Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1903-01-08
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED
:..STOklNC JESUS"
The Rev. DIR. j. Wilbur Chapman Pleads
For Fair Consideration of tho Claims
Of the Religion of CDrist-Anything is

For Fair Confederation Of tho Claims
Of the Religion of CDrist-Anything is
Better Than Being Indifferent.
New York City-The following sermon
entitled, "Stoning Jesus was preached
BY the great evangelist, the Rev. DR.: j.
Wilbur Chapman, from the text: '.Then
the Jews took up stones again to stone
The shining of the sun produces two
effects in the world, one exactly the OPP
posite of the other. In one place it en-
ivens, beauties and strengthens; in the
others it deadens, mars and decays. So
1T Is with tine G3sRfa 70 OF Ghfe It IS unto
ers 1t is "a SAVIOR of death unto death
So it was with the coming Of Christ into
the world He brought to light the truest
affection and the deepest hatred. Men
loved darkness rather than light, SO
Christ's coming into the world could only
disturb them.
If you 90 into the woods on summers.
day, and il it be possible, turn over one
of the logs which may be near to you.
you will find underneath hundreds of
little insects; the moment the light strikes
them they run in every direction: Dark
ness is their life; they hate the light. But
if you journey little further and lift
covering the grass or the little flowers, the
moment you would lift the obstruction
these things would begin to grow. The
light is their life; they die in the dark
ness.
Christ's coming into the world pro-
voked the bitterest prejudice and called
forth the deepest devotion. Simeon, a
devout 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 to Thy word.
for now my eyes have seen Thy saliva
ton, t was just the opposite with
Jesus he sent the wise men that he might
find out through them where He was,
and when they did not return, he was ex-
sceeding wroth, and sent forth and slew
| aiil the children that were in Bethlehem
and ii all the coast thereof two years and
under, according TO the tlmd which he had
diligently inquired of the iFe men. These
are the two extremes
Johns gospel is the gospel of love, but
in it we find the same Ydat differences.
Where can you find such sweetness as is
contained in these words-s:Eor Gcd SO
loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whosever believeth in
ing life?" Where is there such Tenderness
as in this cxpression-"J Jesus s,wept e
! Only two words, and yet on tlfeHs the
| sorrowing world rests, taking comfort and
consolation! But where can YOU find such
| hatred as expressed in John viii: 3d.
Him % and again inethe tes.. the
Jews took up stones again to stone Him ??
When you remember whom they were
| stoning the Son of Man and the Son OF
God, the One who was going about doing
good, the sin is something awful to think
about: This text and an the verse that fol;
lows is beautiful illustration Of hate and
love, brutality and tenderness. He had
Just said, II and my Father are one, .
words which should have made the hearts
of the people leap for joy; that He was
one with Jehovah, who had led their fore,
fathers from Egypt to Caanan;l who had
sp9o61en, the worlds int! into e existence; u had m
hands the seas washed to and fro. You
would have thought at these expressions
Of the Master every knee would have been
| bowed in loving devotion; but not so
The Jews took np the stones again with
which to, stone Him, and He gave them
could Many good works have
shown you from Ny Father, for which Of
these do you stone Me-
The text is an illustration of the fact
that those who were models in fair2ess
of their treatment of men are most unfa1
in their treatment Of Jesus Christ. L
you are familiar with the mode of stonins
y
able to see how true this was of the Jews
The crier marched before the man wht
was to die, proclaiming the mans sins ant
the name of the witnesses hppearin:
against him. This was for the humane
purpose of enabling any one wh was &C
case to 60 forward and speak for him
and the prisoner was held until the ney
evidence was given. But the Jews wer
not SO considerate Of Jesus; when I'll
said, II and Ny Father are one" imme
diately they began to stone HIM
All that is asked for our religion, fo
we claim, is the word Of God, not becaus
it is old only, but because it is both ol
and true. It seems as If it were write
for us as Individuals; it is my present a.
swer to my present need, We simpl
present the Book in evidence. Snppo<
you try, to find its equal; suppsosf YOU =, 4
would be the result. Our religion is. Il
same; we only ask for. it a fair consider
t ton. For Christ It It ils just the aafsae--
!, England not long ago a woman was le
turing against our religion, and after 81
had closed. one OF Tie .mil-hahds sal
/ 'sI would like to ask the lecturer this Oh
!, question: Thirty years ago was the cur
!, of this town and everybody in til / tri.
to do better and failed. The teetotal
got hold of me, aud [ signed the pied
5 and broke it. The police took me al
sent me to prison, and the. wardEns try
to make me better, and began ito dri1
7 as soon as left my cell. When all h
t failed, l. took Christ as my Savior, al
q He made new man Of me. l am a me-
:, ber of the church class-leade1 and {
perintendent of the Sunday school.
u ,hrist is myth and religion il untr'
o how could be so helped by themE
i Men are still stoning Jesus Christ. -
haps you shrink from the conduit OF t
Jews and cry, "For share!" but there i
e worse way to stone Him than thht. NJ
). can hurt you far more than byl strikl
!, you in the face or heating you W
!. stripes. Do you imagine that Chris
I worst suffering was vlasn. they caFt stos
:. at Him, or sconrged Him, or put na
e through His hands? I am sure n9t. but
= was rather when He came unto His or
and His own received Him not: WI
S they called Him ssthis fellow Ei,en
q was in Gethsemane 1T an agony; Ehen
4 was on the cross and He felt so aforsaE
that His heart broke.
e If He were here to-day In the flesh
: He is in the Spirit. | am sure There
n ways we could hurt Him more than
: taking ND stones from the very sire
and casting them in His blessed fAce III
e His eyes were blinded by the blood drt
p falling down.
- INCONSISTENT.
n ,oi. r.ofI Il,