The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-01-14

picked them up and hurled them at Him.
Are yoa casting these stones at Christ!
Remember that He said, He that Is not
with Me is against Me-"
INDIFFERENCE.
I'll. With many it is the stone Of indif.
ference. 1t was one OF the !. sst cast at
Him in the world. 1t began ut the man.
ger. going to the cross. and it is still
being thrown. With curling lips and in.
so!ent contempt men said. is this not
the carpenters SOM" When He was on
the cross. they said in derision. He saved
others; now let Him save Himself" 1t s
now the ninth hour and darkness is settled
about the place: Listen! His lips are
moving: "E!ci! Eloi!" Surely this will
ssss @Gs ssn Ess Ss s se eef 'y II. sems
to Him." This is all like the gathering Of
a sto'm 70 me: first the cloud was the
size OF man't hand, that il, at Bethle-
hem; it is larger at Egypt; heavier at
Nazareth; darker in Jerusalem; then He
comes up TO the Mount OF Olives. aud the
cloud seems to break as He cries out,
"Oh! Jerusalem. JeruSicm!"
Have you been Indifferent to Christ?
Anything is better than that; better out.
spoken opposition to Him than to be theo.
retir.lIy a believer and to be practically
DENYING Him. How can you be indifferent
to Him?
4 man working on one Of the railroads
in the State of Indiana discovered, one
morning. that the bridge had fallen, and
lie remembered that the train was due. He
started down the track to meet her. saw
her coming. and, raising his hands, pointed
to tie bridge, but on she came. having no
time to lose. He threw himself across the
track. and the engineer, thinking him a
madman. stopped the train. The man
arose and told his story and saved the lives
OF hundreds. Christ did this for you; He
purchased your redemption by the giving
Of Himself whether you have accepted this
salvation or not. Will You stone Him for
that?
uSBELIEr.
". When he said: II and My Father
are one," they cast another stone st Him;
to bear; hatred cut like knife, but unbe-
lief was the crowning sin of the jews.
Many are hurting it at Him to-day. He
has promised 70 save US if we only believe,
and we need only to trust Him to be
saved. A little girl in Glasgow who had
lust found peace was heard counseliug one
OF her playmates in this way: Il say. las
sic. do as did, grip promise and hold on
to it, and you will be saved. ;" and there IS
salvation in the child's words.
Now read the verse that Immediately
follows the text: Many good works have
I showed you from Ny Father; for which
supposed that some of the Jews had actu.
ally struck Him with stone, and this
dr:w forth from Him words tender
enough, pathetic enough to turn aside the
hatred Of one who had heart Of stone.
x~1 --or croxr uYNf
]. Because OF what He was, they called
Him the bright and morning star; the
fairest OF all the children OF men; the
chiefest among ten thousand; Oh, that we
might have our eyes open to behold Him!
3. Fifty years ago there was q war IN
India with England. On one occasion sew
crnl English officers were taken prisoners;
among them was one man named BAIRD.
On. OF the Indian officers brought fetters
tu put on them all. Baird had been soreiy
wounded and was suffering from his weak.
ness. A gray.baired officer said, You Will
not put chains on that man, surely: The
answer was, II have just as many letters
as prisoners, and they must all be worn.
Then said the old hero, Put two pairs on
me" Baird lived to gain his freedom,
doubiy chained. But what if he had worn
the fetteSs Of all in the prison, and what
II vo.utarily he had lef. palace. to wear
chains, 10 suffer the stripes and endure
the agony? That would be poor illustra-
tion of all that Christ has done for You
and for me. Will you stone Him for that!
3. Because Of what He is to-day. In
1917 there was great riot IN London, IN
which houses were sacked and general
insurrection reigned; guns In the tower
were laundering against the inSurs:nts
La, IL,
every side. Three hundred were arrested,
tried and hanged; five hundred were cast
into prison, and were to be tried tefore
the king. Henry VIII. As he sat in state
on the throne the door opened and IN they
came. every man with rope about his
neck. Before sentence could b, passed on
them three queens entered, Catherine OF
Aragon, wife of the king; Margaret OF
Scotland, sister OF the king. and Mary OF
France. They apr cached the throne, kneit
at the feet OF His Majesty and there re.
mained pleading until the king forgave the
Eve hundred trembling men.
that going on for you and for me at this
moment Will you stone Him for that!
Looking out from the windows OF heaven
the Son of God behe!d people heavily bur
dencd. bearing the weight Of their sins,
cropping about in their blindness, crying,
peace! peace!" and there was no peace.
And He said, II will 60 down and become
bone of their bone and flesh Of their flesh; {;
I will open their eyes and bear their bur.
dens. forgive their sins and give them
peace" Between man and the Father
house was a great gulf, wider than the dis.
tancc from east to west, deeper than the
distance from north to south, but Christ :
coming bridged the gulf over. Across the
chasm He cast His cross, and on the other
side I sec Hin standing, His arms out.
spread, His attitude one OF pleading. Lis.
ten! you will hear Him saying, Come unto
Me, come unto Me, whosoever will. let
him come" Will you stono Fin for that!