The Great Teacher: characteristics of Our Lord's ministry

Front matter

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Contents

Introduction to the American Edition. ... ix

Preface xix

ESSAY I.

Section I. — Of God the Father. ' Never man spake like this man.'

' No man knoweth the Father save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him,'

Originality not valuable for its own sake — His praise consists, partly, in not being more original — Deigned to adopt familiar illustrations and sayings in order to engage attention and affection — His highest claim to originality consists in new disclosures of truth — To have merely interpreted the book of nature, unavailing — Is itself brought under the curse — The great truth it attests is the existence of its Maker. I. Christ taught his character — Prevailing ignorance on the subject — Even in Judea — Among the heathens, the Epicurean system general. II. Christ taught the universal providence and paternal character of God. III. His love to man, exemplified in the mission of Christ. IV. This, only the means of mercy. V. The end — Free gift of eternal life. VI. Offered to all. VII. Character of Christ is the character of the Father. VIII. Taught us to call him our Father — Summary of our Lord's teaching; on this subject — Life eternal to know God through Christ 88—121

Section II. — Concerning Himself. ' No man knoweth the Son but the Father.'

His person unique — Not understood by his disciples till after his ascension. I. The complexity of his person. II. Object of his advent — Evinced the divine existence — Embodied the Divine spirituality — But, chiefly, represented the Divine character. III. Mode of manifestation — By sensible representation — Affirming that all he did was only in fulfillment of the Father's commission — Ascending the (,ross — Saving the outcast — Identifying his interest with ours — Sending salvation to Jerusalem— Giving his own Spirit to his disciples — Interceding — Personally— Allowing us to plead his name — Engaging himself to answer prayer — Object of the whole to demonstrate that l God is love ;' and to make us the heirs of that love. .... 122 — 173

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Section III. — Of the Holy Spirit. ' This spake he of the Spirit.'

Difficult to discriminate between originality and mere novelty — New theological opinions sprung up between the times of Malachi and of Christ — Though much is taught of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament, the doctrine of his agency is one of the most original that came from the iips of Christ. I. Mission of the Spirit dependent on his own return to heaven — The reasons why. II. Object of the Spirit's advent — To convince of sin. III. Means of his operation, IV. Necessity of regeneration. V. Effects of it. VI. Glorifies Christ. VII. To enhance our views and desires of the Spirit, our Lord taught that to reject him is unpardonable — That his presence would compensate for his own departure — Be a remedy for all the miseries of earth— God's all-comprehending gift — Free for all. 173 — 211

Section IV. — Of the Doctrine of the Trinity; and <rf a Spiritual Church*

The doctrinp of the Trinity imperfectly known under the Jewish economy — Taught by our Lord practically — In the formula of christian baptism, I. The existence of a spiritual church. II. Had been pre-figured — The world contains nothing like it. III. Its simplicity, IV. Its purpose. V. Its spirituality — Preached repentance as a requisite for membership-- Armed his church with power to expel offenders — Denounced the Pharisees for ' teaching as doctrine the commandments of men.' — The church his earthly kingdom. . . 211—226

Section V. — On Satanic Agency. ' The devil and his angels

Satan the prince of devils — Numbers of his agents—- His apostacy, and ruin of man — His power on earth, a kingdom — Organized — Long almost undisputed — Christ came to dispute his authority — Took an affecting view of human vassalage — Satan, aware of his advent — Undertook to conduct his temptation — Made his life an incessant conflict — Compassed his death —

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Defeated — The defeat of Satan quite reconcileable with his present prevalence— Called a spirit, to excite our vigilance — An unclean spirit, to awaken our antipathy — His influence over the heart, great — But onlyexercised with our consent — The period of his reign limited 226—244

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Section VI. — Of the Immortality of the Soul ; Resurrection of the Body, 'I am the resurrection and the life.'

The hope of immortality reasonable — The great instinct of humanity — Revelation necessary to authenticate it — It did so, partially, under the last economy — Full revelation and proof of the doctrine reserved for Christ. I. Taught the doctrine of an intermediate existence. II. Proved a resurrection. III. He himself will raise the dead. IV. Resurrection, universal. V. Bodies raised, identical with those intered. VI. Means of a resurrection to eternal life, provided by Christ — He possesses the power — By dying in our stead, has acquired the right — Begins, even here, to make his power and right available, by quickening dead souls — The final extinction of death so certain, that he speaks of it as already effected 244 — 270

Section VII. — Of the Final Judgment

' The Son of man shall come in his glory ; and before him shall be gathered all nations.'

