Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-07-02
that very transaction.

the affair, the Jews did have trial on
certain charges which they could not
sustain, and got him condemned as q
criminal, but this only removes the
death of Jesus still farther from any
likeness to the Mosaic offering. The
blood Of goats and lambs was shed as
by an ordinance of God. The priests
were expressly commanded to take them
and slay them and make an offering OF
them Was any one commanded to
slay Jesus? Is there anything in the
narrative to make US believe that the
death of Christ at the hands of wick
ed men was by divine arrangement and
command, in any such sense as was
the death of bulls and goats at the
hands of appointed priests God APP
proceed the action of the priests in kill
ing and offering the beasts. Did he
in like manner approve the killing of
Jesus? Is it not said that they mar
dered him? Stephen said they did,
and then they murdered him for saying
so. Peter told them the same thing
and they tried to murder him, but were
afraid Now does any one suppose
that God ordered and approved the
murder of Stephen? How then can
we think that he ordered and approved
the murder Of Jesus? But he did or
der and approve the killing and offering
of bulls and goats. These things then
are not to be confounded. The killing
and offering Of kids and goats in the
solemn service of the Tabernacle or
Temple, for the sake of the teaching
and moral influence of such service,
and by divine command, was not a
wicked thing, but very right thing.
On the contrary the cruclfxion of Je-
sus, as a public malefactor, for the
qualification Of frenzied mob, and by
the command of envious and prejudice
ed fanatics, was the greatest crime that
history records. To speak Of it there
fore as an offering unto God to propi-
tiatc him, seems to me to be utterly
wrong. Indeed if anything can be
conceived more calculated to awaken
the wrath of God than that murder of
his Son, Jesus Christ, should like to
know what it Is.
In the second place, how does the
notion that Jesus slain and offered to
propitiate God, agree with the state
ment that "God so loved the world
that he gave his only begotten son that
whosoever believeth in him might not
perish but have eternal life? Does a
God who loves men to the very ex-
treme of .self-denial and longing for
them, need to see the malicious and
horrible murder of his only begotten
son, by company of them, before he
can be propituous to them before he
can feel like forgiving them? Is the
greatest crime the world ever commit
ted, calculated to propitiate God to-
ward the world? The mere question
would be ridiculous, were it not that
much teaching and preaching |on this
subject virtually answers, yes.
Some will be ready to say at once
'sBut the Apostle John says--'He IS
the Precipitation for our sins. 10 be
sure he does, hut he does not that "His
suffering and death at the hands OF sin
ners rendered God propituous
John says "He is the propltlatlon'
He himself-and that he is the pro-
pitiation for oar SINS. He does not
say hoy this is. He leaves us to inter
the how from his general teaching.
But he certainly does not say, nor
teach, that the murder Of Jesus made
God gracious to forgive our sins. The
truth, probably, is more like this-to
wit God was perfectly and eternally
disposed to forgive, and to manifest
to express-his forgiving love whenev-
err he could but, to sinners: PerslstIng
in sin. disobedient and lawless, he
could not express that forgivinS love,
| He could not be pleased with thefn' as
!, SHINING. and of course he could not
act as if he were pleased with them
which is the same as to say, ne coulo
not be prOpituous toward them Their
SHINING is the thing which prevents as
it ought to) his being propituOus to-
ward them. The thing to be done
then to make God propltuous' Is to
bring sinners to repent, to break their
hearts and turn in loving obedience to
God. Their doing this would please
- o,,Id ,o,7,ress his pleas