Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-12-01

happen for once to declare Alright, that
it will snow in Canada in July-as one
weather prophet did Il few years ago.
But TO declare what Is to happen "A
thousand years from now, that Is be
yond all range Of human possibilities
Yet the astounding statement that !
made few moments ago, In reference
to little child ia not nearly as won
derful and seemingly absurd from II
human standpoint as those Messlanic
prophecies which were made not by
one, but by many writer's OF the Old
Testament in reference to the birth,
the life, the death and tho resurrec-
ton of Jesus Christ When the wise
men came to Jerusalem to find the new
born King. who was yet To he "klug
Of kings and Lord Of lords" what an
swer was given to the oriental stran-
gers by those learned in the Hebrew
law They promptly answered, an
Bethlehem" and gave for their author;
ity the words OF the prophet Micah,
who lived and wrote 700 years before
Christ was born Yet when the wise
men went to bethlehem. they found
there the infant Christ. rs Micah had
foretold Is not this fulfilled prophecy
a startling evidence that Jesus was
| born man, yet that he was the Be
ing whose divine attributes were fore
seen by the prophets:
If as a rational man ! want TO find
, the proof that Christ is some day going
to return to earth to claim his disciples
1T. Sl.,t Il, L..
to turn to the prophecies Of Isaiah and
read first the account of Christ's birth
and early life. He was oppressed, he
was afflicted. yet he opened not his
| mouth. He * brought rs a lamb 10
the slaughter and as a sheep before
! her shearcrs is dumb. so he opcncth
not his mouth" Did not the prophecy
of Isaiah. written 500 years before
! Christ died. come true? Then will not
also Isaiah'S prophecy come true
which declares that there shall come
forth rod out of the stem of Jesse"
who shall make the "liUn eat straw
like an OK and the sucking child play
on the hole of the asp?' For then
the glory Of the Lord shall cover the
earth. even as the waters cover the
seas" oh. my brother, If you believe
that Christ's birth was divine fact,
then by the evidence OF things not
seen" YOU should also believe that
Christ is coming again 10 claim bis oWr.
But the divinity of Jesus Christ IS
found in the testimony of Ehrists con
tcmp0rarics as well rs in the nropho
cieS OF those inspired men who lived
hundreds OF years before Christ was
born. 1t is not only found In tn" Cos
pei biocrnpherS of Jesus who knew
Christ personally. but also in the ties
timony of such mighty personalities as
that of Paul, who was martyred in
Rome about 81 \. d, and lgnatiu.'.
who was martyred In 100 a. d.. and
Polycarp. who lived TO he nearly nine
! ty years old and was martyrcd in 15J
A. y. These men did not live hun
dreds OF years after Christ was born.
BY direct touch with events they We're
able 10 prove with their own eyes and
ears If Christ was fraud or whether
Jesus truly placed the stamp Of his
divinity upon his lfcs work by the
miracles he wrought
Testimony of the Martyrs.
Explain away the prophecies: Oh
that is impossible. And vet it would
be no less difficult to explain away the
/ testimonies OF tho contemporaries of
Jesus Christ. who declare That Christ
was divine. Why Because as read
those testimonies. | find, with but one
exception or possibly two, they Were
all sealed with the lifcblood OF mar
tyrdom Here is the honor roll Mat
thew was slain with n sword in Eth
opia. Mark was dragged through The
= streets of Alexandria until his brains
were dashed ont and the matted hAi'
stuck 10 the walls and the rocks
Luke'S mode of death Is not know
positively. but tradition says he wa:
slain for Christ: John, The only apos
tie who died natural death. Was no
t only exiled. but also cast into a caldrOI
. OF boiling OIL James the Great was he
headed in Jerusalem; James the Les
was hurled from the top of the tempt
to the ground and there beaten &
O death with club stephen was STONED
10 death; Philip was hanged st. Bar
tholomew was haycd alive TINT mean
. his skin was peeled off from his Quiv
= eling flesh while ne was Vet conscious
4 The hystandcrs standing about the SUI
s fercr mt the time and mocklng hun
n Andrew preached from the cross Will
q the people Scohed NJ his dying agonirs
II Thomas was pierced lay a lance; Simo
II Zelotes was killed in Persia: Malta
: thins was murdered; Paul. POlycarI
, Iguutius and scores Of others were al
, ms said before. martyrcd.
g IL II rational to suppose that thos
# men who lived IN Christs time. wh
@ We're able to verify his miracles, woul
/ have been willing to endure hardShi
p and persecution and finally to lay dow
y their lives for Christ If they knew hin
TO be an impOStur; Why, the suppos
e ton is absurd! The Christian disciple
q who lived as contemporaries OF .leSr
II Christ would never have been Willin
4 10 come by night and steal his bod
o. from the tomb and then he willing
e be mnrtyred TO make good their fals
n claim that Christ had risen from Il
@ dead These men were not fools AN
is more than You and are fools. l'efol
Is you explain away the divinity of JeSl
10 Christ You must explain away II
l. writings Of paul of Matthew Mar