National Republican., 1883-09-24
THE COMING OF CHRIST.

dissertation OF Gods holy day.
THE COMING OF CHRIST.
WOULD THIS AGE RECEIVE HIM DIFFER
EMILY FROM his owNP
At the Western Presbyterian church yes
terday morning Rev. II. S. Childs preached
from the text in John, vi, '66-6S-
From that time many of his disciples went back
and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus
unto the twelve, "will yo also go away?" Then
Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, TO whom
shall we go2 Tnou hast the words OF eternal
life"
| take these connected statements as illus
trating the different receptions Christ met
with when on earth, and as suggesting the
question How would He be received If He
were to appear again as ho was when here
before2
The influences of the nineteen Christian
centuries are so deep, and broad, and subtle
they have so permoated all society and all life
that it seems difficult to conceive genera
tion now to whom Christ should come rs He
come of old. But after all human nature is
the same, and Christ is the same; and to those
who have this record in their hands He does
come evermore as Ho came of old. So the
question is virtually announced: How He
would be received is proved by the way in
which He is received.
But let us bring the scene before us. Let
us suppose Christ to have appeared in this
city as He appeared i'll Jerusalam or Capar-
neum. What should we see?
l. In the first place, we should see plain,
humble, unpretending man. do not know
that there would be anything peculiarly at
tractive in His appearance. We love to
think of Him as tho ideal man, but it is
singular that the friends who have given US
His history have left no account of his per-
sonal appearance. Our pictures are imag-
nary. The sketch of the prophet--there is
no beauty in Him that we should desire
Him-may not refer to his physical aspect,
but IL is clear, from the result, that there was
nothing about Him to draw men in general
to Him.
2. We should SEQ poor man; man with
out home of his own; without many
friends, dependent u good deal on the kind
ness Of Others for his daily food, and for o
place to spend the night Now there is moth
ing in such condition to attract men. So
there would not be much in our Lords
earthly lot, if He were here, to draw men to
Him. Many think if they could see Christ
they would believe in Him. 1t is great
mistake. The outward view of Christ never
brought any man to Him as a believing low
ing disciple. Thousands saw Him thus only
to despise and wonder and perish. For no man
ever sees Christ truly unless he sees himself
also
1t is not in Bethlehem alone, not in the
the night that blazes with the glory of the
heavenly host, not alone when angels are
singing "Glory to God in the Highest" that
there is no room for Jesus in the inn. This
city is crowded, these homes are full, and
there is not one of them all that does not
need the blessing of the Homeless One, not
one of all these restless hearts that does not
need rest upon the loving heart of tho Man
of Sorrows; but who will take Him in who
will own Him in His poverty and loneliness?
3. We should see holy man, Il man NOV
i ,tn,, 4.... 20
This ought indeed to draw men, but would
it? Is there natural attraction between
human nature and perfect holinessP The re-
suits do not look that way. And when the
Sinless One, standing amid these scenes of
sin, begins the denuncations that holiness
from its very nature must utter: "Woe to
thee, Chor azin, woe to thee, Bethsa ida WOO
to tho world because of its otlens es, wo to
the man by whom the onense cometh," is the
humanity of our age ready to welcome all
this and Him who allows it?
4. We are to remember that if Christ were
here in His lowly guise, in His garments of
poverty, with His humble companIonships,
the friend of the worlds ostracsed ones, the
man of sorrows, the homeless wanderer, he
would still claim authority over all the do
main of the future and all the destinies of
men. Without where to lay His head He
would move amid these hurrying throngs
and proclaim the coming here, in
which all that are in their graves
all hear His voice and shall come
forth, some to the resurrection of life and
some to the resurrection of damnatisn. Ar
| rested as q criminal, standing for His trial,
insulted, beaten, bleeding, forsaken of all
men. He would dare to make the claim that
He would come in the clouds of heaven, with
| the angelic host and before Him should be
gathered all nations, and he would separate
them one from another to their eternal des-
TIMES as shepherd divideth his sheep from the
| goats.
| Do you believe that any man could appear
| on earth with such claims and be welcomed
| by all men? Do you think any man, even
with the credentials of Christ, could walk
through our streets and tell men that their
only hope of q life uncursed by sin and woe,
| their only approach to God in peace, all that
could redeem existence from being an eternal
tragedy, hung on their belief in HMM him
rs the eternal Son of God, in him as the
Lamb of God taking away the sin of the
world, in him ms bearing the sins of men in
his own body on the tree-and there should
not be some to cry, Away with him, away
| with him ?"
But, thank God, this is not all the reception
Christ would meet. Ten thousand hearts
would welcome Him in any guise, Let Him
come, let Him come-the Babe of Bethlehem
born in stable, Graded in manger-and
! loving souls there are who from the midnight
| WhlCu WOulu naSUen 10 auOfc HIN. IeI HIN
come to the temple as an infant of days, and
saints enough there are waiting on the bor-
ders of the grave for Israels consolation Ia
| take Him in their arms as lifeB final, highest
| joy.
Christianity is not yet going down. Multi.
| tudes there are who cannot answer the cavils
of scepticism or the sneers of Culture" And
they will never try to do it. They do not
know enough to do it, if you please. But
they know something better. They know
| Christ and the power of his resurrection,
| They know that they were lost and he has
saved them. They know that they were
restless and miserable and He has given them
peace. They know that they were weary and
heavy laden and He has given them rest
| They know that once death and the grave
were to them dark and awful and hope
less realities, and that now death has lost its
sting and the grave it's power; and they know
that God has given them the victory through
! Jesus Christ their Lord.
| The practical question as we leave the sub
lect is this How would you receive Christ il
lie We're here again? As you think you
would receive Him SO receive Him now. He
| is here, not in the poverty and weakness OF
! His low estate, but in the plenitUde of His
eternal power and glory here once more to
be received or to be rejected, with all eternal
issues hanging on the decision.
THE DANGER OF THE CHURCH.
| SERMON BY REV. j. g. HAGEY,
n t,