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

ne must haTe>t
cles, whether he did or did not work them.
When. having reached manhood, Christ
turned water into wine that was said to be
the beginning Of miracles. But that may
mean that IL was the beginning OF that series
of manhood miracles. In word, think
that the New Testament is only : small
transcript Of what Jesus did and
said. Indeed. the Bible declares posi-
lively that if all Christ did and said
were written, the world would not con-
tain the books. So we are at liberty to be-
lieve or reject those parts Of the apocryphal
gospel which says that when the boy Christ
with His mother passed band Of thieves
He told His mother that TWO Of them, Du-
uachuss and Titus by name, would be the
two thieves who afterwards would expire
on the cross beside Him. Was that more
wonderful than some of Christ's manhood
prophesies? Or the uninspired story that
the boy Christ made a fountain spring from
the roots Of sycamore tree so that His
mother washed his coat in the stream-was
that more unbelievable than the manhood
miracle that changed common water into
marriage beverage2 Or the uninspired story
shst two sick children We're recovered by
bathing in the water where Christ had
washed? Was that more wonderful than
the manhood miracle by which the woman
twelve years complete invalid should have
been made straight by touching the fringe
Of Christ's coat!
In other words, while do not believe
that any of the so-called apocryphal New
Testament is inspired, believe much Of it
Is true; just as believe thousand books,
none Of which are diviuely inspired. Much
Of it was just like Christ Just as certain
as The MAJ aHGSiasiss~EEss the most Of the time
fste.cfng men out Of trouble, think that the
boy Christ was the most of the time getting
boys out Of trouble. l have declared to you
this day a boys Christ. And the world
wants such one. He did not sit around
noping over what was to be OF what was.
From the way in which natural objects un-
wreatheG themselves into his sermons after
he had become man ! concluded there was
not rock or a hill or 4 cavern or a tree for
miles around that he was not familiar with.
in childhood He had cautiously felt
his way down into the caves and
had with 1.-the and agile limb gained poise
On many high tree top. His boyhood was
passed among grand scenery as most all
The great natures have passed early life
among the mountains They may live now
On the fats, but they passed the receptive
iavs Of ladhood among the hills. Among
the mountains of New Hampshire or the
mountains of Virginia or the mountains Of
Kentucky or the mountains Of Switzerland
or Italy or Austria or Scotland. or noun
. tains as high and ragged as they, many Of
sae worlds thrilling biographies began.
: Our Lords boyhood was passed, in a neigh
borhood twelve hundred fEec above
the level of the. sea, and surrounded
bv mountains FIVE or six hundred feet still
higher Before it could shine on the VII
lage.where this boy slept the sun had to
: .linb far enough. up to look oyer hills that
held their heads far aloft. From yonder
height his eye at one sweep took in the mighty
scoop of the vallers and with anorherSweep
took in the Mediterranean sea. and you hear
the grandeur OF the cliffs aud the surge Of
the great waters in his matchless sermonol-
opy One day see that divine boy, the
wind furrving his hair overhis sun Drowned
forehead. standing on Il hilltop looking of
uoon Lake Tiberas. on which at one time.
according to profane history, are not four
hundred but four thousand ships. authors
have taken pains to say that Chrlstwas not
= affected by these surroundings, and that ne
lived from within, lived outward and
independent of circumstances. So far
from that being true, ne was the
most sensitive being that ever walked
the earth. and if pale invalid
weak Enger could not touch His robe with
out strength going out from Him, these
mountains and seas could not have touched
His eye without irradiating His entire nature
with their magnifcence. warrant that
He mounted and explored all the hills
around Nazareth, among them Her1non with
its crystal coronet Of perpetual snow, ard
Carmel and Tabor and Gilboa, and they all
had their sublime echo in after time from the