The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1886-09-20

A Union service was held at Fort
Street Church last evening. con-
Quoted by the Rev. +. c. Oggel,
the sermon by the Rev. T. &. r.
Peck. pastor of the Presbyterian
church at Waterville, Utica, New
York.
The reverend speaker took his
text from: Mark XVI 10. "Go
We into all the world and preach the
gospel to every creature.
He spoke as follows: You will at
once recognize these as the parting
words of Christ to his disciples. He
bids them to 90 into all the world
and preach the gospel to every
creature. That world, as we know,
is made up of races of men, of
classes in society, of isolated indi-
viduals of very diverse character
istics and temperaments, customs
and habits of thought; and yet our
Lord would have his gospel pre-
sented to each one without eXcep-
ton. And what does this teach us
but that he realized that the gospel
was designed for all-that there was
that in it which each could receive
and appropriate, and receiving and
appropriating, could thus secure to
himself, its inestimable gift of ever
lasting life.
This universally of the gospel is
one of the most remarkable of all
the features that it presents for our
consideration. All other religions
have been more or less local in their
influence. They have been restricted
by peculiarities of race, of climate,
of custom, or modes of thought.
Even the religion of the Jews, Gods
ancient people, was only adapted to
the land of Palestine and the neigh
borhood of the Temple, but Chris
tianity adapts itself to all lands and
all people. 1t was as eminently
fitted to the practical Roman, as it
was to the speculative Greek. 1t
made the Roman more practical and
lit anew the smouldering embers of
Greek intellectual life, while at the
same time it showed itself none the
less adapted to those nations that
had not yet emerged into the light
of civilization. Before the Goths
conquered the Roman Empire Chris.
tianity had conquered them. 1t has
never yet found people with whom
it could not assimilate. 1t has never
yet found people whom, it could
not infuse permeate and transform
with its influence.
When we come to inquire unde
what particular features this univer
salty of the gospel presents itself
we are reminded first of all, that i
, is religion devoid of system
Other religions have systems. The
have strict creeds and set formula
Of devotion; many of the sects G
christianity even regard these as in
dispensable to their very existence
but the gospel has none sucf
: Christ enunciated no system. /
his teachings we find broad, gener'
: principles. We find noble, sou
o stirring ideas. We find the spir
: while the latter is absent-system'
d tized forms of belief are absen
e The creeds of theology are absen
Indeed it would be impossible inte
n lectually to define many of ii
o truths which Christ uttered. The
;. are addressed not to the undrstan'
n ing, but to the spiritual sense
i; man, and the spiritual sense alol
" comprehends, receives and appr
1t PIRATES them. Besides, the expa
@ sive force of gospel truth proven
:. its being restricted to any detini
,r forms. AS the ages roll on and t
le Church becomes more gifted wi
j. intellectual and spiritual powe
rs these truths appear under new light
10 under new shades of meaning, I
II quiring new forms and new sets
;e expression. Hence it is that Chr
j. gave no definite forms to the trut
If which he uttered. The Chur
IS would in time out-grow them. Il
" garment made for the boy would Il
v do for the grown up man. Ev
B. now we find the old Athanasi
to creed subject of discussion
I'd England, and more remarkable st
x proposal are being made for
D. Congress to modify the work of t
IF Westminster Divines. Creeds d
,e friends, but the spirit of the life
the gospel still lives. The iptellt
at tual restrictions by which the tru
m is defined pass away, but the tru
lie itself still grows and expands W