The Red Cloud chief., 1892-08-26
THE ATONEMENT.
Lessons Drawn BY DR.. Talmage
From the Saviours Suffering
His Prosecutions aud Torture Not without
Their Benefit to- Mankind - Why Ho
suffered and the Lesson to the
Human Race.

The latest selected for publication was
upon the subject, useful Suffering"
the text taken being Luke XVI. 10: 1T
beloved Christ TO suffer"
There have been scholars who have
ventured the assertion that the pains of
mi Lord were unnecessary Indeed, IL
was n 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 IL, then
the character of God * ~impeached, and
the universe must stand abhorrent and
dcnunciatory NJ the fact that the
Father allowed the butchery of His
only beRotten Son. We all admire
the brave 600 men described by
Tennyson a. dashipg into the conflict,
when they knew they must die,
and knew at the same time that ''somc
one Ind blundered;" but we are abhor-
rent of the man who made the blunder
and who caused the sacrifice OF those
brave men to no use. But I shall show
you, II the Lord will help me, this morn
ing, that for goo, reasons Christ went
through the torture. In other words,
ut beloved Christ to suffer"
In the first place | remark that
Christ's ln~ccrations were necessary. be-
cause mans rescue was an impossibility
except by the payment OF some grca.
sacrifice. Outraged law had Numbered
against iniquity. Man must die un-
less a substitute can intercept that
death. Let Gabriel step forth. lie re-
fuses. Let Michael, the ~archangcl, step
forth. He refuses. No Roman citizen,
no Athcnian, NJ Corinthian, n o'rctorm.
er, no angel volunteered. Christ then
ared His heart to the pang. lie
pnid for our redemption in tears and
blood, and wounded feet, and scourged
shoulders, and torn brow. at is done"
Heaven and earth hear the snap OF the
prison bar. Sinai ceased to quake with
wrath the moment that Calvary began
10 rock In crucifxion. Christ had sut-
fcred. "Or' says some man. ~ don't
like that doctrine of substitution: let
every man bear his own burdens, and
weep his W tears, and fight his own
battles" Why, my brother, there is
vicarious suffering all over the world.
Did not your parents suffer for you? Do
you not suffer for your children? Does
not the patriot suffer for his country?
Did not Grace Darling suffer for the
drowning sailors? Vicarious suffering
on all sides! But how insignificant
compared with this scene Of vicarious
suffering!
Wa IL for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the trecS
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 sympathics.
The world must feel Alright before it
can act Alright. So the cross was al
lowed to be lifted that the worlds sym
pathics might be aroused. Men who
have been obdurated by the cruclties
they have enacted. by the massacres
they have inflicted, by the horrors of
which they have been guilty, have be-
come little children in the presence of
the dying Saviour. What the sword
could not do, what Juggeruauts could
not subdue, the wounded hand OF
Christ has accomplished. There are
this moment millions of people held up-
der the spell of that n sacrifice. The
hammers that struck the spikes into
the cross huve broken the rocky heart
of the world. Nothing bat the agonies
Of II Saviour's death could rouse the
worlds %sympathies.
~. ....., sltA l.l rIsk,S
to suffer" that the strength and per-
s~istence Of tho divine love might be
demonstrated. Was it the applause OF
the world that induced Christ to enter
on that crusade from Heaven? Why,
all the universe was at his feet. Could
the conquest of this insignificant planet
have paid him for his career of pain, II
II had been a mere matter of applause:
All the honors of Heaven surging at his
feet. Would your queen give up hei
throne that she might rule IA miserable
tribe In Africa? Would the Lord Jesus
Christ, on the throne of the universe,
come down to our planet II it were d
mere matter OF applause and acclama'
ton? Nor was 1t III expedition under
taken for the accumulation of vast
wealth. What could all the harvests
and the diamonds of our little world dc
for Him whose are the glories OF inini
tude and eternity? Nor vas it ar
eXpcriment-an attempt TO show what
nc could do with the hard hearted
race. He who wheels the stars IL
their courses aud holds the pillars o.
the universe ON the tips of His fingers
needed 10 make no experiment to find
what He could do. o! l will tell you,
my friends, what 1t 1t was undis
guised, unlimited, all c%onquering, al
consuming, infinite, eternal, omnipo
tent love that opened the gate, thai
started the star In the east, with ingc,
OF light pointing down to the manager
that arrayed the Christmas choir above
Bethlehem, that opened the stable doo'
where Christ was born, that lifted Him
on the cross Love thirsty at the well
Love at the sick mans couch. Love a
the cripple's crutch. Love sweating II
the garden. Love dying on the cross
Love wrapped In the grave. You can
not mistake 1t. The blindest eye mus
SEQ II. Tho hardest heart must feel IL