, 1874-07-20

tho four Eyangellsts, and confirmed 'by iii tho
Now Testament writere, and tnoro Ia no rational
escape from tho conclusion that JosuH Christ lB
II. ohristianity.ia also areat doctrine or ays-
tom Of cognato, and logically connootod doc
tritleH, having all tho symmetry and conslstcnce
Of ac!ence; boing, i'll fact tho only truo Bconco
or God, man. and tho Mediator, Jesus Christ.
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and woro oyo-
witnesses Of His majesty whom lie roecvel from
God, tho Fathor, honor and glory l. and thore
Camo such a voice from tho excellent glory !.
' This y ), lily bolosod Son, In whom nm vol
jesus Christ, az Mediator botwaon God and
man, coming from one to gavo tho other, In tho
central figure Of all tho Scriptures. Io is tho
sun Of THO system. All other tr,ltlie. STAND ro-
around Him. He ta tho glory Of ali Christian
theology, oyon os theology IL the glory Of tho
Church.
This grand nssemblagc Of correlated truths
clustering around The forBon mud work Of Christ,
and tho Holy Ghost, on ono ailo, and to man
mud hts salvation on tho otEoE, and thus inclid-
lug tho whole teachings of tho Bible, consttttses
that aubin,o doctrlnai creed or formulated tho.
oloey Of tho Church, which has boon oxproaaoa
in ail tho great symbols Of Chriateudoni, from
tho Oounull Of Nice To tho Information and
then In all tho symbols Of tho Reformed Protest.
ant Churches !; and With snecial fnllneBs Ia tho
famous Westminster Standards. tho Confession
Of Faith, and catochlsma OF tho Presbyterian
Tho Diblo Is as full of doctrines IS It Is Of
facts. All tho doctrines arc indoed founded on
the faotH. supported by the facts, deduoal from
tho faots. It is not easy alwayn to draw llne OF
cause the doctrines themselves arc ofton groat
general facts, and tho particular facts somo-
tlmoH rlBo into great doctrines. Yet thoro is .
difference: For example ohrist'a resurrection
from tho doad is apocial faot that Of Lazarus
nnothor that Of Jairus' daughter third; tho
widow Of Maine son a fourth. But tho roaur-
foction Of tho doaa at the Inst day, Of which
thoBe special rnscB wore tho first fruits, is 4
groat goneral doctrine Of tho Scriptures. Paul
bolioy0d In jesus and was saved. D1iud Bar
tirnouH beloved in Him and was saved. HAIRY
bIagda1ono believed in linn and was savou.
Three thousand paraona on tho Day OF Pente-
cost believed and were Bnged. And 80 thu great
doctrine Of saying-faith, az founded On all theso
and other casos, and announced BY tho Master
hsn,Helf, ia: "Whoaoovsr bolieveth on tho Son
Of God hath everlasting llfe."
Tho groat doctrines Of the Bible stand rotated
to all its particular facts, very much az tho
hiRhor EeneralizationR Of sciance-its grcat priu-
cplcs, laws. or forces. likc that Of .gra.itaton,
cohesion, or chemical ai}inity--Btand related to
tho ten thousand special facts and phenomena
Of observation, induction, md experiment.
Dut 1t muat ba observed that theso doctrines
Of tie Bible ara not presented thare in any sya-
ls the work Of tho theologian. God has baen
pleased to reveal them and leave thom thero,
Hcattorcd over tho pages Of Scripture, very much
aa IIo left tho facts. tho phenomena and gonor-
alFzations Of physical so!ence IN tho great book
Of Nature. .-.writton on tho face OF the hoavaus
written on the vide domain OF tho Earth, writ
ton In tho atmospheric on the clouds, in tho va
tors Of every sea, In tho rocks beneath our foet
written and left till an oxpounder should appear.
