisely the relation of Christ to his Church; in
whom "each several building is fitly framed to
gether." The change from "the whole building" to "each
several building" in the Revised Version brings
out the fact of unity in diversity. The Church is
made up of denominations, as a building is com
posed of its several parts ; but observe, each of the
several parts rests on Christ.
So the Cornerstone becomes a touchstone of de
nominational legitimacy. The fact that any de
nomination calls itself "Christian" is of little or
no significance. The question is, Does it accept
Christ as Prophet, Priest and King? Does it re
ceive salvation from him as the only Priest, its
creed from him as the only Prophet, and its ordefs
from him as the only King? If it be "broader"
than Christ, it cannot rest upon him.
And Christ is also made the touchstone of
ecclesiastical unity. We hear much sentimental
vaporing, in these days, about the union of Chris
tians, Jews, Moslems, Unitarians, et cetera, in one
great fellowship; and this is alleged to be in pur-

286 Its Organization: The Church
suance of the prayer of Jesus "that they may all
be one." It is, in truth, the very opposite of the
spirit of Christ. He had no thought in his sacer
dotal prayer of any possible union of friends and
foes, but of such only as believe in him. He did
not pray "that they may all be one"; but he did
pray thus: "That they may all be one even as
thou, Father, art in me and I in thee; that they
also may be in us." The basis of union, therefore,
as marked out by the Master, is a vital and sym
pathetic oneness which finds its analogy in the hy
postatic union of the Son with the Father and
which rests on a cordial and absolute acceptance of
Him as the only-begotten Son of God.
The purpose of the Church is to establish the
kingdom of Jesus Christ on earth. To this end
its ministry was ordained and commissioned: "Go
ye into all the world and declare the evangel."
This is the message of the Gospel — "Christ and
him crucified." Nothing else? Nothing else.
Whatever the preacher's theme, it must serve as a
thoroughfare leading to Christ. "Jews ask for
signs and Greeks seek after wisdom ; but we preach
Christ crucified, unto Jews a stumbling-block, and
unto Gentiles foolishness; but unto them that are
called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of
God and the wisdom of God." No man can be a
truly ordained and authenticated minister of Christ
who does not make it his supreme business to mag
nify Christ's name and to exalt it above every
other which is named in heaven or on earth ; as he

"A Building Fitly Framed" 287
himself said, "I, if I be lifted up, will draw all
men unto myself."
And by the same token no man is a true and
sincere member of the Christian Church whose life
is not hid with Christ in God. The Christian re
ligion is purely, in its last reduction, a personal re
lation with Christ. The Christian accepts him as
his sacrifice for sin, abides in him as the branch
abides in the vine, imitates him in the building of
character, follows him in the path of daily duty,
and is so vitally joined with him that he can say,
"My Lord, my life, my sacrifice,
My Saviour and my all ! "
The foundation of the Church is "the apostles
and prophets" — a phrase used to designate the
Scripture. In the Old Testament the prophets
pointed forward to Christ; in the New Testament
the apostles make record of his atonement as an
accomplished fact ; and the twofold Book is a com
plete revelation of the divine word and will.
I wonder whether those who are engaged in
undermining the popular faith in the Scriptures are
aware of what they are doing? "If the founda
tions be destroyed, what can the righteous do ?"
The creed of the Church is derived solely from
the Scriptures as the Word of God. The only
Christ we have is the Christ there revealed to us.
He said, "Search the Scriptures, ... for these
are they which testify of me." To impair their
credibility is, therefore, to impugn the veracity of

288 Its Organization: The Church
the only historic witnesses to the religion of Christ.
If the truth of the Scriptures could be successfully
assailed, we should be left mourning, like the
Magdalene at the empty tomb : "They have taken
away the Lord out of the tomb and we know not
where they have laid him."
The moral code of the Church is also derived
from the Scriptures. It is briefly contained in two
great ethical symbols, to wit, the Decalogue and
the Sermon on the Mount, to which must be added
the personal example of Jesus as the Ideal Man.
If the integrity of the Scriptures were to be de
stroyed, our Christian morality would have no
better basis than that of the Hindus and Moham
medans. John Knox spoke truly when, being ad
monished of the wrath of Queen Mary, as he was
going to Holyrood, with a blue Genevan cloak
over his shoulder and a Bible under his arm, he
replied, "All hell cannot prevail against the man
that hath in his left hand a candle to illuminate
his right!" But suppose that candle be put out,
what then?
The very franchise of the Church's life is de
rived from the Scriptures. It has no other raison
d'etre. Its sole business is to propagate the Word
for the conversion of the world; as it is written,
"My word . . . shall not return unto me void;
but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it
shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." We
are asked derisively, "Is Christianity, then, a re
ligion of a book?" It is certainly the religion of

"A Building Fitly Framed" 289
the Book which records the Christ; of the Book
from which we derive our only creed, our only
code of morals and our only franchise of eccle
siastical life. Wherefore, we say to all who pro
fess to be Christians, Stand by the Bible ! Read
it, search it, pray over it, love it, and live by it !
But, though we thus speak, we know that the
'Bible is in no danger. It is as Gladstone said,
"the impregnable rock"; more impregnable than
Gibraltar, which the fleets of centuries have bom
barded in vain. No, the Bible is in no danger;
but there is danger that multitudes will suffer ship
wreck by following the leadership of those who
speciously assail it. And there is danger that such
false teachers will themselves fall under the denun
ciation of Christ: "It is impossible but that occa
sions of stumbling should come ; but woe unto him
through whom they come ! It were well for him
if a millstone were hanged about his neck and he
were thrown into the sea."
The superstructure of the Church is its living
membership. This thought is expressed by Peter
where he says, "Ye also, as living stones, are built
up a spiritual house." This expression, "living
stones," is a singular one.
It is recorded that on one occasion, as Jesus was
going out of the Temple, his disciples said,
"Teacher, behold, what manner of stones and what
manner of buildings!" Wonderful, indeed, were the
stones of that Temple. Josephus says in his "An-

290 Its Organization: The Church
tiquities" that some of them were twenty-five cubits
by twelve; that is forty by twenty feet. By what
engineering skill were those ponderous masses
lifted into place? Wonderful stones! But the
stones in God's spiritual Temple are more wonder
ful, for they are endowed with life. The bricks of
the ruined temples of Nineveh are marked with the
cartouches of contemporary kings; but the stones
of this Temple have been touched by God's finger
and thrilled through and through with the electric
power of his life.
This means that Christians must do something
more than merely lie in their places. It means
that Church-membership is more than a name on
a roster. It means that the church is devoted to
something more than the letter of truth or liturgi
cal forms or ethical precepts. "I came," said
Christ, "that they may have life and may have it
abundantly." And again, "You did he make alive
who were dead through your trespasses and sins."
In one of Ruskin's lectures he defines architec
ture as "frozen music." But this is not true of the
architecture of the Church. The stones of this
Temple have hearts that pulsate with divine love;
they have hands stretched forth in mutual service ;
they have voices that sing, "All hail the power of
Jesus' name," and, "Blest be the tie that binds!"
They have hearts beating in quick response to the
world's need, hands to help the helpless, and voices
calling like those of life-savers from the shore on a
stormy night, "Throw out the life-line !" Frozen

"A Building Fitly Framed" 291
music? Ah, no! What a picture of a living
Church is here! Every part of this great super
structure palpitates with life.
Growth organic— The Church, thus constituted,
"groweth," as Paul expresses it. The word is not
such as was customarily used of mere accretion, as
when a fabric grows, thread upon thread, in the
loom; or as when a palace grows, stone by stone;
but it has reference to organic growth ; that is, the
growth of a plant or tree, by reason of life within
it. It is, in brief, a word picture of the parable of
Christ: "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a
grain of mustard seed, . . . which indeed is less
than all seeds; but when it is grown it . . . be-
cometh a tree, so that the birds of the heaven come
and lodge in the branches thereof."
The growth of the Church is measured by that
of the individual believers who constitute it. God's
life is the germinating principle. This is the in
fluence referred to by Paul where he speaks of the
whole body as being "fitly framed and knit to
gether through that which every joint supplieth,
according to the working in due measure of each
several part, making increase of the body unto the
building up of itself in love."
But apart from the growth of individual be
lievers there is a distinct growth of the mighty
coherent unit which we call "the Holy Catholic
Church." The record of this growth is history.
And the ultimatum of history is the coming of
Christ to occupy his Church and reign over it.

