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
Look where you will, whether it be in the domain of science, of
religion, of philanthropy, or moral reform, and you see the same
sedulous and diligently pursued purpose to banish the name of Jesus.
It is not said so in plain terms, but it is so nevertheless.
Scientific men, the professors and lecturers in our universities, talk
and write about "the forces of nature" and the facts of science in
such a way as practically to exclude the Christ of God from the whole
field of nature. Scripture tells us, blessed be God, that by the Son
of His love "All things were created that are in heaven, and that are
in earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions, or
principalities or powers: all things were created by Him and for Him:
and He is before all things, and _by Him all things consist_." And
again, speaking of the Son, the inspiring Spirit says, "Who being the
brightness of God's glory, and the express image of His person, and
_upholding all things by the word of His power_, when He had by
Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on
high." (Col. i., Heb. i.)
These passages lead us to the divine root of the matter. They speak
not of "the forces of nature," but of the glory of Christ, the power
of His hand, the virtue of His word. Infidelity would rob us of
Christ, and give us, instead, "the forces of nature." We vastly prefer
our own beloved Lord. We delight to see His name bound up,
indissolubly, with creation in all its vast and marvelous fields. We
vastly prefer the eternal record of the Holy Ghost to all the
finely-spun theories of infidel professors. We rejoice to see the name
of Jesus bound up in every department of religion and philanthropy. We
shrink with ever-increasing horror from every system, every club,
every order, every association, that dares to shut out the glorious
name of Jesus from its schemes of religion and moral reform. We do
solemnly declare that the religion, the philanthropy, the moral
reform, which does not make the name of Jesus its Alpha and its Omega,
is the religion, the philanthropy and the moral reform of hell. This
may seem strong, severe, ultra, and narrow-minded, but it is our deep
and thorough conviction, and we utter it fearlessly, in the presence
of all the infidelity and superstition of the day.
But we must return to our apostle's discourse, which has wakened up
those glowing sentiments in the very depths of the soul.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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