, 1868-07-31

Ous was 'H0to 0Net teaCuer-eVer phllos
opher who put forth such doctrines His
instructions are contrary to the teachings of
the most learned men Of the nation, He
becomes a physician, goes into the towns and
villages using such remedies as no other
physician can use-putting clay on the eyes
Of blind man-telling another to wash
himself, thus restoring their sight. An off,
Ger Of the Roman army has little daughter
dead He takes her by the hand and brings
her to life. The fevered, the lame. the
leprous-all afflicted with disease come and
are healed. He has power even over the
forces Of nature, but He never uses it for
selfish ends
He informs His followers that they must
have a new moral creation. What other
founder of kingdom ever began with such
an idea? There is caste in the nation [;
society has its classes and sects, and there
are bitter animosities There are great fami.
lies, who have wealth and power. He is of
the lowest class, but He panders to no one
-cultivates no cOurtly friendship. He goes
to Jerusalem-a carpenter, Nazarene, has
no authOrity-yet Heente the temple, clears
1t of the money>changers and dove-sellers,
as If he were the Chief Priest or the head
OF the Sanhedrin. Most men having gained
power lay plans to retain it, but He leaves
the temple, goes back to Capernaum alone,
or attended only BY the poor fishermen. Men
say that He is crazy, a drunkard, a glutton.
de travels over the country as physician and
teacher-some people believing that He is a
good man, others declaring that he is de-
ceiver. He has warm heart and quick
sympathies-weeping at others woes, never
for His own His friendships are among the
poor. Other men make mistakes, but Him.
self never. He INDUCES in no vain regrets.
Three years pass. He goes to Jerusalem,
is seized by those whom He has not injured;
all of His followers forsake him when most
He needs them. He is innocent of crime,
but He is publicly executed as a criminal
goes to az ignominious death. To all human
appearances his kingdom is at an end.
THE PROGRESSION OF THE KINGDOM
Eighteen centuries have gone by since
then, and his kingdom has been increasing
the while. 1t is diverse from all others. in
that it advances by love alone, never by the
sword. Here is the mystery of the ages
We recall at this point the words of man
who has been accounted great at rearing and
tearing down thrones-the words of NapoI,
con to Bertrand at st. Helena:
81 know men" said the dethroned mon
arch, "and tell you that Jesus Christ was
not man. His BIRTH the history of his
life, the profundity of bis doctrines, his op,
position, his empire, his march across the
ages and the realms-everything to me is q
mystery. Here Isee nothing human. Christ
proved that be was the son of the Eternal
by his disregard of time. All his doctrines
are one and the same thing-Eternity."
The chained exile contrasts the great men
of the ages-Alexander, Caesar and himself
also with the mechanic of this obscure town,
mournfully lamenting his own bitter fate
He asks: Who will now die for me 2"
But men and women and children, even
through all the centuries have died for him
who laid down his az and plane and went
out of this village past yonder well to cons
secrate himself to the rearing of moral
realm. They have given up their lives in
exile, in dungeons, on the scaffold they
have been torn limb from limb by savage
beasts, cast headlong from rocky nights, en-
dured all tortures rather than abjure their
faith in Jesus Christ, who said that he was
the Son of God. He either was or was not
what he claimed to be- Accepting, the claim
we can understand why this kingdom, found
ed on love alone, continues and thrives, while
all other kingdoms have their periods of
growth and decay. Rejecting the claim
es teeming him to be only man, and his
life, his death, and what has grown out of it,
is the darkest, deepest, most incOmprehensi-
Bile mystery of all time Who will explain
it?-C0 Correspondence Boston Journal
PRAYERs.-There is a rule at Oberlin
College that no student shall board at any