The Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1870-1875, 1870-12-03
SERMON:
Preached In SC. Panl's Church, In
Behalf Of ssEandeFbuPgh Christian
ROme,o Nov. goth, 1870, BY Rev.
W.. II. Van Antwerp.


that they should be stoned; but what
This they said tempting Him, that they
might have 10 accuse Him.-ST. JOHN,
WIZ 5, 6.
To appreciate the remarkable Incl
dent which gave rise to these words,
our thoughts must revert to the
Temple in the Holy City.
1t is very early in the morning,
when, our Lord having returned from
the Mount of Olives, takes His place in
one of those spacious courts, and re-
sumes the Heavenly teaching Whlch
He had left off the night before.
"A beautiful and strange spectacle!
1t is the last day-that great day of
the Feast of Tabernacles. Multi
tudes had come up to their ancient
seat of worship. This wonderful Be-
ing, appearing like man. yet acting
as God, and, az the naughty Roman
officers had said on the previous day
''never man spake ike this man
He is here again, speaking with au-
thority," giving utterance to holy
thoughts and golden truths which
chain the attention of the aWe-struck
throng, and cause their hearts to
burn within them while He speaks.
While thus engaged q noisy COM
pany is heard approaching. The list
ening multitude look around and give
way before a band of lordly Scribes
and Pharisees.
What draws these dignitaries here2
Yesterday they were about the
Temple, scofhng at Jesus and trying
TO divert the attention of these peo-
pie, whom they sneeringly deride as
knowing not the Law
Have they come at last to sit at His
feet2 Will they also be His Disci-
pies? Not they. Jesus, to them, is 8
preacher of severer and purer re-
ligion than was agreeable to these
sanctimonious pretenders.
His awful denunciations of their
vanished sins and hypocrisies have
many times kindled their wrath.
Woe unto you, Scribes, Pharisees,
hypocrites, adnlterersp
No, they come there with their in
decent clamor. dragging a poor Wo
man, and thinking to silence this ter
rible rebuker of sins with perpleZing
question.
Here" they say, here. Master, is
Q case for you. This woman is proved
guilty of unchastity, a grievous Of
fender against the law of purity which
you are continually preaching. You
have uttered woe upon aduIterers and
adulteresses, and Moses says this
kind of sinners shall be stoned; but
what do you say2"
Little do they care for His verdict,
except as it suits their evil purpose,
which Is 10 ind preteXt for q legal
accusation against Him, and TO gel
rid of this rigid advocate of holiness
and who is no respecter of their re-
spectacle persons.
Now, they say, give US your
Judgment upon this woman
We see their craft in all this.
IF He condemns her, then they say
There, that is His mereifulness and
compassion Of which you have heard
SO much. He can teach love, anC
pity and forgiveness Of injuries, bu
/ for this common delinquency of {
weak woman. He has no mercy" Il
was unlike His mercies 10 condemn
yet If He did not they would charge
Him as transgressor Of the Law.
The Roman law does not reckon this
6 capital offence, and also denies the
Jews the right of execution.
IF He does it, they go at once 60
the Governor and charge Him with
sedition and a violation of Imperial
Law. LIE He does not, then they say
So, after all, the wicked are to 20
unpublished. This is your Teacher oil
purity, and eulogist Of virtue, who de-
nounces sin in general terms, and
| then let's debauehed sinner like this
woman go away into society again, as
if nothing wrong 1ere done. ls this
the way TO discourage crime, by con-
doning the offence on a mere senti-
ment of religious clemency?s
These, be it remembered, are all
honorable men; gentlemen OF the Law
and of the gown; the aristoeFacy oil
their day and nation; the men of i'm
| huenee and position; who Thought it
no violation Of decency in thus break.
| ing in upon the blessed discourse Of
| the Master, with all their confusion
| of filthy accusations.
His first answer is re5Uke Of their
| rudeness. He is silent, STOPPING
down "as though He heard them not. ?
and writing strange words upon the
pavement. But they persist, these POI
lite models of society Come they urge,
| W06b SGyCSb t1OU5 Leu Lu6S6 D60-
pie here, to whom You have been
preaching Of temperance, righteous
ness and judgment TO come, let them
hear your sentence noRp They do
hear it, but how different from what
they expect. 1t il sentence indeed.
not upon her but them. He that is
without sin among gou let him first
cast stone at her" The law of Mo.
SEES provided that the hands of the
witnesses should be first upon the
guilty.
He has not sentenced nor acquitted
the woman. He is a not temporal
judge minding Caesars things. But.
knowing all the foul and impure hearts
before Him" He proceeds as if then.
and not she, we're the guilty parties.
lie unmasks their secret sins" with
q word. They stand there abashed.
feeling the eyes of all that crowd
upon them, and knowing that they
we're guilty. Conscience made coag-
ards of them all. And so they quietly
pass ont, one by one, from the eldest
sinners down to the refined zoaRo
gentleman; and He is left, with that
woman, standing trembling in the
midst of the people. Then, as no &C
cusers are there, He seems 10 say.
My mission is not to condemn thee,
but only thy SIN. Go and sin no
more"
o, that this lesson of pity for the
fallen were more seriously eonsid-
eredl o, that all who bear Christ's
name might like Him, speak The ruth
IN lore, utter words Of ENCOURAGE
ment to those who are Ontcast. rather
than fling upon the down. trodden the
stone Of the Scribe and Pharisee.
Would that they might say, go and
sSR no more"
We little know the state of heart
which this dehled creature brought
before Jesus in that TempIe seene.
what shame and remorse NAV have
been noted by Him, unto whom M
hearts are open, and from whom ~
secrets are hid. We little know vbss
q spark of good in those outcas9s
We call EVIL may await 10 ~
famed By some friendly act of elena
ency-stirred by 8 little Christian
resignation and sympathy-into a
bright fame of repentance and re-
form whose light shall be seen from
the watch towers of Heaven.
We do know that al uncleanness
and filthy communications are
hateful 70 Him who il vet to be feared
because IL l mereli1s Ito Him who
has told tire sws - HMt HnwsraE--..f ss5 p