PILATES QUESTION. Sunday Discourse by Dr. Chapman, vie Noted Pastor-Evangelist. Lessons Drawn From Hid Failure to Seize Salvation Refused to Eater the Kingdom of Cod NEw York Crry.—The following sermon is one prepared for publication by the Rev, J. Wilbur Chapman, America’s best-known evangelist, who is now preaching to over- lowiag congregations in this city. 1t is en- itled “Pilate’s Question,” and is founded mn the text, Matt. xxvii, 22: “What shall 1 lo then with Jesus which is called Christ?’ It would not be possible for vs either to inderstand or appreciate this pasiage of derinture without studying that which im- mediately precedes it, and likewise that which follows. Next to Jesus Himself the important character on the scene is Pilate, who asked the above question One never thinks of him without a shud- der, beosuse ho is one of the men who came 80 very near to entering the kingdom of God, and yet, after ull, miserably failed. He came very near taking his place with Joseph of Arimathaea and ‘with Nicode- mus. If, when he kvew that Jesus was the Son of God, he had bared his own back to the smiters, or had gone himself to be crucified, there would have been no name in the early history of the church to outshine his. But instead of being in the presence of God to-cay, he is undoubt- edly in the lost world When Jest: passed by the cross and went through the tomb of Joseph of Ari mathaea, and made His way to the place of ascension, not far from Bethany, and left His wondering disciples, He took with Him into the skies His hands that had been pierced, His feet, through which the nails had torn their way, His side, thrust through with the spear. and against which the beloved disciple had leaned. In a word, He took with Him His body. But there was one thing He left; when hang ing on the cross, from His head, His hands, His feet and His broken heart the blood came trickling down, and not only stained the rocks upon Calvary. but left its mark upon the world as Il, and leaving His biood there, the world is to-day responsible for it. That same blood 18 ¢ world and men, either for their tion or for redemption In a remarkable book which came across ‘he seas some years ago, bearing the } 0: “Letters From Hell.” and having an in- troduction by George MacDomald, ti brated Scotch preacher, there is a story of Pilate in the lost world stoopir wash his hands in a running keeps on, it would seem, almos if time were i Some one touc “Pi condemma- { the cele- ate, ia) oi crimson on he cries out with and re-echoes throughout lost “Will as never be they treated ia thi emphasize would be, “WHAT.” Reading the text with th nd it made a choice choosing one then wo must do something wi is easy to understand implies the rejects might also be taken some future time, and I w it mean, “What i judgrient with Jesus Christ?” moon shall be turned into bl sun shall be black as the sackcloth when the “elements shall melt with fervent heat” - it naturall : sit of the a8 3 “What I do then?” In the sixth chapter of Revelation we read that in the last day men shall ery out and say fo the rocks and hills on ! % Ail us, teth upon the throne, and from the wrath the Lamb: for the great day of His wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?’ But mn the closing part of Reve. lation we are told that there will be no rocks and no hills to fall upon the lost and shut out the vision of the face of the Son of God, and they must see Him whether they will qr not, Him whom they have re jected, Him from whom they have deliber- a.ely turned away. e¢ next emphatic word is the name Jesus, “What shall I do then WITH JESUS That was His earthly name, and de seribed His earrliiiy life. “Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His peo- ple from their sins,” and His earthly life came to its climax in Hie sacrificial death upon the cross. To pay the penalty of sin His life was given up, and if we fail to ac cept Him as a personal Saviour, we delib- erately take our stand with those who have nailed Him to the cross. When we stand before God we shall be called to an account for th : chiefest of all sins. For to reject the Son of God is to crucify Him afresh. The last word to emphasize would be His anointed name. which is “CHRIST.” As Christ He stands at the right hand of God, our Mediator and Advocate. For fear that some one should say, “If I should become a Christian, I could not hold out.” God seems to sweep away every false argu- ment and false hope when He tells ue that after we have accepted Him as Jesus, He becomes Christ for us, and takes His stand st God's sight hand, pleading for us in otir weakness, and ever bringing to God's re membrance His atoning death, that our many sins may be i away and for gotten. But another outline has also been sug gested as heing a proper one to grow out of this text. The Rev. R. A. Torrey has nade the suggestion that there are certain things that naturally depend upon what we do with Jesus. Of these I make brief nention. I. Our acceptance hefore God depends dpon what we do with Jesus. “He