The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1897-08-20
CHRISTS MAGNETISM.
Rev. DR.. Talmage Talks on the
Personality of Christ.
Iils Magnetism Drew Men to Him and His
Methods of Teaching Convinced
His Followers by Its Very
Simplicity.

Dewitt Talmage presents the person
atty of Christ in an unusual manner
/ 1t Is based on the text:
His name shall be called wonderfuL-Isaial
/ ix.,6
The prophet lived in a dark time
| For some 5000 years the world has
been getting worse. Kingdoms had
arisen and persisted. AS the captain OF
a vessel in distress sees relief coming
across the water, SO the prophet, amid
the stormy time in which he lived
put the telescope of prophecy to his
| eye and saw, 100 years ahead, one Jesus
advancing to the rescue. L want
| to show that when Isaiah called Christ
the Wonderful he spoke wisely.
In most houses there is picture Of
Christ Sometimes it represents Him
with face effeminate; sometimes with
face despotic. l have seen Vests
grand sketch of the rejection of Christ;
have seen the face of Christ as cut on
an emerald, said to be by the command
OF Tiberius Caesar; and yet l am con-
WINGED that l shall never know how
Jesus looked until, on that sweet Sab
bath morning, l shall wash the last
sleep from my eyes in the cool river of
Heaven. l take up this book of Divine
photographs and 1 look at Lule's
sketch, at Marks sketch, at Johns
sketch and at Paurs sketch, and l say,
with Isaiah: 'Wonderfulp
l think that you are all interested in
the story of Christ. You feel that lie
is the only one who can help you. You
hav ii r..
commander who helped his passengers
ashore while he himself persisted, but
have you no admiration for Him who
rescued our souls, Himself falling
back into the waters from which lie
had saved us?
Christ was wonderful in the magnet
ism of His person.
After the battle of Antietam, when
n general rode along the lines, al
though the soldiers were lying down
exhausted, they rose with great enthu-
siasm and huzzaed. As Napoleon re-
turned from his captivity his first step
on the wharf shook all the kingdoms,
and 25O, 00J men joined his standard.
1t took >, O1J troops to watch him in
his exile. So there have been men of
wonderful magnetism of person. But
hear me while l tell you of a poor
young man who came up from Nazl-
reth TO produce thrill such as has
never been excited by any other.
Napoleon had around him the mem
cries of Austerlitz and Jena and Bada-
jos; but here was Il man who had
fought no battles; who wore no epau-
lettes; who brandished no sword. lie
is no titled man of the schools, for lie
never went to school. lie had proba-
bly, never seen a prince, or shaken
hands with n nobleman. The only ex-
traOrdinary person we know of as be-
ing in His company was His own
mother, and shs was so poor that in
the most delicate and solemn hour that
ever comes to Il woman's soul she was
obliged to lie down amid camel drivers
grooming the beasts of burden.
/ imagine Christ one day standing in
the streets of Jerusalem. man de-
scended from high lineage is standing
beside him, and says: My father was
a merchant prince; he had castle on
the beach at Galilee. Who was your
father?' Christ answered, Joseph,
the carpenter" A man from Athens is
standing there unrolling his parchment
of graduation, and says to Christ,
where did you go to school?' Christ
answers, Il never graduated" Aha,
the idea of such an unheralded young
man attempting to command the atten-
ton of the world, As well some little
fishing village on Long Island shore
to arraign New York. Yet
no sooner does he set foot in the
towns or cities of Judea than
everything is in commotion. The peo-
pie go out on a picnic, taking only food
enough for the day, yet are so fasci-
mated with Christ that, at the risk of
starving, they follow Him out into the
A nobleman falls down
hat before Him, and says; MY daugh-
ter is dead" a beggar tries to rub the
1imness from his eyes, and says: Lord, |
hat my eyes may be opened" a poor,
,icl1, painting woman pressing through |
he crowd, says. II must touch the |
lem of His garment" Child
'cn, who love their mother |
peter than any one else, |
struggle to get into His arms, and to |
Kiss His cheek, aud to run their fingers |
through His hair, and for all time put |
ing Jesus so in love with the little |
mes that there is hardly nursery in |
Ihristendom from which He does not |
AXE one, saying: Il must have them; |
will fill Heaven with these; for every |
edar that L plant in Heaven l will /
lave so white lilies. In the hour when |
was a poor man in Judea they were |
lot ashamed of Me, and now that l |
lave come to a throne do not despise /
hem. Hold it not back, oh weeping
mother; lay it on My warm heart. OF
uch is the kingdom of Heaven"
What is this coming down the road?
l triumphal procession. He is seated, |
ot in a chariot, but on an ass; and yet
he people take of their coats and
brow them in the way. Oh, what Il
ime Jesus made among the children,
mong the beggars, among the fisher
nen, among the philosophers You
nav boast of self-control but if you
lad seen,Him you would have put your
rms around His neck and said: Thou
rt altogether lovely"
Jesus was wonderful in the opposites
nd seeming antagonism of His nature.
lou want things logical and consist
MT, and you say: How could Christ
e God and man at the same
ime?' John says Christ was the Gre
tor: ''All things were made by Him,
nd without Him was not anything
made" Matthew says that He was
Where two or three
re met together in My name, there
N I in the midst of them" Christ de-
lares His own eternity: Il am Alpha
nd Omega" How can He be a lion,
nder His foot crushing kingdoms,
nd yet lamb licking the hand that
lays Him? At what point do