Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1874-03-07
WOMAN AxD THE CROSS,

CHRlsr THAN MAS.-When we look
over our church rolls. We find the
names of two women fOr every one
man. At our week day prayermee,ings
there are always about three times as
many women present as men. AT the
communion table, women are present IN
about the same majority. II ID . well
known fact that women were last at the
cross, and the first at the serulchre
and at both those places there were two
women for every one man.
When Christ was on earth, He was
the man of sorrows, the object Of scorn
and contempt and persecution. But
He received all this i'll treatment at the
hands of men. So far as the record
goes, there was never woman that
spoke a word against Him, while lie
was on earth. Men slandered Him,
man betrayed Him, man denied Him,
men deserted Him, men mocked Him,
men tried Him, and men nailed Him to
the cross. Amid all this, not n woman
uttered word of reproach or condemn
alton against Him.
In the very crisis Of His trial, there
was heard a woman's voice pleading for
Him. and speaking in His Justification.
Pilates wife begged her husband to
have nothing to do in the way OF con-
demnation OF that just man. When
men were yelling along the streets,
"crucify Him cruelty Him |" a wo-
mans kind voice plead for Him in the
very courtroom where He was being
tried, and where lie was condemned to
death.
Does not all this prove that there {"
more sympathy in the soul OF woman Tor
Jesus than there is in tho heart of man!
II was woman that brought sin into TINS
world. because she was first in the trans
cression but it was man who cast out
and cruciiied the Savionr OF sinners
and not single woman assisted or
countenanced men in the act o: oruc'-
fixion. 1t was through woman, and
woman alone, that Jesus was born into
this world and it was by man, amt
man alone, that lie was crucliied and
slam. Jesus was the child OF virgin,
No man was His father. In this unique
circumstance of His birth, there Is halo
of mystery hanging around His cradle
that makes an Irresistible appeal for lovc
and sympathy 10 every true womaniy
heart. lie is most uniquely and en-
phatically the 'seed of the woman.
1t needs only for woman To have nor
ewes opened TO see who aud what Jesus
is, for her to recognize in Him her tru-
est and wisest and best friend, the sum
of all her true womanly aspirations and
the crown Of unfading glory TO oil fem
mime beauty. Christ is love, aud wo-
man is in closer sympathy with Him
than man, because there is more tender
ness in her nature than in mans. Love
is the flower OF beauty that blooms In
the consummation Of perfect woman.
hood but il is only when the love OF
Christ is shed abroad in her soul that
the flower of love, which is the diadom
of beauty to her nature, has any sweet
odor in il. A Christlcss woman, were
she composed Of all the essential ele-
ments of grace and beauty themselves,s Is
like beautiful flower without any
sweet fragrance in it. / marvel that
any woman, with her need Of love and
her clasping nature always yearning at:
ter the lovely, can look into the face OF
the ever lovely and all loving Jesus,and
nor stantly put her arms about Ills
II, ok and, falling into HIS arms, tell
Him with gushing love, that she com.
mits herself, soul aud body, and for time
and eternity, into His safe aud sacred
keeping. g.-ReU. j. ". =. Ohs.