The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-05-01
The DIVINITY OF CHRIST.
Sermon at the Morning Services in
ST. Peters Church by Rev.
F. I. Webb
Bone of tho Graces Which Jesus
Embodied and Set Up for
Imitation.
Hts was not Only an Absolutely Natura
Lie but an Absolutely Origt-
nal Ono.

At the morning services Yesterday at 81.
Peters, Rev. +. Il. Webb. the rector, de-
livered tho following aermon on "Ihe Sel1
Assertion of Our Lord; an Argument fof
His Divinity" tho text being from st.
John xvii: 10: "All Mine are Thine. and
Thine are Nine"
A Roman nobloman is said to have ex-
pressed the wish shat the house III WHOM ne
lived wee glass. that every passer by might
see the purity of his life. Would thas we
MIGHT dare express the same wish concern
ing the habitation. the robe of flesh Ill
which the soul dwells! On the contrary Is
not tho aim generally to got such a mas
terv of the frame, the c~ounteEance. the
rhvsieal movements that the real thoughts
and feelings may be DISCUSSES. n Wna'-
aver emotions are awakened, regulated so
"A to conform to some artificial STANDARD OF
taste? Ordinary social culture. in other
words, concerns itself solely with she e3'
terror. But the true idea is to be rather
than to seem. Christian culture deals
with character. 1t works until the soul Is
40 dominated by q genuine unaffected love
of God and man that all the outward &C
tions and every visible movement and emo
tion are an expression of the divinest char
ity. And is not this the natural way!
.'Woe to him. says some one. whose life
has no second childhood. which Is the
homecoming through reason and expert
ence to what was once his oy
instinct" What but a statement IN
different language is this of our LORDS
own assertion. Except ye beeome as little
children ye shall not enter into the king
dom of heaven?" And by the same method
the striking diversity in the interest, qu.l-
tiles and capacities of individuals is pre-
served, For "to be original" again. Car
lvle SAYS, 'is to be sincere" For the ex'
qualification of these qualities Turn to the
life Of Jesus.
Is the perfection Of his character more
observable than its crystalline transpar-
ency2 Do We not get the impression from
The portraitures Of his wonderful person
Atty in every scene and episode that MS
eountenance mirrored; every emotion OF his
soul, that neither his righteous indignation
was repressed nor his appreciation OF the
feeblest display of goodness withheld! II
hs we're disappointed did he not show ~ 7
Overcome with loneliness did he not ask
for companionship? Do we deem it weak
ness In him that his sympathy with human
sorrow. On one memorable OCCASION, or his
pity for the doom OF the beautiful city
should find relief in tears? His outer and
inner life were one. 1t was not only an
ahsolutely natural life, but an absolutely
sincere and original one. unconventional
then. a. IL would be now by the fact of lts
unparalleled honesty. In contrast with this
honesty of Christ's, which is never dis
puted, with his integrity, which no one has
ever thoughs of i%mpugning,. let one
place his continued elt-as;e e tba
text, I do this for the sake of getting this
morning a view of the divine side OF his
nature, for the sake of stating a familiar
and often repeated. one of the many argu-
ments for his divinity.
The first phase Of his self assertion is
negative. Is there a standard of morality
anywhere lifted higher than his? His
teaching not only concentrates into the
short code delivered from the mount every
wise and good thing said elsewhere IN any
system of ethics. but goes imneasurably
beyond and stops only at the perfection OF
the infinite. There are examples OF the
morality Of q whole people outRroWlna
their religion, but so high and holy is the
ideal of duty which Jesus describes. that
with all the progress the world is making
va can only feel that we are slowly advano-
ing towards what is yes a long way OH
Was Jesus blind to the subIimity of hi
doctrine? Among the graoes which he boil
embodied and set up for imitation wert
humility, lowliness, modesty.
These indeed are sometimes held to oc
cupy q place of exaggerated Importance IL
the Christians conception OF a rerfec
character. At all events Boosting of an,
kind, the putting forth of ~pretenslons f.
unusual piety. or ability. or worth. are un
spArinQly condemned by the whole tenor o
Significant; Jesus gives no sign other
wise than that he is worthy t
proclaim aud able TO reach the complet
measure of his heavenly message. Note tn
bearing of the best and at the Same tim
the sternest of the ancient prophets. Ho'
they confess themselves under the denun
citation which they utter against Others
They declare that they are weak ard ar
overwhelmed by tho humiliating contras
between their own ilnperfection and tn
truth they proclaim. Woe is me p ex
clnims one. 'for ! am undone, because al
a man Of unclean lips and dwell IN tn
midst Of a people of unc!ean lips WheI
for the feet of the unw8rv over the who!
earth and asked despai' inp!y. who ca
pass safely over these?" a voice answered
'humility alone" out surely among God
people now there are none who confess wit
more heartfelt sincerity. I'VE have ere
md strayed from thy ways like lost sheep.
thar those who are most like him, who's
spiritual perception is the olea' est OF Chris
and his holiness. Yet think of Jesus. Ill
claim, was it not tr~emendous2 His pr
tension, if such it was. awful? But who
is there a trace in any saying of his of
~consciousness % persona Rinl In no il
stance does he confess it. He asks for I
pardon. In his closest Intimacy with Il
father. whether in secret communion or
organizing prayer, he makes
~nllusion to a possible fault. How seve
his caetigation OF the Phariseee! Hc
terrible his a~rraignment of their hypocris
Is there any ground for the inference tn
the lash touched him? They stand aroui
him full Of hatred and rags and he CHI,
lenpes them. Which of you" he ask
''conyinceth me of sin?" Aud there Is II
word from them in answer. What CO
cluslon must We drawn He il the me
and lowly in soul." Is the self-asserti
of his sinlesaness less strong because tn
implied
Join with this another characteristic. "a
taught aa one having authority What
the resort when the authorities upon n
subject disagree? No one attempts to 81
tain his opinion upon the disputed point
the weight of his assertion alone. 10
own reasoning hs AIDA the appeal to ole
authorities. And the Hebrew prophet q
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