Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-08-15


pointing down 10 the manger, thar at
rs.yssl Tia ShElssxllaa choir @boye bet1
leAem, thai opened the stable door where
Christ was horn. that lifted hIm on the
cross Love thirsty az the well. Love
al she siek ttlaas coach. Love ~ the
eriEpie's e<utea. Love sweating IL tae
S4rsiea- Love dying on the cross Love
wrapped In the grave. You cannot mis-
take il. The blndest eye rnust see II.
The hardest heart must feel ia. The
deafest ear must hear 1t. Parable and
miracle, weyside talk aud seaside inter
view, all the scenes OF his life, all the
suferiugs OF his death, proving beyond
controversy that for our migrate earth
God has yearned with stupendous and
inexsiaguish.ble love-
THE EXCEEDING sISFULSEss OF SIN.
But l remark again, 1T beloved
Christ 10 snfer,' that the nature OF hu-
man guilt might be demonstrated. There
is not common sense man In the house
today that viii not admit that the ma
ehineTy ~ society Is out OF gear, that
the human mind and the human heart
are disorganlzed. that something ought
10 be done and done right away for its
repair and readlustment. But the height
and depth and length and breadth and
hate and recklessness and internal en-
ergy Of the human heart for sin would
not have been demonstrated il against
the holy and innocent one Of the cross
il had not been hurled in one bolt OF
fire.
Christ was not the first man that had
been put TO death. There had been
many before him put to death, but they
had their whims, their follies, their sins.
their Inconsistencies. But when the
mob outside Of Jerusalem howled at the
Son of God il was hate against good
ness, it was blasphemy against virtue, it
was earth against heaven. What was
il in that innocent and loving face Of
Christ that excited the vituperation and
the contumely and scorn of men? II he
had ban,ered them to come on, If he had
laughed them into derision, if he had de-
nounced them as the vagabonds that
they were. we could understand their
ferocity, but it was against inoffensive-
ness that they brandished their spears,
and shook their fists, and ground their
teeth, and howled and scoffed ard jeered
and Knocked.
What evil had he done? Whose eye
sight had he put out? None; but he had
given vision to the blind. Whose child
had he slain? None; but he restored
the dead darnsel TO her mother. What
law had he broken? None; but ne had
inculcated obedience to government.
What foul plot had he enacted against
the happiness of the race? None; he
had come TO save a world. The only
cruelty he ever enacted was to heal the
sick. The only este. alton he ever dis
played was to sit with publicans and
sinners and wash the disciples feet.
The only selfishness he ever exhibited
was to give his life for his enemies.
And yet all the wrath Of the world
surged against his holy heart. Hear
the redhot scorn of the world Kissing
in the pools of Saviour's blood! And
standing there today let us SEQ what an
unreasonable, loathsome, hateful, blast
ing, damning thing is the iniquity Of
the human heart. Unlossed, what will
not sin do? 1t will scale any height, it
will fathom the very depth of hell, it
will revel in all lasciviousnsss. There
is no blaspfomy il will not inter, there
are no cruelties ON which it will not
gorge itself 1t will wallow in filth, it
] will breathe the air of charnelhouses o.
/ corruption and call them aroma, it will
/ quaff the blood of immortal souls and
call it nectar.
When sin murdered Christ on the
cross it showed what it would do with
the Lord God Almighty if it could get at
him. The prophet had declared think
it was Jeremiah-had declared centuries
before the ruin, but not until sin shot
out its fGrked tongue at the crucifix and
tossed Its sting into the soul Of = mar
tyrsd Jesus was it illustrated, that 1.-The
Eeart is de .eitful above all things, and
desperately wicked"
OUR LOVE TOWARD CHRIST.
Again, at beloved Christ to suffer, I"
that our affections might be excited
Chrisrward. Why, sirs, the behavior of
our Lord has stirred the affections Of all
thos, who have ever heard of it. 1t has
hung the art galleries of the world with
such pictures as Ghirlandajo's "Wor-
ship OF the Magi," Giotto's Baptism Of
Christ" Holman Hunts Christ in the
Temple" Tintoret's Agony in the Gar
den," Angeles "Crucifixion," and it has
called out Handers Messiah. and rung
sweetest chimes in ''Young's might
Thoughts" and filed the psalmody OF
the world with the penitential notes of
sorrow and the hosannas of Christian
triumph.
Show me any other king who has so
many subjects. What is the most POI
tent name today in the United States. In
France. in England, in Scotland, in Ire
land? Jesus. Other kings have had
many subjects. but where is the king
who has so many admiring subjects as
Christi Show me regiment of a thou
sand men in their army and / will show
you battalion of ten thousand men In
Christ's army.
Show me in history where one man
has given his property and his life for
any one else. and / viii show you in his
tory hundreds aud thousands Of men
who have cheerfully died that Christ
might reign. Aye. there are hundred
men in this house who, if need were,
would step out and die for Jesus Their
faith may now seem 10 be faint, and
sometimes they may be inconsistent,
bat let the fires Of martyriom be kin
died, throw them into the Pit, cover
then, With rcioo-nra Sarr.oY,tc y,our.s