The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-04-28

thermore died the shameful death OF q male
factor. When Paul preached "JeSnS and the
Rcsurrection' Mt their literary Capital they
called him Il "babbler" and the ''settcr-lorih OF
strange gods"
That philosophy which meekly sits at the
feet of Jesus and learns from him IS OF very
great service to the cause OF religion: but
that philosophy, valnly so called, which re-
ects Christ is, Tor that very reason, itself TO
he rejected. The materialiSt, who would re-
solve the soul of man into mere matter, inc
nationalist who would repudiate everything
supernatural in Christianity, the transcen-
tlentalist, who praises Christianity in II pa
tronizing tone and gives 1t only a niche IN
the the temple Of phllosophy, tne agnoS.le
confession Of II don't know all these are In
the succession from the ancient enemies of
the Gospel, to whom the preaching OF the
APOSTLE was .fooliShneSS."
it and indeed the business of Christianity is
to foster It, And yet while learning may be
4 great blessing; it may be great curse. IL Is
bat an instrument and may be the 1nSlru-
mpnt of good or of evil, accordingly as 1T IS
used or abused. If sanctiticd by grace and
prosecuted in Il revcrent and teachable spirit,
it will adorn the Christian lie and character
and promote its usefulness; II proStituted 10
selfish or base ends, it becomes q terrific and
tremendous evil. With the torch OF reveal.
ton in her hand Philosophy makes sure and
steady and substantial progress in the lnvcS-
tigatiOn of truth; without this light she
Take the example before us. Compare what
Greece tau"ht-Grecce at her beSt-wiIh what
is familiar under the auspices of Christianity
in the well-aSsured experience OF her hum
blpst disciples. Hear the dying words of So
crates. whom Coleridgc calls that plank from
the wreck OF Paradise that stranded on the
shores of idola:rouS Greece, hear his uy-
ing testimony; and then put beside 1t
tnH tian oxS woman, eSss who Could possibly do little
,s'2 Well.thumbed MT r Testament. All me-! Phloso-
ply dreamed of bliss; but Christianity points
to it as a never-faiIing reality. The humble
fishermen of Gallcc taught sublimer truths
than all the philosophers of Greece or OF the
world. Says distinguished recent writer:
"God is the only way to Himself" While the
wiscSt of men by the unaSSiSted all OF the
human understanding can never be able 10
arrive at u knowledge OF the rabSolutc-the un-
condi,ioncd--God, vet the huEbe*t disciple
Of the dssrissd 6y Ir,1 onV
can cry ont with perfect confidence: II
know that my Rcdeemer lireth:"
III. Tarn we now to the suhject-mattcr OF
the Apostles teachiug-tnc facts that the doc-
trinc Of Jesus and tue kTsurectlon lmpllcs. Is
J.. First, then, let me call your attention TO
Jesus, the perfect man. Whose birth Is to be
compared To His? 1t has often been remark
able of the great OF the world that they spring
suddenly into prominence and favor, without
the advantage Of Il distinguished ancestry,
and dazzle the world all the more from the
obscurity Of their early surroundings. Jesus
was born of poor parents to be sure ana cra'
died at his birth in a mangcr; but lis advent
was in answer to the prophetic declarations
of every age Of the world. The second Adam
could trace his ancestry to the flrst ADAM.
All along from the time of the first sin Till his
actual appearance among men, he was tne
burden OF the world's dreams and hopes and
songs. And when in the fuIness OF time he
came, whose birth WAS ever so announced ana
celebrated as his? The angels sang: GLORY
- t.xL,1 I,
will tn men," \ star guided the wise men OF
the East To his cradle; and they and the shep-
herds of Judea FASTENED TO give him the NOM
age of their faith.
presence of the doctors in the temple asking
them questions and confounding them with
his wisdom!
What are the best examples Of humanity
compared to him! The best and holicst men
are to him as the lesser lights of the heavens
which roll in diminished brightness around
their central sun, while the greatest OF earth
ly heroes come near him only to show their
deformity in the light Of his purity. Whcn
he IS brought by the side OF any one, even the
most perfect example of humanity, the COM
pariS0n loses itself in contrast. The world
has had but one instance of u perfect man.
Ecce Homo! Behold the man! w hen we
contemplate the character of Bible Saints, we
are struck in each case with some pre-eml-
nent virtue. For example, we consider the
faith of Abraham, the eOnSctentlousuess OF
d
ity Jonathan, the meek ness OF Moses, the pt.
thence Of Job. the zeal OF Elijah, the love OF
John. But who could single out the virtues
of the character of Jesus? ALI of them exist
in harmonious unity. like the seven distinct
colors in the ray of white light.
=. l beg you now TO consider Jesus christ,
as Divinely anOintcd for his mission. Let
us follow him from the waters Of his baptism
and the descent upon of the Holy Ghost! Let
us behold his sublime deeds and hear him
speak! lie spake as never man Spake." !lc
taught as one having nuth0rily.' Says the
modern intidel Rousseau: "Pcruse the works
OF our philosophers with all their pOmp or
diction, how mean, how contcmptible are
they compared with the Scriptures" and the
connection shows that he had reference TO the
teachings OF Christ. Where will you 1lnd
Mount?" Where such sublime truths as IN
his parallels and his colloquial di$courses
with his disciples? Not only his teachings
but his works proved his Mcssiahship. He
healed the sick, unStopped the ears OF the
deaf, opened the eyes OF the blind, nnloosed
the tongues OF the dumb, made the lame to
walk and raised the dead. In order To inval-
idate the miracles of the New Testament,
the Bible nor performed for any piOuS pur-
pose, which he claims to be equally worthy OF
crcdence and consideration as those marking
the ministry of Christ. All the instances he
gives admit of double construction can be
easily explained away. MahOmet, the most
successful Of modern lmpOSters, makes no
claim to miraculous power The miracles, SO
called ut the tnnlbs of the canOnized saints OF
the RoDish Church may be accounted Tor by
other than miraculous agencies.
3. We now come to consider Jesus ChrlS!,
the cructied, risen and assembled Savior. IL
before we have admired him as q man anu
and more than man, us we have considered
his human life and his more than human
words and works, we now give him the hoi1i-
eye of our faith and love as we consider him
emptying himself of the glory which he had
with the Father before the world was TO
make his soul an offering for sin. While
linking of the character of Jesus, the son Oh
Mary, we eNclaim "Behoid and admirc" but
when thinking OF Christ, our Divine savior;
we say Look and live" Admirable indeed
who have embraced the stake with,
smile and shouted for JOY amid inc
flames: hat never before nor since has the
pomp OF death been SO impressive and sub
lime. Jesus, when he Lad cried again Win
a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And be-
hold the veil of the temple was rent In twain
from the top to the bottom: ana tho eaflll
did quake. and the rocks rent; and the graves
were opened, and many bodies OF the saints
which slept. arose Now when
the centurion, and they that were with him,
watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, anu
| those things thatWere done. they feared great
! ly, saying, Truly this was the Son O1 Goa.
Iark how he sroans while nature shakes,
And earth's strong pillars bend!
| The temples vail in Sunder breaks
| The solid marbles rend.
'Tis done! the precious ransom's paid!
"Receive my soul ~ he cries:
See where he bows his sacred head!
He bows his head and dies!
Rut though he died, yet he lives. Deatl,
Strnnra D2fH00N