The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-08-16

InaXtlnRu1SAaD1e love.
THE EXCEEDING SINFULNEsS OF SIN.
But l remark again, 1t beloved
Christ to suffer" that the nature OF hu-
man guilt might be demonstrated. There
Is not a common sense man IN the house
today that viii not admit that the ma
chinery of society is out OF gear, that
the human mind and the human heart
are disoroanized. that something ought
to be done and done right away for its
repair and readtustment- But the height
and depth and length and breadth and
hate and recklessness and internal en-
erpy of the human heart for sin would
not have been demonstrated if 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 tire
Son of God It was hate against good
ness, 1t was blssphemy 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? If he
had bantered them to come ON, If he had
laughed them into derision, If he had de-
nouneed them as the vagabonds that
they were, we could understand their
ferocity, but it was against inoffensive-
ness that they bFandished their spears,
and shook their fists, and ground their
teeth. and howled and scoffed and ieered-
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 damsel to her mother. What
law had he broken? None; but he had
inoulcsted obedience 30 government.
What foul plot had he enacted against
the happiness OF the race? None; he
had come to save world The only
cruelty he ever enacted was to heal the
sick. The only ostentstion he ever dis
played Yves TO sit with publicans and
sinners and wash the disciples feet
The only sel6shness 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 Saviouras blood! And
standing there today let us see what an
unreasonable, loathsome, hateful, blast
ing, danning thing is the iniquity of
the human heart Embossed, what will
not sin do? 1t will scale any height, it
Will fathom the very depth of hell, 1t
will revel in all righteousness There
-.
are no cruelties ON which it Will not
gorge itself. 1t will wallow in filth, it
will breathe the air of charnelhouses of
corruption and call them aroma, it will
uuaff the blood Of immortal souls and
call it nectar.
When sin murdered Christ ON the
cross it showed what If would do with
the Lord God Almighty If it could get at
him. The prophet had declared think
it was Jereniah-had declared centuries
before the truth, bat not until sin shot
out its forzed tongue at the crucifix and
tossed its sting into the soul of a mar
tyred Jesus was 1t illustrated, that ''the
heart is deceitful above all things, and
desperately wicked"
OUR LOVE TOWARD CHRIST.
Again, lit beloved Christ to suffer-
that our affections might be excited
Christward. Why, sirs, the behavior of
our Lord has stirred the affections of all
those 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 Car
dem" Angeles "CruciiixiOn,' 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 pcnitentiaI notes Of
sorrow and the hosanuas of Christian
triumph.
Show ne any other king who has so
many subjects. What Is the most po-
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 adIniring subjects as
Christ? Show me regiment of thou
sand men in their army and will show
you a battalion of ten thousand men in
Christ's army.
Show me in history where one man
HAS given LIS l'4OpSAby anu LIS LIZ 4o4
any one else, and l viii 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 We're,
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, vest the Lord Jesus has won the
affections of many of us. There are
some of as 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. let me clasp thee.
Gonna ljfa cOTna death c.nTna Scnr0 and