Ceredo advance. [volume], June 01, 1904, Image 3

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(a. CLOUD of]
I WITNESSES 1
Memorial Day Sermon by "High- Mm
way and Byway** Preacher. II
< Copy right, MM. by J. M. 14m
Chicago. Sunday. May ». 1904.
• Therefore lat ua also. weeing we
ere compassed about with so great a cloud
of witnesses, l*y aside every weight, and
the sin which noth so easily beset ua. and
•ct u* run with patience the race that is set
before us. looking unto Jesus the Author
and Perfvcter of our faith, who for the Joy
that was set before Him endured the cross,
despising shame, and hath sat down at
II 1 hand °* lhe throne of God.”^H?b.
OD'S spiritual king
dom has its cloud
of witnesses to tes
tify concerning the
reality of the king
dom, its mission
and its ultimate
and glorious tri
umph in Christ
Jesus, and this na
tion which the hand
of God has planted
has its cloud of
witnesses to speak
of its Divine birth,
its sacred mission
ana its exalted destiny. The writer of
the Hebrews has Just finished inscrib
ing in the sacred hall of fame the
names of the splendid galaxy of
heroes of faith, and reaches the climax
in our text. He points to the cloud of
witnesses as example and inspiration,
he exhorts to earnest, faithful living,
and holds up the Christ as the perfect
pattern and guide. Inspiration from the
past, obligation of the present, depend
ence upon the Divine, are the thoughts
w ith which the message is weighted and
freighted. The cloud of witnessesof the
spiritual kingdom speak a certain and
important message, and the cloud of wit
nesses of the nation speak for It Just as
surely and authoritatively. There are
the men of past generations whose per
sonality has made its impress upon the
nation, whose genius has wrought splen
didly in the weaving of the fabric of the
national life, whose virtues have been
stamped into the character of the na
tion. ar.d have made it the greatest and
most enlightened and most progressive
upon the earth. There are the patri
ots of peace and war. whose sterling
qualities, integrity, fidelity, fearless and
undaunted spirit in the face of every
changing fortune, have provided the
solid ballast which was reeded to keep
the nation upon an even keel and stead
ily upon its course. And front the ranks
of genius and from the great throngs
of the common people have come those
heroes who, in the hour of the nation’s
peril, have given their lives that the
honor and integrity and union of the na
tion might be preserved.
In thousand shaded valleys.
On thousand sunny hills.
In thousand of still alley*,
H* side the rtppllnx rills.—"
the soldier dead sleep. Who can tell the
numbers? Their graves dot the land
acape. north and south, east and west,
and they rise in memory as a cloud of
■witnesses for the nation.
A NT) the nation honors these poldier
dead, this great cloud of witnesses to
the nation’s peril and need, to heroic
sacrifice and death, to the triumph of
righteousness and truth. Ah, how
"They merit all our hearts can Rive:
Our praises and our love they claim;
Long y tn.: their precious nam- a survive
He.d sacred by immortal Tame.
"Honor the memory of the dead
Where'er the sun of Freedom shines;
Wreathe with fair flowers each sleeper’s
bed.
Cherished and loved, as holy shrines."
But when the nation has honored ita
defenders with words of tribute and
decked the grassy mounds with the fra
grant blossoms, is that all that is to be
realized from the annual Memorial day?
Are we to give and receive nothing in
return ? Are we to drop the passing tear
and the lading flower upon the graves
and then go away and forget? Or is
there to be an answering message back
from the silent dead? Are they not to
rise as a mighty cloud of witnesses to
bear their testimony to the living pres
ent? Paul marshal* his valiant hosts
before the disciples of Christ in order
that he may stir them to more intense,
purposeful living. And as the na
tion’s splendid cloud of witnesses rise
before us at this Decoration day time,
may we not exclaim: "Let us as citi
zens of this nation, which has been pur
chased and maintained at the cost of
the precious blood of Its brave sons, lay
aside every weight and the sin which
doth so easily beset us. and let us run
with patience the race that is set before
us. not forgetting to look to God, who
plants the nations and marks out their
sacred mission."
