Telegram-herald., 1890-03-03

snd Jo6a Cav IA Lad that As ~e1i as t1s rxss~
snt s1s1csnE q ths Scriptures Yes. - + Is
ths >sr1s cd s1n ia 1hs ks2Fszs. bur IA CIR
tins L Las gaze ~ making 0s-x1efrsotypes
and photographs. Il = TIE sane ed water.
Sus IN oar century Il Eas gone - running
ss~-n szaglneS II . the sane old s.ecsx ic.ty,
but IA Our tina ik has become = bxhtuiuz
footsi srrald soy. 81 II Is the % Bsbls, b1t
ss~ zppllcarksas, nes uSss. ns" snsSrprst.
tons Yoa must reusabeF Tnst during the
Ase thr-s hundred ys2rs words have changed
sllsix meaning AID some Of tns1n now mean
more and sous lexL / Do not thiak Ehst
John Calvin bsslevst, s0ne say be dia. ia
I1s dAaaatlen of Infants. alt1ough so1ne q
tbs rsezus nos dlspzhes woeld seszn % lalpiy
thas there Is snch thing as the damna-
ton Of infants. A man no bSllsy -
"a ths d@AnA.ssa of infants himself
dsss<vss % lose heaven. | do not think any
good man could admit such a possibility
= aAt Christ win do With a. the babies il tas
nsxs world I c0nclQas fron what he did with
the bahiss IA Palestine when ee hagged them
and Kissed them When some of you gro~n
p.opis 90 out OF this world your doubtful des-
tiny VIII Dc embarrassment 70 ministers
officiating az your oosequles, Who viii have
10 30 cautious - a. not % hurt surviving
fri@nds But when the darling children SO
there ara no IFS or ''buts or gaesses. We
most remssnber that good John CALVIN was
IogiciAn and metaphys,cian and by the pro
clYities OK his nature put some things IN an
unfortunate way. logic has It's use and ME
tspaysics has its uze. but they are not good al
making creeiS A gardener hands you
blooming rose, dswy fseeh. but severe DO
tznist CONES % you with ro~s and says: Il
viii show you the structure OF this rose.
and be pruceeds 10 take il apart. aud
pulls OF the leaves and ne SAYS: There
are tho petals and he takes out the
snthsrs and be says: "Just loox az ths
wonderful structure OF these noral pill
lars" and then be cuts ths stem 70 show
you the juices Of the plant. so logic or meta.
physics takes the aromatic rose of the Chris
nan religion and SAYS: IT win just show YOU
how this rose % religion was fashioned and
1t pulls on OF II piece and says: That is
tho human viii, and another piece and SAYS,
This 3 Gods will.r and another piece and
says: This is sovereignty" and another piece
and says: This Is free agency this is this
and tha. Il that. And while stand looking
az the fragments Of the rose pulled apart, one
whom the Marys took for a gardener comes
In and presents me with a crimson rose, rel
as blood. and says: "Inhale the sweetness OF
this, wear il on your hear. and wear it for
evsr." l must confess that / prefer the rose
Ia ful bloom 20 the rose pulled apart. What
time we have had with the dogmatcs, the
apologeticS and the hermeneutics The defect
in some OF the creeds is that they try TO tell u.
all about the DEGREES OF God. Now the only
human bang that was ever competent &c
handle that subject was Paul. and be would
not have been competent had he not been in
spired I believe in the sovereignty OF God
and believe in mans free agency but nc
one can harmonic the two. 1t Is not neces
sary that we harmonic them. Every sermon
that have ever heard that attempted such
harmonizaticn was 10 me IS clear as a Lon
don fog, as clear as naud. Ny brother Of the
Nineteenth century, my brother Of the Six
teenth century, give Is Paul's statement and
leave out your own. Better one chapter of
Paul on that subject than ell of Calvin's in
stitntes, able and honest and mighty as they
are. Do not try 20 measure either the throne
Of God or the thunderbolrs OF God with your
little steel pen What do you know about
the decreesi You cannot pry open the door
Of Gods eternal counsels. You cannot ex-
plain the mysteries OF Gods government
now, much less the mysteries Of his govern
merit fivc hundre5 quintiihol OF years ago.
/ move for creed for al our denominations
made out Of Scripture quotations pure and
simple. That would take the earth
for God That would be impregnable
against infidelity aAd Apollyonic assault
That would be beyond human criticism. The
denomination, whatever It's name be. that can
rise up to that viii be the church of the mil
lennium, viii swallow up all other denomina-
tons and be the one that win be the bride
when the Bridegroom corneth. Let US make
it simpler and plainer for people % get into
the kingdom OF God. Do not hinder people
by the idea that they may not have been
elected. Do not tag on 10 the one essential Of
faith In Christ any OF the innumerable non
essentials. a man who heartily accepts
Christ is Christian, and the man who does
not accept him is no, Christian, and that L:
all there is Of it. he need not believe in cleo
ton or reprobation. He need not believe in
the eternal generation of the Son. lie necd
not believe in everlasting punishment. he
need not believs in infant baptism He need
nc. believe in plenary inspiration. Faith in
Christ Is the criterion, IL the test is the pivot
Is the Indispensable But there nro those
who would add unto the tests rather
than subtract from them. There are
into. church membership IL they drink
wine. or IL they smoke cigars. or il they
attend the theatre, or II they play cards,
or IL they drive fast horse. Now do not
drink wine or smoke or attend the theatre,
never playcd a game Of cards and do not
drive fast horse, although / would IL I
owned oneL But do not substitute tests
which tho Bible does no. establish There Is
-
oil In who ought 20 eater and 70 keep out.
all who ought 20 be kept out: believe in
the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt b.
saved Get mans heart right and his life
VIII 10 right. But now that the old creeds
have be~n put under public scrutiny, some
thing radical must be done Some would
split them. some woud carve them. some
would sloncais them. sorne would abbTevistc
them At toe present moment and IN the
present shape they are a hindranc> Lazarus
- alive, brs hampered with the oil grave
clothes r. yoa want ons giorious church,
free and unencunbessd, taOe or the cere-
nlenss Of Old ecclesiastical vocabulary. Loose
her, and lss h-r 20,
D0rBTs ASD FTASs
Again. there are Christians who are under
~-pulchrsl shadows and hinder.d and hop
pisi b7 doubts and f>srs ard sins long nCo
rspe-ted Of What they nesd Is 70 under
ssa,d The liberty q the Suns u God Thev
sp>nd more time under the shadow u Sinai
than n re base q Calvary. They have been
dnxinE ths only poor hymn that Newton
ever wru1s-
rs point I louz % know.
o. = causss srxfors thought
n, tr'rs -. Lord c- 10
ar Ths - sr1 rct.
Long 20 know. DO youi Why d you not