St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1903-12-09
One Preachers Greed.

Using the word "creed," not in the
sense of system of philosophic thought
about religion, but as an ordered state
ment of the convictions which express
themselves in the christian life, my creed
as preacher is satisfactorily summed
up in John 316; "God so loved the
world that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whatsoever believeth on him
should not perish, but have eternal life. I"
On the day OF my ordination | gave it as
the message desired to proclaim; | still
think that the doctrine of salvation is
the climax and crown of theology and,
if my life and work as preacher can be
kept on the level of this verse, my highest
aspiration will be realized.
God made man like himself and for
himself, but man was not thankful nor
obedient; 1--WE have turned every one to
his own way" way of unbelief and
sel6shness. Sin is destructive OF mans
spiritual health; its goal is DEATH. Sin is
violation of Gods law; it's issue must
be the penalties of broken law. Sin is
separation of the soul from its God;
and, since God is the very element in
which the soul must live, such separa-
ton means essential failure and fearful
ruin-lhe loss OF the soul. 1t is perish.
ing world upon which God looks, but he
has not lett it to itself. In the eternal
counsels of God, the Lamb was slain that
taketh away the sins of the world. The
uncopquerable goodwill of Gods heart,
that changes not because of mans sin;
his tatherly pain and longing as he looked
upon his lost children; his kingy abhor-
ence of sin and uncompromising opposi-
ton to it,-these are all revealed in
| Calvary, and there made historically
available and effective for man.
He gave his only begotten Son, one
standing toward God in relation
wholly unique, one who had shared his
glory before the world was, the pre-
existent and eternal Word, the Creator
OF all things; no less is he the Word made
flesh, entering wholly into every human
relation toward God except that OF
SHINING, and entering even that region so
far as perfect purity and sympathy and
love can find place there, making him
self one with the sinner and sharing his
guilt, for his sake drinking the lcup of
| Gethsemane and for his sake passing
| into the darkness of those forsaken OF
God. Triumphing over death, and rising
to his rightful place at the right hand OF
God, he now gives repentance to his
people and remission of sins; he bestows
the baptism of the Spirit, unto all sancti-
fication and all service; and he promises
unto his followers day when they shall
see him and be like him, for they shall see
him as he is.
God has done his best; there remaineth
no other sacrifice for sin; they who can
not be reached by Christ can not be
saved at ALL And they who are saved
attain salvation through faith in him
"whosoever believeth on him shall have
eternal life" This faith is not primarily
doctrine as to Christ's deity, or atone
ment, though doctrine has most impor-
tant relations to lille; it is not first of all
feeling of acceptance or security, though
a religious lite without feeling is impos-
sible. That man believes in Christ who
believes in living as Christ lived, who
accepts Christ as master OF act and
speech and thought, who finds in fellow.
ship with him the promise and potency
OF all spiritual endeavor, who judges all
things by Christ's standard, and expects
to be Judged by Christ when the day Of
account shall come That man believes
in Christ who sees in his Gre SIS not simply
the revelation OF what God was willing
to do for him, but revelation of what
he must be willing to do for God and bis
fellowmep, not counting his life deal
unto himself if only he may accomplish
his course. Right views OF Christ's per
son and work came slowly to the origin
al disciples; they come slowly to many
sincere followers today; but he who
wileth to do the will of God shall know
Just what experience the word perish
stands for do not know. But what
soever a man soweth. that shall hi
reap" and, Furthermore, the rebellious
must sometime hear from Christ the
words Depart from me,"-those mos
awful words in the Bible. In interpret
ing the utterances of Scripture as tc
retribution, my clearest ideas come from
studying Gods dealings with sin here ane
now, Just as my clearest ideas OF beaver
come from the foretastes of glory grant
ed us on earth. Of this am sure, to ac
and speak as if the penalty of sin is {
terrible thing. but sin itself is tolerabl'
thing, as il it is dreadful to die in sin, Blu
not especially alarming or damaging tt
live in sin, is to misrepresent in the wors
possible way the thoughts and purpose
of God. Eternal sin is infinitely wors
than eternal punishment, and the pos
sibility OF eternal sin, OF character 6xet
in evil choice, invests any sin and all sill
with deadly significance.
Concerning the time when this faith il
to be exercised, my clearest guide is lount
in the truth that Nov is the accepted
time, now is the day of salvation" TIL
doom ofthe impenitent has been for me tn
storm center of theology; for years
sought relief in the doctrine Of condi
tional Immortality, or in the hope o
universal salvation, or of eternal pro
baton. If certain utterances OF th
Bible stood alone, could easily accep
the ore or the other as scriptural
but the Bible as whole seems to nj
definitely to veto the theory that th
soul has no immortality apart from faitl