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For the Index.
Destruction of Jerusalem. Lesson
for May 31 Luke 21:20 36
BY S. G. HILLYER.
The lesson is a part of the Sav
ior’s discourse delivered on the
Mount of Olives a few days before
his crucifixion. Jesus, as he was
leaving the temple with his disci
ples, while they were admiring
the buildings within the sacred
enclosure, said to them : “As for
these things which ye behold,
the days will come in which there
shall not be left one stone upon
another, that shall not be thrown
down.” He then went on to the
Mount of Olives with his disci
ples. There they sat down to
gether
And as they sat, the disciples
asked him concerning the things
he had spoken while looking at
the temple and its adornments.
They said;
“Master, when therefore shall
these things be? and what shall
be the sign when these things
are about to come to pass?”
Matthew reports the question
thus:
“When shall these things be?
and what shall be the sign of thy
coming (or presence) and of the
end of the world? for the con
summation of the age. ”)
The first question in the two
reports are certainly identical in
meaning. Jesus had, while yet
in the city, predicted the utter
destruction of the temple, with
its adjacent buildings. The dis
ciples were obliged to be deeply
affected by such a catastrophe as
that would be. Hence their ques
tion was natural: “Master, when
shall these things be?” It was a
question of time—pure and sim
pie—they wanted to know when
the dreadful catastrophe would
come.
The second question as given
by Luke is this: “What shall be
the sign when these things are
about to come to pass?” The
disciples wanted to know both
the time of the catastrophe, and
also the signs that should indicate
its coming.
To these questions the Savior
replied in one of his most inter
esting and extended discourses.
Luke reports only a part of it; as
far as he goes,however,he agrees
substantially with Matthew.
The Savior begins his discourse
with a warning. (Luke 21.8-19,
inclusive.) It is too long to quote.
The substance of it is, that they
should take heed lest they should
be deceived; for false Christs
would appear who should deceive
many. They should henr of
wars, of great commotions, of
earthquakes, of famines, of pes
tilences, etc. They were warned
to let none of these things trou
ble them. For these things must
needs come to pass, “but the end
is not yet.”
He then further warned them
that they themselves should suf
fer persecution. They should be
arraigned before the synagogues,
and the civil tribunals. But they
should endure all these trials
with patience. None of these oc
currences would indicate that the
great catastrophe was nigh at
hand. This brings us to the 20th
verse,in which the Savior begins
to answer the questions of the
disciples.
It is worthy of notice that he
answers the last question first
He was asked to tell the time of
the coming event, and then to give
the sign of its approach. This he
first gives them. After he had
closed the warnings above men
tioned, he gave them a sign
whose significance none could
mistake.
He said, “And when ye shall
see Jerusalem compassed with
armies then know the desolation
thereof is nigh. ”
The masses of the people did
not understand the sign. As the
army of was making its
way toward Jerusalem, many
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX.
OPTION, Pis YxAk.---.55.00. )
ITO \ STERS, 1.00.1
thousands of the Jews—perhaps
all who were able—fled to the
city as the place of safety. So
did not the Christians. Their
numbers had greatly multiplied
since the day of the Pentecost.
No doubt they had learned from
the “twelve,” the words of Jesus,
touching the impending fate of
Jerusalem, and the sign that
should suggest its near approach.
Hence they did not tarry till the
investment was actually accom
plished, but while there was yet
opportunity, with one accord,
they fled in haste, as Jesus had
advised them to do, and sought
refuge in the regions of Perea
beyond the Jordan.
The prophetic description
which Jesus gives to his disci
ples of the sign and its fearful
consequences to the Jews, and of
the signs that shouli appear in
the heavens and on earth, is sub
lime.
Having finished giving the
signs, Jesus then to an
swer the first question “When
shall these things be?”—when
shall the great catastrophe come
to Jerusalem?
The answer was not definite;
nevertheless, it assured the dis
ciples that the great event was
not remote —that it would be ac
complished in that generation.
