1 C. E. Jefferson.
ISAIAH 33
IF Often the very men who make the loudest profession of acting reasonably have the very least reason in their action. I try to convince a certain man that the sunset is beautiful. I say, "Oh, look at it! Could anything be more glorious!" And he stands with his back to the sunset and will not look at it. He says, "I do not believe what you say. Prove it to me." And I say, "Turn round and look." He says, "I won't." Is he reasonable ? I endeavour to persuade another man that Beet- hoven's Ninth Symphony is great. The orchestra is playing, the instruments are sweeping through the allegro, and I say to this man, "Wagner was right. Instruments cannot carry music higher than that. If music is to travel any farther, it must be by the human voice. Is not that fine ?" And the man puts his fingers in his ears, and says, " I do not believe what you say. Prove it to me." And I say, " Listen !" And he says, " I won't." Is he reasonable ? I endeavour to persuade another man that a violet is fragrant. I say to him, "This odour is so delicate. Just smell it!" He says, "I won't. Prove it to me." I say, "Will you smell it?" He says, "No." Is he reasonable? I endeavour to persuade another man that sugar is sweet. I say, " This sugar is sweet. I have eaten a piece just like this." He says, " I do not believe it." I say to him, " Taste it." He says, " I won't." Is he reasonable ? I endeavour to persuade another man that a cube of gold is heavier than a cube of iron. Both are of the same size. I say to him, " Take the gold in one hand and the iron in the other, and you will see." And he says, " I won't." Is he reasonable ? I endeavour to persuade another man to become a Christian. I say to him, " Jesus Christ is sufficient for every need of the human soul." And he says, "I do not believe it." I say to him, " Try Him !" And he says, " I won't." Is he reasonable ?
IT It was only yesterday I saw a plea for calm reflection in international affairs, sent abroad by an ethical society, in all the chief languages of Europe. It is just a plea for the application of the principles of our Christian morality to every part of our national life. I make no apology for quoting a word or two from this utterance, for in my judgment they are the words of Christian truth.
"Eemember," it says, "that reason and justice alone should decide the merits of any case, whether it be personal or national, national or international. Eemember that no nation can safely be the judge in its own cause, because self-interest and pride and anger and force are so liable to pervert the judgment and distort the truth. Eemember that as friendly international relations are of vital importance to every people, the time is 3
34 THE GREAT TEXTS OF THE BIBLE
surely ripe for arbitration to supersede war. Eemember, there- fore, to press upon your Government," said this utterance, " the duty of entering into specific agreement for peace, and, instead of war, to proceed by the method of arbitration. Remember that the cost of competitive armaments not only involves a crushing burden for each people to bear, and consequent neglect of social improvement, but engenders bitter feeling, and is provocative of strife. Eemember in time of peace the horrors of war, and the harvest of hatred and misery it leaves behind, and ask yourself, each citizen, ask yourself whether it is not criminal to leave it to passion or ignorance, to misunderstandings, or jealousies, or self-interest, to bring any such calamity upon the life of a Christian nation."^
iii. An Invitation to Reason tog^ether.
The invitation is not merely, " Let us reason"; but, "Let us reason together." Our reasonings on revelation, and on all the high and mysterious subjects associated with it, must pro- ceed in the full recognition of what is implied in this " together." We may reason, if we are minded to do so, upon the Trinity, upon the Incarnation, upon the Atonement, upon Final Judgment, upon the Eestitution of all things ; upon any subject, however lofty and transcendent ; provided only our reasonings ever be " together " ; — that is, with God, — as those, to whom God is speaking, and with whom God is reasoning ; and who are there- fore constrained to reason back — if I may be allowed the expression — in all childlike humility and simplicity, reverence and awe ; — not as though we were the measure of all things, as the old Sophists maintained that man was, — but in the full recognition of the limitation of our faculties and the poverty of our intellectual resources, and at the same time in the full belief of St. Paul's words : " Now we see through a glass, darkly ; but then, face to face ; now I know in part, but then shall I know, even as also I am known." It has been well said by a great thinker of this century, adopting the language of one of the greatest of the fathers of the Christian Church : " The foundation of our philosophy is humility." The moment we strive to answer to the invitation, " Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord," we shall find that it must be so. No other attitude of mind is possible for us.