Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-07-16
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
(Original.]
RECEIVED HIM NOT.

|
words are found: "He came unto his own,
and his own received him not" The words
which are translated "his own" in both
clauses of this verse are different in that in
the first clause the neuter gender is used,
while in the second clause the masculine
gender is preferred. A literal and more
correct translation would be, 'He came unto
his own property, and his own people re-
ceived him not" In these words Jesus
Christ is declared to be the sovereign pro-
prietor OF all men and all things: This is
simply one of many ways by which he is
declared to be God equal with the Father.
BY 'his own,''' meaning "his own people,"
cording to the flesh, Jesus Christ was the
seed of Abraham. This declares his hu-
manity. In this short sentence we have a
positive declaration that Jesus Christ is both
human and divine. He is Goldman, two
natures in one person. In addition to this,
we have in this verse, a statement, in sim
pie language, of the reception which Jesus
Christ received by his own people, the
Jews. "They received him not" That il
they rejected him. This was in perfect har
mony with the prediction of Isaiah. "He
is despised and rejected of men,"
1t seems strange that the Jews rejected
Jesus Christ. During the whole of their
national existence they had been accustomed
to marvellous displays of Divine interposi
tion in their behalf. Not only SO, but forgen-
erations, as people, they had been looking
forward to the arrival of that long predict
ed period when Shiloh would come. The
sceptre had actually departed from Judah,
and the lawgiver from between his feet,
and as nation they were in q fit condition,
both spiritually and politically, to flock to
any one who proposed to bring them deliv-
erance from their thraldom. The miracu-
lous circumstances attending the birth of
Jesus Christ were such as to make deep
and lasting impression upon any mind. but
especially upon the mind of Jew. There
was publicity about his birth which was
very unusual, and "his star in the east," and
the ''presenting of gold, frankincense and
myrrh, by the wise men of the east" must
have been known by large number Of the
people. The birth of Jesus Christ made
Herod tremble for his government.
1t is probable that Jesus Christ was looked
upon with favor by the common people,
until the period when his public ministra-
tions began. We are told that "the child
Jesus grew and WaXed strong in spirit, filled
with wisdom" Again it is said, "Jesus in
creased in wisdom and stature, and in favor
with God and man." BY the rulers of the
Jews, Jesus was despised and rejected. That
Herod would despise Jesus is no more Won
derful than that Saul hated David, or JeZe-
bel sought to slay Elijah. Herod no doubt
reasoned selfshly and concluded that the
the government of Judea out of his hands.
In fact Herod had nothing to fear. Jesus
did not propose to deprive him, or any one
else, of any rightful authority he enjoyed.
Strange as it may appear, Jews and Gen.
tiles, Pharisees and Sadducees, friends and
foes, all agreed to despise and reject Jesus
Christ.
What the Jews did near nineteen centu-
ries ago, the human family are doing to-day
in every land in which Christ is preached.
The mass of the Jews still reject him, and
the mass of the Gentiles treat him with a
cold, formal indifference which is little less
than persecution. If it beasked why is this?
| the only satisfactory answer which can be
given is that the human family is dead in
| trespasses and sins. In our unregenerated
state there is to us nothing in Jesus Christ
that is desirable. "Ye must be born again"
is the announcement which Jesus made to
Nicodemus and which he makes to-day to
every member Of the human family. AS a
nation the Jews will continue to reject Jesus
until they are born again, and the Gentiles
will continue 'to care for none of these
things" which pertain to truth and saliva
|
Spirit into life.
When Paul, prisoner at Rome, preached
the gospel to his countrymen, the result Of
| his preaching is briefly stated in these
words: "Some believed the things which
were spoken and some believed not" This
is exactly the condition of things to-day.
Wherever the gospel is preached some be-
lieve and some believe not. Some accept
the offers Of mercy while others reject them.
TO some Jesus Christ is "the chiefest among
ten thousand, the one altogether lovely;" to
| To reject evil or an evil person is wise,
but not to accept the good when it is offered,
is consummate folly. Time has demonstra-
ted the rejecting of Jesus Christ by the Jews
| to have been an act of unparalleled folly.
Their standing as nation began to decline
rapidly with Jeroboam, the son of Nebat,
who made Israel to sin. At the time of our
Saviour it had reached the climax of ruin,
and to-day
"'The wild dove hath her nest, the fox his cave,
Mankind their country-Israel the grave"
Politically, the opposition which the Jews
set up against Jesus Christ amounted to
very little. They had the malice, but not
the power, to put him to death. The spread
of the gospel has been but little retarded by
the Jews. A people who for twenty centu-
ries have been without country, and who
hold themselves separate and distinct from
the rest of mankind-a people who exist by
sufferance-can have very little influence,
either for or against Jesus Christ. The act
i've enemies of the Lamb of God to-day are
Gentiles "Of the Jews five times Paul re-
ceived forty stripes save one," but Paul and
thousands of other Christians were cruelty
put to death by GENTLE prosecutors. The
most open rejecters of Jesus Christ, and the
most bitter and active opposers of the gos-
pei of Jesus Christ are Gentiles.
When we consider the carnality of the
human heart, and the fact that Christ de-
mands that, in order to be his disciples, we
must give up all ungodliness and tleshly
lusts and live lives of holiness, the wonder
is not that Christ has so few followers, but
that he has any followers at all. The bring
ing Of prodigals to themselves and starting
them back to God is marvel of grace.
It is a consoling fact that although Jesus
Christ always has had enemies-has them
to-day-still the trumphs of the cross are
seen and felt in every land. To-day the
banner of Jesus Christ floats over the strong
holds of sin and Satan. Were Jesus living
visibly in this world to-day there is not a
court on earth which would dare condemn
him, and there is not a potentate beneath
the sun who would dare to nail him to the
cross. The government of the world is on
the shoulders of him who was despised and
rejected.
Reis- Those who enjoy the example and in
structiOn of pious parentsare highly favored
by God The influence of piOus mother
over her children is very great. The human