The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1900-09-14
DIR. TALMAGES SERMON.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE NOTED
DIVINE.
snbject Lessons to BE Learned From the
Three Crosses-On Right Unbelief and
Rernorse. on Left Penitenee and Con-
tent. I'm the Centre Everiastipg Love.
tcopyrishs isol

tcopyrisht isoel
WASHINGTON, ID. c. - The famous
paintings in the picture galleries OF Mu.
Mich seem TO have suggested the topic Of
this discourse. which DR.. Talmaee sends
from the quaint Bavarian town. but the
theme which inspired the painters awak.
ems 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
xii, 30. There they crucihed Him and
the malefactors, one on the right hand
and the other on the left"
just outside OF Jerusalem is swell Of
ground toward which a crowd are ascend
ing. for it is the day Of execution. What
a mighty assemblage Some for curiosity
20 hear what the malefactors will say and
10 see how they will act. The three per
sons TO be executed are ALREADY there.
Some Of the spectators are vile OF lin and
bloated of cheek. Some look up with re-
venGe. hardly able 10 keep their hands
off the sufferers Some tear their own
hair in a frenzy of grief. Some stand in
silent horror. Sorse break out into un-
controllable weeping Some clap their
hands in delight that the offenders are to
be punished az last The soldiers with
drawn swords drive back the mob. which
presses on so hard. There is fear that the
proceedings may be interrupted. Let the
horseback. dash along the line and force
back the surgng multitude Back with
you" is the cry. Have you never before
seen n man die"
Three crosses in rowan upright
piece and two transverse pieces. one at
the top, on which the hands are nailed.
and one at the middle. on which the vic.
tim sat. Three trees just planted. yet
hearing fruit-the one at the right hear
ing poison, and the one at the left bitter
aoes; the one in the middle. apples Of
love. Norway pine and tropical orange
and Lebanon cedar would not make so
strange n grove as this orchard of Cal
vary. Stand back and give a look at the
three crosses.
victim dies scofIing. More awful than his
physical anguish is his soorn and hatred
OF Him on the middle cross. This wretched
man turns half around on the snikes to
hiss at the One in the middle II the scot
fer 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. think he wishes he
were down on the ground that he 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 ieer
out these words: "Ah. you poor wretch
] knew you were an imposter! You nre-
tended TO be a God. and yet YOU let these
legions master YOU" II was in some such
hate that Noltaire in his death hour. be-
cause lie thought he saw Christ in his bed.
room, got up on his elbow ard cried ont
Crush that wretch" What had the
middle cross done 10 arouse up this right
hand cross Nothing. Oh, the enmity
of the natural heart against Christ The
world likes a sentimental Christ or a phi
lanthropic Cnrist. but a Christ who comes
TO snatch men away from their sins-away
with Him, On this right hand cross 10.
day | see typifed the unbelief of the
world. Mel say Back with Him from
the heart! | will not let Him take my
sins. If He will die let Him die for Him
self. not for me-" There has always been
a war between this right hand cross and
the middle cross, and wherever there is
an unhelieving heart, there the fight goes
on. On, when that diving malefactor
perlshed. the faithlessness of man had
perished. then that tree which yields poi
son lould have budded and bossomed
with life for all the world
Look up into that disturbed counte.
nance of the sufferer and see what
ghastly thing II is TO reject Christ BE
hold IN that awful face, in that ptiful
look, in that unblessed death hour. the
stings OF that sinners departure What
plunge into darkness Standing high
upon the cross on the ton of the hill, so
that all the world may look at him. he
says, Here j 90 out of a miserable life
into wretched eternity" One. two.
threei Listen TO the crash of the fall. all
ye ages! So Hobbies diving after he had
seventy years IN. which TO prepare for
eternity said, Were / master of all the
world ] would give It all to live one day
longer Sir Francis Newport, lowering
over the rink, cried out: Wretch that I
am, whittier shall f. from this breast
What will become Of me? Oh, that |
were TO lie upon the fire that never is
quenched thousand years, to purchase
the -avor of God and to be reconciled to
Him again! Oh, eternity; oh. eternity
Who con discover the abyss of eternity
Who can paraphrase these words, For
ever and forever|"
That night hand cross-thousands have
perlshed on II in worse agonies For
what Is physical pain compared TO re-
morse at the last. that life has been
wasted and only heetiug moment stands
between the soul and its everlasting over
throw? o God, let me die anywhere
rather than at the foot of that right hand
cross! Let not one drop of that blood
tall upon my cheek. Rend not my ear
with that cry. j see it now as never be
fore-the loathsomeness and horror of my
unbelief. That dying malefactor was not
so much 20 blame az l. Christianity was
not established. and perhaps not until
that day had that man heard the Christ
But after Christ had stood almost 1900
years, 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 az, hew down that right
hand mt ehan coll 81 he. No.t q
that middle cross and unbclief. the rail
ing malefactor of the world, shall perish
from all our hearts; Away from me, thou
spirit of unbeliefl ] hate thcel 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
damned Talk no longer 20 these Sons OF
God. these heirs of heavenl
III Thou be the Son Of God" Was
there any IF" about it, Tell me, thou
star, that in robe OF light did run 20
point out His birthplace Tell me, thou
sea, that didst put thy. hand over thy lip
when He babe thee be still. Tell me, ye
dead, who got up % see Him de. Tell me,
dldst pull down over thy face the veil Of
darkness. Tell me, ye lepers who were
oleansed, We dead who were raised. is lie
the Son OF Gody Ave. ave. responds the
universe. The flowers breathe 1t: the
stars chime It; the redeemed celebrate IT
the angels rise on their thrones 20 an
nounce u. And yet on that miserable
maleflctor'- 'if' how many shall be
wrecked for all eternity That little if
has enough venom IN it, sting to cause the
death of the soul No If" about a.
Enow il. Ecce Deus, feel il thoroughly
through every muscle Of the body and
through every faculty OF my mind and
through every energy Of my soul. Living
Will preach Il; dying. ! viii pillow my
head upon its consolations-Jesus the
God