The greatest pictures in all the galleries of Italy, Germany, France, England, and Scotland are Bible pictures.  What were the subjects of Raphael’s great paintings?  “The Transfiguration,” “The Miraculous Draught of Fishes,” “The Charge to Peter,” “The Holy Family,” “The Massacre of the Innocents,” “Moses at the Burning Bush,” “The Nativity,” “Michael the Archangel,” and the four or five exquisite “Madonnas.”  What are Tintoretto’s great pictures?  “Fall of Adam,” “Cain and Abel,” “The Plague of the Fiery Serpent,” “Paradise,” “Agony in the Garden,” “The Temptation,” “The Adoration of the Magi,” “The Communication,” “Baptism,” “Massacre of the Innocents,” “The Flight into Egypt,” “The Crucifixion,” “The Madonna.”  What are Titian’s great pictures?  “The Flagellation of Christ,” “The Supper at Emmaus,” “The Death of Abel,” “The Assumption,” “The Entombment,” “Faith,” “The Madonna.”  What are Michael Angelo’s great pictures?  “The Annunciation,” “The Spirits in Prison,” “At the feet of Christ,” “The Infant Christ,” “The Crucifixion,” “The Last Judgment.”  What are Paul Veronese’s great pictures?  “Queen of Sheba,” “The Marriage in Cana,” “Magdalen Washing the Feet of Christ,” “The Holy Family.”  Who has not heard of Da Vinci’s “Last Supper”?  Who has not heard of Turner’s “Pools of Solomon”?  Who has not heard of Claude’s “Marriage of Isaac and Rebecca”?  Who has not heard of Duerer’s “Dragon of the Apocalypse”?  The mightiest picture on this planet is Rubens’ “Scourging of Christ.”  Painter’s pencil loves to sketch the face of Christ.  Sculptor’s chisel loves to present the form of Christ.  Organs love to roll forth the sorrows of Christ.

The first time you go to London go into the Dore picture gallery.  As I went and sat down before “Christ Descending the Steps of the Praetorium,” at the first I was disappointed.  I said:  “There isn’t enough majesty in that countenance, not enough tenderness in that eye;” but as I sat and looked at the picture it grew upon me until I was overwhelmed with its power, and I staggered with emotion as I went out into the fresh air, and said; “Oh, for that Christ I must live, and for that Christ I must be willing to die!” Make that Christ your personal friend, my sister, my brother.  You may never go to Milan to see Da Vinci’s “Last Supper;” but, better than that, you can have Christ come and sup with you.  You may never get to Antwerp to see Rubens’ “Descent of Christ from the Cross,” but you can have Christ come down from the mountain of His suffering into your heart and abide there forever.  Oh, you must have Him!  We are all so diseased with sin that we want that which hurts us, and we won’t have that which cures us.  The best thing for you and for me to do to-day is to get down on our bended knees before God and say:  “Oh, Almighty Son of God, I am blind!  I want to see.  My arms are palsied.  I want to take hold of thy cross.  Have mercy on me, O Lord Jesus!” Why will you live on husks when you may sit down to this white bread of heaven?  Oh, with such a God, and with such a Christ, and with such a Holy Spirit, and with such an immortal nature, wake up!