The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-08-23
A Gospel VS.. The Gospel.

The only difference is that between
the indefinite and definite articles. But
the distance which separates them is i'm
mense.
Many ministers preach gospel of cul-
ture, a gospel of humanity, a gospel of
llberality, gospel of science, or a gospel
of pure thought, but utterly fail to pro
claim the Gospel of the grace of God.
They are like the ministers Mrs. Part
in1gton delights to hear dispense with
the Gospel" and as consequence we
hear of but little growth, and of so many
feeble congregations The story of re-
deeming love, that love which laid on
Jesus the sins of His people, which dis
plays itself as Just in. justifying those who
believe on Jesus, is forgotten, or not ut
tered.
Yet that story is the one theme of
which men never tire in the hearing
1T is the one subject which the HOLY
Spirit will bless to the conversion of lost
souls. To fail in proclaiming the Cos
pei, hat Gospel which best exhibits the
love OF the Blessed Trinity for lost and
ruined men, and to tell instead any other
tale, whether it be of natures laws, or of
man s. achievements and attachments. is
to substitute sand for lock, opinions for
truth, dreams for reality, and to incur a
fearful load of responsibility.
The world may call it bigotry. men
may stlgmatize such views as narrow
ness, and those who hold them may be
consigned to the rear ranks in the on
ward march of this worlds progress, yet
the fact remains that in that old, old
story is the power Of God unto salvation.
There is none other name than that of
Jesus with which the Father will be we'll
pleased, none other to which it will be
the function Of the Holy Ghost to testify,
none other which can do helpless sinners
good. To tell of Jesus as a Saviour, as
the blessed Substitute who stood in our
place, is to preach the Gospel.
The people have right to hear that
Gospel always, and should not be salts
fed with an occasional presentation of it..
They should rise in rebellion if they do
not get it. But, alas few are possessed
OF discriminating spirit, and if the style
be good, the language beautiful, the de-
livery fervld, but few are concerned with
the actual substance of the sermons to
which they listen
If one ventures to object to some state
ment, or to question the tendency Of a
sermon, he is at once frowned down as
hypercritical, as uncharitable, and as
hard to please. He is told that there are
different ways of looking at things, that
white is only little more than black, or
black only a little less than white. In
this way vital differences are made light
of, and instead Of the Gospel some other
gospel is allowed.
1t is this lack of discrimination on the
part Of the hearers, and this absence OF
distinctive teaching on the part of the
ministers, which more than anything else
accounts for that decadence in the power
of preaching to which Mr.. Mehafey, Of
Dublin, has recently called attention.
A few years since things were very
different. Congregations would then have
risen and condemned many sermons, to
which they now listen either with Ian
quid indifference, or kindly sympathy,
while some of the various gospels to which
we have referred are preached Men now
tolerate that indefniteness which would
once have been repugnant to them, and
both ministers and people, in too many
instances, 60 floating along the current
of public opinion, forgetful of the needs
Of souls perishing around them, and un-
mindful Of their own spiritual necessities.
They both dispense with the Gospel even
while hourly drawing nearer to the chasm