VKiiY soldier's grave brars silent but
^ eloquent witness to a national unity
preserved, to a national sin purged, to a 1
national destiny assured. The familiar I
saying. "United we stand, divided we
fail,” is trite but true. And the union
whieh draws together the states of the i
north and the south, the east and the
west, has been purchased at awful price. I
Bismarck, whose consuming ambition
was the welding Intoone confederacy the
German states, said on one occasion.be- j
fore success crowned his efforts: "To
atfhin this end I would brave ail dan- I
gers—exile, the scaffold Itself! What
matter if they hang me. provided the
rope by which I am hung binds this new
Germany firmly to the Prussian
throne!" And It was this spirit which
stirred in the breasts of the young man
hood of this nation, and their blood was
poured out upon the altar of the nation *
need, and each drop shed was a link In
the chain which held the nation together.
Every soldier’s grave therefore speaks
of national unity, a unity which empha
•Uea a mmnoa interest and an enlarged
<l**Uny. But as w visit the silent cities
of the dead, and pause before the rows
upon rows of grassy mounds under which
rest the bodies of those who poured out
their lives for the nation, we ask: Was
this great and precious sacrflce made for
national unity alone? And as we ponder
over the question there comes back the
answer: Nay. it was more than na
tional unity. It was a nation being purged
from its sin—the sin ol slavery and op
pression.
T1ENEATH the soil of the nation rest*
IT the sacred dust of her defenders.
Their lives have been lived, their mis
?ion wrought out. their duty accom
plished. and succeeding generations
have moved upon the scene of the na
tional life and maintained and con
firmed and Intensified that which the
nation's heroes achieved. Their part
is to be the cloud of witnesses for the
nation, our part, who live and remem
her the deeds which have made their
memories glorious, is to feel the thrill
of inspiration from the past, and to
resolutely and bravely assume the obli
gation of the present. Those who once
were the heroic actors upon the scene
of life have passed away. How the
Memorial day reminds the nation of
this. They are no longer the strong
arms of the nation, and the loyal
hearts, but they have become the spec
tators of the national drama and are
watching the living actors to see the
part they play. The figure which Paul
gives us in our text Is of the Romun
arena. About on every aide in tho
seats of the spectators is the cloud of
witnesses. la the past years they had
run in the arena of life and achieved
mightily for truth and righteousness.
Now others have taken their places,
and they are watching with intense
and absorbed interest to see how they
in turn will run. It is all inspiring
picture. And appropriating the
thought for the nntlon, here is Its
great cloud of witnesses. How well
they have run the race of life. How
mightily they have wrought the na
tion’s deliverance and given It the
promise of a glorious destiny. And
now. having passed up above Into th«
place of the spectator—the cloud of wit
nesses they are w-atchlng you and me
to see how we w ill run. They are look
ing to discover how the sacred trust
imposed upon us is being discharged.
TNSPI RATION comes to us from the
1 past, and the present brings its sacred
and precious obligations. What that
inspiration is we know as \ye read and
remember the glorious deeds and bravs
lives which have made this nation what
it is to-day. What that obligation is
must in large measure be determined
by the individual tor himself. Our text
furnishes a suggestion as to what that
obligation in its general bearing is. Imy
aside every weight, and the sin that doth
so easily beset you, and run with pa
tience the race that is set before you.
Paul urges. The athlete contending for
the prize is before Paul’s vision. He
sees him strip for the contest. He see*
him lay aside everything that might
hinder him in running; yea. and for da vs
and weeks previous to the contest he
knows that that runner has kept him
self from every indulgence which would
rob his muscles of their strength or his
nerve and will of their power to hold
him steadily and earnestly to his task.
And he knows, also, that that runner
does not expect to win the race at 0110
bound, but that he is going to patiently
keep his feet treading the arena’s path
until the goal is reached. All these were
the obligations which rested upon that
contending athlete, and there are obli
gations resting upon every patriotic son
of this great nation. The obligation to
lay aside every weight. To put away
the sin that so easily besets one and
honeycombs the life with weakness and
disease. To patiently pursue the course
laid out before him until the goal is
reached. What are some of the weights
which may hinder you and me running
well for the nation's good?
l^IHST of all, 1 think we may put
selfishness as the greatest weight
which the individual and the nation is
carrying. From it arise a myriad of
other evils, positive In their nature and
destructive in their tendencies. It Is
selfishness which establishes the liquor
man In business; It is selfishness which
brings monopolistic and industrial op
pression; it is selfishness which makes
every man a seeker of his own pleasure. !
