Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-10-04
DIR. TALMAGES SERMON.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BYTHs NOTED
DIVINE.
S~bject: Lessons to lie Learned From the
Three Crosses-On Right Unbel1sf and
kemorse, On Left Penitence and Con-
tent, in the Centre Everlasting Love.
(Copyright 1901

(Copyright 1901
WASHINGTON, ID. c. = The famous
paintings in the picture galleries of Ma
mich ,em TO have suggested the topic of
this discourse, which DR.. Talmage 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. SO, There they crucifed 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 crowd are ascend
ing, for it is the day OF execution. What
a mighty assenblage. Some for curiosity
to hear what the Indicators will say and
TO see how they will act. The three per-
sons to be executed are already there.
Some of the spectators are vile of lip and
bloated of cheek. Some look up with re-
yenge, hardly abe to keep their hands
off the sufferers. Some tear their own
silent horror. Some break out into un
controllable weeping. Some clap their
hands in delight that the offenders are to
be punished at 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
legion, now stationed at Jerusalem. on
horseback, dash along the line and force
back the surging multitude. "Bacl; with
you!' is the cry. Have you never before
seen man die!"
Three crosses in 4 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 vie
tim sat. Three trees just planted, yet
bearing fruit-the one ut the right bear
ing poison, and the one at the left bitter
aloes; the one in the middle. apples OF
ln,vp n
and Lebanon cedar would not make
strange grove this orchard of Cal
vary. Stand back and give look at the
| three crosses
just look at the cross on the right Its
victim dies scofiing. More awful than his
physical anguish is his scorn and hatred
of Him on the middle cross. This wretched
man turns half around on the spikes to
hiss at the One in the middle. If the scot
Ter could get one hand loose. and he were
within reach, he would smite the middle
sufferer in the face. He hates Him with
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
tended to be God. and yet you let these
legions master you" 1t was in some such
hate that Voltaire in his death hour, be-
cause lie thought he saw Christ in his bed
room, got up on his elbow and cried out,
Crush that wretch" What had the
middle cross done to arouse up this right
hand cross: Nothing. Oh, the enmity
of the natural heart against Christ! The
world likes sentimental Christ or phi
lanthropic Christ but Christ who comes
to snatch men away from their sins-away
with Him. On this right hand cross to-
In.y II a1.nk .xE bA
world. Men say: Back with Him from
the heart ! will not let Him take my
| sins. Ii 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 unbelieying heart there the fight goes
on. Oh, if when that dying malefactor
perished, the faithlessness OF man had
| persisted. then that tree which Yields poi
son would have budded and blossomed
with life for all the world.
| Look up into that disturbed countc
nance of the sufferer and sec what a
ghastly thing it is to reject Christ. Be
hold in that awful face, in that pitilul
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, so
that all the world HAY look at him. he
says, Here ! go out OF miserable life
into wretched eternity!" One, two.
three. Listen to the crash of the fall. all
we ages So Hobbies, dying 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, towering
over the brink, cried out: Wretch that
am, whittier shall [ fly from this breast !?
What will become of me. Oh, that
were to lie upon the fire that never is
quenched a thousand years, to purchase
the favor 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 thousands have
| perished on it in worse agonies. For
morse at the last. that life has been
wasted and only heeting moment stands
between the soul and it's everlasting over
! throw? 0 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. l see it now as never be-
fore-the loathsomeness and horror OF my
unbelief. That dying malefaetor was not
| so much to blame as |. 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,
!
That right hand cross. with its long
beam, overshadows all the earth. 1t is
| planted i'll the heart OF the race. When
will the time come when the spirit of God
shall, with it's AK, hew down that right
hand cross until it shall fall at the foot of
that middle cross and unbelief. the rail.
ing malefactor of the world. shall perish
from all our hearts? Away from me, thou
spirit of unbeief! | hate thee! With
this sword OF God / thrust thee back and
thrust thee through! Down to he'll,
Down, most accursed monster of the
earth, and talk to those thou hast already
damned. Talk no longer to these sons o.
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 10
point out His birthplace. Tell me. thou
sea, that dihst put thy hand over thy lip
when He bade thee be- still. Tell me, ye
lead who got up TO zee linn die. Tell me-,
thou sun in mid heaven, who for Him
didst pull down over thy face the veil ri
! darkness. Tell me. We lepers who were
eleansed, We dead who were raised. is He
ha ,.fG A..a A.. Al