ose of Christ, and ought to rejoice in
the privilege of being partaker of the divine pain, of sharing it so
far as he can, and thus be found in the footsteps of Christ.

16. The theme of Christ's passion, then, must far outrank every other.
His sufferings are like pure and precious gold, compared to which ours
are as nothing. No one but Christ has suffered for the sins of
another. No man has ever paid the price of his own sins, great or
small. Even if man's suffering could avail aught for sin, the
individual could not go beyond expiating his own sins. But Christ had
no need at all to suffer for himself; for, as follows in the text, he
had committed no sin. He suffered to leave us an example, but yet also
to bring to man the great blessing of being able to say, "My sins and
the sins of the whole world were atoned for upon the cross, blotted
out, through Christ's death." Peter, Mary, John the Baptist, and every
soul born of woman must include himself or herself in this statement,
"Christ also suffered for you."

17. In the third place, Christ stands preeminent, above all others, in
the affirmation of Peter, quoted from Isaiah 53, 9:

"Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth."

18. You may draw your own conclusions as to the eminence of such a
one; for certainly there is to be found no other human being who has
not at some time sinned in word or deed. "If any man stumbleth not in
word, the same is a perfect man," says James 3, 2. But where is this
perfect man, and what is his name? It is this Christ, he alone of all,
James should have added. For Peter excludes all other individuals, in
one class, saying, "Ye were going astray like sheep." And later on
(ch. 3, 18) he tells us plainly, "Christ also suffered for sins once,
the righteous for the unrighteous." This statement leaves no man
innocent of sin, either in word or deed; and in word and deed is
included man's whole life. Speech and action are associated in various
Scripture references; as in Psalm 34, 13-14: "Keep thy tongue from
evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do
good." But in speech is the greatest liability to error. In teaching,
counseling, admonishing, consoling and censuring, and in confessing
the truth, no one indeed will be found so perfect in his utterances as
never to commit a blunder.

19. But Christ is the one perfect example in this respect. It is
impossible for saints to attain to his faultlessness. Surely no