The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-10-13

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~ this view Of Christ shows Him 70 - m
Anftsiy higher and broader than human
ny. As citizen Of this world He wss not
understood. His character was 20 much
higher than that 81 those among whom he
Hvsd that He was misinterpreted- His
nearest relatives and friends could not UNI
derstand Him. He vas the living mystery
Of Palestine. And the testimony OF M
spiraticn itself Is that He Ms taken and
crucifed because be was not understood.
The verdict Of history Is that II - not safs
for man 20 b too far ahead Of his age.
The character Of Christ was 80 far ahead
of His go and His people thst they took
Him and put Him 70 death. II was not
yoesibIe for one 10 come ana live on these
principles ses forth In he text and escape
tbs narrower policies and prejudices OF
our roce.
Here u the sub.imest character of his
tory. In ons unsurpassed transaction He
giyes al His wealth for the meanest of His
creatures. He gives il. too. to the least de-
serving Of Iii HIS creation. To study His
character from this side Of it would re-
quire the deepest philosophy. for il We
would here understand Him we must be
abie 70 weigh HIS motives in the gifts be-
slowed. These are seen TO Be purely I'M
selfish. He does II oil out OF the greatness
and grandeur Of His own nature. 1t Is In
this light that our text brings Him before
Us.
IL. That We may further weigh this
thought, let US attempt 10 approach to
some estimate Of the wealth He left.
Il will aid our conception Of this mat
ter II We can behold the majestic height
from which He stopped. am quite well
aware that We are taken nj great disad-
vantage here from the fact that We find It
difficult to estimate heavenly riches.
We have estimates Of ali the jewels and
gems Of our world. These all have their
market price, and can be bought or sold.
We can estimate the temples OF worship.
their arches and domes. their furniture
and fittings We can set the value upon
any stone. or picture, or srcn. But who
ever thought Of seriously trying 10 set .
value upon one store in the walls Of the
city Of God? Who ever thought Of tying
~ set the real value upon one Of those
gales Of peari7 Could the wealth Of en-
pires suggest to our minds the worth Of
one stone in the foundation OF that heav-
emily temple7 We think not
well, If We cannot estimate one gem
or one & ate Of pearl, how could re ex-
pect 70 60 from palace 10 palace in the city
OF mansions and set values upon these
thrones and dominions? Besides, this vas
the wealth Of many ages that He so freely
gives up for us. DO you think that it would
be lawful for as to try to reach some con-
ception Of the length OF time that this
haSr 81
would carry Ne far back into the depths of
past eternity. And through countless ages
He has been gathering that store. He has
been creating and fashioning into divine
grandeur these unspeakable giories after
His own will.
Then We must add to this the thought
that He was never limited in His resources.
The most mighty men of our world can
only 60 30 far; they can gather only so
much Of this world-in short, they are iim-
tied. But the resources Of the Son Of God
are without limit or bounds. Through all
the unmeasured past He has only had to
speak, and His will has been performed.
Whatever display of glory His infinite mind
might conceive, arose at once in complete
ness before Him. If He wished new worlds
that He might people them with pure and
angelic inhabitants, they came OF His bid
ding. He only needed to will Ii SO and
worlds would fash beneath His radiant
sceptre. At His thought empires and do
minions of light would become peopled
with seraphic iegions, and would add their
songs to His glory. Think Of this one nm
limited in His resources, unbounded in His
love. and having all the eternity Of the past
in svI, fotx - -
His choosing, and then form to yourself
some idea OF what that wealth would be.
What would be the character Of those
worlds of glory What kind of mansions
DO you think He wonId have formed in all
these ages? And II He was forming high
inseliigences after His own matchIess
character to dwell in those mansions,
what must have been the wealth of love
that filed that home of the Savior?
What ranks and myriads of exalted in
telligences must have spread their shining
pinions over plains OF gold. We can no
more estimate that exalted and pure love
that filled all heaven than we can reach
the correct estimate OF that heaven itself,
Yet our text comes to US with the strange
announcement that this prince left all that
wealth, all those riches, and became poor.
he became so poor as to the affairs OF this
world that He could write his autobiography
in these words: The foxes have holes.
and the birds Of the air have nests, but the
son of man hath not where to lay his
head
iii. Let US notice that through this pow
erty is opened to us the royal pathway to
celestial wealth.
THAT ye through His poverty might be
rich.' Riches seem to reach the popular
chord in all lives. The world has wanted
TO find the philosophers stone by which
everything could be turned to gold. Here
is something better. Some one has said
that an Indian chief dancing with joy a.
the finding of new bright feather. and
kepler rejoicing at the discovery of q new
world, is the difference between heathenism
and Christian civilization. The difference
between the English parliament or house
of lords weighing the great questions of
nations. moving armies and navles order
ing gigantic improvements and controlling
great marts of business. and baud of un-
clothed Hottentots sitting on weed mats
and debating the question as to
who shall have the largest slice
of tainted animal, is inst the
difference between having the Gospel of
Christ and not having it. The holy
Scriptures were not given as q treatise
upon the best methods OF developing the
nations, and vet the significant fact is be-
fore us and cannot be disputed. that under
these same principles of this Gospel the
wealth of the nations has sprung up as If
under magic wand. But best of ali, the
Gospel puts the nations to studying the
question as to what is wealth. As to what
is iichesy And anyone has made ad-
vancement and true progress in so far as