New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-07-27
FEAR IN RELIGION.

The Rev. X. >. Macarthur preached yester-
day morning at Calvary Baptist Church in West
Twenty thrd-st. HIS text "And say unto you
my friends. be not afraid OF them that kill the body
and after that have that they do But
VIII f0rewarn You whom We shall fear. Fear Him
whn after He hath killed hath power to cast into hell
yes say unto you, fear Him."Luke xii, as. Among
| Of .er things the preacher said:
Every age has its own truth TO teach. The age OF
Luther emphasized the great doctrine of Justification
by faith Later the doctrine OF souLlbery was taught
for the first time fully by ROg Williams. One OF the
truths which this generation and the present espe
ciay needs is the enforcement Of the Justice we'll
the mercy OF God. IL IL doubtless true that at
periods the history Of the Church undue prominence
given attributes OF God IL IL equally
true prominence Is given just now TO the
opposite attributes Even IN the puipits OF some OF our
greatest preachers God Is presented az Benz whose
benevolence makes Him Indifferent TO STU TIE idea OF
the French as expressed IN the phrase nc Ooh Dsea"
is prevalent According " thls too COMMON Goa
ception, God is believed TO be pleasantly near IA h;s
sorrow, when need Hin, ana TO ne conveniently
absent In times of sin, when we do not want HIM Much
OF the maudn sympathy with crime anu cue shy s'n'
tmentslity seen toward criminals hni their origin IN
these mistaken OF the character OF Gol The
of the Justice the Most High We must not forget
that God Is iis and that even In the sraudet 9spy
OF his love winch the world mas ever seem ne cross
CALVARY, he has given us an equally grd9d uispa5 %
his justice. Preachers are not called upon 10 apO!ogZe
has revealed himself in His word. Now that Wori doe.
a. sef "a yv speak oil 'na du lear too nos ia the
oil reverence merely out Oh NIhln
impending aud danger to De aYeIseI,t M.ny
results filing the atmosphere to-day with ruhofs-
due to perverted view OF Cod or eek teIS Us
that there Is something TO he more dreaded even imam
physical deatn. Christ appeals 10 rear az motive IN
religion. We remark, IN the nrst place, that We might
expect Christ appeal to the element Of fear Religion
addresses the whole man. Fear Is part OF the best
manhood We might expect Christ TO appeal TO TINS ee
ment In urging the claims OF truth the scriptures APP
peal TO every avenue to the soll Tue sour ha; many
over another Reason "Come now let us reason TO,
gether saith God" over another Is rain,
i, one over which we read Pear" Christ knocks
at every door which leads to the hear Ole man oDen.
knock another az IMAGINATION one az
love- one at fear. CArst thus addresses Tue WhOe man.
Those will not DC aroused by the OH story OF MS
means to save some" what in theory we might expect,
in fact we find Tne second Thought that Christ ana
appeal TO fear a. motive towaIi religious NE. Cltist
Wis the % RECT preacher. He began bs worh as
preacher; ne ended IL preacher Whle ne was the
nrracher he world h,s ever had. NJ such terrible
- woes" Tell from human ups as Wer r us-
blood still They are all the more terrible because they
were blptized IN his tears Even the sermon on INC
Mouat Is nttxiOlo III its business, ana awIGl IN It's
soemnty. NJ part of Scripture Is NOR aSiui 70 aa
impure man than that sermon christ Knew you per
fcctiy III knew that ID loved Hin ana was IOVel ~
Hin Wnen He would teach His disciples how much lie
loved them lie tells them that ~ tho lathet IoNeu
love, He teaches that we arc 10 rear HIM. III tue
sense OF avoiding His wrath. even more than we rear
aud our relations Hun Is tue true view CAlsI Knew
man also; He stood between Ca ana man re re
knew and loved both perfectly; ana yet Ho
teaches that there is dahS5i, ahu tlae We
should fear God ia the hser"' , sensS t5 U
example Of Christ Paul wished even TO be- 'ac;ur.ed
from Christ" for the sake OF ms Dr9'nten acGoINI 70
the lesh, that they mIgat be saved Even joan, tue
apostle OF love, and exhort You must eliminate
large portions OF th3 teaching aiAe Vi mrs. anu tnG
apostles il you Will take out OF the Bloe thee constant
nnneal- 10 rir YOu will not accuse me or harshAeSs
npIv Tepet the words Of the loving Jesus. lie waraed
becase he loved; by every motion aud appeal would Ac
win men SELF aud sin to holiness anu u1tN1h' .
