Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1886-11-24

| l5 is TO WorSnlp. he, too, would like II
| get his hand loose, not to smile, but to de
| liver the sufferer of the middle cross. HI
| cries to the railer cursing on the other side
| "Silencel between us is innocence, is agony
We suffer for our crimes. Silence p Gath
er around this left hand cross, 0 ye people
be not afraid. Bitter herbs are sometimes
tonic for the body, and the bitter aloe.
that you grow on this tree shall give
strength and life to thy soul.
This left hand cross is a repentiDg cross
As men who have been nearly drowned tel
us, that in one moment, while they were
under the water, their whole life passed be
fore them, SO, suppose, in one moment the
dying malefactor thought over all his past
life. Of that night when he went into an
unguarded door and took all the silver, the
gold the Jewels, aud as the sleeper stirred
he put knife through she 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 vic
tim, he flung the manged corpse into the
dust of the highway, or heaped upon it the
stones. He says: "Oh! am guilty wretch
deserve this. There is no need of my
cnrsing. That will not stop the pain
There is no need of blaspheming Christ, for
He has done me no wrong, and yet cannot
die So The tortures of my body are out
done by the tortures of my soul. The past
is scene eff misdoing. The present cru
eifixion. The future an everlasting undo
ing. Come back, thou hiding midday sun!
Kiss my cheek with one bright ray of COM
fort. What! no help from above-no help
from beneath? Then I must turn to my
companion in sorrow, the One on the mid.
die cross. have heard that He knows
how to help man when he is in trouble.
| have heard that He can cure the wound
ed. 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!
l turn to Thee! Wilt Thou look for the
moment away from thine own pangs to pity
me? Lord, it is not to have my hands re
lieved 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 I 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 comest into Thy
kingdom. l 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 day S horrors have passed. Think of
me little-of me, the one NOW hanging at
Thy side-when the shout of heavenly well
come takes Thee back into Thy glory
Thou wilt not forge. me, wilt Thou? Lord
remember me when Thou comest into Thy
kingdom Only just remember me-"
Likewise must we report. You say: 81
have stolen nothing" | reply: "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
talent, robbed Him of our services. Sup
pose you send man West as an agent Of
your firm, and every month you pay him
bis 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 dishonest? God
sent US into this world to serve Him. He
has given US wages all the time. One-half
Cf Us have been serving another master.
When man is convicted Of treason he is
brought cut; regiment surround him and
the command is given: Attention, COM
pauy. Take aim! Firer' And the man
falls with a hundred bullets through his
heart. There comes time in mans his
tory when the Lord calls up the troop of his
iniquities, and at Gods command they pour
You say; II don't feel myself to be sin
ner." 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 wild beast, or
hear the hiss of a serpent. So the world
seems in the sunlight of world illness; 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
rafting 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 pas
sage goes on further and says: tThe heart
is deceitful above all things, and desperate
ly wicked" If we could see the true con-
dtion of the unpardoned before God, what
wriDging of hands there would be! What
a thonsand-voiced shrek of supplication
and despair! But you are sinner, sin
ner. | speak not to the person who sits
next to you, but to you. You are sinner.
All the transgfessions 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 AL
mighty, by his grace, help us to repent of
our sins while repentance is possible.
This left-hand cross was relieving cross.
There was no guess work in that prayer:
no 'ff'' in that supplication. The left-hand
cross flung itself at the foot Of the middle
cross, expecting mercy. Faith is only just
opening the hand to taks what Christ offers
us. The work is all done, the bridge is
built strong enough for US all to walk over.
Tap not at the door of Gods mercy with
the tip of your fingers, but as warrior
with gauntletted fists beats at the castle
gate, so, with all the aroused energies of
our souls. let us pound at the gate of heav-
en-. That gate is locked You go to it
with bunch of keys Youtry philosophy.
That will not open it. A large door gener-
ally has ponderous key. l take the cross
and place the foot Of it in the leck, aud by
the two arms of the cross I turn the lock,
and the door opens.
This left.hand cross was pardoning
CROSS. The crosses were 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
Ne? I am the Lord of heaven and earth.
l have seen your violence. When you
struck down that man in the darkness 1
saw you, You ale getting just reward.
Die in darkness-die forever" But Jesus
said not so, but rather: "This day thou
shalt be with Me in Paradise" AS much
as to say: 81 see yon there; don't worry. 1
will not only bear My cross, but help you
with yours"
Forthwith the lefthand cross becomes the
abode Of contentment. The pillow of the
malefactor, soaked in blood, becomes like
the crimson upholstery of q kings couch.
When the body became still, and the sur
geons feeling the pulse said one to another:
He is dead" the last mark of pain had
gone from his face. Peace had smoothed
his forehead. Peace closed his eyes. Peace
closed his lips. Now you see why there
were TIVE transverse pieces on the cross, for
it has become ladder into tho skies. That
dying head is easy which has under it the
promise: "This day thou shalt be with
Me in Paradise" Ye whose lips have
been filed with blasphemy, ye whose hands
for many years have wrought unrighteous-
ness, ye who have companioned with the
unclean, We who have scaled every height
of transgression, and fathomed every depth,
and passed every extreme of iniquity-
mercy! mercy!