At the time that Jesus pre
dicted the destruction of Jerusa
lem, Pontius Pilate, the procon
sul of the Roman emperor, was
ruling in peace the city of Jeru
salem and its adjacent territory.
There were, then, no political in
dications of a coming conflict
with Rome. Hence the Savior’s
words were truly prophetic. He
foresaw the approaching storm
and warned his disciples how
they should be prepared to meet
it. And he let them know that
it would come before that gener
ation had passed away.
But the Apostles had about
finished their labors and their
writings, before the destruction
of Jerusalem occurred. Hence
there is no allusion to the fulfill
ment of the prophecy in the New
Testament. We are indebted for
all we know about it to secular
history. And this is no doubt the
reason we find so much difficulty
in understanding a few sentences
in the discourse. The Savior did
employ here and there words of
imagery and metaphor of which
we might find the analogies if
we only knew all the facts.
It is, however, a great comfort
that we know enough to convince
us, that the destruction of Jeru
salem, the breaking up of the
Jewish commonwealth, and the
dispersion of its people among
the nations did not occur before
the generation, in which it was
spoken, had quite passed away.
And we know also that the great
catastrophe was preceded and ac
companied, in great measure, by
j ist such facts as Jesus describ
ed. Moreover, when Jerusalem
was rebuilt, it was rebuilt by
Gentiles, and for nearly nineteen
centuries they have trampled un
der foot the site of the ancient
city—thus fulfilling to the letter
the words of Jesus.
In view of all that has been
said, the destruction of Jerusalem,
followed by the subsequent his
tory of the Jews, stands for all
Christians as the most important
event in human history second
only to the resurrection of the
Son of God. The facts occurred
under circumstances that exclud
ed, almost entirely, the possibil
ity of Christian testimony, yet
the heathen writers have, with
out knowing it, verified the pre
dictions of Moses and ancient
prophets as well as the later and
more specific testimony of our
blessed i^ord.
The Jews to-day afford a mighty
argument in favor of revealed re
ligion. What will that argument
become when they shall at length
accept their own great Messiah
whom their fathers crucified?
Let us all fervently pray for the
conversion of Israel and for their
safe return to the land of their
fathers and to the Son of David,
their King.
563 S. Pryor st., Atlanta.
For the Index.
Buddhism as Opposed to Christianity.
MRS. M. M. PRICE.
Buddhism, a system of Morals,
was once the religion of a large
part of India; and is now profess
ed by the people of Ceylon, Siam
and Burmar, also those of
Nepal, Tibet and China. It is
exceedingly diffiult to separate
the true and false in Hindoo his
tory. They are people of gorge
ous imaginative powers—a very
mild regard for truth, and great
veneration for antiquity. Hence
their account of their wonderful
god dates too far back in the dim
past to coincide with the data ac
cepted by the rest of the world,
and even their own histories dif
fer by thousands of years; and
are obscured by many fables and
legends.
Sifted carefully the following
is the result condensed:
Buddhism was principally
founded and perfected by Sidd
hartha Gautama. He was son
and heir of a Hindoo chief of the
Sakyas—an Aryan clan seated
during the fifth century B. C.
about one hundred miles north of
Benares, and fifty miles south of
the Himalaya mountains.
Until he was twenty-nine years
old he led the usual idly luxuri
ous life of a young prince; at
which time a complete change
took place in his habits and life.
The cause of this was an in
sight into the miserable side of
life. During a ride he saw an
aged man bending with decrepi
tude, he saw a person loathsome
ly diseased, and later he saw a
decomposing corpse.
For the first time these sights
stirred his heart deeply, and he
realized the utter misery of hu
man life. His heart was so torn
with troubled thoughts that he
resolved to seclude himself from
his family and meditate until his
mind became clear, that is en
lightened—till he became Buddha.
Buddha is a title, not a name,
and it means “The Enlightened
One.”
