, 1900-02-27
A SUNDAY SERMON
DEAN COPE TAKES FOR HIS SUB
JECT, JESUS OF NAZAR-
ETH PASSETH BY"
He Who Came Into the World to Open
the Eyes of the Blind Was Now on
His Last Journey to Jerusalem,
Where in a Few Days He Was to
Suffer Death.

Jesus or Nazareth paSseth by.
The portion of scripture before US
throbS with sOlemnity. The time of
the transaction was very critical. He
who came into the world to open the
eyes of the blind was now on his last
journey to Jerusalem, where in a few
days he was to suffer death. This was
His last stay in Jericho. His work on
earth was nearly finished, He was never
to come that way again.
Two sets of persons rise before us,
the multitude and the blind men.
Look at them, the loafers about the
streets, the hangers on; the unemploy-
ed pests of our social life. Look at
them running out Of the stores, out of
the counting houses. The cry goes
round, Jesus of Nazareth passeth by"
For a moment the routine of the days
business is suspended, family ~festivi-
ties, social pleasures. bargains to be
begun and closed in the market. Each
ones own busy world of care and dis
play or profit was enough. What if the
Lord of all life, the healer of all mis-
cries and final judge of souls is passing
by? Let him pass. Give us a little
more of this, more social a~scendancy;
give us today's abundance. What is
Nazareth or its prophet to us? Answer
Him and tell Him, there is no room for
Him in our houses; we are engaged
and cannot see Him. In this great tav-
ern of a world as in the inn of Bethle-
hem, there is no room for Him; the
world ignores its king.
They doubtless had their need. 1t
would be a reproah upon human ma
ture to say that all who saw the Savior
pass along that day We're utterly dest-
tute Of inward feeling. In a greater or
lesser degree religious instincts are a
part of everyone. Religion like morals
and physics, has first truths, which are
incapable of being derived from any
thing more certain than themselves,
which Il human mind at "A particular
point of its development invariably rec
ognizes, and the intuition of which is
a direct result of its highest activities.
Why should it be thought a thing in
credible that God should write in the
book Of u being, the record of our
childhood INT the need of a Father?
Shall the needle turn to the north?
Shall the heliotrope follow the sun ?
And shall the heart of mar have no
center where it may rest in safety and
in peace? Like the tidal marks found
in the lowest rocks, there are records
even in the stony hearts of how high
religious emotions may at one time
have arisen.
Jericho was moved-perhaps many
bad heart needs and soul yearning;
many doubtless yearned to declare
themselves followers of Jesus of NaZ-
areth. Another time We will listen
more arefully to Him. When HIT
comes to Jericho again We will put
business out of our minds, we will drop
worldly concerns and make or hearts
right with God.
This is the great point of this scrip
ture-the letting go of opportunities.
Look at it from a merely worldly point
of view. Before 30 years of age d man
has ten opportunities Of making him
self in the world to five between ages
OF 80 and 40. And as age creeps on the
opportunities become more scarce.
Any man, however capable he may be
intellectually, who has spoiled oppor-
tunities by loss Of character and 9TH
erwise before the age of 40 can hardly
hope to redeem himself. AS in insur-
ance tables the risk increases with age,
so opportunities decrease as age creeps
on. All this applies to the Christian
life. The greater number OF the most
! helpful Christians and most earnest
church workers became so before they
who have passed their 10th veal IL o
Christ ever profess religion? Com
pare the handful who approach the al
tar with thes warns who had arounG
the streets and congregate in the club
rooms. No wonder we have hoary-
Hedueu uHDeiIefeTS, ana apparently
stalwart hard-headed men outside Gods
family. Yes, year by year they put
aside their Christian responsibility.
Here is a man who has been all his
life among bibles and churches and
knows his duty. Christ has been pre-
sented to him in all the loveliness of
his life, and in all the appealing and
constraining love of His sacrifice and
death. Heaven has been opened before
his eyes, and he has been invited and
urged to enter, and there He sits I'M
moved. He has had the opportunity
OF so years to save His soul, and all the
privileges he has abused. What shall
we say of uch a man? He is dement,
ed.
The damage done by that illogical ex-
preston n hears so often. yes, my
son Is now grown up, my daughter is
over 20 years of age, neither of them
we've brought into the church by bap-
tism, because 1 thought | would like
them to grow up and then choose for
themselves" Do parents allow chill
dren to choose for themselves as to
what physician they shall have when
they are sick, or as to whether they
shall go to school or not? After the
world has been given the most impress
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