The Penn's Grove record., 1892-08-19
REV. DR.. lALNAGES sermon.
me Brook iyl .,,vsne's sunday
Sermon.
subject: "Usefal Suffering"


Subject: "Uscfal Suffering
TIKI: "H beboved Christ TO ssfsr.n-
Luke xiv, 40.
There lave been scholars who have VEN
tursd the assertion that the pains Of our
Lord were unnecessary. Indeed it was q
shocking waste Of tears and blood and ag-
ony, unless some great eni were to be
reached. IL men can prove that no good re.
suit comes Of 1t, then the character OF Col
is impeached, IND the universe must stand
abhorent 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 Tennysou as dashing into the
conflict when they knew they must die and
knew at the same time that tsoms one had
blunderd;o but we are abhorrent Of the man
who made the blunder and who causel 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. 10 other words,
ut behooved Christ to suffer-"
In the first place. ! remark hat Christ's
iacerations were necessary, because mans
rescue was an impossibility except by the
payment Of some great sacrifice. Outraged
law had Numbered against iniquity. Man
that death. Let Gabriel step forth. He re-
fuses. Let Michael the archangel step forth.
He refuses No Roman citizen, NO Athe-
nian, no Corfnthian, no reformsr, 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. "It Is
d01aa " uaarau anA n.~kh k.4~I
the prison bar. Sinai ceased to quake with
wrath the moment that Calvary began to
rock in crucifixion. Christ had suffered.
'tOh," says some man, II don't like that
doctrine Of substitution; let every man
bear his swn burdens. n weep his own
tears, and fight his own battlesp Why, my
Srother, there Is vicarious suffering all lover
the world. Did not your parents suffer for
your Do you not sometimes suffer for your
childrenf Does not the patriot suffer for
his countryf Did not Grace Darling suffer
for the drowning sailorsf Vicarious suffer-
ing on all sidesi But how Insignificant com
pared with this scene Of vicarious suffer-
ingi
Was IL for crimes that I had dons
lie Rroaned upon the tree7
Amazing pity. grace unknown,
And love beyond degree.
Christ must suffer to pay the price Of our
redemption.
But l remark again, the sufferings of
Christ were necessary in order thai the
worlds ~sympathies might be aroused. Men
are won to the right and good through their
before 1t can act Alright. So the cross was
allowed to be lifted that the worlds sympa-
thies might be AROUSED. Men who nave
been obdurated by the cruelties they lave
enacted, the massacres they rave indicted,
y the horrors Of which they have BEEN
guilty. have become little children in the
presence Of this dying Saviour.
b the swords could not do, that Jug.
gernauts could NOT subdue. the woundsd
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 rocky heart of the world.
Nothing but the agonies OF a Saviour's death
throe could rouse the worlds sympsthies.
suffer. y that the strength and persistence Of
the divine love might be demonstrated Was
1t the applause of the world hat induced
Christ on that crusade from HeAvenf Why,
all the universe was at His fest. Could the
conquest of this Insignificant planet have
paid Him for His career OF pain II 1t had
been a mere matter OF applauses All the
honors OF heaven surging at His feet.
Would your queen give up her throne hat
she might RUE q miserable tribe in Africaf
Would the Lord Jesus Christ on the throne
Of the universe come down to Jul planet II
It were a mere matter Of applause and &C.
clamationf
Nor was It an expedition undertaken for
the accumulation OF vast wealth. What
our little world do for Him whose are the
glories Of infnitude and eternityr Nor was
II m experiment-an attempt to show what
He could do with the hard hearted race. de
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, | will tell
disguised, unlimited, all conquering, all con-
Stunning, infinite, eternal, omnipotent love
that opened the gate, that started the
star in the east, with finger OF light
pointing down TO the manager, that arrayed
the Christmas choir above Bethlehem, that
opened the stable door where Christ was
born, tina lifted Him on the cross. Love
thirsty at the we'll. Love at the sick mans
couch. owe at the cripples erutch. Love
| sweating in the garden. Love dying on the
cross. Love wrapped In the grave. You
| cannot mistake it. The blindest y must
see it, The hardest heart must feel it The
deafest ear must hear 1t. Parable and
miracle, wayside talk and seaside interview,
| all the scenes of His life, all the sufferings Of
His death. proving beyond controversy thai
for our migrate earth God has yearned with
stupendous and inextinguishabls love.
But I remark again, ut beloved Christ Z
suffer- that the nature Of human euf
might be demonstrated. There is not q CON
mon sense man In the house to-day that vi
not admit that the machinery of society
out OF gear, that the human mind and til
human heart are disorganizsd, that some
thing ought 70 be done right away for its re
pair and REIMBURSEMENT. But the height an
depth and length N breadth and hate an
recklessness n Internal energy OF til
human heart for sin would not have bseI
demonstrated II against the holy and limo
cent one Of the cross 1t had not been hurlst
In one bolt Of fire.
Christ was not the first man that had beer
put to death. There had been mani before
Him put to death, but they had their whims
| the r follies, their sins their Inconsistencies
But when the mob outside of Jerusalem
howled at the Son of God 1t was hate axains,
goodness, it was blasphemy against virtue,
1t was earth against heaven. What was Il
in that innocent and loving face OF Chris
that excited the vituperatioh and the con
tumely and scorn of msns II He had ban,
tered them to come gu, il he had laughss
them into d~srisiou, IL He had denouncet
them as the vagabonds that they were, v.
could understand their ferocity, but it wa!
against nof fensivepess that they brandishet
their spears, and shook their fists, and grouut
their tastb, and howled and scoffed anc
jeered and Knocked.
What evil had He dones Whose eyesight
had He pat outs None; but He given vision
% the blind. Whose child had He slainf
None; but He restored the dead damsaI to
her mother. What law had He brokeni
None, but He had inculcated obediencs "a
government. What foul plot had He en-
acted against the happiness OF the rscei
only cruelty He aver enacted was to heal th,
sick. The only osteutation He ever dis
! played was 10 sit with publicans and sinner,
and wash the disciples feet.
b only selfishness He ever exhibited
was to give His life for His enemies. AND
yet all the wrath of the world suryed
against His holy heart, Hear the redho
scorn Of the world kissing in the poolso o.
q saviour's blood And standing there to.
day let US see what an unreasonable Ioath-
some, hateful, blasting, damning thing d
the iniquity OF the human heart. Unloossd
what viii NOT sin dor It will scale any
height, 1t will fathom the very depth Of hell
1t will revsl in all ~lasciviousness. There /
no blasphsmy 1t will not utter, there are M