It is said to have been broad
moonlight on the full moon in
the month of July, when the
young chief, with only one com
panion, leaving his father’s home,
his wealth and power, his wife
and child, went out into the
wilderness to become a penni
less and despised student, and a
homeless wanderer. This is
called “The Great Renuncia
tion.”
Then Mara, the evil one, tempts
him with gorgeous promises of
empire over the four great Con
tinents if he will only give up his
enterprise; but all in vain.
Adding vigil to vigil, and pen
ance to penance, he denied him
self sustenance until his physical
powers gave way and he fainted.
Upon recovering, he saw the
folly of such a course, and ever
afterwards took sufficient nour
ishment. On this account a few
followers who had gathered to
him, left him, for they ihought
him weak and wicked to break
his vow of abstinence.
But Gaulama ever after taught
that there is no merit in penance.
It was when sitting under the
sacred “Bo Tree” after an ago
nizing mental struggle with
temptation that the religious
side of his character won the
victory and he came out purified
fro n th.e conflict. His mind wa?
clear. He had become Buddha;
i. e., “The Enlightened One.”
His whole heart went out in
pity for the hopelessly doomed
and lost around him. This love
and sympathy made him resolve
to announce his doctrine to the
w T orld.
At this point it is essential to
remember that the Hindoo is a
materialist; he knows nothing of
the life-giving belief of the soul,
and of its glorious immortality.
Existence to them is an unending
series of transmigrations from
one material body to another.
Vicious lives condemn their next
existence into inferior condi
tions, even into bodies of animals,
insects and reptiles. And their
heaven—their fondest hope of
deliverance, annihilation can
never be attained so long as even
one sin has been committed
through life. Only the complte
eradication of all evil from the
heart will at last free him from
the chains of existence and carry
him to the “other side” where
he will be no longer tossed about
by the waves of the ocean of
transmigration.
What are called the “Four
Great Truths” of Buddhism are,
1. That misery always accompa
nies existence. 2. That all modes
of existence (of men or animals,
in earth and heaven) result from
passion or desire. 3. There is
no eseape from existence except
by destruction of desire. 4. That
this may be accomplished by fol
lowing the fourfold way to
Nirvana.
These four stages are called
“The Paths.” The first is an
awakening of the heart. There are
few who do not acknowledge the
fact that no man can be really
called happy. All are liable to
troubles and misfortunes; but the
majority glide through life
buoyed by hope, filling their
time with business and pleasure.
When the scales fall from their
eyes; when they realize, as ad
juncts of life, the great mystery
of sorrow, pain, and vexation of
spirit; when they turn for com
fort and guidance to the “En
lightened One,’’they may be said
to be awake and to have entered
the first stage in the Buddhist way
of salvation.
When the awakened one has
gone further and got rid, firstly,
of all impure desires; and then of
all revengeful feelings, he has
reached the second stage.
In the third he successively
becomes free (l) from all evil de
sires; (2) from ignorance; (3) from
doubt; (4) from heresy, and (5)
from unkindliness and vexation.
“As even at the risk of her own
pfe a mother watches aver her
ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY, MAY 28, 1896.
child, her only child, so let him
(the Buddhist saint) exert good
will, without measure, towards
all beings. The believer who has
gone thus far has reached the
last stage, and has escaped the
net of transmigration, and when
this one short life is over, his
reward is utter annihilation.
We have given a synopsis of
the best points in Buddhism and
have ignored the wild extrava
gances which overlie its modern
form.
And now the question arises,
What can be urged against this
system when there is much in it
that accords with Christ’s teach
ings?
The foundation of Buddhism
is Atheism. They know not God.
They are of the heathen who
have forgotten God. And
through all the ramifications of
the system runs the poisonous,
fungus growth of Meternsichosis.
The rot of it ft in their heart,
and in their agony they proclaim
existence a calamity.
