The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1886-11-25

still. But it shocked all existing prejudices
In those olden times for a 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
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. If 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 were 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. If 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 y Dung Christ.
Popular opinion declared in those days !:
| "Blessed is the merchant who has castle
down on the banks of Lake Tiberias.n This
young man said: BLESSED are the poor,n
| 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. y
| This young man responded: BLESSED are
| the merciful." Popular opinion said: IAN
| eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" In
other words, if 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 worlds
| They looked at the moon, He said: II will
| turn it into blood" They looked at the
| sea, He said: ST viii hush itn They looked
| at the stars, He said: 81 will shake them
down like untimely figs" Did ever one so
young say things so bolda 1t was all
against Him.
| After the battle Of Antietam, when a
General 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 king
dems, and two hundred and fifty thousand
men hoclzed 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
tell you OF 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 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 father2" Christ an
| svers: "Joseph, the carpenter" A man
| from Athens is standing there unfolding
his parchment of graduation and says to
Christ: "Where did you go to school2n
Christ answers: 81 never graduated )"
Anal 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 picnic, taking
only food enough for day, vet are so
fascinated with Christ that, at the risk of
starving, they follow Him into the wilder
ness. 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 wom-
an 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, 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
Christendom from which He does not take
one, saying: 81 must have them. I will
NIL Heaven with these; for every cedar
that plant in Heaven will have fifty
white lilies. In the hour when 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.
. weeping mother. Lay it on NV warm
heart OF such is the Kingdom of Heaven. %
Again, remark, there was no organize
/ 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