El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-05-07
THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST
Rev. Mr.. Shuts Proves 1t By An
Array OF Unimpe achable Wit


Promptly at eight O'Clock last nigh
the big revival choir, led by Rev. j. T
French, sang Anywhere with Jesus >
After several such songs in which the
congregation with the new books In
hand joined TO great advantage, Rev.
Lumpkin made the announcements,
closing with a telling hit On the collec.
tion, which was taken while Mrs. Fink
aud Mr.. Mold, OF the First M. E
Church choir, sang the offertory.
Rev. Mr.. Shuts then took the floor
and announced for his text the words
of job, ''If man die shall he live
again." He announced that he would
try to answer this question by proving
the divinity of Christ and then pro-
ceeded in part rs follows:
The issue between the sksptic and
the Christian Is not as TO the
existence and natcbless character OF
Jesus, but as to bis claim to be divine.
But one thing Is necessary to settle the
question and that is that jesus did arise
from the grave and manifest himself
The skeptic denies this and, by the
way, that's all the skeptic does, or can
do. He seeks to tear away the foun-
dation of the faith, consolation and
hope Of our religion and offers nsught
instead. The Christian affirms that
Christ did rise from the grave and is
therefore all he claims TO be. Let us
examine the witnesses
The skeptic brings up the sixty Ro-
man soldiers who guarded the tomb of
Jesus because he had said that he
would arise the third day, and there
fore the Jews feared lest the discipl
would steal his BODY and claim q full
fillment of his declaration. What do
these soldiers say in answer to the
question, "What became of the body of
Jesus?" They say it was stolen, but
who and how could they steal it under
the seal of the Roman government an
guarded by so many Roman soldiers?
Answer, "a few disciples came while
we all slept. broke the seal, rolled
away the stone and stole the body"
Now friends, out oftheir own mouths
We impeach their testimony and send
them away from the stand In disgrace
If they slept how could they know what
became of the body of Jesus? The man
who can hinge so important q question
on such testimony ought to quit sneer-
ing at the Christian for believing any
thing however incredible.
Call the Christians Witnesses Who
are they, what do they say? Matthew,
Mark, Luke and John all testified that
he arose from the grave aud walked aud
talked with his disciples for forty DAYS
and then assembled to his Father. Luke
adds, in our second text. read it, He
showed himself after his passion by
many infallibls proofs" Now add to
these the testimony of Paul in lst Cor.
Is: ST, .'Afterwards he was seen of
Cephas. then Of twelve, then he appear
ed to about five hundred brethren at
once:-then to James-and last OF all
he was seen of me also as one born out
of due time" referring to his vision
on his way to Damascus when he was
converted.
Can we imDeach the testimony of
these men? What Is there in their
statements that would not be received
in q court of justice unless some
wrong motive could be discovered or
they had been incompetent intellectu-
ally? Here the speaker held up to the
audience the character, mentally and
morally, of these Witnesses who gave up
popularity and position and threw their
strength and testimony on the unpopul-
ar side: viz. Christianity, and all of
whom died violently or In exile as
result of their testimony, all of which
goes to strengthen the testimony of
these Witnesses In favor of the resur-
rection.
He then closed with strong appeal
for the people to accept this Christ
that they may live again with him.
Two came forward and gave their
names for church mem bership.
There will be two services daily this
week at $3.50 and 1870 at Trinity
Church.
Mrs. Pitt will sing in each service
Personal work will be pushed to the
last notch and big things are looked
for.
Subject for tonight is 1.-The Sympathy
OF Jesus" For tomorrow night
Jonah"
'Sweet-Orr's" Union made Trousers
and Overalls are sold by the Union