The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-05-28
HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.
DR.. Vass' Second Sermon on It's
Origin and Constitution.

DR.. Vass' Second Sermon on It's
Origin and Constitution.
At the First Presbyterian church YES
terday morning DR.. L. c.. Vass preached
the second sermon of the course on the
''Origin and Constitution of the Church"
In the first sermon he showed that every
where the Bible spoke of a church as
Gods eternal purpose to redeem lost
man, under covenant rela tions, and in an
organized body. In Genesis xvii, a formal
covenant with fixed seal was made with
Abraham. The line of Shem was
designated to Noah, and of Isaac to
Abraham; and in Egypt the passover
brought out more distinctly the engage
ment to redeem the church by faith in
atoning blood.
AT Mount Sinai, DIR. Vass now argued,
all previous covenants shone out more
clearly as perpetual, with people sacra-
mentally prepared, and in relation to
their Redeemer as king and head of an
organic commonwealth. The law was
ecclesiastical, and not civil and national,
as Michael's, Warburton, ROsenmuller
and other rationalists had said. Israel's
constitution was theocratic. AS church,
Israel never changed its order, admins
tration or worship. But as state Israel
was in anarchy for 400 years, and then
ceased to exist as an independent people
for 400 years, to Christ's time-and since
then was not a nation. But the covenant
at Sinai did not abrogate that with Abra-
| ham 430 years previous, and Stephens
said the church in the Wilderness was
| Gods church. So the Mosaic economy
| had only expanded the Abrahamic
church.
From Joshua to David the same ecclesi-
astical system, prophecies and earnest
| piety prevailed as was seen in Balaams
| history and Ruth's beautiful biography.
| Davld's era was the eliminating period,
| when the redeemer was held forth as
| prophet and priest, and the church as the
| KINGDOM of God" The prophets caught
/ the strain and heralded the majesty of
/ the reign of David's greatest son. So as
/ history, theology and prophecy, the Old
/ Testament unfolded the same truths
| about the church as the visible expression
! of Gods design to save lost sinners as
/ separated body under his divine rule.
/ Its first words in Matthew run back
/ from Jesus Christ to Abraham, and its
! earlist historic facts touch ordinances
| 1000 years old.
The same creed, officers, kingdom of
| God and worship appear, and the Mosaic
/ Institutes are endorsed by Christ. The
/ New Testament church is the development
/ of Gods eternal archaeological covenants {;
for the Abrahamic covenant was
never repealed. Both churches
held the same faith. New
Testament figures, Romans tx: 1924,
/ proved the identity. Christ and the
apostles denied a genealogical religion,
and said they were Abrahams children
who believed. The same reasons for one
identical church existed, namely, God S
/ purpose to save lost men by vicarious
attonement, in an organized body. All
/ prophecies regarded the one church as
triumphing in the Messiah, David's son,
Jesus Christ.
l. 1t was thus seen that the doctrine of
the church was of vital Importance, for it
/ determined largely the theology of the
| church.
p One learns the grandeur of Gods
church Worshipping king and rapt
prophet were ever revealing its increasing
glory and God moved all things to pro-
! mote its eternal triumph
3, All this springs from. Gods free and
sovereign grace. Sweet invitations come
to every lost sinner to accept offered sal
walton. The veil falls, and the heavenly
temple is open.
4. Terrible danger hangs over the
neglect Of the voice of Gods holy and
/ ancient church.
On next Sabbath DR.. Vass will present
in the third sermon the teaching of the
New Testament as to apostolical success
sion, and show the fallacy of all prelatic
claims.