The Huttig news., 1908-05-09


the year 5 of the empire of Tibeius Cae-
sar and on the Is of March, |, Pontius
Pilot, governor of the Praetore condemn
Jesus of Nazareth to die between two
thieves, Quintius Cornelius to LEAD him to
the place of execution. Then Plate
scourged him and delivered him to be
crucifed. Go soldiers and get ready the
cross was Pilates final decision. The
cross was rough structure, an instru-
ment of shame and torture, any common
wood of olive or sycamore, which come
first to hand would do, but it must be
strong enough for its duty. SO the cross
beam is quite heavy. this cross beam is
laid on Jesus and he sinks beneath it.
What wonder? Oh, think and consider
Jesus had been scourged already and
scourging itself was terrific punish
ment, the long leather thongs, armed with
bits Of bone or iron, brought down with
pitiless blows upon the barred back, bit to
to the quick and spat forth blood.
Consider only the night before Jesus
had been swept though with plunginG
tides Of the deepest and tenderest emo
ton as he had said the farewell words to
his disciples in the upper chamber in
Jerusalem.
Consider, there had succeeded the mid
night spiritual agony of Gethsemane.
Consider, there had followed that the
arrest, the various trials. the Journeys
from the Sanhedrim council to Plate
house, from Plate house to Herod pal
ace, from Herod palace back to Pilot S
house and the multiplied and various
buffetngs and decisions.
Consider, that through all that tumult-
uous torturing night no sleep had laid its
rest on Jesus for an instant.
Jesus is stripped of his robe, the back
lacerated by the scourging is laid upon
the uneven wood, the arms are stretched
along the cross beams, at the center of
the open palm where the nerves tangle,
a blunt nail is sent crashing through into
the wood by blows from a mallet, also
the feet are nailed and perhaps. helped
slightly by a projection, affording the
body little support. the body hangs
there on the cross, from four great
wounds
Consider, what physical agonies must
have conferred in that sufferer | am
indebted to various authorities for the
following statement. Dizziness, cramps.
thirst, starvation, sleeplessness, fever
modification of INTENDED wounds. the
constrained position of the body, the back
cut by the scourging pressed against the
hard wood, the torture shooting from
hands and feet where the nerves and
senews so thickly enterlace, broken and
damaged by the nails, the circulation
checked by the tension of such posture Of
body, the oppression of the heat as it
vainly tries to drive the blood, the suffer
er denied even the relief which would
come from the free bleeding of the
wounds for such could bleed but slightly
the blows of pain which smite the head
sun-charged as the brain must be with
blood, the difficulty in breathing, the
monday sun shooting its glare and
heat, the hot wind drying up the moist
ure of the body, each moment more ter
rible than the last, yet with no vital or
gan even touched, the circumference of
life but grazed by wounds, the awful
hours before. by such slow approaches.
death could reach and vanguish the eta
del of life, such physical tortures are
centered in that sufferer.
Consider the spiritual agonies pressing
upon that sufferer. There is that cry
which discloses them and yet wells them,
My God! My God Why hath thou for
saken meq And at Hast as Stroud as
serts in his physcalcause of the death
of Christ, and as | believe there was
literally the broken heart under the
spiritual agony Of such bearing of our
sins.
Such sight is certainly of the Divine
love. If duty stoops to such sacrifice for
US nothing can more plainly set forth the
Divine love to US. Such sight ought to
show the danger of the sinner. If only
at such cost he can be saved. How
great and real his danger.
Such sight ough. to assure US of the
possibility of forgiveness. He was
wounded for our transgressions. Since
he was there is forgiveness for us.
Such sight ought to urge forgiven sin
ners to instant and constant services.
Such sight ought to make men seek
and obtain the baptism with the Holy
spirit.
Such sight ought to starte US at the
utter helplessness of those who reject
such sacrifice. Having given his son to
such sacrifice for mans redemption, ev-
an God can do no more. duty has reached
its limit. there can remain no more, no
other greater sacrifice for sin.
We're the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small,
Love so amazing, SO divine,
Demands my SOUL my life, my all.