a gratifier of his own appetites and
lusts, and an indifferent witness to the
evil and wrongs and suffering about
him. Selfishness stifles true manhood,
it destroys loyal, faithful citizenship, it
paves the way for corruption and crime. ,
Analyze the great perils and the great
evils of the day. and se* If they do not
have their root in selfishness. It was
selfishness (the supreme thought of self
and what self wanted) which brought
sin Into the world, and It is selfishness
which keeps sin steadily at its awfu
task of ruining men’s live* and de
stroying their souls. Rut to specialize
further, there are Intemperance, reck
less love of ease and pleasure in its
myriad forms (and how ingenious are
the devices and schemes of the Devil to
lead the human rare astray these days),
greed for power and for gold, lowered
standards of honesty and morality, *
growing irreverence and Godlessness, a
loss of public spirit and real patriotism. 1
And It is these which must be laid aside
in order that, as individuals and as a
nation, wo may run well. The cloud of
witnesses about the nation Is our In
spiration to better living and doing.
They are our imperative call to duty.
Their achievement points to the grand
destiny of a great nation. I>et us look
to God for help In the present, and for
guidance through the unknown years of
the future.
"Ood of our country, o cr us
Thy shield of glory spread!
Oo Thou In love befere us;
Direct the paths we tread.
Faithful In every duty. •
To ui Thy grace be given
And Thou, the crowning b*au»g
Of fadeless wreaths In Heave*."
T. H. INGRAHAM DEAD.
Head of Brotherhood of Locomo
tive Engineers Died Suddenly,
A Remarkable Coincidence le That
Former Grand Chief Arthur Died
of Apoplexy While Attending
a Meeting of Engineer*.
Los Angeles. Cal.. May 28.—'Thom a«
H. Ingraham, assistant grand engineer
of the Brotherhood of Locomotive En
gineers. dropped dead Friday at the
biennial convention of the organiza
tion here.
Mr. Ingraham was absorbed In work
whaa. he lost consciousness and f<dl
from his chair. He expired almost im
mediately. His health had not been
good for some time.
The body will be taken to Cleveland
next Sunday by a committee of the
brotherhood.
Mr. Ingraham, who was 69 years old.
had been first grand engineer since
1873. He was Initiated into the broth
erhoixl in the Fort Wayne division in
1865 and had held several offices in
the order. He had been mentioned as
a possible candidate for tho office of
grand chief engineer at the present
convention, but it was understood that
he had refused to allow his name to
l>e considered. There was no opposi
tion to his re-election as first grand
engineer. He was a Knight Templar
and a Mason.
Cleveland, O.. May 28 —Thomas N.
Ingraham, assistant grand chief engi
neer of the Brotherhood of Ixicomotive
Engineers, who dropped dead in I>os
Angeles, Friday, at the biennial con
vention of the organization, lived in
this city and was very widely known.
He had been connected with the broth
erhood for more than 30 years, previ
ous to which he was a locomotive en
gineer. 11c is survived by a son and
two daughters, his wife having died
several years ago.
A remarkable coincidence In con
nection with Mr. Ingraham's death is
the fact that former Grand Chief P.
M. Arthur, of the brotherhood, died
suddenly of apoplexy while attending
a meeting of engineers at Winnipeg
last year.
SENATOR QUAY FUNERAL.
Speaker Cannon Appointed a House
Committee to Attend.
_
Reaver. Pa., May 20.—Senator Quay's
last great battle, his struggle to keep
alive the vital spark In his wast< d
body is ended. The shadows of dealt)
darkened his Reaver homo Saturday
afternoon and at 2:40 o'clock the sen
ator breathed his last. The end same
peacefully, and the little group of
grieving members of his family real
ized that breath was extinct. Outside
the Immediate members of his family ;
there was no one prepent at his bed
side except two physicians who had
been attending him In his illness.
The death stupor came upon him
shortly after midnight Saturday mom.
ing. A report, was spread that the
sleep was natural. The physicians,
however, knew the sleep was hut the
forerunner of the end that was to
come soon.
Washington. May 30— Speaker Can
non has appointed the entire Pennsyl
vania state delegation as a committee
to represent the house of representa
tives at the funeral of the late Sena
tor Quay at Reaver, Pa., who died Sat
urday, Tuesday next. A special car
will lefcve Washington at 7:15 p. in.
