New-York tribune., 1874-05-18

4 \
| Il was who now expounded these Scriptures leaving 10
possibility of uncertainty as as 70 ON the,s trace
over the sacred pages what notes OF ,d,,bf snrahf
lug melody what celestial regions OF thoas1,, in ~
the a'' m"d. G.'us as the hand thai made the harp
OF sacred prophecy swept across Its st1g M & AS rom
their moral vision. and everywhere they behed the
Lamb OF Cod that ianesn & %S Which fbe Unknown
stranger them In his course, where 1t seemed as
If they could scarcely sustain the power of light he was
Ning1g upon their souls there mounts OF spiritual
vision they had never climbed before where II seemed
as they caught mp INTO the third heaven OF gloy
he led them down from the very first prediction Ia
the garden OF Eden through the history OF Abraham,
trial and issue OF the patrarchs iath I'D te sichce
OF Isaac was Of those SUBMITS OF nght when
ne came to the deathbed OF Jacob, there was
another The blood Of the slain lamb IN the lns,iu3n
the Passover another The Drazen serpent IN the
wilderness was another. lie reyeaed tne sai"G iht ot
the whole system or sacrlces ana eerehon,os % t'aS
ceaseless shedding OF blood, without winch there Is no
remission Of sins lie showed them in Daniel how the
Messiah must OIL but not for HIMSELF as an ofier
ing for sln He showed them In Zschaiiah now they
should look on Him whom they had pierced, ana thns
he passed down through the minor plopnets 70 'e aS'
great predictions OF his coming How dlylney cleaI,
how rayishngly bright, did everything appear beneath
ms teachlngs In truth, the abundance of the reVei
tons was such that Lord must have communicated,
Aension a supernatural Illumination OF the mind III
was just such ia the evening OF the same day ne
Understandings understand the Scriptures The van
was removed the darkness swept away ana every
they beheld the SayIOrs glory
In the midst OF such conversation they drew near
plcon who this wonderful stranger really was, though
pe ys making their hearts Durn within them by his
position of the Scriptures. HIS theme was the dearest
If ali themes and they loved him for the interest he
took 1t well "a the wonderiui Know hr pos
essed of it, and the divine instruction and consolation
he communicated TO their minds. He made as though
he would have gone further but how could they lot him
20 They held hm al jacob did once OF Old, when ne
saii LIT me CO. for the day breaketh" and he said
Will not let tnee go until thou bless me" Now ne
said Let me co. for the day decneth" but they said
and AOpi the day !, far spent WIN %ficqR. n
entered their peaceful abode, to which indeed he was
no stranger with joyful hospitality they made ready
Their evening meal aud sat down to partake OF IT, sun
talking Of Him OF whom now they began to have such
new, such glorious and o%S S Sad hns
rradated 70 behold their LOrd III the scriptures 30
that now they knew nun better tnaa ever 9eV[e 1ng
him, though he hadwakcd several miles WIN them, ana
was now stns with tneh n PERSONA @ 9y 9oey Ptrt
at meat. Perhaps our LORD cGose tul7 IeePy b
ing mode communicating with them because III such
a conversation he could gam their more undivided ana
inedtatlve attention 70 t.c tIut" A. WAC 1uo
the OF tho stranger hat was overcoming
| them startling them, commanding them,pO possessing them;
striking their hearts aud Ginning like the bells OF the
Holy city like voices out Of the throne "a the sound or
many waters words that were as fames. as burning
coais as electric raiubows running and returning
| flash OF lightning Through and through their hearts.
