The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-01-24

on the theme THE PARALLELS of
Jesus" the Rev. Ira Wemmell Hen
derson, 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 verities they still rine
fresh upon the ears of men Laden
with the ripest and finest fruit of
human experience and of divine reve.
lation they can never fail 20 COM
mand and secure the attention OF
humanity. Be they illustrative, com.
parative or similative, as the com
mentators have it. they are to us the
means and the medium to convey
truth to our 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 consecrated them in a
peculiar and impressive manner to
His church.
The source of the worldwide APP
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 more markedly demon
strated than in the parallels. No
man can light 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
its 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
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
surface of things apparent. The
parable pricks the surface and draws
blood. The steel of Toledo or Shelf
field or Damascus never made a
deeper or a cleaner cut than the
stinging 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, 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.
ners see in sinlessness their hearts
best desires. The touch of truth
transforms illiteracy and lends It
charm and cogencys Language is
never so magnificent, so moving, so
inspiring as when mediating truth
to men. What to us IS the halting.
ungrammatical, mishandled English
If, so be, the light of truth irradiates
the speech And, on the other hand
what to US is the smooth, melli-
fluous language; what to us are arts
of polished rhetoric and of the self
poised, gifted orator; what to us are
the graceful gesture and the win
someness of voice. il the speech
lend aid to evil and the speaker :
heart be black? Truth cuts and ii
also counts. Pretense shears Ian
guage of power. immortality of life
or opinion damages effect. All the
gifts and graces in the world cannot
avail to make the wrong acceptable
20 the pure and true in heart The
parallels are cogent Their truth
forever sways the human mind
Philosophy has never yet surpassed
them for they are the crown and rho
consummation of immortal truths
The child can read and understand
and find therein a scheme for life
And how true to life the parallels
are. Portrayal is powerful unto In
fuence. The touch OF experience
makes the whole world kin. That
word picture holds most which re
yeals most. The kindergarten o.
language is full of verbal photo
graphs What pictures are TO the
babe the parallels are TO US. Tn,
charm OF the printed picture OF th'
horse depends upon the vision OF thu
quadruped that the child has en-
ioyed. 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 cheai
and fimsy footing course. Tha
friend OF yours who Is wasting Got
given opportunities has keen ap
probation of 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 froI
il. My brother. that was pretty poo
fodder even for swine which we Ell
deavored to subsist upon before W
rushed back home to God, wasn't It
The parallels are photographs; true
faithful, convincing reproductions {
our own experiences and Of human
ity's. Therefore they are cogent an
powerful.
The profoundest thoughts are tn