The morning journal-courier., 1908-09-28

Deglns 10 Dfeak III we start TO fea-
son our way out Of despair apart from
Christian prejudice, when we reach
our highest hope and frame our loft
lest ideal, we suddenly find that we
are confronting the vision of Jesus
Christ Think Of the significance OF
this! We start to find the nature of
God, but the mind OF man can think
and speak only In its own terms. All
talk about qualities Of God that we
cannot experience in kind Is meaning
less, AS we progress in our search we
find In the nature OF Christ the quail
ties which the mind Of man can recog-
nlze but cannot transcend, Here Is
the goal OF all our seeking II this
Is so, the human mind can draw but
one conclusion. In Christ the ethical
God Is revealed, for in him Is reveal
ed the highest. God Is to be judged
by His noblest work. Thus while be-
fore this vision the impetuous and
burning heart, whispers, Lord, Lord
the colder reason pronounces, Thou
are the Christ Here then lies that
escape for which we sought. II The
nature of God Is the far pole we may
not fully reach, In the nature of
Christ we find the poe-star by which
to shape our course. Unerringly and
unwaveringly It shines, and we may
steer on and on unfalteringly,
a. Our next point Is, that In the
nature Of Christ, however, we find
something more than revelation OF
God to man. This, In any case. Is a
somewhat abstract and philosophical
conception. More important TO the
practical needs Of life Is the fact
staggering In Its signficance--that
Christ Is n revelation of man to him
self, revelation to each man of the
possibilities of his own nature. I'm
the heart of even the meanest crimin-
al, said Mr.. Haynes. lies the possible
Christ" Consider how such con-
ception transfgures the world which
moment ago seemed so sordid and
evil. Buried beneath that wretched-
ness and sin which seemed to lead
to utter despair lies that eternal spark
OF the divine nature through which
even yet man may be regenerated.
From generation to generation It pass
es on. persistent and indestructlble,
waiting the time when 1t may become
guiding flame.
But consider also the further corol-
lary-the responsibility OF man; the
duty laid upon him to realize 10 his
utmost the divine possibilities that are
in him. Mr.. Haynes would not have
had us dwell too entirely on Gods
love and forgiveness. It is sometimes
well to go back to the Old Testament
and remember that "the Lord, thy
God, is jealousGod," Jealous of his
gift Of opportunity which man so Of
ten spurns, jealous of the integrity of
the law. OF mans being and develop
ment, His wrath is but another name
for the punishment that Is wrapt up
In law breaking. The laws of God
and the teachings of Jesus are not
arbitrary commands. Jesus did not
order us to do certain things as a cap
tain orders his troops His great say
ings are the explanations of the nat
ural laws Of our being. the wisdom of
profound insight pointing out the path
10 the divinest fufllment of life. When
we do not follow IN this path
II Is not disobedience to him any more
than II Is disobedience to Isaac New
ton to jump off a precipice. It Is self
destruction through blindness to the
facts OF life, whether they be phys-
cal as in the one case or spiritual as
In the other
II we keep this truth clearly in
mind We shall understand better the
next and Nth step In following his
theology, II Jesus had given us a
code OF laws simply. or had issued
rules of conduct as to soldiers, the
duty OF man would be fulfilled simply
by blind obedience to each article and
section. The nearer he reached the
character of an automaton the nearer
he would be TO salvation. How pitt
fully narrow Is the life of the pious
man who attempts TO adopt this
plan. No, Jesus pointed the way but
we cannot follow II by note or
| by order Mere conduct Is not enough.
He cannot follow 1t save as his soul
Is illumined by that ineffable light
that was in Jesus the light that makes
| man conscious and Independent
| force In the processes of Gods pur-
pose. the light that makes of him very
| Christ In his small measure, and
grants him to partake Of the divine.
| te Ind III t,,a -
Spirit the most mysterious element,
and the hardest to express In words,
of all theology but, It's influence once
felt the surest and most vital of all.
1t Is faith in Its profoundest sense
not the faith that means acceptance
OF some dogma, but that Faith" by
which we are justified"
Thus we come from God through
Christ, to the guidance of the Holy
Spirit, or as our leader expressed II
from natural religion, through re-
vealed religion tp vital religion" The
next step in our thought Is that the
Kingdom of God is synonymous with
the Spirit dwelling in all men. Heyce
the Kingdom Is within us, but as a
possibility to be achieved Its achieve
ment Is in service, for this Is the out
ward expression Of the spirit. How
much he made Of service and how lit
tie Of the salvation of the individual!
I'VE are not Christians, he told us, IL
we s1jp at the saving of our own
souls. Christ never saved man Just
for the sake of getting him saved He
saved him for a purpose. He had a
work for him 1t was such q ringing
doctrine Of salvation as this that made
young men flock to him, There are
many ways to help on the kingdom,
he told us but none which does not
involve the sinking OF a mans own
life in some great cause for his fell
lows. | remember one great saying OF
bic fhic rapar1 yy.,rt1y M ,,Iaoa ~