The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-10-29

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metaphysics, or ethics, or politics, or gov
eminent, 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 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: IAN
eye for an eye, tooth for tooth" In
other words if q man knocks your eye out,
knock his out. il man breaks your tooth,
break his. RetOrt for retort: sarcasm for
sarcasm; irony for irony; persecution for
persecution; wound for wound. Christ
aid: 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: Il bear up the pillars of this world.'
They looked at the moon, He said: Il Will
turn it into blood They looked at the
sea, He said 81 win hush it," They looked
at the stars, He said: Il viii shake them
down like untimely figs" Did ever one SO
young say things 50 bold. 1t was all
against Him.
After the battle of Antietam, when
General rode along the lines, although the
soldiers we're lying down exhausted, they
rose with great enthusiasm and huzzaed
As Napoleon returned from his captivity,
his first step on the wharf shook all king
doms, and two hundred and fifty thousand
men flOclSed to his standard. It 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
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
MnrengO, and Austerlitz, and Jena; but
here was man who had fought no battles,
who wore no epaulets, who brandlshed no
sword. He had, probably, never seen
prince, or shaken hands with a nobleman.
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 merchant
prince he had a castle on the beach in Gal
lice Who was your fatherf" Christ an
swers: Joseph, the carpenter A man
from Athens is standing there unfolding
his parchment Of graduation and says to
Christ: 'sWhere did you go to school ~
Christ answers: Il 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 to
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 go out on a picnic, taking
only food enough for a day, yet are so
fascinated with Christ that, at the risk of
starving, they follow Him into the wilder
ness. A nObleman falls down fat 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 wom-
an presses through the crowd and says
must touch the hem Of his garment -
Children who love their mother better
than any one else struggle to get into
His arms, 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 nursery in
! C4ristendom from which He does not take
one, saying: Il must have them, l will
fill Heaven with these; for every cedar
that plant in Heaven l will have fifty
white lilies. In the hour when l was a
/ poor man in Judea they were not ashamed
| of Me, and now have come to a throne
l do not despise them. Hold it not back,
! o weeping mother. Lay it on Ny warm
/ heart. OF such is the Kingdom Of Heaven
Again, 1 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 complete the organization the
more and complete the success. Here was
one who went forth without any Organiza-
ton and alone If men had a mind to join
! in His company, all right; if they had .
mind not to Join in His company, all we'll
! If they came they were greeted with nc
| loud salutation; if they went away they
were sent with no bitter anathema. Peter
departed, and Christ turned and looked a.
him. That was all.
All this was against Him. Did any one
ever undertake such an enterprise amids
such infinite embarrassments and by sucl
mOdesl And vet am here to say it cndet
in a complete triumph. Notwithstanding
His worldly occupation, His poverty, Hi
plain face, His unpretending garb, the fac
that He was schOOlless, the fact that b,
had brief life the fact that He was no
accompanied by any visible organization
ton which shall be prolonged in everlast
ing chOrals: a. have finished the WOr
Thou gavest me TO do"
See Him victorious over the forces O
nature. The sea is crystal sepulcher. ]
swallowed the Central American, the Pres
dent, the Spanish armada as easily as an
ay that ever floated on it. The inland lake
are fully as terrible in their wrath. Re
ent travellers tell US that Galilee whe
Aroused In q storm is overwhelming, am
get that sea crouched in His presence, ant
licked His feet. He knew all the wave
and the wind. When He beckoned, the
came, When He frowned, they fed. TIT
heel of His foot made no indentatiOn on tn
sOidifed water. Medical science Ia
wrought great changes in rheumatic limb
and diseased blood, but when the muscle
are entirely wfthered, no human power ca
restore them, and when limb is once dea
. il is dead. But here is a paralytic-hi
, hand is lifeless. Christ says to him
"Stretch forth thy hand - and he street.-the
it forth.
In the eve infirmary, how many disease
of that delicate organ have been cured
But Jesus says to one blind: BE open,
, and the light of Heaven rushes thrOug
gates that have never before been opened
The frost of an axe may kill tree, bu
Jesus smites one dead with word. Chen
, istry can do many wonderful things, bu
what chemist at a wedding, when the win
gave out, could change pail of water int
a caslI of wines
What human voice could command
school of fsh2 Yet here is a voice tina
marshals the scaly tribes, until, in plac
; where they had let down the net and raise
IL up with no fish in it, they let it dow
again, and the disciples lay hold and begi
, 10 pull, when, by reason OF the multitud
, Of fish, the net broke
/ Nature is His servant The howers-H
twisted them into His sermons: the wind