The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-03-29
THE RETICENCE OF CHRIST!

TIE RETICENCE OF CHRIST
The reserve practised by Jesus is, per-
haps as striking as what he did and said.
1t will probably present itself to an acute
mind as higher evidence of his super
natural character than his words. Pos
sessing all knowledge, and endowed with
unlimited energy, what he did not speak,
and what he did not do, furnish an ex-
ample of self-control that transcends the
possibilities of mere humanity. There is
a calm sense Of power, an unstrained re-
pose of mind, an absence of all furry, on
all occasions, and under all circumstances
even before PLATE, and at the Cross
which not only could not have been COM
handed by mere man, but which could
not have been delineated except by an
eyewitness, and by him only under the
delicate guidance and promptings of in
spiration.
There is not in any part of any one of
the four gospels anything that shocks
good taste-all is simply beautiful fault
less as some lovely picture in the world
OF nature. When he speaks, there is no
straining after words or thoughts; he
speaks always with that ease with which
men speak on subjects perfectly familiar,
and as if from observation and experience
rather than in the spirit of the schools.
If he did not believe himself to be from
heaven, he is not only the most finished
of pretenders, but simply Incompetent
sible. There is no trace of guile in his
countenance, no betrayal of mistrust
no wavering purpose nor uncertainty of
aim, at any moment Of his career. He
never fell below the occasion; his deport-
ment is perfect from the wedding of Cana
to the kiss of the betrayer The Socrates
of Plato is the impersonation of philoso-
ply, with the fatal faint of human in
trinity the Christ of the four evange-
lists is more than an angel. When we
look into the face of a good man, we do
not doubt the sincerity and veracity of
his words; we read the inner life through
the countenance and so when we open
the gospels and begin to read, we are con-
scious at once that we are in the domain
OF truth, and not within the precincts of
knavery or fraud. To the upright mind
the utterances of Jesus carry their own
authorization; we recognise the TRUTH
a. the eye answers back to the light.
We spoke Of the rete1tiveaeS8 Of Jesus
What do we know about his childhood ?
Did he hurt himself like other children +?
Did he play Did he cry? Did he laugh {?
In his fathers shop, did he plane, and
hammer, and saw? Did he read any
books? All that we know about him is
that he increased in wisdom and stature,
and his presento';on in the temple when
ne was twelve years of age.
We are not informed of his appearance,
habits, or tastes.
The miracles performed by him were
of course numerous, but they were still
only occasional. He did not put forth
his power except under special circum-
stances. And they were chiefly miracles
Of healing-works of benevolence; there
were no prodigies. He might have com
manded the hill on which the Temple
stood to remove, carrying the buildings
with it, and to plant itself on the eastern
side of the Jordan-there to stand for all
time; and the whole Jewish nation would
have recognised at once his rover and
his authority and the succeeding ages
Of the world wopid have had perpetual.
tangible spectacle of his miraculous en-
ergy. He left no monument standing Of
his power over nature. His miracles were
not recorded for twenty-five years after
his death, and then only by his friends
lie rarely touched the course of nature,
aside from humanity. He multiplied the
loaves, he stilled the tempest, the sun
was darkened as he hung on the cross,
these are about ALL He passed most Of
his life in Galilee, a sort Of semi Gentle
province, not in Judea; is not this
stranger The Synoptic gospels do not
record his ministry in Jerusalem-only
the Crucifzion. They donot even allude