Chapter V (iv) — Some Practical Proofs of Christianity
1. One of the practical proofs of Christianity is that in all ages and nations, and to all sorts and conditions of men, it has brought peace to their hearts, and has satisfied the longings of their souls. Only those have failed to find this peace who "seeing, see not, and hearing, hear not", in other words those who, amid the beauties of earth and sky, are blind to its colours; or who have ears but have no 'ear' for the appreciation of the most soul-ravishing music.
2. Experience has shown that if a man gains the whole of his ambitions, and becomes possessed of wealth and luxuries, still his heart is not satisfied, nor is he at peace. It is otherwise with the man who finds his peace in God, and is obedient to His will. For if the world, and all the pleasures that it can give, are snatched away from him, and even if he has to endure suffering and persecution, yet he has in his heart that true joy and peace "that the world can neither give nor take away".
He does not have this joy merely because he hopes to receive reward in the next life. He receives his nourishment and strength from "the hidden manna" (Rev. ii. 17), which the world knows nothing of, and in its strength is able to bear his cross and endure the suffering. It is this same spiritual food of communion with God that strengthens Christian believers. Hope of reward alone would never be strong enough to enable them to bear the sufferings they have to endure. Some indeed for a time might be able to withstand the suffering, but could never endure it for a whole lifetime.
But enough has been said. The fact that the life of the true Christian is in every circumstance calm and joyful, and to the end victorious, is the result of the filling of the Spirit, and of the presence of God in his life, and it is a clear and practical proof of its reality.
3. As the sweetness of sweets is not for the sweets but for the enjoyment of those who have a taste for them, so God is not only for Himself but for those in whom He has created the desire to enjoy the sweetness of His fellowship. Reality is described in many religious and philosophical works, but the way to enjoy communion with God is not found in them, but in man himself. For God has created man that they may continue in fellowship together, therefore He has also endowed him with a sense of the Reality and with the capacity to enjoy Him. The fact of His having given these spiritual feelings is the proof that Reality means man to enjoy His fellowship; hence the touchstone by which to distinguish the real and the unreal, and the true and the false, is itself present in man. Although this conscience is the God-given touchstone by which to test the false and the true in life, yet through sin it may become deprived of feeling and dead. But when by the grace of God it is awakened, it cannot be deceived, and when man realises the presence of Reality in himself, then his daily experience of Him proves Him to be a living power. For if we have in us this experiential proof, then, though thousands of books may be written against this spiritual experience, and filled with the strongest arguments of worldly philosophy and logic, yet they can never shake its proof, for the knowledge of the Reality rests in our own inner selves and not in the arguments of philosophy. It is clear to us, then, that the necessary discernment for recognising the sweetness of the sweets is not in books, but is present in a man's own tongue.
4. It is possible that, because of illness, some defect may appear in the sense of taste, and that some may be deceived about the sweetness of the sweets. But there never was, and never will be, such an illness by which millions of people lose their sense of taste. So it is possible that the spiritual feelings and perceptions of a few people may be defective, but millions, nay countless people of every race and country, and of every condition in life, who have found Salvation and peace in Jesus, bear witness to Him. Thousands, on account of giving witness to that Reality who has benefited and blessed them, have been burned, torn by wild beasts, cut to pieces by the sword, and they endured their trials with joy, and to their last breath continued to give their witness. Why? Was the spiritual perception and feeling of all defective? Never! This kind of talk is the same as calling the blazing sun of midday the darkness of night. It is clear proof that he who is able to make such a claim is himself lacking in spiritual feeling and in powers of discernment.
5. In the Himalayas I once chanced to come across a wild man living naked in a cave. He had never seen, or tasted, a sweet, and had no word for it in his language. When a friend of mine gave him one, at first he looked at it with suspicion, but, when he had tasted it, a look of wonder and a smile of pleasure showed how much he enjoyed it. Before he had tasted it, its existence or non-existence was immaterial to him. He had, indeed, in his tongue the sense of taste to enjoy the sweetness of the sweet, even before he had knowledge and experience of its sweetness. It was necessary to explain about the sweet, not about the sense of taste.
In the same way man has a sense of Reality. Reality is a being separate from his own, but the power to perceive Him is present in him. It is possible that because of sin this perception may become dead, so that a man may even deny the existence of God. Yet if he repents, and seeks God with a pure heart, then the Reality will be sure to reveal Himself to him, and he will be benefited and blessed; and afterwards, although, like a dumb man, he may not be able to describe his taste-experience of sweetness, yet his life and works will continue to prove its existence.
Whenever a man who has this personal experience of Reality finds his hidden thoughts and feelings expressed in the writings and speech of an experienced and spiritually-minded man, then, filled with joy, he exclaims, "This is the very truth that I have been wishing to express to others." Thus do all lovers of truth unanimously join with one another in giving to the world the proof of Christianity from the individual experiences of God which they have had in their own lives.
6. Before Christianity was preached throughout the world, although some good and right-minded men had attempted to alter conditions, they had not been able to do much for the progress and betterment of mankind. Women were looked on as slaves, and slaves were treated like animals, and no special provision was made to help the aged, or the sick, or the orphan, or the leper. But Christianity has changed this, and we see the fruits of its teaching on every hand. Women are counted as equal to men, and slaves are looked on as brothers. Hospitals, orphanages and leper asylums are to be seen everywhere; for the followers of Christ are taught to love others as they love themselves, and to look on the whole world as one family.
In Rome slaves and prisoners were made to fight with wild beasts for the entertainment of the crowd, and, to satisfy their blood lust, the spectators at the arena used to demand that gladiatorial combats, resulting in bloodshed and deaths, should be provided for them. There was no real sympathy between men in those days. But a Christian hermit, called Telemachus, felt compelled by his love for these sufferers to try to put an end to this savage lust for blood. While the slaves and prisoners were fighting, he jumped down into the arena. The spectators in rage stoned him, and those whom he had tried to save killed him with their swords. Though he was unable to do much on that day, yet he had sown a seed of love for men which grew in the hearts of the serious-minded, until by degrees this cruel custom was stopped. So the life of the Christian hermit triumphed.
7. In the world no nation nor religion can endure if continually torn by internal dissensions and harassed by attacks from outside; and no fort, nor city, can stand if it is bombarded both from within and without. Yet Christianity is such a religion. From the outside come attacks from Agnosticism, Infidelity, from world kingdoms and the powers of darkness; from within, heretics by false teaching, and nominal Christians by their bad lives, make unending attacks; but in spite of all these attacks and great obstacles Christianity has established itself, and is conquering in the world. What is this if it is not a practical proof of its being a true, living and soul-satisfying religion?