The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-08-26
THE ATONEMENT.
Lessons Drawn By DR.. Talnage
From the Seviours Suffering.
His Prosecutions and Torture Not without
Their Benefit to Mankiud-Why lie
Suffered and the Lesson to the
Human Race.

Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage, of Brook
lyn, continues his sermons in England.
| The latest selected for publication was
upon the subject, "Useful Suffering"
the text taken being Luke XVI 46: 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. If 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 ut the fact that the
Father allowed the butchery of His
only begotten Son. We all admire
! the brave COO men described by
Tennyson as dashing into the conflict,
when they knew theJ must die,
and knew at the same time that ''somc
| one had blundercd;" 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 L shall show
you, if the Lord viii help me, this morn
ing, that for gooi reasons Christ went
through the torture. In other words,
sit beloved Christ to suffer-
In the first place l remark that
Christ's lacerations were necessary, be
cause mans rescue was an inpossibility
except by the paymept. of. some, great
sacrifice Outraged Law Had thGhdered
against iniquitv. Nan must die IN
! less a substitute can intercept that
death. Let Gabriel step forth. He rt-
fuses. Let Michael, the archGNgcL step
forth. He refuses. No Roman citizen,
no Athenian. no Corinthiaa, no reiorn1-
er, no angel volunteered. Christ then
barred His heart to. the plng. He
paid for our redemption in tears and
blood, and wounded feet, and sco1rged
shoulders, and torn brow at Is done
Heaven and earth hear the snaHiof thes
prison bar. Sinai ceased to quake with
wrath the moment that Calvary began
to rock in crucifxion Christ had suf-
fered. ''Or' says some man, Il 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? Do2f
not the patriot suffer for his country?
Did not Grace Darling suffer fer the
drowning sailors? Nicarious suffering
on ell sides! But how insignificant
compared with this scene Of yicariOuS
suffering! f... ..,...,.....
Was it for crime; that had done
He grolaei r7oa the tree
Amazing pity, grace 'lnkaown, ....s
And love teyoEd degree.
Christ must suffer to pay the price Of
our redemption.
But remark again: The suferings
of Christ were necessary in order that
the worlds synpathies might be
aroused. Men are won to the right
and good through their syInpathies.
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 cI'uclties
they have enacted, by the massacres
they have inflicted. by the horrors Of
which they have been Cuilty, 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
this moment millions OF people held un-
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
If Saviour's death could rouse the
worlds syInpathies., -h.
remark again: st beloved Christ
to suffer- that the strength and per-
sistence of the divine love might be
demonstrated. Was it the applause OF
She 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 surginC at his
feet Would your queen give up her
thToae that she might rule Z nisera BILE
tribe in Africa? NCuld the Lord Jesus
Christ, on the throne of the universe,
come down to our planet II Il were q
mere matter of applause and acclama-
ton? Nor was it an expedition under
taken for the accumulation of vast
wealth. What could all the harvests
and the diamonds of our little world do
for Him whose are the giories of infini
tude and eternity? Nor was il an
eHperiment-an attempt 60 show what
he couli do 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. O. l will tell you,
nv friends, what it was 1t was une5;is-
gused, unlimited. all conquerinC. all
consuming, infinite, eternal, omnipo-
tent love that opened the gate, that
started the star in the east, with finger.
of light pointing down 70 the ;nanger;
that ar-ayed the Christmas choir above
B,thleheIn, that opened the stable door
where Christ was born, tha: lifted Him
on the cross Love thirsty at the we'll
Love at the sick mans couch. Love at
the cripple's c-utch. Love sweating in
the garden. Love dying on the cross,
Love wrapped in the grave. You can
not mistake it. The bliadest eye must
see it The hardest heart must feel it.
The deafest ear must hear it Para bic
and miracle, wayside talk ard seaside
interview, al the scenes OF His life, all
the sufferings of His death. proving be-
yond controversy that for our migrate
earth God has yearred with stupeudoGs
and inextinguishab ble lore.
But | remark again: ''It beloved