wre
he
AU AID
DR TALMAGE'S SERMON:
Christ the Village Lad.
“And the chila grew and waxed strong In
spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God
wis upon him.’ Luke 2:40
About Christ as a village lad I speak.
There is for the most part a Lice
more than eighteen centuries long about
Christ between infancy and manhood.
What kind of a boy wat he? Was hea
genuine boy at all, or did there settle
upon Him from the start all the inten-
sitios of martyrdom? We have on this
subject only a little guessing, a few sur-
mises, and here and there an unimpor-
tant ‘pe rhaps.” Concerning what
bounded that boyhood on both sides we
have whole libraries of books and w hole
galleries of canvas and sculpture. Be-
fore the infant Christ in Mary's arms, or
taking His first sleep in the rongh out-
house, all the painters bow, and we have
Paul Veronese's ‘‘Holy Family,” and
Perugine's ** Nativity,” and Angelieo da
Ficsole's “Infant Christ,” and Buben’s
ss Adoration of the Magi,” and Tintor-
otto’s “Adoration of the Magi,” and
Chirlandojo’s **Adoration of the Magi,”
and Raphael
na's “Mado:
na,’ and Madon
* and Murille’s **Madon
nas by all the schools of
painting, in all lights and shades, and
with all styles of attractive feature and
1m pre ssive surroundings, but pen and
pencil and ehise 1 have with few excep-
tions passed by Christ the village lad.
Yet by three conjoined evidences 1
think we me to as accurate an idea
of what Christ was as a boy as of what
Christ was a man.
First, the brief Bible account.
hen we have the prolonged account of
what Christ was at thirty years of age.
Now you have nly to minify that account
somewhat and yon find
WHAT HE TEN YEARS OF
Temperaments never change. A san-
guine temperament never becomes a
phlegmatic temperament. A nervous
temperament never becomes alymphatic
temperament. Religion changes one's
affections and ambitions, but it is the
same old temperament acting in a dif-
forent direction. As Christ had no re-
ligions change. He was as a lad what He
was as a man, only on not so large a
scale. When all tradition and all art
and all history represent Him asa blonde
I know he was in boyhood a blonde.
We have. besides, an uninspired book
that was for the first three or four cen
turies after Christ's appearance received
by many as inspired, and which gives
prolonged ount of Christ's boyhood.
‘ f be true, most of 1t may
»f it may be true. It may
CARL C1
ns
we have
WAS AT AGF.
1 facts, ©
cut we believ
tain mistakes.
England
LLED APOCBYPHAL ¢
in which the b
upon I do not believe to be divinely Ir
spired, and yet it may present
worthy of consideration. Because
represents the boy Christ as performing
miracles some have overthrown tha
whole apocryphal book. But
right have you to say that Christ did not
perform miracles at ten years of ag
well as at thirty? He
divine as in 1
Then while a lad He mnst have
power to work miracles, whet
ar did not work them. When,
reached manhood, Christ turned
into wine, that was said to be the begin
ning iracles. Bnt that may mean
that it was the beginning of that series
of manhood miracles In a word, I
thi that the
all transcript of
said. Indeed,
ywwhood of Christ is
facts
what
was 1
® cortainiy
of m
the Bible declares thatif
mother by the plain candle-light, which,
removed wick put down on the candle-
stick, beamed brightly through all the
family sitting-room, as His mother was
mending His garments, that had been
torn during the day's wanderings among
the rocks or bushes, and years after-
ward
IT CAME OUT IN THE SIMILE
of the greatest sermon ever preached:
«Neither do men light a candle and put
it under a bushel, but in a candlestick,
and it giveth light to all who are in the
house. Let your light so shine.” Somme
time, when His mother in the antumn
took out the clothes that had been put
away for the summer, he noticed how
the moth miller flew out and the coat
dropped apart, ruined and useless, and
twenty years after, he enjoined:
“Lay up for yourselves treasures in
heaven, where neither moss nor rustean
corrupt.” His boyhood spent among
birds and flowers, they caroled and
bloomed again fifteen years after, as Ho
“Behold the fowls of the
Consider the lillies.”
80,
erties ont:
'"
nr,
avens and
Perhaps,
boyhood, blackened the he
angered the
i the do Tr
watched it gathering louder and wilder,
until two ceyvelones, one sweeping down
rivers.
