Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-09-29

| billy sunday, in his sermon here last
evening. said:
Text: Luke xix. 1--Jesus entered and
! passed through Jericho.
! The announcement Of the coming OF any
historic character 10 Omaha would
arouse deep interest. II / could announce
that Shakespeare. under the alchemy OF
! whose brain all classes and races and all
/ institutions gave up their secrets were
to speak In this building; II L could an
nounce that Milton. whose blinded eyes
seemed but TO give his soul a chance to
see more; II could announce that Crom-
well, whose Spartan devotion to duty re-
made an empire: II I could announce
that Christopher Wren, who could dream
I cathedrals as easily as you or I could
eat our dinner, and who could swing
domes OF marble in the air with the care
less abandon Of a boy blowing SOAP
bubbles; II / could announce that Michael
Angelo, who imprisoned his dreams and
inspirations on immortal canvas and in
deathless stone; II 1 could announce that
Bunyan. who comes i'm his writings to
soothe the pain and prompt the prayer
to stop all doubt ana solve the problem,
the immortal author of Pilgrims Prog
ress, which seizes us in our childhood
with the strong hand of It's power. which
brings our manhood to surrender to the
spell Of its sorcery and relaxes not its
grasp upon us when rnlngles the brown
OF life with sober gray, the man who
has done more TO draw the attention of
tho world TO matters of supremest effort,
who has painted the beauty OF holiness in
more alluFing colors. and who has spoken
to the human heart in teuderer sympathy
and more thrilling tones than any man
since the apostles; II 1 could announce
that George Washington, the father of
his country first in peace, first in war
and first In the hearts of his countrymen,
was to honor this city with his presence
excursions would run from every section
OF this land, and no building has been
erected by the hands of man that would /
hold the crowds that would gather
Lies Highest Expression I'm Re- !
IiEiOn.
But need not argue that tho announce
ment of the coming of Jesus to Omaha /
would awaken an interest and send a I
thrill of expectancy beyond that of any (
other character OF history. The concern
we would feel would be different, not |
only in its magnitude. but in its essence |
rs well.
We instinctively feel the difference and |
we account for It. This Is true because
His name is inseparably associated with
religion. and, after all has been said. re.
lIglon Is the measure of concern OF men
It's the real base line Of character.
Men may revile It, ignore Il. and mis-
represent IT, but in their hearts men feel
that In religion life finds its highest ex.
preston.
Years ago Walter wellman. the eminent
In speaking of the power
exeTted over the common people by
Bryan and Roosevelt, said that no small
part OF their power lay in the fact that
they were preachers" Then he said this
significant thing:
There Is nothing men like 50 we'll as
being preached at, provided they don't
know II is sermon they ara getting, and
they don't have TO go TO church to get
IT,"
Many types of men challenge our in
terest, but II Is the apostle of religion and
the herald of Christianity that has the
superlative influence.
The merchant prince Is known In all
markets where men buy and sell and
the crowds applaud him and his millions.
He Is useful man to his age; but he
dies. ard in a few years no one would
Know where he was buried. or remember
that he lived, II II were not for the costly
monument erected by his family.
The soldier makes and unmakes the man
OF the world at will and empires tremble
at tho glance of his eye: he too, may do
a divine work. but he dies and clowns
handy his name across the footlights.
The scholar concentrates the essence Of
his life in a book that soon grows yell
low in the dingy corner of library. He
may be a faithful servant OF high ideals.
but he dies and only a few students re-
member him and enjoy the results OF his
labors.
But Jesus actually lives the moral law
and serves His generation. forgetting
Himself In the Immortality. and we turn
to Him for spiritual authority as natur-
ally as a flower turns toward the sun or
a lily lifts its immaculate lips TO be
kissed by the sunshine and the dow.
Beauty may please us. truth may
strengthen US. but goodness commands
US. A genius charms us. a philosopher
instructs us. but a saint feeds us. Art
makes the world attractive. learning en-
riches the mind and dis1,ifles life, but
religion regenerates the soul.
Christianity has always been a personal
religion.
Jesus was no organizer like Caesar or
Mohammed. He formulated no plans. He
founded no ecclesiastical system. He
mustered in no armies. drilled no ennis
saries. He instituted no social or religious
machinery; there was no framework or
scaffolding 10 His kingdom. He taught
no school. He had no set time nor place
to speak. He wrote no books. He did not
seem to go out OF His way TO preserve
IN written form His teachings
His beatitudes and His parallels seemed
like precious seeds scattered with a
prodigal hand over the unfenced fields
OF humanity. and yet without an organi-
zation, without an army, without a
literature. He has become the central
figure OF all the civilizations OF all the
centuries.
Christ 50 completely represents the per-
lection OF character that you cannot
escape Christ without eeasIng TO be your
best self.
II Is OF this Christ OF which wish TO
speak TODAY.
WHIST Would City DO AZ Jesus Camel
IL Christ came TO this city; When roy
auNaa h ali.