Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1897-12-15
IF CHRIST SHOULD CONE TODAY
WHO Would Rece we HIM and Who Would
crucIfy Him?

Every age has its special vices q
wei. as its special reIgious develoE
ment The past centuries were often
marked by great fame, aud sometimes
great fortunes acquired by military
triumphs. Eut there at least was TINS
redeeming feature that thu dsspoilers
had the manhood to risk their lives and
persons on the battle field. This age
is marked by the accumulation. of still
Yaster fortunes, but 1t is done without
personal risk, without herOIsm, by the
wholesale deprivation and spoliatiOn of
the masses Of the people-the creators
of this wealth-in the interest of a rev
combinations of capital.
DO you think that if Christ came to-
day He would be better received in this
so-called Christian age and land
than He was in Judea nineteen centu-
ries ago? Remember that He was
carpenter and His apostles were poor
laborers and fishermen. Suppose some
obscure carpenter, in this day and gen
Grafton, accompanied by such complain
IONS, should go about the country de-
nouncing the robberles of the rich and
corruption in high places; suppose he
should say that salvation could only be
mad by believing in him and that 1t was
more possible for a camel to pass
through the eye of a needle than for
rich man to enter the kingdom Of God;
suppose such a one should enter your
rich churches, where the preacher, re-
clining on soft cushions, offer incense
and adulation to the millionaire bond
holders, gorged with the wealth they
have illegally wrung from the people,
| and with his knOtted cord should
| scOurge those ministers and those wor-
shippers Of Mammon from these tenn
| pies erected to God, how would he fare?
| Suppose he should teach the naked Cos
pei as Christ Taught it, that wealth con-
fers no privileges but imposes great
| duties and responsibilities. Suppose
further that when these men who daily
rob whole people of their just earn
lngs shall be wont to give a hundred
dollars here. thousand yonder, a mil
lion to this hospital, two millions to
yonder college, and every time they
thus give back a small part of their
stealings they should cause every news.
paper in the land to proclaim their
| magnificent generosity, and that this
obscure carpenter, with his barefooted
! followers, should denounce such hypo-
crites,as he of Nazareth did those in his
day, who, in like manner, when they
gave their aims, had trumpet blown
before them; and suppose that obscure
man who was no respecter Of persons
had aroused their fears as we'll as their
hate by his miracles, which should
cause the COMMON people to hear him
gladly, and W at, L ask, would this
generation do 70 such man? If il did
not cruelty him, II would be only be-
i.se ot the lnflueuce of his Teachings
which in the lapse OF nineteen cent?
RI ss have given the Ii .sses a power
they di q not possess in Judea. The
millionaires aud their tools, the preach
ers that worship them; the papers.
whether church or secula-, that DEFY
them, and all the other followers Of
MammOn would hate Christ, as those
other rich men hated Him in the coasts
of Jordan and Galilee nineteen centu
ries ago and as they today really hate
everyone who truly teaches His sayings
in their purity. If the rich syndicates
and trusts and other robbers Of the
people of this day and their toadles and
benefciarles were not allowed to cru
city Christ they would wish to do it.
They would surely hale him into prison
and denounce Him and His followers
as anarchists, socialists, and commu-
I nists.
is not this true, men and brethren?
IT Christ came today, who would re-
ceive, and who would cruelty HImr
Have you ever thought about it? The
pure minded little children would re-
ceive Him. They did so when He came
nineteen centuries ago. Suffer little
children to come unto me for of such is
the kingdom of heaYen.'' Then the
good women of this land would gladly
receive Him. And so they did nine
teen centuries ago.
mot she with trait'rous kiss her Master stung
Not she denied Him with unfaithful tongue.
She, when apostle fled, could danger brave
Last at His cross and first at His grave"
There are dancing daughters of He
rodias and other women wrapped up in
self and the deceitfulness of riches now
as then, but now as then all good WON
en- would gladly follow Him. And
then among the men He would recrul,
His followers just as Of old, for 'the
common people heard Him gladly. .
They whose faces are darkened by the
searching glances of the sun and Their
hands hardened by toll would figure
largely among His followers. And sc
would the honest men of whatever pro-
fessiOn and whatever calling who are
striving for modest competence and in
whose hearts the greed of gold has moi
burnt out all traces of humanity and
fair dealing and of that divinity which
should be within u.s." But not many
mighty nor many rich shall be called
Il was so of old. They who form great
sJndicates and trusts to rob the people
and they who gather where others have
sown, would be foremost among those
| who WOuid crucifv Him For If woe