The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-08-30


in its deepest experiences needs is an
Almighty Saviour, who can be both
trusted and loved, who is both human
and divine, who has all power in heaven
and earth to forgive sins, and save unto
the uttermost all that come to God
through him-one who is both Saviour
and sovereign with all the tenderness Of
a brothers heart, and the power of an al
mighty arm. And this great want the
gospel meets, as it is nowhere else met,
in the story of Emmanuel, in the doctrine
of God incarnate, in the person and
character of Jesus Christ This is what
Paul, and Peter and John, and all the
inspired apostles found in him, when
they found the Messiah of Israel. This
is what they saw and experienced in him,
when they tabernacled with him from
day to day. and beheld his glory, the
glory of the only begotten of the Father
full of grace and truth
A Christless gospel is no gospel 1t
is no message of glad tidings from God.
1t brings no deliverance from sin, no
method of atonement for sin, no consola-
ton In affection, no antidote for death,
no well grounded hope of life and i'm
mortality beyond the grave. 1t dispar-
ages and rejects precisely those things
IN the life Of Christ and in the teaching
OF the New Testament, which his in
splred apostles make the most important,
and which they counted it their chief
glory to hold and to preach even unto
death. Can any thing be more certain
In all history, than that Paul and Peter
| IN -
personal Saviour, who was Emmanuel,
God manifest in the flesh, who died upon
the cross as our ransom for sin, rose from
the dead, assembled to heaven, where he
forever lives and reigns, the king Of
kings and lord of lords, worshipped by
all the heavenly hosts, loved, honored,
adored by all his saints? If there be
any Christless Christianity in any single
line or chapter of the New Testament,
we have failed to discover it.
Yet doubtless there are some persons
calling themselves Christians, whose re-
ligion is nothing better than Christian
ity without Christ. There are pulpits
claiming the honored name of Christian,
that grow eloquent every Sabbath in
praise of virtue and morality, benevo-
lence and charity, and that even speak
with respect Of the wise founder of Chris
tlanlty, and yet preach no gospel of a
living, divine, personal Saviour, who is
the very life Of our souls. Now the es.
sential thing in all true Christian expert
ence, is allegiance to Christ, faith and
trust In Christ as personal Saviour, a
hearty surrender of ourselves to the ser
vice OF Christ tender, loving regard
for the character of Christ, daily obedi-
ence to the commands of Christ, and a
lifelong communion with Christ. Until
man finds Christ thus, and follows
Christ thus, he has not yet taken the first
step In real Christianity. All else is
mere profession, an empty name.
One is your Master, said he, to the
disciples, even Christ" This gives us
the key to the whole matter of Christian
experience. We must find one whom we
can call Master, who is worthy to be
called Master, the very Saviour and SOW
ereign of all souls. We must find one
whom we can trust implicitly, whom we
can rest upon for time and eternity. We
put our lives into his hand. We believe
In God, we believe also in him, and un-
til we have done this, we have not ac
cepted the first, the simplest, and vet
most essential creed of Christianity
When we have done this, says Frances
Ridley Havergal, eve have burned the
bridge behind US, because we are quite
sure he is the Captain of our salvation
We have entered his service forever. We
have given our allegiance unreservedly.
because we confde in him unreservedly'
There is no question about it, I know
whom l have believed, and therefore /
say MasterI'"
10 know Christ personally as our liv-
ing, Divine Saviour and Lord is the main
thing in what we call experimental reli-
gion: a man may know much about him,
much about his words, his actions, his
doctrines, and even his character, with
out knowing him personally and savingly
IN the true Scripture sense. Because It
is possible to believe all these things on
the simple historical testimony Of the
sacred writer's without really believing
In him as our Saviour, Or ever apply1n9
to him for salvation. 1t is to be feared
that many persons in Christian lands do
this without ever accepting Christ and
following Christ as their own personal
Saviour. To do this, and do no more is
to come short Of salvation; it is to hold
true creed without any love to Christ,
without any saving belief in him. To
90 TINS Is to have a Christianity without