Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-10-25

any academy by ordinary means learned
the alphabet of the language he spoke,
and vet he proposed to talk, to instruct in
subjects which had coniounded the
Jews marvelled, saying, how hath this
man letters, having never learnedW
We in our day have found out that a
man without a diploma may know as
much as a man with one, and that COL
lege cannot transform a sluggard into a
philosopher, or theological seminary
teach fool to preach. An empty head
after the laying on OF hands OF the pres
bytery Is empty still. But it shocked all
existing prejudioes in those olden times
for man with no scholastic pretension
and no graduation from learned institu-
tion to set Himself up for teacher. 1t
wss 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
anything before thirty three years of age,
and yet that was the point at which
ChrisVs life terminated. The first fifteen
you take in nursery and school. Then 1t
will take you at least six years to get
into your occupation or profession. That
will bring you to twenty-one years. Then
1t will take you ten years at least to get
established In your life work, correcting
the mistakes you have made. II any
man, at twenty-three years of age, gets
fully 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 33 years of
age. There may be exceptions to it, but
the most wonderful exploits In military
prowess have occurred before 33 years OF
age. But as a legislator-no man be-
q tCr hn
has had long years ofexperience. And yet
the gray-bearded scribes were expected
TO bow down in silence before this young
legislator, who arralgned sanhedTims 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 q
a child, II years OF age, should get up in
your presence to discuss great questions
of metaphysics, or ethics, or politics. or
government, you would not be more con.
temptuous than these gray-bearded
scribes in the presence Of this young
Christ.
Popular opinion declared in those days:
Blessed is the merchant VINO has 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
statuarv, and fountains, and gardens and
concentrations, and all kinds of fes-
tivity." This young man responded: 4:
blessed are they that mourn" Public
opinion in those days said: BLESSED Is
the Roman eagle, the flap OF whose wing
startles nations, and the plunge OF whose
iron Deak lnfilcts cruelty upon its ene-
miles," This young man responded: {:
BLESSED are the merciful." Popular
opinion said: "An eye tor an eye, tooth
for TOOTH" In other words, il a man
knocks your eye out, knock his out. II a
man breaks your tooth, break his. Retort
for retort; sarcasm ID sarcasm; irony
for irony; persecution for persecution !;
wound for wound. Christs said: "Pray for
them that despitefully use YOU"
They looked at his eve, 1t was like any
other mans eye, except, perhaps, more
speaking. They felt his hand, made OF
bones and muscles, nerves and flesh, Iust
like any other hand. Yet what bold treat
ment of subjects, what supernatural de-
mands, what strange doctrine! They
felt the sohd earth under them, and vet
Christ said: II bear up the pillars of this
world" They looked at the moon, He
said: 81 VIII turn 1t into blood" They
looked at the sea, He said: II will hush
It," They looked at the stars, He said:
Will ohdhO tnSh uOWA llhb
figs" Did ever one SO young say things
SO bOldi 1t was all against Him.
After the battle OF Antietam, when a
general rode along the lines, although the
soldiers were lying down exhausted, thev
rose with great enthusiasm and huZzaed,
AS Napoleon returned from his captivity.
his first step on the wharf shook all the
kingdoms, and 250,000 men fiocked to his
standard. 1t took 1900 troops to watch
him in his exile. SO there have been men
of wonderful magnetism OF person. But
hear me while | tell you of poor young
man who came up from Nazareth to pro-
duce thrill which has never
been excited by any other. Ma.
pOleon had around him the
memories Of Marengo and Austerlitz and
Jena, but here was man who had fou ght
no battles, who wore no epaulettes, who
brandished no sword. He had, probably,
never seen prince or shaken hands with
a nobleman. The only extraordinary
person we know of as being in his COM
pany was his own mother, and she was
so poor that in the most delicate and
solemn hour that ever comes TO woman's
soul she WAS obliged to lie down, camel
drivers grooming the beasts of burden.
imagine Christ one day standing in
the streets OF Jerusalem. A man de-
scended from high lineage ia standing be-
side him and says: "My father was a
merchant prince; he had castle ON the
beach in Galilee. Who was your fatherf,
Christ answers: "Joseph, the carpenter"
A man from Athens is standing there un-
rolling his parchment of graduation, and
saws to Christ: Nv here did you 20 TO
schOolp Christ answers: 81 never grad
uated." Aha. the idea OF such an un-
heralded young man attempting to COM
mand the attention Of the world AS well
some little fishing village on Long Island
shore attempt 10 arraign New York. Yet
towns or cities Of Judea than everything
is in commotion. The people 20 out on
picnic, taking only food enough for
day. yet are 80 fascinated
with Christ that, at the risk
OF starving, they follow Him out into
the wilderness. A nobleman fails down
fiat before Him and says: "My daughter
is dead" A boggar tries to rub the dim
ness from his eyes, and says: "Lord, that
my eyes may be opened" A poor, sick,
painting woman presses through the
crowd and says: 81 must tOzlch the hem
of His garment" Children, who love
their mother better than any one else,
struggle to get into Ills arms, and 10 kiss
His cheek, and 10 run their fingers
through His hair, and for ali time putting
Jesus 80 in love with the little ones that
there is hardly a nursery in Christendom
from which He does not take one, saying:
Il must have them; l win fill Heaven
with these, for every cedar that l plant
in Heaven / Will have fifty white lilies.
In the hour whan | WaH a DOOr man in