Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1905-10-28
Caln,ase
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee. d. ID.

the distinction between real and nomi-
nal Christians. The text Is Matthew
xvii, 80 What shall | do then with
Jesus who Is called Christi
The small. unprctentious house In
which Abraham Lincoln died Is for the
tourist one OF the most interesting
places In NIL Washington. The same
fascination which draws the sightseer
10 the tomb Of Mount Vernon hovers
about the little room in which the first
martyr president of the United States
brcatlicd his last. There are many
Lincoln memorials gathered within the
modest house just across the street
from ford's thcatcr. One Of the most
interesting u n pile OF papers which
contain the Lincoln sermons" which
We're preached by some 1900 different
ministers In the United States on the
Sunday after Lincoln was shot. But II
could take YOU today into room and
show YOU all the SERMONS preached up
on the death of Abraham Lincoln
could say with truth they are as moth
ing In number compared to the SER
mons which have been preached upon
the trial and death of Jesus Christ.
That event has inspired not only
preachers, hut artists. Time and again
have those pathetic events been depict
cd OH the canvas. Probably no artist
has succeeded in catching the spirit OF
the scenes so completely as the lIunga-
rta maintain Atunt.ussE His MIC
lures. Christ Before PLATE" and
Christ on Calvary" have made the
whole civilized world how In awe be-
fore the sufferings and the death Of our
Master and King
Most of our older people have seen
the original painting called Christ Re
fore Plate" 1t was carried from city
TO city In the United States and placed
on exhibition. You rccollect how the
people entered the room with silent
step. You remember how for hours
some Of us studied those wonderful
typical faces. There were the long
boards and the prominent Hebrew fea-
lures: there were the pharlsecs. with
their supcrcilious and conlcmnatOry
chances: there We're the strange looks
of others in qtiandary, rs much Us
TO say. What manner of man IL this?"
There Is Christ. oh. so silent and still!
You can hear the snccring voices OF
the multitules all about him. yet the
defendant himself Is saying nothing.
And above all others Is the great CEN
trail figure of that picture. PLATE him
self. IL Is not here Il picture of PLATE
before the Judgment seat Of Christ"
but of Christ before PLATE. What IL
he to do with this Christ? Here are
Christ's enemies demanding his cxecu-
ton. Here are Justice and right plead
ing for Christ's vindication. When the
people commenced to cry. "Barabbas,
Barabbas. l.arabbas - give us Barab-
bas..' l'ilatc turned TO them and said,
What shall do then with Jesus who
IL called the Christi lie had TO do
something with him. He had to either
let him go or To cruelty him. What
PLATE had TO do you ami ! must do.
What shall we do then with Jesus
who Is called Christ!
what shall We DO With Christi
What are you going 10 do with Jesus.
In the first place. us an intellectual
fact? Are you going To shut your eyes
10 his very existence! Are you going
to act ms Ii there never was such Il
person us Jesus-that there never
was II being who came into this world
working his miracles and by these
miracles proving that he was the Son
OF God: Are you going TO declare
there never was Il 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 as the guilt or the innocence OF
defendant Is before the jury trying n
case or as the guilt or innocence Of
condemned murderer IL before the gov
ernor ar II pardoning board.
In spite of ourselves the facts of
Christ's life are before US. and we
must accept or reject the evidence. We
start with his birth. Intelligent men
our eyes to the historical facts sur
rounding the nativity Of Bethlehem II
We would. The facts may not have
been known TO PLATE. but In all their
Impressive Significance they confront
us. When n young officer ut m Indian
mess table was ridiculing the Idea Of
the divine birth Of Christ. Sir Arthur
Wellesley. who aftcrward became Ma
polcon's conlucror. turned TO him and
said: young man. have you ever read
Dr. Ialey's Evidences of Christianity?
No; Then you had better read II before
you parade such evidence Of Ignorance
In reference TO Christ's birth as you are
doing now" These facts of Chrlsts
birth were accessible TO PLATE. There
were living In Pilates time the people
who had talked 20 the wise men from
the east. There We're sagcs nj that time
alive who had told llcrod that Christ
was 10 be horn In bethlehem Of Judaea.
And there were men who were ready
20 confess that this birth Of Christ had
fulfll laI n fhp rrefl ietionS of the prOuh-