Year: 1874


Sermon by Rev. DIR. Quint, OF New Bed
ford, ON Goods Word and How 10
Uuessrsta nd IT,


Mr.. Beechsr's place was taken yesterday moln-
ing by DR., Qnint, who has on several former occa-
s.o1s preached TO the Plymouth nocK. The church
was comfortably full. and as there was to be no
service in the evening DR.. Quint was announced
TO preach al the Bethel Mission. The Doctor select
eG for his text part Of the twentythird verse Or
tie thirteenth chapter Of Matthew-'He that hear
eth the word and understands it." II is question
asked ey many people, and one which Will form
the subject or my discourse this morning, How
are we to understand the words OF the Bible ~
The language Of Scripture has some meaning
which IL peculiar; yet it were better for us
20 receive the words OF tue Bible AZ we receive
words in common household life. They have
the same meaning, ana it is wrong TO attempt
to attach an artificial meaning to them.
j was early taught that God did not have
any emouop. Now take, for instance love in
God; we are to understand Gods love as human
nature understands II IN Its purity. Gon'5 WOftS
mean he same as those words which we write In
letter TO dear iiiend. Instead Of saying that
hidden meanings are contained in Gods words.
We shoala say quite the reverse; why, child can
understand them II lie is but told what the words
The dictic nary OF the angels Is but an earthly
dictionary extended. Gods use CT language TO US
Is TO convey IDEAS, not 10 conceal them All tlat
! Is wanted Is to find the obvious meaning They
cannot speak one language III heaven and another
a
out oi oaf sphere In understanding. We DO not
know the @ Of tbe aws 81 nure tney % are
! our human inability we cannot have o knowledge
oil heavenly beings But the ipinity OF Cod does
no. change the essential meaning OF IL. We may
know what IL is and yet never tathOn its measure
less extent. Daniel Webster once said We could
not understand


THE ARITHMETIC OF HEAVEN.


think We can Ten thousand times ten thousand
anee.s mean the same in heaven as ten thousand
times ten thousand men would mean on earth
Thep people take word and say that there are
ever so many ulGcrelt kiE1s vi meaning which IL
expresses. Iake, for instance, r.gb eonsness'i or
holiness People tell You there are ever so
many kinds OF holiness There Is only one Kind
ness. and holiness IS holiness. used very often
10 hear prayer, which / nope shall never hear
again. 1t was, 40 Lord, cover our


FILTHY


with the robes or CDrist's righteousness" Now
that is not what We want we want so get rid Of
our filthy rags, and live new life c!eansed in
them up. God has a right 70 take people out Of
this life II lie pleases. What Is right in
God is wrong in man. But some men
teach US that God win not administer His
Justice. No argument can make US believe that
Justice up IN heaven is not what justice is nere but
the doctrine OF Gods love will make 1t right. Goa
! gave His only begotten Son. for He so loved the
world. He gave HIM to show wat pure love vas
and as PROOF that He loved God's pity Is not
different TO an earthly fathers pity for an eirng
child the fathcr will show pity for the cliid
! who has gone wrong than for the one who suffers.
We can, II we VIII, understand well enough what
God says and means by interpreting the language
stand COD better day by the dumb teaching OF
nature, by the green fields and woods, by the
sweet songs Of the happy bros and by a thousand
things that seem to be prasing and gortiyng their
Maker than can by an artificial description of
horne beyond an unknown sky. We should think
/ OF COO as ather OF each other as brethren ana
understand the words that God uses ON high to
bring US TO better life, the records that love
| ne6tleS In our own souls.