Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-10-22

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ee.t's sermon, delivered at McKendree
| Church last Sunday morning, before the
members of the Tennessee Conference,
now holding their annual session In this
| city.
Taking for his text the words:
"Therefore every Scribe which is instructed
| into the Kingdom Of Heaven is like unto man
which is an householder, which bringeth forth
| ont of his treasure things both new and old"
| Matthew XIII: 52.l
the Bishop said:
Scribes. were important functionaries in
the old Jewish economy from its organiza-
| ton to its close. They constituted long
and even illust1ious line of officers. From
mere secretaries they became authorized
| transcribers of the law; and finally its ac-
kno wledged interpreters. They became
corrupt, ultimately, and abused their trust
nv false blessings and interpretations of
| the law. In the time OF, Christ their infu-
ence over the public mind was paramount,
and they, together with the Pharisees and
| Saducaes were the inveterate opponents of
his ministry. Notwithstanding, however,
the depreciation of this ordereef men, the
| order itself was honorable, and Christ
transferred the title TO his own disciples
who were henceforth to become the true
repositories of divine revelation to the ma
| tions of the earth. 1t is an apt designation
of all his true ministers; they are the
scribes-the legitimate scribes. They are
entrusted by Supreme authority with the
| truth. whether it be contained in the old or
the new testament, and as constituted in
structors of mankind, it behooVes them to
be competent Instructors, and the compe-
tency of the Christian scribe is the theme
of the present DISCOURSE
This competency includes three funda
mental elements-the character, the extent
and the use of his information. / call your
attention in the outset, to the first element
of the competency of the Christian
| scribe (Which use as the synonym Of
| Christian minister) that is. the character
of his information. Every person ought to
| be acquainted with the business in which be
| is employed the Christian scribe must be
familiar with the business to which he
| is called; he must be acquainted with the
| subject which he proposes TO teach. This
| is especially the case with respect to the
eternal interests of religion. think no
christian scribe is required to be familiar,
at one time, with the entire compass Of the
christians relation, but be is required to be
familiar at any given time with the
subject which he proposes to teach
others. There is prerequisite
personal condition on the part of
the Christian scribe as to bis personal 10y
atty to Jesus Christ-his individual surren-
der, and bis individual attachment to him
as the King of kings; not the loyalty of
mere admiration, but the loyalty OF an in
dividual experience of Christ's redeeming
office with respect to himself. This loyalty
is based upon love, upon affection, upon an
individual adhesion to him who is the
grand source of power in his everlasting
kingdom of personal salvation. This is
necessary for the individual who is to repre-
sent Christ before the world. The ambas-
sador cannot represent what he does not
know. An ambassador is to be familiar
with the government which he is to repre-
sent in foreign parts. The subject with
which the christian scribe is to become
familiar is Kingdom-the Heavenly King
dom over which Christ presides. Every
law, every provision and every institution
of that Kingdom is perfect, and is cO-ordi-
nate with every other. What field Of
study! Does it not obviously be-
hoove every christian scribe
to, as far as possible, I'M
derstand the affairs of Christ's kingdom
and Christ's religion? From the moment
that mau's love for Christ's kingdom be-
comes weak, be is an enemy to that king
dom, and will ultimately betray it; the de-
faulter at heart viii become one in prinei
pie ere long.
Every established kingdon has its an
nails, its records, its laws. For one to I'M
derstand kingdom in its power and in its
genius. he must study its records. We
have two records of the Kingdom-the Old
and the Ne Testament. In comparison
with these, az boots, all literature, all
sciehc5s, are but as the phesPhoEssesn1e Of
the fire fly compared with the light of a
glorious sunset.
A man is responsible for all kinds of
knowledge which enables him to explain
Gods WORD, cat tlaste is uctL,Gg that can
save soul but the Iowa of God. These
records are not locked up. They
were given in existing vernaculars
with the condition that they were to pass
from one language to another. Il is not in
dispensable for the minister to consult the
truth in extinct languages, but it certainly
is necessary for sEe-y Christian scribe
to fest the capacity Of any faithful version.
If, in the providence Of God, he Can avail
himself of the advantages of scholarship,
be should 90 it.
knowledge is Lot might've; it is neces-
sary for a man to be Instructed. The
process of instruction involves a teacher,
learner and application. All these condi-
tions are reverted to in the text. To this
dav Christ is still a teacher; scribes are still
learners aud IlLst be examined as to their
knowledge. as Christ is still a teacher, by
his word and spirit, it is necessary that
every Christian scribe must be a learner;
he must study the records from "Alpha to
Omega" and never was an age so blessed |
with The apparatus of Biblical knowl- |
edge as this, with the means of |
understanding whatever is necessary to an |
understanding of Gods work.
Loyalty to Jesus Christ is the starting |
point from which the christian scribe should |
commence his work. believe no uncon-
verted man is capable of expounding the
sculptures.
The extent Of knowledge Of the christien |
scribe.-He must be like householder
who ''bringeth out of his treasures" but he |
must first have that treasure. The chris !
tian minister really needs more knowledge |
than is absolutely necessary for his own |
salvation. He'is to keep houee, and in keep |
ing house he is to provide for the Lords |
servants and guests he must have treas |
ure of knowledge. Let him never forget |
the miracle of the loayes and fishes. The |
leaves and fishes in Christs hands were few,
but he blessed those and there was suffi-
cient for all. He does not put the two
loaves and five fishes in our hands-they are
already broken and blessed by him.
There is an awful culpability in
sending furnishing souls away without
bread. People nowadays make heavy
draft upon minister's bread. A good
householder will keep an abundant supply
of things in his larder. He knows that his
family will eat; that his friends ought to
eat and that he will need bread. 1t is
calamity for map who has been called to
Gods ministry to have an empty head. The
householder uses thrift; ne buys from the
merchant when his own supply runs low,
and the Christian scribe must go to the
source of information and apply himself
closely. The householder makes judicious
selections for his storehoqse; the preacher
of the gospel must be judicious in the
kind of knowledge which he stores up in
his mind. l have seen great many peo-
BILE whose minds were stored up with use
less lumber.
The knowledge which the Christian scribe
has acquired must be brought forth for
special use. The original word in the text