The judgment anticipated by the human mind. I. Its publicity. II. Christ himself the judge. III. Its solemn pomp. IV. Its rectitude — Hence, it will be universal — Take cognizance of every act — A judgment of comparison and proportion — And conducted according to the known laws of the divine government. V. Its division of all intelligent beings into good and bad — This distribution commenced upon earth — Angels will then be employed to complete it. VI. Its final awards — These awards everlasting — The whole doctrine exibits the practical value of the gospel, and the infinite importance of Christ 271 — 296

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ESSAY III.

SPIRITUALITY OF OUR LORD'S TEACHING.

' The words that I speak unto you are spirit and life. '

The spirituality of the Divine Nature. II. Of the moral law. III. Of the worship of God — As opposed to that which is local — Ceremonial — Prescribed by human authority — Formal and insincere. IV. Of his kingdom — Denounced the temporal hopes of the Jews — Called for spiritual subjects — Born from above — Disclaimed for his kingdom all resemblance to earthly governments — Conclusion — The whole reminds us of our proneness to repose in a form of piety to the neglect of evangelical holiness — This has originated superstition — Neutralized the Jewish economy — And early began to vitiate Christianity itself— Importance of exemplifying the spiritual nature of our vocation. . 297 — 334

ESSAY IV.

ON THE TENDERNESS AND BENEVOLENCE OF OUR LORD'S TEACHING.

' Learn of me ; for I am meek and lowly in heart : and ye shall find rest unto

your souls.'

'And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth.'

The recollection of our Lord's character necessary, to feel the pathos of his teaching. I. His exellencies — Loveliness of his youth — His gracious commission — Purity — Superiority to the age in which he lived — Independent of all surrounding influences — Universality ^ of his plans — dualities contrasted, but harmonized bybenevolence — Overflowing benignity. II. His benevolence as a Teacher — Objection answered — Employed parables — Chose to be poor — Taught gratuitously- Simplified instruction — Teaching consolatory — Places in whichhe preached, evinced condescension — Always accessible — Impressed unwelcome truths by employing affecting signs; the little child; washing the disciples' feet; the last supper. III. Instances of the tenderness and benevolence of his teaching — Predicitedthe owndeath — Blessed the poor in spirit — Soothed the anxious — Offered the weary rest — Parable of the

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prodigal — Identifies himself with all piety — Apostrophizes, and weeps over Jerusalem — His valedictory discourse— His purposes of grace — Universality of his offers — Expressions of his benevolence went on increasing to the last — Conclusion ; character of Christ regarded as an evidence for Christianity — An example — And an encouragement — His expostulation with the unbeliever 335—394

ESSAY V.

THE PRACTICALNESS OF OUR LORD'S TEACHING.

' Be ye perfect even as your Father in heaven isperfect.

Our Lord evinced his wisdom, as a practical teacher, by limiting his revelations to the measure of our real wants — By dispensing with a cumbrous ritual. IT. His favorite topics, humility and benevolence. III. Preferred comprehensive rules to a detailed enumeration of duties. IV. His morality extends to the thoughts. V. To motives — Love of God. VI. Prescribes for its end, the glory of God. VII. For its standard, the character of God. VIII. Injunctions, simple and authoritative — Sanctions. IX. Not only commands, but en* ables. X. Objections of the incompleteness of the Savior's code, answered — Happy effects of his gospel. XI. Impiety of those who regard it as a dispensation from holiness. XII. Supreme importance which he ascribed to holiness. — Aimed to make earth resemble heaven 395 — 444

INTRODUCTION To the American Edition

The seal which God put upon man, when he made him, was nothing less than his own bright image. What a mysterious creation ! The stamp of the Divinity upon a child of the dust! What noble intellectual and moral powers ! What a destiny ! And can this being, so ' fearfully and wonderfully made,' know himself and find out the character of his fellows? Is he capable of admiring what is great in them, and imitating what is good ?

These questions do not need a formal answer — for the natural, as well as ' the proper study of mankind, is man.' We are instinctively prompted to examine other copies of this remarkable volume, not only to ascertain how far they agree with our own, but to note down whatever strikes us as peculiar in any of them. Especially are all eyes attracted by intellectual and moral greatness, wherever it appears.

