The Nevada County picayune., 1921-10-06
THE MEANING OF THE CROSS
Extract of Sermon Preached at First Presbyterian Church of Prescott, Oct. ?, by Dr. J. C. Williams)

There is a particular meaning in about us, and by careful study we can find out what if is. The field of growing corn speaks of food by sup plying the staff of life. Wood or coal or gas speaks of warmth in the coming winter and the tree of the house that will be built or bridges erected. The silk worm speaks of fine dresses for the rich and the cotton patch of clothing for the poor and needy. What, then. is the meaning of the cross and what does it portend to man? We see so differently the meaning of the things about Us and each has a peeulia idea of what is contained in each object One looks at q piece of money and thinks of the good he can do-how he can feed the hungry women and children of Russia or send the Gospel to the uttermos
 part of the earth. while another looks upon his money and thinks of the intoxicating liquor he can buy or the prize he can win with game of cards.
 There is great rock and three men approach it and form an opinion of it's value One is geologst and he sees the story of the early forma- tion of the earth during many ages and calculates the time required to form this rock from it's different lay CTS and he discourses about paleonto- logy and lithology. The second man sees in the same rock great buildings and magnificent temples of lofty sky Scrapers and speaks of the architec- rock. The third man is sculptor and in this same rock he sees con- cealed the forms of men, women and angels and tells what hecan do with chisel and hammer and how he can produce the forms of strong men, beautiful women and happy joyous children It is in accordance with what is in each mans mind and heart what they will see in this rock.
 Sc with the cross of Christ It, too.
 is judged by what men have in mind and how they look at things. To one man il means that a fanatic has been put out of the world and that his blind followers will see their mistake and soon forget him. Another man sees the just end of traitor Or blasphemer and to another it means simply that reformer has just got
 ten ahead of his generation and that over bearing hyp0crites have put him out of the way. Still another man sees in the victim there the Son of God dying for the sins of men. But how does God regard the cross and what meaning does He attach to it: From 1 Corinthians. first Chapter. and other passages of Scripture we get fair idea of what God thought Of the cross and that gives us the real meaning and we will not be in the dark. There we see that the cross is the wisdom and power of God and that it is His method of pun ishing sin and saving sinners. Sin is the darkest thing in the world, and, has caused all the misery, sorrow and death and it really brought Christ from His seat in glory to take His place on this accursed tree. Sin. has the hiss of the serpent and the sting of the adder and placed man in his deplorable and lost condition. The cross then is an exhibition of the wrath of God against sin and sinners and shows that He must punish the guilty "The sins of the world are many. the sin of the world is one" and the one great sin of the world is re- jection of Christ and disbelief in Him.
 Then, again, the cross means love and is an exhibition of the love of God the Father for the lost. Nothing but intense and undying love would