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The Commoner.
10
VOLUME 8, NUMBER 42
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TUB PRINCE OP PEACE!
through substances which wore sup
posed, until recently, to exclude all
light. Tho miracle is not more mys
terious than many of the things with
which man now deals it Is simply
different. Tho lininwculato concep
tion is not more mysterious than any
othor conception it is simply un
like; "nor is tho resurrection of
Christ more mysterious than tho
myriad resurrections which mark
oacli annual seed-time.
It is sometimes said that God
could not suspend ono of His laws
without stopping tho universe, but
do wo not suspend or overcome tho
law of gravitation every day? Every
time wo move a foot or lift a' weight,
wo temporarily intorforo with tho
operation of the most universal of
natural laws, and yet tho world is
not disturbed.
Science has taught us so many
things that we are tempted to. con
clude that wo know everything, but
there is really a great unknown
which is still unexplored and that
which we havo learned ought to in
crease our reverence rather than our
egotism. Sclenco has disclosed some
of tho machinery of tho universe, but
science has not yet revealed to us
tho great secret the secret of life.
It is to ho found in every blado of
grass, in every insect, in every bird
and In ovory animal, as well as In
man., six thousand years of record
ed history and yet wo know, no more
about tho secret of life than they
itnew in cue Doginnlng-. We live,
plan; wo havo our hones, our
power of tho Creator to eliminate . only means of reaching the heart,
wo
fears; and yet in a moment a change
may come over any one of us and
this body will becoma a mass of life
less clay. What is it that, having,
wo livo and, having, not, wo are as
tho clod? We know not and yet the
progress of the race and the civiliza
tion, which wo now behold are1 tho
work ojf men and women who "have"
not solved the mystery of their own
lives.
And our food, must we understand
It before wo eat it.' If we1 refused
to eat anything until we could under
stand tho mystery of its growth, we
would die of starvation. But mys
tery does not boiher us in the dining,
room; it is only in the church fhnf
it is an obstacle.
I was eating a piece of watermelon
somo months ago and was struck
with its beauty. I t ok some of the
seed and dried them and weighed
mem, ana rounu that it would re
quire some five thousand seed to
weigh a pound. And then I applied
mathematics to that forty-pound mel
on. One of these seeds, put Into the
ground, when warmed by the sun
and moistened by tho rain, goes to
work; it gathers from somewhere
two hundred thousand times its own
weight and, forcing this raw material
through a tiny stem, constructs a
watermelon. It covers the outside
with a coating of green; inside of
the green it puts a layer of white,
uuu wiuun me white a core of rod,
and all through the red It scatters
seeds, each one capable of continu
ing the work of reproduction. Where
did that little seed gets its tremen
dous power? Where did it find its
coloring matter? How did it collect
its flavoring extract? How did it
build a watermelon? Until you can
explain a watermelon, do not be too
sure that you can set limits to tho
power of the Almighty or say just
what He would do or how Ho would
do it. I can not explain the water
melon, but I eat it and enjoy it.
Everything that grows tolls a like
story of infinite power. Why should
I deny that a divine hand fed a mul
titude with a few loaves and fishes
when I see hundreds of" millions fed
every year by a hand which converts
' the seeds scattered over the field Into
. an abundant harvest? We know that
food can bo multiplied in a few
jnonths' time; shall wo deny the
tho elomont of time, when wo havo
gono so far in eliminating tho ele
ment of space?
But there Is something even more
wonderful still tho mysterious
change that takes place in the hu
man heart when the man begins to
hate tho things he loved and to love
tho things he hated the marvelous
transformation that takes place in
tho man who, before me change,
would have sacrificed the world for
his own advancement, but who, after
the change, would give his life for
a principh and esteem it a privilege
to make sacrifice for his convictions.
What greater miracle than this, that
converts a selfish, selfcenterod hu
man being into a center from which
good influences flow out in every di
rection! And yet this miracle has
been wrought in the heart of each
one of us or may be wrought and
wo have seen it wrought In the
hearts of thoso about us. No, liv
ing in the midst of mystery and mir
acles, I shall not allow either to de
prive mo of the nenefits of the Chris
tion religion.
