Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1888-06-09

70 taking positive step on this subject,
you cannot-you cannot. and my text,
like gate Of q hundred bolts. bars you
away from peace OH earth and glory in
heaven.
There are hundreds of men and women
here, brave enough in other things In
life, who simply, for the lack Of manli.
ness and womanliness. stay away from
God. They dare not say: Forever and
forever, Lord Jesus. take thee. Thou
hast redeemed me by thy blood; here Is
my immortal spirit. Listen, all my
friends. Listen. all the world" They
are lurking around about tho kingdom
Of G0l-thcy are lurking around about
IL, expecting to crawl in some time when
nobody is looking. forgetful Of the tre-
mendous words Of my text: "Whosoever
doth not bear his cross. and come after
me. cannot be my disciple"
An officer Of ncighboring church told
me that he was in n store in New York
just happened in-whcre there were
many clerks. and a gentleman camo In
and said to young man standing behind
the counter: "Arc you tho young man
that arose the other night in the Brook
lyn tabernacle and asked for praycrsl''
Without any flush Of cheek he replied:
II am. haven't always done right,
and have been quite bad. but since /
arose for prayers l think ! am better
than / was" Il was only his way Of
announcing that nc had started for tho
higher life. God will.not cast out a man
who is brave enough to take step ahead
like that.
tell you these things this morning be.
cause, my dear friends, want 70 show
you how light the cross is that we have
to carry compared with that which Christ
carried for us. You have not had the
flesh torn of for Christ's sake in carrying
your cross. lie tainted dead away under
his cross. You have not carried the cross
until it fetched the blood. der his
there was pool Of carnage that plaslictl
the horses fetlocks. You have friends
to sympathizc with you In carrying the
cross. Christ trod tho wine press of
Gods wrath alone, alone! The cross
that you and ought to carry represents
only few days or few years Of trial.
The cross that Christ carried for us had
compressed into It the ngonics Of eternity.
There has some one come here TO-DAY
whom you have not observed. lie did
not come through the front door; he did
not come down any Of these aisles; vet
| know he is here. lie is from tho east.
the far east. lie comes with blistercd
foot and with broken heart and cheeks
red not with health. but with blood from
the temples. take hold of his coat and
say: at docs not seem to fit thee"
mo, lie says; sit Is not mine; it Is bor-
rowcd; it does not belong to me now.
For my vesturc did they cast lots" And
| say TO him: Thine eyes are red as
though from loss of sleep" lie says:
Eyes, the Son OF man had not where to
lay his head" And touch the log on
his back and say: why earliest thou
this." ''Ah!" hc says. .'tliat Is cross I
carry for thee and for the sins of tho
whole world. That Is n cross. Fall into
line. march on with me in this process
sion. take your smaller crosses and your
lighter burdens and join me in this
march 20 heaven" And we Join that
procession with our smaller crosses
and our lighter burdens. and Christ
looks back and he secs some are halting
because they cannot endure the shame,
or bear the burden, and with voice
which has in il majesty and omnipo-
tcncc. he cries until all the earth trem-
blcs: "Whosocvcr doth not bear his
cross. and come after me. cannot ho my
disciple"
Oh! my brethren. my sis;ers-for do
not spcal; professionally. speak as n
brother would speak to brother or
he1
cross il ut last you can wear crown?
Come now. let rs divide or. Who Is on
the Lords side. Who ia ready to turn
his back upon the Lamb Of God that
taketh away the sin Of the world?
A Roman emperor said to Crock
architect: "You build me coliseum, a
grand coliseum, and IL IL suits me will
crown you in the presence Of all the
people, and will make great day Of
festival on your account" The Greek
architect did his work, did it magnifi-
Gently, planned the building. looked after
its construction. The building was done.
The day for opening arrived. In the
coliseum were the emperor and the
Greek architect. The emperor rose amid
the plaudits OF vast assembly and said:
I'VE have gathered here today to open
this coliseum. and to honor the Greek
architect. !, il great day for the Ro-
man empire Let this building bc pros
perois, and let honor be put upon the
Greek architect. o! we must have n
festival today. Bring out those Christians
and let us have them put TO death n, tho
mouth Of the lions" The Christians
We're put into the center Of the anphi.
theatre. II was TO be great celebration
in their destruction. Then the lions.
hungry and threc-foilrths starved. were
let out from their dcns in the side of the
amphithcatrc. and they came forth with
mighty spring to destroy and rcnd the
Christians. and all the galleries shouted.
"lI,izza. huzza! Long live the emperorl"
Then the Greek architect arose in one Of
the galleries and shouted until in the vast
asscmblagc all heard him: II too am
Christian!" aud they seized him in their
fury and flung him to the wild beasts,
until his lody, bleeding and dead. was
tumblcd over and over again in the dust
Of the amphitheatre.
Could you have done that for Christ:
Could You, in vast asScmblagc. all Of
whom hated Christ, have said: II am n
Christian" or. II want to he Chris
,ianl" Would you have had the
l0,000th part Of the enthusiasm and the
courage OF the Greek architect? Nay. l
ask you another question: would you in
m assemblage where they are nearly all
Christians-in IN asSemblage vast mul-
titude of whom love Christ AMI are will
ing to live, and II need be to die for him
would you dare say: II am Chris
tian." or, IL want 10 bc a Christian"
Would you say in the presence Of tho
friends Of Christ, ms much as the Greek
architect said in the presence Of the enc
mics Of Christ! o. are there not multi.
tutles here this morning who are ready
to say: LET the world look on; let all
the galleries Of earth and heaven and hell
look ON. take Christ this day. Come
applause or abuse. come sickness or
health. come life or death. Christ now,
Christ forever"
Are you for Christ. are. you against
As...s H.. l..sf.sa.s Of .a.r.,te.. ewa,.t.l.