LECTURE.

Waikato Times, Volume II, Issue 80, 2 November 1872, Page 2

LECTURE.

THE GREAT TEACHER;. How different Christ's teaching'? Ho and Ho alone, could boldly declare tliut. the soul exists, and even asks • U iiai snail, a mau give m exenange lor his soul" r Jiut tie goes even lurther, and snows every toiil to be a responsible agent —with all its value, and , wan all its greatness, it 18 accountable to G-od for all it does—and that it is immortal. So that to the real earnest seeker aftqr truth,.doubt and uncertainty on this point are at an end. For in the teaching of. Christ we have the fact most clearly assertod, it* | greatness depicted, its accountability and immortality i clearly demonstrated. Again,—How clear is the voice of His teaching when he speaks of the battle of life being with sm rather than sutiering. Sin brings death ; but holiness brings salvation. But the difliculty is still the same. How can sinners become holy? Holy he must be, but holy ho could not be, were two truths well known to every honest beart. Christ alone declared how this great problem could , be solved. So soon as Christ revealed to man God's true being, and his relation to men, forgiveness un- i thought of before at once became clearly possible, and where will you lind language so lofty, so clear, so easily understood, as that of Christ in His manifestation of our Father in Heaven. How different from other notions, of C-od. With Him there is no sin— no guile —no passions—no failings—in all tilings perfectly holy. No law waring in harsh discord with. another law. How different the language of Plato in'his Timseus, viz., where ho says, "It is not very easy to lind the Father and Creator of all existence, and when He is found, it is impossible to make Him known to all." What a contrast between this and Christ—the one teaches that only a Grod can know G-od ; the other, all who come T-vill find the Father. " Gk>d so loved'the world as to give His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth, should have eternal life." Wherever Christ goes wo see the helpless healed and the hungry fed, the polluted purified, and the sinner justified. Lastly, who can tell the .results of Christ's teaching as compared with the philosophy of this world? Look forward to the close of life and see the difference in the disciples of each. The one finds the dawn setting without a star, and sinks amidst darkness, doubts, and perhaps despair, and goes he knows not where, whilst the true follower of Christ can see the gate of death open and feels no terror, for it admits him into Paradise, and as he goes down into the dark valley he finds it illuminated by the light of G-od's love, and his heart never trembles as his feet enter the swellings of Jordan, for that same teaching of Christ becomes brightest at the end. Well may we say in the words of our Hymn— " Every day will be the brighter, When thy gracious face- we see ; Every burden will be-lighter, When we know it comes from thee. Spread thy love's broad banner o'er us, Give us strength to serve and wait Till thy glory breaks before us, Through the city's open gate." —I might say a word concerning the disciples of Christ, as compared with the followers of other systems. Most true, almost every system had its martyrs, and so the historic period of martyrdom I pass over. But where Avill you find men so full of bright loving hope as those in whose heart the hope of Christ shines brightly. This has been seen more than, once in the history of the church and of the world. Look for example at the beginning of the 9th century, and you see the pious G-otsehalk, with all the spirit and enlightment of a reformer, though perhaps only ; the half of the. hardihood of an Ignatius Loyal a or John Knox, crushed and stiflled by Hincmar, till he closed his; weary life inisweet peace and. strong faith. And you have another instance in " Otto," the missionary. In the tenth century, you have Roscelin and Abelard, whose lives without a single effort of imagination would be a perfect novel; in the 11th century, Peter Waldo among the Waldensians. These were men who, before the reformation light had dawned on -the world, led a life in opposition to the most tyrannous tyrany almost ever heard of, and yet through it all, like the Apostolic Father's Clement, Ignatius, and Polycarp, counted themselves favoured' j of heaven, .because, as the Apostle saith,' they { were deemed worthy to suffer for Christ's sake. But j not to dwell on the history of the past. Look at Jud- ! son, Brenard, and William Chalmers Burns, the | great Chinese Missionary, men who turned their faces j from friends, country, and comforts, and trusting to the teaching of Christ, took their own lives in their j hands, braved all dangers, and at last left their dust j on a foreign shore without a friend, without an ] earthly reward, and all that they may tell to others I the glorious teaching of Jesus of Nazareth.'' Surely, { friends,, this is a power altogether beyond what is. to, : be found in the world. •' The dead philosophy of itself .i may stir ari enthusiastic curiosity in the minds of J scientific men ; but it will never daunt them to such 1 a life's work as those whose names I have just mentioned —nor, though it did, would it implant such a holy happiness, in their hearts as'tof enaole them to live" through life's difficulties, and' die in death's dangers -with peace and composure. They may go tlirough life .dauntless V but the. d&rfc grave, the' hope- ■ less tomb, the cheerless anticipations.which they must feel at the last, will make them tremble as they tread the dart valley and the shadow of death. They cannot feel their heart saying as M. Desbarreaux beautifully writes in a hymn, which is exquisitely translated' by, Henry Kirke White: —. rt Thy judgments, Lord, are just, thpu lov'st to wear t The face of pity, and of love divine; •", f : But mine is guilt —thou must r not, canst notspare, While heaven is true,;'and'equity is tbirte.* " Yes, oh my God! such crimes J as mine, so dread,. Leave but the choice o&punishmenfc to thee ; Ihy interest calls for judgment on' my head, And eveh'thy mercy' dares hot jjlead'for me.. Thy will tn.y : gtory?& due,. Bid from- mine eyes, the endless .torrents flow»; Smite —it is time—though endless death ensue,. Ijbless tie avenging hand, that lays me low— _ Ifut on what spot shall lalljthine; anger's flood, That has not first been drenehed in Christ's atoning