The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1886-12-02


a man when he is in trouble have
heard that He can cure the wounded. have
heurd how He can pardon the sinner. Surely,
in all His wanderings up and down the earth
He never saw one more in need of His for
giveness
Blessed one! turn to Theel Wilt Thou
look for the moment away from Thine own
pangs to pity mei Lord, it is not to have my
hands relieved or my feet taken from the
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 ir
all. Hear the cry of the dying thief Lord,
remember me when Thou comest into Thy
kingdom. ask no great things. seek for
no throne in heaven-no chariot to
think of me when this days horrors
have passed. Think of me little--of me,
the one now hanging at Thy side; when
the shout Of heavenly welcome takes Thee
back into glory, Thou wilt not forget me,
wilt Thou. Lord, remember me when Thou
ecomest into Thy kingdom-only just remem-
Der 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 man West as an agent of your
firm, and every month you pay him
his salary, and at the end of ten years
you find out that lie 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 of us
have been serving another master. When a
man is convicted of treason, he is brought
out; a regiment surround him, and the COM
mand is given: Attention, company Take
am: fire!" And the man fail; with huq-
dred bullets through his heat. There ccme
tlmes In maas history when the Lord calls
up the troop of his iniquities, and at Gods
command they pour into him concentrated
voiley OF torture. You say 81 dol't feel
myself to be q sianer." That may be,
Walk along by the cliffs aud YOU
see sunlight AMI flowers at the mouth
of tine ave, and a chandelier of sta actite
near the opening of the cave: but ia
torch and go in, and before you have gone
far You sea the flashing eye of Wild beast,
or hear the hiss Of q serpent 50 the world
seems in the sunlight of worldlines;: but as
wave the torch of Gods truth, and 60 down
INTO the deep cavern of the Eear,-alas! for
the bristling horrors and the ra ting fangs.
Have You ever noticed the climax in this
passage of scripture: The heart is deceitful.n
AMI says: The heart is de 'eitful abo;e all
thlnss!" VIII you not say that is enough
But the passage goes on further and says
The heart is deceitful above all things and
desperately wicked.n If we could see the
true con !ition of the upardoned before
Goi what wringing . of hands
voiced sh'iek of supplcation and despair,
But you are sinner-a sinner. speak not
to the person who sits next to you, but to
you. You are a sinner. All the transgres-
sions 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, by His grace, help
us to repent of our sins while repentance is
possible
The left hand cross was believing cross.
There was no guess work in that prayer; no
''if" 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 take what Christ offers
us. The work is all done, the bridge is built
strong enough for all Of us to walk over. Tap
not at the door of Gods mercy with the tip
of your fingers: but as a 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 It. A large door generally has pom
derous key. / take the cross and place the
foot of it in the socket Of the lock, and by
the two arms of the cross turn the lock and
the door opens.
This eft-hand cross was pardonipg 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 Mes l am
the ord of Heayan and Earth I ha va
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; but
rather: This day shalt thou be with Me in
Paradise" as much as to say: II see 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
smoothed his forehead; Peace closed his
eyes; Peace closed his lips. Now you SEQ
why there are two transverse pieces on the
Cross, for it has become a ladder into the
skies. That dying head is easy which has
under it the premise: This day shalt thou
be with Me in Paradise" Yewhose lips have
| been filed with blasphemy, ye whose hands
| for many years have wrought unrighteous-
ness, We who have companioned with the un-
/ clean, We who have sealed every height of
trausgresson, ard fathomed every depth,
and passed every extreme of iniquity-
mercy!
1.-THE dying thief re- ejoiced to SEQ
That fountain in his day;
And there may l. 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 an found il
| yielded poison. We stood at the other aud
| found it yielded bitter aloes. Come now to
the middle cross, and shake down app'es oi
love. Uncover your head You never saw
SO tender a scene as this. You may have
seen father, or mother, or companion, OF
| child die, bat never SO a!fe ting scene as
this. The railing thief looked from one way
and saw only the right side OF Christs face
| The penitent thief looked from the other way
| and saw the let side Of Christ's face. Bu
where you sit to-day, in fll! bla :e of Gospe
| light, you SEQ Christs full face
II was suiie ing eros. if the weapon
of tor ure had gene on through the tatt,
portions of the body, the torture would moi
have been so great; but they went through
the hanis. aud feet, aud temples; the mes
| SENSITIVE pOTUlOnS, IL WIS UOb tue Spa
that went into His de, but the sins of al
the race-a thousand spears-plunge afte
plunge, deeper and deeper, until the silenc
and composure that bef re characterize,
| Him gave way in groan, through whlcl
| rumbled the sorrows OF time and the woes o
eternity. Human haze had done its worst
and hell had hu lei its sharI Iest jayelil, AM
devils Lad vented their hottest rage when
with every nerve in His l,ody in torture, an
every fibre of His heart in lcruciation. H
cried out: "My God. my God, why ha It Tho
forsasen Me!'
10 was ricdrious cross-the right-hs
cross sutfere for itself: the let h and eros
for itself; but the middle cross foe YOU
When King was dying young man cried
Pour my blood in o his veins. that he d,
not" The veins Of the young man wer
tapped and the blood transferred; so tina
the King lived, but the young man diel
UnrIst saw the race perfssing :Is cried
Pour my blood into their veins, that thel
die not
Ny hand is free now, because Christ's wa
crushed. Ny brow is painles now, beoaus
Christ's was torn. My soul esC apes, be ans
Christ's was bound. I go heaven, becaus
Christ for me endured the horrors of he'll
When the Swiss were many years ago con
tending against their enemies they saw thes
| enemies stnrdiro in solid nhai.nx and kpe,