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“THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
By 
 GERRIT VERKUYL, Ph.D. 
 
 “THINGS MOST SURELY 
 
 BELIEVED ” $1.50 
 
 DEVOTIONAL LEADERSHIP 
 Private Preparation for Public 
 Worship. 
 
 SCRIPTURE MEMORY 
 
 WORK (GRADED) $1.00 
 
ect CEI 
 
 ie aa 
 vr i MNOS s, 
 
 VA 
 “Things Most SoH 2 
 Beheyed? ois is 
 
 A Study in Christian Essentials for 
 Growing Workers 
 
 By 
 GERRIT VERKUYL, Px. D.; D.D. 
 
 Field-Representative, Presbyterian Pas of 
 Christian Education 
 
 Author of ‘‘ Scripture Memory Work, Graded,”’ ‘‘ Devotional 
 Leadership,” etc. 
 
 
 
 New YorE CHICAGO 
 
 Fleming H. Revell Company 
 
 LONDON AND EDINBURGH 
 
Copyright, McMxxvI, by 
 FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY 
 
 New York: 158 Fifth Avenue 
 Chicago: 17 North Wabash Ave. 
 London: 21 Paternoster Square 
 Edinburgh: 75 Princes Street 
 
FOREWORD TO TEACHERS AND 
 STUDENTS 
 
 ANY young people feel religiously per- 
 M plexed. They want to live right and 
 
 desire to know the truth that should 
 guide their conduct. In a more serious manner 
 than Pilate they are asking, ‘‘ What is truth? ” 
 Some of them fear to think their questions 
 through; lest they might come to deny teachings 
 that were imparted to them. Others have never 
 been taught the great principles of Christian life. 
 These form the great majority. 
 
 This feeling of uncertainty is not confined to 
 youth; it reaches our maturer workers. Their 
 parents, possibly, did not instruct them in religion. 
 The teachings in the Sunday school were in the 
 hands of lay-workers, good of character but 
 versed neither in Bible knowledge nor in human 
 nature. In spite of this great handicap our ma- 
 turer workers are called upon to instruct a 
 younger generation; while our Christian youth, 
 too, is facing the challenge of those still younger, 
 whose leaders they soon must be. 
 
 Intelligent Christians are seeking reasons for 
 their faith. Peculiar fads and cults play havoc 
 
 with a few of them. It sometimes happens that 
 5 j 
 / 
 
6 FOREWORD 
 
 insidious teachings befog their minds and lead 
 them far afield, purely for want of knowledge re- 
 garding the true teachings of their own church. 
 Had they but known, they would certainly have 
 remained with us as builders of God’s Kingdom. 
 But they were not well informed; they could give 
 no sufficient reason for their faith. We lost them. 
 Perhaps we deserved to lose them. It is the 
 sacred duty of the Christian Church to instruct 
 her members in the way of truth, and it is the 
 sacred right of all church members to receive need- 
 ful instruction. 
 
 We may as well confess, however, to a fatal 
 scarcity of literature on the subject, couched in 
 language sufficiently popular and put into compass 
 brief enough to arouse and maintain the interest 
 of those who are not theologically trained. There 
 are available a few pamphlets and booklets of 
 divisive trend. But the great essentials of the 
 Christian faith, on which the whole Church agrees 
 and which would answer the questions of inquir- 
 ing hearts, these vital teachings have not been 
 sufficiently broadcasted to reach our growing 
 workers. 
 
 One reason for this failure lies on the surface. 
 Christian teachers as well as Christian students 
 are ranked somewhere among our denominations. 
 He would be a peculiar Christian, indeed, and 
 scarcely qualified to teach the principles of Chris- 
 tianity, who could not be designated as a member 
 
FOREWORD ff 
 
 of some church. Yet, for the member of one de- 
 nomination to instruct members of other denomina- 
 tions in the essentials of Christian doctrine is a 
 most delicate task. Nevertheless, it is becoming 
 ever clearer that not merely the need for such in- 
 struction exists, but that the need is growingly 
 felt. 
 
 This manual is an attempt along this line. We 
 believe that we are presenting nothing controver- 
 sial from an evangelical point of view. These 
 lessons may be taught without fear of offence in 
 single churches and in interdenominational classes. 
 We have not written what we have not under- 
 stood; hence our confidence that these writings 
 will be understood. We have not written what we 
 have not lived; hence our assurance that these 
 writings, too, will live and will be lived. 
 
 The scarcity of popular material has proved a 
 handicap in the selecting of books for further re- 
 search. Some of the books recommended at the 
 end of chapters are somewhat difficult to secure. 
 We suggest that four or five be selected from the 
 entire group, either to be recommended to the 
 public library, or purchased by the group that 
 pursues this course. 
 
 In teaching these lessons there is likely to be 
 difference of opinion now and then. The leader 
 will do wisely if he or she refrains from impos- 
 ing his opinions on the group, and allows free ex- 
 pression. It is quite possible that subjects on 
 
8 FOREWORD 
 
 which good Christian people disagree are not as 
 vital and essential as we had thought. Altogether, 
 the sense of unity will be advanced by means of 
 these lessons. The members of the great Evan- 
 gelical Church, that is, the body of all believers 
 whose Gospel centers on Christ as presented in 
 John 3:16, these are much nearer to each other 
 than usually they suspect. 
 
 Every growing Christian needs to form for him- 
 self a system of truth for a background in all his 
 work and teaching. This system of truth is con- 
 tained in the Word of God; but it must be searched 
 with diligence and prayer. In brief compass these 
 twelve lessons will help earnest lay-students to 
 secure a unified presentation of our Christian 
 teachings; which will help them to think and un- 
 derstand for themselves first; then to live their 
 convictions; then to guide others in true Christian 
 ways. 
 
 Suggestions for the enrichment of these chap- 
 ters are cordially invited. We keenly feel the im- 
 perfections of our endeavor. 
 
 G. V. 
 
 Oak Park, Ii. 
 
Contents 
 
 ORGANIZING Our KNOWLEDGE } 
 Views REGARDING GOD AND THE WORLD 
 Wuy Fair in Gop? 
 THE TRIUNE BEING . 
 
 THe PErRsoN AND WorRK OF Jesus 
 CHRIST . a aah ih d 
 
 THe Worp oF Gop . 
 Man’s ORIGIN AND NATURE 
 SALVATION : 
 THE CHRISTIAN Pha 
 THe CHRISTIAN VIRTUES 
 Wor.Lp LEADERSHIP . 
 
 Lire EVERLASTING 
 
 11 
 28 
 45 
 61 
 
 76 
 91 
 
 SLOSS 
 . 124 
 ALS? 
 eld, 
 il72 
 , 202 
 

 
I 
 ORGANIZING OUR KNOWLEDGE 
 
 4 ie live is to believe. The two words are 
 from the same stem and they must co- 
 exist, at least in the case of reasonable 
 beings. Our belief may be negative; we may 
 deny. Or it may be positive; we may accept cer- 
 tain ideas as truths. We may believe that beyond 
 and behind this visible world there are spiritual 
 forces and personalities; or we may deny all that. 
 In either case, we hold to a certain belief. And 
 according to that belief we act. If we believe 
 that the greatest experience in life is to love God, 
 and the next greatest to love our neighbor as our- 
 selves, then we will act quite differently from the 
 man who believes there is no God, and that his 
 neighbor has no soul. 
 
 But suppose we do believe in God and in a spir- 
 itual world as basic to the things we see; then we 
 may still hold any of a myriad various views about 
 the facts and the relationships of that unseen 
 world. Actually, through the ages many peoples 
 have thought of spiritual matters in vastly differ- 
 ent ways. To-day even in so-called Christian 
 
 countries the opinions on matters of doctrine are 
 11 
 
12 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 legion. They cannot be limited even to the num- 
 bers of churches and sects that have arisen; be- 
 cause every individual is entitled to his own opin- 
 ion and is inclined to exercise that right. 
 
 Freedom of Belief 
 
 There was a time when individual opinion on 
 religious matters was officially suppressed. <A 
 group of men had formulated a body of doctrine 
 which they declared to be the only truth. Devia- 
 tion from that teaching was proclaimed as false- 
 hood, destructive to the soul and therefore to be 
 prohibited. The simplest and surest way of car- 
 rying that plan into effect with any measure of 
 success was for the majority to burn, to drown, to 
 hang, or to decapitate the erring minority. This 
 was accordingly done. The whole of Spain, with 
 most of Italy and France, is now of one faith be- 
 cause of just such methods. Those of different 
 opinion were either banished or killed. In prin- 
 ciple this suppressive method was applied also in 
 most Protestant countries. ‘“‘ Like prince, like 
 people,” was the universal motto. The ruler who 
 turned Anglican expected his people to turn with 
 him. The prince who adhered to the Lutheran 
 faith demanded that confession of his subjects. It 
 was the same where the Reformed creed held 
 sway; with one exception. William the Silent, 
 born in a Lutheran home, reared at a Roman 
 Court, and converted to the Reformed faith, pro- 
 
ORGANIZING OUR KNOWLEDGE § 13 
 
 claimed the solitary teaching, ‘‘ Let every man be 
 free to worship God according to the dictates of 
 his own conscience.” So far was he ahead of his 
 times that not another ruler followed him. Even 
 the Pilgrim colonists, that settled in our country, 
 had not caught his spirit. But when at last our 
 Fathers wrote the Constitution of our Common- 
 wealth, that principle became forever established 
 in our land. Each individual is entitled to his own 
 religious belief and to its free expression. 
 
 Belief and Knowledge 
 
 Belief is not invariably knowledge. We may 
 believe what is not true. There is an element of 
 danger in belief until it has grown into knowledge. 
 To believe that a bridge is safe and to attempt 
 passing over it may mean disaster if that bridge 
 is untrustworthy. To believe that, even if there 
 were a God, He would not be concerned with our 
 daily affairs, will make us plan our lives on a less 
 Christian basis than if we believe that a loving 
 Father cares for us with a heart of overflowing 
 love. We are bound to believe something, and it 
 makes a vast difference in our conduct whether we 
 believe in accordance with facts. 
 
 Belief may be based on knowledge; or it may 
 grow into knowledge. The soul that has experi- 
 ence with God has faith, which is no longer opin- 
 ion. Its basis is knowledge. But the soul that 
 finds a truth and tries it out, will also learn to 
 
14 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 identify faith and knowledge; for that truth is 
 alive in his living. The first purpose of these 
 lessons is to center our thoughts on those vital 
 principles of life that have already stood the test 
 among men, and whereby great lives have been 
 steadily molded. 
 
 With this goes a second purpose, equally vital, 
 to view these truths which we believe and know, 
 as one united system. 
 
 The Unity of Christian Truth 
 
 Most of us have in the process of reading the 
 Bible, in our preparations for Christian teaching, 
 in the perusal of secular books and magazines, and 
 in attendance at religious gatherings grown ac- 
 quainted with numerous facts of religious signifi- 
 cance. Almost unconsciously we have absorbed 
 certain vital truths that have meant much to us 
 and that will forever mean much to us. Rela- 
 tively few of us have been led, however, to gather 
 up these truths of life and to organize them into a 
 body of truth, a harmonious system that will 
 serve for a philosophy of life, authoritative enough 
 and also comprehensive enough to govern our daily 
 actions. This course is planned to help you do 
 this exceedingly wholesome thing. 
 
 So far as the number of instructive items is con- 
 cerned which from time to time have come under 
 our observation, we are probably well enough sup- 
 plied with practical suggestions for ordinary living; 
 
ORGANIZING OUR KNOWLEDGE 15 
 
 but the life of a true follower of Jesus should be 
 more than ordinary. Every follower of Christ 
 should in some way propagate the teachings of 
 Christ. In view of this summons to every Chris- 
 tian we may also have gained ability by means of 
 reading and by practice in teaching, to convey the 
 knowledge of certain facts to others. But a knowl- 
 edge of facts, and ability to convey them, do not 
 suffice to make either a secular or a sacred teacher. 
 One may read most diligently and make it a point 
 to remember the minutest details, so that he shall 
 be known as a walking encyclopedia; but even this 
 will not make him a teacher. Because facts as 
 such do not interest anybody; they must first 
 concern somebody. Facts in themselves possess 
 no right to a person’s interest; they are empty and 
 vain without relationships. It is the relationship 
 of facts that creates interest; because in these re- 
 lationships is the revelation of truth. And these 
 interrelations serve to form a system of truth. 
 
 Organic Unity Holds Interest 
 
 If we should analyze a flower, taking it apart 
 and examining all its particles—petals, stamens 
 and pistils—being able to name these separate 
 parts, but not the reason why there should be 
 these parts, nor the service each part is rendering 
 to each other part, and to the whole flower, and in 
 what way each member of this little body helps 
 the flower to live and eventually to perpetuate it- 
 
16 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 self,—if we had names and particles and nothing 
 more, we could not with these facts interest either 
 the dullest or the brightest student. And the 
 trouble would not lie with the student; it would 
 lie with us. 
 
 “The primrose by the river's brim 
 A yellow primrose was to him, 
 And it was nothing more.” 
 
 Should we be able, on the other hand, to point 
 out the particular functions of the pistil, its rela- 
 tion to the life of the flower and the manner in 
 which its service is performed; the protecting 
 agencies of the petals and the causes of their color- 
 ings; the importance of the stamens with anthers 
 and filaments for the furnishing of pollen; if then 
 the roots might be considered and the processes 
 whereby earth and water are made to minister to 
 the life of the plant; by what force the saps defy 
 the laws of gravitation and move upward; in what 
 marvelous manner the dews of heaven labor to- 
 gether with sun and air to produce moisture,—in 
 short, how the four primal elements of the uni- 
 verse, earth, air, fire and water, are laboring to- 
 gether on behalf of that little flower; then what 
 student, be he bright or dull, could sit by list- 
 lessly! Instead of the blasé Primrose Song, there 
 would be heard a rendering of the music of the 
 world’s philosophy, as it is hidden in the bosom of 
 a little plant. 
 
ORGANIZING OUR KNOWLEDGE 17 
 
 “ Flower im the crannied wall 
 I pluck you out of the crannies; 
 Hold you here, root and all, in my hand. 
 Little hower—but tf 1 could understand 
 What you are, root and all and all in all, 
 I should know what God and man is.” 
 
 The Unity in Divine Truth Holds Interest 
 
 This great principle of interest holds true in the 
 study of divine truth. Biblical facts atomistically 
 presented contain small interest. ‘‘ What’s He- 
 cubah to me, or I to Hecubah.” Perchance the 
 majority of mature people to whom the Bible 
 seems uninteresting have at some period of their 
 lives been exposed to continuous bombardments 
 with isolated facts. They grew weary of the bom- 
 bardment and determined long ago to avoid future 
 assailants. Why should it interest anyone, for in- 
 stance, that our first parents transgressed; if that 
 is a fact by itself without relationship to us! It 
 is not necessary for us to turn the pages of a book 
 in order to discover the presence of sin. We can 
 see sin everywhere about us; we can even find it 
 in our own lives. But when we take note of the 
 blasting effects of sin in the world, and then re- 
 member that first great disobedience in the Gar- 
 den, by which the primeval purity of man was 
 spoiled as ripening grain is spoiled by mildew on 
 a beautiful June morning, then the fact of Adam’s 
 fall may challenge our attention. If, further, we 
 listen with our first parents to the voice of a seek- 
 
18 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 ing God, who calls man back from his foolish ways 
 and promises salvation through a Redeemer; then, 
 surely, we are interested. In some such way that 
 one fatal fact so many millenniums back becomes 
 part of a great link of facts that goes on and on, 
 —downward in one direction where the human 
 race sinks ever deeper into sin; and also upward 
 in another direction where God so loves the world 
 that He gives His Son. 
 
 Or take for another illustration the eating of a 
 lamb, which occurred at midnight in the Hebrew 
 homes as they were about to leave Egypt. What 
 would we ordinarily care about the things those 
 people ate? But further investigation shows that 
 this did not remain an isolated incident. Year 
 after year the faithful Hebrew ate his lamb in 
 commemoration of that midnight of the Exodus. 
 At last there was a Passover Feast in Jerusalem 
 at which ‘“‘ The Lamb” was sacrificed, even the 
 Christ, our Saviour. In the light of that sacrifice 
 the Pascal lamb of ancient days gains significance. 
 To this day we celebrate The Lord’s Supper as a 
 memorial of His death, a sacrament inaugurated 
 on an evening when the Lord and His disciples sat 
 together preparatory for the Jewish Passover. 
 
 Interrelationships Endow Unity with Interest 
 
 These illustrations are profoundly typical. The 
 Bible is the Book of Life because it so perfectly 
 portrays all life. The history of Israel is essen- 
 
ORGANIZING OUR KNOWLEDGE 19 
 
 tially the history of every nation. The biogra- 
 phies of Sacred Writ are true to human experi- 
 ence in all ages. The same laws that made them- 
 selves felt in days of long ago are still operative. 
 We call this world a universe because in all its 
 ramifications there may be observed a harmony of 
 laws and a unity of government. All parts of the 
 universe are related to each other and are directly 
 related to God. The laws of nature show the 
 righteousness of God, and they are wonderful. 
 But in the unseen world God reveals Himself even 
 more wonderfully, because of His forgiveness and 
 mercy. ‘The righteousness of God as related to 
 His mercy, and both of these converging in our 
 divine Redeemer, this comprehensive subject 
 forms the most unitary and the most interesting 
 lesson in all teaching. To present such truths in 
 the light in which God means to place them, this 
 is the chief commission of every Christian teacher. 
 It affords us our greatest hope for the securing of 
 unfagged interest. 
 
 Isolated Facts Occasion Isolated Groups 
 
 Failure to present truths in their interrelation- 
 ships has militated not merely against the interest 
 which God’s Word would otherwise awaken; but 
 it has also served to disturb the feeling of unity 
 which is so necessary among disciples of the same 
 Lord. The many sects, into which the Christian 
 Church has been divided, owe their origin in large 
 
90 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 measure to pronounced emphases on single state- 
 ments in the Bible, without relating these state- 
 ments to the complete Bible. This is a dangerous 
 and unwarranted procedure. Exactly as the petal 
 of a flower, when it has been removed from that 
 flower and is no longer thought of in connection 
 with that flower, is*no longer a petal, but is refuse 
 or dirt, so may it be with an isolated statement 
 from God’s Word. It may lose its meaning when 
 it is taken out of its setting, or when considered 
 in that setting alone. But when a sentence does 
 not convey the message that was originally in- 
 tended by it, then it conveys a false impression. 
 The most precious truths of the Bible may thus be 
 turned into lies. 
 
 The story is told of a man, but recently con- 
 verted, who was asked to split some wood for the 
 kitchen fire. ‘‘ Can’t do it,” he rejoined, “ for ’'m 
 a Christian.” Pressed to produce further reason, 
 he quoted from the Bible and quoted correctly, 
 “What God hath joined together let no man put 
 asunder.” The cells and fibres of the tree, which 
 God had joined together, he must “ put asunder ” 
 if he split up wood for the cook-stove. Yet, in 
 spite of the correct quotation and the truth it con- 
 tained, his argument was as false as the devil him- 
 self. There are religious sects that have little 
 more ground to stand on for differing from their 
 brethren than had that recent convert. A religious 
 genius of our day has pictured a meeting between 
 
ORGANIZING OUR KNOWLEDGE 21 
 
 blind Bartimaeus and the ‘man who had been 
 born blind,” both healed by Jesus, but in such dif- 
 ferent ways. Because Jesus had not used mud in 
 giving sight to Bartimaeus, the man born blind is 
 supposed to have refused his company. Where- 
 upon Bartimaeus promptly started a sect of Anti- 
 Mudites; while the man born blind became the 
 head of the Mudite sect. It is a far-fetched cari- 
 cature perhaps—but it has point. In the forming 
 of many isolated groups the wonderful harmony 
 and unity of divine teaching is woefully over- 
 looked. Minor issues are pushed into the fore- 
 ground at the expense of the essentials. 
 
 Denominations and Their Emphases 
 
 But what is true of numerous small sects is, in 
 a measure, true also of the great denominations. 
 Their separation from each other is partly due to 
 different temperaments among adherents. It is 
 helpful for worshipers of the same type to have 
 their devotions together. But this difference of 
 type is by no means the only reason for their 
 separateness. It is historically known that certain 
 devout and learned students of the Bible have 
 thoroughly mastered certain great principles of 
 the Christian religion, not by means of isolated 
 texts, or even from single passages, but rather by 
 a study of many parts of the Scriptures, all of 
 which parts testified to the supreme sovereignty 
 of God. From these leading portions of the Bible 
 
22 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 they brought together a body of doctrine generally 
 known as Calvinistic. But other students of the 
 Bible, equally devout and learned, did examine the 
 teachings of the Book with equal diligence, seek- 
 ing and finding those leading portions that empha- 
 sized the free moral agency of man. The results 
 of their searchings were gathered into a body of 
 doctrine generally known as Arminian. Both doc- 
 trines are based on the Word of God; yet, appar- 
 ently, they are not in full agreement, and whole 
 denominations have been formed in accordance 
 with the one doctrine or the other. It never 
 seemed to occur to the founders of these denomi- 
 nations that both doctrines might be true, and that 
 inasmuch as both have adequate testimony from 
 the Bible, both ought to be true; nor did they con- 
 ceive the very simple idea of combining the two 
 doctrines to form a more complete body of doc- 
 trine than either alone provided. 
 
 Agreement on Essentials 
 
 It is an encouraging fact that on the essentials 
 of the Christian faith all evangelical Churches are 
 agreed. Certain ceremonies and rituals are con- 
 ducted among them in different ways; they follow 
 different plans to reach, receive, and train mem- 
 bers; but these differences are of minor import. 
 In the great principles of the faith that make for 
 repentance, loyalty, and kingdom extension, all 
 Christian churches are one, including in a way 
 
ORGANIZING OUR KNOWLEDGE 23 
 
 even the Greek and Roman hierarchies. These 
 agreements do not concern merely religious essen- 
 tials; but Christian essentials, and they find for 
 the most part brief expression in what is known 
 as ‘The Apostles’ Creed.” In more modern lan- 
 guage and in the words of Jesus we have these 
 great agreements: 
 
 1. The Church accepts Christ’s statement, ‘‘ Ye 
 believe in God, believe also in Me,” and “I and 
 the Father are one.” This means that Christian 
 worshipers bow before God, the Father, and 
 Jesus Christ, our Lord. The Evangelical Church 
 is not unitarian. 
 
 2. The Church accepts Christ’s promise of “ an- 
 other Comforter, even the Spirit of truth.” Hence 
 her faith in the Holy Spirit as the third Person of 
 the Godhead. The Church is trinitarian. 
 
 3. The Church believes the Golden Text of the 
 Bible, (John 3:16) involving the sinfulness of 
 mankind, the absolute need of a Saviour, the in- 
 finite love of God for the world, the sacrifice of 
 the Son of God, and salvation freely offered in the 
 Gospel. 
 
 4. The Church hears the admonition of Jesus, 
 “* Search the Scriptures,” and believes that the vic- 
 tory of His Kingdom is not by the sword, but by 
 the Word. She finds herself enjoined to teach the 
 Bible with all its applications for to-day. 
 
 5. The Church believes in her own position as 
 a divine institution. She remembers that Jesus 
 
24 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 gathered a group of disciples about Himself and 
 trained them. She notes how Jesus spoke of Him- 
 self as the Bridegroom, with the Church for His 
 Bride; how He called His followers His Breth- 
 ren, and prayed for them as He did not pray for 
 the world.. 
 
 6. The Church has heard the great Command, 
 “Go ye into all the world.” Hence the mission 
 spirit of the Church, which involves working to- 
 gether in love, training ambassadors that shall be 
 commissioned at home and abroad, and spreading 
 the knowledge of God’s love everywhere. 
 
 7. The Church hears Jesus say, ‘ Love one an- 
 other,” and esteems love the supreme virtue. 
 
 8. The Church takes Jesus at His word when 
 He says, ‘‘ He that believeth on me shall never 
 die,” and again, ‘‘ I go to prepare a place for you.” 
 Hence her unshakable faith in immortality. 
 
 Our Reasonable Faith 
 
 Although through the centuries the Church has 
 accepted these outstanding articles of her faith, it 
 would not be fair to require of any rational being 
 that he accept these tenets on the authority of the 
 Church, or even on the authority of the Bible. A 
 famous priest of the Roman Church, in speaking 
 to a great company of men, not long ago, said, 
 “Gentlemen, let me do your thinking for you.” 
 The Protestant Reformation four hundred years 
 ago came as a protest against that spirit. Prot- 
 
ORGANIZING OUR KNOWLEDGE 25 
 
 estants insist on thinking for themselves. No 
 Church may with impunity shove a Creed, not un- 
 derstood, in front of its members saying, “ Take 
 this and teach it.” We require a reason for the 
 faith that is within us. 
 
 But the Church does not fear the issue. We 
 know that we have followed no “cunningly de- 
 vised fables.” There may be doubts, but under- 
 neath, we know, there is a great Rock. There 
 may be darkness, but above, we know, there is the 
 divine Light. We invite those, who are willing, 
 to take up the great essential teachings with us 
 and to think them through. We need take noth- 
 ing for granted; we need fear no facts; for truth 
 is of God. There is enjoyment in all hard think- 
 ing; but keenest is the joy that comes from re- 
 search of the things of God. And in all search 
 for truth we shall have a better guide than had 
 Dante when Beatrice went with him; for we have 
 the promise of the Spirit who shall guide us into 
 all truth. 
 
 No Arguing in a Circle 
 
 In view of this purpose as loyal Protestants we 
 would not be justified in basing our proofs on the © 
 Bible before we have gained personal conviction, 
 either from reasoning or experience, or both, of 
 Scriptural authority. To accept the Bible as our 
 rule of faith and practice, simply because our 
 parents or our leaders so instructed us, would 
 
26 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 place us in the same category with the children of 
 those churches in which priesthood dictates faith. 
 To argue the Bible from the fact of God and then 
 to argue God from the fact of the Bible would be 
 equally puerile. We must start out from where 
 we are, without preconceived ideas, but ever 
 willing to receive the-testimonies of nature, of lives. 
 that have shown their worth, and of the unseen 
 forces that may seek entrance to our hearts. 
 
 The Purpose Fully Stated 
 
 The full purpose of this course of study, then, 
 is the mastering of a system of Christian truth for 
 guidance in personal thought and conduct, for the 
 instruction of others, and for the deepening of our 
 sense of identity with the whole Church of God 
 on earth and in heaven. 
 
 SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 
 
 Let ten students each mention any one fact from 
 the Bible. Put these on the blackboard. Determine: 
 together whether any relation between these indis- 
 criminate facts can be established. 
 
 Let several students state Bible facts that bear ob- 
 vious relation to each other. Now formulate the 
 principles that are vital to all of them. Do the same 
 with related historic facts. 
 
 Let students quote Bible incidents that will illus-. 
 trate a single Bible teaching. Call for historic facts 
 that show the same principle. 
 
 Jesus mentioned Abraham with greater approval 
 than He mentioned Moses. Discuss possible reasons. 
 
 Consider the vital elements that are lacking in the 
 so-called ‘“ Apostles’ Creed.” With this Biblical. 
 
ORGANIZING OUR KNOWLEDGE 27 
 
 creed, reach a working basis for members of various 
 denominations. 
 
 Compare the importance of intellect, feeling, and will 
 in religious theory and religious life. 
 
 Elicit from class members life philosophies they 
 have formed. 
 
 Take a few minutes to prepare the students for 
 the next lesson, the contents of which are likely to be 
 foreign to their thinking. 
 
 For Further Research 
 
 Introduction to a reliable, popular History of 
 Philosophy. 
 
 The Philosophy of Education, Ch. I, H. H. Horne. 
 
 The Problem of Human Life, Part II, Rudolph 
 Eucken. 
 
 Reading day by day: Ps. 19; Job 38:1-9; Jn. 
 ZO NSO0-Ol ey dim eee lo Lo Timiege lei on! 
 4:11-16; Prov. 8: 10-17. 
 
II 
 
 VIEWS REGARDING GOD AND THE 
 WORLD 
 
 Ts many diverse ideas about the origin, 
 the nature, and the purpose of the uni- 
 verse with all that it contains have in the 
 main found expression through three great schools 
 of thought, known as Materialistic, Pantheistic, 
 and Theistic. So completely are the adherents of 
 these three schools at variance one with the other 
 in their views of religion, or man’s relation to 
 God, that the same person could not sincerely ac- 
 cept all the teachings of any one of these schools 
 and also accept all the teachings of another of 
 these schools. To do so would compromise both 
 his intelligence and his standards of living. The 
 three schools are inherently and forever antago- 
 nistic in those large outlooks on the world and 
 on life. 
 
 Agreement Likely on Physical Matters 
 
 In unessentials the devotees of these three views 
 of life may cordially agree. Whenever a noted 
 astronomer predicts a sun-eclipse, or the ap- 
 proaching appearance of a comet, those who learn 
 
 of his predictions will confidently look forward to 
 28 
 
REGARDING GOD AND THE WORLD 29 
 
 their fulfillment, no matter to what school they 
 belong. In case the health officer orders the peo- 
 ple of his municipality to boil their drinking water 
 because of dangerous germs, every reasonable 
 citizen implicitly obeys. When an agricultural 
 professor sends out advices regarding the applica- 
 tions of fertilizers of different kinds for different 
 soils, or suggests means of exterminating certain 
 pests, his instructions will be carried out without 
 regard to world-views. Upon facts of science all 
 are readily agreed. 
 
 Agreement Possible on Moral Matters 
 
 The members of the three antagonistic schools 
 may find unison also on moral matters. An out- 
 and-out Materialist may hate alcohol as heartily 
 as does the Theist, and may be an equally strong 
 defender of human rights with the Pantheist. The 
 three have no quarrel whatever with the principle 
 that life on earth should be useful, and that it 
 should be enjoyed as happily as circumstances 
 permit. They are perfectly agreed, also, that 
 every human being ought to attain to the highest 
 of his capacities. But when it comes to a discus- 
 sion of reasons and purposes, why alcohol must 
 be fought, why life should be useful and enjoy- 
 able, and why the highest ideals should be at- 
 tained, then the cat comes out of the bag. Rea- 
 sons and purposes differ radically among respec- 
 tive adherents of the three world-views. 
 
30 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 Differing Purposes 
 
 As soon as purpose is mentioned, the well- 
 schooled Theist thinks at once of God. In the 
 background of all his thinking lies that compre- 
 hensive principle of life, to love God above all and 
 his neighbor as himself. He thinks of God as the 
 benign origin of all things and the great Goal 
 toward which all creation moves. Old Plato 
 thought so, many centuries ago, and the most 
 modern Christian is still imbued with that idea. 
 He wants to identify his own purposes with the 
 purpose of God. Morality is to his thinking the 
 handmaid of religion. Man should attain to the 
 highest because God, the All-Perfect, is beckoning 
 him on. Life should be useful, because we are the 
 stewards of God. 
 
 But the Materialist starts yawning while the 
 Theist is thus unburdening his mind. He ac- 
 knowledges no God, and therefore no relationship 
 with God. Business opportunities are beckoning 
 him, which it were folly to neglect. Every indi- 
 vidual ought to make himself useful, because the 
 way of usefulness is the common way to success. 
 Man should attain the highest that is in him, that 
 he may be greatest. The purpose of life on the 
 part of the Materialist is the greatest happiness 
 of the greatest number, beginning with self. 
 
 The Pantheist, on the other hand, is poetic in 
 
REGARDING GOD AND THE WORLD 31 
 
 his world-view. There is no personal God to ap- 
 peal to him, but rather the immense unity of this 
 variegated universe. 
 
 It would be so incongruous, don’t you know, if 
 a life that forms part of God should prove to be 
 anything but useful and enjoyable and attaining 
 to its highest capacity. The purpose of the sin- 
 cere Pantheist is to move in line with the onward 
 movement of the universe. 
 
 Such utterly divergent impressions do these 
 three groups of thinkers receive from the same 
 objects and phenomena, that if they talked them 
 over between each other they would find no point 
 of contact except in the reactions of the senses. 
 Their aims are not the same; their hopes are 
 strange to each other; there is no common ground 
 of faith. Yet, every one of us belongs to one of 
 these three schools, and we daily act and think 
 according to the tenets of one such school. Even 
 if, as we may well suppose, our membership is in 
 the Theistic school, we come into constant contact 
 with members of the other side. It is well, there- 
 fore, that we gain a clearer understanding of each 
 of these world-views. 
 
 The Teachings of Materialism 
 The word ‘ materialism” is derived from the 
 word ‘‘matter.” The Materialist asserts that 
 matter forms the sum and substance of the uni- 
 
382 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 verse. But by matter he means more than we 
 usually mean by it; he includes all the invisible 
 forces that control matter; such as the law of 
 gravitation, the magnetic currents, the ether 
 waves, capillary attraction, inertia and motion, 
 in fact all the laws and forces that are operative 
 in the universe of matter. Not content with this 
 comprehensive view of matter, the materialist as- 
 signs also the processes of human thought to mat- 
 ter; for he denies the presence of any spiritual 
 agencies. Just as the liver in a man’s body ex- 
 cretes bile, so, the Materialist claims, the brain 
 and its gray matter excrete thought. In similar 
 way are the great laws of nature sufficient to the 
 Materialist for the government of the universe. 
 Hence the Materialist’s sweeping conclusions: 
 
 1. Matter is eternal, not created. It has neither 
 beginning nor end. 
 
 2. Whatever purposes appear to be working out 
 in the world are simply the outworkings of nature’s 
 laws inherent in matter. 
 
 3. There is no need of any personal or spiritual 
 ' source of the universe, or of its direction by any 
 agencies outside itself. 
 
 4. There is no need of a Supreme Ruler, or 
 God; in fact, there is no God. 
 
 5. The existence of a human soul is, like the 
 idea of the existence of God, a figment of the 
 imagination. 
 
REGARDING GOD AND THE WORLD 33 
 
 Other Cousins in the Materialist’s Family 
 
 Because of their crass denial of God, the name 
 “atheist ” has often been applied to Materialists. 
 The word is derived from the Greek word “ theos,” 
 which means God, and the prefix “a” which has 
 a negative force,—‘ no God.” For all practical 
 purposes the Atheist and the Materialist are of 
 the same mind,—presuming they have a mind;— 
 for both deny the existence of God and of the 
 human soul. Ernst Haeckel, a German philoso- 
 pher of a generation ago, was the last noted Ma- 
 terialist. The school as a body of learned men, 
 can no longer claim existence; but the conse- 
 quences of its teachings are rampant in modern 
 life, with its worship of material things and its 
 lack of appreciation of things spiritual. 
 
 A first cousin of the Materialistic clan is the 
 Agnostic. The name is derived from the same 
 Greek stem from which we have our word “ know,” 
 namely, “ gneo,” to which also the negative pre- 
 fix “a” is attached—“ not-knower.” The Ag- 
 nostic does not go quite so far as the Atheist in 
 his denial of the existence of God; he professes 
 complete ignorance in the whole affair. He does 
 not know. But with this negative statement he is. 
 not content. He denies that God can be known 
 either by himself or by anyone else. He thinks, 
 about as highly of the laws of nature as does the 
 Atheist and sees little reason for the governing: 
 presence of God. Still, he admits, there might be 
 
34 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 such a being. But if there is, he has to be of such 
 a nature that man can never know him. The 
 chief exponent of this branch of the Materialistic 
 school was Herbert Spencer, an English educator 
 of the generation also just passed. But he has 
 many informal followers. 
 
