Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-10-31

should be and do. He was suddenly to ap'
! pear out of the heavens or out of some Sc
uuestered way of life. attended by great
wonders With the sword He was. quickly
| TO oyerrun the world and set up in .Jeru.
salem a power that would rule all nations.
| ANY love or philanthropy that could be
| worked in would be all right, but before
all else Messiah must be the messenger of
| Gods wrath against the nations, visiting
| them with defeat and disaster. that the
Jew might rule supreme.
Thus it was that to the questioners of
His day Jesus proved to be stumbling
block. Did they find in Him more than
human power? Yes, they conceded that
they did. As they saw Him restore the
emaciated body of the ieper, or infuse new
of the blind, or 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, hut
the more intelligent said, as they saw the
mnselfishness: the love and tenderness Of
His s acts Hsl have seen od done
these works except God be with hint"
"Surely this must be the Christi" The
answer of Jesus to the auestioners of His
day 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 today. 1t is as
though JesuS SaIu. lou ASK u am really
the Christ of God and in Him you look
for divine mower. Look at My works, are
they not of the highest type? Aye, more.
they are fraught with the power of God
and prove. not only that 7 am the Christ,
hut that the nature of God is better than
the thought of man has made him. He is
God of tenderness, of love-" Blessed an
preme, and that the highest life is one of
simple ministry to the needs Of others.
To the INQUIRER Of to-day the answer OF
Jesus should be 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
to the all Important question WAS s, Jesus
swer, first as seen in the preparation OF
the world for the coming of the Messiah
and then in the development of the worlds
thought since the days of Jesus. Paul de-
clares that "when the fu|ness Of time was
come. God sent forth His Son" into the
have meant the period. that W to elapse,
according to the wisdom of God, before
His Son, the Christ should come. Now, it
Jesus was the Christ, we may EXPECT to
find the circumstances of the. time IN
which He lived peculiarly fitted for His
coming. What were these CIRCUMSTANCES?
The vast Roman empire afforded a, broad
and accessible field for the spread of
new religion. The sceptre of Roman pow
er ruled the world. Radiating from Rome
as centre were splendid military roads
which extended to the remotest boundaries
Of the empire. Because Of these and the
opening of ocean routes travel was easy
People travelled more. Thus facilities for
disseminating a new truth, were better
than ever before in the worlds history.
But the most notable preparation was
that of the Jewish people. They had long
striven with their desire to worship. idols.
gard, and the way was open for a further
revelation. Moreover. the, discerning
among them, from reading the annals Of
their fathers, had come to long for the
promised Messiah until that longing. was
kindled to fervent heat. All these things
peculiarly fitted the time. in which Jesus
lived for the reception and spread OF great
religious truths.
Nor is history since that time less re.
markable. He died a death Of shame: none
could according to the common notion be
more ignominious or disgracefMl. His
friends apparently were few. That lie
would soon be forgotten would seem nat
multiplied with marvellous rapidity. Per
solutions began and thousands Of them
were burned. roasted, sreared and given
over to wild beasts. Notwithstanding all
this. within 300 years one-twentieth part
OF the empire were professed Christians,
the Emperor himself among the number.
From that time until the present Chris
hand. Manv of the great upheavals OF
the worlds life is the story of Christianity
asserting herself against the powers that
would stay her triumphant march: 1t was
so in the time Of Charlemagne, of Luther,
Of Cromwell and Of Plymouth Rock. The
Christ. In all things truly He has pre-
eminence. Surely, this must be The Christ.
From the historic point of view was He
not more than man? His works and the
voice of history declare Jesus to be the
Goldman.
If there still be lingering douht in the
mind of any that Jesus is the Christ, the
Kings Son. let him study the human heart
and its deepest needs and his doubts, will
fly. Sin like a sombre cloud casts dark
ened shadow across every life. Man, has
ever found himself gripped in the relent-
less grasp of an evil nature. None Is ex-
empt. All alike are tarred with the one
black stick. If man tells YOU he has NOS
a sinful nature get little closer and you
to yourself. Congratulate ourselves as we
may upon our goodness, it is still fact
that we are by nature sinful. But while
this is true. it is also true that man feels
stirring within him higher and holier ma
ture. He feels within. a purpose to. be
other and better than he is. Before him
he sees the ideal of holy character, ma
ture wholly free from sin. and that nature
he feels to be akin to God.
Now look at Jesus in the light of these
facts. His days are one long sequence of
holy thoughts and perfect deeds. In Him
you look for sinfulness in vain. In Him
there is no fault, not the shadow. of a
thought that man can brand as sinful.
This at once differentiates Him from all
others. In Him man finds his ideal ex.
pressed. Let the heart once come in touch
with Jesus and it needs no other answer
to its questions. In Him it is satisfied.
What it would have. Jesus already has.
In touch with Him the soul must keep if
it would have it's needs supplied, and its
higher life realized. Surely He who alone
realizes LIES ideal and satisfies the needs
and aspirations of the heart must be the
Christ. Oh, soul. have you the assurance
this morning from need supplied, ideals
sanctifed and heart satisfied, that Jesus
is the Christ? Believe Him for His word
has been given. If not for this believe
Him for His works sake. If still you
doubt. consult the testimony of history
and of the human heart, and your soul, re-
spending to His divine touch. will surely
cry out. YES Jesus, l know Thou art the
Christ Of God"