The National tribune., 1886-06-10
SUNDAY MEDITATION.

Practical DATES Taught b. a Study OF the Inter-
national sunday School Lesson Appointed for
June 20. ST. John, s:3l-3S, H-50.
lone reading these notes should first carefully
study the paragraph from the Holy Scriptures as
indicated aboyel
Our lesson is colloquy between Christ and
some Jews The scene is located in Jerusalem.
The discussion took place in the court Of the
women, department of the temple, about Oct.
], A. ID. %.
A gentleman lately said to the writer, IL
rather sympathize with those Jews. It was
hard to believe in Christ. / think IL / had
been there would have had my doubts. There
was great deal against Christ. He had no
rank nor wealth TO magnify his claims. He
seemed only an ordinary mortal. Such stu
pendous claims as he put forth made too great
stretch on ones faith His hearers were very
scrutinizing, and not ready to accept doctrines
so unique, so diverse from those then commonly
entertained, so much against their preeoneeived
ideas, and so counter to their lives" Then he
added, " feel somewhat similarly about Christ
and Christianity to-day. AS exhibited by the
Church as a whole by Christians in general, i
think it requires a strain on credibility to say
L believe In Christianity" Let US discuss this
matter fairly and somewhat fully.
Were the Jews quite excusoble for being
slow to believe Christi
lie was a very ordinary man as to social
standing. His reputed father was a carpenter.
Then, he made very extravagant claims He
| spoke Of knowing God with familiarity which
seemed TO the Pharisees blasphemous.
He said tnst If a man observed his teachings,
such man need never see or taste death. Think
of man talking in such a strain 10 persons
who thought Christ meant that his followers
should never die physieallyi 1t seems they 50
understood him. Men who in early days fol-
lowed the instructions Of such eminent teachers
as Abraham, Moses. Isaiah yet died. What
strange power was there in the instructions Of
the Nazarene that Ae could work effects not
! granted to the teachers of the pious and heroic
I of Old Testament times?
The Pharisees always looked on the memories
| o. Abraham and the early patriarchs with
/ greatest reverence and confidence. They could
/ nor believe youth fresh from Galilee was
wiser than the very founder of their race. So
/ they thought man must be quite beside him
| self who assumed 20 be greater than any anees-
/ tor of their renowned race.
/ Aud Jesus declared he lived before Abram
/ did, though AbFsm died 15s1 years before
| Christ was born. such claim was a fearful
/ stumbling bloek. The hearers actually believed
/ the claimant was knave or fool. Christ said
| Abram saw him. What, when he Christi was
not born till eeRtaries after Abram died What
| could the man mean? Was there not some ex-
euse Tor the people holding th2s Jesus was
| guilty Of faIsehood2
So there were great difficulties in people BE-
/ lieving Christ was all ne claimed 20 be. / am
I not going 70 spoi0gize for the people. believe
/ they were verify guilty. Ii was their own
| fault they could not mors readily comprehend
/ Christ
Were the people exeuzabIet Should they
not have believed? Did not Christ fortify his
clainsG C0ald the people explain his life with
out admitting his Deity? the more inferior
he seemed the more wonderful were bis deeds.
I How did u happen a man from Nazareth had
commerce with Heaven? How came it about
that JOsephs son had sach miraculous power7
How could they explain MS supremacy over the
/ laws Of natuTs2
Then, the Pharisses should have connected
Christ with the prophecies. He was just what
the Prophets fOreteld he EOaid be. The people
| were looking FOR tbs Messiah To come. The Old
testament gave an ideal Of whom to expect.
Without mGch effort persons eonversant with
the Old Testament ought to have been able to
comprehend the doctrine Of ChFists eternal ex-
istenee. They should have anal wed his COM
pound being and made distinction between his
divine mind aud bis body. The pre-existenee
! from all eterhity Of cur Sayi0E's soul or deity
ship would explain at once the statement Of
Christ that he was before AbEaul, and that he
saw Abram and that Abram saw him.
Then, what folly for men so intelligent to
! stumble at Chrisss assurance he could save
from DEATH They knew well he did not refer
to death OF the body.
They refused to believe in Christ because he
demanded such requirements as To piety; such
changes as TO ordinances; such alteration as to
ritual such huniliatiag conditions; such re-
dnctiOn from their former importance; such
utter revolution OF al their former plans such
different aims ia life from those which actuated
/ them; such different feeling toward humanity
asdistinct from mere Judaism such u slaughter
Of their national egotism such a change in
their ideas OF the characteristics OF the ex-
pected Messiah such spiritual ideas as opposed
TO the material; such greater consideration of
eternity than Of time, Of soul than of body, of
freedom from Satan thGn from the Roman Gov
! eminent.
Then, whether Christ were true or false, the
/ Pharizees did not treat him fairly. There Is
neYerany excuse for calling persons hard, insult
ing names, NOR for INJECTING violence ON their
persons. Abuse i not argument. The people, not
pleased at Chri5t's claims and doctrines, called
him 2 Samaritan, title at that time and place
/ which was indicative of greatest contempt
! Verse VET they told him he had devil and
was impeiled 70 his unreasonable professions
and conduct by such demon. They contradieted
him to his face. They tried to prove him
guilty of falsehOOd They connected his diff
ierent claims and attempted To show they were
not in harmony with each other. And, worse
still, they became nIaildened, and, like q pack
OF angry boys IN back street. they began TO
throw stones at him. Thus they practically
gave up beaten. When men are obliged 10 en-
force their aryumens by foul epithets, low;
mean names, fists and biudgeons, you may rest
assured their cause - not worth the contest.
Men caEn0s bring adberents over 10 their side
by Pounding their antagonists.
There are difficulties now in believing Christ
and Christianity. We are beset by stumbling
blocks Faith is often cross. 1t is hard to
believe system of religion true, the claims of
which 50 feebly illustrated in the lives OF
its followers.
Did the jews imagine Christ was beside him
scifs Did they try 30 explain his claims by the
fact lie was moved by an indwelling demOnH
What OF people AS 20 religion2 Does
not faith in Christianity demand great strug-
gle2
We often f6d man, honest too, who declares
ID is very hard for him TO believe religion GEN
uine. Very lew men can analyze so closely az
To distinguish between the lives of the follow
ers OF a system OF religion and the system itself
Too many confound the two. They decide the
merits Of the system by the effects it has on
th0se who claim to be its expouents. They
say tree is known by its fruits. aud so is
religion. But they should look at Christianity
as whole They should remember how many
are really devOut-how many blossom into
beautiful frait.
Are men who now decline To consider Christ
iapity anV more reasonable and eandid than thu