 Weaknesses of the Materialist 
 
 1. For the satisfaction of the human reason the 
 theory of the eternity of matter has no advantages 
 over the theory of the priority of spirit. 
 
 2. The idea of matter as the sole source of the 
 invisible forces and all their laws, taxes our credul- 
 ity more heavily than does the idea of a personal 
 source behind ail these. 
 
 3. The idea of purpose without a mind some- 
 where to do the purposing, is contrary to daily 
 experience. 
 
 4. It is presumptuous for the Materialist to as- 
 sert that God does not exist, and for the Agnostic 
 that if He does exist He cannot make Himself 
 known; for no proof for these assertions has been 
 produced; while testimony to the presence of God 
 has been given from many sides. 
 
 5S. The Materialist furnishes no proof, either, 
 for his denial of the immortality of the human 
 soul; while, as we shall see later, there are many 
 evidences in favor of such immortality. 
 
 6. The natural consequences of materialism, 
 
REGARDING GOD AND THE WORLD 35 
 
 both logically and actually, condemn its teaching, 
 because they are not elevating but degrading. 
 
 a. The tangible things, such as gold, silver, 
 property, and what these can secure, are most 
 worth while. Materialism, therefore, leads to 
 greed. 
 
 b. The pleasures of the body deserve first 
 consideration; for they afford chief expression 
 to human nature. Materialism, therefore, en- 
 courages lust. 
 
 c. Without a hereafter and a final judgment 
 the life of some is filled out with ill-gotten 
 riches, excessive luxuries, and ease; while the 
 sum-total of existence on earth for others is 
 toil, distress, maltreatment and poverty. Ma- 
 terialism leads to inhuman injustice. 
 
 d. Human life is a fight from cradle to grave 
 against oncoming age, and it is a losing fight; 
 for death is sure victor. Materialism leads to 
 the deepest kind of pessimism. 
 
 The Teachings of Pantheism 
 
 There is in the school of Pantheism much more 
 that charms than there is in the Materialistic at- 
 mosphere. Pantheism enjoys warmth of life and 
 a throbbing pulse. Unfortunately, in this school 
 the pendulum swings too far the other way. In- 
 stead of denying God, the Pantheist posits God 
 everywhere. To his mind God and the universe 
 are identical. The divine Being is not simply im- 
 
386 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 manent in all things, and, as Paul expressed it, 
 ‘In Him we live and move and have our being;” 
 but God is all things, and all things are God. 
 Hence the word “ Pan,” which means “all,” to- 
 gether with ‘“theos,” composing the word “ Pan- 
 theos,” or ‘“ All-God.” 
 
 The most famous exponent of this world-view 
 was Benedict Spinoza, a Portuguese Jew, but liv- 
 ing in or about Amsterdam and supporting him- 
 self by grinding spectacles. He wrote nature with 
 a capital ‘‘N ” and used the word very much as 
 we use the word God, except that to him both God 
 and Nature seemed impersonal. All those material 
 things of which the Materialist has been speak- 
 ing, with all the laws and forces of the universe, 
 he regarded not from the materialistic but from 
 the spiritual standpoint. As he looked at the 
 glasses he was grinding, he thought of the rela- 
 tionship between the convex and the concave sides 
 of the one glass as illustrative of the visible and 
 the invisible universe. You might call it Nature, 
 or you might call it God. 
 
 The Charm of Pantheism 
 
 At first thought the doctrines of Spinoza possess 
 unmeasured charm, particularly for young people. 
 The writer well remembers the time when he was 
 strongly attracted by its teachings. To think, 
 when looking at a tree, that God is there, and that 
 to touch the tree does really mean to touch God, 
 
REGARDING GOD AND THE WORLD 37 
 
 has a sobering and worshipful effect for a while. 
 It seems to afford anew the wonderful experience 
 that came to Moses in the desert when he saw the 
 burning bush. But it will be remembered that 
 Moses was cautioned not to approach the bush. 
 The place was too sacred for shod feet. After the 
 first flush of reverence is over, which Pantheism 
 has produced, we come to less worshipful experi- 
 ences. For if everything is God, then we must 
 sense His presence not simply in the beauty of the 
 flowers and the majesty of the mountains, but also 
 in the ugly things we face, the offal we cast away, 
 the gruesome things that repel us. If everything 
 is God, then what we chew and swallow is God, 
 too. And it becomes difficult to worship such a 
 God. In Pantheism, He, Whom we have learned 
 to revere as the Infinite and All-holy, grows all 
 too common. And the personal nature of God, 
 His friendship which, especially in the Person of 
 Jesus Christ, we have cherished, is lost to us. 
 
 A School Fruitful of Cults 
 
 It is scarcely surprising that Pantheism has 
 gained many votaries among people who are 
 readily pleased with a form of religion, which does 
 not require much from them. Beginning with its 
 founder, a Jew who had never found Christ, yet 
 searched for light and groped for truth without 
 accepting the lowly Nazarene, Pantheism has 
 never found a personal God. Annie Besant and 
 
88 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 her school of New Thought have taken Spinoza’s 
 teachings and have made them their own. Mrs. 
 Mary Baker Eddy took as much of it as she could 
 absorb with her limited education, and has left 
 her followers whatever legacy she was able to re- 
 ceive from Spinoza in the idea of an impersonal 
 God. More recently, Bergson, a noted French 
 philosopher, has modernized Spinoza’s teachings in 
 his theory of “ creative evolution,” in which God 
 in His universe is conceived of as similar to the 
 babe’s unconscious soul within the little growing 
 body, but gradually coming to consciousness in 
 that body. So, he maintains, God is progressively 
 coming to consciousness in the world, specially 
 through human beings. 
 
 Truth and Error in Pantheism 
 
 The one great truth in Pantheism, which has 
 furnished it with all the vitality it may boast, is 
 the doctrine of the immanence of God. In the 
 humdrum of life this wonderful fact is easily for- 
 gotten. A restless, homesick, wandering race can- 
 not be too frequently reminded of God’s presence 
 everywhere. Let us thank Spinoza and the 
 modern cults that have used and abused his 
 teachings, for this one great reminder. 
 
 But as a doctrine to live by, we are forced to 
 reject Pantheism, because of its fatal denials of: 
 
 1. Distinction between mind and matter, which 
 both are equally God, if Pantheism is true. 
 
REGARDING GOD AND THE WORLD 39 
 
 2. Creation of matter. Side by side with the 
 Materialist, the Pantheist maintains that matter, 
 —which is to him the same as mind—existed from 
 all eternity. 
 
 3. The personal nature of God. As the sum 
 and substance of all things, God is more of a 
 power than a Person. He is nature; which may 
 at times be friendly, but which cannot be a friend. 
 
 4. The individuality of man. For man also 
 loses his personality in the great mass of the 
 universe. 
 
 5. Personal responsibility. With individuality 
 taken from him, there is no place to center 
 obligation. 
 
 6. Sin. Being part of God, it is not possible, of 
 course, for man to sin. The worst he can do is 
 to lag behind in the onward movement of the uni- 
 verse toward perfection. 
 
 7. Consciousness after death. Something even 
 less tangible than the Hindu’s Nirvana awaits the 
 human being on his demise. 
 
 Essentially, the teachings of Pantheism lead to 
 the same absurdities and false positions which we 
 should reach with Materialism. Without obliga- 
 tions, or recognition of sin; without personal com- 
 munion with God,—or with others, for that mat- 
 ter,—where is the meaning of life? It may seem 
 flattering to consider ourselves, as does the so- 
 called Christian Scientist, “ part of God”; but he 
 who so flatters himself is doomed to miss God’s 
 
40 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 personal friendship. Thus, ultimately, Pantheism 
 becomes a far greater delusion than is Materialism. 
 
 Theistic Belief 
 
 Theism is belief in a personal God. Generally 
 speaking, the western world is Theistic. But this 
 faith in one Supreme Being does not keep people 
 from having various opinions regarding the nature, 
 attributes and ways of God, and our immediate 
 relation to Him. There may be Deists, Unitarians 
 and Trinitarians. 
 
 The Deist’s Idea of God 
 
 The name “ Deist”’ is taken direct from the 
 Latin “ Deus,” as ‘“‘theos” is taken from the 
 Greek. In philosophy the Deists are classified by 
 themselves, even though they believe in a personal 
 God; for their ideas are so different from that of 
 Evangelical believers. They think of God as hav- 
 ing created and ordained all things, establishing 
 order in the universe and causing the laws to 
 operate. But when all this had been accomplished, 
 God withdrew and He is still withdrawn from His 
 handiwork, leaving the world processes to the just 
 operations of His laws. It is as if a clockmaker 
 had produced a gigantic clock, arranging every de- 
 tail accurately, then winding the works and set- 
 ting the clock agoing to run forever, or until 
 finally the machinery should run down, or wear 
 out. 
 
REGARDING GOD AND THE WORLD 41 
 
 If this were a true conception of God and His 
 world, it is obvious that prayer would be out of 
 place and that fatalism must be the ultimate and 
 all-embracing law of the universe. For all prac- 
 tical purposes the world of the Deist is not much 
 better off than that of the Pantheist or of the Ma- 
 terialist, with whom natural laws are the sum-total 
 of deity. 
 
 The consequences of this cold conception of 
 God have been clearly seen in the devotees of this 
 creed. Deists have not themselves greatly warmed 
 up to worship, or to the extension of the kingdom 
 of God. With a God in mind who had withdrawn 
 Himself from the world, they did not diligently 
 seek the presence of God in daily friendship. As 
 a result, Deism counts but few adherents to-day. 
 But its snare is still catching many unawares. For 
 the idea that the laws of nature are forever so 
 established that the prayers of God’s children are 
 futile, when a change of natural operations is con- 
 cerned, this cold idea is apparently gaining force 
 even among Christian people. 
 
 Unitarian Tenets 
 
 Unitarians have a far more intimate conception 
 of God than do Deists; but they are distinct from 
 the great body of Trinitarians of which Evangel- 
 ical Churches are composed. As the name sug- 
 gests, their chief distinction is the idea of the 
 unity or oneness of God. There is, they say, not 
 
42 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 only but one God, but also but one person in the 
 Godhead, and not a trinity of Father, Son, and 
 Holy Spirit. Of the Holy Spirit they think as 
 but another name for the Father, and of Jesus, 
 as the son of God, just as we are the children of 
 God, only more perfectly. They do not, there- 
 fore, worship Christ; neither do they lean upon 
 Him for salvation. The life and death of Christ 
 are to them the highest example of divine child- 
 hood, which we must attempt to follow. Christ 
 is our teacher, and only in so far, our Saviour. He 
 does not rescue us, but shows us by His own ex- 
 ample how we may save ourselves. Salvation is 
 not by grace but by a gracious character. 
 
 Altogether, then, we have these three articles in 
 the Unitarian’s creed: 
 
 1. There is but one Person in the Godhead, 
 God, the Father of all mankind. 
 
 2. All men are brothers, of the same sonship 
 of God with Christ, but not yet so far advanced 
 toward perfection. 
 
 3. Salvation is not through forgiveness and di- 
 vine mercy; but through human effort and the ac- 
 companying growth of character. 
 
 The Shortcomings of Unitarianism 
 The Unitarians’ appreciation of Jesus as a man, 
 not one of us could surpass. They have every 
 praise of Him that our lips might utter; but they 
 hold back from Him the one name that is above 
 
REGARDING GOD AND THE WORLD 43 
 
 every name, and which He claimed as peculiarly 
 His own,—the name of the Son of God, only-be- 
 gotten. Regarding the articles of their faith we 
 note: 
 
 1. Unitarians confuse the idea of person and 
 being. None of us hold that God is three Beings, 
 or three Gods; but rather one Supreme Being in 
 three persons. The meaning of this we shall con- 
 sider later on. 
 
 2. Jesus not only proclaimed Himself as the 
 Son of God, but also as “ the way ” to God. Uni- 
 tarians think of him as a goal which by their own 
 strength they must reach. Jesus offers himself as 
 the power of God whose strength is at our dis- 
 posal to reach the heart of God. 
 
 3. The idea of the “brotherhood of men” 
 sounds fine enough; but it is not Jesus’ own teach- 
 ing. He declared that to enter the kingdom of 
 God, we must be “ born from above ” (John 3:3). 
 He called the Jews who rejected Him and His say- 
 ings, not children of God, but “ children of your 
 father, the devil.” (John 8:44.) 
 
 4. It was the idea of Unitarians that Jesus as 
 the only-begotten Son of God would not be “ the 
 way” to the Father as he claimed, but that he 
 would be zm their way to the Father. With Jesus 
 removed they expected to have freer access to God. 
 But exactly the contrary has resulted. They are 
 missing their great High Priest and gradually they 
 have gone the way of the Deists. Their worship 
 
ay, 
 
 t 
 
 44 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 has grown colder. Many have turned to New 
 Thought and to Christian Science. It is a historic 
 fact that the Unitarian Church is not missionary 
 in spirit. It does not grow, because it lacks the 
 requisite vigor for world victory. 
 
 There remains, then, the Trinitarian doctrine, 
 which we shall discuss in a subsequent chapter. 
 
 SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 
 
 1. Secure expression from the students by which 
 they may rank themselves in one of the three main 
 schools. : 
 
 2. Ascertain from the students which view would 
 naturally appeal to them most if they had not been 
 influenced by Christian teaching. 
 
 3. Compare Materialism and Pantheism to discern 
 clearly the differences, the similarities and the iden- 
 tities. 
 
 4. Discuss modern Materialism among professing 
 Christians. 
 
 5. Collect reasons why modern cults are usually 
 indebted to Pantheism. 
 
 6. Discuss the appearance of Deism to-day in daily 
 habits of people. 
 
 7. Combine all Unitarians in the world, and note 
 their possibilities. Then produce efficient reasons to 
 show why they cannot dominate. 
 
 8. Let one section of the class write down modern 
 evils that are legitimately traceable to materialism, 
 and another section those that are clearly traced to 
 Pantheism. 
 
 For Further Research 
 
 The Christian’s God, Ch. II, William Burton. 
 
 The Diviner Immanence, Ch. I, IV, Francis J. 
 McConnell. 
 
 Reading day by day: Ex. 3: 1-6; Ex. 32: 1-6; Ex. 
 3431-8; Isa. 37: 8-23; Dan. 3:8-18; Acts 17: 16-31; 
 Rom. 1: 18-32. 
 
Il 
 WHY FAITH IN GOD? 
 
 the intelligent to pause, that some sort of 
 
 belief in a higher power or powers, and some 
 sort of worship, exists among all peoples. The 
 religious ideas of many worshipers are vague and 
 crude and superstitious. Too frequently the rev- 
 erence due to one Supreme Being has been lost in 
 a maze of demons, fetiches and charms. Never- 
 theless, the fact remains that the whole world over 
 humanity looks beyond itself for powers, or a 
 power, greater than self and related to human ex- 
 istence. And always is there a seeking for per- 
 sonality, either residing in or existing beyond the 
 confines of the physical world. It is but natural 
 to inquire how and whence this universal idea may 
 have originated. 
 
 | is a well-known fact, which may well cause 
 
 How Was the Idea of God First Born? 
 
 The simplest answer is that from childhood up 
 people have been told by their parents that there 
 is a God. Because in our home the folks talked 
 and acted in that belief, we naturally accepted it 
 
 and took God for granted. In somewhat similar 
 45 
 
46 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 way the aborigines of Calabar entertained notions 
 of animism and fetichism. This is simple enough; 
 why should we go any further! 
 
 The trouble is, this is too simple. To stop with 
 this would mark us simpletons. We are rationally 
 forced to go further. Where did our folks get the 
 idea? From their parents. And where did their 
 parents get it? Let us push this back to its 
 source. Where did our first ancestors get hold of 
 the idea of God? For no parents told them 
 about it. Somebody, somewhere, at the beginning 
 of the line, did originate it, and ever since, appar- 
 ently, every reasonable being has fallen right in 
 with it. Certain possible ways suggest themselves. 
 
 1. That first human being to whom the idea of 
 God, or of invisible powers, occurred, looked about 
 him and saw material things all around, which 
 neither he nor anyone else he had ever met could 
 possibly make or have made. He observed phe- 
 nomena in nature, such as sunsets and rainstorms, 
 hail and lightning, winds and fogs, all far beyond 
 the power of man to produce. How could he help 
 looking beyond the material world for the source 
 of those mighty forces! 
 
 2. But reason was not the only attribute in man 
 whereby he might seek for God and find Him. 
 There was also the heart. The finer feelings of 
 man were touched in the course of his experiences. 
 He learned to admire the beautiful things of 
 earth. He enjoyed the singing of skylark and 
 
WHY FAITH IN GOD? AT 
 
 nightingale. He sensed the tenderness of violet 
 and forget-me-not; the nobleness of oak and pine. 
 More than that, he learned to love. He found 
 that behind the exterior of that other person there 
 was an unseen self that answered to the unseen 
 self hidden behind his own features. Ere long he 
 learned that his love was the strongest power he 
 possessed; it mastered him. Out of dove he found 
 himself willing to do what out of fear he could 
 never have been forced to do. One soul had an- 
 swered another soul. Might it be conceivable, 
 then, that as behind the body of another he had 
 discovered a soul, there might be such a person- 
 ality also behind the phenomena of earth? Love 
 led him to look further. 
 
 3. The human will must also have entered in; 
 for it is the chief basis of character, and is so 
 closely related to duty. Man realized himself at 
 his best in the performance of duty, and at his 
 worst in the neglect of duty. What will was there, 
 superior to his own, that caused him ease or heavi- 
 ness of heart, according to his ways? There must 
 be a power in existence, similar to himself; but 
 greater! 
 
 4. If man looked beyond himself because of his 
 inner spirit, what of that invisible Being for whom 
 he was unconsciously looking, because both reason 
 and heart directed him? ‘There is a saying in an 
 old Book (Jer. 29:13), that was as true in the 
 dawn of history as it is now, “If with all your 
 
48 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 heart ye truly seek Me, ye shall ever surely find 
 Me.” Only in case there were no God would it be 
 credible to think that man, amazed by the powers 
 of nature, drawn by the things he admired and 
 loved, and stimulated by conscience, should search 
 for God without response on God’s part. We 
 know now, though primeval man may not have 
 known it, that God looks for us before we ever 
 look for Him. That first soul, that searched for 
 the Invisible, received response. He felt in his 
 inmost self that what he looked for existed. And 
 when he spoke to his children, he spoke with con- 
 viction. He spoke with reason, heart and will. 
 
 There are those who say that the idea of God 
 is purely a clinging to a shadow. Let us accept 
 the statement for the moment. Then let us note 
 how shadows are produced. Can there be a 
 shadow anywhere, unless there be a substance 
 somewhere, and a light to cause the shadow of that 
 substance? 
 
 Historic Arguments for the Existence of God 
 
 The child and the philosopher may ask the same 
 question regarding God. For there are basic prob- 
 lems that face us as soon as we begin to think in 
 terms of eternities and infinities, and try to find 
 the first great Source of all. Throughout the ages 
 the keenest minds have set themselves to the solu- 
 tion of world-problems. Among their utterances 
 those that concern our own reasons for believing 
 
WHY FAITH IN GOD? 49 
 
 in God as a personal Being are by no means least. 
 We shall endeavor briefly to present the leading 
 arguments: 
 
 1. The ontological argument, so-called because 
 it rests on our own make-up. Des Cartes, a 
 French philosopher who was banished from his 
 country by the Roman Church and spent his life 
 publishing his works, first in Holland and, later, 
 in Sweden, propounded this proposition: ‘‘ We 
 are finite,” he said, “ but we have within us an 
 idea of the Infinite. We are imperfect; but we 
 think of and idealize the All-Perfect. How could 
 the idea of the Perfect come to the imperfect, or 
 that of the Infinite make itself felt in the finite 
 unless it were imparted to us? And who could 
 impart it except One who is Himself infinite and 
 perfect? ” 
 
 2. The cosmological argument, so-called be- 
 cause it relates to the existence of the Cosmos, or 
 world. Every effect, so goes the argument, is due 
 to a cause that is great enough to produce the 
 effect. The world about us presents to our eyes 
 an effect that is greater than any cause we have 
 ever experienced. ‘The cause cannot lie in our- 
 selves; it cannot lie in nature itself. Then it must 
 be traced beyond self and nature. It leads us to 
 that supernatural cause we call God. 
 
 3. The argument from design. The world as 
 we observe it shows purpose; but purpose in- 
 volves intelligence. When a piece of exquisite 
 
50 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 music is rendered, the listener knows without 
 being told that someone has prepared a suitable 
 instrument; that a composer has prepared the 
 piece that is being played, and that a musician is 
 drawing the notes from the instrument. The in- 
 strument could not play itself. Similarly, when 
 we see the changes of seasons, the alterations of 
 day and night, the marvelous correspondences be- 
 tween heavenly bodies, the animal world domi- 
 nated by man, then we know that these relation- 
 ships could not have been established accidentally; 
 nor could purpose have found expression without 
 intelligence; for matter as we meet with it does 
 not possess intelligence. A Mind was required to 
 design and direct. “The heavens declare the 
 glory of God and the firmament showeth His 
 handiwork.” 
 
 4. The argument from need and supply. The 
 universe is everywhere so arranged, this argument 
 has it, that for needs there is supply. People 
 grow hungry and there is food which they can 
 secure. They get thirsty and there is water. This 
 is equally true of the animal world, and of the rest 
 of creation. Needs arise and there are supplies 
 somewhere to meet these needs. While it does 
 happen that need and supply do not meet at the 
 exact place and time, where they are most suited 
 to each other, yet it is always true that somewhere 
 in the universe there is a supply for some need 
 felt. But the needs of the human heart are the 
 
WHY FAITH IN GOD? | 51 
 
 greatest of all needs. When man says, “ As the 
 hart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth my 
 soul after thee, O God,” is it conceivable that his 
 prayer is in vain? When a soul cries out, “O, 
 my Father!” is there no “ Here, my child”? The 
 physical world with its supply assures us that for 
 our spiritual needs also there is adequate supply. 
 But our souls need God. ‘Therefore, there is a 
 God. 
 
 5. Argument from moral justice. Again, there 
 is the sense of right and wrong, inborn in every 
 human being. By what measure shall right and 
 wrong be meted if there be no God? Who is going 
 to straighten out unevennesses between the op- 
 pressor and the oppressed? Who is finally to 
 reach the evil-doer who escapes the clutches of 
 earthly law? Jesus called attention to Dives and 
 Lazarus, the one rolling in wealth, the other writh- 
 ing in agony and rotting in poverty. The hope of 
 a better world sustained poor Lazarus; but sup- 
 pose there were no heaven? Suppose there were 
 no God in heaven? There ought to be a final 
 judgment and because there ought to be there is. 
 The deepest thinker of modern times, Immanuel 
 Kant, was able to argue the existence of God, and 
 also the non-existence of God from pure reason- 
 ing; but when he took up the moral argument and 
 considered right and wrong, then he called his 
 readers back to the fact of God, duty and im- 
 mortality. 
 
52 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 6. Personal experience of God. This we must 
 not call an argument; because it is of so much 
 greater force than all the five arguments that have 
 been stated and which are the fruition of clear, 
 strong minds. Each argument alone is worthy of 
 our serious consideration. 
 
 Still, it must -be confessed that God is not 
 brought to the human heart by rational arguments 
 alone, or even supremely. For religion is not su- 
 premely an affair of the head; it is an affair as 
 well of the heart and of the will. People who have 
 failed to use their spiritual eyes and have centered 
 their attention on the visible world have gradually 
 grown blind. The light of heaven is too brilliant 
 for them; it would hurt their eyes. They are spir- 
 itually devoid of eyesight, and every argument we 
 might produce would fail of its effect. The task 
 of proving God to them by reason is hopeless. In 
 the Bible it is never even attempted. God is taken 
 for granted all the way through. “In the begin- 
 ning—God,” are the Bible’s first words. But 
 throughout the Bible there are characters who 
 come into personal touch with God. Anyone who 
 is willing to read the Bible and to note the experi- 
 ences of those men and women who lived in the 
 presence of God, is on the way of growing con- 
 vinced of the reality of God. 
 
 God can be proven unmistakably to every one 
 of us, and He is daily being proved in human lives. 
 His care for us, His patience, His friendship, His 
 
WHY FAITH IN GOD? 53 
 
 great disapproval of sin, His infinite yearning for 
 our love, all these may be keenly felt and of these 
 we may bear witness by our godly ways and 
 words. Such witness is the strongest proof of God 
 and it is most convincing. 
 
 How Can We Know God? 
 
 Those Agnostics of whom we made mention in 
 the previous chapter might have used at least one 
 verse in the Bible in their defense, had they taken 
 the trouble to peruse the Bible. It is a question 
 asked with the evident expectation of a negative 
 reply, ‘“‘ Canst thou by searching find out God? 
 Canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection? ” 
 (Job 11:7.) Which is also in agreement with the 
 suggestions of our previous paragraph; we cannot 
 reach God by the ladder of pure reasoning. Not 
 the brains but the heart finds God. Jesus in His 
 high-priestly prayer (John 17:3) gave the world 
 an astounding utterance, ‘‘ This is life eternal that 
 they should know Thee, the only true God, and 
 Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.” We must 
 know God, or we lose out altogether. How shall 
 we go about it? 
 
 Do Others Know Us? 
 
 In a study of ways in which God may be known 
 and to what degree, it should be helpful to con- 
 sider how we ourselves may be known and to what 
 degree. We are partly known by our appearance. 
 Even the clothes we wear tell something of our 
 
54 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 character. A neat person, however poor, does 
 never appear shabby; while a slovenly person, 
 however rich, does not look neat in a brand-new 
 suit. Clothes do not make the man; but clothes 
 show the man. Then there are facial expressions, 
 and particularly of the eyes, whereby folks get an 
 idea of our inner nature. Happiness beams out 
 of the eyes; anger is shown in one’s features; 
 satisfaction can be made known without words; 
 even hope and courage can be read from eyes and 
 mouth. The body, too, takes its part in witnessing 
 of the soul. Our ways of rising up and sitting 
 down; our position in standing or sitting; the gait 
 we strike in walking; the quickness or slowness of 
 our motions; our mannerisms and idiosyncrasies 
 all combine to make us known to others. 
 
 Again: there are the things we say, and the way 
 in which we say them; the ideas conveyed by our 
 words, and their purpose. ‘ Out of the abundance 
 of the heart the mouth speaketh,” so that sooner 
 or later we are likely to show what we are by 
 what we say. 
 
 At least as sure a criterion of character as those 
 just mentioned are our actions. ‘“‘ Deeds speak 
 louder than words.” The person who voluntarily 
 does right may with fair accuracy be judged as 
 being right at heart. ‘‘ Even a child is known by 
 his doings.” Our looks, our words, and our deeds 
 are so many labels that mark our personality. 
 
 Yet, when all has been said, neither our clothes, 
 
WHY FAITH IN GOD? 55 
 
 nor our facial expression, nor our general be- 
 havior, nor our words, nor yet our deeds are our- 
 selves. There is an unseen, inner soul behind it 
 all, as the center and source of these manifesta- 
 tions. “ As a man thinketh in his heart so is he.” 
 And who can know, for certain, what anyone of 
 us thinks in his heart—except in so far as we are 
 willing to let it be known? There is no certain 
 way of knowing each other through and through. 
 We know in part. We see through a glass darkly. 
 
 Ways of Knowing God 
 
 The ways we have mentioned by which others 
 may be known apply in an infinitely higher sense 
 to our ways of knowing God. We gain an idea 
 of God through nature, because God has expressed 
 Himself through these visible things and forces. 
 “The heavens declare the glory of God,” because 
 God made them, and we may rightly judge a per- 
 son’s character by what he makes. In a sense 
 these natural phenomena are expressive of God 
 as our clothes are expressive of us. ‘‘ Who cover- 
 est Thyself with light as with a garment ”’ (Psalm 
 104:2), says the poet to God. But nature is more 
 than the mere garment of God. It has pleased 
 Him to express divine attributes through nature. 
 The beauty of the rose witnesses to the beauty of 
 God. The majesty of the mountains proclaims 
 that God is majestic; the delicacy of the tiniest 
 flower witnesses to infinite graciousness. ‘‘ Thy 
 
56 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 righteousness is like the great mountains; Thy 
 judgments are a great deep” (Psalms 36:6). 
 There is a sense in which the Pantheist is right. 
 As we express our minds through our bodies, so 
 God expresses His mind through nature. And just 
 as the architect of a great cathedral has found ex- 
 pression through the building he planned, so has 
 God found limited expression and is still showing 
 His character in a measure through the universe. 
 
 Our sovereign God has also manifested His 
 nature by the way He controls and directs the 
 affairs of the world. History is a wonderful record 
 of God’s ways with men. The Hebrew nation was 
 typical of all nations. When they followed the 
 gracious suggestions of their divine Leader the na- 
 tion prospered; but when they went wandering 
 after idols of other nations those very nations 
 brought chastisement upon them. This has been 
 true as well of Egypt, Babylonia, Greece, and 
 Rome; it is true of our modern nations. Four 
 hundred years ago Spain was a mighty empire, 
 sailing the Seven Seas. America lay at her feet. 
 But instead of bringing good tidings to those peo- 
 ples, Spain took from them their gold and silver. 
 Then God put down Spain from among the nations 
 of the earth. At that time, 
 
 “ The voice of God to Holland came, 
 To Leyden by the sea, 
 
 — “Rise up ye children without name, 
 My kings and priests to be!” 
 
WHY FAITH IN GOD? 57 
 
 But Holland, too, though in possession of far 
 greater riches than Spain, by the light of the 
 Reformation, centered her interest on spices and 
 monopolies, refusing to send the glad tidings. 
 Then Holland went down. Of late God spoke to 
 Germany, “‘I am sending you the sons of the 
 earth. Teach them My truth.” But Germany 
 taught “ superman,” instead of the grace of Christ. 
 Now Germany has fallen. 
 
 In our own lives God has shown Himself even 
 more clearly and more fully than in nature and 
 in history; for He has shown His love and mercy, 
 and these are the greatest of His attributes. 
 
 God has revealed Himself in words. He has 
 spoken to humankind. We know Him by what 
 He has said to us. In these studies we plan to 
 devote a whole chapter to this mode of divine 
 revelation. Suffice it here that the wonderful 
 words of life show to us a wonderful, life-giving 
 God. 
 
 God has revealed His character by deeds. Su- 
 preme among these is the gift of His only-begotten 
 Son. For God is more than almighty, and more 
 than holy and righteous. God is love. 
 
 The Infinite Perfection of God 
 
 There is a contemplative way that helps us to 
 appreciate the nature of God, which is but rarely 
 applied. Think of all the limitations and imper- 
 fections of human nature and eliminate these in 
 
58 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 thinking of God. Man can watch over his dearest 
 friends only a few hours without need of sleep. 
 The great Shepherd of Israel neither slumbers nor 
 sleeps. Man grows old; God remains forever 
 young. Man wearies soon; but God never wearies. 
 or faints. Man may forgive for a while; but soon 
 loses his patience; God’s pity and forgiveness are 
 applied day after day. Man knows his neighbor-. 
 hood intimately; God knows the universe in its 
 minutest details. Man began in time; God never 
 began. Let the highest qualities of man be 
 thought of to the nth power, and we have some 
 vague idea of the infinitude of God. 
 
 God Cannot Be Defined or Classified 
 
 While standing at this point of vantage we may 
 observe two facts that should aid us further in our 
 estimate of God. 
 
 1. The Infinite cannot be defined; there can be 
 no adequate definition of God. Defining infinity 
 is a contradiction of terms. ‘“ Fines,” means 
 bounds, and God is boundless. It may be possible 
 to make a statement about God; or to predicate: 
 something of Him; but this will always involve 
 the silent confession that we are considering only 
 a phase of God’s being. 
 
 2. God cannot be classified; for He is supreme.. 
 Classification calls for similars and equals. But 
 though man was made in the likeness of God, the 
 similarity is that of creature and Creator, which: 
 
WHY FAITH IN GOD? 59 
 
 does not allow for categorizing. There is no 
 equality. For this reason we cannot form a con- 
 cept of God. There is no other being that fully 
 explains Him. 
 
 God the Object of Eternal Study 
 
 Through nature, history, human life, the sacred 
 Scriptures, and supremely through Jesus Christ 
 we are daily learning about God. The moment 
 will never come, neither in this world nor in that 
 which is to come, when we shall “ know the Al- 
 mighty to perfection.” His infinite nature, the 
 harmony of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, their 
 relation within the Godhead and their relation to 
 us, of these we shall learn ever more through the 
 unmeasured aeons of eternity. 
 
 With the knowledge of God which we have re- 
 ceived from the various sources already men- 
 tioned, we may form some such statement,—God 
 is the one, infinite, spiritual Being, to whom the 
 universe owes its origin, in whose likeness we are 
 created, and to whom all things and beings are 
 related; for in wisdom, justice and love He gov- 
 erns and sustains them all. 
 
 SUGGESTIONS FOR DiscuUSSION 
 1. Learn from the members of the class their 
 measure of belief in God, and sound their reasons. 
 Allow them to criticize each other’s reasons, and help 
 each to defend his own. 
 2. Allow free expression on the argument in this 
 
60 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 lesson that appealed most strongly, encouraging the 
 stating of arguments not given in the lesson. 
 
 3. Spend a few minutes on the question of useful- 
 ness or futility of arguing with non-believers on this 
 subject. Give room especially to reports from ex- 
 perience. 
 
 4. The suggestion, that others do not know us, 
 may be emphasized. Do we agree? Do we want to 
 be completely known?* Do we know ourselves per- 
 fectly? a 
 
 5. Secure expressions regarding ways in which 
 more knowledge of God was and may still be 
 acquired. 
 
 6. Talk over the changes on the parts of students 
 in their own view of God; the experiences that have 
 most definitely pointed to God; the use of prayer in 
 relation to God. 
 
 7. Assign for the next lesson to one student a de- 
 fense of the Unitarian and to another the defense of 
 the Trinitarian doctrine. 
 
 For Further Research 
 What Shall I Believe?, A. H. Strong. 
 Can I Believe in God, the Father?, W. Newton 
 Clarke. 
 Christian Doctrine, Ch. I, IJ, R. W. Dale. 
 Reading .day by day,:’ Ps. 233 Ps. 1033 [sa.\6%) tsa 
 37; Jn. 5:19-26; Jn, 17:1-11; Jn. 14: 1-9. 
 
IV 
 THE TRIUNE BEING 
 
 HAT it would be far more difficult to 
 solve the problems of the universe with 
 God left out than with God as the source 
 and center of all existence, most of us will agree. 
 Every road when followed to the end leads to God, 
 when we start reasoning of causes and purposes. 
 The heart needs Him; the intellect listens to Him; 
 the will bows to Him. But when it comes to the 
 idea of a Triune God,—Father, Son and Holy 
 Spirit,—then there is likely to be a somewhat dif- 
 ferent attitude. We readily see the need of one 
 God; but why should we think of three divine 
 persons! 
 
