Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1906-12-13
JERUSALEM, The
GOLDEN CITY
Was the Subject of Very Beauti-
ful Sermon Last Sunday Night.
Rev, j. &. Meese Pastor of the Church
ofChrist Told of Its Past, Present
and Futurc-It Was illustrated.

Last sunday evening at the CnurCn or
Christ, the pastor Rev c. Meese took
for his subject Jerusalem, Its Past,
Present and Future" and illustrated his
masterful address by three fine views,
reproductions Of great paintings by artists
of renown
In introducing the subject the speaker
said for the benefit Of any one who hao
not been there on previous occasions that
the Illustrations were not shown as means
uf entertaining his audience but merely to
illustrate more pointedly the subject under
discussion. and if there was anyone in the
audience who had come there for the pur-
pose of merely witnessing the pictures he
would wait after the pictures had been
shown to give them time to leave the
church. The first picture was that OF
Jerusalem under the shadow and pictured
the historic city as it stood at the base OF
the Mount Of Olives. Darkness of night
hung over the city and at the right is seen
the shadow of the three crosses that have
figured so extensively in the growth and
deveopement of the world The shadows
showed the heroes of that eventful day
when, after saying Father, forgive them
for they know not what they do." the
Saviour of all the world gave up the ghost
that mankind through his sacrifice might
have eternal life. This shadow he saio
had hung over the city ever since that
eventful hour. The Jews had been scat
tered to the ends of the earth and the
shadow of that hour has fallen over them
from time to time. The beautiful temple
was shown in the illustration and II
magnificent building had been destroyed
even as Christ had foretod. The dark
ness of night had settled over the city
about three o'clock when Jesus cried with
loud voice Father, into thy hands
commend my spirit and gave up the
ghost. 1t wss an awful darkness; no sun,
no moon, no stars, even the birds and
fowls sought their roosts, the earth
quaked, the veil of the temple was ren,
in twain. The shadow was there the
shadow Of the cross.
Tbs second picture showed the city OF
Jerus alem as it is today. Here the
speaker called the attention Of his audience
to the ruined condition Of the once mighty
city; the roads that led out of the city to
the cities surrounding it on various sides
He pointed to the ruins of the temple
which he said was a massive affair COM
posed OF stones of great size and said ths
when Christ said he could destroy the
temple and rebuild it in three days the
Jews rallied at him and finally crucifed
him. The Jews of today still fsve the
eye on the holy city They are looking
forw ard to the day when they shall again
occupy it as reunited people Efforts
are being made now to acquire the prop
erty in the city. The day when the Jew
finds his way back to Jerusalem will come
when he embraces the docrtlne of Chris
tianity; when he accepts the Christ which
the world has accepted, and even now
some of them are doing that now Look
| OoSh q lCW fOoio oHd oCC W YOu Cdu IO-
member of any case where Jewish audi
ence was presided over by gentle or a
follower Of the Man Of Gallilee; and yet
only short time ago during the indigna-
ton meetings held over the Russian
atrocities, rabbis and Jews assembled in
large numbers in meeting presided over
by Grover Cleveland. Pesrecutions have
ever followed the Jews and will continue
to follow him so long as he rejects the
Saviour. Today the dark shadow of the
cross is being gradually lifted from the
Jews. Dreyfuss was Jew and wa:
imprisoned and suffered all kinds OF gno-
miny but he has been released and tn,
stain of dishonor has been removed from
his name. Some Jews have already ac-
cepted the Lords day as day OF rest
The shadow Of the cross is falling from
Jerusalem.
The third and last was that beautiful
picture, The Last Supper. The speaker
called the attention Of his audience to the
J fact that in this picture the disciples wer,
6 holding their last council with the Maste
n before the hour of his death. The faith
g full ones are all there, but Judas is absen
o from his accustomed place, betraying hi
e Master to the Jews. 1t was at this sup
S per that Christ said "a new commandment
give unto you, that ye love one another
as have loved you that ye also love on
another" Here also he spoke those price
j less words that have brought hope to tn
j. christian heart all these years, "In m
% Fathers house are many mansions. If
n we're not 50 would havs told you | {
J. t, prepare place for you. It was q
this same supper where he said, am tn