Article November 20, 1909 Issue

PRINCIPLE OR PERSONALITY

M. G. KAINS, M.S.

All Christians agree that Jesus of Nazareth laid the foundations of the Christian religion. In support of this statement they contend that the predictions of prophets and seers have been met by Jesus as by no other man whose record has been handed down to us. They accept the declaration that Jesus did not "come to destroy the law, or the prophets: ... but to fulfil," as having been proved by the fact that he unified all the work of his predecessors, and himself supplied the one missing segment which makes the complete sphere of the Christian religion; namely, "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."

No Christian, it is presumed, will contend that Jesus failed to demonstrate this kind of worship. On the contrary, if questioned, all would maintain that had Jesus not exemplified his prayers by his works he would have made but a faint impression upon the page of history. Instead, the imprint is indelible; even the attrition of ignorance, of atheism, of materialism, and of all else has been powerless to deface or erase it. His record of works more than of words, is imperishable; or rather, the words have persisted through their indissoluble relation to the works, because these are characteristic of "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man." Had Jesus not given sight to the blind, healed the sick, walked on the water, raised the dead, triumphed over the grave, and ascended beyond human ken, his sphere of influence would have been limited almost wholly to his immediate followers. His teachings, stripped of such proofs of their authenticity, would have appealed to very few in later years, beyond being an interesting hypothesis as devoid of practicality as many of the speculative philosophies propounded from time to time by those whom the world calls thinkers.

Professing Christians admit that the New Testament, besides detailing Jesus' ministry, also gives partial records of the work of "the twelve," of "the seventy," of Paul and other close followers of the Master. All of these disciples proved that they had learned how to pray the "effectual fervent prayer," by showing the signs of healing, raising the dead, and so on, just as Jesus had done. Not only so, but, just as Jesus had prophesied, they presented at least some of the "greater works" which the Master, speaking generally for all mankind, propunded in the declaration, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do." Among these "greater works" were Peter's escape from prison and Philip's transportation after baptizing the Ethiopain.

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"LET US COME BEFORE HIS PRESENCE WITH THANKSGIVING"
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