The Opelousas courier., 1892-10-29
REV. DR.. TALMAGE
THE BROOKLYN DIVINE's SUN
DAY SERMON.

Text: at behoued Christ to suffer-
Luke XIV, 46,
mere have been scholars who have ven.
9ured the assertion that the pains of ouT
LORD were unnecessary. Indeed it was q
shocking waste of tears and blood and az.
ony, unless some great eni were to be
reached. If men can prove that no good re.
suit comes of it, then the character OF God
is impeaehed, and the universe must stand
aohorent and denunciatory at the fact that
ehe rather allowed the butchery Of His only
begotten Son.
we all admire the brave six hundred men
described by Tennyson as dashing into the
CONNECT when they knew they must die, and
Knew at the same time that stsome one had
biunder'd;a but we are abhorrent of the mar
VINO made the blunder and who caused the
sacrlnce OF those brave men for no use. But
small show you, if the Lord will help me,
Ihis morning that for good reasons Christ
went through the torture. In other words,
IL behooved Christ to suffer-
In the first place, l remark that Christ's
decorations were necessary, because mans
rescue was an impossibiIity except by the
payment OF some great sacrifice. Outraged
law mad ~thundered against iniquity. Man
must die unless a substitute can intercept
mat death. Let Gabriel step forth. He re-
fuses. Let Michael the archangel step forth.
ne refuses. No Roman citizen, no Athe-
nan, no Corlnthlan, no reformer, no angel
volunteered. Christ then barred His heart to
the pang.. He paid for our redemption in
tears and blood n wounded feet and
scourged shoulders and torn brow. at is
uone." Heaven and earth heard the snap of
Gne prison bar. Sinai ceased to quake with
Wratn the moment that Calvary began to
rock IN c~ruciixion. Christ had suffered.
ID. says some man, Il don't like that
doctrine of substitution; let every man
bear his ewn burdens, and weep his own
TEARS, and tight his W battlesp' Why, my
nrother, there is vicarious suffering all over
tne world. Did not YOU parents suffer for
your DO you not sometimes suffer for your
cnlidrenP Does not the patriot suffer for
ms countryP Did not Grace Darling suffer
1or the drowning sailors? Vicarious suffer.
ing on all sidesl But how insignificant coE1-
pared with this scene of vicarious suffer-
ngi
Was IL for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree9
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 aright
before it can act Alright. So the cross was
allowed to be lifted that the worlds sympa-
thies might be aroused. Men who have
been obdurated by the cruelties they have
enacted, the massacres they have inflicted,
by the horrors of which they nave been
guilty, have become little children in the
presence of this dying Saviour.
What the swords could not do, what jug.
| g~ernauts could not subdue, the wounded
hand of Christ has accomplished. There
are this moment millions OF people held un-
der the spell of that one sacrifice. The ham
mers that struck the spikes into the cross
have broken the Tooky heart Of the world.
Nothing but the agonies of q Saviour's death
throe could rouse the worlds ~sympathies.
! remark again, at beloved Christ to
suffer- that the strength and persistence of
the divine love might be demonstrated. Was
it the applause of the world that induced
Christ on shat crusade from Heavenf Why.
| all the universe was at His feet. Could the
conquest of this insignificant planet have
paid Him forsHis career of pain il IL 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 Africa?
| Would the Lord Jesus Christ on the throne
of the universe come down TO our planet III
it were a mere matter of applause and &C.
clamation2
Nor was it an expedition undertaken for
the accumulation of vast wealth. What
could all the harvests and the DIAMONDS OIL
our little world do for Him whose are the
| glories of infnitude and eternity2 Nor was
| it an experiment-an attempt to show what
He could dc with the hard hearted race. lie
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 He could do. Oh, I will tell
! you. my friends, what it was. 1t was I'M
disguised, unlimited, all conquering, all con-
suming, infinite, eternal, ~omn1potent love
that opened the gate, that started the
star in the east, with finger OF ign.
| pointing down to the manager that aFrayeo
the Christmas choir above Bethlehem, thai
ouened the stable door where Christ was
born. that lifted Him on the cross. Low
thirsty at the we'll. Love at the sick mant
couch. Love at the cripple's crutcb. Low
sweating in the garden. Love dying on Tn
cross. Love wrapped in the grave. fo'
cannot mistake it. The blindest eye mus
see it. The hardest heart must feel 1T. In
| deafest ear must hear it. Parable ant
miracle. wayside talk and seaside interview
All tine scenes of His life, all the sufferings Q
His death. proving beyond controversy tina
for our Migrate earth Tod has yearned wit
s~tupendous and neutrality-suspicious. love.
But [ remark again. cit beloved Christ :
suner,~ unaB Jne narure or human guf
might be demonstrated. There is not a con
mon sense man in the house to-day that wi
not admit that the machinery OF society
out of gear, thai the human mind and tn
human heart are d~isorganized, that some
thing ought to be done right away for its re
pair and reimbursement. But the height an
depth and length and breadth and hate an
recklessness and internal energy OF tn
human heart for sin would not have bee
demonstrated if against the holy and limo
cent one of the cross it had not been hurle
in one bolt of fire.
Christ was not the first man that had beel
put to death. There had been many before
Him put to death, but they had their whims
Their foliies, their sins, their inconsistencies
But when the mob outside of Jerusalem
howled at the Son of God it was hate agains
goodness, it was blasphemy against virtue,
It was earth against heaven. What was /
in that innocent and loving face of Chris
that excited the vituperation and the con
turnely and scorn of men? Ii He had ban
tered them to come on, it He had laughe
them into d~erision, lie He had denounce
them as the vagabonds that they were, W
could understand their ferocity, but it wa
against i~noffensiveDess that they brandishe
their spears, and shook their fists, and groun
their teeth. and howled and scoffed an
ieered and Knocked.
What evil had He done2 Whose eyesigh
had He put out? None; but He given visio
to the blind, Whose child had He slain
II GNBl6, Dub Il I6SpOIGtA tR1u hO0A US v
her mother. What law had He broken
None: but He had inculcated obedience t
government. What foul plot had He en-
acted against the happiness OF the race
None; de had come to save q world. Th
only cruelty He ever enacted was to heal til
sick. The only o~stentation He ever dis
played was to sit with pubiicans and sinner
and wash the disciples feet.
The only selfshness He aver exhibited
was to give His life for His enemies. An