292 Its Organization: The Church
The story of ecclesiastical progress has been con
stant from the beginning until now. We some
times place our finger on a notable epoch of history
called "the Dark Ages," and say, "Here there was
an arrest." I doubt it. If you put a plant in the
cellar it will not cease to grow, else it would die;
but it puts forth pale and sickly fingers, reaching
toward every beam of light that creeps through
crevices in the wall. It was so with the church in
the Dark Ages, when the clergy repaired to
cloisters and busied themselves in the illumination
of missals and breviaries, while the people were
famishing for the Word. But there was, in fact,
no arrest of growth, because there was no real ces
sation of life. And what a marvelous advance
has there been in these last days! The numerical
increase of the Church during the nineteenth cen
tury was more than during the entire eighteen
centuries which preceded it. Thus "God works
in all things ; all obey his first propulsion from the
night." End of the growth.— The Church "groweth
into a holy Temple in the Lord." This marks the
consummation. The Church, notwithstanding its
marvelous progress thus far, is still incomplete.
One thing remains to be done: the Lord himself
must descend and by his Spirit take personal pos
session of it. All hail the parousia! The Lord
cometh ! "Lift up your heads, O ye gates ; and be

"A Building Fitly Framed" 293
ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of
glory will come in !"
The Temple of Solomon was completed in the
eleventh year of his reign. At its dedication the
priests and Levites, with the hereditary heads of
the tribes, were assembled in the Holy City. The
king sat upon his ivory throne, with his archers
about him holding their golden shields and clad in
Tyrian purple. The choirs and orchestras re
sponded to one another in the Grand Hillel, "O
that men would praise Jehovah for his lovingkind-
ness and for his wonderful works to the children
of men!" Then something occurred whereat all
were instantly silent; a fleece of golden mist flowed
outward from the Holy of Holies and enveloped
all. It was the Shekinah, the most excellent glory.
And thus the Temple became the Temple of God.
The time is coming when Christ shall appear in
like manner to make his influence felt throughout
the whole earth; when his angel shall proclaim,
"The tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall
dwell with them and they shall be his peoples, and
God himself shall be with them and be their God."
" Arise, O King of saints, arise
And enter to thy rest.
Lo, thy Church waits with longing eyes
Thus to be owned and blest ! "
Living stones. — The important question is as
to our personal relation with the Church. It is

294 Its Organization: The Church
not enough to say, "My name is on the roll." Are
we living stones in the wall? Have we eyes to
see the glory, ears to hear the evangel, hearts that
throb in unison with the divine purpose, and hands
stretched forth to accomplish it? You may see,
on any sunny day, the benches of our public parks
occupied by persons who have nothing to do. The
city is awake; its people are at work; there are
sounds of industry on every side; but these fre
quenters of the benches have no part in it.
The Church is the great living organism
through which God is working by his Spirit for the
restoration of the world. Its true members are
men and women quickened by the Spirit of Christ.
Alas for those who are in the Church but not of
it! And alas for those who are neither in the
Church nor of it! "My Father worketh even
until now," said Christ, "and I work." Here is
business for earnest souls. We are called into the
Church that we may be "God's fellow- workers."

THE DYNAMIC OF THE CHURCH

The doctrine of the Trinity. — The Church the Me
dium. — Relation of Church and Spirit. — A Spirit-
charged Church. — Partial fulfillment.— Failure of
the Church.
The doctrine of the Trinity. — It is a mistake to
suppose, as many do, that the doctrine of the
Trinity is revealed exclusively in the Gospels
and only dimly there. From the very beginning
the three Persons of the Godhead are represented
as being profoundly interested in the recovery of
our fallen race. This will appear from a glance
at the three divisions of the history of God's deal
ings with men.
The Dispensation of the Father was first, in
, which the Law, moral and ceremonial, was given
for direction in righteousness. This law was in
tended, however, not to be a means of salvation of
itself, but to serve "as a schoolmaster to lead to
Christ." So we find in the types and symbols as
well as in the prophecies of the Old Testament, a
foreshadowing of Messiah who, in fullness of time,
was to be wounded for the transgressions of fallen
humanity, and a clear statement also of the in
fluence of the third Person of the Godhead who
295

296 Its Organization: The Church
was to make application of that Atonement to the
salvation of men. But this dispensation was in
effectual except as a preparation of what should
follow; it closed in deep darkness, leaving "the
whole creation groaning and travailing together"
for something farther on.
Then came the Dispensation of the Son; it con
tinued for thirty-three years and is briefly summed
up in the words, "He came unto his own, and his
own received him not." The teaching of Jesus
emphasized both the Fatherhood of God and the
influence of the Spirit. This teaching, however,
though buttressed by the corroborative evidence
of miracles, was comparatively fruitless. The
Teacher himself was persecuted unto death; but
in closing his work he breathed upon his disciples,
saying, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost: all power is
given unto me in heaven and on earth ; go ye, there
fore, and evangelize all nations."
And then the Dispensation of the Spirit. It be
gan in power on the day of Pentecost when, as the
disciples were all assembled with one accord in one
place, there came on a sudden the sound of a rush
ing mighty wind, filling all the house where they
were sitting ; and cloven tongues of fire rested upon
them; and they were filled with the Holy Ghost
and power. So was ushered in the third of the
grand divisions of history, under which we are
living, of which the Third Person of the Godhead
is the Executive, and which is to continue until
"the end of the present order of things."

The Dynamic of the Church 297
The Church the medium.— The medium through
which the influence of the Holy Ghost is communi
cated is the Church ; the living organism which he
is employing continuously and progressively in
bringing about "the restoration of all things" and
ushering in the Golden Age.
One of the most significant symbols of the
Church is the golden candlestick. It is used in
Scripture on three notable occasions. First, in the
vision of Moses, where God said, "Thou shalt
make a candlestick of pure gold; . . . the whole
of it one beaten work of pure gold . . . and see
that thou make them after their pattern which hath
been showed thee in the mount." It was fifteen
hundred years after this that John saw the same
symbol in his vision on Patmos; but there a new
and important addition was made: "I saw seven
golden candlesticks ; and in the midst of the candle
sticks one like unto a son of man, clothed with a
garment down to the foot, and girt about at the
breasts with a golden girdle."
Now, midway between these two comes the
vision of Zechariah. It occurred in the eventful
times of the restoration, and its purpose is clear.
A remnant of the captive Jews had returned to
Jerusalem under the leadership of Zerubbabel,
prince of Judah, and had set about the rebuilding
of the city. The walls were finished, in spite of all
difficulties, including bitter opposition on the part
of the surrounding tribes. This was followed by
the restoration of the Temple. Beams were

298 Its Organization: The Church
brought from Lebanon and stones from the quar
ries, and the foundations were completed, when the
work was suddenly discontinued. An unaccount
able spirit of apathy fell upon the people. All
efforts to stimulate them were in vain.
At this juncture appeared Zechariah, whose
mission was to arouse the dormant energies of the
workmen by assuring them of immediate success
and pointing forward to the coming of Immanuel
and the ultimate triumph of the Church. He be
gan with a series of visions; one of which is that
of the Golden Candlestick (Zech. 4: 1-7), in
which he proclaims the divine excellency and power
and destiny of Israel as the Church of God.
Relation of Church and Spirit. — The emphasis
in this vision is distinctly on the vital relation of
the Church and the Spirit. It will be observed
that the prophet was very eager to understand the
significance of this vision in detail and particular;
just as exegetes and commentators have ever since
busied themselves in the interpretation of the bowl
and the lamps and the seven pipes and the two
olive-trees. But it should be observed that the
angel was not explicit upon these points. "I said,
What are these, my lord? Then the angel . . .
answered, . . . Knowest thou not what these are ?
And I said, No, my lord. Then he answered . . .
This is the word of Jehovah unto Zerubbabel, say
ing, Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit !
. . . Who art thou, O great mountain" [of dif-

The Dynamic of the Church 299
ficulty and discouragement] ? Before Zerubbabel
thou shalt become a plain ; and he shall bring forth
the top-stone [of the Temple] with shoutings of
Grace, grace unto it!"
Unity. — It might not be unprofitable to dwell
upon the fact that the single shaft of this candle
stick seems to designate the unity of the Church.
All the lamps upon it burn together and commingle
their blaze. It is true that the Church is a contin
uous body from the beginning until now ; the Old
Economy and the New are one, the followers of
Christ being characterized as "the true Israel of
God." All denominations of believers whatso
ever, who receive Christ as the only-begotten of
the Father, are one also ; moving forward like the
divisions of a great army, in different lines but con
verging toward the ultimate reign of Christ as
King over all and blessed forever.
Purity. — It would furthermore be proper to say
that the gold of the candlestick seems to signify
the preciousness of the Church to the mind of God.
The candelabrum was made "all of gold." Here
is no superficial gilding, no mere outward form
and ceremony, but the purity and solidity of thor
ough consecration. The regard of Christ for his
people is set forth in the words, "Having loved his
own ... he loved them unto the end." He
speaks of the Church as his bride, his martial
bride; not employing her energies in self-culture
exclusively, as one beautifying herself with pow
ders and cosmetics, but "looking forth as the morn-

300 Its Organization: The Church
ing, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible
as an army with banners."
Radiance.-^- And one might dwell, still further,
on the high purposes of the Church as indicated in
these burning lamps. What is the business of the
Church ? To burn and to shine. And the burning
must needs come before the shining. It was for
lack of an apprehension of this fact that the
Church brought upon the world the dreariness of
the Dark Ages. An unkindled lamp gives no light.
The burning can only result from vital touch with
God. The oil of the living olive-trees must flow
into the lamps, else it is quite vain to be saying,
"Let your light shine before men." The Church
cannot shine of itself. A Christian has no power of
self-effulgence; he can only reflect the glory of
God. A Spirit-charged Church. — But all such consid
erations are small and unimportant in compari
son with the great lesson which was intended to be
conveyed by this vision. Once and again the
prophet inquired, "What are these two olive
branches which are beside the two golden spouts?
And he answered, Knowest thou not what these
are? And I said, No, my lord. Then said he,
These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the
Lord of the whole earth." Mystery on mystery!
One thing only is made clear; to wit, "Not by
might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith Je
hovah of hosts." The great truth to be empha-