God created man for his own
glory, and in a Christian family
each newly-born is welcomed as
a gift from a loving Heavenly
Father. The Buddhist knows
nothing of the soul, nor of the
comfortinginfluences of the Holy
Spirit of truth, and, unlike the
Christian, has no hope of a glori
ous immortality beyond the
grave. •
Theirs is a religicr of utter de
spair; and practically has no
heaven, for consciousness ends
forever in the grave.
It is pitiful to think of the
thousands who live and die
tangled in this web t f error. No
wonder that they in their delirium
have woven an endless chain of
fantastic and unnalural fables,
and added to, and explained
away their rules of living until
the system seems labyrith of
confusion.
In what sublime contrast stands
the simplicity of Gospel teach
ings.
“God so loved the world that
he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth on him
should not perish, b it have ever
lasting life.”
Those unhappy people have
never heard the loving appeal
from a Divine Savior: “Come
unto me all ye that labor and are
heavy laden and I will give you
rest. ”
“Come, for- lam 'he Light of
the wirld: be the* tyWoweth me
shall not walk in darkness, but
shall have the light of life.”
“And this is life eternal, that
they might know thee, the only
true God, and Jesus Christ whom
I have sent. ”
Buddhism is opposed to Chris
tianity, for though at first read
ing we might think some sweei
lessons in it would give some vi
tality, but not so; it is like the
apples of Sodom.
It is like a stately arch built on
the sand whose keystone is lack
ing. By and by it will sink
down forever.
Brethren, believe not every
spirit, but try the spirits whether
they are of God, because many
false prophets are gone out into
the world. And John the beloved
bears this testimony also:
“For many deceivers are
entered into the world who con
fess not that Jesus Christ is
come in the flesh.” This is a de
ceiver and an anti-Christ.
“Whosoever transgresseth and
abideth not in the doctrine of
Christ hath not God.
“If there come any unto you
and bring not this doctrine, re
ceive him not into your house,
neither bid him God speed.
“For he that biddeth him God
speed is partaker of his evil
deeds.”
Dahlonega, Ga.
For the index.
Some Words Concerning the Semi
nary.
BY E. C. DARGAN.
The idea in the minds of the
founders of the Seminary was to
have a theological school of high
grade, where the average man
could sit side by side with one
of more scholarly aptitudes and
both be profited. Like any other
great idea this can only be par
tially realized in any scholastic
course. Many may be incredu
lous as to whether it admits of a
degree of realization near enough
to warrant trial. This might have
been a good theoretical objection
to start with, but the experience
of thirty-five years shows that
the plan was a wise one and
could be put into successful prac
tice.
Those of us who have passed
through the regular course at
the E&minary know very well
that men of unequal advantages
at the start have often come out
nearly even on the home stretch.
We have loving memories of
good fellows who took only an
English course, perhaps studied
only a few months, and yet have
made the world hear from them.
We do not need any theorizing to
tell us that a man of good sense,
piety and earnestness, who has
had few advantages of educa
tior, can come to the Seminary
and derive great benefit fron its
English course.
I believeour brethren through
out the South understand this
thoroughly well by this time, and
what we need to do now is to
hold up the other side of the mat
ter a little.
The first point to be consid
ered is whether a man of excel
lent culture will not be held back
and annoyed by a lower standard
and range of studies than he is
fitted to carry on by being
classed with men of less school
training. This look& plausible.
But to one who has taken our
course the objection is very thin
air. I well remember the im
pression made on me by ihe ex
perience of my first week or two
at the Seminary. I had been at
school almost continuously from
childhood, and never shirked
work. I had had four years of
study at Furman University, and
supposed that my methods of
study and application before pur
sued would carry me swimmingly
along the Seminary course. The
boyish illusion was quickly dis
pelled. I found that, compara
tively speaking, I had been
mostly playing at study in
school and college. I had to get
down to haid work at the Semi
nary. Now n\ mbe sos old
students, if they r- a i this, will
say, that is just my case. The
fact is, that men of the highest
academic training, if they ar
range their studies wisely, in
ways that our flexible elective
system easily admits, can find as
much stimulus and as much act
ual hard work as they want. 1
have never heard of a man’s
complaining that he could not
find enough to do at the Semi
nary. In the English classes
such subjects are taught as are
needed by all pastors and preach
ers, as such, whether they be
highly learned or not. Now a
well prepared man can take lour
or five of these subjects where a
man of less culture could profit
ably pursue only two or three.
