Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1874-08-28
PILATES PERPLEXlrY.
Rey. Mr., riaunS' Discourse.

PILATES PERPLEXlrY.
Rev. Mr. EjaraS' Discourse.
The following from the San Fran
cisco Post, of the 9th, we publish by
request of one of our lady readers:
The new minister at the Green Street
Congregational Church, Rev. Mr..
Ijans, is an acquisition to the pulpit
Of this city. lie is Il small man, about
forty years of age, of nervous tempera
mcnt. lie formerly preached in Ger
mantown, Pennsylvania, but removed
from there to Iowa City. n short time
since he came TO Gilroy to preach to
the Presbyterans there, but being too
liberal in his ideas to suit them. trouble
came and he went into the COngrcga
tional Church. His style of reading,
his attitudes and the wording of his
prayers yesterday, all showed Origi-
nality. He is Il good reader, but he
evidently docs not pride himself on
that fact, as he read but one verse of
each of the hymns. His subject was,
"Pilate's Perplcxity-'Whs.t shall do
with Jesus?'' and the text was an
nOunced without giving the number
of the verse where it can be found.
lie said: Pilate was in a dilemma. II
he acquitted Jesus he would go against
public sentiment and be despiScd and
denounced by the Jews. If he con-
demned him, his conscience would give
him no peace. His dread of public
opinion led him to tenporiZe and toap-
peal to the mob, saying, "Wlat shall
do with Je>u>?' as if, he, Il public oili-
tiaI, could shit his solemn dutv on
the mere rabblc. lie thus became II
coward,
a Mere DcmagOgue.
Who knew his duty and did it not.
"What shall do with Jesus" is the
man question in the highest circles OF
thought to-day. Witness the number
of volumes of the "I.ifc OF Christ" pub
lished in Germany, France, England
and America, the effort to fix ChriSt'S
position in history, and the criticisms
that have sprung up i'll consequence.
The publication of Rcnan's book eX-
cited almost Il tumult in France. There
was rush to the critics apartment,
and nothing else was talked of for a
while.
This shows the interlacing of the
heart strings with the name of Jesus.
Why this irresistible sympathy? We
are apt TO forget wha! king Christ is,
that his power is actually growing;
that his influence is deeper this mo
ncnt than ever before. Well has he
borne the scrutiny. Moo completely
comprellcnds him, but all join in praise
of Jesus of Nazareth as he pa,sclll by.
Even men called infidelS unite to eulo-
yiZc him. Noltaire, Strauss, Renan.
all do him honor. Theodore Parker
says: IF we measure Christ by the
light which irradiates from his person,
we measure his influence But
More EuIOgy il mot sufficient:
Something else is demanded. We can't
meet the emergency unless we do
something. 1t is not demanded that
Mc do anything with Socrates. \ le-
lief in his life is sufficient, but some
thing assures us that mere belief is
not enough when we think oil Jesus.
There are two solutions now given to
thriSt'S life. Some good, cultured
men, after careful study, say that he
was Il man, Il great man, the greatest
of all men, but vet amere man, gifted
in morals as Homer in song, La Place
in mathematics and Demosthcne> in
e,oquence. To reach this opinion it is
necessary to set aside the testimony of
Jesus himself. If we admit that the
New Testament is as good history as
u her ancient history. we shall find il
tlIllcuil 10 IcUHTu Jesus as IL mere HldI.
II we Judge him only by his work in
history, ii vii! lie ID easy task 70 de-
eide that lie was mcrclya Il man. OH
rr men have sung songs and become
heroes but they moved along with the
current of thought and were the out
growth of the age, but Jesus was COM
PEELED to stem the torrent of opposition
rs no man has done. 1t is one thing
To write poetry, but another to induce
men to Int away their darling sins. If
you would learn how hard is Jesus
work, go try TO persuade some man
to drink no more, some liquor seller to
give w his business, some worldly
woman to betake herself to
deed, OF charity and PRAYER. Christ
has succeeded in this work, and is sue
cccding at this moment. He is ut work
now in you and in me. His name by
faith in his name beautiiies the ugliest
souls. Is this but an
Ordinary Historic Fact.
The work ola mere unaided mortal?
Some persons may say "ie>." If so
utter no rcprOachcS, but feel sorrow.
God is ever living and ever working
hut never so manifest as in his only
Son. say "only Son" because do
not classify myself with him. We are
only adopted sons. Some conceive
Jesus to hare been double intelli-
Scnce, divinity acting through human
agency, and human acting through the
divine. Again it is held by some that
Christ had no human soul at all, but
without human soul he could not
have been man under divine inilu-
cncc. Nicodemus said to him, " Rab-
hi, no man can do these miracles UNI
less God be with him." but Christian
ity is the greatest of all the miracles
he ever wrought. "What will you do
with Je,us?' If you pronounce him
il mere man You reject him rs your
tod and master.
lie claimed that he wrought mir
acles. If he did MT he was IL fanatic,
or else he was self deceived and weak.
Eut no man has ever charged him
with being weak. If he were u good
man he told the truth of himself.
FanaticiSm is weakness, imagination
run wild. Could crazy man have
uttered Jesus Chri>t's calm words, or
have sent an unt;,ding h.az' of glory
around the whole earth? If Christ
were good he was truthful; il truthful,
he wrought miracles. You must
either sniiic Him and bid him go away
AS deceiver, or take him TO your
hear; lis Your Savior and King. You
must have formed an opinion about
him, and have either accepted or re-
.iecied him. Perhaps You have reject
cd him wiihou, knowing what he has
done. Here he is, the central figure of
all the ages; he is there far back iii the
ln>i; he is without sin. pure. imnacu-
la;e. plying the poor, having gentle
hands on the Suffering. dying for our
salvation, emerging from death :
powers the mighty vmnqmisher, living
forever. What viii You do with
InSuSof'