Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1897-03-31

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/ John Ruskin for william Turner.
Blood for blood. Substitution!
What an ex,lting principle this
which leads one to suffer for anotherI
Nothing SO kindles enthusiasm or
awakens eloquence, or chimes poetic
canto, or moves nations The principle
is the dominant one in our religion
Christ the martyr, Christ the Celestial
Hero, Christ the Defender. Christ the
Substitute. No new principle. for il
was as old as human nature; but now
on grander, wider, higher, deeper,
and more world-resounding scale. The
shepherd boy as champion
for Israel with a sling top.
pied the giant of Philistine braggado-
clio in the duet, but here is another
David who, for all the churches mill.
tant and triumphant, hurls the Goliath
OF perdition into defeat, the crash of
his brazen armor like an explosion at
! Hell Gate. Abraham had at Gods
command agreed TO sacrifice his son
Isaac, and the same God just in time
had provided ram OF the thicket as a
substitute; but here is another Isaac
bound to the altar, and no hand ar.
rests the sharp edges OF laceration and
death, and the universe shivcrs and
quakes and recoils and groans at the
horror.
All good men have for centuries been
trying to tell whom this Substitute was
like, and every comparison. inspired
and uninspired, evangelistic. prophet
ic, apostolic and human, falls short,
for Christ was the Great Unlike. Adam
n ton Of -. 1.
rectly from God; Noah a type of Christ,
because he delivered his own family
from the deluge; Mclchisedec n type
OF Christ, because he had no predec =
sor or successor; Joseph a type of
Christ, because he was cast out by his
brethren; Moses a type of Christ, be-
cause he was deliverer from bond.
age; Samson a type of Christ, be.
cause of his strength to Stay the lions
and carry off the iron gates OF impos-
sibility; solomon type of Christ in
the athuence of his dominion; Jonah "A
type of Christ, because OF the stormy
sea in which he threw himself for tho
rescue of others; but put toge Their Adj
am and Noah and Melchisedec
and Joseph and Moses and Josh
ua and Samson and Solomon
and Jonah, and they would not
make a fragment of Christ. quar-
ter of a Christ, the half OF a Christ. or
the millioneth part of a Christ He
forsook n throne and sat down on his
own footstool. He came from the top
OF glory TO the bottom OF humiliation,
and changed circum ference seraphic
for circumference diabolic once
waited on by angels, now Kissed at by
brigands. From afar and high uu
He came down; past mctcors
swifter than they; by starry
thrones, Himself more lustrous;
past larger worlds to smaller
worlds; downstairs of ornaments
and through tree tops and into the
camels stall, TO thrust his shoulder uu.
der our burdens and take the lances of
pain through His vitals, and wrapped
Himself in all the agonies which we
deserve for our misdoings. and stood
on the splitting decks of laundering
vessel, amid the drenching surf of the
sea, and passed midnights on the
mountains amid wild beasts of prey.
and stood at the point where all earth
ly and internal hostilities charged on |
Him at once with their keen sa bcrs-
our Substitute!
When did attorney ever endure sc
much for 4 pauper client. or physician /.
for the patient in the laZaretto. or
mother for the child in membranou.
Group, as Christ for US, as Christ for
you, as Christ for me? Shall any man
or woman or child in this audience
who has ever suffered for another find .
1t hard 10 understand this ChristIv suf.
F.4p.r :. Cd 1. IA