Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-09-27
"Never man spake like this nang'
His Claim Of Divinity.

never udu Spdke IKE Snis nan
His Claim Of Divinity.
But the exalted claims OF this dL
vine Nazarene did not cnd with mere
words. He said, IL am the Christ"
Then he again said: ~ VIII prove Il
by working the most wonderful mira
cles man ever witnessed. Do you see
that young man who was born blindi
/ touch his eyes and they are opened
See, here Is a deaf and dumb man.
place my finger In his ear and on his
tongue and he is able to hear and
speak. See, here ise dead man. De.
composition has already set in. That
body is n corpse. viii call him and
he will rise up and turn his bier into
a couch. I do these miracles to prove
TO you that am divine. All power Is
In me. ] and my Father are one"
Thus did Jesus to prove his divinity.
He was man. He was born bone OF
our bone and flesh of our flesh. yet al
the same time he said: 81 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.
tlnctively Individual?
Now, my brother, II this divine
Christ has a divine strength to give
to you what you can receive from
no other source, does 1t not behoova
you to seek Christ and ask for this
divine blessing2 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 II is offered freely
TO the yilest and the most fragrant
sinners as it Is offered to your
Professor Phillips tells the story of
burglar who broke into a seaside
mansion. He tumbled into the middle
OF the parlor floor all the valuables
which he wished to take away. but
in the corner of that parlor was a
beautiful figure OF Guido's "Ecce Ho.
mo-" There was the Christ, as only
the Italian master could paint him.
Jesus head was crowned with thorns.
With n look of inefable love he
seemed TO say: II am dying for you.
1 am dying that you might be saved
from sin and live forever with me-
The burglar stopped in his work OF
theft and began to study that face.
Then he seemed to say, 20 Christ, l
cannot steal while thou art looking al
me-" And so he turned the face Of Je-
sus TO the wall. o man, . woman, o
child, are you going TO turn the face
OF Christ away? Remember his
parched, bleeding lips are ready to
speak words of eternal life to you.
Are you going 20 turn your back upon
this Christ, who Is man and yet God
Can you not hear Christ saying to you,
''If any man thirst let him come unto
me and drink?" God is speaking.
Christ the God is speaking. he is
speaking to you. He Is speaking to
me. He is speaking to all sinners.
Yea, he is speaking to the whole
world.
But Christ did more than claim di.
vine kingship. When he opened his
lips he taught a new social doctrine
He upset all the foundation stones upon
which the society OF his day had been
built. He came to the rich man and
said, THAT poor man is thy neighbor."
He came to the man who had grlev.
ance against his neighbor and said,
THE Mosaic law is not In force now
1t is not eye for eye or tooth for tooth
1t Is love for hate, forgiveness for In
justice, mercy for transgression Bless
them which prosecute you. Bless and
curse not" Could there have been a
more revolutionary doctrine preached
than that which Christ taught I'm his
message OF the new Kingdom?
A Woman's Preaching.
l once heard an anarchist, a woman
preach her horrible doctrine. That
night after the meeting when / lay In
bed with all my better manhood re-
voting from the despicable teachings
of this dangerous woman thought OF
the shock Christ's teachings must have
given TO those scribes and Pharisees of
his day. But what n differences! She
preached murder and revolution. He
preached peace and good will to men.
Every word of her address was fiery
with hate and malignity; all his words
were tender and loving. 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.
cts OF the pharisees l could under
stand how they would be shocked. ]
saw the gentle, humble Christ in his
coarse garments pointing to the rich
robes Of the high priest and saying,
Thou Shalt not make my Fathers
house n place of merchandise" Then
saw Jesus placing his loving hand
upon the rich rulers shoulder and ten.
DERBY saying. sell all thou hast and
give to the poor" Then in the dark.
ness OF the night after I had attended
the anarchistic meeting I said to my
self: what poor doctors for a world
awry men are! This woman perceives
social injustice, and she would tear so
ciety to atoms, but the divine Christ,
perceiving social injustice, bids soci-
| ETY. pattern itself on his kingdom
which Is III heaven. Yes, Christ did
more than claim his divine kingship.
His teachings We're the message of
love. When Jesus appeared the old
Mosaic dispensation OF an eye for an
eye and a tooth for a tooth as the
principle OF social life disappeared for.
ever. Am going beyond my right
when / declare that in reference to
Jesus the teacher, Never man spake
like this man?"
But there was another fact about
Christ which individualized him as the
most unique of all personalities. He
claimed that his dominion should yet
cover this round world as the waters
cover the sea And vat whom fha ua-