The New York herald., 1875-07-19
MS wayA 90 we ma opportunities Inrough life Tor
loving Jesus and seeking our own salvation.
FOURTH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

''BE NOT THOU rHKRKFoRR ASHAMED OF THE
TESTIMONY OF. OUR LoRD"-sERMoN BY REV.
CYRUS DICKSON, d. D.
goodly number OF worshippers assembled 10
listen TO the teachings OF Rev. Cyrus Dickson, in
the Fourth Presbyterian church, yesterday morn
ing. The reverend gentleman selected his text
from II. Timothy l., 81
"Be not thou therefore ashamed OF the tes-
timony OF our Lord, nor OF me, his prisoner:
but be thou partaken OF the afnoJions OF the gos-
pei according TO the power Of God.n &C.
This. said Mr. Dickson. is an exposition. There
Is a difference between exposition and preaching.
The OBJECT OF exposition Is to show the doctrines
that lie tn q passage In the Scotch Church the
exposition Of Gods word formed large part OF
the service, and IL is greatly TO be regretted
that IN our time 1t Is 80 much disregarded.
II is what Paul calls the analogy or faith the dove
failing OF duty and doctrine together. The verses
/ have read contain q variety OF instruction, ana
show how Gods WORD may be used for our eter-
nal comfort and present Joy. "Be not thou there
fore ashamed Of the testimony OF our Lord, nor OF
me ais prisoner; but be thou partaker OF the
Affections Of the gospel" One OF the strangest
thingsis
SHAME OF THE GOSPEL.
One would suppose that q lost race ike ours
would have open ears and outstretched arms,
and the mement Christ appeared would not only
welcome Him, but proclaim Him King; but In
stead Of that, He Is despised and overlooked, the
world aid not know Him, and when he was born,
Luxe tells us, for HIS poor father and mother
there was DO room In the inn and the cand
was born ia O stable. Wherever the Cos
pei mas been proclaimed there has arisen
In the minds OF believers . sense OF
shame-a feeling that what was promised will
not be fRlAlled. Bat man shah walk by faith.
Jesus sass, the man that Is ashamsd OF me and
nack when he needs me most.n Tne Gospel is not
system OF reasoning or OF morals or of pay
loso2ny 1t Is not anything men are to be edu-
Gated into as q science, but 1t Is
A REVELATION FROM OUR LORD.
and hence the great mistake Ia endeavorng to
reason out the Gospel Ii Is testimony, and
FAITHFUL AND TRUE WITNESS.
Gods WORD ls the beginning and end OF what it IS
necessary for US to knew and believe. John says,
"He tnat eeIieves not ON God makes God Iar.n
when ssoersaia what Ged means | am to believe.
is not matter OF enoiee, / am 70
He inse a. makes ssa ali OeIeye nse 4
stand up for Jesus, lear His threatening
ana s embrace ace Als promise: . and enjoy HIS Us love,
oDer." Paul was the first lawyer among the
Hehrews The soundness Of bis eioquence would
N here are the writings OF the lawyers Of that
day Dust and ashes But his lie will be I'M
OF thai ne became prisoner and was chained
In Roman prison when he wrote this letter. This
s4 man q rns says NS %a0 me- bis o1
Christ's sake because he retained the oblgatieps
ana duties Of Carist's Word. For all such we are
PRoFoUNDEsr SYMPATHY
II man is persecuted for righteousness sake
interest withou. fear. And we are next exhorted,
'.Ann be tAou partakers OF the atilctions
God" They are Christs suferIngs. There are no
sunenngs but belong to CHRIST. We ali
partakers In the same concern, II one su1ers all
suffer.
Then comes the concluding WORD. according
to the power OF Gos.n The great meaning is this
may lose my character and expose myself co great
Inconvenience, bat am to de IT, remembering
living and believing faith takes Him al His WORD.
No afiiction comes 10 Us. but what God sends
Gods providence rules over all He Is King Of
now come the motives for compliance. He con-
descends having given MS power OF judgments
nrst tells Us wha; He wishes 70 DO and then
wny are TO do H.. He says, "Who hath saved
us ana called US with 90 holy calhng.r The words
''holy cailingn are added to qualify the nature OF
the salvation, not only salvation, but salvation
unto honness He takes US out OF prison,
our Fathers house. We are to remember this,
that We are called and saved by HIS grace and
SO we are bound 10 stand up for His testimony
Now, furthermore, lest We be spiritually proud,
not according TO our works, but according 10 His
Christ Jesus before the world began. This pur.
pose, given Us In Christ Jesus, was great myS-
then then the iii light OF the world stood Jhere but IS
now made manifest by our Lord Jesus Christ, who
hath abolished death.
but he is no longer the sheriff TO execute Gods
judgment, and hath brought LIE ana Immortality
to light through the Gospel. God has givea US TO
under stand the nature Of life. Light has come 10
US; Is Is not lie that IS brought to light, I'M
G Let er ~ or ,s Hp aaq aSE Goa a
and remember that He who has promised II aDle
also 10 perform.