Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-09-26


He compared himself to fountain OF
living water OF which II any man
should drink he would never thirst
again. lie did more than that. He
said that If any man should believe on
him the divine power which he pos.
sesscd would flow through the human
heart as through living channel. In
all the history Of the world was there
ever human ' '-g who took TO him
self such divii authority as did
Christ? DO you wonder that when the
officers Of the law, Mt the behest Of the
chief priests, went to npprehend Jesus
they stood amazed and exclaimed,
"Never man spake like this MANI"
His Claim Of Divinity.
But the exalted claims Of this d.
vine Nazarene did not end with mere
words He said 81 am the Christ"
Then he again said 81 will prove Il
by working the most wonderful mira.
Giles man ever witnessed. Do you see
that young man who was born blind7
touch his eyes and they are opened.
See. here Is deaf and dumb man. !
place my finger In his ear and on his
tongue md he is able to hear and
sneak. See here IL n dead man. De
composition has already set in. That
body Ia a corpse. | will call him and
he will rise up and turn his bier into
a couch. do these miracles to prove
to you that I am divine. All power Is
IN me- and my Father are one"
Thus did Iesus TO prove his divinity.
He was man. He was born bone Of
our bone md flesh Of our flesh. vet Mt
the same time he said: IT am God
am the Messiah whose advent was
prophesied from the earliest time. Lis
ten to me" Do you not realize that
this claim Of divinity makes Christ
stand forth from all other men as dis
tinctively Individual?
Now, my brother, II this divine
Christ has divine strength to give
to you what you can receive from
no other source, does 1t not behoove
YOU to seek Christ and ask for this
divine blessing? II Jesus is truly God
are you not willing to kneel down and
ask for his pardon and his love? And
especially would you not have this d.
vine strength when It is offered freely
to the vicst and the most fragrant
sinners as It is offered to you?
Professor Phillips tells the story OF
burglar who broke into seaside
mansion. He tumblcd into the middle
of the parlor floor all the valuabes
which he wished to take away. but
in the corner of that parlor was a
beautiful figure of Guidos "Ecce Ho-
mo-" There was the Christ, as only
the italian master could paint him.
Jesus head was crowned with thorns.
With look of inefable love he
seemed to say: Il am dying for you.
l am dying hat you might be saved
from sin and live forever with me-"
The burglar stopped in his work Of
theft and Logan to study that face.
Then he seemed to say, 20 Christ, |
cannot steal while thou art looking at
me-" And 50 he turned the face OF Je-
sus to the wall. o man, o woman. o
child, are you going to turn the face
Of Christ avay1 Remember his
parched bleeding lips are ready to
speak words II eternal life to you.
Are you goln. 10 turn your back upon
/ this Christ Who is man and yet God?
Can you not hear Christ saying to you,
ar any man thirst let him come unto
me and drinE?" God is speaking
Christ the God IS speaking. He Is
speaking TO you. Tie is speaking to
me. He Is speaking to all sinners.
Yea, he IS speaking to the whole
world
But Christ did more than claim d.
vine kingship. When he opened his
lips he taught Il new social doctrine
He upset all the Ioundation stones upon
which the societc Of his day had been
built. He came to the rich man and
said, THAT poor man is thy neighbor. u
He came to the man ~ho had q gricv-
ance against hi neighbor and said
THE Mosaic Law IS not in force now
1t Is not eye for eve or tooth for tooth
1t is love for hate, forgiveness for IN
justice mercy Tor irarsgression. Bless
them which pcrs ecute you. Bless and
curse not" Coud there have been q
more revolutionary doctrine preached
than that which Christ taught in his
message of the new kingdom?
A Womars Preaching.
once heard IN anarchist, woman
preach her horrible doctrine THAI
night after the meeting when lay III
bed with all my better manhood re
voting from the desplca Bile teachings
of this dangerous woman thought OF
the shock Christ teachings must have
given to those scrihcs and Pharisees OF
his day. But what a difference, She
preached murder and revolution. He
preached peace and good Will to men
Every word Of her address was fiery
with hate aud mo.gnity; all his words
were tender and owing. She demand
ed fire and sword for her foes; his
prayer was: "Father, forgive them
They know not what they do" AS
tried to compare the sermon on the
mount with the teachings and the ten
els of the phariscos could under
stand how they would be shocked.
saw the gentle, humble Christ In his
coarse garments pointing to the rcl
robes of the high priest and saying
Thou shalt not make my Fathers
house place of merchandise Their
saw Jesus placing his loving han(
upon the rich rulers shoulder and ten
derby saying "Seil all thou hast an(
give to the poor" Then in the dark
ness of the night after | had attended
the anarchistic meeting said to my