Mount Carmel, met in the valley of Es
draelon, and two A
the fury,
trinmphant stands the other, and He
noticed that one had shifting sand for a
foundation and the other an eternal
rock for basis; and twenty after,
He built the whole scene
houses
3 OAr
mton
His audience and lifted them
arms of pathos and terror.
Yes, from the naturalness, the sim
similes and metaphors in discourse, I
know that he had been
A BOY OF THE
and had bathed in the streams, and
heard the nightingale’seall, and broken
through the flowery hedge, and looked
ont of the « mbrasures of the
and drank from the wells, and
the butterflies, which travelers say have
always been one of the flitting
of that landscape , and
strange people f
and Sapj
FIELDS
chnss d
beauties
talke
Damascns
Kan i Sy ria, ¥ hi
world would not contain the books.
HIS MOUNTAIN BOME.
Our Lord's boyhood Was passed in a
neighborhood twelve hundred
ed by mountains five sit hundred
feet higher. Before it could shine in
the village where this boy slept, the sun
had to climb far enough up to look over
hills that held their heads far aloft
Or
vallevs, and with another sweep took in
the Mediterranean Sea; and you hear
of the great waters in His matchless ser-
monology. Ohe day I sce that divine
boy, the wind flurrying His hair over
His sun-browned forchead, standing on
a hill.top looking off spon Lake Tiber-
ins, on which at one time, according to
profane history, arefour thousand nip.
Anthors have taken pains to say that
Christ was not affected by these sur-
roundings, and that He from within
Hved outward and independent of cir-
cumstances. So far from that being
true, He was the most sensitive being
that ever walked the earth, and if a pale
invalid’s weak finger could not touch
His robe without strength going ont
from Him, these mountains and seas
could not have touched His eye without
irradiating His entire nature with their
magnificence. 1 warrant that he had
mounted and explored all the fifteen
hills around Nazareth, among them
Hermon, with its crystal coronet of per-
petual snow, and Carmeland Tabor and
Gilbon, and they all had their sublime
echo in after time from
THE OLIVETIC PULPIT.
Through studying the sky between
the hills, Christ had noticed the weather
signs, and thats crimson sky st night
meant dry weather next day, and that a
crimson sky in the morning meant wet
weather before night. And how beau-
tifully He made use of it in after years
as Hn drove down npon the pestiferons
Phat isce and Sadducee, by crying out:
“When it is eveliing yo say it will be
fair svoather, for the sky is red, and in
the morsing it will be foul weather to-
day. for the sky is red and lowering. O
o hypocrites, yo can discern the face of
the Sy Tush 0 ealno | discern the signs
of the times?” day, as every boy
has done, He walcpod the barnyard fowl
at sight of overswinging hawk, clnck
her ¢ ickens under wing, ahd n after
ears He said: 0 Jetuss erusalem!
Tow often would I have gathered thee ns
a hen gather her chickens under her
wing!” By He had His
en vears of
right hand,
lifted to
true
age would pleas
there would be eno
WAVE A
hands
coronation 34
religious sense 1s
TRUE IN A SECULAR SENSE,
Themistocles amazed his school-fellows
after ye
[sane Newton, the
by driving pegs in the side of
mark the decline of the
a disposition towards the
SE afterwards showed the nations
how the worlds swing. Robert Stephen
gon, the boy, with his kite on the com-
mons experime nted with electric eur
rents and prophesied work which should
yet make him immortal.
my way!” said a rough man to a boy,
“got out of my way! what are yon good
for, anyhow?” The boy answered:
“They make men out of such things as
we are.” Hear it, fathers, mothers!
hear it philanthropists and patriots:
hear it, all the young! The temporal
and eternal destiny of the most of the in-
habitants of this earth is decided before
fourteen years of age. Behold the
Nazareth Christ, the country Christ, the
boy Christ.
But having shown you the divine lad
in the fields, I must show yon Him in
the mechanic's shop. Joseph, hisfather,
died very early, immediately after the
famous trip to the temple, and this lad
had not only to support Himself, but
support His mother, and what that is
some of you know. There is
A ROYAL BRACE OF BOYS
boy
stin, evidenced
experiments
on earth now doing the same thing,
They wear no crown. They have no
yarple robe adroop from their shoul
4 The plain chair on which they sit
is as much unlike a throne as anything
you can imagine. But God knows
what they are doing and through what
sacrifices they go, and through all
eternity God will keep paying them for
their filial behavior. wy shall get full
measure of reward, the measure pressed
down. shaken together and running
over. They have their example in this
boy Christ taking care of his mother.
