The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-07-23
PULPIT UTTERANCES.
30 RELIGION ANO SCIENCE AoREE2
An Able Argument on Subject of Inter
est to All Thinking Christians.

The following able sermon on "The rev.
elation of the redemption by Christ as de-
termining and defining the law of Script
ure Interpretation and the method of
Scripture inspiration," was delivered be-
fore the class of the Andover (Mass.) The
illogical Seminary:
And many other signs truly did Jesus in the
presence of his disciples which are not writ
ten in this book. But these are written that
We might believe that Jesus is the Christ the
Son of God, and that believing ye might have
life through his name-John I.p:5o-SI
The "book specially meant here is un
doubtedly the Gospel by John. The por
tion of this book specially designated is
the record it contains of the signs or mira
cles of Jesus.
The statement is that this record has one
and only one object; that they might so
believe as to live. That is, the book, and
the record it contains, are written with
this single end in view-that it might be
made so rational for them to believe that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, that
the belief, engendered of such mighty
mighty proofs, would bring life to their
souls.
Now it is fair to assume, that whatever
be the object of the narrative of John is
the object of the whole Bible. John was
only the maturest of a series of writer's
upon redemption. Johns Gospel is
record of the profounder teachings and
more decisive miracles of Jesus. 1t is
simply the most advanced stage in therev-
elation of redemption, as his Apocalypse
is the eliminating chapter in the history
of redemption; and when the revelation
and the history had alike closed, it could
be said of the whole book, as truly as of
Johns portion of it: ''If any man shall
shall add to these things, God shall add
unto him the plaques that are written in
this book: and if any man shall take away
from the words of the book of this prophe-
cy, God shall take away his part out of the
book oflife, and out of the holy city, and
from the things which are written in this
book" With John, this series of histories,
poems, prophecies and essays had become
q complete unit. 1t had been rounded into
perfect adaptation for its use. 1t could
be said of the finished Bible, as of the fin
ished creation: Sand God saw that it was
very good"
The books of the Old Testament find
unity with each other, as they do with the
books of the New Testament, about the
cross of Christ. The Interpretation and
the substance of the Old Testament is in
its Christology. Christ himself gives
definition of it's contents when he said of
the Book, then well known as the Law, the
Prophets and the Psalms: "They are they
which testify of me-"
The books of the New Testament are
even more indissolubly centered upon the
person and work of Christ the Redeemer
Men of learning, and taste, and science,
absorbed in their own favorite ideas,
have missed entirely the Bibles declared
object They have criticised it for its un.
conventional or antiquated expressions
They have pointed scornfully to its loose,
phenomenal way Of describing physical
facts. They have affected holy horror
because various immoralities, as things are
reputed among us, are mentioned without
rebuke.
Now, IL sentimentalist reads the
Bible with the idea that elegance
is the principal thing, he will, of course,
receive a shock, though it will be alto
gether a healthy one. If a man of real re.
finement and taste shall object, as some
have done, that much of the Bible is too
badly realistic, and shall undertake to
judge Of its claim to a Divine origin, as
one might judge of the merits of modern
literary magazine, he would show gross
misconception.
The Bible has most earnest purpose. 1t
breathes throughout the spirit of the Mas
ter. 81 am come to send fire on the earth,
and what will l, if it be already kindled.
have baptism to be baptized with, and
how am l straitened till it be accom-.
plished~
The question before us now is not how
much or how little of refinement and beau.
ty and sublimity, or, on the other hand,
how much Of plainness and bluntness is
best fitted to lead the nations and genera
tions Of men up to the point of believing
that humble carpenter of Nazareth is the
Son of God, and up to the still higher point
OF SO believing him as to receive life
through His name The point is, that the
style Of language and of thought which is
best adapted to secure that one result, is
the style which we should expect to sec
adopted, regardless of all scientific, his
toric, philosophical or esthetic considera
tions. And we need here to receive another
thought. The great mission of faith-pro
pagation-this purpose, namely, of secur
ing a saving belief on Christ--is for al
men and for all ages. Modern times would
have been still in the darkness of heathen
ism, had not the ancient times been deliv
cred from it. The childhood, as well as
.he manhood, of the race must be provided
for in the book which was to bring saliva
tion to all.
Only great scholarship and wide
sweep OF vision and Of thought will give
any man a position from which he can
Judge Of the elements of such problem;
still less from which he can form any just
estimate of its successful solution. But
this can be truly said, that scholarship
and science and philosophy, as they ad
vance, discern more, and not less, of the
wonderful adaptation of the Bible, both in
its style of speech and in its style oi
thought, to men of all the ages, of all the
nations, of all the pursuits, temperaments
and tendencies which characterize the va
rious branches of the human family.
If, in mattersof taste, the Bible is con.
Structed with the sole aim of bringing meI