Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-09-13
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
DIScoURSES ON THE REDEMP-
TON OF THE RACE.
A Topic Suggested by the Famous PaInt-
inss OF Munich--Types OF Humanity
Represented by the Two Malefactors
"A Plunge Into Darkness.

-
gested the topic OF this discourse, which
DIR. Talmage sends from the quaint Ba-
varian town, but the theme which in
spired the painters awakens in the
great preacher thoughts of the redemp-
ton Of the human race, which was the
supreme design Of that scene of suffer-
ing 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 a crowd are
ascending, for 1t is the day of execu-
ton. What a mighty assemblage.
Some for curiosity to hear what the
malefactors will say and to see how
they will act. The three persons to be
executed are already there. Some OF
the spectators are vile of lip and bloat-
ed OF cheek. Some look up with re-
venge, hardly able to keep their aands
OF the sufferers. Some tear their own
hair in a frenzy Of grief. Some stand
in silent horror. Some break out into
uncomfortable weeping. Some clap
their hands in delight that the offend
ers 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. Back with you!"
is the cry. Have you never before
seen man die?"
Three crosses in a rowan upright
piece and two transverse pieces, one on
the top, on which the hands are nailed.
and one at the middle. on which the
victim sat. Three trees Just planted,
yet bearing fruit-the one at the right
bearing poison and the one at the left
bitter aloes. the one in the middle ap-
Piles of love. Norway pine and tropical
orange and Lebanon cedar would not
make so strange a grove as this orch
ard of Calvary. Stand and give a look
at the three crosses.
Just look at the cross on the right.
Its victim dies scoffing. 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. IL the scoffer could get one
hand loose and he were within reach.
he would smite the middle sufferer in
the face. He hates him with a 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
East. 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
impostor! You pretended to be a God.
and yet you let these legions master
you!" II was in some such hate that
Voltaire in his death hour. because he
thought he saw Christ in his bedroom,
got M 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 a sentimental
Christ or a philanthropic Christ, but
Christ who comes to snatch men
away from their sins--away with him!
On his right hand cross today see
typified the unbelief of the world. Men
say, Back with him from the heart,
will not let him take my sins. II
he will die. let him die for himself,
not for me-" There has always been
war between this right hand cross and
the middle cross. and wherever there is
an unbelieving heart there the fight
goes on. Oh, if when that dying male
factor persisted the faithlessness of
man had persisted, then that tree which
yields poison would have budded and
blossomed with life for all the
world,
Plunge Into Darkness.
Look up into that disturbed counte-
nance of the sufferer and see what a
CHASTITY thing 1t is to reject Christ. Be-
hold in that awful face. in that pitiful
look, in that unblessed death hour, the
stings OF the sinners departure. What
a plunge into darkness! Standing high
upon the cross ON the top of the hill
so that all the world may 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 20 years in which to pre-
pare for eternity, said. Were master
of all the world, would give it all 10
live 1t one day longer" Sir Frances
Newport. lowering over the brink. cried
out: Wretch that | am, whittier shall
| fly from this breast? What will be-
come 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 eter-
nifty? Who can paraphrase these
words, Forever and forever"
That right hand cross-thousands
have persisted on 1t in worse agonies.
For what Is physical pain compared to
remorse at the last that life has been
wasted and only a fieeting moment
stands between the soul and its ever
lasting overthrow? 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
1t now as never before-the loathsome
ness and horror Of my unbelief. That
dying malefactor was not SO much to
blame as l. Christianity was not es-
tablished. and perhaps not until that
day had that man heard OF Christ But
after Christ has stood almost 10 CEN
turtles. working the wonders Of his
grace. you reject him.
That right hand rrOss with ITO lopo