The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1877-07-10 00:00:00

_

the eve of • great inAdel development, others that we ere
going to be guided, or misguided her* to tin embrace of •
false church: bat he wee ratter disposed to think that it
is an unholy alliance of the two forum of era SotnWasee
we see on the enema of • river. • passing ripple opposite
to the current of the stream, and we can hardly tali at
once which way the river is flowing : but the great body of
the water flows on still in the same directern. And so, ha
thought as regards these two inoveatenta, the infidel and
the superstitious movement ; he wee afraid they are really
one and the same great development of an. The meat
feeling of the day in, he feared, that religious dogmas are
simply harmless delusions, and it matters little whether
we believe them or not so that we cover over our in-
differencte with just • surface of religious ordinance. And
so we have • man who is an infidel in his soul, • great
sticker for forms—religious forms, covering over and con-
cealing the deadlLpirllential upsa of infldential thought.
This is the great r ; aim not pure and simple ItittWism
or !tont autism, or In 'laity; it is the combination of the two
things against the reveand truth of God. The Bible is against
bath; it is against these two combined forms of evil. Let
us stand firm by the Word of God, and let on read lase
and less of modern theology. For, what do we find in
modern theology The great body of it is full of the most
subtle error; here we have all the expressions used by
Christians, all the expressions about tho Godhead of oar
Lord, about redemption, and about grace, but the whole
force and scriptural meaning evaporated and explained
away, so that it comes to pass that we have a faith no
more like the faith of our fathers than the shadow is like
the man that stands before you. If we trust in the..
books we shall experience the curse which the Word pro-
nounces—" Cursed be he that trusteth in man." Ile (the
speaker) had no confidence in anything holy or really
great ever developing out of this corrupt human nature.
Whatever comer from man is earthly, sensual, devilish,
and never can be the substantial foundation of the hope
of glory. He would rather venture out to sea in the
rottennest hulk that ever lIV/AM than rest in the hope
which comes from the froth that rises from the surging
waves of human thought. What a mercy it is that we
have • revelation which is from above, and not from
beneath, something that does not rise from our own
minds, something that God above has revealed to His
creatures here on earth that we may rest our souls upon
it, in ha reality, it. solidity, its strength. And if we
value this Word of God ma we ought, if it I. the prop on
which we lean, if it is our own joy and comfort to feel
that we ban in our right hand • staff which can never
bend or break, if the Scriptures of truth are the balm for
our wounds and the light of our own path, let us then
think of the perishing millions who are still destitute of
this Word of God. Should we like to pass into eternity
without having our view. of that eternity cleared and
rendered certain by the study of the direct revelation of
God? Should we like to let go our hold of all and venture
forth upon the great ocean of the unknown without the
clear light all guidance of God's Word I Then let us
think how many still, through the selfishness, the sloth,
the bold disobedience ..f the Christian Church to the
command of the Master, are still paring to an hopeless
and unhappy. because unholy, eternity without that
Word, which the Lord has given; and so let us make
sacrifices for the ciiculation, not of the opinions of this
man or that, this church or that. So far as he saw all our
human systems are honey-combed, and will come down
with • rough ere long. But let us make our sacrifices for
the circulation r,f that which is the pure, unmixed, and
everlasting truth of the Lord our God. Let it be our
prayer to Him who hears and answers prayer that His
own Word (whatever may become of our earthly system')
may dry up the upaa, and that His own eternal Word may
have free course, run, and be glorilled. (Applause.)
The doxology and benediction closed the meeting, and
a collection was made at the door..