Milford chronicle., 1888-06-08
MILFORD, DEL, FRIDAY, JUNE 8, 1888.


and tried TO talk religion in my house
hold, and then after that l should lase my
temper they would scoff at me and say:
You are pretty Christian' So you
are coweI down and their sarcasm keeps
you out Of heaven and away from Christ.
when under God you ought to take your
whole family into the kingdom. Christ
lifted mountain, lifted world for you;
you cannot lift an ounce for him. / see
how it is; you want 10 be favorable to
religion, you want to support Christian
institutions, you like TO be associated
with those who love Jesus Christ; but as
to taking positive step Oh this subject.
you cannOt-you cannot, and my text,
like gate of hundred bolts, bars you
away from peace on 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. l 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 the kingdom
of Cod they are lurking around about
it, expecting to crawl in some time when
nobody is looking. forgetful Of the trc-
mendous words Of my text: ''Whosoever
doth not bear his cross, and come after
me, cannot be my disciple" "
An officer Of Il neighboring church told
me that he was in a store in New York
just happened in-where there were
many clerks. and a gentleman came in
and said to young man standing behind
the counter: ''Are you the young man
that arose the other night in the Brook
lyn tabernacle and asked for prayersl"
Without any flush of check he replied;
Il am. haven't always done right,
and ] have been quite bad, but since /
arose for prayers ! think am better
than was. 1t was only his way of
announcing that he had started for the
higher life. Cod will not cast out = man
who is brave enough to take u step ahead
like that.
tell you these things this morning be-
cause, my dear friends, / want to show
you how light tlse cross is that we have
to carry compared with that which Christ
carried for us. You have not had the
flesh torn OFF for Christ's sake in carrying
your cross. He tainted dead awfy under
his cross. You have not carried the cross
until it fetched the blood. der his
there was pool of carnage that FLASHED
the horses fetlocks. You have friends
to sympathize with you in carrying the
cross. Christ trod the wine press of
Gods wrath alone, alone! The cross
that you and | ought to carry represents
only few days or a few years of trial.
The cross that Christ carried for us had
compressed into it the agonies Of eternity.
There has some one come here today
whom you have not observed lie did
not come through the front door; he did
not come down any of these aisles; yet
l know he is here. He is from the east,
the far east. He comes with blistered
foot and with broken heart and cheeks
red not with health. but with blood from
the temples. take hold of his coat and
say: 1T does not seem to fit thee. "
''No, he says; lit is not mine; it is bor-
rowed; it does not belong to me now.
For my vesture did they cast lots. " And
l say to him: Thine eyes are red as
though from loss of sleep" He says:
"Yes, the Son of man had not where tc
lay his head And | touch the log ON
his back and l say; "Why earliest thou
this?" ''Ahr' he says, that is a cross I
carry for thee aud for the sins of the
whole world. That is a 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 to heaven And we join that
procession with our smaller crosses
and our lighter burdens. and Christ
looks back and lie secs some are halting
because they cannot endure the shame,
OF bear the burden, and with voice
which has in it majesty and omnipO-
tence, he cries until all the earth trem-
bles: whatsoever doth not bear his
cross, and come after me, cannot be my
disciple"
Oh! my brethren. my sisters-for do
not speak professionally. | speak rs a
brother would speak to brother or
sister-my brother, can you not hear q
cross il at last You can wear 4 crown?
Come now. let us divide off. Who is on
the Lcrd's sidel Who is ready to turn
his back upon the Lamb of God that
talleth away the sin of the world?
A Roman emperor said to Greek
architect You build me a coliseum. a
grand coliseum, and if it 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 magnif-
Gently. planned the building. looked after
its construction. The building was done.
The day for opening arrived In tho
coliseum were the emperor and tho
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 is great day for the Ro
man empire Let this building he pros.
porous. and let honor he put upon the
Greek architect o! we must have a
festival today. Bring out those Christians
and LEI us have them put TO death 1T the
mouth of the lions The Christians
were put into the center of the amphi-
theatre. 1t was to he a great celebration
in their destruction. Then the lions,
hungry and thnse-fOurths starved, were
let out from their dens in the side of the
amphitheatre. and they came forth with
mighty spring to destroy and rend the
Christians, and all the galleries shouted,
"Huzza. huzzal Long live the emperorr'
Then the Greek architect arose IN one Of
the galleries and shouted until in the vast
assemblage all heard him; Il too am a
Christian!" and they seized him in their
fury and flung him to the wild beasts,
until his body. bleeding and dead. was
tumbled over and over again in the dust
Of the amphitheatre.
Could you have done that for Christ?
Could you. in vast assemblage all Of
whom hated Christ. have said: Il am a
Christian. or. Il want to be Chris
tian2' Would you have had the
10.O00th part Of the enthusiasm and the
courage Of the Greek architect? Nay, /
ask you another question; would you in
an assemblage where they are nearly all
Christians-in an assemblage a vast null
titude Of whom love Christ and are will
ing to live, and if need be to lie for him
a 4 Il ~ fItrsfe-