The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1878-02-20
FoR THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
Is the Bible the Very Word of GOd7
ITHEss. ii: Is.

which ye heard ct u, ye received it not as the
word OF meD, but 50 it is in truth, the WORD OF
God which eitecty ~ wOrketh also inyOu that BE-
| lieve. i"
The times in which we live are fraught with
change Tue sir is foil Of revolution and has been
for more than century. The great discoveries
made in physical science, charging mans knowl-
edge and control Of the forces Of nature have also
expect still greater progress. Everything is ques
toned. The most venerable authorities are put
upon their trial. And man in his boasted progress
aud pride of heart has become wiser than God, and
| His Word.
The many anti-cbrists which we're already in
Johns time seem ready to have all their hostility
to the Lord gathered up and expressed to the full
in him " that denieth the Father and the Son.
John ii: %
The spirit of anti christ that even already In
the world denied Jesus Christ come in the flesh.
(eteluthota.) l John iv 2. A later manifesto
ton would deny His coming (erchomeaOn) II
John vii: This Peter also tells US in the 81 chap
ter of his Fad episte where he says THAT there
shall come in the last days scOhers, walking after
their own lusts, and saying, where is the promise
of His coming?' And this scoff is based on the
permanence of the operations Of the laws of nature
How exact the prediction Of the present tendencies
of so.called " advanced thought" Such unbelie
of Gods Word will finds its latest development 10
mans deifying of man in the person Of him who
opposeth and exalteth himself above sll that lie
called God. or that is worshipped; SO that nc as
God, sitteth in the temple of God Showing him
self that he is Cod This, we believe to be per-
sonal anti,ohrist who shall eventually head up III
himself all the forces that oppose Christ eOd Who
will be consumed by the breath of the Lords
mouth and destroyed by the brightness OF His
coming. This ant. christ has had many predgura
tons in Gods Word, as in Nebuchadnezzar il
Uzziah, in Herod, and in the Papaoy but his final
and most fearful manifestation is doubtless yet to
come. The signs of il are not far to see,
But when the evening comes in like fJOd God
lifts up standard against him. This, too, we see
in our day. Never since the apostles time has the
glory of Christs person and the completeness aud
perfection of His work been SO fully and widely
proclaimed as now; nor the divinity aud personal
ity of the Holy Spirit and His indweling in all be-
gotten privileges of believers as called into fellow
ship with the Father, and with His Son Jesus
Christ nor the heavenly place and calling of the
Church as the body of Christ, and the hope of the
Lord coming to receive His Church to Himself.
1t may be prOftAbleE n view of these things to
consider the character if the believers at TaeSsa.
lonica as depicted by tie Spirit in the lst episte
to that Church. This Is the earliest of the epis.
ties in date, and in contemplating these believers
we come nearest of all the epistles to the primitive
simplicity Of faith, the virgin purity of love, and
the heavenly brightness Of hope of PentccOstal
times.
From chapter lst We see how the apostle was
continually thanking God for their work of faith,
and labor of love- and patience of hope. 1t was
with them no merely nominal reception of the gos-
pei, but, I'm power, and in the Holy Ghost and in
much assurance" thing rarely seen in this day.
Their belief of the word caused them much afflic-
ton, but their joy in the Holy Ghost superabound-
ed, so that their example shone far and near
What mighty conversion, too, in their turning
from idols to serve the living and true God and
to wait for His Son from heaven To how few
would this last touch Of the Spirits description sp-
ply in our day How few really receive as God
Word, What say unto you l say unto ali,
Watch | !
How beautiful too the affection of the apostle so
full of the Spirit himself, to those in whom the
fruits of the Spirit were SO manifest and so rich
As nurse chersheth her children, ne was gentle
among them, and 10 his affectonate desire was
willing to impart to them even his own soul, and
as father with his children he comforted and
charged every one Of them to walk worthy of God,
who had called them unto His kingdom and glory.
What pastor, and what fruit of his work
This brings US to the verse at the head of this
writing, which reveals for the profit of Gods chill
dren in all tiae the true foundation and source of
such Christian character as the Spirit here por-
trays Receiving the word of God even from such
a preacher as Paul, they received it not as the
word of Pau or of any man, or body Of men, but
as it is in truth, the word of God. And so re.
ceived it always works efectualy with divine pow
er in them that believe.
How is man born again, as one must be to be-,
come Christian? Tie answer is, mot of cor
ruptibe seed, but of iuconuptible. by the word Of
God" "Of His owe will begat He US with the
word of truth" Aud how after being born is the
new life entertained p Ag newborn bAbes desire
the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow
thereby" And AN Scripture is profitable =.
that the man of GOD may be perfect thoroughly
furnished unto all good works" And it is further
written that no flesh should glory in His pres
ence'
Now when we look around in almost every d.
recton what do We see but gloIyiog in men,"
great admiration of favorite preachers, much say
ing IL am of Paul, ard | of Apolos, and | Of
Cephas, with to all appearance little real contact
of the minds of Christians with the Bible. as the
word of God which it is in truth and not the word
of man. Our Bibles are really and practically but
blank pages to US until We receive the words there
as the words of God Himself How few of us in
this view have full Bible What great tracts of
the Scriptures are habitually neglected How lit.
Ito are the favorite portions received and studied as
the very word of God How many teachers of
great name and fame in ChristeDdom really deny
the inspiration of Gods Word What large
proportion of the Christian literature Of our DAY
betrays the Master with the kiss of Judas What
subtle aud strong disbelief of Gods Word, not
only in such writings as COenzo's but all through
many popular commentaries What German the
ology could man be willing to put in the hands Of
his child What Presbyterian has not shuddered
at the infdeHty of Prof Smiths article in the En-.
cyclopedia Britannica
What do these things mean cropping out all
over ChristendomP Simply that much passes for
faith that is not faith at all. Many have not re-
ceived the word Of God as the Thessalouans did.