The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1900-09-14
THE THREE CROSSES.
Dr.. Talmage Discourses on Redemp-
tion Of the Race.
Topic Suggested by Famous Paint
fDgs of Munich-Types of Humane
ity Represented by the Two
MaIefactOrS.
copyright, 1900, by Louis Klopsch.l
Washington,

copyright, 1900, by Louis Klopsch.l
Washington,
The famous paintings in the pic
ture galleries of Munich seem to have
suggested the topic of this discourse,
which DR.. Talmage sends from the
quaint Bavarian town, but the theme
which inspired the painters awakens
| in the great preacher thoughts of the
| redemption of the human race, which
was the supreme design of that scene
of suffering and death. The text is
Luke xiii, SO: "There they cruci-
| fed Him and the malefactors, one on
| the right hand and the other on the
left
Just outside of Jerusalem is a swell
| of ground toward which crowd are
| ascending, for it is the day of execu-
ton. What a mighty assemblage!
Some for curiosity to hear what the
malefactors will say and how they
will act. The three persons to be ex-
ecuted are already there. Some of
the spectators are vile of lip and
bIoated of cheek. Some look up with
revenge, hardly able to keep their
hands off the sufferers. Some tear
| their own hair in frenzy of grief.
Some stand in silent horror. Some
| break out into uncomfortable weep
ing. Some clap their hands in delight
that the offenders are to be punished
at last. The soldiers, with drawn
swords, drive back the mob which
presses on so hard. There is fear
that the proceedings may be inter
rupted. Let the legion, now sta
toned at Jerusalem, on horseback
dash along the line and force back
the surging multitude. "Back with
you!" is the cry. "Have you never
before seen man die?'
Three crosses in a rowan upright
piece and two transverse pieces, one
on the top, on which the hands are
nailed, and one at the middle, on
which the victim sat. Three trees
just planted, yet bearing fruit-the
one at the right bearing poison and
the one at the left bitter aloes, the
one in the middle apples of love. Nor
way pine and tropical orange and
Lebanon cedar could not make so
strange a grove as this orchard at
Calvary. Stand and give a look at
the three crosses.
Just look at the cross on the right.
It's victim dies scoffing. More awful
than his physical anguish is his scorn
and hatred of Him on the middle
cross. This wretched man turns half
around on the spikes to hiss at the
One in the middle. If the scoffer
could get one hand loose and he were
within reach, he would smite the
middle sufferer in the face. He hates
Him with a perfect hatred. I think he
wishes he were down on the ground
that he might spear Him. He envies
the mechanics who with their nails
have nailed him fast. Amid the set
Ting darkness and louder than the
crash of the rocks hear him ieer out
these words: "Ah, you poor wretch!
1 knew you were an imposter! You
pretended to be a God, and yet you
let these legions master you!" 1t was
in some such hate that Voltaire in
his death hour, because he thought
he saw Christ in his bedroom, got
up on his elbow and cried out:
Crush that wretch!' What had the
middle cross done to arouse up this
right hand cross? Nothing. Oh, the
enmity of the natural heart against
Christ! The world likes a sentimental
Christ or philanthropic Christ, but
a Christ who comes to snatch men
away from their sins = away with
Him! On His right hand cross to-
n T Al
world. Men say: 'Back with Him
from the heart! I will not let Him
take my sins. If He will die. let Him
die for Himself, not for me-" There
has always been a war between this
right hand cross and the middle cross,
and wherever there is an unbeliev-
ing heart there the fight goes on Oh,
if when that dying malefactor per-
ished the faithlessness of man had
perished, then that tree which yields
poison would have hudded and bios
somed with life for all the world!
That right hand cross thousands
have perished on it in worse agonies.
For what is physical pain compared
to remorse at the last that life has
been wasted and only a feeting mo-
ment stands between the soul and
its everlasting overthrow? o God,
let me die anywhere rather than at
the foot of that right hand cross!
Let not one drop of that blood fall
upon my cheek. Rend not nv ear
with that cry. I see it now as never
before-the loathsomeness and hor-
ror of nv unbelief That diving male
factor was not so much to blame as
I. Christianity was not established,
and perhaps not until that day had
that man heard the Christ But after
Christ has stood almost 10 centuries,
working the wonders of His grace,
you reject Him.
That right hand cross, with its long
beam, overshadows all the earth. It
is planted in the heart of the race.
When will the time come when the
spirit of God shall, with its ak, hew
down that right hand cross until it
shall fall at the feet of the middle
cross, and unbelief, the railing male
factor of the world, shall perish from
all our hearts? Away from me, thou
spirit of unbelief! I hate thee! With
this sword of God I thrust thee back
and thrust thee through Down to
hell; down, most accursed monster
of the earth, and talk to those thou
hast already damned! Talk no longer