The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1900-09-14

turtles, working the wonders OF MS
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 it shall fall at
the foot of that middle cross, and I'M
belief. the railing malefactor OF the
world, shall perish from all our hearts?
Away from me, thou spirit Of unbelief.
hate thee! With this sword of God
! thrust thee back and thrust thee
through. Down to hell; down, most
accursed monster of the earth. and
talk to those thou hast already damn
ed! Talk no longer to these sons OF
God, these heirs of heaven.
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 it; 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 it; dying,
l 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. l 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 ye people! 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 This left
hand cross is a reDenting cross. AS
men who have been nearly drowned
tell us that in one moment, while they
we're under the water, their whole life
passed before them, so l suppose IL
one moment the dying malefactol
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 mis- victim. he flung the
mangled corpse into the dust of the
highway or heaped upon it the stones.
He says, Il am a 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 vet | cannot die so. The tortures
of NV body are undone by the fortunes
of nv soul. The past is scene of mis-
doing, the present crucifixion, the
future In everlasting undoing Come
hack. thou hiding midday sun. Kiss
nv cheek with one bright ray of COM
fort. What. no help from above-no
helm from beneath? Then l must turn
TO NV companion in sorrow, the One
on the middle cross. have heard that
he knows how to help q man when he
is in trouble. l 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 OF my 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
I must die forever. They will push
me out into the darkness unless thou
wilt help me. l confess it all. Hear
the c1y 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
! Of q 1ffflQ-Of