Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-10-26
arist:' He had to Il

...-- ..s- , Rrlst He had to dO
j.lcthing. with him. He had To either
him 60 or to cruelty him. What
Hate had to do you and I must do.
That shall we do then with Jesus
yho is called Christi
what Shall We DO Win Chsbsts
What are you going 10 do with Jesus.
IN the frst place. AS an intellectual
fact? Are you going TO shut your yes
to his very existence? Are you going
to act as II there never was euch a
person as .Jesus-that there never
was n being who came into this world
working his miracles and by these
miracles proving that he was the Son
OF God? Arc you going to declare
there never was a miraculous concep-
ton, that there never was any Easter
resurrection and that there never was
any ascension from Mount Olivet? All
these questions are continually fac.
ing us and demanding an answer. the
same ms the guilt or the innocence Of
q defendant IL before the jury trying a
case or rs the guile or innocence Of a
condemned murderer Is before tho gov
ernor OF a pardonipg board.
In spite Of ourselves the facts Of
Christ's life r before uA and We
must accept or reject the evidence. We
start with his birth. Intelligent men
and women as we are. we cannot shut
n eyes TO the historical facts sur
rounding the nativity Of Bethlehem il
we would. The facts may not have
been known 10 Plate, but In all their
impressive significance they confront
US. When q young officer at 90 Indian
mess table was ndicui!ng the idaa Of
the divine birth Of Christ. Sir Arthur
Wellesley. VINO afterward became Ma.
poleon's conQueror, turned to him and
said: Young man, have you ' . read
DR.. Pa1ey's Evidence OF Christianity {?
No? Then you had better read It before
you parade such evidence Of Ignorance
in reference TO Christ's birth A. you are
doing now" These facts Of Christ's
birth were accessible to Plate. There
were living IN Pilates t1me the people
who bed talked TO he wise man from
the east. There wsre sagss at that TINT
alive who bad tOd Herod that Chris,
WAS to be born In Bethlehem Of .Judaea
And there were men who were ready
20 confess that Iris birth Of Christ hat
] fulfilled all the predictions Of the proph
cts. Evidences of Ch<lsrs birth ar,
within reach Of all. We mnst. like Pi
late. accept Chrtst's birth az the fulfill
ment Of prophecy, or. Nike PLATE, W,
must shut our eyes to the historical
facts.
Then the miracles. Plate may hav,
seen some Of the blind men whose eye
Christ had opened, and the deaf me-
whose ars Christ had unstopped, AM
the lame mon whose crooked limb
Christ had Strengthened, and those lik
Lazarus and the hoy who was 9Th
only con Of his mother and she a wild
ow" whose dead bodies Christ ha,
resurrccted. These living witnesse
were In Palestine at the time Of Plate
the same az those who have been mirat
ulously healed Of their disease Of 81
are in the world today. The Christ VIII
performed bis wonders 1900 years ag
10 the same Christ who IL performin
bis wonders now.
Hew ChPist Changes Men.
Christ has been able TO change Ii
lives OF men before our " eyes. W
have often e the Transformation
The painter KigO some years ago wei
to the northern part OF Africa To pair
pictures Of the natives. lie had for hi
frat model a Nubian warrior JUST NJ
rived In cairo. No soOue did the mud