The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1892-09-01

| aroma, it will quaH tue oioou "a iinlnoi oe'A
| souls and call it nectar. :.
| showad what it would do with the LORD GOD
| Almighty if it could get at HIM. Inc
| nronhet had declarei-I think 1t was Jere
| miah-had declared centuries before the
\ truth. but not until sin shot out It's forked
| tongue at the cructix and tossed It's sung
| into the soul of martyred Jesus was IL IL
| 1ustrated that "the heart is dc ceitful above
iii things and des oerately wicked"
| AGAIN. st beloved Christ to su fer"
| that our affections might be excited Christ
ward. Why, sirs. the behavior of our Lord
| has stirred the affections of all those who
have ever heard of it. 1t has been the art
| galleries of the world 18th such pictures as
I to's Baptism of Christ" Holman Hunts
"Christ in the Temple" TintoreGs agony
in the Garden Angeles "Crucitixion,"
and il has called out Handers Messiah" and
/, rung sweetest chimes in Young's Might
Thoughts" and filled tbs 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 potent
name to-day in the United States, in France,
in England in Scotland, in Ireland! Jesus.
Other kings have had many subjects, but
where is the king who has SO many admir-
ing subjects as Christi Show me regi-
menC OF tnOuSduu ulcu Ill oueh my
| will show you battalion OF ten tnouSdnd
men in ChriSts army.
Show me in history where one man mas
given his property and his life for any one
else, aud will show you In history hun
dreds and thousands OF men who have cheer
fully died that Christ might reign. Aye,
there are hundred men In this house VINO,
if need were, would step out and die Tor
Jesus Their faith may now seem to be
faint. and sometimes they may be lnconsls'
tent. but let the fires of martyrdom be kim
died. throw them into the pit, cover them
with poisonous serpents pound Them, naii
them. crush them, and / will tell you what
their last cry would be, Come, Lord Jesus,
come qulcEyF
on. yes. the Lord Jesus has won the affsc-
tiops OF many of u.s. There are some OF us
who can say this morning, Lord Jesus, my
light and my song; my hope for time. my
expectation for eternity" Altogether lovely
Thou art. Ny soul is ravished with the
vision Thou art mine. Come let 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 Jesus, if l had some garland
pucked from heavenly gardens l would
wreath it for Thy brow. If [ had some
gem worthy OF the place l would set 1t IN
Thy crown. Ii had seraphc harp lwould
ruined and undone to throw myself at Thy
feet.
No price | bring
Simply to Thy cross cling.
Thou knowest all things. Thou knowest
that love Thee.
But remark again, SIT beloved Christ to
suffer-" that the world might learn how to
suffer. Sometimes people suffer because
they cannot help themselves but Christ had
in His hands all the weapons to punish His
enemies, and yet in quiescence He endured
all outrage. He might have hurled the
rocks of Golgotha upon His pursuers; He
might have cleft the earth until He swal-
lowed up His assailants; He might have
called in reinforcement or taken any thun-
derbolt from the armory of God Omnipotent
and hurled it seething and fiery among His
foes, but He answered. not again.
Oh nv hearers! has there ever been in
the history OF the world such an example of
enduring patience as we lind 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 a cup too deep and too br1m
ming. Sometimes you see the world laugh
ing and romping on the highways OF life.
and you look out of the window while seated
III invalid's chair.
| want to show you this morning one who
hal worse pains in the heat than you have
was wounded in the hands and wounded III
the feet, and suffered all over: and want
that example to make you more enduring III
your suffering, and to make you say,
.'Father, not My will but Thine be DONE"
You never have had any bodily pain, and
you will never have any bodily pain that
euualed Chrsts torture. ut beloved Christ
to suffer-" that He might show you how
physically to suffer.
Some of you are prosecuted. There are
those who hate you. They criticise you.
They would be glad to see you stumble and
fall. They have done unaccountable mean-
nesses toward you. Sometimes you feel
angry. You feel as if you would like to re
tort. Stop! Look at the closed lips, look at
the still hand, look at the beautiful demeanor
of your Lord. Struck, not striking back
again. Oh. if you could only appreciate
what He endured IN the way of persecution
Won never would complain of persecution.
The words of Christ would be your words,
''Father, if it he possible, let this cup pass
from Me; but if not, Thy will be done" ut
hehoved Christ to suffer" persecution, that
He might show you how to endure persecu-
ton.
| Some of you are bereft. 1t is no random
remark because there is hardly a family
| here that has not passed under the shadow.
You have been bereft. Your house Is a
| different place from what 1t used to be. The
| same furniture, une same poohs, oue same
| pictures. but there has been voice husned
there The face that used to light up the
whole dwelling has vanished. The patter-
| ing of the other feet does not break up
the loneliness The wave has gone over your
! soul and you have sometimes Thought what
| Won would tell him when he comes back,
but then the thought has flashed upon you,
! he will never come back.
Ali my brother, my sister,. Christ has
sounded all that depth, Jesus OF the berett
soul is here to-day. Behold Him He
knows what it is to weep at the tomb. 1t
seems TO me as it all the storms OF the world :
sorrow were compressed into one sob, and
that sob were uttered in two words, Jesus
wept."
| close my sermon with doxology'
"Blessng and glory and honor and pow er ba
unto Him that stteth upon the throne, and
| unto the Lamb. forever. Amen and amen y
| SERIOUSNESS AND FRIvoLITY.