Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1892-08-20
THE ATONEMENT.
Lessons Drawn BY DR.. Talmage
From the Saviour's Suffering.
HIs Prosecutions and Torture Not without
Their Bcncnt to Mankind Why He
Suffered nnd the Lesson to the
Human Race.

upon the subject, Useful Suffering"
the text taken being Luke XVI. 40: 1T
beloved Christ to suffer"
There have been scholars who have
-ventured the assertion that the pains of
our Lord were unnecessary. Indeed, it
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 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 900 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 abhor-
rent of the man who made the blunder
and who caused the sacrifice of those
brave men to no use. But shall show
you, if the Lord will help me, this morn
ing, that for goo reasons Christ went
through the torture. In other words,
''it beloved Christ to suffer"
In the first place l remark that
Christ's decorations were necessary, be-
cause mans rescue was an impossibility
except by the payment of some great
sacrifice. Outraged law had Numbered
against iniquity. Man must die I'M
less a substitute can intercept that
death. Let Gabriel step forth. He re-
fuses. Let Michael, the archangcl, step
forth. He refuses. No Roman citizen,
no Athenian, no Corinthian, no reform
err no angel volunteered. Christ then
barred His heart to the pang. He
paid for our redemption in tears and
blood, and wounded feet, and scourged
shoulders, and torn brow. 1T is done"
Heaven and earth hear the snap of the
prison bar. Sinai ceased to quake with
wrath the moment that Calvary began
to rock in crucifXion. Christ had suf-
fered. "0!' 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 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 Eicarious
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 emark 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 al
lowed to be lifted that the worlds SYM
pathies might be aroused. Men who
have been obdurated by the cruelties
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 Juggernauts could
not subdue, the wounded hand of
Christ has accomplished There are
lhis moment millions of people held I'M
der the spell of that one sacrifice. The
hammers that struck the spikes into
the cross have broken the rocky heart
of the world. Nothing but the agonies
of a Saviour's death could rouse the
worlds sympathies
remark again: 1T beloved Christ
to suffer" that the strength and per-
.sistence of the 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, If
it had been mere matter of applause?
All the honors of Heaven surging at his
feet. Would your queen give up her
throne that she might rule a miserable
tribe in Africa? Would the Lord Jesus
Christ on the throne of the universe,
come down to our planet II it were
mere matter of applause and acclama-
ton? Nor was it an expedition under
taken for the accumulation Of vast
wealth. What could all tbs harvests
and the diamonds of our little world do
for Him whose are the glories of infini-
tude and eternity? Nor was 1t an
.experiment-an attempt to show what
he could do with the hard hearted
race. He who wheels the stars in
their courses and holds the pillars uf
the universe on the tips of Ills fagers
needed to make no experiment - d I'd
what He could do. o! IWtl tell yOu,
my friends, what it was. It was undis-
guised, unlimited, all conquering. a,l
consuming, infinite. eternal, omniDo-
tent love that opened the gate, that
started the star in the east, with finger