Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1903-10-29

in Peters home, and mayhap. CHc tie day
is done He will whisper the hope OF q pure
and holy life to the hariot at the well.
We have not too. much thought OF the
works eff Jesus as the acts OF one fellow
maa toward others. When viewed accord
ing to this standard they are seen to he
the highest realization OF mans highest
IDEAL Christ was wise when He said, Be
hold Ny works." lor according TO the find.
ings of the best thought of ali the ages no
works are more beautiful or higher God:
The mere force. beauty and holiness OF
His arts prove His kinship with The divine.
Bat this was not enough to satisfy jew.
The Christ they were looking for was to
demonstrate His divine power by the
might and conquest of arms. They had 1T
all cut and dried lust what the Christ
should be ard do He was suddenly to ap-
pear out CT the heavens or out OF some Sc
questered way of life, attended by great
wonders. With the sword He was quickly
to ovcrrun the world and set up in '!ern-
sa'em power that would ru e all nations.
Any love or philanthropy that could he
worked in would he all r,ght, but before
all else Messiah must he the messenger OF
Gods wrath against the nations. VISITING
'hem with defeat and disaster, that the
jew might rule supreme.
Thus it was that to tho questloners OF
His day Jesus proved to be a stumbling
D.DCk. INA lnfN lHu III IIllll Il III lf tilu'
human bower! Yes, they conceded that
they did As they saw Him restore the
cmarated hody OF the eper, or infusc new
lifc into the palSed form or open the ewes
of the blind, OF raise the dead from the
grave. they were bound to recognize more
than human power. The gross and mali
ciOuS said this power is of the devil but
the more INTELLIGENT said, as they saw the
rn>rilishncse. the love and tenderness OF
III, ',NIn h,tn If done
this wise before" ''No man could do
these works except God be with him"
Surely this must be the Christi The
answer of Jesus to the onestioners of His
dav given in the terms of love, an answer
which they would not or could not under.
stand is that which satisfies the heart and
reason OF the INQUIRER OF To-Day 1T Is as as
the Christ Of God and in Him YOU look
for divine power Look at My works, are
thcv not of the highest type? Aye, more.
they are fraught with the power of God
and prove. not only that ] am the Christ,
hut that the nature of God is better than
the thought Of man has made him. He Is
y Cod Of tenderness. of love- Blessed an
swcr. fer it teaches that character is su
prenrc, and that the highest life is one OF
simn,e ministry to the needs of others.
To tie INQUIRER of to-day the answer ct
Jesus should he convincing. Since it is
ours to look from the mountain peak. OF
many centuries we may, however see still
other proofs and find still other answers
10 the all important question, WAS Jesus
the Christi" History gives twofoId an.
swer. first as seen in the PREPARATION ot
and then in tho Development OF the worlds
Thought since the days Of Jesus. Paul de-
cIares that when the fu)ncss Of time was
come. God sent forth His Son" into the
word. BY the fulness of time he must
have meant the period tnat W to e'apSc,
according to the wisdom OF God, before
His Son, the Christ. should come. Now, 1t
Jesus was The Christ, we may expect to
find the circumstances OF the time IN
which lie lived peculiarly fitted for His
coming. What were these circumstances!
Tie vast Roman emOirc afforded broad
and accessible field for the spread or
new religion The sceptre OF Roman pow
or ruled the world Radiating from Rome
as a centre were snlendid military roads
which extended to the remotest boundaries
OF the empire Because OF these and TN"
opening OF ocean routes trave' ~ WAS rHnS
a. comDarcd with preceding centuries
Peop!e travelled more. Thus facilities TOR
disseminating new truth were better
than ever before in the worlds history.
Blt the most notable prenaration was
that of the Jewish peopc. They had long
strivcn with their desire to worshIp IDOLS
AT last their vision was clarified in tins re-
gard. and the way was open for furtheF
revelation. Moreover the discerning
amonr them. from reading the annals ot
their fathers. had come to long ior the
uron,i,cd Messiah until that longing was
l;indicd to a fervcrt heat. All these tn'nGS
pccuIlar,y fitted the time, IN Wn,ch Jesus
lived for the reception and spread Of great
religious truths.
Nor is history since that time less re-
marLabie. lie died a drath OF shame: none
could according to the common n"I'on is ns
more ignominious or dlsgracetMI. rs
friends apparently were few, That lie
won'd soon be forgotten would seem nat
ural Eut il was not so. His followers
multiplied with marvellous rapldlty, ier'
secutions began and thousands OF thehi
were burned roasted, spearcd and gwen
over to wild beasts. MISUNDERSTANDING "t
this. within 800 years one-tWentieth par'
of the empire were proIessed Chrlst'lns'
The Emueror himself among the number
From that time until the present CnliS'
tianitv and civilization have gone hand ~
hand Many of the great unheavas OF
the worlds lite is the story Of Christianity
asserting herself against the powers that
would stay her triumphant march; 1T was
50 in the time Of Charlemagne. OF l.utm@'r
Of Cromwell and of Plymouth Rock. Inc
lines OF history I'tlE'
Christ, In all things truly He has, pre-
eminencc. Surrey. this must be the ChrlI''
From the historic point Of view was nc
not more than man? His works ana tne
voice of history declare Jesus to be the
Goldman
/, there still he lingering doubt in the
mind OF any that Jesus is the Christ, the
Kinn's SON let him study the human heartI
and its deepest needs and his doubts, W1u
-. ,lInl n dark
encd shadow across every hlc. Man mas
ever found himself gripped in the re'ent'
less Grasp OF am evil nature. None ID eX
cmpt AL alike are tarred with the one
hIacL stick. Ii a man tells you he has not
A sinful nature get little closer ana YOU
win detect the odor of the tar so tam'nar
to yourself. Congratulate ourselves as we
may upon Our goodness. IL IS si,'l az.
that we are by nature sinful. But Whl;e
This i true. it is also true that man 1ee'S
stirring within him a higher and hollcr ma.
turc. He feels within purpose 10 ne
other and better than he j.. Hetore MN
he sees the ideal of holy character, ma
ture wholly free from sin: and thai nature
he fees to be akin to God; go,
Now look at Jesus in the light OF theSr
facts. His davs are one long sequence, OF
holy thoughts and perfect deeds. In ii!m
YOU look for snIulncss in vain. In INN
there is no fault, not the shadow or a
thourht that man can brand as sinful;
This at once diifercntiatcS Him from an
others. in Him man finds his ideal eT-
pressed. Let the heart once come in tourh
With Jesus and il needs no other answer
What i would have, Jesus already has:
In touch with Him the soul must keep II
It would have its needs supplied, and ITS
higher lie realized. Surely lie who a one
rcass f ,den al ahe bc beart Strn must T' be the
Christ, Chr ST. Oh. soul, have YOU the assurance
this morning from need supplied IDEAS
sanctifed and heart satisfied, thai Jesus
is the Christ? Believe Him for His word
has been given. If not, for this believe
Him for His works sake. If stI! YOU
doubt. consult the testimony ot history
snondinc to His divine touch. will surely