BAPTIST TABERACLE, CAMBRIDGE. Anniversary Services.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2219, 28 September 1886, Page 2

BAPTIST TABERACLE, CAMBRIDGE. Anniversary Services.

Thk anniversaiy services of the B.intist Tabernacle, Cambridge, were held on Sunday. Pastor Spurgeon, of Auckland, win the prnncher both morning and even njf, and the building whs crowded on each Oceanian. The Revs. Jones, of Ponsonby, and Griffiths, Pastor of the Cambridge chinch, also assisted at the services. In the un>ining Pastor Spurgoon delivered an impressive address from Galations, 2 chap., 21 \ , " I do not frustrate the grace of God; for if righteousness come by tho law, then Christ is dead in vain." in tho evening he solccted his text from the. 2^rd verse of the 27ehap. of Matthew, "And the governor said, why, what evil hath ho done? 15ut they criod out the more, saying, let him be crucified." Tho governor's question would bo the theme of his discourse—" Why, what ovil hath ho done?" Imagine, if you can, a visitor from some; other world coming to this world in the midst of thia scene of sorrow and suffering, when Jesus was betrayed, taken captive, and led to tho hall of tribunal. When His enemies weie in tho act of scourging his back and spitting in His face. One can understand such a visitant fiom some starry world coining into the crowd and saying, Why, what evil hath He done? His face, full of purity, innocence, and grace, alone in his sufteiings, no followers with spear, sword, or buckler around Hun. The visitor would say this is no robber, no murderer; there is no blood on His hands except the blood brought by the scourge of His enemies, and would repeat the questtion, What evil hath He done ? And you would feel tho same if the story of the Cioss was not so well known. I wairant th it if this was a new story your eyes would be wet with tears, and your hearts rent with Borrow, and it is because you know it so well that you esteem it so lightly ; although His sorrow means our joy ; His stripes our peace ; and His death our everlasting life. May we have some of that spirit to-night which will enible us to realise this. I will take the words of the text first as applying to Christ's life, and secondly as applying to His death. The governor's question — What evil hath he done ? applies to other times and seasons in His history. Behold the babe of Bethlehem, born like other babes, but among circumstances of mutual piivation. He is the Sou of Mary, and yet the ever blessed Son of the Most High. How is it we find Hun on eaith at all, and in such miserable circumstances? His shelter a stable, his cradle a stall. Why, what evil hath He done? Trace Him still fmther, when His enemies rose against Him, child though He still was. When Herod set out to put Hun to death, and slaughtered hundreds of innocents bemuse the sages had foretold the coming King. Thi.s little infant was the cause of all thi* bloodshed. \Vh it evil h.ul he done? Innocent, aye, more innocent than a new born babe, for all bom of women have the taint of sin. while Chiist had no sin. Trace Him still further amid the tod of tho carpenter's woikshop in Nazireth, and alter His ministry had commenced there is still the same story of wop and suffering. Tempted of tho devil in the w ildeiness; anguish of mind and weauness of body, until He end* His. life on the cross, and you still »«*k the question, " Why, what evil hath He done?" Suffering is the rosulr of sin, and He was sinless. Then, for whoso sins did he suffer ? Not only was He the victim of sorrow, but of persecution, someimv's pixsive, as when they sneered and jibed at Him, and sometimes active, until bye and-nye the plot culminates, iikl Judas betrays Him to a shameful death with the traitor's kns. Emperor nf Woe, Monarch of Misojy. Kingof Grief ! Why does (Jod permit hitn to endure it? Has he broken man's laws? Men think their own laws are more important than God's, as I can easily prove. A. man does not feel offended if he is called a sinner, but call him a criminal and note the difference. And yet God's laws an* the most important after all. Had Jesus Christ broken man's laws, important or not? No, He had agreed to most of the laws, except with some slight divergencies. He came not to destroy the law but to fulfil it. When He healed the lepers He told them to fulfil the conditions of the law, and when questioned regarding the tiibute to C;e-ar he admitted the Mom in rule. On every hand H^ was a law abiding mm, conforming to the prac f ic a s and customs of the Kingdom. The soldiers were charmed by his language, the women followed at his heels, and the children clung to His skirts as He passed nnnd the temple columns. Pilate could hud no fault in Him, Pilate's wife (Mtiti'ined him .