The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-05-23
DIR. CHAPMAN'S SERMON
A SUNDAY DISCOURSE 5Y The NOTED
PaSTOR.EvANcELlST.
Subject: Pilates cuestion-Lessons Drawn
Prom His Failure 10 Seize Salvation
In sight OF the Kingdom of Gcd. Re
fused 60 Enter 1t.


NEW YORK CITY.-The following sermon
is one prepared FOR publication by the Rev.
! j. Wilbur Chapman, Americas best-Encwa
evangelist, who Is now preaching 20 over
| flowing congregations IN this cl,y. IL i en-
titled Pilates Question" and Is founded
on the text, Matt. xvii, -: What shall |
do then with Jesus which Is called Christi
IL would not be possible for Us either 70
understand or appreciate this passage ot
Scripture without studying that which I'M
mediately precedes IL, and likewise that
which follows. Next 10 Jesus Himself the
| important character on the scene Is Pllate,
who asked the above question.
One never thinks OF him without a shut-
der, because ne - one OF the men who
came so very near 20 entering the kingdom
OF God, ard yet, after all, mlserabiy failed.
He came very near taking his place with
Joseph OF Armathaea and with Nicode-
mus. II, when he knew that Jesus was
the. Son OF God, he had barred MS own
back to the sIniters, or had gone himself
20 be crucite1, there would have been no
name in the early history OF the church
20 outshine his. But instead of being in
the presence of God to-day, ne is undoubt-
edly in the lost world.
When Jesus passed by the cross and
went through the tomb of Joseph OF Arr
raathaea, and made His way 10 the place
of ascension, not far from Bethany, and
left His wondering disciples, He took with
Him into the skies His hands that had
been pierced His feet, through which the
nails had torn their way, His side, thrust
through with the spear, and against which
the beloved disciple had leaned. In a
word, He took with Him His body. But
there was one thing He Left when hang
ing on the cross, from His head His hands,
His feet and His broken heart the blood
came trickling down, and not only stained
the rocks upon Calvary, but LETT its mark
upon the world as well, and leaving His
blood there, the world Is to-day responsible
for it. That same blood is upon both the
world and men, either for their coldemna-
ton or for redemption
In remarkable book which came across
the seas some years ago, bearing the title
OF Letters From He'll" and having an in
PRODUCTION bv George Macdonald the cele-
brated Scotch preacher there is a story OF
Plate in the lost world stopping down 70
wash his hands In a running stream. He
keeps on, IL would seem, almost for ages.
If time were measured as in this world.
Some one touches him and says:
"Pilate, what are you doing"
Lifting his hands, which become red like
crimson as soon as they leave the water,
he cries out with a shrek, which echoes
and re-echaes throughout the world OF the
lost:
will they never be clean! viii they
never be clean"
Poor Plate they never will for the
blood of the Son OF God Is on them for
condemnation forever. He began to wash
his hands when he said TO the angry mob:
Take ye Him. and cruelty Him, for
find no fault In Him"
He is still washing his hands to-day, but
in vain.
There are special ways of treating texts
of Scripture, one Of the easiest of which IS
to take certain words in the verse and en-
Il 4
the outline of the sermon. NV text can be
treated in this way, and the first word to
emphasize would be,
WHAT"
Reading the text with this in mind we
find 1t saying:
What shall DO then with jesus"
The inference Is we must do something.
We can not be indifferent. The man who
says that he will not accept Christ, neither
will he reject Him, has rejected Him IN
the very position he takes. There Is no
middle ground in this matter. We are
either for Christ or against Him, and we
must decide which position it shall be.
The next words to emphasize would be
SHALL. l DO"
The particular part of the expression
that is emphatic Is the personal pronoun
81"
Religion is a very personal matter, and
whose eyes shall light upon this printed
word but who shall one day be called to
an account for his rejection of the Son OF
| God If he fails to acknowledge Him before
men. Rich and poor, high and low, wise
and ignorant, for all comes the question,
| What shall | do?'
The next emphatic word would be
THEN"
It might be used in two ways. We have
| IL oil nip hn TlInOg
! choosing one then it naturally follows that
we must do something with the ether. lt
is easy to understand that choosing one
| implies the election OF the other But 1t
might also Jc taken as word describing
some future time, and | would like to have
it mean, What shall | DO in the day OF
! judgment with Jesus Christi When the
| moon shall be turned into blood and the
sun shall be black as the sackcloth OF hair
when the elements shall melt with the
! iervent h at"-'SNhat shall | do them?
In the sixth chapter of Revelation we read
that in the last day men shall cry out and
say to the rocks and hills Fall on us,
md hide us from the face of Him that sit.
teth upon the throne, and from the wrath
Of the Lamb: for the great Gay OF His
wrath Is come. and who shall be able to
stand" But in the closing part of Reve-
lation we are told that there will be no
rocks and no hills to fall upon the lost aud
/ smut out the NlSlpu VI tue AiLt VI Ailt aepA
| Of Cod and they must see Him whether
they will or not, Him whom they have re-
iected. Him from whom they have detber'
ately turned away.
The next emphatic word is the name
Jesus. What shall | do then
WITH JESUS"
That was His earthly nane, and. &c.
scribad His earthly life. Thou shalt call
His name Jesus, for He shall save His peo
pie from their sins and His earthly hts
came to its climax in His sacrihcial death
| upon the cross. To pay the penalty OF sll
His life was gwen up, and If we fall 20 ac
( cept Him IS a personal Saviour, we dellb
erateiy take our stand with those VIII
have nailed Hin to the cross. When We
stand before God we shall be called to an
account for this chefest Of all sins For
TO reject the Son OF Cod Is TO cruelty Him
afresh.
The last word to emphasize would be
His anointed nauie. which .s
CHRIST"
As Christ lie stands AZ the right hand
| OF God. or Mediator and Advocate. For
fear that some one should say, If | should
! become a Christian. | could not hold ont.
! God seems 70 sweep away every false argu
ment and false hope when He tells US tdat
after we have accepted Him az Jesus. II,
becomes Christ for US and takes HIS stand
at Gods right hand, pleading Tor rs IN on;
weakness. ard ever bringing 10 Gods -
membrane His atouing death. that ON
many sins may Be washed away and toT
gotten.
Bat another outline has also been sus
gestei as being @ prO~er oce 70 eTow oi
Of this text. The Rev. K. \. Io-rer ha'
made the suggestion that there are CcrtaiI
/ .hs,.-s .hs4 ,s4t,r,l', farens w~au VIVA