The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-03-24
INTERNATIONAL S. S. LESSON.
Review: March rs, 1900.
Studies in the Life Of Jesus.


A thousand miles UP the Nile. at Abu
simbel. sit those four colossal statues
carved out OF inountaln-side with In
finite toll. Thousands OF tons OF living
rock have thus been wrought into hui
man form by workmen dead and for
gotten for mlllennlums, with n fixed
and fatal look. which is appalling, those
faces, most perfect ever produced by
Egyptian art, peer across the sands Of
old hushed Egypt" A Greek sister to
these strong Egyptian solossl once
stood under the roof of the Parthenon.
1t was Phidias' masterpiece, the statue
OF Pallas Athene. Il lowered forty
feet, was wrought out OF ivory and gold,
and had blazing Jewels for eyes. The
face is described as beautiful and Sc
rene, worthy of the serious goddess of
wisdom. Thus 1t would be possible to
go from one nation to another Of anti
guilty, and describe statue typical of
Its art ana thought. But when this
should be done. samples only would be
given Of that incalculabie multitude Of
images with which genius and indomi-
table patience fairly peopled the old
world OF the Far East. There they are
in fresco, mosaic, bas-relief, effigies
colossal and minute. grand and grotes-
que. But 1t is ignorance only that
laughs at the sphinxes winged bulls,
pinioned lions hawkheaded men, and
many-breasted women that MI the ruins
of palace and temple. This was the
striving Of the heather mind to express
It's ideal OF the Deity. The patient
scholarship Of to-day has put the key
Of ancient mythology in our hands, and
we can recognize everywhere the sym
bols OF the attributes, powers. and
deeds of the Deity. In spite Of all the
boldness az It's striving, however, its
earnestness and the lnfnlteness of its
patience, we are compelled. even in
presence O. tbs masterpieces to pro-
pounce that word "failure;" for no
image craven by art or mans device
can show forth God. The material can
never satisfactorily interpret to US the
spiritual: but this Unsuitable desire of
the human soul to have or make some
manifestation Of the Deity-a desire
which expressed itself in infinite and
painful. nut unsuccessful, strivinE-at
length had It's satisfaction; not in a
chIseled colossus; not in an image Of
ivory and gold; not in cold and breath
less marble; but in u throbblng, loving
human heart.
ST. John may well be called the apos-
tie Of the incarnation. AS in the writ
lngs OF st. Paul the doctrine Of justii-
cation by faith is pre-emlnent, and in
the EpIstle of James the Just the genu-
ineness of faith certified by good works
is conspicuous, so the chief teaching of
John is that the Lord was made flesh.
John lays it down as the infallible test
Of n teachers soundness that he shall
confess that Jesus Christ hath come in
the flesh. II is test of the believer as
well. whatsoever believeth that Jesus
is the Christ is born Of God" The In
carnation is presumably true. The low
ing Father will satisfy the aspiration
of his children for a manifestation Of
himself. That manifestation will occur
at the earliest possible date in the his
tory Of the race, when humanity is able
to avail itself Of 1t to the best advan-
tage. No form better suited to accom-
plIsh the end desired can be imagined
thar that which is taken. The Man
Christ Jesus exemplihed the moral quail
Ities which are ESSENTIAL to the highest
type OF manhood. Assuming that Jesus
was an honest and competent Witness,
we have in his own declarations the
evidence Of the reality Of the incarna-
ton. He that hath seen me hath seen
the Father" Jesus answered, and
said unto him, II man love me. he will
keep my words: and my Father will
love him. and we will cnme unto him,
and make cur abode with him." My
Father worketh, and work" That all
should honor the Son. even as they
honor the Father" Before Abraham
was I am" 81 am that Bread OF Life
which came down from heaven"
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