Such men as Aristotle, Bacon, Pascal, Edwards, Milton, . Howard, Washington, and Napoleon, always have had a multitude of admirers, and they always will have. It is hardly necessary to add, that the constituent elements of greatness in such extraordinary men, are capable of being exhibited in a variety of interesting lights. They are like those large bodies, which cannot be seen, on all sides, from any one station : or those wide and deep waters, which

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cannot be effectually sounded, by heaving- the lead once, or twice, in the same place. The genius — the inspiration, I was about to say, of a great Poet, or Philosopher, or Reformer, requires much and deep reflection, to comprehend it. And in order to do justice to the master spirits of the world, the soul must be stirred by kindred impulses. Moreover, when the sublime and original conceptions of a Milton, or the indomitable daring of a Luther, or John Knox, is to be scanned, a single biography, or critique, however ably drawn up, does not satisfy us. It just awakens our admiration and curiosity. We inquire more eagerly than ever, wherein their ' great strength lay.' We dwell upon every incident of their lives, with new interest. We read their works again and again, with increased satisfaction, and eagerly catch every ray of light which is cast upon their characters and writings by their most gifted admirers.

But no mere human character, or work is perfect. The profoundest depths of man's intellect can befathomed. In the loftiest nights of his imagination he can be followed. None of his richest mines are inexhaustible. The time must come, when all will have been said, that can be said, to exalt the character of any individual of our race, however great his talents, or illustrious his virtues. And this would have been the case had sin never entered the world. Had the men whom we most admire, been perfectly holy, it would have been a limited perfection after all — not finite merely, but the perfection of, probably, the lowest order of God's intelligent creation. So that in due time, we might have learned every thing that could be learned about them ; might have exhausted our admiration upon every thing that was worthy to be admired.

In like manner, were an angel to come down from heaven, and dwell among us, and unfold to us those sublime

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mysteries of science and religion, which are too deep for human discovery ; and were he at the same time, to exhibit before our eyes, during a long course of years, a brilliant example of angelic benevolence, what an atmosphere of light and love would it throw around him. How eagerly should we listen to his instructions — with what absorbing interest should we study his character ; and with what emotions of wonder and gratitude should we follow him, as ' he went about doing good ! ' Such a heavenly sojourner, might in due time withdraw from the w 7 orld, to resume his golden harp before the throne ; and were he to leave behind him a single volume for our perusal, illustrative - of his character, and revealing more fully the high purpose of his mission, with what intense interest would all his disciples sit down to the study of that volume ; how many commentaries would be written upon it ; and how much more and deeper wisdom might it be expected to embody, than any book of man's composing. It would not be strange, if new views of truth, and of the exalted intellect and benevolence of the w r riter- should be elicited a hundred years after his departure. But still, it would be the work of a finite mind — of one of the lowest, perhaps, on the scale of angelic gradation. The time might come, and come soon, compared with the duration of this world, when there would be nothing more for man to learn, from such a volume.

Suppose, again, that Gabriel, or if there be one higher than he, on the mighty scale — suppose that the first archangel were to be sent down to us, to take our nature into mysterious union with his own ; to become a man as well as an angel ; suppose he were to initiate us still more deeply into the mysteries of science and the knowledge of God ; to set us a perfect example of holy obedience ; to sympathise with us in all our afflictions ; and even to suf-

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fer for our crimes ; what a multitude of disciples and ac mirers would gather round him and hang 1 upon his lips, and tender him their most grateful acknowledgements. And were he, in taking leave of us, that he might go up and stand ' in the presence of God,' to put into our hands a roll for us all to copy, containing a history of his own life and sufferings, and rich in the sublimest revelations which it would be in the power of an archangel to make, how eagerly should we break the seal, and how uneasy would every one be till he had obtained his copy. How should we pore over such a document day and night; and how many ' heavenly things,' would in all probability be left for other critics and commentators to open up to view, after successive generations of admirers had passed away. In so remarkable a case as this, we should not think it over-weening presumption in any well-instructed disciple to take the roll and search within the great seal for others, which might possibly have been over-looked by all his predecessors. It might require thousands of years, of deep study, to bring out all the hidden wisdom of this single angelic roll. And yet, it could not be inexhaustible; for it would be the wisdom, not of an infinite, but of a finite mind. Though time itself should be too short to open all the seals, there will surely be scope enough in eternity. The period may arrive in the everlasting ages of his future being, when man, child of the dust as he is, will excel the highest seraph in his present knowledge of God, and the plan of his government, and the glories of his empire, as much as that seraph now excels the humblest saint on earth.

