The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-06-25
LOO STUDENTS HEARD
REV. LEIGH breaches THE BAG
CALAUREATE AT STATE NORMAL.
Sermon on Christ as the ''<ingiicst
Moral Teacher of All Ages" That
Was Impressive.
pecial to the indianapolis Journal.


not been the custom TO have a baccalau-
reate sermon as part of the graduating
exercises at the State Normal School, but,
beginning with this year, there will be
sermon on the Sunday preceding COM
Increment. The sermon to-day was
preached by the Rev. DR.. S. V. Leech.
pastor of Centenary NJ. E. Church, to an
immense audience in Assembly Hail. About
LOO students attended. The subject was
Christ; the kingliest Moral Teacher of
the Ages" DR.. Leech selected for his text
the remark of Nicodemus TO Christ, ''Rab-
bi. we know that Thou art a teacher come
from God" He spoke for an hour and in
the course of his discussion said that the
centuries had produced moral teachers of
celebrity Students have hung on their ut
terances with gratitude and rapture. lie
spoke of Moses, Sakya Mount, Confucius,
Zoroaster, Socrates and later instructors.
He pictured Nicodemus receiving his first
lesson in the philosophy of salvation from
this teacher from God Tradition tells"
he said, that the splendor of Christs feat
ures baffied the attempt of Roman artist
to paint His face. No orator or essayist
can do justice to the character and life
work of the great teacher of the nations
Dr. Leech first discussed the proposition
that Christ is the solitary moral teacher
who has claimed divinity of origin. He
said: Before the senior archangel was
CT Gated He had self-existence. The New
Testament writer's say 'Ecce Deus as fire.
quently as they say 'Ecce Homo They
shower on Him divine titles. The speak
er enumerated the natural attributes and
moral PROJECTIONS of the supreme God that
are lavished on Jesus by the authors of the
epistles; the series of brilliant miracles per-
formed by Jesus in attestation of His d.
vine claims. The doctrinal edifice of Chris
tianity would crumble into ruin If its
foundation, which is the deity of the Christ
OF history, be annihilated. Christianity
stands or falls with the response truth
gives to the imperial question. What think
we of Christ? AS the Roman Senate early
enthroned Him over Jupiter as the supreme
God of the Roman Empire, Christian
scholarship early marshaled overwhelming
proofs OF His divinity and continues TO
crown Him with the chaplets of deity. AS
at the coronation of George III, all of the
peers laid at his royal feet their subor-
dinate diadems, so Christian denomina tons
VII continue. with Perronet, to Crown
Christ surpassss all other moral teach
ers in His wealth of information. celestial
latiVe Importance of His themes. He al
ways claimed that He spoke by direct au-
thority of God and held an embas sadorial
relation TO the human race. His statements
are wonderful along these lines. Every
thought. word and action was under posi-
announced His divine union with the
Father. The connection between solar light
and the sun is not SO direct as that exist
Fathers throne. He is the solitary par
sonage of history, having divine corporal
paternity. The New Testament sparkles
influence of the Divine Spirit from His
baptism to His ascension. The theories
taught by the founders Of Oriental
fO1 CHI f6A inf irrttx -
their E0"S subjects SGeu and the compaP
parative ignorance of their creators. The
great Newton spoke for universal human
Playing on the shore of the infinite ocean
OF knowledge and occasionally finding a
binary beauty. The most INDUSTRIOUS teach
er of any century has only presented TO
forn az c9s from c, Of ro f7
an eternal Niagara of truth But Jesus
knew all things. In Him Paul says the
hid. He repeatedly read the thoughts of
| Els auditors. Each fact of existing truth
mental Vision of the Christ a as human fea
| ures lie on the FURNISHED face Of the mir
| ror they confront. Back of His words lay
| To this kingliest teacher of time earth
| greatest minds have gone for authoritative
HING around the tenporal and eterna rels
| tonships Of men. The creations of other
teachers are read by the few, and their
| OF Christ are read in two hundred Ian
| gdages by half Of the population of the
| world. while His name wins the acclama-
| tons of angels and men. His name sur
| passes all others in literature, and supreme
| jlIrists regard His ethics as beyond al
Christ is the only moral teacher who
| has completely exempltied his doctrines
| or placed before the world a faultless ex-
| in the characters and defects in the con-
| duct Of even such eminent teachers as
c Christ life ali conceivable graces blended
| as tremendously as the seven colors In the
rainbow. He stands UNIQUE as the mode
| man of the race. He breathed the at.
nosphere of interrupted sanctity Each
| virtue stood out in full maturity and took
irs position in the splendid constellation
| lenged His enemies to name a flaw in His
S1anh i;, or wrong In His his conduct df
| Richter Goethe Rousseau. Carlyle Renar
| and Strauss, have lavished eloquent eulo
| efes on His perfect example. At His bap
| tism, and as He approached His cross the
Divine Father opened the ETHEREAL curtains
| and said to the people: This is my be
The Influence and utterances of no other
| teacher have occasioned such individual
social. domestic. political. educational, ma
| tional and moral transformations amone
rnen. He traversed the splendid triumph:
Of Christianity in overthrowing idolatry
PSSiIygpamgy slavery the a5
illiteracy. Like the famous Duke of MARI
| borough. it has never lost a campaign
| Like Edward. the Black Prince IL ma.
| never seen defeat perching on its banners
! Its final coronation is the religion OF tn
world Christianity will yet give to ever,
| American city pure municipal admins
| tratiOn and interrupted ballot boz
| IT will annihilate the liquor traffic. 1t vii
| vet bring to the bridal altar of permanen
| wedlock capital and labor Diogenes CLOSED
his academy that he might sit at the fee
| of the great teacher. Socrates. In the fou
| gospels speaks the divine man with author
| ity Pay Hin, the divine honor He de
| inands. Let His holy image grace eacl
| endowment Interlace Hts example an,
! ethics with your personal and professiona
| life May the future of each graduate, an
! of all this vast assemblage, echo the &c
| lestial anthem Worthy is the lamb tina
was slain 10 receive power, and riches, an
| wisdom. and strength. and honor, an'
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