 Ideas Elsewhere of a Trinity 
 
 If our surmise that the Trinitarian doctrine is 
 purely theoretical were correct, then it would be 
 the more astonishing to find the same idea among 
 non-Christian peoples that have mentally ad- 
 vanced beyond others. For not only the Apostles 
 mention the triune Being repeatedly; but also the 
 Hindus in India, the Aztecs in ancient Mexico, 
 
 and Plato among the Greeks. 
 61 
 
62 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 The Hindus tell of Brahm, the simple, primal 
 being, who was the unconscious origin of all 
 things. Not in time,—for eternity knows no ear- 
 lier or later—but in the order of activity, Vishnu 
 followed Brahm as the spirit which unfolded itself 
 in the world and by means of it. This spirit has 
 consciousness; because it touches the realms of 
 day and of sense. Third, there is Shiva, the eter- 
 nal being returning to unconsciousness. These 
 three cooperating form the trinity of the Hindus. 
 
 Among the Mexicans of ancient days the teach- 
 ings regarding God and His universe were strik- 
 ingly similar. ‘There was, to begin with, the un- 
 known God out of whom the visible world came 
 forth. Then there was the world-maker by 
 whose agencies the immaterial and unsubstantial 
 elements that had been brought forth, assumed 
 substance and form. Finally, and finishing the 
 work of making worlds, there was a sort of world- 
 soul, that permeates all things and endows ani- 
 mate nature with life. 
 
 Plato, the great philosopher of Greece, thought, 
 in his turn, of ‘‘ The Idea,” or the divine Being 
 who is at the same time the origin of all things 
 and the goal toward which all creation moves. 
 God, the /dea of Plato, thought out the worlds 
 that were to be and mapped out their destiny 
 through the coming ages. He produced or created 
 the unformed materials from which the universe 
 was to be molded; but He left it in chaotic form. 
 
THE TRIUNE BEING 63 
 
 The shaping and the forming, the imparting of 
 order and beauty, was the work of the “ Demi- 
 urge,’ or divine Artist, who is sometimes called 
 Logos. But there was furthermore the World- 
 Soul, which gave life to all things on the earth 
 and in the heavens, and who sustained all things. 
 This World-Soul was neither the Idea nor the 
 Demiurge. 
 
 That from three nations so widely scattered, but 
 each advanced beyond his neighbors in the scale 
 of civilization and in ability of thinking, there did 
 originate such closely identical teachings, should 
 surely impress us deeply. When, then, in our own . 
 sacred Scriptures we find repeated testimony of 
 three active persons in the Godhead; while at the 
 same time we are asked to worship the one God, 
 and these persons performing functions not unlike 
 the functions of the persons in non-Christian 
 trinities, it behoves us to give the matter most 
 serious consideration. 
 
 Scriptural Testimony 
 
 The testimony of the Bible to the fact of the 
 divine Trinity is, in the main, sixfold: 
 
 1. There seems to be conversation. God says, 
 “Let us make man in our image after our like- 
 ness’ (Gen. 1:26), and (Gen. 11:7), “Let us 
 go down.” 
 
 2. There is mention of one by the other as 
 
64 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 “he” and “him”; while they address each other 
 with “thou” (Ps. 2; Ps. 110; Jn. 14-17). 
 
 3. There are definite and distinct relationships 
 within the Trinity. The Father sends the Son, 
 while the Son never sends the Father. Both 
 Father and Son send the Holy Spirit, either alone 
 or jointly; but the-Holy Spirit does not send either 
 Father or Son. The Holy Spirit commissions 
 workers ” (Acts 13:2-4). 
 
 4. The three are mentioned in each other’s 
 presence. At the occasion of the baptism of Jesus, 
 the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus, the Father spoke 
 from heaven, and mentioned the Son (Matt. 3:16, 
 17). A threefold source of divine testimony is 
 vouchsafed John on the Isle of Patmos (Rev. 1:4, 
 5), very obviously Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 
 In the Apostolic Benediction (II Cor. 13:14) 
 mention is made of the three Persons. 
 
 5. Distinct activities are assigned to each of 
 them. ‘In the beginning God created.” Which 
 is very similar to the teachings of Plato and of 
 the old Mexicans. But, “ All things were made 
 by Him” (Jn. 1:3), is written of the Son of God. 
 Of the Spirit of God it is said that he “‘ brooded 
 upon the waters,” in those primeval days when 
 man had not yet appeared. 
 
 6. If in the visible world the Father creates, 
 the Son forms, and the Holy Spirit vitalizes, sim- 
 ilar order is operating in the spiritual world. The 
 Father so loves the world that He gives His Son, 
 
THE TRIUNE BEING 65 
 
 a sacrifice for sin. The Son so completely sur- 
 renders to the will of the Father and so truly 
 joins the Father’s sympathy, that He gives up His 
 heavenly home, becomes a servant and takes on 
 Him the iniquities of us all. The Holy Spirit ap- 
 plies the life-giving grace divine to human hearts 
 that turn to God in repentance. (Jn. 6:63; I Pt. 
 Bolo). 
 
 Impressive witnesses have been summoned from 
 India, Mexico and Greece. We honor the sages 
 who have spoken, no matter from what land. But 
 when from our own sacred writings we receive 
 such strong, clear testimony, shall we ascribe to 
 it less weight? 
 
 Human Reasons for the Triune Being 
 
 Apart from the Bible and away from ancient 
 lore there are reasons within us that make it neces- 
 sary to think of God not as a lone but as a Triune 
 God. 
 
 1. The similarity between God and man. The 
 human being, who thinks and feels and wills, is 
 most like God of all His fair creation. But this 
 must mean that what is true of us, and is nowise 
 sinful, may be thought of also as true of God. And 
 these are self-evident facts about ourselves: 
 
 a. We want and require fellowship. Al- 
 though there are times when we long to be. 
 alone, it would mean an affliction, almost as; 
 grievous as death, to be shut out from the fel-. 
 
66 
 
 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 lowship of others. Solitary confinement is un- 
 natural. 
 
 If this is true of us, what of God, after 
 whose likeness we were created? Can we as- 
 sume that, from all eternity, the Father existed 
 in utter loneliness? If His nature is infinitely 
 greater than ours, would not His social quali- 
 ties be infinitely greater than ours, too? 
 Would He not desire to be loved and would 
 He not lavish love? It appears to be of the 
 essence of God to be more than one person; 
 unless eternal solitariness be conceded. 
 
 b. There is something like a dual personal- 
 ity in each of us. Lofty, helpful motives are 
 to the fore one moment; degrading, selfish mo- 
 tives the next moment. ‘“ For the good that 
 I would, I do not; but the evil that I would 
 not, that I do,” cries Paul (Rom. 7). But 
 if within the same person there can be two 
 such semi-personalities opposed to each other, 
 why should it be deemed impossible that in 
 God three personalities should perfectly agree 
 with each other! 
 
 c. There are three mental powers that make 
 up the human being—the intellectual powers, 
 the emotional powers, and the volitional pow- 
 ers. These are not three different compart- 
 ments within one human being; but the one 
 being wholly thinking, wholly feeling, wholly 
 willing. Yet, this one person may meet a beg- 
 
THE TRIUNE BEING 67 
 
 gar who asks him for alms. The person looks 
 upon the poor man’s rags and feels sympathy. 
 He is about to hand the wretch a piece of 
 silver; when a whiff of breath reaches him, 
 that makes him decide differently. The rea- 
 son tells him that the fellow will use the 
 money to secure more “ white mule.” The 
 feelings, then, and the reason, will have it out 
 between each other, and the will is to carry 
 out the dictates of the winning powers. Carry 
 this fact to three distinct powers within one 
 person to infinity, and does not the reasonable 
 possibility of personality again loom up? 
 
 2. There is need in the divine economy for three 
 persons rather than one as the source of truth and 
 harmony. Our divine Teacher, who came to reveal 
 to men the marvelous grace of God, did not merely 
 teach truth; He said, ‘‘ I am the Truth.” When 
 Pilate asked Him, “ What is truth?”, He an- 
 swered him not a word; for the Truth was stand- 
 ing before the Roman officer, who was too blind 
 to see Him. 
 
 But how can a person be the Truth? Because 
 truth cannot be made. Just as we cannot make 
 time, but only use it economically; neither can we 
 make space, but only adjust it carefully, because 
 time and space are from eternity; so we cannot 
 make truth; it is from all eternity. Any attempt 
 at making truth would lead us into falsehood. 
 
68 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 God Himself could not make truth. God is Truth, 
 and Christ came to reveal it. 
 
 Let us go further into this. Truth always de- 
 mands relationships. A magnetic needle is true 
 when it points in a certain direction. It must be 
 rightly related to the North Pole. A statement is 
 true when it corresponds correctly with facts. A 
 line is straight when it is the shortest distance be- 
 tween two points. But how could God be the 
 Truth, if He were eternally alone? For then there 
 would be no relationship. God, to be the Truth, 
 or even to be true, must sustain true relationships. 
 These true relationships were existing between 
 Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and Christ came as 
 the one Person to show the world this eternal rela- 
 tionship which is the source of all truth. 
 
 But there should not only be relationship; there 
 should be harmony. And harmony requires a 
 threefold existence. When two points have a 
 straight line between them there is no harmony. 
 But when three points are related to each other 
 there is either harmony or discord. Symmetry, 
 beauty, order, coordination, everything that is ar- 
 tistic and pointing toward perfection, must be 
 composed of at least three parts. The perfect har- 
 mony between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit forms 
 the basis of all harmony in all the universe, and 
 their perfectly true relationships are the stand- 
 ards of truth by which ultimately all truth must 
 be gauged. 
 
THE TRIUNE BEING 69 
 
 Not Three Beings, But Three Persons 
 
 Those who believe in God, but deny the Trin- 
 ity, have customarily failed to distinguish be- 
 tween person and being on the part of God. 
 They go too far in their comparison between God 
 and man and insist there cannot be three persons 
 unless there are three beings in the Godhead. Of 
 course, if their contention is right, then we are 
 wholly wrong; for we do not worship three Gods. 
 We worship the one true God, in three Persons. 
 This consideration requires still further our clos- 
 est attention; for it treats of matters that are 
 rarely touched upon in daily life, and some phases 
 of which are obviously beyond our human ex- 
 perience. 
 
 We make a serious mistake when we confine 
 the personalities in the Godhead to our human 
 categories. The distinct mark of human person- 
 ality is such freedom of will that one can differ 
 from another and do what another person does 
 not want him to do. To our human thinking this 
 is the essence of liberty. We are free; therefore 
 we can go contrary to the demands or desires of 
 another. But in the divine Trinity the principle 
 of contrariness does not exist. Fact is, of course, 
 that the power of contrariness is not at all essen- 
 tial to freedom; it only seems so to us, because 
 of our perversity of nature. If every one of us 
 were ready to follow divine Truth, we would all 
 agree and work harmoniously. The Holy Trinity 
 
10 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 is in absolute agreement one with the other. 
 What one Person of the Godhead wills, the Other 
 wills. What One plans the Other plans. What 
 is acceptable to the Father is acceptable equally 
 to the Son. Their personalities know of no differ- 
 ences between them. Their will, feeling, and in- 
 tellect are so perfectly united that they are a 
 unity. Hence, our idea of human personality is 
 not that perfect idea which is sustained in the 
 Godhead, and we judge wrongly when we deter- 
 mine from our wrong opinions that there cannot 
 be three Persons in one Divine Being. 
 
 There was a theologian, teaching at Ptolemais 
 in upper Egypt the latter part of the third century 
 A. D., who held that there is but one Person in 
 the Godhead and that the Father is essentially 
 that Person, with the Son and the Holy Spirit as 
 manifestations of His personality. Had Sabellius 
 said, one Being, he might have come nearer the 
 truth than many trinitarians to-day, who think in 
 terms of human persons when considering divine 
 personality. For it is true that the Son of God 
 coming to earth was a manifestation of God, “‘ the 
 express image of His substance” (Heb. 1:3). 
 And Jesus said, “ He that hath seen Me, hath 
 seen the Father” (John 14:9). The Holy Spirit, 
 too, has shown divine presence, at the baptism of 
 Jesus; on the day of Pentecost; when leading 
 God’s children into truth; wherever fruits of 
 Christian life abound. 
 
THE TRIUNE BEING 71 
 
 But neither Sabellius’ theory, nor the improve- 
 ment of it just suggested, will suffice to impart to 
 our minds a complete understanding of the identi- 
 ties and the unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 
 Infinity cannot be grasped. But infinity is not ir- 
 rational. There is nothing in the doctrine of the 
 Trinity that militates against our reason. For the 
 idea of three divine Persons in one divine Being 
 goes beyond our reason only in the line of our 
 reasoning. It does not deviate from it or run 
 against it; because God is Truth. And through 
 the untold ages yet to come the contemplation of 
 this harmonious relation between the three Per- 
 sons of the Godhead in the one Being will con- 
 tinue to fascinate and draw our souls Godward in 
 worship. 
 
 The Holy Spirit 
 
 The personality of the Father is accepted by 
 all Theists. The deity of the Son of God will be 
 considered more intimately in a later chapter. 
 The personality of the Holy Spirit requires in this 
 connection at least a brief study. To many wor- 
 shipers of God, the Holy Spirit is “It.” It 
 seems so much easier to think of the Father and 
 the Son as persons, and to address them as such, 
 than to commune with the Holy Spirit. Yet, in 
 the Benediction that is used every Sunday at the 
 dismissal of the congregation, “‘ the communion of 
 the Holy Spirit ” (I Cor. 13:13) forms the climax. 
 
72 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 There is reason for this habit of religious think- 
 ing. The Old Testament acquaints us with God 
 in a way that makes us naturally think of the 
 Father. The New Testament tells us the story 
 of the Son of God, who actually walked and talked 
 on earth. We think of the Father’s love and of 
 the Son’s self-sacrifice. But the activities of the 
 Spirit are so invisible. Therefore, we, to whom 
 the tangible, the audible, and the visible appeal 
 so greatly, think less of the manifestations of the. 
 Holy Spirit. 
 
 Although existing and active from all eternity, 
 the Holy Spirit became more definitely related to 
 the whole human race after Christ had completed 
 His redemptive work. In the Old Testament He 
 is usually mentioned as the Spirit of God. Jesus 
 promises us the presence of the Spirit after His 
 own departure (Jn. 8, 9), and in the world (Jn. 
 16:8). This divine presence is felt in the Church 
 (Acts 13: 2600 Cor 12313 phn 2:2 25 \ctsnd aaa 
 
 The Functions of the Holy Spirit 
 
 There are peculiar functions assigned to each 
 of the three Persons, and those of the Holy Spirit 
 are: 
 
 1. The giving of life—-which might be termed 
 the motherly phase of divine activity. 
 
 a. The Spirit imparted and does still im- 
 part life to all creation. (Gen. 1:2; 2:7; Ps. 
 104:29, 30; Isa. 32:14, 15.) 
 
i) 
 
 THE TRIUNE BEING 73 
 
 b. The Holy Spirit is the source of new 
 birth for mankind. (Jn. 3:5; I Cor. 11:3; 
 Ps. 51:11.) 
 
 c. The Spirit imparts to yielding hearts the 
 power of bearing fruit. (Gal. 5:22; Eph. 
 5:9.) 
 
 . The teaching of God’s will to listening hearts. 
 
 a. The Spirit of God imparts and stimu- 
 lates natural wisdom. (Ex. 31:2-4; Job 
 32:8.) This remains true to-day. Flashes of 
 genius that bring to the world great discov- 
 eries, are not customarily attributed to God’s 
 Spirit; but He is their source, nevertheless. 
 And God’s Spirit will speak to us, if we seek 
 His instructions. 
 
 b. The Spirit reveals divine truth. (Jn. 
 16:13; I Cor. 2:10, 11.) This may be in the 
 form of inspiration, dream, vision, or calling 
 back to memory. It may be as possible 
 to-day as it was in days long gone, but it 
 must by its own necessity be in line with past 
 revelation. And it should be forever remem- 
 bered that in Jesus Christ God’s supreme 
 revelation was made to the world. 
 
 c. The Holy Spirit applies divine truth to 
 the human heart. This will never cease. And 
 for this we should ever look prayerfully; for 
 only thus are we able to catch the meaning of 
 God’s most precious promises both for this 
 life and for that which is to come. 
 
74 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 3. The imparting of strength to weak humanity. 
 a. The name ‘“ Comforter” does not pri- 
 marily mean “giver of consolation,” but, 
 centering on the stem “ fort,” it means “ giver 
 of fortitude” or strength. In this sense the 
 Holy Spirit is supremely our daily Com. 
 forter; because~ His life-giving power may 
 enter daily into our soul’s fibre. (Rom. 8:15.) 
 b. The Holy Spirit assures us of divine 
 Fatherhood, and thus imparts to us a sense 
 of security in the midst of a trying world and 
 in face of our own imperfections. (Rom. 
 SP2hS LAS ee) 
 
 4. The sanctifying of those who have begun the 
 new life in Christ Jesus. This involves the daily 
 growing in grace, the subduing of the old nature 
 that is akin to the beast, and the growth of the 
 new nature in righteousness and love after the 
 order of Christ Jesus. (I Pt. 1:2; Eph. 4:24.) 
 
 Divine Order 
 
 There is perfect agreement among the Persons 
 of the Godhead regarding their particular tasks. 
 The Father plans; the Son works out the Father’s 
 plans; the Holy Spirit establishes the work of 
 Father and Son. Yet, all are active together. 
 ‘“ My Father worketh until now and I work,” says 
 Jesus (John 5:17). “ The Spirit and the Bride 
 say, Come.” 
 
 There is, therefore, in the minds of the writers 
 
THE TRIUNE BEING 75 
 
 of our sacred Scriptures not the slightest doubt 
 regarding the oneness of God and His threefold 
 Personality. 
 
 SUGGESTIONS For DiscUssION 
 
 1. The assigned papers on Unitarian and Trini- 
 tarian doctrines. Leave its discussion till later. 
 
 2. Compare as pieces of reliable testimony, Hindu, 
 Old Mexican, Platonic and Bible teachings. 
 
 3. Set out in contrast definite tendencies for good 
 and for evil as shown in historic personages. 
 
 4, Illustrate from experience the relationships be- 
 tween the human powers of mind, their harmonious 
 working, their divergencies, and their mutual de- 
 pendence. 
 
 5. Put on the blackboard after the names of each 
 Person of the Godhead those operations that may 
 rightly be assigned to each. 
 
 6. Discuss the Unitarianism of the Old Testament 
 as compared with the Trinitarian teachings of the 
 New Testament, and note factors that brought about 
 the change. 
 
 7. Take up discussion of the two papers already 
 read. 
 
 8. For the next lesson let every student write out 
 what Christ has personally meant to him. State- 
 ments must be extremely concise. 
 
 9. Request careful review of previous lessons. 
 
 For Further Research 
 
 Christian Doctrine, Ch. VI, VII, R. W. Dale. 
 
 The Doctrine of the Trinity, Ch. VIII, J. R. Il- 
 lingworth. 
 
 he:.Ministry of ‘the Spirit,) Ch. Vj VEAL J: 
 Gordon. 
 
 What Shall I Believe?, A. H. Strong. 
 
 Reading day by day: Jn. 14: 23-26; Jn. 20: 19-28; 
 Rom. 7: 14-25; Eph. 4:1-7; Rom. 8: 26, 2h F€ors ree 
 MAGS ARS aad Ob 1-5, fie, ri 
 
 
 
V 
 
 THE PERSON AND WORK OF JESUS 
 CHRIST 
 
 think of His humanity and His deity and 
 these two natures in their relationships; 
 while a study of His work requires a consideration 
 of His life and death with their significance for us. 
 The entire Church—as well Roman as Protes- 
 tant, with the exception of the Unitarians—be- 
 lieves in Jesus Christ as Son of God and Son of 
 man, two natures yet but one person. This won- 
 derful fact of a divine and human nature in one. 
 Person has been taken for granted without ques- 
 tioning by most Christians; while some have pur- 
 posely refrained from questioning because they 
 feared that doubt or curiosity might indicate lack 
 of faith or even sacrilege. But in these present 
 studies we have not been taking things for granted. 
 Rather have we sought for reasons for the faith 
 that is in us. Our attitude has been that of the 
 student—reverent, but persistent. Without pre- 
 suming that the human mind is able to compre- 
 hend the Infinite, and to understand in full the 
 
 ways of God with men, we have endeavored to 
 76 
 
 |: a study of Christ as a Person we are led to 
 
THE PERSON AND WORK OF JESUS ‘17 
 
 think God’s thoughts after Him. In the same 
 spirit of earnest and humble inquiry, and with 
 prayer for the promised guidance of God’s own 
 Spirit, let us think of the union of God and man 
 in the Person of Christ Jesus. 
 
 The Physical Body of Jesus 
 
 That in the days of Herod some nineteen hun- 
 dred years ago a child was born at Bethlehem, 
 who was named Jesus, whose mother’s name was 
 Mary, and the name of whose supposed father was 
 Joseph, is considered a historic fact. There is no 
 controversy about it. There is a difference of 
 opinion, however, on the matter of Joseph’s rela- 
 tion to the birth of Jesus. There are people who 
 believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, only- 
 begotten, who also believe that Joseph was the 
 physical father of Jesus. 
 
 That this would be possible, who of us may 
 deny? For who are we to set limits to the power 
 of God, or to map out for Him the ways in which 
 He shall operate. Besides, it is in itself quite con- 
 ceivable that the Second Person of the Godhead 
 should dwell within a body that was produced in 
 the natural, God-ordained processes of procrea- 
 tion. The first question is not, how the Son of 
 God came to earth, but that He came to earth. 
 
 There are leading reasons, however, why the 
 great majority of Christians are justified in their 
 belief in the Virgin Birth. 
 
78 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 1. Because the story of it, say in Matthew, 
 forms an integral part of the Gospel. The same 
 writer, who wrote the last twenty-six chapters, 
 also wrote the first two chapters. There is not the 
 slightest alteration in the use of language, in the 
 manuscripts thus far discovered, that would set 
 the story of the annunciation and the birth of 
 Christ off by itself. Therefore, if we believe the 
 Gospel, we should, in all fairness, believe the story 
 of the Virgin Birth. 
 
 2. Jesus came to earth as Son of God and Son 
 of man. It was necessary that His body should 
 be perfectly human; hence the need of being born 
 of a woman. It might not be most helpful, how- 
 ever, for the Son of man to be a Jew from both 
 father’s and mother’s side. Jesus came into the 
 world to be a brother to all of us, not simply of 
 the Jews. His face and features, which, according 
 to the Scriptures, remain with Him in the glorified 
 life, might be of a more universal nature than the 
 rather distinctive Hebrew face and features. Jesus 
 is not the son of one people; but the Son of man, 
 whom the Indian resembles, and the Chinese, and 
 the African, as well as the Occidental. To the 
 Jew, therefore, ‘there was no form or comeliness 
 to him, that they should desire him.” (Isa. 53:2.) 
 
 3. Had Joseph been the natural father of Jesus, 
 his function would chiefly have been the impart- 
 ing of vitality for growth to the cell in the body 
 of Mary, that was to develop into the full-grown 
 
THE PERSON AND WORK OF JESUS ‘79 
 
 body of Jesus. But the function of vitalizing is, . 
 as we have already observed, supremely the func- 
 tion of the Holy Spirit. Matthew informs us 
 (ch. 1:18, 20) of this very fact; which is more 
 elaborately confirmed by Luke (ch. 1:34, 35). 
 And the complete integrity of Luke’s Gospel is 
 equally assured with that of Matthew. In both 
 Gospels it is clearly stated that Joseph was not 
 the father of Jesus; but that the Holy Spirit sup- 
 plied the vitalizing energy. So that, while it would 
 have been quite possible, so far as we short- 
 sighted humans are able to judge, for God to have 
 dwelt in a body of which both Joseph and Mary 
 were the parents, we have small excuse for reject- 
 ing the clear testimonies of Scripture, which are 
 sO very reasonable. 
 
 The Wonderful Birth of Christ 
 
 Every human birth is a most marvelous occur- 
 rence. Dust and spirit, body and soul, are some- 
 how brought together. Just how this can take 
 place, it would be difficult for any of us to ex- 
 plain. But we know that it does take place. We 
 have ascertained that without the physical ap- 
 paratus of the brain and its gray matter there 
 can be for us humans no thinking. It has been 
 fully demonstrated that injury to the brain-cells 
 brings injury to the sufferer’s thinking. But how 
 the mind works through the brain it would be diffi- 
 cult to explain. We know that it occurs. The 
 
80 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 union of spirit and body on the part of a human 
 being is a wonderful fact; but it is a fact. When 
 Christ was born in Bethlehem there was taking 
 place the most wonderful of all unions; for not 
 merely was there in relation to that birth a coming 
 together of soul and body; but with this union 
 there was also united.the nature of the Son of God. 
 We, who are unable to explain the presence of 
 mind and body in such a way that one who reads 
 or listens understands the processes step by step, 
 we shall not attempt to explain the centering of 
 two natures in the one Person Jesus Christ. But 
 we have strong reasons for our faith in that fact. 
 
 Why Two Natures in Christ Jesus? 
 
 God is the supreme economist; He never does 
 the futile or unnecessary. But He always takes 
 care that the necessary is put into operation when 
 His time comes. For centuries the human race 
 had wandered ever farther from God; while the 
 Father in heaven was planning all the while to 
 send His Son to be the world’s Redeemer. But 
 man had sinned, and kept on sinning. Man, there- 
 fore, should experience the reward of sin. To a 
 degree every sin brings its own punishment; but 
 not in full. Only those who have come to think 
 little of God do assert that all sin brings sufficient 
 retribution. But those who have learned to adore 
 God as the holy and benevolent Father, have also 
 come to see the exceeding sinfulness of sin. They 
 
THE PERSON AND WORK OF JESUS 81 
 
 are convinced that divine punishment is due every 
 sinner. It was necessary, therefore, that a man 
 should suffer the punishment of the human race. 
 
 But every man had sinned and could bear only 
 the punishment for his own sins. Not a human 
 being through all the ages has ever had virtue to 
 spare, whereby the iniquities of others might be 
 counterbalanced. On the contrary, every human 
 being is guilty. It required, then, a sinless man, 
 to ‘‘ take away the sins of the world”; one who 
 could truly represent the human race as one of 
 them, yet sinless. That man was Jesus, the son 
 of Mary, born in the Bethlehem stable these many 
 centuries ago. 
 
 It would be a serious misunderstanding of God, 
 however, to think that He could punish humanity 
 without Himself taking part in the suffering. And 
 for two reasons God took part in the punishment 
 for human transgression. First, because man 
 alone was not strong enough. The infinite sins of 
 the world called for infinite atonement. Had 
 Jesus been man and nothing more, He could have 
 suffered for His own sins; but He could not have 
 carried the burdens of the world. For this the 
 strength of God was requisite. This strength was 
 supplied in the two natures, one of which was di- 
 vine. The divine nature sustained Christ at only 
 one point and for one purpose,—for the work of 
 redeeming humanity. Jesus did not call in the 
 forces of Deity to still His hunger, or to quench 
 
82 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 His thirst, or to keep Him from growing weary; 
 but when a struggling race of men needed divine 
 assistance, then the God-man came with His help. 
 
 There was a second reason. When an earthly 
 father punishes his child there is twofold suffer- 
 ing, and that of the true father is the greater. 
 When a righteous God meets out justice among 
 men, there is grief and’anguish in the heart of 
 God. There may be cruel fathers to whom the 
 cries of a punished child mean nothing; but God 
 is not so. In the Person of Christ Jesus the tri- 
 une God came to earth and suffered for and with 
 humanity. Therefore the God-man Christ Jesus. 
 
 The Twofold Name for the Twofold Nature 
 
 The name of Jesus was applied soon after the 
 birth of the Bethlehem Babe, and always refers 
 to our Saviour from the aspect of His humanity. 
 Jesus, the man, did not exist as a conscious, living 
 soul previous to that birth, any more than we so 
 existed. The name Christ, on the other hand, re- 
 fers invariably to the divine nature of our Re- 
 deemer. The Christ was not born at Bethlehem; 
 but had existed from all eternity. Of Him it is 
 written, ‘In the beginning was the Word and the 
 Word was with God and the Word was God” 
 (jn. 1:1). Of Him Isaiah prophesied, more than 
 eight hundred years in advance, ‘“ Unto us a Child 
 is born, unto us a Son is given, . . . and His name 
 shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, The 
 
THE PERSON AND WORK OF JESUS 83 
 
 Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince 
 of Peace.” (Isa. 9:6.) Of Himself, thus pre- 
 existent, Jesus testified, ‘“‘ Before Abraham was I 
 am” (Jn. 8:58). Our divine Teacher also tells 
 of heavenly things which He had witnessed before 
 His birth (Jn. 16:28). It was this identifying of 
 Himself with God which drew upon Him more 
 than anything else He did or said, the wrath of the 
 Jewish leaders. 
 
 To these sayings of our Lord may be added the 
 testimony of Paul (Phil. 2:5-7), which, literally 
 translated, reads, ‘‘ Let this mind be in you which 
 was also in Christ Jesus, who, when He was exist- 
 ing in the same way in which God exists, did not 
 regard His equality with God something to cling 
 to, but emptied Himself.” 
 
 The Sympathizing Jesus 
 The “ emptying of Himself ” on the part of the 
 Son of God involves His becoming “ in all things 
 tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 
 4:15). The Babe Jesus was apparently as every 
 other babe. In Luther’s sweet “ Cradle Hymn ” 
 we read: 
 
 “ The little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes.” 
 
 But that is the exercise of poetical license, for 
 crying is about the only thing babes in swaddling 
 clothes can enjoy, and it is certain that Mary’s 
 babe indulged in it heartily. For a year or so the 
 
84 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 child could not walk. First rolling over, then go- 
 ing on all fours, then being able to stand up, and 
 finally learning to walk, was the regular process. 
 Similarly with the beginning of speech. In re- 
 sponse to mother’s cooing the babe made efforts 
 to form words. Only very gradually a vocabulary 
 was acquired. Jesus could not read the Hebrew 
 language from the start. Mary taught Him to 
 read and write. Later He memorized portions 
 from the Old Testament. Every school child may 
 go to Jesus with confidence of sympathy; because 
 Jesus passed through the essentials of their ex- 
 periences. 
 
 Jesus was an apprentice with His foster-father. 
 It was needful for Him to master the carpenter’s 
 trade, to learn how to saw straight, to hammer 
 correctly, to cut and carve an easy yoke. Later, 
 when Joseph passed away, Jesus became in turn 
 the teacher and trainer of His brothers and the 
 supporter of a numerous family. The responsi- 
 bilities of the head of the house rested on Him. 
 Parents can go to Jesus, knowing of His experi- 
 mental sympathy. Workmen as well as employ- 
 ers will find in Him one who knows. 
 
 In body Jesus must have had “ the strength of 
 ten, because His heart was pure.” But Jesus 
 knew hunger and thirst, weariness and grief. 
 Finally, when the Cross was laid on His shoulders, 
 He was too weak to carry it to Golgotha. Then 
 there was still the agony of the Cross to suffer. 
 
THE PERSON AND WORK OF JESUS 85 
 
 In every condition of life we can go to Jesus and 
 receive His deepest sympathy; for from His own 
 life He knows the ‘“‘ feelings of our infirmities.” 
 
 The mental powers of Jesus were contingent 
 upon His body with its nervous system culminat- 
 ing in the brain. The emptying of Himself in- 
 cluded the limiting of Himself in powers of the 
 intellect. The child Jesus had many questions to 
 ask. It must have been a relief to Mary and 
 Joseph to take Him to the Temple when He was 
 twelve years of age, so that He could be ‘“ both 
 hearing them and asking them questions,” on 
 meeting the noted teachers of that day. Had 
 Jesus been a precocious child, then our children 
 might not find in Him the sympathetic Helper 
 they confidently expect. The Scriptures He could 
 quote in manhood, He had acquired in childhood 
 and youth. So human was He that “ His own 
 brethren believed not on Him ” (Jn. 7:5); nor the 
 people of Nazareth among whom He lived for 
 nearly thirty years. 
 
 Jesus, Himself, during the deepest experiences 
 of His life mentions His soul, ‘‘ My soul is exceed- 
 ing sorrowful, even unto death” (Mk. 14:34), 
 and at the moment of His death also His spirit, 
 “Father, into Thy hand I commend My spirit ” 
 (Lk. 23:46). These expressions are added evi- 
 dences to the testimonies regarding His human 
 nature. 
 
86 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 The Work of Jesus Christ 
 
 When Jesus said, “My Father worketh until 
 now and I also work,” He was giving us an insight 
 into the life He had lived before His coming into 
 the flesh. The works of Jesus may be summed 
 up under the following heads: 
 
 1. The forming of the worlds and all that they 
 contain. ‘In the beginning was the Word. . . 
 All things were made by Him.” By which we un- 
 derstand that (Gen. 1:1) the Father created all 
 things, causing chaos to be; while the Son brought 
 order out of chaos, and gave form and beauty to 
 creation. Further testimony to this is given us by 
 Paul (Col. 1:16), and by the author of ‘“ He- 
 brews ” (1:1-3). 
 
 2. Forming friendships with men in a personal 
 way. As it is His nature to communicate and to 
 give expression to divine thought, we are justified 
 in believing that through the person of the ex- 
 pected Messiah, the Holy Trinity communicated 
 preeminently with men. He who walked in Eden 
 with our earliest ancestors during the cool of the 
 evening; with Enoch until one day the two turned 
 in at the gates of heaven; with Abraham at 
 Mamre; with Moses during the desert journey, He 
 was, we believe, the Son of God. Paul confirms 
 this suggestion (I Cor. 10:4), and Jesus’ mention 
 of Himself before the days of Abraham does at 
 least hint at it. His name, Father of ages (Isa. 
 9:6), also points in the same direction. 
 
THE PERSON AND WORK OF JESUS 87 
 
 3. Living perfectly the divine program on earth. 
 This involves three phases of His work: 
 
 a. Jesus is our supreme example; our ideal. 
 The praises of the Unitarlans are none too 
 flattering. Here is all they say of Him: The 
 Law and the Prophets were perfectly lived by 
 Him. ‘To approach His ways of living is to 
 approach the plan of God with our own lives. 
 
 b. Jesus is our Counsellor. The wisdom 
 of heaven was augmented by His personal 
 taste of earth. Christ is the wisdom as well 
 as the power of God (I Cor. 1:24); the 
 Teacher come from God (Jn. 3:3). We can 
 go to Him for sympathetic advice. 
 
 c. Jesus is the Great Physician. He went 
 about doing good,—healing the sick, com- 
 forting the distressed, lifting the fallen, show- 
 ing the way to the Father, and personally 
 drawing others to the heart of God. Essen- 
 tially this work He continues to do, through 
 the activities of a faithful discipleship on 
 earth, and by drawing lives toward Himself. 
 
 4. Giving His life in sacrifice for us. If Christ 
 were only our Ideal, the case would give us de- 
 Spair; for we can never reach that Ideal. But 
 Jesus is Himself ‘‘ The Way,” by surrendering His 
 own life in sacrifice on the Cross. In His suffer- 
 ing for sin, He was our representative. ‘‘ By His 
 Stripes, we are healed.” 
 
 5. Christ Jesus is now our great High Priest, 
 
* 
 
 88 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 who “ever liveth to make intercession for us” 
 (Heb. 7:25). He was and still is our Mediator 
 by which we reach the heart of the heavenly 
 Father. He is preparing a place for us (Jn. 
 14:3), and in the life to come will walk with us in 
 heavenly places (Eph. 2:5). Even now and here 
 He is “ with us always ” (Matt. 28:20). 
 
