Litchfield enquirer., 1847-02-25
THE CROSS AND THE CROWN,
BY REV T. H. STOCKTON.

I see him step on Calvary, and not an
atom trembles. / see his upward look of
pittying love, and hear his prayer, Fa-
Their, forgive them-they know not what
they do !" I see him hanging, faint in the
MONDAY darkness. hear his last cry, 1t
is finished p and see his head fall upon his
bosom ia death.
Sudden as the shock of an earthquake, my
soul thrills with the truth. Quick as the
reading of the vail of the temple, the vail OF /
my mind is, parted, and the glory OF God
shines in upon it.
see that there was one sacrifice too
great for Christ to make! He was willing
TO leave the throne Of the universe for the
manger Of Bethlehem-willng to grow up
. as the son of a poor carpenter-willing to
be called the companion Of publicans and
a. sinners-willina to be watched with jealous
eyes, and slaaaered by lying tongues, and
hated by murderous hearts, aud betrayed by
friendly hands, and denied by pledged lips,
and rejected by apostate priests and deln-
!. -.a.4 -itsopuIare, and cowardly princes-wil-
ling to be sentenced by the crowd, and TO
carrysthe cross. and to be nailed 10 The cross,
and bleed, and groan, and thirst, and die on
b the cross--but he was not willing to wear
an earthly crown, or robe, orwisld an earth
lysseptre, or exercise earthly rule! That
would have been too greata sacrifice! He
did, indeed, endure the crown ofthorns and
the cast off purple, and the reed, and the
cry Hail king ofs,he Jews" But this
was merely because he preferred the moeke'
ny to the reality--so* pouring Infinite con
tempt on the one. not only"by rejecting it
inthe beginning of his ministry, but also
By accepting the other at its close.
A God like sacrifice! 1 see It'll see
il. The blood Of Christ was an atone
ment for the sinofthe world He was
wounded for our trnnsgressions--h was
bruised for our iriquities--the chas,se-
ment Of our peace was upon him, and by
his stripes we are healed ~
| see it. His burial hailowed the
tomb the breaking of the seal on every
sepulchfe; the ascension of his humani,
tyto heaven is the warrant of our ascen-
sion; and lie entire and eternal perfec-
/. ton, exalted, asst il, " far above oil prin.
eirality. and power, and might and do.
minion, aud every name that is named
!, net only in this world, but also in that
which is tocome,' is the assurance ofour
own perfection, in all the honors Of john
heirship withhim, in the many mansioncd
house of'his Father, where he has gone
to "prepare place" for US.
"While long ietul ned, the angels roul d
&. him sing,
And saints yet coming, shout TO see their
King!"
Tho saints! who are they? "The
, spirits of the just made perfecw-redcem.
ed from the earth! They who have
scomsup through much tribulalion, and
washed their robes, and made them
white in the blood of the Lamb" They
who, in imitation of their Lord and Mas.
ter. quIckened the spiritual life--have
cherished and manifested a readiness 10
sacrifice famc, Office, power. rank
wealth, pleasures ease. time, health, life
every thing but righteousness, for the
ont. great cause ofman's redemption.
Palsiarchs prophets! apostles! mar.
afyrs confessors! rcformcrs! and millions
Of humble names, scarce ever heard on
earth beyond the hearthstone of love. the
2 threshold Of home, and the courts of thu
house Of the Lord. and there unite with
hrst. born sons Of glory in giving praise
to him that stitch upon the throne, and
20 the Lamb foreyer.v