The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1909-03-09

! THE preaching of the Cro>s is to the N tia
perish foolishhe>s; hut unit" II, !" men an:
| saved it is the power of God. II Cor. / rs.
1t is very rcin;li l,able that the Gross
which symbolized the most isnonilni"u
form of capital punishment under 'h'
laws of the Roman Empire. should b:
| the symbol of Christianity. Thus. be
lievers who are deeply learned III In,
| Bible, will have no difficulty III discern
ing that the same Divine pruNloicNc,
! which in advance marked bread "a 4 sym
Dol of the Bread Of life from heaven. ;ile
water as Il symbol of the water Of llEt
| from the throne of God, and marriage Il.
= q picture of the relationship between
| Christ and the Church. directed also that
the Romans should adopt the4ro>s a :
symbol of ignominy. Was not this an
ticipated in the Divine prophecy which
| declared, "CWsed is every one that
hangeth on a tree "a croSs?' AND dlt
not our Lord Jesus Use this very wore
Cross with a proper figurative significa
ton considerably i'll advance OF his OWL
crucifxion. saying, " Ii any man would
be my disciple. let him deny himself anu
take up his Cross. and follow me. y
Matt. 1924.
Evidently the Cross, the shame of the
Cross, the ignominy of the Gloss, the
| ordeal pictured by the Cross, were fore
| ordained c-lcsSons-leSSonS of the
sef-denials and sacrifices expected not
| only for Messiah, but for all those why
l Iva taI hi
Bride class, ''members of his Body.
his Royal Priesthood his "PecuIiai
| People" his $ Holy Nation
1t will be disc elned that we are draw
ing sharply defined contrast between
| the meaning of the cross presented to o,n
minds i'll the Scriptures and the unreeera-
Grated sentiment which secs it merely d
the symbol Of pride and ostentation,
| whether upon banners OF buildings OF
beStudded with Jewels for personal
adornnent. Let Us be undcl>tood, that
the Peoples Pulpit stands for the Cross
in the simplicity of its original Institution
4 symbol-in the words Of our Lord and
his apostles-a symbol of Self-dcnial.
self-sacriiice, suffering for righteousness
sake IN opposition to the spirit of the
world, the flesh and the Adversary
On the other hand, let lis not be under
stood to have any superstitlouS reverence
for a splinter from the Cross of Christ or
for one OF the nails reputed to have been
driven through our Say tours flesh. We
do not bow down to them nor reverence
them in any sense. Our thought goee out
to the Cross of Christ on i much higher
and nobler plane when we recognize the
work of grace connected with our ~
tours sacrifice which was finished on the
Cross. In the proper understanding of the
matter our Lord took up his Cross a.
soon as he reached manhOod'S estate
under the l.aw-When thirty years OF
age. Immediately he presented himself
to John at Jordan and made q full con
secration unto death. symbolizing it by
water immersion. There, begotten by the
holy Spirit he came up out of the water
and for three and half years fgurative-
ly, symbolica!lv, was bearing his Cross
His Cross consisted not in his living
separate from in. fer he had lived
separate from sin up to that time. " He
knew no sin = Cor .5:21
His Cross, on the contrary. consisted in
self-deniai as respects things which would
have been entirely proper and right
against which there would have been Ito
law. These he sacrificed il, the doing Of
the Fathers will, iii laying down his life
a ransom for mankind. Although his own
will was a righteous one. he tells IL. that he
came not to DO his own will, but the vii!
of him that sent him-the Fathers will
He tells Us what this will was, namely.
that he should lay down his life, giving
himself ransom for many, and that III
timately he should receive his life again
as a reward, en- a higher plane, and that
thus, by the sacrifice for oar ,inS. he
should be qualified not only - atone fol
our sins and thus 20 pt1rci.a q tx; chi!
by the sacrifice for -if. hut ~, i4j..li
that he should have fn}, ei' ;,f,i az l., IL
to save the wori;i from is Er.t ,u1pI III!
from sin and death
PURCHASED b HIS i...c ~.
The Apostle Peter state lie -:a,nc
matter in other words. 81, in.. tlaf W.
We're redeemed with the l}sr iul;, ! l,nf
of Christ rs of laIn, l:i:rttt ! !psti /!
and without spot q Iet lisa A. t.ls
Cross of Christ was not llcHcIy iiae tiG.i. ~
to which he was nailed III tt:,}h. {, f:a
blood of Christ was not that :. i i. !. ;:et
from the spear-thru>t il HI i.',,f
death. The Scri ptur"l ~tatc1rrst j. H..
the g life is in the b!os,;" H. accord i,
this the Lords sacrifice If IL ii ctH- t.:
shedding of his blood. ~, "e l:!,;
indeed, is Il proper name ior a.lv ';".:
death. When it i aisi /: II We : ii: