The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-28
HOW CHRIST LOOKED.
DIR. vAss DESCRIBES his PER-
SoNAL APPEARANCE.

Savior as he w as on GdTbn-A Euy-
sIcally Handsome Mana Descrip-
ton Of His Person aud His Dress.
What History Says about It.
Rev. L c. Vass. D. D.. preached at the
First Presbyterian church yesterday morn
ing on the Personal Appearance Of Jesus
Christi
Every one, DR.. Vass said, delights to
feast on the faces Of friends. Memory re-
paints their loved features The world must
think Of Christ. and does have an ideal of
his person. "Is it realln he asked.
Plato and others have so described Socra-
tes with his bald head, fiat nose, thick lips,
prominent eyes and Fslstaffian figure that
any artist can paint him disputing in the Ag
ora at Athens above 400 years before Christ
But neither sacred writers nor apostolic
fathers have so accurately described Christ's
physical stature. Some reasons for this
were because Christs mission was spiritual,
and because the Hebrew religion was so
intensely hostile to idolatry that there was
strong prejudice against taking any por-
trait.
DR.. Vass noted the fact that those who
had not seen Christ in the flesh soon formed
bWO uicsAdSt OAosooS u OpAAAOA Is W us per
sonal appearance. One concluded from
Isaiah Ill and liii that the Messiah had no
beauty of form; the other from Psalm xiv.
declared that he was fairsr than the sons of
men. Our instructive judgments claim for
Christ personal beauty; for noble senti-
ments, elevated spiritual life, and acted
holiness beantify any human countenance.
The soul burns through the heshly wells; as
jerome said: Certainly fl me of fire and
starry brightness flashed from his eye, and
the majesty of the Godhead shone in his
fece"
AN ATTRACTIVE FIGURE.
Then the sacred word indicates that some
emphatic physical attractiveness attended
him. A look captivated men, or a1ed
them. Children were drawn to him. aud
strangers trusted him Prophecy pictured
his perfecSness of form, even in the sad
records of Isaiah So the Lamb of God must
be without blemlsh for sacrifice.
After fully establishing by illustrations
the scriptrral grounds, DR.. Vass took up
ancient uninspired testimonies as to the
personal appearance ot the Savior. Ire
naeus, born A. d. us, and the associate OF
the Apostle John, and others who bad
known Jesus, speaks of the statues aud pict-
ures used by the Carpoorutians in the
second century. There were paintings,
gems. metals and small statues, claiming
TO be made from portrait taken by order
Of Plate. The ideal was fair. Tertullian
and Eusebius say that the senate refused TO
allow Elberius to put statue of Christ
among the heather deities. But Alexander
Seserus did place an image of Jesus ia his
house with other reyered men.
Eusebius, BORN A. d. go, says he saw at
Panias or ass-ca Philippl famous brazen
statue of Christ erected by tie woman
healed OF an issue of blood aud that he had
also seen pain tings OF Peter, Paul and
Christ Dr. Vass only dwelt on few an
Gent representatives as types. There were
Two very celebrated ones, the Veronica aud
the Odessa.
VERONICA
When Christ toiled along the Via Dolo-
rcsa bearing his cross, in Jerusalem, he al
most fell near the dwelling Of Veronica, the
woman no had healed. She, moved by deep
compassion, gave him her "sudarIum," or
veil, 20 wipe his facs with. He pressed it
upon his bleeding face and returned it to
her nth bis image impressed on it. IT,
berlus, b eiDg SICK. and hearing of the Won
der wrought by this handkerchief, sent for
Veronica TO com6 with it to Rome and heal
him. She did so, lived aud died there, and
beques,ed the relic to Peters successor, and
it is now claimed to be held in ST. Peters at
Rome Only once year Is it exhibited,
and then only after communion, and to the
pope and few others Milan and Jaen, in
Spain, each. however, claim u genuine
Veronica handkerchief.
The rntiquity of this picture is we'll au-
thenticated. and can be traced, some claim,
to the second century. 1t is lifesize head
of Christ, of extraordinary conception and
power. The wet, matted hair, the tears,
the blood drops from the crown of thorns
express the stern reality of suffering and
death; while the calm, nearly closed eyes
and gently parted lips, speak of glorious
resurrection and are full of eternal thought
1t is work Of almost inspiration; though
on mere piece dragged cloth, and with
little Transparent pigment.
ABGARUS.
DR.. Vass recounted the interesting legend
about King Abgarus of Odessa and his let
ter TO Christ He read a translation of
Christ's reply. The picture Christ is said TO
have sent Oh a handkerchief to Abgarus is
in the church of st. Bartolomeo in Genoa.
1t can be traced to an early century, per-
haps the second. and presents a face Of deli
cate yet strong features, with beaut full eye
brows, and sweetness and power of expires
sion
These two famous pictures are the two
distinct types OF the likenesses; but these
and others to be named all nave the hair
parted IN the middle long and curling be-
low the ears; the beard forked. The linen
is the same as that found in the graves of
the early Christians, old, stained aud tat
tered and set in close frames.
Many other llkenesses were described, and
Especially tAo IoNetdllOuS from b0o Cata~
combs.
PICTURES FROM THE CATACoMBS.
These were described, and the wonderful
paintings, frescoes, glass communion
chalices. metal figures and amulets, found
In recent explorations especially in the
catacombs of Domitlla, St. Calixtus, St
Agnese, and Others. Some of these NAV
have been the work of st. Luke or COPIES
from him. These catacombs reach into the
first century. They were closed in the
fourth century, and not opened for a thou
sand years.
An interesting letter. claimed to have
been existing in the fourth century, was
read, in which Christ's personal appearance
was most infinitely depicted. 1t illustrated
the image cut on an emerald for Tiberius
Caesar by the order of Pontius Plate, as the
old legends declare.
lu summing up. DR.. Vass showed how all
these histories. legends, and actual pictures,
give US the traditional likeness of the Saw.
Tor, prove his work and present to suffering
and sinful men a tender, attractive, loving
and able redeemer from sin, death and woe
CHEST, THE WONDERFUL.
The Most Remarkable Character ir
the Worlds History.