The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-03-28
Ghe1ntelIige
MOODY ON JUDAISM.
, Curious Incident-Il True.

0Now," said Mr.. Moody, cheerfully, L
the pa,ient visitor, drawing up two seat
before the fire, "you told mc that yo'
were not Christian. think that ! cal
induce YOU to become one. Now, let
see; the Bible tells you every one tha
your only hope is through Jesus Christ.
II don't think ii does" said the young
man. 1.-THE Old Testament says nothing
about Him, and 1 don't believe in TIC
New Testament" .,;.,
"Ahp said Mr.. Moody, eyeInS MN
closely, "you're jew"
al an, sir" replied the other 49,,
"Bnt Inc old Testament does CONSTANT
,v rcier 10 the coming Of Christ. -.
al, does in the headlines OF the King
Iomcs' version" said the young man,
@but they are put over the chapters With
ont INV warrant by the text" :,
aDocs not Jacob say: Tho sceptre shall
mot deuart from Judah, nor lawgiyer
from between his feet until Shiloh
Comes?"
"Who is Shiloh? Jesus was never call
ed Shiloh. How can the passage pos.
sibly refer to him? Besides, the transla.
ton is wrong. 1t should read, until
YOU come to Shiloh The passage has
purely political reference"
"What do you say about the prophecies
Of I.aiah ?" asked Mr.. Moody.
(Which one? That Of the seventh
chapter, which in the King James YER
sion, reads, behold virgin shall con.
ceive and bear n son, and she shall call
hi4 name lmmanuclw
That is one of them that proplesies
the coming OF Jesus"
81 think not" said the young man. "In
the first place, the translation Is incorrect.
The Hebrew word hargnOImah means the
Young woman, and not n virgin The
passage should read, Behold the young
woman is with child, and about to bring
forth son. The words were uttered by
Isaiah to the wicked Ahaz, King OF Judah
who was alarmed at the approach Of the
armies Of Israel and Syria, which were
about to attack Jerusalem. God sent the
Prophet to him to quiet his fears, but
without success. ASK God for sign
them said Isaiah. Ahaz refused, saying
i will not tempt God.' well, then, said
the Prophet, God will give thee a sign
thou impious man. Behold the young
woman is with child, and about to bring
forth son, and she shall call his name
Emmanuel, and before the boy shall know
how to call his father and mother, the
riches OF Damascus and the spoils OF Sa
maria shall be taken away before the
King OF Assyria." The next chapter
tells how the woman spoken OF was the
prophets own wife, and that the chile
was first called Emmanuel (God is witt
us) and afterwards Observation-Disclosures
The iulfillment OF the prophecy is giver
in the second book Of Kings, which dc
scribes the overthrow Of the hostile ar
mics under the Kings Pekah and Rein
Do you blame me for believing this inter
probation Of the prophecy IN preference
to yours, that God to convince an impi
Gus man like Ahaz promised him rs ;
sign that more that 500 years after hi
death Jesus should come on Garth~
allow do you ret over the fifty third
chapter Of Isaiah? That plainly speaks o
Christ" said Mr.. Moody.
"The best Biblical scholars have failed
10 explain the meaning OF that chapter,
replied the other, "but it ia impossible tc
make out of it prophecy OF the advent
Of Jesus"
"Does it not say lie was wounded fol-
our transgressions, lie was bruised for
our iniQuiticsT" urged the preacher. al
evidently refers to Jesus,
"fhat PHI use may fit, but you cannot
take the whole chapter and make it ap'
ply to Him." was the answer. "YOn have
no right to wrench verse here and there
from its context to suit n special purpose
Christianity ought not TO be dependent
upon such articles. An atheist might Us
we'll take the words Of David, THE fool
hath said in his heart there is no God,
and, emitting the first clause, use the lat.
ter us Biblical argument in favor oil
atheism"
During the conversation Mr.. Moody
was interrupted two or three times by
some OF his dcacons, who wished to speak
to him; but each time he waved them
away and motioning toward his compan'
ion said, "NOt now, not now; don't dis
turb us. l am very busy. This is very
@rhc religion of Christ" he resumed
"has stood the test OF nearly two thousand
years" =,
"And that OF Moses twice as long" said
the other.
Mr.. Moody paused, and, looking at his
visitor with an air Of curiosity mingled
with pity, said:
at is strange that you Jews should re.
iect Jesus, who was himself jew"
as it stranger" said the other, "thar
that the Christians should have perse
cuted the Jews for centuries only on nc
count Of their belief, after thinking a Jew
who was not even n perfect man, gooC
enough to DO their God?'
"NOt perfect man. How can you
say thatP"
aDid no not curse the Pharisees, the
most learned sect OF his day, to which ne
himself belonged, and call them "a gene.
ration OF yipers'?-a most unjust and
sweeping denunciation Of whole pOlit'
ical party. To his own mother he said
Woman, who art thou p"
ale did curse the Pharisees," said Mr..
Moody. "He called them vipcrS, as !
might call persons yipers, but calmly and
without any anger"
"such language might be pardonab't
in an ordinary man, but not in one who
is held up as God. Besides, the Jews
could not be blamed for not recognizing
Jesus, whom they knew only as the son O
Mary and Joseph the carpenter, as lht
Messiah, the royal descendant Of David
They were longing for the Messiah, ant
would willingly have believed in the
claims OF Jesus il they could. At frs
they questioned him with manifest sin
certify, but no answered them only will
rcproofs and mysterious words, which
could give no satisfaction"
$50 they cruciiied him% said Mr.
Moody.
"The Romans crIcilied him." replied
the young man. Sits true the Jews de
mandcd his death, but not until he Nt
tackled the fundamental and most sacred
principle Of Judaism-the absolute unit!
and indivisibility Of God. But now cat
you blame them, when you believe thai
Jesus preordaincd that it should be so
II the Romans and Jews had not put hin
to death, you would have no Savior ioI
YOU to tell that it is only through Hi
blood that one can be saved. Besides, die
not Jesus himself say; "Forgive them
they know not what they do?"