Remarkably plain-spoken commentary on the Shorter Catechism

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Wayne

Tempus faciendi, Domine.
Segue from the other thread, I've recently come across a commentary on the Shorter Catechism by a Rev. W.P. MacKay, which is available on Google Books.
It's one I hadn't seen before, and noteworthy for some rather uncompromising language:

Notes on the Shorter Catechism (1889)

Here's a sample:

Question 1. What is the chief end of man?

Answer. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him for ever.


"To glorify God!" "Man" by nature has self for his centre. Everything must bow to self. This is what leads the drunkard, with an everlasting hell before him, to drain his cursed cup. You may speak to him about God ; he has a higher God within -- that is SELF. He cares not for God's will -- the ruler of his life is selfwill. Sin may shortly be said to be just selfwill* -- that is, a man, at all costs, will get himself gratified at the expense of his neighbor or his God. Man by nature has not the glory of God for his centre, but the glory of himself. God came down in His strong love to get us who believe out of self and put us into Christ, so that we might glorify Himself. As long, therefore, as a man is out of Christ, he cannot glorify God. Getting into Christ is the first step a man must take before he can glorify God. Many seem to suppose that man's chief end is to enjoy himself in this life -- to eat and drink like a beast. Solomon, the wisest and richest man on earth, tells us that his experience in seeking for his chief end "under the sun" ended in "vanity and vexation of spirit." "I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit" (Ecc.es. i.14). If we read the Book of Ecclesiastes in this light, we shall see its meaning. A man tries to find his chief end "under the sun," and then he will "perceive that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his portion" (Eccles. iii. 22). A miserable one it is to most, and the end of it all is, "For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts ; even one thing befalleth them, as the one dieth, so dieth the other ; yea, they have all one breath ; for all is vanity" (Eccles. iii. 19). So if we are in the experience of Ecclesiastes "under the sun," we are no better than the beasts. But One has come from above the sun ; and the chorus of His angelic bodyguard, as they announced His glorious coming to the expectant ears of the waiting few, was "Glory to God in the highest" (Luke ii. 14).

[* So in 1 John iii. 4 (R.V.), sin is expressly said to be "lawlessness" (not transgression of the law, but its root, lawlessness or selfwill).]

Others, however, turn from such pursuits and betake themselves to religion, and suppose that "man's chief end" is to go on all his life doing the best he can, and in the long run, as the result of his honest and sincere efforts, that God will save his soul. They put the salvation of the soul at the end -- God puts it at the beginning, and says, I'll save your soul for nothing, and then you'll begin to live for My glory after having got your soul saved. The first step is to "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts xvi. 31). Then the believer begins to glorify God. Until a man's soul gets rest in Christ, he has no heart to think of God's glory.
"To enjoy Him for ever." Man's joys are the song, the bottle, the dance, the race-course, the newspaper, the novel. God says to His own, "Rejoice (the Christian should be the happiest man ; but it is) in the Lord alway" (Phil. iv. 4). "Is any (among you) merry, let him sing psalms" (James v. 13). "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord" (Ephes. v. 19); "Teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord" (Coloss. iii. 16). We rejoice that our names are written in the Book of Life. "Rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven" (Luke x. 20); "Whose names are in the book of life" (Phil. iv. 3). Is He our chief joy at merrymaking times? All men's joys leave a sting and a desire for more ; tasting of them we thirst again ; but His joy is everlasting ; it is perfect, and it is permanent. Every joy, every amusement of earth gets wearisome, as every labour is vanity, if we are "under the sun." If we are "in Christ" Who is seated above the sun, our work will be to glorify God ; our delight to enjoy Him now and for ever ; our happy eternity begins when we accept Christ.
 
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