Page images
PDF
EPUB

not after the Spirit? Is it so, that some walk after the Spirit and not after the flesh? Or do some walk both after the flesh and the Spirit? Surely, if to walk after means the main drift and scope of a man's behaviour, all believers walk after the Spirit, and none after the flesh.

6

There is another way of interpreting, which, perhaps, most will prefer. Following the translation just as it stands, the whole of the clause may be regarded as explanatory of the preceding words. Such gratuitous and useful expletives are found in other parts of Scripture. Truly, God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.' Psalm lxxiii. 1. 'And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.' Gal. vi. 16. Israel consists not of those who are descended by carnal pedigree from Jacob, but of those who are renewed by grace. So here, those who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit' are those that are in Christ Jesus.'

6

The doctrine contained in this verse is of great practical utility. It is according to godliness, productive of good living. Besides being of wholesome tendency respecting character, it is also rich in comfort. In the midst of trouble this is our joy-there is no condemnation. We may bear the cross, as we are free from the curse. We may endure chastisement since there is no condemnation. What though the cloud be dark, there is a smiling face behind it! In all adversity let us make this our ground of rejoicing- there is no condemnation. T. G.

ART. VI. THE IMPORTANCE OF CHRISTIAN
DOCTRINE: AN APOSTOLIC CHARGE.

'Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.'-2 Tim. i. 13.

MUCE

UCH has of late been said and written against creeds, confessions of faith and systems of theology, and not altogether without reason. To say nothing about unscriptural articles included in them, they have been enforced in a manner inconsistent with freedom of conscience and the spirit of Christianity. We wish this remark were applicable only to the Church which claims infallibility, which is founded on authority other than the Word of God, and which, therefore, fears and hates the apostolic test of doctrine, the searching of the Scriptures. It is still more to be lamented that some Protestant Churches in alliance with the State have, in the same spirit, deprived Nonconformists of their religious and civil rights, and otherwise persecuted those who have been 'valiant for the truth.' It has been forgotten that true religious belief is

synonymous with conviction-is the result of the free exercise of the understanding and the conscience-is the reception of the truth, not on the authority of the Church, but of the Great Teacher, whom we are commanded to hear, and whose word will one day judge us. The only faith that is worth having is obtained by a thoughtful, docile, earnest attention to the Scripture of truth. It would, indeed, require infallibility, and an authority which no Church can justly claim, to draw up a creed which shall contain the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. The truths of revelation are scattered through the sacred volume in a great variety of statement and allusion, like precious metals in the bowels of the earth, for which we are to search diligently, which is a healthful, beneficial exercise both for the mind and heart. A system of theology so complete as to require little or no careful investigation and afford no stimulus to earnest, devout study would favour indolence and formality, and be near akin to that easy creed, I believe what the Church believes.' The Bible occupies a plane which no Church formula can reach. Our unqualified assent cannot be commanded but by the law and the testimony-the sure word of prophecy' to which we are required to take heed. Infidels and sceptics affect to be free-thinkers, in opposition to Bible men, who they suppose either have no understanding, or do not freely exercise it in religious matters. We should give no occasion for this pretentious and unjust charge. While we sincerely inquire, 'What is truth?' we should be open to conviction in regard to our educational beliefs and denominational Shibboleths, carefully distinguishing between 'Thus saith the Lord' and thus saith the Church. Our credit, as men of reason, and our safety and happiness as responsible creatures, alike demand an honest pursuit of the truth in all its relations and bearings. And having obtained a satisfactory conviction that the law of the Lord is perfect,' that the Bible is the Book of God, containing a complete and certain revelation of his will, our appeal should be to it, with humble, earnest prayer for the teaching of the spirit of truth.'

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Although creeds and theological formularies have been abused, and are still, even under enlightened and tolerant governments, liable to abuse as the best things are, we have not much sympathy with the general out-cry against them, having too much reason to think that it is not prompted by zeal for the truth. Scepticism and latitudinarianism are not more to be approved of than credulity and bigotry. Many take occasion from the abuses to which we have made reference to throw doubts upon the truth itself, or call in question the things that have been most surely believed by millions of the most enlightened, thoughtful, and philanthropic men of more than fifty generations. They say that it matters little

6

or nothing what we believe if we only endeavour to live right. Is there, then, so little difference between truth and error? Or is religious and moral truth always to be a matter of pursuit, never of attainment? There is as real and necessary a connection between right sentiments and right conduct-between truth believed and truth practised, as there is between good seed and good fruit. Matt. vii. 17. There is no fact more certain,' says Thomas Carlyle, ‘than this,—that the spiritual life of a man, his internal world of belief, opinion, and feeling, are determinative of his spoken or acted life.' If you wish to know a man thoroughly,' says B. Bayne,' you must know his belief, for as he thinks in his heart, so is he. No great revolution ever took place in a man's external life without originating in this internal region. All religions and philosophies address man as a reasoning, believing creature. And this holds good eminently in the case of Christianity, the substance of which is salvation by faith in Christ.' 'Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.' It is by 'the word of truth' that we are regenerated. James i. 18. We are 'chosen unto salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth,' as contained in the Scriptures. Thy word is truth,' says the Saviour.

