The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-05-31
In those days said, Blessed is the Ro-

in those days said, blessed Is the Ro-
man eagle, the flap of whose wing
startles nations and the plunge Of
whose iron beak inlicts cruelty upon
Its enemies" This young man re-
sponded, Blessed are the merciful."
Popular opinion said, "An eve for an
eye, a tooth for TOOTH" In other
words, If a man knocks your eye out
knock his out. II a man breaks your
tooth break his. Retort for retort, sar-
casm for sarcasm, irony for irony, per-
secution for persecution, wound for
wound. Christ said, pray for them
that despitefully use you" They look
/ ed at his eye. 1t was like any other
mans eye, except perhaps more
speaking. They felt his hand, made
OF bone and muscle and nerves and
flesh, just like any other hand. Yet
what bold treatment of subjects, what
supernatural demands, what strange
doctrine! They felt the solid earth
under them, and yet Christ said, II
bear up the pillars of this world" They
! looked at the moon. He said, II will
turn it into Blood They looked at
the sea. He said. II will hush it."
They looked at the stars. He said, 81
will shake them down like untimely
figs" Did ever one so young say
things so bold? 1t was all against
him.
/ After the battle of Antietam, when
a general rode along the lines, al
though the soldiers were lying down
exhausted, they rose with great en-
thusiasm and huzzaed. AS Napoleon
returned from his captivity his first
step on the wharf shook all the king
doms. and 250,0O0 men focked to his
standard. 1t took 5000 troops to
watch him in his exile. So there have
been men of, wonderful magnetism Of
| person. But hear me while tell you
of poor young man who came up
from Nazareth to produce thrill
which has never been excited by any
other. Napoleon had around him the
memories of Marengo and Austerlitz
and Jena, but here was man who had
fought no battles, who wore no epaul-
cts, who brandished no sword He had
probably never seen prince or shak-
en- hands with a nobleman. The only
extraordinary person we know of as
being in his company was his own
mother, and she was so poor that in
the most delicate and solemn hour
that comes to woman's soul she was
obliged to lie down among drivers
grooming the beasts of burden.
The Question of Lineage.
/ imagine Christ one day standing in
the streets of Jerusalem. A man de-
scended from high lineage is standing
beside him, and says: my father was
a merchant prince He had castle On
the beach in Galilee. Who was your
father?" Christ answers, Joseph, the
carpenter A man from Athens is
standing there unrolling his parch-
ment of graduation and says to Christ.
Where did you go to school?" Christ
| answers, II never graduated" Aha
the idea of such an unheralded young
man attempting to command the at
tention of the world! AS we'll some
little fishing village on Long Island
shore attempt to arraign New York.
/ Yet no sooner does he set foot in the
towns or cities Of Judaea than every
thing is in commotion. The people go
an out OPT picnic s ~t.as.ng Only food
enough for day. yet - Rre.- IS fascinat-
! ed 4SSs WITH Christ that at the risk of
Starving they follow him out into the
fiat before him and says, My daughter
is dead" A beggar tries to rub the
| dimness from his eyes and says,
Lord, that my eyes may be opened"
"a poor, sick, painting woman presses
through the crowd and says, II must
touch the hem of his garment" Chill
dren who love their mother better
than any one else struggle to get into
his arms. and to kiss his cheek, and
| to run their fingers through his hair,
and for all time putting Jesus SO in
love with the little ones that there is
hardly a nursery in Christendom from
| which he does not take one, saying,
II must have them. will fill heaven
with these, for every cedar that plant
in heaven l will have so white lilies
In the hour when was poor man
in Judaea they were not ashamed Of
me. and now that l have come to a
throne 1 do not despise them. Hold
it not back, o weeping mother. Lay
1t on my warm heart. OF such is the
kingdom of heaven"
Victory Over Nature.
See him victorious over the forces of
nature. The sea is a crystal sepulcher.
1t swallowed the Central American.
the President and the Spanish armada
as easily as any fly that ever tloated
on 1t. The inland lakes are fully as
terrible in their wrath Some of us
who have sailed on it know that Lake
Galilee, when aroused in storm. is
Overwhelming, and yet that sea
crouched in his presence, and licked
his feet. He knew all the waves and
the wind. When he beckoned they
came. When he frowned, they fled.
The heel of his foot made no indenta-
ton on the solidified water Medical
science has wrought great changes in
rheumatic limbs and diseased blood,
but when the muscles are entirely
withered no human power can restore
ND y