The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-10-28

salem power that would rule all nations.
Any love or philanthropy that could be
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 a stumbling
block. Did they find in Him a more than
they did. As they saw Him restore the
emaciated body of the leper, or infuse new
life into the palsied form or 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, hut
the more intelligent said, as they saw the
unsel6shness. the love and tenderness OF
His acts, "We have never seen it done on
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 questioners Of His
which they would not or could not under:
stand, is that which satisfies the heart and
reason of the inquirer of to-day. It is as
though Jesus said. "You ask il l am really
the Christ of God and in Him you look
for divine power; Look at Ny works, are
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 is
God Of tenderness, of love-" Blessed an.
swer, for it teaches that character is su,
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 oil
many centuries we may, however, see still
other proofs and find still other answers
to the all important question, WAS Jesus
the Christi" History gives n twofold an.
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 fitness of time was
come: God sent forth His Son" into the
world. BY the fulness of time he must
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 broad
and accessible field for the spread of a
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
as compared with preceding centuries.
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.
At last their vision was clarified in this re-
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
kinded 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 death of shame: none
could according to the common notion be
friends apparently were few. That He
would soon be forgotten would seem nat
ural. But it was not so. His followers
multiplied with marvellous rapidity. Per-
secutions began and thousands of them
were burned, roasted, !speared 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
tianity and civilization have gone hand in
hand. Manv of the great upheavals OF
the WOrIu 8 lie Is I1e slOTN VI
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
lines OF history converge toward Jesus
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 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
ened shadow across every life. Man has
ever found himself gripped in the relent-
less grasp of an evil nature. None is eH'
empt. All alike are tarred With the one
black stick. If man tells you he has not
a sinful nature get little closer and you
will detect the odor of the tar so familiar
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 il
| it would have its needs supplied, and its
higher life realized. Surely He who alone
realizes life's 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
sanetifed and heart satisfied, that Jesus
is the Christ! Believe Him for His word
| Hin 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, know Thou art the
| Christ Of God"