Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1888-06-14
THE CRUCIFIXION.
Dr.. Talmagc Discourses on the One
Great Cross.
Christ's Great Sacrifices and SufYarincs-
The CrucifixiOn and Its Fruft-The Test
OF OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES in tho
Home Circle.

In bis late sermon at Brooklyn on tn
Cruc fxion Rev. T. Dewitt Tamage too
for hi, text the passage: whatsoever dot
not bear his cross and come after Me ca
Lot be Ny d sciple." Luke, xiv, % He said
The cross was a gibbet on which GRIN
tnals were pat TO death. 1t was sometime
made in the shape of the letter T, some
times in the shape OF the letter X, sone
times In the shape OF the letter Ia simpl
upright, sometimes two cross piece
against the perpendicular bar. so that upo
The lower cross piece the criminal partiall
sat- But whatever the style Of cross
was ALWAYS disgraceful and always agon
izing. When Darius conquered Babylon
he put 2Oo captves to death on the cross
When Alexander conquered Tyre lie pu
2.OOo captives to death on the cross So i
was just an ordinary mode Of punishment
But IN all the forests OF crosses on tn,
hills and in the valleys Of the earth. Their,
is one cross that attracts more attentio,
than any other. 1t is not higher than tn
other; IT is not made out OF different wood
there is nothing peculiar in the notch a
which the two pieces are joined, and as t.
the scene. they witnessed crucifiXiOn
every few weeks, so that see a reckless
carelessly aside a skull, and wonjerint
who the villain was who had so fiat anC
nisshapen head; and here is another
Skull, and there on the hill is another
skull. Indeed, the Bible says it WAS ..s
place OF SKULLS" But about the victim or
one OF these crosses ali ages are CRYING
''Who is He! Was He man! Was He 8
God! Was He man and Code" Through the
NJ fhos I II,
up enough to the cross 10 see who il is. Il
is Jesus. How did He come there! Had
He come up on top Of the hill TO look of
upon the beautiful landscape, or upon a
brilliant sunset! No. He came there ill
and exhausted
People sometimes wonder why Chris.
expired so quickly on the cross, in six or
seven hours, while other victims have been
On the cross for foriy-eight hours before
life was extinct. will tell you the reason.
He was exhausted when He came there.
He had been scourged. We are Mortified
ut the crueities OF the whipping post, but
those cruelties were mercy as compared
with the scourging Of Jesus Christ.
1 saw at Antwerp picture made by
Ruoens-Rubcns' picture Of the scourging
Of Jesus Christ 1t Yves the most over
IL,
ever expect to See. As the long frocked
official opened the door that hid the picture
there He was-Christ was back bent and
barred. The flagellator stood with the
upper teeth clenched over the lower lin, as
though to give violence to the blows.
There were the black and blue ridges,
denied even the relief Of bleeding. There
was the flesh adhering to the whips as
they were lifted. There were the marks
where the knots in the whips gouged cut
the flesh. There stood the prosecutor,
with his foot on the calf OF the leg Of the
Saviour, balancing himself. o! the furious
and LeIlish look on those faces grinnirg
vengeance on the Son OF God. The picture
seized me, 1t overwhelmed me; 1t seemed
as if it would kill me. l do not think
could have looked at it i've minutes and
have lived.
But that, my friends, was before Christ
had started tor Calvary. That was ONLY
the whipping. Are you ready for your
Journey TO the cross.
the carpenters have split the timber into
TWO pieces. They are heavy aud they are
long pieces, for one of them must be fast.
ened deep down In the earth lest the strug-
Cling of the victim upset the structure
They put this timber upon the shoulder Of
Christ very gradually. first, to see whether
He can stand it, and after they find He can
stand it, they put the whole weight upon
Him. Forward now to Calvary. The boot
ing anu the yelling mob follow on.
Under the weight of the cross, Christ be-
Ing weary and sick, stumbles and falls and
they jerk at His robe indignant that He
should have stumbled and fallen, and thew
cry: 'Gc. up, get upv' Christ putting
one hand on the ground and the other hand
on tue cross, rises, looking into the face Of
Mary, His mother, for sympathy, but they
tell her TO stand back. it is no place for
stand back and stop this crying"
Christ moves on with his burden ND on His
shoulders and there is a boy that passes
along with HIM. a boy holding maliet and
a few nails. l wonder what they arc for.
Christ moves on until the burden is so
great He staggers and falls fiat INTO the
Gust and faints dead away, and a ruffian
puts his foot On Him aud shakes Him as he
would IA dead hog, while another ruffian
looks down at HIM wondering whether he
has tainted away or whether He is only |
pretend ng to FAINT away and with jeer and |
Tont"mDt indcscri5a says: PAINTED, |
have youa tainted get up, get ony'
Now, they have arrived at the foot of the |
hill. Of with HIS clothes. Shall that loath-
some mob look upon the unrobed body of |
. hrist! Yes. The commanding officers say: |
'Jnfasteu the girdlc, take off the coat,
strip HIM" The work is done But bring
back his coat, for here are the gamblers
ossin2 up coin on the ground, saving:
w ho shall have the coat 90 One ruffian
'ays: Il have it. have lit is mine!"
he rolls II up and puts it u nder his arm or
he examines !. 10 see what fabric it is
made OF. Then they put the cross upon the
and they street h Christ upon it,
md four or five mcs hold Him down while
hey drive the spikes home. ut cveNy thump
! groan, groan! Alas las! the hour
,asses on and the time comes when they
must cruelty Him.
Christ has only one garment left now. q
ap, a cap OF thorns. No danger that it will
all OF, for the sharp edges have punctured
he temples and it is sure and fast. One
iffian takes hold Of one end OF the short
esm cf the cross. and another ruftian takes
old Of the other end Of the short beam OF
he cross, AMI another ruffian puts his arm
round the waist Of Christ, and another
uffian takes hold OF the end of the long
cam OF the cross, and altogether
hey move on until they come
D the hole digged In the earth, and with
wful plunge 1t jars down with its burden
woe. It'll not the picture OF Christ; it {
! not the statue Of Christ, as you some
ines see ia a cathedral; but it is the BODY 1
bleeding, living, dying Chris. They ,
ometimes say He had FIVE wounds, but
hey have counted wrong. Two wounds
Or the hands, two wounds for the feet, one ,
'ound for the side, they say, five wounds.
o, they have missed the worst and they {
ave missed the most Did you ever see
he bramblc out Of which that crown of {
,orns was msdel saw one on a Brook. {
n ferry boat, in the hands OF a gentleman
no had Just returned from Palestine, q {