The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-06-21
Thoughts On the Tonic.

The teaching and spirit Of Jesus the
Messiah were in marked contrast with
that exhibited by the religious teachers
Of His day. Time and time again this
difference IS brought out: "Ye have
heard that it hath been said by them of
old time" Put I say unto you" Al
lowing as we may for the earlier times
OF this ignorance" at Ehich God
w1nked." yet we must conclude thar
something other than intellectual dark
ness caused the great difference between
the religious leaders Of the day and
Himself
Humility is an eminentiy practical
thing The whole teaching OF our Lord
and all the virtues which He showed
are invaluable as describing and illus
trating the life that Is in perfect har-
meny with tie Father. Long ago the
theory was exploded that faith and
works may be divorced. and that the
spirit of q life can be separated from
the life itself One link IN the chain
OF Christian virtues cannot be broken
without rendering vaiueless the whole
chain
Humility is the foundation stone
On it is reared the whole superstructuTe
OF a strong, systematieai Christian life
When Christ uttered the Beatftudes He
promulgated the principles OF citizenship
in the heavenly kingdom, and He placed
humility, poverty Of spirit. at the very
beginning Blessed are the poor IN
spirit, for theirs IS the kingdom of
heaven" This was radically different
f-cm what the world and the hypocrit-
zeal religious teachers accepted. They
taught that happiness and bIessedness
depend upon what we have-riches,
honor. and pleasure. Christ taught that
they depend upon what We are-one's
right relation TO God, at the basis IF
which is humility.
Eu-The teacher must carry out his
Own teaching in his life. Here vas the
great difficulty with the Scribes and
Pharisees-they said, but did not. Il
wise man learns even from his enemies.
and he recognizes truth and wisdom
when uttered by & fool But the one
who would successfully train another
must strive to nave his example consis-
tent with his pTecept. Whenever there
is a discrepancy. the teaching Is for
gotten and the example becomes the
directing force.
The wise nan Of today has said.
What you do speaks so loudly I cannot
hear what you say" and the correctness
Of this principle everyone readily
grants.
W-Practical humility readily pro-
claims itself
Isl II has correct standard for COM
parison- Il has nothing C. itself TO
boast Of Instead Of becoming pulled up
and proud by reason Of Soma excellence
OF gift or superiority, It sees rather
how much it lacks of perfection. The
PharIsee and the publican who went to
the temple 20 pray illustrate this The
Pharisee was superior, from the human
standpoint, to the publican; he was
mere respectable and a better citizen.
But his boastfulness and false hUmil-
ity arose from wrong perspective: he
should have seen himself as God saw
him. as having sinned grievously and &c
pentedly in thought and word and deed, !
End should have compared himself With
perfcs tica as shown IN Gods revelation.
Thc- n 5gt I'D have seen how far short
he came CT the perfect law OF love and
righteousness. and instead of being
spiritually boastful he would have been /
overwhelmed with eonuit:on. His false