Thus while they study the same
things and have the same lessons,
both grades of men have enough
to do.
The other point is that in the
course of study itself the quality
of the learning required is adapt
ed to the highest order of minds.
Htre again there may be some
incredulity on the part of those
who have never actually done
our work. They may say, how
can you offer a course that will
satisfy the ambitions’of a well
educated man when you must
put it in reach of an ill educated
one ? There are several ways in
which this apparent difficulty is
met.
(1) The examinations are se
vere and real tests. The ill pre
pared man often fails. The col
lege graduate himself has been
known to do likewise. Nov- the
man who fails has my sympathy
—that is if it is not due to lazi
ness—for he often has learned
more in fact than the one who
passes, because he had so much
more to learn ! While the test
is made for the good student and
thus the standard is high, yet the
man who falls below the mark
has learned what will be of life
long benefit, even though he
does not get his diploma
(2) The Hebrew and Greek
courses and the special courses
in Theology are ample and of
sufficient inherent difficulty to
satisfy the scholarly aspirations
of any student, no matter where
he comes from. The extent and
thoroughness of these will per
haps compare favorably with
those of other similar institu
tions. I have no boastful feel
ing about the matter, but I think
we need not fear comparison.
(3) In addition to the regular
studies required for the various
degrees, there are a number of
special classes connected with
all the schools. A man can add
to his work any of these that he
may desire. For example, if
one has taken the Hebrew course
and wants to add to it, either in
further study of Hebrew itself
or of cognate branches, Protes
tor Sampey will-be happy to ac
commodate him with Arabic, As
syrian, Hebrew Text-criticism,or
special exegetical research in
the Old Testament. If after
taking the regular course in
Homilitics he wishes to go deeper
into the subject of rhetoric as ap
plied to preaching, and to make
more careful study of great
epochs and great preachers, the
professor in that department
will be pleased to guide his
study. And so of the other de
partments. We are prepared to
help scholarly men pursue grad
uate study in any of the usual
theological subjects.
We are trying to keep abreast
of the times so far as scholar
ship is concerned and to “ stay
by the stuff” in contending for
the faith once for all delivered
to the saints.
Narrow But Not Hard.
My Maxtor, they have wronged Thee and
Thy love!
They only told me I should tlnd the path
A Via Dolorosa all the way 1
Narrow Indeed It Is! . . . Oh, why
Should they misrepresent Thy words, and
make
“ Narrow” synonymous with “very hard” ?
For Thou, dlvlnem Wlidom, Thou hast said
Thy ways are ways of pleasantness, and all
Thy paths are pea e; uud that the path of
him
Who wears Thy perfect robe of righteous
ness
Is as the light that shlnelh more and more
Unto the perfect day. And thou hast given
An olden promise, rarely quoted now,
Because It is too aright for our weak taith:
“If they obey and serve Him, they shall
spend
Days In prosperity, and they shall spend
Their years In pleasure.”
• —F. R Havergai,.
Tbe Dynamic of Religion
Perhaps the most brilliant in
spiration of Jesus was to fling
himself on the earliest, latest,
strongest passion of our nature,
and utilize it as the driving force
of his religion. All our life from
infancy to age w-e are in the
school of love, and never does
human nature so completely shed
the slough of selfishness, or wear
so generous a guise, or offer such
ungrudging serivee as when un
der its sway. Here is stored to
hand the latent dynamic for a
spiritual enterprise: it only re
mains to make the connection.
