The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-11-11
Christian Gertrude.

Christian Gertrude.
Christianity is self:evidencing ; it
carries it's own evidence with it to the
mind and heart of the sincere and
earnest man. AS it is not a mere idea
but a living reality, not merely a fact
Of the past but a present power, it inn
presses itself upon the conscientious
man by its very nature. AS it is not
merely doctrine concerning divine
truth, but the actual revelation of the
truth itself; as it is the divine reality
personally manifested by the living,
| present Saviour of men, it is not de-
pendent upon the conclusions of any
processes Of reasoning in a discursive
understanding, or upon the ave pro-
gressive movements of science. Asitis
not a mere inference from a past his
torical fact, but a living, present,
abiding power operating on hui
man nature, and becoming, wher-
ever men yield to its impress
sions, a matter Of experience in
consciousness, it produces. in addition
to the historical faith, in which there
may be many doubts, an experimental
faith which shuts out all further ques-
ton Of reality, and produces inner
gertrude Of truth. It has historical
faith, but it is not dependent upon
the removal Of all historical doubts,
doessnot need, for the validity Of its
claim, to wait and see what historical
criticism may accomplish. If Chris
tianity like other religions were separ-
able from the person of it's founder, it
might be obliged to rest entirely upon
such grounds, might have to- be
proved, beyond all possible doubt, from
historical evidence, might have to
meet all claims Of science and phil
osophy, before it could produce living
certainty in the soul. But Christ is
not the mere founder of a religion.
He is that religion itself. Christianity
is in~separable from his person. He is
the present, living reality in our re-
ligion. 1t is only because he is. It. is
not only because he once was, but be-
cause he is now. It lives only be-
cause he lives. 1t lives not only be-
cause he once lived, but because
he now lives. It will be always only
because he will ever be-because
che was. and is, and is to
come" Other religions might exist
even If their founders were unknown,
or after they had been forgotten, but
Christianity is nothing without Christ.
And as it is Christ himself in contact
with men through his word and spir-
it, and is thus a living reality actually
operating upon them, they may have
actual experience Of his saving power,
a real consciousness of his gracious
presence, and consequently the know
ledge which is i%nseparable fro& con-
scious experience, and this is celtitude
of faith.
When the writer, bidding farewell
to his friends on leaving the Seminary
for his first charge, that great man,
Thaddeus Stevens, said to him:
"Young man, i'll were going out to
preach as you are, I would not try to
prooe the gospel, I would just try to
preach it," The writer thought at the
time that possibly this might be a
sneer. But the experience of nearly
half a century has taught him, that
that astute mind more probably meant
to express the great truth that the
gospel does not need to be proved
that it is elf-evidencing, proves itself;
and that he meant just what Luther
indicates when he declares that "where
the gospel is preached there will be
believers" The writer has become so
deeply impressed with the truth and
Importance of the recognition Of this
self Mountaineering power Of Christi
anity that he would say, as the result
of nearly fifty years of experience, to
every young minister, do not be too
much concerned about the fate Of the
gospel; it will take care Of itself and
maintain its existence. Don't spend
your time and strength in finding
proofs and erecting guarantees for the
gospel; but preach it, preach it with
personal gertrude of its saving power
and with perfect %codfidence in its eff
cacy, and you will not fail to lead
many souls to faith in Christianity
to experience it's power and to realize
the certainty of its truth.-PrG. s.
Spreche,, IN Lutheran Quarterly.
uVhat others did T can do" was the