The record-union., 1898-12-27

the canvas his highest conception Of
beauty, when the poet has put in his
song his highest conception Of purity,
When the orator has put in his dis
course his highest conception of good
ness, when the architect has put in his
temple his highest conception of
grandeur, all with humbled heart ac-
knowledge that they have failed to
reveal a titha of the beauty and purity,
the goodness and grandeur Of Him
whose perfections fill the universe, and
whose glory is the never-ceasing song
of angels about the throne. On His
head are many crowns.
How do you account for the mar
velous hold that Jesus has on the in
tellect and conscience of the world to-
day? More books have been and are
being written on Him than on any
other problem of human thought. He
who called Himself the Light of the
world" has focused on Himself, on
His teachings, on His person the light
Of the worlds highest learning. "Who
He was, what He was, how and why
He came to be it, are questions that
have not lost and cannot lose their in
terest for US and for mankind" All
students Of history recognize that He
is the mightiest spiritual force that
ever touched these shores of time. His
teachings surpass and lead the great
est intellects of the world. The highest
thing that ethical writer's can say to-
day is, I'VE have the mind of Christ.
The most hopeful fact in the theo-
logical world to-day is the revival of
interest in the person and teaching of
ria SOLE Noo al~-y
that comes from so many hearts is,
tell us who Jesus was, tell us what
He taught. AS the Greeks said to the
disciples, so men are saying to Chris
tan teachers and preachers, "Sirs, we
would see Jesus
1t is impossible to too strongly en-
phasize the fact that the strength and
glory of Christianity is Jesus Christ
Himself. The real gospel are His life
and character. He who would know
Christianity must know Christ Push
your way through all that men have
written on religion and get back to
Christ Himself Turn your thoughts
away from dogmas, theories, creeds,
ordinances, and think of Jesus only.
While you study His miracles and par
ables, His words and works, remember
formed the greatest must ever remain
Himself, since beyond all question the
grandest element in Christianity is
Christ" He Himself is the central
figure and fact of the gospel He taught,
and with Him the entire system stands
or falls. His character proves His di-
vinity. His manhood proves His God
hood. AS you study His life, you are
irresistibly led to the conclusion that
He was not a human character only.
He was more than man. He was the
worlds divine Redeemer. The religious
of Jesus does not rest ON the doctrine
of the inspiration of the Scriptures. or
the doctrine of the atonement, or any
other doctrine. 1t rests on the person
and work of Jesus Himself Jesus al
ways made Himself the object of mems
faith and affection. He drew men 5
thoughts and hearts to Himself He
was the theme of His own sermon: I
am the truth. am the way. I am
the life. 1 am the resurrection. I am
the bread. I am the door I am the
light. Come unto me. Learn Of
me. Follow me. No man cometh
unto the Father but by me.
Without me ye can do nothing.
Religion is devotion to Christ. loyalty
to Christ, likeness to Christ, obedience
to Christ. 1t is Christ in you the
hope of glory." 1t is impossible to
give Jesus too sacred a place on the
altar Of our hearts or too commanding
a place on the throne of our con-
science. He is worthy our highest
reverence and truest worship. In the
hope that I may help you think Alright
of Him, let me speak of His life and
character. You remember the dying
words of Mr.. Standfast in Pilgrim s
Progress: 'I have loved to hear my
Lord spoken Of, and wherever I have
seen the print of His shoe in the earth.
there have I desired to set my foot
also" To walk in His steps. to do
what Jesus would do, is the highest
ethical law and rule of life that men
can conceive.
Jesus built no temple, wrote no
book, reared no monument. He
did His work, taught His truth.
lived His life and passed away.
This was near nineteen hundred years
ago. To-day millions in every part of
the world look to Him as Lord and
SAVIOUR. Men of all religion and men
Of no religion acknowledge His trans
cedent worth. He has no parallel in
history. He stands alone, solitary, in
His greatness and grandeur His teach
ings, example and spirit have been and
are still the inspiration of earth's mob
lest and most beneficent phnantro-
pies. The humane service that man
renders his fellow man is an effort
toward the imitation of Jesus. So
beautiful and perfect is His character
that mankind by universal consent
point to Him as the realized ideal of
humanity Those who withhold divine
honors from Him, acknowledge His
peerless perfections, and admit that if
men ever. become perfect they must
become as Jesus was.
When you call the roll of the world S
great men and ask them what think
ye of Christ, they, with one consent,
unite to crown Him Lord of All. Ten
nyson, speaking for millions, says:
Thou seemst both human and divine,
the highest, holiest, manhood thou
Browning, whose virile intellect tra-
versed all the nights and depths of
the human soul, pays Him divinest
honors
4 say the acknowledgment of God in
Accepted by thy reason solves for thee
All questions in the earth and out of it.
And has so far advanced thee to be wise" "
Ruskin, who did SO much to direct
mems thoughts to the beautiful in the
world of nature and art, consecrated
his highest genius not to ''the study of
the beautiful in face and flower, in
| landscape and gallery, but to an in
depreciation Of the truth and beauty
of Jesus Christ" Carlyle, whose rug
| ged eloquence compelled men to