Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-04-26

out blemish or spot. But even though
he had lived his perfect life, there
would have been no salvation for sim
ners had he not gone to the cross. In
the strong words of Bishop MOule,
His life had to do with his being
a~ll-worthy. But it did not, in whole
or in part, constitute the sacri-
fee" The Apostle Peter sums up the
matter thus: "Ye were not redeemed
with ~corruptible things, as silver and
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 and
without spot"
His life was given "for'' us, that is,
instead of" US, for so the word may
be translated. The idea of substitu-
ton cannot be removed from this ex-
preston. An illustration of the
thought is found in Exodus 30:12:
when thou takest the sum of the
children of Israel after their number,
then shall they give every man a ran
som for his soul unto the Lord" The
half-shekel given by each man was
''atonement money! ito make tone
ment for their souls as the succeed
ing verses make clear. The people were
considered not as doomed but as ran
somed by the atonement money paid
instead of their death. Just so, Christ's
death takes the place of ours.
The reality and solemnity of the
substitution of Christ for sinners is
set forth in Galations BIB: Christ
hath redeemed US from the course of
the law, having become a curse for
US" The old revival hymn well ex-
presses the amazing and glorious
fact:
Bearing shame and scofhng 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 f1inching to death, or to mar
tyrs who have sung at the stake, if
his death were no different from
theirs. But if we understand that he
was entering into the shadow Of the
cross upon which he would bear the
sins Of the world, we can understand
his shrinking horror of it 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 not
be emptied of it's awful content. Bish.
op Moule points out that Christ could
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 fna.
DOOM" The bishop wisely adds, 1.-THE
reverent disciple will avoid all detailed
speculation in such a 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 LORI
went through,
To find the sheep that was lost.
What a price has been paid for GU
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, "It is finished" answers all tn
questions which could be asked il
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, mo nail his han
{ was pierced with the nail" With eve
: more effort she raised her hand to he
brow and, after feeling it, said. IN
; thorns; his brow was crowned wit
thorns." Finally, her hand stole to he
side, and with triumph she cried, IN
l spear; his side was pierced by tn
: spear"