The Mankato free press., 1914-05-29

THE burning bush was b symbol
of the children Of Israel suffering
but not consumed. II was a symbol
of the purifying nres Of affliction.
Il Is a symbol of the Church OF
God I'm times of persecution. II is
a symbol OF the Christian nation
going through the baptism Of fire.
Was q Revelation.
First. The burning bush was a
revelation OF Gods interest In our
human problems. In all their afflic-
tions he is afflicted and the angel
OF his presence saved them. In
his love and In his pity he redeemed
them; and he bare them and car.
ried them all the days of old.
While Moses had been brooding over
the mystery of God and writing
Psalms In the desert God had been
living In the suffering and sorrows
of his children I'm Egypt The God
of the burning bush was a living
God who lives in all our human
problems and sorrows. Abraham
Lincoln caught the same vision.
From the time he made his fare
well speech to his old neighbors
at Springfield to take up a greater
task than Washington" to the end
of his life his one concern was.
what does the great God think of
this human problem? And what
is he willing TO do to help a man
I'm his extremity? Did God feel the
sorrow OF the whole situation? This
vision of God comes only I'm ex-
perience which is our burning bush.
God was not only In the sorrows
Of the enslaved black people but he
was In the perplexed problem and
SORROWS OF his sinful erring children
north and south. He believed that
God was actively and sympathetic
ally on the side of right and that
his supreme passion was to redeem
men from the sorrows their sins
brought upon themselves and 9TH
ers.
Second. In the burning bush
Moses and Lincoln saw the glory of vi
carious suffering. Redemption through
sacrifice Is the supreme principle
of the Christian faith. The princi-
pie Is woven into the whole web
OF the world. Nature Is full OF II.
Life evermore Is fed by death
on earth and land and sea and
that a flower may come to life
something must die.
For Atoning Sacrifice.
"One of the most convincing argu-
ments for the atoning sacrifice Of
Christ Is found In a conversation
of Lincoln's in 1864. He had been
through fires and learned secrets.
Let me quote at length his state
ment: The law Of Divine retribu-
ton and justice by which one must
suffer for another Is surely a ter
rble mystery. But 1t is a fact which
no man who has any intelligence
and knowledge can deny. Moses,
who knew the law. though he prob
ably did not understand II better
than We do, calmly says to his peo-
pie. God was wroth with me for
your sakes.'
But though we do not under
stand that mysterious and terrible
law we find II written In letters
OF tears and blood wherever we go.
We do not read a single page OF
history without finding undeniable
trace of its existence.
Where is the mother who has
not shed real tears and suffered tor
ture for her children. Who Is the
good king, the worthy emperor, the
gifted chieftain who has not suffered
mental agony for his
peoples sake. Is not our Christian
religion the highest expression of
the wisdom. mercy and love of God
but what is Christianity but the
very incarnation OF that eternal law
OF Divine justice in our humanity.
I look on Moses alone silently dy-
Ing on Mount Pisgah. see that
law i'm one of its most sublime
manifestations and I am filled with
and awe.
But when I consider that law
Of justice and expiation In the death
OF the just, the Divine Son OF Mary
on Calvary. remain mute In ador-
alton. The spectacle of the cruel
fed one before my eyes Is more
than sublime. II is Divine. Moses died
for his peoples sake but Christ died
for the whole worlds sake. Both
died TO fulfill the same eternal law
of justice, though in a different
measure
Secret Of Larger Life.
Third. In the flames of the burn
ing bush there was the secret OF
a larger life. The angel In the
burning bush entices us, out OF our.
selves, and gives us capacity TO iden-
tify ourselves with a life that Is
larger than our own. There were
giants in those days. Days that
called men out of themselves to
identify themselves with national
struggles. Henry Ward Beecher and
Phillips Brooks and U. s. Grant
might have carried many undeveloped
potentialities to the grave had II
not been for the call OF God In
the burning bush. How completely
the great leader identified himself
with the people. He knew their
~ -