He had been taught the carpenter's
trade by His father. Fortunate was it
that the boy had learned the trade, for,
when the head of the family dies, it is a
grand thing to have the child able to
take care of himself and help take care
of others. Now that Joseph, His father,
is dead and the responsibility of family
support comes down on this boy, 1 hear
:
from morning to night His hammer
pounding, His saw vacillating, His axe
i So SR SR SR
descending, His boring, and
standing
AMID THE DUST AND DEBRIS
of the shop I find the perspiration
gathering on His temples and notice the
fatigue of His arms, and as He stops a
moment to rest I see him panting, His
hand on His side, from the exhaust
ion. Now He goes forth in the morn-
ing loaded with implements of work
heavier than any modern kit of tools.
Under the tropical sun He swelters.
Lifting, pulling, adjusting, cleaving,
splitting, all day long! At nightfall He
goes home to the plain supper pros ided
by His mother, and sits down too tired
to talk. Work! work! work! You can-
not tell Christ anything new about blis-
tered hands or aching ankles or bruised
fingers or stiff joints or rising in the
morning as tired as when you lay down.
While yet a boy He knew it all, He felt
it all, He suffered it all. The boy oar
penter! The wagon maker! The
boy house builder! © Christ, we have
seen Thee when full grown, in Pilate's
police-conrt re we Thee
when full grown Thou wert a
O Christ, let
gimlets
boy
yO IRE, have seen
uid
of
on Golgoths, but,
Weary
mechanic
while vet
artisans and
Thee
enrth see
and arms
place in -
HE
HAVIDY
BOY IN THE
TEMPLE
But, seen Christ the boy «
xh marvelous
smooth-browed lad
bearded, haired,
eoclesiastios thie
Hundreds thousands of
OW YOu amore
Christ the
the long whit
of
of
After
tival. the
the eity to shelter immense throngs
strangers,
It was very easy, among
vast throngs coming and going, to lo
More than two million people
national feast. You
not think of those regions as sparsely
settled. Th
of them o«
people, No wont
ty
crowdsat the tam
cities, the smallest
fifteen thousand
that amid the
© Spoke!
jut after a wink
st, and with flushed
1 LOGE LLOV rus
s L¥fave
1) ¥: Hei
ir epmplexi
burn hal
loft thi
religi
ists
il more
o young, He
knew all ab
roof they held
THAT MOST
WONDERFUL DISCTRRION
of all history H:
altar, of every sacrifice
£
Knew the meamng of
, Of every
golden candlestick, of every « mbroider
ed curtain, of every crumb
bread, of every drop of oil in
sacred edified He knew all abont God
He knew all about man. He
about heaven, for He eame from it
knew all about this world, for He made
He knew all worlds, for they were
only the sparkling morning dewdrops
on the lawn in front of His heavenly
palace,
a wreath of emphasis: “Both
them and asking them questions.”
1 am not so much interested in the
questions they asked Him as the ques-
tions He asked them. He asked the
questions not to get information from
the doctors, for He knew it already, but
to humble them by showing them the
heights and depth and length and
breadth of theit own fgeorance. The
radient boy with ag§ oa of a hundred
questions abont thedlogy, About philos-
opy, about astronomy, about time, about
eternity, may have batked them, discon:
certed them. Behold the boy
CHRIST ASKING QUESTIONS,
and listen when your child asks ques-
tions. He has the. ri to ask on
The more He asks the ;
the stupidity of the
in
of shrew
quisitivencss! :
questions. Answer th
Po not say; “I can’t be bathe
1t is your place to be bof
questions. If you are not able
answer, surrender and confess your in-
capneity, as I have no doubt did Rabbin
Simeon, and Hillel, and Shammai, and
the sons of Betirah when that splendid
boy, sitting or standing there, with a
garment Fenching from neck to ankle,
and girdled at the waist, put them to
their very wits’ end. Ib is no disgrace
to say, ‘I don’t know,” The only being
in the universe who never needs to say,
“I do not know," is the Lord Almighty.
The fact that they did not know sent
Keppler, and Cuvier, and Columbus,
and Humboldt, and Herschel, and Morse,
and Bir William Hamilton, and all the
other of the world’s mightiest natures
into their life-long explorations. Teles-
cope and microscope and stethosco
and electrio battery, and all the scientific
anparatus of all the ages, are only ques-
tions asked at the door of mystery.
hold this Nazarene lad asking questions,
griving dignity to earnest interrogation.
