the social fabric? This fact and this only: "The God of all good Christians was of a woman born." By the cumulative power of his influence he has so exalted womanhood that the very names of wife and mother and sister are revered among all the children of men.

Take another of the headlines: "CAR-DRIVERS ON A STRIKE."

To pass judgment on the merits of this or any other phase of the industrial problems is not germane to the matter in hand. The question is: How have the laboring classes come into such independence that they can demand an increase of wages or anything else? Did the men who drove the bullockcarts in Babylon three thousand years ago ever think of striking for higher wages? If not, why not? Because they were abject slaves. Who liberated them? Jesus the carpenter, who dignified labor for evermore by taking part in it; Jesus the carpenter, who pronounced that great manifesto which in the process of the years has introduced the wage-system throughout the civilized world: "The laborer is worthy of his hire!" One more headline: "THE CORNER IN WHEAT BROKEN."

It appears that the broker who organized this particular "corner" has been driven into hiding by popular indignation. What is back of this? The Egyptians and the Assyrians had corners in wheat, and who cared? But many things have happened since then, and chief and foremost among these happenings is the promulgation of Christ's Golden Rule, "As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise."

It is obvious from such happenings as these that the world has been moving. Has it been moving automatically? No, nothing moves that way, not even the great ball of snow which children make on a winter's day. There must be something or somebody behind it. Who is behind the progress of these centuries? Jesus of Nazareth! His hand is discernible in every great movement of the day. He is behind our schools and colleges, our hospitals and reformatories, social and political reform, civil and ecclesiastical freedom, light and civilization. But for the great forces of his gospel, so far as we

can perceive, the world would have stood stock still. The Acts of the Apostles begins with a reference to "all that Jesus began both to do and to teach," and it ends with a dashbecause the "doing" of Jesus which then began is still going

on.

It is really a great art to read a newspaper in the right way. The philosophy of history is there; and a man whose eyes are not holden is certain to find Christ in the course of his reading. But suppose he fails to see him either in the Bible or the newspaper, where else shall he look for him?

At church. The reason why people go to church is because they expect to find him there. The bell rings thus, "Come! Come! Come! The Lord is in his Holy Temple! Come and worship him!"

The man in the pulpit is in commission and under bonds to so preach Christ that the people shall be able to see him. He has entered into a covenant vow to lift something up; and that something is not himself but Christ; as Christ himself said, "I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto myself!" He is the great magnet. His is the drawing power. All adventitious attractions are ruled out. Art, science, philosophy, politics, the hurdy-gurdy and the stereopticon are not helps but hindrances except as they contribute to the seeing of Jesus in the house of God.

It happens now and then that people who go to church to see Jesus are disappointed. I once attended a service in Ireland on a holy day, in answer to an announcement that Jesus was to be seen there entombed and awaiting his resurrection; but the space before the altar was so covered with votive offerings of flowers as to completely hide the sepulcher from view. Not infrequently, in like manner, the worshippers' view of Jesus is obscured by flowers of speech, of music or of ceremonialism. But the church is his sanctuary; and usually the worshipper can there commune with him and go away gratefully saying, "I have seen Jesus."

But failing even there, where shall the seeker look for him? Let him inquire within.

If he be a Christian he is able to say, "It is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me." Otherwise he will not find

Christ within. Then what? The heart is an aching void without him.

But the seeker is sure to find two things within, in any case. One is sin, felt and acknowledged sin. To persuade men of sin is like carrying coals to Newcastle, since every one is aware of it. And the other is a conscious desire to be delivered from the consequences of sin. This also is intuitive and universal, as witness all the altars of the earth and all the bended knees.

It may be, however, that some reader of these lines is saying, "I have not yet seen Jesus." If so, my friend, here and now you shall look upon him.

Let me make the vision clear. Jesus came into this world of ours, out of his pre-existent glory, to expiate our sins. He took our flesh upon him, that he might be able to suffer; and kept his Godhood also, that he might be able to suffer sufficiently for all. He lived as a man among men ; preached such sermons respecting the problems of the spiritual life that his hearers were moved to say, "Never man spake like this man ;" and wrought such wonderful works of grace and mercy that those who beheld were moved to ask, "When the Christ shall come will he do more?"

But this was not his main errand: he had come to die for the world's sin. No, let us make it more personal-he came to die, my friend, for your sins, for yours as really as if there had been no other sinner in the world but you. To that end he "set his face steadfastly" toward the cross; and there he hung in mortal agony for six mortal hours, groaning under the burden of your sins, till his great heart broke and he cried, "It is finished!" By this he meant that he had accomplished all that God himself could do to save you.

And then, rising triumphant over death, he sent forth his messengers, of whom I am one, to say, as I say now, that all the benefits of that redeeming work are to be secured by simple faith in him. Faith is acceptance, a hand stretched forth to take. This is the sole condition: he that believeth shall enter into life! Do you believe? You have seen Jesus: do you accept him? If so, it only remains to prove the sincerity of

your faith by publicly confessing him and then going forth to follow him.

We do not know the outcome of this interview of the Greeks with Jesus. They saw him and conversed with him; but did they accept him? Let us hope they went away rejoicing in him. But perhaps not. The Greeks were the philosophers of their time; and to those who are wise in their own conceit the story of Christ crucified is "foolishness." But there was one school of philosophers who were ready to accept the truth wherever they found it; they were called "Zetetics," or seekers. To all such Christ is commended as "the wisdom. and the power of God."

Are you, frankly and without prejudice, seeking a Saviour? The promise is, "Ye shall seek me and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart." If you are seeking him thus, putting away self-will and prejudice, it is quite certain that you will find him. For the seeking sinner ever finds a seeking Saviour; and, finding the chiefest of ten thousand, how can he fail to accept him?

III

WHO IS HE?

A VISIT to the Jordan will, perhaps, satisfy us on that point. John the Baptist had been going up and down crying, "Repent ye; for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand! Prepare ye the way for the coming of one the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose!" He was now at the ford of Bethabara baptizing his converts with "the baptism of repentance unto the remission of sins." The towering cliffs by the river echoed his cry, "Repent ye! Repent ye!" Thieves and harlots came bowing low, and he baptized them. Publicans came professing sorrow for sin, and he baptized them. Soldiers came promising to quit their evil ways, and he baptized them. Scribes and Pharisees came, and he baptized them not, but cried, "Ye offspring of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth fruits meet for repentance. For the Seed of woman cometh to bruise the serpent's head. The Winnower cometh to purge his floor; he will gather the wheat into his garner and burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. The Messiah cometh to deliver the world from sin!"

It came to pass, on one of those days, that Jesus the carpenter left his shop at Nazareth and never went back to it. The clock had struck. The fields were white unto the harvest and with sickle in hand he went forth. In his heart he had long been saying, "I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!" He now tightened his girdle and, with staff in hand, set forth upon a journey which was not to end until, having accomplished his mission, he should return to the glory which he had with the Father before the world was.