The Penn's Grove record., 1909-03-26

anu 10 DflnS US 10 Christ, the law a.
a schoolmaster was ordained.
The prophets! What were they
but the awakening of visions as the
insufficiency of law became manifest
and the declaring and promising on
divine authority a great incarnation
of suffering, atoning love, who would
be the fulfilling of all the law and
the prophets? All the promises and
prophecies of Israel's history are de-
clared fulfilled in the coming of Jesus
Christ.
And now I arrive at the second
great proposition: 2. Jesus Christ
is the centre of human history, full
filling its law and prophecy, and fur
nishing the type-man and liberator
of all humanity. Let me quote DR..
Martinsen: THE perfect revelation
OF the woodworking Providence
of God is presented in the incarnate
Logos, in the mountaineering, soul
saving manifestation of God in Christ.
Human history finds its centre, its
true meaning, in the revelation of
Jesus Christ. 1t is only in the light
which comes from Him, that human
ity can look back upon a past which
is full of meaning, can look forward
to a future full of promise, and can
contemplate its development as an
organic whole. Human history.
which moves on apart from Christ,
without desire for, or belief in Him.
knows neither beginning nor end-it
is objectless, it has no centre"
Now, We have been looking over
large areas and asserting vast gen.
ordinations. We have discovered a
philosophy of history, that it has a
purpose which is redemptional, that
it has a goal which is freedom, that
it has a centre and head which is
Christ, that is has a glorious consum-
nation in the future which is the
Kingdom of Christ and God. I want
now to remind 0 that God governs
the mass by governing the atom; that
He swings the currents of history as
He is able to control the individuals.
What we have read writ large in hui
man history, can we not read in our
own individual lives? Is there not a
philosophy of your personal history?
May not some key of spiritual sig
n%i1cance be applied TO the puZzling
experiences of your life and unlock
the hidden meaning? AS the Gospel
is the revelation of Gods redemption
al purpose in history and as Christ Is
its centre, so the whole of your life
will fail of meaning and interpreta-
tation until you view it in this light.
Were you born amid Bibles and Sun
day schools, and pastors and teach
ers? What for in Gods providence
but to learn of His will concerning
you? Were your first conscious
views centered in the starry eyes of
mother, whose fair face h%eavened you
over as a starry armament? What
was it but to elicit your smile and to
teach you love? Have you struggled
with mystery and battled with pas
sion? What for but to develeP your
strength? Have you been afflicted?
What for but to scouTge you back to
God? Have you been defeated, and
has the burden of sin rested like a
load on your conscience? What for
but to drive you to the cross of Christ,
where kneeling in penitence, His
blood washes your conscience from
dead works to serve the living God?
Have you been believed and have you
refused to be comforted? What does
it mean but that you should take that
lonely aching heart to Him who alone
can heal it and fill its depths which
He has reserved for Himself alone?
ITO you is the word of this saliva
ton sent" This is my third point.
This salvation is for you. 1t inter-
prets your past, it opens up your fut-
ure. 1t makes the past full of Gods
patient seeking and reckoning love
for your heart. Won't you embrace
Christ as your All in All this morn
ing, and find in Him remission of all
your sins, and freedom from its pow
er? Whom the Son makes free is
free indeed" This battle against sin
is the greatest battle of all for free
dom, and Christ is its Champion and
the Great Emancipator. 1t is through
Him and His loyal servants in his
tory that you have freedom of the
Gospel, freedom of conscience, of
knowledge, of speech and of press, of
body, of nation. Will you not accept
the great salvation with its inner per-
sonal freedom from the power of sin
and Satan? He is the Good Shepherd
and He is seeking you. He will seek
until He finds" Yes. and He desires
not only to find you, but to carry you
with all your bruises and burdens,
and establish you in the fold of His
church, giving you relations to it and
fitting you into His eternal kingdom,
which is the final consummation OF
all things.