Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 265, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 November 1915 — FELT IN THE HEART [ARTICLE]

FELT IN THE HEART

Many Things in Religion That Cannot Be Explained by Cold Intellect The prayer which Paul offered for his Ephesian friends seems to be a particularly daring one. A great deal of effort has been put forth to explain the paradox in the crowning petition of that prayer. He asks that his friends may be enabled “to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge.” Is that not a strange thing to seek? Is this man merely playing with words? Is he indulging in meaningless hyperbole? Is there any real significance In this peculiarly phrased petition? It is well to remind ourselves that this rare petition suggests a simple truth and one of present importance. There are some things in religion which can be felt, but cannot be explained. Experience goes where knowledge cannot travel. There are feelings which deny analysis. Our logic limps and halts when we undertake to explain and classify some of the deeper things of the religious life. There are many things which it is quite impossible to know in the sense of understanding them. At this point they are too high for us. We cannot attain unto that height. There is a good' deal that is mystical aboub the spiritual life. Some have been* disposed to think overmuch, possibly, of these deeper experiences. They, have been called “the mystics.” Perhaps the average of us does not think enough about them. It has been the tendency among Scotch Presbyterians to emphasize the logical and intellectual somewhat at the expense of the mystical and the emotional. The latter deserves emphasis as well as the former. It is well to remember that the most precious things of the Christian life are the things that go beyond analysis. Paul had a remarkable experience in which he heard unspeakable words — things beyond the power of our limited human speech to express. To him it was to be in the third heaven for a time. There are privileges like that awaiting believers. Logic Cannot Always Explain. Things we cannot know with the Intellect can be known by the heart. Things which cannot be explained may nevertheless be profoundly felt and may bring rich and joyful experiences with them. The knowledge of experience reaches heights to which the reason cannot climb. Do we not speak soberly when wo say that, our present and pressing need is to know the love of Christ in this experimental way? The love of Christ passeth knowledge. It is something that defies our analysis. Our logic is powerless to explain it. Cold reason falls limp when it tries to explore the glowing mysteries of pie Immeasurable love of Jesus Christ to men. The breadth and length and height and depth are beyond all mind. It surpasses knowledge. But this thing which we cannot explain fully can be known in an enriching experience. Nothing means so much to a Christian life as actually to feel the warmth and glow of the love of Jesus. That is the supreme privilege of the children of God. That is the joy which lies in the heart pt real consecration. Nothing exceeds IL Nothing excels it. We suggest that each Christian may well make the crowning petition of this old prayer his own personal petition. There will be large success in all of those activities if they are inspired by a personal experience of the love of Christ. There will be great achievements when all the folk In the church come to know Christ’s love with this experimental knowledge Happy are all they who. leaving the "freezing reason’s colder part,” concerning all these enriching things of the religious life can confidently say: “I have felt.”—United Presbyterian.