The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-16
A SERMON TO LAWYERS.
Rev. |. D. lsmkIn Presches to . Large
Congregation.
VERY STRONG APPEAL TO the INTELLECT
The First % series OF sermons to
Professional and Burincss
Men of the city.

'-s'>N W TIC NhufNh yNSttidus ihoihiHb "
listen TO the advice OF this divine to the
expounders OF the law. The congregation
was very Intelligent and critical one.
and there was an apparent curiosity on its
part as to what the nature OF the advice
would be. This was the first of series
Of sermons to different classes of business
men OF the city. On next Sunday special
sermon Will be delivered to the local physi-
clans
The pastor announced his text from,
ldatthew %, ~: what Think Ye OF
Christi" He spoke as follows:
when contemplated this course Of
sermons to professional and business men
most naturally turned TO the sphere OF
the mental activity OF each. For this oc-
CASTOR there arrested ms attention many
phases of forensic thought, The nature,
origin and province OF law, The moral
governmo mt q. God The ground OF mans
moral obligation, The immutabiity Of
moral law AS said Zeno. the AthonianI
philosopher, The unwritten laws OF God
that know no change; they are not OF to-
day or yesterday, but live forever. These
and many other kindred subjects that
might Interest some before whom | speak
asserted themselves. Then came battle
between inclination and conviction. But
as deeply reflected upon the highest good
TO be achieved by this unique occasion the
great, and to many, unanswered, question
of these ages forced itself upon my mind
What Think We of Christi Governments
may cease. revolutions may change the
course Of history, creeds may die. forms
and religious ceremonies fade from the
memory Of man. but this will be the fiv
ing question when suns and stars shall be
no more, because 1t is linked with the llv
ing, personal. conquerlng Christ. Surely
no one standing ON the summit Of the
nineteenth century with the highest forms
of Christian civilization pouring their
flood Of golden light like benediction
upon the world could be SO sordid as to-
suggest the question: Is the man of Cali
lee-the Christ OF 1900 years-a vefitableI
fact Of history The closing words of the
author of Ecce Deus are forrible, because
SO true. Today the greatest question that
is stirring mems hearts to their depths Is:
WHO Is this Jesus Christ Hia life Is be-
coming to many OF us a new life, as III
we had never seen word of so subtle and
yet SO mighty that we were Obliged 20 ask
the great heaving world of time to be ST.
we are and where we are. That influence
l., the life of Jesus Christ. TO be rid Of
II W. must walk backward. plotting out
our history as we go; we must strike out
our best experiences In Joy and sorrow and
quench Into eternal gloom the purest and
most helpful hope that illuminates our
present and future life l offer for your
contemplation during this Ccrvice the high
est theme and likewise the common object
of sacred interest to universal mankind:
the summons of the world to the ;,cknowl-
edginent of Christ's divine character and
missions Whatever may be your criti-
cism OF the geEuineness Of some Of the
books of the Old and New Testament, let
me remind you that tho central figure
Trey present. the picture they draw. is a
IN hun fhn rtta m hnr .Nf rp
and Of history, and must be reasonably
accounted for.
Il would then have you study with me
FIRST Christ as unveiled in the New Tesla
ment enc the history Of 1900 yenrs. With
the opening of what Is peculiarly known
as tho gospel dispensation we have the
story Of a most unique and wonderful life
Look at II from whatever point %! view we
may, II stands alone. He Is malcstic in
all the Unreasonable distance above hui
Ell that little children could run into His
arms. In the Now Testament He is rep
resented as man.. He Is called The Son
Of Man. lie was the son OF humanity
the one universal character, there in
hered in Him all the elements of sinless
human nature. but He rose still higher.
He claimed to be divine. He claimed
equality with the Father I and my
Father are one Did any man in all his
tory ever make so lofty and SO bold al
claim. The lneNDlaln2Dle tnlHH Is tnut the
world has never resented this cialm but
received 1t as true. II now we turn to
history Richster describes Christ's majes-
tic tread through the centuries. When en-
raptured by the reality of fulfilled prophesy
he exclaimed: Who with Hts own pierre ed
hands lifted empires OFF their hinges and
turned the course OF history out of Its |
channel
Second, can this character he reason
ably and philosophically accounted for?
Let us consider this question from two
fold point of view. Could the character
OF Christ have been an invention. 4 re-
ton? It is admitted by all scholars that |
there Is an originality ab,ut l. that Is !
amazing and puts II into class by Itself.
Originality Is rare gift. inere may 10
genius in the arrangement OF twisting
material, but that Is different from in
vention. The great poets II he wor ara
not original. Virgil borrow ID +, n Homer,
Dante from Virgil, and Milton from Dante.
Shakespeare borrows his plots and incl
dents and characters without scrnp'e. He
improves them. makes them his own. still I
they are not original. II YOU study the
heroes and heroincs Of Scott. Thackery
and Hawthorne, the great masters OF nc
tion. which ono Is truly AMI purely origi-
nal? They are not creations, nut mpicved
copies. But from what did the W. ers OF
the gospel borrow? What ehara scr could
have given them c.ew e sueh a lie as
that of Christ? No. the Christ TINT tas
held the attention OF this great ;.altaiatirg
world OF ours, winning ihc homage q rs
heart and the best enef,.,ss - rs life Is
not fiction. lie Is an historical reality L
And before this majestic character atrnd
the thought and admiration OF the world
as expressed by such distinguished skep-
tics as John Stuart Mill. Goethe aud
Jockey.
'Tbir,l, the center point ~ the onnfict
Of religious belief is ,he terscn at cii:st.
What think ye OF Christi What then is
your Impartial verdicts We have pre- sred
this magnificent inquiry tin we stand face
TO face with Christ Whit Is vour nuswer?
Everyone must take a definite position
towards Hin.. He can be ABUSED: He can
be reviled He can. perhaps. be even /
hated: but He can not be ignored. He 10
he ensign which God has set up In the
nDidsr Of the times, and planted n the
OF history Shall. then. your
answer be that OF the centurion? Certain '
y this war a righteous man. Or Of the {
adnirer Of human greatness voiced by the I
yreat thinker herder. 'Jesus Christ, In the {
ioblest and most perfect sense humanity's
'eAlized ideal?' or shall Il be nobier 9
It'll, that OF Christian faithfulness and
owe expressed by Thomas, the vanqnished
keptic, my Lord and my God'' The