The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-17
THE WORDS ON THE CROSS.
DR. FAIRS SERMON AT THE INDIE
PENDENT CHURCH.

He Talked of the superscriptiOn,
Written in Greek, Latin and He
brew-Gfven in DerisiOn, the
Title Has Become "Of the World"
Qualities of the Three People POr-
trayed-Literature, Religion, Law
in the Creek, Hebrew and Latin
Met at the Cross.
Rev Dr. James Y. Fair drew the text
for his sermon last night from the super
scription, This is the King of the Jews"
found in the twenty-third chapter and
thirty-eighth verse of the Gospel of ST.
Luke: "And a superscription also was
written over him in letters of Greek, and
Latin, and Hebrew, This is the King of
the Jews. "
DIR. Fair said that these languages were
widely different, but at the cross their
varying infections blended into one, and
they spoke the same truth. Latin was
the language in which the laws of the
empire were written. Greek was the Ian
guage of science, literature and art. He
brew was the language of religion. Thus
law, literature and religion met at the
cross of Christ, each separately and all
unitedly bearing witness that He, above
whose head they circled was King.
Language" said DR.. Fair, lis the re-
echo of national type, the exponent of
civilization. So here the three great civ
ilizations of the past meet in one spot, all
of their tendencies linked at last by the
nail that pinned this superscription to the
cross pointing to the dying Christ as
their fruit and elimination 1t is not Gus
tomary to place crown upon the brow of
the dying; death marks the end of SOW
ereignty and transfers the crown to an
other But In this wonderful transaction
we see these three great civilizations,
themselves about TO die, weaving the
crown of their passing splendor around
the brow of one who was soon to rise
from the dead. What did it betoken?
That their work was finished and merged
into the work of Christ, that His severe
ignty did not end but only began in death;
that His was a kingship over the grave
over the ages; the nationalities of earth
met in Him as their highest Towering
forth; law, literature, religion confessed
This is the King of the Jews"
The speaker then sketched these differ
emit types and showed how they met in
Christ. THE mission of the Hebrew was
moral and spiritual. All of his energies
were directed to the cultivation of the
heart, to the formulation of religious wor-
ship and how man could be justified before
God. Through the ages he was working in
the material of the soul: he cared but
little for philosophy; life was a span,
fleeing breath. The beyond-ah!' that was
the true life. The Hebrew was seeking to
mould the stature of the perfect man NOR
ally-to find the Kadash the King of self
i -
that great mission? The superscription on
the cross answers: it points down to one
who was dying and says: This is the King
of the Jews! The mission of the Greek
was altogether different. He cared little
for religion; the name he gave it, is sig
nificant He called it Muthos, myth. All
of his energies were directed to the cult
walton of the intellect, to discovering the
facts of science and founding great
| schools. The result was the most perfect
| literature the world has ever seen, and a
proof of mans god-like power of thought.
The Greek worshipped the beautiful, he
adored the human. When he formed a
god, he chisselled a perfect human being
not merely physical beauty, but the ideal
perfection of thought shining through the
physical, the manifestation of wisdom, the
logas.
AT Athens this Greek civilization reared
an altar to the Unknown God. And now
here on Calvary, above the dying Savior's
head, that same civilization wrote: This
is the King of the Jews Calvary answers
back to Mars Hill, reveals the unknown
God. The finger that had pointed so sadly
to that altar now points triumphantly to
the cross.
THE mission of the Roman was differ
ent both from the Hebrew and Greek; his
genius was for government. The differ
ence between these three great civilza-
! tons is seen in the works they left. The
Hebrew wrought out the Bible; the Greek
wrought out literature; the Roman
wrought out a wonderful system of law
which has entered into and moulded the
| Jurisprudence of all civilized nations For
ages the Roman ran his course; his dream
was to found a universal empire to find
a king to rule 1t. What was the result?
| That superscription written in letters of
Latin also, answers: This is the king
Can we take our places with those who
stood around the cross; can we read that
superscription in the light of subsequent
events. and doubt that Christ was the
promised Saviour? The great civilizations
of antiquity converge to the cross as a
focal point; stand together there as on
common ground; blend into one speech:
meet in Christ In this wonderful scene
let us read the prophecy and the proof
of that still greater fact when all civili-
cations, sciences, literatures and religions
shall meet not around the crucified and
dying, but the enthroned and living. when
all languages of the earth, as the voice
of many waters shall sing "Hosannal
Blessed is the King that cometh in the
name Of the Lord "
"PRAISE We THE LORD"