Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-10-22
HIS TOR ICAL.
From the .Nso York Observer
The Sacred MOnntainSmMOunt Calvary
BY THE REV. ]. T. HEADLEY.

that beams from its summit, is worthy to com
pete the immortal group, Its moral height non,
can measure, for though its base is on the earth
its top is lost in the heaven of heavens. The
angels hover around the dazzling summit, strug-
CLING in vain to scale its highest point, which
has never yet been famed by even an immortal
wing. The Divine eye alone embraces its
length and breadth and depth and height
What associations cluster around Mount CAL
vary what mysteries hover there, and what rev.
Citations it makes to the awe-struck behoder-
Mount Calvary! at the mention of that name
the universe thrills with new emotion, and
heaven trembles with new anthem in which
pity and exutaton mingle in strange yet sweet
accord. Glory and brightness are on that hill
top, and shall be to the end of time, but there
was morning when gloom and terror crowned
it, and heaven ITSELF all but God the Father ga
zed on i'll wonder, if not in consternation
The strange and painful scene in the garden
had passed by, and the shameful examination in
the lighted chamber of the high priest was over.
Insult and contempt had marked every step of
the VllIainous proceedings, till at length one
wretch more impious than the rest advanced and
struck Christ in the face. The cheek redeemed
to the blow but not with anger or shame yet
methinks as the sound of that buffet was borne
on high, there was a rushing Of myriad wings,
as angels started from their listening attitude,
waiting the thunderbot that should follow.
This too passed by, and also the second mock
cry of trial in Pilates hall; and the uprisen
sun was flashing down on the towers and domes
of jerusalem, and the vast population was again
abroad, throngng every street. But few took
any interest in the fate of Jesus of Nazareth,
yet those few were followed with the bttereS hate
The victim was now in their power-given up
to their will and they commenced the bloody
scene they were to enact, by splitting in his face
and striking his unreslsting cheek with blow af
ter blow, To give greater force to their insults,
they put crown of thorns on his head, and
Knocked him with sarcastic words, and strove
with fendlsh skill to irritate him into some sign
of anger or complaint After having exhausted
their ingenuity and failing in every endeavor,
they led him away to be crucifed
Twas bright and beautiful day when train
passed out of the gates Of Jerusalem, and be-
gan to ascend the slope of Mount Calvary
The people paused moment as the procession
moved boisterously along the streets, then ma
king some careless remark about the fate of ia.
natics, passed on The low and base of both
sexes turned and Joined the company and with
Jokes and laughter hurried on to the scene of ex-
cltement Oh, how disappointing did nature
seem; the vine and fig tree shed their fragrance
around-the breeze whispered nothing but love
and tranquility, while the blue and bending arch
above seemed delighted with the beauty and ver-
dure the out-spread earth presented. The birds
were singing in the gardens, all reckless of the
roar and jar of the great city near, as Jesus
passed by in the midst of the mob His face
was colorless as marble, save where the blood
trlckled down his cheeks from the thorns that
pierced his temples; his knees trembIed beneath
him, though not with fear, and he staggered on
under the heavy timber that weighed him down,
till at last he tainted. Nature gave way, and he
sunk to the EARTH while the hue of death pass
ed over his countenance. When the sudden
rush around him. caused by the fall, had subsi-
ded, the cross or rather cross piece, which he
had carried was given to another, and the pro-
cesson again took up the line of march,
But suddenly over the confused noise of the
throng and rude shouts of the mob, there came
wild lament Friends were following after,
whose sick Christ had healed, whose wounded
hearts he had bound up and on whose pathway
of darkness he. had shed the light of heaven,
and now they lifted up their voices in one long,
mournful cry. He turned at the sound and lis
tened moment then murmured in mournfu
accents: Weep not for me- but weep for yonr-
selves, your wives and your children. Jerusa-
lem on fire suddenly rose on his vision, together
with its famne-struck and boated population,
staggering and dying around the empty market
paces-and heaps of the dead that loaded the
air with pestiIence, and all the horror and woe
and carnage of that last dreadful seige; and for
getful of his own suffering, he exclaimed, Weep
not for me, but weep for yourselves and your
children.
At length the procession reached the hilltop,
and Christ was laid upon the ground, aud his
arms stretched along the timber he had carried,
with the palms upturned, and through them
spikes driven fastening them TO the wood Me-
thinks hear the strokes of the hammer as it
sends the iron, with blow after blow through the
quivering tendons, and behold the painful work
ngs of that agony-wrung brow, and the convul-
sive heavng and swelling of that blessed bo-
som, which seemed striving to rend above the
imprisoned heart.
At length he is lifted from the ground--his
weight dragging the spikes through his hands,
and the cross piece inserted into the mortice OF
the upright timber, and heavy iron crushed
through his feet, fastening them to the main post
and he is lifted to die. Why speak of his ago
ny-of his words of comfort to the dying thief
of the multitude around HIM, or of the dis
grace of that deathl Not even to look on that
F pad face and flowing blood could one get any
conception of the suffering of the victim. The
gloom and terror that began to gather round the
soul, as every aid, human and divine withdrew
ITSELF and it stood alone in the deserted darken