Do yc u wish a cause to endure
hardness, to rejoice in sacrifice,
to accomplish mighty works, to
retain forever the dew of its
youth? Give it the best chance,
the sanction of Love. Do not
state it in books; do not defend
it with argument. These are
aids of the second order; if they
succeed, it is a barren victory —
ihe reason only has been won; if
they fail, it is a hopeless defeat
—the reason has now been exas
perated. Identify your cause
with a person. Even a bad cause
will succeed for a spe.ee, associ
ated with an attraP »man. The
later Stuarts were hard kings
both to Englard and to Scotland,
and yet women sent their bus
bands and sons to die for ‘Bonnie
Prince Cnarlie,’ and the ashes of
that romantic devotion are not
yet cold. When a good cause
finds a befitting leader, it will be
victorious before set of sun.
David had about him such a grace
of beauty and chivalry that his
officers risked their lives to bring
him a cup of water, and his peo
pie carried him to the throne of
Israel on the love of their hearts.
Human nature has two dominant
instincts —the spring of all ac
tion as well as the subject of all
literature—Faith and Love. Tne
religion which unites them will
oe omnipotent.
It was Jesus who summoned
Love to meet the severe demands
of Faith, and wedded for the first
time the ideas of Passion and
Righteousness. Hitherto Right
eousness had been spotless and
admirable, but cold as ice; Pas
sion had been sweet and strong,
but unchastened and wanton. Je
sus suddenly identifies Right
eousness with Himself, and has
brought it 1o pass that no man
can love Him without loving
Righteousness. Jesus clothes
Himself with the commandments,
and each is transfigured into a
grace. He illustrates His Deca
logue in the washing of feet, and
compels His disciples to follow
His example, ‘if I then, your
Lord and Master, have washed
your feet, ye ought also to wash
one another’s feet.’ By 7 one fe
licitous stroke He makes Love
and Law synonymous, and Duty,
which had always been respect
able, now becomes lovely. It is
a person, not a dogma, which in
vites my faith; a person, not a
code, which asks for obedience.
Jesus stands in the way of every
selfishness; He leads in the path
of every sacrifice; He is crucified
in every act of sin; He is glorified
in every act of holiness. St.
Stephen, as he suffered for the
Gospel, saw the heavens open
and Jesus standing to receive
him. St. Peter, fleeing in a sec
ond panic from Rome, meets Je
sus returning to be crucified in
his place. Conscience and heart
are settled on Jesus, and one
feels within his soul the tides of
His virtue. It is not the doc
trines nor the ethics of Chris
tianity that are its irresistible
attraction. Its doctrines have
often been a stumbling-block,
and its ethics excel only in de
gree. The life blood of Chris
tianity is Christ. As Louis said
‘L’etat e'est moi;’ so may Jesus
say‘l am My Religion. ’ What
Napoleon was to his soldiers on
the battle-field, Jesus has been
to millions separated from Him
by the chasm of centuries. No
emotion in human experience has
been so masterful, none so fruit
ful, as the passion for Jesus. It
has inspired the Church, it has
half saved the world.
Before Jesus could utilize this
love He had to create it, and this
was not accomplished either by
His example or His teaching.
The effect of His awful purity
was terror: ‘Depart from me,’
said St. Peter, ‘for lam a sinful
man, O Lord.’ The result of
three years’ teaching was per
plexity ; an average apostle asked
for a theophany: ‘Show us t'he
YOL. 76--NO. 22
Father, and itsufliceth us.’ Ho
liness compels awe, wisdom com-
Sels respect; they do not allure.
othing can create Life but Life;
nothing can beget Love but Love.
He that is not loved hates; he
that is loved, loves, is a law of
experience. As the earth gives
out the heat which it has re
ceived from the sun, so the devo
tion of Jesus’ disciples to Him in
all ages has been the return of
His immense devotion to them.
