The weekly sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1886-1887, 1886-10-28

Gans1Orm SIu2gaIu 1nCO q philosopher or q
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 man with no scholastic pretension
and no graduation from 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 mid
life But very few men do anything before
SO 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 occupation or. profession. That will
bring you to 81 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 50 years Of age gets
fully established in his life work he is the ex-
ception. Yet that is the point at which
Christs life terminated
Men in military life have done their most
wonderful deeds before 80 years Of age. There
derful exploits in military proves have oc-
CURED before SO years of age. But as legis-
lator-no man becomes eminent as a legisla-
tor until he has had long years of experience
And yet the graybearded scribes were OK
pected to bow down in silence before this
young legislator, who arraigned sanhedrins
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 child, 10 years Of
age, should get up in your presence to dis
cuse greet questions of metaphysics. or ethics,
or politics, or government you would not be
more contemptuous than these graybearded
scribes in the presence of this young Christ.
Popular opinion declared in those days,
BLESSED is the merchant who has castle
down on the banks Of Lake Tiberias.s This
young man said, BLESSED are the poor. Popu-
lar opinion said in those days, BLESSED are
those who live amid statuary, and fountains,
and gardens, and congratulations, and all
kinds of festvity." This young man responded,
BLESSED are they that mourn" Public opin-
ion in those days said, BLESSED is the Roman
eagle, the flap Of whose wings startles nations,
and the plunge of whose iron beak inf1icts
cruelty upon its enemies" This young man
responded, BLESSED are the merciful" Popu-
lar opinion said, "An eye for an eye, a tooth
for a tooth" In other words, if man knocks
your eye out, knock his out. II a man breaks
your tooth, break his. Retort for retort; sar-
casm for sarcasm; irony for irony; persecu-
ton 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 speak
ing. They felt his hand, made of bone and
muscle and nerves and flesh, just like any
other hand. Yet what bold treatment of sub
jects, what supernatural demands, 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: az 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 bolds It was
ali against Him.
After the battle of Antietam, when a gen
eral rode along the lines, although the soldiers
were lying down exhausted, they rose with
great enthusiasm and huzzaed. AS Napoleon
returned from his captivity, his first step on
the wharf shook all the kingdoms, and two
hundred and fifty thousand men focked to
his standard. It took three thousand troops
to watch him In his exile. So there have been
men Of wonderful magnetism of person. But
hear me when tell you of poor young man
who came up from Nazareth to produce a
thrill which has never been excited by any
other. Napoleon had around him the mem
cries of Marengo, and Austerlitz, and jena;
but here was a man who had fought no bat
ties, who wore no epaulettes, who brandished
no sword. He had, probably never seen a
prince, or shaken hands with a nobleman
1 imagine Christ day standing in the
streets of Jerusalem. A man descended from
high lineage is standing beside Him and SAYS:
"My father was a merchant prince, he had a
castle on the beach in Galilee. Who was
your father!" Christ answers: Joseph, the
carpenter" A man from Athens is stand
ing there unrolling his parchment of gradua-
lion and says to Christ: "Where did you go
TO schools" Christ answers: II never gradu-
ated" Aha! the idea of such an unheralded
young man attempting to command the at
tention of the world! As we'll some little fish,
ing village on Long Island shore attempts to
arraign New York Yet no sooner does He
set His foot in the towns or cities of Judea
than everything is lin commotion. The
people go out on picnic, taking
only food enough for day, yet are so
fascinated with Christ that, at the
risk of starving, they follow Him out into
the wilderness. A nobleman falls down fiat
before him and says: my daughter is dead -
A beggar tries to rub the dimness from his
eyes, and says: Lord, that my eyes may be
opened" A poor, sick, painting woman
presses through the crowd and says: II must
touch the hem of His garment" Children
who love their mother better than any one
else struggle to get into His arms, and to kiss
His cheek, and to run their fingers through
His hair, and for all time putting Jesus so in
love with the little ones that there is hardly
g. nursery in Christendom from which He
does not take one, saying: Il must have them.
1 will fill heaven with these; for every cedar
that plant in heaven 1 will have fifty white
lilies In the hour when 1 was a poor man
in Judea they were not ashamed of me, and
now that I have come to throne l do not
despise them. Hold it not back, o weeping
mother! Lay it on my warm heart Oh
such is the kingdom of heaven"
Again, I remark, there was no organiza
ton in His behalf, and that was against Him
When men propose any great work they band
together, they write letters of agreement, they
take oaths of fealty; and the more and com
plete the organization the more and complete
the success Here was one who went forth
without any organization and alone. If mer
had mind to join in His company all right
If theY had q mind not to ioiu in His com