The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-06-04
DIR. CHAPMANS SERMON
4 SUNDAY DISCOURSE eY THE NOTED
PasToR.svANceusT.
Subject: Pilates sCuestion-Lessons Drawn
From His Failure to Seize salvation-
In Sight OF tho Kingdom OF God. Re-
fusAd tn Enter IT

6up5ect. fii9fe's sSsuesttou@k<css7os Ote""
From His Failure to Seize Salvation
In Sight OF tho Kingdom OF God. Re-
fused to Enter Il.
New YORK CIrY.-Thc following sermon
Is one prepared for publication by the Kew.
j. Wilbur Chapman, Americas best.Encwn
evangelist, who Is now preaching to over.
flowing congregations in this city. 1t Is en-.
titled pilates Question:" and is founded
on the text, Matt. xvii, .: What shall
do then with Jesus:which is called Christi
1t would not be possible for US either to
understand or appreciate this passage OF
Scripture without studying that which i'm
mediate.y precedes it, and likewise that
which follows. Next to Jesus Himself the
important character on the scene Is Plate,
who asked the above question.
One never thinks Of him without shud.
der, because he is one OF the men who
came so very near to entering the kingdom
Of God, and yet, after all, miserably failed.
He came very near taking his place with
Joseph of Arimathaea and with Nicode-
mus. II, when he knew that Jesus was
the Son Of God, he had barred his own
back to the smiters, or had gone himself
to be cruciied, there would have been no
name in the early history Of the church
to outshine his. But instead OF being IN
the presence Oh OOo SO'udyy HC 10 uheoe1S
edly in the lost world. g,
When Jesus passed by the cross and
went through the tomb Of Joseph Of !Ari.
r,athaea, and made His way to 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 left its mark
upon the world as we'll, 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 condemna.
ton or for redemption.
In a remarkable book which came across
the seas some years ago, bearing the title
Of Letters From He'll" and having an in.
PRODUCTION by George Macdonald, the ce!e.
brated Scotch preacher. there is q story oi
PLATE in the lost world STOPPING down to
wash his hands in q running stream. He
keeps on, it would seem, almost for ages
If time were measured as IN this world
some one IOuCEeS utIn duu Sty5.
"Pilate, what are you doing?"
Lifting his hands, which become red like
crimson as soon as they leave the water
he cries out with shrek. which echoes
and reechoes throughout the world OF the
lost:
Will they never ne be clean! Will they
Poor Plate! they never will, for the
blood OF the Son Of God is on them fol-
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 ct which Il
to take certain words in the verse and EN-
phasize them, and make each word define
treated in this way, and the first word II
emphasize would be.
WHAT"
Reading the text with this in mind w
6nd it saying: go
The inference is we must do something
We can not be Indifferent. The man who
says that he will not accept Christ, neither
the very position he takes. There - nc
middle ground in this matter. We ART
either for Christ or against Him, and we
must decide which position it shall be-.
The next words to emphasize would be
SHALL / DO"
The particular part OF the expression
that is emphatic is the personal pronour
RELIGION ia A yery personal matter, ano
judgment will be, too. There is no one
whose eyes shall light upon this printed
word but tho shall one day be called tt
an u.count for his rejection Of the Son ol
God If he fails to acknowledge Him before
men. Rich a.,. poor, high and low, wist
and ignorant. for all comes the question
"What shall do:"
The next emphatic word would l.:
THEN"
1t might be used n two ways. We have
made 4 cl-oic: between two things, and
choosing one then it naturally follows tha,
We must do something with the ether. II
is easy to understand that choosing one
implica thr election of the other. But II
might also Je taken as q word describing
some future time, and would like to hav.
il mean. "What shall I do in the day ol
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
feryent heat"-"What shall I do them
In the sixth chapter of Revelation we read
that in the last day men shall cry out and
saw to the rocks and hills: Fall on US
and hide US from the face of Him that sit
teth upon the throne, and from the wrath
of the Lamb: for the great day OF Hi,
wrath is come. and who shall be able &c
stand" But in the closing part OF Reve
lation we are told that there will be nc
rocks and no hills to fall upon the lost ane
shut out the vision Of the face OF the Sor
Of God. and they must see Him whether
they will or not, Him whom they have re
iected. Him from whom they have deliber
ateiy turned away.
The ne.t emphatic word is the name
Jesus What shall ! do then
WITH JESUS"
That va, His earthly name, and de-
scribed His earthly life. Thou shalt cal
His name Jesus, Tor He shall save His peo
Die from their sins" and His earthly hte
came to its climax in His sacrihcial death
upon the cross. To pay the penalty Of sir
His life was gwen up. and il We fai! to ac
cent Him as a personal Saviour. we delib
erate,y take our staEd with those VIII
have nailed Hir, to the cross. When we
stand before God we shall be called to IN
account for this chiefest Of all sins. Fol
to reject the Son OF Cod is to cruelty Hin
afresh.
The last word to emphasize would be
His anointed name. which Is
CHRIST"
As Christ He stands at the right hand
of God, OR Mediator and Advocate. Fo:
fear that some one should say, If ] should
Become a Christian. could not hold out.
God seers to sweep away every false argu
ment and false hope when He tells US ths
after we have accepted Him as Jesus. Ht
becomes Christ for us. and takes His stand
at Gods rish. hand, pleading Tor US in our