The Newtown bee., 1901-04-26

he is the whole, perfect. Could a
character be compounded of the inno-
cent child, the mature worker, the
aged veteran, the many nationalities
of the world, man and woman, ancient
and modern-and only the most valu
able elements be conserved it would
still fall short of his humanity, for he
is built only of perfect materials and
this whole is more than the sum of it's
parts. He contains in Himself the
character of us all--and yet differently.
When one comes to know Jesus, he be-
holds himself as in mirror and yet
how transformed, how irradiated is
the image. When Charles Lamb in
company with other literati at
banquet were discussing their action
in case certain noted personages we're
to appear before them, he said: eff
Shakespeare were to enter the room,
would rise to do him honor, if Jesus
Christ we're to come in 1 would bow
down in worship"
To our little being he rises like a
peak whose head passes beyond our
view in the glory of shining clouds.
His character like the sphere has in
Vulnerable sides-we can grasp in our
comprehension any of them but dimly.
And yet he is the one who reveals
man to himself. In no way does he
more excite our wonder, with the
power, too, to arouse our hope than
by combining within himself those
traits hitherto considered irreconcil-
able.
Such are the characteristics we have
taken in the texts Of to-day. He is
called "the lion of the tribe of Judah, :"
and lion is King-the one of
strength, wrath, victory, rulership.
In the very next verse he is called
''the lamb standing, as it had been
slaughtered, the very symbol of in
nocence, purity, gentleness, slain as a
sacrifice. How can these things be-?
How are we to conceive Of "the wrath
of the lamb" "a lamb in the midst of
the throne?" These traits have been
so hard to understand that even in the
clear character of the Nazarene often
only one side or the other is perceived,
but both are there.
AS one enters the sanctuary of the
beatitudes one realizes the Subdued
gentleness of a sublime teacher
Blessed are the poor in spirit, the pure
in heart, the meek, the mournful, the
peacemaker, the prosecuted. And
catching the strain thousands have
left the wicked world to become
monks, hoping that shut away from
the vices of the worldly, the peace of
perfectness might be theirs. But
Christ was no ascetic.
Others livingin the last week. have
felt something of the anguish of the
Gethsemane, the pain of the "dolorous
way" the agony of Calvary. Hence
painters depict the man of SORROWS as
one whose habitual demeanor would
be the wret chedness of defeat. These
pictures are weak. And yet
who more meek than the low
~ NdLdr rene, VINO was more
forbearing than he who taught sresist
not evil, bearing it out in that deep
silence which greeted the insult of sol
der and priest. Truly here is the
innocence, the purity, the devotion.
sacrificial dying, of lamb, the Lamb
of God which beareth away the sin of
the world. Others behold the Lion of
the tribe Of Judah. They stand before
the indignant face of him, who with no
authority but that of offended holiness
overthrow the table of the money
changers, drives out the cattle, caves
the miserable owners groveling in the
dust, and do they ask why? eye would
turn my Fathers house into a market
place, We would make it a den of
thieves" They rene mber the quiet
calm of him who when a multitude
would thrust him over the precipice
in perishing, looked upon them, passed
through and no one lifted hand to
Stay him. Who can forget that night
I n the garden, when Judas dares the
ftreacherOus kiss of betrayal, but the
soldiery fall back aghast at the inner
light, like horses pulled back on their
launches, and the DICTIONARIES of Rom e