The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1884-12-24
Conduct and Doctrine.


When God would save the world He
sent Christ to it. There was the COM
plete union of doctrine and life. All the
teaching of God was there; He was the
Son of God direct from the Father. He
could tell of Him perfectly. But He
told of Him by being living person,
told OF Him by His life and His death.
And to-day, if we want to obey the in
junction of the text; want to know of
the doctrine and yet be men caring for
our own lives, we can do both of those
things by being followers of Christ. He
klndles all our personal love, He calls
for the deepest scrutiny of life and con-
duct He tells men to live by His service,
and that Is the doctrine of God. Any
man who has Him as the Saviour and
Guide of His life need not fear for either
conduct or doctrine. I suppose that
there Is scarcely man who approaches
Christianity that does not at some time
teel his Ignorance. Mysterious texts
start up in his mind from the very Bible,
which he says that he loves; phrase
In the Prayer Book, from which he wor-
ships, seems to shut him out from God,
as 1T speaks of some attribute or act of
His which he does not understand; the
argument of some doubter, better trained
than he Is, seems to show that he has
never understood the religion which he
professed long ago. What shall we do
IN such moments of ignorance? what
shall we do if constantly we are oppressed
by that sense of how little we know of
God? At such times we want to con-
tlnue IN the doctrine, but we hardly know
whether we have any doctrine in which
to continue. Then we can understand
the power of Christ and can continue in
Him. There Is contained all the doc
trine of God. We may not be able to
express 1t, we may not understand all
the expressions that have been given to
it. But we can be sure that it is all
there. And all conduct is wrapped up
In the same single life. We will do all
things for Him who died for US. Christ
ID our lie; to us to live is Christ. We
may not see all that is before us, we may
not know what God is asking of US, but
we are sure that in service to Him all
the duty of life is contained. Is not He
then the solution of all these questions
about doctrine and practice that men are
so troubled over2 There is no contra
dlction between them. We do need
them both we can find them both in
Him. In the agony of our doubt and of
our SIN we cling to Him more closely.
We can approach Him as we please, can
come to Him to be taught about God.
can come to Him to be led in the path of
daily duty; He can fill us with knowl-
edge, can fill us with purity.
Look how great the work is that such
care of the doctrine and of conduct ac-
complishes Thou shalt both save thy-
self and those that hear thee" We do
not save ourselves by our conduct and
our neighbor by our doctrine. The two
together save both Of US. The two paths
are one, and the two goals are one. We
live for ourselves we live for Others We
need not trouble about our eternal saliva
ton need not wonder and worry as to
whether we are doing what we should
for our fellowmen, if only we are striving
to be taught of God and are daily taking
heed of our lives. There is harmony
In this scheme of life, which God holds
out, that no other one gives us. The
Christian life has spontaneous growth.
like some noble tree, leaves, fruit, roots,
all growing together. There is per-
fectly quiet and natural power in all
that it does. 1t asks us to live holy lives
from the noblest motives, and with the
highest ends. 1t makes it possible for
us all to do it by the knowledge Of Christ.
Carefulness and doctrinal correctness
what sadly unattractive things we too
often make Of them What noble things
they are, as they are thus seen, drawing
US near to God, and preserving within
ourselves our God-given livesl Can we
afford to waste those lives on this world.
to stain them with sin, to throw them
away in idleness? Daily take heed to
myself. Now is the day of salvation,
for now in this time Of life, by the power
OF Christ, we must be pushing away from
sin up into nearness to God, leading with
us these brethren of ours that are all
about us in the world.-Arthur Brooks.
y d.
Those that would find God must seek