St. Landry democrat., 1886-11-06

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| ated at no college, had not in any academy
by ordinary means learned the alphabet OF
the language he spoke, and yet he proposed
to talk to instruct i'll subjects which had
COMPOUNDED the mightiest intellects. John
says: ''The Jews marveled. saying, how
hath this man letters, having never
learned?'
We in our day have found out that man
without diploma may know as much as a
man with one, and that q college can not
transform sluggard into philosopher or
a theological seminary teach man to
preach. An empty head after the laying
/ on of hands of the presbytery is empty
still. But it shocked all existing prejudices
In those olden times for ID man with nc
scholastic pretension and no graduation
from a learned institution to set himself up
for teacher. 1t was all against Him.
So also the brevity of His life was against
Him He had not come to what we call
midlife. But very few men do any thing
before thirty-three years of age, and yet
that was the point at which Christ's life
terminated. The first fifteen you take in
nursery and school. Then it will take you
at least six years to get into your occupa-
ton or profession. That will bring you to
twenty-one years. Then it will take you
ten years, at least, to get established in
your life work, correcting the mistakes
you have made. II any man, at thirty
three years of age, gets established in his
life work he is the exception. Yet that is
the point at which Christ's life terminated.
Men in military life have done their most
wonderful deeds before thirty three years
of age. There may be exceptions to it, but the
most wonderful exploits in military PROV
ess have occurred before thirty three years
of age. But as a legislator-no man be-
come legislator until he has had long
years of experience. And yet the gray
bearded scribes We're expected to bow
down in silence before this young legisla-
tor, who arraigned sanhedrims and accused
governments.
Aristotle was old; Lycurgus was old;
Seneca was old. The great legislators OF
the world have been old. Christ was
young. All this was against Him. II a
child, twelve years of age. should get up in
your presence to discuss great questions of
metaphysics. or ethics, or politics, or gov
ernment. you would not be more con-
temptuous than these gray-bearded scribes
in the presence of this young Christ.
Popular opinion declared i'll those days.
"Blessed is the merchant who has a castle
down on the banks of Lake Tiberias." This
young man said: BLESSED are the poor"
Popular opinion said in those days: BLESSED
are those who live amid statuary, and fount-
aims and gardens, and congratulations, and
all kinds of festivity." This young man re-
sponded: BLESSED are they that mourn"
Public opinion in those days said: BLESSED
is the Roman eagle, the flap of whose wings
startles nations, and the plunge of whose
iron beak infiicts cruelty upon its enemies"
This young man responded: BLESSED are
the merciful." Popular opinion said: "An
eye for an eye, a tooth for tooth" In
other words, if a man knocks your eye out,
knock his out. If man breaks your TOOTH
break his. Retort for retort: sarcasm for
sarcasm; irony for irony; persecution for
persecution; wound for wound. Christ
said: pray for them that despitefully use
you"
They looked at His eye, it was like any
other mans eye, except perhaps more
speaking. They felt His hand, made of
bone and muscle and nerves and flesh, just
like any other hand. Yet what bold treat
ment of subjects, what supernatural de-
mands, what strange doctrine. They felt
the solid earth under them, and yet Christ
said: II bear up the pillars Of this world"
They looked at the moon, He said: II will
turn it into blood" They looked at the
sea, He said II will hush it." They looked
at the stars, He said: II will shake them
down like untimely figs" Did ever one so
young say things so bold! 1t was all
against Him..
After the battle of Antietam, when q
General rode along the lines, although the
soldiers were lying down exhausted, they
rose with great enthusiasm and huzzaed.
Ac rot I'D fpnY hfc nfix-ifx
his first step ON the wharf shook all king
doms, and two hundred and fifty thousand
men focl1ed to his standard 1t took three
thousand troops to watch him in his exile.
So there have been men of wonderful mag
netism of person. But hear me when 1
tell you of a poor young man who came up
from Nazareth to produce thrill which
has never been excited by any other.
Napoleon had around him the memories of
Marengo, and Austerlitz, and Jena; but
here was man who had fought no battles,
who wore no epaulets, who brandished no
sword. He had, probably, never seen a
prince, or shaken hands with nobleman.
l imagine Christ one day standing in the
streets of Jerusalem. A man descended
from high lineage is standing beside Him
and says: "My father was q merchant
prince, he had a castle on the beach in Gal
lice. Who was your father?'' Christ an
swers: ''Joseph, the carpenter" A man
from Athens is standing there unfolding
his parchment of graduation and says tc
Christ: "Where did you go to school?'
Christ answers II never graduated
Aha! the idea of such an unheralded young
man attempting to command the attention
of the world. As well some little fishing
village on Long Island shore attempt tt
arraign New York Yet no sooner does
He set His foot in the towns or cities OF
Judea than every thing is in commotion.
The people 60 out on a picnic, taking
only food enough for a day, yet are SC
fascinated with Christ that, at the risk OF |
starving, they follow Him into the wilder
ness. A nobleman falls down fiat before |
lin, on1 NV daunb+o, &c, laol >