The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-03-05
A FAMOUS PAINTING
Sermon Last Evening BY
Rev. w. S. MCGOWAN on
Christ Before Plate"
A STRIKING FIGURE.
The Question Which Perpleyed the
Mind Of Plate is a Living One
Ever Recurring Scene.

Rev. w. S. MCGOWAN of the Linden Ave
nue. NJ. E. Church, Greenville, preached an
excellent sermon last evening upon Mum
kaczy's celebrated picture OF Christ Before
Pilate.n He chose as his text, Matthew q,
xxi, "What shall I do with Jesus" He
said:-
II spent an hour one afternoon recently in
studying Munkaczy's great painting Christ
Before Pilate.' Notwithstanding its defects
it is a great masterpiece. Christ is made the
central figure of the picture, and though to
my mind far from being a perfect conception
of the Divine Man, it has points of excel
lence. There is in the face and figure. a
blending of conscious weakness and strength,
of patience and power, of humility and
greatness. He seems indeed, like one who
could speak but whose hour of silence had
come.
THE STRIKING FIGURE.
1.-THE grouping of figures around is well
planned by the artist with a carefulness OF
detail which makes you feel that the scene Is
real and the characters represented living
persons. But it must be confessed that the
most striking portrayed, that which STANDS
out in the boldest relief, is the figure OF Ri
late. He is not the central figure, but he Is
the master conception of the artist. His
face and whole bearing is a study. 1t shows
a strong iron will, and yet seems full of In
decision. His arms are partly folded, his
left hand is open, and he seems, by the ner-
vous, mechanical motion of his fingers, to be
calculating to himself the results of one ac-
tion or another in the disposition of the case.
The artist has struck the true conception of
the Roman Governor.
The question which perplexed the mind
and tried the character of PLAT is a living
one; it is still before us; we must all meet
and answer it. 1t is not the question of
Mary to one whom she supposed to be the
body of my Lord, but what have you done
with the living ever present Christi We
may try to avoid or dismiss it, but it must be
met and decided. 1t is not what the clamor
of the multitude may be, not what others
may do, not what PLATE will do, for his act
has passed beyond recall; it is what viii you
do. You must decide. No one can for you.
Christ is here today before the attention and
Judgment of men. He is a thousand times
more alive among men than in the days OF
his flesh. Having lived as a man among
men, one of the ends of his death, resurrection
and ascension was that he might disenthrall
himself from the limitations of time and by
his spirit be present in every place to quicken
the mind and touch the heart of everyone.
His word is here in the written testimony,
and through a living ministry his spirit is
here, pleading through conscience with men,
and dwelling in the hearts of believers. His
claim to be the Son of God and the Savior of
men, is still before the world. The spirit of
hate that slew him; that would give him a
cross and death; mans inhumanity to man;
the strong crushing the weak; the hatred of
truth and purity, are still here.
A SCENE EVER BEING REPRODUCED.
THE scene in Pilates Judgment hall is
ever being reproduced, showing the different
attitude Of men toward Christ. Christ is
still here in history, literature and religion.
The hottest battles of thought are being
fought around the person and character
of Christ. We meet Him everywhere in the
symbol of the cross and the spire of the
church; in the reforms of the day; the testi-
monies of His people and their songs of
praise by the altar Of welded love and in the
sad burial rites of the dead. He ever stands
before us the Christ of history, W no lived
and labored among men: the Christ of to-
day through His word, spirit and power, the
Christ of the coming Judgment in Whose
presence we all shall stand. No depths can
drown Him; no age impair the lustre of His
greatness; no distance separate Him from
the soul; His worship is ever young and
fresh with the incoming year. We meet
Him everywhere in life, we shall meet Him
in eternity"