Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-09-14

N'AoNNN 'Ait NtNu. Il Cdn see no use TOT
this right hand cross. except Il be used
as a lever with which to uptGrn the
cnbcllef OF the world.
T,sc Left Hand Cross.
Here frcm the right hand cross 90
20 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 scott 1t Is TO
worship. He. too. would like to get
his hand loose, not 20 smite. but to
deliver the sufferer of the middle cross.
lie cries to the railer cursirg on the
other side: silence, Between us is
innocence in agony. We suffer for our
crimes. Silencer' Gather round this
left hand cross. o ye peoplei Be not
afraid. Bitter herbs are sometimes Il
tonic for the body. ami the bitter aioes
that grow ON this tree shall give
strength and life TO thy soul. This
left hand cross is n repenting cross.
AS men who have been nearly drown
cd tell us that I'm one moment. while
they were under the water. their whole
life passed before them. so I surpose in
one moment the dying Icaleractor
thought over ali his past Iife-of that
night when he went into an unguardcd
door and took all the silver. the gold.
the jewels. and as the sleeper stirred.
he put knife through his heart; OF
that day when. i'm the lonely pass. he
met the wayfaTer and regardless Of the
cries and prayers and tears and struC-
giles OF his victim he flung the mangled
corpse into the dust of the highway or
heaped upon it the stones. He says:."I
am guilty wretch; | 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 | cannot
die so. The fortunes of my body are
undonc 10y the fortunes Of my soul. The
past Is scene of miSdoing. The pres
cnt cTuciiiXion. The future an ever
lasting Gndoing. Come back. thou hid.
Ing midday sun. Kiss my cheek with
enc bright ray of comfort. What. no
help from above-no help from be-
meath? Then l must turn to my com.
panion in sorrow. the One on the mid.
die cross. | have heard that he knows
how TO help q man when he Is Ia trou.
bic. l have heard that he can cure the
wounded. l have heard that he can
pardon the sinner. Surely. in all his
w3nderings up and down the earth. he
never saw one more i'm need OF his for
givenesS! Blessed One. turn to thee.
Wilt thou turn for the moment away
from thy own pangs TO pity me, Lord.
1t is not to have my hands relieved OF
my feet taken from the torture | can
stand all this; but. oh. my sins. my
sins, my sins. they pierce NE through
and through. They tell me must die
forever. They will push me out into
the darkness unless thou wilt help me.
| confess IT ell. Hear the cry Of the
dying thief, Lord. remember me when
thou contest into thy kingdom 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 OF
me littlc-of me. the one now hang
ing ut thy sidc-when the shout OF
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-"
Repentance Must Come.
Likewise must we repent. You say.
81 have stolen nothing" l reply: 1--WE
have all been guilty of the mighties,
felony OF the universe. for we have
robbed GoG-robbed him of our time.
robbed him OF our talent. robbed him
OF our services" Suppose you send
n man out as an agent OF your firm
aud every month you pay him his sal.
airy and at the end OF ten years you
iiud out that he has been serving an.
other firm. but taking your salary.
would you not at once condemn him rs
dishonest? God sent us into this world
20 serve him. lie 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 sur.
rounds him. and the command is given:
Attention, company! Take aim!
Fire" And the man falls with n hun.
dred bullets through his heart. There
comes time in. n mans history when
the Lord calls up the troop of his In.
iquittes and ut Gods command they
pour into him a concentrated volley of
torture.
You say, 81 don't feel myself TO be n
sinner" That may be. Walk along
by the cliffs, and you see sunlight and
howers at the mouth OF the cave. but
take n torch and 20 in, and before YOU
nave gone far you see the flashing eve
OF wild beast or hear the hiss of n
serpent. So the heart seems in the
sunlight OF worldiiness, but as I wave
the torch OF Gods truth and 20 down
into the deep cavern OF the heart-a,as.
FOR the bristling horrors and the rat
Ting fangs! Have you ever noticed
the climax in this passage of Scrip
ture, The heart is deceitful." That
seems enough. But the passage goes
on and says. "The heart is deceitful
above all things" VIII you not say
that is enough? But the passage goes
on further and says. 1.-THE heart is de-
ceitful above all things and desperate
ly wicked" If we could see the true
condition OF the unpardoned before
God. what wringing OF hands there
would be! What a thousand voiced
shrek OF suppiication and depair, But
you are sinner, a sinner / speak
not to the person who sits next TO you.
but to you. You are sinner All the
transgressions of n lifetime have been
gathered up into an avalanche. At
any moment ii may slip from the cliffs
and crush you forever. May the Lord
Almighty. by his grace. help us to re-
pent OF our sins while repentance is
possible.
This left hand cross was a believing
cross There was no gresswork i'm
that prayer, no ''if'' in that supplica-
tion- The left hand cross flung itself
ut the foot OF the middle cross. expect-
ing 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
iAr Z. q