The times., 1899-12-25
THE WONDERFUL CHRIST.
Rev. II. II. NayIor's Discourse at the
NICK INenhrcc Church.


Rev. Henry r. NaylOr. D. D., pastor Of
the McK6ndree NJ E. Church, on Massa-
chusetts Avenue. took fer his sermon al
yesterday mornings services the text from
Isaiah, ike, The Wonderful Christ, and
said in the course OF his sermon:
Wonderfulness pervades everything We
know Of Jesus Christ. The humble birth
place, the beckouing star. the visit and
offerings of the wise men, are all remarka-
bic. And Let not modezty rob us of that
still more remarkable clement CT wonder
fulrSss-a virgin mother ana a cEildless
fatEsT. And does not ths growing notoriety
Of this humble birth fiji US with surprise
How many Of Us today remember the birth
c@te Of any enc Of the Caesars, Alexander
Napoleon, cr Englands greatest queen?
But tomorrow in almost every land and
tongue the praises Of this obscure child Of
Bethlehem viii be sung.
Christ was Tire world 5 greatest teacher.
He spoke as n-v1r man spake He was the
example and teacher of th7 majesty OF gen
t-zrsss; this wGs the worlds most ueaded
lczzor. When he was reyiled, he reviled
r-5 again The cd Law szid: An eye
for an eye and a tooth for tooth, but he
saiG: Resist not evil If thirie enemy
should smite thes on Gre cheek turn to him
ihe other also and I, if / should be lifted
up, will draw all men unto me See him
before PLATE, and all around him Is strife
haired. unrest; but he Stands On the centre
Of it ala king CT majestic gentlensz5 s1i
love. They spat upon kim. they taurced
him. they crowned him with thorHs, but
hs is stiIi the genie lamb OF God And in
the Givinest passion dying upon the cross.
he utteTs the prayer 'Father. forgive them,
for they know not whet they d. He came
TO show US the Father. and t.-Es is Gcd's
greatest greatness. Creation, nature, pToyi-
dence, and grace all proclaim to the think
ing mind the grandeur Of Gods gentle
ness.
Seeming interruptions come, but they
arc only like pebbles thrown into the
strong stream, whose waters are interrup-
ted for moment and then flow on quite as
rapidly as before. So the blunders of man
seemingly interrupt Gods great provi-
6ences, but they merely ripple the surface
Of the stream of history for an hour OF a
day. Gods great gentle forces go on carry
ing out the Divine purposes. Ard this is
Christ's method of saving Leaving the
human viii unTameled he pleads. he be-
sCeches. he intercedes. Come unto me is
the word 10 every fallen one; and his
gentleness wins when everything e.se
has failed
He only teaches what Christianity is
hellglOu existed betUil tQTlSi came bat IL
was simply a religion OF restraint. The
sum total of II was Thou shalt not Il
was a professed insurance Of future lie
Christ came. teaching that Christianity had
more to do with this life than that which is
to come. u is not creed simply but a
spirit-a life here. A man may repeat t-e
Apostles Greed seventy five years, once
every day. and vet may never be able 10
say with his heart / know whom [ have
believed, and, / am persuaded that he is
able to keep nat which ! have committed to
him against that day.
But the wOHdeTIulness is seen in the
divine man and the glory OF his life Be
hold the man is good motto. Ee is the
highest ideal of manhood Men may. and
o., criticise the grandest men that have
lived. the best books that have been writ
ten the best deeds that have been d)Le
the wiseEt laws that have been made and
the best preachers Thar have ever preacEed,
but criticism IS dumb in the majestic pres
ence Of Christ He is the one altoge her
lovely; the fairest among ten thousand.
He is the light and glory OF the gosTeL
1 The Bible is of value only as it points to
him, and the cor0Bct Of his life Is sacri-
fee. Men tell us that the gospel is an old
old story; the preachers sermon is an old
old message; religion is an old old song;
and yet the heart OF the great family OF
man listens 10 the story and the song. and
ever and anon confesEes that the old, old
story has brought him new life