The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-11-23
MESSAGE OF THECROSS
Doctor Holman's Discourse at tie
Tiff Church.
ELOQUENT SERMON LISTENED TO
BY A LARGE CONGREGATION.
Message That the Crucifixion Brings
to Us-A Word to Those Who
Think That Individual SHINING Is
Their Own Business.

DR.. Holman preached another forci-
BILE and eloquent sermon at the Tiff
church yesterday morning, his subject
being The Message Of the Cross, A
large congregation was present and
the discourse created a profound i'm
preston and set men ard women to
thinking.
AS a preface to his discourse, DR..
Holman built as a foundation the fact
that Gods truth is never changing.
But as the world changes from time to
time. so it is necessary TO vary in the
methods of applying the scriptural
teachings as well as the discovery of
new evidences OF Gods love for man.
When Christ showed himself TO his
disciples the last time he said Il
have many other things TO tell you
which you cannot bear to hear now"
I'm compromising the full meaning
of the message of the cross TO u.s.,
said the speaker, lit is necessary TO
bear in mind two things. First, when
we speak of the cross we do not sim
ply mean that eliminating event on
Calvary's mount. Christ is being con-
tinually crucified by the sins of the
world. Second, however much we may
desire, we cannot reconstruct our
thoughts to grasp the actual condition
of affairs at the time of ChristS cruel
fiXion 1860 years ago. The apostles
lived in times when the conditions
were so vastly different from what
they are now that to some people it
appears difficult to form correct con-
illusions from the mere reading of the
records of events. Paul lived in the
midst of sacrificial system. He lived
at time when mankind was of the
opinion that there was a God whose
wrath could only be appeased by offer
ings. Houses of worship at that time
were nothing less than slaghter houses.
The blood of sheep and other animals
was offered freely for the atonement
of human sin. 1 repeat that people
often form their understanding of cru
cifixions during the time of our Savior
on earth from the figures as they ap-
pear to us without taking into con-
sideration the many modifying circum-
stances.
But as the discussion of the meta
physics of theology is not pertinent to
an understanding of the subject under
consideration, it is sufficient to know
that the object of God is an ideal hui
manity. We heard last Sunday that
Christ was the exhibition of God, the
one whom he sent to the world to re-
veal himself, the ideal man. Now, put
ll1lS tHtSe Two ldCIS IOSeIner, what
was the crucifiXion of Christ? We
have the sin of the world crucifying
ideal humanity. Now you may under
stand the message the cross brings
TO US.
Man and womaps do you under
stand that your sin5is mailing Christ to
the cross? | am speaking to men now
who think lightly of SHINING; who think
if they want to sin il is their own
hnSinQCS and nOhndU Q1Ca'c I 70
say. to you today that every time you
commit a mean, wicked sin you are
forcing a crown of thorns upon your
SaviorS head. Now, if a man should
step to the side of your baby's cradle
and force crown of thorns upon
your baby's head until the blood
tricklei down Its white cheek, you
would think it an offense almost be-
yond atonement. Still you persist in
forcing thorns into your Redeemer's
brow
But you say. if I want to sin it's
my business. as 1 will have to pay the
penalty Now, that is just where the
trouble lies. You are not alone in
paying the penalty Every word and
act of yours yields an influence, not
alone during the present time but af-
ter your bones have smoldered in the
grave. If | want to sin, it's my bust
ness. I will have to pay the penalty
There never was a more delusive and
false thought. You are the least suf-
ferer.
Now, another message the cross
brings to us is the mercy of God. In
spite of your sins, your continual cru
cifixion of Christ, the Father stands
with outstretched arms to lift you up.
You cannot be covered with the filth
of your own misdeeds too thickly to be
lifted up by his loving arms