 6. Christ Jesus is to be Judge on that great, 
 last Day, when all shall be gathered before Him 
 (Matti25:3 2,732" onesie 25 RActs 10142 yer 
 sympathy with human frailty, His wisdom aug- 
 mented by human experience, and His kinship to 
 our human nature, do peculiarly qualify Him for 
 that stupendous task. Then, ‘“ every knee shall 
 bow, and every tongue confess, that Jesus is the 
 Christ’ oc CP ail 22 0ic) 
 
 What We Owe to Christ 
 
 There are various “ theories of the atonement,” 
 but there is one fact on which all evangelical 
 Christians are agreed. Jesus has by His life and 
 death deserved a full claim on the life of every one 
 of us. The children of God everywhere are ready 
 to confess that they could never have been what 
 they are and could never have enjoyed their Chris- 
 tian privileges, had not Jesus Christ been willing 
 to live His matchless life and to die His sacrificial 
 death. As far as we are concerned, He accom- 
 plished the purpose for which He came to earth, 
 
THE PERSON AND WORK OF JESUS 89 
 
 the reconciling of the world to God. We owe our 
 life to Christ. 
 
 It follows that we are not first masters of our 
 own life. Christ is our supreme Master. But 
 God loved a whole world, and so did Christ. His 
 purpose is not yet fulfilled, while a world is 
 steeped in sin. We owe to Christ the redeeming 
 of that world from sin. For that great redemp- 
 tive work our lives must be living sacrifices to 
 Him. The life and work of the Son of God cul- 
 minating in His death, must be continued in the 
 life and works of God’s children, culminating in 
 the death of self and the rising anew in Christ 
 Jesus. Pe 
 
 SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 
 
 1. Have one-half of the students read what Christ 
 has meant to them, and let the remainder verbally 
 add to these testimonies. 
 
 2. Reverently, but frankly, take up the spiritual 
 phase of every childbirth; then that of Christ’s birth. 
 
 3. Consider what the world would have lost, had 
 Christ come to dwell in a human body as God but 
 not as man. Or if He had come purely as man but 
 not as God. 
 
 4. Use every version and translation obtainable, of 
 Phil. 2:6, and submit its meaning to the class. 
 
 5. Go over the life of Jesus, as a learner of the 
 language, of His father’s trade, of divine teachings, 
 and of His environs, including men. 
 
 6. Picture Jesus in your own community to-day, 
 and decide whether He is wanted there by the people. 
 
 7. Have the class write on paper and hand in at 
 
90 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 next period, suggestions for the adjustment of affairs 
 on earth so that Jesus may be wanted to abide. 
 8. Rapid review of previous lessons. 
 
 For Further Research 
 
 The Fact of Christ, P. Carnegie Simpson. 
 
 Christian Doctrine, Ch. III, IV, R. W. Dale. 
 
 The Christ We Forget, Ch. I, IX, P. Whitwell 
 Wilson. 
 
 The Diviner Immanence, Ch. XI, Francis J. Mc- 
 Connell. 
 
 Reading day by day: Matt. 1: 18-25; Isa. 9:6, 7; 
 Jn. b21-14; Isa-61 2 1-3 3:0 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 1: T-14e 
 Jn 10:1-11. 
 
VI 
 THE WORD OF GOD 
 
 the natural characteristics of man that are 
 
 not sinful, may be thought of as similar to 
 characteristics of God. Man thinks and loves and 
 wills, and so does God. From the nature of man 
 at his best we are able to form an idea of the 
 nature of God. The likeness between God and 
 man points from normal human traits to divine 
 traits. 
 
 ii man is made in the likeness of God, then 
 
 Does God Speak? 
 
 Among the normal human traits, that of self- 
 expression stands out pronouncedly. We need 
 and we like to give expression to our thoughts, 
 and we do so chiefly by medium of words. Silence 
 has its place in human life; but communication 
 claims an equal place. The person who never 
 communicates, or even attempts to communicate, 
 is abnormal. As we know, then, that the desire to 
 converse is a normal, human trait, we may confi- 
 dently ascribe the same characteristic to God. It 
 is the nature of God to converse. 
 
 Previous to the creation of reasonable beings, 
 91 
 
92 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 this conversation must have taken place between 
 the Persons of the Godhead. There was also an 
 expression of the divine mind in the creating and 
 the forming of our visible universe, with the im- 
 parting of life within creation. The things that 
 are seen reveal almightiness, divine beauty, and 
 God-given laws, or righteousness. But in the 
 material world there is no liberal evidence of 
 divine love and forgiveness. The infinite God lim- 
 ited His self-expression in visible creation. Physi- 
 cal nature does not and cannot serve as a perfect 
 medium for the thoughts of the Invisible. Fora 
 fuller revelation of God’s thoughts there came into 
 being a better agency when God made man. 
 
 How perfectly natural, then, was it to expect 
 that God should converse with men! Here was 
 at last a personality who possessed the power of 
 reasoning, who was endowed with a desire for 
 friendship, whose were the faculties of apprecia- 
 tion and love. It would have been strange, indeed, 
 had God failed to converse with man. And after 
 God had entered into fellowship with man, it 
 would have been passing strange had man failed 
 to tell others of his wonderful experience. For 
 the situation presented not only a divine nature 
 that was desirous to communicate; but also a 
 human nature that was in dire need of divine com- 
 munication. Man could not get along very well 
 without divine counsel. While our first parents 
 were still rejoicing in their primal purity, their 
 
THE WORD OF GOD 93 
 
 conversations with God were the natural out- 
 growth of their mutual friendship. God coun- 
 seled with them as friend with friend. But after 
 sin had entered in to break that glorious relation 
 between God and man, the human mind grew per- 
 plexed and bewildered; the divine teaching re- 
 garding life became imperative. Without com- 
 munication from above, man neither knew how, 
 nor did he desire to walk the pathway of life. He 
 found himself in need of warning, encouragement, 
 and light. 
 
 We have these reasons, then, for believing there 
 is a Word of God: 
 
 1. It is the nature of God to converse. 
 
 2. In time God gave partial expression of His 
 mind through the visible universe; but the agency 
 was not sufficient for the fuller expression of His 
 sublimest attributes. 
 
 3. The human being was capable of fuller com- 
 munication from God, and a more personal re- 
 sponse to God than was the material world. 
 
 4. Man grew peculiarly needful of divine 
 counsel. 
 
 Which is the Word of God? 
 
 Convinced of the fact of a@ Word of God in 
 some form, it still remains for us to assure our- 
 selves, which of the numerous sacred writings for 
 which the title has been claimed, may really be the 
 Word of God. From childhood up, we Christian 
 
94 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 people have been accustomed to award that claim 
 exclusively to the Bible. Not without valid rea- 
 sons has this been our belief. No book in all the 
 world has exerted so wholesome an influence on 
 nations, communities, and individuals. No book 
 has been accepted as authoritative by so many 
 mighty minds, or has stimulated such vigorous 
 thinking. Nevertheless, our customary faith has 
 been subjected to merciless criticism, and we do 
 well to found our faith on a sure basis. 
 
 In the main, popular beliefs regarding the Bible 
 as the Word of God are divided as follows: 
 
 1. Those whom we have learned to know as 
 Materialists, or Atheists, or Agnostics now appear 
 as Rationalists. They reject the idea of any au- 
 thority but their own reason, to which in some in- 
 stances the authority of the reason on the part of 
 others is added. These Rationalists are fond of 
 claiming that they are the broadest and most 
 liberal of all thinking people. The fact is, how- 
 ever, that none are narrower than they. 
 
 a. The Rationalist reckons with the intel- 
 lect alone. But the human being is not 
 merely a thinking person; he is also a loving 
 person, and a willing person. The whole 
 human being should be operative when au- 
 thority is in question. ‘The reason alone, 
 without the aid of will and feeling, is like a 
 bean-pole, tall and thin, but lacking a strong 
 foundation. It is certain to spin out theories 
 
THE WORD OF GOD 95 
 
 like spiders that spin cobwebs, out of them- 
 selves, without the test of life. 
 
 b. The Rationalist cannot make truth any 
 more than we can make truth. We cannot 
 make time; we are able to use time economi- 
 cally. We cannot make space; but are able 
 to employ space prudently. Time and space 
 are from all eternity. Truth, too, is from 
 eternity. We may get hold of it and think 
 upon it; but we can never make truth. In- 
 vented truth is falsehood. And the final 
 revelation of truth is of God. 
 
 2. Pantheists, usually known, too, as liberal, 
 have much more in their favor than Rationalists. 
 They hold that inasmuch as all truth is divine, the 
 Bible is daily being written, page by page, and 
 will be written world without end. For old things 
 pass away and all things are ever becoming new. 
 
 This sounds attractive, does it not? Just as the 
 Pantheistic philosophy is attractive. Like it, this 
 idea of divine revelation contains much truth. For 
 if it is the nature of God to communicate, then 
 such communication should continue through the 
 ages. And it does. But scarcely in the manner 
 which the Pantheists assert. 
 
 a. Divine revelation does not come from a 
 personal God, according to the Pantheist; but 
 is the world-mind coming to self-conscious- 
 ness. As we are part of that mind, there is 
 this mental activity within us that is but a 
 
96 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 spark of the great flame of divine thought. 
 Every thought, therefore, that comes to us, 
 is divine and authoritative,—thoughts for 
 evil as well as thoughts for good. But for us 
 this assertion wholly disqualifies human 
 thought as authoritative. 
 
 b. The Pantheist neglects the fact of 
 Christ as the supreme revelation of God. 
 The Word of God, as we accept it, points in 
 its earlier writings toward the coming Son of 
 God, then portrays to us the life and teach- 
 ings of the Son of God, and goes on to cen- 
 tralize our hearts and minds still on the re- 
 demptive work of God in Jesus Christ. So is 
 Christ the center of the whole Bible. We 
 believe that God still communicates with 
 men; but we hold that in the Bible there is 
 germinally the presentation of the whole 
 truth of God toward man. We read other 
 books by those who testify of their com- 
 munion with God, and we find these edifying 
 so long as they are in harmony with the 
 teachings of the Bible. No sooner do they 
 depart from that teaching, than we sense an 
 erring spirit, which it were hurtful for us to 
 follow. 
 
 3. There is a third group, represented by the 
 Roman Catholics, who hold that God’s Word is 
 most surely revealed when the greatest company 
 of learned and pious Christian people gather in 
 
THE WORD OF GOD 97 
 
 council and set down a creed to which the great 
 majority of them agrees. This creed, then, be- 
 comes authoritative for the world. 
 
 Our friends from Rome have approached the 
 right conception more nearly than have Rational- 
 ists and Pantheists. It was in some such councils 
 as they suggest that the books of our Bible were 
 determined upon. Unfortunately, in those days in 
 which the creeds of Roman Catholics were formed, 
 the Church was most dreadfully lack in morals. 
 A number of her counsellors were neither learned 
 nor pious. It goes without saying that children of 
 the Reformation cannot conscientiously accept the 
 decrees of those Councils as their rule of faith and 
 practice. 
 
 It may be added by way of reminder, that those 
 Councils, too, were unable to make truth; they 
 could only discover it at best. 
 
 4. Exactly opposite to Roman Catholics are the 
 Friends, or Quakers. To them the Word of God, 
 carrying highest authority, is the still, small voice 
 within each worshiper. 
 
 This carries the tenderest of suggestions; for 
 God speaks to His people individually. It were 
 well for each of us to listen sharply for the voice 
 divine. Nevertheless, it must be acknowledged 
 that revelation of that kind remains extremely in-. 
 dividualistic. God’s truth must be universally: 
 applicable. But who shall guarantee to me the: 
 revelation that came to you; unless a similar word 
 
98 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 has reached me, too, either direct from God or 
 from the acknowledged revelation of God else- 
 where? The witness of one heart needs to be 
 witnessed to from other hearts. As Jesus said, 
 ‘Out of the mouth of two or three witnesses every 
 word shall be established.” (Matt. 18:16.) 
 
 Why Accept the Bible? 
 
 It is at least interesting to know that sacred 
 writings have been accepted authoritatively among 
 the most advanced peoples. The writings of Con- 
 fucius became the rules of conduct for all China. 
 The writings of priests and magi in Egypt and 
 Babylon were accepted as laws by the respective 
 peoples. The Greeks bowed to the oracles of 
 Delphi. The Romans had their Sibylline books. 
 Mohammed was not slow to take advantage of 
 these popular feelings and speedily wrote the 
 Koran. To this day men and women, who have 
 wished to start a cult, have diligently set them- 
 selves to writing—witness Joseph Smith, Mrs. 
 Eddy, Pastor Russell, and others of their type. 
 
 This still leaves us with the question, ‘‘ Why 
 select the Bible? ” The reasons are so manifold 
 that a full enumeration of them would unduly 
 lengthen these discussions. A few leading reasons 
 should suffice, if we keep in mind that God by His 
 own nature inclines to make Himself known in 
 words as well as in works. 
 
 I. The contents of the Bible appeal to the 
 
THE WORD OF GOD 99 
 
 human heart at its best. There are portions in 
 other sacred books that make a strong appeal; but 
 almost invariably other portions in the same books 
 are unspeakably disgusting; they breathe so low 
 a spirit. 
 
 a. The Bible is a unit in moral and spiritual 
 loftiness. Sin is everywhere denounced as 
 sin, and he who commits it, no matter what 
 his position, is declared guilty. But right- 
 eousness, truth, altruism, and grace are con- 
 sistently exalted. 
 
 b. The warnings, commands, encourage- 
 ments, and suggestions of the Bible are so 
 perfectly wholesome and true. We may not 
 always relish the humility they demand, or 
 the denials they expect; but we know they 
 are irrefutably the best. 
 
 c. The promises of the Bible meet our 
 hopes, and they prove true in life. God is 
 behind and underneath them; we never com- 
 mit mistakes by acting on them. 
 
 2. Wherever the Bible has been practiced it has 
 been for the “ healing of the nations.” It is writ- 
 ten, “ By their fruits ye shall know them.” The 
 fruits of the Bible are good; they witness to its 
 divine origin. Our American education has its 
 origin in Bible study. Our colleges were first 
 founded for sake of Bible study. Our hospitals 
 and charitable homes are the results of Bible 
 teaching. Prohibition, the abolition of slavery, 
 
100 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 child-labor laws, woman’s suffrage, in short, all 
 wholesome measures are the consequences of Bible 
 teaching. Sin and the Bible are not congenial to- 
 gether. Where one rules, the other is rejected. 
 The love of God and of man form the supreme 
 teachings of the Bible and they also form the 
 greatest joys of life. 
 
 3. The centre of the Bible is Jesus Christ. 
 Those who do not accept the Bible as authorita- 
 tive, do usually hesitate before wholly denying 
 Christ. But the authority and standard of Christ 
 are rooted and grounded in our acceptance of the 
 Bible. The Gospels that were written for no pur- 
 pose but to tell of Him, could never have portrayed 
 His perfect character, had its writers been untrue 
 men. All other portions of the Bible are in full 
 agreement with the Gospels. The written Word 
 which we know as our Bible, is for the express pur- 
 pose of revealing to mankind “‘ The Word made 
 flesh.” Therefore, we accept it as the Word of 
 God. 
 
 The Divine-Human Quality of the Bible 
 
 As Jesus Christ is both God and man, so is the 
 Bible a product of divine and human agency. The 
 men who wrote this Book came out of the pres- 
 ence of God. They had been divinely led and they 
 spoke from their experience with the Eternal. In 
 what way the divine and human agencies blended 
 
THE WORD OF GOD 101 
 
 in the production of the Bible may be made clearer 
 by a look at the life and writings of Hosea. 
 
 The prophet Hosea lived in the northern king- 
 dom of Israel during the days of Jeroboam II. 
 The people enjoyed temporal prosperity and 
 trusted, therefore, that all was well with them. 
 But they forgot God, worshiped idols, and were 
 fast moving toward their doom. In the days of 
 Moses, Jehovah had entered into a relation of mar- 
 riage with Israel. He was the husband; they were 
 His wife, similar to the New Testament idea of 
 Christ, the Bridegroom, and the Church, which is 
 His Bride. 
 
 When the people continued in their wanderings 
 away from Jehovah, He commissioned Hosea to 
 act out his part in a sacred drama, in which 
 Israel’s wanderings and Jehovah’s faithfulness 
 might be portrayed. The prophet married a 
 woman by the name of Gomer, apparently of none 
 too respectable character. But Gomer lived with 
 her husband for a year or two in happiness. Then 
 a former lover came to that home and persuaded 
 her to leave Hosea with him. In time, that se- 
 ducer was through with her and sold her into 
 white slavery. Then the word of God came to 
 Hosea the second time, bidding him to redeem the 
 woman from her degradation and to take her 
 home. Hosea went searching for her till he found 
 her; paid the redemptive price, and took her home 
 again. 
 
102 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 No greater bitterness could eat into a man’s soul 
 than what Hosea had experienced. But it was 
 analogous to the grief that comes to the heart of 
 God when His children wander away from Him. 
 Hosea’s love for Gomer was only a faint echo of 
 God’s love for us, and was symbolic of it. Drink- 
 ing that bitter cup prepared the prophet for the 
 writing of the Gospel of the Old Testament, “I 
 will heal their backsliding; I will love them freely ” 
 (ch. 14:4). How could he have penned such 
 words, had not this personal experience come to 
 him? 
 
 Essentially, what was true of the causes and oc- 
 casions that brought forth Hosea’s prophecy, is 
 true of the entire Bible. It was necessary for the 
 sacred writers first to taste the meaning of divine 
 love and to see the righteousness of God operative 
 within them and about them, before they could 
 convey their teachings to others. Isaiah, Jere- 
 miah, Ezekiel, and Daniel were men of deep, per- 
 sonal experience with God. They spoke and wrote 
 of what they felt. They yielded to the influences 
 of the Spirit. They allowed God to take control 
 of their steps. They enjoyed conversations with 
 the heavenly Father. They looked at the world 
 from the standpoint of heaven. At times even in 
 their sleep their communion with God continued 
 and they dreamed of things to be. Or in the day- 
 time their thoughts were so completely centered 
 
THE WORD OF GOD 103 
 
 on God that they saw visions. They were spirit- 
 moved. 
 
 Similar experiences came to the Apostles and 
 their most intimate companions from whose pens 
 we have the New Testament. They let themselves 
 be led by the Promised Spirit; their theme was 
 Jesus Christ. 
 
 Parts Less Vital, But True 
 
 Not all the Scriptures were produced under such 
 white-heat as Hosea felt in his heart. Such books 
 as ‘‘ Kings,” and “ Chronicles,” did not result 
 from personal experience so much as from secre- 
 tarial records. Nothing has thus far appeared to 
 gainsay their accuracy. The men who sifted all 
 writings, and judged these books sufficiently in- 
 spired to keep company with “ Moses and the 
 Prophets,” considered their records accurate. We 
 do not depend upon them for our salvation; but 
 we are glad to peruse their contents; for here and 
 there we discover wonderful touches of divine- 
 human truth. 
 
 There are portions in the writings of Moses 
 which Jesus no longer accepts as binding (Matt. 
 19:8), and which, accordingly, the church may 
 still read with interest, but need no longer follow 
 as a rule of conduct. “An eye for an eye and a 
 tooth for a tooth,’ is not the teaching of Jesus. 
 In similar way the Apostle Paul suggests that 
 some of his writings are authoritative because they 
 
104 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 are given of God; while others are purely sug- 
 gestive; because they are born of his own mind, 
 “ But to the rest say I, not the Lord” (I Cor. 
 7:12). In such a book as Job one must continu- 
 ously be on his guard to discern what sayings 
 might claim authority and what parts are human 
 invention. ; 
 
 The safe rule in all cases is the touchstone of 
 Christ’s life and teaching. Whatever disagrees 
 with that cannot be authoritative for us. 
 
 The Formation of the Canon 
 
 By “canon” is meant the whole Bible as ac- 
 cepted by the Church. The word itself denotes a 
 measuring-rod, and this is happily indicative of 
 the way in which our present Bible has gained its 
 place of honor. Men, who were presumably 
 qualified to judge, applied tests to the writings of 
 their day for which divine authority was claimed. 
 They sifted out what seemed unworthy and re- 
 tained what appealed to them as of divine origin. 
 
 This sifting began among the Hebrews. Such 
 men as Ezra, in company with leading scholars of 
 that day, subjected to the closest scrutiny each 
 book, compared it with such accepted writings as 
 the Law of Moses, and accepted or rejected ac- 
 cordingly. Usually, a whole book was thus ac- 
 cepted when every part rang true, or rejected if 
 parts, that evidently belonged to the book, did not 
 ring true. ‘Through a similar process the New 
 
THE WORD OF GOD 105 
 
 ‘Testament books have been chosen; though the 
 sifting seems to have taken place more generally by 
 the whole Church. Naturally, that which was out 
 of harmony with the abiding teachings of the Old 
 Testament was not admitted in the New Testa- 
 ment. Again, only what was written by the Apos- 
 tles or their intimate companions received a place 
 in the Canon. 
 
 The basis of this rule has already been inti- 
 mated. The teachings and the life of Jesus Christ 
 stand supreme before the Church, containing the 
 germs of all truth necessary for salvation and for 
 the governing of human behavior. 
 
 These writings have been copied and translated; 
 not one of the original writings is now among us. 
 ‘The majority of Christian people read the Bible 
 in their own language, translated for them by men 
 who are supposed to understand both the original 
 and their own native tongue. There is unques- 
 tionably an element of risk in this. But copies 
 and translations have been diligently compared 
 and we know that our American Bible, in what- 
 ever version, presents essentially the messages of 
 God to our hearts. For accuracy, the latest ver- 
 sions, written by true scholars, are almost certain 
 to be the best. 
 
 Our Bible is justly called the Word of God. It 
 ‘comes to us from God through divinely chosen 
 men, who were under the influence of the Holy 
 Spirit. 
 
106 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 The Purpose of the Bible 
 The purpose of the Bible is not to acquaint us 
 with scientific facts; or to save us the work of 
 thinking out the world’s problems. But whatever 
 statements the Bible contains regarding scientific 
 facts have not thus far been refuted by the latest 
 discoveries of science. And thinking is invariably 
 stimulated by a study of the Bible. The one great 
 purpose of the Bible is to make known God’s 
 thoughts of righteousness and grace toward 
 humankind. Through no other message may we 
 understand so fully the love of our heavenly 
 Father, Who asks us to repent from our sins and 
 to turn to Him, that we may walk the way of life 
 
 with Jesus Christ as our Companion. 
 
 SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 
 
 1. Elicit arguments against the blind acceptance of 
 the Bible and then turn to the Bible itself, whether 
 such acceptance is required. 
 
 2. If among the members of the class there should 
 come a clash between their reason and the Bible, 
 where would their decision lie? 
 
 3. If it should come to a clash between the reason. 
 and the assured mandate of God, where must the 
 decision lie? 
 
 4, Let each class member suggest portions of the 
 Bible that have supremely appealed to him. Combine 
 these portions and see what essentials are lacking. 
 
 5. Discuss an “ Abbreviated Bible.” 
 
 6. Let there be personal testimony of “ The Inner 
 Voice,’ and discuss its value. 
 
 7. Have the group formulate anew their harmoni- 
 ous Creed, and consider the virtues and dangers of 
 requiring that Creed from others. 
 
THE WORD OF GOD 107 
 
 8. Have several tell what influence the Bible has 
 had on their plans, actions, and views of life. 
 
 9. Assign for Bible reading, Gen. 1 and 2; Psalm 
 139. 
 
 For Further Research 
 
 Our Reasonable Faith, Ch. I, Park Hays Miller. 
 
 God’s Message to the Human Soul, Ch. II, ITI, 
 John Watson (Ian Maclaren). 
 
 The Divine Inspiration of the Bible, Ch. I, W. E. 
 Vine. 
 
 The Bible the Word of God, Ch. II, F. Bettex. 
 
 Reading day by day: Isa. 55; Ps. 34:11-18; Ps. 
 119: 9-16; Jn. 5: 39-47; Jn. 10: 27-36; I Pt. 1: 16-25; 
 II Tim. 3: 14-17. 
 
VII 
 MAN’S ORIGIN AND NATURE 
 
 there lived the first philosopher, some of 
 
 whose sayings have been preserved. 
 Thales said, “ Know thyself.” But people paid © 
 little attention to his words, until Socrates re- 
 peated his epigram, “ Know thyself.” To him 
 only a few did listen. In more modern times Alex- 
 ander Pope wrote a poem, entitled, ‘“ An Essay 
 on Man,” the first line of which runs, “ The proper 
 study of mankind is man.” In his day psychology 
 began to be studied with some zest, if not with 
 great accuracy. The last subject human beings 
 feel inclined to study is self. In this chapter we 
 plan to turn the light on ourselves in our relation 
 to God and to each other. 
 
 S: hundred years before the birth of Jesus 
 
 How Did We Come Into Being? 
 
 Just as there are in the main three schools of 
 thought regarding God and the world, so are there 
 three leading views of our origin. 
 
 1. The materialistic view. The human body is 
 claimed to have passed through an infinite series 
 of stages from the primeval cell to its present 
 stature by the course of natural law and progress. 
 
 Moving onward in the animal world by dint of in- 
 108 
 
MAN’S ORIGIN AND NATURE — 109 
 
 herent stimulus and acquired capacity, the animal 
 now called man, came to surpass all other animals 
 and grew into possession of the earth’s master- 
 brain. ‘The senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste, 
 and smell, and whatever other senses he may 
 possess or may have possessed, played their part 
 so well, that their constant messages through the 
 nervous system originated a sort of headquarters 
 in the cranium, at which main ganglion the work 
 of calculating, reasoning, and deciding became the 
 order of the day. For all practical purposes it 
 may be admitted that man has a mind; but only 
 while sensations last. Impressions through the 
 senses act upon the nervous system and stimulate 
 reaction. Of these actions and reactions life con- 
 sists. There is no unseen self behind the scenes; 
 no free will to choose between the better and the 
 worse. Man is an animated machine, acting in 
 every instance according to inherited tendencies 
 and the influences of environment. The human 
 soul is nothing more than a concentrated series of 
 sensations. At death sensations cease; hence, 
 there is then no more soul. This theory was pro- 
 pounded years ago by David Hume and is still rife 
 among modern Materialists. In fact, with many 
 students of psychology the sum and substance of 
 their interests is biology. Only that has meaning 
 to them, into which they can plunge the knife, or 
 which they can put on the scales. 
 
 What pessimism and melancholy this view of 
 
110 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 human existence would bring us regarding the 
 future life we shall consider later. Let us see what 
 it means here and now. 
 
 a. The idea of a temporary soul as a re- 
 sultant of the sensations, has little in its 
 favor, when other animals with keener senses 
 are made a subject of study. The eagle can 
 see farther and more keenly than man; the 
 mole can feel more acutely; the dog is a more 
 accurate smeller; the wolf can hear better, 
 and, from all appearances, the pig enjoys as 
 strong a taste as man. Why did not within 
 their bodies some sort of soul develop? Man’s 
 senses are comparatively weak; why such 
 great results from such insignificant causes? 
 Yet, without acknowledgment of the hand of 
 God in the making of man, the materialist is 
 bound by his theories to find this material 
 cause. 
 
 b. But suppose men’s senses kad been 
 keener from ages back until manhood was 
 reached, how did this happen? Was it en- 
 vironment? Or native initiative? This ques- 
 tion touches not merely the making of man, 
 but it concerns the whole scheme of material- 
 istic evolution. Initiative has to be posited 
 somewhere; but the materialist refuses to 
 posit it in God. 
 
 c. This teaching puts our kinship with 
 brutes and vegetables and the mineral world 
 
MAN’S ORIGIN AND NATURE § 111 
 
 alone, and not with God. Acknowledging a 
 phase of life, that constantly relates us to 
 matter; we also claim a higher relationship 
 and that with God Himself. 
 
 d. Our animal being without divine kin- 
 ship calls for expression through the body 
 only. Perfect expression is then ascertained 
 by following the brute instincts of selfishness, 
 anger, greed and lust. This we see actually 
 in operation on the part of out-and-out mate- 
 rialists. They hate service, despise humility, 
 exult in pride, revel in free-love, and ever- 
 more seek their own. 
 
 e. The evils just enumerated, and countless 
 others that naturally follow in their train, are 
 not considered sins by the Materialist; they 
 are physical impressions. If they should de- 
 serve occasional criticism because of their 
 excesses, they must be regarded as steps up- 
 ward on the ladder of civilization. 
 
 f. Inasmuch as this life soon ends and there 
 is no hereafter, the old proverb of the liber- 
 tine is still heard, “‘ Let us eat and drink and 
 be merry; for to-morrow we shall die.” How 
 difficult for humans with unattained ideals to 
 subscribe to such a philosophy of life, or even 
 to understand the aims and aspirations of 
 those who do subscribe to this philosophy! 
 Spiritually those who so think and live do die. 
 
 2. The Pantheistic view. This view of human 
 
112 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 life also agrees with the general trend of the Pan- 
 theistic world-view that has been previously con- 
 sidered. Assuming that God is all, and all is God, 
 the presence of God is specially manifest in the 
 human being. Through the human mind the 
 thoughts of God-nature find their highest and 
 clearest utterances. From the days of the earliest 
 cell from which man sprang, until now, the divine 
 man has gradually unfolded itself. This process 
 will continue world without end. ‘‘ Some call it 
 evolution, and others call it God.” 
 
 As usual this Pantheistic view looks pretty, and 
 sounds sweet, and very wise. As usual, also, a 
 closer look reveals less amiable features of face 
 and sound of voice. The difference between Pan- 
 theism and Materialism is largely one of words 
 and phrases. 
 
 a. When man forms part of the world-soul, 
 his individuality, his personal nature has been 
 sacrificed. This is equally true of such cults 
 as Christian Science, in which Mrs. Eddy, at- 
 tracted by what she could ascertain of Pan- 
 theism, gave up the idea of persons, that a 
 universal activity might be evolved. 
 
 b. When man collectively forms all there 
 is of God, there is no God remaining, either, 
 whom man may worship; except this sum- 
 total of human souls. This is what actually 
 happens in a Christian Science Prayer Meet- 
 
# 
 
 MAN’S ORIGIN AND NATURE = 113 
 
 ing. It may prove interesting and flattering; 
 but our personal Father is out of it. 
 
 c. As with the Materialist, so there is in 
 Pantheism no sin; for man is part and parcel 
 of the Eternal; who, of course, cannot sin. 
 The nearest approach to sin is error, and that 
 will surely be corrected in time. 
 
 In some form the teachings just stated and con- 
 sidered are held by all those who do not accept 
 the Christian view. There are attractive phases 
 to them, but a closer examination makes them ab- 
 horrent. Unless we are thoroughly versed in the 
 right conceptions, we are certain to sway our souls 
 in the wrong direction. But if we fully under- 
 stand our Christian teachings we are immune to 
 contagion. 
 
 3. The Christian view. The Christian looks on 
 human life as brought into existence by God, not 
 in the general way in which the mineral and animal 
 worlds were created and formed; but in a far more 
 intimate way. The Christian is convinced that 
 man is supremely a soul, and that as a soul think- 
 ing, willing, and feeling, he bears resemblance to 
 God. He also knows that his body comes from 
 the dust and will eventually return to dust by the 
 natural processes of human life, and that the 
 tendencies and powers of that body show much re- 
 semblance to the tendencies and powers of animals. 
 Essentially, all Christians are agreed as to their or- 
 igin from God, their present relationship with God, 
 
114 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 and their ultimate destiny in God. In unessentials 
 there is not full agreement. We might, therefore, 
 omit these minor matters in our present studies. 
 But because on the one hand some good people 
 mistake these unessentials for essentials, and on 
 the other hand whole groups of people who have 
 missed their Christian training are possessed by 
 materialistic or Pantheistic views, we are willing 
 to review the two Christian presentations. Re- 
 member that the essential question never is or can 
 be, Aow God made man; but whether God made 
 man. And on the latter there is full agreement. 
 
 a. Many devout believers maintain that 
 God on the sixth day of creation took earth, 
 fashioned it into the form of the human body, 
 including bones, nerves, muscles, hair, brain, 
 and everything. Into this form Jehovah im- 
 parted His living breath and man became a 
 living soul. 
 
 b. Many devout believers hold that the 
 first chapters of “Genesis”? are a_ poetic 
 presentation of a sublime fact, true because 
 ascribing to God the making of man with his 
 physical nature coming from the earth, and 
 his spiritual nature derived from God; but 
 not an effort to describe scientifically the 
 processes whereby God brought man into the 
 world. They believe that God directed the 
 creative forces that from stage to stage out 
 of cell-life and originally from the earth it- 
 
MAN’S ORIGIN AND NATURE 115 
 
 self shaped the body of man-to-be in a way 
 generally similar to the development of the 
 human foetus in its prenatal stages to this 
 day. They believe that according to the Bible 
 story, when the bodily organism had reached 
 completeness, the divine touch imparted that 
 personal essence that was after the likeness 
 of God, which distinguished man from all 
 creation, as a thinking, feeling, willing being, 
 on whom responsibilities rested, and to whom 
 immortality was granted. 
 
 Reasons for the Christian View 
 
 The fact of God and the fact of the human soul 
 stand or fall together. If there is no God, there 
 is no place in the world’s economy for a human 
 soul. If there is no human soul, it does not con- 
 cern us whether there is a God. We have in a 
 previous chapter considered our reasons for be- 
 lieving in God. Let us briefly state reasons for 
 believing this body of ours is the dwelling-place 
 of a soul. 
 
 1. The spiritual direction of the universe sug- 
 gests a spiritual direction of the human body. 
 There is purpose evident in the world; there is 
 purpose equally evident in our behavior. And 
 purpose points to personality. 
 
 2. God shows an interest in man that cannot be 
 accounted for except for personality. One man, 
 Jesus says, is worth more to God than a whole 
 
116 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 physical world. Nothing but soul-value could 
 weigh thus heavily in the scales of heaven. 
 
 3. Man’s tendency to worship God reveals a 
 force within him that must be spiritual. For it is 
 a search for fellowship beyond brute creation. It 
 witnesses to man’s kinship with God. 
 
 4. The actual-capacity of man for thought 
 speaks volumes on behalf of his origin. Descartes, 
 one of the earliest philosophers of modern times, 
 exclaimed, Cogito, ergo sum,—“ I think, therefore 
 Iam.” If necessary we might even say, ‘‘ 1 doubt, 
 therefore I am.” For the very fact that we are 
 able to doubt the existence of God and the pres- 
 ence of a soul within us, is proof of our identity 
 as a rational being, and with it is proof of God. 
 
 5. There are resident in us even greater powers 
 than those of the intellect. We can love, we can 
 admire ideals and strive toward them. We are 
 able to suffer wrong that good may be established. 
 These fruitions are not of the body; they have 
 their source in a soul that is made in the likeness 
 of God. 
 
 We Ought; But Are We Able? 
 
 Immanuel Kant once exclaimed, “I ought, 
 therefore I can.” The same statement has been 
 voiced by many people, including Christians. It 
 sounds so reasonable. Surely, nothing must be 
 expected of me but what I am able to do! Jesus 
 said, “Be ye perfect, even as your Father in 
 heaven is perfect.” (Matt. 5:48.) Either, there- 
 
MAN’S ORIGIN AND NATURE = 117 
 
 fore, we can be perfect, or the requirement is 
 unjust. Or is there, perhaps, a third possibility? 
 Has God made man perfect; and has man volun- 
 tarily altered his capacity by acting against the 
 plan of God? 
 
