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

sit to-day, in the full blaze of gospel light
you see Christ's full face. 1t was a suffer
ing cross. If the weapons of torture ha
gone only through the fatty portions of th
body, the torture would not have been 8
great, but they went through the hand
and feet, and temples; the most sensitiv,
portions. 1t was not only the spear tina
went into His side, but the sins of all tn
race-a thousand spears-plunge afte
plunge, deeper and deeper, until the silence
and composure that before characterised
Him gave way into grean through whicl
rumbled the sorrows OF time aud the woe
of eternity. Human hate had done it.
worst, and hcll had hurled its sharpes
javslin, and devils had vented their hotties
rage, when, with every nerve of His bod!
in torture, and every fibre of his heart il
my God! why hast Thou forsaken mep'
1t was vicarious eross-the right hant
cross suffered for itself, the left hand eros,
| for itself, but the middle cross for you
When king was dying young man cried
Pour my blood into his veins, that he die
not" The veins of the young man were
| tapped, and the blood transferred; SO thai
the king lived, but the young man died
Christ saw the race perishing. He cried
ssPeus my blood into their veins, that they
die not"
My hand is free now, because Christ's
was crushed. My brow is painless now,
because Christ's was torn. My soul escapes,
because Christ's was bound. I gain heav-
en-, because Christ for me endured the hor
rors of hell. When the Swiss were many
years ago contending against their enemies
they saw these enemies arrayed in solid
phalanx, and knew not how to break their
ranks; but one of their heroes rushed out
in front of his regiment and shouted,
Make way for liberty" The weapons of
the enemy were plunged into his heart,
but while they were staying him, of course,
their ranks were broken, and through that
gap in the ranks the SWISS marched to
victory. Christ saw all the powers of dark
ness assailing men. He cried out, "Make
way for the redemption of the world" All
the weapons of Internal wrath struck Him,
but as they struck Him our race marched
out free.
To this middle cross, my dying hearers,
look, that your souls may live. I showed
you the right hand cross in order that you
might see what an awful thing it is to be
unbelieving. showed yeu the left-hand
cross that you might see what it is to re-
pent. Now I show you the middle cross
that you may see what Christ has done to
save your soul. Poets have sung it's praise,
and sculptors have attempted to commemo-
rate it in marble, and martyrs have clung
to it in the fire, and Christians dying quiet
ly in their beds have leaned their heads
against it, This hour, may all our souls
embrace it with an ecstacy of affection. Lay
hold of that cross, sinner! Everything else
will fail you. Without strong grip on
that you perish. Put your hand on that
and you are safe, though a world swing
from beneath your feet. 0, that l might
engraye On your souls ineffaceably the three
crosses, and that if in your waking mo-
ments you will not heed, then that in your
dream this coming night, you might see On
the hill back Of Jerusalem, the three
spectacles-the right hand cross showing
unbelief, dying without Christ; the left
hand, showing what it is to be pardoned,
while the central cross pours upon your
soul the sunburst of heaven as it says: "By
all these wounds plead fer thy heart. I
have loved thee with an everlasting love.
Rivers cannot quench it. Floods cannot
drown it."
And while you look the right-hand cross
will fade out of sight, and then the left will
be gone; nothing will remain but the mid
die cross, and even that in your dream will
begin 10 change, until it becomes a throne;
and the worn face of Calvary will become
radiant with gladness; and instead of the
mad mob at the foot of the cross will be a
multitude kneeling. And you and I will be
among them. But no! We will not wait
for such dream. In this our most
aroused mood we throw down at the foot
"a n la Ccf., 70 1aa4h
every thing. We are slaves; Christ gives
Christ is the river of salvation to slake our
thirst. We are hungry; Jesus says; 81 am
the bread of life" We are condemned to
die; Christ says: 'Save thae man from 60
ing down to the pit; l am the ransom" y
We are tossed on sea of trouble; Jesus
comes over it. saying: SIT is l, be not
afraid" We are in darkness; Jesus says.
81 am the bright and morning starr We
are sick; Jesus is the ''balm of Gilead."
We are dead; hear the shrouds rend and
the grave hillocks heave as he cries: 81 am
the resurrection and the life; he that be.
lieveth in me, though he were dead, yet
shall he live." We want justification,
"Being justified by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ :"
We want to exercise faith; Believe in the
Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved"
L want to get from under condemnation;
There is now, therefore, no condemnation
to them who are in Christ Jesus" The cross
He carried it. The flames of hell-He suf-
fered them. The shame-He endured it.
The crown-He won it. Heights of heaven
sing it, and worlds of light to worlds oflight
all round the heavens cry: "Glory !
Gloryr