The Dynamic of the Church 301
sized is, therefore, the unspeakable importance of
a Spirit-charged Church.
Bowls and branches and pipes and olive-trees all
merge themselves into this important fact, "Not by
might, nor by power, but by my Spirit!" That is,
the Church, if it would accomplish its great pur
pose, must be brought into immediate touch and
kept in constant communication with the Holy
Ghost. This was the meaning of many like utter
ances under the old economy; as where Joel says,
"It shall come to pass afterward that I will pour
out of my Spirit upon all flesh." This is the
meaning of Pentecost. And for lack of apprehend
ing it the Church has for nineteen hundred years
gone murmuring, "O my leanness, my leanness!"
If it is true that we are living under the Dispen
sation of the Spirit, how vitally essential it is to
the success of the Church and to the welfare of the
individual believer that this truth should be pressed
home. We dishonor the Third Person of the God
head when we speak of him as a larger "it" ; and
we lose his blessing when we fail to remember that
he is the Executive in human affairs and the living
Energy of the Church ; and that all our light and
comfort, our growth in grace and usefulness, our
peace and power are from him.
Four symbols of the Spirit. — The influence of
the Spirit is represented in Scripture by four elo
quent and prophetic symbols: wind or breath,
water, fire and oil.
The wind is the symbol of life. We live by the

302 Its Organization: The Church
Spirit. It is written, "And Jehovah God formed
man . . . and breathed into his nostrils the breath
of life; and man became a living soul." The man
was previously mere plastic clay; but when God
breathed upon him, his pulse began to beat, his
blood began to flow, fire flashed from his eyes. So
does the Spirit regenerate those who are dead in
trespasses and sins; as Jesus said, "Except one be
born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into
the kingdom of God."
The next of these significant symbols is water.
It speaks of purifying and refreshing. I remem
ber a fishing-town on the coast of Maine where the
fishermen brought in their daily catch and cleaned
it on the beach ; and twice a day the tides swept In
and purged the beach as clean as a housewife's
floor. So roll in the tides of the Spirit, in the ap
plication of the Saviour's blood to purge the souls
of men.
The next of the symbols is fire. It speaks of
energy. The blazing orb of heaven is the source
and fountain of all power on earth; it makes the
wheels of industry go round. In like manner the
Church derives her power from the Spirit. With
out his influence she is as insignificant for the ac
complishment of her purpose as a painted ship
upon a painted ocean. But upon his baptism the
lambent tongues of flame rest on the foreheads of
her priests and people alike, and they are able
to accomplish mighty things for him.
The last, and in some respects the most signifi-

The Dynamic of the Church 303
cant of the Spirit-symbols, is oil. It sets forth the
need of consecration. Oil was used in the setting
apart of kings and prophets and priests to their
several offices; and by the anointing of the Spirit
men are still separated to Be kings and priests unto
God. Partial fulfillment. — Let it be observed now that
the significance of these symbols, as well as of all
prophecies of Scripture touching the Holy Ghost,
is as yet only partially fulfilled.
On the day of Pentecost Peter lifted up his voice
and said, "Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell
at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and give ear
unto my words : . . . this is that which hath been
spoken through the prophet Joel: And it shall
be in the last days, saith God, I will pour forth of
my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your
daughters shall prophesy, and your young men
shall see visions, and your old men shall dream
dreams : yea, and on my servants and on my hand
maidens in those days will I pour forth of my
Spirit; and they shall prophesy: and I will show
wonders in the heaven above, and signs on the
earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of
smoke : the sun shall be turned into darkness, and
the moon into blood, before that great and notable
day of the Lord come. And it shall be, that who
soever shall call on the name of the Lord shall
be saved." It is obvious that this prophecy of
Joel was not "filled full" at Pentecost. Where are

304 Its Organization: The Church
the "wonders in heaven above and signs on the
earth beneath"? Where are the "blood and fire
and vapor of smoke" ? Was the "sun turned into
darkness and the moon into blood" that day ? Yet
these things are to occur before the Great Apoc-
alyse. A time of final and complete fulfillment is
coming: and the miracle of Pentecost was but the
beginning of it.
In those "last days" the prophecy of the wind
shall be fulfilled. The world will then understand
the vision of Ezekiel in the valley of dry bones:
"Prophesy unto the wind . . . and say . . .
Thus saith the Lord Jehovah. Come from the four
winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that
they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded
me, and the breath came into them and they lived,
and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great
army." We speak of the militant Church as dis
tinguished from the Church triumphant: in point
of fact there is no militant Church as yet, nor will
there be until the breath breathes upon the dry
bones of Israel. Then shall they arise upon their
feet, not an army of moralists, professors, sacer-
dotalists, but a mobilized host going forth, under a
Great Commission, to subdue all nations as pris
oners of hope.
In the last days the prophecy of the water shall
be fulfilled. The rolling in of the great final wave
of the Spirit will not be for purifying and refresh
ing only, but for the overthrow of iniquity and the
establishment of truth and righteousness in the

The Dynamic of the Church 305
whole earth. It will be as it was in the great ca
tastrophe at Lisbon, when a tidal-wave swept over
the city, fifty feet high, enormous, irresistible, sub
merging all.
In the last days the prophecy of the fire shall be
fulfilled. On October 9, 1871, I stood by one of
the bridges in Chicago and saw tongues of flame
issuing from rising clouds of smoke and licking up
all before them. Great structures of iron bulged
and collapsed before the approaching storm.
Blocks of marble were thrown into the air with
sounds of explosion like a running discharge of ar
tillery. The sky was lurid, and veined as with
throbbing blood. A power beyond all human re
sistance was driving all before it. So shall be the
baptism of fire, when God the Spirit shall at length
make bare his arm, unsheathe his sword and sum
mon his Church to the final charge in the conquest
of the world.
The prophecy of the oil, also, remains to be ful
filled in those days. The oil of consecration — alas,
I fear we know not the deep significance of it.
Think on these words, "Ye are not your own; ye
are bought with a price," by the precious blood of
Jesus "as of a lamb without blemish and without
spot." When we understand that and act accord
ingly, the blessing will come; the great millennial
quickening, in which the impenitent will be brought
to their knees as wheat goes down before the
sickle. But wind and water and fire all wait upon
the oil; as it is written, "Bring ye the whole tithe

306 Its Organization: The Church
into the storehouse, that there may be food in my
house, and prove me now herewith, said Jehovah
of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven
and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not
be room enough to receive it."
But we are still waiting! Waiting? Nay, we
are keeping God waiting. He is ever waiting
and wholly willing to bless us. Oh that we
were willing in the day of his power!
"Make a circuit behind them," said the Lord
to David when he was facing the enemy
in the valley of Rephaim, "and come upon them
over against the mulberry-trees; and it shall be,
when thou hearest the sound of marching in the
tops of the mulberry-trees, then thou shalt bestir
thyself: for then is Jehovah gone out before thee
to smite the host of the Philistines." We have
been making a circuit for nineteen hundred years,
and the sound of the footfall of divine reinforce
ments has been continually in the tops of the mul
berry-trees. God goeth before us and we tarry
still. And the world is unsaved, and the prophe
cies of the Spirit are unfulfilled, because we of
Christ's army are ever going round about, praying
for what we dare not receive, hesitant, doubtful,
and unwilling to face the triumphs or entertain the
blessings that await us.
Failure of the Church. — The one obstacle in the
way to the full realization of God's purpose in the

The Dynamic of the Church 307
salvation of the world, at this time, is the failure
of the Church to realize its dependence on the
Holy Ghost. And we as constituent members of
that Church must hold ourselves responsible. It
is not numbers we need, since God can conquer with
many or few. It is not more organization that we
need, but the power of the Spirit pervading the
organism as in Ezekiel's vision of "wheels within
wheels." We who preach the gospel need to keep
ourselves in constant touch with the Spirit, that we
may utter "breathing thoughts in words that burn."
The people need the Spirit, that they may no
longer be singing, "Dear Lord, and shall we ever
live at this poor dying rate?" but rather, "Give to
the winds thy fears !" The local Church needs it,
in order that, like that humble company of Chris
tians in Ephesus who had known only the baptism
of John, it may under the baptism of the Holy
Ghost awake to new zeal, high purpose and holy
aspiration. The universal Church needs it, that
God may no longer be kept waiting for the realiza
tion of his redemptive plan. The world needs it,
groaning and travailing together until now.
Oh, for the complete fulfillment of the prophecy
of Joel ! Oh, for the "wonders in heaven above,"
and oh, for the "signs on the earth beneath" !
Come, Holy Spirit, come ! Fulfill in us the proph
ecy of the wind and the water, of the fire and the
oil, that thy mighty purpose may be brought to
pass, that thy people may be made willing to labor

308 Its Organization: The Church
together with thee in the bringing in of that ulti
mate "restoration of all things," when none shall
need to say, "Know thou the Lord" ; but every knee
shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is
the Christ; and when the glory of the Lord
shall cover the earth as the waters cover the
sea!

