The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1892-08-16
+" USEFUL SUFFERING J"
WAS THE SUBJECT OF TALMAGE'S
LONDON SERMON.
Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield and Derby are the
Appointments for Next Week.-Mrs. Eu.
pean Trip Drawing to q Close.

London, August 14.-(Special.)-Re DIR.
Talmage's European preaching tour is
drawing to a close. During the week he
has preached three or four times in differ
ent cities, following out the programme al
ready announced, and everywhere meeting
large and enthusiastic audiences. This
week he speaks at Leeds, Bradford, Shell
field and Derby The subject chosen for
today is useful Suffering" the text taken
Being Luke 4:46: 1T behooved Christ to
suffer"
There have been scholars who have ven
t,red the assertion that the pains of our
Lord were unnecessary. Indeed, 1t was a
shocking waste of tears and blood and
agony, unless some great end were 10 tie
reached If men can prove that no good
result comes of it, then the chara:;er of
Cod is impeached, and the unlv .r:e must
stand abhorrent and denunciatory at the
fact that the Father allowed the butchery
of His only Legottcn Son. We all admire
the brave six hundred men described ty
Tennyson as dashing into the conflict, Wnen
they knew they must die, and knew at the
same time that some one had blum
der'd:" but 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 me Lord will help
me, this morning, that for good reasons
Christ went through ;he torture. In ether
words, 1T behooved Christ to suffer"
l. In the first place, | remark that Christ's
decorations were necessary, because mans
rescue was an impossibihty except by the
payment of some great sacrifice. Outraged
law had numbered against lnlqulty. Man
must die unless Il substitute can intercept
that death Let Gabriel step forth. He
refuses Let Michael, the archangel, step
forth He refuses. No Roman citizen, no
Athenian, no Corinthian, no reformer, no
angel volunteered Christ then barred His
heart to the pang. lie paid for our re-
demption in tears and blood, and wounded
feet and scourged shoulders and torn brow.
1T is done" Heaven and earth heard the
snap of the prison bar. Sinai ceased to
quake with wrath the moment that Cavalry
began to rock in crucitixion. Christ had suf-
fered. OH! says some man, Il don't like
that doctrine of subStitution; let every man
bear mis- 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 suf-
fer for you! DO you not sui.
the patriot suffer for his country? Did not
Grace Darling suffer for the drowning sail
ors? Nicarious suffering on all sdes But
how insignificant compared with this scene
OF SlCaTl0uS suffering.
Was it for crimes that | had done
He groancd upon the treef
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 that the
worlds sympathes might be aroused. Men
are won to the right and good through their
sympathies. The world must feel Alright be-
fore it can act Alright. So the cross was al
lowed to be lifted that the worlds sympa-
thies might be aroused Men who have been
obdurated 10y the crueIiies they have enact
ed. by the maSsacrcs they have inflicted, by
the horrors of which they have been guilty,
have become little children III the presence
of this dying Savior. What the sword could
not do, what JuggernautS could not Subdue
the wounded hand of Christ has accom-
plishcd There are this moment millions of
people held under the spell of that one sac
rlbce. Tn" hammers that struck, the spikes
into the cross have broken the rocky hcrats
OF the world Nothing but the agonies of a
Sayior's death throe could rouse the worlds
SympathicS.
| remark again: 'rt behooved Chrct to
suffer- that the strength and persistence of
the divine love might be demonstrated Was
1t the applause of the world that induced
Christ on that crusade from heaven? Why
all the universe was at His feet Could the
conquest OF this insignificant planet have
been mere matter of applause? 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 OH the throne of the uni
verse, come down to orr planet if it were
a mere matter of applause and acclama-
ton? Nor was it an ex-
pehuoH undertaken for the
accumulation % vast wealth. What could
~ hn. hlr rAG+.s IL i.
little world do for Him whose are the
glories OF infnitude and eternity? Nor was
IT an eXpermcnt-an attempt to show
what lie could do with the hard-hearted
race. He who wheels the stars in their
courses and holds the pillars of the uni
verse on the tips of His fingers needed to
make no experiment To tnd what He could
do Oh. | Will tell you. my friends what
it was. 1t was undisguiscd, unlimited. all
cqnquerlng, all-cOnSuming, infinite, eternal
SAmpotent love, that opened the gate. that
started the star in the east, with finger
of light pointing down to the Manager: that
arraycd the Christmas choir above Rethc-
hem, that opened the stable door where
Christ was born. that lifted Him on the
cross. Love thirsty at the we'll Love at
the sick mans couch. Love at the erin.
pies crutch. Love sweating in the garden
Love dying on the cross. Love wrapped
in the grave. You cannot mistake it, The
rblindcst eye must see it. The hardest
HtlEG IluSI ItFI H. J ne ttIltSt ear must
hear it. Parable and miracle. wayside talk
and seaside interview. all the scenes of
His life, all the sutferngs of His death.
proving beyond controversy that for our
migrate earth God has yearned with stu
pendouS and ineXtingush abe love.
But | remark again: at bchooyed Christ
TO suffer- that the nature of human guilt
might he demonstrated. There is not
common sense man in the house today
that will not admit that the machinery 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 rcadjustment
But the height, and depth. and length, and
breadth, and hate, and recklessness, and
internal energy of the human heart for
sin would not have been demonstrated if
against the holy and innocent One of the
cross it had not been hurled in one bolt
of fire Christ was not the first man that
had been put to death. There had been many
before Him put to death; but they had their
whmS their fOllieS, their sins their in