The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-10-30
death is but a paradise compared
with that second death

The tears OF Jesus tell us OF Ills
atonement. He did not come down
to earth to weep in helpless sorrow
but to rise in almighty strength
against our doom-and rescue US
from it.
When Hercules came to the pla>e
where the helpless virgin lay bound
upon the rock and the dragon was
coming to devour her, her parents
and all around were frantic with
tears, but Hercules cried, This is no
time for tears; this hour is for res
saved the maiden.
So Jesus came, not merely to weep
but to help, and by His OWN tears and
His own agony and His own blood to
meet our peril and u penalty and
a v us from eternal sorrow.
And so we read Of another instance
of His tears in Heb. ST. These were
the tears of Gethsemane and the an
guish of His passion. These were the
tears that we deserved to shed. These
were the pains that we deserved to
suffer. But as our great Substitute
and Sacrifice, He bore our sins In His
own body on the tree, and having
paid the penalty and satisfied the
claims of justice, He comes in the
glad message of the Gospel to an
nounce our pardon and salvation.
O Christ, what burdens bowed Thy head;
Our load was laid On Thee;
Thou stoodest in the sinners stead,
Didst bear all sin for me;
Jehovah lifted up His rod,
n (lr;o4 - Coll m Tboa.
Thou vast sore stricken of Thy God,
Thy bruising healeth me.
Hindu mythology has a strange
tale typical of the atonement, the
story of a dove pursued by a hawk
until in desperation it flung itself
into the bosom of Vishnu, one Of their
deities. But the hawk demanded sat
isfaction, declaring that the dove was
her lawful prey and that Vishnu must
not only be merciful to the dove but
Just to It's claims. Then Vishnu, hold
ing the trembling dove in her bosom.
barred her breast and babe the hawk
devour of her own living flesh as
much as would compensate for the
dove, while all the time the dove lay
futtering there and knowing the fear
lul COSL VI uSI uSllfCl ouSC. ASSb W.
are safe within His bosom, but oh,
the cost to Him. "He saved us, Him
self He could not save" He wipes
away our tears, but in order to do
this He had to weep when there was
no eye to pity and no arm to save.
Don't you think the least that you
could do would be to thank Him and
give Him your heart, your love, your
grateful tears?
We have yet one more picture,
Luke 1874. He was entering Jeru.
salem from Olivet. He had just
turned that point where the whole
city suddenly bursts upon the trav-
eler's view. AS He gazed upon it in
it's singular beauty, there arose be-
hind the scene another vision that a
few years later was to fill all that
valley: a city besieged, cruel Roman
legions around on every hill top, the
narrowing Gordon of destruction, a
breach at last in the walls of defense,
the breaking in Of the brutal con-
queror, the streets running with
blood, the Temple rising in smoke
and flames, the shrieks of mothers,
maidens and little children in the
cruel grasp of the c%onqueror, and
then, a long train Of captives going
forth to distant lands while behind
them lay a plowed field Of desolation
where once their beautiful city Id
been.
And as He saw it all and how il
might have been prevented If thsy
had only received Him, He cried. "If
thou hadst known ven now in this
thy day the things that belong to thy
peace, but now they are hid from
thine eyes," 1t was too late; but
even yet He had for them His tears.
These tears tell us of Christ's COM
passion. They tell us how He longs
to save.
They tell us that He is here to-
night with infinite pity and power TO
wipe away your tears, to wash away
your sins and make you happy and
holy through His love.
But they tell us also thai If you re.
fuse and reject Him, there may come
a time, there will come a time, when
lie can do nothing for you but weep.
They tell of a judge before whom
was brought for punishment his old.
est friend. AS he stood up to pro.
nounce the sentence upon him, the
memory of their boyhood days to-
gether came upon the judges heart
with overwhelming force and he
broke out in floods Of weeping. MY
FRIEND" he said, chow can I, by a
single word, consign you to a felon's
cell and a life of Punishment from
home and friends and all that earth
holds dear? But I am a judge and
must be just. Why did you force me
to do this thing?" And they wept to-
gether, but it was too late to save
him from his fate. From that scene
of weeping, he went forth a doomed,
ruined man to spend his days In fruit
less tears.
Oh, sinner, beware! lest some day
on the Throne of Judgment you look
in the face of a weeping Saviour ard
hear Him say: How often would !
have gathered you ever as hen doth
gather her brood under her wings
and We would not. Oh, that thou
hadst known the things that belong
to thy peace, but now they are hid
from thine eyes"