The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1900-09-14

is convicted OF treason. he is brouGht
out; a regiment surrounds him. and
the command is given: Attention.
company Take aim! Fire!" And
the man falls with a hundred bullets
through his heart. There comes time
in mans history when the Lord calls
up the troop of his iniquities. and ut
Gods command they pour into him a
concentrated volley of torture.
True Condition OF the Unpardoned.
You say, Il don't feel myself to be a
sinner" That may be. Walk along by
the cliffs, and you see sunlight and
flowers at the mouth Of the cave. but
take a torch and go in, and before you
have gone far you see the flashing eye
of wild beast or hear the hiss OF a
serpent So the heart seems in the
sunlight of worldliness. But as | wave
the torch of Gods truth and go down
into the deep cavern of the heart, alas,
for the brstling horrors and the rat
Ting fangs. Have you ever noticed
the climax of this passage of Scripture:
THE heart is deceitful." That seems
enough. But the passage goes on and
says, THE heart is deceitful above all
things" Will you not say that is
enough? But the passage goes on fur
Their and says. THE heart is deceitful
above all things and desperately
wicked" If we could see the true
condition of the unpardoned before
God, what wringing of hands there
would be. What thousand voiced
shrek of duplication and despair!
But you are sinner, sinner l
speak not to the person who sits next
you. but to you. You are a sinner. All
the transgressions of life time have
been gathered up into an avalanche.
At any moment it may slip from the
cliffs and crush you forever. May the
Lord Almighty, by his grace, help us
to repent OF our sins while repentance
is possible.
This left hand cross was believing
cross There was no guesswork in that
prayer, no if" in that duplication. The
left hand cross flung itself at the foot
of the middle cross, expecting mercy.
Faith is only just opening the hand to
take what Christ offers us. The work is
all done; the bridge is built strong
enough for US all to walk over Tap
not at the door of Gods mercy with the
tip of your fingers, but as a warrior
with gauntleted fists beats at the cas-
tie gate. So with all the aroused en-
ergies of our souls let us pound at the
gate of heaven. That gate is locked.
You go to it with a bunch of keys.
You try philosophy. That will not
open it. a large door generally has a
ponderous key. l take the cross and
place the foot of it in the lock, and by
the two arms of the cross l turn the
lock, and the door opens.
Forthwith the left hand cross be-
comes the abode of contentment. The
pillow of the malefactor. soaked in
blood, becomes like the crimson uphol-
ster of a kings couch. When the body
became still and the surgeons feeling
the pulse said one to another. He Is
dead" the last mark of pain had gone
from his face. Peace had smoothed his
forehead. Peace closed his eyes. Peace
closed his lips. Now you see why there
were two transverse pieces on the
cross, for it has become ladder into
the skies. That dying head is easy
which has under it the promise, This
day thou shalt be with me in para
disc" Ye whose lips have been filled
with blasphemy, ye whose hands for
many years have wrought unright-
eousness, we who have companioned
with the unclean, ye who have scaled
every height of transgression and
fathomed every depth and passed ev-
cry extreme of iniquity-mercy, mercy!
1.-THE dying thief rejoiced to see
That fountain in his day.
And there may l, though vile as he.
Wash all my sins away"