River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1911-05-25

TEXT-Now when the centurion saw
what was done he glorifed God saying,
Certainly this was righteous man
Luke %. A.
Jesus has been brought to Calvary.
The chosen place has been reached
and the soldiers settle to their work.
The cross is gotten ready. The up
right beam is laid upon the ground
handy to the hole into which the end
will slip. Jesus is laid upon the
beams and sharp pointed spikes are
driven through the palm of each hand.
and through the feet. Then strong
hands seize the upper end and shift
the cross into place; and as he is lift
ed up on high the first words from
the sufferer are: Father forgive
them. for they know not what they
CO."
Standing by through the whole of
the crucifixion was the centurion,
whose duty it was to see that every
thing was properly done. 1t is not to
be assumed that he was any better
than his fellow-officers, but it may
be assumed that he did not relish his
days work. When a soldier is called
to war and wounds he is proud, for
that is his calling; but when he is
detailed to guard an execution he is
filled with disgust, for this is humili-
alton.
With his company this centurion
had gone on duty in the morning at
Pilates palace, and it was late after
noon before they were released. He
had heard the trial of Jesus, and
helped to keep the bowling rabble
back. He had handed Jesus over to
his men for scourging and looked on
with callousness born OF rough
life. He had escorted Jesus and the
malefactors through the streets and
taken care that they were kept safe
for legal punishment He had select
ed the site for the crosses and seen
that they were firmly set. And as the
rabble passed by mocking Jesus, and
as his men gambled for his garments,
the centurion had sat on his horse
silent, watchful, immovable.
When the criminals were proved to
be dead, and the bodies had been dis
posed of he gathered his company to-
gether and marched them back to the
barracks. He went to his room and
removed his heavy ar1nOr which had
been like fiery prison in the hot sun.
It had been a long day for the CEN
turion and sorry days work, and he
was glad in his soul that it was over.
Yet the centurion knew that this
day would never pass from his mem
DRY. Perhaps he had assisted at many
crucifixions, but he had never had a
prisoner like Jesus. AS he stood be-
fore Plate there was about him a
certain dignity of manhood and
bravery Of soul, which neither bonds
nor insults could obscure. Ordinary
men had been degraded by the mock
ings and scourging; this man left the
degradation with his enemies. Com
man men had cried out in their pain
as they were fastened to the wood;
this man had lifted up his voice in
prayer for those who were torturing
him. From the cross this man had
cared for his mother and his last
words had been words Of triumph as
if a great task had been accomplished.
This spectacle of moral heroism had
it's effect upon the blunt and honest
soldier, and it needed not the dark
ness and the earthquake to call forth
his confession. Certainly this was q
righteous man; truly this was son
of God"
The excellency of our Master comes
out after the same fashion to every
soul, but has various avenues of &C.
cess. To some he comes by the ave-
nue. of intellect. To some he comes
by the avenue of the heart and tho
emotions. There are others to whom
the Lord has come as the revelation
and incarnation Of duty. They are
practical people and they receive the
Master with their conscience. For
years they have been doing their duty
by the best light they had. They have
also certain unrealized Ideals. One
day they find them fulfilled in the
Master, and henceforth he becomes
their model and their Lord.
What a multitude Of men there are
in every land whose one idea is not to
save their souls or to earn reward,
but to do faithfully the work which
God has laid to their hand They
make provision for those whom they
love, or who are left to their charge:
they help where they can any worthy
cause and unfortunates IN trouble
They are honorable merchants, work
men, sailors or soldiers, and upon
conscientious unremitting labor de-
ponds the welfare Of society. Often
they have hateful and heavy work, In
the mines and mills and furnaces, or
under the blazing sun like the GEN.
turion. Yet who commends them for
doing their duty? No one but Christ,
who says well done good and faith
full servant" This is the class of men
among whom Christ worked and to
whom his gospel should come with the
greatest power, and one day they will
see that Jesus is the ideal and ex-
ample of all men who labor.