The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-11-18
)R. TALMAGFS SERMON.
JBJECT OF HIS DISCOURSE: THE
ORCHARD ON THE HILL"

Comparison of the Two Thieves Wh'
Were CruciGed Beside the Savior, tn,
Believer and the UnbeIievine-Tb'
Glory OF the Middle Cross.
BROOKLYN, Nov. Am the TabernacI,
is morning the Rev. T. De Witt TaImage
D., pastor, after expounding somo passages
Scripture recording scenes in the life Of
iizt, gave out the hymn beginning:
Rock of ages, cleft for me,
Let mo hide myself ia thee.
The subject of the sermon was ''The Or
ard on the Hill,n and the text Luke XIII,
"And when they were come tc the place,
aich is called Calvary, there they eruci6ed
IN ard the malefactOrs, one on the right
nd and the other ON the left" Following
Or. Talmages discourse in full:
just outside of Jerusalem is a swell of
ound toward which a crowd is ascending,
j. it is the day of execution. What a
tghty assemblagel Some for curiosity to
~ what tho malefactors will say and TO
how they will act. The three persons to
g.. executed arc already there. Some Of the
actators are vile of lip and bloated of cheek
me look up with revenge, hardly able to
eD their hands off the suffcvers- Some
ar their own hair in a frenzy of grief.
sule stand in silent horror. Some break out
70 uncomfortable weeping. Some slap their
nds in delight that the offenders are to be
.nished at last The soldiers with drawn
-ords drive back the mob, which presses on
hard. There is fear that the proceedings
ny be interrupted. Let the German legion,
w stationed at Jerusalem, on horseback
sh along the line and force back the surg
II multitude. "1)ack with you" is tho cry.
lave YOU never zen man die beforeF
Three crosses in a row. An upright piece
q two transverse pieces-one on the top on
iich the hands are nailed, and one at the
ddle, on which the victim sat. Three trees
st planted Yet bearing fruit-the one at
q RIGHT bearing poison, and the one at the
e bitter aloes; the one in the middle apples
love. Norway pine and tropical orange
d Lebanon cedar would not make so
-ange a grove as this orchard of Calvary.
and and give a look at the three crosses.
st look at the one on the right. Its victim
- scofIing. More tremendous than his
.vsicaI anguish is his scoru and hatred Oh
i'm on the middle cross. This one on the
-rht turns half around on tho spikes to hiss
- tho one in the middle. If the scOffer could
& one hand loose, and He were within
lch. he would smite the middle sufferer IN
-, face. He hates Him with perfect
tred l think he wishes he were down on
A., Ground. that he might spear Him. lie
.,ias the mechanics who, with their nails,
we nailed Him fast Amid the settling
r!,ness and louder than the crash OF the
Is hear him jeer out these words: AM
b., YOU poor wretch, L knew you were an
.IDostcrl You pretended to be COD ana
& YOU let these legions master you IL
,s in some such hate that NoltaIre, IN BIS
1th hour, because he thought he saw ChrlsG
his bedroom, got up on his elbow ana cIleu
3. aCr1lsh that wretch" What had tue
iddle cross done to arouse up tnlS ilshO
nd cross, Nothing. o. the enmity OF the
t,,,oI Ieart AGAINST Christ! The world
-oe n sentimental Christ, or phllan-
ro,,ie. Christ. but a Christ who comes to
,stch men away from their sins-away with
.iml On this right hand cross to-day Lsee
pified the uubelief of the world. Men say;
.locl, with Him from the heart, Will NOT let
inn take nv sins. II be will die, let HIM
for Himself, nos for me-" There has al
avs been a war between this right haho
-oss and the middle cross, and wherever
GRE is an unbelieving heart, thus the hSn6
VOC ON. O. if. when that dying malefactor
.risbed the faithlessness of man had per
ned. then that tree which yields poison
-ouId have budded and blossomed wlen NE
M all the world! Look up into that disturbed
,untenance of the sufferer and see what !
chastity thing it is to reject Christ Behoid
, that awful face, in that pitiful look, III
,at unblessed death hour, the stinss OF the
nner's departure. What plunge into
arltness! Standing high upon the
,oss on the top of the hill, SO tna1
Il the world may look at him. he says;
Here I go out a miserable lie INTO a
retcbed efernityl" Onel Twol Threel
.is,o,, 70 the crash of the fall, all ye agosl
o Hobbes. diving after he had seventy years
+, which to prepare for eternity, said: Were
master of all the world 1 would give it all
, live one day longer" Sir Francis New
ort towering over the brink, cried out;
wretch that I am, whittier shall L fly from
MS breast2 What will become of met On,
rat I were to lie upon the fire that never Is
uenched. 900 years to purchase the favor
2 God and TO be reconcilcd to Him agalnl
III eternity! Oh eternity Who can as
over the abyss of eternitys Who can para
I,rose upou these words: "Forever and for
verl7
That right hand cross-thousands nave
erished on it, in worse agonies. For WhaO
, physical pain compared to remorse, at tue
,st that life has been wasted, and only
Getting moment stands between the soul ana
!, everlasting overthrow Oh God! leu me
In anywhere rather than at the foot OF thaI
igbt hand cross. Let not one drop or that
Iood fall upon my cheek. Rend not my
I'M. with that cry. 1 see it now as never be
o,.o-tbe Ioatbsomeness and horror Of my
-,h,liaf That dying malefactor was not so
,,,,.,, 10 blame as l. Christianity was not
ytablished, and perhaps not until that day
od tlfat man heard the Christ But after
,l,,ist bns stood almost nineteen centuries
-orkinp the wonders of His grace, you reject
Tim That right hand cross with its long
an oyershadows all the earth. 1t is planted
+, tl. heart of the race. When will the time
on,e when the spirit of God shall, with its ak,
o,y down that right hand cross, until II snah
,ll ut the foot of that middle cross, and unbe-
~ fbc railing malefactor of the world, shai!
arisb from ali our hearts} Away from me,
-,o,, snirit of unbelief! 1 hate thee! With
Iis sword of God / thrust thee back ana
I,,-,st thee through Down to hell; down
most nccursed monster of the earth, ana TAX
o. the millions thou hast already damned
ak no longer to these sons OF God, thess
aiIs OF heaven.
IF Thou be the Son Of God. Was there
ny aifr about it, Tell me, thou star, that'
n robe Of light, did run to point out his biftn-
.lucel Tell me, thou sea, that dldst put lny
and over thy Iip when He bid thee be stllls
ell me, We oGttfit NLo sstb tAk' ~ ~
Tell me thou sun in mid heaven, who Tor
Him didst pull down over thy face thyVeil OF
darkness! Tell me, ye lepers who were
Ieanse1, ye dead who were raised, is He the
son Of Godl Ayel ayel responds the universe.
The flowers breathe it, the stars chime it, the
celebrate it, the angels raise up ON
heir thrSnes to announce it. And yet on
hat miserable malefactor's IF" how many
ihali be wrecked for all eternityl That little
If" has enough venom in its sting to cause
-he death OF the soul No 'ifn about It. l
,now il. Ecce Deusl I feel it Thoroughly
through every muscle of the body, and
through every faculty Of my mind, and
through every energy OF my soul Living
wiz preach it, dying l viii pillow my head
before its consolations-Jesus the God.
Away then, from this right hand cross
The red berries of the forest are apt to be
poisonous, and around this tree OF carnage
grow the red, poisonous berries of which
many have tasted and died. 1 can see no