The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-10-09
AND THE GOSPEL
Discourse Delivered Yes
terday By Rev. DR..
Van C1eef.

1t was a glad occasion at Wayne
Street Church Yesterday morning when
the Rev. DIR. Van Cleef, having returned
home, preached The sacramentsl services
OF the day Happily, Inc reverend doc
tor appears In good health. and his SER
mon, of which the following is a brief
report. was spiritually full Of the best
"wine and milk" Of the GOSPEL. There
was u good company to pattaxe Of its en-
couraging truth. but Wayne Street
Church h8' yet room for more.
Two texts formed the subject of dis
coursa:-John i: 16. And OF his fullness
have all we received, and grace fer
Father that In Him should ell fnIlness
dwell"
The teacher Iemarkeds Christ ia tn 9
theme of the Gospel Wherever and
whenever the Gospel is preached Christ
is set forth as the Saviour. A sermon
destitute OF that magnetic owe thai
draws attention to the cross of Christ Is
as useless to the sinner as the needle
would be to the mariner Ii deprived Of
that mysterious properly that causes 1t
to point toward the north. But on Il
Communion Sabbath we would d raw
uearer than ever to the cross. and II we
seize and follow the thoughts of the
text we shall NOT get o OF sight of
Calvary. Three things should fix our
attention: First. The f1llusss of Christ.
What Is 1t? Second. That this ful!ness
has been and is impaired. Third. The
name In which It has been received.
Though this word ''fuliness" Is used by
Paul (Col: 30 In reference to his essen
tial Deity, the text is not to be taken In
this sense. here the reference 10 to those
rich gifts and graces which come through
Christ. aud this lie the sense in which the
Evangelist Johu usessths word. The full
ness of Christ makes him the reservoir OF
blessings fer his people.
M~EDIAToRIAL AUTHORITY.
1t is q fullness of n.ediatoTiRl authority.
He was not a self-constituted mediator.
He had an official appointment, che Gre
Dental OF miracles. ant the endorsement
OF the div inc favor, In the voice. from
heaven saying, This Is nv beloved Soul
Hear Him." And this formal authority
was associated with mediatorial power to
save. He had and has full power
over the minds and hearts of
sinners to subdne them. and to lead them
in his train as willing and faithful sub
jects. His fullness is one OF sacriheial
merit. 1t is not for Us to indulge In
curious conjectures as to the value of the
blood OF Christ, as though this could bs
estimated on commercial principles. Il
Is sufficient for all demerit. He made
ample satisfaction for all u transgres-
sicns, and by his stripes We are healed.
1t is a fullness OF mercy 70 the chief OF
sinners. This thought was amplified
and nov by the preacher to have dis,
~lingulshed the life aud sufferinGs aud
conduct of Christ In his treatment of
wicked men, revealing the heart that
uttered that petition Father. forgive
them. they now not what they do" II
was a fullness of spiritual gifts, stores of
grace being laid up in Him for all who
should deny themselves. take up their
cross aud follow him. There is nothing
necessary for as to have that he has not
provided. or is unable to provide for US.
ALL HAVE RECEIVED OF HIS LIGHT.
This fullness may be impaired to US.
1t is impaired NOT only to apostles. but
to all believers. In u sense all, in the
largest meaning of the word, have re-
csived of His light. of His goodness. of
His grace. whether they have heard OF
Christ or not; but especially til ose who
have heard aud believe. II was notice
abls IN the Congress of Religious in CAL
ctgo how traces of Inspired truth. aud
rays from the fountain of life aud tight.
though faint and feeble. gltmmered here
ana there amidst the dsrkusss and CON
fusion of ideas thrown ont by the repre-
sentatives OF various idolatrous aud
heather systems OF religion, SO called.
Ia II true, can we say this. nv brethren,
that we all have received or His fullness
as Christian beiievers2 Have we come to
~ NOA1p lCkV dfbOu J. " 0AAN PONCAby w
be enriched with His graces Have we
come in faith to receive Him as our all in
alp There is an emphasis on tue express
sion from His fullness. What we have
received mas come from an overhowing
fountain. II we have received a full par
don there is yet pientsous forgiveness with
Him. IL we have received peace, the
stream is not exhausted, for MS, and for
millions more there is n full river.
The blood of Christ 0tyinely flows,
A healing balm for all our woes,
1t flows In a full perpetual tide,
Opened when the Saviour diedi
On the manner of this receiving. what
liz the meaning OF this grace on grace?
Some have thought it referred tc Gospel
grace, as superior to the grace given ua-
der the Iaw. Others hat the grace aud
dispositions of true disciples OF Christ
form a counterpart of mis- graces-graee
for grace. And other thoughts are suS-
gesled as that the grace we have received
succeeds other grace aud IL followed by
more. This we take as the literal msan-
ing of the words. The language is u
kind OF superlative, to Indicate the
greatness of the Divine favois, and what
we have received, however great Is the
pledge of grace In store for us. He that
hath begun a good work VIII perform it
untthe day of Jesus Christ.
His love 10 times past,
Forbids me to think,
He'll leave me at last
In trouble to siuk.
Let us come. ahen. again today and re-
ceive of his fulluess once more. Tue
more we feel our emptiness the more
shall we realize his infinlte fulness. The
less we cherish sin in our hearts. the
more room for Christ. Oh, come, thou
Sun OF Righteousness, aad shine, ban~
ishing ali the darkness OF our ignorance
and all worldly sorrowl Come. thou.
infinitely Holy One, and take up thine
abode within US, excluding all sin from
thy consecrated temples Oh, come,
thou in whom all f~ullness dwells. pour
into our souls this day, aud forever. u
perpetual tide OF thy gracious influence,
that our peace may be as II river. aud