The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-12

brings forth death. The soldiers are
al the door and the CROSSES are waiting
With ell this black record Of this
wickedness before us, think or an
other life which came to its crisis OH
this same day. There has been man
living In Palestine for more than
! thirty years. and He has never done
sin. This spotless, strong, pure good
| ness has all been poured out in love.
The Life has been all sacrifice. With
never thought for self, health and
truth have gone out from Him to whb-
ever sought or touched Hin--a life
like the shining OF the sun.
Last night Jesus OF Nazareth sat
and talked with His disciples; those
calm, comforting words have been ever
since the wonder of the world. After
wards tho little group went out to-
gether into the garden OF Gethsemane.
And there, while Jesus plead with God
in agony, His disciples slept from
WEAKNESS and sorrow. By-and-by the
soldiers came and took Jesus and car
ried Him away After that He was
wholly separated from His friends
from everybody that believed In or
loved him. He is hurried from one
scene of mock trial to another, walk
ing the familiar streets in disgrace
and desertion. Then He is scourged;
but the people want more, they de-
mand Hts blood. At last the governor
yields. and He is led away to the dealt,
OF criminal. AS He goes, His pro-
cession meets another, in which two
thieves are led to death, and they are
all crucifed together.
How far apart they begin, yet they
meet at last. Our Saviour entered into
the life of humanity at its blacklist.
He had left heaven, and now He left
behind even the little heavenllness
which He had found upon earth. All
the disciples had forsaken Him and
ned. Tho little flicker OF sympathy
had vanished. He had come into the
company Of robbers. There were two
thieves crucihed with Him.
That is the awful sight which we
behold, in those three crosses stand
Ing out sharp and terrible against the
sky. Into the darkest Of earth's dark
ness, into the deepest consequences Of
sin where 1t was possible for inno-
cence to go, the Incarnate One has
gone. Our Emmanuel is with the worst
of us in His most awful misery. No
child of God shall know any suffering
which this love shall not fathom to
its depths.
We realize the power and hideous-
ness of sin when we gather around
the cross. Whose Sin? What sin?
Yours and mine. In the presence OF
Gods Son thus suffering and dying the
oneness of Gods family is revealed.
1t is our punishment He shares. We
hang on our cross, and He hangs on
Ills beside US. In our cross we can
only blame ourselves. Our sin has
brought us what we justly suffer.
On Calvary there was no preaching,
no miracles: but there was an exhibit
tioh OF love such as this cruel, fallen
world had never seen before. That
love, so immeasurably great, so awful
IN us beauty, so unsclfish, so utterly
ungdeserved, what effect has 1t on us?
IT sent away the crowd silent and
self-condomned. And who shall break
the silence which has now gathered
around the cross?
can anything be said to you Of
Christ and His love, of man and his
quit, more than tho cross and those
bleeding wounds have already said?
u you are not affected by them, you
VIII not be moved by any word of
nine Shall that Love and that Cross
plead in vain?