But while I see the old theologians
standing around the boy Christ Iam
impressed as never before with the fact
that
WHAT THEOLOGY MOST WANTS
is more of childish simplicity. The
world and the Church have built up im-
mense systems of theology. Half of
them try to tell what God thought, what
God planned, what God did five lmn-
dred million years before the small star
on which we live was created. I have
had many a sonnd sleep under sermons
about the decrees of God and the eternal
generation of the Son, and discourses
showing who Melchisedec wasn’t, and 1
give a fair warning
ever begins a sermon on
in my presence I will put my
on the pew in front, and go into the
slumber 1 ean reach Wicked
ti , this trying to 1 ]
le and fatl
» thie
y be told
waste of tin
i
nnse
nations o
perple XX Our
if God? Mind vo
d God will t
LO Care
han about 1
occurred on
eclipsed sun. that set us
thing
our whole heart pL Life
accept the tremendous proffer. Do not
Pre shyterian
Church or
Church or
thie
{ hurches
other evangelical
time in >
RYING TO PIX UP OLD CREEDS,
them
is imperfect
or all the evangelical
imperfect, as
I nove a
tendom, only three
i, and no need if1
11 the consecrated pe ple of all d«
carth on
ud
of any nar
one great
enone!
Arian of
inwrink
lb
nex
yaad and the sons
the Temple to ben
Was, 1D
of the
to the
by the bre ath
WHY
Judean hills and
on the mechanic s shop
bereaved mother, stopp
enough to grapple with the vem rable
Orient “both hear
them questions
loti
ong
dhialecticians of the
+ s+} 2 G & ¢
jug them and asking
Fece Deus! schold the God, Others
have exclaimed, Ecce homo! Behold
the man But t reilany in conclusion of
subj of 1 CTY, Fook
my adolescons!
- - oe w
it’s Easy to Keep House in Japan.
Life in Japan has it's compensations
A young lady who recently married an
tea merchant, writes
home of her Oriental housekeeping:
“We have five servants,” she says, ‘at
the same cost of employing two in New
York. I am looked upon as positively
ornamental, and am not expected to
even think about the daily Feaenald
routine. I have had to get used to the
amusing deference my retainers accord
me. Invariably every night at bed-
time the five appear and prostrate them-
selves before me as a good night cere-
mony. I had great difficulty to pre-
serve my dignity on the initial perform.
ance of this singular custom, but I have
grown used to it now, and am as solemn
as the occasion requires. The other
day on one of my rare visits to the
kitchen 1 dropped my handkerchief
and left the room without discoveri
my loss. A few moments later, seat
in my own room, I heard a whispering
outside the door, followed by the
entrance of my maid and the waitress,
the former bearing a small salver upon
which rested the bit of cambrie. It
was gravely presented, and then both
withdrew. learned afterward from
my maid that its presence on the
kitchen floor created a great commo-
tion below stairs. There was an ani-
mated discussion as to whom belonged
the great honor of restoring it to me,
the cook claiming the privilege on the
ground that it was found in his domain.
inally a compromise was effected. The
cook Berens picked it up and placed
it on the salver, the waitress bore this
to the door of my room and then con.
signed it to maid, who, being my per-
sonal servitor, was the only one who
could rightfully rastore a Ftavuial be
longing. Fancy all this about a
handkerchief which most New York
Bridgets o Susans would have quietly
SUNDAY 3CA0D0L LESSON,
BuspAY Jus 3, 155),
SECOND QUARTERLY RE VIEW.
TITLES AND GOLDEN TEXTS.
Gorpes Texr vor ™e Quanren: [
Jive qlorific d thee on the carth, having
accomplished the work which thou last
given me (0 do,—John 17 : 4
I. THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY.
TT jolee ¢ reatly, O daughter of Zion;
shout. O daughter of Jeru sloem: behold,
thy King Zeoh
g:9
cometh unto thee,
Ii. THE REJECTED
He came unto his own,
Jolin i
MANDMEN]
received him not
HE TWO GREAT COM
ESUS BETRAYED
Betravest thou the Bon «
Luke 22 : 48
US HEVOR)
T1 in
THE
In4
JESUS BEFORE VILAT
y them,
John 18 :
IFIED
d himself, and
RUB CRY
becam«
Phil. 2:8
i
REVIEW BIBLE LIGHTS
Syren
npern
i
i
Lord our God,
you shalt love
all thy heart, and witha
all
strength.
soul, and with thy mind, and
The
thy neighbor as
20-31).
