The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-11-11

near out OF the heavens or OIL OF sOtlle Sc
questered way OF life, attended by great
wonders. With the sword fle was quickly
to overrun the world and set up, in .!er'I-
salem 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, questioneTIss of
His day Jesus proved to be stumbling
| human power? Yes, they conceded that
| they did As they saw Him restore the
emaciatcd body. Of the leper, or infuse new
| life into the palsied form OF open the eyes
| 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. nut
| the more intelligent said, as they saw the
nnsel6shness: the love and tenderness OF
this wise before!" "No man could do
these works except God be with him"
"Surely this must he the Christ" The
answer of Jesus to the qpestionerS 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 to-day. IL is as
though Jesus said. "You ask if | am really
the Christ of God and in Him yo look
they not of the highest type! Aye. more;
they are fraught with the power of God
and prove. not only that am the Christ,
but that the nature of God is better than
the thought of man has made him. He IL
a God of tenderness, of love-" Blessed an
swer, for it teaches that character Is sl.
preme, and that the highe:t life is one OF
| simple ministry to the needs of others.
To the inquirer Of to-day the answer Of
ours to look from the mountain peak or
many centuries we may, however, see stIh
other proofs and find still ether answers
to the all important question. WAS Jesus
the Christi" History gives twofo.d an.
swer, first as seen in the preparation OF
the world for the coming Of tlc Messiah
and then in the development OF the worid
thought since the days of Jesus;. Paul de-
clares that when the fnlness OF time vas I
world. By the fulness of time ne must
have meant the period tnat v to Glapse,
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 to7 HIS
coming. What were these circumstances!,
The vast Roman empire afforded broad
and accessible field for, the spread OF. a
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
az compared with preceding centuries.
People travelled more. Thus facilities for
disseminating a new truth were better
than ever before in the worlds history. =.
Again. the Greek language was at that
time widely known. It's wonderful cas-
ticitv made it the best possible medium
for conveying to men the facts of a new
| religion. It was the official language OF
Government and was spoken by the higher
! social classes as well as bv many OF the un-
lettered and uncultured. Thus in the Greek
the world had the nearest approach TO
universal Language that it had had since
the davs of the Tower of Babel. The
transmission of the gospel was no very
difficult. thing so far as language was con-
cerned.
the most pGts6f sdns pFf2aEatSTJ 6sv bST ons
striyen with their desire to worship, idols.
At last their vision was clarified in this re-
gard, and the way was open for a turthher
revelation. Moreover. the, discerning
among them, from reading the annals OF 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.
markable. He died death of shame; none
could according to the common notion be
more ignominious or disgraceful. His
friends apparently were few. That he
would soon be forgotten wonld seem nat
mral But it was not so. His followers
+ multiplied with marvellous rapidity. Per
,secutions began and thousands OF then,
were burned, roasted, sspeared and gwen
over to wild beasts. notwithstanding al
this. within 300 years one-twentieth part
of the empire were professed Christians'
the Emperor. himself among the numoer.
From that time until the present Crris.
tianity and civilization have gone hand IN
hand. MANY of the great upheavals OF
the worlds life is the story OF Christianity
asserting herself against the powers that
wonld STAY her triumphant march: 1t was
so in the time of Charlemagne, OF Luther,
of Cromwell and of Plymouth Rock. The
lines of history converge, toward jesus
Christ. In .all things truly He has pre-
eminence. Surely, this must be the ChrlSs.
not more than man. His works and the
voice of history declare Jesus to be the
Goldman.
If there still be a lingering doubt 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
Hy. Sin like sombce cloud casts dark
ened shadow across every life. Man, has
ever found himself gripped in the re!ent'
less grasp Of an evil nature. None IS eA-
empt. All alike are tarred with the one
black stick If man tells you ne mas not
a sinful nature get little closer ana you
will detect the odor of the tar 80 famuilr
70 Yourself. Congratulate ourselves as we
NAV upon our goodness. it is still TACT
that we are by nature sinful. But while
this is true. it is also true that man feels
stirring within him higher and hoiler ma
ture. He feels within purpose to pc
other and better than he is. Before nm
he secs the ideal of q holy CHARACTER a ma
ture wholly free from sin: and toat 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
| bo}y thoughts and perfect deeds. In E!m
Won look for snfulness in vain. In him
there is no fault. not the shadow OF q
| Thought that man can brand as snfni;
This at once differentiatcs Him from all
others. In Him man finds his ideal eT.
pressed Let the heart once come IN toucn
with Jesus and it needs no. other answer
to it's questions. In Him it is satisfied.
What It would have. Jesus already haa: ::
In touch with Him the soul must Keep II
It would have its needs supplied, and ITS
higher life realized. Surrey He who a.one
realizes liie's ideal and satisfies the needs
and aspirations of the heart must he tne
is'sr ths morning Mn from need supplied: ideals
sanctifed SAM and heart satisfied. that Jesus
is S the Christ? Believe Him for His word
has been given. # not, for this p, beIieve eve