River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1910-11-24
~ =47l1zse 1N=Tz] z.e1Iz6oIE-
=*@BIBI.En NSIUDIES5.
ARRAlGNED AS A BLASPHEMER
MATTHEW 26:57-68.-NOVEMBER 27.

"W1AO whem he 7vaS re0iled, re7
me cannot do better at the open
~ ing of this study than quote
the words of Mr.. Chandler. He
said: Many remarkable trials
have characterized the judicial his
tory of mankind. The trial of Soc
rates before the dicastery of
Athens, charged with corrupting
the Athenian youth, with blasphem-
ing the Olympic gods and seeking
to destroy the constitution of the
Athenian Republic, is still sub
lime and thrilling chapter in the
history of a wonderful people.
THE trial of Alfred Dreyfus is
still fresh in the memories of men.
The French Republic is still rent
by contending factions. His friends
say that Dreyfus was Prometheus
who was chained to an ocean-girt
rock while the vulture of exile prey
ed upon his heart. His enemies
still assert that he was Judas who
betrayed, not God nor Christ, but
France and the Father1and. But
these trials, one and all, were tame
and commonplace compared with
the trial and cruci6xion of the Cali
lean peasant, Jesus of Nazareth"
IN DEFENSE OF THE JEWS
1t is not for US to say that the
| Jews were wholly excusable in their
course of injuries toward Jesus in
causing his crucifxion by the Ro-
mans. On the other hand, it is
proper for US to consider everything
that could be thought of calculated
to mitigate the severity of our
Judgment regarding the injustices
there practiced. And it is proper
also that we should consider what,
from their standpoint, would seem
to be extenuating circumstances.
This is everywhere recognized as
| just treatment. The attorney, de-
Tending a criminal who has plead
guilty to the charges against him,
is considered to do only his duty by
his criminal client when he presents
whatever in the circumstances OF
the case would tend to prove that he
had cause, or thought he had rea-
son for his misdemeanor.
Viewing the Jewish people Of
nearly nineteen centuries ago from
this standpoint we get more rea-
sonable view of the situation than
is otherwise possible. We hearken
first to St. Peters words respecting
the transaction. He said, Il wot
that through ignorance We did it, as
did also your rulers" Had they
known, they would not have killed
the Prince of Life (Acts iii, 15-17).
The Jews did not for one moment
suppose that the great Messiah,
foretold to be their Prophet, Priest
and King-like unto Moses, but
greater; like unto Solomon and
David, but greater; like unto Mel
chisedek, but greater would ap-
pear as IMAM of sorrows and &C.
quainted with grief" Although
those very words were written of
him by the Prophet, they were hid
den from the eyes of their under
standing by the glorious things re-
lated of him in other prophecies.
They saw the glories. They saw
not, Understandings, the suffer
ings. To this day they interpret
the sufferings of their nation as be-
ing those which will ultimately
inure to to their advantage. The
prophetic descriptions are not con-
centrated, nor collected, but scat
tered, there a little and there
little" so written that they could
not be understood at the time; nor
were they understood even by the
Lords disciples until after his resur-
rection from the dead, when he ex-
planned them, and subsequently, by
the holy spirit, enabled them still
more fully to underst and that thus
it was written in the prophets and
thus it behooved the Son of Man to
suffer before entering into his glory
before beginning the work OF
blessing Israel and the world. Yea,
to-day many Christians are as
deeply confused on this matter as
the Jews. Many have rejected en-
tirely the thought of Messiah's
glorious Kingdom reign for the
general blessing and uplifting of
Israel and all humanity. From
their standpoint, If the sufferings
of Christi were intended to pre-
pare the way and usher in his King
dom of glory, then the program