Jackson County journal., 1919-10-10

has been written
down as a part of Holy Scripture.
And Barabbas is the name by which
every reflector of Christ is known, for
it means "son Of his father" Son Of
MS father! Born but once. Twice
dead, therefore, in treSpasseS and sins.
Barabbas is the name of every man
who has not been born again, proclaim
ing what he is as a sinner lost and un-
done. "Ye must be born again." But
Barabbas escapes the cross that has
Deen prepared for him and another
Barabbas, Son of his Father, Only Be
| gotten and well-beloved, goes to that
cross in his stead, and In yours and
mine. And legend has it that, as the
darkness gathered round, Barabbas ran
to the foot of it and, shifting his
breast, cried, ooh, thou Jesus of Naz-
areth, know not who thou art. but
one thing Go know; thou art hanging
there in my placer
Oh, soul, have you said that to Him ?
Ihat is the faith that saves! That is
what is means to believe on his name. "
dDOSClo.
'"Ihe Son of God loved me and gave
himself for me-"
But see the other two crosses. Hang
Ing there are two men sunk far down
In sin. Not only condemned by the
Roman government to die an igno-
minious death because of their crimes.
but while standing at deaths door they
! revile and blaspheme the Lord of life
and glory: the thieves also which
were crucified with him cast the same
! in his teeth.'
But ray of divine light enters the
soul of one, and by it he is led to see
the glory of that Person hanging at
his side. From the depths of his sim
ful heart there rises a cry, Lord, re-
member me when thou comest in thy
Kingdom" He has seen all the truth I
has seen that this is the Compromised
Messiah. Sees that though he is diving
shameful death, he must come back
again in his kingdom, according to all
the prophets and make good the title
nailed above his head: ''The King of
the Jews" But the Lord Jesus, with
out an upbraiding word, with no sylla-
Ole OF reproach, without a question or
condition of any kind, goes far beyond
| MS request, as He always does. and
says: You do not have to wait until
come in my kingdom; I will do better
Tor YOU" verify, 1 say unto thee, to-
day shalt thou be with me in paradise. !"
Saved! in the twinkling of an eve
Saved! Snatched from the very laws
,, OF death! A man who is not fit to live
, on earth made fit to be with Christ In
paradise! What miracle! And he is
the same wonder-working Savior to-
day. 1t has been said, "There was one
such case that none might despair, but
only one that none might presume" ;"
Let us rather say that here is a pat.
tern case OF salvation, clearly and full
~ revealed, so that wherever the story
OF the cross should be told, this story
OF the saved thief must be told in con-
nectiOn with it.
LOOK now at those three crosses. On
the right hangs the saved sinner: on
the left the lost one in the middle the
Savior. This man on the right has
SIN IN him still, and so has every saved
man. But there is no sin on him. Un-
seen hands have lifted the sin that was
on him and have laid it upon the One
VINO hangs at his side, and he dies
beneath the awful load. This Man on
the middle cross has no sin in him.
holy, harmless, undefled and separate
from sinners" must He be to die in
your place and mine. The sin-offering
IN Israel must be without blemish.
Ihls man on the left has sin in him,
Dut alas! it is still on him, and he
dies and goes to hell.
Look again! This man on the right
IS dying to sin, in the death of his
substitute on the middle cross. That
IS what the Lord meant by losing
ones life in order to find it. I must,
at the cross, lose the life with which
was born, to find there q new life in
the Crucifed. This Man on the middle
cross is dying ''for" sin. The man on
the left is dying sin" sin.
On, soul, these three little preposi-
tlons tell all the story that our God
IS so eager to tell, and that men are
SO slow to hear. Do not die in sin. die
10 1t by receiving as your personal
Savior that Blessed One who died for
lt IN your place once for all, and phvs-
lcal death shall then, at the very worst
OF It's doing Duf faIZa vo-, fo ho ,,-;4L