The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1886-12-16


grow the red, poisonous berries, of which
many have tasted and died. can see nc
| use for this right hand cross, except it be
used as a lever with which to uDturn the
| unbelief Of the world.
Here, from the right hand cross, go to
| the left; pass clear to the other side. That
| victim also twists himself upon the nails tc
| look at the center crOss-yet, not to scott
it is to worship. He, too would like to get
his hand loose; not to smite, but to deliver
the sufferer on the middle cross. He cries
to the railer cursing ON the other side
''Silence! between us is innocence, is
agony. We suffer for our crimes. Silence ,'
! Gather around this left hand cross, oh, We
people; be not afraid. Bitter herbs are
sometimes tonic for the body, and the bit
ter aloes that you grow on this tree shall
give strength and life to thy soul
This left hand cross is repenting cross.
As men who have been nearly drowned tell
US that in one moment, while they were
under the water, their whole life passed
before them, so l suppose in one moment
the dying malefactor thought over all his
past life. OF that night when he went in
to an unguarded door and took all the sill
yer, the gold, the jewels, and as the sleeper
stirred he put knife through his heart
OF that day when, in the lonely pass, he
met the wayfarer, and, regardless of the
cries and prayers and tears and struggles
OF his victim, he flung the mangled corpse
into the dust of the highway, or heaped
upon 1t stones. He says: "Oh, l am a
guilty wretch; I deserve this. There is no
need OF my cursing; that will not stop the
pain. There is no need of disappearing
Christ, for He has done me no wrong; and
yet can not die So The tortures of nv
body are outdone by the fortunes of my
soul The past is scene of misdoing; the
present a crucifixion; the future an ever
lasting undoing. Come back, thou hiding
midday sun! Kiss my cheek with one
bright ray of comfort. What, no help from
above - no help from beneaths Then l
must turn to my companion in sor-
row, the one on the middle cross. l
have heard that He knows how to help
man when he is in trouble. l have
heard that He can cure the wounded. I
have heard that He can pardon the sinner.
Surely in all His wanderings up and down
the earth, He never saw one more in need
of His forgiveness. Blessed One! I turn
to Thee. Wilt Thou look for the moment
away from Thy own pangs to pity me-?
Lord, it IS not to have my hands relieved
or my feet taken from the torture. / can
stand all this, but, oh my SINS, my sins,
my sins, they pierce me through and
through. They tell me must die forever.
They will push me out into the darkness,
unless Thou wilt help me. I confess it all.
Hear the cry Of the dying thief: Lord, re-
member me when Thou CONTEST into Thy
king 1om. I ask no great things. I seek
for no throne in Heaven, no chariot to take
me to the skies; but just think of me
when this days horrors have passed.
Think OF me little-of me, the one now
hanging at Thy side-when the shout of
Heavenly welcome takes Thee back into
Thy glory, Thou wilt not forget me, wilt
Thoua Lord, remember me when Thou
contest into Thy kingdom. Only just re-
member mel"
Likewise must we repent. You say: II
have stolen nothing" / reply: ave have
all been guilty Of the mightiest felony of
the universe, for we have robbed God
robbed Him of our time, robbed Him of our
talent, robbed Him of our services. Sup
pose you send a man West as an agent of
your firm, and every month you pay him his
salary, and at the end of ten years you find
out he has been serving another firm. but
taking your salary, would you not at once
condemn him as dishonest? God sent us
into this world to serve Him. He has given
us wages all the time. One half of us have
been serving another master. When man
is convicted Of treason he is brought out:
a regiment surrounds him and the COM
mand is given: Attention, company!
Take aim! Firer' And the man falls with
a hundred bullets through his heart There
comes time in mans history when the
Lord calls up the troop of his iniauities,
and at Gods command they pour into him
a concentrated volley of torture.
You say: 81 do not feel myself to be
sinner" That may be. Walk along
by the cliffs, and you see sunlight and
flowers at the mouth Of the cave; but take
torch and go in, and before you have gone
far you see the flashing eye of a wild beast,
or hear the hiss of a serpent SO the world
seems in the sunlight of worldliness: but
as have the torch of Gods truth, and 90
down into the deep cavern of the heart
alas for the bristling horrors and the rat
Ting fangs. Have you ever noticed the
Climax in this passage of Scripture: 1.-THE
heart is deceitful." That seems enough.
But the passage goes on to say. 1.-THE heart
Is deceitful above all thingsn Will YOU
not say that is enougha But the passage
goes on further and says: ''The heart is de-
celtful above all things and desperately
Wicked" If we could see the true condi- |
ton OF the unpardoned before God, what a
OF hands there would bel What
thousand-voiced shrek of supplication
and despairl But you are a sinner, a sim
ner speak not to the person who sits
next to you, but to you. You are sinner.
All the transgressions of lifetime have
been gathered up into an avalanche. At |
any moment it may slip from the cliffs and
crush you forever. May the Lord Almighty,
by His grace, help us to repent of our sins |
while repentance is possible
This left hand cross was relieving cross. |
mere was no guess work in that PRAYER:
no ''lf' in that duplication. The left hand |
cross flung itself at the foot of the middle |
cross, expecting mercy. Faith is only lust |
opening the hand to take what Christ Of |
lers u.s. The work is all done, the bridge Is
built strong enough for us all to walk over.
lap not at the door-of Gods mercy with the
up OF your fingers; but as warrior. with
gauntleted fists, beats at the castle gates. so
with all the aroused energies of the soul let
Us pound at the gate of Heaven. The gate
s locked. You go to it with a bunch of
Keys. You try philosophy That will not
open it. A large door generally has pom
ferrous key. take the cross and place the
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