Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1903-10-17
shan never. never dre.

But, though i honor ana extoi the no
bic characteristics Of this great man,
there is still another lesson we must
learn from the verse OF my text. Christ
said, There hath not risen greater
than John the Baptist" Oh. yes. that
was true as far as 1t went. True, II
you speak In reference to those men
and women who lived before Jesus Was
born. But there 10 one part Of the
verse you must we'll bear IN mind. 1t Is
the last part and goes thus: "Yet. not
withstanding this, be that is least In
the kingdom Of heaven Is greater than
he" What does that mean? Simply
this: II you and become part OF Jesus
Christ, IL we accept his atonement and
are cleansed by his blood. we become
in sense greater, aye. far greater.
than the greatest man who ever lived
who has not been sanctihed by the Saw
iour's sacrifice.
Thought Illustrated.
Perhaps | can illustrate the Bible
thought In a simple way. A great wall
or fortress has to be built. The work
must be pushed. One group OF work
men ascend the scaffolding and lay on
one layer OF stone and then 60 to their
rest. Another group lay another layer
OF stone upon the preceding layer and
then 20 to their rest And so the work
upon the wall grows higher and high
er, each group of workmen standing
upon loftier scaffolding than that OF
the preceding laborers. Well. the great
wall of progress has been builded In
this way. Each generation represents
q batch Of workmen. each layer OF
stone the completed work Of the pre-
ceding generation. The college boy OF
today knows more Of geography, more
of chemistry. more OF astronomy, more
of all the sciences, than the ablest man
living three centuries ago. Why? Be-
cause he has absorbed the compact
knowledge Of the last 300 years, which
the great scholars Of those three cen
turies have laid at his feet.
But as the wall of mental and spir'
itual progress went on growing higher
and higher century after century sud
denly about 1900 years ago spiritually
It took q miraculous lift. Chrsts sac
rifce was laid upon the top Of It The
Calvary stones were the layers Of the
year 80 A. d. Those stones will LIT all
succeeding generations higher In knowl-
edge and in possibilities. higher than
all sin and higher than all future con-
demnstions. | once heard a worldly
man say: "The best man that ever
lived never went to heaven on his own
merits. II we ever reach the city OF
the redeemed. It must be through what
Christ has done for US and not through
what we have done for ourselves
This statement contains the kernel. the
essence. the heart Of all the gospel
John the Baptist in his own life greatf
Yes! "Yet, Notwithstanding. he that Is
least In the kingdom of heaven is great.
er than be-"
Now. my friends, from a worldly
standpoint II Is almost impossible TO
compare the influences OF different
lives and to positively fad out which
one is the greater. "Who has done the
most for his country. Washington or
Lincolnf ?" "Who was the father OF the
most brains, John Adams or Lyman
BeecherY (which was the greater,
Cesar or Napoleon" are themes that
will always be argued resultessly. But
though we cannot tell who Is the great
er in a worldly sense. we do know that
in a spiritual sense no one can be great
save through Christ's blood. Today
would see a royal robe placed about
your shoulders. Today | would you
might become a prince. a princess at a
kings levee. Today would welcome
YOU into the royal family Of which God
is the Father and Jesus the elder
brother. Today I would have you grow
into greater spiritual Importance than
any one who ever lived up to the time
of John the Baptist because Christs
Calvary is lifting you above the stars
Today would have you companion
of Jesus. Great in life! Great in death!
Great in your resurrection May you
be great through the time which shall
never end!
Copyright 1908. by Louis Klopsch.l