But we have dwelt too long, perhaps, upon these suppositions. There are facts connected with the history of this world, which must strike the mind at once, as infinitely surpassing all that it would have ever entered into the

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heart of man to suppose, or conceive.' Nearly two thousand years ago, a voice of strange and mysterious import was heard in heaven ; and the more mysterious, because it issued from the throne itself. ' Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, but a body hast thou prepared me. Lo I am come : in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God : yea, thy law is within my breast.' And who is it, that thus announces his purpose to visit a guilty world, and become incarnate? We first ask the Prophet Isaiah, and he answers, ' Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given : and the government shall be upon his shouldes : his name shall be called "Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.' We next inquire of John, the beloved disciple, and he replies, ' In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. — All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men.' • And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.' Then we enquire of 'the man Christ Jesus' himself, ' who art thou ? ' — and this is his remarkable answer. ' Before Abraham was, I am.' ' I and my Father are one.' ' For as the Father raiseth up the dead and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son : that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father.' We next interrogate the Apostle Paul — s Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah 1 This that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength 1 ?' And he breaks out in adoring transport, ' Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness :

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God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. ' Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of man ; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross ; that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess, that Jesus Christ is the Lord, to the glory of God the Father.' ' In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins ; who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature. For by him were all things created that are in heaven and in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers : all things were created by him, and for him. And he is before ail things, and by him all things consist.'

Finally ; we turn to the beloved disciple once more, and ask him what he saw and heard in the visions of Patmos, and he answers, ' I beheld, and heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the living ones and the elders ; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I, saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four living ones said, Amen. And the four and

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twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.'

And was the earth ever honored and blest with this divine and glorious presence? If what we read in the scriptures, of the incarnation, the miracles, the preaching", the death, the resurrection of the Son of God be true, it is the mystery of all mysteries. I do not expect ever to comprehend it. The more I reflect upon it, the more amazing does it appear. What infinite opposites meet in the person of Jesus Christ. • The mighty God,' and yet a helpless child ! The Creator of all worlds, and yet without a place ' to lay his head ! ' ■ God, manifest in the flesh ! ' A man, and yet infinitely higher than the angels ! Equal with the Father, in dignity, and glory, and blessedness ; and yet at the same moment ' a man of sorrows and. acquainted with grief! ' A conqueror of the pow r ers of darkness, in the very hour that they prevailed against him ! How can I believe it ? Was the divine nature in the person of Christ, transformed into the human nature of the son of Mary % And was the human nature of the son of Mary changed into the divine nature ? No — but the two were mysteriously united, so as to become one person. ' The man Christ Jesus,' was not * the Lord from heaven ; ' but ' in him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.' The Deity did not suffer and sink under the agonies of Calvary, and yet in the person of Jesus, God there purchased the church with his own blood. A great mystery, but no absurdity. Above reason, but not contrary to it. There was the bloody cross. There were the thorns, the nails, and the spear. There the plan of redemption was more fully unfolded, than ever before, to the admiring gaze of angels. There it was, that the meek and holy sufferer ' bore our sins and carried our sorrows; 5

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and it was there, that • mercy and truth met together, righteousness and peace embraced each other.'

Here then, christian reader, is a theme worthy of an angei's pen — yea, of more than an angel's intellect. Here is the grand radiant point, towards which all the affinities converge : — infinite wisdom — infinite love — infinite justice — infinite mercy ! Depths, heights, length, breadth — all passing knowledge! Innumerable pens have been employed upon the life, character, preaching and mediatorial work of Christ. Hundreds of commentaries, more or less critical and extended, have been written upon the four gospels. But have ' the seven seals ' all been opened 1 Is there nothing left, to reward the toil of those who mayhereafter devote their best powers to the study and elucidation of these sacred books % ' Who by searching can find out God, or the Almighty unto perfection V The character of Christ is an infinitely perfect character. The gospels, in which he is exhibited, as the divine object of our faith and love, and adoration ; and which contain the record of his miracles, doctrines, sufferings, and final triumph, were 'given by inspiration of God, 5 and 'the treasures of wisdom and knowledge' which they contain, are literally inexhaustible. After all the ' living water ' that has been drawn from these ' wells of salvation.' there is no diminution of the supply. Were a thousand of the most gifted and holy men now on earth, to ' set the Lord Jesus always before them,' and spend their whole lives in studying his adorable character, they would be so far from exhausting the theme, that other thousands more gifted and more holy might find ample scope for the employment of their powers, down to the end of time. However great and good the last writer, upon the life, character and teaching of Christ may be, and with all the helps which he will be able to command, he must leave the divine portraiture still