Some of those who question the
miracle also question the theory of
atonement; they assert that it does
not accord with their idea of justice
for one to die for others. Let each
ono bear his own sins and the pun
ishments due for them, they say.
The doctrine of vicarious suffering
is not a new one; it is as old as the
race. That one should suffer for
others is c0' of the most familiar
principles and we see the principle
illustrated evory day of our lives.
Take the family, for instance; from
the day the mother's first child is
born, for twenty-five" or thirty years
thoy are scarcely out of her waking
thoughts. She sacrifices for them,
she surrenders' herself to them. " Is
it 'because she expects them tq pay
her hack? Fortunate for-the parent
and fortunate for the child If the
latter has. an opportunity to repay
and this can be demonstrated not
only by theory, but by experience,
for the story of His life, His teach
ings, His sufferings and. His death
has been translated into every lan
guage and everywhere it has touched
tho heart.
But If I were going to present an
argument in favor of the divinity of
Christ, I would not begin with mir
acles or mystery or theory of atone
ment. I would begin as Carnegie
Simpson begins in his book entitled,
"The Fact of Christ." Commencing
with the fact that Christ lived, he
points out that one can. not contem
plate this undisputed fact without
feeling that in some way this fact
Is relnted to those now living. He
says that one can read of Alexander
of Caesar or of Napoleon, and not
feel that it is a1 matter of personal
concern; but that when one reads
.that Christ lived and how He died
he feels that somehow there is a
chord that stretches from that life
to his. As he studies the character
of Christ he becomes conscious of
certain virtues which stand out in
hold relief purity, humilitv, a for
giving spirit and an unfathomable
love. The author is correct. Christ
presents an example of purity in
thought and life, and man, conscious-
of his own imperfections and grieved
over his shortcomings, finds inspira
tion in One who was tempted in all
points like as we are, and yet with
out sin. I .am not sure but that we
can find just here a way of deter
mining whether ono possesses the
true spirit of a' Christian. Tf he
finds in the sinlessness of Christ an
inspiration and a stimulus to greater
effort and higher living, he is Indeed
a follower; if, on the other hand,
he resents the reproof which the
purity of Christ offers, ho is likelv
to' question the divinity of Christ in
order to. excuse "hjmself for not be
inpr a follower.
Humility is a- rare virtue If one
in part tho debt it owes. But no I ia rirh he is nnt to be nrnud of TiIk
child, can compensate a parent for riches; if he has distinguished an-
,a parent's ca-re. In the course of restry. he Is apt to he proud of his
nature the debt is paid," not to the lineage; if he Is w.ell educated, he
parent, but to the next generation, fR apt to be proud, of his learning,
each goneratloh suffering and sacri- 50me one has suggested that if one
flcing for the ono following. becomes humble he soon becomes
Nor is this confined to the family, proud of his humility. Christ, how-
Every step, in advance has boon made ever, possessed of all power, was the
possible by those who have been verv personification of humility,
willing to sacrifice for posterity. The most difficult of all the vtr-
ireeciom or speecn, rreeaom or me tus to cultivate is the forgiving
press, freedom of conscience and free
government have all been won for
the world by those who were willing
to make sacrifices for their fellows.
So well established is this doctrine
that we do not regard any one as
great unless ho recognizes how un
important his life is in comparison
with the problems with which he
deals.
I find proof that man was made in
tho image of his Creator in the fact
that, throughout the centuries, man
has been willing to die that bless
ings denied to him might bo en
joyed by his children, his children's
children and the world.
The seeming paradox: "He that
savoth his life shall lose it and he that
loseth his life for my sake shall find
It," has an application wider than
that usually given to it; it is an
epitome of history. Those who live
only for themselves live little lives,
but those who give themselves for
tho advancement of things groater
than themselves find a larger life
than the one surrendered. Wendell
Phillips gave expression to the same
idea when ho said: "How prudent
ly most men sink into nameless
graves, while now and then a few
forget themselves Into Immortality."
Instead of being an unnaturn
plan, the plan of salvation is in ner-
fect harmony with human nature as
wo understand it. Sacrifice is the
language of love, and Christ, in suf
fering for tho world, adopted the
spirit. Hevenge seems to be natural
to the. human heart; to want to ecet
even with an enemy is a common sin.
