Arizona republican., 1907-01-21
THE THREE CROSSES.

The following is a synopsis of the morning sermon preached by Rev. Har- old GOvette of the Center street Metho- dist church:
 Text: They crucified him, and two others with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst" Jno. 1918.
 Here We are presented with one of the most ghastly and bloody spectacles of history, the tragedy of Holgotha.
 Represented upon these three crosses We have damnation, repentance and salvation. strangely but systematically arranged together.
 First. We have an impenitent thief: a rebel against God and the nation. dying in infidelity and sin. His plea was, If thou art Christ save myself and us" His prayer was void of faith or confidence in the one whom he ad- dressed. In using the word, ''if," he revealed the fact that his heart was filled with doubt and unbelief That word 'if'' has come down through the ages as the mother of infidelity. A prayer with an "if'' in 1t never reaches reaches and moves the heart of God must be without doubt. The rejection of Christ by this impenitent thief ren- dered him no worse than those who reject him today. after having seen the effect of his teachings upon the world.
 His was a selfish and unkind prayer. in that he wished 10 be loosed from the cross that he might go again. with blasting effect. using his criminal in nuence against society.
 Second, we have another thief, diff ferent from the former one in that he was penitent. sorry before God and man for the misdeeds of his life.
 He recognized that he was a sinner and deserved to die. He asked not to live. but confessed his guilt. He also believed in the assumption of Christ; that he was a King and possessed a kingdom, and simply asked that he be remembered. What brevity he intro duced into his prayer; there was no time for display of fine rhetoric or elo- cution, for he was in a strange predic- ament; suspended upon a cross be- tween heaven and earth; there was but a step between him and eternity. And what faith he manifested. there had never been the like in all history: without it he would have been damned
 Third, We have bleeding mercy and grace divine salvation for the lost. Let us now turn our thoughts to the per sonage upon the central cross. This was Jesus of Nazarath. Mary's boy and Gods own son. with a heart going out in holy solicitation for the soul of the penitent thief. Up to this time he had been oh. so busy in caring for suffer ing humanity; and now in his last mo- ments he was reaching out to catch another brand from the burning; an- other lost soul from the brink of hell. He said in reply to the appeal of the penitent thief. this day shalt thou be with me in paradise" This day; this is a gospel term; tomorrow has little to do with the calender of the king dom of Christ It does not take Christ long to save a man. He would save you now. Give yourself up to him and he saves you now, in a moment. Neith- CT does it take long to be transferred to heaven. Paul said. For me to de- part out of the body, Is to be present with Christ"
 The term with me-" Is not fully ap- preciated by mankind. but it is fellow ship with the Son or God We all need. The apostle says again, "I have a de- sire to depart and be with Christ
 Christ might have enjoyed the com panionship of the beloved John, or that of his precious mother, but he took the soul of the penitent thief as his trav- cling companion from earth to heaven. He was the first to obtain salvation under the covenant of grace. Before the life blood had become cold upon the dying form of the Son of God. 1t had become effectual unto salvation.