Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1917-10-18

1erlQgS.
John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester, was
one of the most brilliant and licen-
tious mobiles of the dissolute court of
Charles II, but he was laid aside by a
fatal disease.
In the hope of breaking the monot-
ony of the sick room he began the
reading of books, and happened one
day to pick up the Greek translation
of the Old Testament His eyes fell
on this chapter which he read care
fully several times.
where did this man, Isaiah, obtain
a conception as this?" he exclaimed.
Putting aside the question of the real
ity of the career he describes, how did
he or how could any human being, I'M
aided by the divine, come to the knowl-
edge of such a character?
Thus he pondered, and the problem
would not be driven from his mind
until he himself was driven to admit
the divine inspiration of the book and
to accept the Lord Jesus as his Savior.
Bishop Burnet who knew him well, teS-
titles that if ever there were q case
of real repentance ON earth that of
John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester, was
one.
This chapter furnishes one of the
clearest evidences of the vicarious ma
ture of ChriStS SufferingS,-in other
words, that he died in our stead. In
its few verses there are no less than
IL asseverations of this truth: He
bore our griefs :" 'he carried our sor-
sows; ;" "he was wounded for our trans
greSsions - che was bruised for our
iniquities - ''the chastisement of our
peace was upon him :" 'by his stripes
are we healed :" ''the Lord laid on him
the iniquity of US all - ''for the trans
gression of my people was he strick-
en-"
We read in Roman history of Regu-
lus who had been delivered to the
Carthaginians as a hostage. Suisse
quently he was sent back to Rome to
persuade the senate to a certain course
under pledge that if they would not
comply he would return to Carthage
and yield up his life. The story is that
he himself advised the senate not to
comply with the conditions of the Car
thaginians and then voluntarily re-
turned to Carthage and suffered death
under torture. II fact his sufferings
and death were substituted for the
vengeance the CarthaginianS would
have taken upon Rome itself if they
could have done so.
III.
The language of this chapter is De
culiar in that though it was COM
posed more than 700 years before
Christ, yet so much of it concerning
him is written in the past tense. The
prophet seems to have had a vision of
the retrospection in which his nation
would engage when, after their accept
ance of Jesus as their Messiah and
Savior in the latter days, they viii
consider his earthly history and reflect
upon the part they had taken in his
rejection.
Some of you have read Charles Dick
ems Tale of Two Cities" and recall
Sydney Carton The man who so hero
ically surrendered his life to the gull
1otine in order that the life of Charles
Barney might be spared to his wife
and child
Up until that time the associates of
Sydney Carton had not regarded him
very highly. He was slovenly in dress,
dissolute in habits, aimless in life But
as he stands on the platform before
the jeering crowd, awaiting the signal
for the ak to fall upon his head, there
draws across his mind vision of the
sanctuary made for him in the hearts
of Charles and Lucy Darney and he
sees their children and children's chill
dren, making annual pilgrimages to
that spot and their tears as they re-
count the story of his sacrifice
1t Is much like that that Isaiah pic
lures contrite Israel. They are look
ing back upon him whom they pierced.
aAh" saw thew syve hid Our faces from
him." We did esteem him stricken.
smitten of God and afflicted. But he
was wounded for our transgressions,
he was bruised for our iniquitiesr'
1t is an experience with which every
converted man be he Jew or Gentle,
must have some acquaintance. And he
who claims to be washed from his sins
In the Redeemer's blood and yet feels
no blame for his rejection and cruel
fxion, has yet to learn the meaning OF
that passage which speaks of our
him afresh and putting him
to an open shame.