The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1919-07-31

tOr OF tnest
events and he
has written down Just what be de-
signed should become a part Of Holy
Scripture-nothIng more and nothing
less-so that. wherever this story
should he told. these things that trans
pired nj the cross should be told In
connection with II.
And the first thing written here In
the epitome OF all that follows: A
crown Of thorns upon that holy head
Last King OF David's line to be crown
ed In Jerusalem. yet no royal dladem
Nhdorns his brow; the time for the dia-
dems has not yet come and the thorns
are the price he must pay for these.
In holy symbolism we are to listen
TO the story our God so Joys to tell.
and which he takes every occasion TO
tell, though men are so slow to hear.
We turn back TO the opening chapters
~ the Bible and there. In Genesis 3.
we learn what the symbolism is. There
We hear God pronouncing curse up
on creation because Of sin, and this Ii
what he says: Cursed is the ground
for thy sake; In sorrow shalt thou eat
Of II all the days OF thy life; thorns
also and thistles shall II bring forth
unto thee In the sweat Of thy
face shalt thou eat bread, TIL thou re-
turn unto the ground for dust
thou art and unto dust shalt thou re-
turn" This curse abides upon all ere
alton still and II Is written that "the
whole creation groaneth and travail
eth In pain together until now"
A famous musician has declared
that all the sounds OF nature are in
the minor key and that all the animals
so express themselves. We speak OF
the "sIghlng" OF the wind and the
moaning" OF the sea. All, IL Is na-
lures sad cry because Of what sin has
wrought In Gods fair creation.
But see that which symboliEes the
curse Is woven into crown for our
lovely Lord 10 tell us what he has be-
come on our behalf. "for II is written,
cursed Is everyone that hangeth on a
tree" and thus on that cross OF awful
shame he answered TO all the curse OF
sin for us.
Draining To its bitter dregs the cup
OF Divine wrath against sin. he has
turned II into a cup Of eternal bless
Ing and his loving hand presses II TO
our lips. Drink, oh soul, and llvel
Yea, Christ hath redeemed us from
the curse of the law. being made a
curse for u.s." While upon creation the
curse still abldes. and the physical
being OF the Christian, being still a
part Of this grooming creation, bears
the tokens Of the curse, his soul Is
forever delivered. And this deliver
ance guarantees the dellverance OF the
very body itself. so that "the suffer
lngs Of this present time" occasioned
by the curse. ARE not worthy to be
compared with the glory that shall be
revealed In us" because the creature
shall be delivered from the bondage
OF corruption" and this body OF our
humiliation" shall be changed into the
likeness Of Christ's body OF glory.
But observe how fully he has. in his
own blessed person. met the curse OF
sin. "In sorrow shalt thou eat" But
he Is 1.-THE Man of Sorrows" saying as
he goes to the cross for us, snow Is my
soul exceeding sorrowful. even unto
death" Out OF his awful sorrow
comes our JOY. Made curse for us
that the blessing OF Abraham might
come on" us
But again: "In the sweat Of thy
face shalt thou eat bread" And OF
him who bore the curse for us II IL
written that "His sweat was as II
were great drops Of blood falling from
him"
Dust thou art. and unto dust shalt
thou return" And Christ became that
for US. and then. In that body thus
prepared went into the dust of death.
made sin" In that awful place that
We might be made the righteousness OF
God In him"
oh, what Savior A thousand
shames ON the soul that feels no en-
thusiasm over the very mention OF his
name
The last word In the Old Testament
is curse" but the last word In the
New Testament is grace" and this
grace is pronounced upon all who be-
lieye In the name OF our Lord Jesus |
Christ.
Yet a little while and he who was |
made a curse for US shall come out of I
those heavens into which he has gone
and then shall the very creation itself
be delivered from the curse that Is
upon II now, so that the earth, which
never has done so. shall yield her in
crease" and become a very garden Of
the Lord.