The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-05
"THINkING OF CHRISTI
The Sermon of DIR. James Mcleod, at the
Second Presbyterian Church, Yesterday
Morning.

The Sermon of DR.. James Mcleod, at the
Second Presbyterian Church, Yesterday
Morning.
Rev. James Mcleod, of Buffalo, N. Y, yester-
day preached at the Second Presby teriaD Church,
to the pastorate of which he has been called.
The subject of the morning discourse was,
Thinking of Christ" The congregation which
was present exhausted the full seating capacity
of the church. Tle music was especially good,
the regular choir being augmented by Mrs. New
hall, of Cincinnati. who sang a solo very sweetly.
DR.. Mcleod took for his text: "What think ye
of ChrIst?"-St. Matthew xxi, ~.
"If you will look" DR.. Mcleod said, sat the
context of the question: addressed by the
Lord to the band of skeptics, who had cOnSp1red
together 10 entangle Him, you will find that the
Pharisees, the HerodianS and the Sadducees had
scarcely anything in common so far as religious
notions were concerned; but they were agreed in
their opposition to Christ, The Pharisees were
the Journalists OF that day. and their religion
ended as IL began, In mere Tormalty'
The Sadducees were the ratiOnalists, or tree
thinkers, and did' not believe IN the angels, the
Spirit or the resurrection or the dead. The
Herodans were set of politicians who believed
that they could change the feelings of the peo-
pie with whom they mingled. They sought 10
bring Christ INTO antagOpism with Caesar. After
putting questions to Him with the hope of en-
tangling Him, they found that He was at home
on all, whether in politics or religion, in the law
of love or the law of the kingdom. He could
answer the questions: What think We of Christi
The net which they had set for
Him. When questions were put to them their
answers conficted with their own Scriptures. If
David called Christ Lord, it was because he be-
leved Him the distinct God"
The Uext DR.. Mcleod said, was not addressed
to skeptics but to a band of Christians From
the time it fell from Christ's lips it has been the
center of great debate. How can you and
then meet these questions, unless we are able
to give good ana substantial reasons
for the hope that is in us. If we should ask
these questions what would be our answers}
Would we give such answers as the Pharisee or
would we give good reasOn4 If we should not
answer more fully and clearly than aid the
Pharisee it would be greatly to discredit.
There many reasons why they could not
clearer revelation of Christ. They looked at
Messiah through the glass of the Old Testament.
1t is indeed true that aye do err in not knowing
Scripture, nor the power of God" If we had
not the New Testament, it is doubtful if our
views would be much clearer than were those OF
the PhaTisees. So we see that we ought TO have
difficulty in giving very comprehensive
reply. ChrisG is the Son who eliminates every
page of the Bible. HIS advent, His ascension,
the stories of his redeeming love-gVe us a
complete revelation, and fuller, if not truer
answer This Christ of whom the Bible speaks
is not only the Son of man, but OF God.
There is another and more satisfactory reason
why we should be able to answer more
fully tb ano S SsaFY add ba2a
the history of Christianity. The Pharisees could
not look down the ages-they had not the history
of eighteen centuries before them. With the
history of its origin, its attributes to Jesus
Christ, we'll its growth what must we
think of the author of Christianity. Remember
this, that Christianity has not outgrown Christ,
although it has lived for eighteen centuries.
Plato was, in one respect, superior to Socrates,
and so in other departments of human thought
do find men who are able to come up to the
requirements of others who have preceded us.
If we had Homer we also have had a Shaks.
peare; If we had Newton also have had a
Laplacei and so all along the ages teachers of
morals have been equal, If not superior. to those
that have preceded them.
three short active Christ
more TO soften mankind than all that have
labored since. Christianity is an enduring
principle of regeneration. Christ is the principle
of Christianity. In the language of Mill, Christ
is still a unique figure, not more unlike His
precursors than all his followers; standing like
the Alps in his grandeur, conspicuous above all
others.
Surely it is not improper to ask why His adj
vent life. death aud resurrection have touched
the heart of humanity so much more deeply
than any one before since, why He has
commanded such reverent study or why He mas
attracted the my riads TO Him who have revOlved
around Him the central star OF the spiritual uni
These are not improper questions to address to
a Christian audience. When we talk of Christ
talk Of one TO whom history knows no parallel
Why, il He was only son of David. has no other
son of David risen 10 eqnai Hint No wonder that
infidels ard atheists have poured their imDas-
stoned utterances upon Him. No wonder that
they fail TO look through and beyond His human
beauty of character TO the divinity in the man.
Christ is the citadel OF Christianity and can
never he captured. There is little danger after
Don't be afraid of the articles in magazines, and
don't be afraid that he is now going to be cap
tured in the nineteenth century. 1t is not what
think We of Christianity, but what think We of
the historic church, if there is anything that
has been manifest in the historic church it is
most shallow and superficial to charge these
things against our holy church might as
well charge to the laws of Indiana the evil re-
sulting from their violation. The atheists may
shoot their poisoned arrows and hur their
anathemas at the church, but we know they do
not hurt. Great evils have been wrought in the
name of Christianity. but the arrows of the enc
mics of our truth fail effectually TO touch
Christianity they fail to strike the MONDAY
sun. IL was the absence of Christianity that
made such crimes possible. So long as Christ is
not responsible no flaw can be found in His
character When think of Christ the theme
is infinite. 1t means, what think We of God in
carnate2 We, ministers, mnst think of Him.
What value would our sermons have If we should
think not of Hint Other questions may be in
teresting, but this is vital. Without Christ,
the Bible would have little Importance. 1t is
this that not only settles our character but set
ties our destiny. 1t ia what we think, not do, that
settles Que destiny Nowhere in the broad field of
theology IS there for one moment anything TO
lie compared with this question. We
cannot afford to live without knowing and
thinking rightly of Jesus. Our souls need Him.
He is our prophet, revealing the will of God for
our salvation, reconciliag us to God: as our
king, defending us and cunquering our enemies.
In liz inf love and Humility "A ALI He has