Mexico weekly ledger., 1886-10-21
Reported for the Ledger.
Christ's Suffering Necessary.


and especially on account of the pur-
poses of God, formed in infinite love
and justice.
In love to the Jews God predicted
that their second temple should be
more glorious than their first. and
when Christ came his command was,
$50 rather to the lost sheep of the
house of Israeli This purpose of
the Almighty to save made such an
impression on st. Paul that he is rep
resented in Acts as reasoning from
the Scriptures and alleging that
''Christ must needs have suffered"
Christ himself also with the prophets
foretold his W death. That that
death was the revealed purpose of
God is evident from the following:
"Oh fools and slow of heart to be-
lieve all the prophets have spoken.
Ought not Christ to have suffered
and to enter into his glory?"
The sufferings of Christ were then
necessary:
LIST. In view of the prophecies of
Scripture concerning them, of which
it was said not a jot or little of them
should pass. Every victim sacrificed
and every priest offering it had sym
bolized Christ, who was himself both
priest and victim, and had laid down
his life Of his own accord that the
Scriptures might be fulfilled.
I'd, They were necessary for the
saving of sinners. In this connection
regard must be had to Gods charac-
ter. He is holy and demands perfect
obedience. In his righteous judg-
ment he sentences sinners. When
the angels rebelled he thrust them
from Heaven. When man, created
in His own image, disobeyed God
the shadow of everlasting death en-
veloped him.
Under such circumstances how
shall God justify any? This question
was not created by the revelation of
Gods will. It existed and was solved
in the councils of eternity. Revela-
ton simply makes it known that
Christ came that God might be just,
and yet the justifer of them that
believe in Jesus. Out of Christ, with
out his advent and sufferings that
question had been unanswerable.
Sd. They were necessary to the
stability of Gods government.
God created all things holy, and
yet both angels and men fell from
their high estate. From this, the
logical inference is that created be-
ings are fallable, and that, therefor,
Gods government of them must ever
be exposed and uncertain, that
rebellion may break out at any
time, and that hence is the exhorta-
ton ringing out to all, "Let him that
thinketh he standeth take heed lest
he fall.'
The speaker said he did not believe
in probation of any sort after death,
but thought angels, after trial, might
be secure from falling, through the
sufferings of Christ. What says
Paul? But ye are come unto Mount
Zion unto the city of the living God,
the Heavenly Jerusalem, and to an
innumerable company of Angels"
The sufferings of Christ, therefore,
may be regarded as necessary to i'm
part such stability to Gods govern
ment as could not according to ex-
perience have been derived from
obedience.
4. They were necessary to the
preaching of the gospel by the
Church.
Without the sufferings of Christ
every thing connected with the plar
of salvation had been unknown and
the Church itself without a gospel te
proclaim.
Hear Paul again! "Having made
known unto us the mystery of his Will
according to the good pleasure which
he hath purposed IN himself that il
the dispensation of times he NIGH
gather together all in Christ botf
| which are IN Heaven and which are
on earth" according to the work
ing of His mighty power which hs
wrought in Christ when he raised
Him from the dead and set Him a
His W right hand i'll Heavenly
places, far above all principality and
power and might and dominion anC
every name that is named, not ONLY
in this world but in the world t.
come, and hath put all under His fee
and gave Him to be head over all TO,
| His Church, which is His body, tn
fullness of Him that flleth al
things"
The speaker concluded by saying
he did not hesitate, therefore, to hole
up Christ as the Alpha and Omega
the beginning and end of all that i
known and unknown. Blessed b.
God for the u~nspeakable gift of Hi
Son, through whom We have th1
atonement, and are made heirs wit
Him in His kingdom forever.
The funeral of J. d. Plunkett, o
Concord, who died Friday night, wa
held at Concord Saturday, Re,
Mitchell, of Concord, performing tb
services. The funeral was yer.
largely attended, a number bein'
nresent from Fulton, Auxyasse. Mex