The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1919-08-16

~ &A s are pierced with
@ cruel nails. That
brow, on which
the dove-in holy symbolism-has set
her feet, is circled now with crown
of thorns, and blood-drops trickle
down from a score of CHASTITY wounds.
Appalled, nature, gazing upon the aw-
full tragedy, trembles, while over all
the land supernatural darkness gath
ers round. Out of that darkness
there rises a cry from the lips of the
Lowly Sufferer: "My God, my God,
why hast thou forsaken me?"
There is clearly moral connection
between that cry and the darkness,
so that the one must explain the
other. The line of hymn we some
times sing. "The darkness sought his
woes to hide" as though the darkness
were bur natures sympathy, does not
explain it.
"God is Light" 1t is written, and
this awful darkness is the result and
the proof Of his withdrawing him.
self from that scene.
The only man who ever dared say
'why?" to God, and the only occasion
in his career that he did so, receives
no answer to his cry. And some who
now hear that cry have heard him
say, ''He that hath sent me is with
me: the Father hath not left me
&Slone; for I do always those things
Mat please him." But now when they
who have hated him without a cause
have foully murdered him, the heav-
lItspg turn black above them, not in
anger against them but, as his cry
| explains 1.-THE sign that God has
forsaken him in the hour of his deep
est need.
oh, for voice to make known to
men their personal interest in that
unanswered cry! There is a psalm
| that, in one short line, tells it all-the
End: the psalm of which this cry is
the opening line. David wrote 1t, but
| it is Christ who is seen and heard in
every word of it. And in the third
verse we hear his answer to this
question, "Why?" Hear it, Oh, sin
ner! "But thou art holy" Yes, "Thou
art of purer eyes than to behold evil,
and canst not look upon iniquity."
Sin upon the Sinless One? Yes, but Il
lis your sin and mine laid on him,
| and God must turn away his face. All,
Christ in the darkness is Christ made
sin" for you and mel Christ forsaken
of God is Christ treated like sinner
III your place and raine!
Outside the limits Of Israel's camp
d fire was perpetually burning. Upon
that fire the bodies Of beasts used for
| the sin-offering were consumed, as the
apostle says in Heb. Is, "For the
bodies of those beasts, whose blood Is
brought into the sanctuary by the
high priest for sin, are burned with
out the camp. Wherefore Jesus also
that he might sanctify the people with
| his own blood, suffered without the
gate" Out to Calvary do they take
him to die, as unfit to die within the
sacred precincts of the Holy City
Christ on Calvary Is Christ, the true
Sin-offering. This is no martyrs OF
heros deathl 1t Is the Son OF Goo
lAmade sim for sinners, that they
might be made "the righteousness OF
EGod In him." and out of that awful
darkness comes our everlasting light
out of that forsaking, our assurance
of his abiding presence; out OF that
cry of anguish, our hymn OF glad
dest praise. To its bitter dregs has
| he drained the cup of divine wrath
against sin, that he might tura Il
| into a cup of eternal bliss for every
one who will drink. Q, soul, crink
and live!
If there were no such word II
Scripture as, she thVt believeth moi
shall be damned" she that believttf
mot shall not see life, but the wrath
OF God ubideth on him" that supernat'
ural darkness round the cross woulo
/ be a sufficient warning to all mer
ANSWER that question, if you can: i
God turned away his face from Ms
one beloved Son, Sthe very darling o.
Ih.s heart, and infinitely holy because
Emy sin was but imputed to him, VIVA
will he do with you whose sins are
your own by nature and by practlc'
/ when you stand before him, as yos
Igurelv shall2