Monday for the use of such members
of the committees of the two houses of !
congress as may be in this city at that
time. Other members will be met at
Pittsburg Tuesday morning and the
entire congressional party will pro
teed to Reaver by special train.
Harrisburg, Pa., May 30.—Gov. Pen
nypacker will leave Monday night for '
Heaver to attend the funeral of Sena
tor Quay. The governor will Monday
preside at the Memorial day exorcises
at Gettysburg. The state buildings
have been draped in mourning for a
period of 30 days out of respect to Sen
ator Quay.
Reaver. Pa., May 30—Many promi
nent people visit'd this place Sunday
for the purpose of expressing sympa
thy to the family of trie late Senator
M. S. Quay, but only a few of tae most
intimate friends were permitted to
vl^w the remains of the dead man.
It was announced by the family that
carrying out the senator’s dying re
quest there will be no ostentation In
connection with the funeral. This
compels the refusal of a request by
the masons for a masonic funeral.
The final arrangements made Sunday
are that the body shall remain In the
senator’s bedroom where he died until
Tuesday, when it will be carried to
the First Presbyterian church in
charge of Post 478, fJ. A. R., of which
Senator Quay was a member, and lie 1
in state from f> a. in. until 1 p. m. The
church will then be cleared and nt 2
o'clock the funeral services will he
conducted by Rev. J. S. Ramsey, pas
tor of the First Presbyterian church, ,
assisted by Rev. Appleton Hash, I).I).. 1
of tho Methodist episcopal chureh. !
The Week's Failures.
New York. May 28.—Business fail
ures in the United States for the week
ending May 2f, number 184, against
215 last week, 181 In the like week In
1903. If,3 In 1902. 144 In 1901. In Can
ada failures for the week number 14.
against 11 last week.
No Change in the Discipline.
Ix>s Angeles, Cal., May 28.—By the
decisive yea and nay vote of 441 to
188, the Methodist general conference
decided not to make any change in the
church discipline in the matter of pro
hibited amusements.
/
r~
THE BOB-WHITES.
Department of Agriculture Inveeti
gates Their Economic Value.
Washington. May 30.—The ornithol
ogists of the department of agriculture
have been making an investigation of
the economic valua of the bob-white
as a result of which it is now an
nounced that that bird is “probably
the moat useful abuudant species on
the farms.**
Meld observations, experiments and
examinations show that It consumes
large quantities of weed seeds and de
stroys many of the worst insect pests
with which farmers contend and it
does not tnjure grain, fruit or other
crop. It is figured that from Septem
ber 1 to April 30, annually, in Virginia
nlone, the total consumption of weed
seed by bob-whites amounts to 573
tons. Some of the pests which it ha
bitually destroys, the report says, are
the Mexican cotton boll weevil, which
damages the cotton crop upwards of
$15,000,000 a year, the potato beetle,
which cuts ofT $10,000,000 from the
value of the potato crop, the cotton
worms, which have been known to
cause $30,000,000 loss in a year, the
cinch bug and the Rocky Mountain lo
cust, scourges which leave desolation
tu their path and have caused losses
to the extent of $100,000,000 in some
years. The report urges measures to
seouro the preservation of the bob
whites in this country.
Discussing the prospects for the silk
industry. Dr. L,. O. Howard, the ento
mologist of the department of agri
culture in an official treatise, says:
• The department Is justified in its
initiatory effort to create the condi
tions for a constant supply of cocoons.
It can keep up its reeling work ami
thus keep open practically the only
market existing at present for a period
which must be determined by the will
of congress. The outlook for what we
have termed a more natural market is
problematical. There are many por
tions of the United States well adapt
ed to silk raising, many places which
miKui wen oecome bmk centers, where
labor can bo employed practically at
rates comparable to those of Southern
Europe. The establishment of a silk
mill in such a location with its own
filature attached with the surround
ing people employed as operatives in
both filature and mills and with the
otherwise unoecupled members of their
households engaged in silk raising in
the spring, is feasible and can bo made
to pay. That in some of these ways
the natural market will cumo seems
IKjHBlblo and even more than possible.
What tlie success of silk culture would
mean to the United States Is indicat
ed by the importations .of raw' silk In
to the United Stutes during the years
1892 to 19U2.
FIRE AT MONTGOMERY.
Cordage Plant Destroyed With a Loss
of $400,000.
