Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1903-09-17
"CROSS BEARING"
A Brilliant Sunday Sermon By Rev.
James e, Holmes.
Urges Us to Have the Paul Spirit Of Courage
sud Contentme6t. Even When We Stag.
ger Under Load Of Adversely.

took as his text Matthew xvii: 80: And
as they came out they found a man OF
Cyrene, Simon by name; him they, COM
PEELED to bear His cross" MIR. Holmes
said:
Three kinds of crosses were in use in the
days of Jesus, the so-caled St. Andrews
cross, the cross in the form of the letter
"T'' and the ordinary Latin cross. 1t was
on the last of these that Jesus suffered
crucifxion. This consisted Of strong up;
right post, which was carried beforehand
to the place of execution, and two cross.
pieces: which were born by the victim. "
was these transverse pieces which proved
too heavy for the Master. 1t was prob
ably between the hours of and 10 o'clock
in the morning that that memorable pro
cession, of which Jesus was the central tlg'
ure, set forth for the place of execution
a place outside the city walls. Ordinarily
such procession was IN charge, OF cen
turon. and preceded by public crrcr;
who from time to time proclaimed aloud
the nature Of the crime. He also carried
a white wooden board on which this was
written. The longest route was always
selected, and the most crowded streets, to
attract the attention of the people. Each
of the condemned would be accompanied
by guard of four soldiers, and, as q mat
ter of course, a great crowd would follow.
The weight Of the cross soon proved too
You must remember He has. not tasted
food or drink since the Paschal supper the
night before, and that events had occurred
since then in quick succession. every one
of which must have stirred His soul with
deepest emotions. The betrayal by, Judas
and the farewell to His disciples had oc'
Cured, after which He had spent, some
terrific mental and spiritual struggle. 1t
was then as Won remember. that His ne
cmies found Him. since which time He
has stood surrounded by enemies, practi
cally alone; for His disciples had all for
sakeen Him. Meanwhile He has been hur'
ried from place to place and from one
official to another: from Annas to Caiphas,
then to PLATE, then to llerod, and then
again to Plate. lndignity upon indignity,
torture upon torture have been heaped
upon Him all that livelong night and all
that morning. so that it is not to be Won
dcred at that tie weight OF the cross
was too great for Him. Up TO the last
gate, however. He managed to drag II. but
here He sank exhausted beneath the heavy
load 1t happened just then that this
man. Simon of Cyrene, came upon the
scene, and him the Roman soldiers seized
and compelled to carry the cross the re-
mainder of the way.
On first thought it might seem strange
that the people would permit such an IN
dignity put upon fellow jew, but this
Simon was undoubtedly a foreigner, which
his dress would indicate, and the soldiers
would krow that it was safer to put this
n"t;,.n &c Ierrso,em A. i wos. the peo.
,'io 10 not seen" IN have resented il. that
'ff 0 n ~ low had 70 suffer the detilament
Of boa,;na n brathen cross. and this NAV
have been the explanation that Simon was
foreigner, and only a proselyte jew. How
greatly surprised and chdgrined he must
Sa,,o heon 70 no thrrst so uneypectad,y
;mto snch a nredicament, How il han.
,m,o 'u that he % was there wollinn abroad
on fast dav we do NOT know. He may
bnva bcen div stroIjing along that country
r"od w;thont onv narticn,,r Aim or p,uposc
in view or he nav have lived outside the
civ walls and was entering the city on
hns;pcss or 70 worshin or merely on pleas.
uu,' hent We cannnt know how 10 cXp'ain
70, pnr,. onJ Jernsa,a,n inst ot that moment
nho, soma one was EoeleI 70 ho,r the
cross of Christ but it h1p,,crel HAT he
onno,red on thc scene inst rs Jesus sail;
I hppppootb liz lad and he inLs himself
seizeJ nv the Roman soldiers, and despite
b;s remopstrances comp?;,ed to bear the
Cross Of Cbr;st II is ali so sudGen. and 50
uneynected that he can scarcely know
wbothor il - NOT al n dream
WIZ W. GOO ~ i al ss he did nor We see a
S;no,'S oxrnrience that far which sc
unrId c,,dir o;vn al Nat wr have ,Yd
wbr cnn'd 10 not onnrcciotc ~ Was it
;,noronco on his ,,a,tp Had hr rcvcr
baarJ tho name nj ,Jesus Of NlZav?th9
Hal he NOT heard of those c!fanoe and
etort1;n, events that had her5 stirring ,Jcr.
o.ai S.'"s $50 ~ h;n, = onrr on,r1rs ~
an unfortunate accident that he haDDercd
70 crns, III. no,. nj this man Christ on
-. ~ ',oo' VI. oar,;o- ;rot "a Ua saul;
H. dnU w ,ndo. ,La ,re;nLt oof u;a cross As
Il. /, ba cn,sider, himsoif abused bumi'i.
80 Mao.,aoJ ,rd now, bs longs Jar the
n.ou, ut' 81 reIcase that he nav hide him.
naif srn,, Eva ,,'1. If ~ ncon'c ond bcar
se'' nona vi. .i,o JoGtn,,.,s, Xxx bas come
49,, :" ,'' IN, I'D unon he bo,,sa
'poon ~ na,', .rr;sh =, n'acr ALONGSIDE Of
az; Gnu ~" oomtra,t 70 i the wo-ds If
t thh.', "'st ponl .'Cod fnrh;d That should
", -. apos..e a., ono,o % Ghr;st To
SS::oiy 9the III '"' Christ ,nn,ns d;snn.
olilol .ne 1884, VI ,,d Ioss 70 Pail i
,''t thn nn I'm g,or;ous and worth re-
;o;c Sne owe over How exnlain the difference
IN eth.l,ient H.' ,'oS W. '" ssraonL
10 H.l'SM ue",tn ttHS,, Il" o,feroJ 10 wrc;cLt
WINE 2i!hoh a.In"II' su,.. .1 VI. e.
anu anu, we u'S5l"es VI a. Chr;"t oot,,,lly
Tau. pore Tie 'i's' Vi N''''' 10 az
as SIMON. Ill.,. ,,,u,,1 h;,,, ;,.o
~ was .nr eIIss ,na , u.VHk"' nt' Vim
connlct WIN the au'ho' .tt IN hnu h;n'
mions; ~ was the eros" enat uIoF We, ' thn
from pace TO pace, ,'FHuo"u r -" tb Sn
lace OF me oar,n' ~ WAS emr v,"sS d dnI.
brought MN ih.o PrtSI"n' ann h ,nto u a.
ger, II was I've rrosS tna' i.'"ur H,,,' ,..hnn
grace anu MS l,-nlo ~ ,,r,.,' Np,rl
evere mere was JEWISH 1hynaGVS"t, "ni
suffered loss anu pau, anu i'r'i , ,i ornss
and over again on "ccount OF 'nr f;,i c'i h,t
Gan 1t a Inquire OF speech II you VII, ~.
ms back was bent. ana oi1Men ms no,,nl
pans were Is genuine ms iui,n.."tIom we, rs
rs deep and his loss as great as came 10 TO
Simon OF Iyrene ana lar more 80. lie
experiences OF the TWO men were very
similar nmdst o 'dfnuen '2 n, waS That
country ROAD eaqihg mt" Dahlasrus lha'
r br; "'s and 1T" # was then and there that
~ 'o., INV rLn;,t ,r,, ,o;I unnn rim