The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-03-17

treignS supreme. livery HOoAs
| still; the four executioners lay nolu
with their muscular arms. Up Win IT,
don't leave go" The cross IS neavy,
| the soldiers groan and push It up with
| their shoulders. Their veins SVEN
out. Another heave and up it goes IN
Ia huge sweep. Humanity bows rs
head, shuddering at the atrocious deed.
1t cannot be; it is impossible; It can
| be and is Horror seizes the onlooker'
| his limbs tremble. The spectators
clutch hold of each other, lest the
cross fall on them and crush them
The cross is coming-coming over the
whole world! Higher and ever higher
Hold tight and don't let it go. It
islands, it is fastened; there hangs the
divine form, naked and bare. The
! nails go right through the bleeding
hands and feet and our eyes which
would be blind to the fact are obliged
| to witness tour hearts, which long
| to make all undone, must bear It. But
we can control ourselves no longer, in
loud sobs our long restrained grier
bursts forth, and our trembling hands
are clasped In supplicant love. Tn
lutterable pity is poured out in uncon-
/ trolIabIe tears, forming a cloud OF
sympathetic sorrow about the head Of
the Crucified One, to tighten the agony
of death And gradually the eye be-
comes accustomed to that which II has
never witnessed before, and is able to
gaze on the awful scene. Divine grace
spreads over~ the slender form, and as
sense of the beautiful eternally re-
comedies heaven and hell, and ennobles
even the most terrible, so our sorrow
tremendously resolves itself into pious
admiration Of perfect manly beauty,
such as is unfolded to our gaze in
chaste calm and majesty.
1T grows dark-there Is a rustling
and murmuring in the air which comes
nearer and nearer. 1t is the sound of
the wings of the angels of death; or
| is it a flight of those sacred birds, of
which the legend says, that they tried
to peck out the nails with which the
Savior was fastened to the cross until
they bent their weak little bills crook
ed, and to which the name of cross
bills was given The sufferer up above
is quiet and still. His bright eyes
alone speak-speak to the invisible
powers. which reign and hover around
in this hour of contamination. At
casting lots for his vesture-the
priests are triumphant-the wild beast
cynicism is lurking with wolfish Gag
erness till its prey falls undisputed,
and showing it's teeth in anger, cries
in fierce mockery: eff thou be the Son
of God come down from the cross" He
calls upon God, Let Him save Him.
if He has found favor in his sight" He
would destroy the temple and build it
up again in three days-show now
thy power, proud King of the Jews"
Hereupon the tortured one in agony
turns his head: Lord forgive them,
for they know not what they do" And
the one thief, even in his own dying
agony, mocks at him, but the other
rebuked him, saying: 1--WE received the
due reward of our deeds, but this man
has done nothing amiss," and he be-
seeches: Lord remember me when
Thou contest into Thy kingdom"
when Christ utters the wonderful
words: Verify I say unto thee. today
shalt thou be with me in Paradise
Fresh cries of mockery from the
Pharisees: He saves others; himself
he cannot save" But Christ no longer
hears them. His senses are numbing.
He bends his head to Mary and John
Woman, behold thy son; son behold
thy motherv' And now comes the
signs of approaching DEATH He be-
comes restless, he struggles for
breath; his tongue cleaves to the roof
of his mouth. ST thirst" They hold
up to him sponge filled with vinegar.
at the end of a long spear. He sips
but it does not refresh him. His an
guish has reached its highest point:
"Eloi, eloi, lama, sabachthani,' groans
the breaking heart; a wave of agony
passes over the noble form in it's death
struggle, then deeply signing he
speaks in tones of an aeolean harp
the words: 1T is finished Father, into
thy hands I commend my spirit" He
gently bends his head and dies Roars
of thunder shake the earth dust
whirls up from the ground, and steam
Kisses out of the clefts and darkens
the air. The graves open and give
up their dead. In holy rage the Faith
er strikes the earth as he takes the
sacrifice back, which he left only too
long to pitiless torment The temple
| is burst asunder, the veil is rent
and in the fire of heaven. the Fathers
heart shines forth upon him, the
cruelty treated, patient and obedients
Son! Come, o Beloved, rings the long
ing cry in heaven. Come o Beloved"
| is reechoed from mouth to mouth
among the audience down below. They
still have to witness how the beloved
body is pierced by sharp lance, till
the warm blood flows out of the
wound, and it is as if the thrust went
through the heart of the whole world
They must still hear the bowling Of
the wolves contending for the holy
body-but the tortured soul may rest
at last with Him. The hand of the
governor has protected the body and
handed it over to his family. Stricken
with awe at the terrible signs. the
crowd become scattered as dust be-
fore the wind-the priests fee, pale
with fear, back to their shattered
temple. Golgotha becomes deserted.
The scoffngs and blasphemings are
hushed, the uproar of the elements
has abated, and the holy calm of the
evening surrounds those left behind.
1T is finished; he has gone home to
the bosom of his Father. Noiselessly
I