A MOBILIZED CHURCH

Appointing the Seventy. — His friends. — Under commis
sion. — Disencumbered. — Fully equipped. — Com
rades. — Enheartened with great promises. — "Be
fore his face." — End of the campaign.
Appointing the Seventy.— It was in October of
the last year of our Lord's ministry. He had car
ried on his work in the north country for a period
of eighteen months or thereabouts; and there was
apparently little or nothing to show for it. He
had been rejected on every side; as it is written,
"He came unto his own, and his own received him
not." In Capernaum the people turned a deaf ear
to his message of grace. In Gadara they "be
sought him that he would depart from their bor
ders." At Nazareth, his townsmen plotted against
him. So turning his face southward he began his
memorable journey to Jerusalem and his passion.
This has been called "the retreat from Galilee."
Was it, then, like the retreat of Napoleon from
Moscow; when the great captain rode alone,
gloomy and morose, followed by the pathetic rem
nant of his shattered army? Not so. This was
an advance all along the line. The light of prog
ress was in the Leader's eyes. Calm and hopeful
309

310 Its Organization: The Church
he gave the signal for a great campaign which was
to eventuate in the setting up on earth of the King
dom of God.
He had been accompanied thus far in his min
istry by a bodyguard of twelve men; but their
mission, however important in the formative period
of the Christian Church, ended then and there.
The so-called Apostolic Succession is as diaphan
ous as the stuff that dreams are made of. Now
the field of operation enlarged, and the Master ap
pointed the Seventy 1 to act as the advance guard
of a great multitude who would march down the
centuries declaring the unsearchable riches of
Christ. In the instructions given to them our Lord
struck the keynote for the propaganda of the fu
ture. These men stand for the mobilized Church;
and their marching orders are the marching orders
of all who follow Christ through the ages.
The order is, Forward the vanguard ! Yet the
martial figure is not wholly in place, since these
men were sent upon an errand of peace. They
bore no sword, but a benediction: "Peace be unto
you!" They went not to war, but to husbandry.
So have I seen men thronging the roads of the
Dakotas, browned, tanned, stalwart men on their
way to gather in the harvests that were to feed the
hunger of the world. The Seventy go forth with
1 It is worthy of note, that, as the twelve apostles correspond to
the twelve princes of the tribes of Israel, so the Seventy correspond
to the Seventy Elders who were appointed by Moses to co-operate
with him.

A Mobilized Church 311
sickles in hand, in pursuance of their Master's
word: "Say not ye, There are yet four months and
then cometh the harvest? . . . Lift up your eyes,
and look on the fields, that they are white already
unto harvest." Go, reap for God!
His friends. — Observe this. All of these Sev
enty were friends and followers of Christ. They
had heard him say, "Come!" and had left all to
follow him. Everybody knew them to be his dis
ciples. This is the first qualification for service:
to hear the invitation of Christ and to heed it and
to come out into the open, enlisting under Christ's
banner and putting on the uniform of a confessed
soldier of Jesus.
Under commission. — They had not only heard
Christ say, "Come!" but they had heard him say,
"Go!" They were missionaries, that is, sent-ones;
as he said, "Behold, I send you."
The service of Christ is business. It means
more than the saying of prayers and the singing
of psalms. The Lord said, "After this manner
therefore pray ye, Our Father who art in heaven
. . . Thy kingdom come." And here he adds,
"As you go, preach, saying, The kingdom of
heaven is at hand!" The praying and the saying
go together; the profession must be followed by
the preaching of the Kingdom of God.
Disencumbered. — He said, "Carry no purse, no
wallet, no shoes." No doubt they would have

312 Its Organization: The Church
deemed it wise to take a little ready cash, some
provisions in their wallet and a pair of extra san
dals for so long a journey : but they were to be an
army without a commissariat. They were to
march under a banner bearing this device: a bunch
of lilies, and over it the legend, "Have faith in
God." Are we to follow these instructions to the letter
in these days? "The letter killeth, but the Spirit
giveth life." But did ever a man go forth to serv
ice, trusting God in vain? Is not history full of
stories of those who going out, like Paul, Francis
Xavier, John Eliot, Henry Martin and Adoniram
Judson, without purse, wallet or extra sandals,
have returned in due time with rejoicing, bringing
their sheaves with them?
In one of Paul's letters to Timothy he says:
"No soldier on service entangleth himself with the
affairs of this life." Yet how many of the serv
ants of Christ are overburdened with secular cares ;
all tangled up in their purses, and their wallets,
and their extra sandals. We cannot afford to over
look the fact that it is the disencumbered man who
fights well, runs well, reaps well. The Mission
of the Seventy was like a forced march, and there
must be nothing to hinder it. The business in
hand was so important that they were enjoined to
"salute no man by the way." A salutation in the
Orient to-day is a matter of much punctilio. If
two Arabs meet in the desert, one hand is extended,
then both hands are lifted, then there is a kissing

A Mobilized Church 313
of beards; and on occasion all this repeated ten
times over with voluble expressions of more or less
sincere delight. There was no time for the Sev
enty to indulge in such distractions along the way.
They went forth as the King's legates, and "the
King's business requireth haste."
Fully equipped. — The Lord bestowed on them
those singular gifts of the Spirit which were known
as charismata; by which they were enabled to
work miracles of healing; and he said, "Behold, I
have given you authority to tread upon serpents
and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy;
and nothing shall in any wise hurt you."
Do the followers of Christ have such power in
these days ? It would appear that these extraordi
nary gifts were conferred in the infancy of the
Church for special reasons. If they still continue,
as is claimed in some quarters, it is a singular
thing that the whole world is not constrained to
acknowledge it. The healings wrought by Christ
and his early disciples were so obvious that no
body disputed them; while nowadays, when such
miracles are claimed, everybody standing by simply
lifts his eyebrows and smiles.
Nevertheless the work of healing in Christ's
name still goes on. The skill of the medical pro
fession of our time is due to the advance of civil
ization and humanity which received its momen
tum in the life and gospel of Christ. The Church
has no such pressing need of practising medicine

3 14 Its Organization: The Church
and surgery in these times when hospitals and free
dispensaries are on every hand. Nor is the minis
try called upon to practise therapeutics, when the
medical profession, a sort of left arm of the service,
is following so closely in the footsteps of that Good
Physician, of whom it is recorded that when the
sick were brought and laid on couches along the
way, "he healed them every one." I, for one,
am quite willing to have the Doctors of Medicine
attend to their task while the Doctors of Divinity
address themselves to theirs.
Let it be noted that when the Seventy expressed
their joy in the fact that they were able to cure
diseases and cast out devils in his name, the Master
said: "In this rejoice, not that the spirits are sub
ject unto you, but rejoice that your names are writ
ten in heaven" ; that is, in the roll-call of those who
were appointed to deliver the message of the King
dom. Comrades. — It is written: "He sent them forth
two and two." There is a beautiful significance
in this; "as iron sharpeneth iron, so a man sharp-
eneth the countenance of his friend."
A few years ago, when there were only three
men in our Arabian Mission and they were sta
tioned five hundred miles apart, a pathetic appeal
came to us to send more laborers into the harvest
because those on the field were so lonely! Our
Lord, who knew humanity through and through,
recognized this need of companionship when he

A Mobilized Church 315
sent the Seventy out in thirty-five bands of two
each. Paul, in prison, writes to his young friend Tim
othy to come with all possible haste, because he
greatly longs for him. Latimer, bound to the
stake, speaks to Ridley at the neighboring stake,
"Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the
man ; we shall this day light such a candle by God's
grace in England as I trust shall never be put out."
Luther in the Castle at Erfurt, in the darkest days
of the Reformation, calls to his friend Melanch-
thon, "Come, Philip, let us sing the 46th Psalm,
'God is our refuge and strength; . . . therefore
will not we fear though the earth do change and
the mountains be shaken into the heart of the
seas.' " So has the Church come down along the
centuries in bands of two and two.
We are wont to sing, "Blest be the tie that binds
our hearts in Christian love," but for the practi
cal uses of service let us sing, "Blest be the tie that
binds our hearts in Christian work." Comrades
all! Two by two! Amid usque ad aras! "Two
are better than one; . . . for if they fall the one
will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone
when he falleth, for he hath not another to lift
him up."
Enheartened with great promises. — Our Lord
did not disguise the fact that the Seventy were go
ing in the face of opposition and persecution. "Be
hold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of

316 Its Organization: The Church
wolves." Nero, Diocletian, Bloody Mary; he
heard them aforetime; the voices of wolves that
were to raven his little ones. But "Fear not, little
flock," said he; "it is your Father's good pleasure
to give you the kingdom !" He foresaw the flag
ging of courage, the weariness of step, the dim
ming of eye ; and he prepared them against it.
There is no room for pessimists in the ranks of
this militant host. We borrow trouble without
reason. We fret and worry because we forget that
Christ founded his Church upon a rock and the
gates of hell shall not prevail against it. We see
the kings of the earth assembling and rulers tak
ing counsel against our Lord and his Anointed,
saying, "Let us break their bonds asunder and
cast away their cords from us!" and our knees
tremble because we have not heard the laughter
out of heaven. We have not heard the reading
of the riot-act: "Kiss the son, lest he be angry
and ye perish in the way!"
We preach the Gospel of the Kingdom. Did
Christ not say, "The kingdom of heaven is like
unto leaven which a woman took and hid in three
measures of meal till it was all leavened" ? Did he
not say, "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a
grain of mustard seed, which a man took and
sowed in his field; which indeed is less than all
seeds, but when it is grown, it is greater than the
herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the
heavens come and lodge in the branches thereof" ?
They were but seventy that went forth then;

