The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-12-01
y all His wanuerlngs UP and down the earth

He never saw one more in need of His for.
glvene$S.
Blessed one. turn to Theel Wilt Thou
look for the moment away from Thine own
pangs to pity me! Lord, it is not to have my
hands relieved or my feet taken from the
torture l can stand all this; bat Oh! my
SINS! my sins. my sins they pierce me
through and through. They tell me must
die for ever. They will push me out into the
darkness unless Thou wilt help. confess it
all. Hear the cry of the dying thief Lord,
remember me when Thou comest into Thy
kingdom. 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 llttle-of me,
the one now hanging at Thy side; when
back into glory, Thou wilt not forget me,
wilt Thou! Lord, remember me when Thou
comest into Thy kingdom-only just remem-
ber me.
Likewise must we repent. You say: 81
have stolen nothing" Ireply: We 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 talents,
robbed Him Of our services Suppose you
send a man West as On agent of your
firm, aud every month you pay him
his salary, and at the end of ten years
you find out that he has been serving another
firm, but taking your salary; would you not
at once condemn him as dishonestl God sent
us into this world to serve Him. He has
given us wages al! the time. One half OF us
have been serving another master. When a
man is convicted Of treason, he is brought
out; regiment surround him, and the com
mand is given: Attention. company! Take
auu! r1re." ana une man falls with hum
dred bullets through his heart. There come
times in mans history when the Lord calls
up the troop of his iniquities, and at Gods
command they pour into him concentrated
volley Of torture. You say: ~ don't feel
myself to be sinner" That may be.
Walk along by the cliffs and you
of the cave, and a chandelier of sta'actite
near the opening Of the cave: but ta.e a
torch and go in, and before you have gone
far you sea the flashing eye of wild beast,
or hear the hiss Of a serpent So the world
seems in the sunlight of worldliness; but as
wave the torch of Gods truth, and go down
into the deep cavern Of the heart-alas! for
the bristling horrors and the rattling fangs.
Have You ever noticed the climax in this
passage Of scripture: "The heart is deceitful." "
That seems enough. But the passage goes on
and says: THE heart is deceitful above all
things" Will you not say that is enough
But the passage goes on further and says:
The heart is dece;tful above all things and
desperately wicked" If we could see the
true con iition of the upardoned before
God what wringing of hands
there would be what q thousand
voiced shliek Of supplication and. despair!
But you are sinner-a sinner. speak not
to the person who sits next to you, but to
you. You are sinner. All the transgres-
sons 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, bv His grace, help
us to repent Of our sins while repentance il
possible.
The left hand cross was a believing cross.
There was no gueS-work in that prayer; no
'if'' in that supplication. The left-hand
cross flung itself at the foot of the middle
opening the hand to take what Christ offers
us. The work is all done, the bridge is built
strong enough for ali Of us to walk over. Tap
not at the door of Gods mercy with the tip
Of your fingers: bIt as warrior, with
gauntleted fists, beats at the castle gate, so,
with all the aroused energies of our sonls,
let us pound at the gate of heaven. That
gate is locked. You go to it with bunch Of
Keys. You try philosophy; that will not
open it. You try good works; that will not
open 1t. A large door generally has a pen
derous key. take the cross and place the
foot Of it in the socket Of the lock, and by
the two arms Of ths cross turn the lock and
the door opens.
The crosses We're only two or three yards
apart 1t did not take long for Christ to
hear. Christ might have turned away, and
said: How darest thou speak to Me? am
the Lord of Heaven and Earth. 1 have
seen your violence. When you struck
down that man in the darkness, saw you.
You are getting just reward-die in dark
ness-die forever. But Jesus said not so; bat
rather: "This day shalt thou be with Ne in
Paradise as much as to say: " s,e you
there; don't worry. Twill not only bear my
cross, but help you with yours"
Forthwith the left-hand cross becomes the
abode of contentment. The pillow of the
malefactor soaked in blood, becomes like the
crimson upholstery of King couch. When
the body bacame still, and the surgeons feel
ing the pulse said one to another: ''He
is dead" the last mark Of pain had
gone from his face. Peace had
eyes; Peace closed his lips. Now you see
why there are two transverse pieces on the
Cross, for it has become ladder into the
skies. That dying head is easy which has
under it the promise: This day shalt thou
be with Me in Paradise" Yewhoss lips have
been filled with blasphemy, ye whose hands
for many years have wrought uarighteous-
ness, ye who have companioned with the un-
clean, ye who have scaled every height OF
transgression, and fathomed every depth,
aud dpassed every extreme o: iniquity-mercy!
mercy!
1.-THE dying thief rejoiced to see
That fountain in his day;
And there may I, as vile as he,
Wash all my sins away"
have shown you the right-hand cross and
the left-hand cross. Now come to the middle
cross We stood at the one and found it
Welded poison. We stood at the other ana
found it yielded bitter aloes. Come now to
the middle cross, and shake down apples OF
love. Uncover your head. You never saw
so tender scene as this. You may have
seen father, or mother. or companion, or
child die, but never so affecting q scene as
this. The railing thief looked from one way
and saw only the right side of Christ's face.
The penitent thief looked from the other way
and saw the left side ct Christ's face. But
where you sit to-day, in full blaze of Gospel
light, you see Christ's full face.
1t was a suffering cross. If the weapons
of torture had gone only through the fatty
portions Of the body, the torture would not
the hands, aud feet, and temples; the most
sensitive portions ltwas not only the spear
that went into His S de- but the sins of all
the race-a thousand spears-plunge after
plunge, deeper and deeper, until the silence
and composure that before characterized
Him gave way in a groan, through which
rumbled the sorrows of time and the woes Of
eternity. Human hate had done its worst,
and hell had hurled its sharpest javelin, and
devils had vented their hottest rage when,
with every nerve in His body in torture, and
every fibre Of His heart in excruciation. He
cried out: "My God, my God, why hast Thou
forsaken Meln