The Alaska citizen. (Fairbanks, Alaska) 1910-1917, 1915-03-15
Sermon to the People
BY THE REV. G. G. BRUCE.

to Jesus always gets more than he
asks. The man at the pool asked
care and obtained cure. The womaL
surrounded by lot of guilty Phari-
sees asked mercy, and obtained par
don and forgiveness and sin
no more" Another who had spent
all sought to touch but the hem
of his garment and she would be
healed. and received cure, and com
fort and peace"
Dwelling upon these points helps
to understand the scourgng. What
a pain it must have been to such
a nature Men who are frequently
punished grow stoical to its admins
tration. Must bodily pain be inflicted
on good man? 1t seems so, even
the pain Of death But death does not
end a good cause. Loyejoy dead,
Lincoln dead the martyrs dead.
Jesus Christ dead Only scourged
"Scourged him"-who spoke the
parallels, The Parable of the Prodi-
gal Son was His utterance, that
opens the home-door and keeps il
open all night for the wanderer out
in the darkness Of sin. His was the
Parable Of the Good Samaritan that
struck blow to bigotry and the
naughty look that would pass by the
brother In distress because he was
not member of their order. His the
Parable of the Foolish Virgins that
has shut the mouths Of those who
declare the lamp Of faith will burn
without the oil Of works.
1t Is not enough to weep and be
sad because man was scourged
twenty centuries ago. That man is
flogged today. The ironed lash still
makes the flesh CULVER still starts
up with Redeemed scars: Jesus is
still tied to the post with frequent
scourgings How does it continue?
PLATE is dead To be sure, the
Roman soldier has long since passed
to his reward. They scourge Jesus
who profess Him with their lips
when their hearts are far from Him
They who bear His cross should also
bear its meaning. He suffers not in
the flesh today, nor is His cause
forgotten by Him. There are those
who deny His teachings. ridicule
His plans Of salvation, forgiveness
and pardon, holding in deri5ion His
humble followers, thinking to scourge
Him sorely. Verify, they have their
reward. When He was born in the
manger at Bethlehem there was no
hospital to offer care and love to
mother and child.
Such institutions came only after
His teachings had permeated the
world No religion cares to alleviate
a sufferer but the one He founded
It is absent from the heather shores
until Christ is preached. His en-
trance into the benighted lands was
the light that has risen until we
see its rays tinting even the battle
fields Of pain and woe. With hand
soft and a heart full of tender love
His followers are taking to the suf
fering what they have learned from
Him.
They scourge Jesus who use His
name for unworthy purposes. They
gain position and fame through dis
honest methods and under the guise
of the influences Of Christianity They
scourge Jesus who think more Of
bodily pain than Of spiritual cruelty.
There are those who would have
released Him from the former but
who never take notice Of the heart
wounds. We must account the body
nothing: and the soul everything;
we must feel the oozing of the
hearts love more than the out
bursting of the hearts blood But
men know not what they do So,
dying, He spoke words for just these:
Father, forgive them, for they
know not what they do" They crown
Jesus who believe in Him; who
obey Him. Then stifle not the souls
cry; Lord l believe, help thou my
unbelief"