RELIGIOUS WORLD.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 52, 1 March 1919, Page 18

RELIGIOUS WORLD.

HOW DID JESXJS KNOW ?

(By F. J. SCOTT.) It is generally admitted that Jesus revealed God and all higher truth in an unparalleled and authoritative way. His vision and certainty of vision in that higher realm are very remarkable. Only a few comparatively of earth's greatest before His arrival seem to have had glimpses—and they generally only glimpses—of the great truth of God's tender fatherhood of man. Jesus viewed the fact clearly, made wide the application of it, believed it profoundly, and declared H authoritatively. The practical question arises, "How can we have Je_us' views and believe in their validity as profoundly as Jesus did? For evidently, though Jesus declared to us srreat truth?, we must see

It is generally admitted that Jesus revealed God and all higher truth in an unparalleled and authoritative way. Hi* vkjion and certainty of vision in that higher realm are very remarkable. Only a few comparatively of earth"s greatest before His arrival seem to have had glimpses—and th?y generally only glimpstfl—of the great truth of God's tender fatherhood of man. Jeans viewed the fact clearly, made wide the application of it, believed it profoundly, and declared H authoritatively. The practical question arises. "How can we have Jeous' views and believe in their validity a? profoundly a? Jesus did? For evidently, though Jesue declared to us great truth?, we must see

them with our own eyes and believe them with our own hearts. His knowledge must become our knowledge, His conviction ours. We may see the stars because He points them out to us, but it is we ourselves who must see them with onr on. eyes. It _ our he-art that must sense and believe their light.

And so the further question follows. "How did Jesus Himself know? Whence arose His vision and His profound faith? Why did He see, and know that He saw?" This is not a curious question as to the Saviour's psychology, but an intensely practical question, for surely the Son of Man Jesus' processes of faith or to faith must have been essentially as ours. He is our pattern in truthfinding and in faith-gcuing, as in everything else. His own perfect di_cipleship made Him the perfect teacher that He was. We would follow His own path of discipleship that we may learn His teaching. In fact. Jesus teaches us the truth quite as much by His own example a3 learner as He does by His utterances as teacher. How, then, like Jesus can we attain unto the truth? What was His method of learning?

He did not arrive at truth by the philosophic way. He was not a reader ot earth's wise men. His road to truth was the humble, inconspicuous, and yet rare and simple road of obedience. He arrived at God through His entire morality rather than through His acute mentality. "I do always the things that please Him."

Who else had ever said that? Who else could have ever said it? For countless generations, countless millions of men had had in kind the same native religious faculties, the same native relipious intuitions that Jesus had, and yet had fallen sadly short of the Christ faith. Their best intuitions of God were smothered by abuse or atrophied by disuse. The light within them they did not follow, and so dared not follow. It became darkness. Through disobedience it became a will-o'-the-wisp leading to quagmires, rather than a true light leading homeward. ft is evident that what the world needed primarily waa a perfect obeyer. Only He could see the true light a„d become the true light, and feed within all others, who desired to obey, the flame and light that sin had so tragically darkened. It was in the obedient Christ tnat the "bam in darkness" grew until He had light not only for Himself but for all others, so that He could truly say, "I am the light of the world."

But even this nearer, dearer light of Christ, shining so brightly to awaken and increase the light within us, fails to accomplish its object unless we obey. To believe this Christ, confidently to sanction the Gospel truths He so "confidently proclaims, to "sanction His sanction of our best hopes of God, to walk ever in the light, requires obedience of heart, obedience of will, obedience of life. It is an old Gospel but a blessed one. The really effective method, though hard to realise, is open to all. "Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes." "If any man wili do his will, he shall know"! the greatest truths man can know, and the degree of his certainty will be as the degree of his obedience. Christ is "the way" to "the truth and the life" by the way or manner of His own discipleship — __on_ Herald," U.S.A. CHTIHCH NEWS AND NOTES. Over 250 ministers in Wales are stated by the Rev. Penrith Thomas, of Ferndale, to have given in their names as candidates for holy orders in the Church of England, after the war, when disestablishment is due.

The Rev. K. R. M. Sutherland has resigned the pastorate of the Presbyterian Church, Kaikorai, as from April next. He has been in that charge for forty years.

Major and Mrs. Newby, who have just been installed in charge of the Salvation Army Barracks at Auckland, the former being divisional officer, were entertained at Christchureh prior to leaving for this city. Amongst the speakers at the gathering were the Re\s. P. N. Knight and J. .1. North.

Th . Bishop of Worcester ha* taken a right course in regard to war memorials. In circular letter to his clergy he pointed out that for rich persons to occupy wall space in churches with memorials, "which could not be afforded by poorer people, is as objectionable as occupying the floor .<-paee by large private pews." He claimed that the best method to commemorate those who had died in the war, was the brotherly way of one memorial for the whole parish, on which the names of comrades could be inserted. This course, it may be mentioned has been generally adopted in Auckland.

"We are told we are playing to the gallery when we preach on popular subjects," said a minister recently during a sermon in Auckland. He added, "Well, it is quite time the Church did play to the gallery, because the trouble in the past has been that it played for hundreds of years to the dres. circle only, with the re.*?ult that it has run a good ehanee of losing the ma_es.

The Rev. James Paterson, of Welling ton, -,vas prevented by sickness from attending the Presbyterian Assembly ot New Zealand at Christchureh. This is the first time the rev. gentleman has been absent in 40 year. . Mr. Paterson is now in his eighty-ninth year. Archdeacon York has resigned the Archdeaconry of Miwhera and the vicarage of Grey-mouth. He has held the latter office for 25 years. The Rev. Frederick Rands. Methodist Chaplain with the Force, at the front, •who died recently, was 35 years of a_e. a native of Methven, and* entered the ■n-atry in 1908. He married a daughter Th V * i* R * r,ark ' of Whangarei. j^ w d_Jtt_.___«s £^____s____S ___\_ft"- fc " __.__£• _■ •£ * ■»• «• _• S_y___* y S3____: