Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1913-04-19

no other cxplana-
ton of his death is satisfactory. or
even possible. than that he suffered
as a substitute for guilty men
We have been trying to recall some
of these reasons while meditating on
the transcendent event commemorated
on Good Friday.
"a His death occupies the fore
most place in the New Testament.
There are. for example. twenty-eight
chapters In the Gospel of Matthew.
and eight OF them. at least. or more
than onequarter of the whole. Is Ia
ken up with the story OF his crucifix-
ion ana the events Immediately lead
ing up to aud following II. About the
same proportion is seen In Johns
gospel. to say nothing of the emphasis
laid upon his death In the epistles OF
Paul and the book OF Revelations.
(2) His death awakened the greatest
interest in Heaven as well as on earth.
since Ia Peters first epistle. Chapter
/, ~. he tells us that these things
the angels desire 20 look into" More
over. when Moses and Elijah. brought
back to earth. were conversing with
Jesus on the Mount OF TRANSPORTATION.
II was about, His decease which he
should accomplish at Jerusalem"
duke TX. 3i)
CD II was the central object ever
present in christ's own thought and
teaching. Men come into the world
to live. but he tells us that he came
into the world to die, The son OF
man. said he. came not to be minis.
tered unto. but TO minister. and to
give his life ransom for many"
Matt Xxx. 2S) In another place. with
application to himself. he says. Eek
cept corn OF wheat fall into the
ground and die. II abideth alone but
II It die, It bringeth forth much fruit"
John xii. 24)
ca His death was voluntary. In
John VII. &c. We read that at Ger.
tain crisis. mo man laid hands on
him. because his hour was not yet
come" And again he himself said. Il
lay down my life that might take II
again No man taketh IL from me. but
| lay II down of myself. have power
To lay It down. and | have power TO
take 1t again" John x. II. $50 Fur
thermore. II is specifically said that
In his death he yielded up the ghost"
In other words. the passing out OF his
spirit from his body was the act OF
his own will
go At the same time He died with
peculiar agony, not merely that OF a
physical but spiritual kind. crying
out. MY God, My God. why hast
thou forsaken me?" Whoever heard
of God forsaking martyr to his
truth? And II Jesus were forsaken in
any sense. must II not have been as
substitute for us?
90 There were wonderful pheno-
mena accompanying his death as OF no
other man.-'the veil OF the temple
was rent in twain from the top TO the
bottom; and the earth did quake. and
the rocks rent. and the graves were
opened. and many bodies OF the saints
which slept arose. and came out OF
the graves after his resurrection, and
went unto the holy city and appeared
unto many" Matt xvii. 81, $50
"a II was a predicted death. A
way back In the Garden OF Eden Il
was pointed 10 In the words addressed
20 the serpent. Il will put emnity be-
tween thee and the woman and be-
tween thy seed and her seed; 1t shall
bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise
his heel tGen. III. i5.l Isaiah the
prophet. spake OF Christ seven or
eight centuries before his birth. say
ing. "Hie was wounded for our trans
gressions he was bruised for our ini.
quities: the chastisement OF our peace
was upon him; and with his stripes
We are healed" (53. 81 And Daniel
said he should be cut of. but not for
himself %. 26)
80 u was a predestined death,
since Peter says. Yet are not re
deemed with corruptible things as sill.
yer and gold but with the pre-
cious blood OF Christ as of lamb with
out blemish and without spot; who
verify was foreordained before the
foundation OF the world
t9) Finally. u was a death which
has been eommemorated by an obser.
vance that never can be hid or ex.
planned away. namely. the communion
OF the Lords supper. in which Chris
tians eat the bread and drink the wine
in remembrance OF his dying love.
This is the reason an inspired apps
| tie IL able 10 say. whatsoever shall
| call upon the name OF the Lord. shall
! be saved" from. X. 49,