Democratic messenger., 1892-08-20


had their whims, their follies, their sins.
their Inconsistencies. But when the
mob outside of Jerusalem howled at Il e
Son Of God il was hate against good
ness. il was blasphemy against virtue. it
was earth against heaven. What was
ii in that innocent and loving face Of
Christ that excited the vituperation and
the contumely and scorn of men: If he
had bantered them 10 come on. if he had
laughed them into derision. if he had de
nounced them rs the vagabonds that
they We're. 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 scofred and jeered
and Knocked.
What evil had he done: Whose eve
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 damsel to her mother. What
law had he broken: None: but he had
inculcated obedience to government.
What foul plot had he enacted against
AhN va All' ANOiits
had come to save world. The only
cruelty he ever enacted was to heal the
sick. The only ostentation 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 see what an
unreasonable, loathsome, hateful. blast
ing, damning thing is the iniquity of
the human heart. Cnlossed, %hat will
not sin do: 1t will scale any height, it
will fathom the very depth of hell. il
will revel in all lasciviousness. There
is no blasphemy il will not utter. there
are no cruelties on which it will not
gorge itself. 1t will wallow in filth. il
will breathe the air of charnelhouses of
corruption and call them aroma. it will
quaff the blood If immortal souls and
call it nectar.
When sin murdered Christ on the
cross it showed what il 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 truth. but not until sin shot
out its forked tongue at the crucifix and
tossed its sting into the soul of mar
tyred Jesus was it illustrated. that 1.-THE
heart is deceitful above all things. and
desperately wicked
ORR LOVE TOWARD CHRIST.
Again. ''It beloved Christ 10 suffer"
that our &fections might be excited
Christward. Why. sirs. the behavior of
our Lord has stirred the affections of all
those who have ever heard of it, Ii has
hung the art galleries of the world with
such pictures rs Ghirlandalo's "Wor-
ship of the Magi." Giottos Baptism Of
Christ" Holman Hunts "Christ in the
Temple. Tintoret's Agony in the Gar
den." Angeles "Crucifixion. and it has
called out Handel's 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 po-
tent name today i'll 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
Christ: Show me regiment of thou
sand men in their army and will show
Won battalion of ten thousand men in
Christ's army.
Show me in history where one man
has given his property and his life foi
any one else. and will show You in his
tory hundreds and 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 To be faint. and
sometimes they may be inconsistent,
but let the fires of martyrdom be kin
died. throw them into the pit, cover
them with poisonous serpents. pound
them, fail them. crush them. and | will
tell You what their last cry would be.
Come. Lord Jesus. come quickly"
Oh. yes! the Lord Jesus has won the
affections of many of us. There are
some of us who can say this morning,
Lord Jesus. my light and my song; my
hope for time, my expectation for eter-
nifty" Altogether lovely thou art. My
soul is ravished with the vision. Thou
art mine. Come. lei me clasp thee.
Come life. come death. come scorn and
pain. come whirlwind and darkness.
Lord Jesus. cannot give thee up.
have heard thy voice. | have seen thy
bleeding side. Lord Jesns. if had some
garland plucked from heavenly gardens
| would wreathe it for thy brow. If
had some gem worthy of the place
would set in thy crown. If had seraphic
harp would strike it in thy praise.
But come lost and ruined and undone
to throw myself at thy feet.
No price bring:
simply to thy cross cling.
Thou knowest all things. Thou know
est that love thee.
But / remark again. 1T beloved
Christ to suffer" that the world might
learn how to suffer. Sometimes people
suffer because they cannot help them
selves, but Christ had in his hands all
the weapons to punish his enemies. and
yet in quiescence he endured all out
rage. He might have hurled the rocks
of Golgotha upon his pursuers: he might
have cleft the earth until he swallowed
up his assailants: he might have called
in reinforcement or taken any thunder
bolt from the armory of God Omnipo-
tent and hurled it seething and fiery
among his foes. but he answered not
again.
Oh. my hearer. has there ever been in
the history of the world such an exam
pie of enduring patience as we find in
the cross: Some of You suffer physical
distresses, some of you have lifelong
ailments and they make you fretful.
Sometimes You think that God has
given you cup too deep and too brim-