The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-04-23
ECCLESIASTICAL COLUMN.
Rev. 5. X. Arbuihnot. pastor st. Paul's NJ. E.
Church, Editor
A Bible Readlng--Jesus Among Men

celebrated newspaper man of Lon
don, England, came to this country
in the interest of certain reforms.
After visiting Chicago, H., perhaps
impressed with the wickedness of
that modern Babylon, he wrote a
book to which he gave the strange
and startling title, ''If Christ Came
to Chicago" We need not, how
ever, localize Christ's coming, for
while apparently some places need
His purifying presence more than
others, all places and all peoples
alike are dependent upon Him for
spiritual life.
The writer, realizing that the
"scriptures contain the only rule
and the sufficient rule both of our
faith and practice" desires in this
article to call the readers attention
to some few things about Jesus
Christ.
LIST. He is O tOucbstone Of charac-
ter. In ancient days the old al
chemists and chemists all possessed
touchstones which they used to try
the ores whether or not they con-
tanned gold or silver. This they
did by rubbing the stone over the
metal, which if pure left a golden or
silver streak upon the stone.
Whenever u man is brought into
contact with Jesus Christ he is at
once tested by that pure life as wit
nesses. The following scripture,
"and Simeon blessed them, and
said unto Mary his mother, behold,
this child is set for the fall and
rising again of many in Israel, and
for a sign which shall be spoken
against; (yea, a sword shall pierce
through thy own soul also), that
the thoughts of MANY may be
revealed. D." St. Luke 2: 1896.
2nd. lie is q deci,ler Of destjny.
Not in the sense that He takes the
place of the old heather idea of
fate and arbitrarily exalts one man
to happiness and casts another down
to despair, but he sets before all
life and death and commands,
"Chose ye this day" Therefore,
in this sense he becomes the decider
of our destiny. mot everyone
that saith unto me Lord, Lord,
shall enter into the kingdom of
heaven; but he that doeth the will
of my Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day,
Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied
in thy name, and in thy name done
many wonderful works? And then
will l profess unto them, l never
knew you; depart from me, We that
work iniquity. st. Mark 7:21,
%, %.
3rd: lie is eraHed By HIS wOr-
SLIPPERS, get rejccted By Wnbelievers.
If scripture was silent upon this
point we would need only to note
the different attitudes of our friends
and neighbors toward Christ to
prove this proposition is true. How
ever, Gods word tells us, "Thls is
the stone which was set at naught
of your builders, which is now be-
come the head of the corner" Acts
All.
4th. He is wisd0m to His fOllOw-
ers, but foOlshness to those acbO turn
from Him. But we preach Christ
crucifed, unto the Jews STUN bling
block, and unto the Greeks foolish
ness; but unto them which are
called, both Jews and Greeks,
Christ the power of God and the
wisdom of God" Cor. 1:23-24.
5th. He is precious to christians,
get ofensiUe to sinners. Unto you,
therefore, which believe, He is pre-
cious, but unto them which be dis
obedent, the stone which the
builders disallowed the same is
made the head of the corner, and a
stone of stumbling and rock Of
offense, even to them which STUN
bleth at the word, being disobedl-
ent; whereunto also they were
appointed. | Pet. 2: rs.
9Th. He is q blessing to some, bit
condemns others. eff man love me
he will keep my words: and my
Father will love him, and we will
come unto him and make our abode
with him." st John 14:23. eff
any man love not the Lord Jesus
y Christ let him be anathema mara
\natha." Cor. 1922.
: 9TH. He gireS life TO one and deals
death 10 another. "To one we are
the Savior of death unto death, and
to the other the Savior of life unto
life. II Cor 2:1G.
The above quotations are but
few of the many aboundingl IN Gods
word, teaching us what Jesus Christ
is to the believer and to the unbe-
liauor Danlor u,bof :, Chriet +o