Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1904-12-14
OF UNIVERSAL SIGNIFICANCE.


OF UNIVERSAL SIGNIFICANCE.
BY Rev. p. p. Rice.
Jesus spoke of the act of Mary as he
spoke Of no other single act in all his
ministry. He sad it should be told
wherever the gospel should be preach
ed. 1t must have had. therefore, some
intimate relation to the gospel itself.
1t must have symbolized or illustrated
something of universal significance. 1t
cannot be that he would have it told
simply to extJl the woman or the sac
rifice which she made. 1t was a prin-
ciple Of his kingdom that individuals
were not to be exalted in it, and the
sacrifice which Mary made was mer-
ger by the side of that which many
others have made. These are inciden-
tai features, the heart of it all is
rather in the attitude of the woman
toward the Master The passion and
humility of her love and the abandon
of its expression are the unique feat
ures OF the scene.
1t WAS Mary of Bethany who thus
anointed the Savior. 1t was this wom-
an who, through multiplied expert
erces, had come under deep sense of
gratitude TO him. She had found in
him response to every holy aspiration
and desire and a sympathy that was
as a new life TO her. Her soul, like
the psalmist's had thirsted for God,
and, sitting at his feet, her thirst had
been satisfied. and there had sprung
up within her a sense of personal graft
tude and affection which must express
itself. What she did was criticised by
Judas, but our Lord approved it. be-
heart toward him which be desires to
see in all who would claim the bless
ings he is able to bestow. Indeed, it
is the Indispensable condition of the
besto val of every spiritual blessing.
Ono who would be q Christian must
not simply believe in him. much less
any truth or dogma about him: he
must love him, and if he would attain
Z, high degree of Christian perfection.
he must have the same passion which
characterized Mary in this act of
amounting.
The Christian life is essentially { re-
lation. 1t begins in a personal attach
ment for Christ, it proceeds in an ever
increasing love for him. and for the
Father, whom he represents and re-
veals, and it finds its consmmation
in that sense of filial relationship to-
ward God which Jesus seemed 50 per-
fectly to possess. The doctrines which
we have deduced from the Holy Scrip
lures; the dogmas which have seemed
| to us so fundamentals; the forms in
which we hlve expressed our worship,
| are all valuable only as they have
! helped us to a realization of sonship-
only as they enabled us to realize the
sublime truth of the words in which
| the Savior taught his disciples to APP
! proach God. He is a Christian in the
| fullest sense who can say, not as a
form of prayer merely, but as Express
! ing a real experience of the soul, Our
| Father, who art in heaven"
Moreover. herein lies not only the
| essence of the Christian religion. but
/ lIS power as wen. 1Hefe is uJtle IN
abstract truth to help us the conflict
with evil. Forms and commandments
| are alike impotent in the fierce battles
against sin which we are called upon
to wage.
If the unholy and unwholesome ten
| denotes of our lives are to be checked
they must be met by some deep, swell
! ing current. some absorbing passion
that sweeps us away from evil toward
| goodness-away from self toward God
1t was such a passion that Mary ex-
pressed. 1t had been begotten in her
by the contemplation of his divine
beauty in word and deed. 1t had
| been famed into flame by his gra-
cious ministries of mercy and love, and
it could not be contained Sin is pow
erless in the presence of such a pas
sion. And so faith, which is the New
Testament definition of that passion.
lis the victory which overcometh the
world"