[ocr errors]

We grant that morality may be practised by those who know not the Gospel, or who deny it; but without right principles no actions can be acceptable to God, 'with whom we have to do.' His will is the just law of all intelligent creatures. Love to God, according to the first great commandment,' is the essence, or principle, of all genuine virtue. And love springs from faithfaith in the record which God hath given to us of his Son. That distinguished Indian theist who was in England in 1870, said in one of his addresses in London, he was delighted when he found that Christ has said, that if he loved the Lord his God with all his heart he should inherit eternal life.' But no man can so love God

6

6

whose heart has not been purified by faith. For all unregenerate men are carnally-fleshly, 'minded,' and 'the carnal mind is enmity against God:-not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh-in an unregenerate state, cannot please God.' Rom. viii. 7-8. We must first be brought into a state of reconciliation and peace with God, and renewed in the spirit of our mind, before we can truly love him and do his will from the heart. 1 John, iv. 16-19. To denounce Christian doctrine is, therefore, equally unreasonable and unscriptural, that doctrine being not only the foundation of our faith and hope, but the root of all genuine holiness. Doctrine is the same thing in relation to spiritual life as food is to animal life. The following words of our Saviour are strongly dogmatic,- Verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his

[ocr errors]

blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life, &c. For my flesh is meat, indeed, and my blood is drink, indeed.' John vi. 53-55. The Rev. Dr. Mellor, at a public meeting recently held in London, in connection with the Colonial Missionary Society, said, ' In this age of negations, when it is considered by many a higher proof of reason and philosophy to be able to say, not so much what he believes as what he does not believe, it behoves us, if we would not see the work — the mission work- turn to dust, to ascertain that the ministers we send out shall be men who have a creed,—a creed which they believe a creed which inspires their faith, their love, and their working. But, for my life, I cannot understand how any intelligent man can condemn dogma-doctrine; for there is no man living who can tell me what he believes, but the statement is deposited in '-takes the form of 'dogma,' &c. And when I hear men paltering with words, and saying, 'It is not what a man believes, but what he feels,' I say, it is this, "What think ye of Christ?' As you think of him-of his incarnation, his death, his resurrection, and his mediatorial offices, you will feel and act towards him.' Opposition to creed and systems of theology would be comparatively a small matter did it not spring from repugnance to doctrine; as the form is of less importance than the substance. The form, however, has its use, and can be defended from Scripture. 'As the kingdom of nature, animals, plants and minerals, have all, with great advantage, been arranged by the philosopher into their different genera and species, so the various truths of the Bible have been arranged-systematised, and the relation between the facts and doctrines of Scripture exhibited.' Such an arrangement is a help both to the understanding and the memory; especially to those whose opportunities for reading and meditation are limited. Comparing spiritual things with spiritual-one Scripture with another-is an excellent means of instruction, edification and comfort; and most of Bible students need every available help to such studies, notwithstanding the mis-use of them by others. One of the ablest preachers of our day says, Christians ought to have their religious belief reduced to an intellectual expression ;' by which he means, it should be rendered systematic--comprehending the several truths of Scripture in their mutual relations and bearings. And then he proceeds to say, 'Because creeds have been used unwarrantably, it does not follow that they are of no value. Every man that thinks has opinions; and if you have opinions, and they take on any order-form-that is a creed. In every age

of the world the human mind hastened to formulate its intellectual beliefs. And is it not very desirable, if not absolutely necessary, that we should have a comprehensive and systematic knowledge of the grand scheme of revelation, displaying, as it does, the manifold

wisdom of God in connection with his other adorable attributes?' And we may add, it is specially important that ministers of the Gospel should have such knowledge, for their greater boldness in the faith, and their qualification to give suitable instruction to the several classes of their hearers.

6

[ocr errors]

Hence the exhortation, or charge, of the apostle to his son in the gospel, Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me,' &c. 'The form of knowledge' and 'the form of doctrine' in the epistle to the Romans (ii. 20, vi. 17) seem to mean the same as the form of sound words'-a system of truth or model of instruction a pattern, according to some commentators a sketch, or a brief delineation of Christian instruction—a comprehensive summary of evangelical doctrine, which the great teacher of the Gentiles had given to the young evangelist. Calvin understands here that Timothy was charged to adhere to the doctrine which he had learned, not in its substance only, but in its form. There is no improbability in the opinion that the apostle, either at his ordination, or on some other occasion, had given Timothy an outline of Christian doctrine, that he might have a clear and connected view of what he was to teach to others, and be able 'rightly to divide the word of truth.'

It is not our intention to attempt to give a complete summary of the doctrines of the gospel, but just to notice a few of the essentials. Christianity is not inconsistent with what has been called natural religion, and the substance of the law and the prophets out of which Timothy's grandmother (Lois) and his mother (Eunice) had taught him from his childhood. 2 Tim. i. 5. Theology has been designated the science of God. The foundation truth of religion relates to the Divine Being-his self-existence, his spirituality, his independent, incomprehensible, and adorable majesty; his omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, immutability, and immortality; his holiness, justice, goodness, mercy, and faithfulness. He is revealed to us as the Almighty, all-wise Creator and Preserver of all things, and as the bountiful benefactor and righteous Sovereign of the universe; and, therefore, as the supreme object of worship, love, and obedience. Again, the Scriptures make known to us the divine law-the moral law-its spiritual nature, its extensive but reasonable requirements and important sanctions. We have a comprehensive epitome of the law in Matt. xxii. 37-40: Jesus said unto him'-a lawyer- Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.' 'The man that doeth those things shall live by them.' The soul that sinneth it shall die.'

6

2 A

« PreviousContinue »