The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1900-09-15
THE THREE CROSSES.
Dr.. Talmage Discourses on Redemp-
tion of the Race.
Topic Suggested By Famous Paint
tngs of Munich-Types of Human
ity Represented by the Two
Malefactors.
copyright. 1900. by Louis Klopsch.l
WASHINGTON.

/
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, 33: There they cruel
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 a crowd are
ascending, for it is the day of execu-
tion. What 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
bloated of cheek. Some look up with
revenge, hardly able to keep their
hands off the sufferers. Some tear
their own hair in a 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
cse 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 grove as this orchard at
Calvary. Stand and give a look at
the three crosses.
just look at the cross on the rirht
Its 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 perfect hatred. l think he
: wishes he were down on the ground
: that he might spear Him. He envies
the mechanics who with their nails
Q have nailed him fast. Amid the set
: ting darkness and louder than the
! crash of the rocks hear him jeer out
!, these words: "Ah, you poor wretch!
l knew you were an imposter! You
r pretended to be 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
1 Christ or philanthropic Christ, but
Christ who comes to snatch men
away from their sins away with
J. Him! On His right hand cross to.
/ ha -
world. Men say: Back with Him
. from the heart! will not let Him
), take my sins. If He will die, let Him
die for Himself, not for me-" There
has always been 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 budded and bios.
: somed with life for all the world!
That right hand cross-thousapds
- have perished on it in worse agonies
For what is physical pain compared
3. to remarse at the last that life has
been wasted and only fieeting mo
ment stands between the soul and
its everlasting overthrow? o God
;. let me die anywhere rather than a,
. the foot of that right hand cross!
: Let not one drop of that blood fal
upon my cheek. Rend not nv ear
with that cry. ] see 1t now as never
before-the loathsomeness and hor
+ ror of my unbelief. That dying male
s factor was not SO much to blame a.
i !. Christianity was not established
and perhaps not until that day hat
!. that man heard the Christ. But after
a Christ has stood almost 10 centuries
: working the wonders of His grace
you reject Him.
That right hand cross, with its lone
beam, overstHdows all the earth. il
Is planted il the heart of the race