A Mobilized Church 317
and behold, there are in the world to-day some
hundreds of millions of people who profess the
service of Christ! And this in spite of axes and
faggot fires, in spite of foes without and traitors
within. We preach the Gospel of the Kingdom.
Make way for the King! He who opposes does
but frantically and to his own hurt run upon the
bosses of the shield of God.
"Before his face." — This is the way they were
sent. On other occasions he preceded them, lead
ing the way. Here they are not followers but fore
runners. They go before him like John the Bap
tist, crying, "Repent ye; for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand . . . make ye ready the way
of the Lord; make his paths straight."
The joy of our message is that the King is com
ing just after us. Maranatha! The Lord com
eth ; and blessed are all they that love his appear
ing. Though he tarry, yet will he come. The
heavens will part asunder; and the tabernacle of
God will come down among men; and he shall
dwell with them and they shall be his people and
God himself will be their God.
In the meantime we are sustained in our labor
of love and patience of hope by the promise: "Lo,
I am with you always even unto the end of the
world." End of the campaign.— On the return of the
Seventy they reported, with burning hearts and

318 Its Organization: The Church
flashing eyes: "Lord, even the demons are subject
unto us in thy name!" They had never dreamed
of such success. But he said, "I beheld Satan
fallen as lightning from heaven !" His far-seeing
eyes, in that instant, traversed all history as if it
passed before him in a moving picture. He saw
the end from the beginning; the triumph of truth
and righteousness. He heard the clanking of
chains as the red dragon was cast into the pit.
Thus ends the campaign. The Lamb triumphs
over the wolves. Armageddon is fought to a
finish ; and the army of which the Seventy were the
vanguard waves banners of victory.
' ' God works in all things ; all obey
His first propulsion from the night.
Wake thou and watch ; the world is gray
With morning light ! ' '
So reads the story of the mobilized Church. "O
Church of God, go forward!" City Missions,
Home Missions, Foreign Missions, all are in line
with the Captain's plan, and none is in vain. Alas,
for the man who stands with folded hands in the
marketplace ! "All at it, always at it, all together
at it!"

THE CHURCH AT THE CROSSROADS

One writer's view. — Many paths. — The way of salva
tion. — The way of truth. — The way of character.
— The way of burden-bearing. — The way of serv
ice. — The way of companionship. — The way of
life. — Not at the crossroads.
One writer's view. — I have been reading a book,
translated from the German, entitled "Christian
ity at the Crossroads" ; in which the learned writer
lays down the proposition that the Church has no
hope of perpetuity except in adjusting itself to pub
lic opinion and the Spirit of the Age. The world
moves, beyond all question, and progress is a fact.
Wherefore, they say, the old doctrines must be
given up, and the old canons of righteousness must
yield to more modern forms of ethics. Ring out
the old, ring in the new!
As I sat with this proposition before me it pre
sented itself in the form of a vision, on this wise :
Many paths. — I seemed to see the Church, the
Genius of Christianity, standing at the crossways
with a look of deep perplexity in her eyes. Of the
many divergent roads leading into the future she
was wondering which she should take. One of
319

320 Its Organization: The Church
these was called "New Thought," and another the
"New Theology," and another the "New Ethics,"
and another the "New Religion," and another
"New Science," and another "New Philosophy."
Oh, there were many, many ways, and all of them
new ! But there was an Old Way, also, which had
been trodden for centuries by the feet of a great
multitude which no man can number, of which it
had been written some thousands of years ago, "A
highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be
called The Way of Holiness ; the unclean shall not
pass over it; but it shall be for the redeemed; the
wayfaring men, yea, fools shall not err therein. No
lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast go
up thereon ; they shall not be found there ; but the
redeemed shall walk there; and the ransomed of
Jehovah shall return, and come with singing unto
Zion, and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads ;
they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow
and sighing shall flee away."
The journey of the Church thus far through the
centuries had been along this highway; but now
she stood at the crossroads, while hands were beck
oning on every side to other paths. The decision
must be made: which way?
And I heard a voice behind her, saying, "This
is the way, walk ye in it!" I could not see the
speaker; but I knew it was the Bridegroom who
thus addressed his bride; it was he, the Christ of
whom it had been written, "In whom, though now
ye see him not, yet believing ye rejoice greatly with

The Church at the Crossroads 321
joy unspeakable and full of glory !" And the bride
knew that the Bridegroom spoke of the King's
Highway; but she seemed lost in doubt and per
plexity. The way of salvation.— The voice said, "This
is the way of salvation, walk ye in it!"
And I saw that at the entrance of the King's
Highway, where there should have been a sign
post, there stood a cross ; and on it was the suffer
ing Christ. His right hand, pierced and blood
stained, pointed to the Highway. And the High
way was thronged with travelers who, as they
journeyed, sang,
"There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel's veins ;
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains."
They held much converse with one another as
to the great salvation, saying, "As far as the east
is from the west, so far hath he removed our trans
gressions from us"; and their song was full of
hope and loyalty and conquest;
" Dear dying Lamb, thy precious blood
Shall never lose its power
Till all the ransomed Church of God
Are saved to sin no more ! ' '
As they continued their journey they rejoiced more
and more until they vanished in a great light, from

322 Its Organization: The Church
which came faint echoes of singing, like the sound
of distant waters, "Worthy art thou . . . for
thou wast slain, and didst purchase unto God with
thy blood men of every tribe, and tongue, and
people, and nation, and madest them to be unto
God a Kingdom and priests."
But the bride at the crossways seemed still to be
asking, "Which way?"
The way of truth. — Again the voice behind her
said, "This is the way of truth; walk ye in it!"
And I saw that those who journeyed on the
other roads all seemed to be truth-seekers. Each
of them carried a lantern and a book. The books
were called "Science," "Philosophy," "The Wis
dom of the Wise," etc. By the dim light of their
lanterns they peered to the right and left and
seemed like blind people groping their way along
the wall, some saying, "What is truth?" and
others, "I know not."
The travelers on the King's Highway also car
ried books ; but they all had the same Book, called
"The Word of God." On its cover was written
"Authority" and "The entrance of thy Word
giveth light." And as they went on reading there
came an increasing look of hope and satisfaction.
I heard them saying, "I know !" and "I am per
suaded," and "I reckon"; and ever and anon they
said, "I believe in God the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ his
only Son our Lord. I believe in the Holy Ghost,

The Church at the Crossroads 323
the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body
and the life everlasting, Amen." And while they
seemed to rejoice more and more in the things
which they already believed, they were still look
ing forward to clearer knowledge and more glo
rious truth; for they kept saying, "Now we see in
a mirror darkly, but then face to face ! Now I
know in part, but then shall I know fully even as
also I was fully known !" And all the while they
gave increasing attention to the Book and showed
a deeper joy in it. Then I remembered how it had
been written, "The path of the righteous is as the
dawning light that shineth more and more unto
the perfect day."
And still the Church, standing at the crossways,
hesitated to choose her way.
The way of character. — And the voice spoke
again: "This is the way of character; walk ye
in it!"
I saw, then, that all those who traveled on the
King's Highway were arrayed in linen robes,
which had been, when they were assumed, "fine
linen, clean and white." But they were now much
soiled, as if their wearers had often fallen by the
way. And they were weeping, praying, striving
and all the while growing farther from sin.
Among those who wept I distinguished Peter, and
heard him lamenting, "I denied my Lord!"
Among those who prayed I recognized David;

324 Its Organization: The Church
and he was saying, "Have mercy upon me, O God,
according to thy lovingkindness : according to the
multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my trans
gressions! Wash me thoroughly from mine in
iquity and cleanse me from my sin ; for I know my
transgressions and my sin is ever before me!"
And among those who strove most earnestly
against sin I distinguished Paul, and heard him
saying, "I count not myself yet to have laid hold;
but one thing I do : forgetting the things which are
behind, and stretching forward to the things which
are before, I press on toward the goal unto the
prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus !"
All alike were confessedly sinners; not one pro
fessing to be good, only trying to be. And the
farther they journeyed the more they grew in grace
and into the likeness of Christ. The stains on their
soiled robes seemed to vanish more and more;
until as they passed into the great light the last
blemish was gone ! Their sins, which had been as
scarlet, were whiter than snow. So they entered
into the presence of the holy God.
But the bride at the crossing of the ways still
stood irresolute and undetermined as to the right
way. The way of burden-bearing.— Again the voice
behind her spoke, "This is the way of burden-bear
ing; walk ye in it!"
And I saw that all who traveled by the diverse
roads were burden-bearers, since burden-bearing is

