The Washington times., 1901-08-26
THE PROBLEMS OF CHRIST.
The Views of Rev. j. X. Day G on
the Great Teacher.
The Masters Consistency, Power of
Leadership. Character, and Origi-
nnIity stamp Him as the True
PhiIosopher-Thc Foremost Guide.


A stranger clergyman again filled the
pulpit of the New York Avenue Presby
terrain Church, in the absence of the pas
tor. DIR. Wallace Radcliffe. who is spend
ing a vacation in Europe. The Prob
lens of Christ was the subject chosen
by John r. Davies, n. D., pastor of the
Bethlehem Presbyterian Church. of Phila-
deIphia. DR.. Davies delivered an eloquent
discourse, declaring that If the future be-
longs to any teacher of philosophy known
to the world today, il hlongs to Christ,
who has exercised create influence, and
one of longer duration. than any other
teacher.
He chose for his text st. John Wits:
| Have any of the rulers or the pharisees
believed upon him.
He said in part: There are some sub
jects in which we feel very clearly the
limitations of the human mind. There is
eternity. with all the. mysterious history
of the past. and of the future yet un-
fathomed There Is space. There is God
the all wise, the infinite. yet who has
deigned to reveal himself to mankind.
''Of all the earthly problems the great
est is that of Christ and his atonement.
The first fragment / would have you con-
slider is the consistency of Christ. The
friends of the Church have ever been the
foes of the Church. The Church has never
been able to bridge the chasm between
her teachings and the conduct OF her
communicates. We are so interested in
the mote in our brothers eye that we
have no thought for the beam in our own
THE character of our Lord stands out
in greatest contrast to all this. Moses.
Notwithstanding his exsitation, because
of sin, was denied the right to reach the
promised land. Far above Moses, In the
old dispense ton, and above St. Paul, in
the new. rises Jesus Christ, living IN the
very centre of human interest. You may
take the microscope of the sceptic, and
you never will find other than the mt word
and the proper act. When Christ said. i
am the light of the world he said this
with consistency, harmony that we do
not always recognize.
The greatest necessity for teachers
of men Is the power OF leadership. The
word of Jesus, Follow me, is most preg-
nant. 1t was not said to the few fisher
men of GaIilee. alone. but to all the world
and all the ages, bidding them to follow
his leadership. DR. Johnson was once
told that he was the most apostolic of
men. Replied he, 4 revere the Apostles
as inspired men, but my will is not to
follow them, but to be like Christ
There is one pathetic thing about hui
man leadership. 1t cannot continue after
death. But Jesus Christ as a leader. is
the same today, yesterday, and evermore
He is leading the world forever upward,
onward. II the future belongs to any
teacher known today to mankind. one
does deny that ii belongs to Jesus Christ,
who has led the world nor nineteen cen
turtles.
Originality is one of the rarest gifts
given to man. No matter how skilIful
the hand, or imaginative the mind, their
work belongs largely to the past. Jesus
Christ arises apart from all this. solitary
and unique. He was born in Semitic sur
roundings, but he belongs alone no more
In spite of Jewish prejudces. Roman big
otry. Grecian excIusiveness, Christ made
his appeal to all the world, and hts teach
inBS make their way everywhere. The
incarnation, one suffering for all; the res
direction. one living for all: the asceu-
sion, one saved for all. is something orig
inal in thought that could not then be
understood.
The glory of Jesus abounds. The
word Of Christ. 1t is one of the ;slories
of Christ. Paul Indicted the art OF his
time, but Christianity knocked at the ar
fist door and transformation occurred.
Artists began to paint the scenes of the
testament. And IL art has done anything
for Christianity, it is one of the glories
of Christ.
Il do not ask that you accept the word
of God, that you accept the creed of the
Come to the feet of Christ as child and
let him teach Won