 The answer is given us in the earlier chapters 
 of ‘“ Genesis.”” God looked upon His handiwork, 
 man included, and “it was very good” (Gen. 
 1:31). Later, man, this most wonderful handi- 
 work of God, to whom the Almighty had imparted 
 something of His own sovereignty, set his will 
 against the divine will. Had he not possessed that 
 power, he could not have been true man; but he 
 abused his gift. There occurred a break in his 
 relationship with God. This act of disobedience 
 made itself felt to the depths of man’s nature. 
 The nerves even, that had served to make re- 
 sponse to temptation, became a path along which 
 similar responses might more readily be made. 
 The Bible calls it corruption. If the body was 
 thus affected by sin, how much more the soul! 
 
 Man, as God made him, could say, “‘ I ought, 
 therefore I can.” But man, as he placed himself, 
 could no longer say with that same confidence, “ I 
 can.” His splendid powers were marred; his re- 
 sisting forces were lowered. When his first child 
 was born, there was a handicap for the little one, 
 of which his parents had not known before they 
 sinned. Besides, the environment of sinful parents 
 was not so congenial to that growing life, as had 
 
118 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 been the environment of the parents before they 
 committed evil. In every way the entrance of sin 
 had wrought its terrible havoc. 
 
 What Is Sin? 
 
 The word sin sounds no longer familiar; not be- 
 cause sinning is an unfamiliar activity; but be- 
 cause the heinousness of sin is so generally laughed 
 out of court. But this does not alter the fact of 
 sin. We have already taken notice of Material- 
 ists and Pantheists to whom the word “sin” has 
 an odd sound. There is a group of people tinc- 
 tured with both Christianity and Pantheism, to 
 some extent also with Materialism, who have their 
 own idea of sin. The greatest mistake anyone can 
 commit, they hold, is to let his own pleasure be 
 regarded of greater importance than the pleasure 
 of another. Sin, then, is selfishness. If everybody 
 would quit rooting for self and would think suffi- 
 ciently of others, Eden would be back on earth 
 again. 
 
 This theory of our moralists is true so far as 
 it goes; but it does not go far enough. Christians 
 look at life in relation to God first; then come 
 their fellow-men. David cried out, “‘ Against Thee 
 only have I sinned and done this evil in thy 
 sight ” (Ps. 51:4). No matter against whom sin 
 has been committed, its greatest evil is that God 
 has been disobeyed. This evil manifests itself in 
 three ways, 
 
MAN’S ORIGIN AND NATURE = 119 
 
 1. Sin brings about the loss of communion and 
 friendship with God. This is its most deplorable 
 feature. Our own children come to meet us with 
 happy faces and outstretched hands, till one day 
 they have been disobedient. We expected to meet 
 them joyously; but they mope. This happened 
 when our first parents had sinned. When God 
 came for a walk with them, they were hiding be- 
 hind the bushes. 
 
 2. Sin acknowledges the mastery of our animal 
 nature over the God-implanted spirit. It is a de- 
 nial of our likeness to God and puts us on the level 
 of the brute. We have ideals, inspired of God, 
 but these we let sink to follow physical instincts. 
 As God is greater than His world, so is the soul 
 greater than the body; but sin tends to reverse this 
 relation. It puts the soul in a grade below the 
 body. 
 
 3. Sin hurts our fellow-men. At times our sins 
 are directed against our equals. We commit those 
 selfish sins of which moralists rightly speak. We 
 wilfully hurt others, that we may gain some ad- 
 vantage. At other times this is not our purpose; 
 but sin always leads to this. For when we sin, 
 we disqualify ourselves for the service of God on 
 behalf of men. Where we might have helped, we 
 fail. Others counted on us; but we disappoint 
 them. Even their faith in God may suffer when 
 we, who have confessed His name, go contrary to 
 His will. 
 
120 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 The Consequences of Sin 
 
 We have already intimated the terrible results 
 of sin. Briefly may we reiterate: 
 
 1. Sin causes physical deterioration. The 
 human face shows the presence and the effects 
 of sin. 
 
 “ Beautiful thoughts make a beautiful soul 
 And a beautiful soul makes a beautiful face.” 
 
 2. Sin causes moral and spiritual deterioration. 
 With every act of sin the resisting power lessens; 
 it becomes more difficult to refrain from sin. 
 
 3. Sin causes a hardening of the heart. A ten- 
 dency to justify oneself arises, together with a 
 diminishing warning of conscience. The place 
 for repentance recedes with every new sin. 
 
 4. Sin dishonors man’s Maker. Because there 
 is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, more 
 than over ninety and nine just persons who need 
 no repentance (Lk. 15), therefore it has been 
 taken for granted all too readily that sin is in a 
 sense necessary to bring out the greater glory of 
 divine grace. But this opinion is altogether be- 
 side the truth. Sin in itself never brings honor 
 to God; it casts dishonor on His name. Divine 
 warnings against sin and the explicit teachings of 
 our Lord combine to oust any rights that sin might 
 claim for its existence. 
 
 a. Divine warnings. A compilation of the 
 innumerable warnings in the Bible against 
 
MAN’S ORIGIN AND NATURE. 121 
 
 sin would require the quoting of nearly half 
 the divine messages. A synopsis of all such 
 teachings is found in the Decalogue. It is 
 scarcely conceivable, however, that God 
 should first issue commands and then feel 
 honored in their breach. Divine commands 
 and warnings were given in order to procure 
 obedience. The disobedience recorded in the 
 Bible is like the children’s slamming doors 
 into their parents’ faces. 
 
 b. Definite teaching of Jesus. In the sec- 
 ond parable of Luke, the fifteenth chapter, 
 Jesus tells of a woman who had received ten 
 pieces of silver. We know from oriental cus- 
 toms that this was her wedding present and 
 was given as a pledge and seal of marriage. 
 To lose one piece would mean disturbance in 
 their marriage relations; it would suggest a 
 break. One day she discovered to her horror 
 that a piece was gone. She locked the door 
 immediately, fearing lest any should enter 
 and discover her embarrassment. She lit a 
 candle, took a broom, and swept every nook 
 and corner of the house, fearful all the while 
 lest someone might knock for entrance. At 
 last, to her delight, she found the piece. She 
 put it back in its place; then opened the door 
 and conveyed her joy to the neighbors. Her 
 honor had been restored. 
 
 So, Jesus intimates, the honor of our heavenly 
 
122 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 Father is affected by our sins. We are His handi- 
 work. Whatever the reason of our sinning, when 
 we do sin, we cast reflection on our Maker. But 
 when we return to Him, then gladness fills His 
 heart and shines from His blessed face, so that 
 those about Him grow aware of His fatherly joy. 
 With this wonderful story agrees the song in 
 Ephrata’s fields, ‘‘ Glory to God in the highest.” 
 And with this teaching agrees the confession of 
 David, “‘ Against Thee only have I sinned.” The 
 greatest evil of sin is that it puts our Maker ina 
 false position. 
 
 5. Sin leads to judgment. Our first judgment 
 on sin is our own sense of guilt. We cannot get 
 away from ourselves; but are our own closest 
 companions. Self-condemnation is a foretaste of 
 eternal punishment. But if our hearts condemn 
 us, God is greater than our hearts, Who knoweth 
 all things. Our great Creator endowed us with 
 free will. The theory of mechanism, so popularly 
 pleaded in our courts to condone crime, is as god- 
 less as crime itself. We sin from choice. Blame 
 rests on us for our sinning. Excuses are vain. 
 We are accountable to self, to neighbor, and to 
 God for every sin. There is no escape from the 
 great tribunal, except by way of repentance and 
 of Christ. 
 
 Deliverance from sin is by the way of our di- 
 vine Redeemer, who became sin for us. His won- 
 
MAN’S ORIGIN AND NATURE — 123 
 
 derful life and death for our salvation will form 
 the subject of our next study. 
 
 SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 
 
 1. Open discussion on ways of making the pres- 
 ence of Jesus in the community congenial. This will 
 lead readily to the day’s lesson. 
 
 2. Ask one of the members to picture verbally the 
 literal interpretation of the “ Genesis ” creation story. 
 Compare with this the prayer of Psalm 139, and let 
 someone, who favors the theistic theory of evolution, 
 tell that side of it. 
 
 3. Bring out the similarity between the human 
 body and soul on the one hand, and the physical uni- 
 verse and God on the other hand. Be very careful in 
 the drawing of inferences. 
 
 4. Compare degrees of intelligence among animals; 
 between different men; between animal and man. 
 
 5. Discuss the problem of obligation and ability as 
 it now appears in daily life. 
 
 6. Center on the Temptation of Jesus; compare it 
 with The Lord’s Prayer, and with the Shepherd 
 Psalm, relative to sin and safety. 
 
 7. Assign for next period one paper on, Individual 
 need of salvation; another on, Social need of salva- 
 tion; a third on, National need of salvation. 
 
 8. Request careful review of preceding lessons. 
 
 For Further Research 
 
 Christ in the Modern World, Ch. IT, D. S. Cairns. 
 
 Christian Doctrine, Ch. VIII, R. W. Dale. 
 
 The Diviner Immanence, Ch. XIII, Francis J. Mc- 
 Connell. 
 
 What Shall I Believe?, Ch. III, A. H. Strong. 
 
 Reading day by day: Gen. 1:26-31; Gen. 2; Gen. 
 Seeds ese u TSO Slo ick, aoS ulna to skank 
 Corn 25-27) 11 Corel 239-10. 
 
Vill 
 SALVATION 
 
 T the close of the genealogy of Jesus in 
 A the third chapter of Luke’s Gospel, we 
 
 read—‘ Adam, the son of God.” This 
 confirms in a striking manner the more intimate 
 relation between man and his Maker, surpassing 
 by infinite measures the relation of the rest of 
 creation to God. It was the gracious plan of the 
 heavenly Father that all human beings should be 
 children of His household. The break that took 
 place by man’s disobedience was due to a denial 
 on man’s part of that divine fatherhood and of his 
 own kinship to God. Sin involved a surrendering 
 of human childhood. That this terrible break is 
 not lost sight of by Jesus Himself, comes out most 
 touchingly in the parable of the Prodigal Son. 
 Falling down before his father in penitence, the 
 son sobbed out, ‘‘ Father, I have sinned against 
 heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy 
 to be called thy son.” He had intended to say 
 more; but the father did not let him. That con- 
 fession was sufficient to prove a right state of 
 heart. The son sensed the fact that by his sins 
 
 the relations of father and child had been broken. 
 124 
 
SALVATION 125 
 
 Then the father was ready to say, “‘ Bring forth 
 the best robe and put it on him,” thus declaring 
 his son restored into the family. But thousands 
 and ten thousands to this day, who have sinned 
 and sinned again, without repentance, continue 
 to call themselves the children of the heavenly 
 Father. 
 
 The Saving Act of Christ 
 
 Salvation consists of the restoring to man of the 
 childlike relationship with the heavenly Father; 
 it is a reconciliation. The Son of God became . 
 man in order that man might again be a child of 
 God. The name that was given Christ by Isaiah 
 (Ch. 9:7), more than eight hundred years before 
 the Saviour’s birth, ‘The everlasting Father,” 
 may sound a bit strange to us; but it was not 
 meaningless. Jesus Christ started a new human 
 race (I Cor. 15:45, 47), grafted into Himself 
 (Rom. 11:16-24) and thus composing the ever- 
 growing family of God. We are rightly called 
 Christians, because we are Christ’s. In Him we 
 are the children of God. (Jn. 3:1, 2.) 
 
 How Did Christ Save? 
 
 Inasmuch as divine childhood is contingent 
 upon faith in Christ, we naturally ask how it be- 
 came again possible after the break by sin. Let 
 us look for the answer in the life as well as in the 
 death of our Redeemer. 
 
126 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 The life of Christ was lived in absolute obedi- 
 ence to the will of God. Never for one moment 
 did the man Jesus deviate one iota from the 
 Father’s plan for the world’s salvation; not even 
 when obedience involved the agonies of Geth- 
 semane and of the cross. Jesus Christ fulfilled the 
 whole law. He did this representatively for the 
 human race. In Him, our life grafted into His 
 life, and thus we living with Him the new life 
 in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1), are we with Him and 
 through Him fulfilling the Father’s will. In Him 
 we are without sin (Jn. 3:6). 
 
 But the perfect life of Jesus Christ was by itself 
 not sufficient. It would have served as an example 
 for us to follow; but we could not have followed 
 all the way; Christ would have stood before us 
 as an ideal that could never be reached. To make 
 possible this ingrafting of our lives into His, it was 
 needful that our Lord should enter the portals of 
 death. 
 
 This fearful experience the Son of man had not 
 deserved. Not on account of any wrong that He 
 had ever committed, or any right that He had ever 
 failed to do, did Jesus die upon the cross. There 
 was no shadow or trace of sin in Him (Heb. 4:15; 
 Jn. 8:46.) Jesus died on Calvary for your sake 
 and mine. He gave His life, as He had lived His 
 life, in a representative way. When Jesus suffered 
 the punishment of human guilt, the whole race of 
 men, past, present and yet to be, was represented 
 
SALVATION 127 
 
 by the Son of man. ‘“ The chastisement of our 
 peace was upon him and with BS stripes we are 
 healed ” (Isa. 53:5). 
 
 This wonderful fact has been made a cause of 
 abuse by some, whose hearts are not right with 
 God. They pretend that since the burden of our 
 sins was laid upon the Lamb of God anyway, they 
 need not care about things they say and do. If 
 Jesus is their substitute, their vicarious sacrifice, 
 they are all right. Their sins have already been 
 washed away before they ever commit them; they 
 are pure before God, however unclean their lives. 
 To such monstrous reasoning may sinful minds 
 descend. 
 
 In many instances this doctrine has appeared in 
 somewhat different form. The flagrant practices 
 of Tetzel, who sold indulgences to gullible folks, 
 that would free them from sins they were still 
 planning to commit, aroused the heart of Martin 
 Luther until he could no longer keep silent. 
 Through all ages people have been willing to 
 sacrifice substitutes for themselves in form of ani- 
 mals or money, or even other human beings. The 
 ancient Hebrew, taught so clearly in his laws to 
 bring an animal as an offering for his sins, almost 
 incessantly forgot that the offering must be pre- 
 sented as his representative; not as a substitute 
 to which his sins could be transferred. The He- 
 brew worshiper was originally taught that he was 
 personally guilty, and that the bringing of an ani- 
 
128 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 mal was a living confession of guilt on his part. 
 The life blood, which the priest caused to flow out 
 upon the altar, signified the sinner’s life, which 
 belongs to God. It was this true confession of the 
 repentant heart which God accepted; for, of 
 course, the blood of bulls and goats could not 
 eliminate sin (Heb, 9:12). ‘“ Here is my life, O 
 God,”\ the worshiper should have said either 
 audibly or in his heart, “‘ which I pledge to Thee 
 anew, and this animal serves as the token of my 
 pledge.” 
 
 Instead of this humble presentation, many a 
 Hebrew gave his animal with pride of heart, as 
 if it should satisfy the Lord; then held his own 
 life back from service and humble worship. It 
 was the falsest form of worship ever invented. 
 God said (Isa. 1:11), “To what purpose is the 
 multitude of your sacrifices unto Me? I am full 
 of the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed 
 beasts.” And this is just as false a teaching re- 
 garding the vicarious sacrifice of Christ, if that 
 sublime sacrifice is prostituted into a salve for the 
 conscience to indulge in sin. Is it any wonder 
 Robert Burns looked on at such hypocritical 
 doings till the wild cry rose from his heart: 
 
 “God knows I’m no the thing I should be; 
 Nor am I e’en the thing I could be; 
 But twenty times I rather would be 
 An atheist clean, 
 Than under Gospel colours hid be 
 Just for a screen.” 
 
SALVATION 129 
 
 It is the plan of God that we shall follow Christ 
 all the way, taking up our cross after Him (Matt. 
 16:24). As living sacrifices, not to earn salvation, 
 but to express our gratitude for His great mercy 
 (Rom. 12:1), we must climb Golgotha with Him 
 that we may also rise with Him in newness of 
 ieee Colo 1.) 
 
 Repentance 
 
 There is no salvation offered anywhere in the 
 Gospels without the summons to repentance. In 
 the Old Testament the prophets insisted on this 
 condition; in the New Testament John the Baptist 
 preached it faithfully, and Jesus took up the same 
 slogan, “‘ Repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is 
 at hand.” There must be sorrow for sin, shall 
 forgiveness be granted, and nothing in earth or 
 heaven, not even Christ Himself can take the place 
 of that personal regret. There is no rigid rule by 
 which the length or the depth of repentance may 
 be measured. But that it must be felt within the 
 heart, of this there can be no reasonable doubt. 
 For a loving Father has been deeply grieved by 
 our sins. As soon, therefore, as there is any re- 
 sponse in our hearts to the loving ways of our 
 Father, it becomes a grief to us that we have been 
 the cause of His displeasure. Our repentance is 
 in itself the first token of reestablished childhood.. 
 Lack of repentance is equally a token of con- 
 tinued estrangement from God. 
 
130 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 Sorrow for sin brings in its wake a purpose to 
 new obedience. Disloyalty is changed to loyalty. 
 There comes also a consciousness of sins forgiven 
 that brings gladness to the heart. The joy of God 
 over one sinner that repents, finds reflection in the 
 joyousness of that young Christian. 
 
 Faith in Christ 
 
 The need of faith is universally recognized; but 
 it does not always mean faith in Christ. It may 
 mean faith in self. New Thought, Christian 
 Science, the Coué school, with its, “ Every day in 
 every way I am growing better and better ”’ slo- 
 gan, teaches faith in self. Each person, then, 
 must lay hold on the forces inherent in the uni- 
 verse and bring them into his own service. What- 
 ever divinity exists in this world, even if it be God 
 Himself, these teachers would not hesitate to em- 
 ploy for their own uses. It is this employment of 
 universal energy that lends value to man, accord- 
 ing to these teachers. 
 
 “From the tips of his toes to the point of his chin 
 A man’s worth four dollars a day, 
 Whether driving a street-car or digging a well, 
 Or out on the farm making hay. 
 But from the chin up the limit is off, 
 For providing the mind ts controlled, 
 The man with the mind is the king of mankind 
 And he rules with a scepter of gold.” 
 
 The Christian’s faith is not centered in himself, 
 but in Christ. He is weak but Christ is mighty. 
 
SALVATION 131 
 
 He knows that in his own veins there flows much 
 yellow blood. He prays, ‘“ Lead us not into temp- 
 tation.” He finds within himself tendencies crop- 
 ping out that would wean him away from God. 
 He is not at all pleased with himself. In fact, his 
 attitude is exactly what the people of the world 
 vociferously tell him it ought not to be; he lacks 
 self-confidence. 
 
 Paradoxical as it may appear, the Christian is 
 nevertheless no weakling. He is an ardent fighter 
 against sin within himself and of evil in his en- 
 vironment. He is a loyal protector of the inno- 
 cent; an encourager of honest effort; a leader in 
 benevolences; an explorer into dark and needy 
 regions to bring light there; a builder of the king- 
 dom of God. The Christian is fearless; he will 
 break rather than bow to the forces of evil. He 
 is a giant in moral and spiritual enterprises. He 
 has marked initiative. He is feared by the powers 
 of darkness. All this in the face of his self- 
 confessed weakness; for his favorite saying is, 
 ‘““When I am weak, then am I strong.”’ What is 
 his secret? 
 
 The Christian’s only secret is his faith in Jesus 
 Christ. The power of the Son of God flows into 
 the child of God. Without Him Whom he be- 
 lieves, he can do nothing; but he can do all things 
 through Christ, which strengthens him. He be- 
 lieves that Christ made good for him all the way, 
 fulfilling all righteousness. He believes that 
 
132 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 Christ in His terrible struggles against the powers 
 of evil came off victorious, and that he, too, will 
 by the help of Christ win ultimate victory. He 
 is persuaded that nothing is too good for a child 
 of God, and nothing too hard. He believes that 
 he is an heir with Christ of the kingdom which 
 shall have no end. He believes that whether in 
 the body or out of the body he is the Lord’s. And 
 on this sure faith he acts. He not only trusts in 
 Christ; he works for Christ; he works with Christ. 
 He is hid with Christ in God; Christ is his all and 
 in all. Whether he lives or dies does not make a 
 great difference; for in any event he is the Lord’s. 
 This dependence not on self, but on the Almighty 
 Christ, is the secret of his strength and the motive 
 of his activities. 
 
 Justification 
 
 This faith in Christ by which the Christian is 
 completely identified with his Saviour, is his justifi- 
 cation. No matter what sins he has committed, 
 and if he were the blackest criminal on earth, if 
 he has with sorrow for his sins turned to Jesus 
 Christ, and trusting in his Redeemer has forsaken 
 his sin, then his sins have been forgiven him. In 
 the sight of God he is now justified and stands 
 with a better record than the most decent citizen 
 of our commonwealth, who trusts in his own right- 
 eousness and therefore feels no need of Christ. 
 Hand in hand with the Christ, Who once for all 
 
SALVATION 133 
 
 suffered on his behalf, this erstwhile sinner can 
 stand at the bar of divine justice with sublime 
 confidence. 
 
 It goes without saying that if his love for Christ 
 is strong enough, so that he rests upon Him alone 
 for salvation, his fear of sinning again will be 
 strong, too, and he will henceforth regard evil 
 tendencies within him, and sinful allurements with- 
 out him as his most terrible enemies. The justi- 
 fied sinner prays daily, ‘‘ Lead us not into tempta- 
 tion: but deliver us from evil.” He will not play 
 with fire; nor does he dare tempt God. He rather 
 fights to the bitter end those yellow streaks within 
 him and will not allow them to control him again. 
 Instead, he “ keeps under his body.” With all the 
 strength available to him in Christ Jesus, as he is 
 able to retain hold on that inflowing power, he 
 tries to be actually and personally the just man 
 he is by the representative service of Christ. 
 Eventually, therefore, his justification is no longer 
 purely a matter of standing behind Christ; but a 
 living and working as a member of Christ’s per- 
 sonality. ‘‘ There is, therefore, now no condemna- 
 tion to them which are in Christ Jesus; who walk 
 not after the flesh, but after the Spirit’? (Rom. 
 8:1). With this divine interpretation of our rela- 
 tionship with Christ, all the Scriptures agree. 
 
 This wonderful teaching should serve to set 
 straight two popular misconceptions. 
 
 a. Many good people have been taught that 
 
134 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 Jesus lived so perfectly, there were enough good 
 works performed by Him to make up for the 
 shortcomings of all the rest. These superabun- 
 dant graces, they think, were put to our account 
 and may under certain conditions be appropriated 
 by us. Usually, the Church is supposed to be a 
 depository of these graces and through the chan- 
 nels of the Church they may be secured for our 
 benefit. This error led to the indulgences which 
 we mentioned above, which men could purchase 
 to free them from sin. The same error still holds 
 members of the Roman Church under bondage to 
 the priesthood, which claims the power of dispens- 
 ing the abundant graces of Christ. 
 
 With this teaching for a background, it was no 
 far step to the doctrine that pious saints, also, 
 have laid up a superabundance of good works from 
 which storehouse the less pious may draw,—for 
 a consideration. But Jesus teaches that even if 
 we had done everything required, we would still 
 lack a superabundance of good works (Lk. 17:10). 
 
 b. Many people of Christian training are labor- 
 ing under the impression that heaven can be 
 earned by our good works; that salvation is 
 through character. This teaching does not take 
 into account the great debts incurred at some time 
 or another during a lifetime; nor does it consider 
 the need of new life in Christ Jesus. The only 
 way according to the Gospel is Christ. There is 
 no other. (Jn. 14:6; Acts 4:12.) 
 
SALVATION 135 
 
 Sanctification 
 
 As there is physical growth in every normal 
 childhood, so there is spiritual growth on the part 
 of the children of God; presuming, they, too, are 
 normal. This process of growth is not frequently 
 mentioned, because to our shame most of us have 
 to confess that our growth is anything but rapid; 
 but the classic name for it is sanctification. ‘This 
 literally means, growing more holy. So far as it 
 can be made a subject of our studies there may be 
 discerned seven lines of increase. 
 
 1. An increase in the knowledge of God and of 
 the things that concern the Kingdom. A prayer- 
 ful study of the Bible, of the story of the Chris- 
 tian Church, including Missions, of the needs of 
 the local church, of the needs of community and 
 nation and on into the whole world; the reading 
 of church papers and of helpful books,—in short 
 a familiarizing with vital facts relative to God’s 
 gracious activities in the world, helps supremely 
 to bring about this increase in knowledge. 
 
 2. An increase of mastery over sin. After we 
 have been renewed in Christ we find within us still 
 the same old tendencies that ruled us in previous 
 days. The very nerve-tracks in our bodies were 
 effected by repeated acts of sin; whether in 
 thought or in deed. In that way evil habits were 
 first formed. Paul calls these sinful inclinations, 
 “The old man.” But as the Christian walks with 
 his Lord and learns to put into action the revealed 
 
136 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 will of God, the power of these evil tendencies de- 
 creases, and the power to fulfill the mind of God 
 increases. ‘The old man dies and the new man 
 grows. 
 
 3. An increase of fellowship with Christ in the 
 Holy Spirit. The little child in the home grows 
 gradually better acquainted with his father and 
 learns to confide in him ever more readily, unless 
 outside influences interfere. Between the child of 
 God and his Father the same experience may be 
 witnessed. A Christian learns to talk things over 
 with God, to look to Him for advice, to listen for 
 divine encouragement. His view-point gradually 
 becomes that of heaven instead of the earth. He 
 learns to judge the affairs of life as they are re- 
 lated to God. 
 
 4. An increase of service in the kingdom of 
 God. Such increased service involves, 
 
 a. A better knowledge of self, with a greater 
 appreciation of others. 
 
 b. A greater willingness to do the incon- 
 spicuous things, for which small thanks are 
 rendered and little honor is awarded. 
 
 c. A gain of skill in the understanding and 
 teaching of the Word of God for the comfort- 
 ing of those in distress, the enlightening of 
 those who search for truth, the convicting of 
 those who walk in error, the planning for 
 kingdom extension, and the congenial work- 
 ing together with others. 
 
SALVATION 137 
 
 5. An increase of longing for true holiness. The 
 undeceived Christian does not pronounce himself 
 holy, except representatively in Christ. Paul 
 points himself out as “the chief of sinners.” He 
 witnesses to his own progress in holiness, ‘‘ Not 
 as though I had already attained, either were al- 
 ready perfect, . . . I press on toward the goal 
 for the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus.” 
 (Phil. 3:12, 14.) 
 
 6. An increase of gratitude for divine grace and 
 help. This steady increase leads on to the state in 
 glory where praise and thanksgiving shall form the 
 keynotes of worship and service. 
 
 7. An increase in likeness with Christ. As the 
 final of God’s creation man was made in the like- 
 ness of God. This likeness has been greatly 
 marred by sin; but becomes renewed when the 
 heart definitely turns Godward. Through all the 
 eternities the likeness of God’s children to the Son 
 of God will continue to increase. But inasmuch as 
 Christ is infinite, complete equality can never be 
 reached. 
 
 SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 
 
 1. Pray the Lord’s Prayer, one person leading 
 audibly, the others follow silently. Start a quiet 
 discussion regarding those who may truly pray that 
 prayer. There are various opinions on this; so that 
 the leader should not be content with the opinions of 
 one or two. 
 
 2. Consider the representative character of Jesus 
 
 Christ, and compare with this subversions of the sub- 
 stitution theory 
 
1388 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 3. Relate signs of repentance as personally experi- 
 enced and as witnessed in others. Discuss certain 
 modern Revival Meetings at which repentance seems 
 to be uncalled for. 
 
 4. Make clear to every one the meaning of faith in 
 Christ. Have expressions from many on the subject. 
 Call up the slogan of the Reformation, “ The just 
 shall live by faith,” and apply to this lesson. 
 
 5. Have the members name requisites of soul- 
 growth, and suggestions of means for such growth. 
 Consider hindrances. 
 
 6. Let the papers be read that were assigned for 
 this period and enter on full discussion as time per- 
 mits. 
 
 7. Ask members of the class to think, while pre- 
 paring for the next period, what are the outstanding 
 reasons for the existence of their particular denomi- 
 nation. 
 
 8. Review as thoroughly as seems feasible all pre- 
 vious work. 
 
 For Further Research 
 
 The Fact of Christ, Ch. V, P. Carnegie Simpson. 
 
 What Shall I Believe?, Ch. VI, A. H. Strong. 
 
 The Christ We Forget, Ch. XX XV-XLI, Whitwell 
 Wilson. 
 
 Popular Lectures on Popular. Themes, A. A. 
 Hodge. 
 
 Reading day by day: Ezek. 18:1-24; Hos. 14; 
 Tsay (lie -18%¢> Heb. 10s 1-10> ifn 13) 14-1 ee oon 
 G21-9.5 (Pes: 
 
TX 
 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 
 
 childhood of God has been restored, that the 
 
 noblest human qualities shall find fullest ex- 
 pression. This natural expectation is realized in 
 the matter of every Christian virtue, and par- 
 ticularly in the expression of the social tendencies. 
 “They that loved the Lord spake often one to 
 another.” There have always been blessed ex- 
 periences of which the children of God want to 
 talk to each other. There have been hopes and 
 fears which they desire to share. There are plans 
 they must work out jointly, shall success be gained. 
 Similar interests unite them. God is their one cen- 
 ter of worship; their one Father. How perfectly 
 natural that through the ages and to this day the 
 children of God have gathered for worship! 
 
 It looks as if as early as the days of Enos (Gen. 
 4:26), previous to the flood, believers came to- 
 gether in groups for prayer. We know that Abra- 
 ham taught his household the worship and service 
 of God (Gen. 18:19). Under the leadership of 
 Moses more than a million people acknowledged 
 Jehovah as their Lord; so that Stephen (Acts 
 
 7:38) could speak of “‘ The Church in the wilder- 
 139 
 
 ie may naturally be expected, when spiritual 
 
140 * THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 ness.” Too frequently the Hebrews wandered 
 away from God, and never did the whole nation 
 without exception worship the Lord in spirit and 
 in truth; but through all backslidings ‘a rem- 
 nant” always remained faithful. When Elijah 
 was sorely vexed, surmising that he alone had re- 
 mained loyal to Jehovah, he learned of seven thou- 
 sand others, who never did bow the knee to Baal. 
 This remarkable fact has remained true in all cen- 
 turies, even during the darkest days of the Dark 
 Ages. In some form the Church has existed from 
 the beginning and it will continue to the end. 
 
 Of Whom is the Church Composed? 
 
 Among the Hebrews one might have spoken of 
 the people of God with one of two meanings. He 
 might have meant the whole nation that called 
 themselves after Abraham; or he might have 
 meant those who were in every way loyal to Je- 
 hovah. Among those who came to tabernacle or | 
 temple for worship, he might still have found oc- 
 casion to think of two great groups. One group 
 came to have a sort of vacation; when they might 
 enjoy uninterrupted converse with friends and 
 relatives, be free from manual labor, feast on 
 music and processions, and be away from the hum- 
 drum of customary existence. There was also that 
 other group whose heart yearned for the courts of 
 the Lord; whose delight it was to worship the Lord 
 in the beauty of holiness; who cared for no better 
 
THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 141 
 
 meat and drink than the teachings of Israel’s sages. 
 Not in every instance would it have been possible, 
 however, to draw the line between these two 
 groups; for many came with mixed motives. Only 
 He Who knows the innermost thoughts of men 
 could distinguish between the wheat and the chaff. 
 
 It has been thus through the ages. When the 
 word ‘“‘ Church ” is employed, it usually means an 
 organization composed of officers and members, 
 teachers and disciples who have agreed upon cer- 
 tain articles of common faith, have pledged obedi- 
 ence to certain rules, and are united for the work- 
 ing out of a certain program. But in the minds 
 of those who like to look a bit further, this organ- 
 ization will not answer. They may be thinking of 
 a purely spiritual group, who are united by no or- 
 ganization of any kind, but who have accepted 
 Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour. They may 
 in their thoughts even group those, who no longer 
 live on earth, but have died in the Lord, to this 
 great body, and call it, “‘ The Invisible Church,” 
 in distinction from ‘‘ The Visible Church.” <A few 
 people have fallen into the habit of calling the 
 building in which worshipers meet “ The Church.” 
 For this designation there is no excuse except 
 wrong habits. It is quite proper, however, to give 
 the name “ church ” to a single congregation. On 
 the other hand, it is presumptuous to apply the 
 name ‘“‘ The Church ” to any one of the many de- 
 nominations of which the visible church of Christ 
 
142 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 is composed. To clarify our minds and to agree 
 on our vocabulary we may have these definitions. 
 
 1. The great company of those who believe in 
 Christ as their Saviour, no matter in what country 
 or of what denomination, may be called “ The 
 Church.” When a distinction is made between 
 those on earth and those in heaven, the former are 
 called “The Church Miuilitant,’” and the latter 
 “The Church Triumphant.” 
 
 2. Those of one creed and one form of govern- 
 ment under one official name, usually known as 
 one denomination, may be called “ Church.” In 
 this way we think of the Presbyterian Church, the 
 Methodist Episcopal Church, and every other de- 
 nomination. 
 
 3. A single group of worshipers, belonging to 
 a denomination, but located in one particular 
 vicinity, and having vital affiliations with the 
 larger body, may be called a ‘“ Church.” In this 
 way there may be “The First Congregational 
 Church,” or “The Bethany Baptist Church,” or 
 any one local church. The person who belongs to 
 one of these local churches belongs equally to the 
 great denomination or Church of which his local 
 church forms part. 
 
 4. The complete group of denominations and 
 sects that confess Jesus Christ in all the world, 
 each forming their own organization, but all stand- 
 ing for the same great principles of redemption in 
 Christ, evangelism for Christ, and instruction in 
 
THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 143 
 
 the love and service of Christ, may be called “‘ The 
 Church.” This accumulation or aggregation of 
 Churches, though it doubtless contains individuals 
 who do not from the heart worship the Lord, nor 
 truly serve Him, is the greatest force of God’s 
 kingdom, and of this body we should think in this 
 chapter. 
 
 The Purpose of the Church 
 
 The reason why the children of God gather in 
 worship is not merely that they may give expres- 
 sion in a spiritual way to their social tendencies; 
 but much more that they may jointly work out 
 God’s program on the earth. The purpose of God 
 in establishing and sustaining His Church may 
 find partial expression in, 
 
 1. The formation of a family of God’s children 
 that shall in a measure typify the family of God 
 in heaven. They are brothers and sisters together, 
 united by bonds that are stronger than death, and 
 truer than blood. The Eldest Son in this house- 
 hold is Jesus Christ. 
 
 2. As they worship the Lord in unison they ex- 
 perience a strength which is not felt so vividly 
 when one bows the knee to the Father in solitude. 
 ‘“‘ Where two or three are gathered in my name, 
 there am I in the midst of them,” said Jesus. 
 These common followers of Jesus are able also 
 through such fellowship to admonish and encour- 
 age one another. 
 
