The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1894-09-05

hung amidships telling how many tons
1t carries, and how long ago 1t was
built, and who built it, and all about |
1t. And you cannot expect me to risk
the cargo of my immortal interests on
board any craft till you tell me what 1t
is made OF, and where it was made, and
what it is.
When, then, ask you who this is
you want me to trust in, you tell me
he is very attractive person. Con-
temporary writer's describe his whole
appearance as being resplendent.
There was no needfor Christ to tell the
children to come to Him. Suffer little
children to come unto Me-" was not
spoken to the children; it was spoken
to the disciples. The children came
readily enough without any invitation.
No sooner did Jesus appear, than the
little ones jumped from their mothers
arms, an avalanche of beauty and love,
into His lap. Christ did not ask John
to put his head down on His bosom;
John could not help but put his head
there. Isuppose a look at Christ was
just to love Him. How attractive His
manner Why, when they saw Christ
coming along the street, they ran into
their houses and they wrapped up their
invalids as quick as they could, and
brought them out that He might look
at them. O, there was something so
pleasant, so inviting, so cheering in
everything He did, in His very look
When these sick ones were brought out
did He say 'Do not bring before me
these sores; do not trouble me with
these lcprosies?" No, no; there was
kind look, there was gentle word,
there was healing touch. They could
not keep away from Him.
In addition to this softness of char
acter, there was fiery momentum.
How the kings of the earth turnedpale.
Here is plain man with few sailors
at his back, coming off the sea of Cali
lee, going up to the palace OF the
C;csars, making that palace quake to
the foundations, and uttering word
of mercy and kindness which throbs
through the earth, and through all the
heavens, and through all ages. o! He
was loving Christ. But it was not
eifeulinacy or insipidity of character;
it was accompanied with majesty, inf
mite and omnipotent Lest the world
should not realize this earnestness, this
/ Christ mounts the cross.
You say, IF Christ has to die, why
not let Him take some deadly potion
and lie on the couch in some bright
and beautiful home? If He must die let
Him expire amid all kindly attentions.
No, the world must hear the hammers
on the heads of the spikes. The world
must listen to the death-rattle OF the
sufferer. The world must feel His
warm blood dropping on each, while il
looks up into the face of His anguish
And so the cross must be lifted, and a
hole is dug on the top of Calvary
1t must be dug three feet deep, ant
then the cross is laid on the ground
and the sufferer is stretched upon it
and the nails are pounded through
. nerve and muscle and bone, through
the right hand, through the left hand
and then they shake His right hand t.
see if it is fast, and they heave up the
wood, half dozen shoulders under tn
weight, and they put the end of tn
! cross to the mouth Of the hole, ant
they plunge it in, all the weight of Hi
body coming down for the first time Of
; the spikes; and while some hold tn
cross upright, others throw in the dir
and trample it down, and trample
hard.
O, plant that tree we'll and thor
oughly, for it is to bear fruit such a
: no other tree ever bore. Why di
Christ endure it? He could have takel
3 those rocks and with them crushed Hi
: crucifiers He could have reached VI
and grasped the sword of the omnipc
tent God, and with one clean cut hav
tumbled them into perdition. But nc
q He was to die. He must die. His lif
U for your life. In European city
) young man died on the scaffold for tn
e crime of murder. Some time after tn
' mother of this young man was dying
Il and the priest came in and she mad
. a confession to the priest that she wa
Il the murderer, and not her son; in
/ moment of anger she had struck he
P husband a blow that slew him. Th
S son came suddenly into the room, an
+ was washing away the wounds and try
IS ing to resuscitate his father, whe
l. some one looked through the windo'
g and saw him and supposed him to b
q the criminal That young man die
IS for his own mother You say: "It wa
l. wonderful that he never exposed her,
u But l tell you of a grander thing
le Christ, the son of God, died not for Eli
e mother, not for His father, but for Iii
u sworn enemies. Oh, such Christ q
that; so loving, so patient, so self-sacr
Is eing; can you not trust Him?
n' think there are many under the il
S fluence of the spirit of God who al
S, saying: 81 will trust Him if you wi
lc only tell me how" and the great que
tion asked by many is, "How? how
Is And while l answer your question
IL look up and utter the prayer whic
IL Rowland Hill so often uttered in th
le midst of his sermons: master, help
70 How are you to trust in Christ.
u Just as you trust anyone. You tru
your partner in business with impo
le tant things If commercial hou
nt gives you note payable three month
er hence, you expect the payment of th'
re note at the end of three months. W
u have perfect confidence in their wol
e. and in their ability. Or again, you [
ne home to-day. You expect there win
er food on the table. You have confden
}, in that. Now, | ask you to have Il
Is same confidence in the Lord Jes