-tgamst interfering with this just pers tn. Tho centurion, awed by the v <\<>t\ i»f the thunder and the eaithqn ike, d"cl ired linn the Son of (}>!, and Jnda> hinis ;|'— th • arch traitor— took back the thirty -hiuiug pieces of silver to the priest-, spying th rt y were tho price of mii'ic:iit blond, and went and hanged hunsp.f. Wh»t evil hath He done; None, He standswpieme, »erenn and supetn.il. Hid he broke. i (iotl s laws — •' Thou sh >,lt nut kill.'' He had not killed ; on the other lund He had made alive; had healed, saved, blessed and restored. When those who were with Him took up the svvoid and would ha\e endeavouied to io-eue Him, He prevented them. Clenlv Ho was not guilty on this cou'it. " Thou shalt not commit adultei y '" Dieted ,S,ui»in , never was heart purer th in Thmo. When the woman taken in adultery w.is before Him, He, the only sinless one who could have ca^t a stone, dismissed her. "Neither do I condemn thoe, go and sin no uioie."' ''Thou shalt not beir fal-e witness." Kvery one wondered at tlie gracio'is vv irds that came nut of His mouth. Not guilty certainly on this count. "Honour thy father and thy mothei," If there was one of God's commands that He might have disregarded it was tins. Vet for thirty yeais He was obedient to one who was only, His reputed father, and in hislast moment's affectionately lemenibeied His mother. All His life Christ kept the law as none othei could. He was h.n mle-s, holy, and un defiled. He cast no shadow. His miii wis always vertical. Theie were no sh idovv about Him except the luminous shadow of His good deeds. ]-[.• played, but never foi p.udou foi Hinis-'lf. If you s'Mich cirefully tluough the account of Christ's life you will be unable to point to anything of which you cm say, it would have be"ii better if that had been away. I have read of .in author who, as a means of getting his wot k sold and road, advertised a pii/' foi t'to reader who could find the largest number of i-rintei's enors in his book ; but you cannot find one fault in Chiist. !)<> yon siy this is unimportant? It is not so. Your eternal salvation depends upon it. If one fault cm be found in Christ, then you must find another Saviour. The Lamb must be without spot or blemish. But if I can say as Ido now that he is without spot or blemish, then that's the Saviour for me— His righteousness will avail for me. I think that is a sufficient answer to the first question—" He hath done no e\il." But if he did no evil why did men treat him so? Some say they could not have knwwn how pood He was, they must have thought Him a hypocrite, or ])os«iUly anti-Christ. No, it was because He was good that they trotted Him sO.s 0 . The light shined, and the darkness comprehended it out, and the daik-nes-s fought against the lipht. It is alvv iys so, the darkness fights against the light, and impniity hates purity. They 'aw He was a living witness agunst them, and condemned them although He did not speak, and therefore they condemned and crucified Him. Men who are untioly themselves cannot bear to come into contact with holiness, and therefore they point, jeer, iibe, mock, scoff, and scorn at rolicrion. And why did Christ ondiuo these sufferings when He could so easily have released Himself. Twelve legions of angi Is waited but the beck of His finger or the glance of His eye. Why did He suffer this ill-treatment and despite ? " For sins not His own, He died to atone." "Ho was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed." "He loved us, and gave Himself for us." Now, we are coming to the answer. He hath done no evil, but we have done evil, and He suffered in the sin nor's stead. And why did God allow it? Why did Ho look on? He didn't all the time, and that was the bitterest j«art of Christ's sufferings, when he cried, " Why hast thou forsaken me." God did not only suffer this, but Ho actually arranged and planned it. I say it with tho utmost reverence, but God delighted in it. It was the odour of a sweet smelling saculice. This is a great mystei y. Though the stoi v, of the cross is simplicity itself, their is a depth of divinity about the scheme ot s t U i tion that we shall never understand until we ret above. Christ w m sj.otlo--, m,l \ t lie suffered. That's the do< fi m.< I love to preach, the docti me of substitution Then, aro we all saved ? Nay, but all who believ e on I Inn have everlasting life. I f you believe on Him you get immediar >ly the as-anav^ of your salvation, for if C<>d has pr.nished Him he will not punish you. Oh, that \o t

would .ux'fjit thih mt'ss.t^e, ;ind in youi muio-t hunt, " I do li"h(>\u, I will believe tint, Jesus sot nip free." This rvenm^ .t M>ner will \w holii, whou P.iHt(.r ( Jnftiths uillbe formally indnctcrj to the pastorate of the church, and nddicw*, will b" delivered by the Keys. .S|Miigcon, J'>nt^, (Jiiffiths, Ris'hworth, and Kvans.