Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-06-01

take In nursery and school; then Il will
take YOU six years 10 get into your oc-
cupation or profession. That will bring
YOU to 21 years. Then II win take you
ten years at least to get established I'm
your life work. correcting the mistakes
you have made. II any man ar SO years
of age gets fully established in his life
work. he is the exception. Yet that Is
the point at which Christs life termi-
mated.
Merlin military life have done their
most wonderful deeds before 33 years
Of age. There may I've exceptions to it,
but the. most wonderful exploits in
military prowcss have occurred before
80 years OF age. But as a legislator no
man becomes eminent as a legislator
until he has had long years of expert
ence. And yet the gray bearded scribes
were expected to bow down in silence
before this young legislator. who ar
raigncd sanhedrins and accused gov
ernments. Aristotle was old; Lycurgus
was old; Seneca was old. The great
legislators o. the modern world have
been old. Christ was young. All this
was against him. IL child - years
of age should get up i'm your presence
TO discuss great questions of meta
physics or ethics or politics or govern
ment. you would be as contemptuous
as these gray bearded scribes i'm the
presence of this young Christ.
All Against Him.
Popular opinion declared in those
days. blessed is the merchant who has
castle down on the banks Of Lake III
berias." This young man said. BLESS
ed are the poor" Popular opinion said
in those days. Blessed are those who
live amid statuary and fountains and
gardens. and congratulations and all
kinds Of festivity." This young man
responded. blessed are they that
mourn" Public opinion i'm those days
said. Blessed is the Roman eagle, the
flap of whose wing startles nations and
the plunge of whose iron beak inflicts
cruelty upon It's enemies" This young
man responded, blessed are the mer-
ciful." Popular opinion said, "An eye
for an eye. tooth for a tooth" In
other words, If n man knocks your eye
out knock his out; if a man breaks
your tooth. break his. Retort for re-
tort; sarcasm for sarcasm; irony for
irony: persecution for persecution !:
wound for wound. Christ said, pray
for them that despitefully use YOU"
They looked ut 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,
81 bear up the pillars of this world"
They looked NJ the moon. He said. 81
will turn IL into blood" They looked
at the sea. He said. 81 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? Ii was all against him.
After the battle of Antietam. when n
general rode along the lines. although
the soldiers were lying down exhaust
cd they rose with great enthusiasm
and huzzaod. AS Napoleon returned
from his captivity his first step on the
wharf shook all the kingdoms. and
100000 men iockcd TO his standard. Ii
took 5000 troops to watch him In his
exile. So there have been men Of won
derful magnetism OF person. But hear
me while l tell you OF q poor young
man who came up from Nazareth TO
produce n thrill which has never been
excited by any other. Napoleon had
around him the memories OF Msrengo
nj a.
man who had fought no battles. who
wore no epaulets. who brandished no
sword. He had probably never seen
prince or shaken hands with a noble
man. The only extraordinary person
we know OF rs being in his company
was his own mother. and she was SO
POOR that, I'm the most delicate and sol
emn hour that comes To n woman's
soul, she was obliged TO lie down
among drivers grooming the beasts OF
burden.
Complete Triumph.
Imagine Christ one day standing I'm
the streets OF Jerusalem. A man de-
sccnded from high lineage is standing
beside him and says: "My father was
merchant prince. lie had castle on
the beach I'm Calico. Who was Your
tatherT Christ answers, Joseph, the
carpenter" \ man from Athens IS
standing there. ,unrolllng his parch-
ment OF graduation, and says TO Christ.
Where did YOU so TO school?" Christ
answers, II never graduated" Ahai
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 at-
tempt to arraign New York. Yet no
sooner does he set his foot i'm the
towns or cities OF Judna than every
thing Is IN commotion. The people go
our ON picnic, taking only food enough
for day, yet are so fascinated with
Christ that, ut the risk of starving.
'hey follow him out into the wilder
ness. y nobleman falls down fat be-
fore him and says, my daughter is
dead" beggar tries to rub the dim
ness from his eyes and says, Lord.
that my eyes may be opened" A poor,
sick, painting woman presses through
the crowd and says, ~ must touch the
hem OF his garment" Children who
love their mother better than any one
else struggle to get into his arms and
to kiss his cheek and 10 run their fin
gers through his hair and for all time
putting Jesus so in love with the little
ones that there is hardly n nursery in
Christendom from which he does not
take one, saying: 81 must have them.
will fill heaven with these. For ev-
cry cedar that | plant in heaven l will
have 90 white lilies. In the hour when
l was poor man in Judea they were
not ashamed of me. and now that 1
have come TO q throne / do not de-
spise them. Hold ii not back, 0 weep-
Ing mother! Lay it on my warm heart.
Or such is the kingdom of heaven"
Again, i remark, there was no or
ganization in his behalf, and that was
against him. When men propose any
great work, they band together, they
write letters OF agreement, they take
oatl.s of fealty. and the more complete