The church has the charge of the world entrusted to it. When Christ had finished his work on earth, and went to heaven to carry it on there, he spoke of two powers to whom the continuation of the work on earth was to be committed. He spoke of the Holy Spirit, who, equally with God himself and the Father, should come in his name to convict the world of sin, and be a divine power in his disciples to reveal himself in them, and so make them witnesses for him to the ends of the earth. He spoke of his disciples as those whom he sent into the world, even as the Father had sent him. Just as entirely as he had lived to do the FatherÂ’s will in saving men and women, was his Spirit to do that work too. And just as wholly as the Spirit was to be devoted to that work, was the body, the church, to be set apart for it too. The whole body of believers, and every individual believer, was to be like Christ, the light of the world, placed in the world with the one definite, exclusive object of enlightening its darkness, and bringing men and women out of darkness into light
Hosea 4:6. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge
In a short time there will (we have reason to fear) remain but two kinds of persons among us, either those who think not at all, or those whose imaginations are active indeed, but continually evil. Of these latter it may be said, "Their foolish heart was darkened." Of the principles, I do not say of the detail, of political science, a sound theology is the only sure and steady basis. Now we trace the operations by which a destruction so extended in its consequences has been effected. The master-spring of every principle which can permanently secure the stability of a people is the fear and knowledge of Almighty God. The first operation of a principle of atheism, and perhaps one of the most formidable in its consequences, is that which leads political men to conceive of Christianity as a mere auxiliary to the State. Religion was not instituted (in the Divine council I mean) for the purpose of society and government, but society and government for the purposes of religion. As a...
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