The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1845-08-25
Moral and Religious,
HISTORY or THE CROSS.
ny WILLIAM n. WILLIAMS, d. d.

the Cross, in order that we may perceive clear
iy its strange elements Of power. Place yourselves
then, in Imagination, amid the multitude, that, sway
cd by curiosity, inhamed by hate, nre rushing
from tho ball of judgment. and sweeping along their
hurried and tumutuous way to the hill Of cruciSion
Reeltng under insults, meek sufferer, whose head
is bound with of thorns, and his face swol-
len with blows, and wet with the spewing of the
mob, is threading slowly and painfully, his way
Through the exasperaed crowd, who are oil Othirst
and ravenng for his blood. He has reached tho
spot selected for his DEATH There he stands faint,
but mute and accomplishing. whilst the cruel prepnr-
atoms made that shall consummato the sacrifice.
Amid shouts, and taunts, and forest blasphemy, he
Is nailed and lifted up As the becomes erect,
and he hangs at last before that excited multitude,
methnks can SEQ exultation, like rising breeze,
rufie that sea eCupturned faces And there he is
liled, how utterly friendless and abect, 10 the
eye OF mani for even the thieves uPbraid him, that
hang aud wrhs beside him.
But were your eyes unsoalcd, the prophet OPP
encd those of his servant Dothan, you would dis
Germ, beside and above that no wiling rabbe,
august gathering. LegUns, whose Geebest warrior
would have turned TO paleness the check Of Caesar
ghe head Of all his hOsts gazing there, yet with
held by dread sentence, they do not interposo
Angels, that excel in mig ht and in glory, watch that
desolat sufferer with adorng interest. That much
outraged victim, seemingly rejected Of man and
abandoned Of God is my Maker. In that lowly
form is yelled the Incarnate Godhead. The angels
that smoto Sennacheribs camp, and slew the first
born Of Egypt have bowed often their heads to this
being, their Lord and their Creator. Excited as
his enemies, they could frame no consistent &C
cusaton against him to justify their enmity. There
under reproach, anguish and cursing, dies the only
one Of Adams that knew sin. For no guilt
of his own is he suffering bu, to cancel that of his
murderer, man. Thus viewed, what elements Of
grandeur and tenderness, of the oliest spendor and
the iowliest condescenson, blend in that dread sacr
fee Do men look with interest on greatness in
misery? 1t is here the King OF Glory dying as n
sastcfactor Are they touched with sympathy for
distress? How deep the anguish even of his pa
Lent spirit, when he cried out, invoking a Father
who had hidden his face! Should wisdom attract,
here the great Teacher whom oil Judea had ad-
mred, speaking spake the heavenly
Teacher, for whom Socrates had taught himself and
his scholars TO hope lie is hero giving lessons
the cross. The good man dying ANONYMOUSLY, Of
whom Plato had glimpscs, is here, tho examplar Of
perfect innocence, enduring tho treatment due 10
consummate wickedness That sacrifice stirs all
worlds. Hell misses its expected prey, and tho spell
of despair the accursed earth is broken, while
Heaven sooPs to behold its King incarnate and dy-
ing, that he may reconquer TO his allegiance revolt
ed province Of his empire; in the act INDUCING
his mercy, and satisfying his justice, whilst his
piring breath together mGgnifes his law and nnnunci-
ates his gospel That sacrifice may we'll have power
with man, for it has power with God. To tho hu-
man mind, it presents il, the closest union and in
thcir highest energy, all the elements of sympathy
awe and Tenderness II blonds Divine ma jcsy that
might well overawe the haughiiest, with a winning
gentIeness that would rcassure the most responding
1t might well be, at the same time, theme for the
mind of an angel to study, without gruspiug all its
vastness; and motive for the mind Of the Sabbath
school child to feel, without being repe!ed by its
holiness. 1t has power, practical power-popular
power-permanent power. II is Gods remedy for
sin; and with the accompanying influences Of his
Spirit, il avail the remedy for all forms Of mans
Gin, that sin is infused into, and il is found
venoming either the literature OF the world, any
other product of human mind. Let US but transcribe
that truth into the heat, and illustrate it in the life;
rather, let the renewing grace of Gods Spirit
transfer it into the soul of man, let me be enabled
believe in this Divine Sufferer, my Saviour--to
feel that with him am dying 10 the world and that
with him, too, shall rise again from the grave, see
him on the judgmnt throne and follow him into tho
gates Of Paradse and with these truths firmly grasp
ed by the mind, what has the world left wherewth
to allure, whcrewith to appaI me? have thrown my
self loose from :he trammes of earth. It's cords
have persisted at the touch of an ETHEREAL fire. Dis
engaged from its entangIements, its bonds sundcred
and its parted. soar aoft, to sit in the Ian
guage of Paul, in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
rise yet higher, and in the awful language of Peter
i, the heir Of corruption, and the bondman of
death, am made "a partaker of the divine nature. -
Hero is power.
A LAND PLEASURE. Did we hear Of coun-
Try in this world, where might live in continual
felicity, without toll sickness, grief fear who
would not wish be there though the passage were