Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1920-05-12

I $@%%%3 propitlation Tor
| M D sin. Conscience
ssS & recognizes there
is something in
God to be appeased, and we under.
stand the cry of the publican, "God be
merciful Il. e. propitious) to me, a
sinner" Underlying the sacrifices Of
the heather, is the feeling that there
Is wrath in God to be reckoned with.
DR.. H. c. Mabie points out that a
heather man, on his way to the temple
with kid for sacrifice, may not un-
derstand Just why he offers 1t. He
will tell you that his fathers did 1t
before him, and hence he does 1t. Yet,
II he is questioned further, and 1t is
suggested that the blood of the kid
is to take the place Of his own death
for his sins, his face will brighten and
he will confess that this is the thought
of his heart in the matter. 1t is true
the heather may have wrong thoughts
Of God, yet the Scriptures confirm his
feeling that there is wrath in God
against sin, and that this must be ap-
peased. The cross does not minimize
the awfulness of sin, nor deny Gods
anger against it; but, as Professor
Denney has said, "The cross is in
scribed God is love- only because it is
inscribed also, the wages Of sin Is
DEATH"
God Provides a Covering for Sin.
The glory of the Gospel is; that
while God requires propitiation, he
himself provides it. AS our text de-
clares, it was God who set forth Christ,
q. e., in a public way) to be a propi'
tlation through his blood. Hence, there
is a self-propitiation by God in the
cross. His wrath against sin is evil
dent, but also his love for sinners, for
what his holiness exacts, his love pre-
vides. Men would say, "God is love
and does not require propttiation;" )"
but the Bible argues, "God is love and
provides Precipitation" AS Romans
5:S puts it: "God commendeth his love
toward us in that while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for u.s."
The fact that God provides a propi-
tiation makes clear there is no oppo-
sition between the Father and the Son
in redemption. While Christ loved US
and gave Himself, it is also true that
God so loved the world that he gave
his only begotten Son. While we are
amazed at Christ's cry of forsaken-
ness upon the cross, yet we should not
forget the solemn words, "It pleased
the Lord to bruise him." and, "The Lord
hath laid on him the iniQuity Of US ALL"
At what infinite cost to the Father was
that bruising!
Our text explains that the cross de-
clares Gods righteousness for the re-
mission of sins that are past, or as the
r. v. has it, because Of the passing
over of the sins done aforetime." This
refers to the sins committed under
the old covenant before Christ came.
It might have seemed that God was not
angry with the wicked since he allowed
them to live and even to flourish. The
cross, however, makes clear that he
was regardful of sin and dealt lenient-
ly with sinners only because of the
sacrifice yet to be offered on Calvary.
Moreover, the cross not only looks
backward to vindicate the righteous
ness Of God; it also looks forward
and declares "at this time his
righteousness that he might be just
and justifier of him which believeth
in Jesus" Oh, that men understood
the marvel of it all! To clear think
Ing, eternal punishment is no mystery
In the dealings Of a holy God with sim
ners. The amazing mystery is that
such a God has found way by which
he can be just and still justify the un-
godly.
The Experience Of cowper.
Christ's propitiation still satisfies
guilty SOULS. The poet, Cowper, when
distressed over his sins, sought COM
fort from the Bible. He says: "The
passage which met my eye was the
twenty-ffth verse Of the third chapter
of Romans. On reading 1t, immedi-
ately received power to believe. The
rays of the Son Of Righteousness fell
on me in all their fullness. saw the
complete sufficiency Of the expiation
which Christ had wrought for my par.
don and entire justification. In an in
stant I believed and received the peace
of the Gospel. If the arm Of the Al
mighty had not supported me, I be-
lieve I should have been overwhelmed
with gratitude and joy; my eyes filled