In the third place. remark that he great majority OF
Christians began their religious life under the influence
IL You viii go back in thought to the beginning OF your
deeply religious emotions you will hn among cue most
nhdentla motives mate rear. lou 40 NOT ee u no"
was a schoolmlster to bring yOu 10 Christ The law
aud the gospsp do not cohratct e'In p. an 80
preach either properly Is % preach thc o'ca 90
you step region oi Tear into thal OF love.
Startled b. fear. driven b. the dOXs VI tue NV" yod
nave taken refuge In Cnrist. He has become righteous
ness and redemption You see sn;h peau'y ~ INST
that you cannot help LOVING nun Fear Is ~ mouVe
We grant Burns WAS right wIen NC s1, 'r IH ~ t "a
hell the hansmIu's whip Is .tteI NJ tr' utt
conscious the OF hell "a motive Indeed he is
CONSCIOUS of the CORY OF hed'Sn as d w,
beauty" he loves Jesus for whlt lie Is, aPar. rom
what he does. THIS right We a.! VuS 70 ]
cease love and Jesus, even tou-h po'A eaSA
and hell should csase TO BE- IL - hSa'en ~ NC i,Ac
ted from Christ. Tue schJolJOy VINO wishes to SPEAK
correctly must fear to violate the rne5 0, Fr mar.
After time these rules become incorporated lAo MS III
tellectua nature, ana ututyely he spedhs coIiecty
out Of the fear OF rnles he has p'ssei ty cue Ee ~
sfr TO klck away the ladder Bat the ladder, never.
j. not te end i'm religion IL is only the means ~ that
end Let not strive to be wiser tnan Snts ~ was
Will be right Just III proportion do my s''"u WIN
Christ too,
I'm IrorliIy air rs Fear is the motive when g.yes use
TO means the protection Of iiie ana property Az
our military ami naval protection comes from tnis cause
Mn InsIr. their lives because they fear death. Many
are honest honesty Il lAe DIST poiey. -
true that the min who honest from no ligher motive
is not truly honest B5iter however THAI n should act
on motive he has than become tn'c'. rD. Va IN
sbaime has held many a Christian when
the foundations OF morality were satA'ns Ossan nm,
You say TINS was a low motive But the man htd no
other; no other would act upon him III tne lcut au
moral condition IN which he was found Better tuata
in disgrace and iniaIny. Being thus upheld tn eno
alton passed, he would have tune ana space ior
repentance. and for the operation oI hshr auu Hocr
Friends, do you think that Christ exaeger'ed the
causes alarm Do you suppose mat Pau ana otler
ano,tes were unluy excited when they urged men 10
Immediate repentance We ought to know th't ~ IS
to persons and In some clre consuming
fire. 1t Is fearful thing 10 fall unpFepdred mo the
hands or an angry God. --, a. - a..
Believe .ne Bible puts mora moral hDer into It's
conception OF God than do many modern preachers.
Society today needs true teaching IN regard 70 the
character of God. NJ preacher loved men more tIai
Jesus who groaned for them In Gcthsemane, ind died
for them Calvary. and yet Jesus uttered my text
Bible q God like unto ourselves, wlnklng al slh ana
evadng Its deserts Oar ouly safety IS III coming 10 ga
through Clrist as helpless sinners no mih Is sae iog
moment who despses the character o Goa anu CErlst
as revealed the Bible. Taere Is no depth OF disgrace
aud iufamy which man may Lot SINK Wheu NC puts
himself aud his wishes the place OF God ana His truth
man OF brilliant talents the idol oi Thousands tue
sovereign IN "A vast realm away from Christ and
his truth, aud goes downward, dragging aiter MIN
broken hearts and GIFTED lives. ltt before you tAe
cross OF Christ Here Is seen Gods plan Tor WORDS
redemption Young men avoid even the appearance ol
evil There Is position Of safety except az tue cross
Here fear is turned love, darkness into ight LIE
death The perfect love OF CHRIST VIII cast out rear
With Thomas say my Lord and my Cod"
THE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD.
The Rev. T. H. Cornsa d. d., the Church Of t Mediator
brooklyn