Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-09-15

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For sunday Res ding -Dssaened
For Those yvho Can Not
Attend . Charch.
THE SUPREMACY OF JEsus.
by w. =. suckow. pastor Congrega-
tional church. Algona, TAI
God highly exalted him and gave
unto him the name which is above
every name. Phil. 80.
It is itnpossible to speak OF Jesus in.
terms OF moderation. Positives and
sc0mparatives Will not dol one must use
superlatives. TO ray that ne was good
or great Is to damn him with faint
praise" To call Him q fanatic or q.
deceiyer Il to attack Gibralter with
Mauser bullets. II asfanatic He was
the most pitifl 81 ali fanatics; ii an
importer, He was the worst OF all Inn
posters; II good, He was the greatest
and best Of all the good. Mediocrity
will not apply to Him. He stands in a
category OF his own. sui generis. un.
5riyaled. uhexcelled, unapproached.
Who exalted Him to this unique po-
sition? Was 1t the devil? was it the
mistaken enthusiasm Of His friends?
Was 1t the fanatical hero.worship OF
the world Was 1t God
There Id no surer test sof such prob
lens than time. Time is a great sitter.
We may say OF time what John said OF
Jesus: VhOae fan is in his hand
sitting the chatf from the wheat. or
We may say with Euripides: Time will
discover everything to posterity: 1t is
q babbler and speaks even when no
question is put. The nineteen cen
turtles that have passed since Jesus
made His appearance among men
would, seem to furnith ample damon
stration OF the truth Of Paul's solution
OF the problem; "dod highly exalted
Him and gave unto Him the name
which is above every manner His SUI
premacy. is of God. Let us glance at
some of the more important phases OF
that supremacy In the world today.
1. Jesus 10 supreme in influence That
influence is most pronounced in nearly
every field Of human enterprise. For in
stance, in the field Of discovery and ex-
ploration. Most Of the men who In
early days left the centers OF civiliza-
tion and penetrated unknown regions
of savagery were moved by their zeal
for the religion of Jesus. Their zeal
may not always have been the most in-
ttelligent, nor. were their motives always
entirely free from the lust of conquest:
but their missionary enthusiasm IN the
propagation Of the faith of Christ fur
nished their chief. IL not their sole, In
spiration. 1t led st. Patrick to Ireland
Augustine to England. Rupert TO the
Franks and Boniface to the wilds OF
Germany. II his own words may be
trusted it took Columbus across the UNI
known sea: titled Livingstone. into the
heart OF the dark continent. Indeed, the
debt of geographical science to the mis-.
sionaries Of Jesus is enormous.
Think of the influence OF Jesus upon
literature. Nearly all the masterpieces
of literature during the last nineteen
centuries owe their inspiration to Him
| Augustine's City OF Cod Kempis
limitation OF Christ. e Bunyan's Pill.
lgrims Progress Dante's Divine Com.
edy," Milton's Paradise Lost, ,renny.
1 sons lin Memoriam,' are some of tn,
imperishable classics to which Chris,
tianity has given birth. Shakespeare!
\ greatest dramas are great. because the.
reflect the heights and depths of human
life az revealed in the teaching ant
character OF Jesus.
Think of the influence of Jesus upol
art. Tintoretto Raphael. Leonardo d,
j Vinci. Murillo. Angelo have immortal
Liked their names by embodying Chris
tian ideas in the grandeur of stone ant
canvas. Art was not born with Jesus
4 1t began with the rude sketchel
scratched upon bones, found among tn,
relics Of pre- historic cave jewellers.
had attained to high and noble forms o
Repression before the coming of Jesus
But it has been reyolutionized since Hi,
coming, because art is great in proper
ton as i expresses great ideas and tn,
greatest ideas now treasured in tn,
minds of men and given expression /,
tsources in Jesus.
Think of the influence of Jesus upol
architecture. The pyramids of Egypt
the hanging gardens Of Babylon. tn
temple OF Solomon, the Parthenon o
Greece, the Colosseum Of Rome are bu
lssuccessive steps In architectural devel
opnent, leading up to the great cathe
i drals of Christian lands. which in thei
h stately massiveness and solemn grand
5leur testify to the power Of Jesus i
/ touch and quicken the genius of man
Il Think of the influence Of Jesus upol
music. The MODEST Of all arts wa
scarcely known in the world except il
poor and misshapen forms before HI
coming. Since the angels sang over hi
n cradle in Bethlehem the world ha
4 learned to sing. Most of the finest ere
4 ations OF the musical genius OF man ar
rehearsals of the story Of the Christian
gospel.
Think Of the influence OF Jesus upol
q philosophy Somehow this carpenter
u son .of Nazareth has become the mag
net that attracts and holds The world
Y best thought The profoundest thinkers
the princeliest intellecfs have reare,
shelves upon shelves OF pond vol
umes in their attempts to ex plain Him
to account for Him, TO fathom tn crys
talline depths of His doctrine, to un
rayel the shining mystery Of his per
sonality. Even the latest form of hu
man philosophy, evolution, which, lik
4Aarons rod threatens to swallow al
\ Others, acknowledges that Jesus o
Nazareth is the final goal Of moral per
iection. toward which the race is slow
4 Is, advancing.
Think of the influence Of Jesus upol
yilization in general. Civilization ex