Love is the fulfilling
13: 10
Herein 1s , not that we
that he loved ns, and
Son to be the propitiatu
our sins (1 John 4 : 10
All: If God loved us
to low another
he md
Scholars
Bom
Teachers
of the
Ove
(od, but
ay
we also
one {1 John
Lesson 4. —Superint ndent : One of
what manner of
what manner of buildings! And Jesus
said unto him, Seest thou these great
buildings? there shall not be left here
one stone upon another, which shall not
be thrown Rowen {Mark 13 : 1, 2).
Scholars : But 1 say unto yon, That
in this place is one greater than the
temple (Matt. 12 : 6)
Teachers :
him: and without him was ... . anything
made that hath been made (John 1 : 3).
All : Most gladly therefore will I
rather glory in my weaknesses, that the
strength of Christ may rest upon me
{2 Cor. 13 : 9).
1essom 5.—Superintendent: And then
shall they see the Son of ‘nan coming in
clouds with great power and glory. And
then shall he send forth the angels, and
shall gather together his elect from the
four winds, from the uttermost part of
the earth to the uttermost part of heaven
(Mark 13 : 28, 27).
Scholars: Take ye heed, watch and
pray: for ye know not when the time is
{Mark 13 : 83).
Teachers: Watch therefore: for ye
know not when the lord of the house
cometh, whether at even, or at mid.
night, or at ocockerowing, or in the
morning; lest coming suddenly he find
you sleeping (Mark 13 35, 36).
All: Let us not sleep, as do the rest,
but let us watch (1 Thess, 5 : 6).
Lesson 6. — Superintendent: Jesus
said, Lot her alone; why trouble yo her?
she hath wrought an good work on me.
For ye have the poor always with you,
and whensoever yo will ye can do So
oll, bat yo have not always (Mark
4 : 6-8),
Scholars: 8hoe hath done what she
could (Mark 14 : 8).
Teachers: If the readiness is there, it
is acceptable according as a man
not scoording as he hath not (2 Cor.
stones and
Thy vows are upon me, 0 God:
SAG IAIBAPIRR POET" 47
i ¢
{ will render thank of rings ms
(Pea. 06 : ¥2y.
And os
bread, and
had ble Ad. he brake it; and
gave to them, and said, Take ye this 1
And he took a enp, and wi
Lesson 7.
they
Superintendent
were cating, he took
3 :
wien he
my body
he had rive uw thanks, ke oave to t
and they all drank of
nnto them, This
2:19
Ax
and drink
Lord's death till
Teac ‘
Cachoers
bread,
the
amazed
which hath
he 1s not
3
they laid
m, Be not
the Nazarene,
saith unto the
is risen
he place where
5, 68)
Now is Christ risen fr
become the firstfruits of
(1 Cor 15 20
When this corruptible shall
an
he dead, and
m that slept
Teachers
is swallowed up in vie-
O death, were is thy victory? O
is thy sting? (1 Cor,
tory
death, where
15 0, 5H.
All: Thanks be to God, which giveth
ns the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ 31 Cor. 15 :
--
I
i ——
Teach Girls to Think.
Said a mother to meone day: “What
I answered:
“It her study everything which
her how to think. Good
comes from » mind that has been not
merely crammed with knowledge, but
developed, are the qualities most high-
ly prized, and unfortunately most diffi-
enlt to find not only in woman, but in
men. This, doubtless, is due in great
measure to our imperfect system of
education.”
Teachers of stenography find this
the greatest difficulty to contend with
in preparing their pupils for pRitions,
While there are very few who cannot
learn how to write shorthand, two.
tliirds of those who take up this stady
are obliged to abandon it because their
reasoning powers, and consequently
judgment, have not been sufficiently
trained to enable them to read their
notes intelligently. This same lack of
judgment is met with in every depart-
ment of business. So much is this the
same, people have sometimes been led
to the fallacious conclusion that men
will sncceed better in business if they
start life with little or no education.
The trouble is, that people have not
been educated too much for business,
but that they have been edueated in
the wrong way.—Many F. Seysova.
French cooks have a mania for the
introduction of ham flavor into ordinary
tomato sous