The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-30
i hs.ory has never been shown falls. in .insl.

instance islss IN single
90 80 Q, scientific matters We have no right
~ ssA the Bible to say anything else than ~ at
- sun rises We well know that il does NOT
.n let we should be impatient with any book
-. 'oppeo 70 express the idea in longer and
'ois seientlnc way. We do not let ma bona
.ake leave of our common sensa Wiz, ,-a go
the Bible. common 'en's "hen we reao
aee Oh the world has been supposed TO
.oiln an insuperabie barrier against the accent
ance OF Christianity. But when we examine
sh ma.ser We see that the Bible states no exact
.s a.ouoiogy. We read In the New Testament
~ sa sus Christ was the son of David, the son
Aolanam Some forty generations are
..'so- We have no means of knowing that
~ tne olo Testament genealogies many Obscure
generations were not passed over
90 also OF morals There 10 many record of
wi oeeds in the Bible. There Is a difference
p recording an event and endorsing it.
because we read that Jael BETRAYED her guest by
oriving tent pin into his forehead. and
because Deborah the prophecies sang q song
- men that act was praised, we are to infer
.nas the israeiits were still degraded people.
NOT that the Bible approves of their acts In
.nas great patriotic upheaval headed by Deborah
there was this single stain. So also of the suth-
u ,n OF the books of the Bible. We speak of
meoster's dictionery, and nobody is accused of
uisnohesty for doing so. But Webster did only
small part OF the work Just published I'm
NV COTTON. Thus when Jesus speaks of the
DOCKS OF Moses he does not warrant that they
were written word for word by Moses
but have said enough to make IL clear that
sucn matters as tnese need trouble no one Yet
they actually do trouble many who. having had
tneir attention called to them have been left
without an explanation. We know in part
many things, and we stumble over them because
we ,aii 70 take account OF a side that 10 not re-
veaied. The remedy for partial knowledge is
complete knowledge, and meantime We have
unshaken faith in pure character
One OF the weighty reasons why we accent
christianity is that we see 1t is religion greater
than We. II we could Understand now all the
acts OF God, we should see that God was not
above ourselves. Christianity PROCESSES to be a
divine religion. II deals with spirit Its reye-
iation 10 the unfolding of the thoughts and pur-
poses OF God II this claim is true our knowl-
edge must be very partial, and il will be in
creased by experience only. The spiritual God
Is not to be seen with eyes and heard with ears.
The knowing young man cannot pray any more
oevoutly than the most ignorant. So 1t comes
about we may increase our knowledge without
getting any nearer Jesus.
There is kind OF knowledge that comes only
by loving. You never Thoroughly know your
friend until you love him. The surest kinds of
knowledge cannot be proved We are naturally
sure OF some things that no amount OF argu-
ment can shake our faith in. The most remark
able evidence of the truth of Christianity is not
found clearing away the skepticai questions
that arise in mems heart, but in presenting to
them the person of Jesus Christ The salvation
OF the young man whose eyes are open to the
defects OF men. is found in Jesus The in
fuence OF great life is more powerful than we
suppose. 1t is the plan of the Maker
things that we may tie to, withou,
the feeling OF danger that accompanies every
thing vouched for by men. The test of the
skeptic 10 the Lord Jesus Christ As He becomes
known TO us He makes us better. His very IN
changeableness compels us to change. The
knowing young man always finds his troubles
elsewhere than in the character of Christ. This
is the most hopeful fact for the skeptical. He
has q refuge in character, and such a character
as even the most skeptical can approve. Here
IL the basis of our religion It rests not on
some ancient record but 1t rests on lifs--a life
which has been family imaged and lived for
nineteen centuries. III there never had been q
Bible the memory OF the life OF Jesus could not
have died out of the world. He showed men
once for oil the right way of looking as life, and
the mighty tradition cannot die, If the art of
printing were lost and the world were con.
sumed In flame. Without asking how His
Life got before your vision
it Ii sufficisnt that it 10 there,
and that you cannot effacs 1t Like an
imbedded rock in stream, which divides the
current this way and that, He Is the separator
OF the race OF men. A man is responsible to
God not for the faith that He has in the Bible,
but for his faith In such life az that OF Jesus
Christ Whoever fails to love such q life shows
that truth and love are not in him. Here then
10 the path of the skeptic into life. If he yearns
after Likeness to the Son of God, then the power
OF the life of Christ has taken hold OF him and ID
shaping him into beauty. Pass out into the fields
and see two plants growing side by side. They
fak hal AMI a frnr ha arnG r5r nil
The same pure sunshine warns them; the dew
and the rain from Gods heaven falls upon both
alike. But one is full OF heslthful juices,
the other 10 deadly poison. Somebody will
pass by and tell you that the difference 10
in the environment But the environment
of each is the same. The difference is in the
disposition of the plants. One takes only the
good from the soil, the other only the bad
Their opportunities are the same, but their
ways of working differ As light from darkness.
Now before every man il set the life of Jesus.
What will you do with It? Shall we take Him
into our essence. or shall we take some evil
matter9 scientific excuse for sin 10 sometimes
sought after on the ground that we cannot help
It, Men say 10 us, "You were born of the clod,
and you must obey the laws OF the clod." And
then skepticism, entering in, begins TO see
something about Christianity that 10 not
right, and despair OF holy life
any lack of confidence. You and / believe in
Him, and we cannot avoid It. Side by side in
the same pew two persons are reminded of this
life. One shoulders, the other is filed with Joy.
One sees In Jesus the end OF all mystery and
pain; he sees Him above, and. like Lazarus, he
hears within the deep shadow of his souls
grave that mighty word, "Come forth" But
the other man? The vision of Christ 10 to him
a nightmare: a hand with a wound print pur
sues him. He would strike it away, but il bears
the mark of sacrifice for him. This hand of
Jesus is the unavoidable thing in this world.
VIVA, an ashen cheek, what q petrifying heart
has the man who is followed through two
worlds by the open hand OF Christ!
novice in astronomy looks at fixed star
and In q few moments he cries out that The star
has moved out of the range Of the telescope.
The experienced astronomer says no, the earth
has moved, and you must keep YOUR telescope
moving Those from the East were wise.
because when they saw His star they followed
it. The world was moving; il was not
He 10 waiting for the world to come up with
His plan. He cannot advance, because He is
lust where He ought 10 be. He cannot seem
more kingly than He was when over His head
was placed the legend: "Thts Is the King of the
Jews"
The Greek painters once had contest In their
art One painted grapes so that the birds