Montgomery. Ala., May 20 —Fire do
st rayed the plant and warehouse of
the Alabama Compress Co. here, entail
ing a loss estimated at $400,000, which
is practically covered by insurance.
The plant is located In a suburb of
Montgomery and about a mile from
the nearest fire station. The blaze
originated in the storage department
and spread rapidly, Between the
plant proper and the warehouse where
was stored 4,000 bales of rotton was p.
parapet wall 20 feet high built for fire
protection. The flames leaped this
wall and the warehouse was Ignited.
A strong wind was blowing at the time
and It was a matter of minutes to see
that the flames could not be extin
guished.
CONVENTION OF ARMENIANS.
Delegates From All Parts of the Unit
ed States Present.
Boston, May 30.—A convention of
Armenians, attended by delegates from
all sections of the United States where
there are Armenian colonies, opened
here Sunday. The object of the con
vention is to form an organization to
promote the general welfarp of Arme
nians In this country. Bishop Havseh
Saradjlan was chosen temporary chair
man. An effort will l»e made to have
the organization adopt a petition to be
presented to the international peace
congress setting forth the condition of
Armenia for amelioration through the
enforcing of existing treaties.
AGAINST MONTEREY.
The Texas Quarantine Recently Es
tablished Still In Force.
Monterey, Mnx., May .10.—Notwith
standing the quarantine recently es
tablished by the state of Texas against
nil Mexican points has been lifted, it
is still in force against Monterey. This
Is due to the fact that the Texas au
thorities had received word to the ef
feet that a case of ydlow fever existed
at Tampico and they refused to lift
the embargo against Monterey unless
a quarantine bo put on against Tam
pico. Gen. Keyes, upon Inquiry, states
there Is no yellow fever at Tampico
and says he will not bp justified In
placing a quarantine against that city.
Has Just Leaked Out.
Colorado Springs, Col., May 30.— ■
News of the secret marriage last Feb
ruary of IJeut. Charles O. (irepnw<xxl,
of Company I, Second regiment C. N.
Cl., of this city, while on a leave of ab
sence. to Miss Frances lleiser, of Os
borne. O., has leaked out.
World's Fair Tourists.
St. Louis, May 30.—Thv steameT
tTreenland. a large passenger boat
from Pittsburg with 75 World’s fair
tourists, arrived bere, being the first
packet to run through from Pittsburg j
to St. Louis In several years.
DESTRUCTIVE FIRES.
Frrteht and Coal Pier*, Jersey
City, Burn With Bijr Loss.
—
Crossed Electric Wires in New Orleans
Caused a Property Loss In Whole
sale District Estimated at Half
a Million Dollar*.
New York. May 30.—-Seven freight
and coal piers of the IVdaware. Lock
a wanna & Western railroad In Jersey
City were destroyed by tire that start
ed about B o’clock Sunday afternoon
in pier 12 on which a lot of barrels of
oil were stored. The tlames spread
rapidly. Pier 12 waa 800 feet long and
was soon ablaze Its entire length and
the firemen who wore trying to fight
the fire from the shore were able to
accomplish but little.
The (lames swept acrosa to pier 11
and beyond, being finally cheeked at
Pier B. which is a new coal trestle,
steel framed and Iron clad. Here the
firemen and fire boats made a desper
ate stand and stayed the advance of
the fire until the burning piers crum
bled nnd fell into tho water. Although
there was but little wind, Hparks fell
ull along the water front for the better
of n mile, endangering the IjAckawun
na depot and even tho Humhurg-Arner
tcan line and Bremen line piers, where
the firemen were kept busy playing
streams of water upon the buildings
and over the ships at their docks.
The building of tho Hoboken Coke
Co., five blocks from tho main fire,
was set ablaze by burning brands but
the firemen responded quickly nnd the
building was only slightly damaged, i
A number of canal boats and several
tugs were burned, the loss of small
boats being variously estimated nt
from 30 (o 200.
The number of freight cars burned
Is not known, hut on thiH class of roll
ing stock and on coal cars the loss
will he heavy.
During tho fire tho I.acknwnnna
moved Its passenger roaches from Its
yard out to tho Meadows and one train
of a dozen box cars was hauled out of
a burning pier and saved.
