The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-07-09

story tellerS. nave seen tiefn
late at night, under the village tree
OF an Indian community while wide
eyed listeners gothered round to hear
their tales Of the gods and of Indian
heroes and fairy lore. In remote
Japan | have watched the story teller
gather great throngs about him. as
with real dramatic ability he reclted
the story Of famous japanese heroes.
his companion striking in opportunity
with the music Of the samisen. So
to this ddy Christian preachers often
make their advent into an Eastern
community as tellers of d story.
Bishop Warne once told me OF a won
derful native evangelist in a MethO-
dist mission Of India. who, by follow
ing the Notwithstanding age
kept his hearers enrapt with the Bible
narrative for the larger part OF a
night. There is need to place ones
self in an oriental atmosphere to per
ceive the appropriateness and power
az Jesus method of clothing truth in
stories AS He did on his occasion,
when He talked from d boat to a null
tituda on the shore at he northern
end OF the Lake Of Gallilee.
The young preacher. fresh from
seminary. breaches rmo through
which stalk Achilles and Ulysses and
Hercules, or walk With p~hiloSOphic
mien Socrates and Plato. and Homer
twanging his Tyre. AS the young
men grow older in wisdom not learn
ed froM books. they begin to illumi-
nate their with illustrations
from the every day life about them
frou, the fields and the little Chill
dren. the ~burdened labOrer. the wire
less telegraph, the afrship, the
d,ctaEraph. They use the fashion
OF the best Teacher who knew no
other theological school than
alNn. SJ1 .r-l - liz, ~ hnr
He employed the profound principle
OF Illustration. which il rightly
used invests with deeper meaning
all the everyday environment. There
are tongues in trees. books in the
running brooks. In stones,
and good in everything AS Mrs.
browning says,
And every common bush attire with
Cod"
The Peerless Parable.
The most vivid bits Of literature
which the world possesses today are
the little stories from everyday life
told two thousand years ago to
groups of open-eyed peasants by the
new Teacher from Galilee. Jesus
invested the cOmmOn and material in
cidents Of life with an uncommon
and spiritual significance. He made
the world OF ordinary things to glow
with divine truth. one Of the best
known of these parallels. as they are
called. is hat of the Sewer. Phrases
from it abound in our daily news
books we read.
A parable is both a revealing and
a cOncealine Of a truth. A little girl
once said that "a parable is an
earthly story with a heavenly mean
ing" Natural facts are made sym
bOls of spiritual truths. The orr
entail mind thinks in magery ant
is better instructed by illustration
thar by logic.
The adolf use Of a parable con
ceais certain hidden meanings that
the teacher would have unfoldeG
only to those who are fit to receive
them. OF profound significance i:
the word of. the Master. in cOnnec
tion with this parable. to his twelve
friends: Unto you is given the mys
terry Of the kingdom Of Cod: bu
unto them that are without all thing;
are o in parallels" The way t
understand the mind OF Christ is t.
live close to the heart Of Christ. 4
husband and wife may say more b.
q single glance Of the eye than ~strang
crs can tell in an hours conversation
Friendship with Christ is the road t
comprehension OF His teaching
spiritual things arc spiritually dis
cerncd." The hostile critic who read
the Bible dOes not find in it the sam
luminous truth as the devOut dis
cipie who opens its pages to lear
the will of his Master and Friend.
The Great Idea"
Among the Christians Of the L.
want runs q phrase, 1.-The great idea,
by which they mean the restoratio
OF the cross to the Mosque Of S
Sophia. which was a sixth centur
church. In their mind this syn
bOlizes the restoration Of Christian
ity' dominion on the B~osphorOu
The great idea" represents a lare
loyalty. Something of this eager
ness for the Kingdoms coming. an
in clearer comprehension. is abroa
in the earth Oday. The whole pa
sion Of many noble souls in o,
times Is for the contamination Of tn
ideal condition which is the kin
dom of heaven on earth.
This present parable was SpOk
oncarDiur tho kinvdOr To ollC