The age-herald., 1901-04-01
P|LATE AND HIS WORLDLY ADVISERS Eloquent Sermon by the Rev.
 John G. Murray
AT CHURCH OF THE AOVEN I
By What Authority Does the Flesh Command Us to Cruelty Our Lord rd2-Satin and His As
 stunned Authority.

Rev. John G. Murray delivered an elo- quent discourse. choosing as his subject "Pilate's Advisors-the World, the Flesh and the Devil"
 "The gospel for the day." said MT. Mur- ray. ''the Sunday next before Easter, commonly called Palm Sunday, com prises the first fifty-four verses of the 27th chapter of the gospel according to St. Matthew. In the 22nd verse thereof 'Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus, which is called Christ? They all say unto him, let Him be cru cified"
 ''It was the morning of the crucifixion. The Sunday preceding the prophecy of Zechariah recorded in the first lesson read this morning had been fulfilled. The King of Zion and Jerusalem had come. just, lowly and bringing salvation, and riding upon a colt the foal of an ass.' The people took branches of palm trees and went forth to meet Him, and cried ,Hosanna blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord That He was King of Israel fin the name of the Lord Jesus did not disclaim, but that as such King He had come to es- tablish on earth a Kingdom after the manner and in qualification of the desire and ambition of men, He speedily denied. And then the reaction was decided and sharp, the revolution speedy and severe. When He who was creator and ruler of earth refrained from calling to His as- sistance the powers at His command and submitted to be shackeled and smitten of man, then not only the multitude, but even His own disciples whom He loved and who loved Him, all forsook him and fled And so in four short days we find loyalty clothed In the garments of desertion and treason and hear the echo of Hosannas shouts drowned in the con- fusion of crucihxion's cry
 "Let Him be Crucified."
 "'As I am not of the world, neither can those who are mine be of the world, this King of Israel had declared. And so the world would have His blood, and says: Let Him be crucifed.'
 'Ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh. He that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption,' had been the burden of this master in Israels teaching. An so the flesh would have its inordinate desire upon Him, and says Let Him be crucified.'
 " The devil was murderer from the beginning. and abode not in the truth, because there Is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own; for he is liar. and the father of it, this Saviour in Israel had proclaimed. And so the devil would banish truth from the earth, and says Let Him (who Is the way, the life and the truth) be crucifed.'
 "Pilate, thou art of the world Thou livered Him unto the judgment Thy wife hath declared Him just and besought thee to do justice by Him. But thou wouldst continue to enjoy worldly rule even at the cost of manhood's ruin, and 50 dost wash thy hands of the innocent blood in vain endeavor to shift all responsibility upon thy fellow man.
 Rome, thou art of the flesh with thy lust for the things of material sense and thy unlawful qualification of degraded ap- petite, and sensual desire. The valor of thy warriors has been sapped; the vir- ture of thy maidens has been dethroned, but thou are charmed unto thy death, and the enemies of Christ may take Him and judge Him according to their law
 "Scribes, Pharises and hypocr1tes, thou art of the devil. because it Is in thine heart to destroy the Lord as was it in the heart of Judas to betray Him unto thine hands. Thy King hath come. The glory of the Lord God of Israel hath risen upon Him, but because He wilt rule as thou wouldst have Him rule, thou are blinded in thy wrath. and dost invoke Rome to let His blood be upon thee, and upon thy children
 The World.
 "The world! The flesh! And the devil! Let us for few moments examine the ambitious allurements of the one, the sensual deception of the other. and the false and insidious wiles of the master of both
 Take the world first: What Is the best offer it makes for our alliance, allegiance and servitude? We are told of God that even in the midst of all the mystery an- tagonism conflict and failure of life. there is a highway of consolation. conf- renee. peace and rest. Does the world op en up this highway and say, Here is the way, walk ye in it. Mans happiness even here. is dependent upon purity of thought, charity of word and righteousness of it's votaries? Is this what fame affords? Is this what wealth assures? Is this what high position brings? We know 1t Is not. The fact of being famous in the affairs of the world and prominent In all It's movements is not always affirmative of satisfaction with present achievement, or of assurance that permanent position has been attained. There is always the threatening possibility of dethronement from high position, and the shadow of the departing forms of those who are our votaries now to the shrine of our prob able successor. Alone with our greatness even if upon the throne of that greatness we continue to the end, in the presence of nature and natures God, with the dark ness of midnight settling down, it is simply impossible for us to contemplate, without shudder, the fact that, not withstanding the power we wield, we are but temporarily at the helm, that out life is feeting as a shadow. and that speedily there must come the eclipse of our power, and all authority and rule possessed of us on earth pass away from us forever. That we may experience the consolation. confidence. peace and rest promised of God in the life here, we must