The morning news., 1897-03-22
SUFFERED TO SAVE SOULS.
TALMAGE breaches on CHRISTs
GREAT SACRIFICE.


Few Blocks Away From the
Scene of Their Toll.
washington March 21.-From many con-
ditions of life DR.. Talmage, in this ser
mon. draws graphic illustrations of one
of the sublimest theories of religion
namely. vicarious sacrifice. His text was
Hebrews s:22. without shedding of blood
is no remission"
John G. Whittier. the last of the great
school of American poets that made the
last quarter of a century brilliant, asked
me in the White mountains, one morning
after prayers, in which 1 had given out
Cowpers famous hymn about The Foun-
tain Filled With Blood do you really
believe there is a literal application OF the
blood of Christ to the soul?' My mega
tive reply then is my negative reply now.
The Bible statement agrees with all phy-
sicians, and all psychologists, and all sci
entists, in saying that the blood is the life.
and in the Christian religion it means
simply that Christs life was given for
our life Hence all this talk of men who
say the Bible story of blood is disgusting,
and that they don't want what they call
a slaughter house religion only shows
their incapacity or unwillingness to look
through the figure of speed toward the
thing signihed. The blood that, on the
darkest Friday the world ever saw ooz ed,
or trickled or poured from the brow, ana
the side. and the hands, and the feet
of the illustrous sufferer, back OF Jeru-
salem in q few hours coaguated ana dried
up, and forever disappeared; and If man
had depended on the application OF the
literal blood of Christ, there would not
have been a soul saved for the last eigh-
teen centuries.
In order to understand this red word of
my text, we only have 10 exercise as much
common sense in religion as we do in
everything else. Pang for pang, hunger for
hunger, fatigue for fatigue, tear for
tear, blood for blood, life for life, we see
every day Illustrated. The act of substi-
tuition is no novelty. although hear men
talk as though the idea of Christ's suffer
ing substituted for our suffering were
something abnormal, something distress
ingly odd, something wildly eccentric, a
solitary episode in the worlds history;
when 1 could take you out into this city,
and before sundown point you TO 5OO cases
of substitution and voluntary suffering
of one in behalf Of another.
At 2 o'clock tomorrow afternoon go
among the places of business or toll. 1t
will be no difficult thing for you to ind
men who, by their looks, show you that
they are overWorked. They are prema~
tureIy old. They are Fastening rapidly to-
ward their decease. They have gone
through crises in business that shattered
their nervous system and pulled on the
brain. They have a shortness of breath
and a pain in the back of the head, and
at night an insomnia that alarms them.
Why are they drudging at business early
and late? For fun? No; it would be diff
fcult to extract any amusement out of
that exhaustion. Because they are aVar-
icious? In many cases no. Because their
own personal expenses are lavish? No;
a few hundred dollars would meet all
their wants. The simple fact is, the man
is enduring all that fatigue and eXaspera-
ton. and wear and tear, to keep his home
prosperous. There is an invisible line
reaching from that store, from than bank,
from that shop, from that scaffolding, 10
a quiet scene a few blocks away, few
miles away, and there is the secret of that
business endurance. He is simply the
champion of a homestead, for which he
wins bread, and wardrobe, and education,
and prosperity, and in such battle 10000
men fall OF ten business men whom 1
bury, nine die of overwork for others
Some sudden disease finds them with no
power of resistance, and they are gone.
Life for life Blood for blood. Substitu-
tion!
At / o'clock tomorrow morning, the
hour when slumber is most uninterrupt-
ed and most profound, walk amid the
dwelling of the city. Here and
there you will find dim light, because
IL is the household custom to keep a
eubdued light burning; but most of the
houses from base to top are as dark as
though uninhabited. A merciful God has
sent forth the archangel of sleep, and he
puts his wings over the city. But yon-
der is a clear light burning, and outside
on the window easement is glass or
pitcher containing food for a sick child;
the food is set in the fresh air. This Is
the sixth night that mother has sat up
with that sufferer. She has to the last
point obeyed the physcian's prescription,
not giving a drop too much or too little,
or a moment too soon or too late. She IS
very anxious, for she has buried three
children with the same disease, and she
prays and weeps, each prayer and sob
ending with a kiss of the pale check. BY
dint OF kindness she gets the little one
through the ordeal. After IL Is all over,
the mother is taken down. Brain or nerV-
Gus fever sets in, and one day she leaves
the convalescent child with mother $
blessing, and goes up to join the three IN
the kingdom of heaven. Life for life.
Substitution The fact is that there are
an uncounted number of mothers who' az
ter they have navigated a large family Oh
children through all the diseases OF lnIan-
Cy. and got tnem IdlIlS SldA tSu ~ 'ie
towering slope of boyhood and girlhood'
have only strength enough left to die.
They fade away Some cah 1t consump-
ton: some cali IT nervous prostratoni
some cali il Intermittent or malarial m
disposition: but i call II martyrdom OF the
domestic circle Life for life. Blood Tor
blood Substitution!
or perhaps the mother fingers lone
enough TO see a son get on the wrong
road and his former kindness becomes
rough reply when she expresses anxiety
about him. But she goes right on, looking
carefully after his apparel, remembering
his every birthday with some memento
and when he is brought home worn ou'
with dissipation, nurses him I'LL he gets
well and starts him again, and hopes, anc
expects, and prays, and counsels, and sur
fers. until her strength gives out and she
fails. She is going, and attendants bend
ing over her pillow. ask her If she has any
message to leave. and she makes great Ell
fort TO say something, but out of three
or fourt minutes OF indistinct utteranc'
they can catch but three words: MY pool
boyr The simple fact Is she died fol
him. Life for life. Substitution!
About thirty-six years ago there weni
tla.ssr