The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1907-10-04

Did Christ Ger sinners weep
And shall our tears be dry
Christ never thought or spake OF
eternal punishment in cold, hard
words. He did 1t with a breaking
heart. He did IL with tenderness and
tears, but none the less He did IL;
for none knew so we'll as He that
eternal sin must bring eternal hell
and that all We know and fear of
death Is but a paradise compared
with that second death
whose pang
Outlasts the feeting breath.
Oh, what eternal horrors hang
Around the second death.
The tears of Jesus tell us of His
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 1t.
When Hercules came to the place
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
cue," and he slew the dragon and
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 our penalty and
save us from eternal sorrow.
And so we read OF another instance
Of His tears in Heb. 5:7. 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 headI
Our load was laid on Thee;
Thou stoodest in the. sinners stead.
Didst bear all sin for me;
Jehovah lifted up His rod,
o Christ, it fell on Thee:
Thou vast sore stricken of Thy God,
Thy bruising healeth me.
Hindu mythology has a strange
tale typical of the atonement, the
story Of dove pursued by a hawk
until in desperation 1t flung itself
into the bosom of Vishnu, one Of the!f
deties. But the hawk demanded sat.
isfaction. declaring that the dove wai
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 bade the hawk
devour of her own living flesh az
much as would compensate for the
III ,II .
fiuttering there and knowing the fear.
full cost of her deliverance. Yes, we
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
elers view. AS He gazed upon 1t In
It's singular beauty. there arose be,
hind the scene another vision that q
few years later was to fill all that
valley: a city besieged, cruel Roman
legions around on every hill top. the
narrowing cordGn Of destruction,
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 conqueror, 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 had
been.
And as He saw Il all and how II
might have been prevented IL they
had only received Him, He cried, al
thou hadst known even 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 ia
wipe away your tears, to wash away
your sins and make you happy and
holy through His love.
But they tell us also that IL you re-
fuse and reject Him, there may come
a time, there will come time, when
He can do nothing for you but weep.
They tell OF 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 be
broke out in floods of weeping. my
friend" he said, how can /. by
Single word, consign you to felon's
cell and a life OF banishment from
home and friends and all that earth
holds dear? But | am judge and
must be just. Why did you force me
TO do this thing?" and they wept to-
gether, but II 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.