The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-10-30

eaiu W you VndJ my SUBJECT TINS afternoon
would be page from the life of Christ, or how
the true followers oil Christ live. The record OF
Wnlch design speaking 10 you, is found in the
iSth chapter OF the Book OF Acts. l read from
the 34th verse.-
Then Peter opened his mouth and said OF
truth perceive that God is no respecter OF
persons,n etc.
The 3sth verse of this CHAPTER reads tbus.
"How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with
the Holy Ghost and with power: who went
about doing good, and healing all that were
Oppressed OF the deyil; for God was with him"
The history of Jesus from beginning TO end
Is the most extraordinary, important and won.
nerlul that the world has ever seem and that
the world ever will see. 1t embodies in 1t more
tnpOItant Iacts, more essential truths, more in
terestlng matter, more that concerns man for
the life tnat now is, as well as that which IS
10 come, than all the books that have been
written and printed and published since print
ing was hrst invented; and the history of no
man tnat has been born on the face OF the earth
from the days of Adam to this day, can be
SO arranged as TO offer record TO compare with
the simple story of the son of the carpenter of
world.
Everything that is important to us for this
present llle, and everything else involved In the
eternal life TO come, is here. You are more
concerned to know all about Jesus than you are
about any other being that has ever been i'm the
world or that ever will be in the world. 1t is of
more importance to you and to me to know how
far we can be assimilated to the character of
Jesus of Nazareth than about those that have
preceded or those who shah succeed us. IL ls
the name above every name, that name of Jesus
Things in heaven, on earth, under the earth
ana everything are to bow and acknowledge
Jesus, Lord, Prince and Sovereign of all. do
not pretend to eXaggerate. / could not do it If
desired. 1t is higher than heaven; it is deeper
than hell and broader than the earth, | know
that men do not seem to think that this is So
and that is the reason why men are as they are.
L know, too, that even protesting Chris tians do
not do this wholly, practically, and thoroughly,
and that is the reason why we have such imper-
iect Christianity.
We are very much concerned to know all
about John Calvin and John Wesley or some
other poor creature like ourselves. We hear
great deal said about those men; and men glory
IN being Calvlnists or Arminians, as they are
called; and, after all, that which was peculiarly
excellent in those excellent men NAV be lust as
peculiarly excellent 10 you and me, and it Is
just as important that that should be i'm you aud
me as IN them. If they were gooA men, If they
were important men, if they wer valuable men,
their goodness, their importaIce. and their
value resulted from their assimilation TO the
character of Jesus Christ and that must every
man improve.
If, then, we look over page or so Of His life,
we IND he facts are clearly and distinctly seen.
Jesus was eminently. fitted for His work. In the
Atm chapter OF the Gospel by Luke, and the 18th
verse, we have the following statement:-
"Ihe spirit of the Lerd is upon me, because
ne hath anolnted me to preach the Gospel to
the poor" That was the business of Jesus
Christ. To preach the Gospel to ali men-eyerv
condition of men-"IIe hath sent me to heal the
broken-hearted," etc.
In the I'd chapters of the Book of Acts it
reads;@"Ye men of Israel hear these words"
etc. Then in the Acts 4th chapter 9th verse
the record is, "For a truth against thy holy
child Jesus" ETC.; and In the lst chapter OF
Hebrews you have striking illustration of the
wonderful fitness OF the Son of Sod for the per-
tOrmance OF His duties and read over the his
tory OF our Saviour, as remarkable in itself and
satisfactory beyond controversy that every man
may know and understand. Christ spent His
whole life in going about doing good. There
was never flaw, there was never an act per-
formed there was never a word spoken; there
was never an association made by him upon
which mortal man could put his finger, with the
slightest indisCreIon,
You know well how they attempted to vilify
and traduce Him. 1t mattered not He passed
right on with the majesty of the sun of the
heavens. Wherever you found Him, whether
in the house or by the wayside, in the thronged
city or in the wilderness, He was engaged in
doing good. His tears mingled with their tears,
ana His heart yearned with their hearts.
His ministry was grand one. 1t was not
the crowns and sceptres OF the Roman Empire
and worldly dominion. Those things he did
not meddle with. His prosecutors on one occa-
sion, you remember, attempted to ensnare him.
Speak to him, brother, that he divide with
N the inheritance 81 am not judicial Off
Ger; / am not here to sit on the bench of your
courts. Who made me o judge or a diyider 2"
-repudating it at once, and turned away from
it, his grand object being 10 do good.
1t would be we'll for us, as we pass along to
stop moment and inquire, as we look at these
facts in the history of the Saviour, how much
resemblance there is ON the part of His minis.
tiers and the Great Lord our Master? Are we
like Him! Are we gong about doing good in
the same way? You will not lind IN the whole
history OF the Lord Jesus where He interfered
with the affairs OF men, or endeavored>to excite
the prejudices OF one man against another in
any way whatever. He was Il peace-maker-a
literal peace-maker.
You will find that there is a reason for Chrisrs
success, tor he was very successful in establish
ing his truths, and He passed all the prejudice,
all the calumny, all the accusations that were
to hell; and although they hurled the shafts of
death, and scandal, and vltuperation at him, He
was clad from head to foot with a coatoEmail
which God had given Him, so that 1t was impos-
sible for them TO assail Him.
In the second chapter of John and the third
verse we read of Nlcodemus, q distinguished
Pharisee, and ruler of the Jews, coming TO
Jesus by night Why he did this is not for you
or me to determine. 1t was II great risk to run.
My brethren, you may rest assured that il re-
qulres great deal OF moral courage to stand up
Tor the right Nicodemus was troubled about
this, and he came to find Jesus in the night and
said unto him, Rabbi, we know thou art
teacher come from God,n etc. Now how did he
know il 2 man says, ] know you are Curs-
tian How does he know it? He must have
some sign by which to determine.
Now NicOdemus, this ruler of the Jews and
chief OF men, admitted that Jesus Christ was a
he, "can do these miracles that thou dOest,
except God be with him. God was with Him
in the miracles that He performed in the words
that he spoke, IN the acts that He did, in the
lie thal lie lveu' u was clear, palpably ciear,
TO every individual thai God was with our Lord
Jesus Christ. When men say they believe YOU
are Christian man og woman, why
do they say soE II they speak the
about you in your lite The only tent is its
living eXemplihcation in your daily walk and