Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-11-15
ORCHARD 0NTHEHILL.
A VIVID PORTRAYAL BY DR. TALNAGE OF
THECRUCIPIXI0N.
The Lesson of the Event Explaine1-That Right Hand
Cross With its Long Beam 0ysrshadOws All the
Earth-The Curse Of Unbelief-Ths
Cross OfRspentance on the LEFT.
Special telegram to NE Register.

the Tabernacle tins morning, the ReN. L
Dewitt Talmage, ID. D., pastor, after ex
pounding some passages of Scripture, re
cording scenes in the life of Christ, gave
out the hymn beginning
Rock Ofages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself III thee
The subject of the sermon was: "Tht
orchard on the hills" and the text, Luke
XIII, 33: "And when they were come tC
the place, which is called Calvary, there
they crucilied Him, and the malelactOrS,
one on the right hand, and the other on
the left" The following is DR.. Talmage's
discourse in full:
Just outside of Jerusalem is swell OF
ground, toward which a crowd are ascend
ing; for it is
THE DAY OF EXECUTION.
What mighty assemblage! Some for Gu
riOSity to hear what the malefactOrs will
say, and to see how they will act. The
three persons to be executed are already
there. Some OF the spectators are vile OF
lip and blOated OF cheek. Some look up
with revenge, hardly able to keep their
hands of the sufferers. Some tear their
own hair in frenzy of grief. Some stand
in silent horror. Some break out into I'M
controllable weeping. Some slap their
hapdS in delight that the offenders are to
be punished at last. The soldiers with
drawn swords, drive back the mob, which
presses on so hard. There is fear that the
proceedings may be interrupted. Let the
German Legion, now stationed at Jerusa-
lem, OH horseback, dash along the line,
and force back the Surging multitude.
Back with yOu,' is the cry. Have you
never seen a man die betore?"
Three crosses in row. An upright
piece, and two transverse pleceS-One on
the top, on which the hands are nailed,
and one mt the middle, on which the vic
tim sat. Three trees just planted. Yet
hearing fruit-the one at the right bearing
poison, and the one at the left bitter alOeS;
the one in the middle, apples OF love.
Norway pine, and tropical orange, and
Lebanon cedar, would not make 50 strange
n grove rs this orchard OF Calvary. Stand
and give Il look at the three crosses. Just
look at the one on the right. Its victim
DIES SOOTHING.
More tremendous than his physical an
guish is his scOrn and hatred of Him on
the middle cross. This one on the right
turns half around on his spikes to hiss at
the One in the middle. If the Scotfer
could get one hand loose, and lie were
within reach, he would smite the middle
sufferer in the face. lie hates Him with a
perfect hatred. | think he wishes he were
down on the ground, that he might spear
Him. He enyieS the mechanics who, with
their nails, have nailed Him fast. Amid
the settling darkness, and louder than the
crash of the rocks, hear him jecr out these
words: "Ah, ali! you poor wretch, likncw
yuu were IN impOStOr, YOu pretended to
he 2 God, and vet you let these legions
master yOu.' 1t was i'll some such hate
that VOltaire, in his death hour, because
he thought he saw Christ in his bedroom,
got up on his elbow, and cried out: Crush
that wretch" What had the middle eros
done to arouse up this right-hand cross
Nothing. ., the enmity of the natural
heart against Christ! The world likes 4
sentimental Christ, or a philanthropiC
Christ, but Christ who comes to snatch
men away from their sins-away with Him
| On this right-hand cross to-day, | SET
typefed the unbelief of the world. Men
say: "Back with him from the heart vii
| not let Him take my sins. If He will die,
| let Him die for Himself, not for me. y
There has always been war between thi:
right hand cross and the middle cross, anC
wherever there is IN unbelieving heart
thus the fight goes on, ., if, when that
diving maletactor perished, the faithleSS
ness of man had perished, then that tree
which yields poison would have budded
and blOSSOmed with life for all the world
Look up into that disturbed cOvntenance o
the sufferer, and seeiwhat CHASTITY thing
it is to reject Christ. Behold in that aw-
ful face, in that pitiiul look, in that un
blessed hour, the stings of the sinners de-
parturc.
WHAT A PLUNGE INTO DARKNESS,
Standing high upon the cross on
the top of the hill, so that I'll the world
may look at him, he says: "Here | 90 out
OF a miserable life, into Il wrctched eter-
nifty - One! Two! Three! Listen Il
the crash of the fall, all ye ages. Sc
| Hobbies. dying after he had seventy year,
in which to prepare for eternity. said
''Were master of all the world, would
| give it all to live one day longer Sil
Francis Newport, lowering over the brink
| cried out: wretch that ! am. whittier
shall tiy from this breast? What vii
become of me? Oh, that were to lie up
on the fire that never is quenched, a thOus
and years, TO purchase the favor of Coo
and to be reconciled to Him again. oh,
eternity! Oh, eternity. Who can discOv
er the abyss of eternity? Who can para
phrase upon these words: For ever and
| for eyer!'
That right-haud crOsS-thouSands have
perished upon it, IN worse agOnies. Fol
what is physical pain compared to remOrS'
ut the last, that life has been wasted, anC
only tleeting moment stands between tn,
soul and its everlasting overthrow? Oh
God! let me die anywhere rather than a
the foot af that Tight-hand cross. Let no
one drop Of that blood fal
upon nv cheek Rend not my
ear with that cry. | see it now as neveI
before-the lOathSomeneSs and horror o
my unbelief. That dying malefactOr wa:
not So much to blame rs |. Christianity
WAS not established, and perhaps not unit
that day had that man heard the Christ.
| But after Christ has stood almost nineteeI
centuries. working the wonders of Hi
grace, You reject Him. That right-hanG
cross, with its long beam, OvershadowS al
the earth. II is planted in the heart o
the race. When will the time come wheI
| the spirit of God shall, with its axe, hev
down that right-hand cross, until it shal
fall ut the foot of that middle cross, anC
unbelief, the railing malefactor OF tn,
world, shall perish from all our hearts
Away from me, thou spirit of unbelief!
hate thee. With this sword OF God truS
thee back and thrust thee through. DOwr
to hell: down most accursed monster of TIT
earth. and talk to the millions thou has
already damned. Talk 10 longer to thes,
sons of God, these heirs Of Heaven.
''IF THOU BE
the Son of God" Was there any ''if'
about it? Tell me, thou star, that in rObt
of light did run to point out His birth
place Tell me, thou sea, that didst pu
r. ho,>l o,-a- thr, H. ,.kaD Ha h,j A..