The Great Commission. Miscellaneous Writings of C. H. Mackintosh, vol. IVMackintosh, Charles Henry
Religion
The Great Commission. Miscellaneous Writings of C. H. Mackintosh, vol. IV
Mackintosh, Charles Henry
Theology
Do we object to this? Nay; we bless God for it. But we cannot shut our
eyes to the fact that by far the largest proportion of this vast mass
of literature is addressed to the intelligence, and not enough to the
heart and conscience. Now, while it is quite right to enlighten the
understanding, it is quite wrong to neglect the heart and conscience.
We feel it to be a most serious thing to allow the intelligence to
outstrip the conscience--to have more truth in the head than in the
heart--to profess principles which do not govern the practice. Nothing
can be more dangerous. It tends to place us directly in the hands of
Satan. If the conscience be not kept tender, if the heart be not
governed by the fear of God, if a broken and contrite spirit be not
cultivated, there is no telling what depths we may plunge into. When
the conscience is kept in a sound condition, and the heart is humble
and true, then every fresh ray of light that shines in upon the
understanding ministers strength to the soul and tends to elevate and
sanctify our whole moral being.
This is what every earnest spirit must crave. All true-hearted
Christians must long for increased personal holiness, more likeness to
Christ, more genuine devotedness of heart, a deepening, strengthening
and expanding of the kingdom of God in the soul--that kingdom which is
righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
May we all have grace to seek after these divine realities! May we
diligently cultivate them in our own private life, and seek in every
possible way to promote them in all those with whom we come in
contact! Thus shall we in some measure stem the tide of hollow
profession around us, and be a living testimony against the powerless
_form_ of godliness so sadly dominant in this our day.
Christian reader! art thou one with us in this current of thought and
feeling? If so, then let us most earnestly entreat thee to join us in
earnest prayer to God that He will graciously raise our spiritual tone
by drawing us closer to Himself, and filling our hearts with love to
Him and earnest desire for the promotion of His glory, the progress of
His cause, and the prosperity of His people.
PART V.
In pursuing our subject, we have yet to consider the _authority_ and
the _sphere_ of "the great commission;" but ere proceeding to treat of
these we must dwell a little longer on the _basis_. The commission is
truly a great one, and would need a solid foundation on which to rest
it; and such it has, blessed be God, in the atoning death of His Son.
Nothing less than this could sustain such a magnificent fabric; but
the grace that planned the commission has also laid the foundation; so
that a full remission of sins can be preached among all nations,
inasmuch as God has been glorified, in the death of Christ, as to the
entire question of sin.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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