Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-01-27
FROM THE PULPIT.
REV. GRowDEN breaches ON CHRIST
AND PROPHECY.
Jesus is the Spirit and Life of Prophecy
Liberty and Civilization Follow
His Teachings.

a forcible sermon on the subject of Jesus
and Prophecy" He said: For the testi-
mony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy -
Rev. xix, 10. John is banished to Patmos
The apocalypse presses before him. He
converses with angels; he sees the future.
During conversation with an angel John
introduces a parenthesis which forms our
text:
1. Jesus is the spirit or life of prophecy.
The prophets were human vessels filled
with the spirit of God. Take Jesus Christ
from prophecy, and you have words that
are meaningless; you have the jewel-case,
but it is empty. When he entered the
world prophecy full of promise was ut
tered" The seed of the woman shall
bruise the serpent's head" To Abram-
g In thee shall all the families of the earth
be blessed" Through Moses" The Lord
thy God shall raise up unto thee prophet
like unto me; unto him shall ye harken."
David strikes the prophetic Tyre and Joy
fully exclaims: Ny heart is glad My
flesh shall rest in hope, for Thou wilt not
leave my soul in Hades, neither wilt Thou
suffer Thy holy one to see corruption
Psalms xvi. A prophecy of one who did
not suffer corruption in the grave who did
not return to dust.
Isaiah speaks of remarkable character
For unto us a child is born; unto us a
Son is given. The government shall be
upon His shoulders; His name wonderful;
of the increase of His government there
shall be no end upon the throne of David
from henceforth, even for en."-Isa. tx,
6.
Daniel declares: 'In the days of these
kings shall the God of Heaven set up a
kingdom which shall never be destroyed"
Dan. IL, A. Nebuchadnezzar's dream
troubled him. Daniel interprets it as an
image with head of fine gold, breast and
arms silver, thighs brass, legs iron, feet
part iron and clay. A little stone cut out
of the mountain without hands smites the
image and it is broken, its fragments scat
striking picture OF ancient empires and
their dissolution There are five visions
forming over prophecy. We may compare
it to a grand historical painting, first
sketched, then touched till finished and
perfect.
History meets this prophecy in the fol-
lowing order: The Assyrian Empire, its
power should fall the Medo-Peisian, the
Grecian, the Roman. "In the DAYS of these
kings the God of Heaven shall set up
kingdom" declares theprophet, "that shall
never be destroyed" as were the others.
The perfect coincidence of history with this
prophecy is remarkable. We have this
prophecy as an effect springing from some
cause. The nature of the prophecy deter
mines the cause. The Old Testament
proves its divine origin and authenticity,
for only an omniscient God could so
perfectly depict the rise and fall of
empires. God only knoweth the future
'In the days of these kings" is in harmony
with the narrative in Luke. Augustus was
Emperor of Rome in B G. 80. He defeated his
rivals. Herod the Great was King of Judea.
Christ's forerunner is announced-"the
voice of one crying in the wilderness pre-
pare We the way of the Lord make His
PATHS straight say not that ye are the
children of Abraham"
God is about to bless all the families of
the earth. 1t is to be a cosmopolitan king
dom. In every nation he that feareth Him
and worketh righteousness is accepted of
Him. Christ appears. the angels proclaim
Him Savior, even Christ the Lord.
On the banks of the Jordan, after His
baptism, God acknowledged Him-"This is
my beloved Son." His miraculous works
proclaim Him the Son of God. Nicodemus,
a ruler of the Jews, admits His power
1--WE know that Thou art q teacher from
God, for no man could do these miracles
which Thou doest except God is with him."
We believe in the miracles of Jesus, not
withstanding there are some to-day who
profess to know great deal more than
Nicodemus and the great company of
priests who became obedient to the faith"
ACTS vi, y. | would rather believe con-
temporary witnesses than some who arise
oh I.-.1 -1l
miracles to prove His divinity-"but thatye
may know that the Son of Man hath power
on earth to forgive sin (then saith He to
the sick OF the palsey), arise, take up thy
bed" (Matthew, tx, g.. Having established,
by signs and miracles, His divine claim,
there is no further need of miracles. His
testimony is the spirit of prophecy; with
out it the Old Testament is meaningless.
Our circle of evidence is complete:
Prophecy, angels, God, the voices of Just
men. Miracles all proclaim Him Divine.
Christ declares: Before Abraham was, l
am. He that hath seen me hath seen the
Father. l and the Father are one. He
that honoreth not the Son honoreth not
the Father that him" The chiefpriests
and scribes ask, art Thou, then the Son
of God ?" He answers I'VE say that am
as We say the truth, because l am."-Luke
xxi, SO.
Christ died voluntarily as the sacrifice
for sin. He had power to lay down His
life, and had power to take it up. Destroy
this temple, and in three days will build
it again" He spoke of the temple of His
body. The scenes of the crucifxion had
been graphically portrayed by the prophets,
even down to casting of lots for His seam
less vesture. At the instigation of the
Jews He is put to death. Plate found no
fault in Him; would have released Him,
but they cried, IF you do you are not
Caesars friend That was sufficient; Christ
is crucifed. After His resurrection His
Kingdom is established with power. Peter
declares 1.-THE man Jesus whom We cru
CITED is made both Lord and Christ" The
passage uttered by David Is shown to refer
to Christ. Christs body saw no corruption,
and did not return to dust, as did David's.
This Kingdom is destined to see the death
of every other, prophecy declares it.
2. The testim my of Jesus is the spirit of
civilization and liberty. Wherever the
teachings of Jesus penetrate, liberty and
civilization follow. "Ye shall know the
truth and it shall make you free" The
dark nations of earth to-day are not those
who love the teachings of Jesus of Naza-
reth. Where followed His teachings lead
to peace; instead of cruelty, kindness; in
olSs1I VI "a nCtlSCo Tie Lulu
Supper is celebrated; instead of the din of
war the hymn of praise is heard. The
greatest nations of the earth are Bible
loving nations, the Constitution of the
United States was not drawn up by a set of
infdels.
Wherever the religion of Jesus is &C.
cepted woman ceases to be a slave, leaves
her state of degradation and stands proudly
at mans side as his equal. Since Christ
has purified the earth by his life woman
has taken her true position. Is she mother
that sweetest of all names? Then the
words of Jesus would teach Son. behold
thy mother" Is she wife? Then, Illus
bands, love your wives, even as Christ
loved the Church and gave Himself for it."
Ali men love to live where the Bible forms
the basis of law and order The dark
continent may be a noble land, bat not
till Stanley and his missionaries shall have
finished their civilizing work
Christ's prophecy is being fulfilled-"Ye
shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, in
Judes and Samaria, and unto the uttermost
parts of the earth" America, Great Brit
ain, third of Africa, Asia and Russia, date
their events from the birth of the child of
the ages, the Son of God Rabbi Wise, the
learned Jew, declares that certain events
took place A. G. latter Christi. When Vol