Piers 11 and 12 were full of general
merrhandlae. Piers 7. 8. 9 and 10 were
used for coni und pier 6 was a grain
loading pier. Tile total loss Is esti
mated nt $r».ooo.ooo.
New Orleans, May 30.—A fire caused
by crossed electric wires did about
half n million dollars damage Sunday.
The I>ouls H. lllcc saddlery factory,
the Slmmonds Manufacturing Co. and
tho Melg, Itrady & Lincoln wooden
waro establishment wire destroyed
and a half dozen others damaged. The
Are wus in tho heart of tho wholesale
district and was well fought, being
stopped short of two oil companies ami
several big dipg establishments. In
surance $350,000.
SUNDAY GAME IN BROOKLYN.
There Was No Interference By ths
Police.
llrooklyn. May 30.—Acting under In
structions from Deputy Police Com
missioner FarreU and District Attor
ney Clark, there was no police Inter
ference with the National league cliam-1
plonshlp baseball game which was
played between the New York and
llrooklyn teams at Washington park
Sunday afternoon. About 20,000 per- j
sons witnessed tho contest and the big
crowd assembled and dispersed with
out tho slightest sign of disorder.
The grounds wero thoroughly policed
by uniformed officers, ns well as detec
tives, somo of whom took the names
of all the players who took part in
the game as well as tho managers and
representatives of tho competing
clubs.
There were several representatives !
of the law enforcement society among
the spectators nnd they wero there for
the purpose of securing evidence.
There was no charge for admission to
the grounds Sunday, but each person
bought a score card, these cards be
ing of different colors. They indicated
the place of vantage the holders wero
entitled to view tie- game
THE PRESIDENT’S DAUGHTER.
Police Were Needed to Control tha
Curious Crowds at St. Louis.
St. T»uls, May 30.—A detachment of
police was needed nt the First Presby
terlnn church Sunday to control the
curious (rowd that assembled to see
Mlse Alice Roosevelt pass Into Sun
day's service. So unostentatious was
Miss Roosevelt’s departure after tho
service that but few recognized her
nnd nearly 100 women stood for half
an hour io the rain thinking she was
still in the church. In his Invocation
Rov. W. J. McKIttrlck, the pastor,
prayod for Divine guidance for the
president.
Big Sale of Jewels.
Psrls, May 30.-—The sale of the Jew
els of Princess Mathilde continued to
draw a good gathering of amateurs.
The total amount realized was $00,210.
A feature was the price of 22 brilliants
of bluish white stones, purchased by
Falkenberg for $25,000.
The Methodist Conference Adjourns.
J/os Angeles. Cal., May 30.—It was
after midnight when the genera! con
ference of the Methodist Episcopal
church finished the final roll call Sat
urday night which brought to a closo
the most memorable gathering In tho
history of the church.
Dangerous Gun Practice.
New York, May 30.—The tests of
heavy artillery on the government
proving grounds, Sandy Hook, besides
causing minor damage, wrecked a por
tion of a public school building In Co
ney Island, seyon milej* distant.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. .
Lesson in ths International Series for
Juno 5, 1004—Christ’s Trial
Before Pilate.
TIIK LESSON TEXT.
(Mark 14:1-16.)
GOLDEN TEXT -Then said Pilate te
the chief prtvata and to the people. 1 And
no fault In thla man.-Luke 23:4.
OUTLINE OP SCRIPTURE SECTION.
Poretelling Peter's Kail.Matt. 24:31-J»
Foretelling Peter's Fall.Mark 14:17-U
Foretelling Peter's Fall.Luke 23:ll-3t
Jewua' Agony.Matt. 24:3S-4«
Jeaua' Agony.Mark 14:33-43
Jesus* Agon).Luke 22:3»-49
Metro) al and Arrest.Matt. 24:47-6*
Hetra> al and Arreat.Mark 14:43-63
Betrayal and Arreat.Luke 23:47-63
Trial Hefore Jewish Authorities.
.Matt. 24:67-37:19
Trial Before Jew Ish Authorities.
..Mark 14:43-73
Trial Before Jew Ish Authorities.
.Luke 22:44-71
Trial Before Pilate.Matt. 27:11-31
Trial Before Pilate.Mark 15:1-20
Trial Before Pilate.Luke 23:1-23
TIME—Early rooming.
PLAi'K.—Tower of Antonia, adjoining
the temple
notes AND COMMENTS.
