EXALTING MAN AND ABASING CHRIST.
By W. N. Glenn
The trend of religious thought is more and more inclined to the idea that the glories of the coming kingdom of Christ are to be the result of man’s effort; that the kingdom of glory will be a grand aggregation of human institutions so reformed, purified, and aggrandized by human endeavor that Christ will at last become so enraptured with the beautiful structure that he will come and adopt it as his own. Such is practically the popular idea of that theological illusion called “the millennium.” Not only is religious thought becoming crystallized in the mold of man-made glory, but the most enthusiastic effort is in the way of preparing a human kingdom on earth over which the Lord is to reign for a thousand years. This exaltation of the works of men, and the consequent belittling of the scriptural idea of the glorious kingdom of Christ, is illustrated by some expressions regarding the recent Christian Endeavor Convention at Boston. A contributor to the Pacific Coast Endeavorer, in describing the great gathering and its doings, says:— We gave Boston for once a full-dress rehearsal of the millennium, and it seemed annexed, for the time, to the New Jerusalem come down from God out of heaven, for the convention bore to Boston the message the Master sent by his disciples to the cities of Israel, “Into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, say, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.” But the real character of this fanciful kingdom (or millennium), made glorious by the puny efforts of man’s goodness, is unwittingly told in another expression found in the same contribution:— There was no business block or shop or store or public building or residence of any importance that did not flame with the C. E. colors of white and red, and blooms with the well-known flag, emblazoned “Boston, ’95.” Even the theaters were decorated on the outside with white and red. Bunker Hill lager was advertised by a revolving keg of red and white electric lights. But it is safe to say that all this outward show of Christian Endeavor on business blocks, or on shops and stores, was there for advertising purposes. It is safe to say that, notwithstanding the Christian Endeavor cloak, business within was conducted for the same worldly purpose as before, and their display of C. E. colors was “for revenue only.” The theaters decorated with white and red were theaters still. The Bunker Hill lager “advertised by a great revolving keg of red and white electric lights,” was lager still. The good design of the Christian Endeavor movement, and the good it may have done or may yet do, is not the topic of this comment. It is the delusive use that is being made of it and a dozen other associations by those who are leading out in the work of “millennium” building. The Y. P. S. C. E. is supposed to be a young people’s society, but it is manipulated everywhere by those older heads who are engaged in the work of advancing their ideas of Christianity by political inventions, by the advocacy of civil-religious law and the special power of the civil government. The ministerial writer from whose report the foregoing expressions are taken is not a young man, nor were the leading characters whose speeches gave influence and caste to the convention. It is the pastors and the leading churchmen everywhere that dictate the policy of the Y. P. S. C. E. and all kindred institutions, and are training them for political purposes, in the so-called “Christian state.” In ordinary parlance a “full-dress rehearsal” means an equivalent of the real act. Then we are asked to imagine that the ushering in of the kingdom of Christ will be nothing more than a decoration of the things of this world—theaters, beer kegs, and all—with cheap red and white fabrics, paints, etc., of human manufacture. If, however, the reality should prove as gauzy and transient as the “rehearsal,” it will certainly come far short of the ideal presented in Scripture. But the chilling effect of setting up the flimsy glory of man’s endeavor on a level with the enduring kingdom of Christ, is enhanced by a subsequent affair. This Christian Endeavor convention was almost immediately followed by another immense demonstration, in honor of the secret conclave known as the Knights Templar. Judging from the press dispatch, the Bostonians made even more display for the Knights than they did for the Endeavorers. Here is an extract from the report, dated August 26:— In the day about every structure is hidden in bunting and devices, while at night they are brilliant with electrical designs of all sorts. These are so numerous on the principal thoroughfares that the whole city is bathed in a bright yellow glow; at a distance it must seem as if it were on fire. There have been conventions of many kinds here in recent years, notably the big Christian Endeavor gathering of a few months ago, and, while the city welcomed and entertained vast throngs, the Endeavor time appears small in comparison with the state of affairs to-day, both in respect to the enormous number of people here and the warmth of their reception. Boston, 1895, is the banner conclave of the Knights Templar so far, and it will be difficult to equal this record by any other city in the United States. From this are we to suppose that this great secret society conclave exceeded in splendid magnificence what we may expect when the millennium is ushered in? Are we to infer that this is what was meant by the “Unitarian governor of Massachusetts” when he said of the Christian Endeavor convention, “The people of Boston are better for the visit of that bright band, and we shall all be better citizens and better men and women for their visit”? When puny men assume to compare their own tinsel glory with the glories to be revealed when the Lord shall “come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him,” it is time to look out for deception. When one has read the inspired description of the New Jerusalem in the twenty-first chapter of Revelation, a reference to the affair at Boston as a “full-dress rehearsal” reads like the veriest irony. It is hard to realize that the writer was in earnest; but the position of the man, the medium in which his report appears, and all the attendant circumstances go to show that he really was blinded to that extent. And his standing and influence are such as to sadly deceive many others. The Lord is not depending upon man to prepare a kingdom for him. The parable of the nobleman (Luke 19) teaches that he has gone “into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.” He told his disciples (John 14: 2, 3), “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself.” When he comes again, he will say, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” See Matt. 25: 31–34. In the prophecy of Daniel (chapter 2) the kingdom of Christ is represented by a stone “cut out without hands” and that “filled the whole earth.” Verses 34, 35. The commission of the servants of God is to preach the “Gospel [glad tidings] of the kingdom,” to “make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” The people so prepared are thus characterized by the Lord himself: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” Matt. 7: 21. And the will of the Father is plainly set forth in the purpose of Christ, our Example: “Lo, I 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 heart.” Ps. 40: 7, 8. We are faithfully warned in the Scriptures against the delusions and deceptions of the last days. We are told that “perilous times shall come,” because men “having a form of godliness” will be “lovers of their own selves.” And in the face of such comparisons of man’s glory with that of God, it is time for serious alarm. When men professing to be ministers of the Gospel can seriously proclaim even a seeming semblance between ornamented Boston, with its decorated theaters and electric beer kegs, and the incomprehensible effulgence of the New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, they must have extremely high opinions of their own works, as well as an extremely low estimate of the achievements of Him in whose righteousness alone we can stand at His coming and kingdom.