that believeth on Him is not condemned, but be that believeth not is condemned al rerdy, because he hath not believed in the name of the only-begotten Bon of God.” John iii: 18, | If we accept Jesus, God accepts us. If we reject Jesus, God rejects us. Thewe are short sentences, but esch one is worth a lifetime of study. The vilest sinner in the world accepting Christ is immediately ac cepted of God. The most upright man re- jecting Christ is instantly rejected of God I'he moment we accept we are justified from all things from which we could not be justified by the law of Moses; and jus tification is more than pardon, for in par don there may still be the memory of sin, but when God justifies He “remembers against us our transgressions no more for- | ever,” 11. Our becoming sons of God depends upon what we do with Jesus. “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even te them that believe on His name.” John a: 12. There is a very insidions kind of heresy making its way through the world to-day, which declares there is guch a thing as the universal fatherhood of God and the uni versal brotherhood of man; that God is the father of all His creatures, and that every man is my brother. This is certainly con trary to the Scriptures, We become sons of God, not by the lives we live, nor by doing good, nor by reading the Bihie, nor by praying without ceasmg, but we become God's sons by regeneration. This is the work of the Holy Ghost, and is wrought in us the very moment we by faith accept Jesus Christ as a Saviour, It is not possi ble for us in any other way to come into ! this world than to be born into it; it not possible for uz ever to enter the king dom of God except by the new birth This constitutes us children of God. I1I. Our having peace depends upon | what do with Jesus Christ. “There fore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans v: 1 When we remember that peace is the op- pasite of confusion, of strife, of unrest, we | are able to see how great the blessing which comes to us by the acceptance of | God's Son. We do not think of peace as | simpiy an emotion. It is not an experience but it which comes to us with the sence of Christ He is our peace, and may, be i , mn in the t or {in other words) if he has fail ept Him, he must go forever throughout world crying, but for hum re can be no § VY. On we do seen, ye | Him not, joy unspeakable Peter i: 8. We of Jesus when He said poken unto you that My joy m in in you, and that your joy might People i is | we 1% is that i ' whatever sos id world, if he has pe ace, pea 2,” joy depends upon what ? iragi . Whom not in whom, though now ye see ye rege and full of glory I } words having > +3 believing, wee with remember the “These words 180 have | y is better than happiness nay have WB RA comes m who ever live e¢ Hig own presser 1 depent He that jie : God mi rn away {rom Hin BE THE LAST The Need of Tenderness, f tenderness, for it 1% a grace, nn sake a our serv tenderness e face and pr of ze nan aw ies can rend ter service to Him than reflecting His ten- fer sympathy as we pass along ney B, ite & 27 id jour eopie long for tenderness. Harsh meas ures never won a soul to higher things Sympathy is the magic key by which we may gain access to bungry, aching hearts Tenderness may be developed by studying character of our Master. He recog nized the innermost longings of weary mankind, and met this yearning with infi- nite tenderness and pity. Svrely we as His followers should imitate Him to the best of our ability along this line. Let us de. termine by the heip of the Holy Spirit never to be betrayed into harshness. The world ie hard and cold enough without you and I adding to its burden. Rather let » us seek by tenderness and sympathy to aid some soul to reach a firmer foundation, and bring joy and peace to some little cor ner of ng x ~{3eorge D. Gelwicks., - the Good Cheer in Religion, It is a hapoy thing to live. It is a happy thing to die. Our religion has the promise of the life that now is and also of that which is to come. It makes the world ours and all things in it. We re joice in its beauty and its joys, the laugh. ter of Inttie children, the love of young men and maidens, the grave friendship of the old, the confidence of life and the calm and trust which belong to us all Our religion now tells us to look upon these and all the beautiful things of fife, and to take them, holding them in hol ness as the happy gifts of our glad God. And, above all torse, and in all these, Christ is now revealed to us. He was and He will be. Yea, and He is. No other day ever set Him so high or loved Him so dearly. To be sure, there is enough that is dark still, and the shadows could be drawn heavily, sadly, but this hour let ue see the sunshine and play in it. ‘The Lord Christ! He is the good cheer of religion to-day, as He has been in all days. If our good cheer is better and cheerier than any of old, it is because we see Him more clear. ly and love Him more dearly because we have gone a hittle further in making our life His and Him our life.”