Mexico weekly ledger., 1892-03-10
Christianity's Christ.
A SERMON DELIVERED BY REV. A. A.
WALLACE AT THE PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH, MEXICO. NO., ON SUNDAY,
FEBRUARY IA, 1892.

| Every effect has a cause; some-
thing was never begotten of nothing.
Institutions that grow up and be-
come established always have some
vital origin. They are not the pro-
duct of chance. To hold the mind and
thought of men they must have
something more than myths and
legends for their foundations. Here,
now, is the Christian religion
mighty force. For eighteen centu-
rles it has commanded the attention
OF some of the worlds greatest
minds. 1t has changed the whole
| character of life, and confessedly it
stands at the head of all moral
forces in the world to-day. Was
this supremacy gotten by an easy
step along an easy road? No.
Never was an institution fought
more bitterly. Defiant heath
enism, corrupt state, a proud
philosophy, subtle skepticism, a
malignant unbelief, backed by
mans natural hate and scorn, these
all successfully and often conformity
have set themselves to root out
Christianity from the world. And
yet, Christianity is here gathering
strength, moving onward, triumph
ing at every step.
No sun rises but to look upon a
new scene of its progress; no sun
sets without new record of its con-
quest. Where, now, did this great
force come from? "Who founded
such an institution" History
answers the question. Tracing back
the lines with which we find the
last eighteen centuries grooved we
come to man named Jesus. All
acknowledge Him to be the ''center
and SOUP of this religion. Take
Him out of it and you take its
heart out. Apart from Him it can
not exist. So thoroughly and so
absolutely is He in this system OF
religion that it may be truly said,
"What Christianity has done, Christ
has done; what Christianity prom
ises, Christ promises. If Christian
ity brings life, Christ is that life. II
Christianity teaches truth, Christ is
that truth" He is its life and
power.
WHO, THEN, Is HE?
| l. He was man. He was born
as babe-He lived with His par
ents in village that bore an evil
reputation among its neighbors
| He worked at the carpenters trade
and lived much as other men OF
| His time and condition lived. He
ate food as other men. He slept
| He wearied of toll and rested. He
| had the same outward senses as
other men, the same inward feel
J; ings. He sighed, He sorrowed, He
wept, He had special friends. HI
loved children. He honored woman
He respected man. At about the agt
of 80, He quit his carpenters
bench and began to preach. HI
drew much attention and called ou
much opposition. He was brough
at last before the Roman officers
and, though found innocent, deliv
cred to His enemies who took Hin
and crucifed Him. Thus far al
; agree. The historic Christ has un
l doubted place in the world. "Tha
such a being lived and died is n
longer a subject of controversy.
, But was He only a MANI
i II. He was teacher. The ties
timony given by those who wer
his enemies was, "never man spak
:, like this man." His words an
teachings are unlike those of othe
men. There is in every word {
His grandeur and a depth found i
no other speech. ''The civilizatio
n of successive and ever-advancin
S centuries has produced no man t
: speak like this man." There hav
y been other great teachers as well 8
He; there have been other prophet
sent of God to preach great truths
there have been philosophers VIII
enunciated principles grand an
beautiful, but they have all bee
overtaken and passed-their work
have been mastered and the
thought has moved on to fields the
, never entered. But no one h;
ever been in advance of the teachir
of Jesus of Nazareth. His words a
: the same cause for wonder to-da
5 as they were of old, when men sai'
I "Never man spake like this man.
= Hear what one who denies the 81
= pernatural in Christ says of Hin
1 "Try him as we try other teacher
o They deliver their word, find a fe
waiting for the consolation, who 8
cept the new tidings, follow the ne
. method, and soon go beyond the
teacher, though less mighty mine
than he. Such is the case Wi
each founder of a school in philos
II ply, each sect in religion. Thous
,s humble men, we see what Socrat
70 and Luther never saw. But eig
:, teen centuries have passed since Il
r . L ii.