The Penn's Grove record., 1908-07-10

Arise And this fullness OF love
found its browning proof and glory in
the cross; so that, when you speak of
great love, you naturally point to
Calvary.
Now all these and many 5ther qua1a
tiles were united in Christ. .Othef
men have been great because Of some
n rare quality of personality; Jesus
possessed them all. Therefore, He
has never ceased to interest the world.
From the day He returned after the
soul-struggle in the wilderness to the
banks of Jordan until He died on Cal.
vary, He lived without seeking it in
the public eye. After His death, in
stead OF forgetting Him, men became
more Interested In. Him. The eyes Of
the world have never ceased to look
upon Him. Theologies have. come
and gone; the church has had its ups
and downs. but Jesus is always the
centre of interest. There stand on
my library shelf two large volumes
fresh from the press. They are a
dictionary of Jesus, what He said and
did. And they-happen to stand along:
side of a volume on "Jesus Christ and
the Social Question" 1t suggests the
unfailing interest of thoughtful man
in Jesus. They are never satisfied
with what has been said and written
regarding Him. There will be other
dictionaries, other lives of Christ, in
the coming years. And when great
social problems are discussed. the
question of the home, of work and
wages, of capital AMI labor, of human
brotherhood, men will turn as they
do now to the Gospels to study afresi
what Jesus said. Let there be dis
covered the merest fragment of some
ancient manuscript containing in mu-
tilated form some saying of Jesus and
the news of the discovery Is tele.
graphed around the world, and the
fragment becomes priceless. How are
we to explain this undying interest
in Jesus? Not in any of the outward
circumstances or conditions of His
life. How limited and meager 1t was!
A life of poverty; a brief life; begin.
ming in a manager, ending on a cross.
A life outside the circles of Libraries
and great thinkers, outside the circles
of wealth and social position. The
secret of its unique command upon
the interest of men is given in the
text: 1T pleased the Father that in
Him should all fullness dwell"
The hope of the world is in Him.
To Him we bring our burdens and
p~erplexities. To Him we come for
comfort and strength. To be in vital
relation to Him is our highest privi-
lege. Having Him as our personal
Lord and Master we have life's high
est prize. He is Gods richest gift to
the world. He is the clearest inter-
probation to humanity of the infinite
wealth of love and wisdom and power
of God. The divine heart beats in the
bosom of Jesus; the divine voice
speaks through His lips; the divine
help is given through His service; the
divine life is impaired through fell
lowship with Him.
The leadership of the world be-
longs to Jesus. The fullness of God
dwells in Him to accomplish the eter-
nal purpose of God; the establishment
of the kingdom of love in human
hearts. He has been equipped for the
service of leadership. To Him has
been given fullness of vision that He
may see the way; fullness of power
that He may overcome every obstacle;
fullness of love that He may win men
and make them follow Him. He who
died on the cross will occupy the
throne; the despised and rejected of
men will receive universal praise and
love. To hasten the day when all
shall know Him, when the eternal
purpose of redeeming love shall be
fulfilled in the kingdom of Christ is
our supreme duty. To that work
we should consecrate our lives. 1t
should kindle our enthusiasm. Jesus
should be supreme in our thought
and speech, our affection and devo-
ton. May He be our leader! May
we gladly, enthusiastically follow
Him.