Tt bm even been popular to boast
of vindictiveness; it was once in
scribed on a monument to a hero
that he had repaid both friends and
enemies more than he had received.
This was not the spirit of Christ.
ne taucht forgiveness and in that
incomparable prayer which He left
as a model for our petitions He
mado our willingness to forgive the
measure by which we may claim for
giveness. Ho not only taught for
giveness, but He, exemnlified His
teachings In His life. When those
who porsecuted Him brought Him to
the most disgraceful of all deaths.
Hjs spirit of forgiveness rose above
His sufferings and Ho prayed. "Fath
er forgive them, for they know not
what they do!"
But love Is the foundation of
Christ's creed. The world had
known love before; paTents had
loved children and children, parents
husband had loved wife and wife
husband: and friend had loved
friend: but Jesus gave a new defini
tion of love. His love was as bo'und
less as the sea; its limits were so
far-flung that even an enemy could
not travel boyond it, Other teachers
sought to regulate tho lives of their
followers by rule and formula, but
Christ s plan was first to purify tho
heart and then to leave love to. direct
tho footsteps.
What conclusion is to be drawn
from the life, the teachings and tho
deatfi of thishlstoric figure? Reared
in a carpenter shop; with no knowl
edge of literature, save Bible liter
ature; with,' no acquaintance with
philosophers living or with the writ
ings of sages dead, this young man
gathered disciples about Him, pro
mulgated a higher code of morals
than the world had ever known be
fore, and proclaimed Himself tho
Messiah. He taught and performed
miracles for a few brief months and
then was crucified; His disciples were
scattered and many of them put to
death; His claims were disputed.
His resurrection denied and His fol
lowers persecuted, and yet from this
beginning His religion has spread
until millioiis take His name with
reverence upon their lips and thou
sands have been willing to die rather
than surrender the faith which He
put into their hearts. How shall wo
account for Him? "What think ye
of Christ?" It is easier to believe
Him divine than to explain in any
other way what He said and did and
was". And I have greater faith even
than beforo since I have visited the
Orient and witnessed the successful
contest which Christianity is wag
ing against the religions and philos
ophies of the East.
I was thinking a few years ago of
the Christmas which was then ap
proaching and' of Him in whoso honor
the day is celebrated. I recalled the
message, Peace on earth,' good will
to' men, and then my thoughts ran
hack to tho prophecy uttered cen
turies before His birth,' in which He
was described as the Prince of Peace.
To reinforce my memory I re-read
the prophecy and found immediately
following a verse which I had for
gotten a verse which declares that
of the increase of His peace and gov
ernment there shall be no end, for,
adds Isaiah, "He shall judge His peo
ple with justice and with judgment."
Thinking of the prophecy,' I have se
lected this theme that I -may present
some of the reason's which lead me
to believe that Christ has" fully
earned the title, The Prince of
Peace, and (hat in the years to come
it will be more and more applied to
Him. Faith in Him brings peace
to the heart and His teachings, when
applied, will bring peace between
man and man. And if He can bring
peace to each heart, and if His creed
will bring peace throughout the
earth, who will deny His right to be
called The Prince ot 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 they have labored
to secure wealth, hoping to find peace
when they were able to go where
they pleased and buy what they
liked. Of those who have endeav
ored to purchase peace with money,
the large majority have failed to se
cure the money. But what has been
the experience of those who have
been successful in accumulating
money? They all tell the same story
viz., that they spent the first half
of their lives trying to get money
from others and tho last half trying
to keep others ' from getting their
mopey, and that they found peace In
neither half. Some have even
reached the point where they And
difficulty In getting the people to ac
cept their money; and I know of no
better Indication of the ethical awak
ening In this country than the in
creasing tendency to scrutinize tho
methodB of money making. A long
step In advance will have been taken
when religious, educational and char
itable institutions refuse to condone
Immoral methods In business and
leave the possessor of Ul-gotten gains
to learn the loneliness of life when
one prefers money to morals.
(Continued on Page 12).