The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-05-12

be God.
Philosophers say that the law of
gravitation decides everything, and
that the centripetal and centrifugal
forces keep the world from clashing
and from demolition. But Paul says
that Christ's arm is the axle on which
everything turns, and that Christ's hand
is the socket in which everything is set.
Mark the words, Upholding-uphold-
ing all things by the word of his power. ="
Then he must be God
Then look at what Christ says of
himself. Now, certainly every one
must understand himself better than
any one else can understand him. II l
ask you where you were born. and you
tell me, 81 was born in Chester, En-
gland, or, 81 was born IN Glasgow,
Scotland" or, II was born in Dublin.
Ireland" or, Il was born in New Or
leans, the United States" you being a
man of integrity, should believe you.
II l asked you how many pounds you
could lift, and you should say you could
lift 100 pounds, or 200 pounds. or 500
pounds, should believe you. 1t is a
matter personal to yourself. You know
better than any one else can tell You.
II l ask you how much estate you are
worth, and you say $4,000, or $780, 900,
or $500, 900, believe what you say. You
know better than any one else. Now,
Christ must know better than any
one else who he is and what he is.
When ask him how old he is, he SAYS:
Before Abraham was.I am" Abraham
had been dead 2.0as years. Was Christ
:, OBS years old? Yes, he says he is older
than that Before Abraham was.
am" Then Christ says: Il am the
Alpha" Alpha is the first letter of the
Greek alphabet. and Christ in that ut
terance declared: II am the 4 of the
alphabet of the centuries" Then he
must I've a God. Can a man be in thou
sand places at once? Christ says he is
in thousand places at once, Where
two or three are gathered together in
my name. there am in the midst of
them" This everywhereativenes Is
il characteristic OF a man or of God?
And lest we might think this every
whereativeness would cease. he goes on
and intimates that he will be in all the
cities OF the earth-he viii be in Europe,
Asia, Africa. North and South America
the day before the world burns up.
10, am with you Away, even unto
the end OF the world Why, then, he
must be a God.
Besides that, he takes divine honors
lie declares himself Lord of men. angels
and devils Is he? If he is. he Is a
God. II he Is not he is an impostor. \
man comes into your store tomorrow
morning. He says, y an the great
ship-builder of Liverpool; nave built
hundreds of ships" He goes on 20 give
MS experience You defer TO him as 4
man OF large experience and great
possessions. But the next day you find
that he i not the great ship-builder of
Liverpool. that he never built ship,
that he never built anything. What Is
he then? An impostor. Christ says he
built this world: he built all things.
Did he build them? II he did he Is q
God. II he did not he Is an impostor.
\ man comes into your place of bust
ness, with a Jewish countenance and a
German accent, and says: Il am Roths-
child. the banker of London; / have the
wealth of nations in my pocket: /
loaned that large amount to Italy and
Austria in their perpleNity. But after
awhile you find that he has never loaned
any money to Italy or Austria, that he
never had large estate. that he IS no
banker at all. that he owns nothing.
What i ne? An impostor. Christ says
he owns the cattle on thousand hills,
he owns this world. he owns the next
world, he owns the universe. he is the
banker Of all nations. Is he? If he Is
he is 4 God. II he Is not, then he IS an
impostOr.
\ man enters the White house 1T
Washington. He says: Il am Emperor
William. of Germany: l am travelling
incognito; I have come over here for
recreation and pleasure; l own castles
in Dresden and Berlin" But the pres
ident finds out the next day that he is
not Emperor William. that he owns no
castles at Dresden or Berlin. that he
has no authority? What is he? An
impostor. Christ says he is the King
over all, the King immortal, invisible
If he is, he is God. If he is not, he
IS an imPostor.
Strauss saw that alternative, and he
tries to get out of it by saying that
Christ was sinful in accepting adora-
ton and worship. Renan tries to get
out OF it by saying that Christ-not
through any fault of his own, but
through the fault of others-lost his
purity of conscience, and he slyly init
mates that dishonorable women had
damaged his soul Anything but be
lieve that Christ is God.
Now you believe the Bible tO.be true.
II you do not You would hardly have
appeared IN this church. You would
have gone over and joined the Broad
way Infdel club. or you would go to
Boston and kiss the foot of the statue
OF Thomas Paine. You would hardly
come into this church, where the most
OF Us are the deluded souls who believe
in whole Bible and take It all down
as easily as you swallow ripe straw
berry. have shown you what inspired
men said of Christ; have shown you
what Christ said of himself; now if you
believe the Bible. let US go ont and see
his wonderful achievements-surg
alimentary, marine, mortuary.
Surgical achievements: Where is the
medical journal that gives any account
OF such exploits as Christ wrought? he
used no knife. He carried no splints-
He employed no compress. He made
no patient squirm under cauterization-
He tied no artery. Yet behold him.
With a word he stuck fast Malchus'
amputated ear. He stirred little dust
and spittle into a salve and with il
caused man who was born blind, and