The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1907-12-13
THE PULPIT.
A SCHOLARLY SUNDAY SERMON BY
THE REV. w. L. WATkIkSON.
Subject: Christ and Common Things.

sermon. entitled. Christ and Com
mon Things" was contributed recent
ly to the West Australian Baptist by
the Rev. w. l.. Watkinson:
The first remarkable point in the
records OF our Lords earthly career
is the extent OF His relation TO COM
mon things. The supernatural and
the marvellous are, of course. in evil
dence in the successive stages OF His
mission, yet the prevailing aspect is
that of human commonplace.
This key was struck at the begin
ming. shepherds abiding in the
field, and keeping watch by night
over their flock" received the tidinss
of His coming; and "gloriiying and
praising God" the humble men re-
turned from the splendors of His ad-
vent once more to resume their lowly
duties. Born in stable and Graded
In a manger reduces His infancy to
stark commonplace. The rustic home
and village life of Nazareth linked
Him with the cottages Of all time. His
occupation, again, brings Him close
to the overwhelming host OF workers
Carlyle writes: Not Arms and
the Man. Tools and the Man. that
were now our Epic" Did not our
Lord for thirty years give visible ex-
preston to this epic? And IL ever a
great singer should worthily render
that theme, must not the central
Figure of his large poetry be the
Carpenter OF Nazareth? His work
was not daintily wrought in fairy
workshop Of artist, goldsmith or au-
thor; but rough hammer, saw and
plummet were consecrated by His
hands, and the rugged calling of the
toiling million was hallowed by His
example.
In the days Of His showing unto
Israel" He remained faithful to sim
pie people and scenes. Our Lord
was content that the companions of
His sublime career should be obscure
and simple. He identified Himself
with the common lot.
The great artists of the past who
represent the Saviour seem anxious
to invest Him with mystic and kingly
signs and symbols-He is haloed with
splendor, adorned with jewels, angels
are His bodyguard, Heaven opens
above His head, magi, priests and
kings lay treasures at His feet. But
we know that all this Is very remote
from fact. The modern realist who
pictures our Lord as one OF the peo-
pie, without a shred of heavenly,
sacerdotal, or imperial insignia. is
much nearer to New Testament truth.
| How truly human was our Lord,
| How completely He identified Himself
with us and the common lot! He
seemed ever watchful lest any rag Of
purple or gold, any likeness Of kingly
diadem or mitre, any obtrusion of
| rf1a nCft In tt,t1
either earthly or unearthly, should
seem to separate Him from the teem-
ing hosts who by hard labor in many
spheres earn their daily bread.
Yet whilst our Lord stands in con-
slant relation TO common things of
every kind, He manifests no impa-
thence, never once refers to His lowli-
ness as IL IL were a matter of in
justice and monstrousness. Genera
tions have regarded with wonder the
spectacle of Alfred the Great lodging
in the neatherd's hut; il is felt as an
, act of almost incredible condescension
and patriotism that Peter the Great
| was willing to work in our dockyard
as a common shipwright; and when
ever royalty visits a cottage, or chats
with a plOwman or shopkeeper, the
fact must be proclaimed as something
in the very nature of the case as
founding. Yet Christ seems never to
have been conscious of this amazing
disparity between one rank and an
other. On no occasion does He ex-
press surprise or regret that He is
peasant rather than prince, a car
penter rather than a captain, that He
is engaged with minor matters OF
humble life rather than with the mar
velous and magnificent.
Whenever the New Testament re-
fers to the humiliation OF our Lord.
the emphasis is placed on the moral
side, not on the circumstantial. ThS
marvel is that He descended from the
realms of glory to dwell with a world
OF sinners, not that He passed by
princes and palaces to act with shep-
herds and fishermen. He humbled
Himself to the death CT the cross,
not to the cottage Of the peasant, the
bench of the craftsman, or the boat
of the fisher-this is never reckoned
any part OF His humiliation.
We do not find our Lord condollng
with Himself on account of His un-
distinguished associations. For suf-
fcent purpose He may incidentally
refer to His mean estate, yet never
by way of apology or complaint He
does not attack the rich and powerful
on the grounds of their official status;
whenever He judges or rebukes them,
IL is strictly on moral and religious
grounds. He is no acrid. vitupera-
tive, truculent scorner OF the great,
as IL in some way they did Him in
Justice by being such. He does not
envy the opulent, brilliant. or power
tul. He betrays no jealousy, because
He knew none.
He does not initiate the great, the
wealthy, or the famous We often
see the democracy in pathetic and
ridiculous ways initiate the nobility
whom they defame, adorning them
selves with false finery, cheap jew
elry, and in sundry ways aping the
magnificent they derlde; they show
that in their secret hearts they covet
the pomps OF greatness, and would
fully share them II opportunity
served-with one feather the pie
beian seeks 20 become a peacock.