Christian Nation Vol. 18 1893 - Rparchives.org

June 7.1898. A FAMILT PAPEB. 8.«•»•-l--4-^-+^--l-++++ + + 4-+ + -i--t--)- -i-,+-f-i**+ CONTRI BUTIONS. ^»*»--h+++++++++++++++++ +++-»*iFor this Department we solicit articles of 500 to 600words, on subjects related to the purpose of theChristian Nation." THE PREEMINENCE OF THE LORD JESUSCHRIST."Sermon by the Bev. B. J. Oeorge, D. D,, retiringModerator of Synod, and Professor of Theology inthe Theological Seminary." That in all things He might have the preeminence."Col. 1 : 18Three great problems have engaged the mind. of man. The problem of the Divine Being :the problem of the Universe : and the problemof Redemption. This passage gives the key tothe solution of these three problems. TheLord Jesus Christis the central sun inthewhole system of revealed truth. First, " Heis tha image of the invisible God." Theologyis Christo-centric Second. " All things wereIII. Cheist has the Pee eminence in thecreated in Him and by Him and for Him."Economy of Eedemption. This pre-eminenceThe Universe is Christo-centric. Third. "Heis threefold. 1. He is the Head of the Church.is the Head of the body the church, the Beginning,the First-born frem the dead." Ee­He is the source of her spiritual life—the centreof her unity and the seat of her authority. 2.demption is Christo-centric.Truths thus related to a common centre,must be related to each other. The doctri aeof the God-head, the Philosophy of the Universe,and the Economy of Eedemption allhaving Christ as their common centre, are notindependent of each other, but aie so relatedthat no one of them can be comprehendedapart from the other two ; and taken togetherthey form a glorious unity in Trinity, Trinityin Unity.The theme may be stated in the words ofthe text. " The Peeeminence of ihe LoedJesus Cheist." The aim of the sermon wasto exhibit this doctrine in its relation to 'Theology,to the Universe, and to Eedemption,and to show that the mediatorial supremacyof the Lord Jesus Christ is so correlated withall other trutb^ that either this must be accepted, or the whole system of Christianitymust be rejected.I. The Loed Jesus Cheist has the Peeeminencein Theology. The per-eminence ofChrist as the revealer of the God-head restsupon two fac':s. 1. His eternal Sonship. 2.His incarnation. The name. Son of God, isnot an official title given to H'm as Mediator,but is his personal name, significant of His essentialrelation to the Father. As the oldcreed says : " God of God, Light of Light,very God of very God, begotten, not madebeing of one substance with the Father." Therecognition of the single faot of the eternalsonship changes our whole conception of Qod.He is no longer the Absolute, th© Unconditioned,the Unrelated. Tbe scientist seysOod is force ; the Ohristian answers, " God isLove." The Gospel of John has been eloquentlydescribed as "the history of Jesusread as a chapter from the life of God."II. Cheist has the Pee eminence in HisEelation to the Univeese. 1. He is theCreator of the Universe. All things were made"in him, and by Him, and for Him." Paulfinds the home of the un'.verse in the verybosom of the Son, as he found the home of theSon in the very bosom of the Father ; nor do1 believe that it is possible to believe thatthe universe could have come from the handof God, whose omniscient eye must haveforeseen that into that universe sin wouldenter with its awful curse, if ihat universehad not been viewed as enshrined in thehe&rt of the Almighty Christ. 2. He is theupholder of all things. " In Him all thingsconsist." Literally " hold together." He isthe bond of perfectness, the keystone of thrarch, the central sun of the system. 3. He isthe central figurein all history. As the starwent before the wise men of the East untilit " camo an 1 stood over the place where theyoung child was," so did the course of humanevents lead to the manger and the ;ross.He is appointed as the Moral Governor of theuniverse. Listen to the seraphic words bywhich the apostle carries this thought to itsclimax. " According to the working of his almightypower which he wrought in Christ,when he raised Him from the dead, and setHim at his own right hand in the heavenlyplaces. Far above all principality aud power,and might, and dominion, and every name thatis named, not only in ihis world, but also inthai which is to come."from the dead. " I am he that liveth and wasdead, and behold I am alive agaiu, forevermore,amen, and have the keys of hell and of death."As we read these words we look into the faceof the living Christ and all our sainted deadare seen to live again ; the vail that separatesthe two worlds is drawn aside ; time opens intoeternity ; earth is surrounded by heaven ; andwe are walking with the immortals. Conclusion.1. The pre-eminence of the Lord JesusChrist is the determinative doctrine of Ohristianity.2. It is determinative of the positionof Christianity among the religions of theworld. 3. It is determinative of the positionof the Eeformed Presbyterian church. I lovethe Testimony qf the E. P. church, because itis Christo-centric. Her position is a broadone because her distinctive doctrine is correlatedwith the whole system of revealed truth.Her position is a firm one because it rests uponthree immovable pillars, the pre-eminence ofthe Lord Jesus Christ in Theology, in theUniverse, and in the Economy of Eedemption.Her position is a timely one because all theChristian movements of the present hour arein the direction of the personal Christ. Herposition holds the key to the future, becausethe acceptance of this distinctive doctrine, willbe the consummation of the world's history,and the coronation of Christ wil! be the songof eternity." Ye gateslift your heads, and anentrance display—Ye doors everlasting wide open theway.The King of all glory high honorsawait,The Eing of all glory shall enterin State:"THE SOCIAL SIDE OF THE SALOON.The saloon has a hold upon our populationwhich the bibulous habits of the people willnot explain. Man is a social animal. He enjoyscompany, light and gossipy chit-chat.This he cannot find in tenement hpueee, nordoes he find it in churches. He fliesfrom thestuffy living room where the cooking, washing,and nursing peculiar to the establishment iscarried on. There is no comfort there. Oneof the institutions of by-gone days to NewYorkers is the poor man's home. Life now forthe family of the poor artisan in th^ metropolisis dragged out in small, dark, ill-ventilatedapartments. Many thousands are born, sleep,and die in rooms, the only window of whichopens into a hall or an air shaft. The workingmanreturning from his toil, after a hastysupper, hurries out from a place which is buta travesty upon home. Of course, the pooroverworked woman must stay ; maybe 1 eought, but he doesn't. Follow him into thestreet—at every corner is a brilliantly lightedsaloon, slways open, ano well supplied withgames, where he is sure to find a welcome, achance to smoke, and have bit of gossip over aglass of beer.On his way to the corner saloon he passed a3. He is the first-born church, which lifted its prison-like walls, withray less window?, above the streets, and seemedto say, "This is no place for a poor, tired,lonely man." He goes into the saloon, not toget drunk, but because he wants good cheir.He thinks he cannot find it in the dark, old,forbidding pile called a church ; that is onlyopen a few hours a week. And then Sundayclothes must be donned to receive a welcome.Can we capture that man for God and theChurch? This is the question facing the metropolitanChristian.That man, multiplied by ten tl ousand,walks New York streets every night, goesstraight passed the church, ancl, with a sm leenters the saloon.Can we rival the social side of the saloonwith our churches?We believe the saloon a curse, yet we areconvinced that poor workingmen must havebright, cheery resorts provided for them if thesaloon is to go.—Aggressive Methodism.BROAD SHADOWS:" An offering of a cup of living water which has refreshed the author's own spirit." The object of t' isbook is that Faith will work by Love. Cloth: $1.25,Any present subscriber to the Cheistian Nation sendingus a new subscriber ($1.50) and IOc. for postage willreceive a copy of this book free. The new subtcnb rwill also receive a copy.