The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1918-04-18

sacrifice, for the Lamb must be WITH
out blemish or spot. But even though
he had lived his perfect life, there
would have been no salvation FOR SIN
ners had he not gone to the cross. In
the strong words of Bishop Moule,
"IIis life had to do with his being
all-worthy. But 1t did not, In whole
or in part, constitute the sacrl'
fee" The Apostle Peter sums up the
matter thus: aye were not redeemed
with corruptible things, as silver ana
gold, from your vain conversation re-
ceived by tradition from your fathers,
but with the precious word OF Christ,
as OF a lamb without blemish sud
without spot"
His life was given "for" us, that Is,
"instead Of" us, for so the word may
be translated. The idea of substitu'
tion cannot be removed from this ex-
preston. An illustration of the
thought Is found in Exodus 30 ~:
"When thou takest the sum of the
children of Israel after their number.
then shall they give every man ran
som for his soul unto the Lord" The
half.shekel given by each man was
'atonement money" "to make atone
ment for their souls" as the succeed.
Ing verses make clear. The people were
considered not rs doomed but as ram
somed by the atonement money paid
instead of their death. Just so, Christs
death takes the place of ours.
The reality and solemnity Of the
substitution of Christ for sinners Is
set forth in Galations 3:13: Christ
hath redeemed us from the course OF
the law, having become curse for
U.S." The old revival hymn well ex-
presses the amazing and glorious
fact:
Bearing shame and scoffing rude.
In my place condemned he stood;
| Sealed my pardon with his blood:
Hallelujah!
The death of Christ cannot be under
stood save as the death of the sin
bearer. This alone explains the agony
and bloody sweat of Gethsemane and
the plea, "Father If thou be willing,
remove this cup from me-" Christ
would not be worthy Of the respect
paid even to soldiers who have gone
without flinching to death, or to mar
tyrs who have sung at the stake, II
his death were no different from
| n,,N nd that hl
was entering into the shadow G the
cross upon which he would bear the
sins Of the world, we can understand
his shrinking horror Of 1t all.
As to what Christ suffered on the
cross we must speak with reverent re
serve. But his cry, "My God, my God
why has thou forsaken me?" must moi
be emptied of its awful content. Bish
op MOule points out that Christ cout
not suffer that personal remorse fol
sin which must be one awful element
of the future woe of sinners; yet his
cry on the cross "at least favors the
belief that the all-blessed Sufferer
willed to bear, and the Father to or
dain, the personal experience Of de
sertion such as enters into the fina
DOOM" The bishop wisely adds, eth,
reverent disciple will avoid all detailed
speculation in such matter" Blu
well may we sing:
None of the ransomed ever knew
How deep were the waters crossed,
OR how dark was the night the Dor,
went through,
To find the sheep that was lost.
What n price has been paid for on
redemption! Surely we could ask TO
no more; God himself could ask for n
more and Satan Is silenced In view o
the work done on the cross. Christ
cry, at is finished" answers all tn
questions which could be asked i
heaven, earth or hell.
We need only fall down and THANK
fully accept the deliverance bought b
his precious blood.
A Christian girl lay dying. Wit
much effort she moved one hand to tn
other and, after feeling the palm for
moment, whispered, "No nail his han
was pierced with the nail" With eve
more effort she raised her hand to he
brow and, after feeling 1t, said, IN
thorns his brow was crowned wit
thorns." Finally, her hand stole to he
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