The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-11-18

A%~AfA
Master. wh0se teacBsngs had hesn her
highest source OF delight.
No zen or pessfi has ever portrayed
mere beautiful scene In social life than The
divine Inner has presented IN the nara
tive found IN These first eight verses Of the
chapter from which orr text IS chosen
Simon represents the grateful man who
has been healed at sins, incurahle malady.
by the touch OF One who Is alone able tore
move from orr moral nature ali defilement
OF character. Lazarus represents the saint
wh0 has escaped ali the evil consequences
OF sin during the course OF life on earth.
Martha affords an example OF c0nsecrafed
wOrnanhOod. employed IN ministering TO
mans physical necessities as token OF
gratitude for spiritual blessings received.
Mary furnishes az eminent model OF exalted
spirituality In the inner nature. whose ser
vice is one Of perfect submission and ALSO
lutte devotion. TIE disciples represent those
varied Glasses of men who are In q course
of training for their future work, while
Jesus is the sole source of efficiency for all,
and Judas presents q dark blot of sinful
and slsvish subsection to ambition and
avarice. All these different phases OF hui
man character, as viewed from the light
that emanafes from the Sun of Righteous
ness. may be compared to objects OF
various hues, each OF which reflects one OF
more of the prismatic col0rs and absorhs
the Others. Mary represents the pure white
Of spiritual character Martha, Simon and
the eleven disciples present various aspects
of religious truth embodied III actual lie,
and Judas reveals the bIackened nature in
which evil a5sorbs all good and rejects
none OF its properties upon our moral
vision. Jesus presents 70 our view the
pure alabaster box of q perfect humanity,
in which the costly ointment of divine
grace is contained. and from which pro.
ceeds the cdor of true spirituality that fills
all sympathetic natures.
The time of this amounting was six days
previous to the Passover. Mary thus nm
consciously performed a sacred office
which should be commemorafed wherever
the gospel of Christ might henceforth be
proclaimed. She did not anticipate future
events, but nevertheless performed a SER
vice which has forever associated her name
and character with one OF the most pathetic
scenes in human history. Judas also I'M
consciously manifested the spirit which
was SO soon TO lead him into the commits
zion Of the blacklist deed known in all the
annals of time. Yet be did not anticipate
the consequences Of his own ambition and
avarice by which he was prompted TO pro-
test against the waste OF costly ointment
and to betray the Lord. He was the "thief
and had the bag. and carried what was con-
tanned in it. Ills aspirations were there
fore in the direction of royal preferment,
as treasurer of a new kingdom which Jesus
was expected to establish. When his ex-
pectations were blasted and his offer OF
restitution was rejected, be went out and
hung himself. thus revealing the true
motive which actuated him. Peter did not
foresee his own denial OF Jesus, for which
offense, thrice committed, he subsequently
made bis threshold recantation, as Arch
bishop Cronmer did at the stake. when he
cried out three times in the flames. "This
right hand has offended"
The consequences OF this amounting may
be summed up very briefly. On the day OF
Pentecost. fifty-six days after the scene at
simons home in Bethany. the disciples
received the amounting influence Of spiritual
| Illumination, when all saw and experienced
the pervasive influence of an inner and per-
| petual grace. Nearly nineteen centuries
have elapsed since Mary anointed the feet
OF Jesus and with the hair OF her head
| wiped them, preparatory 10 his entrance
4
semane and Calvary. All through these
centuries the odor OF his spiritual presence
| has filled the hearts of true believers In
the meeting at Tacoma, which | have de-
scrihed, that sacred influence pervaied all
hearts. Let the same gracious presence
manifest itself in your midst, so that it
may not be necessary TO hold a special SER
vice of preparation when the evangelist
shall visit our city. II you fail to receive
sneh a blessing while your faithful pastor
| is with you, it will be your own fault. May
| We all be anointed and fitted for the Masters
service.
THE PROBLEM or rATx.
Rev. Ernest C. Smith preached nj tie
/ Unitarian church yesterday morning,
choosing as his subject, THE Problem OF
/ Pain"
Suffering comes to us in so many WAYS,
| said the speaker. through and from our
whole nature, that il cannot be thrust into
q subordinate place in the picture OF
human life. 1t forces itself upon our at
/ tention; il Is the chief burden of HISTORY.
Since II Is so universal, 1t must have some
deep meaning and purpose. The Book Of
| Job struggles with the problem. and comes
| 20 realization OF the fact that individual
| suffering is not always the result OF indi-
/ viduai SIN. Job clings TO his integrity
through all bis suffering and through all
/ the uphraiding of his friends. We see to-
| day that the innocent often suffer more
than the guilty. and that sometimes We
! suffer most through our affections. through
that which is best in as. There Is, more
over, great mass Of suffering independent
| of sin.
This last kind of suffering arises largely
from conflict with environment. for If our
/ lives were in perfect accord with their en-
yironment. physical and spiritual. there
| could be no pain. The tendency OF insola
tion IS to bring Us into harmony with our
environments or to give Ms the power 10
| preserve ourselves in the midst Of a hostile
| environment.
OF one thing We may be sure, suffering
/ did not slip in. as theologians make so
many things 70 have done. at the fall Of
man." Suffering was in the world before
! Adam. Ii is part of the divine plnn.
Tnru il whichever way We viii. suffering IL
seen 20 BE part OF the great process of
evolution. not an end in itself, but a means
Of higher development, temporary and not
final.
/ II sd pain could be removed from the
world to-day. | ara not sure IL would be
/ we'll Woald il make hearts more tender
snd true. would men see more Of the true
meaning Of liFes l must needs think that
II IL better 70 conquer pain as il must now
be conquered, By individual strength OF
character, and 50 yield up its power, hles-