22i 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mak. 



there was no difference of opinion. I sup- 

 pose the whole Christian world, and, very 

 likely, the greater part of those who are not 

 professing Christians, would agree on this 

 matter. Those who stood up publicly where 

 there were only tifteen or twenty present, 

 and indicated by the action that tliey were, 

 for the rest of their lives, going to follow 

 Christ, had done all humanity can do, for 

 the time being. As the duties of the next 

 day and week opened, they, of course, felt 

 the responsibility tliat rested upon tlieir 

 shoulders, of living lives consistent with the 

 pledge or public profession they had made. 

 But had God called them away before they 

 had had time to show their sincerity by the 

 tests of every-day life, we must all agree 

 they were among the saved. If this be true, 

 then, dear friends, is it not also true that 

 those who shook their heads, even though 

 they simply meant by this action to indicate 

 that they weie not ready just yet, were no? 

 saved? [f death had met them with equal 

 suddenness, we must conclude they were 

 among the lost. No doubt some of you will 

 say this is a hard doctrine. May be you will 

 say it is a question that is not for nie to de- 

 cide. Very well, I will give way. But re- 

 member it matters little whether 1 decide it 

 or not. You must decide it, dear friends, 

 one way or the other. As your eyes rest on 

 these words you are either for or against 

 Cluist Jesus ; and I can not think that 

 there is one who looks on these pages, who 

 docs not know what is meant by accepting 

 or rejecting Christ Jesus. We are either 

 saying, '• We will not have this man to reign 

 over us," or we have deceded already, 

 "• We wish to be among his followers."' You 

 may urgeth..t the matter is one of altogether 

 too great importance to rest on so simple an 

 act ; and I confess the question somewhat 

 staggered me when 1 thought of it. Is it 

 really possible that boys and girls, and men 

 and women start out for heaven or for ruin 

 in so simple a manner as this ? The simple 

 matter, dear friends, only indicates where 

 they are. It is not likely that any of them 

 changed very much at the close of that even- 

 ing meeting! The question had been decid- 

 ed before. May be they did not realize what 

 this decision ineant, but I think they had 

 for some time been questioning, " Shall my 

 life be given to all that is pure and good and 

 noble and true, or shall I do as the world 

 does, and evade these questions for the 

 present, and get as much enjoyment out of 

 life as I can?" Something like the above 

 was decided, or partly decided, and the min- 

 ister's close-cutting questions simply indi- 

 cated the state of mind. 



Now, in view of the above, or, rather, in 

 thinking of the above, an incident toward 

 the close of our Savior's life has become 

 very precious to me. You remember that 

 he had consented to drink the bitter cup. 

 He was walking slowly and sorrowfully to- 

 ward the cross. The tickle multitude first 

 shouted praises, and, a little while after, 

 changed it to " Crucify him ! crucify him ! " 

 His duty, however, was straiglit ahead, 

 without being changed or moved in his pur- 

 pose by either extreme of popular clamor. 

 Most of his disciples fled in a fright ; and 



one of them even denied him. To add to 

 the bitterness, he was crucified between two 

 malefactors, or thieves. They were notori- 

 ously bad men. Their hands were probably 

 dyed with crime, and. may be. with human 

 blood. They did not jnkend to be good. 

 The chief priests very likely purposely plac- 

 ed him between the thieves that he might 

 be classed with them. We are not sure that 

 any friend was present to give him a cheer- 

 ing word as he undertook to l)ear on his own 

 shoulders the sins of the world. The 

 SCI ibes gibed and jeered at him, and said, "He 

 saved others, himself he can not save.'" 

 They even railed on him a challenge to come 

 down from the cross. They asked him 

 where his wonderful miraculous powers 

 were gone to now. They ridiculed the idea 

 that he could save himself but ujould not. 

 Matthew tells that even the thieves which 

 were crucified with him cast the same in his 

 teeth. This illustrates the way in which a 

 mnn who has once started in evil ways will 

 hold it out to the last. Even the awful 

 tortures of crucifixion did not serve to soft- 

 en or change the evil disposition that in- 

 duced them to reject goodness and purity 

 and honesty. But now wc come to the point 

 of our lesson to-day. Luke tells us that one 

 of the malefactors at Christ's side, in rail- 

 ing on him, said, " If thou be (Christ, save 

 thyself and us." This poor wretch could 

 not conceive of p.iwer being entrusted to 

 anybody who would not use it. Doubtless 

 duiing his life he had been continually be- 

 traying the trust of his fellow-man. If 

 money was uncautiously left in his pres- 

 ence, he had probably been in the habit of 

 taking it without scruple, and, it may be, 

 even when he was obliged to take life in 

 ordei' to get it. Here wns a being at his 

 side whom the people said had been through 

 life performing miracles, even raising the 

 dead ; but that he had the power, and, out 

 of forbearance to his enemies, refused to 

 use it, was beyond his comprehension or be- 

 lief. He unhesitatingly rejected any such 

 belief or doctrine. Just at the last mo- 

 ment, however, the otiier one is touched, 

 and, moved by the spectacle before him, he 

 turns to his "more evil companion and re- 

 bukes him, saying. ■•' Dost not thou fear 

 God, seeing thou art in the same condemna- 

 tion ? " And now he begins to show symp- 

 toms of penitence. The first move, "dear 

 friends, toward accepting Ciirist is to con- 

 fess and own up, instead of trying to con- 

 ceal and put on an outward appearance of 

 innocence. Remember what I said in our 

 last talk about the mnn who preferred to 

 commit suicide rather than have the world 

 know of his crimes. Well, this penitent 

 thief on the cross finally adds, "And we 

 justly ; for we receive the due reward of our 

 deeds." His pooi- guilt-stained conscience 

 is making progress. He begins to see that 

 it is no more than fair and jufit for himself 

 and corupduinn to suffer death; and, my 

 friends, it is indeed true. that, when we be- 

 gin to comprehend and acknowledge our 

 own bad deeds and unworthiness. we begin 

 to see innocence and purity in others; and 

 the thief concludes, "But this man hath 

 done nothing amiss." He probably had 



