Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-05-28

nav for this new religion? Who is to
charter the ships to carry the mission
aries? Who is to pay the salaries Of
the teachers? Shall wealthy, establish
cd religion be discounted by a penni-
less Christ?'' The consequence was
that most Of the people that followed
Christ had nothing to lose. Affiuent
Joseph of Arimathea buried Christ, but
he risked 10 social position IN doing
that 1t is always safe to bury a dead
man. Zaccheus risked no wealth or So
cial position in following Christ, but
took q position in a tree to look down
as he passed. Nicodemus, wealthy Mic
odemus, risked nothing of social posi-
ton in following Christ, for he skulked
by night to find him.
Difficulties Overcome.
All this was against Christ. So the
fact that he was not regularly gradu-
ated was against him. If man come
with the diplomas of colleges and
schools and theological seminaries and
be has been through foreign travel, the
world is disposed to listen. But here
was a man who had graduated at no
college, had not in any academy by or
binary means learned the alphabet of
the language he spoke, and yet he pro-
posed to talk, to instruct in subjects
which had COMPOUNDED the mightiest
intellects. John said, ''The Jews mar
veled, saying, How hath this man let
tiers, having never learned?' We, in
our day, have found out that q man
without diploma may know as much
as a man with one and that a college
cannot transform a sluggard into
philosopher or q theological seminary
teach a fool to preach An empty
head, after the laying on of hands of
the presbytery, is empty still. But it
shocked all existing prejudices in those
o1den times for man with no scholas-
tie pretensions and no graduation from
a IearGed institution to set himself up
for Il teacher 1t was against him.
So also the brevity of his life was
against him. He had not come to what
we call midlife But very few men do
anything before 33 years of age, and
yet that was the point at which Christs
life terminated. The first 10 years you
take in nursery and school; then it will
take you six years to get into your oc-
cupation or profession. That will bring
you to u years. Then it will take you
your life work, correcting the mistakes
you have made. If any man at 33 years
of age gets fully established in his life
work, he is the exception. Yet that is
the point at which Christ's life termi-
mated.
Men in military life have done their
most wonderful deeds before 33 years
of age. There may be exceptions to 1t,
but the most wonderful exploits in
military prowess have occurred before
33 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
raigned sanhedrins and accused gov
ernments. Aristotle was old; Lycurgus
was old; Seneca was old. The great
legislators Of the modern world have
been old. Christ was young. All this
was against him. If q child - years
of age should get up in 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 in the
presence of this young Christ.
All Against Him.
Popular opinion declared in those
days, blessed is the merchant who has
a 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
l. III
responded, blessed are they that
mourn" Public opinion in those days
said, BLESSED is the Roman eagle, the
flap Of whose wing startles nations and
the plunge of whose iron beak infiicts
cruelty upon it's enemies" This young
man responded, BLESSED are the mer-
ciful.'' Popular opinion said, can eye
for an eye, a tooth for a TOOTH" In
other words, if 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 at his eye. It 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,
Il bear up the pillars of this world"
They looked at the moon. He said, 81
will turn it 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