Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-09-27
CalnaQe
sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Tslnaee. =. d.

Los Angeles. Cal, Sept 22.-The
claims of Christ TO the homage of all
races and all times as a divine being
and the greatest of teachers are elo-
quently presented in this sermon from
the text John vii, 46. Never man
spake like this man."
What a strange world this Isl As
soon as novelty ceases to be a novel.
~ we look upon II as quite common
place. What once aroused our admira-
tion and enthusiasm is now considered
one or the ordinary, prosaic Incidents
or everyday life. We marveled not
long ago at the revolving wheel Of the
horseless carriage along our boule-
wards which made thousands Of pedes-
TRANS line the curbstones with Interest.
But that ''nme days wonder soon
came to an end. Now we grumble at
the speed limit OF the automobile. ap-
ply opprobrious epithets to the chaut-
feur and cross the street in fear and
trembling lest one Of these onrushing
machines hurl rs into eternity without
moments notice. Once the sound OF
the telephone bell would make us take
down the receiver with joyful anticipa-
ton to find who next of our friends
had ordered his name put into the
telephone book. But now, instead of
being impressed with the wonder OF
the telephone wire, we are irritated
oy 1t as an annoyance. Once we said.
"Marvelousl Marvellous inventionv'
Now we say, 81 wish this miserable
telephone had never been invented. for
then l could have few hours in
quiet for work.
But, though novelty may cease to
be a novelty in reference to some OF
the great Inventions OF the world vet
some creations of God and man have
never ceased TO be novelties because
they stand out from all other crea-
lions rs absolutely unique. Why do
the tourists ia multitudes annually go
10 visit Niagara falls? Because those
waterfalls are different from all other
kinds OF waterfalls. Why do the Wis
itors marvel at the wonders Of Vel
lowstone park Because when they
see the geysers I'm full play and the
"Giant Paint Pot" and "Helrs Half
Acre." where the ground, rs IN an
earthquake. is moving and trembling
under their feet and where they can
catch fish in one pool and without
moving their feet throw that living
fish into natural caldron not ten
yards away and there cook IL and take
It up ready to be eaten, these people
say. There are many wonders In this
world, but there IS no wonder any
where else just like the wonders OF
Yellowstone park" The same Is true
about the pyramids. IL we knew how
they We're built and why they were
built. and IL there We're pyramids in
every land like the Egyptian pyramids,
we would have but little interest In
climbing Pharaoh's nlarvels But be.
cause the Egyptian pyramids are diff
ferent from all other piles of stone
tens OF thousands of tourists annually
make pilgrimage to Cairo as to a sa-
cred shrine.
Differences In Men.
What Is true OF inanimate things Is
also true OF certain men. When you
find n man radically different I'm ca
pacity from all other men, then that
man stands out conspicuous among his
fellows. Paganlni, the master wizard
OF the violin, was such a man. The
musical critics OF his day declare that
he developed tone touch which was
peculiarly his own. No other man ever
possessed IL before he did. No man
has ever possessed IL since. He was
different from all other musicians Be-
cause he was different, the whole musl-
cal world sat at his feet and listened
and marveled. Edgar Allan Poe was
such man. There were host of
poets before, the author of 1.-THE Ra-
ven" Many have risen and fourished
since, but he was different from them
all. Never was there a man who could
make such rhythmic music out OF mere
words as he. Read his famous poem
1.-THE Bells" He transforms every
word into n bell note. There the
sleighs ring their bells. and the church
towers ring their bells, and the fire
alarms ring their bells, and the solemn
funeral dirgcs ring their bells. And
because Edgar Aiian Poe was different
from all other poets we find his books
upon almost every library shelf
Infinitely grander, supernally unique,
even from n human standpoint, Is he
OF whom / speak today. Christ was
and is different from all other men.
When he came forth from Nazareth;
and began to teach the people tried to-
analyze his power. They tried to find.
similarities between his personality
and that OF other prophets, but the
more they studied him the more they
found he was a law unto himself. And
because he was so peculiarly in6ivid-
ual the people began to flock after him
In great multitudes. At last every man
and woman who came in touch with
this new teacher confessed that he was
absolutely and intensely unique Even
the officers of the law who were sent
by the priests and Pharisees to arrest
Jesus would not apprehend him, for
they said, "Never man spake like this
man." Do You wonder that a man like
Jesus, who was of such a unique In
rdiyidual type, should have gathered
about his personality the ever ncreas-
ing multitudes and that he astounded
them with his doctrines? / want to
show you this morning some OF the
respects In which Christ was different
from other men and why he wants US
70 be like him and be iu our way differ
nt from the great world at large.
How Christ Was Different.
. Christ was different from all otheI
= men. in the first place, because he
claimed that he was the divine source
OF spiritual life. He spoke as proph