Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1922-01-11

Ri criminals is be-
A$Sa .;s s yond all mortal
ss & Sgssa ken. But. "for
fsSFM>$aA SY8 the Joy that was
y" 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
of His death before that death occurs.
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
hanging by his side The light of that
Presence has searched him through. A
sinner in the presence of the Savior!
The usual result! He confesses bis
sin, owns the business Of his 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, self-confessed sinner,
he turns to Jesus with prayer that
is at once a cordial for that fainting
heart: Lord remember me when tiaou
comest into thy kingdom"
3He hSrseen itSll! Has seen that thrs
is The long promised 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 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, malefactor
or morallst, 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
always in His delight to save, and, in
effect, He said: I'll do far better for
you than that. You have not to wait
until | come back again. "Verlly !
say unto thee. Today shalt thou be
with me in paradise" The believing
sinner has passed from death unto life
and the Savior's soul is glad!
No questions are asked, no words
of reproach are uttered, nc reference
made to the recent blasphemy, no con-
ditions are imposed. Without works,
exceDt bad ones, without external rites
of any kind. the dying thief is snatched
from the jaws of death by the Saviors
eager hands. This is His glory! He
is seeking to save, and waits only for
the look or the cry of faith from the
sinner that has learned his need OF
Him.
What miracle of grace! A man
wholly unfit to live on earth is in the
twinkling of eye, without question or
condition, made fit to associate with
the Son of God in paradise. And Tie
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. 0
soul, give Him chance with you.
Men like to say of this story If
sinner saved at the gates Of Geath:
"There was one such case that none
might despair, but only one that none
might presume" Let us rather say
that it is just a pattern case of sal
walton. outlined in the clenrest possible
way in connection with Jesus cross,
so that wherever the story of the cross
should he told. this story of what
happened there must be told too. 1t
is Gods own story. God help men to
hear!