The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1900-09-14
o these sons of God, these heirs of

IneT6 any IL dOOuO IL ACii AiO,
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 bade thee be
still. Tell me, ye dead who got up
to see him die. Tell me, thou sun
in midheaven, who for Him didst pull
down over thy face the veil of dark
ness. Tell me, ye lepers who were
cleansed, We dead who were raised,
is He the Son of God? Aye, aye, re-
spends the universe. The flowers
breathe it; the stars chime it; the
redeemed celebrate it; the angels rise
on their thrones to announce it. And
yet on that miserable malefactor's
''if'' how many shall be wrecked for
all eternity! That little 'if'' has
enough venom in it's sting to cause
the end of the soul. No 'if" about it.
know it. Ecce Deus! feel it thor
oVghly-through every muscle of the
body, and through every faculty of
my mind, and through every energy
of my soul. Living, 1 will preach it;
dying, 1 will pillow my head upon
it's conso1ations-Jes 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, poi
sonous berries of which many have
tasted and died. I can see no use
for this right hand cross, except it be
used as lever with which to upturn
the unbelief of the world.
Here from the right-hand cross I go
to the left-hand cross. Pass clear to
the other side. That victim also twists
himself upon the nails to look at the
center cross, yet not to scoff. 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, We peo-
pie! Be not afraid. Bitter herbs are
sometimes a tonic for the body, and
the bitter aloes that grow on this tree
shall give strength and life to thy
soul. The left-hand cross is a repent
ing cross. AS men who have been
nearly drowned tell US that in one mo-
ment, while they were under the wa
ter, their whole life passed before
them, so I 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 Gay when,
in the lonely pass, he met the way
farer, 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 it the stones.
He says: 81 am a guilty wretch. I
deserve this. There is no need of my
cursing. That will not stop the pain.
There is no need of disappearing
Christ, for He has done me no wrong.
And yet 1 cannot die so. The tortures
of my body are undone by the tor
lures of my soul. The past is a scene
of misdoing, the present a crucifiXion,
the future an everlasting undoing.
Come back, thou hiding midday sun!
Kiss my cheek with one bright ray of
comfort. What, no help from above
no help from beneath? Then I must
turn to my companion in sorrow, the
One on the middle cross. I have heard
that He knows how to help a man
when he is in trouble. I have heard
that He can cure the wounded. I have
heard that He can paruon the sinner.
Surely in all His wanderings up and
down the earth He never saw one
more in need of His forgiveness. Wilt
thou turn for the moment away from
Thy own pangs to pity me? Lord, it
is not to have my hands relieved or
nv feet taken from the torture-I can
stand all this-but, oh, my sins, my
sins, my sins! They pierce me through
and through. They tell me l must die
forever. They will push me out into
the darkness unless Thou wilt help
me. I confess it all. Hear the cry
of the dying thief: Lord, remember
me when Thou contest into Thy king
DOM I ask no great things. [ seek
for no throne in Heaven, no chariot
to take me to the skies, but just think
of me when this days horrors have
passed. Think # me little-of me,
the one now h pging at Thy side
when the shout f Heavenly welcome
takes Thee back into Thy glory. Thou
wilt not forget me, wilt thou? Lord,
remember me when Thou contest into
Thy kingdom Only just remember
me-"
This left hand cross was a believing
cross. There was no guesswork in that
prayer. no eff in that supplication.
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 at
the castle gate. So with all the aroused
energies of our souls let us pound at the
gate of Heaven. That gate is locked.
You go to it with bunch of keys. You
try philosophy. That will not open it.
A large door generally has a ponderous
key. I take the cross and place the
foot of it in the lock, and by the two
arms of the cross I turn the lock, and
the door opens.
This left hand cross was pardoned
cross. The crosses were only two or
three yards apart. 1t did not take long
for Christ to hear. Christ might have
turned away and said: How darest
thou speak to me? / am the Lord of
Heaven and earth. l have seen your
violence. When you struck down the
man in the darkness, I saw you. You
are getting just reward. Die in dark