Norwich bulletin., 1912-04-05
MANY INTERESTED AT
 CUTLERY SHOP TALK
Rev p. c. Wright Speaks Upon The
 Meaning of the Cross.


 The noon hour shop talk this week under the auspices of the Y, M. C. A. was given on Thursday, the speaker being Rev P. c. Wright who took for his topic. The Cross and Its Meaning. Mrs. George T. Lord was heard in two finely rendered solos, The Palms, and The Holy City, Miss Grove ac- companying her.
 MT Wright said in part: This is not a church, but men are here. There is no altar here, but immortal souls are here. This is not a preaching service, but here man speaks to man of thoughts concerning human welfare and destiny And nothing has affected human welfare and destiny like the cross of Christ. This is called Holy week and we as citizens of Chris tian nation could more appropriately speak of nothing else.
 We are very apt to think too much about the actual GOlgotha. the real cross of wood, the man Jesus, the wicked and lawless hands which cru cified him, and too little of the fact that these were but the symbols of vaster things. These material things finding as they did a place in human | history, are only expressions of spirit ual and eternal facts For this req son we should not fail to think of these material evidences, but let them be simply reminders of those divine ! truths for which they stand.
 Provides Escape from Sin.
 The cross gives evidence of Gods l thought of the terrible reality of sin. We do not think it so serious a mat l ter Men swear. lie, steal and are in continent and laugh a}'7ut it as if it were a humorous fact Very recently l in a prison meeting some inmates were making light of prayer and the i gospel thought. Men do not consider | the serious nature of sin. But God, who made us and against whom is all sin, knows its full meaning. So terri 1 ble is it in his sight that he sent his i Son into the world to die for us, in our stead While we seem so ignorant of ] the consequences of sin, he knew all about it and sent Jesus to experience 1 in the garden of Gethsemane the sor- row and anguish of all our sins that ] we might escape their consequences if we would accept him.
 Proof of Gods Love.
 The cross is evidence of the great ness of Gods love for us. God has ! done all he can to help us out of ruin ] If any man is the slave ofsin and reaps the rewards of sin in this world and the next, he will do so in spite of 1 God. When we did not deserve it. l God sent Jesus, his Son. who gave his 1 sinless life a ransom for our sins
 Men, any child who has a good father | that feeds and clothes him, gives him an education, sends him here and 1 there for his pleasure and profit, and
 then he goes to the bad is an un-
 grateful and wicked boy Listen: l God made us. He gave us a beautiful world. He filled 1t with every good thing. He gave us dominion over 1t i What did we do? We broke his com mand We sinned What did he do
 then? He sent his holy son. Jesus, to
 die that we might live That is love | The highest love. The hOliest love Let us receive it.
 Points the Way Upward.
 The cross marks our path upward
 Sin always takes us downward, but
 the way of the cross always leads up-
 ward The cross is a great beacon l light of love, drawing us out of world of pitfalls, sorrows and misery Wher
 we come to it in faith we lose @ great | load and we find real joy. How many men we know that if they could i only lose their one besetting sin anc find the help of Jesus, they could be strong and useful men.
 Not only so, but beyond the cross there is still a power to rise. Jesus
 said, He that saveth his life shal lose it, but he that loseth his life fol
 my sake shall find it unto life eter.
 nal" Jesus spirit was one of saIf-
 sacrifice and whoever believes in hin
 shall have it. And it is that life o.
 self-giving for Jesus sake which rises higher and higher