The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1889-07-31

word, there was a healing touch. They
could not keep away from Him.
In addition to this softness Of Character,
there was fiery momentum How the
Kings OF the earth turned pale Here is a plain
man with few sailors at his back, coming
OF the sea OF Galilee, going up to the palace
OF the Caesars, making that palace quake to
the foundations, and uttering word Of
mercy and kindness which throbs through
oil the earth, and through all the heavens,
and through all ages. y, he was loving
Christi But it was not effeminacy or IN
sipidity Of character; 1t was accompanied
with majesty, infinite and omnipotent. Lesk
the world should not realize His earnestness,
this Christ mounts the cross.
You say: 'If Christ has to die, why not
let Him take some deadly potion and lie on a
couch in some bright and beautiful homel
II He must die, let Him expire amid all kind
ly Intentions No, the world must hear the
hammers on the heads Of the spikes. The
world must listen TO the death rattle OF the
sufferer. The world must feel his warm
blood dropping on each cheek, while 1t looks
up into the face Of His anguish. And so the
cross must be lifted, and a hole is dug on the
top Of Calvary. It must be dug three feet
deep, and then the cross is laid on the
ground, and the sufferer is stretched upon
1t, and the nails are pounded throughnerve,
and muscle, and through the left hand, and
then they shake His right hand to see II 1t
Is fast, and they heave up the wood, half a
dozen shoulders under the weight, and they
put the end Of the cross In the mouth Of the
hole, and they plunge 1t in, all the weight
OF His body coming down for the first time
on the spikes; and while some hold the
cross upright, others throw In the
dirt, and trample IL down, and trample II
hard. o, plant that tree well and thor
oughly, for 1t is TO bear fruit such as no
other tree ever bore. Why did Christ en-
dure itl He could have taken those rocks
and with them crushed His crucifers. He
could have reached up and grasped thesword
OF the omnipotent God, and with one clean
cut have tumbled them into perdltion. But
no; He was TO die. He must die. His life
for your life. In q European city young
man died on the scaffold for the crime Of
murder Some time after the mother Of
this young man was dying, and the priest
came In, and she made confession 10 the
priest that she was the murderer and not
her son; In moment Of anger she had
struck her husband blow that slew him.
The son came suddenly into the room, and
was washing away the wounds and trying
TO resuscitate his father, when some one
looked through the window and saw him,
and supposed him TO be the criminal. That
young man died for his own mother You
say; ut was wonderful he never exposed
ha. n,.NI Il ALL Nf a1a thfnar
Christ, the Son Of God, died not for His
mother, not for His father, but for His sworn
enemies o, such a Christas that-so loving,
so patient, so self-sacrifcing-ca you
not trust Hint think there are many
under the influence Of the spirit Of God
who are saying: ~ will trust Him II you
will only tell me howl; and the great ques-
ton asked by thousands is : "Howl howln,
And while / answer your question look up
and utter the prayer which Rowland Hill so
often uttered in the midst Of his sermons: !:
Master, helpw How are you TO trust in
Christi Just as you trust any one. You
trust your partner in business with
important things. II commercial house
gives you note payable three months
hence, you accept the payment OF that note
at the end Of three months. You have per-
feet confidence in their word and their
ability. Or again, you go home expecting
there will be food on the table. You have
confidence In that. Now ask you TO have
the same confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ.
He says: "You believe I take away your
sins, and they are all taken away"
.Whatp you say, .before ! pray any
morei Before read my Bible any morei
Before / cry over my sins any moreP'
Yes, this moment Believe with all your
heart and you are saved Why, Christ is
only waiting 70 get from you what you give
10 scores Of people every day. What is
thati Confidence. II these people whom
you trust day by day are more worthy than
Christ II they are more faithful than Christ,
II they have done more than Christ ever did,
then give them the preference; but II you
really think that Christ is as trustworthy as
they are, then deal with him as fairly.
'tO,n says some one In light way, II be-
lieve that Christ was born In Bethlehem,
and I balieve that He died on the cross"
Do you believe it with your head or your
hearth will Illustrate the difference. You
are In your own house. In the morning you
open newspaper, and you read how Cap
tain Braveheart on the sea risked his life
for the salvation Of his passengers. You
say, "Whata grand fellow he must have
beenl His family deserve very well Of the
country You fold the newspaper and sit
down at the table, and perhaps do not think
Of that incident again. That is historical
faith.
But now you are on the sea, and II Is
uight; and you are asleep, and you are
awakened by the shrek Of "fren You
rush out on the deck. You hear amid the
wringing Of the hands and the fainting, the
cry, "No hope! no hopel We ere lost we
are lostl" The sail puts out its wings Of
fire, the ropes make q burning ladder in
the night heavens, the spirit Of wrecks
Kisses in the waves and on the hurri-
cane deck shakes out It's banner Of smoke
and darkness .Down with the llfeboats ~
cries the captain. "Down with the life
boatsp' People rush into them. The boats
are about fun. Room only for one more
man. You are standing on the deck beside
the captain. Who shall II BET You or the
captatni The captain says: "You." You
Jump and are saved. He stands there and
dies. Now, you believe that Captain Brave
heart sacrificed himself for his passengers,
but you believe II with love, with tears,
with hot and long continued exclama-
tions, with grief at his loss, and Joy at
your deliverance. That Is saving truth.