The Newtown bee., 1904-12-16

ages and all other charitable inStitu | tionss Who projected the great evan geliZiDg forces now in operation for the uplirt of humanity, to carry the l gospel of the Son of God to those who sit in moral and spiritual darkness, and in the shadow of death? Who are those who give their money, their time | and their lives to rescue the heathen | from their degradation, and from the observance of their cruel and bloody rites? lntidelity cannot boast of this kind of work. Who ever heard of an Ingersoll mission where the hungry could be fed, the naked clothed, the shivering warmed, and where gospel hymns were sung, and prayers offered and Christian talks given? These are the blessed fruits of Christianity. Take Christ out of mems hearts, drive him out of our coasts banish him from our world and all these gifts would go with him; yet the world 'CrucitieS him afresh and puts him to an open shame" The little company of His faithful ones that finger at the cross during the tragic scenes of the cruci- tiXiOn are the cOnservatOrS of all the blessings which come to the world from the crucitied Christ. Surely the perverse world owes something to Christ, and the least that any one can do is to welcome him to the heart at whose door He stands knocking for admittance.
 JESUS LOOKS AGAIN FROM THE CROSS.
 l imagine that for moment he tor gets his agony, the smart of the nails, the burning thirst, and the shame of the cross. In the midst of that clamor- Ous mob, be sees an awakened soul, this single redeeming feature in the midst of world lying in wickedness, gladdens His sad soul before he goes hence.
 One night in 1776. the Duke of Glou- cester, the royal brother of George the Third, then hiding from his brothers s wrath in Paris, was entertaining ta- ble party of ariStOcratS, with an ac- count of the "BOstOn tea party" He depressed his cynical sympathy for the American rebels, and dwelt upon their need for recruits to fight against hls brother. The table laughed at what they considered great joke. Among the company was solemn, silent, young soldier. His face was listless, his eye was dull and drOwSy. No one took much notice of him until the din ner was finished, then he strode across the room to the Duke. His Sallow listless face now aglow, and his sleepy eyes flashing fire, as he cried, "I will join the Americans, l will help them light for freedom" This was the genesis of Lafayette, the nineteen. year-old marquis, the redeeming fea ture in the history of American fiber ty.
 At that cross, in the midst of the jeering, mocking mob, stands a mar of noble figure. He stands head anC shoulders above the rest; his head is crowned with helmet of steel; tht crest of the helmet glitters in the sun light; an ostrich plume droops grace fully down from the crest until it's til touches the shoulder. His rich, beau
 tiful mantle is neatly folded acros
 his broad chest. His tunic is frillet
 greaved, his feet are sandled, and hi
 furnished sword is girded upon hi
 thigh. This man has stood gazing a
 Him who hung upon that cross "il
 the midSt," all through the changint
 scenes of that awful tragedy. Grim
 stolid, he stood during those thre
 hours of terrible darkness. The eartl
 heaves and trembles beneath his san
 dled feet; he hears the roar of tn
 and batteries; he stands amid the dy
 manic explosion of rocks. He hears
 from the lips of Him who hung upo
 that middle cross, the prayer, "Fathe
 forgive them, for they know not wha
 they do.'' Then comes that vail c
 agony, "My God, my God, why has
 thou forsaken me?" Then the sigh o
 relief, ''It is fnished," and lastly tha
 cry of assurance, as he sees the Fatf
 CTS face bending above him, "Fathel
 into thy hands l commend my spirit
 All this. that commander of hur
 dred Roman soldiers heard and saw; j
 was enough, and the Centurion lay
 his left hand upon his troubled heart
 and lifts his right hand toward tn H now limp and lireless Christ and e1 sf claims, "Truly this was the Son ( 8 God" This centurion was a repre-
 sentative man; he represents tn . a witness for all time, that the bloc
 that availed for him avails for all tn ed human race.
 Id SOMETIMES WE ARE ENCOURAGED B
 THE AWAKENING
 ,e t and conversion of represe ntativ ,5 worldly men. Now and then an inf 1' Y del like Captain Lowe, turns to Chris e' and exclaims, "Truly this was the So 'n'' of God" Men who represent tn -, world of wealth, of business, of pol q . tics, of science, of pleasure, of fashion ,' and those who represent the crimins and degenerate classes, will sometime 'e be attracted to the cross, and in th to spirit of penitence cry, "Truly thi tU tu was the Son of God. Sometimes n, py Saul of Tarsus will come from tn l nl ranks of the self-righteous Pharisee ea o. and cry, "Lord, what wilt thou hay ;n i;o me to do" Sometimes a ZaccheU 10 10 will desert the cause of oppression b av extortiOn and seek to see Jesus, whoI 1s 1s he receives gladly, and takes to h. or heart and home. A ManaSSeh wi oa o sometimes renounce his idolatry an 1v become an enthusiastic icOnoclast nt and will wash from his hands and hi .r0 soul, the crime of blood in the tears ( ,t repentance. Some of the Magdalene is' have become blessed evangel and guiC 'sr '' ing stars in the realm of womanhoot u. A Rahab occasionally turns her bac co " on her old life of sin, and passes out ( o' fear into exceptional faith ,conspicuou = honor, and valuable service. Whe
 such notable characters are SaveC \ they leave large vacancies in the rank = of sin, and fill large spaces in the caus p of Christ. It shows us that the bloc .. of Christ which is sufficient to flow ir
 to the bays and harborS of sin, is suff t cient to touch all along the shore liu A of humanity.
 V "His blood atones for all our race, t And sprinkles now the throne ( A grace"
 He Saw an unfaithful chur oh. Th