The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-28

Daxi5 :. - @uu Is they approached the city Of
~ $1,000 still, marking the very enot whore
tney should find the object 81 thsir norr;r,s
poh seeing the child, and from the circum.
ha-a' 'ney were convinced and satisfied that
80 was the Promised One. They fell down and
"osniped Him and opened their treasure. ana
presented unto Him gifts
wv a. these men were from idolatrous coun-
ana men of wisdom under inspiration.
thelr decision should have weight unon tha
naria thought as to this being the lorg-iooked
for Deliverer.
from this time onward the Coming One no
longer aosorbs the attention OF the peonIe a.
usiofe, out the question runs like wildare.
no y THIS that has ccme? Was this the Christ
taht should give deliyeranee to the neonleq Was
'nis to be the LILLY of the Valley" "Ibe pose
- ~ sharon, the alright and Morning Stare
las this little child to become .Goyernor,,
Ihe Prince of Peace" lord of Lords" and
hlhg OF kings? Is this the wonderful" OF
isaian' The mighty Cod" the ever
insting Father? Everything connected
with the advent of this child into
the world goes 20 convince US that He must be
an extraordinary person with an extraordinary
mission.
ihe shepherds who were keeping their focks
Dy might are startled by heavenly messenger
"no hectares: Behold, bring you glad It'd
ings of great Joy. For unto you is born this dav
IN tne city OF David Savior which is Christ
The Lord" --'''''
anu suadehly there appeared achievements
rom the heavenly world TO deepen their con-
Vlcsion, and to arouse them TO investigation.
Inc question now for us to consider is: "What
ara 'he people OF His day and time think of this
extraordinary persona"
II you ask me what Herod thought. let the
weeping and the walling of Bethlehem and
coast thereof, because of the slaughter of the
male children under years be the answer
Inc raoeis In the temple were COMPOUNDED a,
tue precocity OF His mind at the age of II years
His enemies said "Never man snake as this
man.. Nicoiemus, ruler among tho Jews
ana an educated man. confessed, saying: .sWe
know snat Thou art Il teacher coming from God
Tor no man can DO these miracles that Thou
doest except God be with Him.
Some thought that no good could come out of
Nazareth. but the evidence seen in His life and
works of His superiority, filed their minds with
restless thoughts concerning Him. The hard
hearted and brawny-armei soldiers who cruel
ned Him when the veil in the temDle
was severed aud when the rocks were rent and
The earth did quake, and when darkness yelled
the sun, cried out, "Truly, this was the Son of
God"
Some would have US believe that all this B bile
account is myth. They will tell us that that
was an age OF darkness, ignorance and supersti-
iion, and that the people were easily deceived.
But affirm that il was the contrary Never
before had the world seen so much prosperity in
scieHtS anu 1t was the golden
OF Orecian learning and Literature, ana Rome
and Egypt and Palestine, and almost the known
world were blessed with her science and phil
osophy.
Cicero tells us that never had such a number
OF Industrious men lived as at that period. There
were critics. orators, poets, philosophers and
historians. 1t was the age of Torrance, Cicero,
Virgil, Horace, Livy. Cesar and Brutus. Thess
men all lived just prior 10 the advent OF Christ
In two or three instances they lived until after
He was born.
IL you go into our schools and colleges you
read and study some OF the very men who lived
and nodded the thoughts of that day.
And yet some would dare to speak of that as q
time OF ignorance and darkness.
Do you suppose in an age like that, when
Greek, Roman and Jew were in the line of in
vestigation, that an imposter could have pre-
vailed in his imposition upon society and the
world?
Josephus, the historian and scholar, and withal
Jew, who was born in the year 81 A. D.,
just when the whole matter OF Christs birth,
life, death and resurrection was fresh in the
minds OF the people, ventures little OF his
thought upon this subject.
lie says: "Now there about this time
Jesus, wise man, If 1t be lawful to call Him
man; for He was a doer OF wonderful works,
teacher of such men as receive the truth with
pleasure.
ale drew over to him both many of the Jews
and Gentiles.
"He was ,the) Christ. And when Plate, at the
suggestion of the principal men among US, con-
demned Him to the cross those who loved Him
at the first did not forsake Him. for He appeared
TO them alive again the third day, Us the divine
prophets had foretold these and ten thousand
other things concerning Him."
Infdelity would blot out this part OF his his
tory. They want TO tell that il is not genu-
Inc, but ii is difficult task. Eusebius, who
lived aud I'm fha I'd y no
identical passage from Josephus and does not
question its validity.
shall now briefly direct your attention to
the thoughts of some of the great men of more
recent times concerning Christ. While men
ought to think for themselves, yet /; is courte-
Gus, respectful and profitable for us TO hear at
tentiyely the words and thoughts OF those of ex-
perence and uperior attachments.
Jean Paul Richter, although recognized as
satirist of orthodox Christianity, calls Jesus
"The purest of the mighty. the mightiest of the
pure, who with his pierced hands raised empires
from their foundations, turned the stream OF
history from its old channels and still continues
TO rule and guide the ages
Rousseau, in his noted comparison, which is
familiar, said: ali socrates lived and died Ike
philosopher, Jesus lived and died like god"
Earnest Renan, an objector 10 revealed religion,
in his famous work, "Ihe Lie of Jesus says,
among other things: ale is man of colossal
"AdornhIe One who shall preside over the des-
tinies-to whom the universal conscience has
decreed the title of Son OF God"
Napoleon, in writing OF Him, said: every
thing in Christ astonishes ne superficial
minds see a resemblance between Christ
and the founders OF empires and the gods
of other religions. Said he: "That resemblance
does not exist l know men; and tell
you that Jesus Christ is not man
Even Lord Byron said III ever man was
G OH or Goldman, Jesus Christ was both"
Charles Dickens, in his last will and tesla
ment made the following confession: Il COM
NIT my soul 10 the mercy of God through our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, aud exhort my
dear children humbiy 10 try 10 guide themselves
by the teachings of the New Testament
TaIiyrand: go and be crCeided and then rise
from the dead"
Thus we might continue 20 call your attention
10 what many great men have thought concern
ing Christ; for the great majority OF al the great
men of civilized nations have been aad are be-
levers In Christ and His religion
Twas much pleased in reading an editorial in
the observation-disclosures on Christmas morn
ing. and especially with soma things
contained in it, From that editorial quote the
following. I'VE have NOT yet got beyond
christ. we have not even struggl Ell up To the
conception and adoption OF His sole social
dynamic and solvent for sin aud misery; the
power of sympathetic personality manifested by
every man TO rs many men as possible
The last thought to which We especially call
xonr attention must be- d personal one: 'What
think We OF Christi This question should
como home TO US who live in these last eNentiuI
vesrs of the nineteenth century. THIS is a. age
of tendencies and Of strange dIyorcements from
the faith once delivered 10 the saints Men
everywhere are given to liberal inelinaiions