martyrs in the hour of their death. Why should He be God-forsaken
in that crucial hour? Is it right that God should make the holiest
man in all the ages the greatest sufferer, if that man were but
a martyr? When you recall the shrinking of Gethsemane, could you
really--and we say it reverently--call Jesus as brave a man facing
death as many another martyr has been? Why should Christ's soul
be filled with anguish (Luke 22:39-46), while Paul the Apostle was
exultant with joy (Phil. 1:23)? Stephen died a martyr's death,
but Paul never preached forgiveness through the death of Stephen.
Such a view of Christ's death may beget martyrs, but it can never
save sinners.

3. THE MORAL EXAMPLE THEORY.

Christ's death has an influence upon mankind for moral improvement.
The example of His suffering ought to soften human hearts, and help
a man to reform, repent, and better his condition. So God grants
pardon and forgiveness on simple repentance and reformation. In the
same way a drunkard might call a man his saviour by whose influence
he was induced to become sober and industrious. But did the sight
of His suffering move the Jews to repentance? Does it move men today?
Such a view of Christ's death does not deal with the question with
which it is always connected, viz., the question of sin.

4. THE GOVERNMENTAL THEORY.

This means that the benevolence of God requires that He should make
an example of suffering in Christ in order to exhibit to man that
sin is displeasing in His sight. God's government of the world
necessitates that He show His wrath against sin.