Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-05-05

/ ne tuliHeu lI ulcy Wtr" true NlslOHs
from God.
Let me Illustrate my thought by the
life of Jesus Christ. love To think oi
the Journey which this Divine child
took 10 the capital Of his great ancestor
King David. Jesus up TO this time was
| nothing Int II boy lis true he was d
perfect boy. but he was n boy, with al
the hea!thful desires Of childhood. He
was not a boy with the character of Il
girl but boy. hcalthful beautiful
noble boy He could romp and play
like other boys. In the games played
between his companions AMI himself
have always thought there was no
laugh mcrricr than his and no rolllck-
ing JOY more full and hearty can
never think Of Christ MS n frail baby
or Il sirkly boy. Every part Of him IL
me was that of well rounded. perfect.
ly formed child He was boy who
was the life of his home. by who
was loved by every one.
Now. u was custom Of all the Isra-
elites ordained by tie Mosaic law TO
u year. This feast took place In the
sprngtime. II was combination. II
might use the Sifnilc. of our Thanks
giving day and Fourth Of July II was
II time when the Hebrews assembled
IN Jerusalem 10 thank God for their
liberation from Egyptian slavery. In
the spring Of each year from the little
village OF Nazareth. among the Zcbu-
Ion hills Ia the far north. the men and
women would start on th,er sacred pill
grnagc. The children were left be-
hind as rule on account Of the length.
the fatigue and the danger Of the jour
. ncy. Mcthinks can sec Christ and the
other boys of Nazareth climb the hills
TO watch their fathers disappear ia TIE
distance But one year Christ does not
minglc with the boys He has come To
The sacred age Of twelve This Is the
year that all the Hebrew boys are al
lowed tn join the caravan Thus as lie
walks along with his parents | see his
.hcclis flushed with excitement This
Is most natural Christ the hoy for the
fist time Is going to see a great city.
I lriS, the boy is going TO the capital
Of his country Were you not excited
when your father. Il farmer. took you
10 the city FOR the first timcf
In the Temple.
! But as Christ the boy wanders
around that great capital. with III
walls and palaces and temple and It's
| thousands Of inhabitants ana visitors
there rises before him the dim vision
of who he is and what God wants him
10 do. The vision Is there dim in out
line but IL is there He naturally
drifts 10 the temple and talks with the
learned rabbits who sat there 10 teach
and answer questions The thought
that he was the Messiah whom the
Jews were expecting was probably In
his mind He wanted 10 learn what
was the idea that the doctors had Of
that being. ana his Inquiries showed
so much intelligence that they marvel
ed nj him. lie had had vision. but
neither they nor his parents. when
they came. understood IL What be
came of that vision For ten fifteen
aye. for nearly twenty years the
world hears nothing more about this
youthful prodigies. h. seems To disap
pear forever He not only goes back
TO Nazareth but instead of being a
messenger of God lac seems 10 become
nothing hut a carpenter. But nearly n
score of years afterward we see this
Christ In Cana. 10y Lake Galilee. Then
In rapid succession come the Jordanic
baptism and the miracles. Then come
Gethsemanc and calvary, then the
Easter resurrection and the ascension
All. did Christ's vision Of boyhood
come true? So. my friends. | want 10
tell YOU that the fuliillment of your
childs visions. If they are OF God and
you welcome them Alright. will come
true. though they may he many years
hidden away IN n Nazareth oblivion.
Beware how you sheer at those visions
OF the twelfth year.
But as plead with you TO be careful
IN your dealings with the Cod given
visions Of your children cannot close
without just one word of pleading for
yourself. You are no longer child.
Your hair Is gray Your face Is wrin-
killed. Instead OF having the clear blue
eyes OF youth your nose is hridged
with glasses. 4 score. twoscore, per
haps threescore years separate you
from the scenes Of your school days.
Tell me. do you not believe II is full
time for you To see the fulfillment Of
those visions OF your own childhood?
When you were schoolboy you saw a
God given vision Of day in which you
were 10 surrender your whole heart
and life unto his service Was II a
dream: Do you not believe the time
has come for that vision TO be fulfilled
AT the altar Of mercy now
This is not n useless or an unlnpor
tant moment for You. This moment
may decide the eternal destiny of some
one Your vision of childhood. about
giving your heart 10 Jesus Christ. came
to some of Won nearly nifty wears ago
Shall not that vision he fulfilled in this
the twilight of Your lifet Shall il not.