GREAT TEACHER:

CHARACTERISTICS

OF OUR

LORD'S MINISTRY:

BY THE

REV. JOHN HARRIS.

WITH AN INTRODUCTORY ESSAY,
BY HEMAN HUMPHREY, D. D.
President of Amherst College.

THIRD EDITION.

AMHERST:

J. S. & C. ADAMS.

Entered, according to the act of Congress, in the year

1835, by J. S. & C. Adams, in the

Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.

J. S. & C. Adams, Printers.

A Divine Teacher needed-Desired-Might have been

expected--Was predicted-His advent in the person of

Christ-His lowly condition-Herald-Installation to

office-Subject proposed-A very small portion of his

discourses recorded-Scope of his teaching-First char-

acteristic, authority. I. Authority of goodness-Invi-

tations-Beatitudes. II. Authority of greatness-

Claims universal audience-Superiority to Jonah, Sol-

omon, and all the great names of the Jewish Church-

Supremacy--Central object of the judgment day-

Impress his name on every thing-Speaks of all

things awful and sublime, calmly, like one familiar

with them-Teaching, declarative and dogmatic.

III. Authority of solemnity-His peculiar formula-

His denunciations of woe. IV. Legislative authority

-Revises the Mosaic code-Asserts his superiority to

law --Repeals existing economy-Controls laws of na-

ture himself, and confers the power on others—' I say

unto you,'-His new commandment-Not only enacts

laws, but ensures obedience-Forgives sin-Reposed

on his own personal authority-Conclusion-His

teaching exempt from all supposable circumstances

unfavorable to authoritative teaching-Taught with

the perfect conviction of the truth of his doctrine-

His example enforced it-Cordial sympathy with it-

Knew the ultimate principles on which his doctrines

rested-And the supreme value of the truth he taught

-And the purity of his own motives-And the ulti-

mate triumph of his doctrine-All this must have

clothed his teaching, especially when contrasted with

the prevailing mode of Jewish instruction, with com-

manding power-His disciples should be distinguished

by reverence and docility-These dispositions to be

sought and found at the throne of grace.

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49-9%

ESSAY II.

THE ORIGINALITY OF OUR LORD'S TEACHING.

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, unavail-

ing-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 sub-

ject-Even in Judea--Among the heathens, the Epi-

curean system general. II. Christ taught the univer-

sal providence and paternal character of God. III.

His love to man, exemplified in the mission of Christ.

IV. This, only the means of merey. 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.

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, rep-

resented the Divine character. III. Mode of manifes-

tation-By sensible representation-Affirming that all

he did was only in fulfillment of the Father's commis-

sion-Ascending the cross-Saving the outcast-Iden-

tifying 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 God is love;' and to

make us the heirs of that love.

88-121

122-173

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 lips 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 unpar-

donable 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 of

a Spiritual Church.

The doctrine 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 repent-

ance as a requisite for membership-Armed his church

with power to expel offenders--Denounced the Phari-

sees for teaching as doctrine the commandments of

men.'--The church his earthly kingdom.

SECTION V.-On Satanic Agency.

211--226

'The devil and his angels.'

Satan the prince of devils-Number 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 affect-
ing view of human vassalage-Satan, aware of his
advent-Undertook to conduct his temptation-Made
his life an incessant conflict-Compassed his death-