Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-09-10

udLu Cross, Will It's 1OuS
beam. overshadows all the earth. 1t is
planted in the heart of the race. When
will the time come when the spirit of
God shall, with it's ak, hew down that
right hand cross until it shall fall at
the foot Of that middle cross and unbe-
lief. the railing maiefactor of the world,
shall perish from all our hearts? Away
from me, thou spirit of unbelief! l
hate thee! With this sword of God 1
thrust thee back and thrust thee
through, Down to hell. Down, most
accursed monster of the earth, and
talk to those thou hast already damn
ed! Talk no longer to these sons Of
God, these heirs of heaven!
eff thou be the Son Of God" Was
there any eff about it? Tell me,
thou star. that in robe Of light did run
to point out his birthplace. Tell me,
thou sea, that didst put thy hand over
thy lip when he babe thee be still.
Tell me, We dead, who got up to see
him die. Tell me, thou sun in mid
heaven, who for him didst pull down
over thy face thy veil of darkness
Tell me, We lepers who were cleansed,
We dead who were raised, is he the Son
of God? Aye, aye! responds the uni
verse. The flowers breathe it; the stars
chime it; the redeemed celebrate it:
the angels rise on their thrones to an
nounce it. And yet on that miserable
malefactor's eff how many shall be
wrecked for all eternity! That little
''if'' has enough venom in it's sting to
cause the death Of the soul. No ''if'
about it. l know it. Ecce Deus! I
feel it thoroughly-through every mus
Gle of the body and through every fac
ulty Of my mind and through every
energy of my soul. Living, I will
preach it; dying 1 will pillow my head
upon it's corsolations-Jes the God.
Away, then, from this right hand
cross. The red berries of the forest
are apt to be poisonous, and around
this tree Of carnage grow the red, poi
sonous berries of which many have
tasted and died. I can see no use for
this right hand cross, except it be used
as a lever with which to upturn the
unbelief of the world
The Left Hand Cross.
Here from the right hand cross 20
to the left hand cross. Pass clear to
the other side. That victim also twists
himself upon the nails to look at the
center cross, yet not to scott. 1t is to
worship. He, too, would like to get
his hand loose, not to smite, but to
deliver the sufferer of the middle cross.
He cries to the railer cursing on the
other side: "Silence! Between us is
innocence in agony. We suffer for our
crimes. Silencev' Gather round this
left hand cross, o We people! Be not
afraid. Bitter herbs are sometimes q
tonic for the body, and the bitter aloes
that grow on this tree shall give
strength and life to thy soul. This
left hand cross is q repenting cross.
AS men who have been nearly drown
ed tell US that in one moment, while
life passed before them, so I suppose in
one moment the dying malefactor
thought over all his past life-of that
night when he went into an unguarded
door and took all the silver the gold,
the jewels, and as the sleeper stirred,
he put a knife through his heart; of
that day when, in the lonely pass, he
met the wayfarer and regardless of the
cries and prayers and tears and strug-
giles Of his victim he flung the mangled
corpse into the dust of the highway or
heaped upon it the stones. He says: II
am q guilty wretch: 1 deserve this!
There is no need Of my cursing. That |
will not stop the pain. There is no
need of disappearing Christ, for he has
done me no wrong, and yet l cannot |
die So The tortures of my body are
undone by the tortures of my soul. The !
past is a scene of misdoing. The pres i
ent crucifxion. The future an ever
lasting undoing Come back, thou hid
ING midday sun, Kiss my cheek with |
one bright ray of comfort. What, no
help from above-no help from be-
meath? Then I must turn to my com I
paniOn in sorrow. the One on the mid /
die cross. have heard that he knows
how to help man when he is in trou-
Bile. I have heard that he can cure the /
wounded. l have heard that he can
pardon the sinner. Surely, in all his
wanderings up and down the earth, he
never saw one more in need of his for
givenesS! Blessed Onei [ turn to theei /
Wilt thou turn for the moment away
from thy own pangs to pity me! Lord, /
it is not to have my hands relieved or /
my feet taken from the torture. can /
stand all this; but, oh, my sins, my
sins, my sins, they pierce me through !
and through. They tell me I must die
forever. They will push me out into
the darkness unless thou wilt help me.
I confess it all. Hear the cry of the |
dying thief, Lord, remember me when /
thou contest into thy kingdom I ask
no great things. | seek for no throne
in heaven, no chariot to take me to the
skies. but just think of me when this
days horrors have passed. Think Of !.
me little-of me, the one now hang