The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-02-05
THE DIVINE TEACHER.
The Safe Line to Follow in Seeking the
Truth of the Kingdom of Christ Rev.
W. J. Cleveland at Grace Church
Last Evening.

John, LIS.
"Whatsoever He saith" No II is
competent to guide u, into the Truth
but Christ. How shall we find what He
saith? Shall we follow conscience? Alas
for him who followeth an unenlightcned
conscience. Our first duty is not to fol
low, but to educate our conscience. The
servants were hidden to DO what their
" conscience could not hav" approved.
Shall we look for teachers who seem TO
us satisfactory? "The things of God
knOweth no man, save the Spirit vt Goo
Christ only is the "NNord of God,' the
"reacher sent from God" upon whom
the Spirit descended and abode upon
HIM, and of Whom the voice Of the
Heavenly Father, seconding TINS " His
earthly mother, declared. This is my
beloved Son, hear ye Him" lienc" 1t IL
not merely teachers who are pleasing to
Us, but such as can give us Ch"lsts
teaching WITT HIS authority. whom We
need. There were many present To give
advice, but the servants waited for
Christ's word. and that only. Where is
this teaching to be found in our day:
In the Bible? Yes, but how can we be
sure OF the real meaning Of the Bible?
An hundred men Interpret it glibly for us
in rs many different ways. Left to our
selves we are like the Ethiopian runuch.
| 81 T.J tl.. .l.t .I,,, .--
est? and he said. How can |, except
some one shall guide mc?'' Let us iml-
tate his humility. We need, as he, a
Philip, sent and authorized Of God, who,
"~beginning at this Scripture" shall
"preach unto us Jesus How was Phil
ip sent? Directly by Christ? No BY
an inward impulse, supposed to be a
''call of the Spirit" No. BY ii company
OF believers choosing him for their min
lister, and themselves authorizing him to
preach the Word of God? No. He was
ordained and sent by the Apostles Of our
Lord, to whom alone He, the Christ, had
said, LAS my Father hath sent me, even
30 | send you" $50 ye, therefore, and
make disciples Of all nations, baptiZing
them: teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever | commanded you:
and 10, am with you alway, even unto
the end of the world" Not what even
they should suppose the Scriptures
meant, but that, and that only, which
He chad commanded" them, were they
t. teach the nations to observe. h
Spirit was promised to guide them into
all TRUTH" but even He should not 90
outside the bounds prescribed by Christ.
He shall glorify me-: for He shaGNxeceIve
of mine, and shall shew it unto XOu.
Al, things that the Father hath Are
mine: therefore said /, that He SHY II
take Of mine. and shall slew it unto you"
Here then is the safe and aivincIy APP
pointed line of teaching for believers in
Christ among all nations, and "unto the
end of the world" TO be sure, us need
arose, there was to be added to their
company now a Matthias, and then a
Paul, and next a Timothy and "a Titus,
and so forward and spreading every
where until we come to their lawful sue
c~essors, the bishops of our W church
and time; but yet the guidance of the
Spirit was not to be to them as individ-
uals, with partiality and respect of per
sons. On the contrary it was that guild.
ance which was to give them fellowship
one with another, and with God in
Christ. It could never be right for any
who had been taught by them in the
church to say, II am of Paul; and | OF
Apollos; and I of Peter" Christ WAS
still to be the One Teacher. and they
but witnesses for Him. teaching the ma
tions to observe what He had command
ed them at the beginning, as the Spirit
brought these things to their remem-
brance, showed them to them'and enabled
them to understand them better. Christ
was not divided; neither could His
Church which is His Body, be divided.
and still remain His. Yet divisions
came, but came and continue to come.
and can only come, among His professeo
followers, 10y self-willed rebellion against
His own appointed method for teaching
, His Body the Truth, and in open def,
ance Of the spirit of His last solemn
prayer to the Father not for His .Apos.
t ties alone, but for them also which shall
believe on me "through their word;'
that they all may be one; as thon
Father, art in me, and I in thee; that
1 they also may be one IN ue: that the
!, world may believe hat thou hast Sent
me-" Our only safe course then is &c
. keep close to the Apostles, and this by
seeking guidance not solely of individ.
ual teachersA even of learned bishops in
the church, but of the Church herself
: The business of the ministry to-day, as
Of the Apostles at the first is. in fact, tC
hand on that legacy of truth which
Christ impaired to His Church in the
beginning This teaching We have IN