144 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 3. Disciples, as their name implies, are learners. 
 They need instruction. Jesus first preached; then 
 taught. Paul carried out this same program of 
 Jesus. In the hour of worship the children of God 
 may mutually instruct each other. Supremely, 
 they are in their joint sessions to be instructed of 
 God. ; 
 
 4. Equalization of worshipers. Before our 
 heavenly Father there is no distinction of rank; 
 we are without exception “ poor and needy ”’; so 
 that divine grace must be applied to every one of 
 us. From whatever condition of life we come to 
 church, we are children of the same household; 
 we are brothers and sisters. The church is demo- 
 cratic. ‘The custom, therefore, of seatings within 
 the church building that set apart the wealthy 
 from the poor, is wholly contrary to the genius of 
 church life. This sense of equality before God 
 should be most truly felt at the time of Com- 
 munion Service, when the emblems of divine love 
 are visible before all worshipers. 
 
 5. There is a purpose in our joint worship that 
 goes beyond the worshipers themselves. Never 
 must the children of God forget that there are 
 others, who have not yet come back to the Father. 
 Every true church is organized for the purpose of 
 extension. This extension is made possible in two 
 ways during the process of joint worship: 
 
 a. Outsiders, to whom the worship of God 
 is not an ingrained habit of life, should be 
 
THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 145 
 
 repeatedly invited to witness the season of 
 worship, so that they may feel a discontent 
 in their own hearts, which may drive them to 
 the throne of grace. If the place of worship 
 is such that attendance of outsiders is un- 
 likely, the church must go out of its building 
 at suitable times and conduct its services in 
 the open, so that there may yet be witnesses 
 whose hearts can be touched. 
 
 b. Worshipers should definitely plan to 
 bring the Gospel to every place where it has 
 not reached. The Church is essentially mis- 
 sionary; it is built on the extension plan. 
 The knowledge, the worship, and the service 
 of Christ is to spread till His dominion shall 
 stretch ‘‘ from sea to sea and from the rivers 
 to the ends of the earth.” 
 
 Should a Christian Belong to a Church? 
 
 The things we have mentioned in the previous 
 paragraphs cannot be done so well singly; they 
 require the united efforts of God’s children; either 
 as a local group or as a national body. Christians 
 who keep themselves aloof from the group and its 
 God-given tasks are liable to serious errors. 
 
 1. They fail to enrich others through the testi- 
 mony of their own experience, and the help they 
 may render in sorrow, perplexity and joy. On the 
 part of the church this means that opportunity 
 should be afforded her humblest members to exert 
 these Christian graces. 
 
146 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 2. They fail to gather into their own lives the 
 blessings that flow out from the lives of other 
 Christians, and for the outflowing of which those 
 others would be none the poorer. 
 
 3. Because of their lack of contact with the 
 group, they are greatly tempted to misjudge the 
 members of that group. Themselves, in their lone 
 position, they may estimate at too low or at too 
 high a rate, but probably, ‘‘ More highly than they 
 ought to think.” 
 
 4. They fail to put their shoulders to the wheel 
 with others for progressive kingdom work; so that 
 God’s plans are not carried out so fully for their 
 failure. Not seldom it is found that people hold 
 back from the church because it would require 
 their financial aid; they have not learned to think 
 of God as the Owner of all. Again, there are those 
 who shrink from giving time and energy to the 
 work of a local church. They see a world perish- 
 ing for want of redemptive agencies; but lack the 
 love that is needed to be one of those agencies. 
 
 5. They are not only themselves “ slackers,” 
 but by their example they encourage others to 
 play the slacker. Often these are Bible-reading 
 Christians against whose morals nothing is to be 
 said. But the better people they personally are, 
 the more hurtful will be their example for influ- 
 encing others against the church. 
 
 6. They are false to the program of Jesus, Who 
 gathered about Him one band of twelve, another 
 
THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 147 
 
 of seventy, and yet a larger group of a hundred 
 and fifty, whom He trained in joint service. Our 
 Lord addressed them in the plural and taught 
 them The Lord’s Prayer in plural form. He gave 
 His great Commission to them jointly; for only 
 with a united front are they able to carry out His 
 mandates. According to the Master’s instructions 
 His followers went everywhere organizing churches, 
 even if the group were so small that they could 
 meet in a home (Rom. 16:5; Philemon 2.) 
 
 Why Denominations? 
 
 It happens occasionally that someone who has 
 been recently converted, or has gradually dropped 
 out from the gatherings of worshipers, looks for 
 excuses not to unite with a church. Among their 
 pet arguments is the fact of numerous denomina- 
 tions and sects. It does not usually occur to them 
 that herein lies a chief reason for uniting with 
 some church; because so great a number offers so 
 many choices and will suit fastidious tastes. But 
 the fact of many churches has made others won- 
 der at so much division where there should be 
 unity. Let us consider the reasons: 
 
 1. Differences of nationality and ancestry. One 
 naturally expects Scandinavians and Germans to 
 be of the Lutheran faith; Dutch, Ost-Frisians, 
 Huguenots, and Protestant Czecho-Slovaks to be 
 members in Reformed Churches. Regarding the 
 Scotch and Scotch-Irish we feel confident to find 
 
148 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 them Presbyterian. ~Those of English stock are 
 likely to be Episcopalian; while those masses of 
 Southern Europe, among whom the Inquisition did 
 its thorough, hellish work in Reformation days, 
 are now obedient children of the Church of Rome. 
 These groups, even after their arrival in America, 
 were born into their respective denominations. 
 
 2. Differences of temperament. The man who 
 relishes to his heart’s content a meeting of Salva- 
 tion Army lads and lassies may not feel at home 
 during a morning service in a Presbyterian church. 
 The Yorkshire miner, although of English stock, 
 cannot keenly enjoy an Episcopal service. The 
 songs, the genuflections, even the trend of doctrine 
 in one denomination, do not persuasively appeal to 
 the type of worshipers that meets in a different 
 group. 
 
 3. Differences of task. Each great denomina- 
 tion in carrying on the comprehensive program of 
 Christ is best able to make its impress along cer- 
 tain lines. Warm-hearted, enthusiastic progress 
 has marked the path of Methodists and Disciples; 
 educational evangelism has been the means of 
 Congregationalists and Presbyterians. Charity, 
 slum work, social service;—these, too, have re- 
 ceived special emphasis on the part of single de- 
 nominations or sects. Like so many divisions of 
 cavalry, infantry, artillery, and sappers, so the 
 greater and smaller bodies of Evangelical churches 
 
THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 149 
 
 have marched in essential unison with the one pur- 
 pose of world victory for Christ. 
 
 It is the confession of an imperfect church that 
 bickerings have broken out. Each church contains 
 many human members. There has been selfish 
 fear lest one church might gain advantage over an- 
 other. There have been puerile attempts “to be 
 first.” Envy has worked havoc. Intolerance still 
 shows its ugly face and works its brutal:'jaw. But, 
 thanks be to God, these instances are becoming 
 ever more rare. The leaders of our churches have 
 seen the hurt of it and have set their faces against 
 these evils. In the Foreign Field whole sections 
 of country are assigned to single denominations 
 to labor there without competition. Joint schools 
 are being established under the management of 
 several denominations. Gradually, the same spirit 
 is gaining ground in the homeland. Sectarianism 
 is doomed. But the many different groups of wor- 
 shipers will continue to afford rich choices to the 
 Christian who earnestly desires to carry out the 
 plan of Christ on earth, as He gave His world- 
 program to the Church. 
 
 Divine Grace Through Church Channels 
 
 Jesus Christ founded the Christian Church in 
 His own blood. Is it any wonder He deeply loves 
 the Church? God’s children are as dear to Him 
 as the apple of His eye; they are graven in the 
 palm of His hand. In the Old Testament the 
 
150 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 Church was called the wife, to whom Jehovah was 
 espoused. In the New Testament Jesus calls the 
 Church, His Bride, with Himself as the Bride- 
 groom. Through the channels of this Church 
 much of His grace is manifested. 
 
 In well-known instances priestcraft has taken 
 advantage of this teaching and has prostituted the 
 noble purpose of these gracious channels for its 
 own benefit. The Church of Rome declares that 
 none can be saved except through her agencies. 
 Whoever fails to identify himself with that church, 
 to partake of its sacraments, to attend its services, 
 and to contribute to its treasuries, is bound for 
 eternal perdition. But those, who faithfully ob- 
 serve the ceremonies of that church and carry out 
 its mandates to the letter, are sure of heaven. 
 They may live rather loose lives and still play safe, 
 if attendance at mass, confession to the priest, and 
 contribution to the church are regularly observed. 
 According to Rome’s teachings, the purpose of 
 their hierarchy is to take care of the spiritual wel- 
 fare of their adherents. This service on the part 
 of the church does not cease at death, but con- 
 tinues with undiminished vigor, though somewhat 
 in proportion to the liberality of contributions. 
 
 To this vicious doctrine the Protestant Refor- 
 mation was a protest, and against its falseness 
 every well-trained Protestant still protests. We 
 are convinced that neither the Church as such nor 
 its ministry possesses power to save a single soul; 
 
THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 151 
 
 but we do believe that through the Church there 
 flow peculiar graces, because of divine favor upon 
 and through God’s children. The channels of 
 these graces are: 
 
 1. Christian fellowship and service. Sacred 
 songs; earnest prayer; Scripture reading; medita- 
 tion on the Word and its application to life as sug- 
 gested in the sermon; joint-labors with far-away 
 missionaries; the teaching of a class; the leading 
 of a meeting; the telling to others of grace re- 
 ceived; the working with others in humility and 
 love, all these experiences do greatly enrich the 
 Christian’s life. These same Christian graces are 
 instrumental in bringing others into the Kingdom. 
 
 2. The Sacraments that were instituted by 
 Christ, namely, Baptism and The Lord’s Supper, 
 are conveyers of rich, spiritual blessings to those 
 who receive them in faith. Of these, Baptism, in 
 whatever form, should be thought of as a token of 
 personal attachment to Christ and of membership 
 in that great Body, the Church, of which He is 
 the Head. 
 
 a. Wherever children receive baptism in 
 infancy, there their parents express their faith 
 that their children belong to God, and their 
 readiness to dedicate these children wholly to 
 the Lord. With this surrender, they make the 
 solemn promise that they shall rear their chil- 
 dren in the knowledge and love of God. 
 Those who thus dedicate their children in 
 
152 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 baptism, but later on fail to train them in the 
 Christian religion, or refuse to let them go 
 into whole-life service, are committing a griev- 
 ous sin; they are playing false to their sacred 
 pledge. For whatever basis there may be for 
 infant baptism, this is certain that without a 
 certainty of parental training for God, there 
 is no room for the Sacrament at that time. 
 
 The rite of infant baptism is not one-sided. 
 Parents have faith that God acknowledges 
 their children as His children. He makes a 
 covenant with parents to be their children’s 
 God, as Jehovah covenanted with Abraham 
 and all his descendants in the rite of circum- 
 cision. When children reach the years of 
 discernment, it is their sacred privilege to 
 confess their heavenly Father before men. 
 
 b. On the part of those who have reached 
 the age in which they may decide for them- 
 selves, baptism is the outward token of full 
 allegiance to Jesus Christ. It may rightfully 
 be administered to those only who surrender 
 their lives wholly to the Lord, and accept 
 Him alone for salvation. The water of the 
 sacrament signifies the washing away of sin 
 and the rising in newness of life as children 
 of the Father. God pledges His gracious care 
 over them for time and for eternity. 
 
 In every instance, baptism should follow mem- 
 bership in the Invisible Church and should be the 
 
THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 153 
 
 visible avenue toward membership in the Visible 
 Church. For none should consciously unite with 
 a local church without complete surrender to 
 Christ, faith in Him as the Redeemer from sin, 
 and purpose to live with and for Him. Those who 
 unite with the church under the impulse of any 
 other motive are “thieves and robbers” (Jn. 
 10:7-10). 
 
 The only other Sacrament inaugurated by Christ 
 is The Lord’s Supper. It serves to commemorate 
 the sacrificial death of Christ for us. In partak- 
 ing of The Lord’s Supper the bread signifies His 
 broken body, and the wine represents His blood 
 poured out for us. The sacred Supper, therefore, 
 serves as an object lesson that reminds Christians 
 of Christ through their senses of sight, touch, and 
 taste. But it means more than that. Jesus, who 
 said, “‘ I am with you, even to the end of the age,” 
 is present at this Supper as the real Host. His 
 brothers and sisters are at the table with Him. 
 His loving presence imparts courage by the way. 
 There is ample testimony to the real strength that 
 has flown into the lives of Christians at this sacred 
 occasion. There is also a looking forward at this 
 table; for Jesus said, we should remember His 
 death, till He come. | 
 
 The Duties of Church Members 
 
 As it is the duty of every human being to serve 
 God loyally, because He gave us life, and all that 
 
154 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 we have; and as it is the duty of every Christian 
 to unite with the church, because it is the body of 
 Christ, so it is the duty of every church member 
 to take his part in the building up of the kingdom 
 of God; because this is the divinely ordained labor 
 enjoined upon the body of Christ. There are in- 
 numerable ways of.carrying on this divine pro- 
 gram; but most of them may be suggested. 
 
 1. A personal life of communion with God. 
 
 2. Regular participation in worship with God’s. 
 people; first at home, then in groups of a semi- 
 public and of a public nature. 
 
 3. Proportionate and liberal giving for local, 
 national and world work of the kingdom. 
 
 4. Service in the home church with all its de- 
 partments. . 
 
 5. Sharing with others in Christian enterprises. 
 not immediately under the auspices of the church 
 or denomination. 
 
 6. Living daily in full agreement with the Chris- 
 tian profession. 
 
 7. Striving constantly toward perfection in 
 Christian character and service; yet willing to 
 follow God’s leading even where these duties can 
 be carried out only in part. 
 
 The Church Member’s True Position 
 The Church is ‘‘ The body of Christ, and mem- 
 bers in particular’ (I Cor. 12:27; Rom. 12:5), 
 and Christ is the Head of this body (Eph. 4:15, 
 
THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 155 
 
 16). The Church also is the Bride (Rev. 21:2; 
 22:17), with Christ as the Bridegroom (Jn. 3:29; 
 Matt. 9:5). Ever cleansing the Church from sin 
 and sanctifying it to Himself, the Bridegroom is 
 preparing ‘“‘A glorious church, not having spot, 
 or wrinkle, or any such thing,” but “holy and 
 without blemish ” (Eph. 5:25-27). All this seems 
 too much to be said of us; but it is true of us while 
 we abide in Christ. 
 
 Again, we are called, “A royal priesthood ” 
 (I Pt. 2:9), offering ourselves and showing forth 
 His praise, as Christ once offered Himself for us 
 (Rom. 12:1). 
 
 Other names are given us. We are called ‘‘ The 
 salt of the earth,” “‘ The light of the world,” just 
 as Jesus claimed that title for Himself. ‘ Wit- 
 nesses,” too, is a name applied to us in view of 
 the work we are to do. All of which points to our 
 Lord’s expectations of us, which we should never 
 disappoint. In His high-priestly prayer, He said 
 to our Father, “ As thou hast sent me into the 
 world, even so have I sent them into the world ”’ 
 (Jn. 17:1). : 
 
 The Christian is or must be the Christ-man. 
 The divine Redeemer represented us in His life 
 and death, and still makes intercession for us in 
 heaven. We represent Christ on the earth. 
 
 SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 
 1. Ask the class to picture Christ as the Pastor of 
 their own local church. If He insisted on the accept- 
 
156 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 ance of His principles by all the members, how long 
 would He be welcome there? Should He, then, ac- 
 commodate Himself to that church, or should that 
 church accommodate itself to Him? Let this be dis- 
 cussed thoroughly, regardless of consequences. 
 
 2. Compare the helpfulness of private and public 
 devotions. 
 
 3. Take up reasons given by non-churchmembers 
 for not uniting with a church, and conduct a sympa- 
 thetic discussion of them. 
 
 4. Allow one representative from each denomina- 
 tion present to suggest one function in which his 
 church stands prominent. 
 
 5. See that the value of the church is brought out 
 in all its phases at home and abroad. 
 
 6. The leader should be extremely careful in the 
 discussion of Baptism, lest any be offended. Oppor- 
 tunity may be given, however, to question the presen- 
 tation of it in the lesson. The meaning of the Lord’s 
 Supper should be more fully discussed. 
 
 7. The work most liked in the church, and the 
 work most dreaded, may be stated by members, with 
 apparent reasons. 
 
 8. Let ten members prepare for next lesson a brief 
 written laudation of one Christian virtue, before read- 
 ing of it in the lesson. 
 
 For Further Research 
 
 The True Church, Ch. I, XII, A. M. Dulles. 
 
 The Church’ We/tHoreet? Ch. UX VILE x eee 
 Whitwell Wilson. 
 
 The Future of the Churches, Ch. I, III, V, Roger 
 W. Babson. 
 
 The Diviner Immanence, Ch. XII, Francis J. Mc- 
 Connell. 
 
 Reading day by day: Ps. 24; Mal. 3:16, 17; Acts 
 15:1-11; Acts 2:41-47; Heb. 10:19-25; 1 Cor. 
 16:1-14; Rev. 1: 4-20. 
 
x 
 THE CHRISTIAN VIRTUES 
 
 HE Christian religion and the Christian 
 life are one; they cannot be separated 
 into compartments. For it is the genius 
 of the Christian religion to touch and vitalize the 
 entire human being; at the same time to demand 
 complete loyalty. One who truly worships God, 
 must serve Him as truly. So fully are worship 
 and service identified that we habitually speak of 
 joint worship as a ‘‘ Service.” It should become 
 equally habitual to call the living out of God’s 
 will ** Worship.” 
 
 Throughout the ages attempts have been made 
 to separate religion from life. Such attempts have 
 invariably succeeded to the degree in which the 
 religion concerned was lifeless. It is possible for 
 an idolater to lay his gift on the altar, then to go 
 out in pursuit of greedy or lustful purposes. It 
 is not difficult, also, for the devotee of ceremonies 
 and liturgies to participate in a form of worship 
 which seems to identify him with Christianity; 
 then to serve the devil with all his heart. But 
 these performances are not expressive of the Chris- 
 tian religion; they are only caricatures and imita- 
 
 tions of it. Jesus gave voice to the feelings of 
 157 
 
158 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 prophets and apostles in all ages, when He in- 
 sisted, ‘‘ Not every one that saith unto me, ‘ Lord, 
 Lord,’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but 
 he that doeth the will of my Father which is in 
 heaven ” (Matt. 7:21). 
 
 The Knowledge of God Alive 
 
 The knowledge of God and Christian life are 
 one. Just about to enter the Garden of Gethsem- 
 ane, Jesus lifted up His face toward heaven and 
 prayed that matchless prayer of John Seventeen, 
 in which He said, “‘ This is life eternal, that they 
 might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus 
 Christ whom Thou hast sent.”” That such a knowl- 
 edge of God is not purely intellectual, should go 
 without saying. It means intimate acquaintance 
 and friendship with God. As Enoch walked with 
 God and one day drew so near the heavenly places 
 that he just stepped in; as Abraham sat with God 
 under the oak-tree of Mamre; as John the Beloved 
 rested on the bosom of Jesus; so are we to gain a 
 knowledge of God that means life. Some great 
 theologian may write wonderful theses on the at- 
 tributes of God, and may talk glibly or profoundly 
 of the relationships of Creator and creation: yet 
 be far away from God in his heart. Or the ritual- 
 ist may indulge in numerous prayers that once 
 served to express a soul’s longings for the heavenly 
 Father; yet himself fail of intimate friendship 
 with God. 
 
THE CHRISTIAN VIRTUES 159 
 
 “"Tis not the broad phylactory 
 Or stated prayers 
 That make us saints ; 
 We judge the tree 
 By what tt bears. 
 And when a man can live apart 
 From faith on theologic trust, 
 We know, the blood around his heart 
 Is dry as dust.” 
 
 The Knowledge of God’s Word Experimental 
 
 A true knowledge of God’s Word and Christian 
 life are one. For the Bible is expressive of 
 human experience in the presence of God. Men 
 lived with God in the center of their existence; 
 then told of the meaning of such a life. The Bible 
 is the Book of Life, because it was first lived, then 
 written. It is not possible, therefore, to under- 
 stand this Book without first living it. It is told 
 of a Korean convert who tried to memorize the 
 Beatitudes; but try as he might, he could not 
 master the sentence, “‘ Blessed are the merciful; 
 for they shall obtain mercy.” For days and weeks 
 he labored on that one sentence; but in vain. One 
 early morning he came to the Missionary, his face 
 aglow. Without a stammer he recited the whole 
 Beatitude. Then he explained how he had during 
 all that time of struggle been unable to show 
 mercy toward a neighbor who had grievously hurt 
 him. At last he had found sufficient grace to show 
 mercy. It enabled him to master the sentence. 
 Unfortunately, this incident is not typical to the 
 
160 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 letter; for many are able to master passages of 
 Scripture, which they fail to live. But it is typical 
 of the spirit of knowing God’s Word. Only that 
 part of the Bible which we put into practice do 
 we really know. 
 
 The Purpose of Christian Teaching is Christian 
 Living 
 
 The first purpose of God’s talking to men was 
 to teach them the ways of health. Prevention is 
 better than cure. Had man been willing to listen 
 to the suggestions God gave him, the teaching of 
 God would have become richer and deeper, and 
 the Son of God would, we believe, have come on 
 earth permanently to be man’s companion. The 
 commandments of God are laws of health. “O 
 that thou hadst hearkened unto my command- 
 ments! then had thy peace been as a river, and 
 thy righteousness as the waves of the sea” (Isa. 
 48:12). For this reason God’s Word is called a 
 lamp for our feet and a light on our pathway. In 
 our activities we are to put into practice the coun- 
 sel we have received of God. As Jesus put it, “ If 
 ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do 
 them” (Jn. 13:17). After Paul has for eleven 
 long chapters in the Epistle to the Romans been 
 discussing great theological subjects regarding 
 which the churches to this day are not fully 
 agreed, he wrote that wonderful twelfth chapter, 
 on Christian conduct, and on which we are all 
 
THE CHRISTIAN VIRTUES 161 
 
 without exception or murmur agreed. That great 
 man felt, as every true worshiper of God feels 
 with him, that the teaching of God’s truth Is use- 
 less if it does not result in a godly life. 
 
 Leading Christian Virtues 
 
 To different people different virtues make their 
 strong appeal, according to experiences through 
 which people have passed. To one who has re- 
 peatedly suffered on account of spells of anger, 
 either within himself or in others, amiability 
 will appear as a cardinal virtue. To another, 
 who has been troubled by small dealings in money 
 matters, liberality may stand out supreme. To a 
 third whom pessimism in some form assails, the 
 virtue of courage, or faith looks big. Just as 
 every person who looks at the colorings of a rain- 
 bow sees different hues, because he stands looking 
 from a different angle, so those who would enumer- 
 ate and standardize various virtues, are sure to 
 have views of their own. It is only in a suggestive 
 way, therefore, that we present to the student’s 
 consideration the ten outstanding Christian virtues 
 of reverence, humility, trust, faith, hope, courage, 
 liberality, sincerity, purity, and love. 
 
 Reverence 
 The first distinctive Christian virtue is rever- 
 ence; which marks a man’s right attitude toward’ 
 God. It is our Saviour’s first concern in the great: 
 prayer He taught us, “‘ Hallowed be Thy Name.’” 
 
162 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 For without a hallowing of the name of God there 
 can be no true prayer. Irreverence is a sin that 
 immediately shuts away God from the soul. It 
 cannot be put on from the outside; for it is an 
 inner feeling of God’s majesty, and His goodness, 
 with a desire that these divine attributes may in 
 a measure come-to dwell also within us. 
 
 Not seldom a contemplation of the works of 
 God in nature leads to a reverent attitude,—the 
 majestic sweep of a mountain-range, the boundless 
 expanse of the ocean; the countless numbers of 
 stars and planets. ‘“‘ The undevout astronomer is 
 mad.” The delicate traceries of leaves and flow- 
 ers, the crystal formations of snowflakes, the in- 
 tricate arteries of animal life, produce similar 
 feelings. Agassiz, the famouus biologist, would 
 put the scale of a fish under his microscope, gaze 
 at it intensely for many minutes, then look up to 
 God with a prayer of praise on his lips for the 
 marvel of its beauty. But the contemplation of 
 God’s ways may go beyond the things we now see; 
 they may go back into history, into our own lives, 
 and into the lives and sayings of just men now per- 
 fect. Supremely, the life and death of Christ pro- 
 voke within us a sense of awe that induces worship. 
 
 The reverent person will not lightly use the 
 name of God in any of its forms, or even the 
 names of natural powers through which the great- 
 ness of our heavenly Father receives manifesta- 
 tion, such as the thunder of the clouds; the place 
 
THE CHRISTIAN VIRTUES 163 
 
 of God’s peculiar abode, or heaven, and the place 
 of condemnation, or hell. 
 
 To insure reverence, body and soul must co- 
 operate. An irreverent position suggests irrever- 
 ent feelings. Eyes open, legs crossed, hands on 
 the seat behind, gum in the mouth, any such modes 
 of behavior militate against true reverence. 
 
 Reverence toward God will naturally produce 
 reverence toward God’s children, and in a measure 
 toward all human beings, for they were made in 
 the likeness of God. If reverence is required in 
 the House of God that has been built with walls 
 of stone or wood; much more is reverence required 
 for this temple of the body, in which God is 
 willing to dwell. 
 
 Humility 
 
 Hand-in-hand with reverence is the virtue of 
 humility; which is first felt in the presence of God. 
 He is the Giver of every good and perfect gift; 
 through Him we are what we are and have what- 
 ever we possess. In His presence, therefore, we 
 have no reason to boast. The Christian is humble 
 before God. 
 
 But humility in the presence of God does not 
 suffice for our Christian virtue; we need to be 
 humble, also, in the presence of our fellow-men. 
 Pride, which is the opposite of humility, vitiates 
 and neutralizes every other virtue; while humility 
 redeems an otherwise weak individual from the 
 
164 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 worst of his foibles. There is a sense in which the 
 most serious troubles in a Christian community 
 are due to the pride of certain of its members. 
 They want preeminence. Except in a position of 
 honor they will not serve. Having secured an 
 honorable office, they refuse to step out without 
 creating a scene.. Placed second by inevitable cir- 
 cumstances they sulk like Achilles in his tent, or 
 even leave the church. There is nothing in a local 
 church that so wrinkles the pastor’s face and 
 whitens his hairs as this unchristian lack of 
 humility. 
 
 Lack of humility was the bane of Jesus’ train- 
 ing of the Twelve. While He was setting His face 
 steadfastly toward Jerusalem, on that last journey, 
 they were daily bickering among themselves who 
 should be the greatest. He set a little child among 
 them; but they failed to catch His meaning. Then 
 on that final evening in the Upper Room, the Mas- 
 ter took a towel and basin and washed the dis- 
 ciples’ feet. Next to the cross it was His last and 
 greatest lesson, to teach humility. When Paul 
 finds this same virtue lacking among the church- 
 members at Philippi, he points them again to Jesus, 
 who, when enjoying equality with God, was willing 
 to let that honor go, that humanity might be lifted 
 (Phil. 2:5-11). : 
 
 Humility is a source of happiness not only for 
 others with whom we are to live and work; but 
 for ourselves. The humble person does not feel 
 
THE CHRISTIAN VIRTUES 165 
 
 slighted when his name is not published from the 
 housetops; but feels happy when working in an 
 unnoticed corner. He never suffers that pain that 
 comes from a sense of being stepped on. Deserv- 
 ing the pleasure of God, he enjoys that pleasure. 
 In return he affords both God and his fellow-men 
 the gladness of his fellowship. 
 
 Trust 
 
 Intimately joined with humility is trust. This 
 Christian virtue, too, relates us first with God. 
 ‘““In God we trust,” the motto on the American 
 dollar, should be more frequently noted; for it ex- 
 - presses a fundamental truth. Our nation depends 
 upon God, whether as a nation we are aware of it 
 or not. Unless ‘in God we trust,” we are build- 
 ing on false foundations. The essence of religion 
 is this sense of dependence on God. The men and 
 women who have most keenly felt the meaning of 
 God in their lives, have voiced our sentiments in 
 such sayings as ‘“‘ God is our refuge and strength, 
 a very present help in trouble”; ‘“ The eternal God 
 is our refuge and underneath are the everlasting 
 arms’; ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart 
 and lean not on thine own understanding ”’; ‘ It 
 is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.” 
 Our great hymns are in the same strain, “A 
 mighty fortress is our God”; “ Rock of Ages, 
 cleft for me”; “ Jesus, Lover of my soul, Let me 
 to Thy bosom fly.” In less poetic strain, but 
 
166 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 with no less feeling of dependence, Paul exclaims, 
 ‘“‘ T can do all things through Christ which strength- 
 eneth me,” and again, ‘‘ When I am weak, then 
 am I strong.” 
 
 1. Christian trust is, as already noted, first in 
 God. It is merged into reverence when, with John 
 Ruskin, we confide in God on the smallest affairs 
 of life. The trustful heart can see the hand of a 
 heavenly Father in everything, and is glad that 
 the Supreme Ruler is not only almighty, but also 
 all-wise and all-good. For this reason the trusting 
 Christian worries no more than Jesus did, Who 
 looked on the lilies and the sparrows, and saw the 
 gracious ways of Providence for Himself. But 
 trust in God is not weakness. The soldiers of 
 Gustaf Adolph of Sweden sang the great Psalms 
 of David on entering the field of battle; so did the 
 Ironsides of Cromwell. But they made terrible 
 fighters. Their trust in God gave them strength 
 for victory; a strength which is still at the dis- 
 posal of God’s trusting children. 
 
 2. Christian trust needs to extend to fellow 
 Christians, so long as they, too, have their trust 
 centered in God. ‘“ Put not your trust in princes ” 
 (Ps. 146:3), remains forever true. But it is the 
 plan of God that His children shall trust Him 
 jointly as well as individually. For the work 
 of the Lord must be done for the most part 
 jointly. A good Christian trusts the Church and 
 its work, so long as this is in line with God’s re- 
 
THE CHRISTIAN VIRTUES 167 
 
 vealed will. He trusts his fellow-workers to do 
 their share of the kingdom’s service. He does not 
 consider himself another Atlas on whose shoul- 
 ders the whole world’s burdens must be carried. 
 He shares the bearing of burdens with others: His 
 confidence in God does not decrease, but does in- 
 crease his confidence in those who with him trust 
 in God. Looking into the future he will not pine, 
 fearing that when his own hand shall slip from the 
 helm, the ship must needs be wrecked. His trust 
 in God extends beyond himself into the world. 
 His trust grows into faith. 
 
 Faith 
 
 We have already seen how one virtue grows out 
 of another and accompanies that other. The 
 Christian who trusts, finds faith establishing itself 
 in his heart. But faith and trust, though close 
 akin, are not identical. There is more mental 
 energy in faith. Imagination takes a larger part. 
 If trust is a virtue of the child of God, faith is the 
 virtue of the man of God. One trusts in the dark, 
 knowing that God is light and already sees all 
 things. One has faith in the light, on the heights, 
 where things can be seen in conjunction and as one 
 great whole. ‘Trust takes hold of the hands of 
 God; faith looks out with the sight of God. 
 
 It should be clear from this that faith is not 
 blind. Were it blind, it would be superstition. 
 Faith has its basis in knowledge and is guided by 
 
168 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 wisdom. Credo, ut intelligam, said the philoso- 
 phers of the Middle Ages, that is, “I believe, in 
 order that I may know.” To which idiom there 
 is some truth; for frequently we must first walk 
 by faith and then go on by sight. But turn this 
 idiom around and it applies still better, “ I know, 
 that I may believe.”” When we know the will of 
 God, and are assured of His supreme sovereignty 
 in the universe, then we are able to go on with 
 faith. For we know that God sees the end from 
 the beginning and that His purposes are ultimately 
 reached, as the waters of the river ultimately 
 reach the sea. Knowledge is, therefore, projected 
 by means of faith. Knowing the nature of God in 
 a measure, we thereby know the future in a 
 measure. We have hold of the right premises; 
 hence we can draw right inferences and conclu- 
 sions. The Missionary, who goes to a people who 
 have never heard of Christ, does not know whether 
 he will personally see those people in mass turn- 
 ing toward their Redeemer; but he does know 
 that in the end heathenism must pass away and 
 Christianity become victorious. 
 
 It is largely because of this basis of faith, in 
 things assuredly known, that creeds can be for- 
 mulated. There are certain outstanding principles 
 in the Christian’s mind, which require no more new 
 searching; they have proved true. Such outstand- 
 ing truths as God’s love for us; our need of God; 
 Christ’s sacrifice for us; our debt to Him, and 
 
THE CHRISTIAN VIRTUES 169 
 
 others which in previous chapters we have studied, 
 these have become self-evident to us. They form 
 part of our faith; they are our creed. On that 
 faith we are ready to act. It is not too much to 
 say, then, that Christian faith leads to the Chris- 
 tian’s faithfulness. 
 
 Hope 
 
 There is close kinship between faith and hope, 
 as appears in the classic passage (Heb. 11:1), 
 “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the 
 evidence of things not seen.” It seems customary 
 to think of hope as a somewhat weaker virtue than 
 faith. The words “I hope so,” do not carry great 
 conviction. Nevertheless, this Christian virtue is 
 in every way as significant as any of those we have 
 mentioned. To sense the greatness of it, try to 
 drop it out. Eliminate hope and see what is left. 
 Picture David Livingstone in the heart of Africa 
 without hope. Imagine Peary laboring his way 
 toward the North Pole, hopeless. Without endur- 
 ing hope those heroes could never have reached 
 their objective. Sickness would have gripped 
 them; discouragement would have laid them low. 
 For the opposite of hope is despair. Hope puts 
 Springs in one’s steps; hope rejuvenates; hope sus- 
 tains effort. Hope keeps this old earth of ours 
 active and in order. A hopeless world would spell 
 chaos. 
 
 The Christian needs hope, because faith is so 
 
170 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 frequently put to shame. Jerry McAuley, in his 
 Water Street Mission, New York City, saw his 
 faith deceived many a time by the bums he tried 
 to raise up; but his hope could not be deceived. 
 ‘“‘ Hope springs eternal in the human breast.” 
 
 The Christian’s hope rests, with every other 
 virtue, first in God. Were it not for God, there 
 would be no chance for hope. But in face of 
 every disappointment his hope in God is not 
 shaken. The things for which he hopes have their 
 basis in his faith; which means that his hopes are 
 rooted in God. His faith is workable, because he 
 hopes. He links earth with heaven through hope. 
 There is not the certainty in his hope which there 
 is in his faith; but that very uncertainty means 
 more romance and thrill. 
 
 “Tf hopes were dupes, fears may be liars. 
 Who knows, but in yon smoke concealed, 
 Our comrades chase e’en now the fers. 
 And, but for us, possess the field.” 
 
 In this spirit the most hopeful Christian is an 
 inspiration to others who have less hold on hope 
 in God. 
 
