The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1895-05-09
The POWER or CONSCIENCE.
DR.. TALMAGE'S SERMON.
A Vivid Word Picture OF the Trial OF the
Savior.

nocent OF the blood of this Just person. So,
veto II. Matthew xvii. "a
AT about7 O'Clock IN the morning. up IN,
marble stairs OF a palace and across IN,
noors of richest mosaic and under ceiling
dyed with all the splendors OF color and be.
tween snowbanks OF white and glisteninl
sculpture, passes a poor, pale, sick younc
man of thirty-three, already condemned tr
ueath, on His way TO be condemned again
Jesus OF Nazareth Is His name.
coming out to meet Him on this tessellated
pavement Il IN unscrupulous compronis.
ing, ttmeserving. cowardly man. With a few
traces OF sympathy and fair dealing left In
MS composition-Governor Pontius PLATE.
Did ever such opposites meet? Luxury and
pain; sellshness and generosity. arrogance
anu humility, sin and holiness, midnight and
midnooD.
The bloated Tipped governor takes the
cushioned seat, but the prisoner stands, His
wrists manacled. In n semlcirclt around
the prisoner are the sauhedrists with fash
ing eyes and brandished fists, prosecuting
this case In the name Of religion. for the bit
terest prosecutions have been religious pros
ecuttons, and when satan takes hold OF a
good man he makes up By intensity for
brevity Il occupation. II you havl never
seen an ecclesiastical court tryinq'a man.
then you have no idea OF the foaning in
ternalism OF these old religious sarhedrists
Governor Plate cross questions theorlsoner
and tinds right away He Is innooint and
wants TO let Him go. His caution % also in
creased by some one who comes tothe gov
ernor and whispers In his ears. Til, Cover
nor puts his hand behind his ear 10 as 10
catch the words almost inaudible. II Is a
message from Claudia Procula, his wife. who
has had dream about the innoceno of this
prisoner and about the danger OF executing
Him. and she awakens from this morning
dream in time to send the Mosaic 10 her
husband, then on the judicial ben:h. And
what with the protest OF his wife aud the
entire failure OF the sanhedrists TO make ont
their case Governor Plate resolved to dis
charS the prisoner from custody.
But the intimatlon Of such thinf brings
upon the governor an equinoctial sorm Of
Indignation. They will report him 10 the
emperor Of Rome, they will have lin re-
called. they will send him up home, and he
will be hung for treason. for the emperor at
Rome has already a suspicion In regard 30
PLATE, and that suspicion does not case un-
III Pllate Is banished and commits suicide.
So Governor pontius PLATE compromises the
matter and proposes that Christ be whipped
instead OF aSsassinated. SO the prioner Is
fastened to a low pillar. and on His lent and
Dared back come the thongs Of leath,r, with
pieces OF lead and bone intertwlsted. 80 that
every stroke shall be the more awful Christ
lifts Himself from the scourging with flushed
nesh. presenting spectacle OF suffering In
which Rubens, the painter, found ID, theme
for his greatest masterpiece.
But the sahhedrsts are not yet tltisiel.
They have had some Of His nerves la,erated.
they want them all .lacerated; they lave had
some OF His blood; they want all Of 4, down
10 the last corpuscle. So Governor Pontius
Plate, after all this merciful hesitat on. sur
renders TO the demoniacal cry Of eCrlelfy
Him. But the governor sends br scme-
thing. He sends slave out 10 gbt scme-
thing. Although the constables are in haste
to take the prisoner to execution andlthe
mob outside are impatient to glare upon
theii victim, pause Is necessitated. Yoider
II comes-a wash basin. Some pure. blight
water is poured into II. and then Governor
Pilate put his white, delicate hands into the
water and rubs them together and thenlifts |
them dripping for the towel fastened atthe |
slaves girdle. while he practically says II !
wash my hands ofthis whole homcidal TINS |
action. wash my hands OF this entir,re- |
sponsibiiity. You will have to bear it." hat |
IL the meaning OF my text when It says He |
took water aud washed his hands before he |
multitude, saying: l am innocent OF !he |
blood OF this Just person. See ye to it,
Behold In this that ceremony amounts TO |
nothing IL there are not In II correspondence
OF heart and life. II is good thing to wish
the hands. God created three-uuarter of |
the world water and In that commaried
cleanliness. and when the ancients didnot
take the hint He plunged the whole wrld
under water and kept II there for some tine
Handwashing was religious cerenpny
among the Jews. The Jewish Mlshna ave
particular direction how that the hmds
must be thrust three times up 10 the wists
in water, and the palm OF the hand mus be
rubbed with the closed fist OF the other All
that Is woll enough for symbol. but her In
the text Il man who proposes TO vlsh
away the guilt OF a sin which he does not
quit and OF which he does not make an,re-
pentance. Pilates wash basin was a dad
failure.
Ceremonies. however beautiful and apr,-
pirate, may be no more than this hypocIti-
cal ablution. In infancy we may be sprinled
from the baptlsmai font, and In manhood we
may wade into deep immersion, and yet
never come 10 moral publication. We hay
kneel without prayer and bow without re'er-
ence and sing without any acceptance. All
your creeds and liturgies and sacrandts
and genufiections and religious convocatbns
amount to nothing unless your heart iifsgo
INTO them. When that bronzed slave tok
from the presence OF Plate that wash balm.
he carried away none Of Pilates cruelty or
Pilates wickedness, or Pilates guilt.
Nothing against creeds; we all have th,m,
either written or implied. Nothing against
they are of infinite importarre
Nothing against tsacraments; they are III iyirfly
Nothing against a rosary,if
here be as many heartfelt prayers as be Is
counted. Nothing against incense fioathg
ip from censer amid Gothic arches, IL ts
prayers be a genuine a. the aroma is SWEET.
Nothing against Epiphany or Lent or Ah
Wednesday or Easter or Good Friday b.
or Palm Sunday, IL these syal-
'ols have behind them genuine repsn.anl..
md holy reminiscence, and Christian come
ration. But ceremony Is only the sheatlito
he sword. 1t Is only the shell 10 the kernal.
Is only the lamp T. the flame, IL is oily
he body 10 the spirit. The outward mist
~ symbolical OF the inward. Wash IA
lands byall means; but, more than all, wjsh
he heart.
Behold, also, as you see Governor Pontus
'llate thrust his hand into this wash ba4n.
ne power Of conscience. He had an idea
mere was blood on his hand--the blood oiap
innocent person, whom he might have =
Iuitted II he only had the courage. pjo,
'ilate' His conscience was after him, andhe
new the stain wolld never be washed from
he right hand or the left hand, and until ths
lay OF his death. though he might washin
VI the LAYERS of the Roman empire. there
you'd be still eight fingers and two lhumbs
"a at the tips.
Nh tho none. - ..,...s.... -