The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-15
WHY CHRIST SUFFERED.
TALMAGE SLOWS THAT 1T WAS
NOT UNNECESSA AIRY.

fce-His Sufferings Necessary in Or
der That the Worlds SympAthies
Might Be Aroused.
LONDON, Aug. 14-Rev. DIR. Talmage's
European preaching tour is drawing to
close. During the week he has preached
three or four timos In different cities, fol-
lowing out the programme already an
nounced and everywhere meeting large and
enthusiastic audiences. This week he
speaks at Leeds, Bradford. Sheffield aud
Derby. The subject chosen for to-day is.
"Ussful Suffering" the text being Luke
xiv, 49, at bshooved Christ TO suffer-"
There have been scholars who have vent
ured the assertion that the pains OF our
Lord were unnecessary. Indeed, 10 was a
shocking waste Of tears and blood and
agony, unless some great end were to be
reached. II men can prove that no good
result comes of it, then the character OF
God Is tmpsaohed, and the universe must
stand abhorrent aud denuncatory at the
fact that the Father allowed the butchecy
Of bic only-begotten Son. We all admire
the brave six hundred men described by
Tennyson as dashing into the conflict, when
they knew they must die, and knew at the
same time that ''some one had blundered !"
but we are abhorrent Of the man who made
the blunder and who caused the sacrifice OF
those brave men for no use. But L shall
show you, IL the Lord will help me, this
morning, that for good reasons Christ went
through the torture. In other words, 10
behooved Christ 10 suffer"
]. In the hrst place remark, that Christ'a
decorations were necessary, because man's
rescue was an impossiblltty except by the
payment OF some great sacrifice. Outraged
law had thundered against iniquity. Man
must die unless substitute can intercepa
Ak..A T.Nn nmh hu~tn 81 akaV nnNh Ha "a
fuses. Let Michael the archangel, step
forth. He refuses. No Roman citizen. no
AtheniAn, no Corinthian, no reformer, no
angel volunteered. Christ then barred his
heart to the pang. He paid for our redemp-
tion In tears and blood, and wounded feet,
and scourged shoulders and torn brow,
1T is done" Heaven and earth heard
the snap Of the prison bar. Sinai
ceased 20 quake with wrath tho moment
that Calvary began 10 rock in cruciixion.
Christ had suffered. "OP says some man.
~ don't like the doctrine OF substitution;
let every man bear his own burdens, and
weep his wn tears. aud fight his own bat
tles.h Why, my brother, there 10 vicarious
suffering all over the world. Did not your
parents suffer for your Do you not suffer
sometimes for your ohildrenl Does not the
patriot suffer for his countryl Did not
Grace Darling suffer for the drowning
saiioIsi Vioarious suffering on all sidesi
sosne Of vic arious sufferingl
Was It for crimes that had done
He 2roaned upon the tree
Amazing pity, grace unknown,
And love beyond degree.
Christ must suffer to pay the price OF our
redemption.
But l remark again: The sufferings OF
Christ were necessary In order that the
worlds sympathes might be aroused. Men
are won TO che right and good through their
sympathies. The world must feel arighs
before II can act Alright. SO the cross was
allowed to be lifted that the worlds sym.
pathies might be aroused. Men who have
been obdurated by the cruelties they have
enacted, by the massaores they have in
hioted. by the horrors OF which they have
been guilty, have become little children In
the presencel of this dying Savior. What
the sword could not do, what Juggernauts
could not subdue, the wounded hand OF
Christ has accomplished. There are this
moment millions OF people held under the
spell OF that one sacrifice. The hammers
that struck the spikes into the cross have
broken the rocky heart of the world. Moth
Ing but the agonies of a Saviors death
throe could rouse the worlds sympathies.
remark again: at behooved Christ to
suffer-" that the strength and persistence of
the divine love might be demonstrated.
Was IL the applause Of the world shat in
duced Christ on that crusade from heavenf
Why, all the universe was at his feet
Could the conquest of this insigniAcaus
planet have paid him for his career of pain,
IL 10 had been a mere matter of applausef
All the honors of heaven surging at his
feet. Would your queen give up her
throne that she might rule a miserable
tribe in Afrlcai Would the Lord Jesus
Christ, on the throne OF the universe, ooms
down 70 our planeE il IL were mere mat
tor OF applause and acolamation ? Nor was
it an expedition undertaken for the acou-
mutation of vast wealth. What could all
the hnrvests and the diamonds OF our little
world do for him whose are the glories of
inflnitude and eternity Nor was IL an sx-
periment--an attempt to show what he
could do with the hard-heartsd race. He
who wheels the stars In their courses and
holds the pillars OF the universe on the tips
of his fingers needed TO make no experiment.
TO find what be could do. o. | will tell you,
my friends, what IL was. 1t was undis-
guised, unlimited. all-conquerlng, all
consuming, Infinite, eternal, omnipotent
love that opened the gate that started
she star In the east, with finger OF light
pointing down TO she manger; that arrayed
the Christmas choir above Bethlehem, that
opened the stable door where Christ was
born, that lifted him on the cross. Love
thirsty at the we'll. Love at the sick mans
couch. Love at the cripple's crutch. Love
sweating In the garden. Love dying on the
cross. Love wrapped Ia the grave. You
cannot mistake it. The blindest eye must
see 1t. The hardest heart must feel it. The
deafest ear must hear it. Parable and
miracle, wayside talk and seaside interview,
all the scenes OF his life, all the sufferings
Of his death, proving beyond controversy
that for our migrate earth God has yearned
with stupendous and inextinguishable love.
But 1 remark again: ''It behooved Christ
10 suffer" that the nature Of human guilt
might be demonstrated. There Is not q
common sense man ia the house to-day that
will not admit that the machinery OF society
Is out of gear, that the human mind and the
human heart are disorganizsd, that some
thing ought TO be done, and done right
away, for Its repair and readjustment. Bub
the hight. and depth, and length, and
breadth, and hate, aud recklessness and in
fernal energy OF the human heart for sin
would not have been demonstrated il
against the holy and innocent One Of the
Cross It had not been hurled in one bolt OF
fire. Christ was not the first man that had
been put to death. There had been many be-
fore him put 10 death; but they had their
whims, their folliss, their sins, their incon-
sistencies. But when the mob outside OK
Jerusalem howled at the Sen OF God 10 was
hate against goodness, It was blaSphemy
against virtue II was earth against heaven
| What was il 10 that innocent and loving
faca n Cnrfaf that aWeitad the yftuDeratlOu