 : Courage 
 
 Where the virtues already mentioned have their 
 perfect way, there arises a resultant that may be 
 called ‘“ Courage.” Without those virtues, cour- 
 age would be out of the question. This does not 
 mean that courage is purely a combination of 
 other virtues; it has a quality of its own. But in 
 
THE CHRISTIAN VIRTUES 171 
 
 its turn it supplies quality to all other virtues. We 
 might so completely trust God’s omnipotence that 
 we ourselves might not lift a finger. Our fathers 
 actually dealt in such a way about Foreign Mis- 
 sions. They trusted that God would do with the 
 heathen as He pleased; so they left those Christ- 
 less people severely alone, except for monetary ex- 
 ploitation. They had faith in God, too, but failed 
 to offer themselves as instruments in the hands of 
 God. Courage means throwing your own heart 
 into the work. 
 
 The stem on which the word courage is built, 
 is cor, or corda, which means heart. To have 
 courage, then, means to be willing to throw one’s 
 whole self into a project. The really courageous 
 person considers the accomplishment of a set en- 
 terprise worth the price of his life. For this rea- 
 son Jesus Christ may be regarded the greatest 
 hero, who, as the street-urchin put it, “‘ Died, and 
 didn’t have to.” The work of the Kingdom of 
 God is waiting for just such courage; the impetus 
 of men and women who throw their lives into the 
 kingdom enterprise. Those who lack that courage 
 display its opposite, which is cowardice. Their 
 hearts are not in it. 
 
 Courage is sure to meet with opposition; but 
 this serves to stimulate to more courageous effort. 
 Washington at Valley Forge, Abraham Lincoln in 
 his Second Inaugural Address, William the Silent 
 setting himself at the head of an untrained people 
 
172 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 against the empire of Spain, Jonathan and his 
 armor-bearer fighting the Philistines, Jesus alone 
 in Pilate’s Court, these are illustrious examples of 
 courage. And out of it comes the satisfaction with 
 which Paul expressed his feelings, ‘‘ I have fought 
 a good fight” (II Tim. 4:7); also the fulfillment 
 of the promise from the lips of the Son of man, 
 “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with 
 me on my throne” (Rev. 3:21). 
 
 Sincerity 
 
 The original of the word, sine cere, ‘“‘ without 
 wax,” does still reveal its splendid meaning. The 
 Christian ought to be no other than he seems to 
 be. Those leaders of the Jews who laid upon the 
 people burdens which they themselves did not 
 touch, tried to look different from what they were; 
 they were actors. But Jesus saw through them and 
 called them what they were,—actors, or hypocrites. 
 And there were none whose sins our gentle Saviour 
 so thoroughly and consistently despised. Except 
 for genuine repentance, Jesus saw no hope for 
 them. To this day the insincere person is the most 
 difficult to meet, because he twists and thwarts the 
 basic principles of life. There is nothing steady 
 on which to stand with him. He betrays past, pres- 
 ent and future. An insincere Christian is a con- 
 tradiction of terms. 
 
 The true Christian is sincere with God. He does 
 not try to hide from God his evil tendencies and 
 
THE CHRISTIAN VIRTUES 173 
 
 his mistakes; neither his plans and aspirations. 
 All things are open and above-board between him 
 and his Lord. This is the surest basis of sincerity. 
 It is the only reliable basis. The true Christian 
 knows that God’s program must be his own pro- 
 gram; that God’s work is his own work; that his 
 own talents are divine gifts; that God is the owner 
 of all. His life belongs to God. This sincerity 
 makes him a partner with God. The victories of 
 God are his own victories. 
 
 The Christian is sincere toward his neighbor. 
 If all the virtues we have considered form part of 
 the Christian’s make-up, then he will almost surely 
 be glad to meet with others. But should he not 
 be glad, then he must not pretend. He must be 
 harmless but honest. The Christian never plans 
 ways by which he shall be advantaged to the dis- 
 advantage of others; neither will he attempt to 
 make things appear different from what they are. 
 He will not dare accuse any person who is not 
 present to defend himself; for this is playing false, 
 even if the story were true. The Christian will be 
 careful not to give others “a piece of his mind,” 
 for that would be the worst of himself and would 
 do himself injustice. In all these ways he will 
 eliminate chief causes of strife and trouble. 
 
 The Christian is sincere with himself. He does 
 not argue the cause of wrong until his conscience 
 is silenced. He does not allow his feet to risk the 
 slippery paths of speculation, nor does he play with 
 
174 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 fire. He prays daily, ‘‘ Lead us not into tempta- 
 tion, but deliver us from evil.” He is far more 
 strict with himself than with anyone else, and con- 
 dones the lowering of standards by others far more 
 readily than by himself. 
 
 “To thine own self be true, 
 And it must follow as the night the day 
 Thou canst not then be false to any man.” 
 
 Liberality 
 
 The Kingdom of God is built on a liberal plan. 
 It is God’s will that His children, too, shall practice 
 liberality. He takes care that those who carry out 
 this divine principle shall not suffer for it, ‘ The 
 liberal soul shall be made fat.” 
 
 God wants us to be liberal with our money. At 
 least one tenth was the proportion suggested among 
 His ancient people. His work to-day is not pro- 
 gressing as it would, were the people of God more 
 liberal. Considering that God values a single soul 
 more highly than all the treasures of the universe, 
 this marks a serious defect. Christian liberality is 
 essential for the progress of His kingdom. 
 
 God wants us to be liberal with our time. Every 
 day He expects us to have a bit of conversation 
 with Him; also every week one day, and every 
 year one week. Considering the countless num- 
 bers of His people whom He thus invites, this re- 
 quires infinite attention on God’s part; but He is 
 ever ready. God is liberal with time, because 
 
THE CHRISTIAN VIRTUES 175 
 
 eternity is His. But He also promises to us 
 eternal life. 
 
 God wants us to be liberal with our talents. He 
 first gave us these talents. We derive pleasure 
 from their use; but God asks for a tithe on them, 
 too. Our songs, our musical attainments, our 
 Bible knowledge, our pedagogical preparation, our 
 acquaintance with people and conditions, all these 
 we should liberally lay at the Master’s feet. In 
 it all we are asked to give ourselves, for “‘ The gift 
 without the giver is bare.” 
 
 Purity 
 
 The greatest sorrows that have visited humanity 
 have come through defects in purity. Wherever 
 there are sordid motives there is impurity; but let 
 us now think of purity as it is usually understood 
 in modern times, the pure relationships between 
 the sexes. Impurity has cast a blast on every 
 civilization and has ultimately wrought its ruin. 
 But purity has invariably brought happiness and 
 health. 
 
 Impurity expresses itself in modern times chiefly 
 through divorce and smutty intimations. Purity 
 finds expression in the Christian home, in Christian’ 
 fellowship, in innocent recreation at suitable times, 
 in serving God and man for the welfare of human- 
 ity and the glory of God. Purity is so essential 
 in Christian work because the Christian religion as 
 such knows neither Jew nor Greek, neither male 
 
176 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 nor female (Gal. 3:28). There is no sex in the 
 Christian religion. Therefore, Christian workers 
 are constantly thrown together from both sexes and 
 must work in intimate association. Women trust 
 men who do Christian work. It is the depth of 
 treachery to abuse this freedom and to betray such 
 simple trust. Every thought of sex must be cast 
 out by the Christian worker, while laboring with 
 others in the kingdom of God. He, who finds him- 
 self unable to suppress the animal while serving at 
 God’s altar, must withdraw himself until the 
 needed grace is given him; or find the needed 
 strength direct from God. This does not mean, 
 however, that unmarried Christian workers do 
 wrong, while laboring together, to observe each 
 other’s virtues and to enter upon that stage usually 
 known as love. They may love each other with 
 perfect purity. And blessed are those Christian 
 workers, who find their companions for life in this 
 environment. 
 Love 
 
 But the greatest of these is love; because it is 
 most abiding. Faith will be changed into sight, 
 and hope will some day be realized. But love 
 never needs to undergo a change, because its 
 nature is eternal. By this is meant, of course, not 
 primarily the love between a man and a maid, but 
 rather the love whose origin and objective are spir- 
 itual. This love cannot be defined; because, as in 
 the case of God, it has no limits; its source and 
 
THE CHRISTIAN VIRTUES 177 
 
 aim is God. But love finds expression in certain 
 feelings and activities that help us to understand it. 
 
 Love casts out envy, jealousy and bitterness. It 
 has no room for anything unlovely. Instead, it 
 practices charity and benevolence. Love sees good 
 where hatred sees nothing but evil. A story is re- 
 lated of a crowd standing about a dead dog on the 
 wayside, of which every one in the crowd had 
 something ugly to say. There seemed to be noth- 
 ing good to be remarked about that despicable cur. 
 But a young man on the edge of the crowd said, 
 “What beautiful pearly teeth.” That young man, 
 according to the story, was Jesus. Whether this 
 be true, we know that Jesus saw good in Nathaniel, 
 called Simon a rock, and loved the rich, young 
 ruler, who failed to follow Him. 
 
 To know what love is, read and read again I 
 Corinthians 13. Read and read again the Gospel 
 according to John. But even so, we cannot know 
 what love is unless we have it in our own hearts. 
 
 “ Love's on the high road, 
 Love's on the by-road, 
 Love's in the meadow, and love is in the mart, 
 And m every byway, 
 Wherever I go my way, 
 I see love asmiling, because love is in my heart.” 
 
 These are the great Christian virtues, which, 
 being lived by us, serve to incarnate in our lives 
 the truth of God in a measure, as it was once in- 
 carnated in full through Jesus Christ, our Lord. 
 
178 * THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 For this purpose are all the teachings of the Chris- 
 tian faith. 
 
 SUGGESTIONS FoR Discussion 
 
 1. Bring out clearly and fully from the members 
 their views of a virtuous life as compared with a dis- 
 solute life. Then discuss the second Parable of Luke 
 Fifteenth. Do not fear to include also the first and 
 the third Parable of that chapter. 
 
 2. Have the papers read on particular virtues and 
 discuss them jointly. 
 
 3. Allow expression regarding the highest virtue; 
 the most popular virtue; the most useful virtue. 
 
 4. Elicit opinion regarding the absence of certain 
 virtues on the part of some, who nevertheless are | 
 strong in other virtues. 
 
 5. Discuss cases of religious workers who did suc- 
 cessful Christian work, while secretly practicing vices. 
 Look this straight in the face, and reach a solution; 
 otherwise, do not touch it. 
 
 6. Find out how members account for people who 
 do not confess Christ, but who lead moral lives. 
 
 7. Immanuel Kant, the great philosopher, main- 
 tained that when virtue became a pleasure, it could 
 no longer be reckoned as a virtue. Does this appear 
 true? 
 
 8. If religion without morality is monstrous, what 
 about morality without religion? 
 
 9. Which virtue has been hardest to attain? Rea- 
 sons. 
 
 For Further Research 
 
 The Seven Cardinal Virtues, James Stalker. 
 
 The Homely Virtues, Ian Maclaren (John Wat- 
 son). 
 
 The Fact of Christ, Ch. VII, P. Carnegie Simpson. 
 
 Reading day by day: Rom. 12; Phil, 2:1-11; I 
 Thess,’ 5715-25; ID Pt. 1:1-8; Heb. fl: 1-63) Prove 
 Bie esol LL rim 2 20-26: 
 
XI 
 WORLD LEADERSHIP 
 
 HE Kingdom of God is being established 
 on the plan of continuous increase. Even- 
 tually it must embrace the whole spiritual 
 and physical universe. Nothing less than this was 
 ever in the mind of God and nothing less will be 
 accomplished. Christ saw this when, even facing 
 the crucifixion, He exclaimed, “‘ I have overcome 
 the world.” There is no room in this world for 
 two governments. Whatever forces have arisen to 
 set themselves against the gracious sovereignty of 
 God, have been permitted to exert their evil ener- 
 gies only for a season. They are already doomed; 
 for God would not be God if He did not prevail. 
 
 An Increasing Government 
 
 There came to our home in childhood an annual 
 pamphlet that had on its fly-leaf the picture of a 
 strong-built church, founded on a rock. The rock 
 was surrounded by sea-billows that rolled and 
 roared against it from every side. Underneath the 
 picture was the text, ‘On this rock have I built 
 My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail 
 
 against it” (Matt. 16:18). Connecting picture 
 179 
 
180 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 and text, the impression was strongly made, that, 
 no matter what wicked powers might hurl them- 
 selves against the Church, she could never be over- 
 thrown. Which is most true. But the saying of 
 Jesus means much more. Gates are for the pur- 
 pose of keeping people out of the city, who are not 
 wanted there. Gates of hell would equally be for 
 the purpose of keeping out of that domain the 
 forces of God. But those gates will not hold out 
 against the Church, says Jesus. Which means 
 that the forces of God will break through those 
 gates that the forces of evil have set up, and will 
 win for Christ what should always have been His. 
 
 This is no isolated teaching; it is the tenor of 
 all the Scriptures. The stone which Nebuchadnez- 
 zar saw in his dream, tumbling against the mighty 
 image and grinding it to powder, did not remain 
 on that spot, but spread and spread until it filled 
 the earth (Dan. 2:35). The prophecy of Isaiah 
 regarding the coming King (Isa. 9:6, 7), assures 
 us that “ of the increase of his government and of 
 his peace there shall be no end.” The promise of 
 the Second Psalm is, “ I shall give thee the heathen 
 for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of 
 the earth for thy possession.” Zechariah, speak- 
 ing of that triumphal entry which the Messiah was 
 one day to make into Jerusalem (Zech. 9:10; Lk. 
 19:38), assigns the King’s dominion “ from sea to 
 sea and from the rivers even to the ends of the 
 earth.” 
 
WORLD LEADERSHIP 181 
 
 This is the teaching of Jesus. Because of love 
 for the whole world He came, and to the whole 
 world His message must be taken,—first to Jeru- 
 salem, then to Judea, then to Samaria, and finally 
 to the uttermost part of the earth. It is the genius 
 of the Kingdom of God to make Christ King in 
 every heart and to make the ruling principles of 
 heaven operative everywhere. This teaching is so 
 clearly taught in The Lord’s Prayer, and is so uni- 
 versally and thoroughly accepted, that we need not 
 present it further in this study. We need consider, 
 however, by what means this is to be brought 
 about. 
 
 Victory Through Information 
 
 It has been previously remarked that Kingdom 
 victories are through the Word, not through the 
 sword. The spreading of good tidings is the first 
 means of spreading the government of Christ. 
 When Abraham was called away from his kin, to 
 become a blessing to all the world (Gen. 12:3), 
 God’s confidence in him was founded on the teach- 
 ings of his own household (Gen. 18:19). There 
 is every evidence that God had planned to have 
 His chosen people carry the good tidings from 
 Palestine to the ends of the earth; but they failed 
 to carry out His benevolent purposes. The story 
 of Jonah illustrates the story of all Israel—a peo- 
 ple unwilling to extend their blessings to the 
 Gentiles. 
 
182 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 Isaiah (ch. 11:1-9) portrays the workings of the 
 principles of the Messiah; when strife and hurt 
 have passed away, the wolf lying down beside the 
 lamb, the cow and the bear feeding together, and 
 the child, just weaned, playing safely with other- 
 wise poisonous snakes, and all because, ‘“‘ The 
 earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as 
 the waters cover the sea.”’ In similar strain our 
 Saviour tells us of the woman, who put her leaven 
 in the loaves she was getting ready for baking. In 
 each loaf the leaven started its work, touching the 
 next cell and the next. There were explosions and 
 expansions in each loaf, causing the loaves to grow 
 longer and broader and higher, “ until the whole 
 was leavened.” ‘Thus, Jesus tells us, is the exten- 
 sive work of the Kingdom of God. Each individ- 
 ual teaching another, it spreads. Scarcely had our 
 Lord ascended for more than four months, when 
 messengers told the Jewish Sanhedrin, ‘‘ They are 
 filling Jerusalem with their teaching.” When Paul 
 and Silas traveled in Europe, the opposition at 
 Thessalonica cried out against them, ‘“‘ These men 
 that are turning the world upside down have come 
 hither also”? (Acts 17:6). Which was precisely 
 what they planned to do; for the world without 
 Christ was standing on its head. They came to set 
 it aright again. But their only weapon was the 
 Gospel. They merely wanted people to know of 
 Jesus and His love; the rest they were willing to 
 leave to God. 
 
WORLD LEADERSHIP 183 
 
 Jesus, about to enter the Garden of Gethsemane, 
 prayed, “‘ This is life eternal that they might know 
 thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom 
 thou hast sent.” Later, when His work on earth 
 had been accomplished, He gave the great com- 
 mandment, “ Go ye into all the world and make 
 disciples of all nations.” But the making of dis- 
 ciples always involves three steps,—first, to reach 
 them; second, to teach them; and third, to train 
 them. This is the program of Jesus; it is the pro- 
 gram of the Kingdom of God. 
 
 The Program Jesus Inaugurated 
 
 Jesus began His ministry with preaching; which 
 always means missionary or extension work. “ Let 
 us go into the next towns,” He said (Mk. 1:38), 
 “‘for therefore am I come.” But soon He began 
 to teach; that is, He gathered about Him a group 
 which He first had reached, and instructed them 
 more intimately in the way. This naturally led on 
 to the third step; which is training. He sent the 
 disciples out, two by two, telling them what to do 
 and teach. They came back with reports, and He 
 corrected their methods. When someone cast out 
 devils in the name of Jesus, without joining their 
 own group, and the disciples would denounce such 
 an interloper (Lk. 9:49, 50), Jesus advised them 
 to rejoice because another voice was proclaiming 
 good tidings. When they would return evil for 
 evil, to call down fire over a hateful village (Lk. 
 
184 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 9:54), the Master showed them a better way. At 
 last He could say, “ It is expedient for you that I 
 go away.” There was still much to be learned; 
 but they had caught the Master’s principles and 
 would be able by the guidance of the Holy Spirit 
 to go on after He had left them bodily. 
 
 The Church has been most successful where it 
 has carried out the program of Jesus. Paul was 
 first of all a missionary. Like Jesus, he went from 
 place to place, preaching, or reaching. But Paul 
 also became a great teacher. Those people whom 
 he had reached, stood in dire need of instruction. 
 Many problems arose which they were unable to 
 solve,—the relation of a Christian master to a 
 Christian slave; the eating of meat, offered to 
 idols; the worship of Christ as well as of God the 
 Father; the reputed need of Jewish ceremony 
 among Christians. Paul tried to answer their ques- 
 tions and wrote at least thirteen letters. These 
 letters became the text-books of the churches. 
 Paul was their teacher. He also trained young 
 men to carry on the work without him. Timothy 
 was one of the promising youths; whom he found 
 and prepared for service. Titus was another; 
 Silas a third. Presently, when the Apostle was 
 confined to prison, the work went steadily on; for 
 Paul had obeyed the principles of World Leader- 
 ship; he had followed the program of Jesus. 
 
 For three hundred years the Church remained 
 faithful to that great program. Then gradually 
 
WORLD LEADERSHIP 185 
 
 the teaching function diminished. Soon the preach- 
 ing function went with it. Without preaching and 
 teaching there could be little training. Boys were 
 given some Latin to participate in the priests’ 
 rituals; some hymnody to sing; a little arithmetic 
 to compute holidays; but the great principles of 
 Christianity were kept from them. The Church 
 entered upon its thousand years of darkness. 
 
 The great Reformation called the people back 
 to the Word. It inaugurated an era of teaching; 
 but not of preaching. The missionaries of that 
 age and of three following centuries were Jesuits; 
 not Protestants. But a Church that teaches with- 
 out preaching is headed for Rationalism. This is 
 exactly what occurred during the eighteenth cen- 
 tury. At the close of that deadening era, the 
 young men of the Church awakened to the mean- 
 ing of Christ’s last marching order. William 
 Carey began the great movement, that has con- 
 trolled the nineteenth century for Missions. But 
 teaching did not improve during that same age. 
 Pastors had handed their teaching functions over 
 to laymen, whom they had not prepared. Homes, 
 too, relegated Christian training to the Sunday 
 school. But now, in the twentieth century, the 
 threefold program of Jesus is once more before 
 us,—to reach, or preach, to teach, and to train. 
 
 Extending the Kingdom’s Realm 
 
 Preaching, Missions, and Evangelism are in the 
 main but different names for the extension work of 
 
186 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 the Church. In the local church the preaching 
 service should be planned to win for Christ those 
 who have not confessed His name. Where this is 
 not planned there may be teaching; but there is 
 no preaching. For preaching is in its nature the 
 bringing of the first good tidings; while teaching 
 is the more intimate explanation of the Kingdom 
 principles. After Jesus had preached to the 
 crowds, He taught His little group. But the plan 
 of reaching or preaching should go beyond the 
 local church both within State and nation, and 
 even beyond its bounds. It should form part of 
 the great plan of Missions in all the world. 
 
 1. Foreign Missions. Every Church is to-day 
 recognizing its world-task. Men and women are 
 going out to the ends of the earth to bring Christ 
 there. Not all of them go to preach sermons; but 
 all do go to reach. There is room for many med- 
 ical men and nurses; for teachers and artisans; for 
 farmers and consecrated business men and women. 
 The field is open for Christians whose bodies are 
 healthy, whose minds are normal, whose prepara- 
 tion has been efficient, and who are able to work 
 congenially with others. This, we cannot help be- 
 lieving, is the greatest summons to our young 
 people. In the homeland many applicants are 
 pushing each other aside to gain a position. Yon- 
 der the fields are white and harvesters are all too 
 few. The most certain way of making one’s life 
 count is in the Foreign Field. 
 
WORLD LEADERSHIP 187 
 
 2. National Missions. America in particular 
 offers unbounded fields at home. The many mil- 
 lions of foreigners who have crowded our shores, 
 stand greatly in need of Christian influences. 
 They did not come here with the purpose of find- 
 ing Christ; they frankly came to better their liv- 
 ing conditions. But Christianity will serve more 
 effectively than anything else to help them better 
 their living conditions, both in this world and in 
 that which is to come. The discontent that urged 
 these people from their homelands is in itself a 
 strong incentive for the acceptance of Christ’s 
 Gospel; if only they understand the messengers 
 who bring that Gospel. Such people need and 
 want friendship. The writer of these chapters 
 happens to be one of them; so that he knows 
 whereof he speaks. The foreigner can be reached 
 heart to heart better than head to head. It re- 
 quires no mental genius to get close to him; but it 
 requires a Christlike soul. Those young people 
 who are assured they can never go out to the For- 
 eign Field, should make the work of Home Mis- 
 sions their next great concern. God sent us these 
 many people; it is ours to bring Christ to them. 
 If we fail in this, the consequences for evil, to 
 them, to ourselves and to our children, are in- 
 calculable. 7 
 
 Thousands also of our own people, born and 
 raised in America, are still ignorant of Christ’s 
 teachings. Descendants of the Scotch and Scotch- 
 
188 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 Irish in the southern mountains are in desperate 
 need of Christian leadership. Pioneers in the 
 northern sections, where they are digging stumps 
 and clearing land, are living with their children 
 away from Gospel preaching and teaching. They 
 need the Missionary. In the very heart of New 
 Jersey, less than fifty miles from Philadelphia, a 
 group of five thousand refugees from law and 
 order are living in huts and hovels, with no Chris- 
 tian leader among them. The man or woman who 
 really looks for tasks can find them among native 
 Americans; who without the touch of some Chris- 
 tian life are tending toward the Christless grave. 
 3. Local church work. In every neighborhood 
 where churches are established there are unreached 
 people who may still be reached. The chief pur- 
 pose of the local church is not to “ Break the 
 bread of life,” to its own members, but rather to 
 bring food to those starving souls. Each local 
 church should be built on the extension plan; else 
 it will die. Homes may be reached that have little 
 children. Neither father nor mother is able or 
 willing to attend the services of the church; but 
 almost without exception, babies can be placed on 
 the Cradle Roll. This simple act puts a link be- 
 tween church and home. The little child can be 
 taught a blessing at the table; can be invited to an 
 Easter Service to be on the platform for a moment 
 with other babes; may be brought to the Begin- 
 ners’ Department of the Sunday school about the 
 
WORLD LEADERSHIP 189 
 
 time of her birthday, and will presently become a 
 member of that department. Home Department 
 and Cradle Roll should work hand and glove, that 
 mothers as well as little children may be reached. 
 The Ladies’ Aid Society, or whatever corre- 
 sponds to it in a local church, offers another field 
 for extension. Many of its members are not ready 
 to unite with the church. But their attendance at 
 the Ladies’ Aid Society provides good contacts. 
 There are classes in the Sunday school open for 
 them. The Missionary Society should invite them. 
 Special services at the church may attract them. 
 Men’s clubs are of similar import; so are all or- 
 ganized classes in the Sunday school. Their pur- 
 pose should be extension. Annually, a survey or 
 census ought to be made in the community to make 
 certain that none are omitted whom the church 
 may serve. Hospital patients are glad of attention. 
 Jesus Himself suggests the needy and those in 
 prison. Strangers that have just moved into the 
 neighborhood should be invited. Open-air services 
 are in place during the summer season. 
 Evangelistic services should form a part of each 
 year’s program in the local church. There may be 
 times when outside evangelists are best able to 
 bring conviction; for they can call attention to 
 sins which local leaders would hesitate to mention. 
 Boys and girls whom the church touches should be 
 led both by the teachers of their classes and by 
 their pastor to a public confession of Christ, and 
 
190 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 must be taught the meaning of Church membership 
 with all that it implies. 
 
 The Work of Instruction 
 
 Teaching follows reaching, or preaching. There 
 are facts and principles which disciples should 
 know; or they will find themselves seriously handi- 
 capped. The emphasis of great men in the Bible 
 is on knowledge. Such knowledge, to be effective, 
 must be of heart and will, as well as head; but 
 knowledge there must be to make the full-fledged 
 Christian. Among the things Christians must 
 know, shall they lead others to Christ, the follow- 
 ing stand out clearly: 
 
 1. Christians must know God as revealed in 
 Jesus Christ. They should see God also in nature, 
 in history, in biographies, and particularly in their 
 own lives. They should meditate on the character 
 of God and His attributes; on His relationships 
 with men and His ways of dealing with them. 
 They need to form daily, personal friendship with 
 God, telling Him their plans and leaning on Him 
 for strength. Themselves they must more and 
 more consider God’s helpers. 
 
 2. Christians must know the Word of God. The 
 great principles of the Bible’s teachings must be 
 mastered, to form a system or philosophy of life 
 by which to live. Great topics should be studied 
 connectedly through the Bible, and certain books 
 should be grasped so thoroughly that reasons for 
 
 - - 
 
WORLD LEADERSHIP 191 
 
 its writing, effects of its messages, and applications 
 for to-day are understood. The customs of Bible 
 lands need to be known for backgrounds of Bible 
 messages. Choicest expressions in the Bible ought 
 to be memorized, because they gave vent to human 
 souls yearning for God and seeing the hand of God 
 about them. 
 
 3. Christians should know the Christian Church. 
 Christ loved the Church supremely. He called 
 Himself the Bridegroom, and His Church, the 
 Bride (Jn. 3:29; Matt. 9:15). For the Church 
 He gave His life. Through the Church He is 
 doing His work to-day. His body ascended to 
 heaven, but the Church is Christ’s body on earth 
 (I Cor. 12:14; Rom. 12:4), of which He is the 
 Head. But we cannot love the Church, unless we 
 know it. Our children are taught American his- 
 tory in the grammar grades, not because history is 
 a grammar study; but because without knowing 
 our country’s history, they could not love our 
 country. Almost no church member has even read 
 the story of his church. This marks a deplorable 
 lack. Beginning with the local church, each Chris- 
 tian should acquaint himself with the story of its 
 origin, the people who started that local church, 
 their troubles, sacrifices and successes. Then the 
 story of one’s denomination should be studied; for 
 like every nation, so every denomination has a 
 glorious story to tell its children. With this for a 
 background, the General History of the great 
 
192 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 Church of Christ should be mastered. Then shall 
 God’s children be at least able to love His Church. 
 
 4. Christians should know human nature. Jesus 
 knew what was in man (Matt. 9:4; Jn. 2:24). 
 We cannot readily convey God’s truth of life un- 
 less we know the life into which it is to be brought. 
 This means a study of psychology. It may not be 
 necessary for every Christian leader to be an ex- 
 pert in psychology; but its great principles he 
 should master;—the successive stages from birth 
 to maturity; the workings of the nervous system; 
 the meaning of instincts and habits, and the cor- 
 relations of mental powers. 
 
 5. Christians should know ways of teaching. 
 To know a lesson to be taught is not sufficient; be- 
 cause a pupil is to be taught. But to know the 
 pupil is not quite sufficient either; for there are 
 right or wrong ways of conveying the truth of God. 
 If the child were a funnel through which informa- 
 tion could be poured, it might be simple enough; 
 but the pupil is alive. We need to master ways 
 of approaching human souls. When Hamlet of- 
 fered Rosenkrans a harp to play upon it, Rosen- 
 krans confessed his ignorance; yet that same 
 Rosenkrans attempted to play upon the soul of 
 Hamlet. Pedagogy is essential for success in 
 Christian teaching. 
 
 6. Christians should have some idea of Chris- 
 tion Ethics, Christian Sociology, and of Political 
 Economy from a Christian point of view. For the 
 
WORLD LEADERSHIP 193 
 
 normal, active Christian will be drawn sooner or 
 later into spheres of activity, where the name of 
 Christ will be honored only in so far as a Chris- 
 tian leader arises, who sees things clearly with a 
 Christian’s eyes. 
 
 Christian Training 
 
 Training is the putting into practice, under di- 
 rection, of the principles that have been taught. 
 Without some phase of training, every principle 
 remains a theory. To live out what has been men- 
 tally understood is to engage in training. Our 
 Lord, therefore, sent out His disciples long before 
 they were ready to labor independently. Their 
 contacts with men saved them from mere theoriz- 
 ing and made them plunge headlong into practice. 
 This principle of preparing leaders remains eter- 
 nally true. 
 
 1. Training in extension work. The smallest 
 child that is being taught of Christ, must at the 
 same time be told to tell of Christ. Little children 
 in our Sunday schools, whose parents attend no 
 religious gatherings, must be instructed to climb 
 on father’s lap and to make him read the Lesson 
 Story. Nothing will serve to reach that father- 
 heart so well as his own child. “ A little child shall 
 lead them.” This method needs to be followed all 
 the way. Children through their Junior years may’ 
 innocently propagate the Gospel in their immedi- 
 ate environs. Those more advanced should still 
 
194 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 do so, although naturally they do it more con- 
 sciously. It must be a rule of Christian teaching 
 that every impression which results in no expres- 
 sion is failure. What we teach must be told and 
 lived. 
 
 This applies equally to worship. The child that 
 is taught to pray within the walls of a church- 
 building, needs to be taught definitely how to ex- 
 tend worship beyond those walls. Too many of 
 our charges believe that God may be worshiped 
 on Sundays and in church; but at no other time 
 or place. This must immediately be rectified. 
 Blessings at the table, morning and evening pray- 
 ers, Bible passages, great hymns and songs need 
 to be taught them, that shall be their companions 
 through the week. Not all of these should be 
 memoriter. Children soon learn to compose their 
 own prayers; under careful guidance. 
 
 Young disciples must be taught to invite others, 
 and to go after delinquents. This may be so ar- 
 ranged that each week or each month certain of 
 them have their turn. Their work must be fol- 
 lowed up, and made to look as important to them 
 as it really is; for in this way we are preparing 
 world-leaders. Suitable praise must not be neg- 
 lected; where helpful service has been rendered, 
 or attempted. 
 
 2. Training to instruct. After the young people 
 have pursued courses in Teacher Training and 
 have successfully passed examinations in such 
 
WORLD LEADERSHIP 195 
 
 courses, they are not fully prepared to teach inde- 
 pendently. Under skillful direction they must put 
 into practice the theories they have acquired. 
 First, they may sit with those who are ably in- 
 structing pupils of similar capacity with those 
 whom they are presently to take. Then, they may 
 themselves under direction enter upon the teach- 
 ing of those for whom they are best fitted. But 
 their training course is not yet over. They need 
 to discuss sympathetically with other teachers the 
 problems that arise, the failures that baffle them, 
 and the successes that make them glad. This 
 method of training never ceases. Avoidance of it 
 is sufficient indication that usefulness has discon- 
 tinued. Every Church School should appoint reg- 
 ular sessions at which the leaders consider with 
 intimate frankness the real purpose of their work, 
 the best means to attain to that purpose, the things 
 that hinder, and the ways that have proved most 
 helpful. Occasionally, tests should be given the 
 pupils to ascertain the measure of their grasp on 
 the subject. At all times, the effects of the in- 
 structions upon the pupils’ actions should be ob- 
 served, and in the teachers’ hearts the hope must 
 be kept alive that by and by these pupils will 
 themselves have classes. One purpose of all lead- 
 ership is that the leader shall become dispensable. 
 3. Training to lead others. It is the plan of 
 God that the followers of Christ shall be the lead- 
 ers of men. Our young people must be trained to 
 
196 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 lead others in worship. This training may not be 
 haphazard, by the rule of trial and error. The 
 principles of devotional leadership are to be defi- 
 nitely taught; lest many suffer through poor ways 
 of worship conduct. Programs for devotions need 
 to be worked out with care, in which a central 
 theme forms the basis of program building, around 
 which song and prayer, Scripture and testimony 
 are grouped in their order. This is no hasty pro- 
 cedure; it demands great effort and thought. 
 
 Christian young people must master the prin- 
 ciples of persuasion, whereby those who are not 
 distinctly Christian in their attitude may be brought 
 to sympathetic views. In every community there 
 are enterprises that will help or hurt according to 
 those who control them. Even our choicest or- 
 ganizations are subject to human touch for good 
 or ill. A group of Boy Scouts, for instance, may 
 be trained into fidelity to God, church, and coun- 
 try; or may be swung away from sacred influences, 
 to break the Sabbath, to indulge in selfish pleas- 
 ures at the expense of others, and to mock at Chris- 
 tian manhood. The leader is the key to the whole 
 situation. It is the church’s task to train and fur- 
 nish right leaders. 
 
 Municipal, state, and national government is 
 safest in the hands of Christian leaders. We must 
 train our young people for those imposing tasks. 
 Almost without a single break the supreme govern- 
 ment of our country has from the beginning been 
 
WORLD LEADERSHIP 197 
 
 in the hands of strong Christian men. Our Presi- 
 dents have publicly acknowledged the sovereignty 
 of God and have not hesitated to direct the hearts 
 of our people toward divine worship. They have 
 openly advocated the principles of Jesus Christ 
 both for public measures and for private life. It 
 is a happy omen that these great men have put 
 into practice the principle which we enunciated, 
 that the followers of Christ shall be the leaders of 
 men. This omen is the happier, because our 
 Presidents were elected to their high office by a 
 people who were convinced of their integrity. No 
 party dares to put forward a candidate for that 
 position, upon whose character there rests the 
 slightest blot. The American people are thus 
 silently expressing their avowal of Christian lead- 
 ership. 
 
 This is not equally true as yet in state and 
 municipality. Bosses still rule in these lower 
 places, and politics is still much besmudged. There 
 is a crying need for Christian leaders to enter the 
 political arena and to bring into every place of 
 authority the principles of our Lord. This tremen- 
 dous duty, from which no normal Christian has a 
 right to shirk, must be inculcated in the minds of 
 the young so that a coming generation shall be 
 ready to perpetuate a government with the prin- 
 ciples of Christ. 
 
198 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 The Rules of Leadership 
 
 The rules that govern leadership are not mys- 
 terious; they may be acquired by every Christian. 
 