He lavished on His first disciples
a wealth of love in His friend
ship; He sealed it with His sac
rifice of Himself upon the cross.
‘Greater love hath no man than
this, that a man lay down his life
for his friends.’ ‘I am the good
Shepherd: the good Shepherd
giveth His life for the sheep.’
Twelve men came into His inti
macy; in eleven he kindled a fire
that made them saints and he
roes, and the traitor broke his
heart through remorse, so he
also must have loved. But Jesus
expected that His love would
have a wider range than the fel
lowship of Galilee, and that the
world would yield to its spell. It
was not for St. John, His friend,
Jesus laid down His life; it was
for the Race into which He had
been born and which He carried
in His heart. No one has ever
made such a sacrifice for Human
ity. No one has dared to ask
such a recompense. The eternal
Son of God gave Himself with
out reserve, and anticipated that
to all time men would give them
selves for Him. He proposed to
inspire His Race with a personal
devotion, and that profound de
votion was to be their salvation.
‘Give Me a cross where
on to die,’ said Jesus,
‘and I will make thereof a throne
from which to rule the world.’
The idea was once atleastcaught
most perfectly in an early Chris
tian gem, where, on a blood red
stone the living Christ is carved
against His cross; a Christ with
the insignia of His imperial
majesty. Twice was Jesus’ im
agination powerfully affected
once by the horrors of cross,
when He prayed, ‘O My Father,
if it be possible, let this cup pass
from Mek that was the travail of
His soui—once by the magnetic
attraction of the cross, when He
cried, ‘And I, if I be lifted up
from the earth, will draw all men
unto me’; this is the endless re
ward of His travail.
The passion for Jesus has no
analogy in comparative religion;
it has no parallel in human expe
rience, It is a flame of unique
purity and intensity. Thomas
does not believe that Jesus is the
Son of God, or that, more than
any other man, He can escape
the hatred of fanaticism; but he
must share the fate of Jesus.
‘Let us also go,’ said this morbid
sceptic, ‘that we may die with
Him.’ At the sight of His face
sevtn devils went out of Mary
Magdalene; for the blessing of
His visit, a chief publican gave
half his goods to the poor. When
a man of the highest order met
Jesus he was lifted into the
heavenly places and became a
Christed man, whose eyes saw
with the vision of Christ, whose
pulse beat with the heart of
Christ. Browning has nothing
finer than “A Death in the Des
ert,” wherein he imagines the
love of St. John to Jesus. No
power is able to rouse the apostle
from his last sleep, neither words
nor cordials. Then one has a
sudden inspiration: he brings the
Gospel and reads into the uncon
scious ear,
‘I am the resurrection and the life,’
with the effect of an instanta
neous charm.
Whereat he opened his eyes wide at
once
And sat up of himself and looked at
us.’
This man had leant so long on
Jesus’ bosom—some seventy
years—that at the very sound of
His words the soul of Jesus’
friend came up from the shadow
of death. It is the response of
the flower of the Race to Jesus.
This passion is placed beyond
comparison, because it is inde
pendent of sight. St. Paul de
nied the faith that was once dear
to him, and flung away the world
that was once his ambition, to
welcome innumerable labors
and exhaust the resources of
martyrdom, for the sake of one
whom he had never seen, save in
mystical vision, and formerly
hated to the shedding of blood.
Men were lit as torches in Nero’s
garden, and women flung to the
wild beasts of the ampitheatre;
and for what? For a system, for
a cause, for a Church? They
had not enough knowledge of the
ory to pass a Sunday-school ex
amination; they had no doctrine
of the Holy Trinity, nor of the
Person of Jesus, nor of His Sac
rifice, nor of Grace. They died
in their simplicity for Him ‘Whom
having not seen ye love,’ and the
name of the Crucified was the last
word that trembled on their dy
ing lips.— The Mind<of the Master
—lan Maclaren.