The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-09

BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.
1t used to be the fashion to try t.
explain everything about Christianity
The wisest men have got over that
since they find themselves living in 6
maze OF simple phenomena that are
has to say, ST don't know" as otter
as the theologian. He gravely admits
that he does not know what life is
nor matter or air or light or cleo
tricity% He says man has a mind and
a brain, but he cannot tell you what
the former really is Man is spirll
and a body, admits the scientist; but
he gives up. or guesses wildly, when
asked to define the spirit.
If man is mystery how much
more SO Godi Here the Sunday
schools of the world are brought face
to face with the impenetrable mys-
explicabIe and supernatural truth in
ali the realm OF religion. What may
be said in answer to eager, puzzhng
questions upon this profound mys-
terry? Assuredfy not the cheap and
easy answers OF unthinking emotion
aIists who glibly profess to have mas
tered teh secrets of the Godhead.
Moving softly and reverently, and
admitting all the way that our
knowledge is very human and our
theme altogether infinite, we may at
least grasp some of the elementary
considerations involved in any study
of this miracle of the descent of the
holy spirit upon the infant Christian
church at Pentecost. Always. too, 1t
is to be borne in mind that some
things which may not be explained
may yet be experienced The holy
spirit may not be defined Intellectual
", but he may be known experiment
ally
The Orphaned Band.
When the little company of or
phaned disciples stood gazing up
toward the cloud which had received
their master it verify seemed as If the
whole vast scheme of things had tot
tered and fallen. All their hopes had
come to naught- They were only
small band of laundering Galileans'
untutored provincials. 1t was. hu-
manly speaking, impossible for them
10 carry on the work OF Jesus 80
there had to be somebody to take the
place of the assembled leader. The
situation absolutely required this.
Somebody must come to be at the
head of the new church.
That somebody, the case required,
had to be everything that Jesus had
been. This was a seemingly impos-
sible condition. The basis OF the dis
cfple's faith was that no other man
existed, or ever had existed. like unto
their Lord. Yet his successor must De
his Alter Ego And such one had
been promised by Jesus; in phrases
not vet clear to his friends. There
was to come a new leader who would
be the other self of Jesus, standing IN
his stead and filling all his offices.
One last instruction had been laid
upon the bereayed and nystified
band; they were to await for that
somebody's arrival More important
than the telling of their story, or the
organization Of the church. was the
necessity for waiting for this coming
one Evidently, in the mind of Jesus
the advent of this somebody, whose
coming justified his going, was all
important. And the event proved
the church.
Oneness and Waves.
That Somebody's arrival was spec
tacular, mysterious, mighty The
friends of Jesus had been waiting, &C
cording to instructions, in one mind
is beginning to get a glimmering of
conception of the power of ether
waves, and thought-waves, and spirit
ual forces, the power of concerted,
trary to nature. Enough to recall that
1t was when the disciples were all
with one accord in one pdace" that the
wonder occurred.
came a rushing torrent of sound, like
a mighty wind. Scared, and wonder
ing. the disciples had scarcely time to
realize this Force which filed all the
stranger sign appeared; for distributed
above the head of each appeared
ouivering tongue of flame. That I'M
precedented symbol was followed by
an equally strange experience. Thrilled
and filled to ecstasy by this new Pow
er, the humble Galileans found their
tongues loosed in new speech, and they
spoke with other languages than their
own.
We thumb the books in vain for
any precedent to this. The phenom-
enon is banning, veritable miracle.
That day marked the advent of a new
men, and to loose powers hitherto I'M
suspected. He is the only explanation
of subsequent phenomena equally won
derful. Some commentators try to ex-
plain away these strange events at
Pentecost, because they are outside the
pale OF their experience. Similarly, a
traveller recently wrote a plain, care
full narrative of extraordinary spiritual
manifestations which he had witnessed
in India. Other eye witnesses, like
DR.. Charles Cuthbert Hall, had testi-
fed to exactly the same proceedings;
but the editor OF a religious paper
challenged the whole report, because,
forsooth, he had never seen 1t on this
wise himself! The self assured COM
placency with which we ignore or dis
credit everything outside of our own
meagre experience is a sign of in
herent smallneSs and provincialism:
there are more things in heaven and
earth than any man has ever dreamed
of. Tt is no evidence of intellectual
superiority. but rather of Intolerance.
to fail to accept accredited witness of
even improbable phenomena. What is
the skeptie to say concerning the re-
cent revival in wales, or the present
REVEALS in India, Korea and Man
churia, with expressions rivaling those
of Pentecost?