The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-09-13

K lelN IO luOSc luOu Hd6I already damn
ed! Talk no, longer to these. sons. Of
God, these heirs 81 heaven. = ''s,s'
If thou be the Son of God" Was
there any "if' 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 midheaven,
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 universe.
The flowers breathe it; the stars chime
it; the redeemed celebrate 1t: the an
gels rise on their thrones to announce
it. And yet on that miserable male
factors 'if'' how many shall be wreck
ed for all eternity! That little ''if" has
enough venom in its sting to cause the
death of the soul. No 'if" about it.
know it. Ecce Deus! feel it thor
oughly-through every muscle of the
body, and through every faculty of my
mind, and through every energy of my
soul. Living, will preach tt; dying,
/ will pillow my head upon its conso-
lations-Jesus 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, pois-
onOus berries of which many have tast-
ed and died. can see no use for this
right hand cross, except it is used as
lever with which to upturn the unbe-
lief of the world.
The Penitent Malefactor.
Here from the right hand cross go
to the left hand cross. Pass clear to
the other side. The 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 de-
liver 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. Silence!" Gather round this
left hand cross, o We people! Be not
afraid. Bitter herbs are sometimes a
tonic for the body, and the bitter faloes
that grow on this tree shall give
strength and life to thy soul. This left
hand cross la a. repentipg cross. AS,
men who have been nearly drowned
tell us that in one moment. while they
were under the water. their whole life
passed before them, so 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
struggles of his victim. he flung the
mangled corpse into the dust Of the
highway or heaped upon 1.-THE stones
He says, II am guilty wretch.
deserve this. There is no need of nv
cursing That will not stop the pain.
There is no need of disappearing
Christ, for he has done me no wrong.
And yet cannot die so. The tortures
of my body are undone by the tortures
of my soul. The past is a scene of mis-
doing. the present crucifxion, the
future IN everlasting undoing. Come
back, thou hiding midday sun! Kiss
my cheek with one bright ray Of COM
fort. What. no help from above-no
help from beneath? Then must turn
to my companion in sorrow. the One
on the middle cross. have heard that
he knows how to help man when he
is in trouble. have heard that he
can cure the wounded 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 forgiveness. Blessed One, turn
to thee. Wilt thou turn for the moment
away from thy own pangs to pity me?
Lord, it is not to have my hands reliev-
ed or my feet taken from the torture
Il can stand all this-but. oh, my
sins, my sins, my sins! They pierce
me through and through. They tell me
must die forever. They will push
me out into the darkness unless thou
wilt help me. l confess it all. Hear
the cry of the dying thief, Lord, re-
member me when thou contest into
thy kingdom l ask no great things
l seek 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 hanging at thy side, when
the shout of heavenly welcome takes
thee back into thy glory. Thou wilt
not forget me, wilt thou? Lord, re-
member me when thou contest into
thy kingdom Only just remember
me-"
Likewise must we repent. You say,
Il have stolen nothing" l reply, I'VE
have all been guilty of the mightiest
felony of the universe. for we have
robbed God-robbed him Of our time,
robbed him of our talent, robbed him
of our services" Suppose you send a
man out as an agent of your Arm, and
every month you pay him his salary,
and at the end of ten years you find out
that he has been serving another firm,
but taking your salary, would you not
at once condemn him as dishonest?
God sent us into this world to serve
him. He has given us wages all the
time. Yet how many of us have been
serving another master! When man
is convicted of treason. he is brought
out; regiment surrounds him. and