“One really distressed” does not understand the meaning of that which is in question. The uniform doctrine of the papers on the “sufferings of Christ” (which appeared in these pages in 1858, since then reprinted exactly) is that the smiting of Christ actually took place only on the cross. He did feel anticipatively in Gethsemane what He was about to undergo; and the more deeply in grace, because He was not under it by any necessity of His person. That is, He entered in spirit before the cross into that which only came upon Him when crucified. To quarrel with this language (which is only the reflection of scriptural statements, as has been proved without the semblance even of an effort at disproof from God’s word) seems to me petulance, where it is not a deeper opposition to the truth, and malice against those who are content with scripture. The actual smiting of Psa. 69:26, as far as Christ was concerned, was on the cross, but atonement is not there contemplated; for others are similarly spoken of in the same verse, and are they, too, atoning? Does not every upright and intelligent saint see that this association of others puts atonement out of the question? Produce one passage which makes the actual smiting before the cross; or own yourself mistaken.