Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-09-14
TAUGHT On CALVARY
LESSONS TO &c LEARNED FRom THE
THREE CROSSES.


Everlasting Love.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 9.-The famous
paintings In the picture galleries of
Munich seem TO have suggested the
topic or this discourse. which DIR. Tai
mage sends from the quaint Bavarian
town. but the theme which inspired the
painters awaSens i'm the great preacher
thoughts OF the redemption OF the hu-
man race, which was the supreme de
sign OF that scene of suffering and
death. The text is Lake xiii. -.
There they crucified him and the
malefactors. one on the right Ira ad and
the other on the left"
Just outside OF Jerusalem is n swell
OF ground. toward which Il crowd are
ascending, for IL is the day Of execu-
tlon. What mighty assemblage,
Some for curiosity to hear what the
Indicators will say and to see how
they will act The three persons 20 be
executed are already there. Some Of
the spectators are vile of lip and bloat-
ed or cheek. Some look up with re-
venge, hardly able Co keep their hands
OF the sufferers. Soae tear their own
hair i'm frenzy of grief. Some stand
in silent horror. Some break out into
uncomfortable weeping Some elan
their hands in delight that the Offend
ers are TO be punished at last The sol.
diers with drawn swords drive back
the mob. which presses on so hard.
There is fear that the proceedings NAV
be interrupted. Let the legion, now
stationed 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 n man die?''
Three crosses in n rowan unrirbt
piece and two transverse pieces. one
ut the top, on which the hands are
nailed, and one at the middle. OH which
the victim sat. Three trees just plant
cd, yet bearing fruit-the one Mt the
right bearing poison. and the one at the
left bitter aloes; the one in the middle.
apples of love. Norway pine and trop-
zeal orange and Lebanon cedar would
not make SO strange a grove as this
orchard of Calvary. Stand and give n
look ut the three crosses.
The Talk on the Crosses.
Just look ut the cross on the right.
Its victim dies soothing. 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 IL 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 perfect
hatred 1 think he wishes he were
down on the ground that be might
spear him. He envies the mechanics
who with their nails have nailed him
fast. Amid the settling darkness and
louder than the crash OF the rocks hear
him jecr out these words: "Ah. you
poor wretch! knew you were an i'm
postori You pretended to be a God.
and yet you let these legions master
YOU" II 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 90 arouse up this
right hand cross? Nothing. oh. the
enmity OF the natural heart against
Christi The world likes a sentimental
Christ or n pliilanthropic Christ. but n
Christ who comes TO snatch men away
from their sins-away with him, On
this right hand cross today I see typi-
fed the unbel!ef OF the world Men say:
Back with him from the heart, l will
not let him take my sins. If he will
die, let him die for himself. not for
me-" There has always been n war
between this right hand cross and the
middle cross. and wherever there is an
unbelieving heart. there the fight goes
on. oh. If when thai dying malcfactor
persisted. the faithlessness OF man had
persisted. then that tree which yields
poison would have budded and bios
somed with life for all the world,
Look up into that disturbed counte-
nance OF the sufferer and see what n
CHASTITY thing 1t is TO reject Christ. Be
hold in that awful face. In that pitiful
look. in that unblessed death hour. the
stings OF the sinners departure What
plunge into darkness. Standing high
upon the cross on the top OF the hill. so
that all the world may look ut him. he
says. Here go out OF Il miserable life
into wretched eternity One. two.
threel Listen To the crash OF the fall.
all We ages! SO Hobbies. dying after he
had 40 years i'm which 10 prepare for
eternity. said. 'Werc | master OF all
The world ! would give Il all To live one
day longer" Sir Francis Newport,
lowering over the brink. cried out:
wretch that l am. whittier shall fly
from this breast? What will become
OF me? oh. that I were To lie upon the
fire that never is quenched n thousand
years, TO purchase the favor of God
N M 70
eternity: oh. eternityl Who can dis.
cover the abyss OF eternity? Who can
paraphrase these words: Forever and
foreverT"
Remcrse ON the Right Hand.
That right hand cross - thousands
have persisted on It In worse aSonies.
For what rs physical pain compared to
remorse at the last. that life has been
wasted and only leeting moment
stands between the soul and its ever
lasting 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 my ear with that cry. / see
IL now as never before-the loathsome-
ness and horror of my unbelief. That
dying malefactor was not so much to
blame rs |. Christianity was not es-
tabltshed. and perhaps not until that
day had that man heard the Christ
Hut after Christ had stood almost |. 900
centuries, working the wonders of his
grace. you reject him.
That right hand cross. with its long
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 its AK, hew down that
right hand cross until ii shall fall at
the foot of that middle cross and unbe-
lief, the railing malefactor OF the world.
shall perish from ali our hearts? AWAY
from me, thou spirit of unbeliefi L
hate thee! With this sword of God I