The Russellville Democrat., 1889-06-20

ueugSf Guu lOokeu out or the emDFasuTeS of the fortress, and drank from the wells, and chased the butterflies which traysl- CTS say have always been o.c of the flit- ting beauties of that landscape, and talked with the strange people from Damascus, and Egypt and Sapphoris, and Syria, who in caravans or on foot passed through His hAigh- borhood, the dogs kafking at their ap- proach at suntown. As afterward He was 9 perfect man, in the time of which speak He was perfect boy with the spring of boys foot the sparkle of boys eye, the rebound Of boy's life and just the opposite of those juveniles who sit atcand morbid and unelastic, old men at ten. I warrant He was able to take His own part and 10 take the part of others In that village of Nazareth am certain there was what is fcusld in all the neigh borhoods of the earth, that terror of chil- dren, the bully, who seems born to strike, to punch, to bruse, to oyerpower the less muscular and robust.
 The Christ who afterward in no limited terms denounced hypocrite and Pharisee, l w9rrahh never let such juvenile villain impose upon less vigorous childis5cd and yet go unscathe8 shd undefended. At ? underlings, as lie was at thirty and thirty three. I want no further inspired or uninspired information to persuade me that He was a splendid boy. eraalahe boy, the grandest holieet mightiest boy of all the ages. Hence I commend Him as boys Christ. What multitudes be- tween ten and fifteen years have found Him out as tho one just suited by Ills swn personal experience td hslp any boy. Let the world look out how it treads on a boy, for that very moment it treads on Christ. You strike boy, you strike Christ; you insult boy, you insult Christ; you cheat boy, you cheat Christ, It is an awful and in- finite mistake 10 come as far as manhood without a Christ when here is 9 boy Christ. That was one reason, l suppose, that Jonathan Edwards, afterward the greatest American logician and preacher ol his time, became a Christian at seven years of age; and Robert Hall, who after ward shook Christendom with his sacred eloquence, became Christian at twelve years of agei and Isaac Watts, who diA yided with Charles Wesley, the dominion of holy song became a Christian at nine years Of age, and if in any large religious assemblage it were asked that all the men and women who learned to love Christ before they were fifteen years of age would please lift their right hand, there would be enough hands lifted to wave Q coronation, What is true in re- ligious sense is true in secular sense. Themistoeles amazed his school-fellows with talent which in after years made the world stare. Isaac Newton, the boy, by driving pegs in the side of 0 house to mark the decline of the sun, evidenced B disposition towards the experiments which afterwards showed the nations how the world swings. Robert Stephen son, the boy, with his kite on the con- mons experimented with electric currents and prophesied work which should yet make. him immortal. ''Get out of my way?" said rough man to boy, ''get out of my way What are you good for, anyhow" The boy answered: They make men out of such things as we are" Hear it, fathers, mothers! Hear it, phi lanthropists and patriots; hear it, all the young! The temporal and eternal des. tiny of the most of the inhabitants of this earth is decided before fourteen years of age. Behold the Nazareth Christ, the village Christ, the country Christ, the boy Christ.
 But having shown you tue Divine lad in the fields, must show you Him in the mechanics shop. Joseph, His father, died very early, immediately after the famous trip to the Temple, and this lad had not only to support Himself, but SUD- port His mother, and what that is some of you know. There is a royal race of boys on earth now doing the same thing. They wear no crown, They have no pur- pie robo adroop from their shoulders The plain chair on which they sit is as much unlike a throne as any thing you can imagine. But God knows what they are doing and through what sacrifices they go, and through all eternity God will keep paying them for their filial behavior. They shall get full measure of reward, the measure pressed down, shaken to- gether and running over. They have their example in this boy Christ taking care of His mother. He had been taught the carpenters trade by His father, The boy had done the plainer work at the shop, while His father had put on the finishing touches of the work. The boy also cleaned away the chips and blocks and shavings. He helped hold the differ ent pieces of work while the father
 
 kinds of mechanics, and the work is di- vided up among them. But to be a car penter in Christs boyhood days meant to make blows, yokes, shovels, wagons, ta- bies, chairs, sofas, houses and almost every thing that was made.
 Fortunate was it that the boy had learned the trade, for, when the head of the family dies, it is grand thing to have tloo ols ,l.f tf tnlr pf al afi help take care of others. Now that Joseph, His father, is dead and the re- sponsibility of family support comes down on this boy, I hear from morning till night His hammer pounding, His saw vaoillating, His axe descending, His gim- lets boring and standing amid the dust and debris of the shop l find the perspira ton gathering on His temples and notice the fatigue of His arm. and as He stops a moment to rest I see Him panting, His hand on His side, from the exhaustion. Now He goes forth in the morning loaded with implements of work heavier than any modern kit of tools. Under the tropical sun Hs swelters. Lift ing, pulling, adjusting, cleaving, splitting all day long. At nightfali He goes home 10 the plain supper provided by His mother and sits down too tired to talk. Work work work You can not tell Christ any thing now about blistered hands, or aching ankles, or bruised fingers, or stiff joints, or rising in the morning as tired as when you laid down. While yet a boy He knew it all, He felt it all He suffered it all. The boy carpenterl The boy wagon -makerl The boy house -builderl o, Christi we have seen Thee when full grown in Pilates police court room; we have seen Thee when full grown Thou were assassinated on Golgotha, but o, Christ, let all the weary artisans and mechanics of the earth see Thee while yet undersized and arms not yet musculari2ed, and with the undeyeloped strength of juvenescence, trying to take Thy fathers place in gain ing the livelihood for he family.
 But, having seen Christ the boy of the nal6s and ina how in ina fnaehaufqJs sbOn