The Church at the Crossroads 325
the common heritage of the children of men. And
many of them groaned, saying, "My burden is
greater than I can bear!"
Those who journeyed on the King's Highway
bore burdens also ; and furthermore each was under
a yoke. But for some reason their burdens seemed
easy and their yokes light. At the outset they
spoke of "duty" and "obligation"; but as they pro
ceeded they had more to say of the joy of service
and the delight of doing their Master's will. I
could see in the distance some who seemed as light-
footed as Asahel; and more and more they quick
ened their steps, saying, "I rejoice to do thy will!"
Their toil now seemed pleasure; and as they ap
proached the great light they began to run; as it
is written: "I will run the way of thy command
ments when thou shalt enlarge my heart." And
so, running, they passed out of view.
But the bride still wore a look of deep perplex
ity. Would nothing convince her?
The way of service. — Again the voice behind
her spoke, "This is the way of service; walk ye
in it!"
And I perceived that those who journeyed on
the other roads were much absorbed in selfish pur
suits, saying, "What shall we eat?" and "What
shall we drink?" and "Wherewithal shall we be
clothed?" There were some with muck-rakes,
heaping up yellow dust; and many pleasure-seek
ers, whose laughter was like the crackling of

326 Its Organization: The Church
thorns; and others who were chasing after van
ishing honors. Not all were unmindful of the
needs of others ; but they were chiefly concerned for
their physical pains and ailments. All were alike
in being shut up within the narrow horizons of
the life here and now.
The travelers on the King's Highway, at the
beginning of their journey, seemed also to be
much concerned about themselves, their own sal
vation and their own sanctification. Their favor
ite hymn was,
" When I can read my title clear
To mansions in the skies,
I'll bid farewell to every fear
And wipe my weeping eyes."
But as they pursued their journey they grew more
and more self-forgetful and mindful of others.
They were lending a hand to help the fallen. They
were putting cups of cold water to thirsty lips.
They were trying to do good as they had oppor
tunity unto all. And while ministering to physical
needs they were not oblivious of the life beyond;
but kept ever pointing toward the light. And
whenever one of them did a good deed, it was "in
the name of the King." It seemed to be their
growing desire to do everything for Him; until at
length, toward the journey's end, all other consid
erations yielded to a consuming desire to glorify
God. And when they had passed on, their useful
ness remained. They were spoken of as dead;

The Church at the Crossroads 327
but I heard them still speaking. Their usefulness
was perpetuated in their memory : as their Master
had said, "He that liveth and believeth on me shall
never die."
The voice of the Bridegroom should by this
time surely have persuaded the bride : but she could
not lose sight of the beckoning hands or turn a
deaf ear to the alluring voices that called her to
the other ways.
The way of companionship. — The voice of the
Bridegroom spoke again, "This is the way of di
vine companionship; walk ye in it!"
Then I saw that all who were journeying by the
divergent roads were alone ; each planning for him
self, doing for himself, living for himself.
But on the King's Highway each had a Friend
beside him, a guide and helper and counselor, who
kept saying, "Be of good courage ; lo ! I am with
you always, even unto the end." (Ah, "two are
better than one ; . . . for if they fall, the one will
lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone
when he falleth !" ) Was any weak? He bound a
girdle about his loins. Was any tempted? He
drew a sword to defend him. Did any weep ? He
wiped away his tears. In the distance I saw the
Highway sink into a deep valley, over which hung
a gloomy shadow; and as the travelers passed
into that dark depression I heard them say, "Yea,
though I walk through the valley of the shadow
of death I will fear no evil; for thou art with me;

328 Its Organization: The Church
thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me!" And
when they reappeared they were still journeying
two and two, each with his Friend. So they van
ished into the light.
I saw the bride now grasping her staff and look
ing with desire toward the King's Highway, as if
she were almost persuaded.
The way of life. — And the voice spoke again,
"This is the way of life and immortality; walk ye
in it!"
And I saw that those who journeyed by the other
roads seemed not to know whither they were go
ing. It might be that there was a life beyond;
but there was no certainty. The one thing of
which they were assured was that for a while they
were living in this world and they had better make
the best of it. For perhaps death might end all !
But on the King's road all saw the great light in
the distance, a light brilliant and dazzling above
the brightness of the sun. And they were saying,
"Here we have no abiding city: we are pilgrims
and sojourners, looking for a better country, even
an heavenly, and for a city which hath founda
tions, whose builder and maker is God." So, staff
in hand, they trudged on with their eyes aloft.
They were not unmindful of their obligation to
make this world through which they were pass
ing a better place to live in : but their watchword
was "The Kingdom !" They believed that by the
spread of the gospel the Golden Age would ulti-

The Church at the Crossroads 329
mately be ushered into this world, that the Taber
nacle of God would come down among men, and
he would dwell with them, and they would be his
people and he would be their God. But they be
lieved also in the Kingdom farther on; where the
thrones are set and the King reigns in light and
glory unapproachable ; and toward that glory they
directed their steps with ever-increasing hope. As
they neared the light at the journey's end it was
changed into the splendor of a glorious sunset.
Great gates seemed to open wide ; and a new song,
faint but wonderful, came from the distance, "Al-
leluiah ! For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth !"
And into the light and glory and music they
passed. Then I remembered what John Bunyan
said when he saw the same vision of pilgrims enter
ing the gates, "I wished myself among them !"
Not at the crossroads. — I awoke from my vis
ion, and the thesis lay on my knees, "Christianity
at the Crossroads." Ah, no, said I; Christianity
is not at the crossroads ! It is not Christianity, but
a semblance of it, that stands perplexed and ques
tioning there. The bride is loyal to the Bride
groom. She has journeyed thus far through the
ages along ' ' The way the holy prophets went,
The road that leads from banishment.
The King's Highway of holiness.'
The Genius of Christianity is still true to the gos-

330 Its Organization: The Church
pel of Christ. On the King's Highway there are
more travelers than ever, more Christians who
sing, "All hail the power of Jesus' name," more
Bible-lovers, more believers, more servants of the
King! The number of the avowed followers of
Christ throughout the world has more than
doubled in the last century; would it have been so
had the Church, allured by the clamor of public
opinion, chosen one of the other ways?

THE CHURCH TRIUMPHANT

Days of visions. — A great multitude. — From every na
tion. — Saved by grace. — Saved by faith. — The first
born. — Rest in service. — A place of happiness. — In
the book of life.
The early Church was like a flock of sheep hud
dled together on a bleak hillside with baying
wolves on every side. The times were full of peril
and foreboding, and Christ's followers faced death
on every hand. They needed encouragement, and
the writer of Hebrews exhorted them to be brave
and strong, for "ye are come unto Mount Zion, and
unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jeru
salem, and to innumerable hosts of angels, to the
general assembly and church of the firstborn who
are enrolled in heaven."
Days of visions. — The Christians of those times
made much of the life beyond. They had con
stant need to strengthen their faith by dreaming
dreams and seeing visions.1 To those who were
1 The hearts of Columbus and his weary voyagers were cheered in
like manner by their first sight of San Salvador. He wrote in his
log-book, "It is the most beautiful island that eyes ever beheld.
There came a fragrance so good and soft of the flowers and trees
that it was the sweetest thing in the world. The singing of the
birds was such that it seemed as if one would never desire to depart
hence." 331

332 Its Organization: The Church
scattered abroad by axe and fagot, wandering in
deserts and in mountains, being destitute, afflicted,
tormented, how grateful was the anticipation of
that final muster of God's veterans ! Jesus himself
had said, "Rejoice that your names are written in
heaven." Paul had spoken hopefully of his "fel
low-workers whose names are in the book of life."
Peter had exhorted them to be patient amid their
fiery trials in view of the coming glory whereat
they were to be made "glad with exceeding joy."
Those were the days of apocalyptic visions.
Listen to this: "I, John, your brother and
partaker with you in tribulation . . . was in the
Spirit on the Lord's day : . . . and I saw, and be
hold, a great multitude which no man could num
ber, out of every nation and of all tribes and
peoples and tongues, standing before the throne
and before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes, with
palms in their hands: and they cry with a great
voice, saying, Salvation, unto our God who sitteth
on the throne and unto the Lamb ! And all the
angels . . . fell before the throne on their faces,
and worshiped God, saying, Amen. Blessing,
and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and
honor, and power, and might be unto our God
forever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders
answered, saying unto me, These that are arrayed
in the white robes, who are they and whence came
they? And I say unto him, My lord, thou know
est. And he said to me, These are they that come
out of the great tribulation, and they washed

The Church Triumphant 3331
their robes, and made them white in the blood of
the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne
of God; and they serve him day and night in his
temple; and he that sitteth on the throne shall
spread his tabernacle over them. They shall hun
ger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall
the sun strike upon them nor any heat; for the
Lamb that is in the midst of the throne shall be
their shepherd and shall guide them unto fountains
of waters of life; and God shall wipe away every
tear from their eyes." Revelation 7: 9-17.
" Who are these in bright array,
This innumerable throng,
'Round the altar night and day
Hymning one triumphant song ? "
A great multitude. — Observe the innumerable-
ness of this general assembly. Here are myriads
on myriads; not a remnant, but a mighty host;
"ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of
thousands": as the sands of the seashore; as the
stars of heaven; a number so immeasurably vast
that, when they sing, the chorus is like the rolling
of a boundless sea.
A young man once asked of Jesus, "Are they
few that are saved?" He declined to answer, but
said, "Strive to enter in by the narrow door: for
many, I say unto you, shall seek to enter in and
shall not be able." Though he did not answer the
question at that time, inasmuch as it was not ger
mane to the matter in hand, he and his apostles

