The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1910-08-05

lty, int it is something which every
one can appreciate. This is the pow
er of the universal language like
music or art, everybody of every age,
and of every nation understands.
Now Christianity appeals to this
common humanity because it is
founded upon the great fact of a com
mon need. Human nature says a re-
cent writer, moves out toward Cod"
This is true, because as soOn as hui
man nature begins to wonder about
things, there is a demand for satisfac-
ton concerning the mysteries. AS
soon as a man begins to appreciate
the fact of Gods existence, he begins
to know that God is good. and he be-
gins to have a sense of siI. As soon
as he becomes conscious o. sin he is
anxious to obtain pardon; therefore.
it is that Christianity which meets
the nan with an answer to all his
questions about God, and with for
g:reness for his sin and pardon for
his w~rongdoing, and reconciliation to
God satisfies his inmost being.
Christianity, then, is the perma-
nent nswer to a permanent need,
that is the Saviour's estimate OF it.
BIT n asks. if that is the case, why
is it not universally accepted? Jesus
Himself tells us, because it makes its
appeal to | re heart, and not the intel
lect; which means that it appeals to
the whole personality of our sane,
calm and serene manhood, and not
to the intellect of the emotions alone.
Jesus offered His gospel to the
Scribes and Pharisees, and it was re-
jected; the wise and prudent" were
offended by it. HE found His dis
ciples among men who had neither
been tempted by wealth nor corrupt
ed by poverty, men who could pray
"Give us this day our daily bread"
with earnestness because their daily
bread depended upon their daily toll;
men of no great learning, but practi.
cal, commonsense, hard-headed mer
of the world, and let us remember
Jesus gives thanks that it is so. He
does not accept it as one of the condi-
tions of His work and make excuses
for it, but says hat it is the strength
and power of His message that it
makes it's appeal to the average man
with his average intelligence, and
average human wants." and not phi
marily to the scholars of the day.
Let us eve forget that great fact,
which is fundamental to the success
of Christianity, that it is a message
and not al argument, and if a man
shall ask. How do I know the mes
sage to be from God? the answer is,
the message contains the proof of it's
own truth. 1t proves itself to be true
when it has satisfied my need. The
father gives bread to the child and
says take and cat. The child may
question the value of the food, and
yet he has faith enough to eat, and
after he has eaten there is no room
for argument, for his hunger is salts
fed. The Father in heaven has done
the same thing. He has seen the hun
ger of the world and He has said,
Take and eat. If the child has faith
enough to accept the bread of the
world, there is afterward no room for
argument, for his hunger is satisfied,
and a new vigor and power have
come into his life. 1t is only the
wise and prudent" who refrain from
eating the bread of life which Christ
offers, and because of their refusal
are still wondering over the great
problems of sin and sorrow and death,
and are not satisfied because they get
no answer.