The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1889-04-03


give you better idea of this by telling
you Of Christ FIVE visits to Jerusalem,
and thus show you how His wonderful
works Of grace gained Him new followers
with every visit, and swelled the number
of those who came to Him from every
quarter.
SPLENDID SPECTACLE
His first visit was at the time of the
Passover. This festival was to keep alive
the memory of the great deliverance of
the Hebrew people from their bondage
in Egypt. 1t occurred in the month an
swering to our March. The author of a
book called The Heart OF Christ" tells
us that great care was taken to pro.
claim the exact moment of it's commence
ment through all the tribes of Israel.
They watched for the first beams OF the
crescent moon in the sky, and the mo-
ment it appeared d man went to the top
of the Mount Of Olives, kindled a torch
and waved it backward and forward
through the air. Is was answered imme.
diately by torch lights on the surround
ing hills. These again were answered
from the hills beyond, and so the wave of
fire enlarged and extended till every He
brew family greeted the signal. 1t went
north until it touched the mountain tops
of Lebanon; east beyond the Jordan, west
to the sea, and south toward Egypt, until
it reached the desert" Thousands upon
thousands went up to Jerusalem from
every part of Palestine to celebrate the
festival of the Passover, and among the
multitude Christ went to make His first
visit after He commenced His public
ministry. His first act on arriving was
to cleanse the Temple by driving out
those who bought ard sold in its sa-
cred courts, and to overthrow the tables
of the money changers. How can we &C.
count for the fact that He could thus
awe and compel these greedy traHickers
thus to obey Him2 You will remember
what has already been said about the
spell He was able to cast over every one
In His very presence, and how it would
seem that the divine majesty that dwelt
in Him shone forth in such awe-inspiring
manifestation that for the moment no
thought of resistance was entertained.
When His enemies recovered from their
astonishment they sought how they
might destroy Him, but they feared Him
because all the people were sstonished at
His doctrine. We are not told what
works of power He performed during
His visit; only that seeing His miracles
many believed on Him, but a profound
impression had been made and His pur-
pose in making this visit having been &C.
complished, He returned to Galilee.
If His second visit to Jerusalem was
at the feast Of Pentecost, fifty days after,
in commemoration of giving the Law on
Sinai, it occurred during the month OF
May, and whatever may have been the
name or time of the festival, it was
marked by one of His most impressive
mlracles-the healing of the impotent
man at the pool of Bethesda. 1t was the
occasion Of one of the mostimportant dis
courses he ever delivered, one sentence
Of which is like the blast of a trumpet
Verify l say unto you, the hour is com
ing, and now is, when the dead shall hear
the voice of the Son Of God, and they
that hear shall live.
AN EXPEoTANT THRoNG.
The third visit to Jerusalem was at the
Feast of Tabernacles, occurring in Sep
TENDER, at the time of the harvest, and
bringing to mind the fact that the Israe-
lites, in their journey through the will
derness, dwelt in tents. Now, all Jeru.
salem was in blaze of color, arbors Of
palm and pine and myrtle on every root,
and all the city buried in empowering
foliage. 1t was a time of universal 10y,
the streets echoing with songs, and the
trumpets of the temple pealing their in
spring blasts.
1t was time of universal expectation,
and the inquiry which went from lip to
lip was, What think ye? Will He come
up to the fesst2'' In the midst OF this
suspense Jesus suddenly appeared under
the shadow of the temple and began tc
teach.
On the last great day Of the feast, when
one of the priests bearing the golden
pitcher went down to the pool of Sloan
and drew the water, which be carried to
one of the Temple courts and poured il
in silver basin while the great Halle
was sung, Jesus stood and cried, IF any
man thirst let him come unto Me anc
drink. Passing into another court wher
the evening sacrifice commenced, and al
the lamps flooded the city with their il
Elimination, He exclaimed, II am tn,
light Of the world As he passeC
through one Of the Temple gates He saw
q man who was blind from his birth, snC
having Amounted his eyes with the clay
he commanded him to go and wash II
the pool of Sloan. HE went anC
washed and came seeinpy His LORI