In tho one easc 1t bus boon tho work of the
great scientists, s,-the explorers and expoundors
*of Natures mighty volume, tho Galtleos tho
Newtons. the Horsehols, tho Humboldta, tho
Cuvtors, tho AgasHlzos Of tloso modern agos,-
to observe. to classify, to eystcmatize, aud to
and give 1t to- tho world In many t0xt-
book OF instruction. Even so In tho otl1-
Or, the great theologians Of Church history
the AuguBtinos aud Joroues, tho Luthers and
tho Edwardses and Chalnersos, down to Thorn
vol and Hodge OF our own day,-have explored
the Biblo, ByHtomatizod its facts, formulated it's
doctrines, aud brought out all its sublime taaoh-
ings III truo scientific order.
Tho result in, our Christian theology, tho
growth Of .eiglteon centurioB Of profound aud
prayorful study, tho combined work of many
lab0rors, aud many Of tho most gifted intelccts
that God aver created among men,: tho common
heritage and tho common salvation Of nll Evan-
gelical Churches under heaven.
Lot it not be forgotten. TINT tho RoBpal which
NO preach. and wh!"t has come down to uB from
the Apostles, is sublime System Of DOCTRINES
30 symmetrical, 30 affiliated 30 logically connect
out marring the beauty Of the whole. Tile funda-
mental truth Of that system is that Joa1s Chrlat
died for our Sins according to the scriptureB,-
that He oame into the world to shya sinncrs i;
that Ho was very God and very man, in two dis
tinct naturoa, and QUO person forever; that "a
such lie VIVA delivered for our offonses, and
raised again for our Qualification; that Ho waa
God manifest in tho flesh, Justified IN tho spirit,
seen Of angels, preached INTO tie aentiles, be-
loved on 10 tho world. received up into glory.
revelations Of tho Diblc. and al the doctrines OF
Christianity
Honce the necessity Of dootrinnl proaching in
tho mlniatrationa Of avary. pulpit. Hence tue
importance OF doctrinal instruction to every
generation Of Christians Tho doctrines Of tho
The doctrines Of tue gospel aro the life Of tho
Church. Thoy arc tho food Of tho soul. Tley
arc the salvation OF the world.
f. Nothing can be more BcnHeless than tho hue
and cry often raiBed against doctrinnl preaching,
aud the study Of theology. 10 say man can
bo good preacher OF tho gospel, without
preaching Its doctrines or understanding its
theology. ia about equivalent to saYing man
cau ha q aucooaHtul lawyer without knowing any
thing about law; Or q Hnfe physician without
having studied medicine.
The professor OF natural science may send tho
student to tho folds to study botany, to tho
forcats to Btndy ornlthology, to tho rocks TO
study geology, or to the stars to study astrono-
my. But thon ho will not send him without a
Textbook or guido, or, at any rate, without 60
ing with him. 30 iB 1t With theology
Wo say to oyory Htudent OF tho gospel to
every man, woman, and child: Go To tho Bib1o,-
explore theso green and glorious fields Of the
revelations OF God,-but 80 not nlone you will
need guido and q Textbook, all tho help, all
the guidance, yuu can gain from tho wisdom OF
ages, from the instructions Of tie great or
pUund0rs 3ho have gone before.
III, christianity ii also great sentiment, or
emotion, or experience Of the heart-au inward
lifo Of Affection towards God and man. practi.
cal code Of morals, A rulo Of virtue, q syHtan OF
ethics-apringing from God, prompting to duty,
| inspiring tho soul with tho lighcat devotion aud
enthusiasm.
Our gospel Ia not moro truly religion oi
Doctrine aud religion OF faot, tllan it Is ro-
hEton Of fooling. It Ia at this point aud bo-
Cattle Of this grand elomont Of power, that it be-
oomea aubjeotiyo to man, takes possession oi
bis nature, and produces its transforming in,
/ 1uencn On his hoRrt, and on the world. The
faots and doctrines Of tito Bible may exist In all
Their tulineHs. may avon be known ind hold b1
tho mind ~ 10 much objective truth, but whom
under the quiokeuiug, onlighteping agency ol
tho Holy dhoat whogo high prerogatiye it Is te
do this work, those facts aud doctrines are 30 re
Vealed to tho soul as to become its living bolisf