104
THE KING’S BUSINESS S im on G re en le a f p re p a re d a b rie f,” viz., “A n E xam ination of th e T e sti m o n y o f th e F o u r Evangelists b y th e Rules o f E vidence as T h e y A re A d m in istered in th e C ou rts o f Justice. T h is volum e, as larg e as th e av e rag e vo lum es o f a law library, is still an au tho rity . In it Dr. G re en le a f a rraign s Jesu s o f N a z a re th on th e ch arg e o f blasphem y , an d acquits him on th e law s o f ev idence as now “adm in iste red .” No unin sp ired testim ony to H is rising again as L o rd o f all can b e superio r to this. D r- A rn o ld , th e fam ous H e a d M aster o f Rugby, used on occasion to say. to his pup ils: It h as b e e n m y business fo r m any years" to exam ine critically th e testim ony o f m en to th e ev en ts of hum an histo ry an d to v e rify it ac co rd ing to th e comm on c riteria o f evidence. I h av e m any tim es g on e over, as carefu lly as I w ou ld th e testim ony of w itnesses on th e m o st im p o rta n t cases in law , th e ev id en c e fo r th e resu rrection o f Jesus Christ, n o t fo r th e sake o f convincing others, b u t fo r m y satisfaction ; a n d I k now o f no ev en t th a t is estab lished on b e tte r te stim o n y .” W h en w e a d d to th e comm on historical ev idence th e fact o f p ro p h e cy ; o f th e m o ra l c h a ra c te r o f th e facts, a ccom p any ing doctrines, an d of th e w itnesses, this stup en d o u s a n d red em p tiv e ev en t stan d s a lon e in th e am o u n t an d quality o f ev idence v ind ic a tin g it. Soul Saving C A V E D m en shou ld seek to save m en ; b eliev ers unbelievers an d fellow - believers. M en m ay b e d iv id ed in to two classes, a C ain class; an d an A n d rew an d Philip class; tho se w ho re p u d ia te responsibility, say ing : “Am I m y b ro th e r s k e e p e r? ” a n d th o se who, sensible o f it, say : “W e h av e found H im o f w hom Moses in th e law, a n d th e p ro p h e ts d id w rite, Jesus of N azareth . ’ W e c an n o t exp e c t m en w ith no ca re to sav e th e ir own souls to b e co n c e rn ed fo r th e souls o f others, b u t w e h a v e a righ t to exp e c t such a s p ro fe ss to h av e b e e n sav ed to b e solicitous to sav.e others. W e p ro fess to b elieve th a t im p en iten t m en are lo st; th a t th e ir ruin is u n u tte r ab ly d re a d fu l an d th a t, unless th e y rep en t, it is fo rev e r irre triev ab le. W e a re in d a ily c o n ta c t w ith th em in business, in society, in o u r v e ry homes, a n d p e rh a p s n e v e r in tim a te to th em th e ir perilous po sition o r show co n c ern fo r them . T h is indifference is an ob stacle in th e w ay o f unbelievers, an d in p ro p o rtio n to ou r incon sisten t profession. T h e m o re lou d ly w e sing, “T h row ou t th e life line!” th e less a la rm ed th ey a re likely to be. T h e y h a v e seen th e life-saving crew a t p ra c tic e an d th e h o lid ay a ttitu d e o f th e spectato rs, an d ju d g e th a t if th e re w ere real d anger, a b a rk going to pieces in th e offing, a n d hum an lives actually in m o rta l peril, th e re w ou ld b e a differen t co un ten an ce on th e pro fessional rescuers an d m o re a la rm an d e ag e r h e lp fulness in th e sym p a th e tic th rong . Tw o m en w ere re a re d on ad jo in in g farm s, one in godly, th e o th e r in un g o d ly influences. O ne be c am e a C h ristian an d a deacon , th e o th e r an infidel. T h e la tte r w as fa ta lly h u rt in a n acciden t. W h en th e d o c to r asked, “Shall I send fo r th e m in iste r? ” h e said, “N o .” “Shall I sen d for yo u r friend, th e D e a c o n ? ” “N o !” he cried. “T ell him I d ie d cursing him. W e h av e lived side b y side all ou r lives a n d h e n ev e r con c e rn ed him self ab o u t m y soul.” T o C ain it w as said, “T h e voice o f th y b ro th e r’s b lo o d crieth u n to Me from th e g ro u n d .”
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker