The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-16

feeling ready to say IN some vague
and general way that tho death of
Christ has saved tho world.
The Jesus who has drawn all men
unto Him has hccn One who based His
power, not on His character or His
miracles or His teachings. upon this
one condition, ri l be lifted up.
we cannot overcstimate the great
Importance and clearncss of the fact
that Jesus Himself looked for tho
greatest results from His death. He
was always pointing forward to 1t
before 1t came; He met it with the
most awful reverence when it arrived,
and with the last gasp of Ills closing
agony. He announced the completion
as II 1t were the work of the world
that had been finished
1t is impossible for our human minds
to know what relation tho death of
Jesus bore to the plans Of God, but
one thing we sec, and that is, by His
death new and permanent and vital
truth was brought into play in this
world.
That new truth was tho forgive
ness of sin Before tho birth and
ued'h OF Jesus Christ, God tho Father
had been known only as lawmaker
and lawgiver, whose commands were
eternal and unchangcable Men learn
cd that If an artery was cut death
must follow; that pain came from
Durns and sorrow from sin. and so
men bowed themselves to receive the
Just burden or their OWL deeds and
submitted to results OF sins they could
not wipe out.
But in this Divine nature there was
another equal and eternal force-the
force of forgiveness-and there This
great healing force lay waiting for
the revelation OF the Cross. AS the
law was in person, so forgiveness
must be in A person too. AS the law
giving person was eternal and SUI
preme so the forsiving person must
be eternal and supreme as we'll.
Now. here is our idea of Christ lie
was forever in the Godhead, the ele-
ment OF pardon. Uncreated. eternal
AS the Deity Itself. the power Of par
don has rested there in Him forever.
the ages came and went. man de-
veioped. and with his growing con
seriousness there came a sense OF 81,
and need for forgiveness and so the
pardoning Saviour became the great ad
ministrator of the world. and came
10 preach forgiveness and by Ills Will
Ing suffering to show how tho Divine
nature may sacrifice Itself TO reach
the great end IT desires of the replace
ment OF race into its lost holiness
and hope
We degrade the whole nature Of tho
suffering Divinity If We picture Jesus
as appealing 10 mems pity. and low
erins His mercy 10 he an applcan,
before their sentimental sympathy
with pain And We dishonor the Di
vino completeness II NC talk of tho
Atonement as If !; were the late de
vice to remedy an unprov'dcd break
In the administration of the universe.
No! Christ was tho truth; tho nav
truth: Vet the everlasting truth-ncw
in It's certain exhibition 10 mankind.
everlasting in It's existence in tho ma
turc OF God
From all eternity upon whose very
limit my sense aches In tho attempt
TO measure II. this Jesus has bocn
waiting 10 show this truth to me He
has como at last and shown II. lie
has written 1t out in blood He has
laboriously translated II into human
life that may not mistake IT: and
then, when lie can do no more when
the truth that has heen true forever
has been thus fcarfully announced tho
work is over, and crying. Il, is I'm
ished.' tho saviour drops His head and
closes His eyes and dies
on, what finishing that was, n
Is as If eternity was crowded into tho
heart of Him who spoke What CRY
like this has the world ever heard?
No; even that first utterance of calm
creative power Let there be light"
had greater meaning or sublimitv
than this last agony of love that
burst from the lips OF the satisfied
Redeemer: ~ have been lifted up.
snail draw all men unto Me. Now IL is
1nished"
The truth we are to learn from this
is the truth that sin may be forgiven.
1t IS fought with enforcement 10 every
par. OF our nature; IL IS the truth our.
souls need, Everything you have ever
done that is wrong. the great and
small trangressions Of your life, your
sins against yourself, your sins
against your brother, your sins
against your God-they may all he
forgiven. Your :mpieties and doubts.
your omissions and commissions. your
happenings with truth. your wicked
thoughts and words and dceds-you
need not carry them one step farther.
They may all he forgiven nand swept
away and buried so deep that neither
your own self-reproach NOR the NAL
ice or your most powerful enemy. nor
the Judgment OF the Offended law
shall find them out hnd Of all rbi.