“In the morning the chief priests . . .
; held a consultation:'* An Illegal trial
had been going on before tho Jewish au
thorities during the latter part of the
night. Though they had tho trial In tho
night, they were careful not to pro
nounce tentence till after sunrise, that
Its legality might not be questioned.
Even the sentence thus pronounced was
Illegal, for the law forbade passing a
death sentence till tho day after the
trial. Furthermore their law forbade
the trying of criminal cases on the day
before the Sabbath. This was Friday,
the day before the Jewdsh Sabbath. "De
livered Him up to Pilate:” The Sanhe
drin In the time of Christ had no |iower
to Indict the death penalty. Their Ho
man conquerors would not permit It. so
their notion was practically only a rec
ommendation. Pontius Pilate had been
procurator of Judaea for four or flvo
years, at this timo under commission
from Tiberius Cnesar. Head at this point
John 17:29-32, which shows that tho
chief priests tried to get Pilate to ratify
their action without looking Into tho
matter. Pilate would have nothing to
do with such procedure and Insisted
upon a charge. The Sanhedrin had con
demned Jesus for blasphemy, but that
Is not what they told the Homan gov
ernor. They told him that the charge
was of conspiring agnlnst Home. “Art
thou tho King of the Jews:*’ A plain
question, “Guilty, cr not guilty?"
“Thou sayest:” "Yes. I am tho King."
This was a summary of Jesus’ answer.
The full conversation, In which He ex
plains to Pilate what He means by being
a King, Is found In John 18:33-38.
After this Pilate pronounced Jesus not
guilty.
Pilate was not a man wicked beyond
any that have lived since. He had pro
nounced Jesus Innocent; he wanted to
have Him set at liberty. Hut he did not
want to bring upou himself the enmity
of the angry priests, for there was no
denying that they were still very pow
erful In Judaea. It occurred to him that
he could avoid the decision entirely by
sending Jesus, who was a Galllacan. to
Herod, the governor of Galilee, who
happened to be In the city. Herod was
glad to see Jesus, for the Interview
would bring him a new kind of diver
sion. Hut In that encounter Jesus was
king and Herod clown. Herod realized
It, and in chagrin sent Jesus back to
Pilate, In mock state, but uncondemned.
Head the account of Luke 23:3-12.
Luke 23:13-10 tells of Pilate’s forma!
acquittal of Jesus. He should have re
leased Him, but Instead He takes an
other step In the way of compromise; ho
will scourge Him to pacify them, and
then release Him to pacify his own con
science. The priests would not hear to
it. “The question had Anally come to
this, whether he would save Jesus or
save himself.’’ He would save Jesus if
he could; he must save himself In any
case. It was a trial of strength between
Pilate, In Jesus’ behalf, and the chief
priests against him. "Harrabas:” “A
notable prisoner” (Matt. 27:1(5), “who
for a certain Insurrection ma.> In tho
city and for murder” (Lake 29:19), was
"lying bound with them that had made
Insurrection.” He w'as a robber or
brigand (John 18:40). “Will ye that I
release. ... the King of the Jews:"
An attempt to get the crown (not tho
priests) on his side. Pilate knew that
Jesus had a good deal of hold on tho
the common people and that that was
one reason the priests hated him. Read
here Matt 27:19, the dream of Pilate’s
wife.
"The chief priests stirred up the mul
titude:" There are not words In the
English language with which to ade
quately characterize the spirit of these
champions of orthodoxy, and It need not
he done. Flnt think of the state of re
ligion In the land when such men were
Its official Waders! "What then shall
I do . . . unto the King of the Jews:"
Pilate was yielding by Inches. There
are some matters on which men have
no business to ask advice. Conscience
told Pilate what he ought to do with
Jesus That should have been the end of
It. The words: "If thou release this
man. thou art not Caesar's friend," were
a threat, , and It was that that Anally
broke the opposition of Pilate.
BARBED ARROWS.
Virtue for wage Is a Arst cousin to
vice.
A man In the haud is worth two by
the ear.
Christian character cannot be made
in a plaster cast.
Faith In things above gives force for
things below.
One side of an argument Is always
less than haJf of It.
Christ turns the curse of labor Into
the blessing of service.
W’hen there Is room for all a woman’s
| love In the heart of a poodle no iran used
I be sorry he lost It—Ram’s Horn. .