 1. A leader must understand the conditions 
 among which he finds himself; the causes that 
 have brought about these conditions; the factors 
 that are still in. operation to continue the same 
 conditions; the weak points that render these same 
 causes ready subjects of attack, and the elements 
 that may be united either to strengthen the good, 
 or to overcome the evil. 
 
 2. A leader must map out a program of action 
 in such a form that he is able to see through it, 
 and is able also to make others see through it. 
 The program should be sufficiently practical to 
 gain the good-will and to arouse the courage of 
 others. 
 
 3. A leader needs to persuade others of the 
 plans he has in mind, without imposing on them. 
 He must be willing to stand corrected where some- 
 one detects a loophole, and to amend where an- 
 other presents a helpful suggestion. The impres- 
 sion must be made that the program is not purely 
 his own; but is that of all his fellows. 
 
 4. A leader must secure the active and sympa- 
 thetic cooperation of his associates. He cannot 
 work alone. Not far ahead of his group, but shoul- 
 der to shoulder with them he must go forward. 
 
 5. A leader must give and take suggestions, en- 
 courage and receive encouragement, withstand the 
 
WORLD LEADERSHIP 199 
 
 shocks of treachery and keep on hoping; because 
 his goal is worthy. 
 
 When and Where This Training? 
 
 Christian training enjoys its greatest impetus in 
 the Christian home. The great leaders of men on 
 behalf of the government of Christ are the pro- 
 ducts of Christian homes. Moses received his 
 choicest training there, and so did Samuel. By 
 leading the child each day into his common field 
 of service, but ever with the consciousness that 
 God is interested, the mind is being prepared for 
 world leadership. At first the home is all alone 
 in this; but presently the many homes that form 
 the church are joined to continue the educational 
 task. Then, too, the daily work must be observed; 
 for Sunday time does not suffice. There must be 
 Christian education seven days a week, shall we 
 train capable leaders. The Sunday is preparatory 
 for every-day instruction. And at least one definite 
 hour of supervised instruction must be added each 
 week, to raise the daily standard. Week-day re- 
 ligious instruction has come to stay. Each local 
 church needs to plan her program of education 
 with week-day work included. 
 
 The Christian college, too, must take its leading 
 share in our leadership program. Supported by 
 Christian funds, conducted by Christian men and 
 women, we could scarcely expect anything else. 
 Our young people as they pass through our Chris- 
 
200 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 tian colleges must be trained to go on into life’s 
 activities, not feebler, but stronger workers in the 
 local church. To this end the curriculum must be 
 adjusted and the Faculty selected. This is the 
 greatest reason for the existence of the Christian 
 college. 
 
 Students in universities and other independent 
 schools must have the fellowship and guidance of 
 strong Christian men and women, who shall lead 
 them into avenues of Christian service. Not sel- 
 dom leadership is found most richly among that 
 student body. The call of their Great Leader must 
 be transmitted to their hearts, so that they shall 
 give themselves to full-time service, or in any event 
 acknowledge the Christ as the Lord of their life. 
 
 The Aim is Being Achieved 
 The task which World leadership presents is 
 tremendous; but it is God’s plan, which means that 
 ultimately it must come to pass. We know that 
 under His leadership we go on to victory. Nor are 
 we living in hope merely; our faith is changing to 
 sight. Our churches are awakening to every-day 
 instruction; our colleges are heeding the call for 
 Christian training; our universities are sending out 
 leaders into all the world. The world’s leadership 
 is within our grasp, for Christ our Supreme Leader. 
 It is ours to follow on. 
 SUGGESTIONS FoR DIscussION 
 
 1. Review briefly the three preceding chapters, and 
 use these for an introduction to this lesson. 
 
WORLD LEADERSHIP 201 
 
 2. Give a bird’s-eye view of the progress of Chris- 
 tianity from the Acts of the Apostles to our own day. 
 
 3. Observe together the means which God has em- 
 ployed in the spread of His Kingdom, including 
 agents who did not willingly serve Him. 
 
 4. Have various members enumerate those prin- 
 ciples that should be known throughout the world, 
 with suggestions how these teachings may best be pro- 
 mulgated. 
 
 5. Offer opportunity to every one to testify to the 
 way in which he or she has actually extended the 
 knowledge of Christ. 
 
 6. Map out a general outline of curriculum in 
 which the outstanding teachings of the Bible find a 
 place. 
 
 7. Consider ways and means in your own vicinity 
 ‘by which the best plans may be most likely carried 
 out, including the time and finance elements. 
 
 8. Find out what secular training has done for the 
 personal preparation of those present, compared to 
 their religious training. 
 
 9, Assign to each member at least three Bible pas- 
 ‘sages to be memorized, in which the world-leadership 
 of God’s people is portrayed. 
 
 For Further Research 
 
 God’s Missionary Plan for the World, Ch. III, IV, 
 VI, J. W. Bashford. 
 
 The Unfinished Task, Ch. I, IT, X, James ve Bar- 
 ‘ton. 
 
 Leadership, Chas. H. Brent. 
 
 Educational Evangelism, Chas. E. McKinley. 
 
 Jesus the Master Teacher, H. H. Horne. 
 
 Reading day by day: Gen. 12: 1-3 and 18: 17-19; 
 Ps. 67; Isa. 11: 1-9; Dan. 2: 31-44; Rom. 10: 13-19; 
 Acts 1: 1-8; Rev. 7:9-17. 
 
XII 
 LIFE: EVERLASTING 
 
 human thought and conduct that so seri- 
 
 ously effect man as those that make him 
 form his views of the hereafter. The man who 
 labors under the impression that death ends all, 
 will of necessity regard the affairs of this visible 
 world of paramount importance. He will attempt 
 to make the most of everything material and will 
 not reckon with memories that may some day 
 haunt him, or yield himself to prospects of joys 
 that may await him. The note that burst from the 
 troubled soul of Robert Burns, when he looked on 
 the poor but happy birds, 
 
 P= are the influences brought to bear upon 
 
 “Vet thou art blest compared with me, 
 The present only touches thee.” 
 
 does not spring from his lips. For the present 
 only touches him. But the man who believes that 
 this life on earth is but a schooling for the larger 
 life to come, will diligently set himself at the course 
 of preparation. His mind is one with that of the 
 
 poet Bryant, 
 202 
 
 
 
LIFE EVERLASTING 203 
 
 “ So live, that when thy summons comes to join 
 
 The innumerable caravan which moves 
 
 To that mysterious realm where each shall take 
 
 His chamber in the silent halls of death, 
 
 Thou go not, like the quarry-slave at night, 
 Scourged to his dungeon, but sustained and soothed 
 By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave 
 
 Like one that wraps the drapery of his couch 
 
 About him and lies down to pleasant dreams.” 
 
 We are in this chapter considering a great issue. 
 Yet, many look for some tangible evidence of a life 
 hereafter and ask, ‘‘ How can we be assured? ”’ 
 
 If evidence of the bodily senses is demanded by 
 way of assurance, then we shall search in vain. 
 Spiritism with its mediums and its tappings will 
 never bring us light; for these are not the forces 
 of light. No matter how deeply even men of 
 science may grow interested in seances and rap- 
 pings, the children of God are not to be deceived. 
 We know better. We know that no human being 
 has the power to control the souls of the redeemed 
 in glory and to summon them at pleasure back to 
 this mundane world. That power is God’s alone. 
 If there are any spirits over whom those mediums 
 can exert control, they are the spirits of darkness, 
 which can never be trusted. Christian people must 
 find their grounds of trust elsewhere. Happily, 
 they are to be found elsewhere. 
 
 The Grounds for Our Belief in Immortality 
 It would be presumptuous for anyone to under- 
 take the summing up of reasons that may be found 
 
204 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 in the hearts of others for their faith in the future 
 life. For each of us has enjoyed his own experi- 
 ence in the way of sufferings and deliverances, dis- 
 appointments and hopes, fellowships and partings, 
 promises and their fulfillments. But the reasons 
 that will be suggested have probably made them- 
 selves felt in some form on the part of those who 
 have earnestly thought on these things. 
 
 1. The indestructibility of matter. It is gen- 
 erally maintained by scientists that matter cannot 
 be destroyed by natural forces. It does constantly 
 change in appearances; there is an interchange of 
 combinations among its elements; but essentially it 
 abides. The human body after death returns to 
 dust; but that same dust may again serve in the 
 composition of another body. It is at least dust. 
 
 “ Imperious Caesar, dead and turned to clay, 
 Might stop a hole to keep the wind away.” 
 
 This is in full agreement with the Christian 
 teaching that matter did not come into existence 
 by natural forces alone. It is also in line with our 
 teaching of immortality. For if natural forces can- 
 not annihilate the body, how shall they suffice to 
 annihilate the soul, which controls the body! This 
 mind that has been thinking far into the future, 
 can we believe that it has wholly ceased to be while 
 the body is returning to its former elements? 
 
 2. The inequalities of human life on earth. Our 
 social life, in its lack of full justice to many, its 
 
LIFE EVERLASTING 205 
 
 misunderstandings that are never cleared up, its 
 undeserved sufferings, and its unearned pleasures, 
 suggests a final reckoning and adjustment. Jesus 
 puts the story of Dives and Lazarus in no uncer- 
 tain terms. ‘Son, remember that thou in thy life- 
 time receivedst thy good things, and likewise 
 Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and 
 you are tormented” (Lk. 16:25). Certainly, if 
 this life were all, Justice could not have its perfect 
 way. 
 
 3. Unreached ideals. We are fathering within us 
 ideals which with all our hearts we long to reach; 
 but during this brief lifetime we do not reach them. 
 Paul’s pressing toward the mark (Phil. 3:14), was 
 not peculiar to him. Every Christian is inspired 
 by unattained aspirations. These aspirations are 
 not altogether contingent on material things; they 
 are spiritual in their nature. The destruction of 
 the body, therefore, should nowise interfere with 
 the realization of these high ideals. There is need 
 of further conscious striving for the reaching of the 
 goal; for it touches the innermost self. Eternal 
 life is the requisite of a human soul. 
 
 4. Closely akin to this ideal urge is our daily fel- 
 lowship with Christ on earth. He, who has tasted 
 His comradeship, cannot be convinced that such 
 friendship will be ruthlessy broken off. To begin 
 this fellowship without a chance for its perpetua- 
 tion would be nothing less than cruel. Rather are 
 we looking for an ever increasingly intimate rela- 
 
206 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 tionship with Christ and with all that pertains to 
 the spiritual world. 
 
 5. What is so true of our comradeship with 
 Christ is in a measure true of our friendship with 
 others. Not one of us, not even the atheist, is 
 ready to accept at full value the idea that the grave 
 ends human existence; when this involves the utter 
 breaking of our friendship ties. There is estab- 
 lished within every human heart a definite hope 
 that somehow, somewhere, we shall meet again with 
 those whom we have loved and lost. To declare 
 this hope a delusion is inhuman. 
 
 6. The promise of Christ is ours that He has 
 gone to prepare a place for us, and that He will 
 come again to receive us unto Himself (Jn.14:2,3). 
 
 7. Christ’s rising from the dead is our full assur- 
 ance of rising again with Him. Other reasons are 
 strong, but this is for those who have accepted Him 
 the surest guarantee. The fact of His resurrection 
 stands unchallenged in history; though regarding 
 the form and nature of it there may be differences 
 of opinion. Jesus lives; we shall live also. Not. 
 simply as the Son of God did Jesus Christ break 
 the bonds of death on that great Easter Morning; 
 but also as the Son of man, our representative, 
 “The first-born among many brethren” Rom. 
 8:29). 
 
 The Nature of Our Immortality 
 
 Our subject lends itself to endless speculations, 
 
 so that many people to whom theorizing seems 
 
 
 
LIFE EVERLASTING 207 
 
 much more alluring than practicing, have yielded 
 to the temptation of spinning out opinions that 
 have little substance. In the main, however, these 
 diversified opinions may be grouped under two 
 heads,—those favoring the idea of death as a sleep 
 from which there will be an awakening, and those 
 persuaded that death involves no break in our con- 
 scious existence. 
 
 The former group may gather up much evidence 
 from the Old Testament, where death is mentioned 
 rather customarily as “ falling asleep.”’ But those 
 who wrote the older Scripture did habitually em- 
 ploy figures of speech, which may not in all fairness 
 be taken literally. To this should be added that 
 previous to the coming of Christ the Scripture 
 teachings of a future life are anything but clear 
 compared to the inspiring notes of the New Testa- 
 ment, which leave no doubt to the student who is 
 willing to accept new truth. The Bible teaches, re- 
 garding the future life: 
 
 1. Conscious existence. Moses, of whom the 
 record witnesses that he was dead and buried, con- 
 versed with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. 
 So did Elijah, whose departure from this earth oc- 
 curred in a peculiar way. The voice of God from 
 the burning bush mentions Abraham, Isaac, and 
 Jacob. Our Lord Himself calls attention to this 
 instance to show that these patriarchs are alive. 
 His parable of Dives and Lazarus pictures Abra- 
 ham in heaven with Lazarus nearby, and able to 
 
208 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 converse with Dives. Although this is simply a 
 parable, Jesus is never guilty of picturing the im- 
 possible. Again, we have His promise, ‘‘ Where I 
 am there ye shall be also.” 
 
 2. Immediate entrance into the heavenly realm. 
 The Roman church holds to a belief in Purgatory, 
 where human souls should first be purified before 
 they may enter the abode of the blessed. There is 
 something in this teaching that naturally appeals 
 to us; for we know ourselves so imperfect. But 
 there is no such teaching in the Bible. Instead, 
 there is the assurance of purification in Jesus 
 Christ, which renders Rome’s Purgatory superflu- 
 ous. There are also the words of Jesus to the vic- 
 tim on the cross, “‘ To-day shalt thou be with me 
 in Paradise.” Stephen, the Martyr (Acts 7:59), 
 commended his spirit to Jesus at the moment of his 
 death; just as Jesus had commended His own soul 
 to God. 
 
 3. Full enjoyment of holiness. Freed from the 
 body with its nervous system, in which sin has 
 brought its impressions of evil, and away from the 
 sights that dazzled or tempted, our aims will be 
 pure, our interests will be centered in God, we shall 
 be “whole” or holy. This holiness will include 
 our whole selves, it will be complete; but through 
 the aeons of eternity it will grow ever deeper. 
 
 4. Social enjoyment. Life everlasting means, 
 first, our meeting with Christ Whom we love more 
 than life. It also means meeting our loved ones 
 
LIFE EVERLASTING 209 
 
 and friends, who have helped us on the upward 
 way. There will be those, too, whom we have in- 
 fluenced toward Christ. We shall enjoy the goodly 
 fellowship of them all. And our universal theme 
 will be, ‘‘ The grace of God in Christ Jesus.” 
 
 5. Continuous service. On earth we often sense 
 weakness of body, exhaustion of mind, discourage- 
 ment of soul, and lack of time. But in heaven 
 these hindrances will not be felt. We shall be able 
 to serve God night and day (Rev. 7:15). Just as 
 daughters help mother at home, and sons work with 
 father on the farm, so shall the great household of 
 God serve Him together. A new heaven and a new 
 earth will be our home, in which righteousness 
 dwelleth (II Pt. 3:13). There His servants shall 
 truly serve Him (Rev. 22:3). If song and prayer 
 shall form part of that service, the beautifying of 
 the earth, too, may provide further employment, 
 as it did when man had not yet sinned. 
 
 6. God as the center of life and thought, and the 
 goal of the soul’s ideals. Not the meeting again 
 with loved ones, but the coming face to face with 
 Christ is the supreme fact of immortality. We 
 shall be forever with the Lord. The infinite at- 
 tributes of God we shall contemplate and adore. 
 His ways with us, so gracious; His works, so ma- 
 jestic and wise; His plans so abundant in depth, 
 and width and length; His inherent tenderness and 
 power; His absolute holiness, these phases of God’s 
 Being we shall contemplate through the eternities. 
 
210 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 7. Gradual growth in wisdom and love. When 
 hope has been realized and faith has changed to 
 sight, then love will still endure and evermore in- 
 crease. There is no standing still for immortal 
 souls. The presence of God, the liberty from sin, 
 the fellowship of the saints, these will have their 
 part in the augmenting of our love. At the same 
 time these experiences will serve to strengthen our 
 wisdom and to increase our knowledge. Thus shall 
 we grow in the likeness of our Redeemer, “‘ For we 
 shall see Him as He is.” 
 
 The Last Judgment 
 
 Not merely here and there, but consistently 
 throughout the Bible we come across assurances 
 that some day we shall all stand before the judg- 
 ment seat of God (Rom. 14:10; Acts 24:25; Heb. 
 O22 034 Jno 5i 22,1 9239 18:8 Bech. iio anes 
 Then shall the things we have thought, said, and 
 done on earth stand out before our memories with 
 perfect clearness, as if written on the pages of a 
 record-book, and of these experiences account must 
 be rendered (Matt. 12:36; Rom. 14:12). 
 
 Naturally this teaching does not strongly appeal 
 to those who have accumulated heavy debts and are 
 not willing to cast their burden on Jesus. They do 
 not want any judgment to come; accordingly they 
 try to persuade themselves that all such teaching 
 is foolish babble. But their denial of a judgment 
 does not in the least alter the fact of a judgment. 
 
 
 
LIFE EVERLASTING 211 
 
 The witness of the Bible suffices for us who believe 
 it to be God’s Word. But even aside from the 
 Bible, the deepest thinker of modern days, Im- 
 manuel Kant, came through a most searching 
 process of reasoning to the conclusion that there 
 ought to be a final judgment. And do not our own 
 hearts testify to the fairness of it? Christ put great 
 emphasis on this teaching (Matt. 3:12, 8:12, 
 25:41; Mk. 9:44-46). Beyond all these we sug- 
 gest these reasons for believing in a final judgment. 
 
 1. Within ourselves we find a voice of approval 
 or disapproval of our ways. ‘“ If our hearts con- 
 demn us, God is greater than our hearts, and know- 
 eth all things ” (I Jn. 3:21). 
 
 2. Misunderstandings and false accusations in 
 this life ought to be cleared. Because of prevailing 
 ignorance and sin they could not be perfectly 
 cleared here on earth. None but God, Who knows 
 the end from the beginning and before Whom our 
 thoughts are exposed, is able to pronounce a right- 
 eous judgment. 
 
 3. Untold abuse and misdemeanor has been and 
 is still being committed on earth without due pun- 
 ishment upon the perpetrator; who is likely to gloat 
 over his wicked triumphs. On the other hand there 
 are so many noble deeds that have remained hid 
 from human eyes without the slightest recognition. 
 In fact, the noblest deeds are those that never come 
 before the public. The loyal spirit that motivated 
 these great deeds ought to be recognized some day. 
 
212 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 4. The whole trend of our own lives, the events of 
 history, and the teachings of the Bible, culminating 
 in the words of Christ, bear witness to a final judg- 
 ment. There would be something inexplicable lack- 
 ing if no such judgment were to be expected. 
 
 Eternal Punishment 
 
 In view of the love which parents bear toward 
 their children, the thought of eternal punishment 
 is likely to awaken a feeling of revulsion. “ What 
 father,” some are sure to remark, “ would be so 
 hard-hearted as to condemn his own children to 
 never-ending punishment?” Such a natural feel- 
 ing should not be lightly set aside. There can be 
 no question but that the infinite Father is far more 
 merciful than are His finite children. It were fool- 
 ish for us to attempt pronunciations on so truly 
 awful a subject. Nevertheless, it is ours to consider 
 the facts as they are before us. 
 
 1. Every sin, whether committed by God’s chil- 
 dren or by out-and-out sinners, carries within itself 
 eternal punishment. Even when God forgives that 
 sin, its punishment is not thereby set aside. This 
 punishment makes itself felt in two ways. First, 
 the soul that sins suffers deterioration. Instead of 
 growing in grace, as a good Father intended, sin 
 results in a soul’s going backward in grace. The 
 soul that sins does not gain capacity; it loses 
 capacity. This deterioration will tell on the soul 
 through all the eternities. Some will at last be 
 
 
 

 
 LIFE EVERLASTING 213 
 
 saved, so as by fire. Their works cannot follow 
 with them; but are burned away like hay and stub- 
 ble. They themselves will be less capable of en- 
 joying the glories of heaven and gaining a knowl- 
 edge of God than if they had not committed those 
 sins. Second, in this life, also, sin finds us out. It 
 effects the body; it hurts the mind; it thwarts our 
 relationships. David found forgiveness with God 
 for the terrible crimes he had committed. His 
 heart was perfectly cleansed. But this did not 
 deter the messenger of divine mercy from saying 
 in the name of God, “‘ The sword shall not depart 
 from thine house ” (II Sam. 12:10, 13,14). From 
 that day forward the sorrows of David began 
 within his own family. But if this be true of the 
 child of God, how much more of the sinner who 
 seeks no forgiveness! Daily he disqualifies himself 
 more certainly for heaven. 
 
 2. There is a general misunderstanding regard- 
 ing the sinner’s relationship to God. Jesus makes 
 it very clear that those who will not accept Him 
 as their Saviour may not safely consider themselves 
 God’s children (Jn. 8:41-44). The cause of this 
 losing of the claims of childhood lies not with God 
 but with the sinner. He denies the fatherhood of 
 God by his sinful ways. He seeks no divine friend- 
 ship. He breaks whatever threads might still 
 feebly hold him to God. To deny divine childhood 
 by his actions and then to claim it with his lips is 
 contradictory. 
 
214 “THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 3. There is an all-sufficient Saviour from sin, 
 who will bring back into childhood those who let 
 Him, and through whom the punishment from sin 
 in future life may be averted. Whoever here on 
 earth rejects this gracious offer, shuts himself away 
 from the mercies of God; he tramples under foot 
 the precious blood.of Christ (Heb. 10:29). As for 
 those who have never heard the Gospel, there are 
 among them such as have persistently sought if 
 haply they might find Him (Acts 17:27). It seems 
 impossible to think of these as lost. It appears 
 both from the Scriptures (Acts 10:35), and from 
 the information we may gather from daily life, that 
 God’s Spirit knocks at every human heart; so that 
 none who fail to feel after Him are wholly free 
 from the sin of negligence (Rom. 1:21). 
 
 4. The time of probation is here and now. 
 “To-day if ye will hear my voice, harden not your 
 heart ” (Heb. 3:15). There is not found in all the 
 Scriptures one single encouragement for belief in 
 Saving repentance in the future life. ‘‘ Where the 
 tree falls there it shall lie” (Eccl. 11:3). The per- 
 son who sins does not sin from compulsion, as many 
 modern psychologists and criminal lawyers would 
 have it; he sins from his own free choice. They, 
 who sin, do consciously reject the good and accept 
 the evil. Hard as it may sound, it is as true as the 
 Word of God that they are deserving of punish- 
 ment. In this condemnation we all are included; 
 
 
 
LIFE EVERLASTING 215 
 
 but through Christ we may escape. This is the first 
 meaning of salvation in Christ. 
 
 5. There is another side. ‘‘ The just shall live 
 by faith.” Those who have accepted Christ shall 
 stand at His right hand, as clear from punishment 
 as if they had never sinned. Instead of punishment 
 they shall receive reward. That reward will not be 
 eternal life; for Christ has earned that for them; 
 it is given them as an act of grace. Their reward 
 shall be eternal joy for having served. Souls 
 brought to Christ through them will be the fruits 
 of their labor. Lives to which on earth they min- 
 istered in some form, will be surrounding them. 
 That for which they never received payment will 
 _ be their glory; while that for which they were once 
 paid will sink into insignificance. They laid up 
 treasures in heaven. ‘“ Well done, good and faith- 
 ful servants,’ will sound to their ears as the choic- 
 est of music. The ideals on which they started on 
 earth will be continued toward perfection. The fel- 
 lowship of Christ and of all the saints,—all these 
 will be their reward. 
 
 Reunion of Soul and Body 
 
 To be a human being means to be soul and body, 
 and not simply soul alone. The redeemed who now 
 rejoice before the throne of God are souls, and not 
 human beings in our sense of the word. Their joy 
 will not be perfect until soul and body once more 
 form a union (I Cor. 15:54). For this reason the 
 
216 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED ” 
 
 work of Christ was not complete when He had con- 
 quered Satan; He must conquer death. He arose 
 from the grave. To the disciples He appeared for 
 forty days in His divine-human personality; which 
 showed the wondering brethren a spiritualized 
 body. It was not the same body which Joseph and 
 Nicodemus had laid away in the tomb, although 
 that tomb had been emptied. As the stalk of wheat 
 differs from the grain of wheat that was buried in 
 the earth, so did that glorified body differ from the 
 body that had suffered on the Cross (I Cor. 15:37, 
 38). Lest we lose ourselves in a labyrinth of fan- 
 cies and speculations, let us again abide by the 
 facts. 
 
 1. As Jesus Christ arose from the dead, not only 
 as a living soul, but as a complete human being, 
 soul and body, so shall we arise from the dead (I 
 Con rho 220). 
 
 2. As Jesus Christ arose in a spiritualized body, 
 so shall we be clothed again in a spiritualized body. 
 There is no need, therefore, of fear regarding the 
 assimilation of the fleshen body by animals; for 
 that body is at death forever laid aside. It may 
 return to dust; it may be petrified; it may be de- 
 voured by worms or beasts. We do not need it 
 any more. It should be observed, at the same time, 
 that Jesus showed His disciples His hands and His 
 feet, with the prints of the nails. The new, spir- 
 itualized body will bear resemblance to the old 
 
LIFE EVERLASTING Q17 
 
 body, in so far as such resemblance will enhance 
 the glory of eternal life. 
 
 3. The new body shall be our perfect medium 
 for service and spiritual fellowship. Body and soul 
 shall be perfect helpers to each other (Rev. 
 7:14-17). 
 
 Heaven and Hell 
 
 Where Christ is there is heaven. To be in the 
 conscious and immediate presence of Christ is to 
 be in heaven. It is obvious, then, that heaven be- 
 gins on earth. Here in this life we may sit with 
 Christ in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6). Enoch, 
 Abraham, and Moses enjoyed that fellowship. 
 Since the Son of God became man the privilege is 
 much more general. “ Lo, [am with you alway.” 
 
 Where Christ is not there is hell. This is true 
 here on earth. Hell starts here, too. To live with- 
 out God and without hope is the essence of hell. 
 To follow the desires of the body, while in this body 
 there dwells the likeness of God, this, too, is hell. 
 
 In the final abode of the lost, the absence of God 
 and all that is good, shall be eternal death. Even 
 the general graces which are now poured out upon 
 a world which God made and which He loves, shall 
 there be lacking. The presence of God’s children, 
 on account of whom sin always has been restrained, 
 will then also be missing. Evil shall then hold its 
 complete and terrible sway over its victims with 
 nothing to ameliorate its hurtful influence. Like a 
 
218 “ THINGS MOST SURELY BELIEVED” 
 
 great breath of fire it shall eat into the souls of the 
 lost. Memories will call back evils committed, 
 without repentance. ‘Those who once heard the 
 good tidings of peace, but took no heed, will rue 
 their neglect; but will find no place for repentance. 
 The story of Esau and of Judas affords us an ink- 
 ling of what hell shall forever mean. 
 
 In heaven the loftiest conditions of this life shall 
 find perfection. The complete absence of sin and 
 the never-ceasing presence of Christ, enjoyed by 
 the whole family of the redeemed, will introduce 
 us to a state of perfect bliss. We shall be heirs of 
 God and joint-heirs with Christ Jesus, ever growing 
 in the friendship and the likeness of our Lord. 
 
 SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 
 
 1. Ask for the assigned memory passages and dis- 
 cuss them. Ask for first lines of hymns that present 
 similar teachings. 
 
 2. Allow members who were present at seances, or 
 who have immediate intelligence regarding them, to 
 give their views and experiences. Be ready for some- 
 one who will pop up with the story of Saul, the witch 
 of Endor and the appearance of Samuel. You will 
 understand, of course, that there is nothing in that 
 narrative which you are obliged to defend or refute. 
 
 3. If anyone indulges in telepathic experiments, 
 allow presentation of that; but limit time beforehand 
 for all these. 
 
 4. There are remarkable deathbed scenes; let then 
 be discussed. 
 
 5. Make clear that the unseen world is by its 
 nature not visible or tangible. 
 
 6. Let members mention ideals they have not 
 
LIFE EVERLASTING 219 
 
 reached, but which may be more perfectly reached 
 hereafter. 
 
 7. Consider the effects our views of the hereafter 
 must inevitably have on this life. Trace these to 
 actual incidents. 
 
 8. Discuss rewards and punishments in their many 
 phases. Some will hold that every sin brings suff- 
 cient punishment on earth. Make sure that God re- 
 ceives consideration. 
 
 9. Close with a consideration of Christ among us 
 now, as Friend and daily Companion. 
 
 For Further Research 
 
 The Assurance of Immortality, Ch. II], H. E. Fos- 
 dick. 
 
 The Christian Hope, Ch. XJ, XII, XIII, William 
 Adams Brown. 
 
 Personality, the Christian Ideal, Ch. XVIII, John 
 Wright Buckham. 
 
 The Christian’s God, Part IV, Section I, IV, Wil- 
 liam Burton. 
 
 Reading day by day: Rom. 8:10-14; Jn. 14: 1-6; 
 Pan2e24-29; fejne 5211-20; Rey) 21222 3) 1, Cor. 
 15: 35-49. 
 
 In case a thirteenth class-period is required, this 
 will naturally be devoted to a written test on these 
 lessons, or to a verbal preparation for such a test. 
 
 Printed in the United States of America 
 

 
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 the State, and the Industrial System. 
 
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 The Progress of Old Testament 
 
 Prophecy 
 In the Light of Modern Scholarship. With two 
 
 appendices, chronological table and index. $2.00. 
 
 “This book is to be welcomed. Mr. Farley has packed 
 a vast amount of information into his pages. Ministers 
 and teachers who want a short review of the Prophets 
 will find it here, set forth in a straight-forward and vig- 
 orous fashion.”’—The British Weekly. 
 
 RT REVI GRIELE Late Bishop of Liverpoal 
 Expository Thoughts on the Gospels 
 
 Seven volumes. New Popular Edition. 
 7 vols., each $1.50; the set $8.50 net 
 “Ryle is thoroughly evangelical, clear-sighted as to prin- 
 ciple and an utter enemy of cant and shams of every 
 kind.”—Southwestern Presbyterian, 
 MATTHEW MARK LUKE Vou.I LUKE Vo. II 
 JOHN Vow I JOHN Vor, Il JOHN Vor, iil 
 
BIBLE STUDY 
 ne er a 
 
 I, M. HALDEMAN, D.D. 
 
 How to Study the Bible 
 
 The Second Coming and Other Expositions. 
 
 New Ninth Edition. $2.00 
 Out of the experience of a full and faithful ministr 
 Dr. Haldeman enlarres on a number of principles which 
 make for an intelligent and satisfactory study of the Bible. 
 Special attention is given by Dr. Haldeman to Dispensa- 
 tional Truth of which he is one of the foremost protago- 
 nists of the day. With Dispensational Chart in Colors. 
 
 I, M. HALDEMAN, _D.D. 
 
 The Tabernacle Priesthood and 
 Offerings IWustrated, $2.50 
 
 With great wealth of detail, Dr. Haldeman shows how 
 the framework, the coverings, the curtains, the hangings, 
 the priesthood, the robes and the offerings of the Taber- 
 nacle in the wilderness prefigured the Person, the work 
 and the glory of Christ. 
 
 J. C. MASSEE, D.D. 
 
 Eternal Life in Action 
 An Exposition of the First Epistle of John. $1.50 
 
 “A very helpful and spiritual exposition of the First 
 Epistle of John. A series of delightfully prepared dis- 
 courses, richly illustrated and easy to read. Any one who 
 loves to think along the lines of Christian truth and thought 
 will be delighted to read them.” —Herald and Presbyter. 
 
 KiwAw TORREY, Did. 
 
 cide eA EO pk ee 
 Getting the Gold Out of the Word 
 of God Paper Special Net, 35c 
 
 Bible study made easy under eleven “Key’’ suggestions: 
 SDarty, os Yetematically,? “Comprehensively,”’ ‘‘Consec- 
 utively,” “Comparatively,” ‘‘Topically,’ ‘‘Attentively,” 
 “Believingly,” “Obediently,’”’ “‘Prayerfully.” 
 
 R. A. TORREY, D.D. 
 
 The Bible, The Peerless Book 
 Paper, Special Net, 35¢ 
 Here is a mine, a treasure-house, a guide, and a source 
 of inspiration. The work of a man who is as well rooted 
 and grounded in the Holy Scripture as any man alive. 
 
 JAMES H. BROOKES, D.D. 
 
 An Outline of the Books of the Bible 
 
 A Re-issue of a Well-known Book. $1.00 
 One of the most helpful books on the complete Bible ever 
 issued in compact form, It presents in brief outline the 
 principal design, together with the character and ti 
 ing of each of the sixty-six books of the Bible. 
 
EVANGELISTIC WORK 
 _ommemrenenn ncn eee octamer rn ERE DERE 
 
 DAN _A. POLING, D.D. President U. S. GC. Be 
 
 An Adventure in Evangelism 
 A Story of “Twice-Korn Men’ on “The 
 
 Avenue.” $1.50 
 
 It is a strong, fearless, Gospel message, through which 
 men of all grades, merchants and outcasts alike, have been 
 brought to God. It details the plan and method and 
 tells the story of five years growing success, and includes 
 a variety of themes of a most alluring order, all bearing 
 on the central objective of saving souls, 
 
 R. A. TORREY, D.D. 
 
 Soul-Winning Sermons 
 A Large Octavo Volume, 484 Pages, Cloth, $4.00 
 
 “Thank God for these great soul-stirring sermons. Dr. 
 Torrey has put in their logical order his complete cycle 
 of sermons which have been most used in bringing 
 definite men and women to a definite acceptance of Jesus 
 Christ as their Saviour. Every sermon is a model of 
 logical thinking, homiletical arrangement, clearness of 
 style and topical analysis.” —Baptist and Reflector. 
 
 LOUIS ALBERT BANKS, D.D. 
 
 Christ’s Soul-Searching Parables 
 Eangelistic Addresses. $1.50 
 
 Dr. Banks’ name and fame as a lucid and picturesque 
 writer of inspirational books, has long ago been firmly estab- 
 lished. He shows ,no falling-off in his latest work. From 
 the matchless stories which fell from the lips of Jesus, he 
 draws lessons for the spiritual guidance, enheartenment 
 and consolation of his fellow-believers. 
 
 4A. EARL KERNAHAN, D.D. 
 
 Visitation Evangelism 
 ts Methods and Results. Introduction by 
 Bishop Edwin H. Hughes. $1.25 
 
 “A book of unusual values based, not only on theo- 
 retical premises, but on the more practical ground of 
 personal experience. A manual of instruction, and an 
 enheartening record of successful operation.”—Baltimore 
 Southern Methodist. 
 
 CHARLES FORBES TAYLOR 
 
 Everlasting Salvation 
 And other Addresses. $1.00 
 
 A series of straight-from-the-shoulder addresses which 
 go straight to the heart of the Christian message, and 
 demonstrate the flaming character of his evangel and the 
 unswerving character of his work, Mr. Taylor faces liv- 
 ing issues, employing the Gospel he proclaims as a test 
 of the validity of certain institutions which form an inte- 
 gral part of present-day life. 
 
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