News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1892-08-18
TALMAGE IN EUROPE.
THE CRUcIFIxloN OF CHRIST WAS
AN INFINITE NECESSITY.

THE CRucIFIxlON OF CHRIST WAS
AN INFINITE NECESSITY.
IF We Say That Amy Lesser Sacrifice
Would Have Served, We Charge God
with Fol1y-Redeeming Love Is Inf
: mite Love-The DeceitfuI Heart.
LONDON, Aug. 14-Rev. DIR. Talmage's
European preaching tour is drawing to
close During the week he has
preached three or four times in different
cities, following out the programme
: already announced, and everywhere
meeting large and enthusiastic audi
ences. This week he speaks at Leeds,
Bradford. Sheffield and Derby. The
subject chosen for today is "Useful
Suffering" the text taken being Luke
xiv, 46, SIT beloved 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. If men can prove that
no good result comes of it, then the
character of God is impeached, and the
universe must stand abhorrent and de-
mandatory at the fact that the Father
allowed the butchery of his only begot-
ten 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 blunder'd;" but we
are abhorrent of the man who made the
a 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 beloved Christ to suffer-"
In the first place, 1 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 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 Athe-
Man, no Corinthian, no reformer, 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. sit 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.
oh" 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 battlesr'
Why, my brother, there is vicarious suf-
fering all over the world. Did not your
parents suffer for you? Do you not
sometimes suffer for your children?
Does not the patriot suffer for his coun-
try? Did not Grace Darling suffer for
the drowning sailors? Vicarious suffer- |
ing ON all sidesi But how insignificant
compared with this scene of vicarious
suffering!
Was it for crimes that had done
He groa1ed upon the tree?
Amazing pity, grace unknown,
And love beyond degree.
Christ must suffer to pay the price of |
our redemption.
THE HEALING SYMPATHY.
But / remark again, the sufferings |
of Christ were necessary in order that
the world 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 allowed to be lifted |
that the worlds sympathies 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 become little children in the pres
ence of this dying Saviour.
What the swords 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 sympathies.
| remark again, sit beloved Christ |
to suffer-" that>the strength and persist |
ence of the divine love might be demon
strated. Was it the applause of the |
world that induced Christ on that cru
eeAAS 11OAA ACdNGns w ny, oil Lie uIll-
verse was at his feet. Could the con-
quest of this Insignificant planet have
paid him for his career of pain if it had
been a mere matter of applause? 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 il. it were a mere matter of
applause and reclamation?
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 gfories of infinitude and
eternity? Nor was it 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 of the universe on the
tips of his fingers needed to make no
experiment TO find what he could do.
Oh, / will tell you, my friends, what it
was. 1t was undisguised, unlimited,
all conquering, all consuming, inf
mite, eternal, omnipotent love that
opened the gate, that started the
star in the east. with finger of light
pointing down TO the manger, that ar
rayed the Christmas choir above, Beth
lehem, that opened the stable door where
Christ was born, that lifted him on the
cross. Love thirsty at the well. Love
at the sick mans couch. Love at the
cripple's crutch. Love sweating in the
garden. Love dying on the cross. Love
wrapped in the grave. You cannot mis-
take it The blindest eye must see it.
The hardest heart must feel it. The
aeafest ear must hear it. Parable and
miracle, way5ide talk and seaside inter-
view, all the scenes of his life, all the
sufferings of bis death, proving beyond
controversy that for our migrate earth
God has yearned with stupendous and
inextinguishable love.
THE EXCEEDING sINFULNEss OF SIN.
But / remark again, at beloved
Christ to suffer-" that the nature of hui
man guilt might be demonstrated. There
is not common sense man in the house
today that swilF not admit that the ma
chinery of society is out of gear, that
the human mind and the human heart
are disorganized, that something ought |
to be done-and done right away for its
repair and REIMBURSEMENT. But the height |
and depth and length and breadth and
hate and recklessness and internal en-
erpy of the human heart for sin uo11Id |