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unfinished. Nor can it be doubted, that the mysteries of redemption, including the divine and mediatorial character, the incarnation and atoning sacrifice of the Son of God, will employ the minds, the hearts, and the tongues of the Redeemed, through everlasting ages ; and that new developements of the perfections and ' glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ, will be made forever and ever.'

In this view of the subject, (and Lam sure it must be the right view,) however well any man, or number of men may have written upon the preaching, miracles, or offices of Christ, it affords no objection, or discouragement to others, who may wish to occupy the same ground. No one, indeed, should be encouraged to put forth the results of his labors, unless he has something to say, which is worthy of being presented to the christian public — for time and money are too precious, to be thrown away upon mere common place ink and paper. But when a man of decided talents and piety, lays out his strength upon any one of the great topics just alluded to, and is happy in his method of treating it, he deserves our thanks, for putting into our hands this new help to christian edification.

The author of the present work, is the pastor of an independent church, in Epsom, Eng. ; and is ' well reported of by the brethren.' It being his object in this volume, to bring us directly to Christ, for divine instruction, he entitles it, The Great Teacher. The book contains'five Essays, of considerable length, and on the following important topics. I. The authority of our Lord's teaching. II. The originality of our Lord's Teaching, under seven distinct heads. III. The spirituality of our Lord's teaching. IV. On the tenderness and henevolence of our Lord' s teaching. V. The practicalness of our Lord's teaching. In reading these highly original and finished Essays, I

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have been exceedingly delighted, as I am sure every person must be, who is capable of appreciating weighty and well digested thoughts, imbued with deep christian feeling, and clothed in neat and polished language. Mr, Harris is such a writer, as we do not ordinarily meet with any where. It would be easy to quote passages almost at random, from his book of extraordinary condensation and beauty. He writes like a disciple, who has long been accustomed to 'sit at the feet of Jesus,' and with eminent advantage. Instead of asking what other men have thought of The Great Teacher, and borrowing their opinions, he has evidently heard every word for himself ; and he gives us his own impressions vividly and forcibly, just as he received them. Such a volume as this, is not often put forth before the meridian of life, and never, either before or after, without deep and protracted meditation.

I do not wonder at the avidity which is hastening its wide circulation in England; nor at the almost unqualified praise which is bestowed upon it, by so many of the most competent judges in this department of sacred literature. It was with very great pleasure, that I brought the volume out with me, on my return from that country ; and I esteem it an honor, that I am permitted to assist in bringing it before the American public. That disciple must have thought a great deal more, or a great deal less, than nine tenths of his christian brethren, of the striking peculiarities of our Lord's preaching, who can read these highly original and finished Essays, without having his mind enlightened, his heart warmed, and his admiration of the Great Teacher very much increased. ' Blessed, indeed, are those servants,' who ' hear his sayings and do them.'

Amherst College, Dec, 1. 1835.

Preface

When the subject of the following Essays first engaged my thoughts, as many as twelve or fifteen characteristics of our Lord's Teaching presented themselves to notice, all of which I hoped to be able to illustrate in a volume. But the expansive nature of the subject soon warned me of the necessity of selection. For this end, I divided the series into two classes, of primary and secondary importance ; intending to confine myself to the former. The same cause, however, reduced me again to compound with my intentions, and to omit some even of primary interest. Of these I maybe allowed to specify two : — the Evangelicalness of our Lord's Teaching, — and the striking peculiarity that he was his own prevailing subject. These topics, indeed, though not formally introduced, will be found to be illustrated, to no inconsiderable extent, in various parts of the volume. But on each of them I will here take the opportunity of recording a few remarks.