Notes of a sermon, preached by the Rev. C. E. Darwent in Union Church, Tientsin, Sunday evening, July 11. Text: "And it came to pass as He was praying alone, the disciples were with him, and He asked them, saying, Who do the multitude say that I am? And they, answering said, John the Baptist; but others say, Elijah; and others, that one of the old prophets is risen again."
Wo shall spend a little more time to-night over the book, by the Rev. Herbert Grey, entitled "As Tommy Sees Us." It is worth while; for the soldiers are most, yw out of the army, and in civil life; consequently, the views that the author says the soldier held about Christi-unity are the views now held by millions of ordinary citizens, who might be expected to take part in the life and activities of the Church of Christ. Nothing can be more important than to know what so many millions of the manhood of the country think. Last week we saw that Mr. Grey holds that the Church has not made an appeal to the love of enterprise men possess. The mon believed that salvation is a selfish idea, for which they have no use, I tried to show, in reply that, viewed rightly and sensibly, salvation is not a selfish idea; that Paul lived a most heroic life just in order to preach it, and that, if these men are ever going to live heroic lives for the church, they must somehow manage to get Paul's point of view, pass, in some form, through Paul's experience of Christ's power to make new men of us. There is no other way.
But, of course, all depends on what men think of Jesus Christ, and His character. If men have a poor opinion of Him, then the Church. can do what it likes, it can charm never so wisely, but it will never get men to rally round Him. Jesus Christ is the head, backbone, heart, and marrow of the Christian religion. He is it. Right relation to Him is Christianii Faith in Him, love and enthusiasm to and for Him, obedience to Him, are all that constitute the Christian life, all the mountains of rubbish, that have piled on. these simple things, and made obligatory by men, notwithstanding.
'Now, here is Mr. Grey, who says, that a' great number of men HAVE a poor opinion of Jesus - Christ. He says the church has given the world a wrong idea of Him. And we "have to learn afresh how to set forth the real Jesus'. The mistake the church has made has been to set Him forth as a ratn weak and sentimental character I may say without offence, as a rather feminine character. He Tas not been represented as strong, manly, virile, to use the word now very much in favour. In consequence, He does not appeal to men, and most especially not to vigorous young fellows. Says atr. Grey, "His white robes and ether-cal aspect. suggest that He was something less than human, certainly something less than male. Hymns speak of Him as "meek and mild." "Sometimes Reman Catho-lie and Protestant hymns dare to use in relation to Him sickly, sentimental, and highly sensuous language, which would have been highly offensive to Him in real life." Tf this be the case. we cannot wonder that vigorous young fellows do not rally round Him.
Is Mr. Grey right? Yes, I think he is. I hardly know a picture of Jesus, that is not open to this objection. A few figures from the Gospel of John, such as that the Good Shepherd," with a lamb in his arms; a few texts, such as His invitation to the "'weary", have conveyed the idea that He was weak, entirely emotional and Himself rather weary. That He was predominantly "meek and mild." certainly is the usual representation of Him. And there are historic causes for this. The church was founded soon after the Roman Empire had been established amid civil wars, __assassii sand bloodshed. She grew up, when Europe was a sea of misery. owing to the irruptions of Goths, Huns, Vandals, and innumerable other barbarous scoundrels; so men had had quite enough of vigour and th" manly virtues. They wanted a "meek and mild" Saviour: were as we say, "fed right u with war and its virtues. Th were sick of strength. They rallied round the Saviour, because He assured them, that love reig in heaven. not force: and the time may come again, when men will want a "gentle" Saviour. if we have another war. Remember that.
There is truth. of course, in this church view of Him. He +s gentle, and gracious, and "meek and mild." The mischief, however, has been. that this has been taken be the whole truth about Him. That is the way with human nature. It can see only one side of a subject or person, at the same time. You can, however. be mani; strong, and yet tender and gracie ous at the same time. In fact, who wants the tenderness of weakness? It_is no good.
I ask you, then, to turn to my astonishing text, in order to show you, that there is another side to the character of Jesus Christ than the "meek and mild" one. Have you ever thought how astonishing this story is? Jesus was not above being curious to know, what the public thought about Him, Perhaps it is as well, that most of us don't know. The disciples say, He is like—Whom? Moses? cause he was "meek, above all the men, which were upon the face of earth"? Not at all. "And they answering say, John the Baptist." John the Baptist? About the most "manly, virile? character in Jewish history. Surely, if Christ had impressed his contemporaries, with the fact that He was, first and last "meek and mild," they would never have said, He was like Jony. When John saw the Pharisees coming to his baptism, the words he used to them were quite strong, "Yo generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath te come?" When the soldiers asked Him, what they should do, John said, "Be content with your wages." Suppose John were alive now, and said that to the railway men, or the colliers, would they think him a weak character? They would hate him, bub not think him weak. And the people thought Jesus was John come back to life! Surely the popular idea of Jesus needs revising! Then there is another surprise! "Others said Elijah." Elijah! The prophet of fire and thunder! King Ahab didn't think Elijah was "meek and mild." You remember that business of Naboth and his vineyard; how Elijah was sent by the Lord to Ahab, and to say to him: 'Thus saith the Lord, in the place where dogs licked the blopd of Naboth, shall dogs lick thine, even thine.' And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?" It never occurred to Ahab to despise Elijah as a weak sentimental character. No, neither did it occur to the Pharisees, and to the people. who heard and saw Jesus every day, that He was a weak and futile character either. Surely the Church has got grievously wrong, and has done an unwitting injustice to a whole reach of our Lord's character. Whether we are members of the Church or not, this impression made on the people who actually saw and heard Him ought tu make us think furiously. Let us, then, turn to His life. Does it agree with the judgement of the people that there was a great deal of the robustness and vigour of John and Elijah in it?' The most superficial reading of it ought to produce the effect that Mr. Grey desires, namely, "'to recover Him glory of His robust human-Read the Gospels simply as stories of a wonderful life. Don't start with the doctrine of the Church, that He was divine. Let that be in suspense for a time. Read the story, for what it is; and it will be impossible for any candid mind to say that it is the record of a weak, and sentimental life. Read rightly, there is every element in it that ought to attract the loyalty of young soldiers. and of vigorous men and {women generally. Let us look at a few of the qualities of it. There is vigour and manly strength. Physical power is, no doubt, not everything. but it is & thing, and Jesus had it. He had every-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.