The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-08-31
useful SUFFERING"
Sermon by Rev. T. Dewitt Tai
mage, Now in Europe.
The Great Preacher Speaks of the Manner
in Which Christ Paid for the Redemp-
tion of the World-Mankind
Benefited Thereby.

drawing TO close. During the past
few weeks he preached nearly every day
to large audiences. The subject of his
recent discourse was useful Suffer
ing" the text being taken from Luke
xiv. 49, at behooved Christ to suffer"
There have been scholars who have
ventured the assertion that the pains of
our Lord were unnecessary. Indeed,
it was shocking waste of tears and
blood and agony, unless some great end
were to be reached. If men can prove
that no good result comes OF 1t, then
the character of God is impeached, and
| the universe must stand abhorrent and
denunciatory at the fact that the
Father allowed the butchery OF his
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 | shall show you,
if the Lord will help me, this morning
that for good reasons Christ went
through the torture. In other words,
sit behooved Christ to suffer"
In the first place l remark, that
Christ's decorations were necessary, be-
cause mans rescue was an impossibillty
except by the payment of some great
sacrifice. Outraged laws had Numbered
against iniquity. Men must die unless
a substitute can intercept that death.
Let Gabriel step forth. He refuses Let
Michael, the arohangel, step forth. He
refuses No Roman citizen, no Athen-
Ian, no Corinthian, no reformer, no an
gel volunteered. Christ then barred His
heart to the pang. He paid for our re-
demption in tears and blood, and
wounded feet, and scourged shoulders
and torn brow. st is done" Heaven
and earth heard the snap of the prison
bar Sinai ceased to quake with wrath
the moment that Calvary began to rock
In crucifixion. Christ had suffered.
"Ohr' says some man, 81 don't like that
doctrine of substitution; let every man
bear his own burdens, and weep his
own tears, and fight his own battles"
Why, my brother, there is vicarious
suffering all over the world. Did not
your parent suffer for you? Do you not
suffer sometimes for your children?
Does not the patriot suffer for his coun-
try? Did not Grace Darling suffer for
the drowning sailors? Vicarious suffer
ing on all sides! But how insignificant
compared with this scene of vicarious
suffering!
Was 1t for crimes that had done
He groaned upon the tree:
Amazing pity, grace unknown,
! And love beyond degree.
: Christ must suffer to pay the price of
, our redemption.
But remark again: The sufferings
of Christ were necessary in order that
, the worlds sympathies might be
, aroused. Men are won to the right and
, good through their sympathies. The
world must feel Alright before it can act
Alright. So the cross was allowed to be
, lifted that the worlds sympathy might
: be aroused. Men who have been obdu-
rate'by the cruelties they have enacted
by the massacres they have inflicted, by
, the horrors of which they have been
| guilty, have become little children in
the presence of this dying Saviour
/ What the sword could not do, what
, Juggernauts could not subdue, the
) wounded hand of Christ has accom-
plished. There are this moment millions
: of people held under the spell of thai
5 one sacrifice The hammers that STRUCK
5 the spikes into the cross have broker
the rocky heart of the world. Nothing
but the agonies of Saviours death
> throe could rouse the worlds sympa
2 thies
!, remark again: ut behooved Chris
to suffer-" that the strength and per
sistence of the divine love might be dem
,, onstrated. Was it the applause of thu
= world that induced Christ on that cru
), SADIE from heaven? Why, all the uni
verse was at His feet. Could the con
quest of this insignificant planet hav,
:, paid Him for His career of pain, if it ha'
. been a mere matter of applause? AL
the honors of heaven surging at His feet
Would your Queen give up her thron
that she might rule a miserable tribe il
> Africa? Would the Lord Jesus Chris
on the throne of the universe, com
= down to our planet if it were a mer
y matter of applause and reclamation
Nor was it an expedition undertaken 70
> the accumulation of vast wealth. Wha
could all the harvests and the diamond
= of our little world do for Him whose ar
the glories of infnitude and eternity
Nor was it an superintendent attemp
to show what He could do with tn
: hard-hearted race. He who wheel
: the stars in their course an
holds the pillars of the universe o.
the ends of His fingers needed to max
no experiment to find what He coul,
: do. Oh! l will tell you, my friends
, what it was. 1t was undisguised, IN
limited, all-conquering, all-consuming
"a infinite, eternal, omnipotent love, tina
opened the gate, that started the sta
J in the east, with finger of light point
3 ing down to the manger; that arraye
L the Christmas choir above Bethlehem
+ that opened the stable door wher
- Christ was born, that lifted Him on th
cross. Love thirsty at the well. Low
at the sick mans couch. Love at tn
+ cripple's crutch. Love sweating in til
=, , garden. Love dying on the cross. Low
wrapped in tho grave. You cannc
mistake 1t. The blindest eye must sc
u it. The hardest heart must feel it. tn
{ deafest ear must hear it Parable an
$ miracle, wayside talk aud seaside int