The Russellville Democrat., 1888-06-14

His cross. You have not carried the cross until 1t fetched the blood. Under His there was pool of carnage that plashed the horses fetlocks. You have friends to sympathize with you in carry ing the cross; Christ trod the wine-press of Gods wrath alone-alonei The cross that you and I ought to carry represents only few days or q few years of trial The cross that Christ carried for us had compressed into it the agonies of eter- nity.
 There 4Ias some one come here to-day whom you have not observed. He did not come through the front door; He did not come down any of these aisles; yet 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:
 "It does not seem to fit Thee.D
 ''No," He says, ''it is not mine; it is bor- rowed; it does not belong to mo now. For my venture did they cast lots" And I say unto Him;
 "Thine eyes are red as though from loss of sleep" He says.
 'eYes, the Son of man had not where to lay His head.n And I touch the log on His back and I say:
 "Why earliest thou this?"
 "Ahl" He says, Hthat is cross carry for thee and for the sins of the whole world. Tbat is cross. Fall into line, march on with me in this procession, 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 He sees some are hslting because they can not endure the shame, or bear the burden, and w1th voice which has in it majesty and om- impotence, He cries until all the earth trembles:
 whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after me, can not be my disciple
 A Roman Emperor said to Greek architect: "You build me coliseum, a grand coliseum, and if it suits me I will crown you in the presence of all the people, and l will make a great day of festival on your account"
 The Greek architect did his work, did # magnifcently, planned the building. looked after its construction. The build- ing was done. The day for opening ar- rived. In the coliseum were the Emperor and the Greek architect. The Emperor rose amid the plaudits of vast assembly and said:
 "We have gathered here to-day to open this coliseum and to honor ths Greek architect. It is great day for the Roman Empire. Let this building belprosperous, let honor be put upon the Greek architect. o, we must have festival to-day. Bring out those Christians and let us have them rstJf fn of ha n11th of ha
 The Christians were put into the center of the amphitheater. It was to be great celebration in their destruction. Then the lions, hungry and three-fourths starved, were let out from their dens in the side of the amphitheater, and they came forth with mighty spring to destory and rend the Christians, and all the gal. leries shouted: 'Huzza huzzal Long live the Emperorw Then the Greek architect arose in one of the galleries and shouted until the vast assemblage all heard him: "L, too, am a Christianw w 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 ill the dust of tho amphitheater.
 Could you have done that for Christi Could you, in vast assemblage, all of whom hated Christ, have said: q am 0 Christian" or 'I want to be Christians" Would you have had the ten thousandth part of the enthusiasm and the courage of the Greek architectf Nay, l ask you another question: Would you, in an as- semblage where they are nearly all Chris- tians-In an assemblage vast multitude of whom love Christ and are willing to live, and if need be, to die for Him--would you dare to say: q am a Christian," or q want to be 0 Christian?" Would you say in the presence of the friends of Christ as much as the Greek architect said in the presence of the enemies of Christ. o! are there not multtudes here this morning who are ready to say:
 'Let the world look on, let all the gal. leries of earth and Heaven and hell look on, take Christ this day. Come ap- plause or abuse, come sickness or health, come life or death, Christ now, Christfor- ever.o
 O! Christian man, o Christian womanl Have you any scars to show in this con- fict? When a war is over the heroes have scars to show. One hero rolls back his sleeve and shows gunshot fracture, or he pulls down the collar and shows where he was woun ded in the neck. Another man says:
 q have never had the use of my limb since I was wounded at that great bat tle.o
 When the last day comes, when all our battles are over, will we have any wounds for Christi Some have wounds for sin, wounds for the devil, wounds gotten in fighting on the wrong side. Have we wounds that we can show-wounds gotten A.. |. Fn l fIa h On that resurrection day Christ will have plenty of scars to show. Christ will stand there and show the sears on His brow, the scars on His hands, and the scars on His feet, and He will put aside the robe of His royalty and show the scar on His side, and all Heaven will break down with emo- ton and gratitude in one great sob, ana then in one great hosanna. Will you and l have any scars to show?
 There will be Ignatius on that day show ing the mark ot the paw and teeth of the lion that struck him down in the Coliseum. There will be glorious John Huss showing just where on his foot the flames began on that day when hIs soul took wing of flame and scared up from Constance, There will be Hugh McKail ready to point to tho mark on his neck where the axe struck him. There will be McMillan and Campbell and Freeman, the Ameri- can missionaries, who, with their wives and children, were put to death in the awful massacre at Cawn- pore, showing the place where the daggers of the Sepoys struck them. There will be the Waldenses showing where their limbs were broken on the day when the Piedmontese soldiery pitched them over the rocks. Will you and have any wounds to show Have we fought any battles for Christ? O. that we might all be enlisted for Christ, that we might all be willing to suff CT for Christi that we might all bear a cross for Christ.
 When the Scottish chieftains wanted to raise an army they would make wooden cross and then set it on fire and carry it with other crosses they had through the mountains, through the highlands and among the people, and as they waved the cross the people would gather to tho standard and fight for Scotland. So to- day como out with the cross of the Soa of Cod If fs a datnfuf, q, r.rnae-n amino Vyi th