The Oklahoma miner. [volume] (Krebs, Okla.) 1912-192?, 1917-05-17

himself to nave
reyiled. Christ just little before turns
to rcbukc his companion and shows
that a change has been wrought in him
which continues to be an astonishment
to all who read of it.
The malefactor was an unlikely
person to be converted The disciples
had forsaken Christ and fled but this
sinful man joins himself to him. He
was the first Of a long line of trophies
from among the foes of Christ. The
chief prosecutor of the early church
became its chief apostle, and the pow
er Of the cross over e'hrist's enemies
ubides. Elijah Z. Brown, for many
years editor Of a well-known religious
weekly was once a leader of infdel
clubs, yet God brought him to Christ
Under a simple plea from d. l.. Moody.
We should count no man hopeless but
shogld covet Christs enemies for his
cause.
Unlikely Place for Conversion.
A cross was an unlikely place for
conversion. The cross has been glorl-
fed in our eyes, but we are not to for
get that it looked no more attractive
TO those who first saw it than Il gal
lows looks to US. John Wesley de-
clares that at one period he would
have thought 1t q sin to seek to save
souls outside n church building, hut
he was driven to the fields to preach
and learned that any place can become
holy ground Samuel Hadley started
heavenward from the back room Of
low saloon
The dying hour was an unlikely
period for conversion. This story for
ever rebukes the idea that acceptance
with God depends upon a round of
| sacraments or good works, for he had
time for neither. This lesson still
needs to be learned Wesley was for
many years a processing Christian,
and even an ordained minister, before
he learned it. He tells how he was
thrilled in first preaching salvation, by
faith alone, to a condemned prisoner
and his Joy when he heard the man
say; 81 am now ready to die. know
he has taken away my sins and there
is no more condemnation for me-"
Interesting Points.
There are several interesting points
connected with the thiefs conversion.
1t began with the fear of God. He
asks his companion, "Dost not thou
! fear God seeing thou art in the same
condemnation" His heart had been
solemnized by the darkness which
spread over the land and by all the
scenes of the crucifXion. Nobody
fears God any more'-so we are told
today. And indeed this frivolous, self
satisfied age is not marked by the fear
of the Lord. 1t may require the hOr-
rOrs of an awful war to bring us to
seriousness and sense of the majesty
Of God. Alas, for the fact that some
time even Gods judgments fail in this
matter, just as one of the robbers was
unmoved by all he had witnessed
1t was accompanied by frank confess
sion of his sin. 1--WE receive the due
reward of our deeds" How refresh,
ing when visiting in prisons, to find
one who acknowledges his guilt and
expresses contrition there is hope for
/ SuCn q man.
Remarkable Faith.
But we would speak especially OF
the remarkable faith Of this man. He
prays, "Jesus, remember me wher
thou comest in thy kingdom" To the
multitude, and even to the disciples
the inscription declaring Jesus to be
king of the Jews must have seemed
mockery indeed. The life of Jesus
appeared a complete failure and his
claims exploded. Yet, in that hour
there was begotten in the heart of thii
rough fellow a faith that saw the king
dom even beyond the cross. 1t wa
faith akin to that by which Abraham
was justified, of whom it is said he be
lieved God "who quickened the dea'
and calleth those things which be no
| nc though thpV were"