The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-06-26

y -@N~~-
left the city?" Back they 60 in hot haste,
in and out the streets, in and out the pri
vate houses and among the surrounding
hills. For three days they search and in
ouire, wondering if he has been trampled
under foot Of some Of the throngs or has
ventured on the cliffs or fallen of preci-
pice Send through all the streets and lanes
of the city and among all the surround
ing hills that most dismal sound, "A lost
child! A lost child.' And 10, after three
DAYS they discover him in the great tcaple,
seated among the mightiest reEgionists Of
all the world. The walls Of no'othcr build
ing ever looked down on such scene. A
child twelve years old surrounded by sep
tuagenarians, he asking his own questions
and answering theirs. Let me introduce
YOU to some of these ecclesiastics. This is
the great Rabbiu Simeon! This is the ven
cradle Hillcl This is the famous Shammai!
These are the sons Of the distinguished
Betirah What can this twelve-year lad
teach them or what questions can he ask
worthy their cogitat!on! All, the first time
in ali their lives these religionistS have
found their match and more than their
match. Though SO young, he knew all about
that famous Temple under whose roof they
held that most wonderful discussion of all
history He knew the meaning Of every
altar of every sacrifice, Of every golden
candlestick, of every embroidered curtain,
of every crulnb of shrew bread, of every
drop of oil in that sacred edifcc. He knew
all about God He knew all about man. He
knew all about Heaven, for He came from it
He knew all about this world. for he made
it. He knew all worlds, for they were only
the sparkling morning dewdropS on the lawn
in front of His heavenly palace. Put these
seven Bible words in a wreath of emphasis:
"Both hearing them and asking them Ques-
tions"
Il am not so much interested in the ques-
tions they asked Him as in the questions He
asked them. He asked the questions not to
Cet Information from the dociorS, Iur NJ
knew it already, but to humble them by
showing them the height, depth. and lc:'rtti,
and breadth Of their own ignorance. w hile
the radiant boy thrIsts these Self-couceltcd
philosophers with the Interrogation point,
thev put the forcfnGer Of the right hand 10
the temple as though TO start their thoughts
into more vigor. and then they would wrinkle
their brows and then by absolute silence or
in positive words confess their incapaclty to
answer the iuterrogatory. With any one OF
hundred questions about theology, about
philosophy, about astronomy, ABOUT time,
about eternity, He may have balkei them,
disconnected them. flung them flat. Behold
the boy Christ asking questions, and listen
when your child asks questions. He has the
right to ask them Alas for the stupidity OF
the child without inQuisitiveness. 1t IS
Christ-like to ask questions. Answerthcm II
YOU can. Do not say: Il can't be 1otnereu
now" 1t is Your place 10 be bothered VITA
questions. If You are not able to answer,
surrender. and confess Your lncapacity, as
have no doubt did Rabbin Simeon and HllieI
and Shammai and the sons Of Betirah when
that splendid boy, sitting or standing there
with a garment reaching from neck TO
ankle, apd girdled at the waist, put them
to their very wits end. 1t is no
disgrace to say. Il don't know" The
learned doctors who cnvironed Christ that
day in the Temple did not know or they
would not have asked Him any questions.
The only being in the universe who never
needs to say, Il do not know is the Lord
Almighty. The fact that they did not know
sent kcpplcr and Cuvcr and Columbus and
Humboldt and Herschc! auG Morse and Sir
William Hamilton, and all the other OF the
"OrtQ 444 " liSAA Ai-S 4StAS
explorations Telescope and microscope
! and stethoscope and electric battery, aud all
the scientific apparatus of all the ages are
only questions asked at the door Of mystery
Behold this Nazarene lad asking questions,
giving everlasting dignity to earnest inter
rogation.
Butwhile see the old theologians stand
ing around the boy Christ, am impressed
as never before with the fact thatwhat the
ology most wants is more of childish sim
plicity. The world and the church have
built up immense systems of theology. Halt
| IF them try to tell what God thought what
| God planned, what God did five hundred
million years before the small star On
! which we live was created. | have had