The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-09-21

Is to repent. Now / snow you the mid
die cross that you may see VIVA Christ
has done to save your soul Poets nave
sung its praise, sculptors have at
tempted to commemorate II in marble
martyrs a chung to il in n nre,
and Christians dying quietly In their
beds have leaned their heads against
it This our may all our SOU en-
brace II with an ectasy OF aHeclon-
Lay hold of that cross, Everything
else will fail yol. Without a strong
grip on that YOU perish Put your
hand on that and you are safe, though
a world swings from beneath your
feet.
THE GLORIOUS REDEMPTION
Oh, that / might engrave on your
souls Intellectually the three crosses, so
that y IN y5J~ "-l-ng mon--nuS you
viii not heed, then in your dreams at
night you may see on the hill back OF
the three specuacleS-the
right hand cross showing unbelief, dy-
ing without Christ; the left hand show
ing what 1T is to be ~pardoned, while
the central cross our upon your soul
the sunburst of heaven as il a
by all these wounds / plead for thy
a / have loved thee with an ever
lasting love. Rivers canot quench it
Floods annOt drown it," And while
you Look the right hand cross will fade
out OF sight, and when the left Will be
gone, n nothing vii remain but the
middle cross, and V e that in your
dream will begin to change until it
becomes a throne, and the worn a
of Cavalry will become radiant with
giadness, n instead of the mad mob
at the foot of the cross will be a wor-
shipful multitude, kneeling. And you
and l will be among them.
But, no; we vii not wait for such a
dream. In this our most aroused
rrn AU- OF ~ F~~- ~
that middle cross sin, sorrow, life,
death-verything. We are slaves;
Christ gives deliverance to the cap
tive. We are thirsty; Christ is the
river of salvation to Stake our thirst.
We are hungry; Jesus says, Il am the
bread of life" We are condemned 10
die; Christ says, Save that man from
going down to the pit; lam h ran
SOM" We are tossed on the sea of
trouble; Jesus comes over it, saying,
1T us /; he not afraid" We are in
darkness; Jesus says, Il am the bright
and morning star" We are sick; Jesus
is the balm of Gilead." We are dead;
hear the shrouds rend and the grave
hillocks heave as he cries, 4 am the
resurrection and the life; he that be-
lieveth in me, though he were dead,
yet shall he live" We want justifica-
tion; Being justified by faith, we have
peace with God through u Lord
Jesus Christ" We want to exercise
faith; Believe in the Lord Jesus
Christ, and thou shalt be saved"
want to get from under condemnation;
There is now, therefore, no condem-
nation to them who are in Chris
Jesus" The cross; he carried it. The
flames of hell; he suffered them. The
shame; he endured it. The crown; he
won it. Heights of heaven sing it, and
worlds of light to worlds of light al
round the heavens cry: GLORY,
Glory!" LIE US go forth and gather the
trophies for Jesus. From Golconds
mines we gather the diamonds from
Ceylon shores we gather the pearls
from all lands and Kingdoms we gathel
precious stones, and we bring the gilt.
tering burdens and put them down a.
the feet of Jesus AND a y "All these
are thine. Thou art worthy We &
forth again for more trophies, and int
one Sheaf we gather all the scepter:
of the Caesars, and the A1exanders
and the cZars, and the Sultans, and o.
all royalties and dominionS, and ther
We bring the sheaf of scepters and pu
it down at the feet of Jesus and say
Thou art King of kings. All hes
thou hast conquered" And then W.
go forth again to gather more trophies
and we bid the redeemed of ages, TIL
sons n daughters of the Lore Al
mighty, to ONE And the hosts o
heaven bring crown and palm an
palm n scepter and here by thest
bleeding feet and this riven side an
by this wounded heart cry, BLESSING
and honor and glory and power n
the Lamb for ever and ever"
Copyright, 1900, by Louis Klopsch.)