New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-12-19
PULPIT UTTERANCES.
GODS PURPOSE IN EDUcATJNG uFN
V'III = jul O1'I1 IN IDbNA IINU MIN.
The Reu DR.. Martin r. Vincent at ne Church oTths ~
(JTesbgtpgiqnl. 'aa

| kiu,
his text from Acts xvii. so: "And tho times Of this h.
noranee God winked at; but commanded all men
everywhere to repent" He spoke In substance as ,ol
| lows:
There few Scripture elsewhere Of mo,o
profound interest ana meaning than that OF Panl an
Mars Hill In the Athenian people the heather inelect
and faith attain their climax The outcome artistic
beauty false philosophy and idoatry. Paul sums IN tho
whole ia one broad statement-the thought of paea.
idOlatry" the GOdhead II Ike to gold silver and stona
craven by mans device" The stamp upon all this spen
did artistic paraphernaa of worship ID that Of Ignorance
1t a thing to say especially to people who
boosted Of their culture and truly IL was not strange
that Epcurean and Stole snecred and asked "What win
| this babber sayi"
This raises the very difficult question concerning Ger
tain things which God has permitted to their course
things which viii not bear the test OF even the
lowest Christian morality. 1t would be the height Of
folly to ignore this difficulty. certainly pre-
sumptuous enough TO think that wholly resolve n
But grasp general principles OF Gods admins
raton as revealed in facts, and walk together
as far as the Bible and history give a solid footing
We shall not be the Christians for acknowledging
difficulties when they II would be the srangest
things the economy OF infinite God did present
real and some insOuble difficulties to the finite I'm.
derstanding
AS study the Bible history we see two movements
in progress simultaneously. One Of these may call
the ural historic movement that Is, the progressal
history, ike that OF Israel according to natural laws
There are those refuse in the history related
in the Bible anything than this But another class
detect another influence and another movement IL this
history-the working Of Divine purpose. Thus where
physical pressure, the RELIGIOUS historian hears the
Lord say unto Abraham, Get thee out from tNs Kim
dred" Where one Abraham blindly conforming
the fierce Syrian ritual the other hears God say, Take
now thy thine only SON. ana offer him the
tain And To least, the Bible % have any
special movement or meaning TINS element Il left out
Now, one difficulty arises our Of the fact that these two
mo flau afu nd
tcrious intertwinedthat Coos design works Itself out
through much which 10 educated Christian sense Is
cruel selfish, and even brutal ad by means Of men who
ia below even tile lower types 9f the social morality OF
Barak Gideon, If we were called on to select
types Of deyOut servants Of God They passionate,
reyengeiul, supersttous, sometimes loose IN morals:
aud yet they placed by New Testament Apostle
among the heroes of faith Fake for instance the story
OF Jael She Is represented as acting under a
Divine impulse, and il praised by the prophecies
Deborah the LOri's deliverer OF Israel But after ALL
say what you WILL II was brutal tmng to drlye tent
pin through the temple OF sleeping Can you
mend Samson, OF whom we read the spirit Of the
What horrible business Of the Canaanites, IN
5pects at least must rear continue 10 De puLIe-tae
These terrible facls aud facts which lie IN our way
which We should naturally suppose would have been
kept absolutely pure along its whole lenet-the line OF
our LOrls human descent You hhd some strange cpl.
sJdes IA the hs,Or{ OF juan. h5 vas "a tAS s'1A OF
David. but the book Of Ruth and Chronicles VIII tell you
thar Solomon the father OF B0az, aud Matthew viii
specimens Of great number o Illustrations; To human
Vow as | have SAID these facts involve difficulties.
but discover running through the OF facts
straight lines leading Us To three general principles,
which shall do well TO nave IN niId when We read our
BiOcs. The first is with which you are already
famIiarthat there Is progress IN the Divine reyea-
non IN In2 Bible progress rom sa 20 Iuief Le'a Ia
truth oil tue Incarnation, lhe very heart Of
must come before the Redeemer can DE revealed.
After Christ has the same law holds. He tells Ills
disciples that larger andrcher to come
dyidual family tribe. How imperfect the revelation
o the doctrine OF immortality the earlier Scriptures
It has sanction in Jewish law, any symbol IN
Jewish worship What step from this To the revelation
OF life aud Immortality in the Gospel!
But this principle necessitates secOnd-that OF
commOdatiOn. We must forget that as Chris
taus read the Bible from New Testament standpoint
and thar consequently if read the Old Testament
pectng find New Testament standards and principles
IL actie force we shall De constantly disappointed a1
puzzled. As a recent writer has apy said, we should
dyest ourselves OF our Christian associations Whcb are
history. When you read the book OF Judges you cannot
help saying, These characters are not for my mitation
these deeds are not sGG1 as bS opst the 10 uo
recognized the fact OF progress in revelation and tho
consequent fact Of accommodation Of revelation to the
Red Sea Cbrists The mount would have been
an idle wind Therefore, God gave them symbols and
bur an accommodation Man would not understand
God by beng told He was spirit; and so the Infinite
took the form of "A servant Why did He not make men
by miracle nc for his latest revelation All that can
be said Is He did not do II Tor reasons OF His own.
But tins principle goes further. IL l. impossible ~
deny that God gives temporary sanction TO certain
things which will not stand The test OF Christian moral
ity There Is pOlygamy. Tue New Testament refuses %
recognize it, aud yet IS the accepted facts 81 the
primitive times, and God besscs the offspring of pOyga
NOUS marriages. What Christs baptism by John
but temporary adaptation to crude religious concep-
tIOnbl
To these two principles must now add thirl
That through this growing and accommodated Ntla'
ton God Is continually working toward His own pertecJ
ideal You easily see thdt II you once admit this
fact Of progressive revelation and you can't deny ~
the character the revelation must be Judged by its
general tendency and outcome. Gods economy y never
leave the the people In the condition 10
which itself IL accommodates 10 raise.
II, testimony against sin is clear uuyaryng and trumpet
toned throughout. Elijah was prophet OF nro, harsh
and stern vet God hOuOrcd him. Yet Christ rebuked the
disciIs who wanted to do the very same thing that
Elijah did--call down fire from Heaven. Gods purpose
ia Inc education OF does not ultl itself In AIRY man
or generation but In the whole history OF mankind A.
cordng 90 TINS not 10 view Abraham and Moses,
Gideon and samson merely with reference % their
time but as parts with ourselves In bringing the
TO the measure of ChTst's manhood.
THE CHURCH AS PROPHESIED BY ISAIAH
The Eer Dr. Morgan Dir al Trinity Church protestant Ep