The Red Cloud chief., 1889-08-02

Why, when they saw Christ coming along
the street they ran into their houses and
they wrapped up their invalids "a quick
~ they could and brought them out that
He might look at them. There was m
thing 30 pleasant so inviting. 80 cheering
in every thing He did, in His very look.
When these sick ones were brought out,
did He say: "Do not bring me these sores;
do not trouble mo with these leprosies?"
No. mo- there was Q kind look, there was .
gentle word, thsre was . 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 q
plain man with q few sailors ut his back,
coming of tho sea Of Gai,lee. going up to
the palace OF the Caesars. making that
palace quake to tho foundations. and ut.
tsring q word OF mercy and kindness
which throbs through all the earth. and
through all the heavens. and through all
ages. On. he was . loving Christ. But it
was not effeminacy or insipidity OF char.
acter; it was ACCOMPANIED with majesty.
infinite and OmnipOtent. Lest the world
should not rea!izs His earnestness. this
Christ mounts the cross.
You say: IT Christ has to die, Why
not let Him take some deadly potion and
lie ON . couch in some bright and beauti-
full home: II He must die let Him expire
amid all kindly intentional" 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 drop-
ping on each cheek. while it looks up into
the face Of His anguish. And SO the
cross must be lifted aud q hole is dug ON
the top Of Calvary. 1t must be dug three
foet deep, and then the cross is laid on the
ground. and the sufferer is street chsd upon
it. and tho nails are pounded through
nerve and muscle and bone. through the
right hand, through the left hand, and
then thsy shake His right hand to SEQ il il
IL fast, and they cav up the wood, half
q dozen shoulders under the weight and
they put the end Of the cross in the mouth
OF the hole. aud they plunge it in, all the
weight Of His body c)ming down for the
first time on the spikes; and while some
hold the cross upward others throw in the
dirt and trampls it down, and trample it
hard. O. plant that tree well and thor
oughly, for it il to bear fruit such a. NO
other tree ever bore. Why did Christ
endure it? He could have taken those
rocks and with them crushed His cruci-
ierA He could have reached up and
grasped the sword Of the omnipotent God,
and with one clean cut have tumbled them
into perdition. But no: He was to die.
His life for your life.
In q European city q young man died on
the scaffold for tho crime of murder.
Some time after the mother Of this young
man was dying. and the priest came in.
and she male confession to the priest that
she vas the murderer and not her son; in
Q m of anger she had struck her
husband q 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 " mother.
You say: ut was wonderful hat he
never exposed her" But l tell you of q
grander thing. Christ. the Son Of God.
died not for His mother. nor for His
father, u for His sworn enemies. o.
such . Christ as that-sO loving, SO pa.
TENT so off .sacrificing-can you not
trust him? I think there are man under
the influence Of the Spirit Of God who are
saying: II will trust Him il you will
only tell me how - and the great question
asked by thousands is: ''How: how:"
And while l answer your question l look
mp and utter the prayer which Rowland
Hill so often uttered in the midst
Of his sermons "Master. help Z"
How are you to trust in Christ: Just a.
you trust any one. You trust your part
ner in business with important things. II
. commercial house gives you q note pay
able three months hence you expect the
payment Of that note at The end Of three
months. You nave perfect confidence in
their word and their ability. Or again.
you 60 homo expecting there will be food
on the table. Y0u have confidence in that.
Now I ask you to have the same conf.
dencs in the Lord Jesus Christ. He says:
"You bell ,ve I take away your sins and
they are all taken away" ''What" you
say. 'before I pray any more: Before l
read my Bible any more: Before I cry
over my sins any more:" Yes this mo-
ment. Believe with all your heart and
you are saved. Why, Christ is only watt
ing to get from you what you give to
scores of people every day. What ia that?
Confidence. II these people whom you
trust day by day are more worthy than
Christ il they are moro faithful than
| Christ. il they have done more than Christ
| over did, then give them the preferences;
but IL you really think that Christ is as
trustworthy As they are then deal with
| Him as fairly.
TO-" says some one in q light way, II
| believe that Christ was born in Bethle.
hem, and I believe that He died on the
| cross" Do you believe it with your
head or -FOUR heart? l will illustrate the
difference. You are in your own house.
In the morning you open q newspaper
| and you read how Captain B~raveheart ON
| the sea risked his life for the salvation of
| his passengers. You say: what . grand
| fellow hs must have beenl His family de.
serve very we'll 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 ara IN ths sea. and it is
night. and you are asleep. and you are
awakened by the shrek Of Fire." You
rush out on deck. You hear amid the
wringing of hands and the fainting
the cry: No hope! We are lost!
We are lostw The sail puts out
out its wings Of fire. the ropes