The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1892-08-06

upon us in this world we have Divine
sympathizer. The world can not lie
about you nor abuse you as much as
did Christ, and Jesus stands to-day in
every courtroom, in every house, in
every store, and says: Courage! by
all my hours of maltreatment and
abuse, l will protect those who are
trampled upon" And when Christ
forgets that two o'clock morning scene,
and the stroke of the rufiian on tho
mouth, and the bowling of the UNI
washed crowd, then He will forget you
and me in the injustices Of life that
may be inflicted upon us.
Further remark: The last great in
stallment paid for our redemption was
the demise of Christ The world has
seen many dark days. Many summers
ago there was very dark day when
the sun was eclipsed. The fowl at noon
day went to their perch, and we felt
gloom as we looked at the astronomical
wonder. 1t was dark day in London
when the plague was at its height, and
the dead with uncovered faces were
taken in open carts and dumped in the
trenches. 1t was dark day when the
earth opened and Lisbon sank: but the
darkest day since the creation OF the
world was when the carnage of Calvary
was enacted.
1t was about noon when the curtain
began to be drawn. 1t was not the
coming on of night that soothes and
refreshes; it was the swinging of
great gloom all around the heavens.
God hung it. As when there is dead
one in the house you bow the shutters
or turn the lattice, so God in the after
noon shut the windows of the world.
As it is appropriate to throw black
pail upon the coffin as it passes along,
so it was appropriate that everything
should be somber that day as the
great hearse of the earth rolled on,
bearing the corpse OF the King.
A mans last hours are ordi-
narily kept sacred. However you may
have hated or caricatured q man,
when you hear he is dying, silence puts
its hands on your lips, and You would
have loathing for the man who could
stand by death-bed making faces and
scofing. But Christ in His last hour
can not be left alone. What, pursuing
| Him yet after SO long pursuit? You
have been drinking His tears. Do you
| want to drink His blood? They come
up closely, so that Notwithstanding the
darkness they can glut their revenge
with the contortions of His countenance.
| They examine His feet They want
| to feel for themselves wheter
those feet are really spiked. They
put out their hands and touch
the spikes, and bring them back wet
with blood and wipe them on their gar
| ments Women stand there and weep
but can do no good. 1t is no place for
the tender-hearted women. 1t wants q
heart that crime has turned into granite.
The waves Of mans hatred and of helfs
vengeance dash up against the mangled
feet, and the hands of sin and pain and
torture clatch for His holy heart. Had
He not been thoroughly fastened to
the cross they would have torn
Him down and trampled Him with
both feet. How the cavalry horses
arched. their necl1s and champed
their bits, and reared and snuffed at
| the blood! Had Roman officer called
out for light his voice would not have
been heard in the tumuit; but louder
the clash of spears ans he wailing OF
! womanhood, and the neighing OF
charges, and the believing of the cru.
offers there comes a voice crashing
through-loud, clear overwhelming
terrific. 1t is the grooming of the dyina
Son Of God! Look! what a scenel Look
world, at what you have done!
lift the covering from the maltreat
ed Christ to let you count the wound,
and estimate the cost. Oh, when the
nails went through Christ's right HAND
and through Christ's left hand, thai
bought both your hands with all theil
power to work and lift and write; wher
the nails went through Christs righ
foot and Christ's left foot, that bough
your feet with all their power to wall
or run or climb When the thorn wen
into Christ's temple, that bought YOU
brain with all its power to think and
plan. When the spear cleft Christi
side, that bought your heart with all ia
power to love and repent and pray.
When the Atlantic cable was lost IL
1865, do you remember that the Grea
Eastern and the Midway and the AL
bany went out to find it? Thirty time
they sank the grapnel two and hal
miles deep in water. After awhile the.
found the cable and brought it to the
surface. No sooner had it been brough
to the surface than they lifted shou
of exultation, but the cable slipped bacl
again into the water and was lost
Then for two weeks more they swep
the sea with the grappling-hooks, ant
at,last they found the cable and the.
brought it up in silence. They fastened
it this time. Then with great excite
ment they took one end of the cable t.
the electricians room to see if Their
were really any life in it, and whel
they saw spark and knew that mes
sage could be sent, then every hat wa
lifted and the rockets few and the gun
sounded, until all the vessels on the ex
petition knew the work was done an,
the continents were dashed together.
| Well, my friends, Sabbath after Sab
bath Gospel messengers have com
searching down for your souls We hav
swept the sea with the graphing
of Christ's Gospel. Again and again "
have thought you were at the surface
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