The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1907-02-01

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 convictinglv into
every heart now and here. Fraught
with eternal verities they still ring
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 to COM
mand and secure the attention OF
humanity. Be thew 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 10 orr
hearts, power to our souls. Little
care we that the parallels OF the
sower and the mustard seed NAV be
parallel in the philosophy of Bud
dha. The mind and the voice OF
Christ have consecrated them in
peculiar and impressive manner to
His church.
The source of the world wide ap-
peal of Christianity lies. in large
measure. in its adaptability TO the
needs of all men and in the fact that
! In 1t 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 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 parables 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
and pointed: and you have the keys
to their influence.
The parables 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
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 slashe0.
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
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 1t
charm and cogency. Language is
never so magnificent, so moving, so
inspiring as when mediating truth
to men. What 10 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 10 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, If thG speech
lend aid TO evil and the speakers
heart be black? Truth cuts and 1t
also counts. Pretense srears Ian
guage of power. immortality Of life
or opinion damages effect. All the
gifts and graces in the world cannot
avail 10 make the wrong acceptable
TO 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 the
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-
veals most. The kindergarten Of
Language is full of verbal photo
graphs. What pictures are 70 the
babe the parallels are TO us. The
charm OF the printed picture Of the
horse depends upon the vision OF the
uuadruped that the child has en-
joyed. The power OF the parable lies
in its reproduction OF the facts Of
life around US. No man knows 50
we'll the value OF a sure foundation
as he who has built upon a cheap
and flimsy footing course. That
friend OF yours who is wasting God
given opportunities has a keen ap-
probation Of a wastefulness that
Christ both portrayed and con-