Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1896-08-22

half of the prosecution to make his plea.
With the Bible open in his hand he
reads the law, stern and infexible, and
the penalty, "The soul that sinneth, il
shall die" Then he says: 30 thou
Judge and Lawgiver, this is thine OWL
statute, and all the evidence in earth
and heaven agrees that the man has
sinned against these enactments. Now
let the sword leap from its scabbard.
Shall man go through the very flames
of Sinai unsinged? Let the law be ex-
ecuted. Let judgment be pronounced.
Let him die. I demand that he dieE'
o Christian, does it not look very
dark for thee? Who will plead on thy
side in so forlon cause2 Sometimes a
man will be brought into court of
law, and he will have no friends and nc
money, and the judge will look over the
bar and say, sis there any one who
will volunteer to take this mans case
and defend him?' And some young
man rises up and says, II will be his
counsel" perhaps starting on from that
very point to q great and brilliant ca
reer. Now, in this matter Of the soul,
as you have nothing to pay for counsel,
do you think that any one will Volun-
teor? Yes, yes; see one rising. He is a
young man, only SO years Of age. I see
his countenance suffused with tears and
covered with blood, and all the galleries
of heaven are thrilled with the spec
taole. Thanks be unto God, 1--WE have
an advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ the righteous "
o Christian soul, your case begins
to look better. I think, perhaps, after
all, you may not have to die. The best
advocate in the universe has taken your
side. No one was ever so qualified to
defend you. He knows all the law, all
its demands, all its penalties He is al
ways ready. No new turn of the case
Gun surprise him, and he will plead for
you for nothing as earnestly as though
you brought world of treasure to his
feet. Besides that, he has undertaken
the case of thousands who were as for
lorn as you, and he has never lost a
case. Courage, o Christian soull
think that, after all, there may be some
chance for you, for the great advocate
rises to make his plea. He says: II adj
NIT all that has been proved against my
client I admit all these sins, aye, more
but look at that wounded hand Of mine
and look at that other wounded hand,
and at my right foot and at my left
foot. By all these wounds plead for
his clearance. Count all the drops Of
my tears. Count all the drops of my
blood. By the humiliation Of Bethle-
hem, by the sweat of Gethsemane, by
the sufferings of the cross, demand
that he go free. On this arm he hath
leaned; to this heart he hath flown; in
my tears he hath washed; on my right
eousness he hath depended. Let him so
free. am the ransom. Let him escape
the lash; I took the scourgings. Let the
CUP pass from him; I drank 1t to the
dregs. Put on him the crown Of life, for
I have worn the crown of thorns. Over
against my throne Of shame set his
throne of triumph
The Judgment.
Well, the counsel on both sides have
spoken, and there is only one more
thing now remaining, and that is the
awarding of the Judgment. If you have
ever been in courtroom, you know the
silence and solemnity when the verdict
is about to be rendered or the Judgment
about TO be given. About this soul Oh
trial-shall it be saved or shall it be
lost? Attention, above, around, beneathl
All the universe cries, "Hear, hear"
The Judge rises and gives this de-
cision, never to be changed, never to be
revoked: There is, therefore, now no
condemnation to them who are in
Christ Jesus.
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
will not, will not. desert to his foes.
That soul, though all hell should endeayor to
shake
I'll never; no, never; no, never, forsake.
But, my friends, there is coming a
day of trial in which not only the saint,
but the sinner, must appear That day
of trial will come very suddenly. The
farmer will be at the pillow. the mer-
chant will be in the counting room, the
woodman will be ringing his OK on the
hickories, the weaver will have his foot
on the treadle, the manufacturer will
be walking amid the buzz of looms and
the clack of flying machinery, the coun-
sci may be at the bar pleading the law,
the minister may be in the pulpit plead
ing the gospel, the drunkard may be
Keeling amid his cups ~ the blasphem-
er with the oath cat gnt between his
teeth.
Lol The sun hides. Night comes
down at midnoon. The stars appear at
noon today. The earth shudders and
throbs. There IN earthquake opens, and
city sinks as crocodile would crunch
child. Mountains roll in their sockets
and send down their granite cliffs in
avalanche of rock Rivers pause i'll their
chase for the sea. and ocean, urrcaring,
cries to flying Alps and Himalaya.
Beasts below and mean and snuff up
the drknesa Clouds fly like flocks OF
swift eagles. Great thunders beat and
boom and burst. Stars shoot and fall.
The Almighty, rising on his throne, de-
clalei time shall be no longer, and
the a, gels trump repeats it till all
the liN hear and the continents Of
dead s ,t.Ig to their feet. crying, Thine
shall be no longer!' Oh. on that day
will you he ready?
have shown you how we'll the Chris
tan will set off in his trial. Will you
get off as we'll in your trial? Will Christ
plead OH your side or against you? Oh,
what will you do in the last great assize
if your conscience is against you, and
the world is against you, and the angels
of heaven are against you, and the Holy
Spirit is against you, and the Lord God
Almighty is against you9 Better this
day secure an Advocate.
Hall Caine.
Hall Caine, the novelist, is connois-