NJ scb tbev conid NOT hoye deemed themselves cara
be went the words OF This sympathec stranger words
quick and powerful and sharper than any sword and
vet sweeter than money anl more refreshing han tne
with that method OF uncertainty, gloom, and GOODNESS
in When modern skeptcism prepares il pupils for their
work putting God at "a distance from them, and even
denying his personality and thus annhilating the very
both OF affection and belief, and destroying al
possibility OF sympathy ana love, are Invited 70 con
ider precious discipline of love - which the ln-
Fay no S srIihG ha ha should not only be life
eternal their souls, but should constitute the
medium and the permanent, inward, and magnetic
power by which they might convey the same knowledge
to Others The contrast IS itself demonstration For
that as the method OF scientific experiment. and
dstrust is thar OF asserted impersonaty an the way,
by the intellectual aud scientific denial of the only
metaphysical element on whlch aitctoh can possibly
DO butt the contrary, the method ot GOd Ia CHRIST
oy wh 6S 6e Ga hi, St own m1n eternal 9 Ra5o
and impartation OF the divine nature
personaiity and consequent aectionate gratitude and
| love. ~ KNOW whom have believed And God hath
shined IN hearts 10 give the light OF the knowledge
Of the glory OF God in tue face or Jesus Christ And
| ,o by the laws OF human nature hath made the
hears thus Illuminated and filed with glory aud power,
the attractive magnets for al other hearts by tho In
dwelling such vital conqnerng force. Deseech thee,
men snow me thy gloryl If thou hast appointed me
speak thee ana for thee show me tiny glory, that
rStigsly that whicn have seen, and may testify that
which nave known. Thus, Gods method of dcnoastra-
ton is that of love. How concdent with our nature,
how appropriate the foundations OF belief ana lifted
those rngoolt' forged IN our intellectual ana moral
constitutions, which the truth might lay hold TO draw
up GOd may be seen was already seen, when Christ
came in tue influence of Patos WRITINGS concerning Soc
rates. For believe ndt there was sueh parsonage as
Socrates teaching in the world attracting disciples and
moliing their characters his own, more by the dis
gwen IN Patos daosaes ana by the sympathy
and love manifested, than by any other demon
strtion. No man could be persuaded that TINS account
mere fiction. IL IS quite Impossible that such
|
grown by natural selection and evolution. And so the
Gospels hold mankind by an irresistible demonstration,
the power which Will he felt and hewho was made
flesh the Word, this Incarnate divine personality,
mast expound, in those inspired documents that had
foreshadOwed his coming, In er.that men, when he
came for their salvation, and bringing salvation, might
believe, must experience to his witnesses ana appointed
teachers OF inahAnd III aIl tue Scriptures lho hhSs
Now all this Is a perfectly conclusive and triumphant
argument IL all the guards and logical requisites
OF the cOmpletcst reasoning, from the pror demon
stration of experience Nevertheless scientists,
| Ives all he
their knowedges by taking some things for assured a.
taught them by authority ami 50 they must be JUSTIFIED
by fih. Can possibly maze an argument, can they
it, God himself address one to the human reason
that stand III the place OF fath tnat shall compel
as gut compe By demonstration 10 tue senses, SO that
there shall be room for doubt lie thar cometh to
God must that He is, must come without seeing
Him. and cannot possibly know Him but by 50 coming.
But sufficient evidence Is given To ali Tor the beginning
of action, for coming to God in prayer, and then
| comes the witness OF experience by the Spirit
| OF God, promised in answer 10 prayer But that
witness is impossible without believing action upon the
preliminary evidence The Word OF God IS nfallibe: II Is
contained the SCRIPTURES. But tie things OF God then
revealed by the Holy Spirit knoweth DO man out by the
Spirit God And cannot construct an argument to
the reason shall stand in place OF the spirit and do
the work which the spirit alone can 40 1ust ss we
cannot construct an argument from nature OF demon
stratlon the OF Cod and the methods of dis
covered law IN those WORKS that sal re'ea od 10 he
supersede the necessity OF fah compel
ling and wledge not the forces OF nature
merely, but the God who produces then Always even
| to the end, men may be unbeleyers, II they WILL
| skepticism In our day. q whOri or Dltck Knot
| in the surf, the tide, extremely powerful and
dan gprOus. There Is an unuert0W tnaC sets
out beach, after high tide OF faith reaction
as OF cold ague fever return OF the pendulum TO
the opposite extreme undertow that bathers have
to watch against for IL strong that even those who
have gone help others out have been carried be-
yond their depth and lost thor footing and their fe
Any Of the Gospels Is hfepreseryer In any the
worst that ragged the worst storm that ever
Ciailee. II Christ be there safe
But II Will not admit him into your ship but treat
him impostor, and his life as romantic tion
there Is help There no help for poor hui
nature, Christ be not the way the truth, the fe