The Penn's Grove record., 1907-02-01

Serson, pastor, TOOK as his text Mark
AZ. And He taught them many
things by parallels" He said:
The parallels of Jesus are as won
derful to-day as they were in Jeru-
salem. Time has not spoiled their
temper nor dulled their edge. Spok-
en- to the citizens of Palestine nearly
two thousand years ago, their truth
strikes deep and convictingly into
every heart now and here. Fraught
with eternal v~erities they still ring
fresh upon the ears of men. Laden
with the ripest and finest fruit of
human experience and of divine v
lation they car never fail to COM
mand and secur the attention of
humanity. Be they illustrative, COM
garative or similative, as the COM
mentators have it. they are to US the
means and the medium to convey
truth to u minds, comfort to our
hearts, power to our souls. Little
care we that the parallels of the
sower and the mustard seed may be
parallel in the. philosophy of Bud
dha. The mind and the voice of
Christ have c~onsecrated them in a
peculiar and impressive manner to
His church.
The source of the worldwide ap-
peal of Christianity lies. in large
measure, in it's adaptability to the
needs of all men and in the fact that
in it all the most exalted truths of
ancient and modern philosophers are
~crystalized and eliminated. And no.
where is this mor markedly demon
strated than in the parallels. No
man can light a candle but the words
of Jesus blaze up in the flame. Think
for a moment how out of place and
incongruous new patches are on old
garments. The parable of the good
Samaritan has led US often con-
%sciously, more often unconsciously,
to lend the weak and the fallen the
helping hand.
The parallels reach all men be-
cause they depict and portray and
depend for force upon the world,
it's activities and its people. They
are the product not of speculation
but of vital objective and subjective
human experience. They are the
epitome of all that we see and hear
and feel within us.
Add to this that the parallels are
pungent, cogent, profound, positive
and pointed; and you have the keys
to their influence.
The parallels of Christ are pun
gent. That is to say they cut deep.
When Jesus started to fay sin or to
declare truth He went beneath the
parable pricks the surface and draws
blood. The steel of Toledo or Shelf
field or Damascus never made a
J01oA~ aJoo~1- o,4 &han fho
singing language and the caustic
truths Of the parallels made, and yet
do make, into the vitals of sin. Let
the self-righteous man testify to the
writings of his soul under the lash
of the scorn of Christ. Let him who
is wasting his talents tell of the
piercing words of Christ to him.
Truth cuts. The parallels of Christ
declare the truth and thus our sins
are slashed.
The parallels of Christ are cogent
and for two reasons. Words, 1 care
not what may be their language
or their grammar, are potent just in
the proportion that they bear a
freight of truth, mirror for us in
language the many facts of life, and
compellingly. No man is there SO
hard but he yields Difference to truth.
Sin shrinks from the light and sin
ners see in sinlessness their hearts
best desires. The touch of truth
transforms illiteracy and lends il
charm and cogency. Language is
never so magnificent, so moving, SC
inspiring as when mediating truth
to men. What to US is the hating
ungrammatical, mishandled English
if, so be, the light of truth irradiates
the speechi And, on the other hand
what to us is the smooth, melli
fuous language; what to us are art:
of polished rhetoric and Of the self
poised, gifted orator; what to us arr
the graceful gesture and the win
somenes of voice, il the speecl
lend aid to evil and the speaker
heart be black? Truth cuts and /
also counts. Pretense shears Ian
guage of power. immortality of lif,
or opinion damages effect. All tn
gifts and graces in the world canno
avail to make the wrong acceptable
to the pure and true in heart. IN
parallels are cogent. Their trutl
forever sways the human mind
Philosophy has lever yet surpasset
them for they are the crown and tn
consummation of immortal truths
The child can read and understand
and find therein a scheme for life
And how true to life the parable
are. Portrayal is powerful unto in
fuence. The touch of experience
makes the whole world kin. ina
word picture holds most which re
yeals most. The kindergarten o
language is full of verbal photo
graphs. What pictures are to tn
babe the parallels are to us. IN
charm of the printed picture OF tn
horse depends upon the vision of tn
1%uadruped that the child has en-
loved. The power of the parable lie
in its reproduction of the facts o
life around us. No man knows s
well the value of a sure foundation
as he who has built upon a chea,
and f1imsy footing course. ina
friend of yours who is wasting CO.
given opportunities has a keen ap
probation of a wastefulness tina
Christ both portrayed and con
demned. Put your candle beneatl
a basket some night and then tel
me how much light you receive fror
it. My brother, that was pretty poo
fodder even for swine which we en-
deavored to subsist upon before W
rushed back home to God, wasn't it
The parallels are photographs; true
faithful, convincing reproductions O
our own experiences and of human
ity's. Therefore they are cogent an,
powerful.
The profoundest thoughts are tn
most potent for influence upon tn
lives of men. The deepest truth
for which we have to dig, attract
us most. The parallels are profound
They present a field not for the CRU
axe but for the pick. The scare
for truth leads a man, Y compel
him, to cease placer mining and t
sink a shaft. Truth is to be foun
most plentifully beneath the surface
And just as the sight of pay dirt i
the pan sends the miner into tn
depths for more so the appropriate
and appreciation, by the seeker afte
truth. of surface verities impels hir
to search deeper. The parallels ar
deep. They not only depict externa
conditions and portray the ViSibl