When
very young he traveled on the Continent, and became delighted with the
literature of Germany. He informs us that, "in 1811 he saw the mark of
Luther's inkstand on the walls of the Castle of Wartburg, and there
first learned to throw inkstands at the devil." His view of sacrifice
was very superficial, and similar to that of Maurice. The Jewish
offerings were typical "of the slaying and offering up of the carnal
nature to God.... The lesson of the cross is to draw nigh to God, not by
this work or that work, not by the sacrifice of this thing or that, but
by the entire sacrifice and resignation of their whole being to the will
of God."[153] Christ did not perform his important mission so much by
his death as by his entire life, and his sufferings were only the
completion of his task. "His great work was to be completed and made
perfect, as every truly great work must be, by suffering. For no work
can be really great unless it be against the course of the world.... It
was by losing his own life in every possible way--by the agony in the
garden; by the flight and denial of those whom he had chosen out of the
world to be His companions and friends; by the mockery and cruelty of
those whom his goodness and purity rendered more bitter against him; by
the frantic and murderous cries of the people, whom he had loaded with
every earthly benefit, and whom he desired to crown with eternal
blessings; and by the closing sufferings on the cross--that Jesus was to
gain his own life, and the everlasting life of all who will believe in
Him.
Pages:
721
722
723
724
725
726
727
728
729
730
731
732
733
734
735
736
737
738
739
740
741
742
743
744
745