The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1947-12-20

H. Next week, the western Wofiu
will celebrate an anniversary of
the birth of the most remark
able Man who ever lived.
He had no army. He had no
navy. He had no air force. He
had no armament or weapons, He
never killed or wounded any
one. He never called a strike.
He used force only once--when
He overthrow the tables of the
money changers and drove them
from the temple Matthew, FL
12).
His ministry lasted only three
years. He was crucified at the
age of 80. Yet, Christ extended
his influence and power over
more of the world than any con-
aueror who ever lived. This
humble, homeless Man, armed
only with the gospel OF love and
peace, established a kingdom in
the heart of humanity that has
endured and grown for nearly
two thousand years. Despots and
dictators have striven in vain to
destroy the almost universal
kingdom of the Prince OF
Peace"
|. Christ was not only the most
enduringly influential Person
who ever lived but in many
other ways the most extraordl-
nary Man ever born. He made
the best speech of which there
is any record. Lincoln's great
speech among the graves of
Gettysburg is considered by
many to be the best speech ever
made. A comparison of the Ser
mon on the Mount Matthew, 0,
6 and - with the Gettysburg
Address will show the infinite
superiority of Christ's great Or
alton.
|: Its opening passages contain
some of the most sublime utter
tances in any language. Nothing
|'Demosthenes, Patrick Henry,
Webster, Bryan, Churchill or
any of the other surprising orr
ators of the ages ever said can
equal in simple sublimity and
unaffected eloquence these
opening passages from the Ser
mon on the Mount:
Matthew 5: 3 through 8:
| IS Blessed are the poor in
spirit: for theirs is the kingdom
I of heaven.
"a Blessed are they that
mourn: for they shall be COM
forted.
IS Blessed are the meek: for
they shall inherit the earth.
IS Blessed are they which do
hunger and thirst after right
eousness: for they shall be fill
ed.
" Blessed are the merciful;
for they shall obtain mercy.
IS Blessed are the pure in
heart: for they shall see God.
20 Blessed are the peacemak-
ers: for they chall be called the
children of God"
Christ is the most quoted Per-
son who ever wrote or spoke.
For. four hundred years, Shakes
peare has been cOpiously quot
ed. For two hundred years,
DR.. Samuel johnson has been
much quoted. For more than
1000 years, the great Chinese
philosopher, CONTIGUOUS, has
been quoted in nearly all parts
of the world. From 1928, when
he began writing daily column
of comment for newspapers until
his tragic death on August 10,
1885, Will Rogers probably was
the most quoted man in Ameri-
ca
But for 1900 years, Christ has
been, quoted more than all these
wise men combined. To be wide
ly quoted, a man must speak or
write a lot of sense, and Christ.
did. He uttered more epigrams !
and sententious sentences than
any other man who ever spoke
or wrote.
Public me have always striv-
en- to say things in catchy,
easy-tO-remember way, but all
the, politicians who have practi-
ced since Plato prepared his
handbook of politics have not
succeeded in making as many
wise and memorable utterances
asdid Christ in the three short
years of His Ministry on earth.
A reading of Christ's parallels,
recorded in Matthew, Mark,
Luke and John, the Sermon on
the Plains, and the Sermon on