The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-11-25
THE THREE CROSSES.
Bermon by Rev. T. Dewitt Tai
mage, D. D.
OThe Orchard on the HnI"-The Poison
Gus Fruit, and the Bitter Aloes-
Glorious Triumph of the
Middle Cross.


BROOKLYN, N. Y, Nov. 14-After tho
opening exercises at the Tabernacle this
morning Dr. Talmage announced as his
text Luke 1888: ''And when they were
come to the place, which is called Calvary,
there they crucifed Him, and the malefac-
tors, one on the right hand and the other on
the left" He then said;
Just outside of Jerusalem is swell OF
ground toward which crowd is ascending,
for it is the day of execution. What
mighty assemblagel Some for curiosity to
hear what the malefactors will say, and to
see how they will act. The three persons
70 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 off the sufferers; some tear their
own hair in frenzy of grief; some stand
in silent horror; some break out into un-
cOntrollable weeping; some slap their
hands in delight that the offenders are to
be punished at last The soldiers with
drawn swords drive back the mob which
presses on 50 hard. There is fear that the
proceedings may be interrupted. Let the
Roman legion, now stationed at Jerusalem,
on horseback dash along the line and force
back the surging multitude. "Back with
youw is the cry. "Have you never seen
man die beforem
Three crosses in a row. An upright piece
and two transverse pieces-one on the top
on which the hands are nailed, and one at
the middle, on which the victim sat. Three.
trees Just planted-yet bearing fruit-the
one at the right bearing poison, and the
one at the left bitter aloes; the one in the
vui111a IF Norway nine and
tropical orange and Lebanon cedar would
not make so strange a grove as this or
chard of Calvary. Stand and give look at
the three crosses; Just look at the one on the
right; its victim dies soothing. More tre-
mendous than his physical anguish is his
scorn and hatred of Him on the middle
cross. This one on the right turns half
around on the spikes to hiss at the one in
the middle If the scoffer could get one
hand loose, and He were within reach,
ne would smite the middle sufferer
in the face. He hates Him with perfect
hatred. think he wishes he were down on
khe ground, that he might spear him. He
RnYies the mechanics who, with their nails,
Save nailed Him fast Amid the settling
darkness and louder than the crash of the
rocks hear him jeer out these words: "Ah,
al, you poor wretch, l knew you were an
imposter. You pretended you were God,
and yet you let these legions master youW
1t was in 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 cross done to rouse up this
right hand CROSSE Nothing. o, the enmity
Of the natural heart against Christ The
world likes sentimental Christ, or
philanthropic Christ, but a Christ who
comes to snatch men away from their sins
away with Him.
On this right hand cross to-day ] see
typified the unbelief of the world, Men
say: "Back with Him from the heart;
will not let Him take my SINS. If He will
die, let Him die for Himself, not for me-"
There has always been war between this
right hand cross and the middle cross, and
wherever there is an unbelieving heart,
thus the fight goes on. o, if, when that
dying malefactor persisted, the faithless-
ness of men had perished, then that tree
which yields poison would have budded and
blossomed with life for all the world. Look
up into that disturbed countenance of the
sufferer and see what a CHASTITY thing it is
TO reject Christ. Behold in that awful
face, in that pitiful look, in that un-
blessed death hour, the stings Of the
sinners departure. What a plunge into
darknessl Standing high upon the cross
at the top Of the hill, 50 that all the world
may look at him, he says! Here go out of
a miserable life into a wretched eternity.n
One, two three. Listen to the crash Of the
fall, all ye ages. So Hobbies, dying after
he had seventy years in which to prepare
for eternity, said ''Were l master of the
world, would give it all to live one day
longer" Sir Francis Newport, lowering
over the brink, cried out: "Wretch that [
am. whittier shall / fly from this deathl
What will become of me? Oh, that | were
TO lie upon the fire that never is quenched
one thousand years to purchase the favor
of God and be reconciled to Him again. Oh,
eternity Oh, eternity Who can discover
the abyss Of eternitv2 Who can paraphrase
upon these words: Forever and foreverW
That right hand cross-thousands have
persisted on it, in worse agonies. Forwhat
is physical pain compared to rem0rse, at
the last. that life has been wasted, and
only a feeting moment stands between the
soul and its everlasting oyerthrOwi Oh,
God let me die anywhere rather than at
the foot Of that right-haud cross, Let not
one drop Of that blood fall upon my cheek.
Reud not my ear with that cry. [ see 1t
now as never befOre-the loathsomeness
and horror of my unbelief That dying
malefactOr was not so much to blame
as l. Christianity was not established,
and perhaps not until that day had
that man heard the Christ, But
after Christ has stoodalmost nineteen cent
uries. working the wonders of His grace,
you reject Him. That right hand cross
with its long beam overshadows the earth.
It is planted in the heart Of the race. When
will the time come when the spirit Of God
shall, with it's axe, hew down that right
hand cross, until it shall fall at the foot Of
that middle cross, and unbehef, the railing
malefactor Of the world, shall perish from
all our heartsl Away from me, thou spirit
of unbeliefl 1 hate thee. With this sword
of God | thrust thee back and thrust thee
through. Down to hell; down most ac-
cursed monster of the earth and talk TO the
millions thou hast already damned. Talk
no longer to these sons of God, these heirs
of Heaven.
''If Thou be the Son of God" Was there
any 'if'' about itl Tell me, thou star, that
in robe of light, did run to point out His
birthplace! Tell me, thou sea, that didst
put thy hand over thy lip when He bid thee
be still! Tell me, ye dead, who got up tC
see Him die Tell me, thou sun in mid
heaven, who for Him didst pull over thy
face thy vail of darkBessl Tell me, We lep-
ers who were cleansed, ye dead who were
raised, is He the son Of Code Aye, aye, re
spends the universe. The flowers breathe
it, the stars chime it, the redeemed cele
brate it, the angels rise up on theiI
thrones to announce it. And yet on the
miserable malefactors "if" how many
shall be wrecked for all eternity. That lit
tie ''if'' has enough venom it its sting Il
cause the death of the soul. No 'if" abou
it. know it. Ecce Deus! l feel it thor
oughly-through every muscle Of the body
Aln mind