The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1921-07-15

set before him. He
endured the cross" and here we are
permitted to see Him tasting a little
of that joy before the cross is accom-
| plished. He is to have some spoils
How different the characters that
appear in Scripture as the subjects of
Gods grace. They range from the
very best of men, like Nicodemus and
the Italian Centurion, down to the
| lowest of the vile, like the one before
us now. 1t would be difficult to find
a man in deeper depths of depravity
than this thief. Not only condemned
| to die an ignOminious death on account
| of his crimes but while standing In the
| very doorway of death, he reviled
| the Son of God. But, low as he is,
he is not beyond the reach of the grace
| and love displayed in that central
| cross. He is just the one in whom
| they can manifest their triumph.
A ray Of divine light entered that
! darkened soul and disclosed his own
lost estate and the glory Of that Person
hdIShlS NY lllS SiIC 1IC llSut VI tiot
Presence has searched him through. A
sinner in the presence of the Savior |!
| The usual result! He confesses his
| sin, owns the business CT IL; condemna.
| tion and the spotless humanity Of the
Lord Jesus, bears this testimony In
| the face Of the hostile world, which,
| led by its prince, is gathered there to
reproach Gods Son.
And thus, a self-confessed sinner,
he turns to Jesus with a prayer that
| is at once q cordial for that faintine
heart: Lord remember me when thou
contest into thy kingdom"
He has seen it all! Has seen that this
| is the Compromised Messiah, and that
though now He is dying yet He must
come back into His kingdom, accord.
| ing to all the prophets.
And this dying Messiah is q Savior,
for he could not be ignorant of the
meaning of that name: "Call his name
Jesus for he shall SAVE" A sinner
| with nothing but sin as his claim, has
cast himself upon the Savior. With
| what result?
When did any sinner, malefactoJ
or moralist, turn to Jesus and not re-
ceive far more than his faith dared
expect?
Far beyond the request of the poor
dying man does the Lord Jesus go, as
effect, He said: I'll do far better for
| you than that. You have not to wait
until I come back again. "Verily ]
say unto thee. Today shalt thou be
with me in paradise" The believing
sinner has passed from death unto life
and the Saviors soul is glad!
No questions are asked, no words
of reproach are uttered, no reference
made to the recent blasphemy, no con.
ditions are imposed. Without works
except bad ones, without external rites
of any kind, the dying thief is snatcheG
from the Jaws of death by the Savior's
eager hands This is His glory! He
| is seeking to save, and waits only fol
| the look or the cry of faith from the
| sinner that has learned his need OF
| Him.
What a miracle Of grace! A man
wholly unfit to live on earth is in the
twinkling of eye, without question OF
condition, made fit to associate with
the Son of God in paradise. And He
| is the name wonderworking Savior to-
day, unchanged and unchanging. None
of His power to save is lacking. Still
He seeks and still glories to save. G
soul, give Him a chance with you.
Men like to say of this story of q
sinner saved at the gates of death:
'There was one such case that none
might despair, but only one that none
might presume" Let us rather say
that it is just pattern case of sal
vation, outlined in the clearest possible
/ way in connection with Jesus cross
so that wherever the story of the cross
should be told, this story of what
happened there must be told too. II
| is Gods own story. God help men te
| hear!