The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-09-26
DIR. TALMAGE'S SERMON.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE NOTED
DIVINE.
snbject: Lessons to Be Learned From the
Three Crosses-On Right Unbeiief and
Remorse, on Left Penitence and Con-
tent, in the Centre Everlasting Love.
copyright laUu.l

WASHINGTON, ~. ". - 1He Iau.nuH
paintings in the picture galleries of Mu:
this discourse. which DR.. Talmage sends
from the quaint Bavarian town. but the
theme which inspired the painters awak:
ems in the great preac cher 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 crucifed 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 crowd are ascend
ing. for it is the day of execution. What
a mighty assemblage! Some for curiosity
to 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 to keep their. hands
off the sufferers. Some tear their own
hair in frenzy of grief. Some stand in
silent horror. Some break out into un-
comfortable weeping. Some clap their
hands in delight that the offenders are to
he punished at last. The soldiers with
drawn swords drive hock the mob. which
presses on so hard. There is fear that the
proceedings may be interrupted. Let the
legion. now stationed at Jerusalem: on
horseback, dash along the line and force
back the surging multitude. "Back with
you!" is the crv "Have you never before
seen a man die?"
Three crosses in a rowan upright
niece and two transverse pieces. one at
the top. on which the hands are nailed.
and ono at the middle, on which the vic
tim sat. Three trees just planted. yet
bearing frut-the one at the right bear
ing poison, and the one at the left bitter
aloes: the one in the middle. apples of
love. Norway pine and tropical orange
and Lebanon cedar would not make so
strange a grove rs this orchard Of Cal
vary Stand back and give look at the
three crosses.
Just look at the cross on the right Its
physical aEo1lish is his scorr 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. If the SCOT
fer could get one hand loose. and he were
within reach. h, would smite the middle
sufferer in the face. He hates Him with
a perfect hatred. I think he wishes he
were down on the ground that he might
spear Him. He enries the mechanics who
with their nails have nailed Him fast.
Amid the settling darkness and louder
than the crash Of the rocks hear him leer
out these words: "Ah. you poor wretch!
T knew you We're an imnoster! You pre-
tended to be God. and yet you let these
legions, master YOU" Tt was IN some such
hate that Voltaire in his death hour. be-
room, got I'D on his elbow and cried out,
"Crnsh that wretch" What had the
middle cross done to arouse up. this right
hand cross? Nothing. Oh, the enmity
Of the natural heart aga inst Christ! The
world likes sentimental Christ or phi.
lanthropic CLrist but Christ who comes
to snatch men awav from their sins-away
with Him! On this right hand Cross to-
day I see typi6ed the unbelief of the
world. Men say: "Back with Him from
the heart! I 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 dying malefactor
perished then that tree which yields poi.
son would have budded and blossomed
with life for all the world.
Look up into that disturbed counte-
nance of the sufferer and see what a
ghastIy thing it is to reject Christ. Be-
hold in that awful face, in that pitiful
look, in that unblessed death hour. the
stings of that sinners departure! What
plunge into darkness Standing high
upon the cross on the top Of the hill, 80
that all the world may look at him, he
says, "He:e go out of a miserable life
into a ,wretched eternity!p One. two;
three! Listen to the crash of the fall, all
ye ages! So Hobbies. dying after he had
seventy years in which to prepare for
eternity. said, "Were I master of all the
longer" Sir Francis Newport, lowering
over the brilk, cried out: "Wretch that ]
am, whittier shall I H.. from this breast? :?
What will become of me? Oh, that l
were to lie upon the fire that never lis
quenched thousand years, to purchase
the Eavor of God and to be reconciled to
Him again. Oh. eternity; oh. eternity!
Who Can discover the abyss of eternity?
Who can paraphrase these words, For.
ever and forever%"
That right hand cross-thousands have
perished on it in worse agonies. For
what is physical pain compared to re-
morse at the. last: that life has been
wasted and only feeting moment stands
throw? o God, let me die anywhere
rather than at the foot of that right hand
cross! Let not one drop of that blood
fall upon my cheek. Rend not my ear
with that cry. see it now as never be-
fore-the loathsomeness and horror of my
unbelief. That dying malefactor was not
so much to blame as I. 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 yeject Him.
That right hand cross, with its long
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 mlkh.e cross and unbelief, the rail-
ing malafactor ofthe world, shall perish
from-lll our hearts? Away from me, tho,
spirit of unbelief! I 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
damned! Talk no longer to these sons OF
God, these heirs of heaven!
there any eff" 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, ye
dead, who got up to see Him lie. Tell me,
/ thou sun in mid-heaven, who for Him
didst pull down over thy face the veil of
darkness. Tell me, we lepers who were
cleansed, ye dead who were raised, is He
! the Son of God? Aye, aye! respond, the
universe. The flowers breathe It; the
stars chime it; the redeemed celebrate it;
the angels rise on their thrones to an
nounce it. And yet on that miserable
malefactor',. IF" how many shall be
/ wrecked for all eternity! That little "if'