The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1903-01-02
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
An ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED
"SToNINc JESUS"
The Rev. Dr. y. wilbur Chapman Pleads
For "A Fair Consideration of the Claims
Of the Religion Of fCntist-Anythtng il
Better Than Being Indifferent.


Wilbur Chapman. from the text; Then
the Jews took up stones again 20 stone
HIM" John Y: 81.
The shining OF the sun produces two
effects IN the world one exactly the op-
posite OF the other. In one place u en.
hyens. beauties and strengthens; in the
Others ~ ceadens, mars and decays 80
It Is with the Gospel OF Christ. lt Is unto
some SAVIOR OF life unto life unto 9th
ers II Is "a SAVIOR of death unto death.
so II was with the coming Of Christ into
the world. he brought 10 light the iruest
affection and the deepest hatred. Men
loved darkness rather than light, so
Christs coming into the world could only
disturb them
Ii you go into the woods on a summer s
day, and If II be possible, turn over one
OF the logs which may be near 70 you.
you Will find underneath hundreds OF
little insects; the moment the light strikes
them they run IN every direction. Dark
ness Is their hie; they hate the light. But
II YOU journey a little further and lift a
stone, which for a little time has been
covering the grass or the little flowers, the
moment you would lift the obstruction
these things would begin 20 grow. The
hight Is their lfe; they die IN the dark
ness.
Christ's coming into the world pro.
voked the bitterest prejudice and called
n
dovOut man, was in the temple when the
young child Jesus was brought in, and he
took HIM up IN his hands and blessed God
and said, Lord, lettest now Thy servant
depart IN peace, according 10 Thy word
for now my eyes have seen Thy saliva
ton II was just the opposite with
Herld. When the king heard concerning
hnd out through them where He was
and when they did not return, he was oN'
ceSdlng wroth, and sent forth and slew
all the children that were IN Bethlehem
and IN all the coast thereof two wears and
under. according TO the time which be had
diligently inquired of the wise men. These
are the two extremes.
Johns gospel is the gospel Of love. but
in II we find the same great differences
Where can you find such sweetness as j,
contained in these words-"For God s.
loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whoseyer beleveth N
HIM should not perish bat have cverlast
ing lieE Where Is there such tenderness
as IN this eNpresSion-"jesu wCpt"
Only two words, and vet on them tho
sorrowing world rests. taking comfort and
consolation! But where can YOU find such
hatred as expressed IN John viii: 80
Then took they up stones 10 cast al
Him. and again IN the text, Then tho
Jews took un stones again TO stone Him.
When You remember whom they were
stoning. the Son Of Man and the Son o
God, the One who was going about doing
good. H." sin ls something awful 20 think
about. This text and the verse that fol
lows Is n beautiful illustration OF hate and
love, brutality and tenderness He hat
just said. II and nv Father are one.
words which should have made the heart.
of the people leap for ioy; that He was
one with Jehovah, who had led their fore
fathers from Egypt 10 Caauan; who had
spoken the worlds into existence. haC
held the winds in His fists: in whose
hands the seas washed 70 and fro. You
would have thought at these expressions
ot the Master every knee would have been
bowed IN loving devotion; but not so
The jews took up the stones again with
which 20 stone Him. and He gave then
could dictatc-"Mauy good works have
shown you from Ny Father, for which o.
these do you stone Me-
Tho text Is an illustration OF the fact
that those who were models IN fairness
of their treatment of men are most unlai,
IN their treatment OF Jesus Christ. i
you are familiar with the mode OF stonin,
offenders In the early days. YOU viii b,
able 20 sec how true this was of the Jews
The Crier marched before the man who
was 10 die, proclaiming the mans SINS and
the name OF the witnesses appearing
against him. This was for the humane
purpose Of enabling any one who was ac
quainted with the circumstances in tho
case 10 go forward and speak for him
and the prisoner was held until the new
evidence was given. But the Jews were
not so consideratc Of Jesus; when He
said. II and Ny Father arc one" immc
dlatelv they began 10 stone Him.
All that is asked for our religion, foI
Christ aud for the Bible is just a fan
consideration of their claims. The Bible
we claim. IS the word of God not because
It is old only. but because 10 is both old
and true. il seems as If 10 were written
for us as individuals; IL is my present an.
swcr TO my present need. We simply
present the Book IN evidence. Suppose
You try 90 find it's equal; suppose YOU try
TO produce its simplcs. parable failure
would be the result Our religion is the
same; we only ask for II fair considera.
ton. For Christ II ~ Just the same. In
England not long ago a woman was lee.
had closed, one ofS the mill-han3s said
II would ike to ask the lecturer this one
question: Thirty years aGn ] was the curse
Of this town and everybody in IL. | tried
10 DO better and failed. The tcctotalcr
got hold OF me, and ] signed the pledge
and broke IT. The police took me and
sent me 20 prison, and the wardens tried
as soon AZ / left my cell. When al had
failed, ! took Christ as my Savior, and
He made a new man OF me. ] am n mem
Der OF the church. a c,ase.leader and su.
perintendent OF the Suudly-school II
Christ - a myth and religion is untrue,
how could ] be 80 helped by them"
Men are stiil stoning Jesus Christ. Per.
haps you shrink from the conduct OF the
Jews and cry, For shamc'" but there is n
worse way 20 stone Him than that. Men
can hurt YOU far more than by striking
YOU in the face or beating You with
stripes. Do you imagine that Christ .
worst suffering was when they cast stones
at Him, or scourged Him, or put nails
through His hands, ] am sure not. but 81
was rather when He came unto His own
and HE own received Hin not: when
they called Him this fellow" when He
was in Gethsemane ~ an agony; when He
was on the cross and He felt so forsaken
that He heart broke.
II He were here to-day in the flesh as
He is in the Spirit ] an sure there are
ways We could hurt Him more than hy
and casting them N He blessed face until
His eyes were blinded by the blood drops
falling down.
1Nco@sTsTENCY.
7. Have you ever noticed the sadncsg
which throbbed IN the words Of our
Savior az the Last supper. "One OF you
shall betrly met' cr when He was walk.
ing with them toward the garden. "All
Of you shall be offended this night be-
cause Of Ne" or when lie was in the
gafden and We hear Him saying. What
could YOU not watch with Nc one hour"
The stone that hurts Christ most is not the
one that is ca-t By the unbelicving world
He expects that; ~ is the one that is
cast by He own people, and there u only
one stone that they can cast az Him, and
that u the one a Inconsistency % talk