The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1895-05-01

Congregational Church, Boston, preached
to large audience at the opera house
Sunday morning, April 81, upon the fol-
lowing text:
Nevertheless, when The Son Of Man
cOmeth, shall he find faith upon the
earthY"-Luke xviii, s.
He spoke as follows:
The words occur in connection with
the parable of the unjust Judge, and the
contrast which Jesus draws is between
him and our Heavenly Father. If even
an unjust judge is moved by persistent
entreaty, shall not God, who is both just
and merciful much more be moved by
our petitions? This is Jesus illustra
tiOn. intended to make it easier for us to
be constant in prayer and in faith from
which prayer springs. 1t seemed to him
almost a lowering Of Gods mercy to
make such comparison, yet he wonder
ed whether even so extreme an lllustra-
tiOn would convince all who heard him,
and all who might after hear the parable,
of the success of faith and prayer.
Nevertheless, Notwithstanding all
this painstaking, setting forth of Gods
mercy, will it produce faith? Will
the mission Of Christ, after all, be but
splendid failure? Jesus seemed at all
times to contemplate the possibility Of
his having to throw his life away.
What if all this should be done, and
there be no increment of faith? Such
questions did not long remain unan-
swered with him. The answer was from
heaven to his soul, and the sublime as
surance that the grain of corn dying
would bring forth more fruit, is one Of
his most manifest characteristics. But
he asked the question, and in this place
left it unanswered that each age may an
swer it for itself.
Jesus nevertheless is eloquent and
suggestive. He would seem almost to
have regretted making comparison so
degrading to God as that which the par
able of the unjust judge might seem to
imply. But, after all was it not typical
of his entire ministry? What was he
here for but to compare God and his celes-
tial surroundings with earthly things,
that men might see God through visible
things? Was not he himself Gods word
made flesh? Was not the incarnation it
self a sort of humiliation of the divine
nature, lowering God only to bewildel
men? And after all, would men under.
stand it? Would they get the truth out
of the parable, this lesser parable, and
the greater parable of the incarnation, OF
would they stumble at it and be lost
Would it be provocative of faith? Goo
had done his best. He had ''emptieG
himself that men might understand
him. The incarnation was Gods nature
spelled in words of one syllable for be-
ginners. 1t may have become almost
distasteful to Jesus to seek everywhere
in agriculture, in the fishers net, in Gu
linary affairs, for illustrations of God
IF have told you earthly things and "
believe not, how shall ye believe if tel
you heavenly things?" Would they be
lieve after all? Was it worth while fol
God to reveal himself in the bush If mel
used the bush only to gather berries
Nevertheless, after all, would the SoI
of Man find faith on the earth?
"When the Son of Man cOmeth." He
is ever coming. The Lord looks down
from heaven, to see the city and tower
which the children of men build from
one generation to another. No longer in
a mortal body, but in his immanent
spirit, Jesus comes and continues com
ing. No longer is he located in single
place. Whoever says 10 here" or 'LC
there" may be discredited. But he il
here, and still is coming. John saw hin
as that One that was that is and is still
to come. He is here, and is to be here il
larger measure. What does he find Oh
the earth, as regards faith?
The question may be answered yer,
differently. Mr. Stead has told us wha
Christ would find If he were to come Il
Chicago, and DR.. Hale has told us wha
he would find in Boston. The picture
differ by celestial diameters, and eacl
has its elements of truth. Theexhibitiol
of righteousness which Boston shows t
Jesus is not entirely absent from Chicago
and ChicagO's wickedness is not stran
ger to Boston. The picture has its hig
lights and its dense shadows. WithOu
attempting to pOise the good and evil i
the balances, or set one city against an
other, let us ask what are some of tn
signs in the present that the Son of Ma
who came yesterday and comes today an
is to come tomorrow, will find faith o
the earth.
Our question relates to the future
Our material for an answer relates to tn
present and the past. Yet it is not recl
less to attempt an answer. Events ar
not isolated. History is no mere string 0
events, separate and unrelated. He doe
not know history who knows that in on
year this happened and in the next that
To know history one must know how Ger
tain causes produced this effect, whicl