The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1901-04-12
.ys{i they Would devoaf ySa al q kia,.
II wan IN that panE ot hunger that

Il llkO SDTCuUp lutV&tl AcVu@A pugRAJSss W
bread Had tho tomptnt lion como to
you and me under those oircunas tances
! yve would have cried Bread II shall
4 be!n and been almost Impatient MT the
timo taken for mastication, but Christ
with one hand beat back tho hunger
and with tho other hand beat back tho
monarch Of darkness. o yo tempted
onesl Christ was tempted. We are
told that Napoleon ordered q ooat-of-
mail made, but he was not quito Ger,
tain that It was irnpenetrable, SO he
sold to the manufacturer of tho coat
of-mail: "Put it on now yourself and
let us try It," And with shot after
shot fired from his own pistol the em-
peror found that it was just what IL
| pretended to be, q good ooat-of-mnii.
Then the man received y largo reward.
I bless God thnt tho same coat-of-
mail that struck back tho weapons of
temptation from the head Of Christ
we may now NIL wear, for jesus oomes
nnd says: IT have been tomptod, and I
know what It Is to bo tempted. Tako
this robe that defended mo and wear
through all trials, and shall sec you
through all temptation"
"But," says Satan still further to
Jesus, "comc, and I will show you
something worth looking at." And
after a half days journey they came to
Jerusalem and to the top Of tho tom
pie. Just as one might go up In tho
tower Of Antwerp and look off upon
Belgium, 80 Satan brought Christ to
tho top of the temple. Some poople at
a great height feel dizzy and q strange
disposition to jump. SO Satan comes
to Christ In that very crisis. Stand
ing there at the top Of the temple, they
| looked Off. A magnificent reach Of
country. Grain fields, Vineyards, olive
| groves, forests and streams, cattlo In
the valley, hocks on the hills and vii
ages and cities and realms. "Now,"
says Satan, "I'll make n bargain. Just
jump off. know 1t is great way
from the top of tho temple to the val
ley, but if you are Divine you can fly.
Jump off. 1t won't hurt you. Angels
will oatch you. Your Father Wilt
you. Besides, I'll make you large
present if you will. I'll givo you Asia
Minor, I'll give you China, I'll give you
Ethiopia, I'll give you Italy, I'll givo
you Spain, I'll give you Germany, I'll
| give you Britain, iii give you all the
world" What temptation it must
| have been!
The third installment paid for our
redemption was the agonizing prayer
In Gethscmane. AS J. sat in that gar
don ut the foot Of an old gnarled and
twisted olive tree the historic scene
came upon me overwhelmingly. These
| old olive trees are the lineal descend
ants Of those under which Christ stood
and wept and lsnelt. Have the leaves
of whole botanical generations told
tho tho story Of our Lords agony to
| their SUCCESSORS? Next to Calvary the
solemncst place in Palestine is Geth-
| semano. While sitting there It seemed
| rs II I could hear our Lords prayer,
laden with sobs and groans. Can this
be the Jesus who gathered fragrance
| from tho frankincense brought to His
cradle and from tho lilies .hat flung
their sweetness into His sermons and
| from the box of alabaster that brbko
| at his feet? Is this Jesus tho com
forter Of Bethany, the resurrcctor at
Main, tho oculist at Bethsaida? Is
this tho Christ whose frown is the
storm, whose smile is the sunlight, tho
spring morning His breath tho thun-
der Hi1 voice, the ocean drop on tho
tip of His finger, Heaven sparkle on
the bosom Of Els love, the universe tho
dust of His chariot wheel? Is this tho
Christ who is able to heal heart
break or hush q tempest or drown o
world or food ,im,nensity with His
| glory? Behold Him in prayer, the
! globules Of blood by sorrow pressed
through tho skin Of His forehcadi
What an installment in part payment
Of the greatest price that was ever
| paidl
The fourth installment paid for our
redemption was the Savio,lr's sham
! trial. call 1t sham trial-there has
never been anything so indecent or
unfair in any criminal court as was
witnessed at the trial Of Christ. Why
they hustled him into the courtroom
mt two o'clock in the morning. They
gave Him no time for counsel. Thoy
gave him no opportunity for subpoe-
naing witnesses. The rufnanss who
were wandering around through tho
midnight, Of course they saw tho ar
rest and went into the courtroom. But
jesus friends were sober mon, were
respectable mon, and a that hour, two
o'clock in the morning, of course they
were at homo asleep. Consequently
Christ entered the courtroom with tho
rufflnns.
Oh, look ut Hinl No ono to speak q
word for Him. lift the lantern IN.
til I can look into His face, and as my
heart beats in sympathy for this, tho
best friend the world ever had, HIM
self now utterly friendless, an officer
Of the courtroom comes up and smites
Him in the mouth, and SEQ the blood
stealing from gum and lip. Oh, it was
q farce of trial, lasting only perhaps
an hour, and then the Judge rises FOR
sentenced Stopl It is against tho
law to give sentence unless there has
been an adjournment OF the court be-
tween condemnation aud sentence, but
what cares tho judge for the law ? "The
man has no friends. Let Him die"
says the judge. And the ruffians out.
side the rail cry: "Aha, aha, that's
what we wantl Pass Him out here to
usl Away with Himl Away with
Himl"
Oh, bless God that amid all the in
justice that may have been inflicted
upon us in this world we have divine
sympathizer. Tho world cannot lie
about you nor abuse you as much as
they did Christ, and Jesus stands to-
| IL