“Ougkt Not Ckrist
To Have Suffered?”
And Ought One Person to Receive Benefit from T h e Suffering of Another? B 9 DR. A . C . D IX O N
refused to advise the Roman Senate to accept the terms of Carthage, and went hack with the envoys to he tortured to death. Has any one, ancient or mod ern, been unpatriotic enough to blame him for it? The legend of Mettus Curtius sacrific ing himself that the fissure in the Roman Forum might be closed, has been used by statesman and orator to inspire the young to deeds of valor. Has one word ever been written in condemnation of the spirit that prompted the act? A regiment of Austrian soldiers were guilty of mutiny, and each man of them, by the laws of war, had for feited the right to live. The court-mar tials decided that only every tenth man should be shot, and the victims were chosen by lot. The lot fell upon an old soldier, whose son pushed him aside and stepping into his place died in his stead. The soldiers of Austria to this day praise him for the deed. In many a European prison is the record, “ Fine paid by John Howard” ; “ Debt paid by John Howard.” John Howard chose to set prisoners free by paying fines and debts, and I have not heard of a magistrate who denied him the right to do so. Now, shall men have the right to do what we deny to Jesus Christ? Shall the mother suffer for her child, shall friend suffer for friend, shall the patriot suffer for his country, shall the soldier suffer for his comrades and receive the praise of all, while we deny to Jesus the right to suffer for those He loves more than mother ever loved her children, or
“ Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to have entered into His glory?“ Luke 24:26.
UGHT one person to suffer for another? Damon be came hostage for his friend Pythias, who, after being condemned to death, was permitted to go home and see his loved ones before
execution. Before the return of Pyth ias Damon was heard to express the wish that he. might he permitted to die for his friend; and when, to the surprise of his enemies, Pythias appeared the day before the execution, »there was a gen erous dispute between the two friends as to which one should be permitted to die for the other. It is to the credit of the tyrant Dionysius that his heart was melted by such an exhibition' of the self-sacrificing spirit of friendship, so that he pardoned Pythias and expressed a desire to be a partner in their friend ship. Has any one from that day to this been mean enough to blame Diony sius for admiring devotion which made Damon willing to die for his friend? The story has been woven into poetry, and is today an inspiration to noble minds. A blacksmith was seated in the Village postoflice, surrounded by his neighbors’ children, when a rabid dog appeared in the door, and the noble man, forgetful of self, throttled the beast in the grip of his sturdy hands, hut not until the virus had passed into his own blood. The villagers put flowers on his gr,ave every day. Regulus, the hrave Roman general,
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