The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-14
THE PARALLELS OFF CHRIST.
Rev. M. L. Haines, at the.First Presbyterian
Interprets Their Meaning.

Rev. M L. Haines, at thei First Presbyterian,
Interprets Their Meaning.
The Reverend M L. Haines of the First
Presbyte terrain Church, returned to the city on
Saturday from his vacation, and preached to his
congregation yesterday morning on the Parable
of the Lost Sheep or, the characteristics of
Chrsts Love-" as illustrated in the text of ST.
Luke, fifteenth chapter, and verses one to seven,
inclusive He said the parallels of our Lord are
not to be looked 1T from merely literary point
of view. they are gems wonderful in simplicity
Of statement in rhetorical beauty and tenderness
of sentiment 1t is an abuse of the lens to take
it from its instrument for examination. 1t
must be placed in the barrel of it's instrument to
be looked through not looked at and then its
noblest characteristic, its disclosing power,
will be manifested. Christs parallels are lenses
that reveal to us the deep things of God. Men
who, as literary critics. look at them insult the
Savior who gave them. Parallels treated IN
such a way are verify pearls cast before swine.
They are earthly stories with heavenly mean
ings. They are wordpictures from heaven. A
daughter travelling in foreign lands receives the
photograph of her father. She does not consider
it as a masterpiece of art but she gazes long
and lovingly upon it, as it brings to her heart
and mind membranes of her father.
In the parable of the good shepherd the
Savior has given picture of Himself There
had gathered about Jesus as He preached from
place to place, numbers from the very dregs of
society-not merely the poor and depraved, but
some who like the prodigal son. had spent tn cir
living with harlots. who had wasted their sub
stance and fed on husks Detested publicans
and taxgatherers followed Him about. and
were received by Him kindly. The Pharisees
some of whom had at times patroniZed Jesus as
a religious teacher and entertained Him at
their homes shocked at the way in
which he treated these low down wretches with
whom respectable society would have nothing
to do. Especially was their bitterness aroused
by the fact that Jesus gave them social recog
milton, and so they murmured and threw out the
bitter sheer, This man receiveth sinners"
and, worse than that, "eateth with them" Jesus
told them that this was the very work He came
on earth to do-to seek and save sinners He
said that if they would know what His feelings
were and what his work was to these persons thew
would see them imaged forth in the love which
- shepherd shows to wandering lamb of his
flock; in the carefulness and anxiety with which a
poor woman searches for a lost piece of money;
in the forgiving Joy with which father receives
boy who has wandered far away and gone into
all sorts of dissipation, but who comes to him
at last, when all the past is
| forgotten and forgiven in the Joy of the
sons return. Carplng critics have a spirit like
that of the elder brother who, instead of being
glad at the return of the prodigal gives way to
spirit of selfish jealousy and sour tempered
envy.
Ali these parallels in this chapter of Luke
set forth one and the same truth, Gods love in
Christ, as shown in saving wandering lost souls.
Such grand truth as this cannot be adequately
represented in any parable Human
imagery is but an imperfect mirror of divin
truth. Salvation of the sinner as work of
divine love has two sides; first, Gods side, and
secondly, mans part. In the first of these aspects
is one great truth. Gods part is pictured forth
in the first two parallels. that of the lost sheep
and that of the lost coin. The
second, mans part, is represented in
the story of the prodgal. In
the first we have the work
of the Savior, salvation which is shown to be His
entirely. Had he not gone out after men into
the wilderness. no one would have been saved.
No one could have found his way back to the
fold alone. This may sound strange to the ears
of the unconverted, but the heart of every be.
lever says amen to it. The one central, resplen-
dent truth which this parable, diamond like re-
fleets from its several facets is the marvellous
love of God, in Christ, toward guilty, lost men,
The love of God is for individuals, not for
men in a mass. The shepherd had hundred
sheep, and only one went astray. 1t might
naturally be supposed that he would not miss
the one. but he did and all his love is mani