JSL-04-Chapter Four:

Chapter Four:
The Gospel The word gospel, as used in the New Testament, is to my mind one of the strongest incidental proofs of the supernatural origin and divine inspiration of that sacred volume. It is indeed a significant fact that no philosopher, even the most eminent, was ever ’led to call his system a gospel, much less the gospel; and obviously for the reason that it was not a gospel. However wide the range and application of the term philosophy, as used by us—whether we consider it as the product of observation or of speculation—it is in any case but a result of human thought. It originates with man. But the word gospel, as it comes from the lips of Christ and the evangelists, points directly to an origin outside of man, and remote from him. It if good news — glad tidings — joyful intelligence; and, like all intelligence or news, therefore, it is brought in from without—from afar! It comes from a region which to mere philosophy is for­eign and unknown—a region in which primarily it neither moves nor can move. But in the New Testament, and in the New Testament alone, the word in this high sense is of repeated occurrence. It seems to arise spontaneously, and to be used as a matter-of-course; to be used as the natural and only proper word to express the stupendous fact that Heaven was speaking to Earth, and speaking in terms of love and salvation. And it will doubtless occur to the reader that both the nature and origin of this gospel are beauti­fully indicated by the proclamation of the angel to the shepherds: “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy." I bring you! I bring you from above! My message is good news from Heaven!

Later on, when the Babe in the manger had become a man, and had entered upon his minis­try, he speaks of " the gospel of the kingdom," the good news that "the kingdom of heaven is at hand." And still later, when he had wrought redemption for the human race, and had tri­umphed over death and the grave; when he had been made perfect through sufferings, and become man’s only but all-sufficient Saviour—this constituted the good news; and hence it was called "the gospel of Christ "—the glad tidings concerning Him who was sent by the Father to be the Saviour of the world; of Him who came from heaven to seek and to save that which was lost. And it was these wonderful and wholly exceptional characteristics of his his­tory—what he was, whence he came, what he said, what he did, what ^-he achieved—that con­stituted the elements of "news" in the apostolic proclamation. He therefore bases the command­ment to preach the gospel upon these historical facts; that he was the Christ, as shown by the perfect correspondence of his life and work with the written word; that, still in accordance with this word, he had suffered, and risen again from the dead; that all authority in heaven and on earth had been given to him, and, consequently, that in his "name" (now above every name) men might procure the "remission of sins." These fundamental facts, with all that they involved — God’s infinite mercy and gracious disposition — were to be universally heralded, proclaimed, preached; and by such preaching—foolish and impotent as it might seem to be in the eyes of philosophy—it pleased him to save them that believe. And this preaching itself—the preaching of the cross—at once expressed and imparted, displayed and conveyed the wis­dom of God and the power of God. In no sense therefore was it "after men," or accord­ing to man’s wisdom. And I doubt if we have been able even yet to appreciate how much this "foolishness of God is wiser than men."

I presume that very few, if any, of us have fully succeeded in overcoming what seems to be a sort of natural proneness to attach undue im­portance, in matters of religion, to the merely outward; to forms and ceremonies; to the spec­tacular—something that may be seen—something that is presented, or, at any rate, presentable, to the eye ! But God’s wisdom is manifested in this: that in order to save the soul, he addresses the ear!

I am happy to believe that the more thought­ful and considerate among the people of God are coming to a better appreciation and realiza­tion of the fact that men can not be saved, that is to say. can not he brought back into com­munion with Him who is essential Spirit, other­wise than by the preaching of the gospel. In the realm of mere material things it may be true, as Addison says, that "our sight is the most perfect and most delightful of all our senses;" that it "may be considered as a more delicate and diffusive kind of touch, that spreads itself over an infinite multitude of bodies, com­prehends the largest figures, and brings into our reach some of the most remote parts of the universe." But with all this, the eye, it will be noticed, is still limited to "bodies," to "fig­ures," to the shape and size and colors of things, and, in fact, to the outside only of even these. But the living voice comes from within, and it bears along with itself a portion of that internal spirit out of which it is born; and it bears it through "the hearing of faith," into the very innermost spirit of him who hears. I do not forget that the voice may be recorded by the use of conventional symbols which are made to represent words, and which, by a figure of speech, we have come to call words. In fact, however, they are but suggestive signs of the real words. Still, we are so familiar with what they signify, we connect them so instantaneously in our thought with the signs for which they stand, that we can look upon them with our eyes, and drink in their meaning. The mind seems to hear, while the eye beholds. For this reason the written or printed document, perused in the quiet and stillness of the closet, may have great value, and may exert salutary influence; but for the highest effect, for the best results, for the attainment of the great end contemplated by the Saviour, all experience and observation have shown that nothing is equal and nothing is comparable to the actual and literal preach­ing of the gospel. With deepest and most con­summate wisdom, therefore, the Lord ordained that, as the very first principle of salvation, as the initiation of the whole process, the gospel should be preached. And with all our Bible Societies and printing presses we shall never be able to dispense with this part of the com­mission. There is no possible substitute for it. Whatever else we may do or leave undone, whatever changes may take place in our condition or circumstances, and whatever modi­fications or developments may be made in our conceptions of ecclesiastical and doctrinal sub­jects, it must still remain true, that, while we recognize the authority of Christ, and bow to him as our King and Lord, it will be solemnly incumbent upon us, either in person or by representatives, to "go into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation."

If I have in any proper measure succeeded in accomplishing what I designed, I have made, I trust, the following points sufficiently clear:

1.    The word gospel, in the high sense in which it is therein employed, is distinctly a New Testament word.

2.    The introduction and use of this word, and especially the way in which it is used, give to it an evidential value of great importance.

3.    The gospel which is to be preached embraces the historical facts in the life of Christ, and whatever these involve.

4.    The wisdom of God was peculiarly mani­fested in making the preaching of the gospel the first principle of salvation --- in addressing the ear rather than the eye.

5.    The obligation to preach the gospel is perpetual and universal— and there is nothing which can be substituted for it.

I have only to add, in concluding the present part of my subject, that the divine wisdom is yet further shown in ordaining, not only that the gospel shall be preached to men, but by men. Angels, though superior in power and intelli­gence, are not fitted for this ministry, chiefly because they are not within the boundaries of our natural sympathies and fellowships. Not­withstanding his imperfections, therefore, nay, perchance in consequence of these imperfections, man can better and more effectually reach his fellow-man, and pour into his heart the strength, the comfort and the grace which have proved efficacious in overcoming his own weakness, his own sorrows, and his own sins.