Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-08-28


We know not, and vet the progress of
the race and the civilization which
we now behold are the work of men
and women who have not solved the
! mystery Of their owa lives.
And our food-must we understand
it before we eat it? If we refused to
eat anything until we could under.
stand the mystery of Its growth. we
would die of starvation. But mystery
does not bother us In the dining room
Only in the church Is 1t an obstacle.
1 was eating piece of watermelon
some months ago and was struck with
Its beauty. l took some of the seed
and dried them and weighed them and
found that It would require some five
thousand seed to weigh pound. And
then applied mathematics to that
forty pound melon. One of these
seeds put into the ground when warmed
by the sun and moistened by the rain
goes to work. 1t gathers from some
where two hundred thousand times Its
own weight and forcing this raw ma.
terial through tiny stem. constructs
watermelon. 1t covers the outside
with a coating Of green, inside of the
green 1t puts layer Of white, and
within the white core of red. and all
through the red 1t scatters seeds. each
one capable OF continuing the work Of
reproduction. Where did that little
seed get Its tremendous power? Where
did 1t find Its coloring matter? How
did 1t collect Its favoring extract?
How did 1t build watermelon! I'm
til you can explain a watermelon do
not be too sure that you can set limits
to the power Of the Almighty or say just.
what he would do or how he would do
1t. l cannot explain the watermelon.
but eat 1t and enjoy it.
Power That Is Infinite and Divine.
Everything that grows tells like
story of Infinite power. Why should
| deny that a divine hand fed multi.
tude with few loaves and fishes
when see hundreds Of millions fed
every year by hand which converts
the seeds scattered over the field into
an abundant harvest? We know that
food can be multiplied in few
months time. Shall we deny the pow
or Of the Creator to eliminate the ele-
ment of time when we have gone SO
far In eliminating the element Of
space?
| But there Is something even more
wonderful still. the mysterious change
that takes place in the human heart
when the man begins to hate the
things he loved and to love the things
he hated, the marvellous transformation
that takes place In the man who be-
fore the change would have sacrificed
the world for his own advancement,
but who after the change would give
his life for principle and esteem it a
privilege to make sacrifice for his con-
victions. What greater miracle than
this that converts selfish, self CEN
tered human being into a center from
which good influences flow out In
every direction! And yet this miracle
has been wrought in the heart of each
one of US. or may be wrought, and we
have seen 1t wrought in the hearts of
those about us. No; living in the midst
Of mystery and miracles. shall not
allow either to deprive me Of the bene-
Ats of the Christian religion.
Some of those who question the mir
acle also question the theory Of atone
ment. They assert that 1t does not ac-
cord with their idea of justice for one
to die for others. Let each one bear
his own sins and the punishments due
for them. they say. The doctrine Of
vicarious suffering is not new one.
1t is as old as the race. That one
should suffer for others Is one Of the
most familiar Of principles, and we see
the principle illustrated every day Of
our lives.
l find proof that man was made in
the image of his Creator in the fact
that throughout the centuries man has
been willing to die that blessings de-
MED to him might be enjoyed by his
children. his children's children and the
world.
The seeming paradox, "He that saw
eth his life shall lose 1t, and he that
loseth his life for my sake shall find
It," has an application wider than that
| usually given to 1t. 1t Is an epitome of
history. Those who live only for them
selves live little lives but those who
give themselves for the advancement
Of things greater than themselves find
larger life than the one surrendered.
Instead Of being an unnatural plan,
the plan of salvation is In perfect har-
mony with human nature as we under
stand 1t. Sacrifice Is the language of
love, and Christ in suffering for the.
world adopted the only means of
reaching the heart, and this can be
demonstrated not only by theory, but
by experience, for the story OF his life,
his teachings, his sufferings and his
death has been translated Into every
language. and everywhere It has touch.
ed the heart.
But If were going to present an ar
gument in favor of the divinity of
Christ would not begin with mira
cles or mystery or theory of atone
ment. would begin with the fact
that Christ lived. Christ presents an
example of purity in thought and life,
and man, conscious Of his own imper-
fections and grieved over his short
comings, finds inspiration in one who
was tempted in all points just as we
are and yet was without sin.
Christ as an Example Of Humility.
Humility is rare virtue If one Is
rich he is apt to be proud OF his riches.
II he has distinguished ancestry he Is
apt to be proud of his lineage. If he is
| well educated he Is mt to he nroild of