Seeing Darkly (1911)

These Eight Presbyterian Sermons Were Published As A Book In 1911. Some Excerpts: Seeing Darkly For Now We See Through A Glass Darkly. — Icor. Xiii : 12. By Way Of Illustration A Parallel Is Here Run Between Childhood And Manhood Putting The One In Apposition To Our Natural Life In This World And The Other To Typify A Higher Life A Life To Come. This Is An Apt Figure. Manhood Is The Period Of The Broadest Development Of Our Powers And Hence Fitly Stands For The Immortal Vigor And Luxuriant Pulse Of A Future And Ideal State Of Being; Whereas Childhood Is A Preparatory Unpractised Unripe Stage Of The Human Creature During Which He Is Only Getting Ready To Live Storing Up Materials For Use In Succeeding Years. Rahab '' And She Said According Unto Your Words So Be It. And She Sent Them Away And They Departed : And Slie Bound The Scarlet Line In The Window. — Joshua Ii ; 21. From One Point Of View The Action Reported In This Chapter Does Not Command Unquahfied Com- Mendation. Actions Differ In Quantity; Some Of Them Appear Absolutely And Eternally Right In Any Possible World ; Others Appear To Be Not Intrinsi- Cally Excellent But Expedient And Lawful By Reason Of Their Bearing Upon High Ends Of Great Value Which Set Up A Justification And Apology For Them. In One View The Hospitable Reception Of The Israelitish Spies By Rahab And Her Collusion With Them Was Treason Yet Centuries Later Her Name Stands In The Roll-Call Of Departed Valor And Worth As A Distinguished Example Of Faith. The Unprofitable Servant. * But Which Of You Having A Servant Plowing Or Feeding Cattle Will Say Unto Him By And By When He Is Come From The Field Go And Sit Down To Meat ? And Will Not Rather Say Unto Him Make Ready Wherewith I May Sup And Gird Thyself And Serve Me Till I Have Eaten And Drunken ; And Afterward Thou Shalt Eat And Drink ? Doth He Thank That Servant Because He Did The Things That Were Commanded Him ? I Trow Not. So Likewise Ye When Ye Shall Have Done All Those Things Which Are Commanded You Say. We Are Unprofitable Servants : We Have Done That Which Was Our Duty To Do. — Luke Xvii : 7-10. Had Christ Thrown Out This Parable Avowedly Against The Doctrine That The End Of Man Is Happiness And That This Was The Purpose In His Creation He Could Not Have Hit His Mark More Accurately. There Is Such A Doctrine And It Is Widely Prevalent That God As A Being Of Infinite Love Has Only One Motive Or Principle Of Action Which Is The Production Of Happiness. Men Differ As To The Meaning Of Life — That Is What It Was Given For Why It Was Bestowed. The Problem Of Existence Is One Of The Ultimate Insoluble Problems And The Most Comprehensive Of All And Will Always Receive Different Interpretations So Long As Man Continues In His Present State Of Ignorance And Doubt.