334 Its Organization: The Church
also, on other occasions, gave us clearly to under
stand that the vast majority are with God.
From every nation. — This multitude is made up
of all nations and all sorts and conditions of men.
It is a Pentecostal gathering of "Parthians and
Medes and Elamites and the dwellers in Mesopo
tamia . . . Jews and proselytes, Cretans and
Arabians," bond and free.
And all are "assembled with one consent."
There is no "color line" in the heavenly city.
Philip the evangelist walks arm in arm with the
dusky chancellor of Queen Candace. There are
no social distinctions there : rich and poor meet to
gether and acknowledge the Lord as Maker of
them all. There are no denominational walls of
separation there: Wesley the Methodist, who
wrote "Jesus, Lover of my soul," and Toplady the
Calvinist, who wrote, "Rock of Ages, cleft for
me," join their voices in one harmonious song.
The boundaries of nations are blotted out. Na
poleon's dream of universal empire, which he
never realized, is realized there. The Christ of
Calvary occupies the throne, still bearing the scars
of his atoning work, and hath upon his vesture and
thigh a name written, "King of Kings and Lord of
Lords"; while the adoring multitude lifts the na
tional anthem: " All hail the power of Jesus' name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem
And crown him Lord of all ! "

The Church Triumphant 335
Saved by grace. — All in this general assembly
are sinners saved by grace. There are angels in
heaven and archangels who never lost their high
estate; but the names of those celestial beings are
not in this roster. Here are only graduates of the
University of Repentance, whose diplomas are
sealed with the red symbol of the Cross. Some
are sinners rescued from the vulgar vices of the
slums; others are sinners rescued from the respect
able worldliness of the avenues; but "there is no
difference," since all alike confess that they sinned
and came short of the glory of God. Are there
any drabs and drunkards there? Yes. Are there
selfish worldlings and avaricious millionaires?
Yes. All were sinners; and all have come hither.
All sinners, did I say? Nay, there is not a
sinner among them! All are saints, arrayed in
fine linen, clean and white. Their sins are gone !
Though they were as scarlet, they are white as
snow ! They have been washed in the blood of the
Lamb. Such is the wonderful alchemy of grace.
The song of the angels is "Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty!" but the song of the re
deemed is "Worthy art thou, ... for thou wast
slain, and didst purchase unto God with thy blood
men of every tribe and tongue and people and na
tion, and madest them to be unto our God a king
dom and priests."
Are there any moralists there? Not one! Not
one who came hither by personal desert, but only
such as have claimed by faith the unmerited grace
of God.

336 Its Organization: The Church
Saved by faith. — This general assembly is made
up of "solifidians" ; an old word, signifying "only
by faith." In other words, they are all saved by
believing in Christ.
So then their salvation depended on some doing
of their own? Surely. But what about election?
If the names of the redeemed were written in this
book before the foundation of the world, how
could they have been saved by the exercise of their
free will?
It does not devolve upon me to reconcile the
divine sovereignty with the freedom of the human
will. The facts in the case are sufficiently clear.
On the one hand, if there is a God anywhere in
the universe he must know and foreknow all
things: and it is unthinkable that anything should
come to pass except as he foreknew it. On the
other hand, my personal consciousness leaves no
room for any possible doubt as to the freedom of
my will. Suppose I say, "I will lift my hand."
It is clear that what I am about to do was divinely
foreknown and therefore certain to come to pass.
What shall I say then? That I am not free to
either lift my hand or refrain from lifting it?
That is preposterous. I know that I can do as I
please; and I know equally well that whatever I
decide to do was foreknown and foreordained of
God. Why should I be required or expected to
reconcile these facts? I am persuaded that there
is an omniscient God; and I am equally sure that
I have a sovereign will. I am under no more ob-

The Church Triumphant 337
ligation to reconcile these two than I am to explain
ten thousand mysteries all about me.
The important fact is this : if I am ever saved,
it will be by the exercise of personal faith; yet will
I join with the innumerable company of the re
deemed in ascribing all the glory to God. "Where
then is the glorying? It is excluded. By what
manner of law? of works? Nay; but by a law of
faith." For God "saved us and called us with
a holy calling, not according to our works, but ac
cording to his own purpose and grace, which was
given us in Christ Jesus before times eternal," in
whom he "made us alive together with Christ . . .
and raised us up with him, and made us sit with
him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus ; that in
the ages to come he might show the exceeding
riches of his grace in kindness toward us."
The firstborn. — All in this general assembly are
"firstborn." This is singular. In any earthly
household there is one firstborn and only one; and
all the rights of primogeniture belong to him. In
God's household, however, the rights of primo
geniture belong alike to all. This is by virtue of
the fact that the redeemed are in vital relations
with God's only-begotten Son. They are received
into the family by adoption ; but he is there by the
right of eternal generation, as "the firstborn among
many brethren." It is through him that all the
redeemed are invested with the best robe and the
signet ring: as it is written, "The Spirit himself

338 Its Organization: The Church
beareth witness with our spirit that we are children
of God: and if children then heirs, heirs of God
and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suf
fer with him that we may be also glorified with
him." Rest in service.— All are in "holy orders" there.
There is no distinctive call to the ministry: as it
is written, "Are they not all ministering spirits,
sent forth to do service for the sake of them that
shall inherit salvation?"
It is a mistake to think of heaven as a place of
indolent rest; and no less a mistake to think of it
as a place of selfish enjoyment. The redeemed
have been redeemed for a purpose : as it is written,
"His servants shall serve him."
" Service there is rest,
Rest, service; for the Paradise of saints,
Like Eden with its toilless husbandry,
Has many plants to tend and flowers to twine,
And fruit-trees in the Garden of the Soul,
That ask the culture of celestial skill. ' '
Every one in that assembly is a minister with a
parish. Is there room enough in God's universe
to furnish parishes for all? Go out on a starry
night and look at the myriads of God's worlds
floating in infinite space: then look on, through
the interstellar spaces, and see in the far distance
a cloud of floating star-dust! Oh, there are
worlds enough to furnish parishes for all! And

The Church Triumphant 339
the joy of heaven will be most largely in the fact
that all are busily engaged in congenial tasks, run
ning in the way of their Lord's commandments
and rejoicing to do his holy will.
A place of happiness. — Heaven is home. Heaven
is a marriage feast. Heaven is an ingathering with
a vintage song.
" Jerusalem the golden,
With milk and honey blessed,
Beneath thy contemplation
Sink heart and voice oppressed.
I know not, oh, I know not,
What joys await us there;
What radiancy'of glory,
What bliss beyond compare ! "
It is an unending happiness: for the members
of that general assembly are there to stay. It is
recorded that certain of the angels have lost their
first estate. "How hast thou fallen, Lucifer, son
of the morning!" But never, through all the ages,
has one of the redeemed fallen from the omnipo
tent hand of the gracious Son of God. Where
fore it is written, "They shall go out no more for
ever." I have a friend whose home has been sadly
broken up. He has said farewell to wife and seven
children, one by one, and is left a lonely, grief-
stricken man. He lives, however, in the inspiring
hope of the reunion in the Father's house. Oh,

340 Its Organization: The Church
that blessed day of "knitting severed friendships
up"! There is no crepe on the door of the
Father's house. No hearse with sable plumes
rumbles through the streets of the New Jerusalem.
" No partings yonder!
Time and space never
Again shall sunder;
Hearts cannot sever;
Dearer and fonder,
Hands clasped forever ! "
In the book of life. — The members of that gen
eral assembly are all recorded in the Lamb's book
of life. Call it narrow or bigoted if you choose;
it is clearly the teaching of Christ that only those
shall enter heaven who believe in him. There are
twelve gates, and they are always open with a clear
welcome for all, but over every gate is written,
"There shall in no wise enter . . . anything un
clean, or he that maketh an abomination and a lie,
but only they that are written in the Lamb's book
of life."
Is my name written there? Is yours? How
shall we find out? Each must ask himself; for
"the Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit
that we are children of God." Each for himself
must say whether he has accepted Christ as his
Saviour and whether, in all sincerity and with a
spirit of entire consecration, he is trying to follow
him.

FORWARD TO CHRIST!

Truth. — Character. — Government.
It is recorded that when the disciples journeyed
Jesus was accustomed to "go before them." Mark
23: 10.
In the forward movement of the centuries
he is always in the forefront. He "goeth on
before," leading all great enterprises in the
march toward the Golden Age. The cry "Back
to Christ !" is a specious but fallacious one. True,
he is the unchangeable One, "the same yesterday
and to-day and forever" ; but his sameness is not
like that of the impassive Sphinx under whose
sightless eyes the thirsty caravans of the centuries
pass by. His immutability is not immobility. It
is like that of the sun which from the winter to
the summer solstice adjusts itself to the advancing
seasons, changing as the world moves on toward
seed-time and harvest. Our cry, therefore, is not
"Back to Christ !" but "Forward to Christ !" For
he marches in the van of progress toward the res
toration of all things. His campaign is the philos
ophy of history ; the prophecy of his coming is the
key to the logic of events; for he is destined to
reign "where'er the sun does his successive jour
neys run."
There are three things that make mightily for
341

342 Its Organization: The Church
progress, truth, personal character and govern
ment: and in all of these Christ leads the way.
Truth.— All truth has value in his eyes. In
Christ's advancement through the centuries the
schoolmaster has walked beside him; and wher
ever his name is revered there schools and uni
versities have sprung up.
It is, however, in the province of spiritual truth
that he most manifestly leads the way. He came
into this world to answer the question which
throbs most passionately at the heart of every man :
"What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"
And his answer is the Bible, uplifted in his right
hand. As the Incarnate Word he bears congenial
witness to the integrity of the written Word of
God. And with it he brings the warrant of inde
pendent thought. He would have all "search the
Scriptures," with open mind and heart. Search
for yourself and interpret for yourself. Do your
own thinking! Let no priest, Presbytery or Con
venticle do your thinking for you. Be a "free
thinker" ; not like the freebooter who sets sail with
out chart or compass upon an open sea, but within
prescribed rules and along pathways marked out
by the Admiralty. Sail free; but sail by divine
chart and compass into the light of God !
It is obvious that we shall not find this patron
of truth by retracing our steps through centuries
gone by. The Christ of to-day is the same, yet not
the same, who lived as a peasant in a remote cor-

Forward to Christ! 343
ner of the Oriental world and made itineraries up
and down among its villages. Eyes front, if you
would find him ! For to-day he is the Scholar of
all scholars and the Teacher of all teachers, the
Friend of all truth-seekers, the Scientist of all sci
entists and the Philosopher of all philosophers, the
wisest of sages and the simplest of kindergart-
ners, Master of arts, Revealer of mysteries, Light
of the world. He who would keep abreast of the
spirit of the age must follow in his steps.
Character. — The basis of character is a due re
gard for the sanctity of law; and for this Christ
stood and ever stands. The Moral Law, as pro
mulgated from Sinai, finds its best exposition in
the Sermon on the Mount, its best compendium in
the words of Jesus, "Thou shalt love the Lord
thy God with all thy heart and thy neighbor as
thyself," and its best practical expression in the
Beatitudes, in which Christ outlines the qualifica
tions of citizenship in the kingdom of God.
But he was more than a teacher of the Law ; he
was its best living exemplar. And next to him its
best exemplar is the man who most closely follows
him. The Church is the candlestick from which
his light is diffused throughout the world : as John
the Evangelist says, "I saw in the midst of the
candlesticks one like unto a Son of Man." The
law of the gospel is set forth in the word "shine" ;
that is, reflect the character of Jesus as the Light of
the World. "So let your light shine before men

344 Its Organization: The Church
that they may see your good works and glorify
your Father who is in heaven." It may be said
without a peradventure that the average Christian
is far and away the best average type of morality
in the world to-day; but it must be added that more
is expected of the Christian now than ever before.
For the world knows more of Christ and knows
better what a Christian ought to be.
If we were to go back to find Christ as the ex
emplar of character we should hear his judge say
ing, "I find no fault in him." But that would not
be the Christ of to-day. In the light of the ad
vancing centuries the world sees him not only as
one faultless on the negative side, but so positively
upright as the exemplar of all righteousness that,
going on before, he sets the pattern for the world
in the building of the character that brings man
hood into its closest alliance with God.
"The best of men that e'er wore flesh about him
Was a sufferer, a calm, meek, patient, loving spirit;
The first true gentle-man that ever breathed!"
Thus going on before he leads the way for all
who would make the most of themselves and lend
a hand to the ascent of man.
Government.— The greatest of all political mani
festoes is that of Jesus when, looking on the tribute
penny, he said, "Render unto Caesar the things
that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are
God's." It was this penny tax that enabled Caesar

Forward to Christ! 345
to build the elaborate system of roads which con
nected his capital with the remote provinces. Lit
tle did he dream that those roads were ultimately
to be highways for the propagation of the gospel.
One of the current problems of our time has to
do with the building of railways in Manchuria,
the motive being an "open door" for international
commerce ; but when they are built the missionaries
of the Cross will pass over them into an open door
of evangelization. Rome for Caesar? Manchu
ria for Commerce? Nay, all and everything for
Christ ! It is thus that in the fullness of time the
dream of Utopia is to be realized in this world of
ours. Let it ever be borne in mind that the ultimate
purpose of the coming of Christ was to resolve the
chaos of our sinful world into law and order, and
to establish a kingdom of truth and righteousness
among men. In that kingdom the world is to have
its final Commonwealth, of which the fundamental
principle will be the brotherhood of man as a corol
lary of the Fatherhood of God.
In that day Paul will preach again his great
sermon of Mars' Hill, God hath "made of one
every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the
earth." In that day the Barons who met at Run-
nymede will meet again and find no reluctant John
Lackland to deny the principles of Magna Charta.
In that day our forefathers of Independence Hall
will rejoice to hear a universal acclamation of the
truth that "all men are created free and equal and

346 Its Organization: The Church
with certain inalienable rights." There will be no
"middle walls of partition," nor any wars or ru
mors of wars ; for swords shall be beaten into plow
shares and spears into pruning-hooks. The Golden
Rule will be the Constitution of that final Re
public; and every man, being at peace with his
neighbor, will sit content under his own vine and
fig-tree. ' ' Then let us pray that come it may,
As come it will for a' that,
That man to man, the world o'er,
Shall brothers be for a' that."
But while this final government is to be a com
monwealth, it will also be a Theocracy, that is, a
government of God. The constitution of Israel,
"the chosen people," embodied such a theocracy;
but that was only a foregleam, like a sun-spot on
the mountains which passes and is gone. It will,
come again and come to stay in the last days. The
King shall sit upon his throne; and the nations
gathering about him shall see him as John saw1
him, "a Lamb as it had been slain." In other
words, the King of the Theocracy will be God as
manifest in Christ, bearing the marks of his pas
sion. And every knee shall bow before him and
every tongue confess as doubting Thomas did
when, seeing the nail-prints, he cried, "My Lord
and my God!"
He who would see this regnant Christ must not
go back to find him. Hesiod sang the splendors

Forward to Christ! 347
of a period of primitive simplicity and virtue
known as "The Golden Age," which was followed
successively by the Silver, the Brazen and finally
the Iron Age, which marked the lowest level of
the descent of man. In Milton's "Hymn of the
Nativity" he holds us for a time entranced with
the primeval music of spheres and angels, and
then arrests our contemplation in these words,
" For if such holy song
Enwrap our fancy long,
Time will run back and fetch the age of gold! "
But time must not run back to fetch it ; the Golden
Age is before us. And it draws nearer every day.
The century in which we are living is, thus far,
the very best of all.
" We are living, we are dwelling,
In a grand and awful time;
In an age on ages, telling,
To be living is sublime!
It is the age of reason; it is the age of humanity;
it is the age of character; it is the age of spiritual
dynamics. Not for nothing has the world been
rolling around the sun through the centuries gone
by. The disciples, on the last journey through Cae-
sarea-Philippi, were right in supposing that Christ
was moving on to his throne. The dream of sov
ereignty was premature, that was all. The cross,

348 Its Organization: The Church
with vast stretches of intervening history beyond
it, was needful to its final realization. The hand
ful of woebegone disciples who left Golgotha in
the gathering shadows of that tragic day did not
know that they were the vanguard of an advancing
host that, increasing in numbers from century to
century, with the red cross banner borne aloft, was
destined to usher in the millennium with the shout,
"Long live the King." To-day there are five hun
dred millions of people in the world who cry, "Ho-
sanna to the Son of David!"
And Jesus goes before them. As the white
plume of Henry of Navarre was ever seen in the
forefront of battle, so the Captain of our salva
tion leads on to the final conquest of the world
for truth and righteousness. Our watchword is,
"Forward to Christ!" Follow the Leader!
Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord !
Up with your hearts, O followers of Christ, and
on to the Golden Age!
Meanwhile the disciples are still questioning,
"Who shall be greatest in the kingdom?" Who
shall sit on the King's right hand and who on his
left? One of God's mighty ones nearly a century
ago heard the Macedonian cry of the Dark Con
tinent and set forth as a missionary to preach the
unsearchable riches of Christ. His life was spent
in the forests and jungles; and his mighty heart
was moved by the horrors of the slave-trade which
he called "the open sore of the world." He died
in mid-Africa with not a white face near him. As
he lay burning with fever a native asked, "Are you

Forward to Christ! 349
a Mohammedan?" His answer was, "No; I am
a child of Jesu ben Miriam!" He was found in
the early morning, dead, upon his knees; and be
side him were his last written words, "O God, heal
the open sore!"
Are we asking who shall be greatest in the king
dom ? He shall be greatest who, like Livingstone,
has done his utmost for the King ! In the day of
the final triumph gold will seem but yellow dust
and crowns but baubles, while he who has added a
star to the King's diadem will be reckoned great
est of all.
We serve the Christ of progress : the Christ who
is always yet never the same; who grows more
glorious as the world in the process of time
changes its relations to him. To see Christ, there
fore, we must keep our eyes to the fore; and to
serve him we must needs follow him. The man
who looks over his shoulder cannot keep step with
the advancing years. Old things have passed
away; behold, all things have become new. And
the world is more and more "amazed" as it be
holds the glory of the King of kings moving on —
ever moving on toward the Golden Age.
" Ring out the old, ring in the new!
Ring out the false, ring in the true!
Ring out old forms of foul disease!
Ring in the thousand years of peace!
Ring in the valiant man and free,
With larger heart and kindlier hand!
Ring out the darkness of the land!
Ring in the Christ that is to be! "

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