The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-05-10

Tor the EEosk x{pn1cet, ana therefore, rep
resent the basis Of language. Out Of the
sueasy-ssx letters Of OR English alpha
bet = rzaufactE- I'd AL or literature All
words that describe beauty and form
themselves INTO fegxoons OF fragrant
sentences. al words that glide grace
fully over the pathway OF song. al
rorss THAI elimb IN ambition. ali
words that nestle IL humidity. all words
that Blaze with zeal. and stand Ike
tcry's banners. and build atr-casties %
fancy and ~ upward on the wings Of pray
er-are chsidreE OF our alphabet. And II
sin were banisaed from our vocabulary.
these and such cniy would exist in Our 1T
erzture- 30 from the seven notes Of the
gamus and the i've interminging half
tones and their octaves are manufactured
all harmonies Of music. Chords that dash
and sparkle with brilisAncy. chords that
soas through the air like moonlight
streaming through . cathedral window.
chords that set the feet moving 10 march
time and martial tune. chords that wake
echoes Of xizdness In the soul and calm
the turbulence Of LIE, chords that gently
press for entrance against the gateway Of
the better nature and. a. with the finger
OF God. touch the springs Of being and
start the fountains OF repentance and stir
into action new hopes of heaven-aE look
backward toward the chromatfc scale a.
their origin Unite the two and you have
the hymncloxy Of the church throughout
all ages. Now Christ, when He calls Him.
self the Alpha and Omega Of life. repre-
sents Himself a. the bass OF all spiritual
language. Take away Christ from our
thought ~ the divine Son of God and ask
US 70 express ourselves spiritually and you
might ~ well rob Us OF our alphabet and
Then challenge u to form . literary SEN
tence.
Christ Explains God.
Without Christ We cannot understand
God Clouds and darkness are around
about His throne He becomes TO US .
dread being. HIS ways are perfect. His
laws are memorable. His penalty for the
lightest infringement 10 death. We exam
Inc our own souls. We become conscious
OF our neglect Of known duty. Of our re-
beilion against His supreme authority.
and Ne stand trembling In His presence.
Where 10 our help? Who shall deliver us,
We take up our New Testament, We read
. few lines. we lay down the book and
shut our eyes in meditation. ard there BE-
fore ~ We see group OF kneelfng disciples
and one like unto God Himself bending
over them and teaching them the name by
which they shall address the holy King
OF Heaven. and saying It that they may
repeat II after Him--Our Father! Outside
Of Christ there Is no Fatherhood Of God.
II Ii because He II the Father OF Christ
that He becomes the Father OF the whole
race of which Christ willingly made Him.
self the brother. But, you say, David and
Isaiah taught that same doctrine Of the
ail-Fatherhood Of God long before Jesus
was born In JudeA. Yes. but please re-
member rhst they were the two prophets
who talked most gioriously Of the COM
ing Messiah II was the Christ-thouSht
in them that sought expression in
the Fatherhood Of the Most High.
But no expression IN the Old
Testament can equal In tenderness tho
thought Of God which Jesus gave His dis
Father and His Father. OF their God and
HIS God. Look away from Christ and God
becomes an innexible sovereign. Look
through Christ and He becomes a merci-
full Father. Look away from Christ and
He becomes an unapproachable majesty.
Look through Christ and He becomes a
tender refuge Look away from Christ
and He becomes an unyielding Judge.
Look through Christ and He becomes
an almighty friend. Look away from
Christ and He becomes q consuming fire.
Look through Christ and He becomes con-
Stunning love. Out OF Christ . terror. In
Christ . Joy and q salvation. Let Jesus
be the alphabet out OF which We shall
frame glorious sentences concerning the
long-suffering and tender mercy Of our
God. Let Jesus be window through which
we shall see the harmonious perfection Of
the Lord Of Hosts.
Christ Unfolds Man.
Without Jesus we cannot understand
man. He seems to US like splendid ruin.
His first thought evil. His first habits
bad. Rebellion In his heart. bla.phemv nn
his tongue. sin his distinguishing char
acteristic A splendid ruin. Traces Of no.
billy under stains Of pollution. forms OF
dignity under desacements diabolical. cap
italed columns overgrowu with poisonous
ivy We see what he may have been and
how he has thrown II all away. Power
for good unutilized- Even the desire to
regain his vanished glory inopera-
tive. Ambition become ashes We open
this book again. We read to such an one
the pen-portrait Of Jesus. Why that new
light In His eyes, Why that new hone in
His soul' Why that struggle against the
tolls OF habit? Why that earnestness to-
ward better life Why that sudden as
sumption and exercise of power Out OF
mar written word about Jesus the man,
Jesus the Lord has spoken 10 Him. II has
been the utterance OF hu, one word. Come!
What. with all his sin2 Yes With an
bis pollution? Yes. In all his weakness,
Yes Even while ne Is haif-irresoIufe?
Yes. Come, Come Why does the per-
spiratson start upon his foreheade why do
his tottering limbs straighten and the
blood MI the arteries with a new life,
Why does he kneel before tina. cross and
cry. God be merciful and then rise and.
IN Gvfne strength thar he has never felt
BEFORE. say. can do all thfnrs- Because
ne has seen ard heard the Christ Re-
cause the vision OF the only perfect one
has taught him the purity from which he
has fallen and TO which he may be re-
~ ~
him onward and promised su.ic.ent grace
for the Journey day by day The vision
ana the voice, The vision impossible
or attainment without the encourag-
Ing voice. The voice only a mock
cry 20 the sespairing soul. without
the vision 10 give form 10 the ionginrs
which the voice hss awakened. The vision
ard the voice, The vision OF a per.ecf
man. The voice Of rescainx Savior. Be
hold, Come.
Now look at the redeemed man. and YOU
hesfa ia understand him His latent DOW
ers In all their nagnlfcence rise 70 claim
their heritage. The world and its allure
ments become vsntties not worth the e.
FORT LIE grows into q hound,ess thing
having Its reo.ass ard culture here bu.
It's fuil Towering above, Pain loses It's ar
CuisA IN the thought OF It's concealed bless
ing. Fire burns rot so much as pnrtffes
II Srinfife srfrss ffs nieEshare through
ths heart and swings It's pruning knife
among the branches ouiv 20 Increase ;hs
vintage Bereavement casts OF It's black
crWi anH sfar rs fhr shfmtrr face o. l.
ss;isi recognition. Death f. no longer a
grim harvester. with a u1erciiess sickle.
tut sable porter. with his hard upca
the dcOr-istch OF heaven. Who has laugh,
man this fun comprehension Of hsriseif7
Cnris,. The Goldman. who became Himself
Ghat Nhich lie helps every sae 70 ce.
Without Chrtss we cannot understand