The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1882-10-27
DEDICATION SERMON,
DEIvKRED BY
REV. THOs. R. MARKHAM.
On the Occasion Of the Dedication Of the
Presbyterian Church at Handsb0ro,
Miss, sunday, October Is.
or NEW oRLEANs,

DIR. Markham's text was taken from LIST
Corinthins. l:25 verses, God hath
ciosen things that aro not to bring TO
nonght things that are"
Christ's paradoxes and utterances
are beyond or opposed to the hr-
man way Of thinking and Judging;
they surprised and shocked men.
The "Beatitudes, ,'in the "SerInon on
the Mount" present seriesof these
amazing and startling propositions,
pronouncing, blessed are the poor in
spirit, the meek, the nourners and
the prosecuted.
Indeel lie und his system were
paradoxes-his birth lin stablt J
his rearing and abode, (ia an ob.
scure town. his poverty, his com
mnions, Qpublicaus aud ishermen)
his means for spreading his gospel
(the icords of plain men, his new
and strange standard (the valuation
of men by character regardless OF
condition. Indeed, preferring the
the poor, rich in faith, to the mighty,
after the flesh.
His personal character aud his
miracles-words Of suUeruatural
wisdom and works of super human
power-a alone rescued him and that
AZ stem from Indifference and con.
tempt. Said they, "He is mad
and hath u devil, why hear ye him.
Paul'sparadox was the EXTREMIST
and ipteusest expression Of that
spirit. Things that are not to
ibriug 20 nought things that are.'
| In the East vain and wicked per
sous are spoken of as "They ars
uotn and when such prosper it !,
called "The day of the are not.
Hindoos of high caste speak thus
of those of low caste.
This places Christ and his disci
pies in the lowest plane ofconsider
alton and influence, aud the sig
nificance OF it's application under
stood aud resented. II would b,
as If, today, in our perplexing ques
tions of finance and social order on,
should point to n company of th
illiterate aud obscure and ea,
"these are the men to settle tbcs
vexed questions" Your auswe
would be n shrug, a smile, n wor'
of sneer. The Sauhedrim perceive,
. Peter and John to be "ignorai
and uulearned,n and yet they pre-
fpssed to have found the Messiah
for whom these rulers are vainl
looking, in Jesus of Nazareth
Nathapiel's going to see Jesus aftt'
asking, "Cau any good thing com
ont OF Nazareth" was u proof q
his guilessness. At Athens, Pau
was "a babbler" and to Festus on
"made mad by learning"
This is a key to the rejection @
Jesus, a. rejection waich saufpfiss'
! US. for he offered thugs pleasant t
j the ear aud sweet to the heavt @
the sace. In the synagogue q
Nazareth he read from the roll q
tue Prophet Isaiah, and apple,
the words to himself "The spirit q
The Lord is upon me because b
hath auointed me to preach th
gospel to the poor; he hath seil
, me to heal the broken hearted. /
preach deli,eranc- to the captiva
: aud recovering ef n Git to|thelbliua
-ty ty's set at liberty them that ~
bruised, to preach the aNeeptab'
= wear OF the Lord" AS he Nh
~This day il this scripturel faltille
in your ears" the eyes of all IN n
I synagogue were fastened On bin
q ID all bare witness to him, MI
9 wondered at the gracious wor
= which proceeded out OF bis inout
This was the first generous outfio
and response. But, forthwith, q
rsradoxes assailed them, ~ ~
Joseph. bis brethren and sisfF
with u.s. !" whence this wisdom q
{ these mighty worksr "whence his'
! he letters, never having learned
ra H., h.,.,, A vounU Rnkhi II,