The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1892-08-17
"USEFUL SUFFERING"
Sermon by Rev. T. Dewitt Tai
mage, Now In Europe.
The Great Preacher Speaks OF tho Manner
In Which Christ Paid for the Redemp-
tion OF the World-ManlSind
Benefited Thereby.

drawing to close, During the past
few weeks he preached nearly every day
10 large audiences. The subject of his
recent discourse was "Useful Suffer
ing" the text being taken from Luke
xiv. 40: ut 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. II 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;" bat 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,
"it behooved Christ to suffer"
In the first place I remark, that
Christ's lacerations were necessary, be-
cause mans rescue was an impossibility
except by the payment of some great
sacrifice. Outraged laws had thundered
against iniquity. Men must die unless
a substitute can intercept that death.
Let Gabriel step forth. He refuses. Let
Michael, the archangel, 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 "It 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 crucifxion. Christ had suffered.
"0hW 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 you2 Do you not
suffer sometimes for your children?
Does not the patriot suffer for his coun-
ntI No ,.lirar 1rnv- Tor
the drowning sailors? Vicarious suffer
ing on all sides! But how insignificant
compared with this scene of vicarious
suffering!
Was II for crimes that had done
He groaned upon the treei
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 1t 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 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 Saviour's death
throe could rouse the worlds sympa-
thies
Iremark again: "It behooved Christ
10 suffer-" that the strength and per-
sistence OF the divine love might be dem
onstrated. Was II the applause Of the
world that induced Christ on that cru
sade from heaven2 Why, all the uni
verse was at His feet. Could the con-
quest of this insignificant planet have
paid Him for His career Of pain, II 1t had
been q mere matter Of applause9 All
the honors OF heaven surging at His feet,
Would your Queen give up her throne
that she might rule miserable tribe in
Africa? Would the Lord Jesus Christ
on the throne Of the universe, come
down to our planet II II were mere
matter OF applause and acclamation?
Nor was It an expedition undertaken for
the accumulation of vast wealth What
could all the harvests and the diamonds
of our little world do for Him whose are
the glories Of inflnitude and eternity?
Nor was II an experiment--an attempt
to show what He could do with the
hard-hearted race. He who wheels
the stars In their course and
holds the pillars Of the universe on
the ends Of His fingers needed TO make
no experiment TO find what He could
do. OH I will tell you, my friends,
what II was 1t was undisguised, un-
limited, all-oonquering, all-consuming,
infinite, eternal, omnipotent love, that
opened the gate, that started the star
in the east with finger Of light point
ing down to the manger; that arraysd
the Christmas choir above Bethlehem,
that opened the stable door where
Christ was born, that lifted Him on the
cross. Love thiraty at the well Love
at the sick mans couch. Love at tho
crippls's crutch. Love sweating In the
garden. Love dying on the cross. Love
wrapped in the grave. You cannot
mistake H. The blindest eye must pee
IT, The hardest heart must feel IL The
deafest ear must hear IL Parable and
miracle, waVside talk and seaside inter.
view, all the scenes OF His life, all the