The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-07

and children their parents; husbands
had loved their wives. and wives their
husbands and friend had loved friend;
but Jesus gave a new definition of love.
Ills love was as wide as the sea- its
limits were so far-hung that even an
enemy could not travel beyond its
bounds other teachers sought to regu-
late the lives of their followers by rule
and formula, but christs plan was to
purify the heart and then to leave love
to direct the footsteps
What conclusion is to be drawn from
the life the teachings and the death of
this historic figure? How shall we ac-
count for Him? Here is the greatest fact
of history; here is the One who has with
increasing power. for 1900 years. moulded
the hearts, the thoughts and the lives of
men. and He exerts more influence to-
day than ever before. what think ye of
Christie" 1t is easier to believe Him di-
vine than to explain in any other way
what he said and did and was. And
have greater faith, even than before, since
| have visited the Orient and witnessed
the successful contest which Christianity
is wag ging against the religions and philos-
ophies of the east.
| was thinking a few years ago of the
Christmas which was then approaching
and of Him in whose honor the day is
celebrated I recalled the message,
Peace on earth, good will to men" and
then my thoughts ran back to the
prophecy uttered centuries before His
birth, in which He was described sas the
Prince of Peace. have thought of this
prophecy many times during the last few
years. and | have selected this theme
that I might present some of the reasons
which lead me to believe that Christ has
fully earned the right to be called The
Prince of Peace-a title that will in the
years TO come be more and more applied
to Him. If He can bring peace to each
individual heart, and if His creed when
applied will bring peace throughout the
EARTH who will deny His right to be
called the Prince of Peace?
All the world is in search of peace;
every heart that ever beat has sought FOR
peace, and many have been the methods
employed to secure it. Some have thought
to purchase it with riches and have la
bored to secure wealth, hoping to find
peace whether they were able to go where
they pleased and buy what they liked. OF
those who have endeavored' to purchase
peace with money the large majority
have failed to secure the money. But
what has been the experience of those
who have been eminenty successful in
finance? They all tell the same story,
viz, that they spent the first half of
their lives trying to get money from
others and the last half trying to keep
others from getting their money. and that
they found peace in neither half Some
have reached the point where they find
difficulty in getting people to accept their
money; and | know of no better indica-
ton of the ethical awakening in this
country than the increasing tendency to
scrutinize the methods of money making
/ am sanguine enough to believe that the
time will yet come when respectabiilty
will no longer be sold to great criminals
by helping them to spend their ill-gotten
gains. A long step in advance will have
been taken when religious, educational
and charitable institutions refuse to con-
done constituencies methods in business
cumulatons to learn how lonely life Is
when one prefers money to morals.
Some have sought peace in social dis
,tinction, but whether they have been
within the charmed circle and fearful lest
they might fall out, or outside, and hope
full that they might get In they have not
found peace, Some have thought. vain
thought. to find peace in political proml-
nence; but whether Office comes by birth,
as In monarchies, or by election. as
In republics. 1t does not bring peace An
office is not considered high one If all
can occupy It. Only when few In gen
GRAFTON can hope to enjoy an honor do
we call it a great honor. I am glad that
our Heavenly Father did not make the
peace of the human heart to depend upon
our ability to buy it with money, secure
it in society. or win II at the polls for
in either case but few could have obtained
it, but when He made peace the reward
of a conscience void of olfense toward
God and man, He put it within the reach
of all. The poor can secure it as easily
as the rich, the social outcasts as freely
as the leader of society. and the humblest
citizen equally with those who WELD po-
litical power.
And immortality Who will estimate
the peace which belief in a future life
has brought to the sorrowing hearts of
the sons of men? You may talk to the
young about death ending all, for life is
full and hope is strong, but preach not
this doctrine to the mother who stands
by the death bed of her babe or to one
who is within the shadow of a great af-
Fiction. When | was a young man L
wrote to Colonel Ingersoll and asked him
for his views on God and immortality.
His secretary answered that the great
inhdel was not at home, but inclosed a
copy of a speech of Colonel Ingersoll' $
which covered my question. | scanned it
with eagerness and found that he had
expressed himself about as follows: Il do
not say that there is no God. | simply
say | do not know. ] do not say that
there Is no life beyond the grave. l sim
ply say I do not know And from that
day TO this | have asked myself the
question and have been unable to answer
II to my own satisfaction. how could any
one find pleasure in taking from human
heart a living faith and substituting
therefor the cold and cheerless doctrine,
Il do not know"
Christ gave MS proof of his immortality
and 1t was welcome assurance al
though it would hardly seem necessary